They Say I Say

Tardiness in Schools [Name of the writer] [Name of the institution] Table of Contents Chapter 13 Introduction3 Problem of the Study3 Research Hypothesis and Questions4 Significance of the Study4 Scope and Delimitation5 Chapter 26 Related Literature6 Research paradigm7 Definition of Terms8 Chapter 39 Research Design9 Procedure9 Population9 Description of Subjects9 Instrumentation10 Statistical Treatment10 References11 Chapter 1 Introduction The behaviors of the student have a negative impact not only on the learning education system but on the nation too.The students who bunk for the school for a short or large part of the day called tardiness or the entire of the day called truancy not only harm academic failure, but give to the rising number of students who negatively impact the standing of the educational system as well as nation. The negative effect not only influence schools by deterring educational leaders from effectiveness and helpful educational plan with stability and exclus ive of information breaks for the students, but also puts requirements on society to determine how they will help students and their families with emotional and social requirements.This study explored the medical, economic, social, emotional and psychological causes for the tardiness of student in a middle school background (Leigh & Lust 2008). Tardiness of student is an important aspect in measuring if the student will become at threat. Without interference, tardiness behaviors of students regularly result in severe emotional and social issues. There is consideration that a major number of students of middle school are misplaced by school, demonstrating up late, and going outside from school during school timings for a diversity of educational, emotional, and social causes.Problem of the Study The problem statement of the study is to explore the connection between the school and work tardiness in students of middle school. School workers, school staffs, parents, and personals who o bserve this information will have an enhanced understanding of tardiness of school, associated school deviant actions, and punctuality in a middle school setting. Research Hypothesis and Questions Truancy, frequent nonattendance, and Tardiness behaviors are important forecasters of the students turning to be at hazard.These in danger students, in accordance of the reports, become engaged in delinquent behaviors to have a negative impact on not only these students themselves, but also on the society, educational system and nation as well. Questions The research questions are: Â ·What seems to be the basic reasons of extreme tardiness behaviors? Â ·How do these students of middle school elaborate repeated tardy behavior? Â ·What effect does staff of school consider the tardiness on student behavior? Why? Â ·What types of behaviors direct to tardiness? Why? Â ·What are the connections of severe tardiness? What sorts and types of programs seem to be successful for use in treating t he problem of increased tardiness? Significance of the Study The issue has significance for the educationalist, suffering families who are concerned in consideration why various students are persistently miss, and late for the school and how educationalists can have a constructive pressure on the students, they are accountable for and take them into class on time. The study on tardiness of the student is one of the important elements in knowing early on a child who might turn out to be at risk.Such endangered students are creating the option to come up to school late or do not mention it owing to the conditions and behaviors they have discovered themselves in, whether by option or an effect of situation. These behaviors students and are adversely influencing the schools of nation, and the students are endangered for reducing out of school. Scope and Delimitation Scope The study is about the number of students concentrate school late after an event with parents. These adverse connect ions with parents can regularly become customary for families, ensuing in the student gathering supplementary tardy days all through the school year.The hazard with these kinds of connections with parents is that students turn out to be usually tardy all through their childhood. Delimitation 1. The outcomes are surrounded to the students in the rural area school. 2. Not all local workers of school contributed in the research. 3. Not all students participating selected to be in the research. 4. The student sampling is moderately homogenous. Chapter 2 Related Literature Edgier (2007) stressed the adverse impact of tardiness by defining that the students have to be present and involved to learn.Perceptive the causes that pupils are late for school, the activities associated with this occurrence, and the force it has on students’ education and expansion is vital owing to the pessimistic consequences that effect from students who are lost class time. Tardy students are probable to turn out to be middle school withdrawals; consign irrelevant crimes; or develop into Student truancy, common student non-attendance, and tardiness carry on to be a main problem confronting American educational structure.In tackling the dilemma of truancy, it is showed what the middle schools system is performing to fight tardiness and truancy in the middle schools. The study affirmed that the concern of student tardiness is one of the primary symptoms of a student turning to be a student who is endangered. Researchers are supported to observe truancy and are confronted to identify truancy more widely, permitting researchers to deal with the obstacle students practice by gone all or a number of the school day. Scott (2010) defined the actions one-school system executed to decrease tardiness.A helper principal in fact visits a home of the student if such student does not arrive to school on time. The management concentrates not only on the student’s behavior who come to late s chool but also on his parents who do not observe no matter which wrong with their children arriving to school late. One of the most annoying concerns in contemporary’s schools is tardiness?. Students practice a harmful effect when the students become tardy. Tardiness not only influences the pupil who is tardy, but also has an influence on the school surroundings, teachers, and further students, as well as the school all together (Leigh & Lust 2008).Instructional time and force are pessimistically impacted by the students who become late; these students can turn out to be engaged in delinquent manners in unverified areas of the school. In this condition, there is chance for hostility, harassment, damage, and misbehavior. These types of behaviors can take over into the class and additional influence the learning setting. Extensive tardiness is a symbol that there is a main dilemma-taking place with the child at the instant or in the history.One of the main notions that instruct ed this research and given imminent into processes schools can take to control student tardiness was got from Ekstrom Goertz Pollack & Rock (2006)’ work on the morals of care. Formerly this significant association has been created, the cares will better appreciate and be better prepared to sustain, help, and direct the persons they are educating. Research paradigm While there is vast research on school tardiness and absence, no research in the literature review assessed the direct connection between students and tardiness behavior in middle school.The main purpose of this study is to gather quantitative data to observe if school tardiness can forecast the tardiness. The secondary objectives are to a) contrast the tardiness, absence and GPA records of the students to the middle school student sampling, b) resolve if the students at diverse are parallel to each other, c) observe if chosen demographics force school tardiness and unnecessary nonattendance, d) inspect the connecti on of school tardiness and unnecessary nonattendance in the middle school population. Definition of TermsTardy/Tardiness: Be late for whichever quantifiable duration of time passed the affirmed or planned start time for school. Truant: A usual truant ways a student who is not present from school devoid of a satisfactory reason for element or all of five or more days on which school is owned throughout a school section. Unexcused absence: Not presence or demonstrating up for class as also not gets a suitable rationale as elaborated by the school for the nonattendance, for example funeral, illness, vacation, or accepted school action. Chapter 3 Research Design This is the experimental study employing control and experimental factions to assess one of the purposes. Tardiness, unnecessary nonattendance and GPA information from middle school students are contrasted to the similar variables for the enduring middle school population. Procedure Information gathered on the middle school samp ling and the subgroup of students will be assessed. Successive results, outline, conclusions and recommendations will be merged with suitable workers of the school in the study.Population The population researched was middle students who concentrate a rural middle school in south-central Wisconsin. The school area faces presently over 500 square miles and gives somewhat more than 2,000 pupils from 4 years old throughout middle school. Description of Subjects At the time the research will begin, they had a full amount of 44 students. All 44-student students from the enduring four students are accepting letters calling them to contribute in the study.Instrumentation To test a hypothesis SPSS will be used in this regard in which excel and SPSS software’s are to be used. Statistical Treatment The students were raised to offer time records from March 30 to June 7, which was the previous week of the year of school. Uncertain nonattendance and tardiness concerns have a direct effect on schools and serve up as early on caution signs to researcher that there is a dilemma in the life of child. References Ediger, M. (2007).School Dropouts, Absenteeism, and Tardiness, Counseling. Ekstrom, Ruth, Goertz, M. , Pollack, J. , & Rock, D. (2006). Who Drops Out of High School and Why? Findings from a National Study. Teachers College Record Volume 87 Number 3, pp 356-373. Leigh, J. P. , & Lust, J. (2008). Determinants of employee Tardiness. Work and Occupations: An International Sociological Journal, 15(1), 78-95. Scott, C. A. (2010). Junior high school tardy lock out (RC017912). Florida: Nova University.

Critically assess Catholic Church teaching on IVF with particular emphasis on third party involvement

Moral theology includes concerns of a particular or special nature as well as those of a general or fundamental nature. There is thus a two-fold division in moral theology – fundamental moral theology (which we have been doing up to now) and special moral theology. They are intricately related. Special moral theology deals with concrete moral issues that relate to sexuality, medical practice, business relations, social ethics. Fundamental moral theology shows the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ of special issues.Disagreement at the level of concrete issues often can be traced to different understandings of the foundational concerns of morality. One of the most high profile special issues at the present time is Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR). This lecture concerns what is perhaps the most well known technique in the treatment of infertility: In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). The First ‘Test-tube’ Baby On July 25, 1978, Louise Brown was born in Oldh am, England, using IVF. She was the first so-called ‘test-tube’ baby, the culmination of years of pioneering research by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards.IVF is a gruelling, though relatively straightforward process. The ovaries are chemically stimulated to produce multiple eggs since pregnancy rates increase with transfer of more than one embryo. The eggs are recovered by laparoscopy, then coincubated with sperm for around 12-18 hours to allow fertilisation to occur. After an additional 48-72 hours, the embryo (or pre-embryo) is transferred to the uterine cavity by a catheter. If successful, implantation will occur in 2-3 days.Success rate is 20-25 per cent – approaches that of the natural process†¦.. much more expensive of course! Standard IVF: This is the simple procedure – sperm and ovum come from husband and wife, and the pre-embryo is implanted in the uterus of the wife. Church Teaching: Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith: â€Å"Instr uction on Respect for Human Life in its Origins and on the Dignity of Procreation† (Donum Vitae). 1987. The CDF rejected ‘simple case’ artificial reproduction (AIH and IVF) with the gametes of husband and wife.The analysis that led the congregation to reject IVF is as follows: â€Å"The Church’s teaching on marriage and human procreation affirms the inseparable connection, willed by God and unable to be broken by man on his own initiative, between the two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative†. The ‘unitive meaning’ refers to the union of two bodies in sexual intercourse; the ‘procreative meaning’ refers to the principle that all acts of sexual intercourse should be open to the possibility of procreation.Both the unitive and procreative meanings of the conjugal act are derived from the natural law. Just as contraception separates the unitive and procreative dimensions of sexual expression, so also, in an analogous way, do technological interventions such as in vitro fertilisation and artificial insemination by husband (AIH). Some moral theologians, notably Richard A. McCormick SJ, argue against the teaching of the CDF, basing their arguments on the reforms of Vatican II.The argument goes as follows: The centuries-old primacy given to procreation over other meanings of sexual expression was â€Å"publicly and definitively abandoned† by Vatican II. Another principal change is the criterion to be used in judging the rightfulness or wrongfulness of human conduct. The second Vatican Council shifted the criterion of moral judgement away from faculties and their purposes to a strong emphasis on the centrality of the person. It proposed as the criterion not â€Å"the intention of nature inscribed in the organs and their functions but the person integrally and adequately considered†.One must discover what is promotive or destructive of the person. The physical facul ties must not be considered in isolation from the person. McCormick argues that there is â€Å"an evolution of doctrine occurring with regard to the understanding of the unitive and procreative dimensions of sexuality.. †. Development of doctrine usually involves both continuity and change. The thread that yields both continuity and change is the notion of the inseparability of the unitive-procreative dimensions of sexuality.The continuity: the general validity of the insight. The change: a broadened understanding away from an act-analysis of this inseparability. Theologians argue that IVF is not a substitution for sexual intimacy, but a kind of prolongation of it, as well as a perfection of it in that it remedies infertility – it does not involve the total severance of the unitive and the procreative. The natural law principle can be upheld if the spheres of the unitive and the procreative are held together so that there is no procreation apart from marriage i. . , th ere is no procreation apart from the conjugal relationship as opposed to the conjugal act, and no full sexual intimacy apart from a context of responsibility for procreation. The inseparability principle is retained, but such inseparability is something to be realised in the relationship, and not the individual act. It must be stressed, however, that McCormick’s argument is not accepted by the magisterium of the Catholic Church:- cf. Vatican Council 2, Vol. 2, ed. by Austin Flannery (New York: Costello Publishing Company, 1982), p. 98, par. 3. Third party involvement: Third-party involvement in infertility treatment involves donor eggs, donor sperm, donor embryos, donor wombs.Pius XII in 1949 said â€Å"Artificial insemination in marriage with the use of an active element from a third person is †¦.. immoral and as such is to be rejected summarily. Only marriage partners have mutual rights over their bodies for the procreation of new life, and these rights are exclusive, nontransferable and inalienable†. Between the child and at least one rearing parent there is â€Å"no bond of rigin, no moral and juridical bond of procreation†. Karl Rahner agrees: argued that AID fundamentally separates the marital union from the procreation of a new person. Rahner also faults the anonymity of the donor, which represents a refusal of responsibility as father and an infringement of the rights of the child. Does 3rd party involvement (via gametic donation or surrogate gestation) infringe on conjugal exclusivity? Does having a jointly raised child justify such infringement? McCormick answers ‘Yes’ to the first question and ‘No’ to the second.The notion of conjugal exclusivity should include the genetic, gestational and rearing dimensions of parenthood. Separating these dimensions, except through rescue (as in adoption) contains a subtle diminishment of the human person. Where there is donor semen or eggs, there is a genetic asy mmetry in the relationship of husband and wife to the child, with possible damaging psychological effects. Third party involvement separates procreation from marriage in principle – decisively breaks the natural law unitive-procreative principle.The question of the freezing and destruction of embryos, the implanting of multiple embryos with the consequent high possibility of miscarriage and also the carrying out of ‘foetal reduction’. Genetic screening of embryos. The above are further important ethical issues that have arisen due to IVF. Resources: www. google. com Type in ‘Catholic Church teaching on IVF’, and ‘IVF’, etc. Catechism of the Catholic Church: pars. 2373-2379. The Catechism allows that homologous artificial insemination and fertilisation (standard IVF) are â€Å"less reprehensible† than those that involve third party donation of sperm, eggs or uterus.

The common law and equity Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The common law and equity - Case Study Example Equity's impact remains as strong as ever and traces down its foundation to Norman Conquest. Equity to the layman means fairness and justice, but in the legal context its meaning is much more strictly defined. There are rules of equity which must be obeyed. Like any common law, its development may appear equally inflexible and rigid1. Its rights gave foundation to many modern laws and the remedies are daily used by the legal practitioner of the 1990s. Therefore, it plays a substantial role in (British) English legal system. It is a historical creation with modern usage. It is not a pre-conceived theory rather equity is delineated by a series of historical events.2. In the medieval period the chancellor was the most important person in the country next to the king himself. By varying existing writs or inventing new ones, the chancellor could have some influence on the development of the law. Slapper, G. and D. Kelly (2006) said that the common law system develops whereby a civil dispute had to be brought before the appropriate Royal Court by a writ. A claimant could only sue at common law, if only his complaint came within the scope of an existing writ. In the thirteen century, available writs covered very narrow ground. Even if the claim came within the scope of an existing writ, but only due to some reason, such as the power and influence of the defendant, the opponent could not get justice before a common law court. Latter the petition was used to obtain relief where the common law was inflexible and incapable of providing a remedy. Hanbury & Martin (2005) argued that the common law developed into a comprehensive system, but a litigant could only sue at common law if his complaint came within the scope of an existing writ. However, the systems quickly became rigid because judges, feared a flood of actions as a result of the popularity of the royal justice, which stopped issuing new forms of action. As a result, this attitude proved to be a major obstacle to the development of new rules and principles. By thirteen century, hurt litigants filed a petition to the chancellor, to find a more justified solution to their problem. Chancellor was trying to give relief in tough cases, and the medieval chancellor was peculiarly well fitted for this work. If the petition was successful, the chancellor's conclusion would usually be different from that of common law court. Otherwise the matter would have been litigant at common law court. As a consequence, the growth of these petitions rose. The decisions were made on the basis of fairness and reason and so the notion of 'equity' was founded. The common law tradition grew in to the ELS3 through a long process of rationalization of traditions, customs and local practices, during medieval time. The Anglo-Saxon customs were there before the Norman Conquest, but afterwards were joined with Royal Justice in a consolidation of 'local laws' and a vast body of judicial decisions have been built up which resulted in the forms of the present laws. The common law has developed by the judges during and after this century. Customs have a strong influence, which seemed ceased, in forming the new laws. When equity originally developed, gave a gloss to the common

Problems and ergonomic approaches in taxi driver position Essay

Problems and ergonomic approaches in taxi driver position - Essay Example All this is possible with ergonomics. The science of ergonomics relates to the provision of health and safety conditions within a workplace. According to the International Ergonomics Association: â€Å"Ergonomics is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance† (IEA, 2000). The ergonomic rearrangement of appropriate aspects within a workplace can provide comfort to operators and can have a significant impact on executing several daily tasks in a more accurate and convenient way (Donald, 2007). The purpose of this assignment is to redesign the work environment, meaning the seating arrangement for a professional taxi driver based on the principles of ergonomics. If it is found that the shape of the taxi is such that the taxi driver’s seating is cramped and uncomfortable, a shift to a vehicle with a more spacious interior may also be recommended. As can be seen from Picture 1 taken of the taxi driver at work, he feels cramped and uncomfortable and this position moreover is not congenial to long hours of work with minimal movement. In fact this is the problem with most sedentary occupations. This study will explore the faults that exist within the work environment in relation to comfort or discomfort and will develop a plan of suggested interventions. Its primary aims are for the driver to minimize the symptoms of pain in the lower back that he has been experiencing, as well as to enhance comfort at work. The foundation of such a plan begins with understanding both somatic and cognitive limitations of human behaviour, in relation to their interaction with products available (Jacobs, 2008). The application of ergonomic principles supports this relationship by diminishing the present symptoms and by preventing injuries caused by repet itive movements, faulty posture and over use of body muscles. However, before attempting to apply ergonomic actions it is necessary to carefully examine the driver’s complaints and ergonomically assess the workplace in order to identify existing errors (Jacobs, 2008). Description of the Case & Associated Problems The subject is a professional taxi driver. He has been driving a taxi for five years now and works for approximately six hours per day. This profession is considered to be difficult as per occupational standards but is necessary for him, as he is studying and working at the same time. He has been complaining of low back pain since the last six months, which he suspects has originated from the uncomfortable driving posture coupled with the long hours of minimal movement on the job. The car is fitted with a manual rather than an automatic gearbox. The driver’s symptoms are reported to be a moderate pain in his lower back. However he has failed to seek treatment so far due to lack of time and his erroneous perspective that the symptoms will eventually ease with time. (Picture 1) I observed these problems when I asked the subject to sit down as he normally would in his vehicle. As can be seen from the picture, he is sitting at the wrong angle and moreover there is no lumbar support. Both of these issues are contributing to the back pain

The Airbus Way Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Airbus Way - Essay Example Moreover, this paper also comprehends regarding the unfairness of employees’ behaviour with the other members which have been mostly due to the improper distribution of authorization power. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Main Findings 5 Lewis’ Cross Cultural Model 5 Hofstede's Cultural Model 7 Problems Related With Airbus Cultural Diversity 9 Failure Merger Planned Between Airbus’ Parent Company EADS and BAE System 11 Conclusion 12 Recommendations 13 References 14 Bibliography 17 Introduction Airbus SAS is a subsidiary company owned by European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) which is considered as one of the leading European aerospace and defence service providing company one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers. It operates by focusing upon the customers’ needs and preferences relying upon the expertise of employees and technological leadership. Company offers several kinds of jet-liner products, including milita ry communication aircrafts, commercial airline aircrafts and transport aircrafts. Apart from these, the company also provides multi-role military air-lifters for various observation purposes, medical evacuations, marine patrols, carrying paratroopers and cargo transports. Moreover, company manufactures, develops and supports commercial aircrafts for over 100 seats (Airbus S.A.S., 2013). At present, Airbus also offers comprehensive as well as modern product lines which include superior facilities for passenger aircrafts comprising from 107 to 525 seating capacity. Several kinds of amenities are also offered through commercial aircrafts such as A320 single-aisle aircrafts, A330 or A340 long range aircrafts, A350 XWB next-generation family aircrafts and A380 double-decker family aircrafts. Additionally, it can be observed that in its operations, Airbus tends to expand its opportunities in present competitive commercial market and broaden its product ranges by implementing expert, high skilled employees within the military markets. Moreover, company also aims at expanding its business portfolio comprising freighter aircraft products with the expectation to set new standards of operations within the general aircraft manufacturing industry sectors (Airbus S.A.S., 2013). Main Findings Lewis’ Cross Cultural Model During 1990s, British multilingual person and cross-cultural communication expert, Mr. Richard Lewis created a cultural model which till date is used to help the evaluation of the differences among divergent cultures. This model has been widely used to deliver generalized evaluation upon cultural diversity that can assist leaders to regulate their leadership styles by fulfilling different cultural needs of their employees and the stakeholders at large. This model classifies cultural differences into three main categories, such as ‘Linear-active’, ‘Multi-active’ and ‘Reactive’ (Richard Lewis Communications, 2013). Figure: The Lewis Model (Richard Lewis Communications, 2013) According to the Lewis Model it has been observed that organisations which operate under the category of a linear active culture, are basically task oriented owing to which greater focus is rendered towards technical competencies and demonstration of facts before sentimental

Fuell cell technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Fuell cell technology - Essay Example It does not take a great deal of environmental knowledge to realize that the effect that humans are having upon the environment has produced noticeable side effects. Although technology has aided in making life easier, the fact of the matter is that many of the negative impacts that humans are currently displaying upon the environment are the direct result of the technological advancement that has been realized within the past few hundred years. Almost invariably, the negative impact that humans have upon the environment is both the result of the production process of passenger cars as well as the pollutant nature in which they oftentimes operate. Once again, technology, within the past few decades, has aided automobile manufacturers in greatly reducing emissions; however, the fact of the matter is that within the current technology of engine designed and means of transportation that is practiced, there is only a certain amount that can be improved without moving on to a new more sus tainable and efficient process. As a function of this unique juncture that exists, this analysis will pay a particular level of interest with regards to fuel-cell technology, the use of CNG, and LPG fuels as well as seeking to measure their overall efficiency, abundance, and cleanliness with respect to the environment. Fuel cell technology Though it may seem as something that is only been around for a relatively short period of time, the fuel-cell can trace its basic principle back as far as 1893; discovered by Sir William Grove. More recently NASA utilized the same principles of the fuel-cell in seeking to power space exploration vehicles; such as the moon car that was used on the Apollo mission. As technology has increased, fuel cells and become much more popular within the consumer market; even powering homes around the world. At its most basic level, the fuel cell is nothing more than a battery which is powered by hydrogen. In comparison to the fuel efficiency of such a mechanis m, one should consider the fact that the energy content in a single kilogram of hydrogen is greater than three times the same amount of gasoline. Moreover, as any introductory chemistry lesson will make plainly evident, hydrogen is the most common element within the entire universe; making this an ideal fuel to exploit without the necessary drawbacks that fossil fuels bear. However, environmentally speaking, the greatest advantage of hydrogen is the fact that the process of burning hydrogen as fuel creates no exhaust rather than mere water and oxygen. With regards to the overall drawback, the greatest of these is the fact that storing and readily retrieving the hydrogen any useful state has provided researchers with many difficulties. The fuel-cell benefits on the mechanical level of fuel cell can be used to provide motion to a vehicle by producing electricity which then drives an electric motor providing power to the wheels. Due to fact that fuel cells do not have any specific omis sions, such as carbon, the net exhaust of this process is environmentally neutral. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly from the engineering standpoint, the fuel-cell represents a more efficient transfer of energy as compared to internal combustion engines (upwards of 40%

TEACHING STRATEGIES TOPIC will focus on A 50 Year Old educated man Term Paper

TEACHING STRATEGIES TOPIC will focus on A 50 Year Old educated man Recently Hospitalized With Stage 2 Infected Diabetic Foo - Term Paper Example Introduction Marzano (2010) stated that during the late 1980s, various educationists across the World had created a strong campaign against the traditional teaching strategy that was seen more of exam-oriented, since it emphasized more on developing cramming skills among the students instead of critical thinking skills. This made majority of the students to lack skills in solving certain problems and even apply logical reasoning in certain instances. It is because of these reasons that various teaching strategies have been developed so far by various education stakeholders with the main aim of helping students to develop their thinking skills at levels that are higher than knowledge and comprehension. Moreover, skills on critical thinking have been greatly emphasized since even the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission has incorporated critical thinking skills as a one of the learning outcomes in nursing programs. In actual sense, Weston (2009) described critical thinkin g as the ability to think in a rational, objective, and independent manner, in order to come up with credible and worthwhile course of actions or conclusions. Weston (2009) in his writing further added that students should follow at least six steps in order for them to become critical and logical thinkers and these steps include acquiring knowledge and perfect understanding of the topic that requires critical thinking. Secondly, the students will need to learn logic, which is the ability to construct argument and deduce meaningful conclusions. Thirdly, the students will need to learn assertiveness in order to become assertive in the criticisms that they make. The fourth step for students to become critical and logical thinkers is for them to learn comprehension, which is the ability to understand what they see/ watch and read. Fifthly, Weston (2009) stated that a critical thinker has to know about alternatives to ensure the thinking process bear valid conclusions. Lastly, Weston (20 09) stated that for students to become critical and logical thinkers they have to synthesize all separate thoughts to come up with something that is critical and logical. The frameworks of most learning theories have been aligned to ensure that learners are able to go through these steps of becoming critical and logical thinkers. Furthermore, application of the learning theories as well as the level of integration of the steps of becoming a critical and logical thinker, factor in that people have numerous forms of intelligence in different degrees. In the writings by Hunt (2011), he listed the seven forms of intelligence and they comprise of spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, body-kinesthetic, musical, and logical-mathematical. The learner The casing point for this paper is a 50-year old educated man recently hospitalized with stage 2 infected diabetic foot ulcer secondary to diabetes neuropathy. According to Mathews et al (2008), the man’s condition is attrib uted to the diabetes disease that he is suffering from, which facilitated the development of the diabetic neuropathy that commonly affects the feet of a diabetic patient.

The effect of modern culture on managerial behavior in Egypt Research Proposal

The effect of modern culture on managerial behavior in Egypt - Research Proposal Example Though this is a general definition, we can see some important aspects that translate to organizational behavior (Deal and Kennedy, 1982). Behavior in any culture of an organization, a nation, or a family is educated to its members so that the patterns of behavior, thought, speech, action, etc. are developed and restricted to what the overall society considers as acceptable. In specific, the proposal will discuss some of the aspects related to abovementioned terms in context of modern Egyptian culture (Reidy, 2010) that will be part of the major research. Literature Review The study of Egyptian culture and its impact in terms of knowledge, values, and manners that are shared by the Egyptian society (Bari, 2004) on managerial behavior and functions is very vital to define the positive and negative impact that it has on an organization and how it can contribute to the success or failure of the organization itself. The Egyptian organizations are centralized and hierarchical in structure and culture, also known as a ‘hydraulic’ society.

How did nuclear weapons affect the dynamics of the Cold War Essay - 1

How did nuclear weapons affect the dynamics of the Cold War - Essay Example During this period, Cold War revolutionized global approaches to war. Military growth and development became the subject of the day, especially in both Eastern and Western blocs. High tension also became evident as United States and the Soviet Union embarked on a bid to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. A significant rise in the production of nuclear weapons was anticipated following the end of World War II. Both Eastern and Western blocs feared the emergence of yet another world war as time went by. This fear accelerated arming in both United States and the Soviet Union. These two countries had taken their respective positions as global superpowers, an aspect that fuelled the emergence of Cold War. Over the years, the two countries would accumulate weapons of mass destruction without necessarily engaging in physical war-like attacks. Cold War was a significant factor in shaping war trends across the globe. The Soviet Union consolidated the Eastern bloc while the United States of America did the same on the Western bloc. During this time, no fighting of significant scale was reported. In other words, the war was literally cold even though it lasted for decades. Based on these observations, the Cold War exhibited critical dynamics, most of which were subject to the influence of nuclear weapons. Weapons of mass destruction undoubtedly come with consequences that do not only affect the attacked party, but also the attacker. Atomic energy that is out of control carries devastating and catastrophic implications. With two nuclear-armed nations in a standoff, it was evident that the victims would comprise of more than just the warring parties would. In fact, memories of World War II reveal just how destructive atomic bombs and nuclear weapons are. In the context of war, a repeat of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attack was an experience that warring nations would rather avoid (Miller,

Case study of Tata Cross Culture analysis Essay

Case study of Tata Cross Culture analysis - Essay Example Since being advertised in strongly positive terms as cheapest car of the world, it has been the idle gossip around the world (Stokes, Wilson, & Mador, 2010). Significant people of large organisations have been driving in by numbers only to take a look at the most outstanding work of creative engineering in the shape of â€Å"Tata Nano.† Nano is a new form of cars of this century which represents a philosophy of an investor who deliberately decided to go against the prevailing wisdom of other investors of lighter, smaller, cheaper and signify a new age in cheap private transportation and with a possibility of becoming actual, "worldwide deadlock." The word "Nano" is derived from the Greek word ‘Nanos’ which means "small" in the Indic language spoken by the people of India who live in Gujarat in western India which is also the language of the Tata Group’s founders (Stokes, Wilson, & Mador, 2010). In 2003, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Ratan Tata, the project to manufacture a car while keeping the price to one Lac rupees was started. The main aim of this â€Å"Tata Nano plan† was the demand and requirement of many families of India who could not afford 4 wheel cars instead utilized Motorbikes and bicycles for the purpose, and was grounded on the successful project of low cost four wheeled â€Å"Ace truck† by the company in May 2005 (Boone & Kurtz, 2011). Company’s Profile In 1945, Tata Motors was established. ... Among the 3 best companies in the segment of a vehicle carrying passengers, Tata Motors is also included. Tata Motors has manufactured several outstanding cars in utility, compact and medium-size segment. It furnishes its services and products on a worldwide ground. Within India it offers 5 different categories of services and products namely trucks, commercial passenger carriers, passenger cars, defence vehicles, and utility vehicles. Why Tata Nano Is Important The Chairman of Tata Group perceived the thought behind the Tata Nano, when he saw a four member family was travelling via motor scooter in rain. At that time the idea of Nano came in his mind and he desired to manufacture an automobile that could be safe, affordable and could be used in all weather condition (Byron, 2008). (Byron, 2008) This desire of Mr. Ratan Tata emerged as the most inspirational plan of Tata motors till time when the Chairman of Tata Group Mr Ratan Tata stated his thought of Tata Nano to Mr. Ravi Kant, h is managing director. From his managing experience Mr. Ravi Kant had discovered that citizens desire to shift from 2 wheelers vehicle to 4 wheelers vehicles but they have not got enough money for it. Automobile industry of India has an average growth rate of twelve percent for the past decade. Despite that this industry sold only 1.3 million vehicles for passengers in the financial year ending on March 2006. This shows that a billion of peoples of India purchase approximately the equal quantity of cars in a year as three hundred million peoples of US purchase in a period of month. However, this situation could be changed only when the cost of 4 wheels vehicle could be lowered to the extent that

Inferential Statistics Essay Example for Free

Inferential Statistics Essay With inferential statistics, you are trying to reach conclusions that extend beyond the immediate data alone. For instance, we use inferential statistics to try to infer from the sample data what the population might think. Or, we use inferential statistics to make judgments of the probability that an observed difference between groups is a dependable one or one that might have happened by chance in this study. Thus, we use inferential statistics to make inferences from our data to more general conditions; we use descriptive statistics simply to describe whats going on in our data. Here, I concentrate on inferential statistics that are useful in experimental and quasi-experimental research design or in program outcome evaluation. Perhaps one of the simplest inferential test is used when you want to compare the average performance of two groups on a single measure to see if there is a difference. You might want to know whether eighth-grade boys and girls differ in math test scores or whether a program group differs on the outcome measure from a control group. Whenever you wish to compare the average performance between two groups you should consider the t-test for differences between groups. Most of the major inferential statistics come from a general family of statistical models known as the General Linear Model. This includes the t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), regression analysis, and many of the multivariate methods like factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, discriminant function analysis, and so on. Given the importance of the General Linear Model, its a good idea for any serious social researcher to become familiar with its workings. The discussion of the General Linear Model here is very elementary and only considers the simplest straight-line model. However, it will get you familiar with the idea of the linear model and help prepare you for the more complex analyses described below. One of the keys to understanding how groups are compared is embodied in the notion of the dummy variable. The name doesnt suggest that we are using variables that arent very smart or, even worse, that the analyst who uses t hem is a dummy! Perhaps these variables would be better described as proxy variables. Essentially a dummy variable is one that uses discrete numbers, usually 0 and 1, to represent different groups in your study. Dummy variables are a simple idea that enable some pretty complicated things to  happen. For instance, by including a simple dummy variable in an model, I can model two separate lines (one for each treatment group) with a single equation. To see how this works, check out the discussion on dummy variables. One of the most important analyses in program outcome evaluations involves comparing the program and non-program group on the outcome variable or variables. How we do this depends on the research design we use. research designs are divided into two major types of designs: experimental and quasi-experimental. Because the analyses differ for each, they are presented separately. Experimental Analysis. The simple two-group posttest-only randomized experiment is usually analyzed with the simple t-test or one-way ANOVA. The factorial experimental designs are usually analyzed with the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Model. Randomized Block Designs use a special form of ANOVA blocking model that uses dummy-coded variables to represent the blocks. The Analysis of Covariance Experimental Design uses, not surprisingly, the Analysis of Covariance statistical model. Quasi-Experimental Analysis. The quasi-experimental designs differ from the experimental ones in that they dont use random assignment to assign units (e.g., people) to program groups. The lack of random assignment in these designs tends to complicate their analysis considerably. For example, to analyze the Nonequivalent Groups Design (NEGD) we have to adjust the pretest scores for measurement error in what is often called a Reliability-Corrected Analysis of Covariance model. In the Regression-Discontinuity Design, we need to be especially concerned about curvilinearity and model misspecification. Consequently, we tend to use a conservative analysis approach that is based on polynomial regression that starts by overfitting the likely true function and then reducing the model based on the results. The Regression Point Displacement Design has only a single treated unit. Nevertheless, the analysis of the RPD design is based directly on the traditional ANCOVA model. When youve investigated these various analytic models, youll see that they all come from the same family the General Linear Model. An understanding of that model will go a long way to introducing you to the intricacies of data analysis in applied and social research contexts. The T-Test The t-test assesses whether the means of two groups are statistically  different from each other. This analysis is appropriate whenever you want to compare the means of two groups, and especially appropriate as the analysis for the posttest-only two-group randomized experimental design. Figure 1. Idealized distributions for treated and comparison group posttest values. | Figure 1 shows the distributions for the treated (blue) and control (green) groups in a study. Actually, the figure shows the idealized distribution the actual distribution would usually be depicted with a histogram or bar graph. The figure indicates where the control and treatment group means are located. The question the t-test addresses is whether the means are statistically different. What does it mean to say that the averages for two groups are statistically different? Consider the three situations shown in Figure 2. The first thing to notice about the three situations is that the difference between the means is the same in all three. But, you should also notice that the three situations dont look the same they tell very different stories. The top example shows a case with moderate variability of scores within each group. The second situation shows the high variability case. the third shows the case with low variability. Clearly, we would conclude that the two groups appear most different or distinct in the bottom or low-variability case. Why? Because there is relatively little overlap between the two bell-shaped curves. In the high variability case, the group difference appears least striking because the two bell-shaped distributions overlap so much. Figure 2. Three scenarios for differences between means. | This leads us to a very important conclusion: when we are looking at the differences between scores for two groups, we have to judge the difference between their means relative to the spread or variability of their scores. The t-test does just this. Statistical Analysis of the t-test The formula for the t-test is a ratio. The top part of the ratio is just the difference between the two means or averages. The bottom part is a measure of the variability or dispersion of the scores. This formula is essentially another example of the signal-to-noise metaphor in research: the difference between the means is the signal that, in this case, we think our program or  treatment introduced into the data; the bottom part of the formula is a measure of variability that is essentially noise that may make it harder to see the group difference. Figure 3 shows the formula for the t-test and how the numerator and denominator are related to the distributions.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Essay Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is recommended by the NICE guidelines as an effective treatment for many mental health problems, specifically depression and all of the anxiety disorders. But is it a therapy open to all? When Professor Lord Layard wrote his paper: â€Å"Mental Health: Britain’s Biggest Social Problem? † in 2005, he noted that: â€Å"16% of adults of working age have a mental illness† Of these 16%, he stated that, only a quarter were utilising any type of treatment. It was this sort of finding that lead to his recommendation to increase accessibility to proven therapies such as CBT. This was achieved with the roll out of the Improved Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) programme. The diagram below shows how the IAPT programme has been divided up into 3 steps: It is this stepped approach that will contribute to overcoming some of the barriers that societies diversity may have with accessing CBT. What might these barriers be? One of the first barriers an individual faces may be around the concern of being stigmatised. It may be too hard for them to think about accessing CBT therapy for fear of what others may think. They may not want to take time off work to attend sessions for fear of it impacting negatively on their career prospects. The stepped care model means they are able to receive the lowest appropriate service tier support. This may mean that an individual is able to access therapy using guided self-help, allowing them to work through the programme in their own time and at their own pace. Online programmes such as â€Å"Fearfighter† and â€Å"Beating the Blues† allow the individual to access therapy where and when they like. Not only do these sort of programmes overcome the fear of stigma but they also overcome the issue of long waiting lists meaning that the individual can access treatment on their terms almost instantaneously. Only if this level of support proves unsuccessful will the individual then be â€Å"stepped up† to the high intensity support. These internet CBT programmes also overcome geographical difficulties, as long the individual has access to the internet and phone. In my opinion the internet is one of the main ways in which barriers may be removed. Morland et al (2011) conducted a study on the effectiveness of CBT delivered via video conferencing compared to the â€Å"traditional in-person†. The results indicated that the outcomes were just as effective. A promising move for those that are unable to access traditional CBT as a result of their location or possible mental health issue, for example those suffering agoraphobia. At the core of CBT is the individual’s motivation to learn and change. This in itself can lead to difficulties, especially in children and young people. Often this â€Å"group† is being taken to therapy rather than choosing to go. Hudson (2005) found that large numbers of youngsters were not responding to the CBT treatment that they were receiving. As far as children and young people are concerned there seems to have been limited research onto the success of CBT treatment. The first controlled trials did not take place until the early 1990s and the majority of research has focused on the impact of CBT on adults. Even so the NICE guidelines on Depression in Children and Young People recommended the use of CBT, firstly, rather than pharmacological interventions. So how has CBT been adapted to incorporate children and young people, whose very cognition and emotional stages differs from that of adults? There have been some creative adaptations to the CBT model such as â€Å"Think Good Feel good†. Here the concept of CBT is broken down into easy to manage bites. There is also a lot of use of cartoons and speech bubbles, allowing the young person to access their thoughts and feelings in a safe way. The need to use more non-verbal techniques to help the young person to engage in the process such as, storytelling, drawing and games is also highlighted in this book. O’Reilly et al (2009) have also developed an interesting approach to using CBT with children and young people. They have created a game called â€Å"gNAtenboroughs Island† which is played by the youngster alongside a therapist. Each session introduces another core CBT concept to the young person, such as the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. These are presented in a non-threatening way and also a way that may be more engaging to this age group. Cerangolu (2010) found that video games could enhance the therapeutic experience. They could help facilitate the therapeutic relationship as young people may be more willing to relate to a therapist that is ready to engage and understand their normal way of playing. Also sitting side by side rather than at the conventional â€Å"ten to two† setting also may make the young person relax. How the game is played can also reveal the young person cognitive style. As technology develops so do the opportunities to engage young people in therapy. Apps for smartphones are constantly being developed that allow the young person to access their homework in a more user friendly way, to record their thoughts and emotions instantaneously. To allow them to engage in therapy in the same way that they engage in their life. Homework may be a part of CBT therapy that causes a young person to disengage, especially as the very word may cause them to have negative connotations. Gaynor et al (2006) found that compliance toward completing homework dropped the further into therapy a young person was. It is important that the therapist and client work together to agree the homework and that the young person is encouraged to set their own, as this may encourage a â€Å"buy in â€Å"to its importance. It may be that the therapist stays away from using the language of school and calls it â€Å"practise work† or â€Å"work for self†. Initially I saw CBT treatment as regimented and unmoving, but the more I have researched the barriers that different people may encompass when thinking of embarking on treatment the more I realise that CBT is indeed structured but there is an innate flexibility about how it is delivered. It is this flexibility that allows people from different backgrounds to engage in a CBT approach that sees them as an individual rather than specific disorder.

Customer perceived benefits of Barclays bank

Customer perceived benefits of Barclays bank Customer perceived value, can be regarded as the opinion that a customer has or has formed of a particular product and how it is of value to him. Now value can have many different meanings to it, for example the price of the product in the market, its quality etc. The value also depends on the ability of the product to satisfy the needs of the customer. Simply put, the customer perceived value of any product is the consumers overall assessment of the utility or use of a product based on perceptions of what the customer receives and what he is giving to get the desired service or product. This concept can also be explained with the help of the following diagram: Customer perceived value= Perceived Benefits _______________ Perceived Sacrifice Where, Perceived benefits are the attributes of the service being received and the customer perceived quality and price of the product. Perceived sacrifice are the customer costs involved in purchasing, such as time, travel etc. Introduction to the organisation: For the purpose of this assignment, the company that has been selected is BARCLAYS PLC; the following text would give a brief company profile followed by the identification of the customer perceived value for the organisation by the use of the Customer Value Hierarchy Model. Company profile: Barclays is one of the worlds leading financial institutions headquartered at 1 Churchill Place, London. It is a 300 year old corporation that became a major financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, wealth management, credit cards, investment banking and management services provider for big global equity firms. It has an extensive international presence in Europe, Africa, Asia and off lately has started to expand in the United States market as well. It operates in more than 50 countries and employs more than 145,000 people worldwide. It moves, lends, protects and invests money for than 38 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has two business clusters: Global Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth Management- both compromising world-class business and brands. There are two other major areas where Barclays operates its business; one being the Group Centre and Absa, the Group Centre being their head office and support functions operation. The Absa Group is one of South Africas largest financial services businesses. Before we take a look at the customer perceived value of the Barclays brand, the project would like to discuss the Customer Value Hierarchy Model, and then try to apply them to the customers of Barclays. Customer Value Hierarchy Model: OBJECTIVE LAYER Customers goal and purpose CONSEQUENCE LAYER Desired consequences in use situation ATTRIBUTE LAYER Desired products/services attribute and performances The Customer Value Model consists of three layers, namely the Attribute layer, the Consequence Layer and the Objectives layer. The objective layer includes the ultimate motivations of customers, the consequence layer represents the customer experience desired by the person and finally the attribute layer specifies what actually are the needs of the customer. From the bottom of the customer value hierarchy, customers would always firstly consider the attributes and availability of products. At the second layer, customers begin to make expectations according to the attributes. At the top layer, customers form expectations about the realization of their aim. How do Barclays customers perceive their bank? Thats the question that this assignment would like to answer by giving the objectives, consequences and attributes desired by the customers, followed by a customer review. OBJECTIVES Easy personal banking Safety of the account at all times Saving account options Availability of loans at a good interest rate Online banking to keep a record of their account details at all time Ability to invest Good mortgage options Insurance options Credit card facilities Assistance while travelling CONSEQUENCES Easy accessibility to the account Peace of mind as the customer is aware that the account details are secure and safe More control over their own finances The customer does not require to keep much cash with them at all times because of the debit cards Saving for the rainy day A secure and safe environment Future is taken care off Can start a business with the help of financial banking More purchasing power ATTRIBUTES Pin- sentry device Debit card Online banking facilities which enable the customers to check account balances, make transfers, setup standing orders and direct debits. Chequebooks Barclaycard ISAs Bonds Home insurance Different types of savings accounts Different types of current accounts Overdraft facility E-savings Car insurance Travel services Looking at the above attributes, consequences and objectives list one can identify the value of the brand as perceived by the customer. The brand Barclays is a very widely recognized name and almost every person in the UK is a big fan, of course with some exceptions which are bound to be there, the customers on a general note feel very happy with the huge array of services and products made available by the bank for its customers and are satisfied with the huge network of customer service centres spread all across the world providing 24/7 customer service, also the safe and secure online banking facility provided by Barclays is very user friendly and easy to use, letting the customers always keep a track of their money. So its safe to say that Barclays as a bank not only just for people but also for small businesses and big equity firms is a financial institution of repute and is trusted and respected by the people. Just to give a basic idea about how really people feel about the pro ducts and services offered by Barclays this project would like to include a customer review, which is as follow: Barclay has never let me down. I subsequently withdraw and deposit money with ease and have it connected to PayPal.  It is extremely easy to use, I have had no login issues and their customer service cleared everything up to me.  My favourite part is that unlike most banking companies; you dont have to pay monthly fees. This really pleased me. PART 2 Critically evaluate the existing value proposition of the product/division/ company you have chosen. Compare and contrast the value proposition with that of the leading competitor in your sector. This part of the project would evaluate the value proposition or the customer value proposition of Barclays and contrast it with the customer value proposition of HSBC. But before we proceed to comparing and contrasting the value propositions of both the brands we first need to understand, what a customer value proposition really is? This is the question this project would answer first and then proceed on to discuss the variations in the value propositions of both the brands. Customer Value Proposition: In the subject of marketing, the customer value proposition consists of the sum total of benefits which a provider offers or promises a potential consumer which he will receive in return for the customers associated payment (or any other value transfer). A customer value proposition is a business or marketing statement that would describe why a customer should make use of the services and products being offered by the organisation. It is targeted towards potential consumers, rather than at other constituent groups such as suppliers, employees or partners. It can also be looked from a viewpoint of a clearly defined statement, which is designed to convince the customers that this one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than the other competitors in the same industry. Why are customer value propositions so important? This question is of utmost importance to any business, because it is only these statements that give the customer an expectation of a desired service, it provides the consumers with a convincing reason to buy the desired good and also helps differentiate the product from the other services provided by the other competitors in the same industry. They help in gaining customers attention and if the customer value proposition is strong, and is able to gain the approval of the customer then it helps in building faster and more profitable sales and in increasing the market share of the organisation. Understanding of the customer needs is very vital as this would ensure the promotion and creation of a successful brand. The word brand, is the perception of a service or product that is designed to stay in the minds of the targeted consumers. It is a very important and a cumbersome task to build a strong and positive brand in the minds of your customers, but the firms which are able to accomplish this task are the ones which rise to the top. Types of Customer Value Propositions: All benefits: This is a list compilation of all the benefits of the products and services offered to the customers by the organisation. This approach requires the least market knowledge about customers and competitors and thus does not provide a good base when seen from a marketing perspective. Favourable Points of Difference: This type of value proposition explicitly recognizes the fact that the customer has different alternatives and it then focuses on how to differentiate one product or service from another. A product or service may have several points of difference, confusing the customer and thus complicating the customers understanding of the product which would offer him more value. Without a comprehensive understanding of the customers requirements and preferences, the suppliers might stress points of difference that relatively deliver little value to the targeted consumers. Resonating Focus: This approach is used by managers who directly deal with a supplier who fully grasps the critical issue in the product- consumer cycle and who can deliver a customer value proposition thats simple yet powerfully captivating. The value proposition offered is superior in the few attributes that are of the most importance to the customers which convey a message to the targeted audience, that here is an organisation which is communicating a sophisticated understanding of the customers business priorities. When talking about the value proposition of a financial institution we have to take into account the current market conditions and then arrive at the capital and funding strategy of the bank which in itself is a sort of value proposition available for the customers to have a look at and, then these consumers can decide for themselves whether they do need to associate themselves with the financial institution. Analysis of value proposition of Barclays: Capital Strategy: Barclays capital management activities will attempt to maximise shareholders value by optimising the level and mix of its capital resources. Barclays ability to operate as a bank is directly dependent upon the maintenance of adequate capital resources. Barclays works according to a centralised capital management model considering regulatory and economic capital. The Groups capital management objectives are to: Maintaining the sufficient capital required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements set by the UK FSA. Maintaining sufficient capital resources which can support the Barclays risk appetite and fulfil the economic capital requirements. Support the banks credit rating Ensure that the locally regulated subsidiaries can meet their minimum capital requirements without having to borrow from other financial firms. Allocation of capital to support the strategic objectives set by Barclays, including optimum returns on economic and regulatory capital. Funding strategy: Barclays will manage the funding position to comply with the regulatory requirements prescribed by the UK FSA .Barclays operates on a centralised governance and control process that covers all of its liquidity risk and management activities. Funding Structure Global Retail and Commercial Banking, Barclays Wealth and Head Office Functions are to be self-funded through customer deposits and Barclays equity and other long-term capital. The Barclays Capital and Absa businesses will be funded through the wholesale secured and unsecured funding markets. Major currency payment flows and payment system collateral are going to be monitored and managed, so it can be ensure that at all times there is sufficient collateral to make payments. Day to day funding Day to day funding will be managed through limits on wholesale and secured borrowings. This will ensure that on any day and over any period there is only a limited amount of refinancing requirement. In addition to cash flow management, Barclays would also monitor the term mismatches between assets and liabilities, as well as the level and type of undrawn lending commitments, the usage of overdraft facilities and the impact of contingent liabilities such as standby letters of credit and guarantees. Additional value propositions specific to a persona customer and not the global market: Personal banking made easy by the debit card that is an internationally valid card which has many advantages like international assistance anytime anywhere, guaranteed transactions etc. Wide range of current accounts available to suit different customer needs.(mobile phone insurance, car breakdown cover etc.) Availability of loans at competitive rates Online facilities giving easy accessibility to customer funds. 24/7 customer service Wide array of savings and investment options Credit card facilities Insurance facilities(home, motor and life insurance) Mortgage facilities(buying, building and renovating of property) To understand the customer value proposition of Barclays and then to contrast it with the value proposition of HSBC, this project is going to use the SWOT analysis which is preceded by the mission statements and the vision statements of both Barclays and HSBC, thus giving us a better idea of what the customer expects from the brand and what are the promises being made by these institutions to potential and existing consumers. Mission Statement: This is a short, formal, written statement of the purpose of the company. It guides the actions of the company, benchmarks its goals, provides a sense of direction and guides in decision making. It provides a framework within which the strategies of the company are formulated. Vision Statement: This can be defined as statement that captures the long term picture of what the organisation wants to become. It gives a broad and an aspirational image of the future that an organisation wants to achieve. It is often inspirational and memorable. Mission Statement of Barclays: To develop deliver the most innovative products, manage customer experience, deliver quality services that contributes to brand strength, establishes a competitive advantage and enhances profitability, thus providing value to the stakeholders of the bank. Vision Statement of Barclays: We have a clear view of where growth will come from over the coming years. While there will be significant growth opportunities in the UK, we see many more internationally. Barclays will become a leading global universal bank. Mission Statement of HSBC: We aspire to be one of the worlds great specialist banking groups, driven by commitment to our core philosophies and values. Vision Statement of HSBC: We envision enabling HSBC to achieve its strategic objectives, driving excellence in our delivery through partnership with our customers and associates. SWOT Analysis of Barclays: Strengths: Extensive network in Europe providing business sustenance. Focus on cost efficiencies which ensure relatively higher profitability. Ability to lend amidst reduced size of the balance sheet. Associated with innovation, brought out the first credit card in 1966, most recently the OnePulse card combining Oyster, credit cashless functions for its customers. Opening of several new branches, along with a massive refurbishment programme. Weaknesses: Strained trading income impacting the revenue diversity. Barclays Capital credit market exposures are impacting the financial position and performance. Large bonuses for the Directors have attracted unwanted attention. Expansion plans in the Asian market thwarted, when Barclays were outbid for ABN Amro in 2006. Opportunities: Barclays  was keen to acquire some of Lehmans assets prior to its collapse but however, after the collapse, they have been able to negotiate a better deal with liquidators which also allowed them to be very selective in which parts of the business they actually wanted to acquire. The banks strategy to offer a full portfolio of services worldwide, provides a wide range of cross-selling opportunities. Asia continues to be an opportunity for expansion, and operations are being set up in a number of locations. Welfare provision has decreased in many countries because of the cost to governments, and  Barclays  sees self-provision as an increasing trend that it can utilise. The court recently found that  Barclays  banking charges, which had been challenged legally, were enforceable, thus repayment is not necessary and charges can continue to be enforced. Positive outlook for buy to let market may bring business volumes. Buoyant secured personal loans market in the UK could help the business. Threats: Bleak outlook for the UK economy. Regulatory fines can compress margins and financial position. Increase in online fraud. Barclays  has been accused of loss-making investments associated with the sub-prime market from its accounts to those of other investors, and there is a risk it may be sued. While offering a wide range of services provides opportunities, there is also the threat that customers may prefer to go to suppliers who present a more specialised approach. Barclays  acquired a reputation for closing branches because of a high incidence of this in 2000, and competitors have been able to position themselves as more consumer-friendly through a strategy of keeping branches open. The Asia expansion is seen as risky given that  Barclays  are in a less strong position than banking industry leaders regarding capitalisation, and this may detract investors. SWOT Analysis of HSBC: Strengths: The bank is well capitalised thus enabling it to perform relatively well against other banks in the recent economic conditions. Going forward, the bank is unlikely to borrow from the UK government because of the huge market capitalization; this enables it to retain more autonomy. HSBC has a strong presence in emerging markets, placing it in a good position to take advantage of future growth in those economies. HSBCs global presence in Europe, Asia and South America spreads the risk and offers significant economies of scale. Rebranding relatively recently (1999), the HSBC bank has become well-established and is considered of great value within the industry circles. Weaknesses: HSBC strongly believes in investing in the small business sector, but the current economic situation has led to increased risks, which could potentially compromise the activity levels in the area of its operation. HSBCs involvement with sub-prime markets in the US has forced it to write off large figures lent to high-risk borrowers. Despite cuts in the UK interest rate, HSBC has been increasing its mortgage rates. This can be perceived negatively by the borrowers and potential borrowers, which may add pressure to an already depressed housing market and can ultimately lead to more defaulting as borrowers would struggle with higher repayments. A redundancy programme which was announced recently can affect morale among staff, leading to decreased productivity and loyalty. HSBCs branding emphasises its global presence, and this can be seen as negatively by some consumers in its implication of homogenisation and lack of personalisation. Opportunities: HSBCs high levels of market capitalisation place the bank, in a strong position which helps it to acquire assets. Banks which find the trading conditions particularly difficult at present could be available at low costs. HSBC has adequate capital which it can use to purchase stronger banks such as Bank Ekonomi in Indonesia, in which it has purchased a stake to continue its Asian expansion despite challenging economic times. HSBCs strong position presents the opportunity to outperform other banking competitors during the economic downturn which allows it to build a reputation of being one of the safer banks for depositors which in turn helps to increase resources for lending. Negative press coverage of competitors such as HBOS can encourage customers to choose HSBC instead. Threats: Decreased trust in the financial system overall, including HSBC due to financial losses suffered by investors may be a reason for them to invest elsewhere. Financial losses which has affected the banking industry and investors on a global scale has resulted in less credit being available for customers. In the UK this coupled with increases in living cost has resulted in less money being saved. The slump property market has led to a rise in numbers of homeowners with negative equity. If a property is worth less than what it was borrowed to finance its purchase, there is less likelihood that the bank will recoup all its losses if owners default. Claims have been made against HSBC, about the bank understating losses resulting from US sub-prime markets, and this has led to undermining confidence in the bank by the customers. CONCLUSION: Barclays is currently taking a  conservative approach due to the recession. However, the downturn has provided the bank with many opportunities for consolidation. Also, with the BRIC and East Asian markets rebounding fast this region looks to be a source of potential revenues and provides opportunities for increasing operations. With the United Kingdom and the Americas looking at a slow and prolonged phase of recovery, Barclays will need to adopt a policy of looking east when it comes to operations. The threats and problems that Barclays may face in the future will be the sustained economic situation being experienced in the United Kingdom, Europe and America which will lead to uncertainty within the retail consumer market and could result in shortage of availability of credit. This in turn makes it even more important for the Barclays to drive its overall corporate profitability and margin by seeking to offset the shortfalls in the UK domestic market with advances in emerging markets. All companies, like Barclays, are being forced to re-examine in particular the retail aspects of their operations seeking to remain competitive on the high street and also making cuts wherever necessary. In this current financial climate, banks are unwilling to finance each other and with the UK market on the verge of a projected severe recession, all of the retailing factors will influence Barclays competitiveness and it would depend largely on how the Bank of England and the Treasury seek to reg enerate and reinforce the flagging confidence of the stock markets. HSBC will concentrate on the strategic and prioritized areas of its worldwide operation with the further emphasis on HR management strategies and technologically-advanced applications within the group to keep a firm lead in the financial markets. HSBCs conservative approach to banking, staying focused on keeping its capital base strong and liquid balance sheet have prevented its failure. Executing the HSBCs strategy entails improving intra-group linkages by joining up the businesses and functions to more effectively create additional value. The HSBC brand and global networks are going to be leveraged to reach new customers and offer more services to the existing ones. Efficiency will be enhanced by taking the full advantage of local, regional and global economies. Appropriate objectives and incentives will be adopted to encourage the employees to be fully engaged in delivering the strategy. PART 3 In light of your analysis of your existing value proposition and what you have learnt in this module produce, a new value proposition that will match the value criteria of your customers, and a plan to implement the value proposition externally and internally http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/pix/spacer.gif To create a new value proposition that would be acceptable to the customers of Barclays, all the weaknesses that the current business structure has would have to be removed and a new and better business plan would have to be drafted by identifying the opportunities and removing the weaknesses. A New Value Proposition: The trading income should be relaxed so that it does not impact the revenue diversity. Capital bonuses should be distributed in accordance with the FSA and the bad practice of the directors receiving huge bonuses should be curtailed. Barclays should provide the consumers with a full portfolio of services worldwide, rather than just concentrating in the UK, this move could enable cross-selling opportunities. Barclays should look towards expanding in the worlds booming economies like India, China, Indonesia etc. so that these economies could provide Barclays with the market opportunities it is looking for, thus increasing the market capitalization. This project would propose that Barclays should have an aggressive expansion policy in the Asian market. Barclays needs to invest in buy to let market, which would in turn bring business volumes. Due to the economic crisis in the markets, Barclays needs to cut down its interest rates and mortgage rates, so as to become a peoples bank and thus raising the brand image. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: To implement the new value proposition described above the project, will identify the key relationship-marketing issue, followed by refocusing of marketing effort: moving activities away from a marketing mix that creates a series of one-off transactions, to manage a complex network of relationships involved with the production of the whole consumer offering. T Marketing audit will be carried out so as to map out a plan that will be of most advantage to the customers and will be conducted in stages, namely at the beginning, the middle and at the end. Marketing analysis in terms of the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. A review must be undertaken to understand the new value propositions outlined above in the light of internal marketing. A new strategy development process concentrating on differentiation, cost leadership and adequate response systems would have to be created. Action programmes would have to be designed by managers so as to determine the most appropriate course to take in tackling the weakness of the organisation, with a determination of the like;ly costs which would be incurred. The implementation plan would have to be monitored and controlled by keeping a track of staff performance, evaluation and appraisal schemes. To ensure effective, appropriate and accurate results, basis for market segmentation would have to be identified, based on extensive market research. Marketing orientation is going to be very important, the new value propositions must be made clear to all the employees and clearly defined individual goals should be set down to enable the employees to see their own contribution in achieving the organisations objectives. Externally implementing the plan is going to be very important, and can be done by the use of media, electronic, print and sponsorships. The new value propositions can be made available in the form of television advertisements, available for all the people to see. The Barclays website can act as a powerful medium on which the new value propositions can be put up and made available. It should be designed in an effective and detailed manner so that the customers are aware about all the new services available to them. Print media is another powerful form by which the new policies can be made available for the masses. Barclays is a big sponsor for many big international events and meets and can use that as an active platform to educate the consumers about the new change in the policy structure.

History of the Internet :: Computer Network

A Free Net The Internet has revolutionized the communication world in unprecedented ways. It allows worldwide broadcasting, global distribution of information, and it is a medium for the interaction and communication of individuals without regard for geographic location. Thirty years ago, America?s principal Cold War think-tank, the RAND Corporation, faced a strategic dilemma: how could the United States authorities successfully communicate after a nuclear war? The solution was a network of individual nodes, computer units that would send and receive information in a random manner. If one area of nodes were destroyed the message would bounce between the others. After the Cold War ended, and the threat of nuclear war subsided, the potential for this ?internet? was realized. Of course, in the beginning, it was small and difficult to make use of, but as more corporations and different social groups began to possess powerful computers, the network grew and became more useful. As with the growth of fax machines in the early 1990?s, the Internet was only practical if someone else had one to communicate with. Today, the Internet has moved out of its original base in the military and research institutions and into schools and learning centers, public libraries and commercial sectors. It is now a vast system of millions of computers, not only corporate and military, but personal as well. The Internet can be used for the purpose of gathering information and communicating. The Internet enables users to surpass the distance barrier and Page 2 communicate with anyone on the face of the planet, provided that they have access to a computer. According to recent research, the world?s Internet population is only expanding. By the year 2002, it is estimated that 490 million people will have Internet access. At the end of this year, the United States will have 135.7 million users - that?s 36.2% of the total world users (CyberAtlas). Lately there has been another addition to the usefulness of the Internet, the sales of products and services. These transactions are known as e-commerce, the ?e? standing for electronic. In 1998 a three-year moratorium banned the taxing of Internet use and on- line spending. Currently, a new law is looking to extend this ban another five years. There are currently 7,500 state and local tax systems throughout the United States. These numbers could be significantly increased if state and local governments were able to tax e-commerce. On-line businesses would be buried in costly paperwork trying to meet the terms of conflicting tax clauses. Under the current system, it is difficult to determine the locality from which an order was placed and it is unclear where an Internet

Business Ethics Essay -- Ethics

According to Wikipedia, ethics, also known as â€Å"moral philosophy†, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality. Concepts such as good and bad, noble, right and wrong, justice and virtue. To business, ethics is a tool to examine principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. Therefore, business ethics can be both a normative and a descriptive discipline. Ethics is a part of the larger social ethics, and also always affect business development. In other words, business ethics is a factor of determining the fundamental purposes of a company. Marketing ethics is a subset of business ethics. Because in marketing, ethics deals with the principles, values and ideas by marketers; it shows how they behave in business cases. Marketing ethics affects other processes of business. Visual communication is part of marketing ethics, it is observed and serves as an instrument of epistemic closure restricting worldviews with stereotypes of gender, social status and race relationships. Pricing is how firms work out price between produce processing and customers, Anti-competitive practices with supply and chains, Content of advertisements, like products regarded as immoral or harmful to public. Children and marketing could be concerned in this case. Children is a weak group and should get more protection in business sales action. In fall 2008, China’s baby milk crisis was about thousands of Chinese babies have developed kidney stones after drinking milk contaminated with melamine. An industrial chemical has highlighted the need for the country to improve detection standards for chemical contaminants in foods. In this case, the milk’s company failed to study ethics, instead of seeking profit wit... ...h person has grown up with a particular cultural background and their own understanding of right and wrong. From a businessperson’s point of view, Social factors also play and important part and so does education and up bringing it. To firms, it has significant meaning to promote ethical spirit with business development. Because ethics is a primary element to all business, ethical is an essential part of the foundation in society. A business or society that lakcs ethical principles is bound to fail sooner or later. References †¢ www.wikipedia.com ( vocabulary & definition search) †¢ CCTV4 â€Å"Face to Face† TV Program ( Statistics approve) †¢ Shang Hai University Survey ( Published by China daily ) †¢ Financial Time ( Resources& Example) †¢ (Published by Zhang Ruimin, CEO of Haier) †¢ www.baidu.com (Resources&Example)

Free Essays - A Raisin in the Sun :: Raisin Sun essays

â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† is set at in an area where racism was still occurring.   Blacks were no longer separated but they were still facing many racial problems. The black Younger family faced these problems throughout the play.   The entire family was affected in their own way.   The family has big dreams and hope to make more of their poor lives.   Walter, the main character, is forced to deal with most of the issues himself.   Ruth, his wife, and Travis, his ten-year-old son, really don’t have say in matters that he sets his mind to.   Beneatha, his sister tries to get her word in but is often ignored.   Lena (Mama) is Walter’s mother and is very concerned about her family.   She tries to keep things held together despite all of the happenings.   Mama’s husband had just recently died so times seemed to be even harder.   They all live in a small apartment when living space is very confined (Hansberry 1731).   They all have dreams in which they are trying to obtain, but other members of the family seem to hold back each other from obtaining them (Decker).      Walter has a steady, but low paying job and wishes that he could do more for his family.   The money he makes hardly provides enough for his family to survive.   He is constantly thinking about get rich quick schemes to insure a better life.   He doesn’t want to be a poor back man all of his life and wishes that he could fit in with rich whites.   He doesn’t realize that people won’t give him the same opportunities, as they would if he were white (Decker).   Walter feels that he needs to provide more for his family and starts to ask around on how to make some money.   He gets the idea of opening up a liquor store and has his heart set on it.   Because he wants to please everybody he loses his better judgment and acts without thinking of the long-term effects.   He is ready for a change and feels the store will bring his family a better life (Hyzak).   â€Å"Mama, a job? I open and close car doors all day long.   I drive a man around in his Limousine and say, Yes, sir; no, sir; very good sir; shall I take the drive, sir?   Mama, that ain’t no kind of job ... that ain’t nothing at all† ( Hansberry 1755).

Interest Groups Essay

Introduction As we all know there are types of groups that are playing important role in the administration in the mechanism of government especially in terms of decision making or legislative body. These groups are known as Interest Groups and Pressure Groups. Basically interest group is defined as any collection of people organized to promote a goal they share or to resist some objective of the government of other groups. It is also defined as an organized group that tries to influence the government decisions without putting their members in governmental position. While pressure group is an interest group that exercises pressure on the government to obtain laws, policies & decisions compatible with their special interests. Basically pressure group is an interest group with higher degree of involvement in politics. In Malaysia, there are various types of interest groups in order to obtain the rights for what they represent. Interest groups in Malaysia such National Union for Teaching Profession (NUTP), The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (CUEPACS), Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) aggregates and articulate information regarding to their respective interest in order to influence the government decision based on their interests. However, there are disadvantages for the existence of interest groups. This will be the main idea of this assignment. Simplified Characteristics of Interest Groups Simplified Functions of Interests Groups 1. Mechanism for Political Representation- The interests of the people are represented in an organized way. It means that the people doesn’t have to directly go to the government but instead have interest groups to represent for them as the groups are established. It allows people to be involved in political process without being in a politica party for examples the NUTP, FOMCA and CUEPACS 2. Mediator between the Public and the Government- This is a linkage function between the people and the government. The interest groups provide necessary informations needed by both the people and the government 3. Interest Articulation (voice out the interests)- They voice out interests based on their interest groups and also voice out any interest of the public that is related to their interests 4. Influence the Government- This is the main function of the interest group. They influence the decisions but have no intention to take over the government and makes sure that the government focu ses on their interests. 5. Supplement Government Agencies(assist,enhance,help)- Conduct surveys and research to provide information to the government which the results will help government to adopt better public policies. Types of Interest Groups 1. Anomic Group- separates from social norms, spontaneous (informal), often involves violence 2. Associational Group- formal, distinct and established, effective procedures, active participants in political process. 3. Non- Associational Group- not formal, has similar characteristics & interests, reflect social/ethnic/cultural/religious interests 4. Institutional Group- exists within the government, highly involved in political & social activities, lobby from within the government. Simplified Methods of Gaining Influence The Demerits or The Disadvantages of Interest Groups * There are various demerits of interests group if it is not well managed and observed. 1. Some of the methods used to gain influence can lead to negative effects -Methods like Bargaining can lead to bad effects because it is similar to lobbying whereby the public policy is influenced directly. It also invloves secret negotiations which is usually related to the national budget. When this happens and if not observed carefully, the allocation of the money can be wrongfully distributed. If it happens, the interest groups may misuse the allocation given and the people they represented MAY NOT be included or the money won’t be used for the better of the people they represent. -Another risky method is the method Propaganda. In propaganda the usage of mass media and other methods to spread information to the public is on a massive scale. If the information or awareness spread by the interest group is false or with hidden agenda, it may cause the people to be wrongly influenced or mi ssunderstanding of the government policy. The people may retaliate for no legitimate reason which may cause damage to a peaceful nation. -Other than that, other methods like direct method like boycotts, demonstrations and strikes may cause commotion. This types of influencing methods are prone to be violent regardless of which party initiate violence first. -Indirect methods like being a member of parliament which is also a member of interest group may misuse his/her power in order to influence the governmernt decision. The member of interest group is a spouse to a bureaucrat may also lead to the misuse of power in order to influence the government decision. For example if a bureaucrat has a wife who is in an interest group, the potential of the husband to listen to every request to his wife relating to her interest group is very high. Not only that, it can be a bad thing too if a retired bureaucrats who join NGO or other groups that have connection with junior bureaucrats whereby t he juniors may listen to every request of their seniors. The juniors may provide confidential information of government policies to the retired bureaucrats. -Methods like illegalities may also be used especially in desperate times. Illegalities ranges from extortions, bribery, arson, blackmail and many more. 2. The existence of certain types of interest groups can produce adverse effects. -The existence of an interest groups like Anomic Groups which derived from the word Anomie meaning separation from social norms. This group is not a formal group. Usually it comes from dissatisfaction of the people. When this happens, it usually involves violence. This type of group may produce protests, racial riots and so on in order for their interest to be prioritized. 3. Biased -Interest groups can be considered biased because they are only prioritizing their interest or interests related to them. They do not really care about other interest of the people as a whole and care about better policy for the people genereally. They just prioritize their interests. Information provided is one-sided. 4. One Track-Mind (Runs Undemocratically) -The interests groups usually do not care about others interest and opininons. They also refuse to listen or to take care of other interest. They consider other interests or opinions are wrong. They do not let what others have to say or wants if it is contradict to their core interests. 5. Pluralism (as in United States) -Critics of pluralism contend that there is no such thing as the common good because there are so many conflicting interests in society: What is good for one person is often bad for others. They argue that the interest groups interfere with democracy because they seek benefits for a minority of people rather than the greater good of the majority. The National Rifle Association, for example, has repeatedly blocked new gun control legislation despite the fact that a majority of Americans actually want stricter gun laws. Other critics argue that the interest group system is really effective only to economic interest groups, which have greater financial resources at their disposal. Nearly two-thirds of lobbyists in Washington represent economic groups. Critics also argue that interest groups tend to ignore the interests of the poor in favor of middle- and upper-class Americans, who have more time and money to contribute 6. Corruption -Corruption takes place in the interest groups whereby the bribery is done between the interest groups and the interest provider (policy makers/government). In corruption, the bribery can be in many forms such as gifts and money. The bribery is performed in order for their interests being implemented. The irresponsible authority personnels will accept the bribery and in return the interest of the interests groups will be prioritized. 7. Influenced by wealth -This can be explained by the more money or fund the interest groups has, the more tendency of their interests being prioritized is higher. Conclusion Interest group is basically an organized group of people that tries to influence the government without being in the governmental positions. Various methods can be or are being used in order for their main objective which is to influence the government in order to get their interests priotized. But, there are negative side which is the demerits to the interests groups. Bottomline is, interest groups has it own merits and demerits in order for it to function as an interest group. The demerits can be abolished with proper procedures and proper preventive measures. If not the interest groups may be useless. Resources 1. 90% of this content is studied, aggregate and filtered from the notes made by Sir Fairuz Hidayat PAD170 Chapter 6 notes. 2. Another 10% is scouted, filtered, studied from the internet. 3. http://www.sparknotes.com/us-government-and-politics/american-government/interest-groups/section5.rhtml 4. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110412030051AAPzyYE 5. https://www.google.com/#q=disadvantages+of+interest+groups