Nestle's Commitment to Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nestle's Commitment to Africa - Essay Example Nestle has worked hard to overcome the injury caused by its mistakes. Nestle has done certain things to improve its image in Africa. It continues to employ over 10,000 people on the continent, and its partners employ another 50,000. Moreover, Nestle contributes to UN development projects meaning to eliminate poverty and hunger as well as combating disease. No one can turn back the clock, but people can try to make a better tomorrow. 3. Nevertheless, there is always room for improvement. Nestle may be able to improve its commitment in Africa. It could do so by directly addressing the 30 year old errors in had made. If it has not done so already, it would be wise to publicly admit and explain the course of its mistakes. In so doing, Nestle could also set an example to make genuinely self-imposed restitution to the injured parties and communities. Ultimately, it people should take care to do what is right in any

The Impacts of Global Media on Local Cultures and Identities Dissertation

The Impacts of Global Media on Local Cultures and Identities - Dissertation Example Since the overall impact of globalization is diverse i.e. social, political, cultural, economic, media etc. therefore it may be relatively difficult to define globalization according to certain fixed parameters. Although it would be very difficult to believe that any of these views are absolutely right, but nevertheless globalization and its relationship with the media should not be ignored outright Media plays a vital role in creating the link between the different cultures and works as the fastest mode of spreading the aspects of the world cultures. This may create good or bad impacts on local values and culture, grasped or adopted by the local people resulting in the so-called hybrid culture. Hybrid culture is one of the emblematic notions of the present era. Invent of global media has extended people knowledge and has resulted in the exchange of cultural information and identity. Hybridizing process has helped old cultures tradition to recruit new entrants; nevertheless this cros s cultural relationship has only been successful when it is favored by both social and political incentives. Hybridity involves fusion of two or more distinct cultural formats to mix for example their styles, identities and even cross cultural contact. These are said to be the primary requirements for cultural hybridity This movement of contact and exchange of information is believed to be initiated by the evolution of media or by the movement of people through migration from one place to another. Media evolution helped this exchange of information and contact at relatively an easier way through the exchange of ideas and communication skill. This research is intended to develop an understanding of the impact of global media on local cultures in the Middle East with a specific focus on the United Arab Emirates. The Research looked at the numerous theories on the impacts and critical interpretations of the global media on local cultures. During the research, it emerged that the global ization of culture and media has relatively low effect on the local culture. Though globalized media is flourishing within UAE and Dubai specifically, however, the local values are still intact with no or relatively little change. One significant impact however, is that of the increased use of English language and low level of interest towards using mother tongue. Apart from this, the traditional tribal values, family bonds as well as day to day living of ordinary Arabs in Dubai is relatively same. This research focused upon understanding the interaction of global culture and media with that of the local culture in UAE and Dubai and found out that local culture is gradually being affected by the global media such as social media networks and satellite channels. However, flourishing of satellite TV channels like Al-Jazeera has strengthened the local culture while at the same time offering global contents and exposure to globalized media and cultures. Dubai’s culture as such ha s not changed much despite the fact that international tourism is on the rise

Design Of Perfomance Linked Reward System Business Essay

Design Of Perfomance Linked Reward System Business Essay Performance-related reward system involves rewarding employees according to their performance, or results achieved or contribution to organisations performance as individuals or as a part of a group. It involves a shift of focus from remuneration models based on the worth of jobs and employee skills to their performance. Designing a performance-linked reward system is conditioned by a variety of factors such as the nature of business, type of technology, the attitude of unions and human resource management strategies of the organisation. Therefore, no particular model can be recommended; it has to be custom-tailored. Performance-linked reward systems reduce labour cost, result in increases in real wages and motivate performance. They provide a method of absorbing cost escalation on account of pay increases and thus help in sustaining competitiveness of the organisation. It has been increasingly realised that performance-related pay, if used in isolation, may have little impact on motivation for performance. Appropriate conditions in the organisation have to be created for performance-linked reward systems to be motivationally effective. These conditions, for instance, will involve proper information, consultation, communication mechanisms, training and development of employees, developing proactive attitude and performance-oriented culture, providing non- monetary incentives and evolving an efficient performance management system and so on. Reward system cannot be seen in isolation from compensation management. Compensation management is getting increasingly integrated with business and human resource management strategy. Reward system should, therefore, be considered as an aid to better performance in a performance management system which may be integrated with the overall business plan and strategy. FORMS AND CHOICE OF PERFORMANCE LINKED REWARD SYSTEM There are several types of performance-linked reward schemes. Generally, these are designed to-share with or distribute to employees as individuals, groups or a collectivity productivity gains, profit improvement or financial results of enterprise performance. Such schemes fall into the following broad categories: Schemes based on individual or small group performance including piece rates, traditional merit pay, and sales commission. Incentive schemes which may relate pay to profits on the basis of a pre- determined formula. Bonus schemes based on contribution to productivity and profitability according to a pre-determined formula with gains sometimes distributed among the individual employees on the basis of merit rating. Productivity Bargaining. Employee Stock Options Plan (ESOP). Competency-based pay. 1. Merit Incentive Pay A common method which has long been in existence is pay increase or bonus payment on the basis of performance rating. The merit incentive pay scheme provides another method of recognising and rewarding differential performance. This method could particularly be suitable for office staff. The scheme essentially involves the following steps: a) The determination of result-oriented merit rating procedures, b) The identification of job factors and their relative importance, c) The formulation of a scale of reward, and d) The communication of the basis of monetary reward. Illustratively, job factors of salesman can be identified as (a) sales promotion, (b) realisation of outstandings, and (c) good-will calls, (d) after-sales service and, (e) investigation of complaints. These tasks will differ in their degree of importance. This difference can be recognised by imputing numerical values to different job factors. Hypothetically, let us assign weight values of 5, 3 and 2 respectively to the above tasks. In practice, weight values can be ascertained through job analysis. The actual merit rating score will give the percentage of basic wage or basic wage plus D.A. as incentive bonus. Given a result-oriented merit rating procedure and its objective operation in an organization, it should not be difficult to install a merit incentive pay system. This is not to minimise the difficulties that are usually encountered in operating a -merit rating system. The effectiveness of the performance appraisal system will depend on the soundness of the performance appraisal system. Sometimes merit increments and merit awards are also given in recognition of superior performance on the part of individuals. These are poor substitutes for a system of merit incentive pay because of several shortcomings. Under a system of merit increments, there is no prompt relationship between reward and effort. The quantum of reward at a point of time will be considered inadequate. Additional cost in the form of enhanced allowances is built for the company on permanent basis. Employees continue to benefit from their best performance even if it remains below standard in the future. Employees getting merit awards cannot visualise a proportionate relationship between their performance and reward. The basis of determining the quantum can not be explained to employees who are not given such awards. This may evoke jealously and friction and may thus jeopardise cooperation and goodwill. Incentive Payments Lumpsum payments such as sales commission is another traditional method. Generally, the performance and the payment of lumpsum are linked by a formula. Sales commission, however, does not generally consider other parameters of performance such as realisation of outstandings and selling high profit margin products. Another traditional method of rewarding performance is piece rates. There are several weaknesses in this system. It is not easy to agree with workers on the standard output required. Frequent changes may be needed in the standard output due to technology changes and this may lead to conflict between unions and management. Also factors other than individual performance such as change in work method affect output. Conflicts may also arise between different work groups when one group is dependent on another. There is a potential for conflict when norms have to be revised because of such factors as technology changes. Also, modernisation of technology and automation has rendered piece rates somewhat obsolete. 2. Incentive Schemes Output-based incentive scheme are appropriate where tasks are repetitive and measurable. These involve the following steps: Selecting the objectives Determining the parameters of performance in accordance with the objectives Determining the norms or base values or benchmark values for each parameter Determining performance-reward relationship Fixing the relative importance of the selected parameters, that is, their weightages Designing information and procedure formats Determining the maximum payable incentive amount (incentive opportunity) and , payment period Formulating a communication and review scheme These are, however, not suitable for high technology and service activities, which require information sharing, problem solving and team work. Productivity gain or profit sharing or employee stock options plan (ESOP) may be suitable types for such activities. 3. Group Incentive and Productivity Gain Sharing Under the productivity gain sharing schemes, productivity gains are shared in accordance to an agreed pre-determined formula. Profit sharing gives a share of profit. Sometimes, the quantum of bonus is determined on the basis of profit as well as productivity improvements according to a pre-determined benchmark value for each of them. 4. Productivity Bargaining Productivity bargaining can provide yet another method of improving productivity and linking wage increases- to such improvements. Productivity bargaining, however, does not mean an incentive scheme or wage increases in return for assurances and promises from unions for achieving production targets. This method implies (a) a detailed analysis of the firms operations, (b) the identification of cost reduction possibilities, (c) estimation of savings in cost, and (d) the development of a system o indexing wage increases with cost reductions actually realised over time. The climate for productivity bargaining has never been more favourable than now. It is for managements to take initiative and build this approach in their collective bargaining relationship with Unions. 5. Long-Term Incentive (ESOP) Long-term incentive in the form of employee stock options schemes are operated both to improve long-term incentive and to reduce fixed cost. ESOP envisages employee participation in and ownership of a companys equity. This plan is intended to provide an incentive to the employees to improve the all- round performance and growth of the company and share its prosperity. The plan usually involves allotment of equity shares according to a laid down procedure and subject to governmental regulations, laws and rules. The employees benefit in the form of enhanced market value of his shares and capital gains, which in turn depend on companys and employee performance. Several software and high-tech organisations such as Infosys have conceived and designed such plans. 6. Competency-based Pay The competency is a critical determinant of performance. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in offering monetary incentive for acquiring competencies required for higher performance on the present job or for the next job. Such competency may for instance include values, attitude and behavioural characteristics which influence performance. In designing a performance linked reward scheme, choice of an appropriate scheme should be considered as critical. The choice will be determined by a variety of factors such as the nature of the organisation, the nature of technology, the nature of profits, the nature of markets, the human resource strategy and business objectives. STEPS IN DESIGNING There is a variety of forms of performance-linked schemes. These must be closely adapted to the particular conditions of individual enterprises and the concerned groups of companies. In designing a custom-tailored performance-linked reward scheme, the following steps are important: 1. Custom-Tailored There is little scope for relying on model or standardized schemes. Attempts to impose specific performance-linked reward systems through central regulations generally appear to fail. Frequently the appropriateness of what is being required may appear questionable from the perspective of individual enterprises. Therefore, care must be taken in adapting such schemes to the particularities of individual enterprises. 2. Objectives The objectives of the schemes need to be carefully formulated. Such objectives are needed to guide the selection of performance measures, the specification of bonus calculation formulae and the reaching of common understanding on the size of bonuses that may be expected through the schemes. The potential for performance improvement may vary greatly from one enterprise to another, as well as with the passage of time. Both the short and long run objectives for the scheme should be identified. 3. Selection of Performance Measures The selection of performance measures must be consistent with the scheme objectives; these must encourage those types of behaviour considered important for organizational performance such as increasing output, reducing labour and other costs, improving quality or timeliness of delivery, encouraging co-operation amongst work groups, enhancing adaptability and innovations, etc. In addition, they must not be pursued at the expense of other performance parameters. At the same time, the measures of performance selected should, to a large extent, be under employee control, and not influenced by external influences. Employees will be demotivated if their best efforts are offset by factors they cannot control. The unit, the performance of which is measured, should be small enough to ensure that workers can see some relation between their efforts and rewards. To ensure motivational effectiveness, the measures of performance should also be easily understood by the workers concerned, subject to ready verification if suspicions arise, and be calculable at frequent intervals. 4. Basis Depending on circumstances, performance awards may be determined on the basis of improvements over the previous year, improvements over a base period performance, or the maintenance of a high level of performance. Bonuses which become exceptionally large should be integrated into basic wages in order to avoid distortions in pay structures. Where necessary, it may be advisable to resort to procedures for stabilising bonuses of lengthening the period over which performance is calculated. 5. External Influences To the extent possible, the initial agreement establishing the scheme should specify how target performance levels are to be dealt with when their achievement is affected by external influences such as changes in. production methods, product mix and prices of inputs and outputs. 6. Distribution The rule for the distribution of bonuses amongst workers should be simple and widely supported. It may be based on wage rates or average earnings. Also, to discourage excessive absenteeism, bonus is sometimes varied with the number of hours or days worked. However, distributions in accordance with assessments of individual worker performance by supervisors may be problematic, especially if such assessments lead to significant variation in pay. 7. Equity There should be equal opportunities to earn bonuses, even though the performance measures may vary. In addition, performance targets should be set after a careful scrutiny of the historical behaviour of the measures selected. The quantum of bonus should be significant enough to evoke extra efforts. At the same time performance awards should not be so large as to put at risk a significant part of employee earnings for reasons beyond their control. 8. Safeguards Such schemes should not be substituted for wage increases that otherwise would have been granted or replace fixed wages with variable wages. Performance pay should supplement rather than replace existing wage bargaining arrangements and should not question the need to maintain basic wages at adequate levels. Perhaps of even greater importance in some contexts may be the need to give assurances to existing employees that productivity improvements would not place jobs in jeopardy. 9. Involvement and Communication Such schemes must be perceived as acting in the interest of employees as well as employers. Accordingly such schemes must be implemented in ways that convince employees that they will receive a fair share of the benefits derived from their extra efforts and their jobs will not be threatened. Schemes based on collective performance work more effectively when the scheme objectives and operation are explained in detail to all the employees concerned. The success of schemes depends to a large extent on the amount of effort given by management to consultation at various stages in the planning and design of the scheme, in the process of implementation and monitoring of results. In addition, the schemes have a better chance of success if employees are provided with full opportunities to present their ideas for bringing about improvement. Performance- linked schemes function most effectively when they are accompanied by a formal participative system that facilitates: (a) the transformation of agreed practical suggestions into actual changes in operating methods and procedures; (b) two-way communications at all levels on operating difficulties and general business trends. 10. Union Participation in the Design Performance reward schemes may work most effectively when worker representatives are given full opportunity to participate in their design and administration. Such involvement may facilitate comprehension and acceptance of scheme objectives. Moreover, workers may only fully trust the scheme if it has been elaborated in consultation and agreement with worker representatives and they are subsequently given opportunities to verify that awards is being calculated fairly. Also, the commonality of interests of workers and employers in improved productivity, performance, earnings and equity is likely to be much more apparent where pay systems are developed and elaborated in accordance with rules established through collective bargaining. 11. Review There should be a clear provision for modifications owing to changes in production methods or in prices or inputs or outputs. The effectiveness of all pay systems decays with time and the duration of schemes based on collective measures of performance are particularly short. Accordingly it should be foreseen that the basic parameters of such schemes would undergo regular periodic revisions. Indeed it should be expected from the outset that the collective performance measures and targets would undergo continuing change every few years in the light of the experience. ISSUES AND TRENDS There are many issues and trends occur in linking performance with reward system which are as follows:- 1. Level of Education The level of education of the employees, among other factors, will determine what type of scheme is likely to be easily understood by them and will motivate them. The nature of the business and the operations will also influence. Organisations in low cost manufacturing or which promote innovation, skills and higher performance or which are in service industries may need to consider different forms of performance pay. Their business and human resource management strategy will differ; the form and content as well as objectives of performance pay should be consistent with them. 2. Trade Union The chance of success of performance-linked pay will depend on the tradition of collective bargaining and attitudes of unions. While the negative attitudes hinder its introduction, the positive attitude considerably facilitates it 3. Organisational Culture Performance pay gives better results in organisations characterised by employee involvement and team spirit. A pro-active culture in the organisation is found to be valuable to performance and productivity. 4. Package of Monetary and Non-Monetary Incentives Performance pay is at best an element in the reward management and motivational system. Besides performance pay, it is essential to pay attention simultaneously to such aspects as re-organisation of work process, training, employee involvement and participative decision-making, opportunities to contribute ideas and knowledge, non- monetary recognition, career development and goal setting. 5. Rewarding Good Performance Rewarding good performance may include, among others, such mechanisms as cash awards, appreciation letter and certificates, training in reputed institutions, foreign travel, job enlargement and enriched roles, publicity in newsletters and membership of professional societies, etc. For higher effectiveness of performance-linked pays system, such reward mechanisms should also be used. 6. Performance Pay and Performance Management It is increasingly realised that performance is affected by a variety of factors. These factors, for instance, will include knowledge and skills which are developed through training, work attitudes and intrinsic rewards. These and other factors which affect performance are considered in the wider context of performance management and human resource management with performance pay constituting an element of it. 7. Caveats It is being increasingly realised that The performance pay systems should be designed to promote the kind of performance an organisation needs. It should, therefore, be integrated with human resource management strategy for better performance and growth of the organisation. The performance pay should underpin the organisations main values such as team work, creativity, flexibility and quality. The system should provide an impetus to and support the behaviour expected of the employees. Therefore, it must communicate to employees the type of behaviour to be rewarded and the way in which it will be rewarded. The reward system should be strengthened through re-organisation of work process and enlarged job responsibilities, training, consultation, communication and participatory system. Employees should also be consulted in the formulation of the plan. The criteria for determining performance should be objective, measurable, easily understood and related to what employees can control. The quantum of performance pay should be significant enough to be motivationally effective and its distribution should be equitable. The payment of performance pay should follow the performance as soon as possible and as frequently as possible. The performance level should be achievable; otherwise it will have a demoralising effect. The quantum of pay should be sufficiently flexible to absorb downturn and adequately reward when performance is good; it should also safeguard the minimum remuneration for the value of the job. QUESTIONS Q1. Explain what is performance-linked reward system? Q2. What are the various ways in which performance can be linked to reward system? Q3. In designing a performance-linked reward system, what considerations will you take into account? Q4.List out the various steps involved in designing a performance-linked reward system. Give an example. Q5. Examine the current issues and trends in linking performance with reward system.

Needing Wolves in Yellowstone :: Yellowstone National Park Wildlife Essays

Needing Wolves in Yellowstone WHY THERE HAVE BEEN NO WOLVES IN YELLOWSTONE: A Brief History Around 1930, the last wolf was spotted in the Yellowstone Area by a paid hunter, he got a shot off but his aim was not true. That was the last recorded sighting of a gray wolf in the Yellowstone Park land. From 1918 to 1935 government scouts recorded killing 35 mountain lions, 2,968 coyotes and 114 wolves (Phillips 1996). Those are total numbers, since a wolf hadn't been seen since 1930, the 114 wolves had been exterminated in the early 1920's. In 1933, the Park adopted a slightly humanistic policy, taking a stance on limiting the unnecessary killing of predators in the Park, but it was too late; Humanity had successfully extinguished canis lupus along with its food sources and habitat from the west (Phillips 1996). (Canis rufus is the red wolf, which has been restored to the southwest since 1987). From the 1800's through the 1930's was a time of horrific destruction in the west. Between the United States Government and the newly formed National Park Service, predatory animals were s laughtered continuously. Even the urging of the President of the United States could not slow this thirst for dominance and desecration. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote a letter to the Superintendent of Yellowstone imploring the army to stop the killing, yet it went on relentlessly. Times have changed. In 1972, thoughts of restoring the wolf to Yellowstone National Park, as part of its original biodiversity, began to circulate. In part, the new philosophy of wildlife management (verses wildlife destruction) came into being with the help of a man by the name of Dr. Starker Leopold, chairman of the Interior Secretary's Advisory Board. He authored a paper later to be known as the 'Leopold report', which stated "As a primary goal, we would recommend that the biotic associations within each park be maintained, or where necessary recreated." (Phillips 1996). This document began to outline the critical areas of preservation and helped to turn people's thoughts from consumption to conservation. There were many others before him who tried to warn people of the loss of our wild areas, such as John Muir, Aldo Leopold (who advocated the reintroduction of the wolf to Yellowstone as early as 1944), and a significant political force, Theodore Roosevelt, but it was not until th e public began to realize that the environment was in terrible shape, and was not responding well to the continuing pattern of rape and pillage, that support for wolf restoration started to gain momentum.

Defining the Purpose and the Problem When Writing Proposals Essay

INTRODUCTION When drafting a proposal for any type of changes in the workplace, it is important to define the purpose and identify the problem being addressed in the proposal. There must be a needed or desired change identified in order to begin the research and planning phases of the project. Once the desired change is identified, the request for proposal process can begin. This process is repeatable and interchangeable with all project and grant proposals. GENERAL INFORMATION Collecting project requirements is the first step in determining the processes to be used to meet those requirements. The stakeholders of the project should be identified and each group’s individual tasks and boundaries identified. At the Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO), efficient, accurate, and personal customer interactions are all part of the Service Department’s daily operating policies and procedures. As a major part of this operating strategy, change is often imperative to maintaining expected levels of efficiency and accuracy when servicing  insurance policies for GEICO customers. Service Agents are responsible for anywhere from 50-100 calls from policyholders per day. Developing a new system of self-service options for GEICO’s approximately 13 million policyholders nationwide help alleviate over-burdened call centers. In order to ensure that policyholders are able to complete needed transactions without a need to call a licensed agent, th e self-service system must include the same controls as the GEICO Agent’s systems. The duration of this system enhancement and development project will be no more than three months, beginning on August 1, 2014. Distribution of the system will be completed over the following two month period and will be fully on-line in all Regional Office Service Centers by January 1, 2015. Financial resources are unlimited, but will be approved at the discretion of the Approving Authority on a case by case basis. There will be a total of 22 participants in this system development project. The Regional Vice President in charge Region X as the overall Approving Authority for the project. All changes to the established project requirements will be sent via the Project Manager through her office for final approval. A Project Manager who is a current Team Leader / Supervisor of Employees is needed to oversee the project directly. This Team Leader will be chosen by the Regional Vice President. Updated monthly statistics through the month of June, 2014 will determine the best candidate for assignment to this project. In the interest of team integrity, the five Licensed Agents assigned to this Team Leader will be selected to serve as the Working Group of the project and will be pulled from regular floor duties for the duration of the project. This group will be responsible for providing performance and safety measures, system input requirements, and accuracy testing through periodic live reviews of the system. A five person Software and Systems Development Team (SSDT) of Information Technology Office Agents (ITOA) will be responsible for the creation of the  new Internet-based system. Taking inputs from the Working Group members, a system will be written and distributed to all GEICO Regional Offices upon completion of testing and final approval. In addition to the trained professionals assigned to this project, a small sampling of ten customers (Product Testers) from the Tucson area will be participating in the testing and improvement phase of the project to ensure simplicity and accuracy of use for the new system. These testers will receive no formal training on the new system. The only outside input provided will be a data entry sheet containing information for the customer to input / edit on training accounts to test the user-friendliness of the final interface before full distribution. These product testers will also be given satisfaction questionnaires throughout the duration of the testing period from October 1 – October 15. The Product Testers will work from 8AM – 5 PM, with a one-hour lunch break, Monday – Friday. The Product Testers will be paid $600 (before taxation) at the end of the two week testing period. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS The Project Manager will report bi-weekly to the Approving Authority directly with performance updates and any changes to the project Scope. Updates to project objective statuses will be included. These objectives are: Develop a user-friendly policy management system. Test the new system. Identify bugs, inefficiencies, and needed control measures to be built into the new system. Implement needed changes and control measures. Develop a training model using a closed operating system with identical functionality as the production system. Train all employees to use the new system. Put the new system into operation across the GEICO organization. Release the self-service version to policyholders through GEICO’s website at GEICO.com Market the new process to current and prospective policyholders throughout the country. RECORD KEEPING Upon completion of the project, a final report (summary of all tasks), changes, and improvements to the original scope of the project is compiled and turned in to the Approving Authority and kept on file for three years in accordance with State Insurance Regulations. All documents and records kept throughout the creation and testing process will be collected, scanned for sensitive information, and all non-essential pieces will be destroyed. Essential project â€Å"keeper† documents containing sensitive information and company procedures will be edited and stored with the final summary document for three years. EVALUATION CRITERIA Upon completion of the project, a final report (summary of all tasks), changes, and improvements to the original scope of the project is compiled and turned in to the Approving Authority and kept on file for three years in accordance with State Insurance Regulations. All documents and records kept throughout the creation and testing process will be collected, scanned for sensitive information, and all non-essential pieces will be destroyed. Essential project â€Å"keeper† documents containing sensitive information and company procedures will be edited and stored with the final summary document for three years. CONCLUSION Through effective use of the Proposal and the Project Planning Processes, change can be implemented across any size organization effectively and efficiently. Accurate identification of the purpose and possible problems when writing a Project Proposal will increase the chances of efficient and effective change.

Children and Childhood in Somalia

Describe ‘some' significant aspects of your own childhood and show how these differ from the experiences of children growing up in other times and cultures. Within this essay, I aim to discuss aspects of my childhood of which I deem significant, and further compare these experiences, showing not only how they differ, but also the similarities, between childhood during the Victorian era in Britain, and a different culture, specifically the African country of Somalia. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNRC) states that all children, 17 and under, live a safe, happy and fulfilled childhood (Clark; 2010).Growing up in 1990's and 2000's Britain, the children of my era were fortunate enough to be under such protection. Somalia has no such government in charge since the 1990's, therefore is one of only two countries to have not signed this worldwide treaty, with the USA being the other, and I expect to find that my childhood varies vastly from those in Somalia, and also the children of the Victorian era who did not have such education guidelines as recent times do. Growing up, luxuries were handed to me constantly. Whether it was education, holidays, food or toys, I gratefully accepted them and didn't think twice.Education is free and compulsory to every child in England from the age of five until the age of seventeen. We also have the Early Years Foundation (EYFS), a series of structural learning, development and care for all children from birth to the age of five. All schools or registered early years providers in the private, voluntary and independent sectors must follow the EYFS (http://www. direct. gov. uk). The EYFS ensures several things; parents being kept up to date with their childs progress, the welfare and wellbeing of all children regardless off gender, ethnicity, disabilities etc. and the early years practicioners work with the parents very closely. The latter is interesting; in England, we have the luxury of parents being a ble to come to playschools and similar institutions to be with the children. This would be impossible in Somalia for many children. UNICEF research (2008, http://www. unicef. org) has indicated that around 1 in 14 women die due to pregnancy or pregnancy complications, leaving many children without a mother. Compare this to England and the maternal mortality rate (MMR) was approximately 11 in 100,000 between 2006 and 2008 (http://www. atient. co. uk). When children in Somalia get older, not all of them attend primary or secondary schools. The enrolment rate in Somalia for primary education is a mere 23% (UNICEF Somalia Statistics). During the Victorian era, things were extremely different to present day. Families had to pay for their children to go to schools, and with children working in factories and mines, or as chimneysweeps, many never attended school. A young school student growing up in the nineties would not have to work unlike those in the Victorian era.A personal experience of working for myself is that of a paper round at the age of 13. This was merely more money on top of pocket money, and supplied plenty of expenditure for that age. In the period preceding 1833, before the Factory Act took place, children of 13 and under would be working extremely long hours with little breaks. Only children from rich and middle class families attended school, and it wasn't until 1870, when the Elementary Education Act was introduced, that things began to take a turn towards how children today experience schol.This act saw the beginning of a stream of education bills aimed to help children get access to education. In 1880, school was mandatory for all children up until the age of 10, and in 1889 this limit was raised to 12. Families still had to pay for schooling at this point, until 1891 when the fee was abolished. Thankfully, this was the start of how all children would be provided with free education, a luxury that not all those in Somalia have.

17 Questions You Should Never Ask at a Job Interview

17 Questions You Should Never Ask at a Job Interview We all hate that moment when the interviewer turns to us and says: â€Å"Do you have any questions for us?† Next time you find yourself in the hot seat, make sure to avoid these questions. You’ll be glad you did. SEE ALSO:  The 6 Hardest Interview Questions of 20161. What does your company do?Try Google. Ideally, before the interview.2. What will my salary be?It never pays to talk money in the interview stage. Save it for when you get the offer.3. Will I have to work long hours?This is as good as saying, â€Å"I can’t be bothered trying very hard.†4. How long before I accumulate vacation time?Save it for the HR orientation.5. How soon before I can get promoted?Focus on getting the job you’re interviewing for and doing it well. Then worry about your next move.6. When will I be eligible for a raise?Again, focus on getting the job. And save the money talk for your first review.7. Will I have my own office?Why bother asking this one, really? You eithe r will or you won’t.8. Will I get along with my coworkers?No interviewer is going to answer â€Å"no,† nor could they possibly have any idea. This just makes you look emotionally immature and slightly deranged. Try asking about the work culture instead.9. Will I have an expense account?Not if you don’t get the job!10. [insert personal question]Just don’t.11. Can I make personal calls?If you have to ask, it sounds like you’re not planning on doing any actual work.12. I heard [insert salacious detail] about the CEO. Is that true?Skip the rumor mill and stick to being respectful.13. Do you monitor internet usage or screen emails?This suggests you have something to hide.14. Do you do background checks?They probably do. Don’t act suspicious!15. Can I arrive early/leave late?This is just a no-brainer. Even if you can work fast enough to get it done in less than 8 hours, it’s not interview appropriate.16. How’d I do?Just don’t. 17. Did I get the job?Even if they were ready to hire you on the spot, this question will likely make them change their minds.Of course, not asking questions is almost worse than asking any of the above. Try to come up with a few safe ones that will assert your intelligence and valuable qualities and prepare them well in advance.

Nomenclature for hazard and risk assessment in the process industries essay

Nomenclature for hazard and risk assessment in the process industries essay Nomenclature for hazard and risk assessment in the process industries essay Nomenclature for hazard and risk assessment in the process industries essayThe choice of the bank is very important for me because it determines the safety of my funds. This is why reliability of the bank and its stability are the major factors that determine my choice of the bank. At the same time, the choice of the bank also depends on other factors that may be revealed through the analysis of the bank’s performance and its history, both long-run and short-run. At this point, I would consider carefully whether to support or not the decision to remove some of the over-burdening regulations since the performance and history of the bank can help to determine, whether the bank can afford such changes without any considerable threats and risks to its clients or not.The reasons I chose this bank are diverse but the major reason or the choice of the bank was its reliability since the bank has managed to stumble through the last economic recession and mortgage crisis successfully. M oreover, as I studied the history of the bank, which dates back to the middle of the 20th century, the bank has managed to overcome other economic crises successfully too. This is why the bank has proved to be reliable and stable. Therefore, I decided that the bank is unlikely to face a steep decline in the nearest future and I can deposit my free funds into this bank,The special features this bank offers that attracted me the most is the relatively high benefits which I could obtain for my deposits that make it more profitable than the average bank in the industry can offer to me at the moment. At least, I am taking into consideration only those banks, which have proved to be reliable and stable and which have been operating over two decades at the least (Finley, 2007). The analysis of the history of the bank is very important because it does not only shows that the bank has managed to overcome serious financial crises but also the bank’s history reveals how the bank deals w ith difficult, challenging situations, which may emerge unexpectedly. My bank has proved to be able to deal with those challenges successfully. At the same time, the ‘special feature’ of the bank is the current focus on the increasing deposit of customers of the bank. The bank has declared the increase of customers’ deposits as one of its major priorities at the moment. This is why the bank offers attractive interest rates for consumers, who want to deposit their money into the bank. The relatively high or above the average interest rate makes the bank attractive for customers, at any rate in terms of short-run investment of free funds.The regulations this bank faces concern the shift toward the effective management of customers’ deposits and increase of deposits made by consumers with regard to the level of capitalization of the bank (Seitanidi, 2008). At the moment, the bank insists on the liberalization of its policies concerning the attraction of new c ustomers and their deposits, on the one hand, and the level of capitalization of the bank on the other. The bank stands on the ground that it has sufficient capital and can raise more funds, if necessary, to cover unexpected risks and threats since the bank has extensive experience of risk management in the time of economic crises and financial difficulties, which accompanied those crises.In this regard, it is necessary to take into consideration recent changes this bank has gone through. To put it more precisely, the bank has undergone a considerable change in the course of its business development recently. The bank used to focus on both investment projects and deposits of customers. However, after the economic recession of 2008, the bank had to refuse from its investment banking operations and focused on deposits entirely. At first, the shift seemed to be painful for the bank, which was quite successful in both deposit and investment management. However, the bank preferred to foc us on more reliable branch, which was vulnerable to fewer risks compared to investment banking branch, which has started to bring the bank considerable financial losses, especially in 2007-2008 (Jones, 2012). As a result, the bank had to obey to new regulations and focused on deposits entirely. However, the bank decided to boost its deposit branch which required more liberal policies and decreasing of regulations in this field.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As for the manager’s request, I would rather support it than decline it because I believe the bank is at the strong position to keep growing and enhancing its performance, while the decrease of the overregulation will stimulate the further growth of the bank and its business development. In fact, the bank should get a chance and boost its business development after the completion of the shift toward a deposit banking business only.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, I believe that the request o f the manager should receive my support to help the bank to enhance its business development and bring me profits in the future.

A Compare and Contrast Essay on Batman and Iron Man

Today, we can see so many heroes in society. Various types of heroes appear in various cultures and various countries. Heroes give us confidence and we can trust them. I chose two heroes for comparison and compared it based on the cultural aspect and its behavior. The two heroes are Batman and Ironman. In the movie, the image of the hero is very clear. They are strong muscles; beat the bad guys to save the world, they have a girlfriend or a girlfriend. Their health is very good, their health is good. Because Iron Man and Batman are my favorite superheroes, I always wanted to contrast. There are some similarities between Iron Man and Batman, but both fight against the rogues to protect people and cities. They do not have super powers, they use technology and weapons to make their suit. Because everyone at Gotham is afraid of Batman, there are also some differences between Batman and Ironman: Iron Man is a hero, but Batman is a dark hero. Let's first introduce the similarities between Iron Man and Batman, then explain the difference between Batman and Iron Man in detail. After comparing Iron Man and Batman, it is difficult for me to choose who is better. Because I am still in primary school, I have been a Batman for a long time. I have not explained all the differences and similarities between Iron Man and Batman, but if you want to know more about them, try the movie. The movie is really funny. You can choose between Ironman and Batman. For casual movie fans, the idea of ​​comparing Iron Man and Batman seems reasonable given the apparent similarities of both. But trying to compare the two according to a darker question, Iron Man knows that it is not dark, so many people confuse it. However, if you are accustomed to manga books of a specific form or form called Iron Man, this comparison is fair considering how serious the cartoon book Iron Man is compared to the light version in the movie. Let's compare who is a more meditative villain - Iron Man an d Batman

Nonurgent Use of Hospital Emergency Departments Research Paper

Nonurgent Use of Hospital Emergency Departments - Research Paper Example This book is relevant to the current study because of its discussion of the nature and effects of nonurgent use of EDs. It also includes a comprehensive discussion of the potential solutions to the problems caused by this pattern. It suggests the construction of additional safety net hospitals, community clinics, and other sources of care as a solution to the problem of caused by nonurgent use of EDs. This book is an excellent source of strategies and policies for EDs. (2) Hodge, M. (2007). Non-urgent Emergency Department Utilization in Southwestern Virginia among Medicaid Recipients. Ann Arbor, MI: Proquest. Generally, this book is about the current American healthcare system, focusing specifically on the evolution of the EDs’ functions. The author studied the prevalence of nonurgent use of EDs among beneficiaries of Medicaid in Southwestern Virginia. The author used both qualitative and quantitative methods to study the perceptions of both the patients and the hospital staff regarding utilization of EDs for nonurgent problems. The author reported that there is a high prevalence of nonurgent use of EDs in Southwestern Virginia and that there are considerable disparity between the perception of patients and hospital staffs regarding what is ‘urgent’ and what is ‘nonurgent’. ... (3) Institute of Medicine (U.S.) Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System (2007). Hospital-Based Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. The author focuses on the evolution of the function of hospital-based emergency. It attempts to show, through figures and statistics, the number of ED visits for urgent and nonurgent problems. Through secondary-data analysis the author is able to determine that in recent times visits to the EDs for minor injuries rather than serious health problems dramatically increased. The author argued that although EDs keep on performing their usual tasks of giving urgent medical attention, they are forced to provide additional care for patients with nonurgent health problems. The author clearly illustrates that the responsibilities of EDs are continuously expanding. This book is relevant to the current study because it includes a discussion of the problems caused by the increasing pre valence of nonurgent use of EDs such as overcrowding, limited resources, and limited capacity. The author is able to clearly show that if these problems continue the quality of American healthcare will continue to decline. (4) Jones, R. (2004). Oxford Textbook of Primary Medical Care, Volume 1. New York: Oxford University Press. This book is mainly for general practitioners and primary health providers. The purpose of the author is to provide a conclusive discussion of primary care practice. It involves a discussion of nonurgent use of EDs and the absence of a single definition of the term ‘nonurgent’. The approach used by author is mainly descriptive or exploratory. The author concludes that a significant decrease or total eradication

Migration, cultural diversity and integration in contemporary Britain Essay

Migration, cultural diversity and integration in contemporary Britain - Essay Example This integration and acceptance could involve recognizing the others’ practice as right or even adopting some of the practices which are to be found in the other people involved. One of the major contributors of having youths from divergent backgrounds studying in the same universities is as a direct result of migrant labour. In this respect you may find that one’s parents went to a foreign country looking for a job opportunity and since people of many nationalities do emigrate looking for job opportunities, it is only obvious that we are going to have a situations whereby the different youths involved tend to develop multicultural social capital (Arthur,2004). Social capital has been defined as Social capital is a sociological concept, which refers to connections within and between social networks. Harzig and Hoerder discuss the issue of migration in detail and he points out the negative opinions which are cast upon immigrants. They are viewed as â€Å"hands† or â€Å"braceros† instead of hearts and heads. The following dialogue involves two young university student in Paris France. Partner A (Asamoah) has his origins in Ghana while Partner B (Louis) has his origins in Cameroon both countries in West Africa. ASAMOAH: I am Asamoah Gyan, My parents come from Accra Ghana. We came to France when I was five years old. My parents are career diplomats and thus I had to join a French school and upon the end of my parents’ tour of duty they felt it advisable to have me left behind in France so as to complete my university studies. I chose an African because we have a lot to share as we both come from the continent and hence we should have a lot in common. LOUIS: I am Louis Mitchell and my country of origin is Cameroon. My whole family lives in Douarra second largest city in Cameroon. I have always wanted to join a good foreign university and being from a Francophone country I was able to benefit from a Scholarship from the government of France. I thus had my early education back in Cameroun and only came to France for my higher education on a scholarship. I chose a Ghanaian national owing to the close proximity between our two countries and being Africans, we have a lot in common. Questions. ASAMOAH: Louis could you tell me about your social capital in terms of how you find yourself accepting to the races, gender sexuality and religion in Britain? LOUIS: I find it very difficult to interact with the foreign people and I am more comfortable being in the company of my fellow Africans and especially those from French speaking countries. On issues of gender, I find the British more tolerant towards women but I hate the legalization of homosexuality and on the religious issue the French are not religious at all. ASAMOAH: Why do you abhor the legalization of gay unions in Britain? LOUIS: That is unheard of in African culture. In my own country being caught engaging in such an activity attracts a very severe penalty an d furthermore the individuals concerned are ostracized from the society. ASAMOAH: what kind of penalty could that be and why is it considered unAfrican to engage in such activities? LOUIS: In my country, penalty for being day is imprisonment for a term of at least twenty years in prison and in rural areas where traditional justice is dispensed you find that those who are caught engaging in such activities are put in a beehive and rolled off a hill. It is considered unAfrican to engage in homosexual relationships because that is what has been passed from

Street Congestion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Street Congestion - Research Paper Example Apparently, Manhattan central business district is an example of a street that is facing street congestion. The congestion in this street is as a result of potholes. Apart from describing the problem, this paper will offer the best solution to the problem and the cost of solving the problem. More than 25,000 vehicles travel down the Manhattan central business district, and this number is increasing day by day (Feit and Feehan 32). With these many vehicles moving up and down the street of Manhattan central business district, the resultant effect is traffic congestion. However, the traffic congestion level highly depends on the capacity of the road ((Vanderbilt 54). Traffic congestion in Manhattan has occurred as a result of the modal split or the volume of traffic creating demand for space that is greater than the available road capacity on the street. With the existence of the problem, a solution has to be created. In response to the increased street congestion in Manhattan central business district, the first step towards solving this problem is having parking restrictions on the street. This can be achieved by increasing the non-monetary and monetary costs of parking on this street. However, free parking distorts the market in favor of car travel, worsening congestion. Apart from the introduction of parking restriction, the State can ensure that there are a park and ride facility. This facility will allow parking at a distance giving space for continuation by ride sharing. These facilities can be created on the metro stations along the streets. Providing travel choices can reduce street congestion in Manhattan central business district. Bicycling, public transportation, and walking can reduce the demand for peak-hour travel in cars that is the primary cause of dairy congestion in Manhattan central business district. Notably, around 45% of all

Environmental scan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental scan - Essay Example However, the management should be aware of some of the shortcomings of semantic technique: it is limited in its data content, it can not be used for navigating the website and it is complicated for beginners. Currently, many people make use of search engines to retrieve and search for data on the internet. There are over fifty search engines that are available to the user worldwide. Some of the search engines are regional while others are universal. For example, Google, Yahoo Search and MSN are some of the global search engines. These search engines came to the market at the start of the last decade of the twentieth century. Following are some of the search engines that are currently in use: It is an immense search engine (Takakuwa, 2004: 23). It is claimed to be one of the biggest search engines that is currently available to web browsers. Levene (2006: 123) is of the view that Google uses the PageRank system to display the information that the user is searching for. This type of page ranking is named after one of the pioneers, Larry Page. This technology gives the user the pages that closely resemble what he is looking for (Takakuwa, 2004: 100). The page with the highest similarity is ranked at the top. This search engine is effective as far as giving the user a multitude of hits that closely resemble what he is searching for. It can be used to search for books, blogs, images, patents amongst others (Takakuwa, 2004: 100). It also links the user to other sites that are relevant. Though not as big as Google, it has an excess of twenty billion â€Å"web objects† (Thurow, 2007: 23). It gives the user shortcuts to the relevant site that he is looking for (Thurow, 2007: 23). The results are ranked using the Automatic AND technique. Apart from the two above, there are many other services such as Exalead, MSN and a host of others. The current search engines have some efficacies based on their size of database, search

Minority Corporate Leader Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minority Corporate Leader - Assignment Example The paper further draws clarity from the way a leader deals with situations and various outcomes. Upon keen exploration of Sage, it is clear that leaders have to enhance teamwork and approach every situation with a clear and innovative mind. Minority Corporate Leader Leadership is an indulging role in any sector. Leaders have to be assertive and make decisions depending on prevailing situations. Apparently, many decisions are made depending on the situation at hand. Some decisions require harnessing information and discussing with relevant stakeholders parties. With such an approach, a leader is definitely going to arrive at the right decision (Armstrong, 2011). However, neglecting some of these aspects could lead to poor decision making. For example, when making a decision in the nursing sector, there is the need to incorporate all the concerned parties. This will ensure that decision implementation is smooth and all inclusive. Ola Sage is 45 years old and exhibits the desirable cha racteristics of a leader. She is married and lives in Silver Spring. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Strayer University and a master’s degree from George Mason University. She is currently the CEO of E-management, which is a federal Information Technology company. Since its inception, Sage has been skeptical about improving the performance of the company to greater heights. In the initial stages, the company was struggling to stay put in the market since it was not attracting a large number of people in demand for its services. She has struggled to develop the company to reach out to a larger market in offering its services. Previously, Sage had dreams of becoming a concert pianist. However, she decided to concentrate on offering IT services. This was a successful idea as she is currently one of the most respected IT experts. The first aspect that should be considered in a leader is the way a leader overcomes barriers. In any sector, there is a high probability that there will be barriers, challenges and setbacks. Ola Sage is a leader that accepts challenges while managing other people. She states that a challenge in a work place strengthens a leader. As such, she is decisive and makes the appropriate changes when there are challenges. For example, the technology sector is changing and improving with each passing day. As such, there is a need for a leader that will give a positive approach to these enhancements (Reese, 2003). This includes purchase of better and improved technology. This ensures the organization is prepared to face all the other challenges in the sector. Similarly, Sage ensures all the other workers are incorporated into finding solutions for the barriers of success. Apparently, she states that a leader has to be on the forefront in overcoming barriers. Such a leader is destined for greatness as all the barriers and challenges will be solved in the meanest time. As such, the organization will be on a gradual improvement. Team building is an important aspect in an organization. An organization that ensures the workers are working as a team is on the verge of making positive accrual with time. For example, all the leaders should work in unison with the other workers. Sage acknowledges that all leaders should enhance team work each and every time in an organization. She states that people should accept that they are not able to make accomplishments on their own. As such, they should decipher that every person

Street Congestion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Street Congestion - Research Paper Example Apparently, Manhattan central business district is an example of a street that is facing street congestion. The congestion in this street is as a result of potholes. Apart from describing the problem, this paper will offer the best solution to the problem and the cost of solving the problem. More than 25,000 vehicles travel down the Manhattan central business district, and this number is increasing day by day (Feit and Feehan 32). With these many vehicles moving up and down the street of Manhattan central business district, the resultant effect is traffic congestion. However, the traffic congestion level highly depends on the capacity of the road ((Vanderbilt 54). Traffic congestion in Manhattan has occurred as a result of the modal split or the volume of traffic creating demand for space that is greater than the available road capacity on the street. With the existence of the problem, a solution has to be created. In response to the increased street congestion in Manhattan central business district, the first step towards solving this problem is having parking restrictions on the street. This can be achieved by increasing the non-monetary and monetary costs of parking on this street. However, free parking distorts the market in favor of car travel, worsening congestion. Apart from the introduction of parking restriction, the State can ensure that there are a park and ride facility. This facility will allow parking at a distance giving space for continuation by ride sharing. These facilities can be created on the metro stations along the streets. Providing travel choices can reduce street congestion in Manhattan central business district. Bicycling, public transportation, and walking can reduce the demand for peak-hour travel in cars that is the primary cause of dairy congestion in Manhattan central business district. Notably, around 45% of all

Minority Corporate Leader Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minority Corporate Leader - Assignment Example The paper further draws clarity from the way a leader deals with situations and various outcomes. Upon keen exploration of Sage, it is clear that leaders have to enhance teamwork and approach every situation with a clear and innovative mind. Minority Corporate Leader Leadership is an indulging role in any sector. Leaders have to be assertive and make decisions depending on prevailing situations. Apparently, many decisions are made depending on the situation at hand. Some decisions require harnessing information and discussing with relevant stakeholders parties. With such an approach, a leader is definitely going to arrive at the right decision (Armstrong, 2011). However, neglecting some of these aspects could lead to poor decision making. For example, when making a decision in the nursing sector, there is the need to incorporate all the concerned parties. This will ensure that decision implementation is smooth and all inclusive. Ola Sage is 45 years old and exhibits the desirable cha racteristics of a leader. She is married and lives in Silver Spring. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Strayer University and a master’s degree from George Mason University. She is currently the CEO of E-management, which is a federal Information Technology company. Since its inception, Sage has been skeptical about improving the performance of the company to greater heights. In the initial stages, the company was struggling to stay put in the market since it was not attracting a large number of people in demand for its services. She has struggled to develop the company to reach out to a larger market in offering its services. Previously, Sage had dreams of becoming a concert pianist. However, she decided to concentrate on offering IT services. This was a successful idea as she is currently one of the most respected IT experts. The first aspect that should be considered in a leader is the way a leader overcomes barriers. In any sector, there is a high probability that there will be barriers, challenges and setbacks. Ola Sage is a leader that accepts challenges while managing other people. She states that a challenge in a work place strengthens a leader. As such, she is decisive and makes the appropriate changes when there are challenges. For example, the technology sector is changing and improving with each passing day. As such, there is a need for a leader that will give a positive approach to these enhancements (Reese, 2003). This includes purchase of better and improved technology. This ensures the organization is prepared to face all the other challenges in the sector. Similarly, Sage ensures all the other workers are incorporated into finding solutions for the barriers of success. Apparently, she states that a leader has to be on the forefront in overcoming barriers. Such a leader is destined for greatness as all the barriers and challenges will be solved in the meanest time. As such, the organization will be on a gradual improvement. Team building is an important aspect in an organization. An organization that ensures the workers are working as a team is on the verge of making positive accrual with time. For example, all the leaders should work in unison with the other workers. Sage acknowledges that all leaders should enhance team work each and every time in an organization. She states that people should accept that they are not able to make accomplishments on their own. As such, they should decipher that every person

Comprehensive evaluation in Mathematics Essay Example for Free

Comprehensive evaluation in Mathematics Essay Continuous comprehensive Evaluation should be carried out in relation to learners’ cognitive, affective and psycho-motor growth. Cognitive growth refers to the intellectual development of learners (such as learners’ knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation). Affective growth emphasizes learners’ attitude, interest and personal development. Psycho-motor growth deals with learners’ ability to perform some activity or do some practical work. Therefore, if you want the teaching-learning process to be really effective, you should evaluate the learners continuously and comprehensively Hence to bring about the improvement in the quality of education and the holistic development of the child who is tomorrow’s global citizen, evaluation process should focus adequately on both scholastic and non-scholastic areas of development. Hence the focus needs to shift to comprehensive evaluation. The comprehensive evaluation also needs to have continuity at regular intervals through out the academic year. This thought is further gets support from the fact that the National Progressive Schools Association has also recommended the scrapping of class X board exams This module focuses upon the various evaluation tools and techniques which can be used for decision making with reference to learners scholastic and non scholastic needs. By comprehensive evaluation, we mean that evaluation should not concern itself only with knowledge but it shall also take into account the factors that are inherent in students’ growth such as skills, understanding, appreciation, interest, attitude and habits. In other words, evaluation should cover all the learning experiences of the learner in curricular as well as non-cognitive areas. Need of Continuous comprehensive evaluation. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation is intended to provide a holistic profile of the learner through assessment of both scholastic and non-scholastic aspects of education spread over the total span of instructional time in schools. It helps to identify those positive attributes of the learner which are not usually assessed during the examinations conducted by the Board As it is spread over a period of two years in class IX and X it provides several opportunities for the school to identify the latent talents of the learners in different contexts.

Islamic and Conventional Banking: Customer Satisfaction

Islamic and Conventional Banking: Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is a business term which measure that how products and services supplied by a company or business organisation meet or fulfil customer expectations. Customer satisfaction is believed a very important and key performance indicator within a business. In a competitive marketplace where businesses compete for customers, customer satisfaction is a key differentiator and has become a very important element of business strategy. Banking is a customer oriented services industry, therefore, the customer is the focus and customer service is the differentiating factors. When the banks are offering almost the similar products and services with some principal differences. It is the customer satisfaction that can influence the performance and determine the competitiveness and success of either an Islamic or Conventional bank. Banks deal with thousands of customers everyday and render different types of services to them. It is a well known reality and fact that no business can exist and grow without customers. And the satisfaction of these customers is as important as the customers itself are important for any business. Satisfied customers are central to optimal performance and financial returns. Better understanding of customers perceptions is important for a Bank to determine the actions required to meet the customers needs. Banks can identify their own strengths and weaknesses, where they stand in comparison to their competitors, chart out path future progress and improvement. Customer satisfaction measurement helps to promote an increased focus on customer outcomes and stimulate improvements in the work practices and processes used within the company. 1.2 Research Objectives The main aim of this study is to:- Review and analyse the literature available on both Islamic and Conventional bank with special reference to Pakistan. Examine and evaluate the performance of the Islamic and conventional banks in Pakistan. Find out the level of Customers knowledge about the products and services provided by their banks. Find out the factors of customers dissatisfaction from the products and services of their bank. Find out the main factors of motivation for a customer to deal with either an Islamic or a conventional bank. Find out that to what extent customers are satisfied with their banks. 1.3 Research Questions The research is target to examine the Islamic and conventional banking in Pakistan in relation to product analysis and customer satisfaction. This research will be helpful to answer the following questions:- Performance of which form of banking is better than the other and why? What are the main differences between the products offered by the Islamic and Conventional banks in Pakistan? What is the customers satisfaction level with both forms of banking? What are the factors of motivation for a customer to deal with a bank? What are the main factors of customers dissatisfaction from a bank? Which form of banking is more rewarding and reliable in Pakistan? What are the suggestions and recommendation to improve the services and operations of both Islamic and Conventional banks? 1.4 Research Rational The Researcher worked in a conventional bank for about 1 year, at the time when there was no Islamic bank in Pakistan. But there seemed to be a demand in the customer for such kind of banks at that time. Researcher is keen to start his career in the banking sector of Pakistan. At the moment there are about 35 banks working in Pakistan out of which 6 of them are registered as Islamic banks, but majority of the Islamic banks started their operations very recently. But if we compare them with conventional banks in Pakistan conventional banks are much older and larger then these Islamic banks. The Researcher is committed to investigate the principal difference between the both conventional and Islamic banks, their products, their reliability and the factors encouraging the customers to invest their money in any of these two forms of banking. The researcher will also analyse the key factors which play their role in either the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the customer of these banks and which form of banking is more successful in relation to customer Satisfaction and why? The researcher will also come out with the suggestions to improve the service of the banks to satisfy their customer. 1.5 Research Context Banks are performing various functions to provide variety of products and services for different sectors of the economy. Pakistan came into being in 1947; the first Pakistani bank started its operations the same year in the month of September. Since that time Pakistani banking sector is experiencing difficulties due to unpractical policies and uncertainty. Private Sector banks strongly dominated during the first almost 20 years but all the banks were nationalized in 1974, which proved disastrous move for the banking sector of Pakistan. Nationalization of private banks badly affected the performance of these banks. So, these banks were privatized again in 1992. Pakistans banking sector consists of Scheduled commercial banks, which include nationalized, foreign and private banks. Pakistans banking sector has been going through a comprehensive but complex and very painful process of restructuring since 1997. It is aimed at making these institutions financially sound and forging their li nks firmly with the real sector for promotion of savings, investment and growth. A complete turnaround in this sector will not be possible and is not expected as well but signs of improvement can be seen. Islamic banking was started in the late 70s in Pakistan, but it was initially introduced in the conventional banks. The first Islamic banking license was issued in 2002 to the Meezan Bank Ltd; this bank started its operations in Pakistan in the year 2003. The Islamic banking has gained momentum worldwide. There are more than 185 Islamic banks and financial institutions operating in the world. The popularity of Islamic banking in not limited to Islamic banks only. A large number of conventional banks in Pakistan and all over the world are showing increasing interest in the Islamic banking system as well. The consequence of this is that Islamic banks operating in Islamic countries are faced with strong competition not only from Islamic banks but also from non-Islamic rivals Habib Bank Ltd Habib Banks Ltd. was the first commercial bank to be established in Pakistan in 1947. Over the years, HBL has grown its branch network and become the largest private sector bank with over 1,450 branches across the country and a customer base exceeding five million relationships. The Government of Pakistan privatized HBL in 2004 through which AKFED acquired 51% of the banks shareholding and management control. HBL is majority owned (51%) by the Aga Khan Fund of Economic Development, 42.5% of the shareholding is retained by the Government of Pakistan (GOP), whilst 7.5% is owned by the general public i.e. over 170,000 shareholders following the public listing that took place in July 2007. Nepal, Nigeria, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan and rep offices in Iran and China, HBL is also the largest domestic multinational. The bank is expanding its presence in principal international markets including the UK, UAE, South and Central Asia, Africa and the Far East. Key areas of operations encompass product offering and services in retail and consumer banking. HBL has the largest corporate Banking portfolio in the country with an active investment banking arm. SME and Agriculture lending programmes and banking services are offered in urban and rural centres. HBL is currently rated AA (Long term) and A-1+ (Short term) and has a balance sheet size over USD 11 billion. It is the first Pakistani bank to raise Tier II Capital from external sources. Meezan Bank Ltd. Meezan Bank Limited, a publicly listed company, was incorporated on January 27, 1997 and started operations as an investment bank in August that year. In January, 2002 in a historic initiative, Meezan Bank was granted the nations first full-fledged commercial banking license as a dedicated Islamic Bank, by the State Bank of Pakistan. Meezan Bank has clearly established itself as the largest Islamic Bank in Pakistan with the largest Islamic Banking branch network in the country. The banking sector is showing a significant paradigm shift away from traditional means of business and is catering to an increasingly astute and demanding financial consumer, who is also becoming keenly aware of Islamic Banking. Meezan Bank bears the critical responsibility of leading the way forward in establishing a stable and dynamic Islamic Banking system replete with dynamic and cutting-edge products and services. During the eight years of its operations as an Islamic commercial bank offering universal banking services to customers, Meezan Bank has been one of the fastest growing banks in the history of Pakistans banking sector. Average growth in deposits has been 55% per annum during this period while the branch network grew from 4 to 201. The Bank has established a strong and credible management team comprised of experienced professionals, that have achieved a strong balance sheet with excellent operating profitability and strong ratios, which places the Bank at the top of the Islamic Banking industry. The Bank has been assigned a long-term entity rating of A+ with a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Stable outlook and a short-term entity rating of A1. The Banks main shareholders are leading financial institutions of the Region namely, Noor Financial Investment Company, Kuwait, a leading investment company based in Kuwait; Pak-Kuwait Investment Company, a AAA rated financial entity in the country and the Islamic Development Bank of Jeddah. The established position, reputation, strength and stability, of these institutions add significant value to the Bank through Board representation and applied synergies. The bank has developed an extraordinary research and development capability by combining investment bankers, commercial bankers, Shariah scholars and legal experts to develop innovative, viable, and competitive value propositions that not only meet the requirements of todays complex financial world, but do so with world-class service excellence which our customers demand, all within the bounds of Shariah. Meezan Bank has a strong technology focus. It has invested heavily in state-of-the-art software applications à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" namely Temenos T-24 and Oracle. It has also recently upgraded its hardware platform and also has a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"hot disaster recovery site in place to cater to any unforeseen eventualities. By implementing robust and aggressive strategic and tactical initiatives on the side of consumer banking, Meezan Bank aims to fulfil its prime target of providing customers accessibility and convenience, within an atmosphere and culture of dedicated service and recognition of their needs. The Bank has a rapidly growing branch network across all major cities nation-wide. Meezan Bank, believe in adding value to its customers lives and businesses through dynamic and competitive products and services that fulfil their needs while conforming completely to the dictates of Shariah. At the same time, they endeavor to deliver competitive risk-adjusted returns to our stakeholders LITERATURE REVIEW Within the last few years, a number of studies have provided the discipline into the Practice of conventional and Islamic banking sector. An insight of related studies is as follows:- Islamic banks are striving to capture the maximum number of customers to compete with conventional banks by providing a large number of products as an alternative for interest based products. In Pakistan, banks are providing a wide range of products and services and facing intensive competition to attract potential customers. Persuraman et al. (1985, 1991b) devised SERVQUAL model and investigated the service quality. They explored ten dimensions of service quality and refined into five dimensions. It was documented that an increase in service quality and professional behaviour resulted a greater customer satisfaction and reduced customer erosion (Leeds, 1992). The relationship between service quality and Customer satisfaction is becoming crucial with the increased level of awareness among bank customers (Sureshchander et al. 2002). The conventional banking theories assume that banks earn profits by purchasing deposits from the depositors at a low interest rate, then reselling those funds to the Borrowers at higher interest rate, based on its competitive advantage at gathering Information and underwriting risk (Santos, 2000). Therefore, conventional banks Make profits from the spread between the interest rate received from borrowers and the interest rate paid to depositors. Islamic banking is considered as a different banking stream as it prohibits interest and replaces with (a) profit share and (b) the profit share depends on the extent of the risk participation of the parties. The absence of pre-determined rewards is based on Quranic commands and as interpreted using Shariah principles (Ariff, 2006). Islamic banks showed remarkable progress. It has captured a reasonable market share with excellent growth rate of 114% per annum. The increasing number and size of Islamic banks is also a positive sign of development and success. There are six full-fledged Islamic banks working in different cities of Pakistan and 13 conventional banks have started partial Islamic banking practices by establishing a large number of branches exclusively engaged in Islamic banking practices (SBP, 2006). The prohibition of interest in Islam caused many writings to come forward with an idea to establish banks that do not work on interest basis. So the basic difference between Islamic banks and conventional banks is that Islamic banks are interest free banks whereas conventional banks are interest based banks. (Kahf 2006) Although interest and profit are very clear concepts but they are misunderstood by many people. Basic difference between interest and profit is that interest is the reward to money and profit is the reward to capital investment. In other words money produces interest and capital investment produces profits. (Toutounchian 2004) Islamic finance has gripped the world with a strong commitment and passion. It has been depicted that interest in this segment has grown rapidly in almost 60 countries, not only in Islamic countries but in the leading global financial centers. Even United Kingdom has adopted an open door policy and provided a level playing field to Islamic finance and now Singapore is following its lead. (Dr.Shamshad 2007) Islamic banking has shown tremendous growth in the past 20 years, with estimated deposits surpassing $80 billion in more than 45 countries. Annual turnover is currently estimated at $70 billion and is projected to pass $100 billion by 2000. (OSullivan 1994, p. 7) For the last 60 years, the mode of banking in Pakistan was totally of interest based but now there is a shift from western banking to Islamic banking in number of banks in Pakistan and also there are some new banks like Meezan bank which is totally based on Islamic banking. In 2007 Meezan Bank creates a significant milestone in the history of Islamic Banking by opening its 100th branch in the city of Karachi. With 100 branches in 31 cities clearly positions the Bank as the leading Islamic Bank in Pakistan. Two new dedicated Islamic Banks start operations in Pakistan, namely Emirates Islamic Bank and Dawood Islamic Bank. (Meezan Bank 2007) Mishkin (2001) reported that banking and financial services are the integral part of services industry and its contribution is increasing with the passage of time. However, expansion of global and integrated banking sector has to face many challenges of legislation, technological and structural changes (Angur et al. 1999). The relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction is investigated by a number of researchers across the globe. It is concluded that there is strong association between dimensions of service quality and overall customer satisfaction (Anderson and Sullivan, 1993). It is found that the banking industry has a link between service quality and customer satisfaction (Avkiran, 1994). Islamic banking practices resulted into a notable increase in the supply of loans. It is found that government intervention played an important role to manage funds besides other economic factors in the economy (Makiyan, 2003). Levesque and McDougall (1996) investigated the influence of key determinants of service quality on customer satisfaction in financial institutions. They found a substantial impact of service problems on customer satisfaction and their intensions to switch. It is suggested that service quality is an essential determinant of customer satisfaction (Yavas e t al., 1997). Islamic banks working in different parts of the world assessed their performance in reference to service quality and customers responses. An empirical study was conducted to measure customer awareness and satisfaction by using a sample of 206 respondents towards Islamic banking in Jordan. It is observed that customers have awareness about products of Islamic bank but expressed a sense of dissatisfaction towards some of the services (Naseer, Jamal and Al-Khatib, 1999). Bahia and Nantel (2000) developed an alternative scale for measurement of service quality in retail banking. They developed BSQ and compared with SERVQUAL. They found that BSQ dimensions are more reliable than SERVQUAL dimensions. In another study SERVQUAL is compared with Technical/Functional quality of services in private banks. Results showed that Technical/Functional quality model is better (Lassar et.al, 2000). A survey of 801 customers indicated that customers perception of service quality differs in terms of demographic characteristics (gender, ethnicity, education and income) of the respondents (Urban and Pratt, 2000). The working of the customers mind is a mystery which is difficult to solve and understanding the nuances of what customer satisfaction is, a challenging task. This exercise in the context of the banking industry will give us an insight into the parameters of customer satisfaction and their measurement. This vital information will help us to build satisfaction amongst the customers and customer loyalty in the long run which is an integral part of any business. The customers requirements must be translated and quantified into measurable targets. This provides an easy way to monitor improvements, and deciding upon the attributes that need to be concentrated on in order to improve customer satisfaction. We can recognize where we need to make changes to create improvements and determine if these changes, after implemented, have led to increased customer satisfaction. If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it. Lord William Thomson Kelvin (1824-1907). Oppewal and Vriens (2000) empirically investigated the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction by using original SERVQUAL instrument with 10 dimensions as devised by Parasuraman et al. (1985). This study gave a direction to relate service quality and customer satisfaction. Service quality gained significance with the passage of time due to increased competition among service firms. It was examined that how customer satisfaction affects the customers behavioral consequences. The study found a strong impact of customer satisfaction on their decision to stay with the existing service provider; and restrain their negative behavioral intentions. (Athanassopoulos, Gounaris and Stathakopoulos, 2001). Kayis, Kim and Shin (2003) conducted a comparative analysis of Australian and Korean banks to find out the quality management practices and its outcomes. They found a meaningful relationship between perceived service quality and customer satisfaction. They suggest that or ganizations should focus on service quality as an input to customer satisfaction for long-term benefits and business success. Now banks have realized the importance of service quality for successful survival in todays global and highly competitive environment (Wang et al. 2003). Jamal (2004) investigated the customer behaviour in retail banking by considering service quality and its outcomes. It was observed that customers have varied experiences of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for utilization of self-service technologies. Financial sector is becoming more conscious about the performance evaluation regarding quality of products/services according to customers expectations. In another study, findings reveal a positive correlation between financial performance and customer service quality scores (Duncan and Elliott, 2004). Curry and Penman (2004) reported that service quality is inevitable for differentiation to compete in the banking sector. They suggested that the right service could retain the customers for long-term benefits. So, Banks should maintain the level of services by proper allocation of resources to meet customer requirements. Findings indicated that financial institutions require reasonable procedures to evaluate the overall satisfaction of their customers. However, understanding of changing needs and expectations of customers is an essential prerequisite for the financial sector (Joseph et al. 2005). Jabnoun and Khalifa (2005) proposed and tested a measure of service quality to compare conventional and Islamic banks in UAE. The study found that four dimensions were significant in case of conventional banks. While only personal skill and values were crucial in determining service quality in Islamic banks. It is found that bank-customer relationship quality is evident between satisfied and dissatisfied customers. Both types of customers have clearly distinctive feelings regarding their service experience (Nelson and Chan, 2005). Al-Hawari and Ward (2006) found that customer satisfaction plays an inter-mediator role in the relationship between service quality and financial performance of the banks. In another study, overall customer satisfaction was investigated in Malaysian banking industry by collecting data from 220 customers of 15 retail banks. It was found that overall customer satisfaction is one of the key determinants of relationship quality (Nelson, 2006). It is suggested that bank should start service quality improvement programs to enhance customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Razak et al., 2007). On the basis of existing literature, this study examines the perception of bank customers regarding se rvice quality and its impact on customer satisfaction in Pakistani banking sector, we test the following hypotheses. H1: There will be positive relationships between service quality and customer satisfaction regarding Islamic banks in Pakistan. H2: There will be positive relationships between service quality and customer satisfaction regarding Conventional banks in Pakistan. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The main purpose of this research is to analyse the level of customer satisfaction about Meezan Bank Ltd and Habib Bank Ltd in Pakistan. Many authors and writers have defined research and research methodology, most of them if not completely contradictory with each other but are substantially different. Websters Collegiate Dictionary (1977) defines research as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Studious inquiry or examination; esp. investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts or practical application of such new or revised theories of lawsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Andrew and Hildebrand (1982, p. 3) define research as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The orderly procedure by which man increases his knowledgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? 3.1 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY 3.2 RESEARCH APPROACH Research approach means the approach or the methodology that has been adopted to conduct the research. Research approach involves the selection of research questions, the conceptual framework that has to be adopted, the selection of appropriate research method such as primary research, secondary research etc. There are mainly two types of research approach:- Inductive approach Deductive approach Inductive Approach An inductive argument is one in which the premises are supposed to support the conclusion in such a way that if the premises are true, it is improbable that the conclusion would be false. Thus, the conclusion follows probably from the premises and inferences. Here is an example: 1. Socrates was Greek. (Premise) 2. Most Greeks eat fish. (Premise) 3. Socrates ate fish. (Conclusion) It may seem that inductive arguments are weaker than deductive arguments because there must always remain the possibility of their arriving at false conclusions, but that is not entirely true. With deductive arguments, our conclusions are already contained, even if implicitly, in our premises. This means that we dont arrive at new information à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  at best; we are shown information which was obscured or unrecognized previously. Thus, the sure truth-preserving nature of deductive arguments comes at a cost. Inductive arguments, on the other hand, do provide us with new ideas and thus may expand our knowledge about the world in a way that is impossible for deductive arguments to achieve. Thus, while deductive arguments may be used most often with mathematics, most other fields of research make extensive use of inductive arguments. Deductive Approach Deductive argument is one in which it is impossible for the premises to be true but the conclusion false. Thus, the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises and inferences. In this way, it is supposed to be a definitive proof of the truth of the claim (conclusion). Here is a classic example: 1. All men are mortal. (Premise) 2. Socrates was a man. (Premise) 3. Socrates was mortal. (Conclusion) As you can see, if the premises are true (and they are), then it simply isnt possible for the conclusion to be false. If you have a deductive argument and you accept the truth of the premises, then you must also accept the truth of the conclusion; if you reject it, then you are rejecting logic itself. 3.3 Research Strategy Research Strategy basically refers to the method of data collection for the specified topic. The term Data can be divided into further 2 branches. Primary Data The primary data basically refers to data which is collected by the researcher for the purpose of answering the problem under discussion. Primary data will be collected through Secondary Data The Secondary data is being obtained by the literature study, journals and articles. Secondary data is normally used to understand the problem under discussion and its helps the Researcher to reach its conclusion. The Researcher will use a quantitative approach for this research study, developing and distributing a questionnaire to customers of Islamic and Conventional banks asking them about their experiences and attitudes in relation to their banks. The questionnaire will include three types of questions, 1) closed questions, requiring the respondent to answer yes or no, 2) open questions allowing the respondent to elaborate on their answers and 3) multiple choice questions, asking respondents to rate their responses on a scale. Primary data collection plan: quantitative or qualitative both methods have to be used appropriately in any research paradigm. The researcher will be using a quantitative approach. The survey strategy will be used to collect quantitative data which is associated with deductive approach and philosophically positivist. The Researcher will distribute questionnaires to the customers from both Islamic and Conventional banks, asking them to complete and return them to the Researcher. 3.4 Research Sample In research terms a sample is a group of people, objects, or items that are taken from a larger population for measurement. The sample should be representative of the population to ensure that we can generalise the findings from the research sample to the population as a whole. Probability sampling means a method of sampling that utilizes random selection. In order to have a random selection method, you must set up some process or procedure that assures that the different units in your population have equal probabilities of being chosen. Humans have long practiced various forms of random selection, such as picking a name out of a hat, or choosing the short straw. These days, we tend to use computers as the mechanism for generating random numbers as the basis for random selection. Non probability sampling does not involve random selection but it does not mean that non probability samples arent representative of the population. But it does mean that non probability samples cannot depend upon the rationale of probability theory. At least with a probabilistic sample, we know the odds or probability that we have represented the population well. We are able to estimate confidence intervals for the statistic. With non probability samples, we may or may not represent the population well, and it will often be hard for us to know how well weve done so. In general, researchers prefer probabilistic or random sampling methods over non probabilistic ones, and consider them to be more accurate and rigorous. The Researcher will be using Probability Sampling method for its Primary data collection. 3.5 Research Validity and Reliability The research is designed very carefully in order to maintain the level of validity and reliability. The study which is used is a test and re test approach in order to reduce unfairness and interviewee possible irritation. Both qualitative and quantitative research method are aimed to achieve high level of validity and reliability. Interviews are based on friendly manner to approach people have available time for interviews. Open ended and close ended questions along with some probe were going to be used during in-depth interview. The ethical principle of collecting data is to avoid subjective selectivity in what we record. Researchers needs to maintenance his objectivity by making sure he collects all data and fully (Saunder`s M. et al 2007). 3.6 Research Ethics The ethical principle of collecting data is to avoid subjective selectivity in what we record. Researcher needs to maintenance his objectivity by making sure he collects all data accurately and fully (Saunders, M. et al. 2007). Time Period and task to do March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 Weeks, 17, Prepare dissertation proposal and submission before 29th April 2009. Continue searching the literature review and its submission to supervisor. .. . . Weeks, 18,19 .. Weeks, 20,21 Interviewing with participants, and analysing of data simultaneously, gathered from each participant. Revision of draft and supervisor`s comments. Meeting with supervisor, Initial start