When Brothers Share a Wife

Polyandry is a form of polygamy whereby a woman has several husbands. In Tibet those husbands are often brothers, which is why it is most commonly called â€Å"Fraternal Polyandry†. The eldest brother is normally dominant in terms of authority, that is, in managing the household, but all the brothers share the work and participate as sexual partners. Goldstein's article focuses on the overlap between the domestic group, defined as those individuals that live in a single household together, and the kin group, or people who view themselves as relatives, within a certain Tibetan society near Limi, Nepal. According to the article, the idea of polygyny – the taking of more than one wife by a single man – is practiced by consanguine brothers for primarily economic reasons in addition to reasons of tradition. Because of the time requirement of the subsistence economy, a man setting up a monogamous household would find it difficult if not impossible to farm, manage the animals, and care to his husband duties. The article concludes by discussing the decline of polyandrous marriages, and even goes so far as to describe that the practice may be completely gone within a single generation's time. Discussion Item: The article makes me curious how often persons from a more industrialized region paying visit to a tribal or otherwise remote region and exposed to social elements different from that which is typically seen in their own culture judge the people whom they are visiting, or conclude that their practices are â€Å"uncivilized†, â€Å"barbaric† or â€Å"disgusting† without stopping and taking the time to think critically about the economic, political and social reasons behind the practice, as well as the ramifications of changing.

Intercultural Experience

To complete this assignment I went to a cultural festival in downtown Louisville called the trolley hop. At the trolley hop there were many different cultures and cultural foods. At the trolley hop there is a â€Å"flea off market† where you can visit many different booths that are set up and visit the many different food trucks with food from different cultures. There was also a concert going on with a Hispanic music group. Another thing you can do at the trolley hop is visit the many different art galleries on market street.At the trolley hop you can interact with people from many different cultures such as black, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian. The purpose of the Trolley hop is to help different cultures interact with each other and share a common medium which in this case is art. At the trolley hop you can see how the different cultures perceive things differently. For example one culture may see the passion and meaning in a piece of art whereas another culture may see the piece of art as meaningless.Another example is in America if we were to see a painting with nudity we would perceive it as inappropriate whereas in most European countries nudity in art isn't perceived as inappropriate but more as a norm in their culture. I interviewed a Hispanic woman, I met at the trolley hop, about her culture and how its different from the other cultures in America. I first asked her how about the different languages in her culture, she said, that most people in her culture speak Spanish but there is no national language of Mexico.I then asked her what religions are a part of her culture and she said, most Mexicans identify themselves as Catholics but there is also some protestants, Muslims, and Jews. After talking to her about the religions in her culture I asked her if she could tell me about what they value in her culture, she told me of how they have high value on family and how Hispanic families are usually large. She said that Hispanic families also love hosting parties and how their homes play a large part in Hispanic life.I also learned that Hispanic families are usually quite traditional in the way that the father is the authority figure and the women work in the home. I also asked her about the music in her culture and she said that the most common type of music in her culture is a style of folk music called Mariachi. For my final question I asked her what different holidays are celebrated in her culture and she replied by telling me of how they celebrate â€Å"The feast of our lady Guadalupe † which is celebrated on December 12th.She said that it is a major holiday in Hispanic culture, and it is celebrating the appearance of Virgin Mary. They also celebrate a their independence day on September 16th which was when they got there independence from Spain. There are many differences between the Hispanic culture and the American culture. The differences between the language spoken in the American culture and Hispanic culture is in the American culture the most spoken language is English while in the Hispanic culture the most spoken language is Spanish otherwise known to those of the culture as Espanol Mexicano, meaning Mexican Spanish.When it comes to values there are some differences between the Hispanic culture and the American culture, the differences are in American culture Americans give a lot of importance to their profession rather than their family. And in the American culture children are brought up to be more independent with less guidance from their parents. While in the Hispanic culture, Family comes first always and their profession comes second. In the Hispanic culture men work to earn money and women take care of the home and household chores.Children are not brought up to be independent in Hispanic families and instead are brought up with a lot of care and guidance from their parents. Some other differences between the American and Hispanic culture are the difference between religion in the Hispanic and American cultures is in the Hispanic culture most people are Catholics. And religion plays a very strong role in Hispanic lives. And all Hispanic festivals are centered around religion.In the American culture every citizen has equal rights to follow the religion they would like to follow. Most people in the American culture are Christians or roman Catholics. The difference between the music in the Hispanic and American cultures are in the Hispanic culture they mainly have Mariachi style which is a variety of folk music. While in the American Culture some popular genres include pop, jazz, country, and rap. And the American music industry is the largest in the world.Some similarities between the American and Hispanic culture are In the American culture religion is a everyday part of American life while in the Hispanic culture religion is also a part ion everyday Hispanic lives. Another similarity between the American and Hispanic culture is when it comes to cuisine i n the American culture it depends on your standard of living and what region you live in on what type of food you eat. This is similar to the Hispanic culture because the type of cuisine you eat depends on your standard of living and what part of Mexico you were brought up in.The similarities in holidays celebrated in the Hispanic and American culture are in the Hispanic culture they celebrate a holiday called â€Å"The Feast of Our Lady Guadalupe† which celebrates the appearance of Virgin Mary. In the American culture a similar holiday is celebrated called â€Å"Christmas† which is celebrating the birth of Christ. When it comes to Hofstede's cultural values there are many similarities and differences between the Hispanic and American culture.A difference between the Hispanic and American culture is that the Hispanic culture is more of an collectivistic culture meaning that they place a greater emphasis on family and loyalty to their family then on the needs of the ind ividual. While the American culture is more of an individualistic culture meaning they place more emphasis on individuality and responsibility for oneself rather than family. A similarity between the Hispanic and American culture is that both cultures are low context cultures meaning that people are expected to be direct and say what they mean .And both cultures value expressing yourself. Another similarity between the American and Hispanic culture is they are both High-Power distance cultures meaning they both have power concentrated in a few people such as a political party. For example America has a President and so does Mexico. Both Hispanic and American cultures are also Masculine cultures meaning that people tend to value traditionally masculine values such as ambition, and achievement. But according to Hofstadter's research, The American Culture values masculine values but not as strongly as the Hispanic culture.When it comes to time, American Culture is a Monochronic culture meaning people of the american culture treat time as a commodity. And believe in saving time,investing time, spending time, filling time, and wasting time. While the Hispanic culture is a polychronic culture meaning they perceive time as more fluid and less structured. Instead of treating time as a commodity that must be managed properly to avoid being wasted, they perceive time more like a never ending river flowing into the future.My reaction to what I heard, saw, and experienced is I never really thought about the differences between cultures. And this experience made me realize how different we all really are. And that depending on what culture we are from makes us the people we are. I learned that in the Hispanic culture they value family more over their profession while in American culture we are more about our professions then giving our attention to our family. I enjoy learning about other cultures and learning how they are different from the American culture I was brought up in.

Conceptual Entrepreneurial Business Plan Assignment

Conceptual Entrepreneurial Business Plan - Assignment Example However, when new policies were implemented, all the Passenger Service Vehicles (PSV) were required to be registered under different Sacco’s. In January 2015, all the PSVs were required to register their vehicles and the route to operate. A minimum of twenty vehicles were allowed to register as a Sacco. Ironically, most bus owners did not like the idea of working in a Sacco. As a result, they withdrew their buses in town and operated other routes outside the town. Indeed, it was a good idea to join a Sacco as it was easy to manage the fleet in town, but owners had a contrary opinion. This brought about a gap in the industry, leaving a lot of passengers frustrated. Approximately 6000 people travel in and out of the city daily. With the few buses remaining, this is not proportion to the need. To meet this demand, the company intends to buy 20 new 40-seater buses. Very stiff competition will be expected from the already operating bus companies. The City Hopper Company is currently the leading company within the town offering transport services. Nevertheless, it is not the only company. Other companies are: Best ways chopper - it one of the oldest companies that has been in operation and operate within the town only. It has a number of buses, but most of them have been grounded because of mismanagement and poor maintenance. City Hopper- it is the largest company that serves most parts of the city. It has installed bus terminus at strategic places within and outside the city. Nonetheless, there are a few buses owned by the company. On several occasions, they are opportunistic and escalate fares mainly at rush hours and on rainy season. Drivers, turn boys/ conductors, secretary, mechanics and accountant/cashier will be on the same level. They will all be answerable to the assistant manager. The entire management system will be supervised by the general manager assisted by his deputy. All the staff

CBS examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CBS examination - Essay Example For instance, governments use trade associations in ensuring the production is meeting the demand. Therefore, the trade associations have to generate ways of stabilising production to reflect the demand levels. Similarly, governments could use cooperatives in increasing production of goods and services. These cooperatives could be private organisations that specialise in different types of production or service lines. In addition to this, a government can use multi-level production methods that increase production. A perfect example of the different business models that are used is the induction of People’s Bank of China (Luo, Xue and Han, 2010:71). This was an institution that was used to boost the outward foreign direct investment in the country. In ensuring the participation of PBC was successful, the government had to use monetary and the foreign exchange policy. As such, it motivated the Chinese firms which increased their production and extended the OFDI abroad. Therefor e, it is openly displayed that some activities are deemed to increase the production of goods and services, which could also be exported to earn foreign exchange and boost local currency’s strength globally. According to historical developments, countries have used capitalism as a way of improving on their production capacities. Countries that have a strong muscle seem to increase their production by investing in a variety of businesses (McDonald, Burton and Dowling, 2002:13). As such, countries with massive investments end up benefitting more thereby increasing their economic growth. Historically, countries that relied on capitalism are more developed than those that were allied to socialism. In capitalism, different levels of production accrued different levels of profit, which made a difference in the whole economy. However, in socialism, all production levels that recorded gains were directed to the whole economy. Therefore, there was a difference in the production levels in countries that supported socialism from those that supported capitalism. In this line, capitalism has complex methods that ensure all the factors of production are fully utilised. In recent times, countries have been trying to structure better ways of production and service provision. These structures are aimed to ensure the economy is growing at increasingly fast rate. However, it all depends on the roadmaps that are used in structuring the process. As such, many countries are directed towards economic liberalisation, increasing free trade and opening new markets for their products. Similarly, some countries are enhancing the private sector production, decreasing regulations in doing business and privatising some of the public corporations (Luo, Xue and Han, 2010:73). With such strategies, the economy gains by producing more as the different parts of the economy work towards a common goal. In making this a success, many of the regulations put in place are directed towards stren gthening the private sector. They deregulate the concentration of other production phases and ensure the private sector is booming and producing more. For instance, China banked on privatisation of many industries that produced more as compared to the current state; this culminated to a remarkable economic growth. Capitalism and neo-liberalism have their differences and convergent points which are dependent on the way the

Yale researchers unravel genetics of dyslexia and language impairment Assignment

Yale researchers unravel genetics of dyslexia and language impairment - Assignment Example Apart from genetic variants, Peart also claims that prenatal exposure to nicotine also predisposes children to dyslexia and language impairment (Peart 1). According to him, earlier diagnosis of challenges associated with dyslexia and language impairment will aid significantly in managing the associated complications. To achieve this, Peart asserts that it is crucial for the genetic components of reading as well as verbal language to be observed as earlier as possible. Additionally, he claims that most of the learning disabilities are as a result of dyslexia and language impairment. Thus, it is evident that his article provides detailed information on dyslexia and language impairment which enhances effective intervention of dyslexia and language impairment. The article enables persons suffering from the diseases understand the causes of their reading disabilities. Additionally, the article succeeds in making the families of the victims of dyslexia as well as language impairment seek for early interventions which as a result leads to effective

Group Work Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Group Work - Speech or Presentation Example The work was divided into five categories where each person was supposed to generate ideas about that particular task and these ideas would be used in the group work. I can illustrate this with an example. In software development, there are many people work together on different parts of the same code. These people can have different styles and algorithm logics but when they are done, they send their work to software engineers who can modify it or design it to produce the desired results. Software engineers are specialized in this area since they can assemble the codes in order to complete the project task. In brief, we had to work on different parts which were later going to be assembled to produce one meaningful component. Therefore, the presentation has to be like essay where each person has to contribute ideas which can be linked to form one meaningful document with clear ideas. In our presentation, each person had a part which was different from the others and this caused confli cts in trying to link the ideas into a meaningful task. We met a couple of times in order to try to iron out the problems as a group so that we could all understand what we were doing. In most cases, we communicated via the email. Though this is not a bad channel of communication with regards to simple things, I realised that complex issues when preparing for a presentation to be done in a short require face to face interaction so that the members can understand each other clearly. The other problem was the structure of the presentation.

Organizational Theory and Behavior Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Theory and Behavior - Term Paper Example Therefore, this paper is going to define the terms organizational theory and organizational behavior is, secondly, mention about the vital aspects of organizational behavior, thirdly, talk about the various theories of organizational behavior, and lastly conclusion. Organizational theory is a theory whose main aim is to enable individuals understand the reason as to why organizations are structured the way they are and how people behave in organizations (Cunliffe, 2008) On the other hand, organizational behavior is a word that is rarely hard in today’s life but seen and heard mostly in the places of work. The reason as to why the many people are not conversant with the term â€Å"organizational behavior† is that they do not know what it comprises. Therefore, organizational behavior can be defined as the culture and behavior of individuals in an organization that results to effective functioning of such an organization. In other words, it comprises of the rules, regulations and procedures that govern an organization (Staw, 2006) There are various vital aspects of organizational behavior and theory; they include organizational culture, ethics, communication, teamwork and diversity. Diversity means that people work in an organization peacefully by not looking at their age, tribe, gender, sex or ethnic backgrounds. Communication is the sending and receiving information, in an organization there are proper channels of communications that are followed for smooth running of organizations. Also among the staff, communication is an important aspect; it is done through memos, phone calls, emails among others. Teamwork is also important in an organization whereby the staff members have to work together as one team for effective and smooth running of organizations. There are several different behavioral theories that show how

The New Jim Crow Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The New Jim Crow - Essay Example Any statement that doesn’t concide with what it implies is hypocrisy even if it is in the form of a law. A law not implemented sincerely and judiciously is self negating. Spare the rod and spoil the child is not valid today as the contrary is more likely to spoil the child. This is in fact what is happening in our society today. Our laws target to prevent the crime and through a vicious circle of incarceration end up in promoting it simply because of the real focus being upon segregation of those whom we don’t want to be in the mainsream of our society. How incarceration can be counter effective and promote discrimination is the point to ponder upon. This was the point that flashed across the mind of Michelle Alexander, an associate professor at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University, while he happened to quickly glance at a roadside bill reading, "The Drug War is the New Jim Crow." His reaction to this poster, in his own words was, "Yeah, the criminal-justi ce system is racist in many ways, but making such an absurd comparison doesn't help. People will just think you're crazy." (Alexander) Right as he was, this thought required thorough probe and research to establish what he thought was a fact. He did so and after a lapse of good enough time delivered an illuminating speech at Constitution Day, during an event hosted by the Constitution Project and the Georgetown Center on National Security. He stated conclusively, â€Å"the system of mass incarceration is now immunized from judicial scrutiny for racial bias, much as slavery and Jim Crow laws were once protected from constitutional challenge.† Jim Crow is iconic for laws pertaining to discrimination. In the early days of our history such laws were proclaimed openly like Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. It was a pro-slavery clause in the U. S. Constitution and provided that, â€Å"persons held in service of labour in one state, escaping into another ... shall be delivered up on clai m of the party to whom such service of labor may be due."  (Ronald and Davis) Further to it â€Å"Those who refused could be fined and jailed. Slave catchers were paid a bounty for each slave captured.† (Ronald and Davis). We do not have such harsh laws today because now we are better equipped with the use of legal terms to express our illicit thoughts. Discrimination of colour and creed, not pronounced though, is embedded in the subconscious of our society and those at the helms of legal affairs do not spare any opportunity to imprison and reimprison the ‘defaulters of color or creed’on one or the other pretext. Crux of the thinking is that we want to keep some of the society, away from society on pretence of some legal ground, mostly prompted by political motives. Living in a truly free society, the black and white feel attracted towards one another like the opposite poles well known for their intrinsic affinity, when however constrained to live together they act like similar poles and tend to repel one another. Imprisonment has been a favourite mode of punishment in the history of law. The stated objectives of imprisonment are to punish the criminals followed by their training and education to reintroduce them in the society as useful and respectable citizens. Facts that come in light through research do not approve the realization of these objectives, for example statistics show that most of the persons once charged and imprisoned are charged and

Anti-discriminatory practices Essay Example for Free

Anti-discriminatory practices Essay The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the impact of discriminatory practice on work with children and investigate the ways in which the needs of children can be met through a range of anti-discriminatory practices. What is discriminatory and Anti-discriminatory Practice? There are many different definitions of the above that can be used: Any prejudice view or diverse treatment because of race, colour, creed, or national origin (www. surestart. gov. uk) is seen as discriminatory practice along withAccording to Lindon (2004 p128) Discrimination means behaving in an unfair way towards a person because of the way we have judged them. There are two types of discrimination: Direct discrimination: This is treating someone unfairly compared to someone else in the same or similar circumstances; it could be as a result of their sex, race, marital status, disability, or age for example. Indirect discrimination: This when you are discriminated against in general because of a generalization that has been made without taking in each persons situation into account. In order to challenge discrimination several laws, code of conducts and policies are in place. Discriminating against someone can be in the forms of labelling, stereotyping and oppression and all must be challenged immediately. (Miche. V 2004:128) Anti-discriminatory practice will ensure that everyone has the same rights regardless of things such as family background, appearance, lifestyle, gender, race or medical history. (Tassoni et al. 2000:11) In order to promote equality and anti discrimination early educators must follow relevant legislation, curriculum frameworks and official guidance.

How far did World War One effect the lives of people living in Britain between 1914 and 1918 Essay Example for Free

How far did World War One effect the lives of people living in Britain between 1914 and 1918 Essay Introduction How far did World War One effect the lives of people living in Britain between 1914 and 1918? World War One had many short-term effects on the people living in Britain between 1914 and 1918, some small and others large. However, I do not think that it had any large long-term effects, on Britain or on the people living in Britain at that time apart from on womens social standing. First I will look at large, short-term effects. D.O.R.A Or the Defense Of the Realm Act had quite a large-scale effect on Britain. It was also the cause of many other issues to be discussed in this essay, such as rationing. It originally began by allowing the government to control many aspects of the country completely; they could take over industries, factories and even people private land and houses for use in the war. They could also control how much people found out about the war through censorship. One of the first things the government did under DORA was to take control of the coal industry, and turn it towards helping the war effort, rather than putting money in private peoples pockets. During the war more changes were made, a lot of them affecting many aspects of peoples daily lives, under DORA people could not: Talk about military matters in public or spread rumors about military affairs anywhere Trespass on railways, bridges or allotments Fly kites or light bonfires or fireworks Buy binoculars Melt down gold or silver Give bread to dogs, chickens or horses Use invisible ink when writing abroad Buy whiskey or brandy in a railway refreshment room or a similar place Ring church bells As you can see there is a long list of things people were not allowed to do, as well as the government having the new powers already mentioned, the government also ordered for beer to be watered down, pub opening hours to be shortened and to not let people buy rounds or drinks in a pub. They also introduced the idea of putting the clocks forward by 1 hour during the summer, so that people could work longer while it was still light. These things altogether had quite a large short-term affect on the people of Britain, so much so that by the end of the war, people were used to the government controlling their lives completely, clearly this is something rather detrimental to Britain, it meant people could not always do what they wanted to do, restricting their right to free will. They could not fly kites, ring church bells, buy binoculars etc, and all of these smaller things, coupled with the larger things would have made a big difference to the people of Britain. I say D.O.R.A was a large short-term effect because at the end of the war, most of the acts passed under DORA were removed, the state no longer controlled buildings, or aspects of daily lives, apart from the new pub opening hours, which remained in effect until 1989, even though they were meant only for the war. DORA also had many other effects, which are in themselves issues to be discussed in this essay: Rationing Another example of Doras power can be seen in the form of rationing, because the government was able to take over and control land, they could take over farm land and turn its usage to producing what they wanted to be produced. They hired women to work the land (because men were away fighting), and did this in order to keep the country fed, but by 1917 the situation had become dire, German U-Boats were sinking one in every four of our supply ships, and there simply was not enough food for everyone to have exactly what they wanted. Food prices rose to double what they were in 1914, and since people had not asked for higher wages because they had wanted to support the war, they could not afford to pay. Rich people bought much more than they needed and hoarded it, whilst poorer people could not even afford to buy bread. Shops closed early because their stocks had run dry, and there were serious strikes over poverty level wages. The government then attempted to encourage people to economies on their food usage; leaflets, posters and articles were produced to try to get people to save as much food, particularly bread as possible. But none of their measures proved to be effective, so rationing was introduced, this meant that everyone had a set weekly allowance of food, comprising of sugar, meat, butter and beer, and they were issued with coupons that enabled them to get their set amount of food. As it turned out, by the end of the war, people were actually more healthy than they had been at the start, because they were eating a more balanced diet, the rich and the poor could only get the same amount of food as each other, so it also proved to be a much fairer method of supplying everyone in the country with enough food to live on. This was another short term affect, one under DORA, as once the war was over and the food supply was back to operational speed again, rationing ended and people were able to get as much, or as little food as they were able to before. Propaganda This will have had a much larger affect on the mind of the British citizen than any other effect of the war, although not being able to eat exactly what you wanted or do exactly what you wanted, these things were more physical when compared to propaganda, which had large physiological affects on people. DORA gave the government the right to control newspapers and other forms of media, in order to limit what the civilian population found out about the war. During the first few months of the war, where thousands of men were dieing in terrible ways, the government only reported good news, no reporter could go to France or to Belgium, and the control the government had was so incredibly totalitarian, they even kept the house of commons in the dark as to the full reality of the front line. For the first two years of the war most propaganda was rather crude, with many tales of British heroism and German atrocities, all highly patriotic, and completely supportive of the war. However as popular opinion changed the government had to adapt their propaganda strategies to cope with it. In 1916, appalling losses were being made at the battle of the Somme, with thousands of soldiers on both sides dieing daily, the government took this opportunity to attempt to show the people what the war was really like. What they filmed however was pre staged mock battles and scenes of soldiers going of the top bravely, and achieving much, they also showed pictures of dead and wounded men, something that had never been done before. This supposedly wakened a lot of people up to the harsh realities of the war, they were seeing so much that shocked and disgusted them, when really most of the footage was fake, and only half of the true story was being told. Propaganda was a powerful short term effect on what people thought of the war, it meant that because people did not know the full harsh reality of war, they kept on supporting it, it is likely that had the real story been told from the outset, the people may well have decided against the war. In its defense however, propaganda helped to keep the morale in Britain up when things were going badly, as the government could easily churn out a patriotic poster, or an awe inspiring leaflet. Below is a large effect, which had a lot more knock on effects than anything else. Women At War The countries male population had been severely reduced, because they were all out fighting on the front lines, so there were very few men left to farm, make munitions, and do all the other jobs that they used to do before the war, such as being a delivery driver. So women had to take over, the government formed the W.L.A or Womens Land Army, and women who signed up to this would work on farms around the country, planting, harvesting and looking after crops. They were also employed in industry, most commonly the munitions making industry, and as other forms of laborer. People found that the women were just as able to do the jobs as well as all the men were, and although they were not paid as high a wage as the men, the women found that they enjoyed working and earning a lot more money than they would have done in previous jobs, if they were employed at all. This was a much larger effect of the war, particularly as it led to women getting the vote in 1918 under the representation of the people act, they had proved they could do everything a man could do, and they had helped their country get through the war, although the right to vote was not given under equal terms until 1928, 10 years later, up until then only land owning women over 30 could vote. Women working in previously male jobs also led to help in the breakdown of the class system, because all women were involved, a rich land owner could be working on the field or in the factory right next to a poor dressmakers daughter. They found that it was possible to make friends with the lower classes, and most thoroughly enjoyed it. The same was happening to the male population, as all soldiers on the front line were equal unless they were higher up in the chain of command, so a rich man could find himself in a position of having his life saved by a poor lower class man, or vice versa. Some smaller, short-term changes Conscription A conscription act was issued in 1916, this stated that all men aged between 18 and 41 had to fight in the war, there was no option, because although at the start of the war they could not get people out to the front lines fast enough, as it carried on, the numbers of people wishing to lose their life for Haig and country began to dwindle, so conscription was the only thing that would ensure a steady flow of soldiers to be. After this all married men had to fight as well, and this then led to a huge shortage of workers in vital industries, which then led to women taking their places in the workplace, which then led to women getting the vote, and the eventual breakdown of the class system. Of course some people did not want to fight at all, even when they had to, these people were called conscientious objectors or conchies for short, however they did have to prove that they were really objecting to fighting for a reason of conscience, e.g. their religion or a deeply held belief that war is wrong. A lot of conchies were very badly treated, a lot were banded as criminals and placed in jail, some not even let out after the war was long over, and others could even be shot for being traitors. This was the first time conscription had been introduced in Britain, but like many other things, when the war finished, so did conscription. Conclusion There were many things that the First World War affected in Britain: food, the way people viewed the war, lively hoods and more were all altered in some way, most of the effects were temporary though, after the war they simply went away, and people went back to how it used to be before the war. All except for one effect, the way women had been treated before the war was as housewives and maids, fit only to do womens work at home, or at somebody elses home, they were thought of as the child bearers, and nothing much else. The war allowed women to prove they could be more than just that, after the war there were 400,000 less maids than there had been before it, women knew now that they could do whatever men could do, and do it well also. For their hard work, women won the vote, and eventually on equal terms as men, however, all did not change instantly, when the war finished many women went back to what they used to be doing, and the men came back to their old jobs as well, but I do not think this matters, as the ball had already been set rolling, women had proved that they were mans equals, and they could, and would do it again. I do not thing that World War One deserves to be called a Total War when compared to World War Two, although compared to previous wars such as the Boer war and the Napoleonic wars, World War One was the closest that had come to being a total war, people were much more involved in it than they ever had been before, there was conscription, bombing, women were commissioned to work in jobs previously only ever done by men, and the civilian population was being constantly bombarded by hundreds of propaganda messages. This was something people had never experienced before, never had a civilian felt so touched, so involved by the war, never had women worked in factories or had the vote, and civilians had never been bombed as they lay in bed before. Yet, compared to World War Two, WW1 was not total war, the bombing was really not at all severe, neither were the casualties, the weapons, the rationing or the everyday dangers when put next to World War Twos figures.

Study of Internet Banking in Malaysia

Study of Internet Banking in Malaysia Introduction. Background of study: Many scholars claim that electronic banking started in the 1970s. However, evidence showed that the first visible ATM machine was introduced in the year 1981. The ATM- Automated Teller Machines- are a great component of internet banking. They serve as a great alternative to the brick and mortal branches. Afterwards, tele-banking followed suit it yet another delivery channel for branch financial services via telecommunications devices connected to an automated system of the bank by utilizing Automated Voice Response (AVR) Technology. Before the introduction of internet banking in Malaysia in June 1, 2000, banks operated under an unconsolidated system. It was very difficult to conduct an interbank transaction. The bottleneck system was too frail to face the ever rising global competition from it international counterparts of who, by then, most have gone e-banking. To fully utilize the benefits of internet banking, the Malaysian central bank decided to consolidate its commercial banks. Prior to the implementation of this policy, there were about 23 banks in Malaysia in the banking system. However, after the consolidation and the implementation of internet banking, only 10 core banking groups survived, though some merged. The introduction of Internet system into the banking sector, drastically shoot up the performance and competitive advantage of Malaysian banking system. Inter and intra banking transactions became more flexible and faster. Banks are now able to grant loans to firms and individuals through faster an d easier means à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"e-banking. Individuals and firms are able to pay from and deposit money to their account without having to pay a physical visit to their banks. Almost all banking transaction can now be made at home at anytime on a system that runs almost 24/7.amybank became the first domestic bank to offer internet banking services. In Malaysia, this service is currently provided to individual customers at a 128-bit encryption technology to allay fears of security among consumers. The services provided in this portal includes bill payment, banking enquiry functions, , funds transfer, and accounts rundown, credit card payment as well as operation history. Customer support service is made available via e-mails in addition to telephone lines. Bellow is summary table of internet banking services provided by 6 Malaysian commercial banks BANK SERVICE TRANSACTIONS Southern Bank PC Banking Real-time fund transfers, credit-card payments, access account balances and auto alerts. Hong Leong Bank [emailprotected] Fund transfers, balance enquiries, statement download, bill payments, cheque-book request, cheque-status enquiry, stop cheque and credit-card payments. ec-banking Account Summary, Funds Transfer, Credit Card Service, Bill Payments, Service Request HSBC Bank Hexagon A desktop-banking system via the HSBC Groups proprietary worldwide communications network. Services include transfer of funds within own accounts and third-party accounts. Multi-Purpose Bank Multi-Link Basic banking services account balance enquiry, fund transfer, bill payments and product info. Also offers desktop share-trading via JB Securities Sdn Bhd. PhileoAllied Bank PALDIRECT PALWORLD Provides banking, share investing, news and information, utility-bill payments, insurance, travel, electronic shopping and communications services. RHB Bank RHB OnLine Balance enquiry, fund transfer, remittance services, fixed-deposit placements, credit-card payments, brokering and bill payments. Source: Internet Banking Patronage: An Empirical Investigation of Malaysia by Suganthi, Balachandher and Balachandran. Despite the many complaints about the slow transmission of data, mobile e-banking using the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has increased the ease with which transactions are made. The introduction of Global Packet Radio Services (GPRS) and 3G phones has help in defeating the speed problem. Thus, speed is no longer a problem. Bellow is a table of summary of banks three banks and there (3) Malaysian commercial banks. BANK NAME SERVICES OCBC Bank i.wap Banking transactions balance enquiry, transaction history, statement request, fund transfer, cheque-book request, stop-payment request, bill payments. Others news, banking rates, treasury news and credit-card services. Philoe Allied Bank Palworld WAP Banking transactions, bill payments, news, share trading. United Overseas Bank Mobile-phone banking Banking transactions such as balance enquiry, statement request, increase in credit-card limit and others. Source: Internet Banking Patronage: An Empirical Investigation of Malaysia by Suganthi, Balachandher and Balachandran. Despite the benefit that concomitantly associates with e-banking, it success largely depends on the reception its get from the people that use it, i.e. customer, retail and corporate alike. Its of no disputable doubt that many bank account holders have signed up for the internet banking facilities. In fact in Malaysia, CIMB for instance, almost all account holders à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"i.e. more than 90%- have opted for internet banking due to the ease and flexibility it possesses. Problem statement: However, this success story has only been achievable due to the much resource being invested in creating awareness and expanding the capacity and speed of the system. The questions, Does the result or performance of e-banking justify the resource been used to promote it? How good is the response of the customer, and How well is the system running? Objectives of study The following are the objective of this paper: General Objective: To measure the performance of e-banking in Malaysian economy Specific objective Measure the security level of the system from both the customer and bankers perspectives Measure the level awareness amongst Malaysian denizen Measure the level of convenience in regard to accessibility and speed the users enjoy. Literature Review The advent of internet banking in Malaysia and its rapid growth and adoption has been a popular subject amongst modern researchers. Internet banking has attracted increasing attention since the 1990s. Partly fostered by technological advance, banks started to use the internet as an innovative payment method and as a way to reduce costs, enhance profits and increase customer convenience. Between the 1997 and 2001 Deyoung (2005) the internet banks had started and they managed to identify which online banking have been effective, and the study had shown that most of the internet banks had low profit but the study showed that the internet banks had been growing so fast, and to make these banks survive they need a competitor but the consequences in market share will be limited. Electronic banking (e-banking) is the newest delivery channel of banking services all around the world and has become a vital necessity. The definition of e-banking varies amongst researches partially because elect ronic banking refers to several types of services through which a banks customers can request information and carry out most retail banking services via computer, television or mobile phone (Daniel,1999; Mols, 1998; Sathye, 1999). Burr, 1996, for example, describes it as an electronic connection between the bank and customer in order to prepare, manage and control financial transactions. Many authors appreciate that Internet banking (e-banking) is defined to include the provision of retail and small value banking products and services through electronic channels as well as large value electronic payments and other wholesale banking services delivered electronically. Electronic banking can also be defined as a variety of the following platforms: (a) Internet banking (or online banking), (b) telephone banking, (c) TV-based banking, (d) mobile phone banking, and (e) PC banking (or offline banking) (LuÃ…Â ¡tÃ…Â ¡ik; 2004:9). Electronic banking (e-banking) is the newest delivery channel of banking services. The definition of e-banking varies amongst researches partially because electronic banking refers to several types of services through which a banks customers can request information and carry out most retail banking services via computer, television or mobile phone (Daniel,1999; Mols, 1998; Sathye, 1999). Burr, 1996, for example, describes it as an electronic connection between the bank and customer in order to prepare, manage and control financial transactions. Many authors appreciate that Internet banking (e-banking) is defined to include the provision of retail and small value banking products and services through electronic channels as well as large value electronic payments and other wholesale banking services delivered electronically. Electronic banking can also be defined as a variety of the following platforms: (a) Internet banking (or online banking), (b) telephone banking, (c) TV-based banking, (d) mobile phone banking, and (e) PC banking (or offline banking) (LuÃ…Â ¡tÃ…Â ¡ik; 2004:9). Financial service customers are getting further away from the providers of those services. Petersen and Rajan (2002) found that small business lending, which has been the specialty of local relationship lenders, has been moving further from their customers over time, due in part to remote banking technologies. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Hannan and McDowell (1990) showed that banks adopted ATMs in order to expand their market share or protect their market against those banks that offered ATMs. Similar arguments have been made about other forms of remote banking technologies by Bouckaert and Degryse (1995), and Degryse (1996). Financial service customers are getting further away from the providers of those services. Petersen and Rajan (2002) found that small business lending, which has been the specialty of local relationship lenders, has been moving further from their customers over time, due in part to remote banking technologies. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Remote access technologies in financial services have long been used to increase the geographic market of the financial service provider. Hannan and McDowell (1990) showed that banks adopted ATMs in order to expand their market share or protect their market against those banks that offered ATMs. Similar arguments have been made about other forms of remote banking technologies by Bouckaert and Degryse (1995), and Degryse (1996). According to the birch and young, they can use the internet to get new channels to reorganize the structure of the banks, they also planning to use electronic channels to be above retail banks. The new delivery channels can help to solve all the problems that the traditional Branches have, which are going to help to provide a lot of services and assistance which is to lead to the growth of electronic commerce. (Jayawardhena and foley) (2000). Referring to sulivan (2000) Furst (2000) that most of the traditional banks are not affected by the channels and they had a study between the existence of the internet baking and the profit that they make. Its acceptance is likewise great for example Sanmugam (2005) in his paper presents the side view of the Internet banking users in Malaysia based on a large-scale study. The large-scale survey was conducted in 2004 to examine selected individual characteristics of over 800 bank customers. He used a logistic model o estimate the probability of a bank customer adopting Internet banking. He suggested that his method is very basic and can help banks in gaining in-depth understanding of their internet banking customers. He also borrowed a leaf from Rogers (1995) in classifying innovation adopters into five broad categories i.e. Innovators, Early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. Innovators are the first adopters, who are interested in technology itself and possess positive technology attitudes while early adopters are also fascinated by technology and are keen to take risks. Both early and late majority consist of mainly young working adults. And lastly the laggards we re found to be predominantly older people. He found out that there was a marginal effect made by social economic factors on the predicted probability of the typical adopter. Also, he found that among social economic environmental limitations, non-availability of Internet services in the rural areas is definitely a significant constraint, reducing the predicted. On the other hand, Bauer (2008) holds that the early adoption by customers of this technology was disappointing to most having this in mind; he resorted to examining the demand for remote access to banking accounts by consumers. He focuses mainly if not solely on the consumer perspective and sought to attain the main determining factor in deciding whether or not to use the internet banking facility. He used the micro-economic theory of consumer utility maximization to replica how consumers decide whether or not to use internet services provided by the banks. His findings reveal that when the technology is new, the traditional risk return models including variables allowing for heterogeneous risk add power in modeling the adoption decision. He stressed the importance of perceived risks in internet banking and claim that it is responsible for some of the hesitation to adopt. He also discovered that younger consumers are found to be early adopters only when they have relatively high lev els of risk tolerance. Ironically, older consumers are found to be less likely to adopt internet banking regardless of their risk tolerances. Also, Maugis et al (2004) examined the pre-e-learning period of internet banking. They sought to measure the significance and extent of e-readiness data from banks from ten (10) countries. They develop a conceptual framework for the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"next generation e-readiness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" focusing on different e-Business applications in different economic contexts with potentially different pathways. in concluding, they made the following propositions: (i) different countries (or economies) are characterized by diverse e-Readiness profiles or inclinations distinct by their individual access and capacity setting; (ii) given the range and diversity of characteristics, there may well be a wide array of variables that shape propensities for both admittance and capacity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a propos some opportunity; (iii) such propensities facilitate the pursuit of precise applications within the broad opportunity context that a country may have at any moment. Frame and Silber (2004, 2009) Silber (1983) the reason that the banks entered this field was because its going to help them and make their work easier. They also managed to offer a service which gone help to deposit and hold accounts and other staff and another service to reduce depositors to help them to compete with other banks. They had been trying to get new deposits so they made a new web service to help them and make their transaction easier and successful. They tried to put all the information about the new market shares to update their customers with every new thing and that have been done with most of the new banks. The rapid growth of the internet indicates that greater competitive pressure contributes to the adoption of Internet banking. They been trying to make banking market more open which they gone make the use of the internet banking more important, the more they used the internet it reduce the interest deposits, there was also a study that they are planning to make everything with technology such as PCs and other staff for people. Some still say otherwise about internet banking (Pavlou, 2003  ; Rotchanakitumnai and Speece, 2003) as the basic model of  «Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  TAM  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ » was extended in many studies by others factors as trust, perceived risks, awareness about Internet Banking, perceived costs. Through these studies, some obstacles to the adoption and the usage of Internet Banking were identified such as the lack of security the human contact, perceived risks Moreover, in order to identify the profile of Internet Banking user, a number of researchers have found that comparing to non users; users rated Internet Banking as being easier, more useful, more trustworthy Also comparing to non users, users are less concerned with human contact, security, perceived risks. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 1: Introduction This chapter explains the design and methodology of this research. It begins by identifying this researchs theoretical model, and then followed by a brief discussion on the theoretical framework of the research study. The dependent variable is performance while the independent variables are; security, convenience and speed, trust and awareness of E-banking. The dependent and independent variables will be discussed under the theoretical framework. The second part of this chapter will be the hypotheses developments which are based on the variables. 2: Theoretical Framework Based on the conceptual framework below, it can be seen that there is a total of 4 independent variables which will be analyzed towards one dependent variable in this study. The dependent variable which is, performance of E-banking would be affected in a positive or negative manner based on the independent variables influence. Performance of E-banking Awareness of E-banking Trust Convenience and speed Security 3: Hypothesis Development Dependent variable Performance of E-banking: This deals with the performance measurements for Internet banking and how different people perceive its importance, usefulness and its impacts either negative or positive. Independent variables Security: With the growth of electronic banking have come new forms of security risks which often make users of the this new way of banking H1= Security positively influences performance of E-banking. Convenience and speed: H3= Convenience and speed positively influences performance of E-banking. Trust: H4= Trust positively influences performance of E-banking. Awareness of e-banking: H5= Awareness of e-banking positively influences performance of E-banking. Sampling method We used convenience sampling as our sampling method. Convenience sampling refers to the collect information from the members of the population who were conveniently accessible and available to provide it. For us it was quiet an effective and quick method, most importantly the best as we could attain information from the members of the population swiftly. We used questionnaire method to collect data from our respondents. Sample size The sample size we selected is around 250, we choose this quantity because we felt it was the best and was suitable for the population this is so because in research it has been stated that a sample size between the range larger than 30 and less than 500 is appropriate. The smaller the group size, the harder it is to be certain that the normal curve assumptions have not been violated (Todman and Dugard, 2001). We felt the sample we have elected is a valid and reliable one to carry out and base our investigation on. Sharon K. Ninness (2002) stated this in their research that Roscoe and Siegel and Castellan suggest that in the absence of an unambiguous demarcation between large-n and small-n studies, there is a commonly held assumption among parametric statisticians. Data Collection Method Our data collection methods are two in number. We used both questionnaires and interview to get our data. The questionnaires were distributed to e-banking users in order to get their own rating of the performance of e-banking, while the interview was to ascertain the bankers view of their system. Thus we collected and used primary data. Summary This chapter of the research is basically about the methodology of the project as a whole, it starts off with identifying the theoretical framework model, then a briefly discusses the theoretical framework of the research. The independent and dependent variables have been discussed and elaborated under the theoretical framework, then followed by the development of hypothesis for this research study. Other aspects that make the methodology successful have been also talked about.

Industrial Organizational Psychology Essay -- Psychology

During the late nineteenth century the compulsion to study and measure human motives and capabilities came about followed with the birth of the concept Industrial organizational psychology (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). Industrial organizational psychology, eminently referred to as I/O psychology, is the extension of psychology that applies psychological theories and the principles of organizations (Cherry, n.d.). Converging on the increasing workplace productivity and other issues related to the mental and physical well being of the employees (Cherry, n.d.). Psychologists evaluate companies and conduct leadership training based on the observations of employee behavior and attitudes that populate the company (Cherry, n.d.). Noting the systematic nature of psychological research some early psychologists sought out to apply the interpretation to business predicaments (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). Beseeched by numerous advertising executives, Walter Dill Scott wrote and published one of the first books linking psychology and the business world collectively (Industrial /Organizational psychology, n.d.). The Theory of Advertising written by Walter Dill Scott was recognized as the first book to link the two worlds of business and psychology, a commencement to the era. The nineteenth century brought about many writings from psychologists which had been influenced by the writing of others, each one having an impact on the I/O psychology movement (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). During World War I, in 1917, the applied psychology transformed into its own true branch and strengthened as the war raged on (McCarthy, 2002). Psychologists were able to investigate the morale, motivation a... ... Industrial/Organizational psychological methods are found to be the larger organizations of our time (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). A number of large American corporations namely AT&T, IBM, General Motors Corp., Ford Motor CO., and PepsiCo, Inc., currently have a staff of I/O psychology (Industrial/Organizational psychology, n.d.). In today’s work force there are a multitude of reasons for organizations to be interested in the social and psychological process to better understand how their organization and its employees produce a more productive and competitive company. In regards to these reasons the Industrial/Organizational psychology has had a profound impact on our workforce in the past, present, and near future; it is almost a wonder where we would be today if not for the founding fathers of this particular branch of psychology.

Habitat Destruction and Biodiversity Loss Essay -- Loss of Biodiversit

"If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us." -- David Suzuki Imagine this: bulldozers growl and grind through a local field, while the whine of chainsaws echoes from a nearby grove of trees. The trees crash to the ground, only to be cut up for firewood or sent to a sawmill, and the remaining ground is cleared of stumps and plowed. The tall grasses and brush in the field are demolished, leaving behind churned-up soil. Any birds or other small creatures that lived in the freshly cut trees have long since flown or run away in terror as their homes fell. The moles, mice, and other animals that lived in the field were either killed or forced to abandon the area in search of a new home. Soon to come on this land: a subdivision consisting of huge, two- or three-story houses with pristine front lawns and the occasional small, decorative tree placed by the main door. The scene painted above is becoming more and more common today; people want more space, more houses, more roads, more big buildings, more cities all over the world. However, what the population does not consider is that construction destroys natural habitat, or â€Å"the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally lives and grows† (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). While humans may think nothing of this habitat destruction, it is actually the number one cause of extinction worldwide (Dudley 17) and influences many other species, including humans, that are not endangered or threatened. Habitat loss causes loss of biodiversity, which adversely affects the health and economy of human life. We as humans need to take more ... ...vernment. 08 Nov. 2008 . "Biodiversity.† Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2007. Dudley, William, ed. Biodiversity. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2003. â€Å"Habitat.† Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2007. Heimlich, Joe E., and Mitchell Smith. "Environmental Impact Statements.† FactSheet. Ohio State University. 09 Nov. 2008 . Novacek, Michael J., ed. The Biodiversity Crisis. New York: The New Press, 2001. Primack, Richard B. Essentials of Conservation Biology. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc., 1993. David Suzuki Quote http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/biodiversity.html#xFwgQLK5MbhLMRjG.99

Childhood and Memories poetry Essay

Carol Ann Duffy was born in 1955 and has four brothers; she grew up in Staffordshire with a strong religious upbringing. At fourteen she decided to become a poet and has written ever since. A lot of her works look at growing up and past experiences especially from childhood. Most of these poems are published in her 1993 book of poetry, â€Å"Mean Time†. I am going to concentrate on five of her poems; â€Å"The Captain of the 1964 Top of the Form Team†, â€Å"Litany†, â€Å"Stafford Afternoons†, â€Å"Brothers† and â€Å"Prayer†. One of the most obvious points that stand out in all of Duffy’s poems is religion and it isn’t surprising having gone to catholic schools since the age of seven! The poem â€Å"Litany† has a clear religious meaning with the title having Christian references; a litany in the church is a list of people who the congregation pray for in a time of need. By Litany, I believe that Carol Ann Duffy is actually trying to portray the things that really stood out in her childhood, a good example of this could be the first litany in the poem, â€Å"candlewick bedspread three piece suite display cabinet†. Perhaps Duffy was often old of for damaging her mother’s sofa or can remember her mother tidying up the house and the bedspread for visitors. Another poem with religious iconography is â€Å"Brothers†, in which Carol Ann Duffy describes her four siblings, on of which is illustrated as â€Å"an alter boy† I believe she is trying to tell the reader that they lived solitary lives and didn’t have a very active social live inside or outside the family. This is because of the portrayal of her other brothers, â€Å"a boy practising scales†, â€Å"a boy playing tennis with a wall† and â€Å"a baby crying†. If you look at these collectively you can see that these are quite lonesome activities and events, none of them involve other people. My final example of religious connotations is in â€Å"Prayer†, most of the poem is in iambic pentameter and I believe that this is trying to show that religion can bring order in to a hectic lifestyle. The poem is about loosing faith but still having hope and a type of sub-conscious faith in your mind. The rhythmic structure along with the religious connotations throughout the poem give hope to reader by allowing us to believe that the poet has suffered the same as you and has got through their experiences and are here to remember them. Carol Ann Duffy also uses the effect of the senses on the reader, my first example of this is in â€Å"Litany†; the poet uses taste to relieve the memory of being disciplined. â€Å"The taste of soap† is quite a strong image that, unfortunately, most people can remember from being in the shower or having a wash! The use of senses gives the reader the chance to really imagine themselves in the poet’s shoes and gives the poem a more realistic picture. In â€Å"Brothers†, Carol Ann Duffy uses another sense; hearing to emphasis her mothers repetitive comments about children and her wishes to be a grandmother but then finding out that Duffy was a lesbian. I believe that the phase â€Å"I hear her life in the words† obviously this is a turning point in Duffy’s life; telling your mother your gay isn’t the easiest thing in the world! And the use of senses here shows how much this experience really did stand out. These two examples are quite obvious but the final one is a little more subtle. It is again in Litany and is synaesthesia, it mixes more than one sense, Duffy explains how a butterfly moves into her hands, â€Å"a butterfly stammered into my curious hands† here the two senses being used are touch, the butterfly crawling onto her hands and voice in the word stammering it is a piece of onomatopoeia. Synaesthesing allows the audience to imagine one thing, in this case someone stammering and put it into another situation, a butterfly crawling and flapping its wings. This gives the all important realistic picture.

Shopping mall

Unfortunately, life has a way of dictating its own terms to the CEO and they are seldom ones that he expects or desires. Around 10 am, Lukas was dragged away from reviewing sales trends by a phone call. The receptionist had a prospective client interested in the company's products and asked whether she should the call through. The conversation lasted about 40 minutes. He put the phone down annoyed with himself for still not having worked out a procedure for handling prospective clients. Each new caller is put through to him instead of a sales person who could service the client professionally.No sooner had the call ended than the daily grind began. Problems in Getter's retail outlets started springing up like mushrooms. And, as usual, Impressions was the only person deemed capable of resolving them. As if all this was not enough, he had to make decisions connected with export sales (new client, new transaction procedures) and the technology department urgently required his assistance . Last but not least, Lukas had to find time to manage Getter's export department. And so it went on into the evening.The events of the passing day made it clear to Lukas that he had to delegate his mommies sales operations duties, including the retail store network management, to someone else. Lukas cannot bring himself to appoint a Country Sales Director to take over the Coo's duties in that area, even though the company has had a Sales Department for several years. For the time being, Lukas is not only the CEO of Getter but also the Head of the Sales Department. It is patently obvious that this is far too much work for which one person can cope.Delegating part of the sales work to a Sales Director would mean that Lukas could finally perform his duties as Getter CEO much more effectively. He could finally stop worrying about missing out on market opportunities because of his daily routine tasks. Given more time, he might even go a step further and, instead of trawling the market f or opportunities, he could go out and create them for Getter himself. All this, though, requires a clear head. Unfortunately, the decision to appoint a new Sales Director is not an easy one.Getter is a family business established by Lukas Imprecision's parent's and handing over one of its key areas of operation to a total stranger is emotionally difficult. It is an enormous challenge to trust someone with no family ties to be as omitted to the development of the organization as had been his parent's and Lukas himself. Another important decision regarding the recruitment of the new should the position be advertised on the open Job market? From Mushroom Grower to Meat Processing Plant The story of the Mineworkers is that of a typical Polish family business.Their family meat processing plant Getter is currently run by the founders' son Lukas who had gradually taken over the everyday management of the company from his parent's. Getter is classified as a medium-sized company with 144 emp loyees and the organizational structure was becoming more and more elaborate. The family business now consists of two business entities – Getter, a sole proprietorship set up by Mr. and Ms Impressions (Ukase's parent's) and its daughter company Mercy-Meat, a limited liability company established by Lukas himself. Lukas is the CEO of both companies.Getter is engaged in pig, cattle and horse slaughtering, and the fabrication of primal cuts of pork, beef and poultry. The company offers meat cuts (pork and beef quarters) to satisfy the domestic market and individual customer orders. Cured meats processing is another of its key business operations. The past business achievements of Mr. and Mrs. Impressions, and their son Lukas as well, are the direct result of staying true to their chosen path, being consistent in action and remaining open to risk. The Mineworkers started their business soon after they got married.Their first business venture was a mushroom farm which, they built up from scratch. Without any financial resources of their own, they applied for a bank loan, which made it possible to get started. This business was their first opportunity to main experience in company management, including export sales. Over time, however, the business gradually became less profitable as market conditions changed. Eventually, the Mineworkers were forced to make a difficult decision as to what to do next. Their next step was to establish Getter meat plant in 1992, while phasing out the mushroom business.The founders remained unchanged but the activity was completely new. Getter – Change after Change The Mineworkers' choice of business activity was largely influenced by the region in which they were living (a rural area approximately 100 km from Warsaw), as well as a heritage of meat products in Poland in the early sass. They decided to meet the market's needs and taking advantage of their location they founded a meat manufacturing plant which initially deal t primarily in pig slaughtering. Apart from the many obvious opportunities opening up for the company, there were also significant threats that could not be ignored.By entering a new market sector, the Mineworkers were back at square one, both with regard to business contacts and building a market presence. However, they still had the business experience that they had gained while farming mushrooms. Getter dealt primarily in pork production during its first four years of operation and the company distributed its product to meat processing plants. Having researched the prevailing market trends, the Mineworkers came to the conclusion that they would have to do more if they wanted to move their business forward.They soon purchased meat processing technology together with several core product recipes which, according to Lukas Impressions, â€Å"turned out to be â€Å"bluebells†. The production technologies were imported from the West but the product recipes were meats. Employing an expert with extensive experience in a large meat processing Lana was a major decision and one that was to have a huge impact on the success of the business. Drawing on his previous experience, this professional successfully implemented the newly purchased technology, procedures and recipes at Getter.Meat processing commenced in 1996, the year Getter cold cuts meats first appeared on the market. The Mineworkers stayed focused on ensuring that the needs of customers were met while the meat plant was in its early stages of development. Indeed, they were so overwhelmed with keeping their new business alive that they did not recognize future expansion opportunities. Arguably, the volatile and bearish business environment, the radical economic changes taking place and the protracted birth of a market economy in Poland all militated against making long-term plans.Until 2001 , the Mineworkers had remained convinced that their operations would be limited to the local domestic market. Unf ortunately, as they say, change is the only certainty in life. The Mineworkers, despite having worked out a course of action, were once again faced with a crucial decision regarding their company's continued existence. This time the agent generating the change was the forthcoming accession o the European Union, and in particular, its directives regulating the operations of the meat sector adopted in 2001-2002.The legislation set out requirements that meat producers had to meet in order for their products to be sold on the EX. market (the directives stipulated requirements concerning the adjustment of local procedures to EX. veterinary standards and production technology, the implementation of the HACK system and other quality certificates). Any meat producer that failed to adjust its operations to comply with EX. legislation was not permitted to operate after the ruinations period expiring in 2005. This was a major shock to the Polish meat and cured meat producers, including the Min eworkers.By the time new directives were in force, the Mineworkers meat plant had been renovated but it was able to meet EX. requirements only partially, with technological process lines still below required standards. The Impressions family was confronted with the problem of what to do next. They could do nothing and be confined to the domestic market after 2005, and additionally have their output restricted by regulations, or they could modify their operations so hat Getter could sell its products anywhere in the ELI.The Mineworkers held a brainstorming session in which a representative of the next generation – their son Lukas – took an active part. The meeting concluded with a decision to respond to the Ex.'s challenge and not give up. The Mineworkers and their son set about adapting the company's operations to comply with EX. standards. The result was that a new large plant was soon designed. The company decided to finance the investment with EX. funds and a bank l oan. Lukas Impressions prepared an application for EX. funds to subsidies the construction. And so, once again, the Mineworkers, in the words of their son Lukas, â€Å"went for broke†.Construction of the new plant was completed in 2004. The plant was equipped with state-of-the-art technology the family had seen in similar factories in Denmark and Switzerland, and the machinery was likewise purchased from those countries. The new plant had two independent process lines for pork and beef and poultry (these do not come into contact with each other as per plant succeeded in obtaining all certificates required under the applicable EX. Directives including HACK certification. Production was progressively moved to the ewe plant between late 2004 and early 2005.The old premises were then converted into a warehouse and other facilities. It should be noted also that the activities undertaken by the Impressions family went beyond restructuring the company in terms of technology and EX. quality requirements. One important aspect of the change was the recruitment of new staff with appropriate qualifications and experience. In 2004, some 50 new people who had previously worked in plants with similar production systems were employed. One of the most important development steps Getter ever took was to consolidate TTS position on the domestic market by launching its own retail chain.However, development of the retail network was put on hold while the new plant was being built and equipped in line with EX. standards. After 2005, the Mineworkers once again became involved in opening retail outlets and started building their network of wholesale and retail clients. It is interesting to note that Getter does not work with large commercial chains on the domestic market. The reason for this is that the company fears Jeopardizing the goodwill associated with a brand associated with top quality products.The high price the consumer would have to pay for such quality products was another factor that hampered such cooperation. Human Resources Management at Getter The accumulated experiences of Getter with regards to human resources management indicate that filling any knowledge gaps that had been identified within the company has been a core criterion in selecting new employees. This was certainly the case when Getter made the move to expand into cured meats in 1996. A specialist who had the necessary expertise and experience of having previously worked in another meat processing plant was hired.The company owners soon liaised that hiring an experienced professional was the right decision. The same decision was taken when the new HACK certified production plants opened in 2004-2005. Workers previously employed in similar businesses where HACK had been in operation and who possessed the necessary qualifications were hired (approximately 50 people in 2004). Hiring a professional Export Sales Director from another company with extensive past export experience w as another major decision the company made when it launched its export business in 2006.It is worth noting that Getter has not always factored in prior meat industry experience when hiring ewe staff. For instance, none of the staff hired in the Domestic Sales Department had ever worked in the meat business before. These people had to learn the basics of the meat industry from the bottom up. Getter uses a variety of sources and meaner to recruit new staff, depending on need. The current practice for less responsible positions such as lower level production workers is to post Job advertisements and then have the Production Manager conduct a recruitment and selection process.Potential employees are often recommended by existing staff members when Job advertisements are published (but only as required). Many of the candidates now applying for these positions are people returning from abroad and who have gained industry experience in other EX. countries. Meanwhile, personal professional and/or positions. The Export Sales Director (who was not only attracted by the financial incentives but by the challenges and the opportunities for professional development) is a case in point.Lukas realizes that the â€Å"business acquaintance factor† will cease to be sufficient in future and that the company will have to turn to professional head- hunting companies to find senior personnel as confidentiality considerations may ole out Job advertisements as a selection tool. Graph One: Getter's Organizational Structure Lukas is aware that, despite having been successful in building up a good team – evidenced by the relatively low turnover of senior staff and the moderate turnover of junior staff – finding the right people for the right positions, especially senior management positions, is not an easy task.In the case of senior staff, the question of making the right choice is further complicated by the fact that the founders of Getter have been managing the com pany with their son for a long time. Ceding the rower and authority that they have exercised so far has not been easy. Nor will it be easy to entrust the running of any further large elements their business to a stranger. The transfer of obligations to a person from outside the family always Production plants Domestic Sales Department Getting CEO Lukas Impressions Cured meats plant Administration A network of 25 retail outlets Export Department (Mercy-Meat SP. 0. 0. ) Slaughter plant induces stress and uncertainty as to their management style, but the company's rapid expansion leaves the Imprecision's with little choice. Lukas remembers only o well that he and his parent's were responsible for everything when the new plant was launched in 2004- 2005 and that it took a tremendous personal toll on them. In view of the complexity of the venture, they wanted to retain as much power as they could; they wanted to have maximum control over everything that went on within the organization so that they could immediately detect any issues that required improvement.This was a particularly difficult period in their lives. In time outsiders – professionals who began to incrementally take over part of their duties – Joined the many. In 2009, Lukas Impressions was faced with another HER management challenge. His parent's, who were becoming old and infirm, gradually started to withdraw from the business while leaving the company management in the hands of their son Lukas. He was not exactly alone as one of Illus.'s brothers was now in charge of Getter's technical operations, although he was not a member of the top management team.His sister and his other brother are still at school and it is hard to say whether they the time being, Lukas is the only Impressions family member entrusted with full authority over the business and responsible for the future of the family company. Getter's staff management involves a certain amount of trust in its employees and this ha s contributed to the character of the business. This is exemplified by a casual working style and a lack of strict supervision. This approach is rooted to a great extent in the fact that the owners made it a rule to encourage their employees to feel responsible for their work from the outset.Everyone hired by Getter was apprised of his or her responsibilities immediately. This approach also resulted in the staff identifying strongly with the company. Constantly developing and raising the qualifications of its workforce is an important dimension of the Getter approach to HER. To a large extent, this is achieved through the application of internal resources. Junior workers undergo basic training conducted by more senior workers who hold the necessary licenses. Depending on individual needs, higher level personnel may attend external training courses. This, however, is not common.The scope of internal training at Getter is limited and outsourced training is a rarity (e. G. One training course was devoted to acquiring laity certificates). The Getter CEO deems the existing knowledge base satisfactory but staff development and the need to expand organizational knowledge resources are still major issues. After all, the company is continually expanding. That is why one of the most important tasks on the checklist of things to do in the nearest future is to deal with the issue of employee training in a more efficient and well thought-out manner.As far as the motivation of employees is concerned, money bonuses are the prime motivator at present. No motivation system meeting all staff requirements has yet been devised. Nobody is responsible for HER management at the company at present. Any activities that come under this heading are deemed to be staff-related administrative matters and are handled by two people. The Sales Department Lukas Impressions set up a Sales Department to handle domestic sales at the end of 2004 when he returned to the business after completing hi s university education.The core activity of the Sales Department is to manage a network of retail outlets in Ammonias Videodisc. Lukas was the brains behind the project. He came up with the idea of establishing such stores in 2001 when he was studying management. Four stores had already been set up by 2004 but creating the Sales Department accelerated the growth of the network. Twenty five outlets had opened by the beginning of 2010 and there are plans afoot to open even more in the very near future. In 2005, Lukas hired Anna to work in the newly created Sales Department and support the development of the retail network.Anna soon turned out to be a valuable employee. She had relatively little experience in sales and little knowledge of the meat sector, but this was more than compensated for by her openness to new challenges and her willingness to get up to speed on the industry. She acted as Illus.'s assistant and, through working together with him, got to know the rules governing t he meat market and his management style. For his part, Lukas gave her a free hand over a wide range of activities in view of her rapidly expanding competence and knowledge about both the market and the company.He placed and her creative input in the development of the network was what he valued most. Together they recruited competent store managers and sales assistants for their retail outlets. Anna had a good intuition about people and Lukas consulted her when hiring staff. The selected candidates were always the best choice, thanks to Anna's excellent knowledge of the company and her insight. Today, her Job description encompasses managing the retail outlets she is in charge of so that they operate efficiently and effectively.Anna is also involved in setting up new outlets. In late 2009 and early 2010, for instance, she was responsible for the opening of 3 new stores, the selection and recruitment of staff (store manager and 4 to 6 sales assistants in each store), the interior dec oration and the procedures for having them approved by the relevant authorities (e. G. Sanitary authorities). Lukas delegated most of the contacts with the stores' various service providers (from contacts with media suppliers to store equipment producers) to her.Apart from all that, all of the store managers report to Anna and she also manages the remainder of the sales team, which currently consists of two other people (one was hired in 2007 and the other in 2010). There are already enough headaches for her now with 25 outlets and roughly 140 employees. Each is employed as a Sales Representative, receives a monthly salary, and is responsible for approximately 8 outlets. They are monitoring the market trends. This particular market has its own idiosyncrasies and is highly volatile, especially when it comes to prices.The sales representatives have to be alert at all times and cannot afford to take their eyes off the competition. The speed with which Getter can react to market changes depends to a great extent on their vigilance. Anna is clearly the De facto head of the Sales Department and is responsible for the company's retail outlets. Yet it is Lukas who makes all the decisions. He is the one everybody goes to whenever a problem arises and he is the one who comes up with all of the solutions. Anna only takes over once Lukas masticates his solutions to her.But this can take a lot of time and the daily operation of the retail stores is already time consuming enough. Retail Outlets – Key Company Resource Getter owns a network of meat retail outlets which it is intent on developing by opening new outlets and by ensuring that each shop offers high-end customer service, as well as top quality products. Getter shops offer a complete range of pork, beef, poultry and cured meats. The company has supplemented its product range with bread (frequently baked on the premises) and spices to fulfill all the needs of its customers.Getter has been selling a line of CEO meats (a line of 7 â€Å"Premium† high end top quality products with salt as the only preservative) for over a year. Getter guarantees that the meats offered in its retail shops are of the utmost quality. Quality assurance has always been the Impressions families top priority. Getter's top quality products require the best available employees and the requirements laid down for store staff are strict. That they are selling top quality products and that quality comes at a premium is drilled into them from day one.This applies to sales staff as much as it does to store managers. In practice, this meaner that each and every customer should leave the shop knowing that he or she has Just bought a top-quality product. The staff of each shop consists of a manager and between 4 and 6 sales assistants. Remuneration of shop workers is based on commission. Lukas will visit the shops himself occasionally. This is partly to check whether everything is running smoothly and in line with his expectations, but mostly to meet his staff and customers in person.This is what Lukas says of these visits: â€Å"l like to do a little tour of the shops when there is time. It's nice to talk to the staff in arson sometimes and to see how our products are showcased, to listen to what our customers have to say about our meat and to talk to them. I often get a chance to meet the staff hired by Anna in person during these visits. † According to Lukas, the potential of the domestic market is still not being fully exploited given the quality of Getter products. He is considering expanding the Ammonias Videodisc retail chain and increasing domestic sales.The company is planning more retail outlets over the next few years. This will mean more sales representatives. The company would like to have one representative per 10 stores. For practical purposes, this will also mean more problems in the daily operation of the Sales Department and the individual stores. The current sales repre sentatives relate well to the company and problems are rare. Not having full control over their work is one nagging concern he has. The more sales representatives, the more supervision they need.And dealing with this problem will chew up a lot of the Sales Director's time. There are already enough headaches now with 25 outlets and roughly 120 employees. Lukas knows this better than anyone. Some days, every one of the 25 stores will ring him with problems. Everyone knows that Anna is responsible for stores but they still call him. There seems to be a problem in communicating the information that Anna is the person to call for day-to-day problems. This invisible communication barrier will have to go before there can be any more stores.Ukase has also set himself the goal of expanding beyond the existing retail network and establishing a nationwide presence. Virtually all products are sold through company stores. On one hand, because of the high quality of its products, Getter is not in terested in working with large retail chains that value price over quality. On the other hand, reaching wholesale stores and wholesale networks who might be interested in selling Getter's top quality products requires dedicated promotional activities addressed to these stores. Unfortunately, at the moment, there is nobody in the company responsible for market promotion.Apart from a few rudimentary sessions, the company does not engage in this type of promotional activity. There is nobody in the company responsible for producing any kind of catalogue containing a full and up to date product portfolio or for updating the website. Ukase does not eave time to deal with this aspect of the business and all attempts to outsource these services have so far proven disastrous (because, in the Coo's opinion â€Å"website designers cannot meet the company expectations as the company does not know what it wants†).Another key problem is to nominate a sales team member responsible for handl ing prospects and answering their questions. Lukas is adamant that the right person for the Job is not him. A Challenge for the CEO of Getter The business development plans for Getter and the requirements they generate have made it clear to the CEO that the decision to appoint a Sales Director and revealing state of affairs where Anna is unofficially responsible for the department and the retail chain is highly inefficient. Lukas has often found himself, and not Anna, as the primary contact person when problems have arisen.It goes without saying that the decision to have the Sales Department managed professionally has to be taken soon but the question of how to find the right candidate for the position remains unanswered. At first viewing, Anna seems to be the obvious candidate. She has the longest period of service in the Sales Department, she is familiar with the Coo's management style, she knows the company inside out and her intuition has been vindicated on the numerous occasion s that she has selected the best candidates for Getter. She was also actively and effectively involved in setting up the retail chain.Unfortunately, Lukas believes that there is a huge question mark hanging over her. Lukas is uncertain about Anna's future and her commitment to the Sales Department as she is considering having another baby. He knows from prior experience that when her child needs attention, Anna has to leave work to deal with the matter, so having another child would possibly add to this difficulty. Lukas knows that he could be accused of being sexist for thinking this but he suspects every owner of an SEEM goes through this dilemma.He also knows that he should judge Anna's ability to do the Job based on her professional abilities and not on her personal life. He believes that he is an understanding person with a positive attitude towards other people but he wonders if he can let his family business be affected by any competing claims on Anna's time that parenthood b rings. Employing someone from outside of the company might be problematic because of Getter's location. Both the company and the production plant are situated near mall cities like Pullouts or Castro? ¬aka, both approximately 100 km from Warsaw.Another issue with employing an outsider is that the successful candidate would have to pick up the specifics of the company and start thinking â€Å"the Getter way' very quickly. This is crucial as Getter's products are of very high quality, which translates into higher prices, which in turn makes the acquisition of new clients harder than it would be in the case of regular quality meat (large chain stores are more interested in low prices than quality). The potential Sales Director should have experience in the eat industry and a sound knowledge of the market.He or she also needs to have ‘know-how, which is what Getter needs most at this moment. Another question is how would Anna react when she finds out that a new Sales Director i s being recruited from outside? Will this denominate her or, in the worst case scenario, prompt her to leave the company? Lukas has to decide how to conduct the recruitment process and what resources should he use – head hunters, press advertisements or some other option? The CEO is also faced with the challenge of devising and implementing effective control mechanisms for the new Sales Director ND the Department.On one hand, these measures should give the director a large degree of autonomy, but on the other they need to give Lukas a sense of security that the department is working effectively and that the results meet the expectations of the company's owners. This is especially important given that the development of the retail outlets is one of Getter's key objects. Lukas feels that it is important for the new monitoring mechanism not to Jeopardize its identity of a family company and great deal of freedom but, at the same time, he has made sure that everyone knows the pre cise scope of their responsibility.Impressions is aware that the company's further growth may render this approach inadequate and make effective control mechanisms necessary. Ukase has attempted to make internal company communication more formal. In view of the specificity of the market and the considerable price fluctuations of meat products, management needs to be apprised of such matters as soon as new information becomes available if the company is to function effectively. The solutions adopted tussah have proved ineffective. The current regimen of sales staff meetings held every Monday or every other Monday is not producing the expected results.Either the meetings are cancelled because something urgent crops up or the volume of data collected by the sales representatives is so great that it is difficult to extract the most important facts and figures. The next area that needs to be worked out is the design and implementation of support procedures for the retail outlets. Some pr oblems are not limited to a single store, as can be seen from the company's track record. Therefore, the development of a single manual or code of conduct containing ways of dealing with the most frequently encountered problems would streamline the work of both store managers ND Sales Department staff.It would also give them more time to spend on other tasks. The Sales Director would also benefit as he or she could finally focus on expanding the retail chain and looking for new locations. Officially delegating the management of the Sales Department onto a newly appointed manager wo

Case Write-Up: Galanz Essay

This case shares with us about the story of Galanz Enterprises Group Co. Ltd. (Galanz) had transformed itself from a manufacturer of down feather products into a world class manufacturer of microwave ovens producing more than 50 per cent of the global output in 2007. This case describes the competitive and operational strategies that Galanz used to achieve such a meteoric growth. The company started out with a clear competitive strategy based on cost leadership. It designed and implemented operations system to help achieve lower cost through economy of scale, the transfer of production capacity from developed countries and full utilization of the available production capacity. Case Analysis & Problem solving 1. What were the order winner/order qualifier for Galanz in the microwave oven business during the early stage of its development? When Galanz started its business, the microwave oven business in China was in its infancy and it was less risk to invest in the technology associated with microwave ovens because this technology had been mature and stable for a long time. At the early stage, Galanz did not have any competitive edge in production technology but only an abundant supply of cheap labor and land. Thus the only way to compete the market is to offering a low price. From 1996 to 2002, Galanz adopted a low-price strategy by repeatedly implementing cycles of price cutting and production capacity expansion. 2. Rank the importance of Galanz’s operations objectives of cost, quality, flexibility, delivery, service and innovations. How has the importance changed over the years? At the very beginning, Galanz ranked cost as the most important operations objectives. The rest objectives are ranked equally after the cost. After the early success resulted by the price war and cost leadership, Galanz started emphasizing the importance of innovation and quality. Since 1996, the rapid growth of Galanz endangered the market share of foreign brands such as Toshiba and Panasonic who are also the suppliers of Galanz on magnetrons. To limited the threat from Galanz, Toshiba and Panasonic reduce the supply of magnetrons, which forced Galanz developed and produced its own magnetrons. To reduce the cost and improve the quality, Galanz started to vertically integrate its supply chain by manufacturing more of its components. 3. What is the role technology has played in the success of Galanz. The technology have play very important role in the success of Galanz. The supply crisis of magnetrons motivated Galanz put technical innovation on a more important position. The collaboration with local university and institutes helped Galanz mastered the core technology of magnetron. Continuous invest on innovation and learning the most advanced technologies from overseas partners allowed the company to reduced costs, improve the design of the products and lifted Galanz into the high-end product market. 4. What are the Galanz’s competitive and operations strategies, and how does its operations strategy support its competitive strategy? Galanz’s competitive strategy is cost leadership. To support the competitive strategy of cost leadership, Galanz use below tactics in operations. 1) To effectively expand the production capacity, Galanz escalated the production capacity through a free production line transfer from foreign OEM partners. The same tactic was applied to attract component suppliers setting up component facilities in Galanz. To further increase its production capacity, Galanz fully utilized its production facilities and labor resources to extreme by operating 3 shifts per day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. 2) Repeatedly implementing cycles of price cutting and production capacity expansion. Since Galanz enjoyed tremendous economies of scale for low cost production, the company pushes its sales team to work hard so that the market could absorb the additional inventory. 3) In an additional effort to reduce cost, Galanz started to vertically integrate its supply chain by manufacturing more of its components. About 90% of the microwave oven parts were produced by Galanz.