Foreign Direct Investment By Multinational Corporations

Developing countries lag behind the rest of the world in many aspects of life including economy, education, and welfare. Achieving progress in any of these three areas is important in getting these countries on par or at least closer to the standard of living present in developed nations. Numerous of hypotheses have been posed to tackle and address these issues. This paper examines the aspect of improving the economy and whether or not foreign direct investment by multinational corporations would benefit developing countries. Some may argue, including the renowned artist Frida Kahlo that foreign direct investments may actually lead to a decline in culture and exploitation. However, this paper argues that the economy in developing countries could be significantly improved by properly introducing foreign direct investment by multinational corporations. Foreign direct investment (FDI) made by multinational corporations would spur the economy in developing countries which in turn would lay the groundwork for improvements in other important aspects including education and welfare without a decline in culture and exploitation of citizens. Developing countries are stuck in a cycle of poverty that can’t be broken from within the domestic economy due to an insufficient supply of investment available in these countries to raise the productivity and income levels of workers. The only way to break the cycle of poverty is through investment from multinational corporations. FDI is anShow MoreRelatedMultinational Corporations; There Definition and Evolution1034 Words   |  5 PagesA Multinational Corporation has been described as one that has production facilities or other fixed assets in at least one foreign country and makes its major management decisions in a global context. In marketing, production, research and development, and labor relations, its decisions must be made in terms of host-country customs and traditions. In finance, many of its problems have no domestic counterpart-the payment of dividends in another currency, for example, or the need to shelter workingRead MoreForeign Direct Investment in Nigeria7 51 Words   |  4 PagesReference: Agarwal, J.P. (1980) Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment: A Survey, Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv, 116, pp. 739-773 Akinlo, A.E. 2004. Foreign direct investment and growth in Nigeria: An empirical investigation. Journal of Policy Modelling, 26: 627-39. Aliber, Robert Z. The Multinational Enterprise in a Multiple Currency World. In The Multinational Enterprise, ed. John H. Dunning. London: Allen Unwin, 1971. Aluko, S.A. (1961). Financing economic development in NigeriaRead MoreHow Does Exchange Rate Stability Affect Hedging Strategies For Multinational Organizations?832 Words   |  4 PagesAssignment How does exchange rate stability affect hedging strategies for multinational organizations? Multinational organizations enjoy economies of scale that can span between multiple continents. Due to the size of the multinational organization, there can be risks that creates ebbs and flows of profits and expenses based upon multiple currency rate exchange differences. If the multinational corporation owns foreign direct investments, and the currency appreciates in relationship to the dollar, thereRead MoreGlobalization Is A Process Of Greater Interdependence Among Countries And Their Citizens1398 Words   |  6 Pagesincreased integration of product and resource markets across nations via trade, immigration, and foreign investment- that is, via international flows of goods and services, of people, and of investment such as equipment, factories, stocks, and bonds. Globalization is driven by technological change and the liberalization of trade and opening up of the markets. Globalization has given a rise to multinational companies. After the Second World War, there has been an increase in growth in international tradeRead MoreDescribe some of the positive and negative roles played by Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in the contemporary world economy?1557 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction What is a Multinational Corporation (MNCs)? Multinational companies are firms with their home base in one country and operations in many other nations. Most of these very immense firms establish in third word countries or developing countries where they could manufacture the same identical product for very low costs compared to establishing the same firm in the western countries producing that product. Although transnational corporations (TNCs) are commonly thought to be synonymousRead MoreThe Role Of Multinational Companies1734 Words   |  7 Pagesconditions and factors that have an impact on the competitiveness of enterprises. Drafted the research problem requires a comprehensive approach - including the aspects and characteristics of the MNE, foreign investment importance and competitive advantage. Multinational companies The role of multinational companies (MNEs) in international trade has become very great importance in the last 20 years. This is in large part to the increase in the integration of national economies and technological progressRead MoreWhy Multinational Corporations Are Beneficial For Developing Countries1530 Words   |  7 PagesIdentify the positive and negative impacts of multinational companies on less developed countries. The appearance of multinational corporations as a global power and the implications of setting up them in less developed countries was strongly supported by the new rules of world which called economic liberalism and globalization. They became a national phenomenon a post-world war II and widespread when the United States enacted the structure of world regulation for political, economic and militaryRead MoreInternational Climate Affects The Regulation And Market Strategy Of Multinational Corporations And Host Countries Have Dynamic, Interactive Working1748 Words   |  7 Pagesinto foreign market. A Multinational Corporation is an enterprise that operates in more than one country for the purpose of increasing benefit to whole enterprise. A MNC manage complex global operations and serves multiple markets from each location. As multinationals not only strongly influence patterns of international trade, but also channel technology transfer and capital movement across borders, it remains a policy priority to understand what forces shape their activity. Multinational corporationsRead MoreMultinational Corporations : The Current Process Of Globalization1658 Words   |  7 Pages Multinational corporations are evidently playing a starring role in the current process of globalization. This has been fueled by the rising share of cross-border capital flows attributable to foreign direct investment of such multinationals. Further, the multinational corporations have played an integral role in linking financial and product markets globally through transfers of technology, physical capital as well as management techniques. However, in order to venture into foreign markets, corporationsRead MoreCorruption1154 Words   |  5 PagesEffects of Corruption in Multinational Corporation’s [Student name] [Professor’s name] [Course title] [Date] Introduction Corruption can be defined as a spiritual or moral deviation from an ideal. Corruption come in different styles and that include bribery and funds embezzlement. Corruption has been the number one menace in many countries of the world. It impacts countries in many ways, impacting economy and development in a negative way. Corruption tends to raise the cost of government

The Events Of World War I - 1178 Words

How One Thing Led to Another; WWI No single person or event caused the Great War. However, there were many factors that contributed to the world’s first war. The events that started World War I were a case of one thing led to another(CITE). Many agree that the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand, ultimately led to the beginning of World War I. The major causes of the World War I were embedded deep in European history during the previous 19th century. It really all began during the 1800 s when the idea of Nationalism spread across the continent. During this time, nationalism became popular for people who shared the same language or culture. These people soon began to view themselves as superior to others. The spread of†¦show more content†¦The Germans followed suit by introducing their new battleships. Imperialism is considered to be the most important cause of WWI, because it created tension all over Europe. As European countries discovered more about industrialization, a demand for more land was developed. Germany and Great Britain tried to establish control in Africa and Asia, two weaker and more vulnerable countries. The attempt to govern and control weaker states finally built up to a point where war was the only option to settle the differences. The 18th century was a time of many unstable alliances as countries were still developing and figuring out their governments. Most of these alliances were fragile or temporary as new leaders emerged and political situations changed through the years. What made these alliances even more fragile is that they were created in secret and then revealed to the public later. Some nations even started negotiations without consulting their other alliance partners. So when things went awry, it caused an all-out World War. Tensions escalated when Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated. This was the spark that started World War I. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia because they believed Serbia supported the assassins. Serbia’s ally ,Russia, and Russia’s ally ,France, prepared for war. Germany, the ally of Austria-Hungary, came to their aid and invaded neutral Belgium to get to France. When the French

Investment Management Free Essays

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT FIN6310: INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEM SET #1 PROF. ARZU OZOGUZ SPRING 2013 1. Calculate the value of the following two bonds. We will write a custom essay sample on Investment Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Assume that coupon payments are made semi-annually and that par value is $1,000 for both bonds. Coupon rate Time to maturity Yield-to-maturity Bond A 5% 5 yrs 7. 2% Bond B 5% 25 yrs 7. 2% Recalculate the bonds’ values if the yield to maturity changes to 9. 4%. Which bond is more sensitive to the changes in the yield? Will this always be the case? When the yield-to-maturity is 7. %, the bond prices are, respectively, 1 1 1. 036 0. 036 1 1. 036 0. 036 1 1. 047 0. 047 1 1. 047 0. 047 25 1000 1. 036 1000 1. 036 908. 98 1 25 746. 58 When the yield-to-maturity is 9. 4%, the bond prices are, respectively, 1 25 1000 1. 036 1000 1. 047 827. 62 1 25 579. 01 Price of bond A decreases by 8. 95%, while price of bond B drops by 22. 45%. The longer term bond is more sensitive to a given change in the discount rate. This will always be the case. Mathematically, there are more terms in the equation for the longer-term bond that are influenced by the discount rate. Practically speaking, your money is tied up longer with a longer term bond and so you will experience greater capital losses and gains when interest rates change. 2. A bond with a coupon rate of 4. 7% is priced to yield 6. 30%. Coupon is paid is semi-annually; the par value is $1,000. The bond has 5 years remaining until maturity. Assuming that market rates stay the same over the next five years, calculate the value of the bond at the beginning of each year and the amount of change in the bond’s value from year to year. Describe the behavior of the bond’s value over time. At t = 0, at issue the price will be 1 1 1. 0315 0. 0315 1 1. 0315 0. 0315 1 1. 0315 0. 0315 1 1. 0315 0. 0315 1 1. 0315 0. 0315 23. 5 1000 1. 0315 932. 28 At the end of year 1, the price becomes 1 23. 5 1000 1. 0315 1000 1. 0315 1000 1. 0315 1000 1. 0315 944. 20 1 23. 5 956. 88 1 23. 5 970. 37 1 23. 5 1000 984. 73 The price change from year to year is ? ? ? ? ? 11. 92 12. 68 13. 49 14. 36 15. 27 The bond is selling at a discount today; its price will rise to move toward par value at maturity. The change in price increases as it gets closer to maturity. 3. Suppose that you purchased a 20-year bond that pays an annual coupon of $40 and is selling at par. Calculate the one –year holding period return for each of these three cases. a. The yield-to-maturity is 5. 5% one year from now. If the yield-to-maturity is 5. 5% one year from now, the bond will be selling for 1 1 1000 1. 055 40 825. 89 1. 055 0. 055 Hence, the holding-period-return (HPR) is: 825. 89 40 1000 13. 41% 1000 b. The yield-to-maturity is the same one year from today as it is today. In this case, the bond price will remain at par and therefore the holding period return equals to coupon rate 4% c. The yield-to-maturity is 2. 5% one year from now. 1 1000 1. 025 40 1224. 68 1. 025 0. 025 Hence, the holding-period-return (HPR) is: 1224. 68 40 1000 26. 47% 1000 1 4. Plot the yield curve implied by the data in the following table. Time to maturity 3 months 6 months 1 year 2 years 5 years 10 years 15 years 20 years Yield-tomaturity 2. 40% 2. 60% 3. 00% 4. 30% 4. 80% 5. 70% 6. 40% 5. 20% Based on the Expectations Hypothesis, what does the yield curve tell us about short-term rates 5 years from now? What does it tell us about short rates 15 years from now and 20 years from now? Since the yield curve is upward sloping through the fifth year, investors expect that short term rates will be higher during that period than they are today. That is, they expect the 3-month rate to be higher than 2. 4% when five years have passed. They also expect short term rates to be higher than current rates in 15 years. This is reflected in the slope of the yield curve which is positive through year 15. However, the expectation is that after 15 years, short term rates will begin to fall again. The downward slope in the yield curve is a sign of that expectation. That is, the 3-month rate that prevails 20 years from now is expected to be lower than the 3-month rate that prevails 15 years from now. 5. The current yield curve for default free zero-coupon bonds is as follows: Maturity (years) 1 2 3 Yield-tomaturity 10% 11% 12% a. What are the implied one year forward rates? The one-year forward rate for time 2 solves the following equation: 1. 11 1. 10 1 12. 009%. Similarly, the one-year forward rate for time 3 solves That is, the equation: 1. 12 That is, 14. 0271% 1. 11 1 b. Assume that the expectations hypothesis of the term structure is correct. If market expectations are accurate, what will the yields to maturity on one year and two year zero coupon bonds be next year? We have already computed the forecast for the one year rate next year. We must now compute the expectation for the 2-years to maturity. This must equate the strategy that consists of investing for 3 years at the current 3-year spot rate with the strategy of investing at the one-year spot rate and then rolling over the profits into a two-year bond one year from now: 1. 10 1 1. 12 13. 0136%. Hence, the forecast for the one-year yield is This implies that 12. 09%, and forecast for the two-year yield is 13. 0136%. c. If you purchase a two year zero coupon bond now, what is the expected total rate of return over the next year? What if you purchase a three year zero coupon bond? You can assume that the par value is $100. We need to compute the forecasted price of the two-year zero-coupon bond at the end of the first year. Notice that by that time this has become a one-year bond. Hence its price is 1000 1. 12009 892. 79 Today the price of this bond is simply 892. 79 811. 62 does not pay any coupons, its return is given by: 1 1 10% . 11. 62. Since this bond Similarly, if you purchase a three-year zero coupon bond today, the forecasted price a year later is 1000 1. 130136 Today, this bond’s price is simply expected holding period return is 78. 295 71. 178 1 78. 295 . 71. 178. Therefore, the 10% 6. Consider the following three bonds. You are investigating how the bonds would react to changes in interest rates. Bond A Face value Years to maturity Coupon rate Yield-to-maturity $1,000 3 5. 5% 4. 80% Zero-coupon bond $1,000 2. 85 0 4. 80% Bond B $1,000 3 8. 75% 4. 80% Assume that coupons are paid once a year. . Find the duration of each bond. Bond A Time 1 2 3 Price ZCB Time 2. 85 Price Bond B Time 1 2 3 Price Cash Flow 87. 5 87. 5 1087. 5 Present value 83. 49 79. 67 944. 81 1107. 97 Weight 0. 075 0. 072 0. 853 Cash Flow 1000 Present value 874 . 92 874. 92 Weight 1. 000 Cash Flow 55 55 1055 Present value 52. 48 50. 08 916. 58 1019. 13 Weight 0. 051 0. 049 0. 899 Hence, the durations are: 0. 051 0. 075 1 1 0. 049 0. 072 2 2 0. 899 0. 853 3 3 2. 85 2. 78 2. 85 b. Calculate the modified duration of each bond. The modified durations are ? ? 2. 85 2. 72 1. 048 2. 78 2. 5 1. 048 c. Calculate the estimated percentage change in price of each bond due to a 0. 50% change in yield to maturity. The percentage change in the price of each bond due to a change in the yield? ? ? to-maturity is ? ? ? 2. 72 2. 65 0. 5% 1. 36% 1. 33% 0. 5% d. What can you conclude about the reactions of the bonds? Specifically, compare the percentage price changes of the bonds with similar durations and the bonds with similar maturities. Bonds with equal durations are more alike than bonds with equal maturities in their reactions to changes in yields. 7. Suppose that your insurance company has issued a Guaranteed Investment Contract (GIC) that matures in three years and promises to pay an interest rate of 23. 36%. The amount invested in GIC today is $150,000. You have decided to immunize your position by purchasing a bond that has a par value of $150,000, a coupon rate of 23. 36%, and four years to maturity. The bond is selling currently at par value. a. What is the future value of your company’s obligation? The future value of the obligation is $150,000 1. 2336 $281,588. 13 b. Assume that the interest rate stays at 23. 36%. At the date at which each payment is received, compute the accumulated value of reinvested coupons and the proceeds from the bond sale. How close will you come to your meeting your obligation? The bond pays a coupon of $150,000 23. 36% $35,040. If the market rates remain unchanged, at the end of year three it will be possible to sell the bond still at par. With this information, we can construct the following table: Year 1 2 3 3 Total future value Cash flow 35,040 35,040 35,040 150,000 Accumulated value 53,322. 78 43,225. 34 35,040 150,000 281,588. 13 That is, you will be able to repay your obligation in full. How to cite Investment Management, Essay examples Investment Management Free Essays 24/02/2013 1 25721 INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Lecturers: Sean Anthonisz Nadima El-Hassan Jianxin Wang Brandon Zhu Subject Coordinator: Jianxin Wang Objectives 2 ? ? ? ? Why do you take this subject? What do you expect to learn? How much did you pay for this subject? Is this a good investment? Investment Decisions 3 ? ? How much should I invest in risky assets? How much should I invest in different risky assets? ? ? How many risky assets should I hold? When not to diversify? ? How to determine mispricing? Fair value today? Expected return next year? ? How well do asset pricing models work? ? ? 1 24/02/2013 Investment Decisions 4 ? Passive versus active investing ? ? Is market efficient? Why not? What does it take to beat the market? How to hedge and how much to hedge? Derivative pricing Trading cost, liquidity, private information ? How should I manage risk? ? ? ? How should I trade? ? ? Sources of my performance? What Do We Learn in This Subject? 5 ? ? ? ? A theoretical framework for portfolio construction. A theoretical framework for the pricing of equities and bonds. Some practical applications of asset pricing models and portfolio analysis. We will write a custom essay sample on Investment Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Issues relating to market efficiency and investor behaviour. Course Structure 6 Funds Management Information Portfolio Theory Risk and Return Markets and Investing CAPM Factor Models APT Options Fixed Income Equities Futures 2 24/02/2013 Investment Electives 7 ? ? ? ? ? ? 25705 Financial Modelling and Forecasting 25728 Bond Portfolio Management 25729 Applied Portfolio Management 24731 International Finance 25762 Synthetic Financial Products A whole range of subjects for Quant Fin majors: technical analysis, numerical analysis, fin econometrics, stat methods, derivative pricing, interest rate modelling. Prerequisite 8 ? ? 25742 Financial Management Basic math and statistics Basic calculus and optimization Probability and distributions ? Mean, variance, standard deviation, covariance ? Linear regression by ordinary least square (OLS) ? ? ? Read the online Quantitative Review ? A very brief review next week What Is Expected – in class 9 ? Lectures are primarily aimed at Identifying and explaining key concepts and issues Highlighting the links to practice ? Completing selected problems from text ? ? ? Questions are encouraged and rewarded. ? Discussion is better than lecture Mutual respect and encouragement; Potential problems: repeated late arrivals, chatting during lecture, academic honesty Code of behavior ? ? 3 24/02/2013 What Is Expected – outside class 10 ? Address some details within the course reading materials. ? Group study is more effective ? ? Workload is about 7-8 hours per week on average (albeit uneven), including course readings, practices, and assignments. Multiple learning channels: ? ? Multiple levels of learning: ? Web-bas ed learning support Lecture material, textbook, and Excel sheets Approach to Learning 11 ? ? ? Read relevant chapters prior to lectures Attempt to identify and understand the key messages: Concepts? Issues? Connections? Ask questions during lecture. ? You paid $$$ for the opportunity ? ? Think reflect; don’t just summarize memorize. Practice using back-of-chapter questions. Approach to Learning — I listen and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand. —Xun Zi Just Do It! —Nike 12 4 24/02/2013 Textbook and Readings 13 ? Bodie, Kane, Marcus, Investments, 9th Ed, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2011. ? You take full responsibility if using an earlier edition. ? ? ? ? Harvard Business School case study 9202-024 â€Å"Strategic Capital Management†. R. A. Haugen, Modern Investment Theory, 5th Ed, Pearson Higher Education, 2001. J. H. Cochrane, 2006, Investments Notes. Other fun books on financial markets. Assessments 14 ? Weekly online quizzes: 10 marks ? ? ? ? ? 15 MC questions in 1 hour Unlimited tries with the best mark kept Monday morning to next Wednesday midnight Once closed, quizzes cannot be reopened Best 10 marks for the semester Group-based case report Online group registration Report due 5pm Friday March 29 Late submissions carry point deduction ? Case study in lecture 6: 10 marks ? ? ? ? Assessments 15 ? Mid-session exam: 40 marks ? ? ? ? Cover lectures 1 – 6, including the case study Multiple-choice (20 marks) Short-answer questions (20 marks) No formula sheet Cover lectures 7 – 13, excluding lecture 8 Multiple-choice (20 marks) Short-answer questions (20 marks) A short list of formulas will be identified and provided during the final exam. ? Final exam: 40 marks ? ? ? ? 5 24/02/2013 Online Group Registration 16 ? ? ? ? ? ? Log in the online course website Click on â€Å"Groups† in the left panel Group names contain â€Å"1m†, â€Å"2m†, â€Å"3m†, â€Å"4m†, indicating max members = 1, 2, 3, 4, respectively. The first member is the group leader. Registration closes after 5pm on March 10. Changing group only in the most extreme circumstances. What’s Required? 17 ? ? ? Materials covered in the chapters listed in the lecture program, except certain subsections are explicitly excluded. The midsession and the final exams will focus on materials covered during lectures, with at most 3-4 multiple-choice questions in each exam on materials not covered in lectures. Materials not covered in lectures will be heavily featured in the online quizzes. Administrative Issues 8 ? Name sign: â€Å"Open† for the business of learning ? Take it out at the start of every lecture It’s good to make the lecturer know your name ? Come to consultation hours ? ? ? Other times by appointment Email for straightforward questions Complex questions are best answered through interactive discussion ? Emails will be answered before or during the next consultation hours ? 6 24/02/2013 Learning Support â €“ Postgraduate ? ? ? ? ? Need help with your postgraduate studies at UTS Business School? Are you new to university / postgraduate education? Not sure to how develop your academic skills in writing, reading, critical thinking etc.? Not sure how to complete assignments or achieve your best? Ask for help from the Learning Support Coordinator ? ? ? ? ? ? Make appointments for confidential individual help Lots of ‘online study resources’ to recommend / hardcopy study resources to share Attend the Study Skills Workshops all semester / or download them / Help by email / phone support / Email: learningsupport@uts. edu. au www:http://www. business. uts. edu. au/teaching/student/resources/studen t-learning. tml Join us on facebook UTSBlearningsupport ? Asset Classes 20 ? ? ? ? ? ? The money market The bond market The equity market The real estate market Currency markets Derivative markets ? Financial and commodities ? Others? Trading Platforms 21 ? Organized exchanges Dealership markets Auction markets ? Electronic trading ? ? ? ? OTC – NASDAQ Alternative trading systems (ATS) ? ECNs, dark pools, internal crossi ngs. ? Algorithm/high frequency trading 7 24/02/2013 High Frequency Trading 22 ? Menkveld (2011): a HFTer on Chi-X Dutch stocks from Jan 2007 to June 2008 Trades 1400 times per stock per day ? Gross profit per trade â‚ ¬0. 88 ? ? ? ? ? â‚ ¬1. 55 profit on the spread net of fees â‚ ¬0. 45 profit on positions 5 seconds â‚ ¬1. 13 loss on positions = 5 seconds Max capital committed ? â‚ ¬2 million per stock ? Implied annualized Sharpe ratio = 9. 35! ? ? Sharpe ratio for SP500 over the period = -0. 16 ? Chi-X is in Australia. Costs of Trading 23 ? Commission: fee paid to broker for making the transaction ? Exchange members/subscribers? ? Spread: Bid and ask prices Spread: ask – bid ? P89, #14 ? Market versus limit orders ? ? ? Price impact of large trades Stock Margin Trading 24 ? ? ? ? Borrow (from brokers) to purchase shares Initial margin Maintenance margin – minimum level the equity margin can be Margin call ? Call for more equity funds ? Margin arrangements differ for stocks and derivatives 8 24/02/2013 Margin Trading – Initial Conditions 25 ? ? ? ? ? X Corp: P = $70 Initial Margin = 50% Maintenance Margin = 40% 1000 Shares Purchased Initial Position: Stock $70,000 Borrowed Equity $35,000 $35,000 Maintenance Margin 26 ? ? Stock price falls to $60 per share New Position ? $60,000=$35,000(Borrowed) + 25,000(Equity) ? Margin = $25,000/$60,000 = 41. 67% How far can the price fall before a margin call? ? ? (1000P – $35,000) / 1000P = 40% P = $58. 33 ? P88, #9 Short Sale 27 ? ? Purpose: Profit from a price fall Mechanics Borrow stock through a dealer/broker Sell it and deposit proceeds and margin in an account ? Any dividend is passed back to the lender ? Closing out the position ? ? ? ? Buy back the stock and retu rn it to the lender Profits can be deposited into your own account ? Naked versus covered short sale 9 24/02/2013 Short Sale – Initial Conditions 28 Z Corp Initial Margin Maintenance Margin Initial Price Sale Proceeds Margin Account Balance 100 Shares 50% 30% $100 $10,000 $ 5,000 $15,000 Short Sale – Maintenance Margin 29 ? Stock Price Rises to $110 Stock owed Net equity ? Margin % (4000/11000) ? ? $11,000 $ 4,000 36% ? ? How much can the stock price rise before a margin call? ($15,000 – 100P) / (100P) = 30% P = $115. 38 P89, #12 Summary 30 ? Course introduction and requirements ? Think, reflect, and participate ? ? Financial markets and assets Trading of financial assets Trading platforms Transaction costs ? Margin trading and short selling ? ? 10 How to cite Investment Management, Essay examples

Ukraine Crisis free essay sample

Ukraine, a once member of the Soviet unified organization called Warsaw Pact, is now being seized by it’s former ally, Russia. It is one of the most tragic events involving militarism since the invasion of Georgia in Europe. Ukraine declared it’s independency when the Soviet Union went down. What I see is, the tension is caused by the deed of Ukraine to be a member of the EU or European Union. Therefore, Moscow would not want this because of their interests in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to form a military barricade in a part of Ukraine known as Crimea. Pro Russian Ukrainians raised Russian flags, brought chaos to the country. Kiev is now in deep trouble, facing the second strongest and dominant military force in the world. Meanwhile, Washington cannot make a move because of the tight situation. President Barrack Obama talked to Putin in a telephone call for 90 minutes, but unfortunately, Putin’ didn’t want any negotiations with the US. We will write a custom essay sample on Ukraine Crisis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Maybe if the Republicans were in position, there could be war declared on Russia. Right-wing sectors or Ultra-Nationalists were fighting for Ukraine’s sovereignty. In fact, they hired Russia’s most wanted man to fight alongside with them. This man fought during the invasion of Georgia. EU cannot make a move because of economic affairs with Russia. Russia supplies almost 70% of Western Europe’s oil needs. This decapitates European Powers to intervene in the said crisis. That is, I think of Putin’s strategy, he knew that EU would not intervene because of their trade matters. My stand in this issue is, I am against Putin’s belligerence. Invasion is an inhumane act. It is an act if direct imperialism. I conclude that, the only solution in the crisis is Russia’s withdrawal of it’s troops. If US would make or conduct military actions, Russia could divert it’s military efforts to Middle East, disrupting peace talks in Iran and Syria. It could arm hostiles in these two countries. Russia could support North Korea’s hostility to the South. Even China’s military campaign in Asia. Even NATO cannot make an action. This situations, at worst could trigger World War 3.

Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement Essay Example

Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement Essay It’s more than a video: it’s a social media movement In this paper, I would like to discuss the elements that made the KONY 2012 the most viral video in the history, with over 76 million views in one week. I will also discuss how social media has played a significant role in this campaign and the elements that promoted the engagement of young people worldwide. With 76 million viewers in one week, the Kony 2012 campaign designed by Invisible Children has caused a movement. While millions of people have collaborated so far with this initiative by buying 500,00 â€Å"Action Kits† and/or sharing this video through their social media, others have criticized it affirming that campaigns like these give young people a false sense of accomplishment and discourage real engagement in social issues (Ojalvo, 2012). But what made this campaign so attractive for 76 million viewers? What made them click? â€Å"if you want to get and hold someone’s attention, tell a story† (Weinschenk, 2009, p. 112). According to the website, â€Å"Invisible Children uses film, creativity and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony’s rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in Central Africa to peace and prosperity. † To achieve this mission they are trying to: 1. Make the world aware of the LRA. This includes making documentary films and touring them around the world so that they are seen for free by millions of people, 2. Channel energy from viewers of IC films into large-scale advocacy campaigns to stop the LRA and protect civilians, and 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Its More Than a Video Is a Social Movement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Operate programs on the ground in LRA-affected areas that provides protection, rehabilitation and development assistance (Invisible Children, n. d. ). Invisible Children began his â€Å"National Tour† campaign in 2005, with 29 college-age students who traveled throughout US, to raise awareness in local schools and communities. However, it was from a video launched a week ago that this organization became popular worldwide. According to Mr. Keesey, â€Å"[The video] is connected to a really deep, thoughtful very intentional and strategic campaign. The purpose of the web campaign was to introduce new people to the terror inflicted by LRA. Those people could then take their awareness to their political leader† (Invisible Children, 2012). The inspiring current of cyber idealism among the under-25’s is a phenomenon that Cohen (2012) describes a one that has triggered a quite unique social validation movement. Accorrding to Haslam, McGarty, Turner (1996), people are more likely to be persuaded and positively influenced by others with whom they recognize a shared identity. With the help of Facebook and Twitter, Jason Russell’s video has become the most viral video in history, and succeeded in promoting (as it is explained on the webpage) the involvement of celebrities like Angeline Jolie, Ben Affleck, and Ellen DeGeneres. Angeline Jolie, who has been named a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations said during an event to mark International Women’s Day â€Å" I don’t know anyone who does not hate Kony† (Child, 2012). Ben Affleck also commented on the website of his humanitarian organization Eastern Congo Initiative, â€Å"Joseph Kony must be caught. His lieutenants must be brought to justice and the LRA abductees still in the bush – fighting against their will must be rescued and rehabilitated†. Ellen DeGeneres, who has over 4. 5 million twitter followers, has also made a comment about the KONY 2012 saying, â€Å"I am talking about it, I hope you are too†. Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Oprah have also made comments supporting this cause and engaging his fans to â€Å"retweet† this video. What this campaign has caused is what Gentile et al (2009) defined as â€Å"beneficial† behavior, for being associated with generally kind, altruistic individuals. In the website, the program Schools for Schools talks about how US schools compete against each other, to see which one gathered more money to help build schools in Northern Uganda. This had generated among US students a largely unconscious feeling called by Weinschenk (2009), Reciprocity, because representatives from the winner school also had the opportunity to travel to Northern Uganda to share with local students and promote intercultural exchange. Persuasion and reciprocity are also concepts well used in the campaign. Part of the original video’s purpose is to engage the audience to buy the â€Å"action kit†. As described in the web page: â€Å"People will think you are and advocate of awesome. Everything you’ll need to take part in our KONY 2012 campaign is included in this kit: an official campaign + T-shirt + KONY bracelet + action guide + Stickers + Button + Posters† (Invisible Children, 2012). This Action Kit will be used on the night of April 20th, in the â€Å"cover the night† activity, where the goal is to post 1,000,000 campaign posters, signs and stickers around the US. Due the enormous success of the video, 500,000 Action Kits, T-shirts and CDs where sold in a matter of days and are no longer available. As a result, followers turned to social media to ask when they will have more. As Weinschenk (2009) says, if there is limited availability of something, we assume it is more valuable and we want it even more. According to the Visible Measures Blog (2012), until today, Kony 2012 had generated 112 million views and over 860,000 comments. The views come from 750 clips across the web most coming from video responses to the campaign. There are even translated subtitled versions of the documentary popping up in Spanish, Italian, French and Chinese. The more reviewers there are, the more powerful the impact of social validation will be (Weinschenk, 2009). Jason Russell presents the story using a narrative form in 1st person; that captures the audience’s attention by using a language that is easily understood. The video can be divided into 3 parts. In the first part, he stimulates mostly the mid brain. By using phrases like â€Å"because he was born, he matters† â€Å"I want him to live in a better world†, Jason shows his â€Å"personas† as Weinschenk (2009) calls them, so you can be clear of his motivations, values and relationships. In order for us to engage with his motive, he focuses on showing his son Gavin as a happy American boy who is enjoying his childhood, so when later you see boys â€Å"living in fear† your middle brain will generate angry and sadness. For the second part of the video, he continues to engage the mid brain, by narrating the story of Jacob, a survivor of the LRA-Abduction. Jacob talks about his brother and how he wants to dye because the does not likes the way Ugandan boys live. During this part, Jason narrates how boys like Jacob are forced to fight, abuse girls, mutilate and in some cases kill members of their own families. He presents pictures of mutilated kids and boys sleeping on the floor. He also presents people who have been engaged to the â€Å"National Tour† movement. The music, during this part of the video is low, with a sad tone and no lyrics. In this second part, the old brain is stimulated with images and phrases like â€Å"fear†, â€Å"in danger†, â€Å"afraid†, â€Å"abducted† and â€Å"sex slaves†. Jason also starts using the â€Å"You† word in phrases like â€Å"this is not only about me and you, is about changing the course of human history† and â€Å"We Build a community around the idea that where you live should not determine whether you live†. This is also incorporated in a later video of Jason, where he is thanking the audience for the response and the forwarding abilities of those who shared the video in the first days. The clearly states: â€Å"This is not our movement, it is a name, I mean it is Invisible Children, but it is your movement, you started this, with your donations, and we are here to serve you, it is much bigger than me†. During the TONY 2012 video, our new brain is again stimulated when Jason explains his Gavin, who is Joseph Kony. Gavin uses simple phrases like â€Å"he is bad†, â€Å"they should stop him†, which reinforces the main idea of the video. Later, Jason includes the declaration of the Head prosecutor of Int. crimes court, who explains how the ICC is trying to indict Joseph Kony for: Abduction, slavery, abuses and homicide enforces the reason for this video. In the third part of the video, again the three brains are engaged. The music changes to energize the images. Our brains are built to process pictures, and we think in pictures, so presenting information as pictures is the most effective way to present information to people† (Weinschenk, 2009, p. 116). Jason introduces the programs they have been working in Northern Uganda, and thousands of college-age collaborators participating in intercultural meetings where they are helping a cause while having fun. Since Jason does not want us to stay with the sad part of the story in our minds; in this last part, the tries to move the audience from feeling sad and angry, to get active and cooperate by: 1. Sharing the video on Facebook and Twitter, 2. Purchasing the action kit, 3. Donate to the cause. Is in this part of the video, where Jason incorporates some marketing concepts that were explained in Weinschenk book: †¢Deals: if you donate a â€Å"few bucks a month†, you can have the action kit for â€Å"free†. †¢The bracelet has a unique number that you can register in the KONY 2012 webpage to have more information about the movement. Community is a concept reinforced several times on the video. Phrases like â€Å"a bunch of little’s can make a lot of difference†, â€Å"The first time this action was taken, because the people demand it† â€Å"Not only for Ugandan people but for everyone† makes you feel that his video is part of something bigger. As a result, the reaction you can see in many people celebrating the response from President Obama, of sending soldiers to work with Uganda’s army, gives the impression of a worldwide network that have worked hard to make this cause of public interest. It presents how through social media, the community have shared what they are doing in each city, and how they are getting ready for the night of april 20th. As Weinschenk (2009) refers, the cooperation between individuals in a group, allows it to grow and support each other. According to Green Brock (2002), narrative persuasion addresses occur because an individual is â€Å"transported† into the narrative world. KONY 2012, has successfully maintained 70 million people watching a 30 minute documentary, ensuring what Walt Disney said many years ago: audiences can maintain the attention for more than 2 minutes if the material presented is appealing enough. This narrative persuasion and the use of simple language (that even a four year old kid can understand) is what makes it a catchy video for all ages. Using the Mass Interpersonal Persuasion (Weinschenk, 2009, p. 131), Jason made and excellent campaign, that evokes strong emotions and leads people to completely agree on his cause. The fact that this video has been shared mostly by teenagers from 13-17 years old (Rode, 2012), does makes a point that although they have not been in the past targeted by CSR campaigns, they do have the power to spread the word faster than other age groups. Just like in Egypt, social media is giving youth voice and determining a political agenda and helping them discover their untapped power. As a result of this successful campaign, many have discussed whether this video will continue to evoke social change. According to Ruge (2012), editor of CNN â€Å"KONY 2012, cemented the legitimacy of social media for global engagement, but missed an opportunity to empower the many Ugandan and Central African voices newly visible with the advent of mobile technology and social media tools on the continent†. Other journalists such as Christiane Amanpour (the Chief international corresponding for CNN) affirms that â€Å"what’s really important is that this 52 million and counting view’s will hopefully not just sensitized people about war criminals like Joseph Kony but in general try to get society on board to really press the governments to do something about this war crimes†. Regarding all the critics, the Facebook page told his more than 3 million fans: â€Å"Whether you’re criticizing Invisible Children or not, it is not about us. I think that everyone can agree that this violence needs to stop and children should not be forced to fight† (Facebook/invisiblechildren, 2012). This page also encourages people to leave comments on the wall, promoting ideas, asking questions. What cannot be argued, is that those 750,000 people who have shared the video, and those 500,000 who bought the Action Kit have developed ownership for this cause, and that for years, this movement will be studied not because it moved people to buy bracelets or donate a few dollars, but because it moved the masses, and made us realize the great power social media can have when used correctly. Reference: Affleck, B. (2012). A message from ECI founder Ben Affleck on KONY 2012. Retrieved from: http://www. easterncongo. org/news-perspectives/ Child, B. (2012). Kony 2012: Angelina Jolie calls for Ugandan warlord’s arrest. Retrieved from: http://www. guardian. co. uk/film/2012/mar/12/kony-2012-angelina-jolie CNN. (2012). Amanpour: Kony film helps to educate. Retrieved from: www. cnn. com/video/#/video/world/2012/03/09/uganda-kony-film-amanporut-reax. cnn Giles, D. C. (2003). Media Psychology. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Haslam, S. A. , McGarty. C. , Turner, J. C. (1996). Whats social about social cognition? Research on socially shared cognition in small groups. (pp. 29-56)Thousand Oaks, CA, US: Sage Publications, IncNye, Judith L. (Ed); Brower, Aaron M. (Ed), (1996). xxxiii, 398 pp. Harris, C. (2011) â€Å"Walden University and Harris Interactive Release Report on the Future of Social Change†, Professional Services Close-Up, Sept. 23, 2011. Invisible children, (2012). Thank you, Kony 2012 Supporters. Retrieved from: http://vimeo. com/38344284 Invisible Children webpage: www. invisiblechildren. com Ojalvo, H. (2012). Do social media campaigns like Kony 2012 stunt or stimulate real change? Retrieved from: http://learning. blogs. nytimes. com/2012/03/13/do-social-media-campaigns-like-kony-2012-stunt-or-stimulate-real-change/ Paine, K. (2007). How to Measure Social Media Relations: The More things change, the more they remain the same. Retrieved from: http://www. instituteforpr. org/wp-content/uploads/How_to_Measure_Blogs. pdf Rode, M. 2012). South Africa: Five lessons brands can learn from Kony 2012. Retrieved from: http://allafrica. com/stories/201203141089. html. Ruge, TMS. (2012). Opinion: Why Kony 2012 created the wrong buzz. Retrieved from: www. cnn. com/2012/03/12/world/africa/kony-2012-tms-opinion/index. html Update: Kony social video campaign tops 100 million views. (2012). Visible measures. Retrieved from: http://corp. visiblemeasures. com/news-and-events/blog/ Weinschenk, S. M. (2009). Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click? Berkeley: New Riders.

Free Essays on Role Of Blacks In The Civil War

Black Involvement in the Civil War â€Å"We must fight now, not because we want to subjugate the South but because we must,† (McPherson 486) was the cry of the Northerners during slavery. Like Galations 5:1 states, †It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burned again by the yoke of slavery.† This means that we should stand firm against everything that is wrong, because Jesus has set everyone free from sin just like the Civil War set slaves free from slavery. The Civil War, also known as the war Between the States, was fought on American soil and was the result of the disagreement between the South and the North on slave issues. After the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation it become a fight of freedom for blacks (Sawyer 15-18, Meltzer 73-82). During the slave trade, African American were transported by Europeans who planned to sell them as slaves. If the slaves were weak or unhealthy they were often abandoned. Nearly 50,000 blacks chained side-by side were brought to America. They were placed in the slave market when they arrived in America, and at auction white property was often sold along with the slaves (Hughes 14-16). Opponents of slavery, called Abolitionists, believed slavery was immoral and the Declaration of Independence should be applied to everyone, slaves as well as whites, that they might enjoy the rights of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† (Hughes 40-42, Meltzer 79-84). The Civil War occurred for many reasons. One was the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States in 1860. The Southern Democrats did not accept Lincoln as president, because they believed that his stand against the expansion of slavery would ruin the South (Encarta). Another reason was the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed each new territory to decide whether the new state would be a free state or a slave state. This lau... Free Essays on Role Of Blacks In The Civil War Free Essays on Role Of Blacks In The Civil War Black Involvement in the Civil War â€Å"We must fight now, not because we want to subjugate the South but because we must,† (McPherson 486) was the cry of the Northerners during slavery. Like Galations 5:1 states, †It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burned again by the yoke of slavery.† This means that we should stand firm against everything that is wrong, because Jesus has set everyone free from sin just like the Civil War set slaves free from slavery. The Civil War, also known as the war Between the States, was fought on American soil and was the result of the disagreement between the South and the North on slave issues. After the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation it become a fight of freedom for blacks (Sawyer 15-18, Meltzer 73-82). During the slave trade, African American were transported by Europeans who planned to sell them as slaves. If the slaves were weak or unhealthy they were often abandoned. Nearly 50,000 blacks chained side-by side were brought to America. They were placed in the slave market when they arrived in America, and at auction white property was often sold along with the slaves (Hughes 14-16). Opponents of slavery, called Abolitionists, believed slavery was immoral and the Declaration of Independence should be applied to everyone, slaves as well as whites, that they might enjoy the rights of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† (Hughes 40-42, Meltzer 79-84). The Civil War occurred for many reasons. One was the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States in 1860. The Southern Democrats did not accept Lincoln as president, because they believed that his stand against the expansion of slavery would ruin the South (Encarta). Another reason was the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed each new territory to decide whether the new state would be a free state or a slave state. This lau...

The United States and Syria Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The United States and Syria Conflict - Essay Example For this reason, the paper will dwell on the prospects for long-term peaceful relations between the United States and Syria Syria In brief, Syria is one of the most heterogeneous states in the world. It holds in its land a vast number of sectarian and non-sectarian groups that are autonomous and independent. The diversity within the state is considered as a hindrance in the creation of policies and the establishment of a strong government. In totality, there are almost 19 million people in Syria which are divided into ten major sects. The Sunni Arabs compose 65 percent of the total population in Syria, followed by Alawis with 12 percent, Christians with 10 percent, Kurds with nine percent, Druze with three percent, and the remaining percentage is composed of Assyrians, Bedouin, Circassians, Ismailis, and Turcomans. Among these fractions, the group that greatly challenges the Syrian government is the Kurds and the Sunni Islamists. Along with this, the Syrians have considered a pan-Ara b identity which causes them to be generous to Arab countries, which allow the Arab refugees to take flight on Syrian land. Currently, Syria, under the regime of Bashar al-Assad, is portraying as â€Å"spoilers† by acting as a benefactor of the Palestine militants. Aside from this, it also often rearms Hezbollah. With this matter on hand, Syria has become more estranged from the United States which had caused Syria to create a strong relationship between Iran (Kaplan, 2008; Sharp, 2010). Relationship of the United States and Syria As an overview, the relationship between the United States and Syria was a diplomatic relationship after Syria achieved its independence in 1944. The diplomatic relationship worsened during 1967; however, it was reestablished during 1974. Syria has become part of the list of states terrorism sponsors of the United States since 1979. However, within the years 1990-2001, the two countries had cooperated in some of the issues involved in the regional l evel. However, in 2003 to 2009, the government of Syria was unable to prevent the country from being a passage point of the fighter which is on their way to enter Iraq. Also, another cause of the conflict was that Syria was unable to deport some of the supporters of Saddam Hussein, and it had also protected the Palestine opposition group in Damascus. Furthermore, the conflict between the states is also ignited by the creation of weapons in Syria for mass destruction and along with its anti-human rights activities (U.S. Department of State, 2012). Approaches for Reconciliation between the United States and Syria There have been many approaches in order to create a peaceful relationship between the United States and Syria. One of the first approaches to gain peace and reconciliation between Syria and U.S. is the realist approach or political realism, which was done during President Ronald Reagan’s administration. As an overview, political realism is based on the paradigm that h umans are born with the need for power. Realism focuses on the use, containment, and the consequences of power. Also, a political realism approach explains the use of power by a state against or for each other (Duncan, Jancar-Webster, & Switky, 2009).  

Research PAPER on Greasy Lake Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Greasy Lake - Research Paper Example Evidence of being wealthy is because firstly, Digby’s parents pay his tuition at Cornell. Secondly, the narrator’s parents bought him a nice car. Thirdly, the boys live in a town with â€Å"housing developments, shopping malls and street lights, (Boyle, 396). Lastly they abuse drugs like coke and cocaine which are not cheap. The boys being nineteen years old think they are now adults and can do whatever they want, and they choose to be known as horrific boys in the small town (Youngs, 23). In my view, the boys option of being dreadful may have been brought about by the fact that they were living in a wealthy neighborhood where nothing much happens so they were bored (McDowell & Hostetler, 24). The narrator describes himself and his friends as appallingly awful characters. Their outrageous reputation is revealed by their clothes, the narrator says, â€Å"we wore torn up leather jackets, slouched around with toothpicks in our mouths, sniffed glue and ether and what some body claimed was cocaine (Boyle, 125).† Parents want their young children to be clean shaven, but in this case, â€Å"†¦Digby wore a gold star in his right ear†. To further characterize their gross character the narrator describes the manner in which the three boys lived their daily lives. He says â€Å"...Able to mange a ford with lousy shocks over a rutted and gutted blacktop road at 85 while rolling a joint (Boyle, 124).† This illustrates how the boys were living recklessly and dangerously, but they are not terrible as they try to prove. This is evidenced when Digby allows his parents to pay his tuition fees to Cornell because he wants to go to school. These actions get the boys think they are the toughest boys around. In my judgment, I reckon the boys to be small adults who are rebellious and aggressive (McDowell & Hostetler, 25). This is a stage of life that everybody has to go through just like the three teenagers were experiencing. The boys in Greasy Lake situation are made worse because of boredom and resources they can afford to spend around. The night the reality of the consequences of being horrible dawns on them is when they run into much trouble than they anticipated. The boys are troublesome as well as naughty; thus they decide to play a grim trick on their friend. It is three days after the summer break and the boys go â€Å"in search of thrills†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Boyle, 120). They go into their usual place where a majority of people like to hang out during the day, but they go at night. The boys are soon to realize that bad boys are those born in the streets and who fend for themselves on the streets. As for me, I think the boys are not that tough they are just naive. This is because they are still young and have no clue as to the realities of life (Youngs, 24). Furthermore, they own nothing as they drive their mother’s cars and use their dad’s money. They are just trying to prove what they are not. Greasy La ke was once a clear and magnificent water body, but time has deteriorated it the author describes the river as â€Å"... Now it was fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires. .. So stripped of vegetation, it looked like the air force had strafed it† (Boyle, 125). The place is just awful, but I can relate the symbolism depicted by the author. Just like the boys were courteous sometime before, as one confesses that he has never had to fight since sixth grade, they are now filthy, just

Rationalism vs. Empiricism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rationalism vs. Empiricism - Essay Example . Contrary to empiricists, rationalists embrace deduction. This means being able to prove something by relying on certainty and not reason. For instance, Descartes relied on deductive reasoning as a way of proving God’s existence. Conversely, empiricism denotes a belief in the sense perception as the source of knowledge. For example, John Locke explained this belief by dividing sense perception into two parts that include simple and complex ideas. The simple ideas emerge from only on perception. This may include for example, perception of color or size. On the other hand, complex ideas are derived by combining the simple ideas (Alexander 58). Further, another belief that separates empiricism from rationalism involves the acquisition of ideas through experience. In essence, ideas according to empiricists, are not acquired through an innate process. Empiricism does not embrace innate ideas in the sense that, knowledge varies. For instance, a child’s mind is a tabula rasa, but learns from experience. In essence, if they possess the knowledge, they should use it from the start. According to Lock, simple ideas emanate from experience, and those ideas are combined to form complex ideas. In addition, empiricism contrary to rationalism endorse a belief in induction. This is the belief that only a few phenomenon are proven conclusively. For example, people identify things through their sense perception. However, most perceptions cannot be concluded to agree with the objects being perceived (Alexander 65).

Human Resources In US Healthcare

Human Resources In US Healthcare The healthcare industry is the largest employer in the United States, in 2002; this industry consisted of 518,000 organizations that employed 12.9 million individuals (Fallon McConnell, 2007). The healthcare sector employs 10.9% of all employment in the United States and has a 16% new job growth. The reason behind this growth is primarily due to two factors: increased in the use of technology and the continued aging of the population (McConnell, 2006). Large numbers of individuals are needed to provide, record, and bill for the services provided to the patients. Human resources are the backbone of the health organization because they address the need to ensure that each department is staffed with qualified and motivated personnel (Hernandez, 2009). In strategic human resources planning, the human resources department is an important member of the healthcare industry. The HR department is involved in a number of activates that together comprise of four major activity groupings: hirin g of employees, maintaining employees, retaining employees, and separating employees. To most people the human resources department is viewed as more administrative than advisory and as an enforcer of policies than the actual policy makers. Basically, people consider this department as where you go to get hired or to file your personal papers. There are times when other departments may look upon the human resources department negatively and this is due to the fact that other departments may not know the rules and regulations that HR must follow for example: a department manager may have a key position that has been vacant for a few weeks and because of the vacancy the other employees in the department has to work mandatory overtime (Bohlander, Snell, Reviews, 2009) An ideal candidate has been interviewed by the HR department and is then referred to the manager for another interview, the manager then tell HR that this is the exact person they are looking for and they would like this person to start in their department as soon as tomorrow, however, because of the proto cols that HR must follow they are not able to hire this person before a background check, references and a drug test has been done. The manager of the department may then complain to their senior manger that HR is taking their time or is unwilling to cooperate (Bohlander, Snell, Reviews, 2009). There are many departments within the healthcare field, from different types of physicians, nurses, administration and technicians. In hospitals the human resources has a part in hiring all of these people, in private facilities that is owned by one or two physicians the HR department will in most cases hirer everyone except the physicians. Physicians are some of the most important people that work in a hospital; they are traditionally the focus of the health care industry. The reason is because they are the people who primarily evaluate and diagnose patients conditions and prescribe treatment. When it comes to the hiring of a physician, it must be determine that their services will be an asset to the hospital because of their salary related costs. When there is a need for the hiring of a physician, the HR department must make sure he/she is competent, a background check must be preformed and they must make sure they are licensed to practice in the state where they are practicing. Ph ysicians must complete internship/residency which is a form of paid on the job training and this is usually done at a hospital. Nurses work closing with physicians because they provide the primary care to the patients in both hospital and clinic settings. The duties of nurses differ depending on the type of setting in which they are working. The different settings that nurses work in are: Hospitals Nursing homes Private practice Ambulatory center centers Managed care organization Worksites Government and private agencies Clinics Schools Retirement communities Rehabilitation centers Nurses are increasingly being employed by outpatient centers and home healthcare organizations because of the trends toward discharging patients from hospitals faster and performing many procedures in outpatient settings (Wolper, 2004). When a nurse is hired the human resources department must make sure that the nurse is licensed to practice. A nurses licensure is achieved by graduating from an accredited nursing school and completing a national exam. A physician that does not have a MD or a DO degree are non-physician practitioners, they provide health services in areas similar to those of a physicians. In 47 states and the District of Columbia, they can prescribe medication (Wolper, 2004). Human resources may be recognizable as 5 different models, these are: clerical, counseling, industrial relations, control and consulting model. Under clerical model, human resources perform the following duties: processor, file paper, keep records, and track various statistics and key dates and administrator of employee benefits plans. Under this model, the top manager of this department is most likely to be experiences as a benefits administrator or have a similar practitioner orientation. The counseling model is relatively common in hospitals because the total cost of employees represents a large portion of the budge and there is an emphasis on maintaining employees as effective productions. Under this model HR is likely to: function as an advocate for employees, place high priority on preserving privacy and confidentiality, actively stress training and development and function as a resource to managers for people problems, disputes, and disciplinary issues. The industrial relation s model develops in organizations in which the work force is unionized, and there are periodic contract negotiations and considerable activity having to do with grievances and arbitrations. HR functions specified by contract are performed automatically and as expected, with little room for flexibility or judgment in their performance. The control model observed in very few organizations offers the HR department substantial power, under this model little management action is taken without the clearance of HR; the HR department is current and knowledgeable concerning all legal requirements and the HR executive will be a key member of the organizations administrative team. The consulting model is usually found in larger organizations, under this model the HR practitioners are usually expert resources, relied upon by employees, department managers, and executive management according to need. There are alternative models such as managerial model and financial model, under the managerial model the HR has no particular strategic outlook or long range planning involvement. A HR function operating under the financial model displays maximum attention to HR costs, in particular, indirect compensation costs such as health and dental insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other benefits. The human resources department of any healthcare entity must protect and encourage the quality of the patients relationship with the healthcare entity, but it also must protect and encourage the quality of the employees relationship with the healthcare entity. The employees of the healthcare industry must provide compassion and they should consider care but their job satisfaction is important. The major managerial function surrounding human resources are: Strategic Planning Recruitment and Selection Retention Compensation and Benefits Performance Evaluation Training and Education Legal and Regulatory Issues Strategic planning is the process of matching the human resources of an business with its goals and objectives. In strategic HR planning, the human resources department is an important member of the executive committee. Recruitment and selection allow hiring of the best candidate with the needed skills. When recruiting people for a new position, it is important to recruit internally as well as externally, because a member of the current staff may be appropriate for the position. It is important that new recruits fit into the organizational culture but it is also critical to assess the organizational culture to ensure that it is not a source of retention problems. For example: doctors lack of respect for nurses in some organizations has created a retention problem for nurses. The process of recruitment, selection, and training is intensive and expensive, in both actual cost and opportunity costs. High compensation is a factor that will enhance retention of workers, benefits is also im portant in retention. Performance evaluation is a way to define the level of competence of an employee as measured against a certain standard level of skills and knowledge. To encourage the practice of performance evaluation, many health care organizations, especially integrated health care systems are implementing, pay for performance, compensation plans. Pay for performance can be based on individual, tem, organization goals. Human Resources not only have to deal with many challenges such as training and education mandates, health care organizations must be knowledgeable of the legal and regulatory issues related to the HR department in general. This is especially when it deals with safety in the workplace and union regulations, because of the potential for exposure to blood borne pathogens and radiological substance. Health care organization must have appropriate safety measures in place to protect their employee against injury, as well as appropriate training to facilitate the use of these safety measures. Another challenge in HR is planning is very important in the HR department; by planning correctly (McConnell, 2006). HR can avoid having a surplus or a shortage. If HR has hired too many employees for the health care faculty then there would be a surplus but it do not hire enough then there would be a shortage. The health care organization is very diverse, diversity means a wider range of people bring ing a greater variety of approaches to work, ideas, lifestyles issues and many other things. Human resource policies must address these differences in order to attract, retain, and maximize the contributions of all members of the changing workforce. Human resource planning in the 21st century is a much more comprehensive set of analyses and examinations to ensure that the HR department function optimally contributes to the organizations overall business success. Human resources function is striving toward creating stronger business partnerships within the organization, the need for thorough and accurate HR planning is likely to be unique to each organization. There are laws that affect different aspects of employment relationship, the human resources department must be aware of these pieces of legislation. A significant legislation was the Civil Rights Act of 1964; this legislation marked the beginning of significant changes in relations between the government and business in the United States (McConnell, 2006). Before the Civil Rights Act, businesses were free to treat their employees essentially as they chose, there were only two exceptions: wage and hour laws and labor relations laws. Prior to 1964, the only laws that had not iceable impact on the employment relationship were the Fair Labor Standards Act and related state laws, and the National Labor Relations Act. Employees payment of wages and other related conditions of employment were governed under the Fair Labor Standards Act (McConnell, 2006). The relationship between work organizations and labor unions were governed under the National Labor Relations Act. The Social Security Act provided low income elderly people with social insurance. In 1937 this act was expanded to provide benefits to survivors of covered workers who became permanently disabled. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) went into effect on July 1st, 1997; this law ensures that most persons who change jobs will receive continuous health insurance without regard to many preexisting health conditions (McConnell, 2006). Organization need to consider a variety of issues when analyzing the impact of HIPAA on their organization. Some issues that may impact their organization are: HIPAA is about improving the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the healthcare system. Limited resources, both in terms of dollars, staffing, and time Convergence of e-health strategies and HIPAA objectives, which are clearly connect in the areas of standardization and technical security measures. Constraining effects of legacy systems within industry, which add to cost of compliance as well as ongoing dependency on vendors. There will be a profound impact on overall healthcare industry electronic communications and transactions HIPAA have pave the way for increasingly sophisticated e-health and other healthcare e-commerce and communications applications as well as for new uses of evolving technologies, such as hand held devices and wireless access (Fallon, McConnell, 2007). There are a few healthcare industry forecasts that will directly impact job analysis. In healthcare technology is ever and quickly changing and such technology makes new procedures and treatment possible. These new treatments and procedures provide a solution that meets medical needs for a number of patients, which leads to an increasing survival rate and the rising life expectancy of the nation as a whole. It is believed that over the next 15 years, there will be a shortage of physicians in the United States. We may also see a similar trend in the supply of nurses. With the demand for quality healthcare increasing by an aging population demanding more health care service, the nursing shortage will be an important strategic human resource issue in the health care industry (Shi, 2007). Job analysis will play an important role. Since the healthcare industry is forever changing, the idea of strategic job analysis surely will become a major focus on healthcare organizations. Strategic jo b analysis is the identification and specification of future jobs takes and responsibilities and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform those jobs that currently do not currently exist but are anticipated to be needed in the future. There should be also be anticipation of the future changes in terms of laws and regulations, employee demographics, profession shortages, technology, information, technology, and other possible changes (Shi, 2007). It is important for human resources to know which jobs and associated tasks will be needed in the future, along with identifying the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other requirements needed to perform such jobs, will be a potential advantage for health care organization desiring to effectively compete in the future.

war poetry and one related material :: essays research papers

â€Å"When the Power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.† Jimi Hendrix. The topic we are studying is Experience through Language. This type of text is used to get a message through to the responder using literary techniques. From the start of time people have been documenting expressions on war for and against. Two articles I’ve chosen that relate to war are a Propergander poster from England in 1914 and the poem â€Å"The Soldier† composed by Rupert Brooke in 1915. We see how both composers try to convey the glories of war. This is one of the main messages in both pieces of material. In the poster there is persuasion to Patriotism. This is displayed by the bold letters spelling the sentence â€Å"Britons Wants You†. The effect of this makes the viewer feel as if what is said is directed at him or her. The same message is found in ‘the soldier’ in the first few lines ‘if I should die, think this of me, that there’s some corner of a foreign field, that is for ever England there shall be in that rich earth a richer dust concealed’ – this quote makes the reader feel pride for his country. It glorifies war. There is a visual aid in the poster of Lord Kitchener pointing at you. Lord kitchener was displayed on many recruitment posters pointing at ‘you’. The technique of him pointing engages the viewer by making him or her feel dedicated toyou their country. Another message in ‘The soldier’ is the sacrifice for your country. A technique used to show this is 1st person speech as in the line â€Å"if I should die, think only this of me.† Using 1st person makes it more personal as it lends an authenticity. Another technique is the repetition of the word England. This emphasizes an important point the composer wants to send to the reader. He has respect for his country. Rupert Brooke uses lines like â€Å"Shaped, Made aware† it gives personification as if England has nurtured them like a mother. Both sources mention biblical or religious allusions. In the poster there is the words â€Å"God Save The King† in capital letters.

Differences in People’s Perception of Reality in the Context of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

The inadequacy of humans' ability to discern what is real amid complex situations is a factor that forces people to have different meanings and views on all things existing. Heightened by people's internal and external conflicts, the different perspectives of reality are proven to be an unconquerable source of conflict in the society. The differences in people's perception of reality transcend beyond the definition of a systemic psycho-social problem because such differences include opposing value systems, institutionalized beliefs, social ethical codes and the omnipresent patriarchal ideology in the socieities.Such differences are all seen in gender issues as men have their own vision of reality built with their ethical and moral constructs in which women are of inferior status. One insightful literature that exposes the differences in people's perception of reality as a major source of conflict is the book titled A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams. This book is a reflection of how patriarchy remains dominant in the struggle against people's incapacity to discern what is real. This book reveals the uncertainty of destiny and failure to cope with complex situations.The female characters in the story, Blanche and Stella are passionate women who are controlled by their external and internal conflicts. These conflicts overshadow their strong desire for love and freedom making them vulnerable and susceptible to harsh attacks from the patriarchal society. The external conflicts that overpower the life of Blanche are a valuable factors that give great contradictions to her. Economic background is one external conflict inherent in the character of Blanche. Even though she has noble features embedded in her personality, and a lofty social background, her destiny is doomed from the very beginning.This is because she is ignorant about how complex and cruel life can be amid wealth and luxury. As Belle Reve, the family mansion has been traded in exchang e for the epic fornications of their grandfathers, uncles, and their father, Blanche goes to Stella's refuge to start a new life but is failed to do so (Tennessee 2004). Her shift from high social status becomes her external conflict that weakens her against the male characters, the domineering Stanley and Mitch. She lives under the pressure of a failed status and failed marriage and the social rules in which Stanley is the tyrant.Living with Stella, Blanche fails to see the â€Å"reality† of the world that contrasts with her beautiful and luxurious dreams. Blanche fails to overcome the cruelity of the real world because she has covered her eyes with horror, uneasiness, revenge and frustration. She never find a way to face the truth head on and all the she does is to take a detour and away from the world that she does not expect. The inner conflict existing in Blanche include her sexual involvement with strangers as the embodiment of her irrational indulgence for sex and cari ng for a lonely heart.The satisfactions of her desire has been the main context of her living and she will take no initiatives to suppress it. She makes her own reality by committing to take her passion to life while neglecting ethical standards and moral values. Her untamed tongue is a reflection that she would not take any negation and considerations when it comes to her desire. As for Stella, she fails to see the cruelty of her husband because her eyes are pointed only to one direction and one belief: that her man cannot do such a thing because of love and commitment. Stella's external conflict is her marriage to her husband.She cannot face the harsh truth because she defines her marriage as fidelity and righteousness alone. She is blinded by her love and cannot see the several dimensions surrounding marriage such as lust. Another conflict in Stella's character is her economic role of making her own living (Tennessee 2004). Stella is so consumed with making money and establishing her own life that she forgets to be sensitive to the needs of her significant others. All that she cares for is her marriage and moneymaking. Stella's one vision of reality reflects a peaceful and successful marriage with Stanley whom she loves most and loves her faithfully in return.Her reality is built within the constructs of society's ethical and moral standards. Her whole life is controlled by fantasy to which she creates an unbreakable bond. The male characters in the story Mitch and Stanley represent life's antagonistic feature that human beings tend to negate or consider as unreal. As the antagonists, they are the object of the assumption that conflicts arise when humans fail to recognize cruelty as part of llife's reality. The imperfection of the two characters substantiate the fact that Stella and Blanche are blinded by their illusions, fantasies and fulfillment of their desires.Stanley and Mitch bring the illusion of the female characters into fierce confrontation with t he cruel reality. Mitch and Stanley also represent the dominance of patriarchy in conflicts. They have the edge in the conflict because they fulfill the illusion and dreams of Stella and Blanche while at the same time make up the cruel reality of the female characters' lives. Mitch and Stanley are the unconquerable force that lead to the external and internal conflicts of the female characters. Stella and Blanche tend to establish that men are solely owned by their worlds of dreams instead of considering them as objects of life's reality.The differences in people's perceptions of reality are determined by their external and internal conflicts. These differences create an outwardly conflict that may destroy personal relationships. Such differences arise when people focus on only one aspect or dimension of life instead of creating a holistic picture of life's reality. The external and internal conflicts lead to such differences and bring constant suffering. The male antagonists symbol ize tension and cruelty which are all part of life that tend to crush people emotionally and physically.

Mythology by Edith Hamilton Critical Analysis

Mythology by Edith Hamilton Edith Hamilton: Mythology is a collection of Greek and Roman myths retold by Edith Hamilton. It is rewritten in a way that more readers could comprehend its content. The book was published in 1999 by Grand Central Publishing in New York, New York. Edith Hamilton believed that Greek myths â€Å"show how high the ancient Greeks rose above ancient filth and fierceness. † However, she also believed that â€Å"Greek mythology do not throw any clear light upon what early mankind was like† (14).They were simply written by ancient societies or civilizations to express themselves or to explain natural events that occurred around them. In addition, Edith Hamilton also says that the â€Å"best guides to a knowledge of Greek mythology are the Greek writers who believe what they wrote† (23). Edith Hamilton: Mythology can be described in many ways. It can be described and analyzed by its purpose, organization and language, and interpretation. One wa y that it could be described is by analyzing the book's purpose. This book was written for many purposes.In Hamilton's perspective, the purpose of this work was simply to â€Å"show us the way the human race thought and felt untold ages ago† (13). Another purpose of the book was to entertain its readers and audiences. Reading Edith Hamilton's collection of Greek and Roman myths gives its readers more knowledge about how ancient civilizations explained things. Hamilton's purpose for writing this literary work was also to â€Å"make the reader see some differences between writers [of the original], who were so different† from each other.She accomplished this by writing short passages about the original writers at the beginning of each story. Her goal for this book was to be accurate and close to the original and for readers to gain knowledge of myths and an idea of what each original writer was like (Foreword). The organization and language of Edith Hamilton: Mythology i s another way to analyze this book. Hamilton organized her work in easy-to-follow groups. Short love stories were all in one chapter, and the events of the Trojan War were all in another chapter.She also kept the Greek stories and the Roman stories separated by using only Greek characters in some stories and using only Roman characters in the next. While that organization made the book more convenient, it may also have confused some readers. The transition from Roman gods in one story to Greek gods in the next story came so unexpectedly that it may have surprised or confused readers. Hamilton was very sophisticated with her use of words and language in the book. While that may have impressed some of her audiences, others may have preferred the use of simple and easy-to-understand language.Edith Hamilton: Mythology can be interpreted by its effectiveness and appeal to its audience. It was very educational and effective in letting the reader understand the interaction between mortals and immortals. This literary work was definitely a monomyth, a hero with a thousand faces. Most of the stories all related to each other, and some were basically the same stories, only told by different writers using similar gods, goddesses, and mortals. The myths also contained a few recurring themes such as the theme of love.In several stories, readers were told that love was given to mortals by the gods and that it was unavoidable. The stories and myths appealed to the reader and audience in many ways. Some stories or myths contained humor, while others were quite moving and heart-warming. For example, in Hercules's story, we are told that Hercules drank and partied one night while everyone else around him was mourning a woman's death. Hercules regretted being merry on such a night that he did all that he could to bring the woman back to life (176-178). That story was very sweet and heart-warming.It also showed the readers Hercules's true character and how much he cared about the people around him. Other myths and stories provided suspense or even mystery to its audience. The story of â€Å"The Quest of the Golden Fleece† kept some readers wanting to keep reading just to find out what the future held for Jason, the Argonauts, and Medea. Overall, Edith Hamilton: Mythology was a collection of Greek and Roman myths rewritten by Edith Hamilton. Her book can be analyzed by its purpose, organization and language, and its interpretation.It was written to inform its audience about how humans thought and felt ages ago. Its content was organized in such a way that made it easier to understand for some readers. The book's stories were very effective in letting its audience know about the relationship between the gods and the mortals. They also appealed to readers because of their humor or suspense. People all over would now be able to read and understand Greek, as well as Roman, mythology because of the literary work, Edith Hamilton: Mythology.

Free sample - The Economic Report. translation missing

The Economic Report. The Economic ReportNational bank of Kenya limited is a financial institution engaged in the provision of services such as banking, financial and others related to these. The bank owns two subsidiaries namely: Natbank Trustee and Investment Services Limited and the Kenya National Capital Corporation Limited (Kariuki 2010). This bank has encountered several problems over the last few years and the country’s central bank which monitors the operations of all financial institutions in the country has predicted that unless the bank changes tact, it will be bedeviled by the same problems over the next couple of years. These problems include demand and supply problems, economic problems, non performing loans portfolio as well as technology problems (Kariuki 2010). According to reports from the central bank, the bank’s nonperforming loans accounted for about 43.5% of the total loans in the month of June (Kariuki 2010). This was above the industry range which was estimated to be 15.8%. These nonperforming loans can be attributed to reckless lending policies. Statistics from the central bank also indicate that the bank has a huge revenue deficit of four billion Kenya shillings (Kariuki 2010). This deficit is to be settled through realized profits. Economists from the central bank however indicate that this may not be feasible as the bank is unlikely to issue dividends, a move that may see many share holders desert the bank hence a profit dive (Kariuki 2010). The bank’s total capital base as a percentage of total risk weighted assets has not reached the statutory threshold which is placed at 12%. Its estimated to be at 10%, a fact that makes payment of dividends further impossible. Due to the huge nonperforming loans, the bank decide d to go slow on lending, a move that saw many of its customers move to the less risky investments. These investments include but not limited to: Government securities such as treasury bonds and treasury bills (Kariuki 2010). Statistics from the central bank show that the bank’s loans to private households declined by 19.7% while lending to finance and insurance sectors reduced by 25.3% last year (Kariuki 2010). The central bank predicts a further reduction in these two for the next few years. The emergence of many micro-finance institutions such as K-Rep, Jamii Bora Trust, and Kenya Women Finance Trust, which have captured the low-end of the market has compounded the problems facing the bank further (World Bank [WB] 2010). This is because, these microfinance institutions offer lower lending interest rates on their loans hence attracting many unbanked citizens who may have been absorbed by the National Bank (Kariuki 2010). The location of these micro-finance institutions enable them to capture more customers. This is because they are spread throughout the country’s rural areas where majority of the unbanked citizens reside. The bank adopted a policy of high interest rates on its loans so as to cover their level of exposure, a move that greatly reduced the demand for the bank’s loans (WB 2010) The introduction of mobile banking by the country’s leading telecommunication company, Safaricom limited has also been a thorn in the bank’s flesh. Many people in Kenya who had not been captured by the banking world found it simpler to start accounts with the telecommunication company (Omwansa 2010). This is because of the convenience involved in carrying out transactions which involves simply the use of mobile phones. Mpesa is the name given to the mobile banking of the telecommunications company (Omwansa 2010). Mpesa customers are able to carry out transactions such as paying bills, money transfers, shopping in supermarkets using phones, and many more other transactions. The demand for accounts in this bank and others in the country is expected to reduce as more people jump into the mobile banking band wagon (Omwansa 2010). The problem is expected to get worse as more telecommunication companies in the country have emulated Safaricom. For instance, the country’ s second largest telecommunication company by customer base, Zain Kenya has introduced a similar mobile banking program called Zap (Omwansa 2010). Many banks in the country have introduced a technology that enables bank customers to manipulate their bank accounts using mobile devices. Failure by this bank to follow suit has made it fail to attract potential customers (Omwansa 2010). This technology allows customers to transfer money from their banks to their mobile phones which they can then withdraw through the telecommunication companies’ money outlets such as Mpesa and Zap (Omwansa 2010). This saves them the inconvenience of travelling to the banks to transact. The country’s third largest telecommunication company by customer base, Yu has also entered the mobile banking band wagon through its Yu cash. This has captured even more customers whose destiny would otherwise have been in the banking world (Omwansa 2010). The country has witnessed an explosion of pyramid schemes which have lured many citizens into depositing money with them. These schemes have convinced many people to withdraw money from their bank accounts which has led to a poor performance by the banks (Jack 2010). This is because, money which the banks could have issued as loans is now disappearing into the pyramid schemes. These schemes operate on a simple principle; people who bank with them first benefit from funds brought in by subsequent customers when their pay time comes (Jack 2010). If the number of people qualifying for payment exceeds the amount of money brought in by new customers, the owners of the schemes disappear with all the investments. If the country’s central bank doesn’t control the operations of these pyramid schemes, then banks are expected to suffer more in the next few years (Jack 2010). The economy of the country performed poorly in the last financial year as a result of a post election violence. This has also greatly affected the bank since the government is its largest shareholder . Poor economic performance also translates to lack of funds to put into bank accounts by the bank’s customers hence the bank is affected adversely (Jack 2010). If the performance of the economy is not turned around in the next few years, then the bank is expected to perform more poorly. The diagram below shows the likely demand and supply situation in the bank over the next three years. This is still the current situation. Reduction in supply has been witnessed since the bank has been forced to close down some of its branches due to the poor performance. The bank is expected to close more of its branches in future if the problems are not solved. Closing down of accounts coupled with the problems discussed earlier has led to a decrease in demand for the bank’s financial services. To turn around this poor performance, the bank should consider a number of solutions. Firstly, the bank should consider expanding to the rural part of the country in order to capture unbanked people from the low-end of the market (Jack 2010). The bank should also consider a reduction in its loans interest rates in order to increase the demand of the same (Jack 2010). The bank should also consider introducing a technology that would allow customers to manipulate their bank accounts using mobile devices. However, for the bank to keep a competitive edge over the others in the same line of production, they should do this differently. Instead of cooperating with the existing mobile networks, the bank can consider coming up with its own platform. This is because, the telecommunications firms are also themselves involved in mobile banking, so collaborating with them amounts to collaborating with a competitor. This can only be to the advantage of the competitor (Jack 2010). The bank should a lso reduce the requirements for opening an account with them. These requirements include minimum deposit, passports, ATM processing fee etc. while passports are quite important, the bank can consider purchasing cameras for taking the passports without charging the customer (Jack 2010). The bank should also consider increasing the number of marketers so as to capture as many potential customers as possible. Opening many ATM machines throughout the country would also go a long way in helping the bank turn around its poor performance. Lastly, the bank should pressurize the central bank to come up with policies which discourage the mushrooming of pyramid schemes (Jack 2010). This paper has discussed the problems afflicting the National Bank of Kenya. These problems have included: nonperforming loans, huge revenue deficit, competition from micro-finance institutions which offer loans with lower interest rates, low customer base due to failure to capture rural areas, competition from telecommunications companies which have invested in mobile banking, failure to take advantage of modern technology involving mobile banking and finally competition from rogue pyramid schemes. Solutions which can turn around this poor performance have also been discussed. These have included: expanding to the rural part of the country in order to capture unbanked people from the low-end of the market, introducing a technology that would allow customers to manipulate their bank accounts using mobile devices, reducing the requirements for opening an account with them, introducing more ATM machines and finally pressurizing the central bank to come up with policies which discourage the mushrooming of pyramid schemes.

Harper Lee Biography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Harper Lee Biography - Research Paper Example Harper Lee was different from her college-mates in that she was not quite as interested in dating, makeup, and fashion as others were. She instead focused all her efforts on improving her writing skills. She was a member of the glee club as well as of the literary honor society. â€Å"Pursuing her interest in writing, Lee contributed to the school’s newspaper and its humor magazine, the Rammer Jammer† (â€Å"Harper Lee†). Harper Lee particularly got famous from a controversial novel title To Kill a Mockingbird, which depicted race relations in the USA among many other issues. Harper Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for writing this novel, though no other book has been published by her ever since. About herself, Harper Lee said, â€Å"I am still alive although very quiet† (Lee cited in Lombardi). Harper Lee has received several honorary doctorates since June 1966 when she was named by the President Johnson to the National Council of Arts. Harper Lee presently lives in New York (â€Å"Biography of

Ecomonic Systems PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ecomonic Systems - PowerPoint Presentation Example To attain full utilization of the available limited, resources in a state, it entails adequate and effective apportioning, which calls for the intervention of diverse entities. For illustration, every entity has its core role that another party cannot manage effectively to accomplish. Conventional adopted economic systems encompass free market, mixed economy and planned economy (Duffy, 2008). Free Market Regime participation is minimal or all together neglected because the private and the client are the determiners in this system (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). In this system, both the consumer plus seller are liable for their actions or verdicts, which they normally implement while trading. This entails that the commodities price or value aligns with the demand or supply forces. Hence, no stringent measures regarding the prices, except that they should be fair and do not exploit the consumer, which denotes both sides benefit mutually. The market forces lies on demand, supply and ascertai ns shifting or fixing of varied commodities’ values (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). In the incidences where the demand of a certain merchandise falls contrasted to its supply, then it yields to price decline. Nevertheless, when the supply falls, the demand and value usually hike. This system usually offers absolute command on price in ascertaining apportion of resources in the market (Zhou, 2011, p. 223). The minimal involvement of the government entails ensuring order and fair prices that compare with commensurate forces of demand and supply (Zhou, 2011). Hence, prompting the sellers to be true to their ideals in exercising their privileges in a free environment (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). Contrary to other systems, issues regarding tariffs or subsidies are nonexistent. The private firms in accordance to the forces apparent in the market ascertains what to generate and when for the client. Since, the client is the determinant in deciding what to buy and depends on the occasion at disposal. Consequently, assist in utilization and apportioning of resources efficiently (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). Controlled economic system The government exercises its full right in assigning and determining to the details the verdict regarding diverse resources (Kamimura, Burani & Franca, 2011). Private lacks necessary command, thus denoting its influence is nonexistent over the economic tasks, which the regime plans. Suppose the private has to be involved, it entails that, on its part to give full compliance to resources and diverse necessities, since they are under the regime. Government is the sole determinant regarding what to fabricate, extent, value and mode proposed for sound production aimed at protecting the clientele from exploitation. The system entails that every commodity in the market must have directives emanating from the planners (Kamimura, Burani & Franca, 2011, p. 88). Contrarily, this may possess false forecasts or wrong verdicts that are divergent to the con sumer’s demand. Hence, yielding to the respective parties (consumer and private) incur loss silently for them lack the necessary authority to improve their situations. However, the system hardly experiences joblessness incidences since the government solely regulates allocation of human resource (Kamimura, Burani & Franca, 2011). Mainly, it seeks diverse opportunities to ensure that there are no such shortages, which might