Sunday, December 29, 2019

Understanding Hamas Violent Terrorism as Political Strategy

Understanding Hamas: Violent Terrorism as Political Strategy Introduction Kydd and Walter (2006:50) assert that violent terrorism is effective as a political strategy because it causes governments and individuals to respond in ways that aid the terrorists cause. For Hamas, violence against civilians for political aims does play a role in its political strategy. However, violence in and of itself is not the ultimate aim of the organization. Formed in 1987 during the Palestinian uprising (the Intifada), Hamas exists as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which, according to the United States National Counterterrorism Center (2013), aims at erecting a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital. Because Israel also desires to claim Jerusalem as its capital and has shown itself eager to expand its own boundaries, violent conflict has ensued between the people of Palestine and the people of Israel. This paper will discuss the role which political violence plays in Hamas political strategy. By applying the Kydd and Walter strategies of terrorism framework alongside an analysis of the tensions between war and peaceful democratic participation, one may see why Hamas views terrorism as a necessary component in its strategic quest for statehood. The Terror Strategy It is Kydd and Walters claim that there are five basic strategies underlying terrorist activity. In no essential order, the strategies are: 1) the attrition strategy, throughShow MoreRelatedDomestic Terrorism And International Terrorism1939 Words   |  8 Pagesfor CJ 3340: Domestic Terrorism vs. International Terrorism Paul A. 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All terrorism has political objectivesRead MoreEssay about What is Terrorism, Who Conducts it, and The Intended Target1590 Words   |  7 PagesIn today’s world, terrorism is not an un-known word; terrorism can be tracked back to early recorded history. Nevertheless terrorism definition is universally hard to define (Brown, 2008). Every individual’s definition of terrorism is different some describe it as a strategy and tactic. Another will describe it as sacred obligation, some will say it’s a justified stand against domination. Obviously, it depends on whose point of view is being represented (Brown, 2008). However, AustralianRead MoreThe Terrorist Attacks On 9 / 11 Essay1913 Words   |  8 Pagesthe topic of terrorism. Groups like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Taliban, and now more recently, ISIS, has kept the world cautious of their every next move. Looking more closely into how these groups are formed and operate could help us better understand how they can be stopped. Studying the history of terrorist organizations can help us better predict the future of terrorist organizations. Introduction Terrorism has become popular among extremists who are employing different dynamic strategies to thrive inRead MoreEvolution Of The Islamic State8537 Words   |  35 Pagesnetworks. It stands to ask: how did this happen? To what extent do existing theoretical frameworks on insurgencies explain the evolution of the Islamic State, and how does this compare to similarly structured radical Islamist insurgent groups and political networks? I argue that the rise of ISIS can be traced to a combination of internal and external pressures that are linked to the lack of institutional depth and structure in following the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. These internalRead MoreThe Fluctuating Fortunes Of Counterinsurgency : Is Tossing The Coin A Reasonable Approach?3422 Words   |  14 PagesReasonable Approach? 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This paper will focus on the last one, the use of human beings as a weapon, otherwise known as suicide bombers. It will look into who they are, why they are used, how they are trained and the devastation they can cause by their actions. Everyone remembers September 11 and the massive destruction and the tragic loss of so many lives that fateful day in New York city, the Pentagon, and an emptyRead MoreThe Iranian Nuclear Threat : A Realistic Assessment2832 Words   |  12 PagesShapiro May 6, 2015 The Iranian Nuclear Threat: A Realistic Assessment Over the past decade, an international debate over how to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon has erupted. However, many people in the United States lack a thorough understanding of the implications of a nuclear Iran. A close examination of the facts demonstrates that Tehran has clear intent to develop, but not necessarily use, nuclear weapons. A realistic assessment should take this into account when considering the significant

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Organizational Goals And Customer Expectations - 1475 Words

There are six (6) competencies that every result driven employee must obtain in order to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. They are: accountability, customer service, decisiveness, entrepreneurship, problem solving and technical credibility. Accountability is one’s ability to hold her and other accountable for noticeable supremacy, profitable results in a timely matter. To be successful at accountability one must set priorities, establish objectives, delegate work, admit when one makes an oversight, obeys with company guidelines. Customer service is a requirement for internal and external customers; one must anticipate and meet both their needs while delivering high-quality merchandise and assistances. A continuous improvement is a requirement for customer service. Decisiveness will help one make an effective and educated, but timely decision regardless of the amount of data available or if one’s decision has unfavorable consequences. Distinguishes th e possible impact and implications of one’s choices. Entrepreneurship will assist with a successful future with the organization by pinpointing new opportunities. Assistances with building the organization by developing or improving existing merchandise or services. Entrepreneurship will take computed possibilities to achieve organizational objectives. Problem solving will assist in identifying and analyzing possible problems, calculate and produce alternative results, consider the significance andShow MoreRelatedTotal Quality Management Theory1305 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Most organizational management theories descend either from Frederick Taylor’s scientific management theory or from Elton Mayo s human relations model. Total Quality Management (TQM) theory grew out of existing organizational management theories, in part, as a response to the problems in those theories. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran are most responsible for the development of TQM. 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Friday, December 13, 2019

Manners and Customs of Ancient Greece Free Essays

As I began reading this book, I found that it is amazing how so many historians whether they may be researching Grecian history or any other country. It seems that they all or the majority has different opinions on their findings. Therefore, it puzzles me to what is fable and what is fact. We will write a custom essay sample on Manners and Customs of Ancient Greece or any similar topic only for you Order Now In many cases, some things are yet to be seen. Even the ancients them selves seem to be uncertain. Even through glimpses of links connecting them with there past. They to argued about what was fact and what was fable. It appears that the country Helene that in imitation of the Romans came to be known as Hellas, we now call India. I found it amazing how the progress of time came through the names of the following. Originally the city Thessaly built by Hellen son of Deucalion; next Phthiotis, Thessaly, all of Greece except of Peloponnesos, sometimes of Macedonia, now thessaly it self sometimes of Epeirous, and then all of Greece was within Aegean, and all these countries were inhabited by Greeks. It would appear that the most annuitant Pelosgia left from the race whose first people occupied that part of Europe. There does seem to be one fact established that the Hellenes were not the first who occupied Greece they came after a number of tribes of the Pelasgion origin. No one really knows there are many arguments about this as well. I found it funny or odd that these discussions would be dismissed when an agreement could be met; however they would easily remove the difficulty by coming to an agreement by inventing a hero or demigod that suited everyone’s purpose. So as earlier mentioned, from Hellen they agreed on the name of Hellenes, also Heracleidae came to be known as Heracles and Ionians as Ion; and Pelasgos the son of Zeus. Up to this point, there was little information to guide us, although there was always light poetry that dawned around them. Although historians tell us there were, facts that couldn’t be ignored such as the Thoacians being entirely of Pelasgian origin. Also, the Macedonians were plainly of the same stock as with the Thracians. It is obvious that there were many tribes and even different denominations and it seems to me that they all came from or descended from the same race. This brings me to the characteristics of the Greeks. As I have read this too if one would think long, enough about it how even our characteristics of today are not so different from a time long ago. When poetry places them before us, it is profound for the divinity and everything connected with service of religion. Gods and men moved together over the earth cooperated in bringing about events. Although we as a whole worship one God instead of many; history shows us in many ways it has had to take men and God in bringing about events whether it be by what some call faith, and like history books some must have had it proven to them. As for the Greek’s keeping up with a constant interchange of beneficence the Gods aiding the mortal repaying his aid with gratitude an example of this was the mortal submitting to the Gods guidance and to be directed. Sometimes as in the case of Odysseus and Athena, the feeling of grace and favor on the one side and of veneration and gratitude on the other was unexpected. Don’t we in some since expect the same from our prayers? By that I mean give gratitude to our God and by giving offering each Sunday, isn’t this also a way we give gratitude for what God has done for us. I found it amazing as I read how much a like in characteristics we are in the twenty first century to our ancestors who lived so many years ago. Many of us today are very merciful and caring for the poor. The Greeks also had a high respect for their elders. I also found it extremely fascinating that the Greeks had believed that parents held or had no right to any type of higher honor. People who were blessed with children were regarded as instruments by which God had communicated the mysterious and sacred gift of life. These people actually believed the parents were supposed by their children to be forever invested with a high degree of sanctity as ministers and representatives of the creator. Hence, the anxiety experienced to obtain a Father’s blessing and the indescribable dread of his curse. A peculiar set of events, the terrible Erin’s, all but implacable and unsparing were entrusted with the guardianship of parent’s rights. Now, I can’t help but think about how the Greeks felt toward friendship almost as if their friendships were more important than the wonderful blessing of parenting. Not that friendship is not extremely important especially true friendship, but nothing is more precious than the gift of being blessed with a child. The Greeks adored friendship between two men. There is no evidence shown in any other country’s history or traditions so many examples of this virtue as in those of the Greeks. In Greece, these people felt that when two men became friends it was more important than a marriage between a man and wife. The friendship through their eyes was as one they were completely united as one. They were like twins, what one felt the other felt. Their thoughts were the same. One did not have and independent thought, if one was slashed than the other as well. They had the same opinions. They faced adventures, dangers, absolutely everything together, even death. As peculiar as I personally may find their friendships to be, I find it also peculiar of the configuration and productions. This was considered the most remarkable feature in Greece consisting in great many varieties of forms, which its surface assumes in the territories of the numerous states into which the country was divided. Of these, two resemble each other, whether in physical structure, climate, or production. It is said that the general atmosphere of Greece is mild, but not in every part. Greece is known to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. They have palm trees and the myrtle flourishes in sight of the pine. Greece is known to have tropical birds of beauty that can not be found any other place in the world. Although they do have storms frequently with what we might say is giant sized hail there is also eternal snow. In Macedonia, it is known to be rocky and bold. Speaking about the beauty of Greece and it’s surroundings a person can not help but think of Athens and Sprat, which are known to be representatives of Greece when it came to education. I can not help but think of what Apollo once commanded. If the citizen wanted respect and intelligent children, they must put what is most beautiful in the ears of their sons. They bored one of the lobes and inserted a gold earring. Those people who wore a gold earring would become good men and be preservers of the country. Whatever education had to give was also to be given to every citizen. With education mentioned, I must mention of what I read about the children, their birth, as well as the women who gave birth. The care of the children was taken care of even before they were born. The mothers were actually given rules while they were pregnant, although as I read many things women were made to do are what women today choose to do, such as eating certain foods and exercising. Wine was prohibited and only water was the drink allowed by the expecting mother. I for one did not drink wine when I was pregnant either and I still drink a great deal of water. During the period of a woman’s pregnancy she was believed to have been watched over and protected by the goddess Eileithyia, who was considered the mother of love. Newborn infants in Greece bathed in cold water. In Sparta, they bathed in wine. In Athens, newborn children were laid on golden amulets in the form of dragons, which were supposed to commemorate Athena’s delivery of Erichthonios to the care of the two guardians. Under certain circumstances, instead of joy and gladness, the birth of a child was, as in Thrice, and event of sorrow and misery. It supposedly announced the fact of an approaching enemy. I find it extraordinary that when it came to education the Greeks atlas tried to educate the poor as well as the wealthy in one form or another, but when it came to the birth of the poor woman’s child she many times would be driven to despair. Therefore, her hands would be filled with the blood of her child, with many boogies and rejoicing. On the fifth day from birth, a ceremony took place, which was called amphdromia. The child was named usually until about the tenth day, this was because if an infant was going to die they believed it would be within ten days. The child was usually named according to what derived from some circumstance that had been going on around the time of conception or the birth. For example, thus Mariposa, Homer being born away from Apollo attained the name of Halcyon, was inconsolable for the loss of her baby. Of course when we mention children we have to think about what on earth kinds of toys did the children have and what kind of games did they play? I found it interesting that some played with a rattle that was actually made from that of a rattlesnake. Some had little chariots built by their slaves of course these were probably the richer children. Boys when able would pretend they were at war. In Greece as everywhere else education took place in the nursery. At birth a child was furnished with ideas in his mind, as his intelligence would seem to strengthen the five sluices, which let in, as they believed to be all the flood of knowledge, this afterwards overflows his mind. Most education consists of observing the child. A most important part of the education for the boys consisted of physical discipline. Whether it was started by the men for lack of something to do, instead of going to war in a far off place, or as a tribute to the Gods gymnastics played an important role in every boy’s education. It was discouraged for a boy or a young man to make a profession of gymnastics, because as a warrior this person could not go very long without water or food. Although they were huge in stature and had enormous strength, they were susceptible to fatal attacks from disease if they departed form their usual habits and regime. It seems that dance also played an important part of gymnastics routine. In Athens, it was a mark of illiberal education to be ignorant of the various forms of dancing. It was considered an absolute necessity by all Greeks to excel in the accomplishment of dance. Whether it was for the preparation for the performance or the learning of the movements to help in battle dace was widely accepted as much as any religious right. The Cretans, the Spartans, the Thessalians, and the Boeotians held this division of gymnastics in particular honor, chiefly with an outlook to war. The Athenians and Ionians most generally contemplated it more as a means of developing the beauty of the form, and conferring ease and elegance on the motion and display Its really becomes clear in this chapter of the book that the Olympic games both winter and summer, track and field, and inside games were started by the ancient Greeks. I never really understood their importance until now, I knew they had a lot to do with the creation of the games, but it seems they covered all the bases. They prepared them selves for war they were fulfilling their duties as citizens and at the same time brought to perfection their strength, their vigor, and their manly beauty. They also knew that a healthy body created a healthy mind and improved learning performance. The healthy body was of great use during the hunt. The chase would often last for hours or days. To herdsman and shepherds, it was an occupation to them. The highly learned and educated often hunted for the fun of the chase, while the poorer population hunted for food and clothing from their kills. Dogs or hounds were often used in the chase or hunt, and many great fables of that time were of fearless dogs that in the presence of their master would even attack a lion. Their use of camouflage and knowledge of traps and snares was used extensively for they were very intense hunters. It seems to me that a lot of their hunting skills came from education and enrichment of their athletic abilities and they were able to use what they had learned in the gymnasium or on the field to track or hunt their game. Last but certainly not least in the education of the young was philosophy and poetry it was even considered a branch of the field sports and was enjoyed rather than studied. They were taken to small amounts of material and would go over and over it to let it sink in rather than to learn large amount of knowledge that they might soon forget. Philosophy in Greece comprehended religion, and to be religious was to act justly, benevolently, mercifully towards men, humbly and reverent toward God. It was necessary to possess knowledge of the whole theory of ethics, since virtue in their opinions was incompatible with ignorance. They believed like I do that if a man is a moral being he is accountable to the laws of God and his country and his duties to that country. And as in all free states (I thought this was a powerful statement) reasoning and persuasion, not blind will and brute force are the instruments of government. As I end this report, I can’t end it without giving my feelings about what I have read. In my opinion, I found this book overwhelming at times. Many words as in emotions came to me as I read it. How to cite Manners and Customs of Ancient Greece, Papers

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Literature Review on Relationship Between Gender and Luxury Brand

Question: Discuss about theLiterature Review on Relationship Between Gender and Luxury Brand. Answer: Introduction A literature review is prepared with the use of secondary sources such as books, journals, and research articles. The section of literature review emphasizes on identifying the relationship between gender and luxury brand. Review of Sources Luxury fashion labels have been continuously breaking the traditions, bending the rules of gendered dressing through innovative designs and marketing tactics(Amatulli et al. 2017). Apparently, women tend to have the positive attitude towards branded and luxury products as compared to men. In most of the markets and product categories, the price for female products is significantly higher as compared to their male counterparts. However, on the other hand, there is a direct relationship between age of women and awareness of luxury products. Most of the people use luxury products so as to show the status symbol(Sun, D'Alessandro Johnson 2016). Therefore, branded and luxury products are typically brought at the marketplace for only those people who have the ability to afford it. Moving on the interest of male in branded products, luxury items are considered as perceptual(Young Combs 2016). Hence, men consider it as a disposable income that is clubbed with psychographic and demographic influences and at the same time, it also drives discretionary spending. Luxury industries are overtaking the market place, and this also leads to significant transformation. For instance- in last few years Indian luxury industry has witnessed much more success because of the richness of the families(Chakraborty Sheppard 2016). It is also identified that India is transforming into a larger market especially for luxury goods. Furthermore, according to historical perspective, the market has witnessed the vigorous growth of around 20% in the year 2009 which reached up to USD 5.75 billion in the year 2010(Gil et al. 2017). Afterwards, in the year 2012, luxury products have grown more to 29% which reached to USD 2 billion. Thus, it is evident that luxury industries are growing because of the increasing trend of using luxury products among people. In Indian market as well, women tend to have such purchase behavior in which chief consideration is given towards luxury and branded products(Taylor, Costello Ko 2016). The scenario of luxury market has been changing since luxury products display functional utility. This is the reason which drives people to purchase branded items on greater extent. There is a direct relationship between age and luxury products which attracts customers towards diverse products and services(Sjostrom, Corsi Lockshin 2016). Currently, youngsters are the targeted customers for luxury products and services. Youngsters are highly conscious about their status and appearance; henceforth they prefer to use luxury products. Luxury products not only include apparels, but also it comprises all fashionable accessories. Male and female both use a variety of products and according to the necessities; fashionable outlets bring innovation and creativity to the products(Young Combs 2016). In luxury market, women tend to have a preference of using branded handbags not because of quality perspective, but also due to quality aspect. Luxury products are highly in demand, and people have diverse motives of consuming the same types of items. However, on the other hand, men seem to use luxury products more in apparels and footwear because of the lifecycle of the products(El Hazzouri, Main Shabgard 2016). People have a common perception that branded products have a longer lifespan; hence this has become one of the major reasons for using luxury items. This factor greatly influences the demand for luxury and branded products in both male and female segments. Research done by Srinivasan and et al. (2015), defines the role of women perception towards luxury and branded products. The most common example can be quoted here is a use of branded handbags. Women between the age of 25-45 are highly concerned about their status symbol especially because of social life(Srinivasan Srivastava 2015). Apparently, luxury brand companies are targeting women by comprehending the factors that drive customers to buy branded products and items. However, here it can be said that men and women both have different opinion and perception about branded products. Purchase behavior of women keeps on changing on the frequent basis which drives branded companies to facilitate innovation and creativity in products and services(Lado et al. 2016). Branded companies focus more on meeting the needs and demands of customers; therefore this requires greater emphasis on quality and creative products. Brands do not compromise with quality, and this is the core reason which helps branded companies to persuade a large number of customers(Armitage Sekhon 2017). Quality is the main factor that changes the perception of people and which also facilitates word of mouth publicity among people. Use of luxury products is more common in youngsters because they keep themselves aware of latest trend coming in the market place. As compared to women, men are becoming much conscious about their appearance which drives them to purchase luxury items. Moreover, comparatively men shop less than to women; hence due to one-time shopping, they prefer to get only quality items. Peer pressure is yet another factor that significantly changes the need of people, and it also enhances demand for luxury items. This happens chiefly in women; hence they tend to depict their preference in branded products only. For instance- social life of women drives them to showcase more about their accessories and apparels(Gil et al. 2017). Contrary to this, most often women who are unable to purchase branded products, also save money to purchase branded items. Supporting the fact, it can also be said that men also prefer to use branded products when they are much concerned about physical appearance. Alongside, due to peer pressure, their opinion about branded products changes and as a result, it leads to purchasing of the final product(Sun, D'Alessandro Johnson 2016). Nonetheless, physical attractiveness enhances demand for luxury brands; hence luxury consumers can be differentiated by their attitudes towards luxury items. However, here it can be stated that luxury consumption is different with that to luxury affection and most often people purchase luxury products because of affection towards that product(Chakraborty Sheppard 2016). Aside from clothing context, it is also analyzed that women also possess a positive attitude towards luxury brands as compared to men considering the product categories of perfumes and wrist watches. However, yet now results are inconsistent especially while comparing attitude towards luxury and non-luxury products. Henceforth, it can be argued that as per the category of products, the perception of men and women changes towards luxury items(Yang et al. 2016). However, it can also be contended that international brands have been trying to acquire the attention of local customers; hence multiple brands are coming in the domestic market. To support the above discussion, it can be articulated that luxury is the unusual intellectual or emotional pleasure that is derived from some specific product(Lado et al. 2016). People usually enjoy the most expensive items because of their comfort and satisfaction level, and this makes them habitual as well to use the same sort of product on a consistent basis(El Hazzouri, Main Shabgard 2016). Brand gives an identity to the consumers; hence they get more attention from others. This is one of the prime reasons that lead men and women to go for luxury items. Luxury products are the ones who have the higher ratio of price quality. In addition to the same, luxury goods are more in demand because consumer feels more valued. Innovation is more common in luxury products which aid retailers to grab the attention of a maximum number of customers(Shin, Eastman Mothersbaugh 2017). Buying habits of consumers changes frequently and according to brand awareness, people prefer more to purchase luxury goods. However, income is one of the common forces that drive and encourages people to enhance the spending on luxury items. Majority of people find a positive relationship between branded products and customer satisfaction; therefore this proposition helps marketers to emphasize on luxury items. By gender difference, retailers come up with different variants in luxury product categories(Taylor, Costello Ko 2016). In addition to the same, it is also analyzed that rapid transformation in fashionable items changes the perception of customers and this continuously increases the worth of luxury products. Moreover, luxury retail has been a fascinating journey from a socio-economic perspective, and it drives the interest of global customers as well. Profoundly, branded products are more in demand because retailers advertise the items on greater extent which generates more demand(Sandhu Paim 2016). Nowadays, as compared to local products, customers prefer to purchase luxury items because that enhances the degree of satisfaction. Contrary to this, it can be contended that luxury is more about the experience rather than financial value. The need for personal gratification and aspirations has encouraged people to make life better and easy. Therefore, for the purpose of improving living standard, people are emphasizing more on use of exclusive products(Amatulli et al. 2017). Apparently, consumers use branded products because they want to be recognized. If a brand can fulfill such need, customers find the change successful. Specifying about men, it is ascertained that variety in branded items drives them more towards luxury goods and at the same time it also amends their social status. Consumer buying behaviors are based on satisfying needs, and this also brings substantial benefits to the end users(Shin, Eastman Mothersbaugh 2017). People have more disposable income as compared to an earlier generation; hence they give huge preference to their needs and aspirations through experience. However, along with young and older people, kids are also attracted towards branded products because of a complete change in the lifestyle. As per the current scenario, the purchasing power of women is increased which is a good sign for the luxury market(Bae Koo 2017). On the other hand, it is also ascertained that those who need to have consideration towards status but cannot afford true luxury products use loud counterfeits to satisfy the need for luxury products. Wealthy customer use luxury products are categorizing by occupation, personality, and cultural values. People have a perception that use of luxury products gives a symbol that customers are more likely to focus on valuable experience(Taylor, Costello Ko 2016). Apart from this, women also invest more on expensive food which greatly depicts their habits. Here, it can be argued that previous literature shows all such reasons for which customer prefer to use luxury products; however, no such studies have been yet prepared which demonstrates demographic variables(Lado et al. 2016). From several studies, it has been observed that branded products motivate the customers more towards huge spending on apparels, footwear, and other luxury items. Occupation also has a direct relationship with the use of luxury brands as that only determine reasons for which people spend in luxury items(Roux, Tafani Vigneron 2017). According to several researchers, gender is one of the most populous forms of segmentation that is being used by marketers especially at the time of bringing any new product to the market place. In the realm of consumer behavior, it is very much difficult to analyze if men are more conscious about luxury life. Men and women both are impulsive in living luxury life; therefore considering this aspect, marketers are investing more in luxury items(Amatulli et al. 2017). There are ample of reasons for which people like luxury life and all such reasons not only change their mindset; but also help them to promote the products to other customers. Other study here supports that categories of products define who is more (men or women) consistent in managing luxury life(Bae Koo 2017). Therefore an example can be quoted here. As compared to women, men feel the need of luxury cars and accessories, and this drives them to purchase such products respectively. To contradict the above discussion, it can be said that that there is no such significant difference between men and women in respect of affection for luxury products. Hence, considering this aspect marketers do not focus on any specific gender as they know that both are more inclined towards status consumption(Lado et al. 2016). Therefore, on the basis of entire discussion, it is evident that there exists direct relationship between luxury product categories and gender. References Amatulli, C, Costabile, M, De Angelis, M Guido, G 2017, Introduction: Sustainability in Luxury Branding. In Sustainable Luxury Brands , Palgrave Macmillan UK, London. Armitage, RJ Sekhon, Y 2017, Luxury Products and Services and the Sustainable Value Chain: Six Management Lessons from Gucci. In Sustainable Management of Luxury , Springer Singapore, Singapore. Bae, J Koo, DM 2017, 'THE EFFECT OF GENDER DIFFERENCE ON LUXURY CONSUMPTION', In 2017 Global Fashion Management Conference at Vienna, pp. 289-289. Chakraborty, S Sheppard, L 2016, 'An Explanatory study on Indian Young Consumers Luxury Consumption: The Underlying Relationship of Interpersonal Influence, Brand Image, Brand Consciousness and Demographic Components with Luxury Brand Purchase Decision', International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, vol 6, no. 2, pp. 622-634. El Hazzouri, M, Main, K Shabgard, D 2016, 'Reminders of the Sun Influence MenS Attitude Towards Luxury Products', ACR North American Advances. Gil, LA, Gil, LA, Dwivedi, A, Dwivedi, A, Johnson, L Johnson, L 2017, 'Effect of popularity and peer pressure on attitudes toward luxury among teens', Young Consumers, vol 18, no. 1, pp. 84-93. Lado, N, Cesaroni, F, Ho, H Cesareo, L 2016, The Role of Gender in Co-branding Strategies of Hi-Tech Brands and Luxury. In Lets Get Engaged! Crossing the Threshold of Marketings Engagement Era, Springer, Cham. Roux, E, Tafani, E Vigneron, F 2017, 'Values associated with luxury brand consumption and the role of gender', Journal of Business Research, vol 71, pp. 102-113. Sandhu, SK Paim, LB 2016, 'Consuming for status among Malaysian working women', Journal of Emerging Economies Islamic Research, vol 4, no. 3. Shin, H, Eastman, JK Mothersbaugh, D 2017, 'The effect of a limited-edition offer following brand dilution on consumer attitudes toward a luxury brand', Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol 38, pp. 59-70. Sjostrom, T, Corsi, AM Lockshin, L 2016, 'What characterises luxury products? A study across three product categories', International Journal of Wine Business Research, vol 28, no. 1, pp. 76-95. Srinivasan, R Srivastava, RK 2015, 'Womens purchase behavior towards luxury products', Journal of research in humanities and social science, vol 3, no. 8, pp. 22-631. Sun, G, D'Alessandro, S Johnson, L 2016, 'Exploring luxury value perceptions in China Direct and indirect effects', International Journal of Market Research, vol 58, no. 5, pp. 711-731. Taylor, CR, Costello, J Ko, E 2016, WHAT IS A LUXURY BRAND? A NEW DEFINITION AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE, In 2016 Global Marketing Conference at Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Yang, W, Yang, W, Mattila, AS Mattila, AS 2016, 'Why do we buy luxury experiences? Measuring value perceptions of luxury hospitality services.', International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol 28, no. 9, pp. 1848-1867. Young, C Combs, H 2016, 'A STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DEMOGRAPHIC, PERSONAL VALUE PERCEPTION, SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND FUNCTIONAL VALUE PERCEPTION FACTORS WITH REPURCHASE INTENTIONS TOWARDS LUXURY BRANDS IN THAILAND', ASBBS Proceedings, vol 23, no. 1, p. 576.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Anorexia Nervosa Essays (2488 words) - Eating Disorders,

Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight. This condition is both a physical illness and a psychiatric illness. Anorexia nervosa can be a very severe illness, including a risk of death from starvation. This illness occurs most often in young women. About 5% to 10% of people with anorexia nervosa are men (Larson). Anorexia nervosa means in Greek and Latin roots "lack of appetite of nervous origin." Usually appears in early or middle adolescence. A girl or young woman begins to starve herself and sometimes exercise compulsively as well. Her weight falls and her health deteriorates, but she continues to deny that her behavior is abnormal or dangerous. She may say she feels or looks fat, although everyone else can see that she is gaunt. To conceal her weight loss from parents and others, she may wear baggy clothes or secretly pocket and discard food instead of eating it. Despite her refusal to eat and despite the misleading term "anorexia," her appetite is usually normal, at least at first. Her reasons for rejecting food are a mystery that researchers are still trying to solve (Anorexia). According to the current diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association, a woman is suffering from clinical anorexia, not just dieting or fasting, when her weight has fallen to 15% below the normal range and she has not menstruated for at least three months. Sometimes the diagnosis is made because of drowsiness and lethargy that are affecting her schoolwork. Other symptoms are dry skin, brittle nails and hair, "languor" (fine downy hair on the limbs), constipation, anemia, and swollen joints. The level of female hormones in the blood of an anorectic woman falls drastically, and her sexual development may be delayed. Her heart rate and blood pressure can become dangerously low, and loss of potassium in the blood may cause irregular heart rhythms (Bower). Experience has shown that the more distorted an idea the victim has of herself, the more difficult the cure, and the longer the condition goes untreated the more uncertain the outcome. Anorexia nervosa must never be lightly dismissed as a passing phase, which time and maturity will cure. A person that is anorexic is not nature. Spontaneous cure rarely happen because the victim takes a positive pride in sustaining her hunger. The longer the illness lasts, more weight is lost. This deepens in the anorexic the illusion that being thin is making her significant and outstanding as an individual (Cavendish, 63). Some believe that eating disorders are becoming more common, but the evidence from systematic surveys is inconclusive. What is clear is that fewer cases are going undiagnosed. One reason is that the average age of puberty in American women has retreated three or four years during this century, probably because of better nutrition and less infectious disease. That means a girl is more likely to develop anorexia while she is still living with her parents, and the disorder is more likely to be noticed and acknowledged as the serious problem it is. As social critics like to point out, drawing a line between eating disorders and the consequences of normal, socially approved dieting is not easy. Many women have symptoms that resemble anorexia in milder forms they may be losing too much weight but still menstruating, or binge eating without vomiting or using laxatives, or bingeing less often than twice a week (Macmillian). "According to one estimate, more than two-thirds of college women indulge in an eating binge once a year, 40% at least once a month, and 20% once a week. As many as 4% of all adults (60% of them women) and 30% of the seriously overweight are thought to be binge eaters." Binge eating without attempts to compensate by vomiting or using laxatives is one of the conditions included in the current APA diagnostic manual under the label "eating disorders not otherwise specified." One cause of eating disorders could be abnormalities in the activity of hormones and neurotransmitters that preserve the balance between energy output and food intake. This regulation is a complex process involving several regions of the brain and several body systems. Nerve pathways descending from the hypothalamus, at the base of the brain, control levels of sex hormones,

Sunday, November 24, 2019

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations

How to Choose the Best ACT Test Locations SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We all want to max out brainpower on the day of the ACT. But what can help, besides studying? One factor worth considering is where you take the test. You want a place that allows you to focus completely on the test without other anxieties, concerns or discomfort. And guess where a lot of test-day anxieties, concerns and discomfort can come from? That's right, they can be direct results of choosing a distracting or inconvenient testing center. In this article, we give you all the information you need to make the right decision about which of all ACT test centers to choose In this article, we’ll cover how you find the ACT locations administering the test. Then, we’ll discuss the important factors you need to consider to choosing your test location. Finally, we’ll give you a few tips and reminders you might not have known about test centers. How Do I Find Which Locations Are Near Me? There are two ways to find test locations. 1) Use the ACT'sSearch Toolto Find a Test Center Near You I recommend that on this form you search by state, and not by city. If you enter the city, you’ll only receive schools for that exact city, not neighboring areas. You’ll see a list of cities and center names. When you click on the addition sign, you'll see the center code and the dates the ACT is offered at that center. Not all centers have all test dates, so make sure you plan ahead! 2) Start Registering for the Test You don't need to go through with the whole registration, and they won't charge you for it. You’ll need to log into your ACT account, and then click the link to register for the test. This will take you through many questionnaires. Finally, when you get to Test Date, choose your intended test date. Go through a few more pages, and you’ll get to the Test Center. On this page, you’ll be able to enter a Zip Code, and the ACT will conveniently show all ACT testing centers within 25 miles. It’s unclear why they don’t make the zip code search available publicly without registering for the test. Which ACT Test Location Should I Choose? Your best choice of ACT test locations depends on a number of factors. In order of importance: How long does it take to get there? How familiar are you with the location and layout? Will you know a lot of people at that location? How will that affect you? Are there known aspects about the location that make it problematic? Let’s cover each in order. How Long Does It Take to Get There? Timing is the primary concern when choosing the test location. Because the ACT requires that you arrive by 8AM sharp, you’ll need to wake up early to get to the test location. For example, if it takes you an hour to drive to the test location, you’ll likely need to wake up around 6AM to have enough time to get energized, eat breakfast, and arrive at the site with time to spare. Keep in mind that the longer you have to travel, the more variability there will be in your arrival time – a 10 minute drive might be delayed only by 5 minutes, but a 60 minute drive can be delayed by 30 minutes. Recommendation: generally try to choose locations that are closer to where you live. How Familiar Are You With the Location and Layout? Knowing exactly how to get to the ACT test center is an advantage. The morning of the test, you want as little distraction as possible when getting yourself in the mindset for acing the test. If you’re driving to an unknown location, you might run into unexpected traffic or construction, and you might confuse directions. This can cause anxiety that might not wear off until well into the test. Similarly, knowing the layout of the test center is helpful during bathroom breaks. Because breaks are tightly regulated in time, getting lost in the hallways of a school can be damaging to your concentration. Test centers at high schools typically use only a small portion of the school for testing, so it’s possible for you to lose your way if you’re unfamiliar with the location. Recommendation: Try to choose a location that you’re familiar with. If you must choose an unfamiliar location, try to scope it out beforehand, or budget extra time to get there and know the layout. Will You Know a Lot of People at That Location? How Will That Affect You? If you choose your local high school like most students, you’ll likely run into a lot of people you know. People respond very differently to this. To some, being around friends is helpful. It relieves the stress of the situation, and chatting casually during breaks might help them feel less nervous. To these people, going to an unfamiliar location with strangers causes additional stress. To others, the opposite is true - being around friends for the ACT is stressful. You might want as little distraction as possible, and talking to your friends might take your head out of the game. You want to concentrate silently during breaks, but you don’t want to give the impression that you’re rudely brushing off your friends. Plus, what if you take the test in the same room as your crush? It might be hard to take the test without sneaking glances at the person. Which group do you fit into? Each person is different, so act accordingly. Recommendation: If being around friends on test day is helpful, register at your high school. If it’s stressful, register elsewhere, keeping in mind the location and layout factors above. Are There Known Issues at the Location That Bother You? You’ll usually only know this ahead of time if you’re thinking about taking it at your high school. Here are things that you might worry about: Temperature control: do you know if the location can maintain a temperature that’s comfortable for you? Windows: do you tend to feel claustrophobic in this location, and might the presence of windows help? Testing environment: do you know if the location has noises, smells, or other factors that might be distracting? Do you tend to focus at school or drift off? Recommendation: Avoid testing centers with known problems that bother you. All these factors bring us to one important question that affect most students: Should You Take the ACT at Your High School? This is the default choice of most test takers, because it happens to be convenient. Some students don’t have this choice because their high school doesn’t offer the ACT – in this case, follow the guidelines above. But if you are able to take the ACT at your high school, don’t just assume this is the best option. You should NOT take the ACT at your high school if: There’s another testing location that is substantially closer to your home (saving more than 10 minutes of transit time) Testing around people you know stresses you out and can throw off your concentration You know there are problems at your school, like bad temperature control, uneven desks, or others. Other Tips and Facts Your test center may be changed before the test. If the ACT doesn’t have enough registered students at your chosen test center, they will reassign you to a different location you didn’t expect. Your test might even get rescheduled due to bad weather or other factors. If the location is unfamiliar, consider visiting it days before the test. You’ll practice getting to the location quickly, and you can take a brief look around so the environment is familiar the day of the test. If you have to choose a test center far away (30 minutes or more), here are some tips. Wake up earlier to give yourself buffer time in case problems happen. Prepare a breakfast to eat on the way, and notes to review on the way there. If music relaxes you, listen to it along the way. You can change your location, but it’ll cost you. If you make the change by the registration deadline, there’s a $23 fee. If you change it after your late registration deadline, your only option is to request standby testing, at which point you might as well take it at your original location. What's Next? Now that you know where to take the ACT, learn WHEN to take it. Find out the best ACT test dates and how you should schedule your tests. What's a good ACT score for you? Read this guide to figure out what score you need to aim for. Want to improve by 4 points or more on the ACT? Click below to get our free guide to 5 strategies you must remember to make big improvements on the ACT. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! 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Thursday, November 21, 2019

Fast Food and Healthy Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fast Food and Healthy Life - Essay Example There is a big gap in the sensible amounts of food that can be consumed to the amounts of food actually consumed on a daily basis (Young, Lisa R and Nestle, Marion; 2003, p1). Food manufacturers are the biggest culprits of health mismanagement in the United States. Individual intake of food is surreptitiously promoted by packages that invariably provide more than double the quantity of food necessary for one meal. "Foodservice establishments use larger dinner plates, larger pans to bake muffins and pizzas, and larger containers for sodas and fries" (Young, Lisa R and Nestle, Marion; 2003, p2). Customers are not inclined to measure the exact quantity of food they are supposed to consume over one meal course. Normally, food is consumed on the basis of individual likes and no statutory rules are broken if the customer consumes more of a particular food he likes. Adequate portion sizes relevant for a meal marked on the labels are not seriously noted. This state of affairs happens on a very wide scale involving a huge segment of the population anywhere in the world. However, science provides information on the portions of each food that could be safely consumed. Excess food invariably adds to the calories and sooner than later leverage disease-prone organs such as kidneys and the heart with impure blood and once set it becomes difficult to root them out. "There are short-term studies showing that controlling portion sizes helps limit calorie intake, particularly when eating high-calorie foods. What is missing from the research is whether people monitor portion sizes and consistently chooses to eat recommended serving sizes, thus consuming the appropriate amount of calories for maintaining or losing weight" (Do Increased Portion Sizes Affect How Much We Eat, 2006) Obese children and fast food We live in an information age where the television is the best form of entertainment and everyone, including the children, finds endless solace glued to it with fast food packets in their hands. Little wonder then that one in every three children is obese in the United States (Leading by Example, 2010). "Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the television, computer, or video-game console. And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality formany people in the new millennium" (Leading by Example, 2010). The eat-more-work-less syndrome has become a way of life that does not appear to be a threat until it strikes when it becomes a too late to take corrective action. Granted, lots of teenagers are now taking action and working out to reduce the extra calories. However, the erratic lifestyle they have been leading up to that point when they start

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Evangelicalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evangelicalism - Essay Example The term means, in it simplest denotation, pertaining to the evangel, which is the Christian gospel, or good news, that God redeems sinful humanity through His son, Jesus Christ. Evangelicals have stressed that people find salvation only through personal faith in Christ's atoning death and through the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit. They find these views to be the central theme of the Bible, which they hold to be divinely inspired and the ultimate authority for their Christian faith and practice The label "Evangelical" also denotes these Christians' commitment to proclaim this gospel to others by word and deed. 1 Variations time and place have nuanced the term's meaning and usage, and loaded it with much historic freight. The "Evangelical" label was first used by the churches of the Lutheran Reformation in the sixteenth century, but it gained wider currency during the widespread revivals of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when "Evangelical" became the common label for movements of spiritual renewal and evangelistic outreach within Protestantism. This generic understanding of "Evangelical" also makes it an appropriate label for contemporary Biblicist and charismatic movements within the Roman Catholic Church. In late twentieth-century usage, "Evangelical" also frequently connotes "conservative," in that the Evangelical movements and traditions have opposed theological li... Evangelical Christianity also has made rapid strides outside of the North Atlantic region, especially in the past twenty-five years. Religious statisticians claim that half of the world's Evangelicals now reside in the so-called Third World, and they project that by the year 2000, three-fourths will be from these regions. In Africa, for example, conversions and church-planting are projected to give that continent more Christians than North America by the turn of the next century. In parts of East Asia as well, notably in China and Indonesia, Evangelicals account for most of the recent dynamism Christianity has shown. In Latin America, where conversion to Evangelical Christianity outpaces the birthrate, Pentecostalism is the fastest growing alternative to traditional Roman Catholicism. Even in Europe, where the Christian inheritance of the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and the pietist/evangelical revivals of prior centuries has waned very rapidly, fresh renewal movements have begun an d are struggling against the secular tide. Because of these worldwide trends, students of religion have been scrambling to understand the history, character, and current thrust of the varied family of movements and traditions known as Evangelicalism. In the United States, where Evangelical revivalism was the dominant religious persuasion in the nineteenth century, a harvest of scholarship on religion in the Early Republic has appeared in the last twenty years, and it has underscored an important message: to know American Evangelicals is to know a great deal about the heart and soul of nineteenth-century America. 2 Thereafter, Evangelical Christianity began to lose its cultural dominance in the United States, and it

Monday, November 18, 2019

Management seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management seminar - Essay Example Common issues such as linkages between appraisals and increases in salary act as key determinants of the best system for the hospital relative to its overall goals and objectives as a healthcare institution. As part of the conclusion, the Mater Hospital administrators lack the required organization to ensure sustainability of such a medical institution as depicted by the current appraisal system. Assertively, the appraisal systems are equally significant as the reward and retention systems that appear to carry more weight in human resource management and it would be interesting to learn how organizations can link these systems for advanced efficiency. Accordingly, concrete talent management programs form the foundation for talent attraction and retention; however, most corporations overlook the fact that the leadership and management are the core overseers of talent, but through the set programs. Relatively, the control of talent and retaining employees is essential to the development and triumph of any corporation; moreover, the talent initiatives should go hand in hand with engagement, evaluation and reward strategies, as part of organizational cultures (Allen 2010). However, most of the discussions under human resources aspects focus on attraction, reward and retention with only a few giving sub-standard attention to appraisal and evaluation systems that are equally significant. Assertively, the aim of the case analysis on Mater Hospital is identifying the application of the appraisal systems and the depth at which they influence a certain organization. The foundation of the discussion is the bungling appraisal system in the h ospital, with the analysis focusing on Donald Kirkpatrick’s Learning and Training Evaluation theory. The Mater Hospital has multiple staff members from healthcare professionals, caregivers and support employees under administrators and supervisors that ensure quality and compassion in all areas. As per the hospitals values and

Friday, November 15, 2019

Relationship Between Microfinance And Nigerias Economic Growth Economics Essay

Relationship Between Microfinance And Nigerias Economic Growth Economics Essay ABSTRACT Microfinance has over the years been associated with eradicating poverty, and consequently improving the standard of living of the less privileged members of a society, and rubbing on positively on the nations economy. This dissertation aims at exploring the impact microfinance has on economic growth, considering a specific case of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Due to the fact that this area of study has not witnessed so much research in the past, this work seeks to come up with an approach where the different links between microfinance and economic growth can be discovered and studied. Since most societies, especially the developing ones usually experience the presence of two types of financial system, the formal and the informal one under which microfinance falls, this will also be taken into consideration. The first hypothesis to be considered has to do with the micro level and this examines the relationship between microfinance and the financial system. The Second hypothesis h as to do with the macro level and examines the relationship between the financial system and economic growth, while the third one links the previous two, by checking the relationship between microfinance and economic development. Keywords: Microfinance; Economic Growth; Financial System; Nigeria INTRODUCTION Microfinance Institutions are financial organisations licensed to provide micro-savings, micro-credit, and micro-insurance in an economy. They operate in the informal sector of the financial system and are the major source of fund-provider for the medium, small and micro-enterprises. The basics of microfinance is the fact that the poor cannot access a loan from a bank of any reasonable commercial source, that is why Microfinance Institutions go out to the villages, meet with the poor who are encouraged to form an association, they give them micro-credits and sometimes even give them trainings to help them make the best use of the loan accessed (Mohammed and Hasan, 2008). The methodology used by most micro-finance institutions to make loan is that they gather people into trust groups and meet weekly. These groups assume joint liability and joint guarantee on loans extended to any member of the trust unit and this invariably helps in reducing incidence of defaults and bad loans. Most Micro-Finance Institutions enjoy a high repayment rate. It should also be noted that majority of microfinance customers are women who also make up a greater percentage of the worlds poor, and also experience a very high rate of unemployment; and sadly in most cases are responsible for providing for and taking care of their families. Nigeria with a GDP-real growth rate of 5 %( 2009 est.), remains a major player in the African economy but her population of about 149, 299,090(sourced from CIA-The world fact book), which is the largest in Africa, has about half of it living in poverty. However, since the introduction of microfinance in the country, an increase has been noticed both in the growth of the economy and also in the increase in number of microfinance institutions. The Central Bank of Nigeria is saddled with the responsibility of issuing banking license and supervision of banks in the country, Micro-finance Institutions inclusive. LITERATURE REVIEW Microfinance, through its provision of financial services to the poor can influence economic growth by encouraging savings, giving out loans for feasible investments, provision of free advisory services to new clients on how best to invest, and also to those with long standing relationship, on how to increase the marginal productivity of capital (Pagano, 1993). A lot of studies have been carried out on the relationship between financial development and economic growth. King and Levine(1993) are in support of the view that financial development leads to economic growth and in their visit on Joseph Schumpeters work pointed out that banking institution through their provision of funds for productive investments are of great importance to economic growth(Schumpeter, 1911 cited in King and Levine, 1993). Greenwood and Jovanovic(1990) suggested that the relationship between financial development and economic growth is mutual, while Khan,(1999) who is of a similar opinion explains further that economic growth create financial development which in turns helps in sustaining the growth. Qayyum et al.,(2007?) are of the opinion that direct finance has a significant positive relationship with economic growth. The availability of funds to the poor increases production and output, this also leads to an increases in the demand for more financial services (micro-savings and micro-insurance), which positively affects financial development and sets the economy on the path of growth(Khan, 2008).It can then be said that availability of funds generates enterprise, enterprise generates finance flow, finance flow generates financial development, while financial development generates economic growth. De Gregorio and Guidotti(1995) also argued that financial development leads to improved economic growth, especially when funds are efficiently invested. However, Kemal, et al.,(2004) do not regard finance(micro-finance inclusive) as an important determinant of economic growth and Lucas(1988) even referred to it as overstressed, while Levine(1997) sees financial institutions as more harmful to a nations economic growth. This led to a call for redefinition and the use of appropriate measure of estimation of the relationship between financial development and economic growth and development of financial intermediaries by Bencivenga and Smith(1991). The main objective of Microfinance is to raise income, by encouraging private sector activity through the provision of micro-credit to micro and small scale entrepreneurs ((Aghion and Morduch, 2000)). In a study conducted by Chua et al.,(2000), they noticed that the impact of microfinance services on income and consumption is dependent on the initial endowment of the household and the length of time they have been clients of the institution. It is also affected by how efficient they are in the management of the sourced resource and also the profitability of the sector they invest in. Availability of Social amenities and a cheaper source of factors of production also influence income. According to Akanji (2002), the poor make effective use of the credit facilities and not only are they willing to pay the high interest rate on loan, they also in no time make enough returns to run a savings account with the MFI. It should also be noted that the conversion of the poor who were formerly economic liabilities into profit making micro-entrepreneurs have a positive impact on the financial system and consequently begins the process of economic growth by bring its full physical and human resources into productive use (Kamath, 2008). METHODOLOGY Not many literature are available as regard the relationship between microfinance and economic growth, therefore the study will rely much on theoretical framework in order to understand the link between microfinance and economic growth. Both Primary and Secondary sources of data will be used and Questionnaires will be sent out to have a direct feedback from the beneficiary of the scheme while previous studies and findings as regards the Nigerian economy will also be put into use in order to determine a theoretical association between Microfinance and Economic Growth. It should be noted that the two main variables in this dissertation is Microfinance and Economic growth. The choice of Nigeria as a case study was borne out of the fact that the country has recently had its microfinance regulations tuned to enable it play its role in serving its targeted market effectively. An increase in the growth of microfinance institutions in the country has also made them better established and competitive, giving the erstwhile neglected micro-entrepreneurs a choice. The relationship between financial system and economic growth will be first examined and in the second part, microfinance, alongside its associated theories will be explored to determine their impact on Economic Growth. The third part will be about examining the impact of theoretical macro-level effect on the case study, which is Nigeria. Its effect on the case study will help in reshaping the theoretical framework which will be the basis for conclusion. To determine the impact of Microfinance on economic growth, micro credit disbursement from 2000 to 2009 will be analyzed using both non-parametric and parametric test methods. The parametric test involves regressing the dependent variable (GDP from 2000-2009) against the explanatory variable (micro-credit disbursements) to ascertain if its significant and provide explanatory power for economic growth. While the Chi-square method of non-parametric test will be used to examine the questionnaire to determine if there is any association between Microfinance and economic growth. RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES This Objective of this dissertation to answer the following questions: Is there a relationship between microfinance and Nigerias economic growth between 2000-2009? Does investment of micro-credit into commerce contribute more to economic growth than other sectors? Does microfinance have an effect on the financial system? Does an increase in the number of Microfinance Institutions result to an increase in economic growth? POTENTIAL PROBLEM The potential problems envisaged in this research work is the availability of data from microfinance institutions in Nigeria as a large number of them do not have access to the internet and so do not post their information online. This brings about another problem, which is the distance between my place of study and the location of the case study. The relative scarcity of research on this area of study also creates a problem of limited materials. However, I have devised solutions for each of the problem. Most of my materials will be sourced from the Microfinance Unit of the Other-Financial -Institutions department of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as they have unhindered access to records of every Microfinance Institution operating in Nigeria. Most of my materials will be sent online while I will make use of a cheap and reliable courier service for my questionnaires. Also, the available materials online will be coupled with those sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria Library and Dat a collected on the MFIs. RESOURCES REQUIRED The main resources needed are data on Nigerias GDP, list of MFIs presently operating, records of loan disbursement by MFIs, records of total amount set aside for Small and Medium Scale Enterprise by the nations commercial banks. All of these will be sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria, while Past Studies and other literature will be freely assessed through the school library. The Questionnaires will be sent through mail and returned through courier. Estimated cost at conclusion is  £250, which includes cost of printing and binding, as well as courier cost. WORKPLAN ITEM PARTICULARS NOTES TIME FRAME 1. Dissertation Proposal Submission May 5, 2010 2. Literature review Sourcing of materials and review of literature July 4- 16, 2010 3. Submission of preliminary literature review to my supervisor, and making suggested corrections June 17- 20, 2010 4. Methodology Reading on Methodology and structuring of theoretical framework June 20- 24, 2010 5. Submission of proposed methodology to supervisor, and making suggested amendments. July 25-June 28, 2010 6. Questionnaire Devise Questionnaire June 29-30, 2010 7. Submission of questionnaire to supervisor, and making suggested amendments July 1-5 2010 8. Questionnaire distribution July 6, 2010 9. Collection of all other needed data and further review of past literature July 7-20 2010 10 Collection of questionnaires and analysis of findings July 21- 25, 2010 11. Data Analysis July 26- 30, 2010 12. Interpretation of Findings. August 1-5, 2010 13. Formulation of Conclusion August 6-10,2010 14. Abstract, and appendix and referenced materials arrangement August 11- 15 15. Updating and Review Review with Supervisor August 16-20, 2010 16. Self review and amendment August 21-25, 2010 17. Final review with supervisor and proof-reading August 26-28,2010 18. Printing and Binding Printing and Binding August 29, 2010 19. Submission Submission at the PG office September 2, 2010. EXPECTED OUTPUT The output, which is the conclusion of this dissertation, is expected to help the Government in its activities aimed at the nations economic development. It will also guide them in effective channeling of resources aimed at poverty alleviation. MFI administrators will also benefit from this work as it will help them in making decisions on how to enlarge their area of coverage and to also record higher returns through provision of other services. Donor Agencies and International institutions will also discover opportunities for helping in the economic growth and empowering the poor. Lastly, this study is expected to pilot other studies in this area and form a basis on which other people discover more efficient and effective ways of making microfinance have a lasting positive impact on economic growth.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

My Most Memorable Teachers Essay -- essays papers

My Most Memorable Teachers For some reason or another certain students are drawn to particular teachers while other students are more fond of others. In my life I have studied under three memorable teachers. Teachers with which I was able to connect, to laugh, to share my misgivings. While I may have been close with each of these teachers, it is very clear, in retrospect, that each was very unique, and represented an entirely different class of teacher. The teacher that stands out most in my head is my eleventh grade English teacher. She had a liberal arts background, and enjoyed the classic American writers; Hemingway, Steinbeck, what have you. She was in the class of teachers who was more impressed by actions and honesty than suck-ups and homebodies. She was the kind of teacher who was proud when you informed her that you had skipped her class to go fishing at the river and play bluegrass music with your buddies. She was the kind of teacher who preferred that her students wrote what they truly felt, and not what they truly felt she would like to hear. She was in the rare class of teachers who tried to prepare her students for life after school, not life for school. She was a part of a small class of note-worthy teachers. Another important figure from my eleventh grade year was my eccentric psychology teacher. She represented a class of teachers who are interesting enough to be committed to a loony bin. She fell into what I believe to be the largest class of t...