Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Litrature Review. Ii. The Social Servicescape (The Social

LITRATURE REVIEW II. The Social servicescape (The Social environment) According to Baker et al., (1994), social servicescape is related to people who share a specific service environment. Bitner, et al (1990) defined social servicescape as â€Å"The service encounter that often occurs in the presence of multiple customers who share a common servicescape†. While Tombs and Kennedy (2002) defined it as â€Å"a service setting where the human aspects of the environment impact on the behavior of customers as a result of direct and indirect interactions with other persons present†. Rosenbaum Montoya (2007), described social servicescape as customers and employees who are found in a service setting. While Edvardsson et al. (2010) defined servicescape’s†¦show more content†¦Sometimes the reasons that get customers attracted to a place extend past the physical attributes of the place, the kinds of merchandise it provides or the level of service it offers (Low Altman, 1992). Tombs and McColl-Kennedy (2003) suggested, that the service experience consists of not only external or physical factors, for instance the atmospherics, but also the social aspects, where the social factors of service environment may favor or inhibit customer’s entertainment of the service environment. In addition, the same authors proposed in their conceptual model that customers have significant role in impacting service experiences, which will impact patronage intentions within a service setting. Moreover, the results of a study that was carried out by McGrath and Otnes’ (1995), to some extent also support the previous researchers’ findings. As McGrath and Otnes’ study recognized, social interaction took place not only between shoppers and sales people but also between shoppers. which they defined as â€Å"strange interaction†. Urban sociologist Oldenburg (1999) named specific types of servicescape settings, for instance, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants as third places or â€Å"great good places†. These places are informal public places that gather people away from home and work. Moreover, Rosenbaum (2006)

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1112 Words

F. Scott Fitzgerald seems to have made a large impact in the literature world with his story of Great Gatsby. The story of the Great Gatsby may seem to be an easy read with little meaning to the characters as well as the plot. However after scouring through Fitzgerald’s autobiography it comes clear that the character of Daisy Buchanan was solely inspired by the author’s wife. Fitzgerald even took phrases out of real life conversations him and his wife had and incorporated it in the book. This helps bring a deeper meaning to Daisy’s character for the reader as well as a true understanding for the book and its inspirations. It comes clear that much of the book is solely based off of events occurring during this time period, or real life characters living during this time period. The most obvious examples are the Jazz age, The Lost Generation, and the American Dream; three topics which Gatsby’s lifestyle seems to be revolved around. At one of the final points in The Great Gatsby when Tom and Daisy retreat back to their careless lives leaving Gatsby dead and Nick to clean up the mess, the reader’s view on Daisy takes a downhill spin. The previous understanding that Daisy was the poster child in an era of ever-changing lifestyle and surging economic growth, From the reader’s first meeting with Daisy up until her escape with Tom, she seems more in love with money, ease, and a luxurious lifestyle than Gatsby himself. Gatsby’s lifestyle lures Daisy in rather than Gatsby’s charmShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Accounting Theory and Issues and Manufactures

Question: Discuss about the Accounting Theory and Issues and Manufactures. Answer: Introduction: Nestle is one of the biggest wellness, health and nutrition company. Their primary mission is Good Food, Good Life and to offer the most nutritious, best tasting choices to the customers with a broad range of eating occasions, beverages and foods from morning to night. For the last few decades their promises to manufacture foods to fulfil the unique requirements of people is the secret behind the success they achieved. Nestle Australia is the subsidiary of Nestle SA. There are more than 5000 employees in nestle Oceania that operates 20 offices, 5 distribution centres and 12 operates all around the Oceania region that includes Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Australia. Although, nestle is famous for their confectionary products, that is just a small part of their dealings. They have some products, which are best loved in Australia, for example, Milo, uncle Tobys, Maggi, Nescafe and Purina (Rosendal et al., 2015, pp. 112-125). Building value for share is a crucial part of carrying out their business. They strongly believe that to protect and enlarge their business they must think beyond sustainability and compliance and must generate greater value for the shareholders, society and customers as a whole. They use four simple words to explain their business. Those words are: Good Food, Good Life. They believe that to be enable to enjoy life people must have a balanced approach about the things they drink and eat. Safety, reliable level of quality and great tastes, convenience and value for money strategies also improves the enjoyment of life and food (Mialon et al., 2016, p.283). Accounting issues: The accounting procedure of nestle accounts for the offices as well as the factories. The balance sheet and their implementation with the financial reports of the company are combined together. The objectives of doing this are the implementation of the financial statements reveal the status of the company. It is very crucial with regard to the audit and needs a strong control for maintain the financial records for 50 years. This procedure serves better corporate governance and confidence for the company as a whole (Celik et al., 2016). Traditionally, nestle had allowed every local organization to carry on their business with consideration to the business culture and local conditions. To assist in this decentralized approach, they had 80 units for information technology that operated on 15 mainframes, 900 IBM AS/400 midrange computers and 200 UNIX systems that enabled the users to explain their infrastructure as genuine. Surprisingly, despite of its big, they did not have any corporate centre for their computer. Thus, the management of nestle found that allowing the local differences led to extra cost and inefficiencies that refrained the company in competing effectively in the e-commerce world. To coordinate and standardize their information into the business processes they installed a program called SAP R/3 ERP (enterprise resource planning) to incorporate the accounting applications, distribution and material (Yu et al., 2016, p.189). Conceptual framework: The primary objective of conceptual framework is to provide the information related to the reporting company, which is required by the investors, stakeholders, creditors and potential investors. The consolidated financial statement complies with the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) released by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB). Their accounts are prepared on the accrual basis and under the method of historical cost, unless otherwise stated. Accounting policies are added in the relevant notes to the financial statement (Li, Woo Selomulya, 2016, pp.196-204). The assumptions and estimates are evaluated on ongoing basis. Revisions for accounting estimations are made during the period in which period the transactions have impact. In individual companies, foreign currency transactions are transacted based on the prevailing exchange rate on the transaction date. Monetary liabilities and assets are translated based on the year-end rates. Any differences arising due to the exchange rate are adjusted against the income statement. Sales explain the receivable and received amount from the third parties for the supply of goods and services. Sales are recorded only after the awards and risks related to the particular transaction are transferred to the purchaser. COGS is calculated based on the cost of purchase or production and adjusted for the difference in inventories. All other expenses related to the operation, such as, promotions and advertising are transacted when the group accepts all the rewards and risk related to the expenses. Assets that are held for disposal and sale are shown separately in the current segment of balance sheet when the following objectives are fulfilled: The company is committed to dispose or sale the assets An active plan for sale has been started Sale is anticipated to be completed within the period of 12 months. Cash inflow for the disposals of business mainly related to several disposals of significant and non-significant items. The consolidated financial report involves the transactions of Nestle SA and other companies under the group. Companies under the group are consolidated fully from the date of their acquisition. The group gain the control over a company when they can control the return of that company and has the ability to influence the return from their involvement. Business combination is accounted for utilising the method of acquisition. Where not all the equity of the subsidiaries are acquired through non-controlling interest are identified as the non-controlling share of interest for the total identifiable asset. After obtaining the control of the business, the group revaluate the equity interest which were held previously and identified as the loss or gain in the revenue statement. Changes in the IFRS after 31 December that could affect the group are as follows: IFRS 9-Financial instrument: This standard states the financial reporting for the financial liabilities and financial assets involving the measurement, classification, impairment, hedge accounting and de-recognition. IFRS 15 Revenue from the agreements with customers: This standard combines, replaces and enhances guidance for identifying the revenue with single standard. IFRS 16 Leases: This standard will alter IAS 17 and prepare the objectives for measurement, presentation, recognition and disclosures of the leases. The crucial effect on the group is that this IFRS introduces a unique model for lessee accounting and needs a lessee to identify the liabilities and assets for all leases. Other amendments and improvements related to IFRS/IAS: Various standards have been altered on diverse points. None of these alterations are probable to have a significant effect on the financial statement of the group. Challenges and sustainability: Nestle defines the term sustainable development as the process of maximising the global access towards higher quality of food. At the same time they assures contributing towards long-term economic and social development and safeguard the environment for the future generations. To continue their commitments towards social and environmental sustainability that are necessary for operating their factories and for the development and growth of the countries and communities in which they operate manage their function actively. They recognised that their position in the society calls for responsibilities as well as opportunities to carry on their business with compliance to the international standards, national laws and business values. They believe that the business, which is based on the high quality beverage products and food can sustain for long-term development. The primary objective for locating the prospect of production in developing world is more important than sourcing the raw material. Even though it consists only one third of their profit, they have 48% of their employees and 45% of their factories are in developing countries. They have publicly declared that the fundamental principle for their economic investment is that they must be good for the company as well as the country. Through these objectives, nestle seeks to be the true associate for sustainable development. Their primary objective is to attain the requirements of their consumers and customers for the quality food items that are value for money. By implementing this successfully, they are able to create long-term development, sustainable results for economics for all the stakeholders. With their factories in more than 80 countries all over the world, developments of their business can be felt by the economies all over the world. These take place in various ways. For instance, through the transfer of technology, through the programmes of apprentice, training for the employees to comply with the international standards, and paying the taxes that will assist in construction of local infrastructure. Nestle is contributing to the sustainable development of economies all over the world and improving the quality of the locally available foods at the same time. Financial performance and graphs for different years: Particulars (Amount in Million CHF) 2012 2013 2014 2015 Sales 89,721 92,158 91,612 88,785 Operating profit 13,464 14,047 10,905 12,408 Net profit 10,677 10,445 14,904 9,467 Earnings per share 3.21 3.14 4.54 2.90 Current assets 30,066 34,020 33,961 29,434 Non-current assets 91,857 90,376 99,489 94,558 Total Assets 125,877 120,442 133,450 123,992 Current liabilities 38,597 32,917 32,895 33,321 Non-current liabilities 24,616 23,386 28,671 26,685 Total liabilities 63,213 56,303 66,566 60,006 Total equity 62,664 64,139 71,884 63,986 Table 1: Financial performance (Source: nestle.com, 2017) Calculation of ratios: Ratio Formula 2012 2013 2014 2015 Current ratio Current assets/ current liabilities 0.78 1.03 1.03 0.88 Debt asset ratio Total debt / total assets 0.22 0.18 0.16 0.17 operating margin ratio operating profit/ sales 0.15 0.15 0.12 0.14 Return on asset ratio Net profit/ Total assets 0.08 0.09 0.11 0.08 Inventory turnover ratio Sales/ Inventory 10.04 10.99 9.99 10.89 Table 1: Financial performance (Source: Created by author) Four basic ratios that are calculated to evaluate the performance of a company are: Liquidity ratio: It includes current ratio of a company and measures the liquidity position of a company. This ratio states the company is able to pay- off their short-term obligations. A ratio of more than one is generally considered good. From the above table, it can be seen that the current ratio of the company for the year 2013 and 2014 is above the average. However, the ratio for 2012 and again for the year 2015 is below than the average requirement. They can improve the ratio through paying the debt or converting the short-term debt into long-term (Van Den End Kruidhof, 2013, pp. 91-106). Solvency ratio: It indicates the financial stability of a company and includes the debt asset ratio. A company with more debt will not be able to manage their cash flows efficiently. From the above table, it can be seen that the total debt of the company with consideration to its total asset is in a better position, which indicates that the company is financially viable (Xia, Fei Liu, 2015, pp. 317-324). Profitability ratio: It states the ability of management to convert their sale revenue into cash flow and profits. It is measured based on the operating profit to sales ratio, return on asset ratio (Lartey, Antwi and Boadi, 2013). A higher ratio indicates that the company is able to create return for their shareholders. From the above table, it can be seen that the profitability ratio of the company, that is, operating margin ratio as well as the return on asset ratio are very low. It indicates the company is not able to convert their revenue from sales into profits (Ehrhardt Brigham, 2016). Efficiency ratio: Common efficiency ratios are inventory turnover ratio and receivable turnover ratio (Park et al., 2014, 361-368). High inventory ratio indicates that the company is able to convert their inventory into sales successfully (Eng, 2013, pp. 153-167). From the above table, it is seen that the inventory turnover ratio of the company over the past years are stable. Social and economic responsibility: They understand their responsibilities in sourcing the raw materials through the ethical manner and at the same time, they are well aware about the probable impact on communities as well as on environment. They also understand the shareholders and consumers always look for the information related to the origination and production of the ingredients. This also assists in creating transparency and traceability in the supply chain. In the year 2013, they invested greater than $03.8 million in maintaining and upgrading their production sites in Oceania. They are committed to enlarge their business through investing in their factories, brands and customers. Their main objective is to be active in the society in which they carry on their business through focussing their hard work in those segments where they can add maximum value, such as, nutrition, health, environmental sustainability and encouraging active lifestyle (Day, 2014). Their good life programmes starts with a wide range of spo nsor activities, specific programs and partnership. In the year 2013, they build development program for aboriginal youth to provide support to the people who contributed in creating difference in the lives of the aboriginal women all around Australia. In the year 2013, they worked with more than 1000 girls from secondary school (Caplan et al., 2016, pp. 57-66). Approximately 200 girls and their mothers participated in the Mother Daughter Program, which was commenced in 50% of all RMLA academies. The Mother Daughter Program involved the launch of an aboriginal cookbook in 2013. They also trained 15 Aboriginal women to become Nutrition Champions and trained 12 Graduates, aged 45 Years in Communication (Phillips, 2014). In past few years their main targets in Oceania were: The program must be continued in all RMLA academics 400 women and girls must participate in the Nestl Mother Daughter Program 30 women from Indigenous community were trained as Nestl Nutrition Champions Nestl employees must volunteer a total of 4,500 hours They are committed to play an active part in minimising the emissions of greenhouse gas through improving the efficiency of resources, investing more for renewable energy and switching to cleaner fuels. Greater than 91% among usage of all energy in the year 2013 was used for producing the products, whereas, 29% was sourced from renewable energy and their target for 2020 is 20%. Conclusion: From the above discussions, it can be concluded that the company is aware about their duties in sourcing the raw materials through the ethical manner and at the same time, they are well aware about the probable impact on communities as well as on environment. Their main objective is to operate their business actively in the society in which they operate their business through focussing their hard work in those segments where they can add maximum value, such as, nutrition, health, environmental sustainability and encouraging active lifestyle. Recommendation: From the financial performance table, it can be seen that the company is not able to convert their revenue from sales into profits and their operating margin ratio as well as the return on asset ratio are very low. The company should take necessary steps to minimise their operating expenses and maximise the usage of available resources. Moreover, to increase their liquidity position they should pay off their short-term borrowing immediately or if not possible, then should take measures to convert their short-term loan into ling term. Reference: Caplan, D., Dutta, S.K. and Lawson, R.A., 2016. Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives Across the Value Chain.Journal of Corporate Accounting Finance,27(4), pp.57-66. Celik, A., Dixon, J.B., Pouwels, S., Celik, B.O., Karaca, F.C., Gupta, A., Santoro, S. and Ugale, S., 2016. Effects of different metabolic states and surgical models on glucose metabolism and secretion of ileal L-cell peptides: protocol for a cross-sectional study.BMJ open,6(3), p.e010245. Day, C., 2014. The Rhetoric of Corporate Identity: Corporate Social Responsibility, Creating Shared Value, and Globalization. Ehrhardt, M.C. and Brigham, E.F., 2016.Corporate finance: A focused approach. Cengage learning. Eng, T.S., 2013. The Effect of NIM, Operational Efficiency Ratio (BOPO), LDR, NPL CAR Toward ROA of International And National Public Listed Banks For The Period of 2007-2011.Journal of Dinamic Management, pp.153-167. https://www.nestle.com/. (2017). Annual report, Nestle. [online] Available at: https://www.nestle.com/asset-library/documents/library/documents/annual_reports/2013-annual-report-en.pdf [Accessed 21 Jan. 2017]. Lartey, V.C., Antwi, S. and Boadi, E.K., 2013. The relationship between liquidity and profitability of listed banks in Ghana.International Journal of Business and Social Science,4(3). Li, K., Woo, M.W. and Selomulya, C., 2016. Effects of composition and relative humidity on the functional and storage properties of spray dried model milk emulsions.Journal of Food Engineering,169, pp.196-204. Mialon, M., Swinburn, B., Allender, S. and Sacks, G., 2016. Systematic examination of publicly-available information reveals the diverse and extensive corporate political activity of the food industry in Australia.BMC public health,16(1), p.283. Park, M.C., Peterson, A., Patton, J., McGarry, M.H., Park, C.J. and Lee, T.Q., 2014. Biomechanical effects of a 2 suture-pass medial inter-implant mattress on transosseous-equivalent rotator cuff repair and considerations for a technical efficiency ratio.Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery,23(3), pp.361-368. Phillips, N., 2014. Corporate Social Responsibility ReportingNestl Company.City. Rosendal, S.P., Strobel, N.A., Osborne, M.A., Fassett, R.G. and Coombes, J.S., 2015. Hydration and endocrine responses to intravenous fluid and oral glycerol.Scandinavian journal of medicine science in sports,25(S1), pp.112-125. Van Den End, J.W. and Kruidhof, M., 2013. Modelling the liquidity ratio as macroprudential instrument.Journal of Banking Regulation,14(2), pp.91-106. Xia, D.F., Fei, W.Y. and Liu, H.J., 2015. Estimating the shareholders terminal payoff based on insurers solvency ratio in mixed fractional Brownian market.Applied Mathematics-A Journal of Chinese Universities,30(3), pp.317-324. Yu, S.C., Powell, A., Khow, K.S. and Visvanathan, R., 2016. The performance of five bioelectrical impedance analysis prediction equations against dual x-ray absorptiometry in estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass in an adult Australian population.Nutrients,8(4), p.189.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Master Murabaha Financing Agreement free essay sample

Murabaha and disbursement of the new one. . Rebate on early payments * If the customer makes early payment and there is no commitment from the institution in respect of any discount in the price of Murabaha, than the institution as the sole discretion in allowing them the rebate. * It is not recommended to make it a practice and must be avoided in normal course of business. Such issue, if arises, should be brought in the knowledge of Shariah advisor 4. Penalty on late payments As soon as the Murabaha is executed, the Murabaha price becomes a receivable (Dayn) for the Bank. Hence, any amount charged over and above the dayn amount will be Riba. * However, it is permissible to have an undertaking from the customer to pay an amount of money or a percentage of the debt to be donated to charitable causes in the event of delay in payment/installments. . Subject matter of Murabaha * Goods must exists at the time of execution of Murabaha. We will write a custom essay sample on Master Murabaha Financing Agreement or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page * Murabaha cannot be done in all commodities, e. g. such as currencies, gold, silver. * Murabaha cannot be used for paying utility bills, wages, overhead expenses, etc. * General rules of sale related to subject matter must be followed 6. Purchase Evidence * In order to ensure that the customer actually purchased the assets as claimed, the customer is required to submit asset purchase evidence along with Offer place after the agency agreement. * Asset purchase may be in the form of Invoices, elivery orders, truck receipts etc. * In some cases, however, it may be too burdensome for the client to submit all the invoices as the number of invoices may run into hundreds. * For example, cotton purchases are generally in small quantities from various sources and hence for each Sub-Murabaha there may be too many invoices to submit. It is suggested to furnish considerable sample of invoices along with summary of all purchases. 7. Direct Payment in Murabaha In many cases, the disbursement is made to the customer as an agent of the bank. * In order to ensure transparency of the Murabaha, it is preferable that isbursement / payment be made directly to the supplier. Profit Recognition in Generally in Murabaha transaction there are in two stages: * Investment Stage (Agency to Purchase) * Financing Stage (Declaration to payment) * The profit for the Murabaha transaction can be recognized after the goods are sold by the bank to the customer. Training of Customers Bank staff Proper training understanding of is very important for * Bank staff dealing with the Murabaha * Customers purchase officers accounts staff. Process of Murabaha differ from product to product 10. Application of Murabaha is not simple for all products * Its application differs from products to products like * shares * Leather * Cotton * Gas * petrol Sugar cane Therefore the RM/RO dealing with the customer needs to understand and define step wise process flow along with the credit approval for each new customer/ industry.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Similarities and Differences Between “The Lottery” and “Dead Mans Path” Essay Example

The Similarities and Differences Between â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Dead Mans Path† Essay Example The Similarities and Differences Between â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Dead Mans Path† Paper The Similarities and Differences Between â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Dead Mans Path† Paper Essay Topic: The Lottery and Other Stories Contrast Comparison Essay on â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Dead Mans Path† Carmen Nonon Ms. Judith King English 111 8 April 2009 The Similarities and Differences Between â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Dead Man’s Path† In the two short stories †The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"Dead Men’s Path† by Chinua Achebe, tradition plays a part. In â€Å"The Lottery†, the villagers gather together once a year and meet in the square for a drawing to determine that year’s sacrifice. In â€Å"Dead Men’s Path† the story is about a pathway to a burial site that passes through the school grounds, which was closed off by Mr. Obi, the headmaster of the school who had a different religious belief than the villagers. â€Å"The Lottery† and â€Å"Dead Man’s Path† have a similarity in that they both have death in them. In â€Å"The lottery†, the idea is that the head of every family picks a piece of paper from the black box. If the piece of paper has a black dot on it, a member of the family is stoned to death. In â€Å"Dead Men’s Path†, the people of the village say that their dead relatives depart by the path and their ancestors visit them. It is also the path of children coming in to be born. So the people in the village believe that a village woman, who died two days after giving birth to her child, died because Mr. Obi blocked the burial pathway. The common theme of control is reflected in both of the stories. In â€Å"Dead Men’s Path† Mr. Obi blocks the path from the villagers to take control over them passing through the school compound, so that they wouldn’t destroy the beautiful garden with its hibiscus and allamanda hedges. In â€Å"The Lottery† Mr. Summer was a powerful, wealthy man who controlled and put all his energy to the activities in the town such as square dances and the Halloween programs. The Lottery† and â€Å"Dead Man’s Path† have a major contrast in that a different belief system is what leads to death. In â€Å"The Lottery† the villagers believed that all had been well when the village was tiny and by performing the ritual of sacrificing a villager they would have control over the population from growing. In â€Å"Dead Men’s Path† the villagers strongly believed that by blocking the pathway something bad would happen. Another difference between the stories is that â€Å"The Lottery† is a reality for the characters; whereas, in â€Å"Dead Men’s Path† there are spiritual forces. In â€Å"The Lottery† villagers turn to Mrs. Hutchinson and physically stone her to death, and in Dead Men’s Path the woman died from natural childbirth, due to a superstition, which is a belief and not a physical act. There are characters in both stories who sought to modernize their villagers. In â€Å"The Lottery† Mr. Adams questions the Lottery and says to Old Man Warner that other villagers are thinking about giving up the lottery and to practice the modern methods. Old Man Warner makes a remark and says â€Å"Pack of crazy fools,† and then tries to explain the importance of the ritual to survival of the village. In â€Å"Dead Men’s Path†, the village priest of Ani called Mr. Obi to discuss the closing of path and explain that the life of the villagers depend on it. That there dead relative departs by it, and their ancestors visit through the path. Mr. Obi listened with a closed mind and refused to listen to the priest and refused to open the path, but when a white supervisor came to inspect the school he wrote a nasty report, therefore changing the past and making new traditions. The differences in â€Å"The Lottery† is that Mr. Adams spoke his opinion to one individual instead of meeting with the villagers and discuss why they don’t stop the practice of the lottery. The difference in Dead Men’s Path is the initial approach taken by the priest and the villagers was successful. Because that they tried to close it unsuccessfully, it is assumed that the other attempts were unsuccessful. While both stories have similarities, they also have differences. They can both be compared when looking at the themes of death and control. However, both stores are very different. The belief system of each story and the reality vs. spiritual tendencies are ways the stories are different.

Friday, November 22, 2019

5 Types of Unnecessary Hyphenation

5 Types of Unnecessary Hyphenation 5 Types of Unnecessary Hyphenation 5 Types of Unnecessary Hyphenation By Mark Nichol The sentences below, each followed by a discussion and a revision, illustrate various ways in which a hyphen is used extraneously. 1. He adds that cities should be forced to follow a federally-defined law pertaining to what kinds of benefits restaurants should be required to provide to their employees. Because adverbial phrases such as â€Å"federally defined† (where the adverb federally modifies the adjective defined, which in turn modifies a noun) so closely resemble adjectival phrases such as â€Å"little known† (where the adjectives little and known combine to modify a noun), and phrases in the latter category are usually hyphenated before a noun, adverbial phrases are also often (incorrectly) hyphenated. Here, as in the case of all adverbial phrases ending in -ly, â€Å"federally defined† is not hyphenated: â€Å"He adds that cities should be forced to follow a federally defined law pertaining to what kinds of benefits restaurants should be required to provide to their employees.† (However, flat adverbs- those lacking the -ly ending- are hyphenated to an adjective when the adverbial phrase precedes a noun, such as â€Å"high ranking.† 2. Most of them are small- and medium-sized cities many people may never have heard of. Small is followed by a hyphen here as if it constitutes a case of suspended hyphenation, where a repetition (in this case) of sized is implied, but the two elements modifying cities are not â€Å"small sized† and â€Å"medium sized,† but rather small and â€Å"medium sized,† so the hyphen after small is erroneous: â€Å"Most of them are small and medium-sized cities many people may never have heard of.† 3. The film was among the highest-grossing that year. A phrasal adjective is generally not hyphenated when it follows the noun it modifies: â€Å"The film was among the highest grossing that year.† (Alternatively, retain the hyphen but insert a synonym for the noun after the phrasal adjective, as in â€Å"The film was among the highest-grossing releases that year.†) 4. The developers proposed to phase-in that part of the project over the course of several years. â€Å"Phase in† consists of a verb and a preposition, which have no need of a hyphen to signal their interrelationship: â€Å"The developers proposed to phase in that part of the project over the course of several years.† (This error likely exists as a result of a confusion of the phrase with its use as an adjectival phrase, where a hyphen is valid, and as the noun phase-in, similar to built-in.) 5. Jones is a past-president of the organization. In this sentence, past is an adjective modifying president, and as such, it should not be attached to the word it modifies: â€Å"Jones is a past president of the organization.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Congratulations on or for?"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?How to Treat Names of Groups and Organizations

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Journals 578 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journals 578 - Essay Example It was especially interesting to find that the military established a brotherhood for soldiers, where each person was to protect the other. Many soldiers express joy when killing their enemies, yet the author indicated that these emotions are far from joy because when killing the enemy most soldiers have no fear and feel like they cannot be harmed. The author also stated that many soldiers face a psychological condition where they feel that they have changed. This can be seen through their actions, yet they feel unconnected to their bodies and minds; this makes it hard for them to find a rational explanation to their behavior. The author also pointed out another fact that was interesting to me, which was that most people killed in conflict with the USA are referred to collateral damage, yet when American soldiers are killed they are referred to as innocents who lost their lives. Not only that, many policies created by the leaders come from using the religion and culture of other nati ons as a threat to the USA. This is done to reshape the image of these countries to the public toward a negative perception so that people will start viewing them as enemies. Chapter (1-8) The author of the book indicated that it is important to include women in the field of politics, yet many women who are involved in the political sphere do not have their opinions taken into consideration by their male peers. This can be connected to the idea that men are viewed as stronger than women, who are considered to be weaker and more peaceful. I believe that it is important to respect the opinions of women because this will not only help people to view politics from a different perspective but it will also help to understand and recognize crimes committed against women in conflicts. Indeed, the author indicated that many women do not report that they were are sexually assaulted or raped. As a result, it is hard for human rights organizations and the United Nations to recognize acts of rap e as a serious issue. I believe that if women are more involved in making policies then more victims of rape and war will be encouraged to talk about their issues. Moreover, the author pointed out that Laura Bush focused on liberating the women of Afghanistan. However, in my opinion, and similar to what I pointed in my QIP, Laura Bush focused more on liberating women from wearing Burqa instead of focusing on their freedom. Indeed, many movements and policies are made to benefit women, yet they mostly fail. I believe that organizations and policymakers tend to view these issues from their own perspectives and not from the perspectives of the affected women. As a result, they end up making policies that do not suit the needs of those women. In addition, this leads to an emphasis on the importance of negotiation between two parties, as it helps each party to understand each side's opinion and then respect that opinion. In addition, I was also impressed with the veracity of non-violent movements that women have led all over the world. This takes me back to the film we watched in class, â€Å"Pray the Devil to Hell.† The film shows that when women start to protest the motive was to get rid of violence in their countries. They were able to satisfy their goals by using religious and faith communities to gather as many women as they could find. What was really interesting to me was

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Family Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11000 words

Family Business - Research Paper Example This condition, in turn, has transformed contemporary organisations. Organisations pursue competencies that make firms globally competitive. Companies’ pursuit of competencies is no longer just limited to financial and physical capital, but it also includes human capital. This move is necessary to create added value to their services or products, attract new customers, and retain loyal clients (Nordhaug, 1993; Westhead & Matlay, 2006). However, despite the fast phase changes in the modern period, the significant and integral role of the family in the economic activities of the society remains undeterred (Aldrich & Cliff, 2003). Of the several facets manifesting the integral role of the family in the society, the influence of family on business, in terms of firm creation and management, is no longer limited to small businesses, but it also consists of large corporations with families holding majority shares (Steier, Chrisman & Chua, 2004). This scenario is observed not only in the United States and in Europe, but it is also an event that has become perceptible in China, Japan and other Asian countries (Steier et al., 2004). As such, it can be claimed that there is a pervasive participation of families in the establishment and management of economic institutions that redefines the role of families in economic organisations and activities as well as in organisational life (Aldrich & Cliff, 2003; Morck & Nakamura, 2003; Steier et al., 2004). In this context, family owned business (FOB), just like non-family owned business, requires effective governance for the firm to achieve continued growth and success. Implementation of policies, strategies and management by family founders/owners are geared towards attaining efficient and effective governance that will sustain and maintain the family corporation (Angus, 2005). Effective FOB governance is essential not only in handling organisational issues and in wealth management of the FOB, but it is also necessary in handling conflicts arising from family relations involve in the business (Moore& Juenemann, 2008). In this condition, understanding governance in family owned business becomes one of the essential factors in determining FOB’s sustainability, growth and success in the era of globalisation. Background of the Study Family owned businesses play a crucial role in economic activities across the globe (Steier et al, 2004). Families creating and managing their own businesses have become pervasive and it is clearly manifest in many developing countries (Ramachandra & Merisetty, 2009). However, as economic institutions, FOBs require effective governance that will ensure not only their continued existence in the market, but can also guarantee the firm’

Sunday, November 17, 2019

High result Essay Example for Free

High result Essay First of all, I prepare my working place and start my determination. All my measurements are recorded to the table above.  The smallest graduation of the thermometer is 1 C. According to this, I take the absolute uncertainty of my temperature measurements as. I do not add additional uncertainty as I did not encounter any further difficulties in weight measurement.  To determine masses I used a digital scale with provided uncertainty in the instruction of the digital scale of 0.2g. Therefore, I take it as the absolute uncertainty of the mass measurements. I take the temperature of ice as C because the ice was melting when I started to use it in my experiment. I take this temperature theoretically and do not include uncertainty to this measurement as it is in theoretical level.  After having determined the raw data, I fill it into the table.  Further I provide constants that will be used during my determination. These are taken from Giancoli Physics 5th edition, page 421:  cwater = 4186 J*(kg*C)-1  caliuminium = 900 J*(kg*C)-1  Data processing:  Ã‚  Now I will provide the mass of the water. To do this I will subtract the mass of the calorimeter from the mass of calorimeter and water together:  mwater = (163.3 0.2) (35.0 0.2) = (128.3 0.4) g  Now I can compare my result with literatures. In Giancoli Physics 5th edition page 425 it is provided that the latent heat of fusion of ice to 3.33 x 105 J*kg-1. Therefore, the percentage discrepancy is equal to 17%. Also, the theoretical percentage uncertainty is equal to 11%. I will discuss these finding in conclusion and evaluation part. Conclusion and evaluation:  The percentage discrepancy of 17% shows that the determination was done quite precisely. Moreover, the percentage uncertainty of 11% suggests that the determination was done quite accurately as well. However, these are only theoretical assumptions as much energy and heat was transferred to air during the water cooling process. Further, I have to state more weaknesses and limitations of my determination. Some errors were encountered despite the fact that I tried to be as accurate as possible. First of all, the main weakness of the determination was that all the determination was done theoretically and I could not measure how much heat was transferred to air during the water cooling process. I was not able to measure the heat loss. Moreover, I took the ice temperature theoretically as I also could not measure it. These were clearly the weakest parts of all determination. Of course, the results are good enough, as the percentage discrepancy shows, but still it was only a theoretical determination based on the assumption that Qlost = Qgained. However, as for the percentage uncertainty I should blame only the instruments as I had to use quite many of them, but the uncertainty they provided was relatively small. My percentage uncertainty does not include the uncertainty of theoretical assumptions. Furthermore, some systematic errors have occurred as I had to do a lot of calculations and roundings during the data processing part. Also, the instruments may have been badly calibrated and this could have affected my determination. However, systematic errors are not important because even if they even were encountered, they were very small. Another thing is with random errors and heat loss as they were really significant because the percentage uncertainty shows relevantly high result. I could provide several suggestions to improve the determination but obviously I am not able to make this determination not theoretically in schools conditions. First of all, I would rather use more ice, bigger calorimeter and more water. Then, as I would still use the same equipment with same absolute uncertainties, the percentage uncertainty would be reduced significantly. The uncertainty would be less important and more accurate results would come. However, my suggestions would only lesser the uncertainties, but they would not totally cancel them and it would still be only a theoretical determination.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Media and the Military :: Media Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Media and the Military      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the Vietnam War the media was left unchecked and brought the wartime images of death and carnage into America's living room.   These images served as morale killers and eventually turned much of the public against its own government.   During the Gulf War on the other hand, the military filtered what reached the public's eye and morale was kept to all time highs.   In wartime the government should be able to manipulate public opinion by controlling the media.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   War is not pretty, and it is not for the weak at heart.   Images of war should not be broadcast into living rooms live.   During the Vietnam conflict this is what happened.   Pictures and real time video of our troops being slaughtered during battles of the Tet offensive and the siege of Khe Sahn were sent home for all of America to see (Klein 50-51).   Again, war is not pretty and the way you keep morale up is you don't let the public know how bad war really is.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Television is one of the most powerful tools of media and â€Å"by the mid 1960's television had become the most important source for news for most of the American public, and beyond that, perhaps, the most powerful single influence on the public.† (Hallin 106)   So people trusted what reporters like Walter Cronkite were telling them.   They believed it when NBC journalists told them things like, â€Å" the Marines are so bogged down in Hue that nobody will predict when the battle would end†¦more than 500 marines have been wounded and over 100 dead since the in Hue began.† (Klein 51)   Don't get the wrong idea though, these things really happened but the public didn't need to know it.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The constitution and 1st amendment still mean something but national security should come first.   People rioting all over the country in anti war protests should be an issue of national security.   Without the support of your homefront no country can win a war, especially a foreign war (Franklin 250).   It is impossible to get support at home when NBC is showing them pictures of their boys getting massacred every night on the nightly news.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, during the Gulf War in Iraq the horrors of war still existed, maybe not to the same extent, but they were there nonetheless.   These horrors however where kept out of our living rooms by systematic filtering by the US army.   Now the army didn't just seize tapes and erase bad parts.   Very few reporters and cameras were allowed to the front lines.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

There Is a Competiton Between Education and Appearance

There is a competition between appearance and education. Physical appearance is something that you will get a first impression on. There are many reasons why education is important to me and should be important to everyone. Appearance can take a back seat when it comes to the corporate world. Education is something everyone can relate to. When it comes to physical appearance or education people may have their different views on which one is more important. This might be a problem in our modern day society. Failure to make the proper one a priority can lead to a life of crime drugs and being unsuccessful. Some individuals may think that physical appearance is more important or that education is more important than the other. In the play Death of a Salesman by Author Miller it’s clear that Willy feels appearance is more important than education. Willy puts that appearance is better than education in all of his family heads. Then there are some that think that they both can be managed equally. This is an argument that will go on for years to come. I personally think that education is way more important than physical appearance for many different reasons. Life can be easier for people that can distinguish at an early age which one is more important. I think the ones that can distinguish which are more important at an early age will have a head start in life. I think that education is more important than physical appearance or talent because, majority of individuals in today society will rely on education to make a living rather than their appearance or talent. With an education I feel that you will have way more opportunities to be successful in life. No matter how much I dislike school or how much it may sometimes get me down, I know that it will be beneficial in the future. Education is important to me because no matter how much I may dislike sitting in school with a teacher I don’t care for, I know there is nothing more important to me for my future. I someday will want a house, a car, a family, and a job and the good and bad experiences through education will one day help me achieve all of these. Being worried about your appearance can have an effect on you where you will not be focused on your education. A person that is worried about their appearance does not have time to worry about their education. Even if u do get a good job that pays goods you still need some kind of education because people will take advantage of you . Education will lead you to a better life in the future and make it more stable. With education u will be able to get a good job and you will become better off financially and be able to support your family. I would be able to have as much amenities as I want and also be able to pay my bills on time and don’t have to worry about where the next check will come from. With a better education I will be able to live around people that want something in life. Individuals that are like this their opinions are valued more. With that good education I would be able to do many other things such as travel the world and see different religions and see how different people live which will be a nice experience for me and my family. I would be able to buy better looking clothes and look good. In the article ‘Working at McDonalds’s’ it shows the importance of education and how it pays off these high school teens. It shows how hard life will be with a minimum wage job and how it can’t provide a life that they dreamed about and desire. In the last couple of years, we have come across to a big issue, children, and adult dropping out school. People who have completed high school earn more than those who have not, people with bachelor’s degree earn more than those with only an undergraduate education. In the article ‘Giving Kids Opportunity’ by Hector Batista the guy that created a program which helped people without an education to get training that will help them get a job. I don’t think that if these people could have made a living off if their appearance they won’t be coming back to get this jobs training. Which it show the importance of education. His father was very big on education and what it can do for you. This gave these people chance at life and showed them that it is not the end for them. With education I can help children that are in troubled situations and encourage them that there is hope. In this Twenty-First Century, the value of education has taken on a whole new meaning. So no matter what, education is the key that allows people to move up in the world, seek better jobs, and ultimately succeed fully in life. Society usually says the more educated, the better of a person will be. People who attend college tend to work in white collar jobs in office buildings or other facilities. With air-conditioning, heating, and conveniences that improve the quality of life. This will make our lives easier and happier to work somewhere that we like to and education can give us that option. I feel that education is something that no one can take away from us once we have it but on the other hand if you make a living on appearance and you get into a car accident one day and you no longer look beautiful what will you rely on. So don’t be one of the few that tries to make a living on appearance rather than a good education.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

General Management Theories

General Management Theories: There are four general management theories. 1. Frederick Taylor – Theory of Scientific Management. 2. Henri Fayol – Administrative Management Theory. 3. Max Weber – Bureaucratic Theory of Management. 4. Elton Mayo – Behavioral Theory of Management (Hawthorne Effect). 1. Frederick Taylor’s Theory of Scientific Management. Taylor’s theory of scientific management aimed at, improving economic efficiency, especially labor productivity. Taylor had a simple view about, what motivated people at work, – money.He felt that, workers should get a, fair day's pay for a fair day's work, and that pay, should be linked to the amount produced. Therefore he introduced the, DIFFERENTIAL PIECE RATE SYSTEM, of paying wages to the workers. Taylor's Differential Piece Rate Plan. If Efficiency is greater than the defined Standard then workers should be paid 120 % of Normal Piece Rate. If Efficiency is less than standard then work ers should be paid 80% of Normal Piece Rate. Principles of Scientific Management. Four Principles of Scientific Management are: 1. Time and motion study: – Study the way jobs are performed and find new ways to do them. 2.Teach, train and develop the workman with improved methods of doing work. Codify the new methods into rules. 3. Interest of employer ; employees should be fully harmonized so as to secure mutually understanding relations between them. 4. Establish fair levels of performance and pay a premium for higher performance. 2. Henri Fayol’s Administrative Management Theory: Henri Fayol known as the Father Of Management laid down the 14 principles of Management. – 1. Division of Work. 2. Equity. 3. Discipline. 4. Initiative. 5. Authority and Responsibility. 6. Esprit De Corps. 7. Subordination of Individual Interest to General Interest. . Stability of Tenure. 9. Remuneration. 10. Unity of Direction. 11. Centralization. 12. Scalar Chain. 14. Unity of Comma nd. 3. Max Weber’s Bureaucratic Theory Of Management Weber made a distinction between authority and power. Weber believed that power educes obedience through force or the threat of force which induces individuals to adhere to regulations. According to Max Weber, there are three types of power in an organization:- 1. Traditional Power 2. Charismatic Power 3. Bureaucratic Power or Legal Power. Features of Bureaucracy: 1. Division of Labor. 2. Formal Hierarchical Structure. 3.Selection based on Technical Expertise. 4. Management by Rules. 5. Written Documents. 6. Only Legal Power is Important. 7. Formal and Impersonal relations. 4. Elton Mayo’s Behavioral Theory of Management: Elton Mayo's experiments showed an increase in worker productivity was produced by the psychological stimulus of being singled out, involved, and made to feel important. Hawthorne Effect, can be summarized as â€Å"Employees will respond positively to any novel change in work environment like bette r illumination, clean work stations, relocating workstations etc. Employees are more productive because they know they are being studied.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Bpr in General Motors Essay Example

Bpr in General Motors Essay Example Bpr in General Motors Paper Bpr in General Motors Paper | |    | Case Studies  Ã‚  BPR in Poland | The first ever Business Process Reengineering (BPR) project in the formerly communist countries of eastern Europe was completed on October 28th, 1994 by Wizdom Polska, the Polish subsidiary company of Wizdom Systems, Inc. Wizdom has once again taken BPR to new frontiers, achieving unprecedented results in the massive task of Reengineering a company laden with the residuals of 50 years of central planning.The company, Stomil Sanok S.A., is a manufacturer of rubber injected moulded products, primarily for the automotive industry, ( Sto means I 00 in Polish, and mil means miles). Stomil is tucked away in Sanok, a beautiful mountainous region of southeastern Poland near the Ukrainian and Slovakian borders. Through radical downsizing, Stomil has reduced its workforce from 6,000 people in 1989, to 2500 employees today. Formerly 100% state-owned, Stomil was purchased by the U.S.owned Polish American Enterprise Fund in 1990. The $350 million do llar equity investment fund was set up by President Bush and the U.S. Congress to jump start the Polish economy soon after the fall of communism in 1989. Since its privatization, Stomil has attained phenomenal growth, increasing sales by an average of 25% a year through a very aggressive quality program coupled with a strong marketing push into western Europe and, as is typical in Poland, by utilizing an inexpensive, highly educated workforce.What most distinguishes Stomil from other companies in Poland that are struggling to meet the challenges of surviving the new free market, is its openness to new ideas and technologies. Stomil was quick to realize that its management needed to understand its processes and what it was doing, before it could implement the radical change needed to be more efficient. Because the required changes were so broad and fundamental, Stomils management needed to make decisions on where to apply its resources for implementing change. Although this

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Back Titration in Chemistry

Back Titration in Chemistry A back titration is a titration method where the concentration of an analyte is determined by reacting it with a known amount of excess reagent. The remaining excess reagent is then titrated with another, second reagent. The second titrations result shows how much of the excess reagent was used in the first titration, thus allowing the original analytes concentration to be calculated. A back titration may also be called an indirect titration. When Is a Back Titration Used? A back titration is used when the molar concentration of an excess reactant  is known, but the need exists to determine the strength or concentration of an analyte. Back titration is typically applied in acid-base titrations: When the acid or (more commonly) base is an insoluble salt (e.g., calcium carbonate) When direct titration endpoint would be hard to discern (e.g., weak acid and weak base titration) When the reaction occurs very slowly Back titrations are applied, more generally, when the endpoint is easier to see than with a normal titration, which applies to some precipitation reactions. How Is a Back Titration Performed? Two steps are typically followed in a back titration: The volatile analyte is permitted to react with an excess reagent A titration is conducted on the remaining quantity of the known solution This is a way to measure the amount consumed by the analyte, thus calculate the excess quantity.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Essay Example What differentiates Hermione from many intelligent children is that not only does she learn the magical spells, she practically has the capability to recall from her memory the most appropriate spell that applies on a particular situation whenever required, and thus, serves as the ultimate rescuer for Ron and Harry. Not many brainy children are as practical as Hermione is. Her practicality also reflects in the way she practically indulges in every act with Ron and Harry at every stage till the end of the story. Hermione Granger is indeed, a true friend to Ron and Harry. It is not wrong to state that her friends possess her. She knows the meaning of friendship and can practically go to any lengths to help her friends out of the trouble. She is the very â€Å"friend in need† as they call it. She is the kind of person most parents would like their child to be friends with, given she is very optimistic and hardworking. Hermione Granger is a muggle born witch who is able to display excellent magical qualities contrary to the fact that none of her parents come from the magical world. Hermione Granger has been presented as a â€Å"know-it-all† kind of girl whose attitude is not quite welcomed by Ron Weasley particularly in their initial encounters at Hogwarts. In the start of the story, one might even start to think of her as a cheap character that shows its knowledge off to depress others. However, one later gets to realize how genuinely is she interested in learning magic and applying it to assist humanity. At the age of 11, she prefers learning â€Å"Transfiguration Charms† upon trying shades of lipstick. She is a genuine learner placed in the â€Å"Gryffindor House† because of her extreme bravery, although she was also suitable for â€Å"Ravenclaw House† because of her smartness. Hermione Granger fits best in the Stage VI of the Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Diversity and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity and Leadership - Assignment Example right to express his concerns, however if people get to chose the members based on people of their orientation and inclination, it would result in a negative impact over the organizational working and would set precedence for a gulf in the atmosphere. What needs to be done both in case of Sandra’s handling of situation and that of Bob is the fact that personal orientations should be kept aloof from professional objectives. Clearly defining who one would want to work with and whom one might want to avoid, it would create a bridge unnecessary and reduce the scope of overall performance achievement. Carol Bartz’s style of leadership has bit of both, task oriented and relationship oriented pattern. For it includes participation as well ensuring that the tasks are being done. With certain considerations such as in time reporting, and keeping away extra gadgets off the meeting halls, speak for the task orientation, however when she asks for people’s take in the process and put them in to her shoes, that is reflective of her relationship oriented leadership style. These two if implemented in a contained and suitable manner, they allow for effective outcome and the blend of two enables achieving what may not be possible to achieve otherwise. Such an approach allows participation, and task completion in time. Different leadership models are available and many people adopt them in different manners to extract the outcomes. Some would follow an achiever’s strategy, others would go for a strategic approach and some would go for an engaging approach (Bluman). The model and style adopted by Carol Bartz is that of engaging and achiever’s policy and model. This is visible and extractable from the fact that she during the meetings asks the members how they would go about the tasks if they were in her shoes, and also with fixed target and limit of target accomplishment, she is fully determined to extracting the output hence an achiever’s strategy. She adopted a dual

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Research Methods for Social Epidemiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Research Methods for Social Epidemiology - Essay Example In looking at Beaglehole’s work on Basic Epidemiology a general understanding of the discipline can be comprehended. The World Health Organization (2002) defines social epidemiology as â€Å"the study of how society and different forms of social organization influence the health and well-being of individuals and populations†. The appearance of social inequalities in the way that economic related issues are concerned are ways in which the study of a society can reveal needs that must be addressed to thwart the way in which disease affects the lives of members of a social group in comparison to the way it affects those of another group. It has been shown through the work of social epidemiologists that inequities within the economic social structure of a nation can lead to inequities within the medical care that is available and provided. By looking at the ways in which this research is approached, an understanding of the impact of these kinds of studies can be assessed for merit and for future responsibility toward social change. Dennis Raphael (2000) has created a study of the inequities that exist in the health care within the United States. His research is based on U.S. statistical information on economics and health, correlating the two to create conclusions about the way in which economic inequalities create diverse general health implications. With the use of secondary research to prove his hypothesis, he is able to create support for his points of interest and create strong connective dialogue for his theories. However, one of the weaknesses of this use of secondary research is that much of the information is not recent to his publication date of 2000. As an example, in the section that makes a connection between health differences in relation to race, the statistics that are being used are from 1985 and 1987. With this topic, the way in which

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) Corporate Structure

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) Corporate Structure Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) is a key player in the establishment, maintenance and provision of telecommunication and related services under the license issued by the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications. It is the dominant player in the fixed line telephony market in Malaysia, offering local call, long distance call and data services through a range of platforms. TMs mobile communications business operates under the Celcom brand while its Internet access business operates under the TM net and Streamyx brands. TM also operates a wireless broadband Internet access network through TM net Hotspot. TM was incorporated in 1984 listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities in Nov 1990. the core business of TM is Telecommunications, Fixed Line Services, Mobile Cellular, Internet Connectivity, Operation of optic fibred systems, Managed Network Services, Trading in telecommunications equipment. Telekom Malaysia Berhad is the largest telecommunication company in Malaysia. It has a monopoly on the fixed line network and has a considerable market share of the mobile communications market after its acquisition of Celcom and merging with its mobile operation arm TM Touch. TM has an internet service provider subsidiary offering narrowband and broadband connectivity. Broadband connectivity is through DSL under TM Nets Streamyx brand. Due to its near monopoly of the last mile connections, TM Net is now the sole DSL broadband provider in the country. Telekom Malaysia officially changed its global brand from Telekom Malaysia to TM in April 2005. Telekom Malaysia Berhad, is one of the largest listed companies on Bursa Malaysia with an operating revenue of more than RM16 billion and total asset over RM41.8 billion. TM is a government-linked company, reporting government shareholdings of over 36%. Of the remaining shares, less than 4% are held by non-bumiputera Malaysians, the racial di stinction being an example of the governments affirmative action policy. TM had a large numbers of companies under its control both in and outside of Malaysia. Through its investment arm TM International Sdn Bhd, TM has  purchased and assumed control of a number of start-up telcos most notably close to the home region. TM has a local subsidiaries such as: * TMNet * VADS * Multimedia University * Multimedia College * TMRD * Telekom Applied Business On September 28, 2007, TM announced a revamp of its corporate structure, de-merging its fixed-line and mobile businesses into two separate companies: Fixed Co and Region Co. Fixed Co will comprise its domestic fixed-line business, internet service provider and other ancillary businesses. Region Co will comprise Celcom, its domestic cellular operator, and all of its international operations. The de-merger exercise is scheduled to be completed by Q1 2008 and both Fixed Co and Region Co will be listed on Bursa Malaysia by June 2008. On 10 December, 2007, TM announced a special dividend amounting to RM 1.6 billion to its shareholder. TM further added that after the demerger, Fixed Co. will adopt a dividend policy of a minimum RM700mil or up to 90% of normalized net profit, whichever is higher. On 11 April 2008, Telekom Malaysia announced that TM International will be listed on the Bursa Malaysia by 28 April 2008. TM International is renamed as Axiata Group Berhad in May 2009. Dialog Tele kom customer base as of end 2008 was 5.5 millions. In sponsorship, Manchester United signs five-year deal with Telekom Malaysia Premier League leaders Manchester United have signed a five-year deal with Telekom Malaysia (TM), which will become its Official Integrated Telecommunications partner in the Far Eastern country. TM is the largest telecommunications company in Malaysia, posting an increase in profits in 2009 of 180.4% compared to the previous year. The company is developing its tour match sponsorship of Man Utd into a complete partnership with the Club. Man Utds success in Malaysia is clearly evident with approximately 25% of the population supporting the Club. Its tours of the Far East attract large crowds with around 40,000 attending the training sessions with the same figure supporting the team at a match in Kuala Lumpur. Market analysis Market analysis is a research aimed at predicting or anticipating the direction of stock, bond, or commodity markets, based on technical data about the movement of market prices or on fundamental data such as corporate earnings prospects or supply and demand. It is a designed to define a companys current or potential markets, forecast their directions, and decide how to expand the companys share and exploit any new trends. Market analysis is a tool companies use in order to better understand the environment in which they operate. It is one of the main steps in the development of a marketing plan. The first step is to conduct market research or gather information through direct mail, telemarketing, focus groups or online surveys. Market analysis, which involves critically reviewing and organizing the data collected so that it can be used in making strategic marketing decisions. Just as one would not build a house on sand, one should never undertake a marketing program that is not buil t on a firm foundation of market knowledge. Telekom Malaysia (TM), the leading player in the Malaysian fixed-line market, is focusing on high-speed broadband and bundled services to drive its future growth, while a declining fixed-line market and shrinking ARPU remain its key challenges. Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) is engaged in providing a wide range of services for the telecommunications industry. The companys offering include fixed line, wireless, data and broadband services. The group operates in different countries namely Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and Iran, with a strong focus on the Malaysian market. The company provides fixed line and data services such as telephone and internet connections for business and domestic purposes. Solutions for international wide area networks, corporate level virtual private networks. The Internet and multimedia services of the company include access services and application services. Under the cellular services the company offers wireless related services to its customers. It is managed by its operating subsidiaries such as Celcom (Malaysia) Berhad, TM International (Bangladesh), Dialog Telekom (Sri Lanka), Multinet Pakistan, PT Excelcomindo Pratama TBK (Indonesia), Spice Communications (India), Telekom Malaysia International (Cambodia), and Mobileone (Singapore). Major service offerings include voice, data, mobile internet, messaging, and international roaming. The non-telecommunication related services include property development, printing and publication of directories, education, trading in consumers premises equipment and other businesses. The company operates through four reportable segments namely, Retail Business, Wholesale Business, Global Business and Shared Services or Others. The companys Retail Business segment provides various telecommunication products, services and communication solutions principally to direct consumers, small and medium businesses, corporate and government customers. TM offers a range of voice services, internet or broadband services, data services and information communication technology services. As on December 2008, the Retail Business segment holds a customer base of 1.6 million. During the fiscal 2008, the respective segment accounted MYR 6887.2 million, an increase of 6% over last fiscal. The Wholesale Business segment of the company delivers various telecommunication products and services through its direct networks to other licensed network operators such as Network Facilities Providers (NFP), Network Service Providers (NSP) and Application Service Providers (ASP). The company provides various telecommunications network related services through Fiberails fibre optics backbone, via railway tracks and Petronas gas pipelines. Fiberail is a joint venture formed by Telekom Malaysia Berhad and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). In addition, its Fibrecomm is a joint venture with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). It operates through 10Gbps fibre optics network. Moreover, Fibrecomm also offers a neutral infrastructure service. During the fiscal 2008, the respective segment accounted MYR 997.1 million, a 0.65% decrease over last fiscal. Global Business segment is involved in the provision of inbound and outbound services for telecommunication products. The company under its Global Business segment holds collaborations in six continents namely, Asia, Europe, Americas, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa. It is involved on various business alliances with various telcos in Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and installed global IP nodes in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK, US and others. Global Data Marketing and Global Voice Marketing teams are the major products and services provided by this segment. During the fiscal 2008, the respective segment accounted MYR 11 48.4 million, an increase of 3.70% over last fiscal. The companys Shared Services or Others include all shared services divisions, networks and subsidiaries that do not fall under the above lines of business. During the fiscal 2008, the respective segment accounted MYR 4381.7 million, a 1.55% decrease over last fiscal. Telekom Research Development Sdn Bhd (TMRD), the research and development division of the group entered into an agreement with MIMOS for research collaboration in cutting-edge technologies between governments linked companies (GLCs). It also signed an agreement with University Technology Malaysia to promote co-operation between the two parties in the field of research and development. The company spent MYR 65.5 million on RD during 2008. In May 2009, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) and Wi-Net Technology Sdn Bhd (Wi-Net) entered into a Wholesale Ethernet Service Agreement for the provisioning of Wi-Nets wireless broadband service, Winet Broadband. It is the five year agreement, where the Wi-Net will leverage on TMs existing Wholesale Ethernet service and the new High Speed Broadband (HSBB) network and expands supply of its broadband service to more than 2,000 locations nationwide by 2010. Industrial analysis Industry analysis is a tool that facilitates a companys understanding of its position relative to other companies that produce similar products or services. Understanding the forces at work in the overall industry is an important component of effective strategic planning. Industry analysis enables small business owners to identify the threats and opportunities facing their businesses, and to focus their resources on developing unique capabilities that could lead to a competitive advantage. An industry analysis consists of three major elements. That is the underlying forces at work in the industry, the overall attractiveness of the industry and the critical factors that determine a companys success within the industry. Ease of entry refers to how easy or difficult it is for a new firm to begin competing in the industry. The ease of entry into an industry is important because it determines the likelihood that a company will face new competitors. In industries that are easy to enter, so urces of competitive advantage tend to wane quickly. On the other hand, in industries that are difficult to enter, sources of competitive advantage last longer, and firms also tend to benefit from having a constant set of competitors. .The ease of entry into an industry depends upon two factors. It is reaction of existing competitors to new entrants and the barriers to market entry that prevail in the industry. Existing competitors are most likely to react strongly against new entrants when there is a history of such behavior, when the competitors have invested substantial resources in the industry and when the industry is characterized by slow growth. Some of the major barriers to market entry include economies of scale, high capital requirements, and switching costs for the customer, limited access to the channels of distribution, a high degree of product differentiation, and restrictive government policies. A comprehensive industry analysis requires a small business owner to take an objective view of the underlying forces, attractiveness, and success factors that determine the structure of the industry. Understanding the companys operating environment in this way can help the small business owner to formulate a n effective strategy, position the company for success, and make the most efficient use of the limited resources of the small business. Once the forces affecting competition in an industry and their underlying causes have been diagnosed, the firm is in a position to identify its strengths and weaknesses relative to the industry. An effective competitive strategy takes offensive or defensive action in order to create a defendable position against the five competitive forces. Some of the possible strategies include positioning the firm to use its unique capabilities as defense, influencing the balance of outside forces in the firms favor, or anticipating shifts in the underlying industry factors and adapting before competitors do in order to gain a competitive advantage. rom the economist intelligence unit Malaysias telecommunications network is relatively advanced compared with other countries in South-east Asia. In terms of total industry revenue, Malaysias communications market is roughly on a par with that of Singapore (which has a much smaller population), and is well ahead of that of Indonesia. In 2003 the number of telephone land lines per 100 populations in Malaysia stood at 18.3, giving the country about twice the teledensity of Thailand, six times that of the Philippines and five times that of Indonesia. As in most of Asia, the use of cellular telephones has been growing steadily at the end of September 2005 there were around 17.6m mobile accounts. Although telecoms services are excellent and readily available in urban centres, they are only fair in many rural locations. The monopoly of Telekom Malaysia, which is largely state-owned, on fixed-line and cellular services ended in 1994 with the licensing of several competitors. However, Telekom Malaysia remains the dominant provider of fixed-line services, with more than 90% of the market. The newcomers have tended to concentrate on mobile telephony. The ensuing competition has brought lower tariffs and improved service quality. The mobile network is primarily based on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technology; although a code division multiple access (CDMA) system is being used by Telekom Malaysia to meet demand from rural areas in eastern Malaysia. In order to achieve a truly competitive market, the government must eventually distance itself from the incumbent, Telekom Malaysia, and legislate provisions for local loop unbundling, co-location and interconnection. Without these, Malaysia will not have a competitive market for broadband services, and the fixed-line market is likely to remain stagnant. The development of information and communications technology (ICT) plays a crucial role in the governments plans for the economy. The government has attempted to position Malaysia as a regional and global ICT and multimedia hub, by providing tax breaks to attract multinational corporations and increase the companies competitiveness through the development of the Multimedia Super corridor (MSC) near the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Although the bursting of the dot-com bubble slowed the growth of the 750-sq-km MSC, by end-2005 a total of 1,421 companies had approved MSC status. These companies, of which 349 were majority foreign-owned, included technology manufacturers, data centres and communications-related industries. Usage of ICT, measured in terms of installed personal computers (PCs), rose to almost 170 per 1,000 population in 2003, up from 87.4 in 1998. The Economist Intelligence Unit estimates total information technology (IT) spending in Malaysia at US$3.3bn in 2005. Company analysis The Executive Summary entices the investor to learn more about the company. The company analysis in turn educates the reader regarding the companys history Company profile Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) as the leading integrated Telecommunications Company in Malaysia, that aim to deliver cutting-edge communications, information and entertainment services and the vision is to be Malaysias leading new generation communications provider, embracing customer needs through innovation and execution excellence mission Strive towards customer service excellence and operational efficiency, enrich consumer lifestyle and experience by providing innovative new generation services, improve the performance of our business customers by providing high value information and communications solutions, deliver value for stakeholders by generating shareholder value and supporting Malaysias growth and development Past Accomplishments Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) Investor Relations Unit is constantly striving to improve relationships with all our investors and in ensuring best practices are adhered to all communication with the capital market is governed by the Investor Relations Policy and Guidelines. Unique Qualifications Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) is a Malaysia based integrated communications solutions provider. The company is principally engaged in the provision of services and solutions in broadband, data and fixed line. TM serves 4.3 million fixed-line customers and 1.6 million broadband customers across the globe. In addition, the company also operates retail, wholesale and the global business. Major subsidiaries of the company include Celcom (Malaysia) Berhad, TM International (Bangladesh), Dialog Telekom (Sri Lanka), Multinet Pakistan, PT Excelcomindo Pratama TBK (Indonesia), Spice Communications (India), Telekom Malaysia International (Cambodia), and Mobileone (Singapore). Other than Malaysia, the company has presence in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, and Iran, through its subsidiaries. It is headquartered at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The company reported revenues of (Ringgit) MYR 8,674.90 million during the fiscal year ended December 2008, an increase of 4.57% over 2007. The operating profit of the company was MYR 729.40 million during the fiscal year 2008, a decrease of 21.27% from 2007. The net profit of the company was MYR 791.90 million during the fiscal year 2008, a decrease of 68.92% from 2007. Industry and structural links to company analysis Telekom Malaysia Berhad Financial and Strategic Analysis Review Global Markets Directs Telekom Malaysia Berhad Financial and Strategic Analysis Review is an in-depth business, strategic and financial analysis of Telekom Malaysia Berhad. The report provides a comprehensive insight into the company, including business structure and operations, executive biographies and key competitors. The hallmark of the report is the detailed strategic analysis of the company. This highlights its strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats it faces going forward The Company is engaged in the establishment, maintenance and provision of telecommunication and related services. The Company focuses on fixed line voice, data and broadband, and other telecommunication-related services. The Company operates in retail business, wholesale business, global business and shared services/others. Retail business provides a range of telecommunication products, services and communication solutions to consumers, small and medium businesses, as well as corporate and government customers. Wholesale business provides a range of telecommunication products and services delivered over its networks to other licensed network operators namely network facilities providers, network service providers and application service providers. Global Business provides inbound and outbound services for a range of telecommunication products, including the fixed network operations of its worldwide subsidiaries.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Childrens Songs Popularity in 1918 :: Influenza Songs Essays

Children's Songs' Popularity in 1918 A brief review of the historical year of 1918 when people were informed to take precaution against influenza, while their children came up with a catchy tune for the "worst epidemic the United States has ever known"1 and comparing it with the influenza of today. PHILADELPHIA-- I had a little bird, Its name was Enza, I opened the window In 'flu' Enza. What is the truth behind the song mentioned above that children sing so often during those days? Ironic how the soldiers who came home from the war not only brought life, for they came back alive, but also brought what will soon become the death of so many. It all started in March of the year 1918 in which at Fort Riley located in the state of Kansas, an Army private reported symptoms such as headache, fever, as well as sore throat. It seemed like mild symptoms but by noon the count of soldiers who were ill of the same symptoms totaled up to one-hundred.2 Doctors everywhere were puzzled about what might be causing this illness. What soon came to be known as the Spanish influenza came also to be known as the "worst epidemic the United States has ever known." More soldiers from the war died from this influenza than from combat on the field. One of the earliest victims of the flu came from sailors who resided on the Receiving Ship at Commonwealth Pier in Boston (August 1918) in which the situation gave the flu the advantage of eventually spreading throughout the civilian population. But of course, people were first advised that there was nothing to worry about. According to "Dr. William Hassler, Chief of San Francisco's Board of Health had gone so far as to predict that the flu would not even reach the city."3 But within such urban, crowded cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, it was inevitable that this illness would turn into an epidemic. In Philadelphia of September 1918, new cases of influenza were recorded from the civilian population days after a parade. As a result, Philadelphia was forced to admit that the city has fallen under the Spanish influenza epidemic.4 The severity of this epidemic began to become apparent and so precautions were made--any public places in which crowds of people were able to accumulate were considered "off limits.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Communication Topic Paper

Overcoming Diversity Barriers in Effective Communication Larry Rankin II HUB 640 National University Abstract Utilizing effective communication is becoming increasingly important as groups are becoming more diverse and varied across cultural barriers. The problems that face each person, community, and each country cannot be solved without global cooperation and Joint action. Changes in the world economy, transportation and communication are resulting in increased interdependence among individuals, groups, organizations, communities and societies.With these changes, individuals must find ways to effectively interact and communicate with one another. In Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast, young Belle risks all and sacrifices her own freedom to save the life of her father's, by living in the enchanted castle with the Beast. Although initially fearful of the Beast and horrified by his monstrous appearance, Belle is able to change her perception of him and becomes drawn to kind and sensit ive nature.Ultimately the story ends in the â€Å"happily ever after† frame, but one of the key elements that remain in the mind of the audience is the idea of overcoming diversity in a relationship. One reason Beauty and the Beast retains its popularity is because this idea strikes a familiar chord within many members of the audience. Often individuals find themselves initially repelled by unfamiliarity, and then later becoming very close with the same premises and concepts that once seemed so foreign.The moral of this children's tale shines through when we look at communication across cultures, whether in small or large groups. The diversity that exists among individuals creates an opportunity for both positive and negative outcomes when these individuals come together in groups to achieve a goal or complete a task Monsoon ; Johnson, 1989). More specifically, diversity among group members can result in beneficial consequences, such as increased achievement and productivity, creative problem solving, and growth in cognitive and moral reasoning.To the contrary, diversity among group members can also result in harmful consequences, such as lower achievement and productivity, close-minded rejection of new information, increased egocentrics, prejudice, stereotyping and racism. The pathway of diversity is ultimately determined by the willingness of the group members to utilize effective communication to propel the needs of the group as a whole while respecting the culture and diversity of its individual members (p. 461). Diversity among group members is an important resource that can be utilized to improve the group's productivity.While doing so may not be easy, it is important to understand that there are a number of barriers to effective interactions with culturally diverse groups. These include stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, he tendency to blame the victim, and cultural clashes. Stereotypes Stereotypes can be found everywhere, and everyone h as them. Stereotypes are a product of the way the mind stores, organizes, and recalls information. They are used to describe differences among groups and to predict how others will behave.They reduce complexities, assist in making quick decisions, fill in gaps of what is known, and help to recognize patterns needed to draw conclusions. In modern thought, stereotypes are defined as â€Å"a belief that associates a whole group of people with certain traits. Stereotypes are (1) cognitive; (2) reflect a set of related beliefs rather than isolated behaviors; (3) describe attributes, personalities, and characters so that groups can be compared and differentiated; and are shared by individuals and groups holding them (Cashmere &Del Boca, 1979).Prejudice and Discrimination To be prejudiced meaner, literally, to prejudge, however, prejudice can be defined as an unjustified negative attitude toward a person based solely on that individual's membership in a group other than one's own. Stereot ypes taken to extremes, restudies are Judgments made about others that establish a superiority/inferiority belief system. If one person dislikes another simply because that other is identified with a different ethnic group, sex, religion, socio-economic status, or creed, then prejudice is present (Lopper, 1954).Ethnocentrism is the tendency to regard one's own ethnic group, nation, religion, or culture as better or more â€Å"correct† than others. When ethnocentrism is present, the standards and values of our culture are used as a yardstick to measure the worth of other ethnic groups. Ethnocentrism is often perpetuated by cultural conditioning. As children, individuals are raised to fit a into a particular culture, and conditioned to respond to various situations in similar ways that are modeled by the adults (Rotary, Evans, ; Fuller, 1979). Racism is a prejudice directed at people because of their race, or ethnic membership.Although scientific evidence indicates that only on e human race exists, with many variations, various other people assume that biological differences exist as evidenced by physical appearances. Race has taken on a social meaning, suggesting one's status within the social construct. This status structure introduces power preferences as people of different constructs interact with one another (Steele & Aaron's, 1995). When prejudice is acted upon, it is discrimination. Discrimination is an action taken to harm a group or any of its members. It is a negative, and often aggressive action aimed at the target of the prejudice.Discrimination is aimed at denying members of the targeted groups treatment and opportunities equal to those afforded to the dominant group. To reduce prejudices, use of stereotypes, and potential to discriminate, the following steps may be utilized Monsoon ; Johnson, 1999): 1) admit to having prejudices (everyone does; there are no exceptions) and commit to reducing them; 2) Identify the stereotypes that reflect the presence of prejudices and feedback from diverse friends and colleagues about how well the value and respect for diversity are being communicated.Blaming the victim Many people believe the world is Just a place where individuals â€Å"get what they deserve†, (I. E. Winning the lotto is a result of being a nice person who deserves some good luck, or being robbed is the result of being careless and is punishment for past misdeeds). The question arises then, â€Å"what happens when the situations appear unjust? † One method that is utilized and present in much of the communications between individuals is to blame the victim by convincing the self, that no injustice actually occurred.Victims of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination are often seen as â€Å"having done something wrong. † Blaming the victim occurs when the cause of discrimination or misfortune is attributed to the personal characteristics of the victim (Hellhole, 1994). Culture Clash Another com mon barrier to effective communications across divers cultures is the dead of cultural clash. Cultural clashes are conflicts over basic values that occur when members of minority groups question the values of the majority.Common reaction by majority group members when their values are being questioned are feeling: 1) Threatened: their responses include avoidance, denial, and defensiveness; 2) Confused: their responses include seeking more information in an attempt to redefine the problem; 3) Enhanced: their responses include heightened anticipation, awareness, and positive actions that lead to solving the problem (Outsold, 1991). Many cultural clashes develop in and between groups.These clashes range from threatening to confusing to enhancing, and when handled appropriately, these clashes are another form of conflict and they can serve as learning experiences rather than barriers. In our increasingly global community, highly diverse individuals interact daily, studying, working, and playing together in small groups. Rapidly growing global interdependence and the increasing emphasis on teamwork have resulted in groups with quite diverse membership.Diversity among members is no longer exceptional or optional; it is the everyday rule. Individuals are expected to interact effectively and utilize appropriate communication skills among people with a variety of characteristics and backgrounds. Doing so has many advantages, including increased group productivity on a variety of tasks. Heterogeneity in groups also increases the difficulty of developing cohesive relationships among its members and increases the potential for conflict among members.For group members to capitalize on their differences, a high level of cultural competence and awareness must be implemented into the daily communications, to ensure that a high level of positive interdependence exists among group members. This can be accomplished by using communication to create a subordinates group identity b ased on a pluralistic set of values, enabling members to gain sophistication about the differences among members through personal relationships that have sufficient trust to allow for candid discussions Monsoon ;Johnson, 2005).