Critique the relevance and validity of applying the capital asset Essay

Critique the relevance and validity of applying the capital asset pricing model in the context of investment choices - Essay Example Undeniably, the CAPM model rules out active investment and management research, and therefore abolishes many applications merely by using a pen, by virtue of the idealistic assumptions made by it (Perold, 2004). Some common applications often depend on the correctness of the modest CAPM, or rather the extensions in defining equilibrium returns. In fact, an imprecise understanding of the market portfolio may not be a vital factor in this. The approximated investment portfolio maintain an essential role in the reconstructed submission that arise from realization of the falsehood of CAPM. In this sense therefore, the application of this model to investment choices can have meaning only on condition that CAPM is false. The conclusion can be that the investment portfolio seems to play a natural role, making possible specifications errors to be unimportant (Shanken,

DBQ Reconstruction Essay Example for Free

DBQ Reconstruction Essay The union victory in the Civil War gave four million slaves their freedom, but reuniting the South with the North introduced a new set of significant challenges. The Congress Reconstruction were the efforts to establish and protect citizens rights of freedom. Democrats led to the failure of the Congress Reconstruction by forgiving those who participated in the Civil War who were still in favor of slavery and inequality. This act of Amnesty led to three major obstacles for reconstruction: the emergence of the Ku Kux Klan, the development of black codes, and the Compromise f 1877. The emergence of the Ku Kux Klan was one of the main contributors to the failure of the Congress Reconstruction, leaving open spots for other major events that brought completely down the reconstruction. On November 23, 1868, in Tennessee, General George Thomas explained that the purpose of the Ku Kux Klan was to allow the Southern people that participated in the Civil War to come in union with those who had abandoned the thought of inequality. This gave them the advantage to bring back inequality and kill black men. (Document 2). By forgiving these Southern people, illing freedmen became easy. These people that were being forgiven had the same mentality from before the war, which was involved with the approval of slavery and the inequality there should be because black men werent like white men. Kenneth Stampp, a history professor form the University of California at Berkeley, expressed himself in The Era of Reconstruction, 1865-1877 about how in May 1872, the Congress developed an Amnesty act to reestablish the right to vote for the majority of those Southerners that had been forgiven. (Document 3). Giving the right to vote to these eople, put the reconstruction in danger. The right of voting allowed Southerners to vote for someone that would still want slavery. Voting for someone with a mentality like that would Just allow slavery back, and thats why The Congress Reconstruction started to fail. Even though the black codes were created with the purpose of giving freedmen equal rights like white men, the codes werent followed correctly and black men were still being discriminated. The black codes were supposed to follow the 13, 14, and 15th amendment, but they werent quite followed the way it was supposed to. Both black and white men were given the same rights, but everything was separated between races, one was for black men and one for white men, showing discrimination. When the black codes were established, black men became freedmen, but even though these men could start living as freedmen, many decided to stay as slaves. In a compilation of these interviews published by Benjamin Botkin in 1945, John McCoy is quoted as saying, l works for Marse John he says one morningJohn, you can go the government say you is free l didnt know nothing what money was, nohow, but I knows Ill git plenty victuals to eat, so I stays (Document 7). The majority of slaves had been slaves through their entire life. These people didnt know how to live themselves. Black men were ignorants on how to live without being a slave, so many, just like McCoy, decided to stay where they were working so their owners would provide them an easier way of surviving even though they were still working as slaves. In 1935, an African-American historian, Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, published a book of the history of Reconstruction where he wrote, Negros who wanted to work must not dabble in politics. Negroes who wanted to increase their income must not agitate the Negro problem in order to earn living, the American Negro was compelled to give up his political power (Document 6). This excerpt of the book shows how black men where not only being discriminated, but being left out politically too. If black men wanted work being freedmen, then they would have to stay out of the political power. White men were powerful and this is why giving up political power wasnt an option, but a forceful act from the white. Black codes were not being followed, white men always managed to find a way to obtain what they wanted. The reconstruction was failing because nobody was respecting laws anymore, and black men couldnt do anything about it besides remaining quiet and following white mens instructions, which became their only real guarantee of surviving. The Compromise of 1877 was created to decide which candidate should be taken as a winner, either Hayes or Tilden, leading towards a decision that helped the Congress Reconstruction fail. As can be seen in the electoral distribution map from the election of 1876, Hayes won by only one electoral vote and lost the popular vote by 254,235. Document 8). The 1877 Compromise was an agreement to take away Northern troops from the South. This agreement was made due to Tildens request so he would let Hayes win. The removal of Northern troops left freedmen without protection, and became easy targets for Southerners to attack. If Hayes wanted to win, he had to accept the request, so he took away the troops because if not, Tilden would have stayed in the power and done worse acts. In November 4 and 5, 1874, the front-page of New York Times published two headlines that announced how Democrats entered he House of Representatives and convert the Congress to be Democratic as well. (Document 5). These Democratic victories helped undermine Congress efforts to help freedmen by creating laws and acts that followed racism ideas. There was no more hope for the reconstruction at this point. Democrats were taking all the power and black men could not do anything anymore. Being free was not an option anymore, but a far away dream instead. Even though black people were given the opportunity to have some rights and equality, the Congress Reconstruction failed because events such as the creation of he Ku Kux Klan, the construction of the black codes, and the Compromise of 1877, kept their old beliefs of slavery and inequality.

Career in Quantity Surveying

Career in Quantity Surveying Quantity surveyors come in two flavors. There is the PQS, Private Quantity Surveyor, who works in professional practice and the CQS or Contractors Quantity Surveyor, who works for a building contractor. The Quantity Surveyor   is responsible for all the financial, contractual and legal aspects of a construction project.   The PQS will provide cost planning advice during the design stage of a project and then monitor the actual costs against the budgets whilst the project is being built.   Building contractors are often paid monthly in instalments on large projects and it is the quantity surveyors job to determine a fair valuation for the work that has been completed.   In addition the PQS will advise the client on a suitable form of building contract. The Contractors Quantity Surveyor will be involved in pricing work that a contractor is asked to tender for, letting packages of work to specialist subcontractors and valuing and paying for subcontractors work. In the same way that the PQS provides cost planning advice to the client the CQS provides financial advice to the building contractor. If you think you are more skilled with figures than floor plans then you might think about becoming a quantity surveyor the so called economist of the construction industry.   As a student quantity surveyor, Ruth Smart worked on the McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield calculating the construction costs.   Listen to what she has to say about her work by clicking on her link.   Hit Back on your browser to return to this page. If you think you are more skilled with figures than floor plans then you might think about becoming a quantity surveyor the so called economist of the construction industry. As a student quantity surveyor Ruth Smart worked on McAlpine Stadium in Huddersfield calculating the construction costs. The major one of this stadium was all of these they are called banana trusses because they are shaped like bananas. The steel work that went into this stadium was very expensive. There is a lot concrete in this building as you can see all the seats. The whole structure is concrete. The seats are put on top of concrete. Steps, huge, huge money. The nicer bits are thing like you know the actual pitch, and the lights all these extras that you don’t think of which need to be priced. The line markings, everything we have to take into account everything, signage, big project. I studied quantity surveying at Leeds and years 1 and 2 was spent in the college learning, year 3 was spent on site at McAlpine Stadium and year 4 was my final year again spent in College. It wasn’t just text book stuff it was things like learning to build a brick wall. What construction was about the actual physical building of buildings. Surveyors who have been educated in Britain are viewed very well overseas. Two months after I graduated I started work out in Johannesburg, South Africa. Which was fantastic lots of exposure. Thrown in at the deep end was great running my own jobs. I became chartered June 2000. It’s good in the fact that if you wanted to set up your own practice you have to be chartered to do it for your professional indemnity insurance. It’s good also because being chartered means you are more qualified and you get a bigger salary. And also if you take a break from your career when you are chartered it’s easier to get back into your career. Team work in this sort of industry is very important because there are lots of different parties you have to communicate with and that you have to work with. The design team being architect, quantity surveyor, engineer, contractor must all work together must all communicate because without each other we couldn’t get the job done. I was attracted to the construction industry because I had never met a woman who worked within construction and it was a challenge to me. I would say to a woman who was a little bit nervous about joining the industry to go for it because I think it’s worthwhile and she’d love it like I do. Quantity Surveying Our team undertakes all types of Quantity Surveying services for a wide-ranging client base and property profile. We cover all aspects of a project, from feasibility through to overall redevelopment, consistently applying a number of firm principles. These include strict financial and risk control at all times, continuous value engineering and cost-in-use assessments. Our Services Feasibility and Planning Provision of an unambiguous statement, setting out each client’s brief and objectives. Provision of initial cost advice and an anticipated complete out-turn price. Initial estimates are later developed into detailed cost plans to monitor the ongoing cost of the design development. Identification and control of the project’s risks, which can typically include neighbouring issues, access issues, ground conditions and programme restrictions. Procurement Recommendation on the form of contract. The selection of contractors and associated tendering/negotiating processes The provision of an unambiguous, concise and complete Agreement between all parties, accurately reflecting our client’s requirements and the contractor’s proposal. Appointment of the contractor and production of contract documentation. Construction Financial monitoring, including interim payments and variation control Programme monitoring Contract operation and administration Real-time reporting on programme and out-turn costs Completion Managed possession we can negotiate and agree full, sectional or partial possession of a project Agreement of final account Supplementary services We supply a range of supplementary services, complementing our other divisional colleagues by providing specialist cost and time critical analysis to them, where they may be responsible for the overall service to the client.   Such services include: Employer’s agent, as identified by the JCT Standard Form of Contract Litigation support for disputes arising within building contracts Expert witness relating to issues of construction Cost-in-use/value engineering for alternative construction solutions Development monitoring for third parties Fire insurance valuations Planning supervision as recognised by the Health Safety Executive Capital allowance assessments for increased allowances against corporation tax Tax and VAT guidance QS Description Quantity surveyors prepare cost estimates and plans, audit projects, manage construction costs and administer construction contracts for all levels and types of construction. Quantity surveyors may perform the following tasks: talk to architects, engineers, builders, contractors, suppliers and project owners study architectural and engineering drawings and specifications prepare a Bill of Quantities, which lists the individual components required to construct the project check on changes of design to assess the effects on cost assess and recommend payment to contractors during construction prepare monthly cash-flow forecasts for clients and tax depreciation schedules undertake feasibility studies to assist in decisions about the worth of a project proceeding act as consultants to business and government. Quantity surveyors usually work in offices. They also visit building sites, clients and other members of construction teams. Personal Requirements: analytical and logical able to concentrate for long periods good oral and written communication skills able to work accurately with figures able to work as part of a team able to work independently aptitude for working with computers. RICS Increasingly, Chartered Quantity Surveyors are becoming involved when they should be: at the start of the decision-making process. The role of the quantity surveyor has changed significantly in recent years. There was a time when they tended to be brought in, too late in the day, to cost someone else’s work and ended up being wrongly cast in the role of the spoilsport who said it was all too expensive. Today the skills are largely the same but importantly the perception and understanding have changed. Increasingly, quantity surveyors become involved when they should be: at the start of the decision-making process. Whilst the primary role of a quantity surveyor remains to manage costs on building or construction sites, arguably they are just as valuable at providing ideas and creative solutions in the early stages of the project. Quantity surveyors are particularly skilled at taking the long view, assessing the options and at providing the client with a full picture on which to make decisions. Take, for example, a large new housing complex requiring an access route. When all the aesthetics and environmental issues have been considered the decision is whether to go for the shorter more direct option or for the longer one. Superficially the shorter route seems more attractive but detailed examination reveals expensive additional engineering would be required. The full job specification for a quantity surveyor would alone fill this page but typical responsibilities include: preparing cost estimates managing costs on site advising on choice of materials advising on construction techniques dealing with planning issues, building regulations, architects involvement in the procurement process providing cost and contract expertise The type of project could range from large residential or offices to motorways, water companies or a sports stadium. Alasdair Thompson is a Divisional Director of Franklin + Andrews, one of the UK’s leading firms of quantity surveyors. With ten years’ experience Alasdair has a very clear opinion of how quantity surveyors should be used: â€Å"There is no doubt our clients get the best value when they involve us at the outset. I also believe the relationship with the other professionals is much more cooperative and open with everyone listening and taking advice early on.† Quantity Surveyor: a person who measures and prices building work. In real life: Quantity surveyors are the accountants of the building profession planning and managing costs of construction projects from start to finish. Quantity surveyors (or QSs as they are known, since its a bit of a mouthful) either work for a private QS practice and act on behalf of clients or for a contracting firm which carries out construction work. This profession is certainly not all hard hats and wellies. In fact the role of the quantity surveyor has changed so dramatically in recent years that the profession doesnt always answer to the name of quantity surveying anymore! You will often see private practices referring to themselves as cost consultants and project managers because of the nature of the work they now handle. Due to the recession, QSs have had to adapt or die and there are now fewer, larger private practices than ever before taking on a broader remit of work. No longer do quantity surveyors just measure and price work, they have a more strategic role. Nowadays the QS is involved at all stages of a project from preparing tenders and planning costs to preparing final bills of quantities; essentially, making sure projects are planned and completed to cost and quality, on time. UK construction professionals are respected abroad and, partly in response to the depressed home market, many UK firms have developed an international outlook. Best bits Seeing things happen exactly as you said they would. The opportunity to have a career with commercial AND practical elements. No two projects are the same. Worst bits As with all parts of the construction industry, quantity surveying is very recession sensitive. Everyone outside the industry thinks you are an estate agent! Dont bother if Youre sensitive to jokes about counting nails. You want a nine to five career full of textbook projects. Demands Technical and business knowledge. QSs understand the building work in hand and make sure work is done in a commercially viable way. A logical mind with a down-to-earth approach to problem solving and a personality which is at ease with business executives, site employees and spreadsheets is an advantage. Teamwork Overused word, but in this business you appreciate the clients needs and work with them to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Also required is the ability to motivate and lead people on site. Flexibility Youll be required to travel to projects all over your patch (a car is often part of your salary package). Qualifications and training Most entrants follow relevant degrees or HNDs and have gained work placements in the process (sandwich courses are popular). To qualify as a chartered quantity surveyor entrants take the APC (assessment of professional qualification) run by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The APC is all about what you know and how well you can apply it. Areas of work Contracting QS Private Practice QS Contracting QS Often seen as the muddy boots side of the profession because contracting QSs are usually based in site offices although contrary to popular rumour they do not count bricks all day! The contracting QS has a budget for every project and must make sure a project stays within it. To control the purse strings the QS will: Organise work on site in the most efficient manner. Liaise with the site employees, plus employees from subcontracting organisations (smaller organisations brought in to handle particular portions of work). Negotiate with the clients QS over any price changes. Approve payments made to suppliers, employees and subcontractors. Prepare bills of quantity for work in progress and the final accounts. Private QS A private quantity surveyor is employed by a client to advise on their construction costs. Key roles for the private QS include working out the most appropriate way to meet clients needs and advising on: The site chosen. Costs of labour, plant and materials. A suitable building contractor. Once the project is up and running the QS monitors costs and negotiates with the contractors QS (agreeing payments and any changes to the original price) to ensure work is carried out to the quality specified and in the time available. Once a project is complete the services of a QS can be retained to ensure a building is managed and maintained efficiently. Quantity Surveyors National Commercial Services UK National Commercial Services specialise in the following areas Quantity Surveyors Careers in Construction Construction Consultants Construction Dispute Resolution Quantity Surveying Quantity Surveyors are concerned with financial management, measurement and accounting on construction projects. They deal with detail and tend to be highly literate and numerate and possess computer and IT skills to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities. They work on their own or within teams of other QSs or multi-disciplined professionals. They can be employed by Contractors, Subcontractors, Trade Specialists, Architects, Consulting Engineers or other companies or organisations involved in the construction process. Quantity Surveyors are trained professionals. Some will start straight from school, some will study further with a university or higher education degree in the subject. Professional qualifications can be gained through a number of institutions recognized throughout the world, examples being the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (Inst.C.E.S.). QSs can work in all levels of the industry, from assistant and trainee through intermediate, project, senior, managing, regional and chief Quantity Surveyor levels to Company Directors. Quantity Surveyors are involved with all financial aspects of construction work and increasingly, in the role of commercial, legal and contractual specialists. In addition to the prime quantity surveying functions, many QSs have an expertise in the research, preparation, submission and negotiation of contractual claims as a part of the general responsibility for financial control and financial well-being of contracts. Quantity Surveyors work in building, civil engineering, water, process, M E and other areas of the construction industry. They usually operate in two distinct environments. Pre-contract work involves the preparation of documentation to enable work to be put out to tendering contractors on behalf of the Client. Clients include government bodies, public and private authorities, developers and others seeking to undertake construction projects. Quantity Surveyors working in this area are usually employed by Professional Quantity Surveying Practices, Consulting Engineers, Architects or other companies, practices, professionals or individuals retained by the end user to ensure that what is eventually built is what he actually requires. He is likely to work in conjunction with designers and engineers and other construction professionals. The Quantity Surveyors work includes taking off quantities from drawings prepared by others, analysing, tabulating, formulating the information to facilitate the preparation of bills of quantities, schedule of rates or other documentation chosen to enable the works to be measured and valued. In doing this, the Quantity Surveyor follows guidelines set out under various documents which form part of the contract, including the method of measurement, conditions of contract, contract specification and other particulars. He may be involved in the preparation of preambles or other documents forming part of the contract. Once the documentation is prepared, the contract can be let and the work commenced. The quantity surveyor is then concerned with Post-contract work, for either the Employer or his agents, or the Contractor carrying out the work. He may work on site or remote from site in his Employers offices. The Quantity Surveyor working on behalf of the Employer may have been involved in the pre-Contract work or he may not. His job is to ensure that the value of work carried out is properly established in accordance with the particular contractual arrangements being used, and to certify appropriate payments to the Contractor. This involves taking receipt of the Contractors interim applications for payment usually at fortnightly or monthly intervals, checking the Contractors submissions and calculations and preparing details for certification of payment by the Engineer or the Architect. The principle role of the Quantity Surveyor working for the Contractor is to look after the financial interests of his employer. He will calculate and record the financial value of the work carried out and ensure that the Contractor is paid properly and on time. During the currency of the contract, he will be involved in measurements on site and from drawings in order to establish the true value of work done in the interim period. This is usually itemised within a bill of quantities or schedule of rates prepared in advance as part of the contract documentation. He will consider variations, modified and additional works and evaluate their value for his interim applications for payment. Concurrently, he will be concluding measurement and evaluation wherever possible as part of the final measure, to be submitted later as part of the Contractors Final Account. In addition to preparing applications for payment, the site-based Quantity Surveyor is also likely to be involved in internal company reporting so that the Contractors management are kept abreast of the financial status of the project. He is likely to be involved in forecasts and budgets and other reporting systems. Another key role for the modern quantity surveyor working for Contractors, is the procurement, appointment, administration, management and payment of subcontractors. On some projects, the management of subcontract accounts is the Quantity Surveyors chief responsibility. He may also have responsibility for matters such as insurance claims on behalf of the Contractor or third party claims.

Alan Greenspan :: Essays Papers

Alan Greenspan Since Alan Greenspan became chairman of the FED, the country's economy has reflected many positive results. He has done a terrific job. Allan is a very bright man who is always thinking of ways to prevent problems before they happen in the economic sector of the nation. All economists have been very content with his job just until now. In a recent Time magazine article called Is That Really You, Allan?disapproval about some new rules that this man has suggested for the economy have been highly critized. The first new rule that Alan proposed was to keep down with producivity. In the article he responds to this new rule by saying that too much efficiency pushes demand and becomes inflationary. This meaning that too much is produced and stock prices are getting higher. When this happens people begin to feel very wealthy and start to buy and buy like crazy. This is something that can cause major inflation in a future. Alan's second rule is to keep stock market prices not rising more than 5% to 6%. Greenspan comments that this has to be done because shares should rise only as fast as the rest of the economy. These two new rules proposed by Alan are mainly to protect the country from inflation and many economists and other people don't understand it. The article also reflects that many people think that Alan is doing the wrong thing. This is mainly because they are not getting the economic benefits they wish and are not thinking about the country's economic future. A very clear example is given in this article as well. The chief economist of the Deutsche Bank, Edward Yardeni states that, "If the wealth effect continues to boost demand, then why can't productivity continue to boost supply?" I really think that this comment was really said in an angry and ambitious way. This is an economist of a bank and should really try to understand that what Alan is trying to do is right. I also think this man is seeking only his own benefits. The chairman's decisions have brought many investors to worry. But just as Edward Yardeni, all these people are only thinking about the harm these rules will bring to their own selves. They are not aware that what Alan is doing is taking precautions so inflation will not invade the economy in the coming years.

Hcv And Unawareness Health And Social Care Essay

1-Identification and definition of a clinical job / contention in my country of involvement /expertise. Problem: Even though HCV is a deathly virus, its hazard factors are many, and its prevalence is high, many people either cognize nil about it or disregard its importance. Unknowingness is particularly a job among immature grownups due to a deficiency of instruction in schools, and to a figure of socio-demographic and socio-economic factors. designation of the population of involvement for the reappraisal of the literature. HCV is a disease that targets everyone ( all ages / males and females ) , and in the literature, surveies focused on prevalence of HCV among people of all ages. However few surveies concentrated on the relation of HCV prevalence with certain occupational exposures such as tattoo, organic structure piercing, socioeconomically background aˆÂ ¦ In add-on to that few surveies concentrated on childs and the prevalence of hepatitis C in their age group. So if a survey is to be done on the relation between consciousness and HCV, an age group from 18 to 21 is the best to analyze because they are the most who get involved in hazardous behaviours such as drugs and they are the major age group who get tattoos and body piercings.Majority of patients that were HCV positive were below age of 50 ( Jamal et al. ,2010 ) Population of involvement: Lebanese immature grownups with tattoos and/or piercings in Lebanon, with and without HCV aged 18-21. Dependent variable: HCV infection Independent variable: Awareness Brief debut of the job or contention ( why I selected, its significance and clinical deductions. Harmonizing to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of Hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) worldwide is estimated to be 3 % ; this translates to about 170 million people infected with the virus globally ( CDC, 2009 ) . The prevalence varies from state to state, In the Middle East ( Lebanon included ) , the prevalence is reported to be 1-5 % ( Jamal et al. ,2010 ) . The prevalence even varies between different populations-with the prevalence of HCV in blood giver populations being every bit low as 0.6 % and every bit high as 80 % in endovenous drug users ( Jamal et al. ,2010 ) . HCV causes redness of the liver which has damaging effects on wellness, taking to liver harm or liver failure-in many instances, it may ensue in decease ( CDC, 2009 ) . HCV can besides take to liver cirrhosis or liver malignant neoplastic disease ( CDC, 2009 ) . Hepatitis C can do either an acute infection, or in 75-85 % of the instances, chronic infection ( CDC, 2009 ) . In many cases, chronic hepatitis C tend s to travel unnoticed-early symptoms are normally flu-like such as febrility, weariness, sickness, purging and icterus, and be given to be in most cases over-looked by an septic individual ( CDC, 2009 ) . When symptoms do develop, the individual is already at an advanced phase of the disease, following harm to the liver caused by the virus. Infection is normally detected coincidentally by mensurating liver map and liver enzymes through everyday blood trials ; as a consequence, HCV is known as the â€Å" silent-killer † ( CDC, 2009 ) . HCV is blood-borne and can be transmitted through direct contact with septic blood such as through needle sharing ( as in the instance of drug maltreatment ) , sharing panpipes ( for illustration in blood transfusion centres ) , assholes from a needle-stick in infirmaries, and sharing bathroom gears such as razors or toothbrushes ( CDC, 2008 ) . In add-on, in scenes where there is hapless infection control-Hepatitis C can be transmitted via tattooing and piercing acerate leafs ( CDC, 2008 ) . This bring up the thought that these exposures are preventable, so it is a good survey to be done to research the original causes ( unawareness, neglect, peer pressureaˆÂ ¦ ) in order to undertake the job by the proper agencies ( instruction, rigorous regulations and ordinances, better testing techniquesaˆÂ ¦ ) This type of survey is of great significance because of: High figure of Hepatitis C instances in in-between E ( Lebanon included ) =4.6 % Catching diseases are taboo in Lebanon, and notably HCV Adolescents tend to acquire tattooed and/or pierced in secret because their parents do n't accept the thought Adolescents may non be cognizant of the safety demands associated with handling acerate leafs Peoples affected by HCV tend to maintain it a secret and this increases the opportunities of disease transmittal No anterior surveies in Lebanon have attempted to analyze the impact of raising consciousness to hygienic patterns and infection control Summary of 6 articles ( Questions 4,5,6 ) Screening run of hepatitis C among underprivileged people confer withing in wellness Centres of Lyon country, France ( F. Sahajian, 2006 ) In a cross-sectional survey conducted by F. Sahajian et Al. in Lyon, France, the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies among 944 underprivileged persons patronizing 8 different wellness centres was found to be about 4.7 % ( 95 % CI: 3.4-6.2 ) . Participants were given both a written questionnaire, which remained anon. , and depending on their wellness position, or whether there was a linguistic communication barrier or non, were screened for anti-HCV antibodies. Hazard factors found to be independently associated with HCV infection utilizing a multivariate logistic arrested development theoretical account were IVDU [ OR=15.99, 95 % CI= 3.73-68.63, P & lt ; 0.0001 ] , holding received healthcare abroad [ OR= 4.46, 95 % CI= 1.90-10.43, P=0.001 ] and have oning tattoos [ OR=2.75, 95 % CI= 1.01-7.51, P= 0.048 ] . Characteristics found to be independently associated with HCV infection included: age between 40-49, being holders of AME, or holding no societal security. Patients who were found t o be HCV seropositive were given follow-up intervention with the counsel of their physician and the Lyon Reference Center of HCV Infection. Mention: F. Sahajian, P. V. et Al. ( 2006 ) . Screening run of hepatitis C among underprivileged people confer withing in wellness Centres of Lyon country, France. European Journal of Public Health, 17 ( 3 ) , 263-271. Retrieved on Mar 19, 2010, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.oxfordjournals.org Cardinal words: HCV, hazard factors ( EBSCO Host )— — — — — — — — — —Increased hazard of viral hepatitis in Chinese male conscriptees with tattoos. ( M-D.Shi,2007 ) Consequences of another cross-sectional survey conducted among 1,897 Chinese male conscriptees showed that 2.5 % were infected with HCV ( Shi et al, 2007 ) . Furthermore, conscriptees infected with HCV had 5 times higher odds of exposure to tattooing than others, with an OR= 5.00 ; 95 % CI: 1.83-13.67 ; P & lt ; 0.01 ( Shi et al, 2007 ) Mention: Shi MD, Lee SY, Lee YB. ( 2007 ) Increased hazard of viral hepatitis in Chinese male conscriptees with tattoos. Military Medicine, 172 ( 5 ) , 539-540. Retrieved on Mar 19, 2010, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ingentaconnect.com Cardinal words: HCV, tattoos ( EBSCO Host ) Hazard factors for Hepatitis C virus infection among street young persons. ( E.Roy,2001 ) Roy et Al ( 2001 ) found, in a survey conducted among street young persons in Montreal, that among those young persons infected with HCV, 56.5 % had at least one tattoo ( rough OR=4.1, 95 % CI: 2.3-7.4 ) . After multivariate logistic arrested development, it was found that when participants had more than one tattoo, there was a fringy association with HCV infection, adjusted OR=1.8, 95 % CI: 0.95-3.6 ( Roy et al, 2001 ) ; even though 1 is included in the assurance interval, a fringy association was established due to the little sample size. Mention: Roy E. , Haley N. , Leclerc P. , Boivin J. , Cedras L. , Vincelette J. ( 2001 ) . Hazard factors for Hepatitis C virus infection among street young persons. Canadian Medical Association, 165 ( 5 ) , 557-560. Retrieved on Mar 19, 2010, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/165/5/557.pdf Cardinal words: HCV, adolescents ( EBSCO Host )— — — — — — — — — —Infection control among professional tattooists in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. ( M.Raymond,2001 ) In a survey conducted by Monica Raymond et Al ( 2001 ) among 61 professional tattooists in Minneapolis, it was found that the bulk of participants agreed that blood borne pathogens are a hazard to clients if no attending is paid. Of the tattooists, 95 % strongly believed that a tattooist could catch disease from a client, and 87 % strongly agreed that they could distribute blood-borne pathogens from client to client if they were non hygienic ( Raymond et al, 2001 ) . The conformity to infection control patterns was besides evaluated and it was found that older tattooists ( with & gt ; 10 old ages of experience ) had the lowest mark of ascertained infection control ( 65.3 % ; 95 % CI 58.9-71.8 ) compared to tattooists with experience & lt ; 10 old ages ( 74.6 % 95 % CI 68.5-80.7 ) ( Raymond et al, 2001 ) . The survey besides showed that stores with a high figure of go toing professionals tended to hold better cognition in footings of infection control due to sharing of experience and cognition ( Raymond et al, 2001 ) . Raymond et Al ( 2001 ) eventually concluded that though there was high consciousness about hazards involved with blood-borne diseases, their control, and the demand for safeguards among tattooists, this was non wholly applied in pattern. Mention: Raymond M. , Pirie P. , Halcon L. ( 2001 ) . Infection control among professional tattooists in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. Association of Schools of Public Health, 116 ( 3 ) , 249-256. Retrieved on Mar 19, 2010, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.publichealthreports.org/userfiles/116_3/116249.pdf Cardinal words: tattoos, HCV, consciousness ( EBSCO Host )— — — — — — — — — –Epidemiology of Hepatitis C virus ( HCV ) infection ( M. Jamal,2006 ) In an epidemiological article reappraisal Jamal M. et Al. identified the differences in HCV prevalence between different states and countries in the universe, values ranged from as 1.7 % in America to every bit high as 4.7 % in in-between E and 5.3 % in Africa.The reappraisal besides showed the difference in HCV prevalence between different groups with different hazard factors being every bit high as 90 % in endovenous drug users, the reappraisal besides identified the prevalence among blood givers, those who get haemodialysis and those who got the disease from sexual activity. The reappraisal eventually identified some bar techniques to undertake the issue and cut down the prevalence. Mazen J. ( 2006 ) . Epidemiology of Hepatitis C Virus ( HCV ) Infection. International Journal of Medical Sciences,3 ( 2 ) , 41-46. Retrieved on Mar 19, 2010, from hypertext transfer protocol ; //www.medsci.org Cardinal words: HCV, in-between E ( EBSCO Host )— — — — — — — — — –Prevalence of Body Art ( Body Piercing and Tattooing ) in University Undergraduates and Incidence of Medical Complications ( Lester B. Mayers, 2002 ) With the aims of finding the prevalence of organic structure art ( both tattoos and organic structure piercings ) among undergraduate university pupils and to find the incidence of medical complications associated with these patterns, Lester B. Mayers et al surveyed 454 pupils at Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. The cross-sectional study was voluntary, anon. , and included inquiries about organic structure piercings and tattoos ( both current and removed ) and their location on the organic structure, age and sex, undergraduate category, physical features ( weight, tallness, BMI ) , athletic position, every bit good as whether or non they faced any medical complications following organic structure art. Prevalence of organic structure piercings was found to be 51 % , while that of tattoos was found to be 23 % . I†¡2 analysis was used to find both differences and relationships between tattoos/piercings, and surveyed features, such as age and sex, undergraduate category, athletic position, tallness, weight, BMI ; it was besides used to find relationships between medical complications and sex. Valuess greater than 1.96 or less than -1.96 were considered statistically important ; significance for all other statistics was set at P & lt ; 0.05. I†¡2 analysis showed that piercings were higher among females than males ( P=0.002 ) and that there was no statistically important difference between tattooing and sex. Other relationships that were found included: male jocks were more likely to hold tattoos than non-athletes ( P=.02 ) . Prevalence of medical complications associated with organic structure piercings was found to be 9.2 % . The chief medical complications that were associated with organic structure piercings were local injury, that is, local hurt or lacrimation of the site ( 1.5 % ) , shed blooding ( 2.4 % ) , and/or bacterial infections ( 4.6 % ) ; no viral infections were reported. Oral complications were reported in 6 % of lingua perforated pupils. Prevalence of complications differed between locations of piercings. No medical complications were associated with tattooing, and, as the writers province, this could be due to a figure of grounds: inquiries about hurt associated with tattooing in the study were non really clear ; and holding assumed that the pupils were likely to hold gotten their tattoo in the old 3-5 old ages, this window period was non a long adequate clip to observe infection with HBV, HCV, or HIV. Mention: Lester B. Mayers et Al. ( 2002 ) . Prevalence of Body Art ( Body Piercing and Tattooing ) in university undergraduates and incidence of medical complications. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 77 ( 1 ) , 29-34. Retrieved on Mar 19, 2010, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.mayoclinicproceedings.com. Cardinal word: tattoos, pupils ( EBSCO Host )— — — — — — — — — —Restrictions To place the spread, it is of import to expose the restrictions of each survey, In the first survey ( Prevalence of Body Art ( Body Piercing and Tattooing ) in University Undergraduates and Incidence of Medical Complications ) , the writer delt with the issue in one university puting which may take to non generalizability of the survey. In add-on to that, he measured the medical result utilizing a questionare which would n't give the right prevalence of such diseases since it is largely soundless ( no serological trials were run to find prevalence of viral infections, and the deficiency of describing viral infections could be due to pupils non cognizing that they are infected instead so them non being infected at all. ) Both ( Screening run of hepatitis C among underprivileged people confer withing in wellness centres of Lyon country, France ) and ( Increased hazard of viral hepatitis in Chinese male conscriptees with tattoos. ) where not generalizable to the whole population since in the first, the topics are people from certain centres ( underprivileged ) . While in the 2nd survey topics were selected from a military background-subjects were of a specific age group, had a high degree of unsusceptibility, and had a better wellness profile than the remainder of the population. Besides Risk factors for Hepatitis C virus infection among street young persons ( Roy et al,2001 ) had little sample size. The survey conducted by Raymond et Al, 2001 ( Infection control among professional tattooists in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN. ) which tackled the issue of consciousness but non among people who get tattoos but among tattooist and stores had describing prejudice ( Questionnaire ) , and so their pattern was monitored which could hold lead to alter in behavior under monitoring. The GapThe Gap:Most of the old surveies dealt with the prevalence of HCV and its relation with Tattoos and piercing ( causes ) and other societal and fiscal factors, they besides studied medically its results, medical diagnosing and remedies, but they did n't undertake the issue of consciousness among people who are at hazard of HCV to analyze the existent cause behind high degree of this infective diseases. Therefore, no anterior surveies in Lebanon have attempted to analyze the impact of raising consciousness to hygienic patterns and infection control that should be in usage during tattooing or organic structure piercing and the hazard of undertaking Hepatitis C even though there are increasing marks that Lebanese adolescents are indulging in hazardous behaviours.

Colgate Palmolive’s Strategies Essay

A distribution channel is defined as a set of intermediaries performing a variety of functions. These interdependent organizations are involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption. Marketing channels for a product are considered one of the more important decisions made for a product. It is believed that these channels not only serve the markets that the products move thru, but they make the markets. Distribution channels determine the price thus the profit of any given product. The final stop for any product/service is the consumers, what channels the product move through has many options. One very important decision in the channel is the push verse pull marketing. A company’s push strategy uses a sales force and other promotions to pursued intermediates to carry, promote and sell the product to the consumer (Kotler & Keller, 2009). This strategy is most effective when market share or name recognition is low, when consumers have no brand loyalty and product benefits are well known. In contrast, pull strategies use advertising and promotions to provoke consumers to request the product from intermediaries. The strategy is successful when consumers make a choice prior to purchase and choose based on brand loyalty and name recognition. A company must first identify the types of intermediaries available to assist with distribution to the consumer. When Colgate-Palmolive developed the new Precision toothbrush, they had to determine the distribution channel for the product. Like its other products, the Precision toothbrush would be sub-contracted to Anchor Brush. Anchor Brush would produce the new toothbrush (which required three different types of equipment), warehouse- hold inventories, and handle transport- channel is responsible for ensuring quicker delivery. Precision’s positioning as a niche or mainstream product played a major part in the pricing and production schedules being determined. Each positioning had a different effect on pricing and adequate supply for the market. The product positioning also determined what markets and where the product would be sold. Since research had shown the new product would create a new market of consumers and Colgate-Palmolive was an established brand in the toothbrush category, a â€Å"pull strategy† would seem effective. CP could collaborate with Anchor Brush, and sell the niche Precision toothbrushes in food and drug stores. Selling a mainstream Precision toothbrush would send product to mass merchandisers and club stores. Prior to the introduction of Precision toothbrush, Colgate-Palmolive did not sell directly to dentist, a definite area of opportunity for the product, whether niche or mainstream. Colgate-Palmolive like most companies developed a product and determined what distribution channels would be used to get the final product to the end users/consumer. A production, warehousing, and transporting partner were used to move the product to the final stage of the process, retail stores for consumer purchase. Colgate-Palmolive could benefit from using a sales force that worked directly with dentist to distribute the Precision toothbrush. This partnership between the niche product –Precision and dentist would increase awareness and provide â€Å"expert† endorsement to the new product. Once the demand was increased- fueled by dentist promotion, Precision can be moved to a mainstream product with little adjustment in production and warehousing. Colgate-Palmolive’s uses a vertical marketing system strategy to move the Precision toothbrush to market. Colgate-Palmolive is the channel captain with name recognition and the product ideal that the producer, warehouse, and transporter collaborate with to produce the product.

Industrialization essays

Industrialization essays a. Why were the Indians treated so unjustly? (12) The American settlers greed was the basis for the injustice forced upon the Indians. At first the Americans simply wanted the land that could be used to grow or create products. Then the Indians were viewed as hostile enemies. This was unfair because the Americans were too greedy to give the Indians the supplies they were promised; therefore, the Indians attacked. The Indians also attacked because the Americans put them on reservations so the settlers could have the rest of the land. The hunters of the West were also forced serious injustice on the Indians. They killed the buffalo by the millions for their hides. The buffalo were the Indians source of food, consequently the Indians were forced to move to reservations. b. Why was the evolving cattle industry so profitable? (10) The low cost and high output of the cattle industry made it extremely profitable. Buffalo grass, which grew year round and through droughts, grew on the Great Plains, which made it unnecessary for ranchers to buy food for the cattle. Cattle could be used as food or a labor force. They could also be sold to the Indians who had no choices for food because they were stuck on the reservations. Cattle could be raised cheaply in the Plains and sold to the railroad workers and the troops guarding the workers. c. Why did farmers and sheep ranchers create problems in the West? (12) d. Why was the railroad essential there? (10) The lack of natural resources, other than land, made railroads essential. There werent many trees in the West so would had to be sent by railroad to farmers and ranchers. Water was also a necessity for the settlers which could not be found easily. Railroads helped to supply them with this essential resource. Settlers could not find enough food during the winter, but the railroads could bring supplies for them. Farmers used the railroad to get their crops ...

Narrative Therapy Essays

Narrative Therapy Essays Narrative Therapy Paper Narrative Therapy Paper { tf1ansiansicpg1252deff0deflang1033{fonttbl{f0fromanfprq2fcharset0 Times New Roman;}} {*generator Msftedit 5. 41. 21. 2509;}viewkind4uc1pardfi360sb100sa100f0fs24 Narrative Therapy is an approach to counseling that centers people as the experts in their own lives. This therapy intends to view problems as separate entities to people, assuming that the individual quote s set of skills, experience and mindset will assist him/her reduce the influence of problems throughout life. This therapeutic approach intends to place the individual in both the leading role and author roles: switching the view from a narrow perspective to a systemic and more flexible stance. The aim is to help clients realize what forces are influencing their lives and to focus on the positive aspects of the lquote play quote . In many events of our lives, we tend to focus on particular things and ignore others. Analyzing our lives as a play, or a system, helps us understand the different forces and roles that are influencing our behavior. This in turn gives us flexibility to invoke the necessary changes for improvement. It is a highly respectful, effective, non-blaming approach. It theorizes that people organize their lives into stories, and that individual are not the ldblquote problem dblquote the problem is the problem. It views people as having many skills, beliefs, and abilities that will help them reduce the influence of problems in their lives. The focus is not on the lquote experts quote solving problems, it is the individual discovering through conversations of their hidden possibilities within themselves. par Narrative therapy was originally developed during the 1970 quote s and 1980 quote s, but became prevalent in North America during the 1990 quote s. The founders are Michael White a Psychotherapist and David Epston a S. S. W professor. Michael was a social worker, family therapist, author and co-director of the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide, South Australia. He quote s known for his work with children, schizophrenia, anorexia/bulimia, men quote s violence, trauma, as well as the Indigenous Aboriginal communities. David Epston is an author, co-author and editor of many articles and books on lquote Narrative Therapy quote . He is a professor in the Social Work field, and the co-director of the Family Therapy article page Centre in Auckland New Zealand. He worked closely with Michael White on developing Narrative Therapy approach by integrating different forms of therapy together. par The Basic concepts of narrative therapy is to enable people to tell their stories in ways that make them stronger and Enables people who are experiencing hardship to make a contribution to others who are also experiencing hard times. It Encourages individuals, couples, and families to more fully explore other possible ways of making sense of their situations as well as supports to break free of restricting narratives. It also maximizes the existing capabilities and resources the individual may have. The core concept in Narrative Therapy is that our lives, identities and sense of self are shaped and made up by the meaning we attribute to our experiences which, roughly speaking, are simply stated the stories we tell ourselves to ourselves and eventually to others. When a person seeks therapy it is because their story is problem-saturated and has also became the person quote s dominant story in their life. When this story is told to a narrative therapist they don quote t contend the fact that it is true or false whatsoever, but simply, that it is subject to the distortion and removal which all our memories and experiences are subject to, that it is a slim description. par The techniques that narrative therapists use have to do with the telling of the story. They may examine the story and look for other ways to tell it differently or to understand it in other ways. In doing so, they find it helpful to put the problem outside of the individual, thus externalizing it. They look for unique outcomes: positive events that are in contrast to a problem-saturated story. dblquote (Sharf, 2004). The 3 main technique used are Firstly Externalizing the Problem. In Narrative Therapy the problem becomes the enemy of the story. Certain behaviors are based on particular lquote unhealthy quote or lquote undesired quote characteristics, such as lack of patience, aggressiveness, etc. Thus, they are approached as not a part of the client but as an opposing force which needs to be lquote defeated quote . An example would be a child that has a very bad temperament and tends to be aggressive to other kids at school and his parents. The child might feel guilty for his temperament and blame it on himself (ldblquote I don quote t know85 it is the way I am85 dblquote ). The counselor will work with him towards isolating that undesired trait (aggressiveness) and placing it as an external trait endash not a characteristic of the individual. This strategy helps clients re-construct their own stories in a way which will reduce the incidence of the problem in order to eliminate negative outcomes and reinforce personal development and achievement. The protagonist becomes the author and re-writes the story constructively. Secondly Unique Outcomes if a story is full of problems and negative events, the counselor will attempt to identify the exceptional positive outcomes. When exploring unique positive outcomes in the story, the counselor will assist the client in redeveloping the narrative with a focus on those unique outcomes. This assists the client in empowering him/herself by creating a notion that those unique outcomes can prevail over the problems. Think about this analogy: you are a novel writer. You were given a novel to review and publish the way you prefer. You have read it and found it generally poor, but there were some interesting ideas which you liked. You selected these ideas, and re-write the novel around them. You can make a flawed story become a bestseller. Finally Alternative Narratives The focus of Narrative Therapy is to explore the strengths and positive aspects of an individual through his or her narrative. Therefore, the main objective of this therapeutic approach is to improve the person quote s perspective internally (reflective) and externally (towards the world and others). Alternative narratives are a simple way to relate to this concept. This technique works in combination with unique outcomes. How? The individual will reconstruct a personal story using unique outcomes, therefore, focusing on the positive aspects of a previous story in order to achieve a desired outcome. This process is based on the premise that any person can continually and actively re-author their own life. By creating alternative perspectives on a narrative (or event within the narrative) the counselor is able to assist the client in bringing about a new narrative which will help combat the lquote problems quote . This is similar to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as it aims to create a positive perspective of an event. The main goal is to get the individual to alter the way they think, feel, and behave towards their own experiences, situations, and problems affecting them in their life. It engages clients in making sense of their narrative stories by externalizing the client quote s problem, Re-authoring the Story, and by providing a context for the new story. par The 6 Principles used in a Powerful transformative session are Dialectic and Paradoxical, Synergic, Symbolic, Holistic, Heroic and Pragmatic. Narrative therapy has a different kind of theory as it seeks to be a respectful, non-blaming approach to counseling and community work, which mainly focuses on the person being the expert in their own lives. Narrative therapy views the problem separately from the person and assures people have the skills, beliefs, values and abilities to reduce problems that occur in their lives. In essence, within a narrative therapy approach, the focus is not on experts solving problems, it is on people discovering through conversation, within themselves and hidden unseen story lines. Narrative therapy as been proven to be successful when used within individuals experiencing deep grief, with children experiencing problems , In group Mediation sessions, In Family therapy, with individuals who were sexually abused, with individuals who have Anxiety disorders or eating disorders- anorexia/bulimia, as well as Coaching teams and athlete. par Unfortunately this theoretical approach has some weakness when used with certain family situations. This approach is not Applicable to all problems . It Does not consider the root ldblquote cause dblquote of the problems and it can be vague when understanding of how problems developed. It also Holds a constructionist belief that there are no absolute truths but only socially sanctioned points of view. Therefore; therapist are Concerned that Narrative therapy are made to be lquote gurus quote , especially since its leading proponents tend to be overly harsh. Despite being a widely used approach, particularly when combined with other therapeutic approaches . Narrative Therapy has certain boundaries and limitations. In many occasions, diverse clients may expect the therapist to act as the expert, instead of having to lquote conduct quote the conversation themselves. For this reason, Narrative Therapy can be challenging when the individual is not articulate. Lack of confidence, intellectual capacity and other issues could also undermine the expression of the individual through a narrative. Another common boundary of Narrative Therapy is the lack of recipe, agenda or formula. This approach is grounded in a philosophical framework, and sometimes can become a particularly subjective or widely interpretative process. par pardfi360par }

Authentic materials as supplementary materials

Authentic materials as supplementary materials Plagiarism is a practice that involves the using of another person’s intellectual output and presenting it as one’s own’. This includes the presentation of work that has been copied, in whole or part, from other sources (including other students’ work, published books or periodicals, or unpublished works or unauthorized collaboration with other persons), without due acknowledgement. A student found guilty of plagiarism will be subject to some or all of the following: Referral to Course Coordinator for: counseling; submission of further work; use of the services of Student Learning Unit; the placing of a record of the alleged infringement on the student’s file. Referral of the matter to the Head of School for: issuing of written warning; re-submission of work for assessment or the undertaking of another form of assessment such as an oral or unseen examination; allocation of a fail grade to part or all of the assessment; allocation a fail grade to th e subject. Referral of the matter to the Dean for: suspension from the course; official disciplinary action by the University Disciplinary Committee Student Declaration I declare that this assignment is original and has not been submitted for assessment elsewhere. I declare that this assignment is my own work and does not involve plagiarism or collusion. I give my consent for the electronic version to be examined by relevant plagiarism software programs. I have made a photocopy or electronic copy of my assignment, which I can produce if the original is lost for any reason. Signed: ___________ ____________ Dated: / / How to submit Your assignment Students are required to submit their assignment to their lecturer. This should be done in class, but can be done via email or via the mail with prior agreement from the lecturer. Students should ensure they are aware of how and when to submit their assignment by checking with their lecturer before the due date. How to Collect Your Marked As signment Your work should be collected from the lecturer in class or from the VU-HANU Program Coordinator in HCM City, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha or in Hanoi, Ms. Nguyen Thai Ha. If work is not returned in class or prior to the end of semester please contact your lecturer or the program coordinator (Mr. Martyn Brogan ) More information about Plagiarism is available from the Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Student Information Website: http://www.vu.edu.au/Faculties_and_TAFE/Arts_Education_and_Human_Development/Current_Students/Undergraduates/Faculty_Student_Forms/indexdl_88408.aspx TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I Introduction Research questions CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW Text book 2.1.1 Textbook Description 2.1.2 Textbook Evaluation 2.2 Authentic materials for ESP course book 2.2.4. The role of reading materials 2.2.1. Definition of authentic materials 2.2.2. The role of authentic materials 2.2.3. Advantages of authentic materials 2.2.5. The criteria of selecting readin g authentic materials 2.3. Applying authentic materials in extensive reading program 2.3.1. Applying authentic materials in extensive reading program 2.3.2. Post-reading activities 2.4. Motivations 2.4.1. Definition of motivation 2.4.2. Factors effecting motivation CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Kind of research 3.2 Participants 3.2.1 The researcher 3.2.2 Selection of the subject 3.3 Data collection instruments

An analysis of the United Arab Emirates banking sector Research Paper

An analysis of the United Arab Emirates banking sector - Research Paper Example In the present day context, the role played by the UAE banking sector can be observed as quite significant for the country’s elevating economic growth rate, both in the micro and macro environments. The banking sector of UAE offers a range of financial products and services targeting both the domestic group of customers and the international clients. Additionally, the recent banking scenario of the country has been witnessed to experience an increasing competition owing to enhanced product innovation requirements and availability of various substitute products/services (Arab News, 2012). Concerning the recent alterations of the industry scenario owing to the impact of the recent global financial turmoil, continuous influence of globalization and altering customer preferences, it can be assumed that the strategies considered by the banks in UAE have changed dramatically towards gaining better flexibility, competency and sustainability. With this concern, the discussion of this report will be focused on comparing two major banking corporations operating in UAE, i.e. Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) and Commercial Bank International (CBI). Hereby, the discussion will emphasize on five most common banking services, i.e. savings account, travel loans, car loans, education loans as well as home or construction loans to comprehensively explain the differences in both the banks’ strategies. Comparison between Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) and Commercial Bank International (CBI) Savings Account The banking corporations have been highly focused on delivering a range of financial products and services to an extended number of consumers in order to provide financial benefits. With this concern, the services rendered by today’s banking industry through savings account has been one of the common and most successful services to gain customer satisfaction by dealing with the client’s deposit amounts. The service is also identified to facilitate the cus tomers in obtaining a security assurance of the deposited balance providing the partial benefits of a fixed account along with the benefits of a current account to withdraw any specific amount at frequent intervals through an easier transaction process (Ayub, 2008). GhinaSaving Account (ADIB) In the context of ADIB, the banking institution focuses on offering effective and beneficial services for the clients. Ghina’s savings account service offers secure and safe access to the account by the authorized person in terms of making any transactions. To open Ghina saving account, the customer must deposit minimum of AED 20,000 and directly the customer will receive a welcome entry coupon (electronic coupon). The electronic coupon will enter the client to two monthly draws of AED 10,000 prizes to 20 winners which held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month. After collecting four coupons the customer will be able to enter the grand draw of AED 2 million and AED 500,000 every fou r months. The client can receive extra electronic coupon for every deposit of AED 20,000 and maintain it for a calendar month. If the account balance is less than 20,000 the customer will lose all his coupons. The profit on Ghina saving acc

Brief Synopsis of the Film Avatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brief Synopsis of the Film Avatar - Essay Example Colonel Miles Quaritch who heads the Earth’s security force, however, found the rich source of unobtanium which is the Na’vi’s sacred gathering place and attacked it. Jake joined in defending Hometree that led to the eventual retreat of the humans. Jake was later transferred to his avatar permanently through the help of the Tree of Souls. II. The intersection of two issues: racial and gender discrimination Humez and Dines theorized that mass media which are the radio, television, and film help form our identities that includes the way we see the world, relationship with it and the values we hold and cherish (2002). In essence, media has so much influence that it could dictate our perception and value system particularly the film because it immerses its audience in the reality it portrays and thus, inadvertently influences its audience of the cultural and social perspective of the film. In James Cameroon film Avatar, there is two distinct cultural and social persp ective of the film that causes injustice and subjugation wrought by greed and social stratification. These two distinct issues that were obvious in the film that is the discrimination of humans against Na’vis who were viewed by humans as primitive and with condescension whose race is taken as an impediment in their quest to harvest the mineral unobtanium. This relationship between humans and Navi’s become unjust because it perpetuated a system of inequality whereby it restricts some people while privileging others (Magner qt. in Weber 13). Another subtle issue that was present in the film was the gender issue of stereotyping of women as people who are often subjugated to men. This became an injustice because Na’vis imposed a social stratification that subjugates a gender (female) to another gender (male). These issues intersect in a way that the race and a particular gender are relegated to another which in this case are the Na’vis and the women to be bel onging in the lower strata as represented by Neytiri, the chieftain and the spiritual leader’s daughter.  

Business Risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay

Business Risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical products in countries like Asia and Latin America are challenging the company's patents and trademark protection. 2. Exchange rate fluctuations are a major concern for a company with headquarters in the U.K., operations in 45 countries, 64,200 employees of whom 60% are based in Europe (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 16), 49% of sales from the U.S. and Canada, and 30 manufacturing sites in 20 countries buying and selling raw materials from different sources using a variety of currencies (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 14), although they are minimizing this to avoid currency fluctuation effects. The company reports in U.S. dollars, so a stronger dollar will have a negative effect on its bottom line due to lower dollar revenues on sales in foreign currencies. Although AstraZeneca mitigates currency risk, it does not "seek to remove all such risks (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 155)." The company, with a $1.1b fixed interest rate debt, is exposed to interest rate risk due to fluctuations in market interest rates. By converting fixed interest debt to floating rate (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 91), every one hundred basis point (on e percent) rise in interest rates means the company pays $11m more. 3. Uncertainties of developing new products from the Research and Development (R&D) pipeline affects not only AstraZeneca but the whole pharmaceutical industry, which spends an estimated $1 billion over at least ten years to launch a new drug (KPMG, 2005, p.6), which includes losses incurred in developing drugs that do not even reach the market. Companies need to launch new drugs to replace those with expiring patents, marketing exclusivity or trademarks (Bate, 1997, p. 230-231). 4. AstraZeneca is the 9th largest pharmaceutical company in the world (Fortune, 2005) and competes with bigger companies with more resources for R&D and marketing. It also competes with biotechnology companies developing similar products. Increasing regulations in Europe, the Americas, and Asia (Clifford and Flochel, 2005) that put caps on drug prices directly or indirectly lead to low revenues and margins. 5. The company is at risk of paying higher taxes if existing U.K.-recognized double tax treaties are revoked for any reason. Fortunately, these treaties are holding but the risk of being taxed more than once for the same revenue is real. 6. AstraZeneca had a product liability scare in 2004 with Crestor, an anti-cholesterol drug. As the recent experience of Merck with Vioxx has shown, adverse publicity depresses the stock price and wipes out a portion of potential revenues (Bate, 1997, p. 287-288). 7. AstraZeneca's reliance on other companies for raw materials and services expose it to supply chain risks. If these third parties do not deliver, the company suffers stoppages in production, late deliveries, and lost revenues as the market switches to similar drugs. 8. The pharmaceutical i

Nurses say hospital dangerous, but CEO denies charge Essay

Nurses say hospital dangerous, but CEO denies charge - Essay Example This case has garnered the attention of the nurses who claim that staffing problems are suppressing the quality of care. However, the CEO insists that the Hospital has to follow this path to ensure that the increasing health needs of the community are met through proper utilization of resources (The Star, 2014). The case of Humber Hospital brings about the issue of efficiency in the health care environment. The quality and quantity of healthcare in the society is a major concern for the bodies regulating public healthcare institutions. While there is need to provide a large population with health services, it is crucial for the health service providers to ensure that quality services are rendered. The Ontario Nurses Association is one of the bodies monitoring the health concern in the society. The major focus of the regulating bodies is that the community gets the right quality and quantity of healthcare within the available social amenities. The case of Humber hospital is interesting since it raises the question of whether health service providers should pay attention to the quality or the quantity of their services (The Star, 2014). While the CEO intends to increases the hospital capacity, he risks suppressing the quality of healthcare in this hospital by employing the Registered Practica l Nurses. For instance, neglection of 48 old year old woman with schizophrenia resulted to her death, a case which can be termed as poor quality of service. The fact that there is already a case of patient negligence, it is crucial for regulating bodies to intervene. The concerned bodies should assess if Humber Hospital has the capacity to provide the right quality and quantity of medical care within the society. Numerous groups may have an interest in the case of Humble Hospital. First, the regulating bodies may have a concern with respect to the quality of healthcare in this organization. These bodies have the

Zimbardo Prison Experiment. The Dynamics of Attitude and Behaviour Essay

Zimbardo Prison Experiment. The Dynamics of Attitude and Behaviour - Essay Example (Rothman-Marshall, 6 Jan 99) However, when a person performs an action contradictary to a strongly held belief or opinion, there is a jarring feeling that distresses, which psychologist Leon Festinger describes as that uncomfortable feeling one gets when one "finds oneself doing something that doesn't fit with what one knows." This chafing sensation, known as cognitive dissonance, is glaringly visible in the Zimbardo Prison Experiment. For the two-week experiment, a group of students were paid to participate in a simulated situation where half the randomly chosen students were 'prisoners' and the other half, 'guards'. The students took to the roles they were acting, and soon the life-like 'prison' was a scene of realistic baton-wielding tyrannical uniformed guards subjugating and abusing the hapless, helpless prisoners to such an extent that few even suffered from severe trauma, and had to be replaced. During the experiment, it was noted that decent, (presumably) law-abiding boys behaved in a manner totally contradictory to their normal attitudes. The 'guards' often abusing and manipulating the 'prisoners' who, stripped of their identity, debased and dehumanised, acted out the part of the oppressed 'prisoner'.

Business Risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry Essay

Business Risks in the Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example Manufacturers of generic pharmaceutical products in countries like Asia and Latin America are challenging the company's patents and trademark protection. 2. Exchange rate fluctuations are a major concern for a company with headquarters in the U.K., operations in 45 countries, 64,200 employees of whom 60% are based in Europe (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 16), 49% of sales from the U.S. and Canada, and 30 manufacturing sites in 20 countries buying and selling raw materials from different sources using a variety of currencies (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 14), although they are minimizing this to avoid currency fluctuation effects. The company reports in U.S. dollars, so a stronger dollar will have a negative effect on its bottom line due to lower dollar revenues on sales in foreign currencies. Although AstraZeneca mitigates currency risk, it does not "seek to remove all such risks (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 155)." The company, with a $1.1b fixed interest rate debt, is exposed to interest rate risk due to fluctuations in market interest rates. By converting fixed interest debt to floating rate (AstraZeneca, 2005, p. 91), every one hundred basis point (on e percent) rise in interest rates means the company pays $11m more. 3. Uncertainties of developing new products from the Research and Development (R&D) pipeline affects not only AstraZeneca but the whole pharmaceutical industry, which spends an estimated $1 billion over at least ten years to launch a new drug (KPMG, 2005, p.6), which includes losses incurred in developing drugs that do not even reach the market. Companies need to launch new drugs to replace those with expiring patents, marketing exclusivity or trademarks (Bate, 1997, p. 230-231). 4. AstraZeneca is the 9th largest pharmaceutical company in the world (Fortune, 2005) and competes with bigger companies with more resources for R&D and marketing. It also competes with biotechnology companies developing similar products. Increasing regulations in Europe, the Americas, and Asia (Clifford and Flochel, 2005) that put caps on drug prices directly or indirectly lead to low revenues and margins. 5. The company is at risk of paying higher taxes if existing U.K.-recognized double tax treaties are revoked for any reason. Fortunately, these treaties are holding but the risk of being taxed more than once for the same revenue is real. 6. AstraZeneca had a product liability scare in 2004 with Crestor, an anti-cholesterol drug. As the recent experience of Merck with Vioxx has shown, adverse publicity depresses the stock price and wipes out a portion of potential revenues (Bate, 1997, p. 287-288). 7. AstraZeneca's reliance on other companies for raw materials and services expose it to supply chain risks. If these third parties do not deliver, the company suffers stoppages in production, late deliveries, and lost revenues as the market switches to similar drugs. 8. The pharmaceutical i

Zimbardo Prison Experiment. The Dynamics of Attitude and Behaviour Essay

Zimbardo Prison Experiment. The Dynamics of Attitude and Behaviour - Essay Example (Rothman-Marshall, 6 Jan 99) However, when a person performs an action contradictary to a strongly held belief or opinion, there is a jarring feeling that distresses, which psychologist Leon Festinger describes as that uncomfortable feeling one gets when one "finds oneself doing something that doesn't fit with what one knows." This chafing sensation, known as cognitive dissonance, is glaringly visible in the Zimbardo Prison Experiment. For the two-week experiment, a group of students were paid to participate in a simulated situation where half the randomly chosen students were 'prisoners' and the other half, 'guards'. The students took to the roles they were acting, and soon the life-like 'prison' was a scene of realistic baton-wielding tyrannical uniformed guards subjugating and abusing the hapless, helpless prisoners to such an extent that few even suffered from severe trauma, and had to be replaced. During the experiment, it was noted that decent, (presumably) law-abiding boys behaved in a manner totally contradictory to their normal attitudes. The 'guards' often abusing and manipulating the 'prisoners' who, stripped of their identity, debased and dehumanised, acted out the part of the oppressed 'prisoner'.

The Australian Financial Review Essay Example for Free

The Australian Financial Review Essay According to the Australian Financial Review (2013), Tesco has agreed to form a 20/80 joint venture with China Resource Enterprises. This initiative occurs in the light of the declining retail environment in Europe and aims to combine Tesco’s 134 Chinese branches with 2,986 outlets from the China Resources Vanguard business. This deal will provide a strong platform for Tesco to enter the Chinese market and establish market leadership by improving its offering for customers within the region. Application Tesco’s planned expansion in China is the direct result of the declining economic environment in Europe, which has lead to a dramatic shift in sociocultural spending patterns. This has impacted Tesco negatively as a 0. 2% reduction in European private consumption from 2007 to 2011 (Roxburgh 2012) saw a ? 1 billion decrease in Tesco’s European sector revenue from 2009 to 2011 (Tesco 2009; Tesco 2011). As a response, Tesco has initiated a strategic alliance with China Resource Enterprises in a bid to solidify its market position in China. This alliance greatly assists Tesco in overcoming cultural differences as Inkpen and Tsang (2005) explains that firms operating in culturally distant nations can leverage knowledge from local partners to better understand host markets. This is important as the UK and China are dissimilar in a multitude of cultural dimensions (Hofstede 1984). Through this alliance, Tesco can overcome its liability of foreignness by utilizing the existing brand reputation of its partner since 45% of Chinese consumers display a high level of brand loyalty (Magni and Atsmon 2012), prevalent in a long term orientation focused culture. This alliance furthermore allows Tesco to transform into a multi-format retailer (Australian Financial Review 2013), which is consistent with changing consumption preferences signified by the increasingly popularity of hypermarkets. This multi-purpose shopping location has subsequently become a staple for consumers with average growth rates of 20% per annum since 2003 (Herring et al. 2012). This changing sociocultural trend provides Tesco with a myriad of opportunities in China. Analysis Tesco’s expansion strategy in China will provide numerous opportunities for growth. This stems from a mixture of Chinese economic and regulatory factors which contribute to an increasingly consumption-driven demographic. According to Woetzel, Li and Cheng (2012), regulatory initiatives on raising minimum wage levels have already increased disposable income per capita by 19. 7% in 2012. This combined with financial reforms aimed at increasing market competition will help expand private sector activity, in turn boosting employment and accelerating household income growths by 9% per annum. As a result of improving economic conditions, Woetzel, Li and Cheng predict national consumption to rise by 8% per annum and increase threefold from 30,000RMB in 2012 to 92,000RMB in 2030. These consumption patterns provide a myriad of sale opportunities for Tesco. However these benefits are overshadowed by an aging population and a reduction in the available workforce. According to Atsmon et al. (2012), China is experiencing rising life expectancies and falling birth rates, and estimates the proportion of population over 65 will increase from 10% to 15% in the near future. This is problematic as Bongaarts (2004) states public pension benefits impose serious economic burdens on the working population and may lead to a rise in taxation. This factor is worsened by a reduction in the available working age population which according to Evans-Pritchard (2013) has already increased salaries by 16% annually in the past decade. This may increase Tesco’s operating costs, which will reduce profitability. Although faced with an ageing population, Woetzel, Li and Cheng (2012) reveal that increasing government subsidies towards social security could strengthen China’s safety net. This combined with increasing urbanization and a rising middle class will spur consumption, counteracting the effects of an ageing population. Golley and Meng (2011) also provide evidence against labour shortages in China and state there is still an abundance of under-employed workers in rural regions. They argue unique Chinese institutions and policies have restricted migration into cities and regulatory reforms can see migrant workers double from 150 to 300 million, thereby negating significant salary increases. Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Tesco has recently introduced a variety of sustainability and ethical sourcing initiatives, reflecting an increased commitment towards CSR. However these programs were only initiated after negative publicity generated by Friends of Earth (2005), which accused Tesco of using their market power to reduce supplier prices and operating energy intensive facilities. According to Becker-Olsen et al. (2006), this is a reactive rather than proactive strategy and confirms Piacentini et al. ’s (2000) study, which exposed that being recognized as a socially responsible company was the main reason food retailers adopt CSR rather than philanthropic reasons. Consequently, Tesco’s CSR initiatives can only be classified as a CSR grasp on Freeman and Hasnaoui’s (2010) continuum as they are merely strategies that ensure competitiveness. Although superficial, these CSR initiatives do however set standards for competitors and can encourage future CSR advancements as firms compete to be recognized as the most socially responsible retailer. Reference list Atsmon, Y. , Magni, M. , Li, L. , and Liao, W. 2012, Meet the 2020 Chinese Consumer, McKinsey Company, China, viewed 4 October 2013, Becker-Olsen, K. L. , Cudmore, B. A. , Hill, R. P. 2006, ‘The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior’, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 46-53. Bongaarts, J. 2004, ‘Population aging and the rising cost of public pensions’, Population and Development Review, Vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 1-23. Evans- Pritchard, A. 2013, ‘Shortage of workers to halt Chinas growth’, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 February, p. 6. Freeman, I. and Hasnaoui, A. 2010, ‘A four-nation study of the meaning of corporate social Responsibility’, Proceedings from the 7th Congres de l’Aderse, March 2010. La Rochelle, France. Friends of Earth 2005, The Tesco Takeover, Friends of Earth, London, viewed 5 October 2013, Golley, J. , Meng, X. 2011, ‘Has China run out of surplus labour? ’, China Economic Review, Vol. 22 no. 4, pp. 555-572. Herring, L. , Hui, D. , Morgan, P. , Tufft, C. 2012, Inside China’s hypermarkets: Past and prospects, McKinsey Company, China, viewed 4 October 2013, Hofstede, G. 1984, ‘Cultural dimensions in management and planning’, Asia Pacific journal of management, Vol. 1 no. 2, pp. 81-99. Inkpen, A. C. , Tsang, E. W. 2005, ‘Social capital, networks, and knowledge transfer’, Academy of management review, Vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 146-165. Magni, M. Atsmon, Y. 2012, ‘Wooing the Fickle Chinese Consumer’, Harvard Business Review, February, viewed 5 October 2013, Piacentini, M. , MacFadyen, L. , Eadie, D. 2000, ‘Corporate social responsibility in food retailing’, International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 28, no. 11, pp. 459-469. Roxburgh, C. , Labaye, E. , Thompson, F. , Tacke, T. , Kauffman, D. 2012, Investing in growth: Europes next challenge, McKinsey Company, viewed 4 October 2013, Tesco 2009, Annual Report and Financial Statements 2009, Tesco, Cheshunt, viewed 5 October 2013, Tesco 2011, Annual Report and Financial Statements 2011, Tesco, Cheshunt, viewed 5 October 2013, The Australian Financial Review. 2013, ‘Tesco to form venture with Chinese retail giant’, The Australian Financial Review, 2 October, viewed 4 October 2013, Woetzel, J. , Li, X. L. , Cheng, W. 2013, What’s next for China? , McKinsey Company, China, viewed 4 October 2013,

Reviewing The Siemens Information And Communications Network Information Technology Essay

Reviewing The Siemens Information And Communications Network Information Technology Essay Siemens Information and Communications Network are composed of several regional development centers around the world. One of those, located in Bangalore, India, was given the tasks of developing two large scale Softwares during the 1990s. The first of those, called ADMOSS (Advanced Multifunctional Operator Service System) was designed to facilitate modern call centers with some 500 features. The second one which followed after five years was called NetManager, it had a user-friendly, and graphics based user interface and some 6,000 features regarding administration and maintenance of EWSD network-nodes and networks. Both of these projects suffered huge deadlines-slippages, faulty design (at least initially), undetected-till-last-stage errors, embarrassment with customers and miscommunications between ICNs Munich headquarter and its Bangalores development center1. The following is an attempt to analyze the issues, their causes and possible avoidances for any similar projects. By the late 1980s Munich has recognized the talented human resource available in India. It was huge, both in terms of head-counts and knowledge. It was cheap, initially available at just 20% cost of a similar German software developer, which later in decade increased to 25%. It also had unmatched performance, in personal computers programming, in which ICN has deficiency in available human resource. Most ICN developers had worked on large systems and had little to no experience of personal computers programming. In contrast, Indian programmers have grown up experimenting with earlier version of desktops and laptops and by 1990s have reached level of expertise in some areas. Capitalizing on this resource, ICN decided to have the two projects done in India, in spite of huge cultural incompatibilities, language problems, physical distance and visa issues. The first project given to Bangalore was in no way any minor thing. It was made for existing and large customers of Siemens that heavily depend on it. It might be a non-optimal decision made by Munich but being risky it also promises huge benefits at end. ADMOSS had to facilitate telemarketing interface with non-Siemens equipment and handle large conference calls for example, among its other tasks. No surprise that at peak, 150 software developers were working on ADMOSS in Bangalore alone, in addition of local and German managers, testers and other supporting staff. The project was managed centrally by Munich, sending specifications for each of the subsystem to a high managerial level in Bangalore. This decision of central management was made perhaps due to initial distrust by Germans on Indians as it was their first encounter with them. In India, each subsystem was managed by a German or Indian manager who works with little co-ordination with each other. Once a subsystem is developed and tested locally is sent to Munich where it is integrated with the rest of the system. This method, though gave high power to Munich and enforced strict quality control has a design flaw, a programmer might be expert and identify flaw in the subsystem he has worked on, but cannot easily identify any integration errors. This method would have worked if Munich had a good size of its own programmers who tackle all the integration errors. The matters became more complicated due to the fact that the requirements of the software were not totally finalized at the start. While programmers are accustomed to run-time wishes made by clients given after the development has started and try their best to accommodate that, in large systems such as ADMOSS which also requires very large scale of precision (99.999% or five nines) its very hard to accommodate that once a system is already in development. While the project was being developed, a ray of emails and faxes kept coming with change requests resulting in inevitable design flaws and test failures. Later on, the developers had to work long hours to wrinkle out those design flaws to ultimately produce highly reliable software. If we try to find who is responsible for that, the blame comes on the marketing team in Munich that may have over-promised and was definitely not documenting and discussing every requirement with client. Some blame also goes to the client, who being a la rge corporation itself and had used software since a long time should know that run-time modifications often corrupt the project and requires heroic efforts by programmers to save the day. On one occasion, work on a billing application was stopped midstream after half a years work because of customers changing needs. Although this type of work interruption involved only 15-20 personnel at Bangalore each year, a programmer admitted to feeling de-motivated wondering about the intensity of miscommunication between Bangalore and Munich. This sometimes leads to the problem discussed later, high employee turnover, where programmers attempt to shift to those jobs where requirements are perceived as stable. Finally, there was problem of lack of sufficient attention given by high managers in Munich. In the words of a senior project manager, not all specifications were finished by our Munich office since we ourselves were not given enough time! Finally, when all two million lines of ADMOSS code was compiled together to create an integrated system, many problems surfaced. Major of them are: subsystems were found to be more interdependent on each other than desired, and, test criteria and tools were different in Bangalore and Munich. The first of these appears to be a shortcoming on part of developers in Munich who were responsible for integration of the subsystems and in a significantly smaller way on the subsystems developers in India. The second one, is definitely a management lapse made by Munich headquarter, the same test beds as used in Munich must be provided to Bangalore at the initial stage to ensure local error-testing and removal. That would have saved a lots of monetarily and temporal costs that the company had to finally bare. ADMOSS was finally released to the German customer at the end of 1996. As Hans Hauer, VP of Software RD put it, This was with some embarrassment because as Germans we expect delivery on time and with quality. The system turned out not to be fully stabilized and kept crashing. There were some minor problems too, like the user-interface being unprofessional, as the client commented, flashy and distracting, resembling video game interfaces, too technical style of documentation etc. When we analyze the causes of these problems a few things come up: first, the part of embarrassment due to delay is a fault of Indians but not much because at least six months efforts were lost not by any mistake of programmers but by a huge blunder made by client and sales team (discussed above). Second, the part of embarrassment due to delivery of a low quality product is fault of Munich who delivered a product not fully tested. Third, the inappropriate design of user interface is perhaps due to non-suffici ent communication about its requirements made by managers to the programmers. In absence of any stated and restricted user interface requirements, the programmers made the user interface as they liked it which of course not satisfied the customer. Fourth, Indians attempt to make documentation too technical for customer is perhaps due to language problem and cultural mismatches, which cant be blamed to any party. In spite of all of these issues, with time, the Indo-German team corrected the system faults and delivered a stable, working system to Munich. ADMOSS ended up highly popular with customers. The Bangalore site remained active with after-sales service, eventually correcting over 90% of ongoing faults. The second project given to Bangalore was called NetManager. It would be a user-friendly and graphics-based software product that would offer telecom customers a complete range of facilities for performing all operating, administration and maintenance functions on EWSD nodes and networks (e.g. integration of new telephone subscribers, billing, enable traffic studies to understand customer needs, and provide system surveillance etc among its 6,000 functions). Work at Bangalore commenced in early 1996 with an initial force of 30 programmers. The june 1998 pilot release involved some 300,000 lines of code and proved a hit at the customer test sites. Munich learned from the past project and gave Bangalore the same test-bed it was using so that developer can test the system as they develop it. By November 1999, Bangalore sent its complete NetManager Version 2 to Munich for testing. Typically Munich tested stability (or reliability) of new software installed by launching it on Friday afternoon and hoping to find no errors in the test log on Monday. NetManager Version 2, however, ran only one hour before crashing to a halt. A check of the test logs ultimately revealed a staggering 700 faults hidden at various points along some 600,000 lines of computer programming code, with 100 categorized as serious Level 1 faults. Initial trouble-shooting indicated that each fault could not simply be corrected individually, since each correction could create ripple effects across the entire system. A late November 1999 workshop in Bangalore involving managers from Munich and India tracked down the root cause of quality problems. As it turned out, the Indian group assumed, as in the case of most desktop computing applications, that the system would be shut off at night, and that it was acceptable for a desktop-based computer system to crash once a week. This assumption was further reinforced by an understanding that operation of the EWSD switch itself would not depend on NetManager. Furthermore, the Indian team underestimated system usage by an entire order of magnitude. We were ignorant! admitted an Indian programmer, we didnt think of asking what loads to test with, but Munich were also at fault for not telling us! Some of these erroneous assumptions could ultimately be traced to different work schedules. In the crucial summer months, many Germans went ahead with their several weeks-long pre-booked family vacations, often without leaving contact information, stranding the Indians. During crisis periods, Indian programmers, in contrast, typically took only personal leaves of two or three days, and worked 70-80 hours per week or even more. Balanced against this, however the ongoing high attrition rate was in Bangalore. As we analyze the issues and their causes, it is found that although the requirements were stable this time, which was a huge accomplishment on part of marketing team and upper management, it was not fully communicated to developers. This can be traced to faults of middle and lower management. As was in the user interface design of ADMOSS, since requirements were not explicitly stated the programmers made their own assumptions which (like in previous project) didnt match the requirements of the company or the customer. Another cause was often unavailability of appropriate personnel at Munich for communication because at the most crucial summer season of development they are out on long vacations. They do so often without any means of communication left. In that case, a developer would either have to wait for the person to return (which was of course unacceptable) or make his or her own assumptions to continue with the development. The solution is either to reschedule the vacations time period to some less crucial months (lets say spring) or the person keep in contact with ICN through a phone. In case of a vacation trip to very remote location where telephone is unavailable, the person should call to company as soon as he reaches a near city or village with a telephone line. This lack of professionalism on part of Germans resulted in Indians taking no annual vacations, working double hours a week than they are paid for and taking the pain of late modifications in design and code. On part of Indians, the high turnover was a very big issue. Once a developer hop to a better paying job, almost entire computer code written by him or her immediately becomes useless for sometime until some other programmer decrypt it and in some cases even rewrite it. This may have resulted in delays and design flaws when somebody try to modify an already made design in his or her own way not thought by the original designer no longer in company. In January 2000, the NetManager was finally demonstrated to the client. Lots of errors came up. They were traced down to two root causes. First, the German testers presenting the software to the client were not well-prepared. Second, the test-bed provided to Bangalore by Munich in 1996 had gone outdated by now and was not the same test-bed Munich now uses or was used in the demonstration to client. Both of these causes can be easily traced to the faults on part of Germans. The testers had no acceptable reason for unpreparedness. The high management responsible for updating Bangalore with test-bed was ignorant towards this duty. We can conclude that, having worked together for well over half a decade the cultural differences between the two countries were handled well. With time Indians understood what is expected from them and Germans spent substantial time and money training its people to decode Indian communications. A German spent 3 years in Bangalore becoming expert in South Indian English accent and understanding of local culture and hidden meanings of phrases etc. But there is a limit to what humans can accomplish, the physical distance between Munich and Bangalore remained a reality, advent of faxes, telephone calls, emails and even video calls can never substitute face-to-face communication. Two developers working together on the same computer (as in Extreme Programming2) cannot be substituted with two developers chatting on an Instant Messenger (such as hotmail or yahoo) even if through Remote Desktop Sharing they can actually view each others computer screen and run actions on it. It is also learn ed that human conflicts in most cases can only be solved with real, face-to-face communication. In absence of hyper-fast physical transportation (such as one that reduce travel time between the two cities to less than one hour) and no visa restrictions the problems faced by ICN in development of ADMOSS and NetManager are very likely to raise its ugly head time and again.