E-Banking: Trend, Status, Challenges and Policy Issues

E-banking: Status, Trends, Challenges and Policy Implications 1. Introduction In addition to introduction (section I) and conclusion (section VI), the paper includes four sections. Section II addresses the definition and current situation of e-banking. Then, section III addresses the impact of e-banking on banking business. After that, section IV addresses the major application of e-banking. That is also the bottom line whether e-banking can be viable in a country. Section V addresses the new challenges e-banking has brought and policy implications from the perspectives of society, banks, and regulatory authority as well as government. . Status 2. 1. Definition †¢ The Internet includes all related web-enabling technologies and open telecommunication networks ranging from direct dial- up, the public World Wide Web, cable, and virtual private networks. (BIS-EBG, 2003) †¢ Internet banking (e-banking) is defined to include the provision of retail and small value banking product s and services through electronic channels as well as large value electronic payments and other wholesale banking services delivered electronically. (BIS-EBG, 2003) 1 2. 2. Fundamental characteristicsComparison between the current round financial innovation (e-banking) and past financial innovations The current innovation (ebanking) Content Delivery channel innovation-deliver banking business via internet. Impact Wider Past financial innovations Products and services, i. e. , delivery, swap Narrow 2. 3. Levels/Scope of e-banking business †¢ †¢ Basic information e-banking/web sites that just disseminate information on banking products and services offered to bank customers and the general public; Simple transactional e-banking /web sites that allow bank customers o submit applications for different services, make queries on their account balances, and submit instructions to the bank, but do no permit any account transfers; †¢ Advanced transactional e-banking/web sites that allow bank customers to electronically transfer funds to/from their accounts pay bills, and conduct other banking transaction online. †¢ Usually, e-banking refers to types II and III. 2. 4. Current development situations (in industrial countries) †¢ E-banking products and services are getting more and more advanced and increasing in variety.From providing information at the early stage to providing transactional activities. 2 †¢ †¢ Both volume and share in the total banking business are getting bigger and bigger very fast (Graph, Europe) E-banking customer base is getting bigger quickly. 2. 5. Status in developing countries Developing countries are in catching up in e-banking: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ The average e-banking penetration for developing countries by the end of 1999 was close to 5% (World Bank Survey, 2001). In Brazil, the number of e-banking users reached 8 million in 2000. In Mexico, the number of e-banking users reached 1. 5 million in 2000. In India, over 50 banks are offering online banking services. ICICI Bank’s e-banking is very impressing. E-banking in Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan (China) is thriving. In Ghana and some other African countries, smart cards based on Visa Horizon proximately technologies are getting started. 3. Prospects–Impact of E-banking on traditional banking 3. 1. The early conventional wisdom: †¢ †¢ Internet banking would destroy the traditional banking business model and promote the entry of newcomers from the outside of the banking industry.Developing countries could have the â€Å"opportunities to leapfrog† in the adoption of efinance on a large scale. 3. 2. In reality, e-banking develops fast, but not damaging as conventional wisdom projected. †¢ The notion of leapfrog has not worked in many developing countries due to various impediments. This can be verified by UNCTAD report. â€Å"Some positive si gns are 3 already visible, including a high level of acceptance of technology by customers and financial institutions†¦. H(h)owever, most projects have not yet been deployed on a large scale. † (UNCTAD 2002. It provides a comprehensive look at the status of efinance in developing countries.It covers arrange of areas related to e- finance including e-banking, e-payments, e-trades, and e-credit information). †¢ †¢ Even in industrial countries, e-banking is still a complementary tools to traditional banking. Lots of pure e-banking businesses have been forced out of market. Internet-only banks have been substantially less profitable. They generate lower business volumes and any savings generated by lower physical overheads appear to be offset by other types of non-interest expenditures, notably marketing to attract new customers. (De Young 2001). 3. 3.Prevailing vision †¢ The prevailing view today is that Internet banking can only succeed if it is thoroughly in tegrated within the existing banking infrastructure, which should combine â€Å"click† (e-banking) with â€Å"mortar† (physical branches) due to the importance of public trust in banks, the value of an established brand name, and the desire of customers to do something physically. †¢ According to this view, Internet is regarded simply as another distribution channel as a complement to physical braches, phone banking and ATM networks. The dominance of the so-called â€Å"click and mortar† model can be explained by its success on the ground.Two good examples are Wells Fargo in the US and Nordea in Scandinavia. 3. 4. Case-study–experience from the two most successful cases Two most successful examples: †¢ †¢ Wells Fargo (US), has actually the highest absolute number of online customers, more than 3 million out of its total 24 million customers in 2001. Nordea (Scandinavia), has 2. 3 million online customers, representing over 20% of its total customer base. It has the highest share of online customers. 4 They share the following common elements: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Both are leaders in their traditional markets and thus can capitalize on a sizable customer base.Furthermore, their customer base is technologically sophisticated. California and Scandinavia have extremely high rates of Internet use. Both are technologically advanced and started early in Internet deployment. Wells Fargo started e-banking business as early as in 1989. Both have tightly integrated Internet in their operations and their existing infrastructure. Both have large number of SME customer base. 3. 5. Prospects Bottom line: the ability to mainstream SME and individuals into E-banking. 4. Trend: The major application of e-banking—SME finance E-banking is used more and more for improving access to finance.Financial constraints for SMEs have never been effectively solved and have been thought inevitable. This section will cover t he advantages of e-banking on this aspect. 4. 1. Obstacles to SME’s access to finance 4. 1. 1. from banks’ perspective †¢ †¢ †¢ High costs and low profitability of SME loans because of the small loan size. High risks of SME loans due to lack of business track record, credit history, and transparent information. Evaluating SME risk is â€Å"too labor- intensive† to be profitable. 5 †¢ Many banks lack strategies and skills to tackle impediments associated with SME finance.In many developing countries, the staff of banks lack necessary skills to appropriately assess credit risks of SMEs 4. 1. 2. from SME’s perspective †¢ Inappropriate products and services, which are rigidly supply-driven instead of demand-driven. Commercial bank products are usually designed to meet the needs of large corporations; few products and service are specifically tailored to the needs of SMEs. SME sector is usually underserved. †¢ †¢ †¢ High interest rates. SMEs usually require much smaller loans than large enterprises. banks, therefore, usually charge high margins to cover the costs. Cumbersome procedures.Over insistence on collaterals and guarantees. SMEs usually have low- level of fixed assets and relatively high- level of working capital. Therefore, when lending to an SME, a bank needs to assess the SME’s economic viability and future cash flows instead of collaterals. However, in many developing countries, banks are still in the very early stage of mastering sound lending policies and good credit practices. Their lending appears to simply rely on collateral rather than cash- flow projections. banks’ lack of capacity of non-collateral credit assessment has caused them unable to provide lending services to SMEs. Inflexible credit criteria—one size fits all. 4. 2. New Technology, New Hope for SME Finance 4. 2. 1. From bank’s side, new technology (e-banking) makes SME finance economically p ossible (i) lower operational costs of banks †¢ †¢ †¢ Automated process Accelerated credit decisions Lowered minimum loan size to be profitable (ii) potentially lower margins 6 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Lower cost of entry Expanded financing reach Increased transparency (iii) expand reach through self-service Lower transaction cost Make some corporate services economically feasible for SMEs Make anytime access to accounts and loan information possible . 2. 2. From SMEs’ perspective E-banking business makes access to finance from banks attractive. SMEs have benefited from the development of E- finance and gradually stepped out of the informal sector. In particular, E- finance offers the following attractive benefits for SMEs: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Ease of use Lower costs of financing Convenience Time savings Operational efficiency 4. 2. 3. From the government’s perspective New technologies have provided the incentiv es/benefits for the government to improve SME finance by †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Increasing employment. Contributing to poverty reduction. Contributing to economic development.Reducing the informal sector and cash economy1 . 1 Lack of SME’s access to FIs is one of the major reasons why there are usually big informal economic sector (cash economy) in many developing countries. Improved SME access to formal financial institutions is expected to reduce the informal economic sector. 7 5. Challenges and policy implications 5. 1. Cross-border e-banking activities and its policy implications 5. 1. 1. definition †¢ Definition: Cross-border e-banking is defined as the provision of transactional on- line banking products or service by a bank in one country to residents of another country. BIS, 2003) †¢ †¢ A note on the definition: A bank delivering its e-banking activities via its physical branches/ subsidiaries in a host country does count into cross-border e-ba nking. A further note: banks can use the new delivery channel (e-banking) reach customers in another country without as much reliance on physical presence and the significant investment that it entails (example). 5. 1. 2. Two scenarios †¢ †¢ The in-out scenario—In-country institutions providing banking services to customers outside the home country.The out- in scenario—institutions based outside the home country providing banking services to parties within the home country. 5. 1. 3. Raised many challenges and questions for banking regulatory authorities (both home and host) †¢ Who should take the supervision responsibility? Borderless nature of e-banking increase the potential for jurisdictional ambiguities with respect to the supervisory responsibilities of different national authorities. Such situations could lead to insufficient supervision of cross-border e-banking activities. †¢ †¢ Does it need to be licensed?Banks that engage in cross-bor der e-banking may face increased legal risk. Specifically, unless banks conduct adequate due diligence they run the risk of potential non-compliance with different national laws and regulations, including 8 applicable consumer protection laws, record-keeping and reporting requirements, privacy rules, AML rules. †¢ Non-banks may offer with greater facility bank- like services without any type of supervisory approval or oversight due to definitional ambiguities that may exist wit regard to what constitutes a bank (or banking services). †¢ †¢ †¢ Which country’s law applies to cross-border e-banking activities.Role and responsibilities of the home country banking supervisor and local supervisor. Supervisors need to recognize that the Internet allows for the provision of e-banking services that can span geographic borders and potentially call into question existing jurisdictional authorization requirements and the regulatory processes; †¢ Supervisors need to recognize the implications of taking a restrictive approach toward currently regulated banks without an even-handed treatment of foreign organizations that may conduct identical or nearly identical activities via the Internet in the local jurisdiction. Supervisors should ensure that banks appropriately manage the legal uncertainty during the period while the legal infrastructure for cross-border e-banking remains under construction. 5. 1. 4. Its policy implications †¢ Policy goal: The objective of both the host and home supervisors should be to avoid or minimize legal risks stemming from jurisdictional ambiguities, and to ensure that e-banking activities are adequately supervised with clearly defined supervisory responsibilities. †¢Basic principle: Focus attention on the need for effective home country supervision of cross-border e-banking activities on a consolidated basis as well as continued international cooperation between home and local banking supervisors regardi ng such activities given the possible absence of a physical banking presence in local jurisdiction. Such as focus is essential to promote safe and sound cross-border e- 9 banking without creating undue regulatory burden or impediments to banks’ use of the internet delivery channel to meet customer needs. Complementary principle : Home supervisors should provide host supervisors with clear information on how they oversee a bank’s e-banking activities on a consolidated level. Host supervisor would generally rely on the home supervisor to effectively carry out its supervisory program. Where there are concerns about the effectiveness of a home supervisor’s oversight program, the host would approach the home supervisor on a bilateral basis. The host supervisor will need to consider what actions may be appropriate to protect local residents and their banking system. Cooperation among national supervisors . Rapid pace of development of e-banking and the associated risk s will require supervisory agility, resources and, in the crossborder context, cooperation between home and host supervisors. 5. 2. From the society’s perspective 5. 2. 1. Challenges 1. Theft of personal identity 2. Privacy issues 3. Who take the responsibility in case of fraud 5. 2. 2. Policy implications 1. Essential are efforts to define the privacy framework and to use technology to solve contract enforcement problems. . 3. From bank’s perspectives 5. 3. 1. Risk management challenges †¢ Adaptation to Technology issues: The speed of change relating to technological and customer service innovation in e-banking is unprecedented. This intensifies challenges to the management to ensure that adequate strategic assessment, risk 10 analysis and securities reviews are conducted prior to implementing new e-banking applications. †¢ Outsourcing issue: E-banking increase banks’ ependence on information technology, thereby increasing the technical complexity of many operational and security issues and furthering a trend towards more partnerships, alliances and outsourcing arrangements with third parties, many of whom are unregulated. †¢ †¢ Increased legal and reputational risks E-security issue: The internet is ubiquitous and global by nature. It is an open network accessible from anywhere in the world by unknown parties, with routing of messages through unknown locations and via fast evolving wireless devices.Therefore, it raises significant challenges on security controls, customer authentication techniques, data protection, audit trail procedures, and customer privacy standards.  § While companies have been keen to embrace the potential offered by these technologies, few understand the inherent vulnerability and risks associated with e- finance. Since 1999, Brazil has seen a 418% increase in electronic security incidents; Korea has seen a 932% increase and Japan has seen over 1000% increase in malicious electronic security i ncidents (Tom Glaessner et al, 2003).  § Over 57% of all hack attacks in 2002 were initiated against the financial sector (Tom Glaessner et al, 2003). Identity Theft has exploded and incidents are expected to reach almost 2 million per year by 2005 wit a cost of almost US$10 billion. †¢ Outsourcing issue: E-banking increase banks’ dependence on information technology, thereby increasing the technical complexity of many operational and security issues and furthering a trend towards more partnerships, alliances and outsourcing arrangements with third parties, many of whom are unregulated. †¢ Increased legal and reputational risks 11 5. 3. 2. Policy implications/recommendations . Establish a comprehensive security control process. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Authentication of e-banking customers Appropriate measures to ensure segregation of duties Establishment of clear audit trails for e-banking transactions Non-repudiation and accountability for e-banking trans actions 2. Centralized-back office to free staff time in sales and services areas and to consolidate process consistently across the organization. 3. Develop automated credit authorization system by developing appropriate credit scoring system and cash- flow scoring system to reduce operating costs, improve asset quality, and increase client profitability.One of the major benefits of credit scoring system is that lenders can make credit decisions without necessarily obtaining financial statement, credit reports, or other time-consuming and hard-to-get information. In particular, the financial statements of SMEs are often not complete and difficult to get. Banks can more closely align their specific credit policies and marketing strategies with the analytics, making the decision process more costefficient. (I. e. , Fair, Isaac has developed a credit scoring system specialized in SME finance—SBSS 5. (small business scoring services), which has been increasingly used by many ban ks as their SME credit decision making model. ) 4. Comprehensive due diligence and management oversight process for outsourcing relationships and other third-party dependencies. 5. Integrate cross-border e-banking risks into the bank’s overall risk management framework. 6. Legal and reputational risk management †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Appropriate disclosures for e-banking services Privacy of customer information Capacity, business continuity and contingency planning to ensure availability of e-banking systems and services Incident response planning.Segregation of duties 12 †¢ Due diligence on risk assessment 5. 4. From the authorities’ perspective (banking supervisor, central bank, related government depts. ) 5. 4. 1. Challenges from e-banking 1. Oversight of outsourcing and partnership arrangements, and the oversight of security and data integrity and controls and safeguards, especially when the supporting operations are located in another jurisdi ction . 2.The ability to adopt global technology to the local requirements: A adequate level of infrastructure and human capacity building are required before developing countries can adopt the global technology for their local requirements. 3. The ability to create the necessary level of regulatory and institutional frameworks: The lack of regulatory frameworks, trust, security and privacy standards, high trade barriers, customer and investor protections impede progress in many developing countries to implement e- finance projects. 4. E-security challenges 5. 4. 2.Policy implications/recommendations 1. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Improve system infrastructure environment for e-banking business Strengthen payment system (including RTGS, bulk/low value payment system). Improve the settlement system (e. g. , for credit cards and other forms of electronic transactions). Build-up transaction reporting/reconciliation services. Establish credit information registry and disseminating s ystem. Credit information registries, commonly known as credit bureaus in many countries, can reduce the extent of asymmetric information by making a borrower’s credit history available to 3 potential lenders. Lenders armed with this data can avoid making loans to high risk customers, with poor repayment histories, defaults, or bankruptcies. Once a lender makes a loan, the borrower knows that their performance will be reported to the credit bureau. The information contained in a credit registry becomes part of the borrower’s â€Å"reputation collateral†; late payments or defaults reduce the value of this â€Å"collateral† providing an additional incentive for timely repayment. At the same time, by reducing the information monopoly that banks have over their existing borrowers,

Why Understanding Learning Style Is Useful Education Essay

Harmonizing to Honey ( 2006 ) define larning manner is a method through which pupils use to get the hang his or her learning manner, by believing and to work outing jobs. It is besides called ‘orientations or ‘approaches ‘ to larning. Honey ( 2006 ) identified four distinguishable larning manners such as are Activist, Theorist, Pragmatist and Reflector. Persons use these four acquisition attacks to larn. Learning is really indispensable for life ; it is the key and it reinforces everything. Learning is formal every bit good as informal and a procedure every bit good as an result. It is witting and unconscious. We learn because we want to larn. Reece and Walker ( 2002 ) stated that â€Å" as a pupil, you should hold the competency and the cognition to use all your accomplishment in pattern and be able to analyze and measure the service user nursing attention comprehensively. For scholars to derive understanding and cognition they need to listen and understand what was taught. In add-on a construct of larning manner is used to depict people ‘s differences by which they learn. Each person have method to absorb and treat experiences every bit good as information. Learning manners has become of import for persons, pedagogues, parents companies and to understand the good acquisition environment allows persons differences. For illustration, research workers have suggested that one ‘s larning environment affects the pupils ‘ public presentation with respects to the consistence with their acquisition penchants. Learning manner is a method through which pupils use to get the hang his or her learning manner, by believing and to work outing jobs. It is besides called ‘orientations or ‘approaches ‘ to larning. Kolb ( 1984 ) and Bastable ( 2003 ) , both agreed in their statement that larning manners should non be perceived as fixed personality traits but as adaptative. Students have their peculiar manner of acquisition and will larn best when there is a assortment of larning chances which will enable them to larn in their ain manner. Hence, the pupil will be observed for any alterations to find if any acquisition has taken topographic point utilizing brooding, observation, concrete experience, active experimentation and abstract conceptualization. They can get down at any phase and are uninterrupted ( McgiII & A ; Beaty, 1995 ) . Harmonizing to Honey and Mumford ( 1998 ) , learner ‘s manner of larning will act upon instructor ‘s instruction method. However, as a pupil nurse cognizing my acquisition manners will enable me to derive assurance as an grownup scholar. Understanding my learning manner will assist me to cognize how to travel about my acquisition methods. Knowing my acquisition manner has besides helped me to be in the right environment which is suited for my acquisition. Students have their curious ways of acquisition manners and will larn best when there is a assortment of larning chances which will enable them to larn in their ain manner. Hence, the pupil will be observed for any alterations to find if any acquisition has taken topographic point utilizing brooding, observation, concrete experience, active experimentation and abstract conceptualization. Moreso, it is utile for me to understand my acquisition manner because this will assist me to cognize how to make my class surveies and every bit good as being able to understand how to utilize my larning manner to measure the patient ‘s demands and support. It is utile for pupil nurse because it helps them pass on with their patient in the best manner the patient can understand every bit good as utilizing it to reply, get cognition and accomplishments on how to make my surveies. On the manus, my learning manner was confirmed following the completion of an audit questionnaire Honey ( 2006 ) . My learning manner is a reflector. Reflector are cautious people and thoughtful people who into consideration all possible angles, deduction before taking any action I.e. They explore many different positions. They are people who like to detect people and listen to what they have to state before they come to decision. I learn by detecting. I ever listen to people when they are talking to cognize what they are stating before coming to a decision. An illustration is when we have group activities in our talks or seminars, I normally listen to the thoughts of others first before I come up to thoughts of my ain. In my old topographic point of pattern were I did my arrangement, I observed nurses when they are making some undertaking like the readying for giving terminal injection. Before they begin the disposal, the two nurses foremost of all did some observations by look into ing the expiring day of the month, name of the client, day of the month of birth, the path, clip, and they besides checked the medical specialty cabinet temperature and it was recorded in the book where they do enter it. The prepared the injection, ready to be given. And both of them signed the book. The nurse put on baseball mitts this to avoid cross taint. Then after the injection was given, the acerate leaf was disposed in the crisp box. However, my weaker manner is activist, militant are people who engages themselves in batch of activities. They try to experiment. They ne'er think about effects before the act. As this is my weaker manner of acquisition, I will be affecting myself in a batch of activity because pattern makes perfect. I will besides seek to do instant determinations, inquire to be given group activities in category and be unfastened to new experiences. Furthermore, I will develop my weaker manner of acquisition by pull offing my clip efficaciously. I would seek to cut down the times I invest in thought and reflecting utilizing it more to seek out practical things such as inquiring that I give patients the endovenous out in pattern as opposed to watching and reflecting on the effects that could go on if I was given to make it. This manner I would be able to larn with people of different acquisition manners and be a batch more flexible both in pattern and in schoolroom activities. Like what I mentioned above, pattern makes perfect, hence I need to larn how be much more confident on prosecuting myself in activities that are more hands-on. Militant, are persons who involves themselves in a batch of activities. They are unfastened to seek out new experiences. They think of the effects of their action after they have already carried out the action in tonss of activities. They are unfastened to seek out new experiences the think of the effects after they have already carried out the action. They like to be the Centre of the activity. Harmonizing to Kolb ( 1984 ) , scholars learn better when the topic affair is presented in a manner consistent with their preferable acquisition manner. Theorist, are logical people, they think through everything before the act. They are more like perfectionist who analyse and synthesise. They are more on the nonsubjective side than on the subjective side. They reject anything non-logical and they maximise certainty. Pragmatists are people who open to seeking out thoughts and experimenting. They are down to earth people who act fast and confidently on any thought they come across. They are job convergent thinkers that make practical determinations. They take every job as a challenge. Reflectors are cautious people and thoughtful people who take into consideration all possible angles, deductions before taking any action. For illustration: they explore many different positions. They are people who like to detect people and listen to what they have to state before they come to a decisio n. Kolb ‘s acquisition distinguishes four acquisition manners which are perceivers, minds, deciders and actors. Each of these has strength and failing. It is of import that pupils become more cognizant of their learning strengths and work on their failing. Perceivers are people who beliefs in existent event of life they like listening to other peoples experiences and travel back to believe about it. They are speculative scholars desiring to cognize how to use it in their acquisition. The methodological analysis used in collating the grounds for set uping my acquisition through the questionnaire we completed is called qualitative method. However, the literature reappraisal provided me a secondary method in collating farther grounds of what is already known in the field. In decision, I have learned a batch from larning manners and every bit good as deriving cognition and accomplishments. I recognised the different types of acquisition manners and cognizing my ain method of larning. In the hereafter being able to understand my single acquisition manner will let me to be able to reassign the cognition acquired in a schoolroom scene to pattern. This will profit my experience as a pupil nurse.

History of American Education Aed/201 Essay

3 Major Periods; 1: The Colonial Period (1607-1775) 1642- Massachusetts Bay Colony Law requires proper teaching of children. 2: The Early National Period (1175-1820) 1819- Emma Hart Willard helps New York State open education for women. 3: The common school movement (1820-1865) 1823- First Teacher-Training college in the U.S. 2 Major Eras 1: The Progressive Era 1900- Pencil and paper replace slates. 2: The Modern Era 1964-Cival Rights act of 1964 supports school desegregation. There are so many events that have taken place over time that it is hard to narrow it down to the ones that I have. To pick one that has made such an impact on the way that schools have changed I would say the 1642 Massachusetts Bay Colony Law. This law was the first education law to ever be passed. It was created by the English Puritans and the law required that children be taught to read and to write. Without this law I have no clue where we would be today. This was the foundation for our education system and still plays a role today in the classroom. School is more complex now and does not only consist of learning to read and to write. It was only five years after this law was written that another law was passed that required each town to establish and maintain public schools. Public schools took a while to establish and it took time before they were made available to students all over the country. This was just the beginning of where we are now. References Kauchak & Eggen. (2005). Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, Second Edition Mass Moments. (2006). Massachusetts Passes First Education Law. Retrieved from http://massmoments.org/moment.cfm?mid=113

Gun Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Gun Control - Essay Example This essay dwells upon the problem of gun control and its influence.There is a widespread perception that committing suicide is a long process that requires planning just like a wedding or something else. Studies have shown that suicide does not require much rational decision but it is something done spontaneously. This means that if a person came across a death striking murder is at the verge life and death. This might sound far-fetched, according to Boston Globe report, states with high level of gun ownership have a suicide rate almost twice as high as those states with low ownership level. More surprisingly, people who committed suicide were found to be seventeen times more likely to live with guns at home than not. Most criminals who cause a massacre utilize illegal weapons. Between 1982 and 2012, the US has heard an astonishing number of roughly sixty-two mass shooting which was propagated by gun licensing. Mother Jones research outlines that out of sixty-two shooting; forty-nine were perpetrated using legal weapons. It is worth noting that, half of all mass shooters use assault weapons and high capacity magazines. A few sensible restrictions could have saved a lot of lives. If a criminal is determined to pull off a massacre, he could do it very easily using a shotgun, handgun or even a musket. So putting controls on the assault firearms is a good thing and should be encouraged. Gun control decreases the number of lives lost through reckless act of senseless shooting thus it save lives. Australia parliament supports this action. In fact in 1996, a mass shooter killed thirty five people in port Arthur in a massacre, two weeks later, the prime minister by then , John Howard launched an aggressive clampdown on gun ownership that have never been experienced in the history of Australia. Within this exercise, around 650,000 automatic and semi-automatic weapons were destroyed and a whole raft of checks and controls brought in. As a result, individuals stop the aimless killing (Lott 52). In fact, the killing rate reduced to zero. The main aim of gun is consumed by the lifestyle of US citizen. Frankly, very few of those who

New Worlds development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

New Worlds development - Essay Example This is more significant as they all hoped to find the wealth as they responded with a mixture of diplomacy and violence to the native people. In addition, they all had an intention to introduce Protestantism among the Americans as they built churches in their colonial areas. The goals of the Spanish, French, and English differed as they had different reasons for colonizing of America. France focus was on the economic trade in America would have on their nation while the English focused on the deep desire to explore the new world in America and expand its nation’s territory (Cheyney, 2004). The Spanish, on the contrary, concentrated on inhabiting the land, besides achieving economic superiority over other European nations. The Spanish colonies were different from the English and French colonies as it developed large and expensive colonial bureaucracies. These bureaucracies eventually led to individual proprietors that in turn played a large role in development of English and French colonies. On the contrary, English and French colonies played a more significant as they brought change that led to a greater regional variety in economic, social, cultural, and political institutions structure, especially in regions of English colonies (Bulliet & Kyle, 2010). It is therefore, significant that the Spanish, English, and French colonies brought a lot of change during their colonization of America that describes the new world developments. Bulliet, R. & Kyle, P. (2010). Crossley the Earth and its peoples a global history. New York: Cengage Learning. Cheyney, E. (2004). European Background of American History. New York: Kessinger

American Indian Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American Indian - Research Paper Example The American Indians lived in solitude for many years until the coming of the Europeans, who later discovered America, making things less peaceful. Indians experienced forceful eviction from their land leading to war and a lot of bloodshed. The Indians had different views of the Europeans and knew they would use different techniques to attack them, including use of military force (Nichols 3). There are Indians who supported the white men, while others refused completely to surrender even when they were subjected to harsh conditions. The Indian Revolution Act, implemented in 1830, made several tribes migrate to the Western side of the country. With the revolt against the British and formation of US, the idea of civilization was conceived, and the American Indians were prepared for assimilation into United States citizens. It was integral to have a manifested destiny, as that would favour the nationalist movements that were present. Family Structure of the American Indians The family s tructure of the Indians was formed in such a way that it had to be obscure that an extended family existed. An extended family that lived together in one house were enumerated as subfamily members, and all the members were related to the holder of the house. An extended family that resided in several homesteads ensured they were at a close proximity to one another. However, the families were recognised as a single entity with independent households. Both the parents and grandparents resided in a dwelling place that was mobile, and they ensured they were near the children or grandchildren. The cultural conceptions of the Indians recognised an Indian grandmother as the aunt of a child as well as the grandaunt. Extended families were responsible for the formation of kinship networks, formed based on clan memberships and not necessarily by birth, marriage or adoption. Traditional Native families retained their Indian ways and had no influence from the urban ways of life (Lamanna and Rie dman 67). The Indian families relate more to people outside immediate family in a supportive way, and this is evident in the Sioux Families; where family involvement begins in the early stages of life as parents get selected for new born babies. The families strengths are seen in the helping systems present in the community at large, and they have spiritual courage that they obtain from their religion. The Indian families also have respect for one another and this is a basis they use for their later learning. American Indian Culture American Indians enjoyed freedom and contentment in their land, before corruption and other vices brought conflicts to the community (Porter 93). American Indian culture gave rise to many familiar symbols that depict struggle and triumphs, making many modern life aspects adopt them. Tepee and Peace Pipe are some of the symbols the natives used in their culture, as a tapestry of the American Native life. Everything from plants, animals, housing, to climat e conditions defined the Indian culture, with their animals being referred to as spirits; despite the fact that they hunted and killed them. The Indians’ clothes were made of animal skins, and the meat was greatly revered thus it never went to waste. There was a belief that spirits lived, and were present among all the Indian tribes. American Indians participated in agricultural

Work of the Prophets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Work of the Prophets - Essay Example Rather God encourages Isaiah and Jeremiah to stress on different issues of the same truth with a view of different concerns of their times. Some foretold historical events have already come true, but the God’s truth spoken by two prophets stays timely nowadays. Timely character of two prophecies is mainly observed when reading about those sins of Judah and Israel Isaiah and Jeremiah point on. Thinking about analogies between modern times and â€Å"more than 2  500 years ago† Friedman (2011) fairly points that none of prophets speaks directly on economic markets, great unemployment or etc., but on false leaders, a general lack of justice, a lack of fair treatment and peace, and these issues are among modern Christian concerns. House (n.d.) admits that Isaiah firstly expresses concerns because nations are sinning against each other suffering from mutual oppressions. Isaiah claims that by sinning against each other humankind sins against God. Thus, nowadays, until there’re nations engaged in conflicts with other nations, or oppressing one another, it’s still sinning against God. Friedman (2011) points that Jeremiah’s preaching generally, is for â€Å"loving-kindness† however, about half of his prophecy’s dedicated to descriptions of sins of Israel and Judah nations. House (n.d.) refers it to Jeremiah’s â€Å"turbulent times† when neither common Judah nations, nor Israel rulers were listening to true words spoken by God through Jeremiah instead, listening to false words of false prophets. â€Å"People have gone away from the Lord† so much that Jeremiah himself was constantly threatened and hatred though his preaching was based on Ten Commandments (House, n.d.). Thus, Jeremiah’s mostly concerned with false idolatry. Worshiping â€Å"chiefs of Sodom† had already been a matter of concerns for Isaiah, and Friedman (2011) says sadly it has stayed so nowadays when Christians appreciate those powerful because of their wealth, and at the same time, there’re

Regional Tourism in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Regional Tourism in Australia - Essay Example The conference will also include two regional site visits - Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves and Sydney Harbour Sun set- two of the most beautiful and exciting sights of Sydney. The conference sessions and social events will surely provide you with opportunities to interact and make relationship with many dignitaries in and around Australia. The most enchanting feature of the conference is that one day session will be dedicated exclusively for Workshop. We hope all of you will join us with pleasure for the beautiful, informative and exciting conference - an event that will provide you with the opportunity to discover the new challenges in the tourism industry The Commission's Conference on Regional Tourism is one of the largest and unforgettable gatherings of tourism industry participants and leaders. Over the last few years, the conference has been witnessing the presence of a surprising number of participants. A number of informative and inspiring activities such as seminars, networking opportunities, workshops, enjoyable and productive games etc have increased the value of the conference. Throughout the conference held over the years, the participants include a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds such as destination management experts, destination advertisement agencies, regional tourism promoting associations, publishing firms, technology suppliers, accommodation providers, and various media agencies and companies. Besides, academic stakeholders such as students, researchers from colleges and universities also take part in the conference Conference Venue Crowne Plaza Hotel at Darling Harbour, Sydney is the finest and most appropriate place for a conference that accommodates people in the range of 500 to 750 from different walks of life. Therefore, this hotel was fixed as the venue of the conference. The hotel is enriched with and known for its vast spaces and rooms of different types to accommodate people with different status and designations. The conferences or conventions of various sizes and budgets are being undertaken largely at this hotel. The management claims special attractions at the hotel and they assure all such facilities and amenities shall be provided to all participants irrespective of the type of room reserved. Some of these world class amenities include wireless high-speed Internet access in lobby, well-equipped fitness center, swimming pool etc. Conference Objective The ultimate objective of this year's Commission's Conference on Tourism is to provide a supporting and cooperative platform that encourage sharing of plans, ideas, and opinions, discuss common problems and concerns of stakeholders, and fosters the network of relationships among various participants. Furthermore, the program aims to assist in the development of rural and regional tourism across the various regions of Australia. Specifically, the conference tries to address the various needs of the many diverse stakeholders and segments of the regional tourism sector in Australia. The following are the key purposes for which the conference is proposed to be held: To encourage people interest of eco tourism and regional tourism as a means of earning foreign exchange To assist and contribute to the long term economic growth by giving

Multicultural Education Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Multicultural Education - Article Example Students from different cultures are still new to the issue of ethnicity and racism and hence are the best people to be provided with multicultural education for the future of the nation. These students who are from various communities should be imparted with important knowledge such as of eliminating stereotypes and any behavior that is prejudicial. They can also be taught to embrace positive self-image of themselves and that of other as well. With the students being made to think about freedom and justice at all times, they are bound to have increased cultural awareness as well as intercultural awareness. This will mean that they will aim at creation of a safe and free environment for people to learn and reflect positively about the multiple histories of different cultures. This will eventually lead to creation of a society and nation that is together and strengthened as one despite their differences in cultures. Challenges are bound to arise during teaching due to socialization patterns but determination and curiosity of the students can be counted upon to counter the

Tradable Indices Essay Example for Free

Tradable Indices Essay 1) How many boards are available in Malaysia share market? It consists of a Main Board, a Second Board and MESDAQ with total market capitalization of MYR700 billion (US$189 billion). 2) What are the characteristics of all boards MESDAQ (Malaysian Exchange of Securities Dealing and Automated Quotation) was launched on 6 October 1997 as a separate securities market, mostly for listing technology-based companies. It is part of Bursa Malaysia. The Mesdaq has now been changed to the ACE Market. Bursa Malaysia offers three (3) boards, Main Board, Second Board and MESDAQ Market. Generally, Main Board is for more established companies, Second Board for relatively smaller companies and MESDAQ Market is for high growth and technology companies. Both the Second Board and MESDAQ Market provide an avenue for relatively smaller companies to access the capital market early to fuel their expansion plans. Once established, they can transfer their listing status to the Main Board. 3) Index. How many index traded? (e.g. KLCI) TRADABLE INDICES FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index (effective 6th July, 2009) * This tradable index comprises the 30 largest companies in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia EMAS Index by market capitalisation. FTSE Bursa Malaysia Mid 70 Index * Comprises the next 70 companies in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia EMAS Index by full market capitalisation. FTSE Bursa Malaysia Top 100 Index * Comprises the constituents of the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Mid 70 Index. FTSE Bursa Malaysia Hijrah Shariah Index * The FTSE Bursa Malaysia Hijrah Shariah Index is a tradable index which comprises the 30 largest companies in the FTSE * Bursa Malaysia EMAS Index that meets the following triple screening process: * FTSEs global standards of free float, liquidity and investability * Yasaars international Shariah screening methodology * Malaysian Securities Commissions Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) screening methodology FTSE Bursa Malaysia Asian Palm Oil Plantation Index (USD and MYR) * This index comprises the companies from the universes of developed, advanced emerging and secondary emerging countries as classified by FTSE in the Asia Pacific region excluding Japan, Australia and New Zealand that derive substantial revenue from palm oil activities 4) What is characteristics of Index (e.g. FTSE composite index) The two main eligibility requirements stated in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Index Ground Rules are the free float and liquidity requirements. Free Float * Each company is required to have a minimum free float of 15%. The free float excludes restricted shareholding like cross holdings, significant long term holdings by founders, their families and/or directors, restricted employee share schemes, government holdings and portfolio investments subject to a lock in clause, for the duration of that clause. A free float factor is applied to the market capitalisation of each company in accordance with the banding specified in the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Ground Rules. The factor is used to determine the attribution of the company’s market activities in the index Liquidity * A liquidity screen is applied to ensure the company’s stocks are liquid enough to be traded. Companies must ensure that at least 10% of their free float adjusted shares in issue is traded in the 12 months prior to an annual index review in December. * It contains 30 companies from the main market with approximately 900 to 1000 listed companies. The index has a base value of 100 as of January 2, 1977.[2]

The increase in demand of complementary therapies health essay

The increase in demand of complementary therapies health essay The purposed purpose of this study is to explore nursing students perception on the use of non-pharmacological treatment for pain in the hospital setting. The study will also explore the types of complementary therapies used to alleviate pain at the main local government run, general hospital, assessing nursing students knowledge and perception on complementary and their use and to identify possible benefits and contraindications in the use of complementary therapies. The proposed quantitative research will be used as data collection through a self administered questionnaire. Table of Contents Page Title Page i Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 List of tables 5 1. Introduction 6 2. Background to the study 2.1 Definition of Complementary and Alternative therapies 7 2.2 Defining Acupuncture 9 2.3 Types of Acupuncture Techniques 9 2.4 Mechanisms of Action of Acupuncture 10 2.5 Clinical Applications and Efficacy 10 2.5 Research Issues 12 3. The Research Method 3.1 Aim and Objectives 13 3.2 The Research Design 13 3.3 The Population 13 3.4 Sampling Technique 14 3.5 Method of Data Collection 15 3.6 Research Tool 15 3.7 Data Analysis 15 4. Ethical Consideration 16 Reference List 17 Time Scale and Budget 18 List of tables Page Table 1: List of Complementary Therapies 8 Table 2: Contraindications to the use of acupuncture 11 Table 3: Adverse effects of acupuncture 12 Introduction Complementary Therapies have established a place in health care and have developed rapidly over the past ten years in terms of recognition, acceptance and use (Peters et al, 2002). Integrating complementary therapies with conventional medicine presents a challenge to all sectors of health care, but specifically to nurses who are at the forefront of providing patient care, health education and information (Chu and Wallis, 2007).The review of the proposed study identifies a number of these therapies but it explores only one in particular; analyzing its prevalence and use, and exploring its perceived efficacy and safety and nursing students attitudes towards it. Pertinent research and reviewing of articles for this review were sought from within the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medical School Library, using Cumulative Index of nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EBSCO host and Medline and the University of Dublin website. Dissertation abstracts, and books that were relevant to the subject were also examined. Keywords utilized for searches included complementary, therapies, alternative, attitudes, nursing students, acupuncture, pain management. Due to the increase in demand of complementary therapies, numerous articles have been written on the subject throughout the years, especially in the last decade. The amount of research available varies depending on the therapy in question. Very few local studies were encountered regarding complementary therapies, as a matter of fact, at the main local government run, general hospital, only one type of complementary therapy is acknowledged. Background to the study 2.1 Definition of Complementary and Alternative therapies Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) encompasses a wide range of therapeutic procedures and philosophies that are not traditionally viewed to be part of conventional medicine (Smith, G.D, 2009) The Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field within the Cochrane Library defines complementary therapies as a broad domain of healing resources that comprises all the healthcare systems and practices their accompanying theories and beliefs. The World Health Organization defined Complementary Alternative Modalities (CAM) as a comprehensive term used to refer to both traditional medical systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian ayurveda and Arabic unami medicine and to various forms of native medicine (WHO, 2004) Thus, the words complementary and alternative can, and often do, refer to the same therapy, product, or practitioner. It is the context of use that changes an alternative therapy into a complementary one. The term describes health care practices such as those shown in Table 1. Table 1: List of Complementary Therapies (Alphabetical order) Acupressure (Shiatsu) Colonic hydrotherapy Iridology PIP Scans Acupuncture Colour therapy Juice Therapy Raw Vegetable Juice Therapy Alexander technique Counselling Kinesiology Reflexology Allergy testing Craniosacral Therapy Light therapy Reiki Aromatherapy Dream Therapy Light Touch therapy Rolfing Art therapy Eye Movement Desensitization    ReprocessingEMDR Magnotherapy Shiatsu (Acupressure) Auricular Acupuncture Exercise Marma therapy Spiritual counselling Australian Flower Essences therapy Guided Imagery Massage therapy Stress management Autogenics Healing Medical Herbalism Swimming therapy Ayurvedic medicine Health Clubs Meta-Aromatherapy Tai Chi Bach Flower remedies Health Screening Microwave Resonance therapy TENS therapy Bee Venom therapy Herbal medicine Music therapy T.C.M. Traditional Chinese Medicine Bowen Technique Homoeopathy Naturopathy Transcendental Meditation Biofeedback Humour Nutritional therapy Tragerwork Chelation Therapy Hydrotherapy Osteopathy Vegetable Juice Therapy Chiropractic Hypnotherapy Oxygen therapy Yoga Chinese Herbal Medicine (T.C.M.) Indian Head Massage Panchakarma therapy 2.2 Defining Acupuncture Acupuncture is a complementary therapy that is being increasingly used in the day-to-day management of pain. It originated in China, over 3000 years ago and is practiced worldwide (Wilkinson, J. Faleiro, R., 2007). Locally, in the main local government run, general hospital, Acupuncture is the only complementary therapy to be officially used in alleviating physical pain. Other therapies such as Exercise, Counseling, Music Therapy and others are used for various other reasons in combination with conventional medicine. Acupuncture involves the insertion of fine sterilized needles through the skin at specific point (called acupoints) and is one of the key components in traditional Chinese medicine (Chen, L., 2005). A major assumption is Traditional Chinese Medicine is that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a balanced state and that disease is as a result of an internal imbalance of yin and yang (Wilkinson, J. Faleiro, R., 2007). There are five main techniques practiced. Dry needling is probably the most common but electro acupuncture (EA) possesses the most promising research endorsement. 2.3 Types of Acupuncture Techniques Moxibustion Moxibustion involves the burning of mugwort, a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing. It is applied onto the needle over the acupoints. Laser acupuncture A fine low-energy laser beam is directed onto the acupoint. Acupressure In Acupressure, pressure is used to stimulate the acupoints. This can be in the form of a bracelet or strap. Such method is commonly used to alleviate motion sickness. 2.4 Mechanisms of Action of Acupuncture Alan K. Halperin, M.D in his article Acupuncture in Pain Management writes that according to Chinese acupuncture theory, there are over 300 acupunture points on the body that connect to 12 principal and 8 secondary pathways called meridians. These pathways conduct energy force, Qi throughout the entire body. Health is maintained by the unobstructed flow of Qi that regulates the physical, mental and spiritual balance. In addition, the opposing forces of yin and yang regulate all organs. When the entire system is in balance, optimal health occurs. Disease occurs when there are obstructions to the flow of Qi, deficient or axcessive Qi, or when there is an imbalance of yin and yang. 2.5 Clinical Applications and Efficacy Research shows that Acupuncture can be used in virtually any medical condition, but most Americans use it for pain control (Halperin, 2005). Such pain controls are for osteoarthritis, headache, chronic neck and lower back pain. Studies conducted on the subject also revealed that the mentioned complementary therapy is often seen as a last resort for pain relief. This creates adverse selection bias, leaving acupuncture as an option only for those patients who fail to respond to all other methods and can create unrealistic expectations from patients (Wilkinson, J. Faleiro, R., 2007). There are also many pain conditions which have demonstrated improvement with acupuncture. These include: lateral epicondylitis, peripheral neuropathy, temporomandibular disorders, phantom limb pain, chronic pelvic pain, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohns Disease. Literature shows that although acupuncture has gained much professional recognition, its applications and over all efficacies remains a subject of debate (Chen, 2005). Even so, the risk of serious events associated with acupuncture treatments is quite low (Halperin, 2005). The National Institute of Health (NIH) consensus panel on acupuncture in the United States states that the documented occurrence of adverse events in the practice of acupuncture is extremely low. Nevertheless, Acupuncture is technically an invasive procedure with the most common reported complication being bruising or bleeding at the needle insertion site, followed by the transient vasovagal response. Other complications might include; infection, dermatitis, and broken needle fragments. In some cases contraindications and adverse effects listed in Table 2 and Table 3 might occur: Table 2: Contraindications to the use of acupuncture Absolute Contraindications Relative Contraindications Needle Phobia Pregnancy avoid any points known to stimulate uterine contractility Severe bleeding diathesis Points over nipples, umbilicus, and major vessels are forbidden by conventional texts Inability to remain still for treatment Point over infant fontanel Systemic Sepsis Application during menses (less effective) Unco-operative hallucinating, delusions, etc. If patient is on corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, or narcosis (less effective) Cellulitis Anticoagulant drugs Burns Ulceration EA do not apply over heart or brain. Do not apply in region of pacemaker or implanted medical pump. Table 3: Adverse effects of acupuncture Pneumothorax Local pain Cardiac tamponade Bruising Neurovascular damage Bleeding Infection Hematoma formation Metal allergy 2.6 Research Issues Little research was found with regards to nursing students perception on Complementary Therapies. Moreover on Acupuncture and its use in pain management. It is proposed that the this aspect should be explored more in detail by conducting a small-scale research study on the subject. Two separate studies were conducted addressing nursing students knowledge and attitudes on Complementary Therapies. One of which was a quantitative study conducted in Britain and it investigated the use of CAM in cancer and palliative care and another study was conducted in southern Taiwan exploring student nurses knowledge, attitude and behavior toward Chinese Medicine. More medical research than nursing research exists in complementary therapies, mainly in randomized-controlled trials. However, this field is still poorly researched compares with conventional medicine (Nahin Straus, 2001). The Research Method 3.1 Aim of the study The proposed aim of this study is to explore nursing students perception on the use of non-pharmacological treatment for pain in the hospital setting. 3.2 The Objectives of the study The proposed objectives of this study are to: Identify the types of complementary and alternative therapies used to alleviate pain at the local government run, general hospital (Mater Dei Hospital). Identify nursing students knowledge and perception on complementary and alternative therapies and their use. Identify possible benefits and contraindications in the use of complementary therapies. 3.3 The Research Design It is proposed that a quantitative research approach is used for the purpose of this study. This means in quantitative research your aim is to determine the relationship between one thing (an independent variable) and another (a dependent or outcome variable) in a population. Quantitative research designs are either descriptive (subjects usually measured once) or experimental (subjects measured before and after a treatment). A descriptive study establishes only associations between variables (Hopkins, 2000). It is also proposed to use a descriptive approach; Descriptive research design is a scientific method which involves observing and describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way. This is so as to explore nursing students own perceptions, views and knowledge on the subject. The research setting is the physical location and conditions in which data collection takes place in a study (Polit and Beck, 2006). It is proposed that for the purpose of this study, the leading government run hospital in Malta which hosts the Faculty of Health Sciences lecture rooms will be chosen as the research location for the completion of this study. 3.4 The Population and Sampling Technique According to Cormack (2000), Target Population refers to all of the people that the researcher wishes to include in his / her study. The proposed population of this study will be student nurses following an undergraduate course in Nursing Studies. The target population will be second year Diploma and Degree in Nursing Studies students within the Faculty of Health Sciences. Sampling is the portion of the defined population who are selected by the researcher to participate in the study in order to collect data. The researcher strives to get data from the sample which will reflect all the characteristics of that population (Cormack, 2000). The participants have to fulfill all of the inclusion criteria, where candidates are proposed to be: Full time student nurses following an undergraduate course at the Faculty of Health Sciences 20 years of age and older Second year student Be willing to participate in the study The exclusion criteria will be candidates who: Students who refuse to participate in the study Younger than 20 years of age 3.5 Method of Data Collection Data collection in quantitative studies may be achieved by various methods such as questionnaires, interviews and observations (Polit and Beck, 2006). A questionnaire may be considered as the most appropriate tool for data collection, since it offers the possibility of complete anonymity. A questionnaire helps to avoid bias which can happen in the presence of the interviewer, by reflecting the participants reaction to the interviewer (Polit and Beck, 2006). As the method of choice for data collection is not yet ready, it is proposed that a self-administered with close and open ended questions questionnaire be utilized; requiring a yes or no answer or completion of a question. 3.6 Research Tool The research tool for this study is yet to be provided. It will be developed by the novice researcher and based on the aim and objectives of the study. 3.7 Data Analysis Results of the findings will be presented either in the form of graphs or pie charts. Ethical Considerations Consent to carry out the research will be sought and obtained from the University of Malta Research Ethics Committee and the Faculty of Health Sciences Dissertation Panel. In order to ensure that participants of the study would not be subject to any harm, anonymity will be held throughout the study. In order to maintain privacy, for those participant who dont wish to complete the questionnaire in the presence of piers; a self addressed enveloped will be give incurring any expenses from the participant. Participants may also abstain from taking part in the study. A participation letter will be handed, explaining the nature of the study to the participants. Since the researcher might know any participant, a blank envelope will be handed.

Match Point

Match Point Match Point A tragedy, primarily a dramatic component that tends to occur in many plays and movies, can be defined as serious or solemn theme that typically deals with a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force to downfall or destruction. Match Point, directed by Woody Allen, is a movie that deals with conflict within characters that can be reflected upon ending in a tragedy. The captivating events which occur in this movie lead Match Point to be considered as a tragedy due to the fact that this movie falls under three of the nine main points of a tragedy. Furthermore, Match Point deals with the movie consisting of exceptional suffering, a tragic flaw in a person brought by tragic fate, and the reversal of a position of a being which in return proves that this movie is in reality a true tragedy. In Match Point, the movie consists of the exceptional suffering of Chris Wilton as he unfolds his created abnormal conditions of his mind. After blowing her audition, Nola Rice, being Toms fiancà © at the time, and Chris Wilton drink at a bar when the go into a somewhat sexual conversation as Nola says â€Å"Men always seem to wonder. They think Id be something very special† and Chris asks, â€Å"And are you?† and Nola replies with an unusual answer, â€Å"Well, no ones ever asked for their money back† (Allen). This quote was significant since Nola was slightly hit from drinking a bit too much and reveals that she slept with other men before which indicated to Chris that she enjoys the pleasure of sex. Evidently, this foreshadows the affair between Chris and Nola in the future. Seeing that this foreshadows the affair between both Chris and Nola, it can be related to proving that Match Point is a true tragedy as this affair is one of the major causes to Chriss ex ceptional suffering. Due to this situation, Chris eventually starts seeing Nola secretly under Chloes nose and they begin to have a steamy affair, and in time Nola becomes pregnant. Chris keeps promising Nola that he is going to tell Chloe about the pregnancy and that he would leave her to be with Nola. This creates the frustration within his mind where he is faced with leaving wealth and prosperity for a life with nothing besides a woman and her child. Consequently, he starts to suffer exceptionally both mentally, by the severe pain in his head, and emotionally, by crying out his misery. Nola, being interested in having a child, keenly insists that both Chris and she have the child, which as a result only creates more tension within Chris. Chris is at a point where his suffering is so incomparable that he comes to a conclusion to get rid of Lola and the child by killing her. Not only does Chris kill Nola, he also kills an innocent old lady. Subsequently, this slowly develops an abn ormal condition of his mind as he starts to hallucinate by seeing the ghosts of both Lola and the old lady. At this point in the movie, the viewer knows that the hallucinations are caused by his exceptional suffering which led him to make those dreadful decisions which in return proves the point that Match Point is in reality a true tragedy. A point to consider when dealing with tragedies is the fact a tragic fate is brought on a person by his/her tragic flaw. This movie can be compared with assessment as Chris did have a tragic flaw which led him to the downfall of his own mind. Chriss flaw of hamartia led him to want a woman who he enjoys having sex with but also his wife whom he loved with the amount of money that her parents possessed. â€Å"Hamartia is the Greek word for error or failure, used by Aristotle in his Poetics, to designate the false step that leads the protagonist in a tragedy to his or her downfall† (answers.com). This flaw was the very reason that he faced a vast amount of problems and suffered as a result of that. As Chris sees Nola in Chloes estate, he is immediately attracted to her and says, â€Å"So tell me, whats a beautiful young American ping-pong player doing here mingling among the British upper class?† (Allen). This quote is significant as it shows his interest in another woman knowing that he is dating Chloe, and the fact that both Chris and Chloe share an interest in getting married. This quote is also significant as it foreshadows the affair between Chris and Lola as they exchange looks and body languages. If not for his flaw, he would not have been attracted to Nola in the beginning, which would not have led to the events that both Chris and Nola shared together. For this reason, this quote proves that Match Point is a true tragedy as it consists of Chriss tragic flaw, one of the major components in a true tragedy. Comparatively, it was also the tragic flaw that Chris possessed that consequently led him to kill Nola which he thought would get rid of the problems that he faced. After he kills Nola and starts to suffer because of it he says, â€Å"To never have been born may be the greatest born of all(Allen). This quote is significant as it shows character development when Chris quotes Sophocles, a Greek playwright, expressing his feelings towards the off-putting events that have been occurring caused by his tragic flaw which has been a major cause of his suffering. Thus, this quote shows that it was his tragic flaw that led him to his tragic fate which in return proves that Match Point is a true tragedy. It is clear to conclude that his tragic flaw was a clear reason to his â€Å"downfall†. In other words, this provides evidence that Match Point is a true tragedy. Another point in a true tragedy is when the hero undergoes a reversal of fortune. Generally speaking, when someone experiences the reversal of fortune they can either lose everything or gain everything. In the movie Match Point, the main character, Chris Wilton, moves to London and teaches tennis at a country club to make a living where he starts off at the bottom with nothing to his name. Due to his luck, he meets Tom Hewett and they become instant friends. Tom introduces Chris to his shy sister Chloe and in return, Chris and Chloe start dating. Her extremely wealthy parents take an immediate liking to him and Chris respectively admires the wealth of Chloes parents. Since Chloe was the daughter of an extremely wealthy man who owned a very large company, Chloe insisted her father to give Chris an executive job. This job not only helped Chris make more money, it changed the status of his fortune where he moves higher from where he originally was, the bottom. As time goes on, Chris and Chloe eventually get married which changed his status to the highest position that he could be where he had money, wealth, power, and everything he desired. After the marriage, Chris starts to secretly see Nola and begins to have an affair with her by telling his wife that he has â€Å"business related work†. From having an affair with Nola, Chris has moved down from his highest position to a lower place since he has started to see another woman while being married. He continues to undergo the reversal of his fortune. At this point in the movie, Chris discovers that Nola is pregnant and was torn between being with a woman he is lustfully attracted to or to remain with his sweet wife and her successful family who have many connections to the upper class society of London. When Chris and Nola argue whether or not they should have the baby, Chris shouts saying, â€Å"Nola! Calm down! Calm the fuck down!†(Allen). This quote shows the frustration that Chris goes through wh en faced with having a child that he does not want. In addition, this quote shows how Chris is slowly undergoing the reversal of fortune which is proving the fact that Match Point is in reality a true tragedy. Finally, this quote is significant as it foreshadows the event where Chris kills Nola. Accordingly, Chris kills Nola which causes him to create an abnormal condition of his mind which as a whole brings him all the way back down to where he started off, the bottom. As a result, Chris endured the reversal of fortune where he has gone through the full cycle returning to where he originally started. So, with the points mentioned above, it is proven that Match Point is in reality a true tragedy as the hero undergoes the reversal of fortune. Therefore, Match Point is proven to be a true tragedy according to the points stated above. Match Point can be compared to being a true tragedy as the movie consists of the exceptional suffering of a person. Chris Wilton goes through this suffering both mentally and emotionally and as a result he starts to hallucinate and sees the ghosts of both Nola and the old lady, the two victims that he murdered. In addition, this movie is also proven to be a true tragedy due to the fact that tragedies tend to deal with a tragic fate that is brought by a persons tragic flaw. In Match Point, Chriss flaw of hamartia brought him to his downfall where he goes through exceptional suffering and hallucinates in the end. If it was not for this flaw, the ending of the movie would have been the complete opposite. Finally, Match Point is confirmed to be a true tragedy as the hero of the movie, Chris Wilton, undergoes the reversal of fortune. He starts off as a poor Irish man who becomes a very wealthy by m arrying his extremely rich girlfriend, but he blows it all and returns to where he started off after killing Lola, the woman whom he has an affair with, and an innocent old. He does not lose his wealth, but he does lose his mind. Overall, it is evident that Match Point is in reality a true tragedy as it comprises three main points out of the nine of a true tragedy in this movie. Works Cited Match Point. Dir. Woody Allen. Perf. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Alexander Armstrong, Paul Kaye (IV). Dreamworks Video, 2005. DVD. hamartia: Definition from Answers.com. Answers.com: Wiki QA combined with free online dictionary, thesaurus, and encyclopedias. Answers Corporation, n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. .

The Creative Process in Film Essay -- Film

With this short but very interesting and informative class I have just scratched the surface of the what it takes to make a full fleged film. It takes much more than I had presumed to make a movie in Hollywood. The number of people that it takes to make a minute of a movie let alone the entire movie was astonishing to me. There are many things that it takes to start making a movie but without an idea of some sort there is no movie to be made. A crew includes a screenwriter, whose job it is to provide the written blueprint version of the entire film. This is basically the starting point for any movie. Next there is the producer. There are many types of producers; executive producers, co-producers, assistant producers and line producers. They all do very different things. Some are the producers are responsible for raising the funds for the movie while others are responsible for the production that goes on during the filming of the movie and still other producers are in charge of what physically goes on the set. Then it is time for the director. The director is in charge of the actors. The director works with the actors to visually bring to life what was written on the screenplay (Fortunato, Who Does What on a Film). Now the idea needs to come together. The idea of writing, â€Å"what you know† is not always true and writing, â€Å"what you come to know† is in fact a more accurate way to write. Other good ways to formulate ideas are to use existing plays, novels, short stories, life stories, new articles, or even past TV shows and film. When using existing work a person needs to make sure that one secures the copyrights before starting write. Securing the copyrights does not mean one is finished yet. Now a person needs... ...ce during the end of the movie. The whole time there is a tension that is not released until to final fight and you find out who is going to get the cube, the decepticons or the auto-bots (Valenti, 107). Works Cited Fortunato, Joe. "Development" FMP 201. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.. Lecture. Fortunato, Joe. "From Script to Shooting Schedule" FMP 201. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. . Lecture. Fortunato, Joe. "Production" FMP 201. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. Lecture. Fortunato, Joe. "Wrap" FMP 201. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. Lecture. Fortunato, Joe. "Post-Production" FMP 201. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. . Lecture. Fortunato, Joe. "Distribution" FMP 201. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. Valenti, F. Miguel., Les Brown, and Laurie Trotta. More than a Movie: Ethics in Entertainment. Boulder, 2000. Print.

Analysis of Pearl Harbor the Movie Essay -- Jerry Bruckheimer Film

Pearl Harbor The movie Pearl Harbor directed and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer was released in 2001. This highly praised movie allows the audience to carefully watch a movie that is based on a day that started the United States' involvement in World War II. The movie begins with a two boys, Danny Walker and Rafe McCawley, who have grown up hoping to become involved in the United States military and slowly changes to the life, excitement, and hardships of being involved in the war. Rafe is one of the best fighter pilots in the regiment and falls in love with a beautiful nurse, Lt. Evelyn Johnson. As the United States tries to help the British, Rafe volunteers to go to London. After several months he supposedly dies when shot down by a German aircraft. This devastating news is told to Lt. Evelyn Johnson by Danny Walker who is still trying to deal with the situation. A few months went by and Lt. Evelyn Johnson and Danny Walker fall in love. Being alone during a time of war was not an idea l situation, one that all military men and women hated. They found themselves to be compatible and in love. They enjoyed their relationship together until news is delivered to Danny that Rafe is still alive. During all this time United States avoids involvement would in the war because they felt that their involvement would not have an impact. The relationship with Danny and Evelyn progresses and so did the war. It is on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. In the movie Pearl Harbor, Bruckheimer attempts to describe what happened on Sunday December 7, 1941 as accurately as possible. However, no matter how hard Bruckheimer tries to present this event historically it will be unclear because it is used primarily ... ...roximity, and pre-judgments. Why did he/she create the movie or book? Where did he/she find his/her resources? How did he/she gain his/her knowledge? However once a person learns how to analyze this they will be able to become more objective when thinking about history. Bibliography Arthur, Max. Forgotten Voices of World War II. Great Britain: Ebury Press, 2004. Bard, Mitchell. The Complete Idiots Guide to: World War II. New York: Alpha Books, 2004 Burlingame, Burl. Advance Force, Pearl Harbor. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1992. Mullener, Elizabeth. WAR STORIES, remembering World War II. New York: Berkley, 2002. Nash, Gary, and others. American Odyssey. Multimedia edition. New York: 1997 Pearl Harbor. Director Jerry Bruckheimer. Touchstone Studios, 2001. Willmott, H.P. Pearl Harbor. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2001.

Coming Home Essay Essay

How does the poet bring out the theme of ‘passing of time’ in the poem ‘Coming Home’? The poem ‘Coming Home’ by Owen Sheers, explores the description of the poets visits to his family, and how the passage of time has changed some things and make some things feel odd. There are three main characters in this poem, namely the mother, father and the grandfather, as well as the narrator, who is the poet and reflecting on this visit of his. It is in the form of omnipresent narration, which gives it somewhat of a constant flow throughout each stanza. The reflection is done in a low tone, which makes the reader not focus at any particular part of the poem, while the vivid imagery and attention to detail captivates the readers mind throughout the poem. Passing of time is something that is evident in all of us, and appears to speed up when we are not with people close to us. The first stanza talks of the poets’ mother. A lot of time has passed since the poet last met his mother, and her hug is somewhat awkward since it is different from his memory of hugging her, probably when he was a teen or young adult. He calls the hug awkward, but only in the unfamiliar or odd sense of its meaning, rather than its negative meaning. The reader also gets the idea that the mother is taking the initiative to bridge the gap in their uneasy relationship. This is connected to the idea of passing of time, since it shows the awkwardness that is brought about by separation from one another over the time that has elapsed. The next scene is one where the mother is shown to be making something of dough. This involves a lot of physical process, and due to the fact that it is made of flour, this patting action also makes some of the flour go up and cover her face. This part of the poem shows the urge of the mother to try and cook something for her son, so as to continue some sort of tradition or some force of habit, despite her old age. This part also gives a great attention to detail, such as aptly describing the kind of motion involved in making whatever she is making, and also the point when the flour which covers her covers her and makes her face wrinkles disappear. The kinesthetics shown in this stanza (kneading, flipping, patting) also appeal to the auditory senses. The second stanza talks of the father working outside in a farm. The poet says that his father still goes outside, which tells us that it is a force of habit to keep doing what he wants to do.

Supplier and Partnering Processes Essay

For many businesses, goods and services provided by suppliers or partners account for a significant portion of the cost and value of the final product. Suppliers include not only companies that provide materials and components, but also distributors, transportation companies, and information, healthcare, and education providers. Key suppliers might provide unique design, technology, integration, or marketing capabilities that are not available within the business, and therefore can be critical to achieving such strategic objectives as lower costs, faster time-to-market, and improved quality. Organizational partners might include educational institutions that collaborate on research and training. (Conversely, a company might be viewed as a partner for an educational institution.) Increasingly, suppliers are viewed as partners with customers, because there usually is a co-dependent relationship. A powerful example of supplier partnerships is the response that occurred when a fire destroyed the main source of a crucial $5 brake valve for Toyota.1 Without it, Toyota had to shut down its 20 plants in Japan. Within hours of the disaster, other suppliers began taking blueprints, improvising tooling systems, and setting up makeshift production lines. Within days, the 36 suppliers, aided by more than 150 other subcontractors, had almost 50 production lines making small batches of the valve. Even a sewing-machine company that had never made car parts spent 500 person-hours refitting a milling machine to make just 40 valves a day. Toyota promised the suppliers a bonus of about $100 million â€Å"as a token of our appreciation.† Strong customer/supplier relationships are based on three guiding principles: 1.Recognizing the strategic importance of suppliers in accomplishing business objectives, particularly minimizing the total cost of ownership, 2.Developing win-win relationships through long-term partnerships rather than as adversaries, and 3.Establishing trust through openness and honesty, thus leading to mutual advantages. One example of these principles is the Baldwin Piano & Organ Company, which set up a 10-year agreement with Southland Marketing Inc. for piano plates to get  Ã¢â‚¬Å"higher quality, more consistent supply, and lower cost.†2 Baldwin helped finance the purchase of the equipment needed to finish the plates. The contract is expected to save Baldwin 10 percent a year on its plate costs. Successful suppliers have a culture where employees and managers share in customers’ goals, commitments, and risks to promote such long-term relationships (recall one of Deming’s 14 Points about supplier relationships–not purchasing solely on the basis of price). In many companies, suppliers are treated as if they were actually a part of the organization. For example, functions such as cafeteria service, mailroom operations, and information processing are being performed by suppliers at their customers’ facilities. As more and more of this type of outsourcing is done, the lines between the customer and the supplier become increasingly blurred. Many companies segment suppliers into categories based on their importance to the business and manage them accordingly. For example, at Corning, Level 1 suppliers, who provide raw materials, cases, and hardware, are deemed critical to business success and are managed by teams that include representatives from engineering, materials control, purchasing, and the supplier company. Level 2 suppliers provide specialty materials, equipment, and services, and are managed by internal customers. Level 3 suppliers provide commodity items and are centrally managed by purchasing.3 Measurement plays an important role in supplier management. Texas Instruments measures suppliers’ quality performance by parts per million defective, percentage of on-time deliveries, and cost of ownership.4 An electronic requisitioning system permits a paperless procurement process. More than 800 suppliers are linked to Texas Instruments through an information exchange system. Integrated data systems track the incoming quality and timeliness of deliveries as materials are received. Analytical reports and on-line data are used to identify material defect trends. Performance reports are sent each month to key suppliers. Joint customer-supplier teams are formed to communicate and improve performance. A supplier management task force of top managers directs current and strategic approaches to improving supplier management practices. Finally, communication, feedback, and recognition or awards are important practices in supplier and partnering processes. For instance, the Fastener Supply Corporation, which distributes fasteners, electronic hardware, and other products to over 300 customers makes frequent contact with its 250 suppliers, invites them to company functions and shares such information as customers’ forecasted requirements.5 Feedback should provide timely and actionable information to suppliers to lead to improvement and ensure that suppliers meet the organization’s performance requirements. At Fastener, any potential performance problems are brought to attention with prompt notice and immediate feedback. An annual award dinner recognizes outstanding suppliers for quality and continuous improvement. Many companies such as Bethlehem Steel, Miller Brewing, and Honda, make a point of delivering supplier awards not only to upper management at a fancy banquet, but also to the workers on the shop floor. â€Å"It’s one thing for the boss to say that quality is important, but another thing entirely for the customer to come out and say it,† says Jerry Schiedt, corporate purchasing director for Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee. â€Å"When we actually visit a plant to present an award to the folks who made the award possible, then we build a relationship with the company and the folks on the floor who do the work to ensure the quality of the products we buy.†6 Supplier Certification Many companies use some type of supplier certification systems as the focal point of their supplier management system. These systems rate and certify suppliers who provide quality materials in a cost-effective and timely manner. For example, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association defines a certified supplier as one that, after extensive investigation, is found to supply material of such quality that routine testing on each lot received is unnecessary. Certification provides recognition for high-quality suppliers, which motivates them to improve continuously and attract more business. The details of supplier certification processes vary by company. For instance, Florida Power and Light has a three-tier certification program.7 Vendors (another term for suppliers) can be certified as a â€Å"Quality Vendor,† â€Å"Certified Vendor,† and â€Å"Excellent Vendor.† To become a Quality Vendor, a  supplier’s products or services must meet basic requirements of quality, cost, delivery, and safety. In addition, the supplier must have a quality improvement process in place and be able to demonstrate that this has achieved significant improvements. It must also have an audit system to certify the process and the results. To become a Certified Vendor, the supplier must have demonstrated the use of statistical process control and prove that its processes can meet FPL’s specification requirements. It must also be able to document capability and have a plan for continuous quality improvement. To achieve Excellent Vendor status, suppliers must demonstrate the ability to exceed FPL’s specification requirements, employ reliability assurance techniques, and show that quality improvement is a central part of their management system. At the Gillette Company, the supplier certification program begins with Gillette identifying those suppliers with a proven ability to meet its specifications.8 Once a supplier is selected to participate, Gillette expects them to establish a pre-production planning system to assess the capability of their process to meet Gillette’s specifications. Feedback is offered in the form of recommended changes that will improve quality, reduce cost, or facilitate ease of manufacture. Supplier certification programs can be time-consuming and expensive to administer. One approach to avoiding unnecessary audit costs and helping to assure buyers that specified practices are being followed is to create a uniform set of standards–an independent and transportable supplier qualification system, such as ISO 9000.

Advanced Maternal Age

Women in the United States are experiencing unprecedented opportunities to pursue education and professional careers. One potential down side to this situation is that women find themselves putting off starting a family until they complete their education and feel comfortable in their employment. In many cases this can extend into the woman’s late 30’s or even early 40’s.   Advanced maternal age may also have negative effects on fertility and the outcomes of a successful pregnancy. Considering all the factors, a woman should consider putting off starting a family and build a career as long as she has educated herself on all the risks of advanced maternal age.For years, women have been under the assumption that as long as they were bearing children under the age of 35, fertility and child mortality were at a minimum.   Recent studies have shown that this assumption is far from the truth and may eliminate childbearing for those women who wait into their late 30 ’s and early 40’s to start having children.   Education for women by gynecologists and obstetricians has been insufficient and most women are â€Å". . . surprised—even shocked—to learn that fertility begins to fall in their late 20’s (Hatcher, 2002).†Ã‚   Most women are finding out too late that they have simply put off having children too long and are now unable to bear children without intervention.   Fertility treatments are an expensive option, but are only available to those that can afford the treatments that insurance does not cover.Pregnancies that do occur at advanced maternal age have lower success rates.   Increased maternal age, typically over the age of 35, carries higher chances of miscarriage; higher increases in pregnancy complications like high blood pressure, diabetes, and placental problems; and increased chance of having a child with a chromosomal disorder (Children’s Specialist, 2007).   The good news is that medical advances in prenatal and perinatal care have diminished the effects that many of these complications have on pregnancies at advanced maternal age.   Safe pregnancies after the age of 35 are occurring at much higher rates with advanced blood testing and ultrasounds that allow early detection and treatment of potential problems.For many modern women, pursuing education and professional careers are the norm.   More women than ever in history are pursuing careers, not just jobs that add extra income.   Most career paths take years to build in order to reach the top of success.   The drive to achieve and succeed has pushed many women toward putting off starting a family till their careers are firmly on track.   With medical care helping to make child bearing in later years safer, women are choosing to put careers before family.   There are many advantages for women to wait to start a family:Financial stability Relationship stability Increased maturity Increased l ife experiences Larger support networks Better education Although these advantages may be present for a younger mother, the chance of a woman having all the advantages increases with age.   These advantages allow the mother to provide the best possible start for the child and to be the best mother she has the potential to be.The dilemma remains that when women take themselves out of the workforce to bear a child, a disadvantage occurs when compared to male counterparts.   An argument can be made that a woman with an established career and older age may have a better chance of regaining status once she returns to work due to her previous proven results and successes.   A younger woman just starting out in a career and taking a leave of absence to bear a child will not have a consistent track record to fall back on once she returns to work.   The advantage that an advance maternal age woman has may be the difference between a successful return to a career rather than being pas sed over for those who are not choosing to bear children.  Ã‚   The dilemma to put off childbearing looms large for many career women and must be considered along with the risks of advanced maternal age.There is hope for women who choose to honor both children and careers.   Proper education, healthy lifestyles, current medical advances, and pure determination help women of advanced maternal age have the balanced lives they desire.   While it is true that fertility declines in the late 20’s and that â€Å". . . women perform best at childbearing when they are young. . . (Gosden, 1995)†, these factors should not be the only consideration when choosing between careers and families.   â€Å"For reasons still far from clear, human evolution has allowed the female reproductive system to age faster than other body parts (Gosden, 1995).†Ã‚   The mental aspect of child rearing and career advancement need to be fully considered.   Physically, advanced maternal age does carry risks to both mother and fetus, but medical advances have severely reduced the chances of unsuccessful pregnancy outcomes.   Mentally, women who have built successful careers are better fit to raise children in later years rather than rushing to bear children in early years to avoid the physical risk.In all, advanced maternal age carries risks with fertility and successful pregnancy outcomes, but as long as the woman is educated on these risks, putting off child bearing should be considered in order to foster a successful career.   Medical advances have decreased pregnancy risks and advanced maternal age women should take full advantage to have a balanced life filled with both career and family.ReferencesChildren’s Specialists. 2007. Pregnancy over the Age of 35.   San Diego Perinatal Center.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accessed on February 12, 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://childrensspecialists.com/body.cfm?id=460#Top.Gosden, R. 1995. Delayed Childbe aring. BMJ.   Accessed on February 12, 2007 from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/311/7020/1585.Hatcher, T. 2002. Careers and Babies: Fertility Decline Underscores Dilemma.   CNN Health   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   May 2, 2002. Accessed on February 12, 2007 from http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/04/30/fertility.women/index.html .

Coca-Cola vs Pepsi Essay

wo of the largest and most profitable corporations in the United States are the Atlanta, Georgia based Coca-Cola Company and the New York based Pepsi Cola Company. While both are called â€Å"colas† they both attempt to address the same target tastes but from different approaches. Coke was the first on market with what is still a â€Å"secret† formula and Pepsi followed with a similar (not exact) taste. Since taste is very much a factor of your personal likes, either or neither may appeal to you or seem sweeter (Inforefuge.com. 2011). This paper will discuss the similarities and differences in the processes used by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for place, price, and promotion. Place and Price The marketing exposure of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola is everywhere ranging from commercials, billboards, and mail advertisements all over the world. Although they target the same markets, they both use different approaches to their marketing strategies. This is evident when comparing the two companies’ websites. When browsing the Coca-Cola website you will experience a more conservative style; there is not a variety of colors besides the traditional â€Å"Coca-Cola red† in which, most their products are packaged and advertised. It is the complete opposite for PepsiCo, as their website flashes promotions for free music downloads and reminds browsers that they are the official drink sponsor of the NFL. After browsing the websites and comparing the two, you will come to understand that Coca-Cola has more of an International approach to marketing, whereas PepsiCo caters to more of the American†¦ coca The Coca Cola corporation is a beverage company and is defined to be the most well known trade mark in the world, and it is justly so. The Company owns or licenses and markets more than 500 nonalcoholic beverage brands, primarily sparkling beverages, but also a variety of still beverages, such as waters, enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. It owns and markets a range of nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, which includes Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. The Coca Cola products appeal to a wide range of people throughout the world from all races, genders, and ages. Coca Cola is well  known for its worldwide popularity as its products are sold to over 200 countries. The company business units include Eurasia and Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, Pacific, Central Japan, and Great Plains and Honest Tea, Inc., in the United States . Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the two most popular and widely recognized beverage brands in the world. They have been competing in the soft drink sector for over a century and both companies enjoy a high degree of brand consciousness globally. Both companies try to market as part of a lifestyle. Coca-Cola uses phrases such as â€Å"Coke side of life† in their website, while Pepsi uses phrases such as â€Å"Hot stuff† in their web, to promote the idea that Pepsi is â€Å"in sync† with the cool side of life. Ironically, both Pepsi and Coke have similar beginnings: both were created in the 19th century and both were the results of the experimental work of innovative pharmacists. Coke was created in 1886 by Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton while Pepsi was developed in 1898 by North Carolina pharmacist and drugstore owner, Caleb Bradham. The primary purpose of this report is to identify and analyze the two dominant companies in the soft drink industry and determine the strongest performer as an investment opportunity. Ability to pay current liabilities The current ratio is mainly used to give an idea of the company’s ability to pay back its short-term liabilities (debt and payables) with its short-term assets (cash, inventory, receivables). The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. A ratio under 1 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they came due at that point. While this shows the company is not in good financial health, it does not necessarily mean that it will go bankrupt, as there are many ways to access financing, but it is definitely not a good sign. Based on the financial statements below, Coca Cola has a current ratio of 1.17 while Pepsi is at 1.10. The current ratio can give a sense of the efficiency of a company’s operating cycle or its ability to turn its product into cash. Comparison of Pepsi and Coca Cola Financials Introduction Coca-Cola and Pepsi are the two most popular and widely recognized beverage brands in the world. They have been competing in the soft drink sector for over a century and both companies enjoy a high degree of brand consciousness globally. Both companies try to market as part of a lifestyle. Coca-Cola uses phrases such as â€Å"Coke side of life† in their website, while Pepsi uses phrases such as â€Å"Hot stuff† in their web, to promote the idea that Pepsi is â€Å"in sync† with the cool side of life. Ironically, both Pepsi and Coke have similar beginnings: both were created in the 19th century and both were the results of the experimental work of innovative pharmacists. Coke was created in 1886 by Atlanta pharmacist John Pemberton while Pepsi was developed in 1898 by North Carolina pharmacist and drugstore owner, Caleb Bradham. The primary purpose of this report is to identify and analyze the two dominant companies in the soft drink industry and determine the str ongest performer as an investment opportunity. Ability to pay current liabilities The current ratio is mainly used to give an idea of the company’s ability to pay back its short-term liabilities (debt and payables) with its short-term assets (cash, inventory, receivables). The higher the current ratio, the more capable the company is of paying its obligations. A ratio under 1 suggests that the company would be unable to pay off its obligations if they came due at that point. While this shows the company is not in good financial health, it does not necessarily mean that it will go bankrupt, as there are many ways to access financing, but it is definitely not a good sign. Based on the financial statements below, Coca Cola has a current ratio of 1.17 while Pepsi is at 1.10. The current ratio can give a sense of the efficiency of a company’s operating cycle or its ability to turn its product into cash. In this particular case, Companies that have trouble getting paid on their receivables or have long inventory turnover can run into liquidity  problems because they are unable to alleviate their obligations. Because business operations differ in each industry, it is always more useful to compare companies within the same industry. This is another side of the rivalry between these corporations. Profits over the past three years The Return on Assets (ROA) is an indicator of how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. ROA gives an idea as to how efficient management is at using its assets to generate earnings. Calculated by dividing a company’s annual earnings by its total assets, ROA is displayed as a percentage. Sometimes this is referred to as â€Å"return on investment†. The formula for return on assets is: ROA = Net income / Total Assets. The Return on Equity is the amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity. Return on equity measures a corporation’s profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. ROE is expressed as a percentage and calculated as: Return on Equity = Net Income/Shareholder’s Equity. (Investopedia.com) Based on their financial statements, Coca Cola got a return on assets of 16.19%. Over the same period, PepsiCo return of assets was 9.27%. The return on equity for Coca Cola was 38.09% while Pepsi’s was 29.86%. All these numbers suggest that Coca Cola is giving a better performance than Pepsi in 2010. Pepsi is not delivering as much value to stockholders as Coca Cola. Cash Flow and Investment valuation ratio Pepsi and Coke both offer similar dividend yields of 3%. Although Pepsi’s dividend payout ratio is slightly lower than Coca Cola’s, the difference is marginal. (Finance) The Dividend Payout Ratio means the percentage of earnings paid to shareholders in dividends. The payout ratio provides an idea of how well earnings support the dividend payments. More mature companies tend to have a higher payout ratio. This ratio is calculated as Dividends per share / Earnings per share. The Dividend payout ratio for Coca Cola is 48.2% while PepsiCo is 34.8% The price/earnings ratio (P/E) is the best known of the investment valuation indicators. It is the measure of the share price relative to the annual net income earned by the firm per share. The P/E ratio has its imperfections, but it is nevertheless the most widely reported and used valuation by investment professionals and the investing  public. The financial reporting of both companies and investment research services use a basic earnings per share (EPS) figure divided into the current stock price to calculate the P/E multiple (i.e. how many times a stock is trading (its price) per each dollar of EPS). A high PE ratio generally indicates increased demand because investors anticipate earnings growth in the future. The PE ratio has units of years, which can be interpreted as the number of years of earnings to pay back purchase price. The price/earnings ratio for Coca Cola is 12.97 while PepsiCo is 16.24. (YCharts, 2011) Decision about which company is better for an investment Possibly one of the biggest rivals in Corporate America today, the battle between Coca-Cola (KO) and PepsiCo (PEP) continues to baffle not only consumers but investors as well in determining which product is a better buy. While both companies have had recent problems in emerging nations such as India by having their products be condemned for improper ingredients, a shakeup like this might be necessary to promote future growth for possibly undersold equities. While both Pepsi and Coke stand to benefit from a recovery in consumer spending, it appears that Pepsi has stronger fundamentals. For investors looking for safe dividend stocks with strong growth potential, Pepsi looks like the better choice. In terms of fundamentals, Pepsi seems to have the slight advantage. While Coca-Cola does have the higher figures, Pepsi has the better margins in terms of operating margins, revenue, and profit which is more important for growing companies. Pepsi also has, according to Yahoo Finance, been upgraded more times than Coca-Cola during the last few months, signaling a favorable sentiment among investment banks. In terms of guidance, both companies look to secure better procedures in the emerging markets with their products which should hurt earnings for a while but eventually boost them due to economies of scale. However, recently Pepsi has had positive surprise EPS statements during its quarterly results. While Coca-Cola has also reported similar reports, the findings were at a much smaller margin, barely affecting shares. What is more important, in determining a choice between these equities, is the technical analysis involved. During the past year Coca-Cola has only remain in a five dollar range, showing little fluctuation patterns for speculators or investors. While such a figure may be encouraging for fixed income  advocates, in reality, since 2000, Coca-Cola has barely fluctuated at all in its 20 point range, showing no signs of potential growth. While the situation is unfortunate, it looks as if, like Microsoft, Coca-Cola has increased in terms of value to its maximum, and pretty soon diseconomies of scale may be evident for this once prosperous company causing shares to drop in the future. On the other hand, Pepsi has seen continued growth throughout its tenure in a nice steady growth pattern. While speculators may not be encourage by the slow appreciation of the stock, long term investors may favor such a pattern as it does not seem the price of Pepsi has peaked. The company is still in the prime of its career and should carry the stock to higher numbers in both fundamentals and shares for at least one more decade. By investing now, investors have the opportunity to see Pepsi rise to near 80-100 points by 2010 and possibly even further by 2015. While the wait may be more tedious than other penny-stocks, the process will be relativity stress free as investors will be allowed to see their capital gains appreciate over the years. Such as a process is also favorable with its dividend payoff which allows for reinvestments to increase gains. Non-Financial criteria to consider About Pepsi, recently has appointed a CEO with an Indian background who may look more favorable than Coca-Cola to the emerging markets. Such a basic presence may add increased pressure to Coca-Cola to spend more money on advertisements and other apparels to strike a similar chord in these markets as its soft drink counterpart. While it is genuinely assumed that Coca-Cola is the king of its industry, times are slowly changing for the worse for this tremendous corporation and looking more and more favorable its hated rival in PepsiCo. According to stock analysts, Pepsi has a lot more exposure to commodities with respect to its Frito-Lays and Quaker Oats, when commodity prices were falling; it gave more wiggle room on the bottom line. But now that commodity prices are probably going to increase in the next year to year and a half, which opens up the door for Coke to expand their lead. Coke always held the bigger market share in the United States. But at times, Pepsi fueled by smarter and more aggressive advertising campaigns, moved ahead. U.S. Consumption of carbonated soft drinks has steadily declined in the past decade. Part of that comes down to the array of  alternative beverages the market now offers.