Couples Should Live Together Before Marriage Essay

Topic: Couples should live together before marriage General Purpose: To argue Specific Purpose: To argue that living together before marriage can help a couple be ready for marriage. Central Idea/Thesis Statement: Couples should live together before marriage to (1) learn compatibility, (2) learn partners routines and habits, and (3) for financial relief to prepare for a life together. Introduction According to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, cohabitation has become a normal part of life in the eyes of more than half of young singles in the United States. As of 2002, more than 50 percent of women ages 19 to 44 had cohabited for at least a part of their life, compared with only 33 percent in 1987(Brandon). For years, there has been a big debate on whether or not couples should live together before the man has knelt on one knee and man and women both have said their â€Å"I dos†. In 1960 they used to call couples cohabitation â€Å"Living with a sin†. It was not nearly as socially acceptable as it is today due to the strict religion in the past. The majority of problems with premarital cohabitation today still come from the religious community. Relationships are a very tough situation to be a part of, a person has to think of the right way to act on a date, dress to impress, and establish similar views as their partners. Many of my family members have cohabitated before marrying their significant others. Their relationships have been successful to this day. IShow MoreRelatedShould Couples Live Together Before Marriage?849 Words   |  4 Pagesclaimed that 50 percent of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. What’s wrong? Why they didn’t make it? Couples who live together before marriage appear to have a much higher chance of divorce if they marry, said Kamp Dush in the book ‘’Journal of Marriage and Family’’. Some people would agree that couples should live together before marriage, some would not. Their decisions may be based on their strong beliefs, backgrounds, their parents standards or the statistics of marriage versus divorce. The questionRead MoreShould Couples Live Together Before Marriage?2459 Words   |  10 Pages Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage? What is cohabitation? According to the Oxford Dictionary, cohabitation means a couple ‘live together and having a sexual relationship without being married’ (n.d). In1960 between 2000, the rate of cohabitation has increased to 88% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008).Nowadays, more and more people choose to live together before marriage because it is a good way to test the stability of couples’ relationships (Rhoades et al., 2009a).10% of couples who liveRead MoreShould Couples Live Together Before Marriage?1262 Words   |  6 Pagessaid that every two marriages end in divorce. Even though this estimate seems to be pretty high, there is no question that in today’s society the biggest cause of divorce is people getting married way too soon. The question is â€Å"Should Couples Live Together before Marriage?† Some may agree that it is a good idea to cohabitating before marriage but some may not. Their decision may be based on their parents’ standards and strong belief background. From personal experience, couples (those who are actuallyRead MoreThe History Of Marriage And How Marriage Evolved Essay1506 Words   |  7 PagesBefore The Big I Do Most people do not think about the history of marriage and how marriage evolved. According to a Living Science article called, â€Å"History of Marriage: 13 Surprising Facts,† we used to live in a world where arranged alliances were how parents would marry their children off. The article states, â€Å"But early marriage was seen as a strategic alliance between families, with the youngsters often having no say in the matter. In some cultures, parents even married one child to the spiritRead MoreLive With Your Betrothed !955 Words   |  4 PagesLive with your Betrothed! When it comes down to the question about marriage, family values come into question at one point or another, if not immediately. But in today’s society our values have changed from the standards that were set when the concept of marriage was founded. In traditional times it was expected that the man would court the woman for many years before settling down and asking for her hand in marriage. But, in the world today that process has changed severely. But in the midst ofRead MoreEssay Cohabitation, Marriage, and Divorce1239 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen perceived as the stepping stone to marriage by the modern generation. In Whitman, (2003), cohabitation has grown so widely that there is one cohabiting couple out of 7 marriages in 2010 as compared to 1 out of 90 marriages in 1960. According to her, the attitude towards the whole of marriage institution has changed drastically over time. In the same article, currently in the US, of 3 single women, 1 chooses to live with their par tners before marriage as compared to the 1950’s where only 1 outRead MoreShould We Live Together1601 Words   |  7 PagesShould We Live Together? 1 Should We Live Together? What Young Adults Need to Know about Cohabitation Alita Lyon Utilizing Information, COM 125 Professor Verdi June 17, 2007 Should We Live Together? 2 Should We Live Together? A Review of the Literature Cohabitation is replacing marriage as the first living together experience for young men and women. When brides walk down the aisle over half have already lived together with a boyfriend. For today s young adultsRead MoreCohabitation Between Cohabitation And Marriage1559 Words   |  7 PagesIn today’s society cohabitation before marriage has become more prominent than it was in past decades. Cohabitation simply means two individuals are living together unmarried. There are several agreements that support and oppose this topic because of the individuals’ different religion, ethic, and morality. Growing up, I frequently heard living together before marriage often leads to higher risks of divorce later on. As society changes, I believe that people have a different opinion of this beliefRead MoreCohabitation Between Marriage And Marriage1303 Words   |  6 Pagesthe act of living together while in a romantic relationship, prior to marriage. (Steinberg, Bornstein, Van dell, and Rook, p. 450, 2011) More and more couples are cohabitating, according to some studies approximately two-thirds of couples live together before they get married. (Luscombe, 2014) Some couples that lived together before marriage have a strong and healthy relationship, while others end in divorce. Could this have anything to do with cohabitation? While living together may sound likeRead More The History of Marriage and Family is Changing Essay1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe History of Marriage and Family is Changing Things have changed a great deal from the Puritanical beliefs integrated long ago that said people must have a license in order to live together. Now, blended families are commonplace and marriages between people of the same sex are a reality. The history of marriage and family is actually filled with a variety of thought quite foreign to say, the average American. Marriage was often an agreement of practicality, arranged to provide a linkage between

Othello Character Analysis - 1555 Words

According to Smith, a barbarian’s inherent weakness lies in his linguistic capabilities, the very same capabilities Othello uses to win over Desdemona, and to defend himself during his trial in front of the duke. In Smith’s reading, Othello only reverts to his barbarian state when experiencing extreme pressure, as he lacks the other means to express the futility of what is felt, which results in violence. However, when a closer look is taken at what Othello knows about the culture he has tried to hard to assimilate to, it can be seen that Othello’s attempted restoration of his integrity after the news of his wife’s purported affair is littered with the notion of blood drawn in chivalric combat - blood drawn in combat that has been†¦show more content†¦The final actions in the play do not reveal Othello’s identity as truly barbaric, instead Othello’s character manifests the one solution that can alleviate the tension between static an d fluid identity. He uses violence and his multi-faceted understanding of the body to unify the all physical, social, and psychological aspects of identity. The true tragedy of Othello is that nothing can be more fragile than his self-constructed identity. His attempted rebirth and assimilation into Venetian society through and ideal of chivalry and heroism, is increasingly vulnerable the more his character achieves. The third act of the play brings with it the demise of his constructed identity, his nobility destroyed by rage and despair. Even after the murder of Desdemona there isn’t real cause for him to mourn the loss of his position as a soldier, because punishment for his actions has yet to be exacted. However, the collapse of the civil identity he has so carefully constructed is inseparable from the loss of the soldier identity he used to bolster it. Before Othello destroys any identity he has left with his suicide in the final act, he refers to himself in the third pe rson: â€Å"Where should Othello go?† as if â€Å"Othello† is a separate entity from the man who says these words. While T.S Eliot has identified Othello’s final speech as escapism, a more realistic reading canShow MoreRelated Character Analysis of Othello Essay1653 Words   |  7 PagesCharacter Analysis of Othello â€Å"Othello† is a tragedy and Othello is a tragic hero. Othello is a general in the service of Venice. He is good, courageous, brave and trustworthy. However he has some weaknesses such as insecurity; he is too open, naà ¯ve, and gullible, Iago plays on his weaknesses which brings about his downfall and he kills himself. This causes the suffering of innocent people like Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio and Roderigo. The audience also feel pity forRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Othello1235 Words   |  5 PagesOthello is not just about one tragedy but several tragedies of suffering and injustice. The play ends in fatalities and heartbreak from the consequences of jealousy and racism. Othello is a well-respected military man who does not let race stand in the way of earning his reputable status and attention of beautiful Desdemona. But, when the seed of jealous is planted, Othello becomes easily manipulated into believing false accusations because of his own personal insecurities. He becomes a menace toRead MoreOthello Character Analysis1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mediterranean Sea of Jealousy Harriet Williams delves into the waters of jealousy and deceit in Oliver Parker’s Othello. Adapting Shakespeare for the screen can be problematic, as Oliver Parker discovered with his 1995 directing debut, Othello. I sat down with Oliver Parker, to discuss the challenge of portraying the actions of a noble Moor who brutally sacrifices his beloved wife over a strategically placed handkerchief. The characterisation of Iago, whose evil maneuverings create an irrevocableRead MoreCharacter Analysis : Othello 1255 Words   |  6 PagesPavle Burazor Ms. Ã…  kiljević ENG3U1 06-Jan-2015 Character Flaws in Othello The play Othello bears great similarity to that of the Greek myth of Sisyphus, the king of Ephyra; where Sisyphus was sentenced to forever push a boulder up a hill. This makes resemblances the climb to a climax and the fall, with three main characters, each pushing a boulder up a hill; Othello one of trust, Iago one of manipulation and Roderigo pushing one of foolishness. When they finally reach the top of the hill it beginsRead MoreOthello Character Analysis1562 Words   |  7 PagesCompare the roles and functions of the female characters in Othello. Othello by William Shakespeare is set in 16th century Renaissance Venice before transitioning to the island of Cyprus. It follows the relationship between the black Venetian general and â€Å"valiant Moor† Othello and his new wife Desdemona, the daughter of an important Venetian senator. Throughout the play, we encounter three main female characters; Cassio’s mistress Bianca, Othello’s wife Desdemona as well as her maid and Iago wifeRead MoreOthello Character Analysis905 Words   |  4 Pages1. Throughout the drama, â€Å"The Tragedy of Othello†, Iago successfully manipulates Cassio various times. In the writing, Shakespeare creates Iago’s plan to demote Cassio from being Othello’s lieutenant, the role Iago dreamt of, by tricking Cassio to get drunk so that he will raise chaos and result in Cassio being demoted. This worked out for Iago when Cassio accepts Iago’s encouraging words and began to drink heavily, this would result in Cas sio ultimately fighting and stabbing Montano in a drunkenRead MoreOthello Character Analysis1241 Words   |  5 PagesOthello, a play written in the setting of Venice City during a period of war between Venice and Turkey in the 16 century is one of the numerous William Shakespeare’s plays. Othello a middle-aged black moor who is also a general in the defense forces marries Desdemona, a white aristocratic lady against the wishes of her father. Their love, however, does not have the happily ever after ending due to the manipulations, deceptions, and scheming of Iago who is driven by revenge and selfish ambitions.Read MoreOthello Character Analysis Essay801 Words   |  4 Pages12/12/2017 A Character Analysis of Othello in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† The main character, Othello, in the Shakespearean play Othello, is a man of many strengths, but also a man of great weakness. The play is center around Othello’s downfall despite Shakespeare presenting him as a distinguished and respected soldier. He is also depicted as courageous and loving to his wife Desdemona. However, Othello starts to show his insecurities and weaknesses during the play. Indeed, Othello becomes a belligerentRead MoreOthello Character Analysis1378 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s play â€Å"Othello† like most of his plays is about the premature death of a character who may or may not be considered a tragic hero. Othello, the Moor of Venice, follows him, his wife Desdemona, Cassio, and the main protagonist Iago through a series of unfortunate events that are supposed to be about jealousy between coveting a boss’s wife and a job promotion. The story turns to Iago when he turns into a commanding force that dishevels every cha racter in the play. This is all doneRead MoreOthello Character Analysis863 Words   |  4 Pagesis being harmful or tending to harm. In the novel Othello, by Shakespeare, character Iago is presented as a villain who doesn’t respect moral beauty, nor the grand nobleness of the mighty souled Othello. Iago betrays Othello knowing how strong Othello’s trust is towards him. As you keep reading the novel you notice the cruelty Iago has for his wife Emilia and how his plan of getting Othello jealous caused the deaths of his own wife Emilia, Othello and Desdemona. Iago is a man full selfishness

World Cup Free Essays

Intro: GOOOOOOALLLLL!!! Many of you have probably heard this if you’ve been near or heard of soccer. Originally, I had not taken surveys for the World Cup. So by a number of hands, how many of you have heard of the World Cup? I’ll be informing you all a little more knowledge about one of the biggest competitions in the world. We will write a custom essay sample on World Cup or any similar topic only for you Order Now (Change) I’ll be teaching you all about the history of the World Cup, awards given during the competition, and about the next World Cup. (CHANGE) First, we will be discussing the history of the FIFA World Cup. FIFA stands for Federation Internationale de Football Association. * The World Cup began back in 1930 in Uruguay and only consisted of 13 teams. * Out of those 13 teams, 7 were from South America, four from Europe, and 2 North American teams. * Henry Winter states in his article that many European nations didn’t want to participate because of the length of time to Uruguay and the fear of losing their jobs. * The W. C. occurs every 4 years and destination changes every time. * There have been a total of 19 World Cups, the most recent in South Africa where Spain won its first W. C. * Stan Collymore states the country that has won the World Cup the most times is Brazil, by winning the W. C. 5 times and running up twice. The second nation would be Italy, by winning 4 times and running up twice. The third is Germany by winning 3 times and running up 4 times. * The U. S. has hosted the W. C. once in 1994. * Matches were held in 9 different cities * They were in Detroit, San Francisco, New York City, Orlando, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, and Washington D. C. Now that we’ve gone over some of the history, let’s talk about awards that are won. CHANGE) Second, we will be discussing awards that are won in the biggest soccer competition. * The most important and prestigious award is actually winning the World Cup trophy. * There have been two different trophies used in the World Cup, the Jules Rimet Trophy (1930-1970) and the FIFA World Cup Trophy (1974-present). * The FIFA World Cup trophy is made of 18-carrat gold and the current holders of this trophy is S pain. * Tony Evans states that the Jules Rimet Trophy was made of gold plated sterling silver and depicted The Greek Goddess of victory, Nike. This trophy was won outright by the Brazilians for winning it three times, but was stolen in 1983 and has not been recovered (CHANGE) * . There is an awards ceremony for individual honors at the end of the World Cup Final. Each individual award is decided by a panel of FIFA heads and the winner is voted by media representatives. * The Golden Ball award is awarded to the best player in the World Cup * The Golden Boot goes to the player with the most goals throughout the tournament * The Golden Glove award goes to the best goalkeeper of the tournament Now that we have discussed the awards given, we will finally discuss the upcoming World Cup. (CHANGE) Finally, we will be discussing the 2014 World Cup that will be held next summer. * . The 2014 World Cup will be held in the nation of the most winning nation, Brazil. * This will be the 20th world cup ever. * This will be the second time Brazil has hosted the World Cup, the first time being in 1950. * There will be 12 different venues for this event. Oliver Kay mentions the average capacity of each stadium will be 54,846 people. * The World Cup final will be held in the Estadio do Maracana, which holds just over 76,000 people. In conclusion, we have discussed some of the history of the World Cup, awards given to the top players, and the upcoming World Cup next year. You will have a better knowledge and understanding of the beautiful game. Now you can share all of this with your friends and family in the summer of 2014 for the World Cup in Brazil. â€Å" How to cite World Cup, Papers

Culture In Ancient Times Was Defined As “the Sum Total Of The Eq Essay Example For Students

Culture In Ancient Times Was Defined As â€Å"the Sum Total Of The Eq Essay uipment of the human individual, which enables him to be attuned to his immediate environment on the historical past on the other†. It reflects in effect what humans have added to Nature. It comprises the spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of a society and includes, in addition to the arts and letters, the value systems, traditions, modes of life and beliefs of the society. It also absorbs from other cultures and undergoes changes with time, sometimes beneficial, sometimes regressive. (Barlas, 15). Culture shock is a severe psychological reaction that results from adjusting to the realities of a society radically different from one’s own. The actual degree of culture shock may vary depending on the differences and similarities between the society studied and the persons’ own society. The symptoms may range from mild irritation to surprise or disgust. (Scupin, 124). Usually after the person experiencing culture shock learns the norms, beliefs, and practices of the community, the psychological disorientation of culture shock begins to diminish. This paper will be based upon culture shock and international business. There are three areas where culture shock could affect you:1. Emotions-you have to cope with the stress of international work and keeping an emotional balance in order to perform in a business. 2. Thinking style- you have to understand how your counterparts think and be able to develop culturally effective solutions. 3. Social skills and social identity- you need effective social skills to establish new business relationships. (Marx, 25). This differs from manager to manager, some managers seem to adapt in an almost chameleon –like way to different countries, whereas others cling desperately to their habits and their national approaches. Working in a new culture can produce a variety of reactions, such as;? Confusion about what to do? Anxiety? Frustration? Exhilaration? Inappropriate social behavior? Inability to get close to your business partner and clinch the deal? Feeling isolated? Becoming depressedAll of the above are possible reactions to culture shock, the shock we experience when we are confronted with the unknown the â€Å"foreign†. The term culture shock was coined by the anthropologists Oberg, who explained both the symptoms and the process of adapting to a different culture. The experience of a new culture is seen as an unpleasant surprise or shock- a shock that occur when expectations do not coincide with reality. (Marx, 5). In his original article, Oberg lists six main aspects of culture s hock:1. Strain caused by the effort to adapt. 2. Sense of loss and feelings of deprivation in relation to friends, status, profession and possessions. 3. Feeling rejected by or rejecting members of the new culture. 4. Confusion in role, values and self-identity. 5. Anxiety and even disgust/anger about foreign practices. 6. Feelings of helplessness, not being able to cope with the new environment. Culture shock in all its diverse form is completely normal and is part of a successful process of adaptation. Oberg also developed a model of adaptation that suggests that going abroad or working internationally put you through or cycle of distinct phases on the way to final adaptations. The first stage is the honeymoon phase, where all encounters in a new place are seen as exciting, positive and stimulating. The new life is viewed as providing endless opportunities and the manager is usually in a state of exhilaration. There is openness and curiosity, combined with a readiness to accept whatever comes. Most importantly, at this stage judgment is reserved and even minor irritations are suppressed in favor of concentrating on the n ice things about the job, the country, the colleagues, the food, etc. .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d , .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .postImageUrl , .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d , .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d:hover , .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d:visited , .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d:active { border:0!important; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d:active , .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u300d5c38193cdfbc7fef5db9d44d2d2d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A- STAGES (UPPSALA) INTERNATIONALIZATION MODEL EssayIn the second phase, culture shock sets in- the manager realizes that something is not quite right. This experience of foreignness can start with a creeping awareness of disorientation and a feeling of not quite knowing what is going on. It can also include very negative symptoms, such as stress (being unable to sleep or eat), irritability, and a negative view of the job, the country and colleagues. This phase is characterized by a general unease that can involve being uncomfortable with the new situation but can border on hating everything foreign. The main reason for these symptoms is an uncertainty about our surroundin gs our future and ourselves. The usual signs if orientation and belonging do not exist, we don’t quite know who we are without the familiar social context, and the way our foreign colleagues behave seems all wrong. How individual managers deal with this particular phase and its emotions, thinking and expectations are essential for their overall adaptation in the long run. The ideal approach is to use the symptoms and the unpleasantness as a clear indicator that it is time to change our approach and to engage in some form of self-development both in dealing with our emotions and in understanding ourselves and others. The worst type of approach is to ignore the symptoms, to resort to superficial solutions or to adapt a rigid stance of believing that only out methods are correct and forcing these methods/management techniques on foreign colleagues. The third phase of recovery usually starts with accepting that we have a problem and that we have to work on it. Both recovery and the final adjustment phase usually involve a compromise between the feeling and thinking of the honeymoon phase and the culture shock phase. This compromise is between our exaggerated expectations and reality. In the final, adjustment stage managers are able to work effectively, know the limitations ways of doing things and most importantly, are able to be more flexible. (Marx, 8). There are ten basic steps for minimizing culture shock;? Don’t let culture shock take you by surprise. Allow time to find our about it before you leave for your assignment. Learn to recognize the symptoms and their potential impact. ? Expect culture shock to happen irrespective of location. It is as likely to occur in a country near your home base as in posting further afield. ? As soon as you arrive in your new location, identify all the opportunities for building support networks with other international managers and local people. ? As with any stressful situation, fight it, don’t give in to it. So don’t resort to escapist strategies such as drinking or eating too much and don’t deny your symptoms. ? Ask other international managers for guidance on the issues and problems to look out for. Learn from their experience? Give yourself time to adapt and don’t rush into too many work-related projects as the start of the assignment. Make sure that the organization gives you this time too. ? Don’t hesitate to seek professional help of symptoms persist despite your coping effort. Help may be available within your company or externally through counselors or the medical profession. ? Expect the same symptoms to reoccur when you come home. Reverse culture shock is normal. ? Think about the positive aspects of culture shock-people who experience it adapt better to their new environment than those who do not. ? Retain a sense of humor! (Marx, 18).

Teres Only One Thing In The World Mickey Vernon Really Wants, And Its

Tere's only one thing in the world Mickey vernon really wants, and it's hanging in his familys pool hall. It's the awesome shirt that the winner of ten- to thirteen-year-olds' nine-ball champianship will be wearing. But to win, Mickey has to beat Buck Pender, who is three years older and probably part gorilla. Not evan arlen pepper; loyal best freind and math whiz ,can help him. But when Joseph Alvarz, an old freind of Mickey's father and absolute pool ace, offers to choach him, Mickey figures he has a chance. If only he can convince his mother to overcome her mistrust of joseph.

50 Million Years of Horse Evolution

50 Million Years of Horse Evolution Apart from a couple of bothersome side branches, horse evolution presents a neat, orderly picture of natural selection in action. The basic storyline goes like this: as the woodlands of North America gave way to grassy plains, the tiny proto-horses of the Eocene epoch (about 50 million years ago) gradually evolved single, large toes on their feet, more sophisticated teeth, larger sizes, and the ability to run at a clip, culminating in the modern horse genus Equus. There are a number of prehistoric horses, including 10 essential prehistoric horses to know. As part of the evolution of horses, you should also know the recently extinct horse breeds. This story has the virtue of being essentially true, with a couple of important ands and buts. But before we embark on this journey, its important to dial back a bit and place horses in their proper position on the evolutionary tree of life. Technically, horses are perissodactyls, that is, ungulates (hoofed mammals) with odd numbers of toes. The other main branch of hoofed mammals, the even-toed artiodactyls, are represented today by pigs, deer, sheep, goats, and cattle, whereas the only other significant perissodactyls beside horses are tapirs and rhinoceroses. What this means is that perissodactyls and artiodactyls (which counted among the mammalian megafauna of prehistoric times) both evolved from a common ancestor, which lived only a few million years after the demise of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago. In fact, the earliest perissodactyls (like Eohippus, the earliest identified common ancestor of all horses) looked more like small deer than majestic equines! Hyracotherium and Mesohippus, the Earliest Horses Until an even earlier candidate is found, paleontologists agree that the ultimate ancestor of all modern horses was Eohippus, the dawn horse, a tiny (no more than 50 pounds), deer-like herbivore with four toes on its front feet and three toes on its back feet. The giveaway to Eohippus status  was its posture: this perissodactyl put most of its weight on a single toe of each foot, anticipating later equine developments. Eohippus was closely related to another early ungulate, Palaeotherium, which occupied a distant side branch of the horse evolutionary tree. Five to ten million years after Eohippus/Hyracotherium came Orohippus (mountain horse), Mesohippus (middle horse), and Miohippus (Miocene horse, even though it went extinct long before the Miocene epoch). These perissodactyls were about the size of large dogs and sported slightly longer limbs with enhanced middle toes on each foot. They probably spent most of their time in dense woodlands, but may have ventured out onto the grassy plains for short jaunts. Epihippus, Parahippus, and Merychippus- Moving Toward True Horses During the Miocene epoch, North America saw the evolution of intermediate horses, bigger than Eohippus and its ilk but smaller than the equines that followed. One of the most important of these was Epihippus (marginal horse), which was slightly heavier (possibly weighing a few hundred pounds) and equipped with more robust grinding teeth than its ancestors. As you might have guessed, Epihippus also continued the trend toward enlarged middle toes, and it seems to have been the first prehistoric horse to spend more time feeding in meadows than in forests. Following Epihippus were two more hippi, Parahippus and Merychippus. Parahippus (almost horse) can be considered a next-model Miohippus, slightly bigger than its ancestor and (like Epihippus) sporting long legs, robust teeth, and enlarged middle toes. Merychippus (ruminant horse) was the largest of all these intermediate equines, about the size of a modern horse (1,000 pounds) and blessed with an especially fast gait. At this point, its worth asking the question: what drove the evolution of horses in the fleet, single-toed, long-legged direction? During the Miocene epoch, waves of tasty grass covered the North American plains, a rich source of food for any animal well-adapted enough to graze at leisure and run quickly from predators if necessary. Basically, prehistoric horses evolved to fill this evolutionary niche. Hipparion and Hippidion, the Next Steps Toward Equus Following the success of intermediate horses like Parahippus and Merychippus, the stage was set for the emergence of bigger, more robust, more horsey horses. Chief among these were the similarly named Hipparion (like a horse) and Hippidion (like a pony). Hipparion was the most successful horse of its day, radiating out from its North American habitat (by way of the Siberian land bridge) to Africa and Eurasia. Hipparion was about the size of a modern horse; only a trained eye would have noticed the two vestigial toes surrounding its single hooves. Lesser known than Hipparion, but perhaps more interesting, was Hippidion, one of the few prehistoric horses to have colonized South America (where it persisted until historical times). The donkey-sized Hippidion was distinguished by its prominent nasal bones, a clue that it had a highly developed sense of smell. Hippidion may well turn out to have been a species of Equus, making it more closely related to modern horses than Hipparion was. Speaking of Equus, this genus- which includes modern horses, zebras, and donkeys- evolved in North America during the Pliocene epoch, about four million years ago, and then, like Hipparion, migrated across the land bridge to Eurasia. The last Ice Age saw the extinction of both North and South American horses, which disappeared from both continents by about 10,000 BCE. Ironically, though, Equus continued to flourish on the plains of Eurasia and was reintroduced to the Americas by the European colonizing expeditions of the 15th and 16th centuries CE.

Marshall Berman; the Contradictions of Modernity Essay

Marshall Berman; the Contradictions of Modernity - Essay Example As the research declares in describing the modern human, Berman says â€Å"they are moved at once by a will to change – to transform both themselves and their world – and by a terror of disorientation and disintegration, of life falling apart†. Through this statement, it is easy to see the conflicting emotions of an individual undergoing change of any kind. Relating it to everyday life, an individual might strive to pursue a dream career by quitting their job and launching a business of their own, but at the same time be paralyzed by the fear of this new venture failing, or worse, succeeding. Either way, it represents a change in the way things have been. â€Å"To be modern is to live a life of paradox and contradiction. This paper stresses that in the capitalistic society, it is greatly argued that man has control of the market, the customer is always right and the consumer is the master by reason of making the choice to purchase or not purchase. Berman points out that often this is not really the case. Although we might have our choice of traveling by plane, train or automobile, sometimes that ‘choice’ boils down to just one option based on the availability of flights, trains or roads. Idealistically speaking, we have free choice in which doctors to see for various complaints, however, it is actually the insurance companies that dictate to whom we can go and how much can be charged based on the conditions listed.

Behavioural implications of organisational structure Essay

Behavioural implications of organisational structure - Essay Example An organisational structure can affects various factors such as employees behaviour, communication, information flow, delegation of riles and responsibilities, economic performance and culture of the organisation. Therefore, the challenges faced by the companies, related to organisational structure, insist them to learn behavioural implications of organisational structure. In the recent years, to enhance the flexibility and to meet the future challenges, the organisations are shifting from hierarchical and more bureaucratic organisational structure to flatter, organic and matrix structures. These structures enhance the empowerment, coordination and performance of the employees. It means that firms understand the importance of organisational structure to achieve their goals. Before discussing in detail, the behavioural implications of organisational structure, touching over the work of early researchers is very important. Although most of the researchers agree upon the statement that organisational structure does have a very significant role in influencing the organisational behaviour, however, most of them conflict when it comes to discuss in terms of kind of organisational structure. The organisational structure and design plays a more significant role in organisational fairness than we consider it (Schminke 2000).4In 1960, Katz and Kahn argued that hierarchical structures do improve the coordination.5 James argues that formal organisational structure solves the ethical problems within the firms, by affecting the behaviour of the employees.6Worrall and Kakabadse, in their comparative study of nine social service departments, found that the determinants of organisational structure are centralisation and formalisation, and they are negatively related to the job satisfaction of the employees.7 As there is a very significant relationship between organisational structure and

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Plan - Essay Example The services to be offered will be of high quality as well. Food served will be in accordance with the health code so as to ensure good health for our esteemed customers. The main target customers of the business will be the young people especially those in college. About two to three employees will be hired to assist in offering services. The cart will be moving around the street to places where there are more customers in order to maximize sales and revenue simultaneously. The business is expected to grow steadily in the foreseeable future. More meal carts will be opened in the future as a strategic growth. Marketing will be done through the cheapest methods so as to minimize operation costs. The mission of the business will be to provide high quality foods at a low price and acquire steady growth. Introduction A business plan is a document that states the goals and objectives of a business that is about to start. It also states how the goals are to be achieved and the strategy whi ch are to be applied. In addition, the business plan states how the business will be financed as well as how the initial set up of the business will be. It can also show the cash flow forecast for the first few financial years. This article represents a business plan for a meal cart that is about to start at Cambridge, Grand Arcade. 2. ... The business has a long term plan of opening several service centres within Grand Arcade. The business will concentrate more on fast foods since this is what most people like. The business will be a sole proprietor but will have a number of workers who will assist in service delivery. I will be the sole owner of the business. I have experience in business management and therefore I have the ability to prepare budget and business cash flows. I will also take the role of bookkeeping and overseeing all the activities of the business. Classy foods meal cart will create a strong brand name within the town and thrive to get a large share of the market (Hormozi et al. 2002). The business will concentrate more on fast foods since these are the once that have a comparatively higher demand in the city. Many people who dwell in the urban centres prefer fast foods for lunch. In addition, fast foods do not require much capital to start off. The main customer targets will be the young people. This makes fast foods choice a viable idea. Many young people like eating snacks, hotdogs and ice creams among other types of fast foods. The business will also be selling other types of foods. However, these will not be part of the major products. The business will ensure that it satisfies all groups of customers- young, old and kids. 2.1 Location The location of the business is very important for its competitive advantage. It should be located in a site where it is visible to the potential customers. A meal cart has an advantage in terms of location since it is mobile and it can move to where customers are. Classy Foods Meal Cart will be operating along the major highways of Cambridge but will be centred at Grand Arcade. Most of its operations will be along Victoria Avenue,

Motivations for Mobile Phone Use in Rural and Urban Areas

Motivations for Mobile Phone Use in Rural and Urban Areas Acknowledgement I would first and foremost like to acknowledge the generosity of the villagers of Telav, Shela, Kaneti(Gujarat) and Amgachia(WB) who in spite of their busy life took time to let me understand their lives. I am also deeply indebted to Prof. Rajat Iyer and Prof. Arbind Sinha, Faculty MICA,for being a thesis guide in every sense of the word. I would also like to thank Mr Shailesh Yagnik, Librarian MICA, and all the library staff for their immense cooperation without which this might not have been possible. I would also like to thank Prof. Rajneesh Krishna for clarifying my doubts about various Market research tools and methodologies despite his busy scheduleand engagements. I would also like to thank Mr. Raj Kumar Jha,OM Outreach who shared with us valuable inputs in Rural marketing and inspired me to work on this topic. I would like to thank my parents who have been a constant source of inspiration for me and have held me through ups and downs in my life. I would also like to thank all my friends for helping me organise my thoughts,constant encouragement, sleepless nights and chota breaks. Thanks guys for giving me confidence to submit this document. Executive summary Today Mobile phones have made their presence felt not just in urban India but also in rural areas. This phenomenon has increased the scope of branding which most company considered a tough turf in rural India. Though it may seem a far-fetched idea currently but considering the giant leap the economies of developing nations like India is making, tapping of rural markets building brands for this market make sense. Innovative use of Mobile application is helping war torn Afghanistan fight corruption and elevate the standard of living of its people. Similarly in developing nations, application developed for local needs like M-Pesa in South Africa, Pesapal in Kenya are finding consumers and helping the brands make an impact. Study in the past conducted in various geographies have developed model for either urban consumer or directly generalized model for mobile marketing. From the literature review few factors were derived for mobile advertising like (1) utility, (2) context, (3) control, (4) sacrifice, and (5) trust. My study aims to works on these parameters, but specifically on rural India to find out attitude and behavioral implication of mobile advertising. The study also includes technology barriers advancement in India and barriers related to social implication in rural areas like language and cultural difference. For the purpose of the study a qualitative research has been commissioned across two regions – Gujarat and West Bengal. This was a contrasting study to find out the motivation underlying the use of mobile phones and the prospect of mobile marketing across two extreme geographies since West Bengal is one of the least mobile savvy state whereas Gujarat has one of the highest mobile phone users. Focus group discussion depth interviews with the help of projective techniques revealed the underlying motivation for using mobile marketing. It mainly reinforced the fact that while rural consumer do not want intrusion in their life they are willing to open up the space for better living standards. Hence the desire to gain knowledge and make money to elevate the living standards was of prime importance. The study also reveals certain limitation to mobile advertising which has to be kept in mind while designing any mobile marketing campaigns. Finally the study proposes a framework to facilitate acceptance of mobile marketing message among consumer and maximize marketing objective of brands, which outlined as follow 1. Collaborate with Service providers It is a win-win situation for the service providers as well as the marketers and not to forget the consumer, if the contextual targeting of advertising is maintained. 2. Precision targeting It is rewarding for advertiser since they are able to overcome the challenge of predicting whos on the other side of a product or service purchase and target them with brands according to the demographics 3. Develop content relevant for the consumers in collaboration with Media agencies Develop content of significant importance by understanding the day to day life of rural consumer e.g. the language assistance application which has the potential to become a way of life for the consumer and then only can a brand reach the stage of resonance in the mind of rural consumer As a concluding note, this conceptual study offers to provide a discussion on how mobile advertising might subsidize wireless infrastructure growth among underprivileged societies and allow marketers to target more specifically the consumer in media dark region. Also with the collaboration of private partners the social development in rural areas with the help of mobile communication will be faster. Marketers can increase their consumer base by targeting the huge potential at the bottom of pyramid and hence increase their bottom line significantly as well as deliver to their promise of corporate social responsibility. Introduction C. K. Prahlad in his book â€Å"The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid† says, â€Å"If we stop thinking of the poor as victims or as a burden and start recognizing them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up†. This statement has been taken to like a gospel truth by marketers in India and many are now trying hard to target this untapped potential. India is a country of 1.13 billion, out of which 70% of the people are living in the rural India. The marketers all around the world interested in India are becoming more curious to explore the rural potential. With 128 million households, the rural population is 3 times the urban. As a result of rural affluence, fuelled by good monsoon and the increase in agriculture to 200 million tones, the rural India has large consuming class of 41% of middle class and8 58% of the total disposable income. The Census of India defines Rural India as anything which is not urban. Village is defined as a basic unit for the rural areas is the revenue village, might comprise several hamlets demarcated by physical boundaries. Thus a Rural is defined when it meets the following criteria Minimum Population Population density 25% of the male population engaged in agricultural activity Reserve Bank of India defines rural as ‘Locations with population up to 10,000 will be considered as rural and 10,000 to 100,000 as semi-urban. Similarly NABARD, Planning Commission, Sahara also define the villages on population criteria. As mentioned in The Rural Marketing Book, Pradeep Kashyap and Siddhartha Raut (ed.2008), the rural economy has seen tremendous growth since 1990s because of thirteen consecutive good monsoons. This various radical changes in rural market has been testimonial to this development, some of them are as follows; There has been a 600% increase in the outlay of rural development programmes in the five year plans from Eighth to Tenth Five year plan. 41 million Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) has been issued since the inception of the scheme amounting to a total of Rs. 97,700 crore of cumulative credit. The number of KCC issued is more than the 40 million credit-plus-debit cards issued in urban India. Also a 230% increase in the flow of institutional credit for agriculture from 1997-98 to 2004-05 has been registered. Today Mobile phones are ubiquitous not just in urban India but also in rural areas. This phenomenon has increased the scope of branding which most company considered a tough turf in rural India. Though it may seem a far-fetched idea currently but considering the giant leap the economies of developing nations like India is making, tapping of rural markets building brands for this market make sense. There is virtually no branding effort in these areas so a scope for brand salience resonance doesnt increase. Mostly brands in these areas right now are competing on price points which will cease to exist as differentiator as customer becomes more evolved bestowed with financial prowess. But there seem to be branding efforts from the marketers viewpoint and also there is some franchise on factors other than price from the consumer view. A lot of work in the field of mobile telephony has been going around e.g. A team of MIT Media Labs Next Billion Network participants next generation of tech movers and shakers- who are building technologies to help people in the developing nation to raise their incomes, learn to read, get where theyre going, and diagnose their health. (david-chandler, july-2-2009) Innovative use of Mobile application is helping war torn Afghanistan fight corruption and elevate the standard of living of its people as depicted in the following new report. (Loyn, 2009) Nokia have also felt the rural potential and developed product consumer in those regions. Even their communication for the Model 1100 has been specifically targeted at the rural audience fully portraying the need in the rural settings. (Banerjee Sangameshwaran, 2009) Also the value of VAS industry is estimated to be Rs.16500 crores by 2010 according to a research by RNCOS, with expansion into rural markets where more services in banking, gaming data and TV segment will be seen. (Mobile VAS to Drive Telecom Growth, 2009). Thus the future of mobile marketing looks optimistic and with rural economies building into a sustainable model, marketers have to no longer think about the return on marketing investment. Literature review In the following literature review, I have reviewed the various published articles white papers from journals, books Reports. First I have looked into the knowledge created on rural marketing it implication, in this domain a lot of work has been done with a global perspective and quite a few with the Indian market in viewpoint. Rural Marketing its Implication Some of the studies are regularly published in the Journal of Rural Marketing by RMAAI to help marketers keep track of updates in rural market. A study on evolution of rural consumerism conducted by Hansa Research reveals the rural consumption pattern over a period of five years i.e. 2000 to 2005. The study has data on three levels i.e. exposure in terms of communication and education, consumption of several categories of products and distribution of these products. According to the report shampoo consumption in rural India has increased from 13.9 % in 2000 to 31.9 % in 2005. (The Rural Marketing Journal of RMAAI, 2007) Dr. Vinod Kumar Bishnoi and Bharti of Haryana School of Business have done a research paper on Awareness Consumption Pattern of Rural Consumers towards home and personal care products. The paper contains details on awareness and usage of brands in rural areas. It also tries to find out the motives and factors behind brand choice, the sources of information and to measure any association between demographics and brand choice. Regarding motives and factors behind brand choice, Bishnoi and Bharti say that rural consumers purchase a product mostly for its utilitarian value rather than the peripheral values. Consumers tend to stick to the brand once they are satisfied with it. The brand loyalty in this case is unusually high even though consumers switch FMCG brands very frequently. The rural consumer is also very quality conscious. Advertising and retailers advice play a major role in decision making. The consumer is also a little cautious with price levels. The study also reveals that there is clear association between income level and expenditure habits in these products. The primary source of information about brands is television. Retailer, newspaper and radio are other prominent sources. As Bishnoi and Bharti highlighted in their paper some very interesting aspects, that whatever is the leading brand in all the products that remains leading irrespective of any demographic variable be it income, education , age or gender. This might be explained by the fact that the family structure in rural India is such that that several people of various education and age group stay together. The contemporary media scenario in India is marked by a frenetic proliferation of television channels, FM radio stations, daily newspapers, mobile telephony and digital media. Despite this situation, as the following article argues, the poor while highly visible almost everywhere in urban and rural India remain, ‘invisible in the nations mass media. (Kumar, Jan 2008) To successfully market products in rural areas, distribution is a critical barrier which needs to be overcome. An understanding of the structure of distribution in rural areas would help in the development of an efficient distribution system. The paper after a thorough literature review proposes a conceptual framework which identifies the drivers of the structure of distribution in rural areas. (Rajesh L. K., January June, 2005) The paper discusses the need for strengthening marketing efforts in rural India. The author mentions about the rural network, whose basic objective is to try and get clients who are looking for a national strategy in rural marketing and provide help in implementing such plans across different regions with the local expertise. The paper also deals with instances on how marketers aiming to target their brand commercials to both urban and rural audiences are required to do well to pre-test the spots and that the spots communicate what is intended for the targeted viewers, thus providing the basis that there is a huge difference in rural urban consumer and they have to be dealt with differently (Rajan, 2005) The second stage of my literature reviews knowledge on the mobile telephony- the development with respect to marketing, the intention in developing VAS, user perception of mobile marketing, the obstacle barriers to mobile marketing. Carter in the journal of Mobile marketing defines mobile telephony as a set of buzz words like Mobile marketing, mobile advertising and m-commerce. He examines the Generation Y, the generational cohort born between 1979 and 1994, which researchers think will change the marketing landscape forever. This paper addresses some of the many issues and opportunities that may affect marketers abilities to reach Generation Y African-American mobile consumers. (Carter, June 2008) Another journal in mobile marketing reveals that empirical studies have been limited to exploring consumer justifications for accepting or rejecting cell phone advertising on either a speculative basis among possible mobile marketing users, or a post hoc basis among those who had already chosen to receive cell phone advertising. This research explored consumer justifications in the context of a field test, in which mobile phone users were offered subscriptions to a mobile phone text based advertising program. Thus found out that among acceptors information benefits of cell phone advertising was prime due to positive attitude towards information entertainment. While for the rejecters the perception of having to pay for advertising was enough to discourage participation. (Newell Meier, Dec 2007) This journal examines the drivers of consumer acceptance of SMS-based mobile advertising. A conceptual model and hypotheses are tested with a sample of 4,062 Finnish mobile phone users. Structural equation modeling is used to test five drivers of mobile advertising acceptance: (1) utility, (2) context, (3) control, (4) sacrifice, and (5) trust. The results show that utility and context are the strongest positive drivers, while sacrifice is negatively related to the acceptance of mobile advertising. Thus marketers should pay particular attention to the utility and relevancy of mobile advertising messages. (Merisavo, Kajalo, Karjaluoto, Virtanen, Salmenkivi) Mobile Marketing I have reviewed the various application of mobile telephony and the consumer perception towards mobile marketing in particular and mobile application in general. Also innovation from companies for rural consumer were of considerable significance as firms like Nokia had earlier launched a basic handset with a torch (large parts of rural India dont have electricity) and an alarm clock. In another paper, an instrument for measuring attitudes toward mobile advertising is developed. The results of a survey indicate that (1) consumers generally have negative attitudes toward mobile advertising unless they have specifically consented to it, and (2) there is a direct relationship between consumer attitudes and consumer behavior. Hence concluded that it is not a good idea to send SMS advertisements to potential customers without permission. Their attitudes were favorable if advertisements were sent with permission. This implies that permission-based advertising may become a major mechanism in the mobile environment in the future. The research notably points out relationship between attitude, intention and acceptability of Mobile advertising through empirical study. The respondents were more willing to accept incentive based mobile advertising. Finally, intention significantly affected how and when the respondents read the message. (M. Tsang, Ho, Ting-Peng, 2004) Although mobile phones have been shown to be highly effective as education content delivery mechanisms, underlying handset and subscription costs have limited their usefulness in many underprivileged countries. Thus the author proposes a model where education content can be subsidized by mobile advertising and a business model is developed where sellers is able to communicate to buyers in their native tongue and vice-versa in order to close transactions. The paper touches on many key issues that are determining the mobile marketing sector. The mobile dam is about to burst and marketers have to be prepared for this through well developed and formulated ethical strategies. Customers will have to be gently cajoled and locked into useful market applications. (Ranchhod, June 2007) Impact of Technology in Marketing The article â€Å"The Missing link-Why mobile marketing is different† is rich with illustrations, examples and detailed footnotes, includes a thorough discussion on how marketing, technology, and business practices and models have matured and converged over time to make the medium what it is today. He discusses the impact network migration from 2G to 3G, globalization, the changes in marketing practices, and the value system have had on mobile marketing practices. He suggests that we need to focus on developing successful revenue models, create favorable conditions for relationship marketing and long term-dialog amongst the players in the industry, and that we must have a global mindset and to put aside any not-invent-here mentalities. (Steinbock, June 2006) Again in the paper stresses on the increasingly complex and demanding customers as ICT developments becomes rapid and marketers start coping with highly demanding customer who require extraordinary experiences and highly user-friendly service interfaces particularly in technology services, such as mobile marketing (as illustrated in the Figure below). (Steinbock, June 2006) Rationale/Information Gap The rural market works on 4 As i.e. Accessibility, Affordability, Acceptability and Awareness and the traditional four Ps of marketing cease to exist in this scenario. There is a presence of huge potential in rural India but at the same time there is a lot of obstacle faced venturing into these markets. Low per capita disposable incomes, large number of daily wage earners, acute dependence on vagaries of monsoon, seasonal consumption linked to harvest festivals and special occasion, poor roads power problems and inaccessibility of conventional advertising media. As much as there is potential, there is also a good amount of ambiguity on how to create brand salience in these markets. In such situation marketers who see huge potential in rural market with around 700 million consumers, everyone would like to take its brand to the next level of brand salience resonance. Hence with increased penetration of mobile phones there has been more chance of mobile communication entering the media dark region. It may seem farfetched as an idea to brand product for rural consumer when presently we think that rural consumer stress on affordability. Much has been written about rural marketing, the consumption patterns, attitudes behavior of rural consumer in India and Mobile marketing in isolation but the whole perspective of mobile marketing for rural India is not covered in the literatures. Therefore this study aims to look at the future prospects of mobile telephony as a means to communicate brand promotion and create a brand resonance with the rural consumer. Research Objectives Objectives are as follows; To find out the present usage of mobile telephony among rural users and their perception of brands using mobile marketing To find out the technology/language barriers in implementing branding activities in the rural environment The objectives will aim to find out what are the technology barriers, governments policies and technological advances for the implementation development of mobile application to facilitate interactive marketing. It also aims to understand the acceptability of technology in the rural environment and the language barrier, since most of the rural India has lower literacy rate and use local languages as means of communication is prevalent. The second objective aims to find out the acceptability of mobile marketing in the rural context and how will it affect a brand. We intend to discover whether the consumer reacts to marketing communication over mobile phone in positive manner and how will it affect the purchase intention of the brand. Approach Secondary Research: Present and future platforms/technology which makes mobile telephony ubiquitous for Rural India Studying the branding marketing efforts of companies for rural India, the number of companies interested in marketing branding their products for rural India Primary Research: Qualitative research is applied to understand the consumer perception in rural India while using mobile telephony. This is done in two stages; Focus group discussion with rural respondents Depth interviews with rural respondents Depth Interviews with marketers after the FGDs/DIs The TG of the study is defined as: Age: above 15 SEC RI, R2, R3 Location: West Bengal, Gujarat Gender: Males Females Presumption is that the decision makers in rural India are generally the head of the family, who is the male member. Also the same holds true for mobile users, though a considerable amount of women these days are using mobile phones too. So I have conducted FGDs across all age group for the male sample size. Each FGD had people from the same caste same gender to maintain cohesion focus in the discussion. West Bengal has the least mobile phone user whereas Gujarat is one of the highest mobile phone users. Hence its a contrasting study to find out the motivation underlying the use of mobile phones and the prospect of mobile marketing. The following table represents the No. of users in Gujarat and West Bengal. 2 focus group discussion in each location i.e. Gujarat and West Bengal Five depth interviews in each location Interviews with marketers after the FGDs Profile of respondents: All respondent must be using mobile telephones in daily basis Should be literate with primary school education Secondary research From being charged for incoming calls to getting paid for calls you receive and then a pay per second regime, Indian wireless telephony has come a long way. India has one of the biggest telecom markets in the world. It has the third-largest telecom network in the world and second-largest among the emerging economies. The Indian telecom industry generated revenues of approximately US$ 32 billion in 2007–08 with a growth rate of 60 per cent over 2006–07. It witnessed a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 29 per cent from 2002–03 to 2007–08. Total telecom subscribers – 545.05 million (January 2010) Teledensity – 43.50 (September 2009) Addition of mobile subscribers (July–August 2009) – 15.08 million Annual growth rate of telecom subscribers (June 2008–June 2009) – 42.68 per cent Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for GSM (as on 30 June 2009) – US$ 3.80 The wireless subscriber base increased from 535.15 million in December 2009 to 545.05 million at the end of January this year for a monthly growth rate of 3.79 per cent. The wireless density in the country now stands at 46.37. It grew at a CAGR of 45.21 per cent from June 2004 to June 2009. The handset market in India, consisting of mobile and fixed handsets, registered an overall growth of 5.8 percent from 2007-08 to 2008-09. (India, 2009) The value added service (VAS) market in India has a great potential for growth and revenue from this growth potential is expected to reach above INR 250 billion by the year 2009-10 and more than 30% of the revenue of the telecom access service providers in the next 5-7 years. The VAS industry in India generated revenue of US$ 1.2 billion in 2007–08 and is expected to reach US$ 4.0 billion by 2015. Top 11 Wireless Operators in the country: (September 2009) (India, 2009) Among the wireless service providers, Tata had a 14.97 % share of the net additions during January, followed by Bharti Airtel with 14.31 %, Reliance 14.08 %, Vodafone 13.78 %, Idea 11.42 %, BSNL 11.29 %, Aircel 10.10 %, Uninor 6.68 %, Stel 1.83 %, Sistema 1.07 %, Loop 0.26 % and MTNL 0.23 %. Market share of top 12 operators: Bharti Airtel had a market share of 22.33 per cent, followed by Reliance with 17.72 %, Vodafone 17.27 %, BSNL 11.95 %, Tata 11.07 %, Idea 10.99 %, Aircel 6.06 %, MTNL 0.90 %, Sistema 0.60 %, Loop 0.50 %, Uninor 0.47 %, Stel 0.09 % and HFCL 0.06 %. Present technology in India GSM has a market share of ~75% out of the 500 million wireless subscribers Reliance has registered a 6.73 % market share which is quite impressive for service which was launched only 6 months ago. CDMA subscribers are at 94.5 million and here is how they are split: Tata Teleservices which launched its GSM operations under brand name Tata DoCoMo will be another player to look out for in the next few quarters. Unitech Wireless has launched its services in 2009 and has a subscriber base of 2.5 million as of Jan 2010. New entrant S Tel added 0.22 million subscribers to take its subscriber base to 0.36 million. Reliance rules CDMA followed by Tata Teleservices (Tata Indicom). Shyam telelink has rebranded to MTS India has a subscriber base of 3.5 million (as of Jan 2010). CDMA doesnt look as much over-crowded as GSM but when put together the overall picture of Indian telecom looks crowded with 12 operators and 3 waiting in the wings. Reliance and Tata are the 2 companies to watch out for with the dual play of GSM and CDMA operations. The average revenue per user of CDMA is 99 rupees and that of GSM is 205 rupees. With 3 new players coming in for GSM the ARPUs will come down. CDMA which is supposed to be a better network for data access can use this opportunity to increase the ARPUs and subscribers. It just has to sort out the handset availability issue. (India, 2009) Penetration in Rural India As on 31st September 2009, out of the total 500 million subscribers, the rural subscribers contribute 151.8 million, comprising of 10.13 million wireline and 141 million wireless. The Rural teledensity as on September 2009 was 18.46% as compared to 9.20% during the previous year in March08. Subscription in Urban Areas grew from 328.55 Million in Jun-09 to 357.22 Million in Sep-09, taking the urban Teledensity to 102.79. Rural subscription increased from 136.27 Million to 151.81 Million, taking the Rural Teledensity from 16.61 in Jun-09 to 18.46 at the end of Sep-09. Total Wireless (GSM + CDMA) subscriber base increased from 427.29 Million at the end of June-09 to 471.73 Million at the end of Sept-09, thereby showing a growth of 10.4%. During this quarter 44.43 million subscribers were added. Wireless Teledensity increased from 36.64 at the end of June-09 to 40.31 at the end of Sept-09. Rural subscription (12.5%) has been growing at a faster rate than Urban (9.5%). The share of rural wireless subscription is 30% in total wireless subscription. Overall rate of growth of Wireless Subscription in QE Sept-09 (10.40%) is higher as compared to previous quarter (9.07%). Higher growth rate could mainly be attributed to the launch of GSM services by Tata Teleservices Limited across service areas. Future Developments Technologies in India WiMax stand for â€Å"Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access† is a standard-based wireless technology that allows broadband connections over long distances. The Economic Times, citing a study by US market research firm Strategy Analytics, reports that India will become the largest WiMAX market in the Asia-Pacific by 2013. The study forecasts that consumer subscriptions in the developing Asian countries will grow at a compound rate of 132% through 2013, with the subscriber base reaching almost 27 million in that year.Most emerging markets WiMAX providers will launch their initial services in major urban areas, to take advantage of concentrations of existing Internet users with purchasing power. However, over the longer term the most rapid growth is expected to be in second-tier cities and in rural areas, where there is substantially less competition from incumbent broadband suppliers.(Study Predicts India to be Largest WiMAX market in Asia Pacific by 2013, 2010) BSNL, HCL Infosystems Ltd and Intel Corp. have started a series of wide-reaching initiatives to spur economic and educational opportunities in India by expanding access to wireless broadband Internet and affordable computers. This is in support of the India governments Bharat Nirman rural development agenda. Intel and BSNL will jointly propagate wireless broadband Internet in what is intended to ultimately become a nationwide mobile WiMAX network. BSNL will also work with the two to make available in rural India WiMAX-capable nettop computers designed by the two companies and made in India by HCL using the Intel atom processor. Despite spectrum auction delays and other bureaucracy, India is set to be the biggest base on earth for WiMAX by 2012, and state-owned carrier BSNL, which has pre-auction access to its spectrum, has gone live with the countrys first Mobile WiMAX network. BSNL has two parallel projects, one for rural areas and one for metro networks kicked started by Minister Sachin Pilot. BSNL intends to usher in a new era of growth in rural areas by offering a broadband speed of 7Mbps at a distance of 15 kilometers. WiMax plans to bring to the underserved communities several key applications to meet the Indian governments target to reduce the countrys woeful levels of broadband penetration. Some of them will include; Utility bill payments Issue of official

The Yellow Wallpaper :: Essays Papers

The Yellow Wallpaper The story of The Yellow Wallpaper begins with a family going away on vacation. It is revealed later that there are repairs or renovations being done on their regular house. The wife in the story believes at first that the house is haunted since no one has occupied the house for so long, but she finds out that it was only because of an ownership dispute. The main reason that the family goes on vacation is because the woman is sick. Her illness is most likely some form of a mental disorder. Her husband, who happens to be a physician, tell her that all she needs to get better is rest and to be around no stimuli. The woman automatically thinks something is wrong with the house, but she could not figure it out right away. One of the first things she does not like about her and her husband’s room is the wallpaper. She claims that it commits every artistic sin and is not made with any laws of radiation, alternation, repetition or symmetry. The woman starts to see mages in the wallpaper, and then she sees them move around and change as the light in the room changes. As time goes on, she begins to see a woman creeping around behind the front patter on the wallpaper. She eventually sees the woman in the wallpaper shake the front pattern that acts as a form of a jail for the woman. The wife writes that she thinks the wallpaper woman gets out from her â€Å"jail† during the day since she sees her creep around outside her window during the day. Towards the end of her vacation, the woman tries to figure out a way to get the top layer of the paper off from the bottom one. On the last night, she pulls off yards of the top layer while the wallpaper lady helps her out. Then in the morning, the wallpaper begins to laugh at her and she declares that she will finish getting off the top layer that day. She continues to pull at the paper while it laughs at her. At the end she decides to climb behind the first layer of wallpaper and creep as the wallpaper lady did. Her husband arrives and gets into the room after some time and then faints because he realizes his wife has gone stark raving mad!

The Importance of School Uniforms

School Uniforms: They are definitely to be worn School uniforms have long been a topic of debate between those who believe the public school system should offer personal freedoms and those who believe it helps provide an appropriate environment for learning. There are many reasons uniforms can be helpful in enhancing the student's learning experience. It helps if you look at these dress codes as you would a uniform for work, as school is a child's work. While uniforms may be costly for parents, they save money in the future with trends changing, laundry, and students can focus on learning.So unlike trying to catch up with the different season styles, you could say that uniforms are a timeless investment. Some students may find it difficult to find an outfit to wear in the morning, particularly females. But when you have a school uniform, you are provided with a relatively easy selection of what to wear to school. Uniforms help to change the attitude of those wearing them. Unlike regu lar clothing choices, you are not likely to pick on someone wearing the exact same thing as yourself. Many schoolyard fights have begun with someone making fun of someone else regarding the clothing they are wearing.Dressing nicely also helps students to â€Å"live up to their clothing. † There is an innate sense of decorum when we dress for success. People tend to act differently depending on the clothing they are wearing. By creating a uniform specifically designed for attending school, the attitude falls in line. When those clothes are on, it becomes as regular as putting on pajamas, so a brain knows it is time to focus and learn. If a student could choose their own apparel, could you even imagine the amount of laundry one’s parents would have to do?Consider this; a new pair of under garments, a shirt or blouse, shorts or jeans, possibly a jumper, some socks, and even some extra clothes for recreational activities, multiplied by every day of the week, and add in eve ryone else’s clothes! A lot of people have two, three or even four children so as you could imagine, this would be extremely unnecessary. School uniforms have the potential to save parents money on clothing. Plain uniform clothing is less expensive than the brands that middle and high school students like to wear. Furthermore, because there is no variety in a chool uniform, children who wear them need fewer outfits in their wardrobes. Having a uniform is popular in secondary and intermediate schools. Some people believe that primary schools should be included, and I agree completely. As mentioned before, kids and teenagers go through a lot of clothing. But could you imagine a little boy running around the playground ripping his new clothes? I believe that having a uniform would help teach children to respect their belongings. It also saves money down the track with trends changing constantly, and this can prove to be very costly for parents.Having a compulsory uniform represe nts the school as being tidy and disciplined, whereas mufti would give the impression of low standards. Uniforms should definitely be in schools all over New Zealand. They save time in the morning deciding what to wear and students can concentrate on the learning, instead of trying to impress others. They do not form as many problems with students and teachers do not have to deal with bullying or other negative comments. Uniforms are an all-around money and time saver. While some uniforms are not attractive they give the wearer a sense of equality. By Niki

French Number Expressions - Confusing Pairs

French Number Expressions - Confusing Pairs There are several confusing pairs and difficult expressions related to French numbers. Floor System Differences The numbering system of the floors in a building may be difficult for American English speakers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American English  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  British English Rez-de-chaussà ©e  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First floor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ground floor Premier à ©tage  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second floor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First floor Deuxià ¨me à ©tage  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Third floor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Second floor The meaning of premier changes depending on the preposition that precedes it. Au premier  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At/On the first Au premier à ©tage  Ã‚  On the second floor  Ã‚  On the first floor En premier  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first in a sequence En premier lieu  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the first place, Firstly De premier/premià ¨re (prix, qualità ©)  The top (prize) or best (quality) Two Words for the Same Number in French There are two French words for the English ordinal number second (2nd): second  and deuxià ¨me. They are essentially interchangeable, but there is a general, not always followed guideline: Second  is often used when something is the second in a series of only two things. Deuxià ¨me tends to be used when theres a third, fourth, etc. Following this guideline allows you to add some interesting nuances to your words. La seconde guerre mondiale  Ã‚  World War II (the second and last) La deuxià ¨me guerre mondiale  Ã‚  World War II (the second of how many?) There are two words for third and fourth - one for the ordinal number and another for the fraction troisià ¨me  Ã‚   third (in a series) un tiers  Ã‚  Ã‚   one third quatrià ¨me  Ã‚  fourth (in a series) un quart  Ã‚   one fourth

Impact of Industrial Pollution on Human Health Essay Example

Impact of Industrial Pollution on Human Health Essay Example Impact of Industrial Pollution on Human Health Paper Impact of Industrial Pollution on Human Health Paper Essay Topic: Water pollution Moreover high quality machinery should be used and should be roper installed. The awareness campaign should also be arranged to aware the industrialist about the harmfulness they are creating for the people and also the people should be aware of the danger they are living with. Introduction Industrialization one hand provide us ease but the black side of these industries is that they are too much harmful for our health due the wastage they are producing and also the dangerous gases the are discharging in the air everyday. These gases not only affect our health but it is also destroying the ozone layer. The destroying of this ozone layer is resulting in the rise of enrapture. Evidence suggested that over 14 common diseases involving perhaps 90000 deaths a year could be conservatively linked to the results of industrial pollution in KICK. In France 40% of hospital admissions linked to industrial pollution. (Fresh, 2005). The industrial sector of Islamabad is located in 1-9 and I-I O sector on the boarder of Islamabad and Rawlins which was established in 1963. The Industrial state comprises of more then 200 factories spreader over 625 acres of land. These industries are managed by the CAD (Capital Development Authority). CAD is providing the water supply to the industries but numbers of industries have installed their own tube wells due to inadequate supply of water from CAD. The natural drains eventually lead to a single drain in the area known as Annual Ala. The entire electricity equipment is provided by WPAD. In the master plane of industrial state of Islamabad the industries are isolated from the residential areas through a buffer zone but now the residential area is developed very closed to the industrial areas because of the removal of buffer zone by CAD. Industrial state has been categorized into eight segments I. E. Tell melting furnaces, rolling mills, flour mills, oil and ghee, marble cutting and polishing, pharmaceuticals gallivanting metal working and engineering. The detail of different industrial units operating in industrial area of Islamabad is indicated below. Types and number of factories I Types of Industries II steel melting furnaces, I Approximate number 8 12. Relining mills 13. Flour mills, 14. Oil and ghee 5. Marble cutting and polishing units 16. Pharmaceuticals 7. gallivanting 18. Metal working and engineering units Total 125 15 110 12 23 Survey report-Environmental report of industrial estate Islamabad Government of Pakistan (2006) environmental survey in the industrial area of 1-9 and 1-10) The steel melting industries are contributing heavily to air pollution in the industrial state of 1-9 and 1-10. The furnaces produces metal dusts, slam and gaseous emissions. Smoke is produced during charging of the furnace. Air emission from the industry includes nitrogen dioxide, secular dioxide and carbon monoxide and thick black smoke. Particularly pollution is generated due to poor quality of scrap bundled Scrap which is being used by Meltzer consists mainly of spent containers of edible oil, paints lubricants and even Auber. There are 11 re-rolling mills and using locally manufactures billets, which are reheated in gas or oil fired open gas furnace. The environment related issue is the occasional discharge of black smoke. Large quantities of steam are used as a main heating medium in ghee manufacturing processes. Steam is also used for creating the vacuum required in ghee manufacturing. During this time major air emissions are nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide. The extremely high level of consumption of fresh water by these industries has resulted in generation of large volume of waste water. Major waste water pollutants from this industry include oil and grease, soaps and suspended solids. There are 31 marble cutting and polishing units in the industrial area of Islamabad The excess water displaced by the gathering sludge overflows without properly settling and is discharged into the effluent channels of the industrial estate. This water carries large amounts of marble powder, which gradually settles at the bottom of the drain channels. The marble sludge in the settling tanks is removed periodically and dumped in the vicinity of the factory. Eventually; the sludge dries in the sun and its particle become airborne. This causes air pollution problems for the inhabitants of the surrounding area. In some marble units, settling pits are not cleaned as scheduled, clogging effluent drain channels in the vicinity of the marble unit. Disposal of recovered sludge is the major environmental problem facing the marble manufacturing units. Another solid wastes generated by the marble units is the cutting waste. There are about ten pharmaceutical industries in III. Sulfuric acid is being used extensively to remove dust and scale. Gallivanting process releases acidic fumes and generate waste waters and solid wastes. Objectives 1 . To study the socio-economic conditions of the respondent. 2. To study the factors affecting health of people in the industrial area of Islamabad. 3. To explore the awareness among people in industrial area regarding environmental pollution on health problem statement Effects of the air pollution coming out of industries affecting the health of people living in the sectors of Islamabad (1-9 and I-ID). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Methodology is actually is a system of principles which guide the scientific investigation. The purpose of methodology is to describe the research deign. It works as the guideline for the researcher. In the present research the data will be analyzed with the help of statistical package for Social sciences. A prepared set of questions will be designed to generate data necessarily for accomplishing the objectives of the research project. In order to conduct the present research, quantitative research method was used to get the proposed information from the respondents. A sample of 260 respondents had been drawn through simple random sampling techniques, 104 respondents had been selected from 1-9 sector and 156 respondents had been selected from I-I Sectors. In the present study the data was collected tit the help of interview schedule. An interview schedule is a set of questions, which are asked to the respondents in face to face interaction. The data was systematically tabulated and statistically analyzed to bring into equivalent forms. Different statistical tools and techniques were used for the analysis and interpretation of results. The data was analyzed by SPAS.

Human Resources - Managing & Developing People Essay

Human Resources - Managing & Developing People - Essay Example This paper will review the roles and responsibilities of line managers in management of human resources and to what extent they contribute to organizational effectiveness. Top managers according to Thornhill and Saunders generally concentrate on formulating corporate goals and objectives. They offer ‘transformational leadership’ and they share their vision for future success with other employees. The middle managers play a vital role in any organization because they are the ones who interact most frequently with the employees. They are thus expected to have the ability to inspire, encourage, motive, enable and facilitate change by allowing the employees to become committed to the organization. This role of middle managers and their ability to strategically manage the human resources has been challenged. Bond and McCracken (2006) agree that organizations are increasingly adopting the HRM approach where personnel practices have become devolved to the line. This implies that the line managers should become more involved in HRM at the operational level. The role of the personnel specialist has also undergone a change. He concentrates on formulating strategy and is not concerned with what happens at the operational level from the perspective of the line manager. A study on local pay in the NHS revealed that middle managers used their discretion on a number of issues thereby operationalizing HR strategy. Line managers definitely have more opportunity to translate the HRM policies into practices at the operational level. A study of four companies in the financial sector by Bond and McCracken showed that line managers do take decision when employees make requests for time off at a short notice. This decision depends on several factors which include how committed the employee is to work and to the organization, the nature of

Development and Advancement of Science Research Paper

Development and Advancement of Science - Research Paper Example Cloning is a form of asexual reproduction which involves creating genetically identical genes or cells, plants or animals. The procedure of cloning is done by taking a gene from the animal or human and then putting that gene in another animal or human organisms. Scientists found out that cloning can also make identical twins by using a method called embryo splitting. In July 1996, a team of Scottish scientists had the first cloning success. Dolly was the first ever cloned sheep. Therapeutic cloning is practised to clone things such as organs and tissues for patients in need of them. Reproductive cloning is practised for the purpose of actually producing a human that is genetically identical to somebody else. Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of an existing, or previously existing human, by growing cloned tissues from that individual. The term is generally used to refer to artificial human cloning; human clones in the form of identical twins are commonplace . Human cloning is amongst the most controversial forms of practice. One of the most ethically questionable problems with human cloning is the farming of organs from clones. 1) Cloning has not been perfect yet. The cloning of sheep Dolly had 276 failures before successfully cloning a sheep. With these kinds of figures, we should not even go near trying to demonstrate cloning on humans. 2) Aldous Huxley in his book the â€Å"Brave New World† illustrates the future with people having a total loss of individuality, creativity, and freedom. This is because if humans are cloned then there would be a lot of the same people in the future.  Ã‚  

Bringing People With You Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bringing People With You - Research Paper Example A leader with better communication abilities can easily influence his audience and make them focused on the firm’s mission. By doing so, the leader can ensure integrated efforts from the part of his followers to achieve the firm’s short term as well as long term goals. Similarly, the paper maintains that a leader has to influence and persuade his audience so as to find the success quickly. Primarily, the leader should make certain that his followers (workers) hold a positive view of the organization, because employee perceptions about the firm determine the firm’s worksite culture. Hence, the leader should specifically try to convince his subordinates that the organization is particularly obliged to ensure its employees’ wellbeing. In addition, the leader has to influence other stakeholders including shareholders, investors, creditors and banks. The leader must make certain that those stakeholders are actively involving in the firm’s business activi ties. By influencing the audience thoughtfully, a leader can keep his organization’s stakeholder groups well coordinated in order to reach the business goal(s). Introduction For an organization of any size, active support and participation of employees and other key stakeholders are necessary to achieve long term goals and objectives. Communication is the most important factor that assists a leader to get his people focused on the firm’s mission. Hence, leadership communication plays a notable role in promoting business growth and changing the way the organization operates. In order to be a successful leader, one should influence perception, habits, and values of his audience. This paper will identify the most major factor that will enhance an organization’s growth. In addition, the paper will also explore the key stakeholders and their actions influencing the long term sustainability of a business. Leadership Communication Although a wide variety of factors pla y a crucial role in growing a business, communication is the most important element that greatly influences an organization’s market share growth. This element is also essential to bring meaningful changes to the organization’s day to day business activities. In order to influence his audience effectively, a leader should possess better communication skills and capabilities. Therefore, the conventional management concept of leadership communication is of considerable importance still in modern days. â€Å"Leadership communication is an interactive process in which a leader intentionally influences, and is influenced by, followers employing a range of verbal strategies and a variety of non-linguistic models† (Charteris-Black, 2007). Some old studies point out that a leader spends nearly 70 to 90 percent of their working time on communication activities every day. If the same studies are conducted today, the result would be much higher than this because nowadays l eaders (or managers) widely use modern communication channels like e-mail and text messaging. A leader may adopt different communication strategies such as active listening and managing the conversation so as to identify his audience’s problems and thereby pass information to them on time. The active listening communication strategy maximizes the effectiveness of communication. Under this

Tradable Indices Essay Example for Free

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

Impact of ICT Innovations at NG-CDF

Impact of ICT Innovations at NG-CDF The Board acquired internet from two ISPs (internet service providers), Safaricom and Accesskenya, providing availability of reliable redundant global connectivity. Connectivity therefore has allowed access to internal systems such as email, ERP (Enterprise resource planning) and website at ease. Learning through research on the internet has improved. The Local Area Network (LAN) and Wireless LAN has provided interconnectivity within the office. Resources can be shared among users and computers with minimum movement of staff. Wireless LAN on the other hand has also encouraged BYOD (bring your own device) culture in the organization and improve staff mobility. Recently the Board implemented MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) to regional offices providing access to internet and telephony services at a minimum cost. MPLS is a multipoint connectivity system that allows regions and HQ to communicate to each other like they are in one office. The regional offices can now be reached by a telephone extension. Connectivity through MPLS has also allowed the implementation of SIP telephone services whereby a pilot line is given which in turn allows for configuration of 999 parallel lines hence direct lines. The firewall protects the organization from internal and external threats. These threats come in form of spam messages, phishing sites and viruses. Threats penetrate networks using services or ports that may be or may not be used in the organization. The firewall therefore assists in filtering out those services that may allow threats into the network. In addition, internet bandwidth is a limited resource and therefore need to be controlled, services that consume a lot of bandwidth are then disabled so that users can have a fair usage of internet without affecting their duties. The firewall also allows for scheduling and QOS to prioritize certain services at a certain time. Kaspersky central Management allows the system administrator to monitor threats to the organization systems in form of computer viruses. The central management is an all in one portal where admins can perform certain tasks remotely from a server e.g. install, manage and license Kaspersky remotely, push updates remotely, manage devices, enable or disable e.g. USB To secure the server room CCTV is installed to monitor physical access and intrusion of unauthorized staff members thereby improving on data security and management. The CCTV system allows for live picture and playback options and to save/export a video for future reviews The Board has a registered domain name, cdf.go.ke and subsequently each staff member is assigned an email address. The email system, running on the latest version is accessible 24/7 anywhere anytime through a computer or supported mobile devices. Guidelines and manuals to access the mail portal have been developed by the department to help staff members adapt to the system easily. The Board has installed Spiceworks helpdesk system which is an open source helpdesk system that allows the department to have a bona fide support ticket-tracking system and generate reports of the same to gauge their performance. Users raise tickets by email, telephone call or through the Spiceworks portal, the ICT department then are able to view and prioritize them accordingly. Once the case is solved, the ticket is closed. The bulk SMS system is web based system which the Board uses to disseminate important information through short messages to staff members within the shortest time possible. Within the system, targeted groups and individual contacts have been preloaded to the system; these groups are All Staff, FAMs, directors, HQ Staff etc. The board has seen improvement in communicating matters relating to the board or staff on time without the need for lengthy and slow means of communication; this has improved the accuracy of the information passed and avoided speculations on sensitive Board matters. The system provides information to the Boards customers using USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication technology that is used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. Information available is allocations and disbursements for each constituency from FY 2013/2014 to date. The USSD is integrated to the bulk sms system so that results can be sent to the end user. The user queries by dialing *483*6# from their mobile phone, then select the constituency by a quick search, they will then choose whether they need allocations or disbursement information. Once confirmed, the results are then sent through SMS to the users phone via the bulk sms system implemented by the board. 100% of individual offices have been connected by a telephone extension, 70% of staff have an extension on their desks. The Board maintains a PBX which interconnects these extensions and the regional office extensions. Staff can communicate within offices on 10th floor, 5th floor and regional offices conveniently and for free. Trunk calls (external calls) can also be made and received by the board via providers like Orange Telkom and Safaricom. Orange provides the landlines while Safaricom provides a SIP line which emulates a mobile number with 1000 lines which can then be configured as direct lines. The SIP trunk therefore allows for multiple calls to be made without engaging or congesting the lines. A unique number is assigned, for the Board, this is 0709894, and the last 3 digits have then been assigned to a specific extension Number for example 0709894000 is configured on the extension at the reception as a pilot line, any other extension has also an incoming route creating a direct line scenario. Web portals are websites that maintain personalized information in a database in the background. Unlike any website, portals allow authorized users access to specific information meant for them specifically. They are even allowed to customize information they want to be displayed in their portal (space). The Boards web portal is integrated portal in that, the fund account managers can create their own websites within the portal by logging in to the system. The public can therefore access information on any constituency from one website www.ngcdf.go.ke by a click of a button. CDFMIS stores, organizes and makes access to project and financial information easy. It not only stores all the information relating to current and past years projects, but also stores the approved budgets for these years, details on inflows and outflows of funds. The CDFMIS Projects database is composed of four different functional aspects, each corresponding to a set of tasks the constituency must carry out as a part of its mission, these include project Information, bursaries Information, budget and Finance Information and Complaints Information. Data and Applications Software are stored in servers at the computer center located at CDF Headquarters in Nairobi. Operations data are entered at the various user locations at the Constituencies and Head office. Interconnectivity of the system is through Wide Area Network between the constituencies and the Servers; and through Local Area Network between the Servers and Head Office workstations. CDFMIS is operated the basis of on-line real-time; that is to say that updates occur immediately a transaction is completed; thus making information as current as the last transaction. Access to the system will be done via the internet/intranet through use of a web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.). Unique user-names and passwords are given by System Administrator. Microsoft Dynamics SL is a financial/accounting system used by the Boards Finance and Accounts Department. Microsoft Dynamics SL is one of Microsofts enterprise resource planning (ERP) software products for project-driven small- and medium-sized enterprises. It is part of the Microsoft Dynamics product family. The functionality includes finance, project accounting, manufacturing, field services, supply chain management, analytics, and electronic commerce. The major module used by the Board is the finance module.