Greatest Gift You Can Give Essay

As I sat and observed the ticking clock, as I saw yet another day come to an end†¦ just like the ones before it had, I understood how precious time is. Here are a couple reasons why I think that; I’ve always believed that the greatest gift we can share with those we love is time. There are some things money just cannot buy, and in the long run our memories are far more valuable than any material goods we receive. There’s a reason why I always believed that the greatest gift we can share with those we love is time because memories have sentimental value that lasts you a lifetime. Having a Lamborghini and enjoying it one your own is only half as rewarding as having someone enjoy it with you. Sharing time with your loved ones, on the other hand, creates lasting memories that will always accompany you. After all, it is all about quality, not the quantity of the time with spend with others. There’s a reason people say money can’t buy happiness or money just cannot buy everything. Time is the greatest gift to give out because you can always make more money, but the people you care about won’t be around forever. Therefore, it is important to make the time for your loved ones. Once a person starts working full-time you can lose yourself in your job and begin living to work instead of working to live. This might result in you becoming rich but you miss out on the time you could’ve spent with the people you truly care about. To prevent this from happening it is crucial to have a balance between work and family life. To be truly happy and to have a fulfilling life you must pay close attention to time you spend accumulating material things and how much you spend with family and friends. â€Å"The greatest gift you can give someone is your time because when you are giving someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you will never get back. † – Anonymous

Bessie gutmann’s art Essay

The role of women in art has always been very controversial as society did not want a woman to prove that she could be not worse (sometimes even much better) than a man in various spheres, in particular, in painting, architecture and design. The beginning of the twentieth century brought women some freedom and independence; thus, females received a chance to show what they really cost. Bessie Pease Gutmann is considered to be the best and perhaps one of the most well-known painters of children’s book within the first half of the twentieth century. She had been creating her masterpieces for about fifty years and got the world wide glory and popularity. The artist did not limit her art with just infants’ drawings; her brush touched grown-ups, animals and other colorful scenes as well. This wonderful woman performed about six hundred prints which were the reflections of superb and marvelous world around her. Gutmann’s drawings could be seen on numerous calendars, postcards, magazines and were extremely popular not only in the United States but abroad as well. Many of her illustrations of children are still very popular and rather expensive nowadays. Life of Bessie Gutmann Bessie Pease Gutmann was born on the 8th of April 1876 in Philadelphia in the family of a seller of tobacco – Horace Collins Pease Gutmann. From the early childhood, the girl became interested in art and she received the support from both her parents and her teachers to study painting. As the result, Bessie started to attend the so called Philadelphia School of Design for Women after graduation from high school. She didn’t stop on it and later entered the Chase School of Art (the former name of the New York School of Art) and the Art Students League. Having received the necessary knowledge, Gutmann was full of joy and persistence to start her career. And here she faced the first problem. The status of women at the beginning of the 20th century was very difficult and Bessie had to prove her talent. She started from small portrait sketches for local newspaper advertisements and for some time earned her living in such a way. However, her position changed in 1903 when Bessie’s cousins, Hellmuth and Bernard decided to open their own art print company under the name Gutmann and Gutmann. They suggested Bessie to become their commercial artist and she showed her skills in the best way she could. Owing to her natural charm and due to her professional talents, she attracted the attention of Hellmuth and in 1906 she married him. Her marriage saved Bessie from rumors about her spinsterhood (Christie). The first book she made illustrations to was A Child’s Garden of Verses written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Several other books, including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, were illustrated by Bessie as well. Very soon her works slightly changed – Bessie gave birth to her three children – Alice, John and Lucille. The artist found new inspiration and depicted her children on the walls of some nursing houses, on many calendars, postcards and even on popular periodicals (the Washington Post, Chicago Sunday tribune, etc). Since that time Gutmann became the most popular woman-artist and had been on the top of her career until the World War II. Unfortunately, due to the worsening of eyesight, Bessie made up her mind to stop making illustrations, however, it was a very difficult decision. And it is no wonder – the artist’s creative work included more than six hundred wonderful art prints. As the result, after her husband’s death, Bessie sold the Gutmann and Gutmann company (Bessie Collins Pease Gutmann). Death of her husband and impossibility to work negatively influenced Gutmann and on 29th of September, 1960 Bessie Gutmann died in New York In order to commemorate the art of this great woman, three children’s books full of her best illustrations were issued after her death. Gutmann’s art and its historical significance The years from 1800 up to 1900 are called the Golden Age of illustration. The reason for such a name results in blooming of industry and increasing number of new printing methods and technologies. Bessie Gutmann had the chance to work during this period and she could be named the most successful woman artist of this epoch. Her works were influenced by the so called â€Å"Brandywine School† of illustrators that were very popular in Philadelphia; therefore, the artist got some necessary and outstanding pieces of advice from Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth, Robert Henri and some other prominent artists. While at first her drawing style had elements of influence of these great masters, but later she managed to elaborate her own and very soft style, not similar to others. The main peculiarity of her works was that she never simply drew portraits, she included a lot of details, like expressions, mimicry, joy, etc. She made her portraits alive, demonstrating that she could skillfully grasp and notice the true spirit and soul of a depicted person. She was more than an excellent artist, but a really good psychologist and a good mother (Choppa). These skills helped her to create such wonderful works that differed from the works of other artists. Moreover, Bessie was not afraid of experimenting: starting from black-and-white paintings, she further moved on to luminescent oils and watercolors, using some impressionists’ technique. Except for her famous children’s pictures and prints, Bessie Gutmann was also engaged in creation another series of prints under the name Colonial Interior Series which were less known than her infants’ drawing. However, they were not worse than children’s series. The first Colonial Series were issued in 1916 in order to compete with Wallace Nutting. In comparison with Nutting Interiors (who used photos as illustrations), Bessie’s illustrations were well-prepared prints from her own original drawings. Every illustration depicted some colonial subject, usually a mother or a daughter at home. Unfortunately, these Gutmann’s Colonial Series are valued less than her children’s series, notwithstanding their originality. Role and position of women and women-artists in the first half of the 20th century The status of women-artists has been extremely difficult almost the whole 20th century. Females did not get the support from publicity, and were deprived of showing their real talents. Women artists suffered from such attitude greatly and had to overcome numerous obstacles in order to receive success and recognition; some were pioneers in this or that branch. Some women were successful as they co-operated with their husbands, a few had to reach their goals independently. Still, a lot of wonderful works appeared in this period. Louisa Chase, Catherine Critcher, Bessie Vonnoh, Violet Oakley, Cecilia Beaux – these are just several of notable names, that are â€Å"responsible† for great ideas and wonderful innovations in art field. Catherine Critcher, for instance, had to â€Å"pave her way† in a man’s world by herself; as the result, she was the only woman who was provided a membership in the Taos Society of Artists (the society included men artists) and the Director of her own Critcher School of Painting. Violet Oakley is considered one of the first outstanding mural painters; her large and beautiful works adorn the walls of Pennsylvania Capitol Building. The main theme of most works was an independent, strong and powerful woman who was able to both work and bring up children. Moreover, the issue of a woman’s place in society is depicted thoroughly: a female identity, health, morality, nationality and even her body. The strong sex discrimination began to lose its power and strong independent women appear instead. Conclusion The works of Bessie Pease Gutmann have exceeded time, nationality and age range. They are still very popular among people all over the world. This popularity may be explained by the fact that the artist included the part of her inner soul to each of her hand-made illustrations and paintings. She wanted other people to see not just a depiction of a child or a woman, but rather, the embodiment of purity, innocence and tenderness; the artist wished to change the world to better, she wanted to open people’s eyes and to make them see and listen. Showing the usual and simple themes of family and sacred hearth, Bessie Gutmann appeals to love, friendship, hope and kindness. Her numerous wonderful works radiate light, warmth and comfort; her paintings help people to cope with their problems and to become better. Her art and her talent shows that a woman is able to create such works of art that can be shined throughout years and centuries, causing astonishment and admiration of people. Works cited Bessie Collins Pease Gutmann. Available at: http://www. ortakales. com/illustrators/gutmann. html 17 April, 2005. Choppa Karen. Bessie Pease Gutmann: Over Fifty Years of Published Art. Schiffer Publishing, 2000. Christie, Victor. Bessie Pease Gutmann: Her Life and Works. Wallace-Homestead Company, 1990.

Banking services in saudi arabia research proposal

Banking problems in the late 1950s decade resulted in regulatory framework being strengthened in Saudi Arabia during the middle 1960s decade in which broad supervisory capacity was given to SAMA in a legal environment that upheld the concept of a Universal Banking Model allowing banks to make provision of a wide range of financial services â€Å"including banking, investments, securities, etc. through their branches.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There were 12 operating banks by 1979 only three of which, were non-Saudi banks and branches had doubled by that year to 140. II. Lending Institutions in Saudi Arabia Five major lending institutions were introduced in the decade of the 1970s: (1) Saudi Credit Bank; (2) Saudi Agricultural Bank; (3) Public Investment Fund; (4) Saudi Development Fund; and (5) the Real Estate Fund. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) Restructuring was accomplished arising from encouragement by the Saudi Government and by 1975 there was a reported â€Å"10 international bank†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦including â€Å"29 branches present.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There was a rise and fall in the economy and SAMA faced a critical challenge for supervision in 1982 â€Å"when irregularities appeared in Saudi Cairo Bank’s operations. Two senior managers were involved in unauthorized trading in bullion during the 1979-81 period, and had concealed accumulated losses that exceeded the Bank’s share capital.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) It is reported that SAMA required the Bank to issue new shares and double its capital i n 1986. SAMA arranged this increase to be taken up entirely by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Bank also benefited from â€Å"low-cost† deposits from the Public Investment Fund. These measures helped the Bank with liquidity and rescued it back to a healthy position.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 4-5 III. Regulatory Framework of Banking System in Saudi Arabia SAMA in collaboration with Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance ensured the financial system’s stability and assisted banks in clearing the hurdles of economic downturn. Included in this collaborative initiative were the following actions: (1) Banks were required to seek SAMA’s approval prior to announcing their dividends. The Banking Control Law required all banks to build their statutory reserves equal to their share capital. SAMA further encouraged Saudi banks to build additional reserves to strengthen their capital base. (2) Most foreign shareholders in Saudi banks enjoyed a tax holiday for the first five years of their ownership. To encourage retention of profits, the tax holiday was extended in most cases by another 5 years after which a deferred tax scheme was permitted; (3) In 1986, SAMA obtained a ruling from the Tax Department that permitted the tax deduction of loan loss provisions on an accrual basis. This encouraged banks to increase their loan loss provisions for doubtful accounts; (4) To encourage Saudi banks to increase their inter-bank dealings and to support the development of a riyal inter-bank market, a tax ruling was obtained which exempted foreign banks from withholding taxes when carrying out inter-bank transactions with Saudi banks; (5) Corporate Governance. SAMA recognized the need to encourage banks to take strong steps to improve their risk management and control procedures. Consequently, it took major initiatives in the area of corporate governance. Firstly, it required all banks to develop and strengthen their internal audit departments, and secondly it issued minimum internal control guidelines. In addition, SAMA issued accounting standards for Commercial Banks in Saudi Arabia which were in line with International Accounting Standards; (6) Creation of Banking Disputes Committee. In 1987, Saudi authorities established a Banking Dispute Committee by the order of the Council of Ministers. The creation of this Committee a s the only relevant quasicourt to handle dispute between banks and their customers significantly strengthened the legal system. By law, all banking disputes had to be referred to this Committee and the rulings of this Committee were given the same enforcement support as decisions from any other court; (7) Exchange of Information on Large Borrowers and on Delinquent Loans. In the early 1980’s, SAMA established a credit information service that provided information to Saudi banks on all large exposures of the Banking System. This enabled banks to better assess the credit position and risk of big borrowers. Also in 1986, SAMA permitted banks to exchange information on delinquent borrowers as a means of applying collective pressure on them. These measures have proved quite effective in resolving problems of delinquent loans.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 5-6) IV. Improvement of Banking Services Banking and financial services were improved during the early decade of the 1980s by technological advances and SAMA had acknowledged a decade earlier that there was not only a potential but as well as need to â€Å"enhance and strengthen the Saudi financial markets through greater investment in modern technology. It is reported that the primary objectives of this strategy were: (1) elimination of duplication of efforts and waste; and (2) development of a national infrastructure. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 7) Technology enhanced business services introduced included: (1) automated Cheque Clearing System (1986); (2) linking of Saudi Arabia with the SWIFT payment network; (3) introduction of a national Automated Teller Machine System enabling customers to access accounts from any machine in Saudi Arabia and from the major financial markets; (4) introduction of debit, credit and charge cards; and (5) introduction of Point-of-Sale terminals that link customers, traders and banks. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.7) International Islamic Financial Institutions It is reported that International Islamic Financial Institutions are reported in the work of Memon (2007) entitled â€Å"Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges† to be making provision of â€Å"a wide range of services in accordance with the basic principles of Shariah. The products are reported to include: (1) Mudaraba; (2) Murabaha; (3) Musharaka; (4) Ijarah; (5) Isstina; and (6) Salam. (Memon, 2007, p.4) Conventional banks are reported to operate under the concept â€Å"of lender-borrower relationship where interest is considered as the rental income on capital. The depositors are assumed to be capital providers.† (Memon, 2007, p.4) Bank customers are reported to be divided into three broad categories as follows: (1) religiously motivated customers; (2) high profit customers; and (3) customers who are religiously motivated but also expect returns at least similar to conventional banks. (Memon, 2007, p.6) It is reported as follows in regards to the Islamic ec onomic system: â€Å"Islamic economics is a system, which not only fulfils our moral, ethical, and religious obligations but also demonstrates to be economically feasible and financially rewarding. Islamic banking is based on asset-based transactions for the purpose of income generation, and prohibits financing in all forms of economic activities, which are normally and/or socially injurious to the society.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) Additionally stated is that the Islamic field of Banking operations â€Å"is unlimited. It is under continuous process of evolving and Islamic financial modes instruments have been developed to cover nearly all kinds of businesses including consumer financing, project financing, house financing, working capital financing, import and export financing, venture capital, etc.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) A survey conducted in the United States indicates that U.S. banker perception of Islamic Banking includes that 10 out of 20 Islamic Banking practices are vie wed as acceptable. Those ten include: (1) investment accounts; (2) transfer of funds; (3) cost plus finance; (4) profit and loss; (5) sharing, (6) trust financing, (7) leasing, (8) lease purchase, (9) letters of guarantee, and (10) flexible investment of deposit and role as trustees. (Memon, 2007, p.8) VI. Service Quality in Saudi Arabian Banks The work of Al-Fawzan (2005) entitled â€Å"Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank† states that service quality is defined as â€Å"the degree of alignment between customers’ expectations and their perceptions of the service received.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005, p.1) Al-Fawzan (2005) states that the move to â€Å"†¦managed service has increased demands for outcome-based accountability, cost containment, and attention to customer-focused quality in order to remain competitive in a rapidly changing environment. This dual focus on driving down costs while increasing quality has intensified pressures to understand, measure, and manage quality from a customer perspective.† (p.101) While banking systems are stated to provide services that are the same they are differentiated by the quality of services provided. In addition, today’s customers are â€Å"†¦more aware of the alternatives and their expectations of service have increased. Service quality c an, therefore, be used as a strategic tool to build a distinctive advantage over competitors. Banks are striving for zero defection and retaining every customer that the company can profitably serve in order to achieve service excellence.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Zero defections makes a requirement of ongoing efforts for improving service quality. It is reported that while quality â€Å"can not be improved unless it is measured, it can be defined from several perspectives, e.g., the ability to satisfy the needs and expectations of the customer, or the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) There is a growing acknowledgement of quality importance in banking services although â€Å"its conceptualization and empirical assessment have remained limited.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan (2005) reports that the â€Å"central tenet of the quality paradigm is the importance of understand ing and utilizing customer data to drive operational and strategic decisions, defining quality from the outside-in based on customer information is critical. This shift in defining quality often necessitates a fundamental change in the way professionals, managers, staff, and policy makers think about and identify those who â€Å"buy† or â€Å"use† products and service.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Those who use banking services are not generally refers to as ‘customers’ but instead are referred to as ‘client† suggesting â€Å"†¦a passive voice in the service delivery process, which is reflected by professionals in the field who question the credibility of client evaluation of services. On the other hand, customer carries an image of an active participant with more input in determining choices and decisions. Clients of human service organizations who follow directions from professionals and make few demands on the system are labeled as â€Å"cooperative.† In contrast, customers in the business sector who are loyal to the service, interact with the staff, and are willing to show their preferences are viewed as â€Å"desirable customer.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan states that customers have difficulty in the articulation of â€Å"banking service quality† therefore â€Å"the recipient of the service can only really assess it, t hereby making its measurement more subjective than exact. Hence, the measurement of banking service quality has to be based on perceived quality rather than objective quality because services are intangible, heterogeneous and their consumption and production occur simultaneously.† (2005) It is reported that service quality â€Å"†¦ is a measure of how well the service level matches customers’ expectations.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) It is reported that Parasuraman et al. â€Å"†¦defined service quality as perceived by customers and items from a comparison on their expectations of the services they will receive with their perceptions of the performance of the service provider.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The study reported by Al-Fawzan (2005) summarizes the results stated the following findings: (1) the most important dimension determined by Saudi Bank customers is that of ‘assurance dimension’; (2) a service gap exists in service quality provided b y Saudi Banks with the most notable gap being the accessibility dimension; (3) Saudi Bank customers, on average, rated Saudi Banks service quality to be overall good; (4) the expectations of Saudi Banks by customers are â€Å"highest in reliability dimension; (5) 67.8% of SB customers rated the overall service quality as good and very good; (5) SB employees dress nicely and they are polite when talking to customers; (6) SB has exceeded customers’ expectations in performing the service right from the beginning and in instilling the confidence in customers that their transactions are complete and safe.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The work of Sohail and Shaikh (2008) entitled â€Å"Internet Banking and Quality of Service: Perspectives from a Developing Nation in the Middle East† reports a study that had as its objective the measurement of the quality of service from the perspective of the customer on internet banking in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted via a questionnaire survey and an extensive review of literature. Findings in the study report that upon the basis of a factor analysis three factors were found to influence the evaluation of quality of internet banking services by users. Those three factors identified are stated to include: (1) efficiency and security; (2) fulfillment; and (3) responsiveness. (Sohail and Shaikh, 2008) In 2010 Jasimuddin reported in the work entitled â€Å"Saudi Arabian Banks on the Web† reports that commercial transactions via the Internet began in 1995 and that online banking is an application with much promise. However, while many banks in developed countri es have made provision of banking services via the Internet, Saudi Arabia is â€Å"lagging behind.† (Jasimuddin, 2010, p.1) The environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s environment is very conducive to Internet banking service provision. Jasimuddin reports that as of 2000 there were 11 banks and 1201 branches operating in Saudi Arabia. As of the middle of 2000, there are 11 banks with 1201 branches operating across Saudi Arabia. Eight banks are reported to have established a web site presence which is a rate of 73% of banks with a web site presence although only two of these offer Internet Banking Services. When the Saudi banks web sites are compared there is not major difference noted in the content of the bank web sites. The contents of the websites are stated to be inclusive of information about the bank, the addresses of branches and ATMs, phone and fax numbers, press releases, newsletters, news about the site and welcome letters, hot links, job opportunities, publications, contact and email, feedback, sitemap, site search, online forms and so forth. (Jasimuddin, 2010, paraphrased) Practically all of the banks provide information relating to customer services that â€Å"incorporate financial market, retail and corporate banking, investment treasury service, telephone and PC banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) I t is reported that online banking in Saudi Arabia is still a â€Å"very marginal activity† and that internet is presently being used by Saudi banks primarily for â€Å"brand awareness and promotion.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Saudi banks will be driven by â€Å"the dynamic and imperatives of e-finance†¦to build web site and to start Internet banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) In other words, since this is a banking service that is increasingly familiar customers will be requesting these services from banks in the future in Saudi Arabia. VII. Technology Use in Banking Service Provision It was reported in 2007 that the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia was established in Saudi Arabia prior to any other banks being established. This bank has 300 branches throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with some branches stated to be â€Å"dedicated exclusively to Islamic Banking Services. The National Commercial bank reports having implemented use of a digital signage system which is reported to make provision of a â€Å"better platform for NCB to better communicate with its employees, educating them about the banks products and services and enhancing the service they provide to their customers.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Summary of Literature Reviewed It is clear that banks in Saudi Arabia are faced with a diverse customer-base and this makes a requirement of diversification of banking services offered by banks in the Kingdom. While internet banking services provision is somewhat behind the development in the rest of the world, it is certain that Saudi Arabian banking customers will clearly see the benefits to Internet banking and that the push will soon be on for provision of this banking service by Saudi Arabian banks. Internet banking as well as other technological advanced service possibilities are presently being explored by Saudi Arabian banks including such technologies as a digital signage system among others. While the banking sector is quite developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia there does appear to be a general mistrust of Internet banking technology and not just on the part of customers but in the view of the banking industry in Saudi Arabia as well. Recommendations Arising from this study is a recommendation for research to be conducted examining the quality of banking service provision by banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a focus on technology use. References Memon, N.A. (2007) Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges. Journal of Management and Social Sciences. Vol. 3, No. 1, (Spring 2007) 01-10. Institute of Business and Technology (BIZTEK). Retrieved from: http://www.biztek.edu.pk/downloads/research/jmss_v3_n1/1-islamic%20banking.pdf A Case Study On Globalization and the Role of Institution Building in the Financial Sector Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. February 2004. Retrieved from: http://www.sama.gov.sa/sites/samaen/OtherReportsLib/SK521-04(CaseStudyonGlobalization-RoleofInstitutionBuildinginSaudiArabia-Final)Dr.Shaukat.pdf Al-Fawzan, MA (2005) Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank. J. King Saud Univ., Vol. 18, Eng. Sci. (1), pp. 101-115, Riyadh (1426H./2005). Sohail, M.S. and Shaikh, N.M. (2008) Internet banking and quality of service: Perspectives from a developing nation in the Middle East. â€Å", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 Iss: 1, pp.58 – 72 Jasimuddin, Sajjad M. (2010) Saudi Arabianu Banks on the Web. Array Development. Retrieved from: http://www.tenso.fr/emarketing/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Aper%C3%A7u-de-%C2%AB%C2%A0Saudi-Arabian-Banks-on-the-Web%C2%A0%C2%BB.pdf Banking services in saudi arabia research proposal Banking problems in the late 1950s decade resulted in regulatory framework being strengthened in Saudi Arabia during the middle 1960s decade in which broad supervisory capacity was given to SAMA in a legal environment that upheld the concept of a Universal Banking Model allowing banks to make provision of a wide range of financial services â€Å"including banking, investments, securities, etc. through their branches.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There were 12 operating banks by 1979 only three of which, were non-Saudi banks and branches had doubled by that year to 140. II. Lending Institutions in Saudi Arabia Five major lending institutions were introduced in the decade of the 1970s: (1) Saudi Credit Bank; (2) Saudi Agricultural Bank; (3) Public Investment Fund; (4) Saudi Development Fund; and (5) the Real Estate Fund. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) Restructuring was accomplished arising from encouragement by the Saudi Government and by 1975 there was a reported â€Å"10 international bank†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦including â€Å"29 branches present.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) There was a rise and fall in the economy and SAMA faced a critical challenge for supervision in 1982 â€Å"when irregularities appeared in Saudi Cairo Bank’s operations. Two senior managers were involved in unauthorized trading in bullion during the 1979-81 period, and had concealed accumulated losses that exceeded the Bank’s share capital.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.3) It is reported that SAMA required the Bank to issue new shares and double its capital i n 1986. SAMA arranged this increase to be taken up entirely by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Bank also benefited from â€Å"low-cost† deposits from the Public Investment Fund. These measures helped the Bank with liquidity and rescued it back to a healthy position.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 4-5 III. Regulatory Framework of Banking System in Saudi Arabia SAMA in collaboration with Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance ensured the financial system’s stability and assisted banks in clearing the hurdles of economic downturn. Included in this collaborative initiative were the following actions: (1) Banks were required to seek SAMA’s approval prior to announcing their dividends. The Banking Control Law required all banks to build their statutory reserves equal to their share capital. SAMA further encouraged Saudi banks to build additional reserves to strengthen their capital base. (2) Most foreign shareholders in Saudi banks enjoyed a tax holiday for the first five years of their ownership. To encourage retention of profits, the tax holiday was extended in most cases by another 5 years after which a deferred tax scheme was permitted; (3) In 1986, SAMA obtained a ruling from the Tax Department that permitted the tax deduction of loan loss provisions on an accrual basis. This encouraged banks to increase their loan loss provisions for doubtful accounts; (4) To encourage Saudi banks to increase their inter-bank dealings and to support the development of a riyal inter-bank market, a tax ruling was obtained which exempted foreign banks from withholding taxes when carrying out inter-bank transactions with Saudi banks; (5) Corporate Governance. SAMA recognized the need to encourage banks to take strong steps to improve their risk management and control procedures. Consequently, it took major initiatives in the area of corporate governance. Firstly, it required all banks to develop and strengthen their internal audit departments, and secondly it issued minimum internal control guidelines. In addition, SAMA issued accounting standards for Commercial Banks in Saudi Arabia which were in line with International Accounting Standards; (6) Creation of Banking Disputes Committee. In 1987, Saudi authorities established a Banking Dispute Committee by the order of the Council of Ministers. The creation of this Committee a s the only relevant quasicourt to handle dispute between banks and their customers significantly strengthened the legal system. By law, all banking disputes had to be referred to this Committee and the rulings of this Committee were given the same enforcement support as decisions from any other court; (7) Exchange of Information on Large Borrowers and on Delinquent Loans. In the early 1980’s, SAMA established a credit information service that provided information to Saudi banks on all large exposures of the Banking System. This enabled banks to better assess the credit position and risk of big borrowers. Also in 1986, SAMA permitted banks to exchange information on delinquent borrowers as a means of applying collective pressure on them. These measures have proved quite effective in resolving problems of delinquent loans.† (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 5-6) IV. Improvement of Banking Services Banking and financial services were improved during the early decade of the 1980s by technological advances and SAMA had acknowledged a decade earlier that there was not only a potential but as well as need to â€Å"enhance and strengthen the Saudi financial markets through greater investment in modern technology. It is reported that the primary objectives of this strategy were: (1) elimination of duplication of efforts and waste; and (2) development of a national infrastructure. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p. 7) Technology enhanced business services introduced included: (1) automated Cheque Clearing System (1986); (2) linking of Saudi Arabia with the SWIFT payment network; (3) introduction of a national Automated Teller Machine System enabling customers to access accounts from any machine in Saudi Arabia and from the major financial markets; (4) introduction of debit, credit and charge cards; and (5) introduction of Point-of-Sale terminals that link customers, traders and banks. (Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, 2004, p.7) International Islamic Financial Institutions It is reported that International Islamic Financial Institutions are reported in the work of Memon (2007) entitled â€Å"Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges† to be making provision of â€Å"a wide range of services in accordance with the basic principles of Shariah. The products are reported to include: (1) Mudaraba; (2) Murabaha; (3) Musharaka; (4) Ijarah; (5) Isstina; and (6) Salam. (Memon, 2007, p.4) Conventional banks are reported to operate under the concept â€Å"of lender-borrower relationship where interest is considered as the rental income on capital. The depositors are assumed to be capital providers.† (Memon, 2007, p.4) Bank customers are reported to be divided into three broad categories as follows: (1) religiously motivated customers; (2) high profit customers; and (3) customers who are religiously motivated but also expect returns at least similar to conventional banks. (Memon, 2007, p.6) It is reported as follows in regards to the Islamic ec onomic system: â€Å"Islamic economics is a system, which not only fulfils our moral, ethical, and religious obligations but also demonstrates to be economically feasible and financially rewarding. Islamic banking is based on asset-based transactions for the purpose of income generation, and prohibits financing in all forms of economic activities, which are normally and/or socially injurious to the society.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) Additionally stated is that the Islamic field of Banking operations â€Å"is unlimited. It is under continuous process of evolving and Islamic financial modes instruments have been developed to cover nearly all kinds of businesses including consumer financing, project financing, house financing, working capital financing, import and export financing, venture capital, etc.† (Memon, 2007, p.6) A survey conducted in the United States indicates that U.S. banker perception of Islamic Banking includes that 10 out of 20 Islamic Banking practices are vie wed as acceptable. Those ten include: (1) investment accounts; (2) transfer of funds; (3) cost plus finance; (4) profit and loss; (5) sharing, (6) trust financing, (7) leasing, (8) lease purchase, (9) letters of guarantee, and (10) flexible investment of deposit and role as trustees. (Memon, 2007, p.8) VI. Service Quality in Saudi Arabian Banks The work of Al-Fawzan (2005) entitled â€Å"Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank† states that service quality is defined as â€Å"the degree of alignment between customers’ expectations and their perceptions of the service received.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005, p.1) Al-Fawzan (2005) states that the move to â€Å"†¦managed service has increased demands for outcome-based accountability, cost containment, and attention to customer-focused quality in order to remain competitive in a rapidly changing environment. This dual focus on driving down costs while increasing quality has intensified pressures to understand, measure, and manage quality from a customer perspective.† (p.101) While banking systems are stated to provide services that are the same they are differentiated by the quality of services provided. In addition, today’s customers are â€Å"†¦more aware of the alternatives and their expectations of service have increased. Service quality c an, therefore, be used as a strategic tool to build a distinctive advantage over competitors. Banks are striving for zero defection and retaining every customer that the company can profitably serve in order to achieve service excellence.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Zero defections makes a requirement of ongoing efforts for improving service quality. It is reported that while quality â€Å"can not be improved unless it is measured, it can be defined from several perspectives, e.g., the ability to satisfy the needs and expectations of the customer, or the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears on its ability to satisfy given needs.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) There is a growing acknowledgement of quality importance in banking services although â€Å"its conceptualization and empirical assessment have remained limited.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan (2005) reports that the â€Å"central tenet of the quality paradigm is the importance of understand ing and utilizing customer data to drive operational and strategic decisions, defining quality from the outside-in based on customer information is critical. This shift in defining quality often necessitates a fundamental change in the way professionals, managers, staff, and policy makers think about and identify those who â€Å"buy† or â€Å"use† products and service.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Those who use banking services are not generally refers to as ‘customers’ but instead are referred to as ‘client† suggesting â€Å"†¦a passive voice in the service delivery process, which is reflected by professionals in the field who question the credibility of client evaluation of services. On the other hand, customer carries an image of an active participant with more input in determining choices and decisions. Clients of human service organizations who follow directions from professionals and make few demands on the system are labeled as â€Å"cooperative.† In contrast, customers in the business sector who are loyal to the service, interact with the staff, and are willing to show their preferences are viewed as â€Å"desirable customer.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) Al-Fawzan states that customers have difficulty in the articulation of â€Å"banking service quality† therefore â€Å"the recipient of the service can only really assess it, t hereby making its measurement more subjective than exact. Hence, the measurement of banking service quality has to be based on perceived quality rather than objective quality because services are intangible, heterogeneous and their consumption and production occur simultaneously.† (2005) It is reported that service quality â€Å"†¦ is a measure of how well the service level matches customers’ expectations.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) It is reported that Parasuraman et al. â€Å"†¦defined service quality as perceived by customers and items from a comparison on their expectations of the services they will receive with their perceptions of the performance of the service provider.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The study reported by Al-Fawzan (2005) summarizes the results stated the following findings: (1) the most important dimension determined by Saudi Bank customers is that of ‘assurance dimension’; (2) a service gap exists in service quality provided b y Saudi Banks with the most notable gap being the accessibility dimension; (3) Saudi Bank customers, on average, rated Saudi Banks service quality to be overall good; (4) the expectations of Saudi Banks by customers are â€Å"highest in reliability dimension; (5) 67.8% of SB customers rated the overall service quality as good and very good; (5) SB employees dress nicely and they are polite when talking to customers; (6) SB has exceeded customers’ expectations in performing the service right from the beginning and in instilling the confidence in customers that their transactions are complete and safe.† (Al-Fawzan, 2005) The work of Sohail and Shaikh (2008) entitled â€Å"Internet Banking and Quality of Service: Perspectives from a Developing Nation in the Middle East† reports a study that had as its objective the measurement of the quality of service from the perspective of the customer on internet banking in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted via a questionnaire survey and an extensive review of literature. Findings in the study report that upon the basis of a factor analysis three factors were found to influence the evaluation of quality of internet banking services by users. Those three factors identified are stated to include: (1) efficiency and security; (2) fulfillment; and (3) responsiveness. (Sohail and Shaikh, 2008) In 2010 Jasimuddin reported in the work entitled â€Å"Saudi Arabian Banks on the Web† reports that commercial transactions via the Internet began in 1995 and that online banking is an application with much promise. However, while many banks in developed countri es have made provision of banking services via the Internet, Saudi Arabia is â€Å"lagging behind.† (Jasimuddin, 2010, p.1) The environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s environment is very conducive to Internet banking service provision. Jasimuddin reports that as of 2000 there were 11 banks and 1201 branches operating in Saudi Arabia. As of the middle of 2000, there are 11 banks with 1201 branches operating across Saudi Arabia. Eight banks are reported to have established a web site presence which is a rate of 73% of banks with a web site presence although only two of these offer Internet Banking Services. When the Saudi banks web sites are compared there is not major difference noted in the content of the bank web sites. The contents of the websites are stated to be inclusive of information about the bank, the addresses of branches and ATMs, phone and fax numbers, press releases, newsletters, news about the site and welcome letters, hot links, job opportunities, publications, contact and email, feedback, sitemap, site search, online forms and so forth. (Jasimuddin, 2010, paraphrased) Practically all of the banks provide information relating to customer services that â€Å"incorporate financial market, retail and corporate banking, investment treasury service, telephone and PC banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) I t is reported that online banking in Saudi Arabia is still a â€Å"very marginal activity† and that internet is presently being used by Saudi banks primarily for â€Å"brand awareness and promotion.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Saudi banks will be driven by â€Å"the dynamic and imperatives of e-finance†¦to build web site and to start Internet banking.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) In other words, since this is a banking service that is increasingly familiar customers will be requesting these services from banks in the future in Saudi Arabia. VII. Technology Use in Banking Service Provision It was reported in 2007 that the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia was established in Saudi Arabia prior to any other banks being established. This bank has 300 branches throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with some branches stated to be â€Å"dedicated exclusively to Islamic Banking Services. The National Commercial bank reports having implemented use of a digital signage system which is reported to make provision of a â€Å"better platform for NCB to better communicate with its employees, educating them about the banks products and services and enhancing the service they provide to their customers.† (Jasimuddin, 2010) Summary of Literature Reviewed It is clear that banks in Saudi Arabia are faced with a diverse customer-base and this makes a requirement of diversification of banking services offered by banks in the Kingdom. While internet banking services provision is somewhat behind the development in the rest of the world, it is certain that Saudi Arabian banking customers will clearly see the benefits to Internet banking and that the push will soon be on for provision of this banking service by Saudi Arabian banks. Internet banking as well as other technological advanced service possibilities are presently being explored by Saudi Arabian banks including such technologies as a digital signage system among others. While the banking sector is quite developed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia there does appear to be a general mistrust of Internet banking technology and not just on the part of customers but in the view of the banking industry in Saudi Arabia as well. Recommendations Arising from this study is a recommendation for research to be conducted examining the quality of banking service provision by banks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a focus on technology use. References Memon, N.A. (2007) Islamic Banking: Present and Future Challenges. Journal of Management and Social Sciences. Vol. 3, No. 1, (Spring 2007) 01-10. Institute of Business and Technology (BIZTEK). Retrieved from: http://www.biztek.edu.pk/downloads/research/jmss_v3_n1/1-islamic%20banking.pdf A Case Study On Globalization and the Role of Institution Building in the Financial Sector Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. February 2004. Retrieved from: http://www.sama.gov.sa/sites/samaen/OtherReportsLib/SK521-04(CaseStudyonGlobalization-RoleofInstitutionBuildinginSaudiArabia-Final)Dr.Shaukat.pdf Al-Fawzan, MA (2005) Assessing Service Quality in a Saudi Bank. J. King Saud Univ., Vol. 18, Eng. Sci. (1), pp. 101-115, Riyadh (1426H./2005). Sohail, M.S. and Shaikh, N.M. (2008) Internet banking and quality of service: Perspectives from a developing nation in the Middle East. â€Å", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 Iss: 1, pp.58 – 72 Jasimuddin, Sajjad M. (2010) Saudi Arabianu Banks on the Web. Array Development. Retrieved from: http://www.tenso.fr/emarketing/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Aper%C3%A7u-de-%C2%AB%C2%A0Saudi-Arabian-Banks-on-the-Web%C2%A0%C2%BB.pdf

Your task is to compose your own review of book called Unbroken by Essay

Your task is to compose your own review of book called Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - Essay Example legendary soldier Odysseus of the ancient Greece, and the trials and challenges he faced are compared to Homer’s Odyssey, and even more intense and agonizing in nature. The author applauds the brave man, whose courage never wavered at the face of hardships during his captivity under the Japanese cruelties, as the Japanese personnel left no stone unturned to torture the POWs belonging to the USA in order to prove their hatred and abhorrence for the Americans. It was the time when the hostility and revulsion between both the countries was at its peak; consequently, the Japanese corps inflicted every type of atrocities on the American prisoners in order to take revenge of the losses Japan had suffered in men and material (129). Since Zamperini had refused to yield before the atrocious Japanese, the author calls her as the â€Å"unbroken one†, who can neither be bent, nor could be overcome by the enemy at any cost (4). Consequently, the struggle made by this legendary soldi er, fills the hearts of the readers with feelings of loyalty and patriotism, and urges them to render services for the great name and fame of their motherland without surrendering before the mountains of hardships as well as series of difficulties on their way. The book reveals the perturbed state of affairs the world was undergoing in the aftermath of the UK’s declaration of war against Germany, which left indelible imprints of death, destruction, chaos and turmoil for the future decades to arrive. Commenced from the central Europe in 1939, the Great War II immediately captured the entire globe in its ugly and awkward fold. The war observed intensity day by day, and German-led Axis Alliance dominated the war. At last, British statesmen had to seek the support from the USA in order to combat with German and Japanese successive triumphs in the battlefields. Consequently, the USA arrived for the rescue of the Allies, and declared war against the Axis Powers in 1941. Instead to calming down the

Women's Sexuality and Violence linked through Feminism Writing Skills Essay

Women's Sexuality and Violence linked through Feminism Writing Skills - Essay Example Women's Sexuality and Violence linked through Feminism Writing Skills The main objective of this paper is to conduct a research study of the alternate feminist treatments of traditional, patriarchal Western fairy tales and popular myths in the works of Angela Carter, with a special reference to her revolutionary work- The Bloody Chamber (1979), which is a collection of re-told  fairy tales. The work captures the author’s powerful and passionate delineation of  the links between myth, sexuality and violence in constructing female subjectivity. The Bloody Chamber revels in the power of female aspiration to re-imagine and reconstruct the world. The history of violence against women is tough to track, yet it is claimed that violence against women has been accepted, excused and legally sanctioned until the late 19th-century. The practice of violence against women was tangled to the notion of women being viewed as property and the historically unequal power relations between men and women. (UN, 1993) Even today, violence against women is an existi ng reality and "there is no region of the world, no country and no culture in which women’s freedom from violence has been secured." (UN, 2013) Specific forms of violence are more prevalent in specific parts of the world. For example, incidents of dowry violence, acid throwing and bride burning are common in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Nepal; honour killings in the Middle East and South Asia; trafficking and forced marriage in some parts of Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. (UN, 2013) It is unfortunate that women are targets of unwanted sexual attention even in the modern era of violence-prevention. Women nowadays face sexual harassment on a daily basis even in schools, colleges and workplaces, and this takes a toll on their health, work and studies. Morgan and Gruber provide an extensive coverage on the current state of prevention methods and research studies on violence against women in their book â€Å"Sexual Harassment: Violence a gainst women at work and in schools† The authors Morgan and Gruber have summarised the results of research that say schools where sexual harassment is usually considered as rare occurrence are in reality the ones where girls face high rates of severe harassment. It also reveals the astonishing fact that the men whom women love and trust the most are the ones who violate the very essence of womanhood. (Morgan & Gruber, 2011) Women often succumb to poor health and non-fatal injuries subsequent to incidents of sexual violence. What is even more shocking is that most of these women lack access to treatment, owing to various social and cultural factors. Men are usually reluctant to acquire help from social service organizations, but usually permit women and children to seek medical or psychological help. Hence the need of the hour is that the health care practitioners should focus more and more on the victimised women, in order to increase access to treatment. Susan Staggs and Step hanie Riger, in their journal article â€Å"Effects of Intimate Partner Violence on Low-Income Women’s Health and Employment†, summarise the results of a survey conducted on women of the low-income group, which shows that intimate partner violence and low health is high among these women. (Staggs & Riger, 2005) Research has suggested various theories on why men exert violence on women and has identified the associated risk factors of men. Many thinkers believe that relational factors

The Impacts Employee Motivation has on Organisationalperformance Dissertation

The Impacts Employee Motivation has on Organisationalperformance - Dissertation Example A highly motivated employee is hugely productive in the context of the company. However on the other hand employees who are less motivated works less effectively (Management help, n.d.). The purpose of the study is to underpin the fact that how employee motivation helps an organization to get success in the market place. In other words the primary intention behind the study is to uncover the impacts employee motivation has on organizational performance. The topic was chosen on assessing the factors that are significant for an organization. Nevertheless the study revealed motivation as one of the crucial factor for an organization. ... A primary research will be also carried out to get better insights of the topic. The report will be divided into five sections. The first section will be about the introduction to the vital concepts of the study, in the second section a literature review of the topic will be carried out. Once the literature review ends, the report will clearly depict the methodology to be followed for doing the research. The next section will be about data collection and analysis. In this section mainly primary data will be collected, analyzed and meaningful information will be portrayed. Finally the report will conclude, by answering the research questions and addressing the research objectives. 1.1 Defining Motivation Motivation is imperative for an organization as it offers large number of benefits. Some of the evident benefits of having a motivated workforce within the organization are increased productivity and improved efficiency, helps in achieving the organizational goals, creates a friendly relationship within the organization, makes the workforce stable, and it also assists in utilizing the resources properly. Furthermore it also offers other benefits in the context of an organization. It leads to high performance, reduces the employee turnover rate, decreases the rate of absenteeism, portrays a better organizational image, industrial relations become superior and it also helps the organization to get adapted with the changing business environment (Singla, 2011, p.389). Different employees join an organization with diversified needs and demands. The background of the employees such as education, culture, attitude, perception, values, beliefs and location and the way of their upbringing are different. The objective of every

The Various Breeds of Cattle at Brawith Hall Estate Farms Essay

The Various Breeds of Cattle at Brawith Hall Estate Farms - Essay Example It is of great importance to note that, seemingly trivial and innocuous changes to performance practices could lead to the decline of breeds or strains adapted to the specific systems of performance in practice. There also lies in occurrence the inhibition of growth and development of the livestock at Brawith hall Estate Farms, Parasitic worms. Parasitic worms spend some, or rather most of their time living and feeding in a live host. This is when they cause the most damage to livestock. So far, resistance in cattle worms is respectively uncommon, although there exist viable indications that at some point, there would arise a problem. Producers should not be lulled into thinking it will not happen, as it probably will. Fortunately, through better grazing management, as those, which ought to be established by Brawith hall Estate Farms, and the use of effective chemical treatments, the costs on performance can be respectively minimized. It may be realized that adult cattle could obtain resistance to most of these parasites, the majority of them, except the liver fluke, so treatment usually focuses on the young stock, particularly during their first grazing season when they are most at risk (Wood, 2009, 87). Focusing on the Liver Fluke, it is being categorized amongst the most destructive parasite that attacks livestock: not only in Europe but also across the world. Brawith hall Estate Farms should practice yearling, and adult cattle should be treated after housing. Pesticides and other repulsive measures, inclusive of various chemical products tend to vary in their ability to kill immature larvae, and the timing for use is specific to the product being used (Kahrs, 2004, 121). Animals kept outdoors may require additional treatments, depending on the fluke risk. Given the resistance issues, emerging with the flukicide triclabendazole it is important to limit the use of this product. Use an alternative product for treating mature fluke in cattle. Other basic tactic s to curb the menace are readily available, and may not necessarily require any sort of major investment to the harbor. These measures include keeping stock off wet areas, which harbor the mud snail could help reduce the incidence of disease. A similar procedure, which would aid the process of nurturing the livestock at Brawith hall, is that all cattle should be dosed at the rate recommended for the heaviest animal in the group. Weighing two or three of the biggest animals and taking an average will give the most accurate guideline. If the weight range is such that the lightest animal might receive more than a double dose, divide the group into two, and calculate a dose rate for each, based on the heaviest animal in each sub-group. Inappropriate methods, such as under-dosing, using faulty dosing equipment, or treating in inappropriate conditions, can encourage wormer resistance to develop. This is because worms with some resistance to the product can survive a lower dose treatment, where a full dose would have killed them. It is rather conclusive to state that, use of wormers, should be put in place, only when it is very necessary. There occurs a trade-off between tolerating some level of worms on the farm and minimizing potential selection for wormer resistance.

Marketing distribution management#3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Marketing distribution management#3 - Essay Example These can be through charity work and donations. Sales promotion involve seasoned media or non-media communications that aims at increasing consumer and market demands as well as product availabity through coupons, product samples or trade shows. Direct marketing involve channel agnostic advertisements like mobile messaging, online display ads or interactive consumer websites. Brand vision is to empower people with great software on any devise, anytime and anywhere. Brand position would be the market leader, while brand personality is safe. These brands increases sales of Microsoft goods and services as for example, one would prefer services from number one leader and more so a safe one. Building a brand before its launch before its launch is important in ensuring that it does not fail to meet its target or cause problems like Microsoft vista. It would also ensure that the corporation creates necessary structure for accommodating increased services if the brand is successful (Solomon, Cornel and

Burdens on the States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Burdens on the States - Essay Example Anita Dancs, the Research Director of National Priorities. reported that more than $200 billion was used for security. The recent report on military attacks in Iraq brought a heightened alert for security and the need to activate the government’s security plans. The New York City, after the sad experience of 9/11 launched the â€Å"Operation Atlas† that is designed â€Å"to beef up safety and security throughout the metropolitan area during a time when there is an elevated risk of terrorist attack† (Heather Cross) The plan has been estimated by New York City Mayor Bloomberg to cost the city $5million per week to pay overtime services of police officers. Report said that as of May 10, 2003, New York City had spent $1 billion on antiterrorism activities, but has not received any support from the federal government. In spite of â€Å"no budget† from the federal government, New York City government pledged to continue its present anti-terrorist â€Å"Operation Atlas† plans in the city.(â€Å"Operation Atlas†) The present mission of the Homeland Security, by definition, is focused on terrorist’s incidents. By that, report of Anita Dancs stated that respondent training and equipment was given more emphasis on terrorism as against all-hazards. All hazards are events of catastrophe, such as bird flue pandemic, the likes of Katrina hurricane, and others of the same nature. Dancs pointed to arguments of the members of Congress on the indifference of preparedness of Homeland Security to address this kind of problem and the importance of all-hazards preparedness. Danc’s report stated the Homeland Security mission defined by the federal government as: Response to natural disasters and catastrophe does not fall within the homeland’s definition of preparedness. The preparedness for all hazard response comes only as support preparedness for terrorism related

Relationship between Science and Religion Essay Example for Free

Relationship between Science and Religion Essay The article â€Å"Relationship between Science and Religion† outlined the different relationships that the said two domains have had over the years. Historically, religion and science were viewed as strictly separate fields that could not be unified. This view is more popularly known as the conflict thesis . On the other hand, Stephen Jay Gould (1999, quoted in Wikipedia 2007) stated that the two fields could â€Å"co-exist peacefully† if they do not intervene with each other’s business. The article also enumerated different kinds of interactions between the two as presented by Polkinghorne (1998, quoted in Wikipedia 2007). Aside from the constant opposing views regarding the natural world or reality, Polkinghorne illustrated that religion and science may reach a common ground or may even be united with regard to a particular occurrence. After this, the article then went on discussing the early efforts of some religious groups to complement their doctrines with scientific facts. But of course, there were groups, particularly Islam that resisted the proliferation of science in what they believe as sectarian-dominated world. Inevitably, with the advancement of science and fast modernization of societies, there were new groups formed embodying beliefs apart from the fundamentalist view of religion. These groups range from the liberal Enlightenment advocates to non-fundamentalist sects such as Protestant Christian. There were even organizations formed that are not religiously affiliated but perform functions congruent to what religion usually does. Though there were new groups organized, some religion, which date back to ancient times claim that their dogma is capable in adjusting with scientific advancement and this has been actually used by them to explain their own theories toward the strengthening of their own beliefs. The last parts of the article list the varied point of views of scientists toward religion. Some view that religion and science are distinct from each other while others believe that the two could be unified. Others simply believe that the two fields share the same objectives in trying to provide explanation of the happenings in the environment they live in. And also, since religious beliefs are part of cosmos, they can be scientifically tested. Lastly, the article presented studies and findings on relevant issues being tackled. Since the article is not argumentative in nature, it is difficult to determine fallacious statements. The article did not clearly propose or suggest anything nor did it draw any conclusion. It was presented in a seemingly objective manner. I used the words â€Å"seemingly objective† because if one read the paper, it would be observed that the relationship between religion and science were clearly outlined without favoring any of the items. However, as one analyzed the pattern on how the article was written, the biases would be realized. The article enumerated four kinds of interaction between religion and science. However, as the article progresses, only the CONFLICT and INDEPENDENCE kinds of interaction were substantiated. The paper presented early efforts and manifestations of well-established, if not ancient, religious denominations to reconcile the two fields but it failed to elaborate on this matter. The article could have cited instances, findings or any on-going research wherein the two subject matters were integrated. Instead, the article highlighted some points in history when scientific advancements were sanctioned by religious authorities. Moreover, as if strengthening the idea that religion and science are irreconcilable, the article pointed out the formation of non-religious organizations. Though the article presented the â€Å"non-fundamentalist relationship views†, it fell short in showing that the sectarian side is attempting to make a world where they are both accommodated. For example, aside from mentioning the non-sectarian groups, it could have also stated some religious institutions that support scientific and technological development. The second bias that allude to the favoring of the separation of the two domains are the surveys showing that a higher percentage of scientists do not believe in any religious systems. How about presenting data on spiritual leaders who also uphold basic principles of science? Lastly, towards the end of the article, it showed findings on the â€Å"correlation between religiosity and intelligence†. Though this study didn’t categorically stated that those who observe holy practices and those who are strict believers of religious doctrines have low serotonin levels, it seems to create the stigma. If this line of thinking were continuously propagated, many would be discouraged to associate themselves with any religious beliefs. All the biases lean towards the implication that efforts to settle the differences between religion and science should be abandoned. This is what makes the article problematic. At first, the writing tried to present the relationship between the two in an objective way. But it failed because biases were evident. If the author had really wanted his output to be presented objectively, he should have shown the two sides of the coin. For example, he asserted the aggressive progression of science but mentioned only historic accounts on the side of religion. Also, he cited a list of studies disputing the validity of religious co-existence with science, but he again failed to mention the side of religion. Is religion also trying to draw a clear line against science or is it accepting the recent wonders of the latter? Since the author failed to be impartial in writing the article, he should have instead taken a clear-cut position on the issue so readers would be guided in the direction he’s driving at. Bibliography Greene, Perry (1997) Logical Fallacies [Internet], Available from: http://www. engl. niu. edu/wac/fallacies. html [Accessed 24 March 2007]. Johnson, George (1998) Science and Religion: Bridging the Great Divide. The New York Times Archives, [Internet], June 30, 1998 Available from: http://www. nytimes. com/library/national/science/063098sci-essay. html [Accessed 24 March 2007]. Raymo, Chet (1998) Skeptics and True Believers: The Exhilarating Connection Between Science and Religion. New York, Walker and Company. Relationship Between Religion and Science (2007) [Internet]. Available from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Relationship_between_religion_and_science#_note-3 [Accessed 24 March 2007]. Shelp, Earl Edward ed. (1985) Theology Bioethics Exploring the Foundations Frontiers II Series. Holland, D. Reidel Publishing Company.

Theories Of Corporate Social Responsibility Commerce Essay

Theories Of Corporate Social Responsibility Commerce Essay In the olden days, businesses were mostly with the idea of making profits and existing into the unforeseeable future. Gradually, it has changed dramatically and has shifted attention to responsibilities that firms have. For many years scholars have learnt firms public concerns (e.g., Berle, 1931; Bowen, 1953; Davis, 1960; Dodd, 1932; Frederick, 1960). Still, it is only currently that attraction in Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) has become extensive (Serenko Bontis, 2009; Wagner, Lutz, Weitz, 2009). CSR is a practice with the purpose of embracing responsibility for organisations conduct and supporting a definite impact through its activities on consumers, employees, shareholders, environment, communities, and all other members of the public scope who may also be considered as stakeholders. Other names for CSR include social performance, corporate citizenship, corporate conscience, or Responsible Business or sustainable responsible business (D Wood, 1991). Part A of this paper describes the three theories of Corporate Social responsibility, which are the managerial, utilitarian and relational theories (Secchi, 2007). The practice and significance will also be discussed as CSR seeks to pay attention to efforts that is being put to communities which they are situated, and whether they are been used for the right purposes. The discussion will be on how Anglo-gold Ashanti, Obuasi mining operations has impacted the community both positively and negatively. A personal analysis will be made on whether company pratices the stakeholder theory and a conclusion at the end. Theories of Corporate Social Responsibility Utilitarian Theory The hoary idea of laissez faire business gives way to determinism, individualism to public control, and personal responsibility to social responsibility. Instrumental theories could also be taken evenly with Utilitarian theory (Garriga and Mele, 2004; Jensen, 2002) in which the business is perceived as simply a mechanism for wealth making, as well as its public actions are only a means to attain profitable outcomes. The business is considered as part of the environment that it is situated in. This theory assumes the business has a responsibility to incorporate CSR in their daily working business ethics. Part of the utilitarian approach which is the functionalist also describes the business as part of the echo system therefore has a duty to make profit for its stakeholders through investment in profitable ventures. Managerial theory Secci (2007) examinations explained the reasoning of managerial theory that points out corporate management in which CSR is approached within the corporation. The distinction between the two theories is that, managerial theory suggests that all things outside the scope of the business be taken into account when making decisions. Corporate Social Performance (CSP), theories on social accountability, auditing and reporting and social issues in international business are the divisions in the Managerial theory. This theory is connected to political theories based on bringing out an idea, explaining and planning it mentally, Garriga and Mele (2004), and supported by Wood and Lodgson (2002). It explains that the greatness and power a business has should show in his involvement in the community it is situated and that the business itself is a citizen in that community. Relational theory Relational theory has a root from the complex firm-environment relationships. The theory was unfolded by Garriga and Meles (2004) analysis of stakeholder approach and was backed by the work of Mitchel, Agle and Wood (1997). The focal point of this theory is between the business and the environment. It has four sub-divisions mainly the business and society, stakeholder approach, corporate citizenship and theory of social contract. It talks more about the business and its society and also emphasizing on the stakeholder approach. Anglo-Gold Ashanti, Obuasi Obuasi Gold mine started its operations in 1897 when it was known as the Obuasi mine. Since 1975, the mine has been severely condemned for its environmental pollution, but still continues till date. In 2004 the company merged with Anglo gold Ashanti- South Africa and changed its name to Anglo-gold Ashanti, Obuasi. The company employed over 5700 people in 2009, http://www.anglogoldashanti.com/subwebs/InformationForInvestors/Reports09/AnnualReport09/f/AGA_AR09.pdf (Accessed on 04/12/2012). Mr. Kwesi Enyan is currently the managing director of the company. Positive Impact of the company on the community Anglo-Gold Ashanti has a trust fund that was created by the government of Ghana and the company. One percent of the companys profit at the end of every year is directed to the fund which would be used to develop the community. The company built AngloGold-Ashanti (AGA) primary and junior secondary school. The school is still one of the largest and well-designed junior secondary schools in Ghana. The school developed many talented people with some going on to become managers and CEO of big companies in Ghana. The company also built a hospital near one of its shafts which attended to needs of people of staffs. The hospital was linked to the government as part of an inter-governmental HIV AIDS treatment program. The company distributed condoms with pay slips and also at maternity and child care sections at the hospital. The hospital proved very vital to the community as there were not many hospitals when it was built. The hospital treated a lot of diseases and infections of employees and their children. The company recently opened the Malaria Control department which is independent from the company now but works hand-in-hand with the company. The Malaria control programme has reduced the rate of malaria deaths drastically and also given opportunity to a lot of job opportunities for people in the community. Negative impact of the company on the community During the process of mining there are many gases which are released which pollute the air and spread a lot of diseases to the community. Many people fall sick and die due to some of these unbearable gases used in mining. Mining has accounted for a lot of deaths in communities that they operate. Companies still do not care because as long as they make profits for their shareholders and if company keeps growing, they are alright. The company has also been heavily criticized of mostly employing dependants of its workers. This has resulted to a lot of youth in the community practising illegal mining popularly known as galamsey. There are almost 500,000 small scale miners composed of illegal and legal miners. There have been clashes between company workers and galamsey boys which the workers were wounded. This epitomizes the tense relationship between the two parties. Immoral issues are raised against some managers of the company. There is criticism levelled against recruitment policies of the company. Some ladies are sexually abused before being employed. There are also issues of tribalism and how there is inequality in recruitment policy and bias on the part of some managers in awarding promotions. Many farmers also have to leave their lands because of mining activities, these mining activities has destroyed a lot of vegetation. Mining activities also destroys water bodies and other natural resources which deprive the society and government of required revenue. The company surprisingly also employs huge numbers of foreign labour which really worsens and increase unemployment rate in the community and the country as a whole. The unemployment rate in Ghana including the informal sector is estimated 11% with about 28% of the population living below the poverty line. Is the company practising relational theory and the Stakeholder approach? From 2007-2009, there were no deposits added to the trust fund and as at January 2010, no funds had been disbursed. People started raising question marks to the real usefulness of the funds and whether the projects were just made out of just the company being generous. Some of the companys corporate social responsibilities were not purposefully for the Obuasi community, but for the company itself. This is because the Anglo-gold school only admits dependents of workers and does not give opportunity to other children in the community. This is an unfortunate situation and is unethical because the companys pollution and waste it disposes affects the whole community. The hospital also only benefits the employees and those that the company has relations with. The company argues that the hospital also provides counselling and testing for other community members and also the education giving to the dependents of workers is turn is educating the community because the children are also part of the community. With the theories discussed above and the stakeholder theory, the company view of responsible business is not really geared towards the improvement of the society but making profits and the welfare of its workers only. It is also unethical to destroy the land and vegetation of the community with them not getting so much in return. This depicts the current situation of Anglo-gold Ashanti (Johannesburg) compared to Obuasi, since 2004 when the two companies merged. The city has had massive improvement due to a good CSR towards the city with Obuasi not seeing any major development. Conclusion The company has a point when it employs foreign labour because there are not so much skilled personnel in the country to handle certain job aspects but saying that there must be a win-win situation. The community cannot just be suffering whiles foreigners will be enjoying, so there must be intensive training of human resource in the country to be able to acquire the needed skills to take up these positions. There should be training on plants, chemicals and awareness also made for people in the community to participate in these training programs. There must be the need for our own local resources so that most of the machinery used for mining would not be imported. There must be laws to help improve the lives of the local people and the society as a whole. Government should also play his part in ensuring the company comply with all rules and acts concerning the human rights of people in the community. Finally, companies should see corporate social as a growth engine and not a form of something charitable. PART B (SECTION A) Introduction As individuals we work with people, interact with them and might disagree or agree with them on issues. Conflict management means putting in place ways that reduces bad aspects of conflict and raising the good aspects of it at standards the same or higher than the place where the conflict took place. Additionally, conflict management seeks to improve learning and group results, that is capability or performance in a business environment (Ra him, 2002). People might disagree in decision making because they might have ideas of their own. Conflict may be important to groups and businesses, when managed well; it increases group results (Alpert, Osvaldo, Law, 2000; Booker Jame son, 2001; Ra-him Bono ma, 1979; Kuhn Poole, 2000; Church Marks, 2001). Part B of this paper is divided into two, section A and B. Section A explains conflict, its theory and my experience of it at Mining Building and Contractors Ltd (MBC,Obuasi), Ghana and a conclusion at the end. Section B of this paper expla ins building trust, relationships and communications, theories of building trust, relationships and communication as well as a personal reflection on these skills and a conclusion. Theory of conflict management Conflict is defined as disparity amongst people. It sometimes differs from a slight misunderstanding to a win-or-lose or agitated clash (Kirchoff and Adams, 1982). There are two types of theories under conflict management. The traditional theory is centred on the theory that conflict is immoral, is instigated by troublesome people, and should be subdued. Contemporary theory identifies that conflicts amid people is unavoidable. They can be beneficial to an individual and emerge as a natural result of change and therefore should be managed efficiently (Kirchoff and Adams, 1982) reflects origination as a device for conveying collectively several thoughts and perspectives into a fresh and changed combination. An environment of tautness and resulting to conflict is therefore vital in every business devoted to emerging or operating with new thinking. Personal reflection I worked at MBC Ltd, Obuasi with a colleague at the Accounts Office. My colleagues uncle was the Marketing Manager but wasnt in good terms with Mr. Ocloo, the Accountant, who was our boss. I got to know our boss was someone who was really passionate about his work and disliked lazy and insolent people. I built a strong relationship with my boss and always listened to and respected his views. My boss observed my colleague most of the time missing at the office, this continued for a few weeks. My colleague had been visiting his uncle during periods which there were no work at the office. One day I returned from an errand to find out my colleague had had a confrontation with our boss because of his continuous absence during working hours. He also had reported the case to his uncle who had come and exchanged words with our boss and had worsened the situation. I quickly called my colleague and spoke to him about the way our boss had observed him for a long period before voicing out his fr ustration. I recommended to him outside apologizing to our boss. I also advised him to go back to his uncles office to calm him down. I then ensured he explained things to his uncle and admit it was his fault to make peace. I later talked to my boss for hours explaining that, my colleague was at fault but he really left when we had finished with our work. I wanted to make sure the case does not escalate to higher levels and wanted it solved that day. It wasnt easy because we had to stay behind after office hours when everyone had left to resolve the issue. Both my colleague and his uncle came back with my colleague apologizing and acknowledging the mistake that brought about the conflict. I helped solve the solution because it would have really developed into a real mix-up which would have brought other parties and disciplines into the matter. Conclusion Every day we work with people, who might wrong us or rub us in a way. I personally think conflict is unavoidable but can be managed. At the workplace individuals should always be thoughtful and always try to negotiate with fellow workers to resolve conflicts. Workers must be sensitive to the feelings of other workers and understand that individuals may react to anger, fear and frustration. Workers should provide viable solutions to problems amongst themselves. Mangers should identify and analyse the reason for conflict to understand the root cause of conflict. Any solution for resolving the issue should be aimed at doing away with the root cause. Managers need to have good communication skills to be able to empathize with all the concerned parties and put across their solutions convincingly. Conflicts should be resolved in a healthy way without favouring any individual; all parties involved should be treated with respect and spoken to politely. Managing conflict effectively is valuab le in the progress of an organization. SECTION 2 Introduction Nowadays, businesses are looking for ways to help maintain trust, build good relationships and acquire communication skills in helping them achieve growth in their workplace. Trust is explained as the condition of preparedness for an interaction with something or someone without protection (Duane C. Tway, Jr.,1994). Trust, relationships and communication at the workplace is very essential to the success of a business and wellbeing of people at work. Trust is seen by others as equivalent to trustworthiness, explaining trust in the subject of individual traits that stimulate positive expectations on other individuals behalf(e.g., Butler Cantrell, 1984; McKnight et al., 1998).Organisational relationships can be grouped into functions, departments and teams; union, staff and the management. These relationships are influenced by how people individually treat each other in the workplace, http://www.dol.govt.nz/er/bestpractice/prc/infosheets/GPG-WP-RELATIONSHIP.pdf (Accessed on 03/12/12). Culture of trust is beneficial in disorganized and uncertain places, (Bjerke, 1999). Theories of Building Trust, Relationships Communication Trust is the anticipation by an individual, group, or a business of moral activities, that is, ethically truthful judgments and ways built upon principled values of scrutiny in favour of another person, group, or business in a mutual effort or pecuniary dealing. This explanation highlights the significance of trust in private and workplace relationships, Hosmer (1995). Trust gives way to developing a relationship more effective between the trustor and trustee (Blau, 1964). Jarvenpaa and Leidner (1998) explained that a very fast trust cannot be maintained if there isnt sequential communication. As a result, swift trust is important but doesnt guarantee a situation for communication of trustworthiness. (Meyerson, Weick, Kramer, 1996) explain communication of trustworthiness as a joint way of controlling and directing peoples behaviours and ways in their interplay with each other, and that eventually shows the standard trust that exists between them. Personal Reflection When I started work at MBC Ltd, (Obuasi), the first thing I did was to learn and quickly adapt to the organisational behaviour and culture. The next thing was to win the trust of fellow workers and build good communication levels and relationships with them. I was humble, obedient and was always eager to work. I became more involved in issues of workers in the company. This made me my boss favourite and made him sometimes go to the extent of discussing his personal issues with me. I had already won his trust and had built a vibrant relationship with him. As a new worker of the company, it was not done overnight but through hard work I was able to achieve it. If I saw workers not in good terms at work, I will quickly try to address it. I will have a conversation with the people involved and if it was still not working, I will try a higher authority. I always made sure that no party felt betrayed or offended but it was always a win-win case. I also kept private information from others confidential. When we had finished with work and the place seemed boring I would suggest a group meeting where we thrived on issues to be addressed at the office. We did this at least two times and really helped us a lot and always brought the best in us. I suggested this to fellow workers but did not work at start because some managers did not agree with the idea. Gradually interest for it grew and the company now holds a special meeting once every month where selected workers from various departments share views and discuss problems facing them to managers. This really improved communication and enhanced good relationships and trust in the organization. Conclusion Communication, trust and relationships can be improved in all workplaces, no matter the size of the company. The basis of an individuals interaction in the workplace is through these skills. These skills are very important and should be amalgamated into team building in every organization. Individuals should be encouraged to stop engaging in activities that will reduce trust existing between workers. Workshops and meetings should be organized to prepare and educate workers on developing good communication skills and fostering healthy relationships among themselves. It is never easy to impress or satisfy everyone at the workplace because we are human but we must also know that it takes a lot of effort to fix a broken relationship or trust that existed between workers than to prevent it from happening. If any company wants to move from being just a working group to a high performing one these skills must be taking seriously. None of us is perfect but we can be much more effective and e fficient if we work on building good relations, having easy and simple communication systems and being trustworthy. This will inspire and influence others to help build a successful business environment. Bibliography for Part A Berle, A. A. 1931. Corporate powers as powers in trust. Harvard Law Review, 44: 1049-1074. Bowen, H. R. 1953. Social responsibilities of the businessman. New York: Harper Row. D Wood, Corporate Social Performance Revisited (1991) 16(4) The Academy of Management Review. Davis, K. 1973. The case for and against business assumption of social responsibilities. Academy of Management Journal, 16: 312-322. Dodd, E. M. 1932. For whom are corporate managers trustees? Harvard Law Review, 45: 1145-1163. Frederick, W. C. 1960. The growing concern over business responsibility. California Management Review, 2: 54-51. Garriga, E. and Mele, D. (2004) Corporate social responsibility theories: Mapping and territory. Journal of Business Ethics, 53, 51-74. http://www.anglogoldashanti.com/subwebs/InformationForInvestors/Reports09/AnnualReport09/f/AGA_AR09.pdf (Accesed on 04/12/2012). Jensen, M. C. (2002) Value maximization, stakeholder theory, and the corporate objective function. Business Ethics Quarterly, 12, 2, 235-256. Mitchell, R. K., Agle, B. R. and Wood, D. J. (1997). Towards a theory of stakeholder identification and salience: Defining the principle of who and what really counts, Academy of Management Review, 22(4),853-886. Secchi, D. (2007). Utilitarian, managerial and relational theories of corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Management Reviews, 9, 4, 347-373. Serenko, A., Bontis, N. 2009. A citation-based ranking of the business ethics scholarly journals. International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, 4: 390-399. Wagner, T., Lutz, R. J., Weitz, B. A. 2009. Corporate hypocrisy: Overcoming the threat of inconsistent corporate social responsibility perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 73: 77-91. Wood, D. J. and Lodgson, J. M. (2002). Business citizenship: From individuals to organizations. Business Ethics Quarterly, Ruffin Series, 3, 59-94. Bibliography for Part B Alper, S., Tjosvold, D., Law, K. S. (2000) Conflict management, efficacy, and performance in organizational teams. Personnel Psychology, 53, 625-642. Bodtker, A. M., Jameson, J. K. (2001) Emotion in conflict formation and its transformation: Application to organizational conflict management. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 3, 259-275 Bjerke, B., Business leadership and culture. National management styles in the global economy, Edward Elgar Publishing, 1999 Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: Wiley. Butler, J. K., Jr., Cantrell, R. S. (1984). A behavioral decision theory approach to modeling dyadic trust in superiors and subordinates. Psychological Reports, 55, 19-28. DeChurch, L. A, Marks, M. A. (2001) Maximizing the benefits of task conflict: The role of conflict management. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 12, 4-22. D. C. Tway, Jr., A Construct of Trust, Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at Austin, 1994. Hosmer, L. 1995. Trust: The connection link between organizational theory and philosophical ethics. Academy of Management Review, 20: 379-403. http://www.dol.govt.nz/er/bestpractice/prc/infosheets/GPG-WP-RELATIONSHIP.pdf (Accessed on 03/12/12). Jarvenpaa, S. L. Leidner, D. E. 1998. Communication and trust in global virtual teams. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, 3(4): 1-36 Kirchoff, N., Adams, J.R. 1982. Conflict Management for Project Managers. Drexel Hill: Project Management Institute. Kuhn, T., Poole, M. S. (2000). Do conflict management styles affect group decision making? Human Communication Research, 26, 558-590. McKnight, D. H., Cummings, L. L., Chervany, N. L. (1998). Initial trust formation in new organizational relationships. Academy of Management Review, 23, 473-490. Meyerson, D., Weick, K. E., Kramer, R. M. 1996. Swift trust and temporary groups. In R. M.Kramer (Ed.), Trust in organizations: Frontiers of theory and research: 166-196. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Rahim, M. A., Bonoma, T. V. (1979). Managing organizational conflict: A model for diagnosis and intervention. Psychological Reports, 44, 1323-1344. Rahim, M. A. (2002) Toward a theory of managing organizational conflict. The International Journal of Conflict Management, 13, 206-235.

Technology Needs in the Special Education Secondary Classroom Essay

In secondary school settings the use of technology within the special education classroom is lacking. Special education class rooms and resource settings utilize only the basic, out of date technology that has been in use for many years. Typically the only available technology made available to special education or resource settings are the overhead projector, television, and tape recorder. According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (2009), seventy-five percent of students with disabilities rarely or never use computers. General education classes are more frequently equipped with current technology items such as smart boards, iPads, computers, projectors, write pads, and smart pens. Special education students, like their non-disabled peers, are learning 21st Century skills in the general education setting using 21st Century technology. Special education students needing remediation or small group instruction are hindered by the lack of available technological devices. According to King-Sears, Mainzer, and Swanson (2011) technology can be universally beneficial for all students as a vehicle for learner engagement or conveyance of instructional content, and it can promote participation, learning, and performance by students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who used computer-based instruction made improvements using technology that matched their learning needs, (King-Sears, Mainzer, and Swanson, 2011). Many students with disabilities have problems with mobility and use of their arms and hands. In classrooms where technology is obsolete it is impossible for these students to obtain educational success. Other students with emotional or social disabilities find it hard to convey... ...cation Technology, 24(1), 1-13. Demski, J. (2008). And access for all. T.H.E. Journal, December 2008, 30-35. Frank, F.X., & Xin, J.F. (2011). Using the smart board in teaching social stories to students with autism. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43, 18-24. Haywood, K., Johnson, L.F., Levine, A., & Smith, R.S. (2010). Key emerging technologies for Elementary and secondary education. Education Digest, 76(1), 36-40. LaFee, S. (2010). Taking the i21 initiative. Education Digest, November 2010, 47-51. King-Sears, M. E., Mainzer, L., & Swanson C. (2011). Technology and literacy for adolescents with disabilities. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(8), 569-578. Okolo, C., & Smith, S. J. (2010). Response to intervention and evidence-based practices: where does technology fit? Learning Disability Quarterly, 33(4), 257-272.

My Movie Script :: Movie Scripts

My Movie Script The year was 1925, when the beliefs of regular gals and folks were still extremely antiquated compare to the beliefs they have now. The main character was an 18 years old lesbian named Sam (short for Samantha) Johnson, who was from a working class family that lived in New York City. Her mom was a sweatshop worker, and her dad picked up garbage for a living. She had 7 brothers and sister because her parents did not believe in birth control (besides, birth control pills didn't exist then). Her family lived in a tiny one-room apartment in the Harlem district, and they lived day-to-day, paycheck to paycheck. Ever since Sam was a young child, she had been in love with the game of baseball. She loved anything and everything about baseball. She would collect baseball cards, catch baseball games on t.v, and read everything on her favorite baseball team, the Yankees. She bought her first baseball bat and glove when she was 16, she got the money by collecting soda cans and returning them to re cycling center for money. It took her almost 3 years to get the baseball bat and gloves, and she could only afford the cheapest kind. She was a terrific baseball player, which was surprising because she had never taken any lessons. I guess it is her gift. Everyday after the end of school, she would go to a baseball field behind her house to play baseball with her friends. Most of her friends were boys; she didn't have one single girl friend. Sam had always known that she was a lesbian, but she didn't come out to her parents till she was 16. Her parents were shocked at first, but now they accepted her for who she was. Sam hadn't told any of her friends about her being gay because she didn't think it was any of their business. It had been a life-long dream of Sam to join a major league baseball team, but she knew that she needed to finish high school first. In June of 1925, Sam finally graduated from high school. She told her parents that she wanted to try-out for a major league baseb all team. One of the main reasons was that Sam had hoped to earn money to help support her family. She knew how hard her parents had worked, and she realized she needed to contribute in one way.