Lit review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lit review - Essay Example 000 as command center for the acquisition of equipment and supplies of all the armed services – RAF, Navy and ground forces – representing a major restructuring in defense culture and processes. This major command was created precisely to improve logistics acquisition by moving from a functional to a project-based organizational structure. Under the DLO, a total of 144 Integrated Project Teams were organized, one for each type of military equipment and supplies. Each IPT has its own set of assembly staff, logisticians, engineers, contractors and financial team, operating much like a business organization. Lysons, K. and Farrington, B. (2006)note that the Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (PSCM) concept was started in February 2001 to reduce costs as soon as possible and improve overall performance by addressing the following concerns: supplies concerns consumable items or those equipment components that can be easily repaired. Even in the US Air Force, the difficulty of finding cheap consumable parts is blamed for 40 per cent of aircraft downtime. To handle this specific problem, the IPTs created the positions of supply Range Managers (RMs) under its wing to exclusively attend to the problem of high procurement costs. In effect, the Range Managers were handed the decision-making task of finding the methods of procurement and selection of suppliers that would translate into cost-efficient defense spending. As decision-makers, the Range Managers are expected to formulate measures that would cut costs and make their organization more efficient and viable. But the task of making decisions for an organization is not as easy as it seems. Any organization is a technical instrument for mobilizing human energies and directing them toward set goals. Janczak, 2005. The main function of the organization is decision-making which entails planning, evaluating and implementing. These decision-making processes may be disrupted by petty politics and

Report of a car manufacturer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Report of a car manufacturer - Essay Example However, the main market is automotive industry which is globally expanding as demand for all types of vehicles is increasing. Keeping this view in mind, it is highly essential that more cars should be sold through using the support of information technology and information needs of potential cars buyers. The financial performance requires more improvement. For example, the figure 01 clearly highlights that Ford made $20,213m and $5,665m and ,155m net income in 2011, 2012, and 2013 respectively; this reflects that the company has made the highest income in 2011 and the smallest in 2012 and the average net income in 2013. Based on this information, it can be deduced that the company has potential to earn more income. For this purpose, the company’s strategic management requires additional information for consideration and making effective decisions for improving the financial performance of the company. Also, this can be only done through improving and increasing the sale of cars as this business segment has the highest potential for the company. And there are valid and strong reasons to support this point. First, personal or family cars have become an important part of today life as every middle class family always prefers to have a car for satisfying the family requiremen ts, such as travel, school pick and drop and other emergency services. Keeping this view in mind, it is highly essential that the company should primarily focus on manufacturing and selling cars by considering the family need. Ford must focus in Asia. Currently, both China and India are two fastest growing economies where the middle class is increasing along with growing purchasing power. This market should be focused as it has a very attractive market potential for the company. Based on the different requirements of both markets, following information should be obtained which can be further processed for supporting and improving decision-making and

Overview Of Electronic Funds Transfer Marketing Essay

Overview Of Electronic Funds Transfer Marketing Essay ABSTRACT My thesis is based on the E-banking technology in which consumers can acquire more perfect, more rapidly and quick banking services from the programmed banking system. This technology has also been implemented by the global banks as well as by banks in Pakistan to provide well-organized and efficient services to their privileged consumers. The objective of this thesis is conceded to unchain the importance that Pakistani banks are associated with this form of e-banking technology that is being executed by the banks for providing the electronic services to the consumers and in what degree this technology is significant to customers. This research work will also aid to conclude whether the e-banking services are more perfect, more rapidly and quick banking services. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 INTRODUCTION When Internet has entered into our daily life, the most dimensions of our lives such as education, communication, business, etc, were overshadowed by this novel phenomenon. One of these dimensions is to handle banking affairs through the Internet (Shirali Shahreza, 2007). According to (Richard Nyangosi Arora, Sumanjeet Singh, 2009) banking through electronic channels has gained much popularity in recent years. This system, popularly known as e-banking, provides faster delivery of banking services to a wide range of customers. Information technology is becoming an important factor in the future development of financial services industry, and especially in banking industry (Nami. M. R, 2009). In current business environments, customers using the services products of the banks want better choice. (Avkiran, 1999) stressed the importance of the human touch in the customer services. The capability of banking staff can be expected to directly affect the customers satisfaction. However, e-banking technologies can help in better understanding customers needs and customizing the services/ products according to their needs. In the new era there is a need of bank customers to get improved electronic banking services and also better relations with the bankers. It is also the need of time to provide efficient services/products to the customers. In Pakistan however, such kind of electronic banking has started recently. Online banking system present to their consumers a set of information-related benefits that favors to adopt e-banking, including the facility for the customers to control their bank accounts at any time and any place, and to access information content for making investment and financing decisions (Howcroft B, 2002). Due to the competition among the banks in Pakistan, the banks want to provide the services, which are more efficient, rapid and enhanced the banking system. Therefore, the objective of e-banking is to create such working environment where customers can easily find about the information they require for performing financial transactions. 1.1.1 Definition of E-Banking Electronic banking, known as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), it is basically the use of electronic methods or means to transfer money electronically directly from one account to another account, rather than cash or cheque. We can use electronic funds transfer for: 1. We can withdraw money by an ATM machine with a personal identification number (PIN), for our convenience at day or night. We can guide our bank or credit union to pay automatically monthly utility bills from our account, or our auto loan even our mortgage payment. 2. We can buy food, fuel for our personal transport, and other goods at the purchasing point, using a credit card rather than cash. 3. We can use a prepaid smart card embedded for our daily purchasing like pay phone, toll expenses, daily college expense or any bookstores. 1.2 BACKGROUND The increasingly change in worldwide competitiveness in commercial behaviors has improved the volume of bank in the world. It has produced additional banking knowledge and also improved customer demand of services given by banks. This revolution has set a motion in the banking sector for the provision of a payment system that is compatible with the demands of the electronic market (Balachandher, 2001). On the behalf of increased competition, many banks and organization did not only reduce their costs but they have also increased their products. Technology has changed the preconditions for service delivery, dramatically in recent years (Fredriksson, 2003). The banks are the financial institutions to provide consumers savings services, money transmission services and credit services (Sinkey, 1990). In other terms, banks are concerned with safe transaction and collection of management functions. In this regard the main object of the banks is to making profits and giving best services to their customers. Customers are eager to a banks behavior because the customers are the most significant cause of a banks deposit and revenue creation. These customers may either be a single person or group of a person or organization. According to (Chaudhury Kuilboer, 2002) the potential of providing innovative services over the Web is limited only by ones imagination. Online services, especially banking services, are becoming more attractive and alternative to visiting service outlets or phone call centers for increasing their customers. Therefore it become easy for the customers to prefer online services (Szymanski Hise, 2000), feel more in control of the service process (Bateson, 2000) to avoid from human contact with time saving (Meuter M.L. 2000). In Pakistan however, banking organizations have been focused on censure for not given to their customers with original and suitable banking services. Therefore, the outcome that some customers, find it suitable to keep their money or reserves at home than the banks. Studies will carry out by two famous banks working in Pakistan, which have researched and applied computerized technology for the delivery of banking services. Although, banking administration has delayed to execute computer technology in banking exercises. A number of studies have concluded that IT has positive effects on bank services delivery to customers, bank productivity, cashiers work, banking transaction and banking investment. So, these have positive effects on the growth of banking system (Balachandher, 2001). In addition, delivery the high quality services is a way for the banking to improve their relationships with their customers. By the Delivering high quality services, banks can achieve customer satisfaction and through customer satisfaction banks can gain loyal customers (Grà ¶nroos, 2000). Because of the highly undifferentiated services and products, financial organizations specifically banks become main tool for competing in this marketplace (Kim J.K, Han, Choi Kim S.H. 1998). Much research has been done about the quality of services and customer requirements in the traditional banking environment, where personal interaction between the customers and the bank employees takes place (Oppewal Vriens, 2000). Therefore, this is very important for the online banking services providers to become more capable about the customers perceptions of the online banking services quality. On the other hand the customers also have more expectations and demand when they are using e-banking services either the services are satisfactory or not. Because it is quite easier for customers to evaluate and compare the benefits of competing services (Santos, 2003). 1.3 PROBLEMS DISCUSSION The study about e-banking adaptation has gained special attention during the last decade as for instance; banking journals have devoted special issues on the topic (Waite Harrison, 2002). There were a lot of grievances over the delays in traditional banking services, withdrawals and delay in processing. Time is money but the customers have to wait for a long time of their turn in the bank for any banking facility. Some time even from a remote area a customer has to travel to the concerned branch for any kind of transaction. On the closing hours it becomes more harmful if anyone want make a business deal for payment. Having the computerized operations and automated teller machine; it has made it easy that the banks would activate their e-units to support the online banking services. In Pakistan, manual-banking system was performing below standard services to the customers and it may be affected on the customers support. Transactions of the money from one manual bank to the other can take five to ten days. Some time, when the purpose of transferring the money has almost dead. Sometimes businessmen have to cancel their business deals due to the unavailability of the cash transferring facility in time in traditional banking system where services are as slow as non-secure, non-satisfactory. In order to satisfy customers needs, many banks build their set up through web sites and Internet that provide the services and information to customers and the better service can help to get higher profitability. With the studies of IT in substantial, that would put a positive effect on bank productivity, cashiers work, banking transaction, bank support, and delivery of bank service. These have positive effects on the growth of banking (Yasuharu, 2003). Now Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited is providing broadband, which has enabled the customers to adopt the e-services instead of manual banking because these are much efficient and accurate. In Pakistan there is low literacy rate of workingwoman that are in service. But now young educated generation especially woman are trying to get jobs and taking part in nation building and economy and they have to use the banking services. Therefore the e-banking services will help and satisfy them regarding their expectations for efficient, accurate services. Recently, many local banks in Pakistan have used the online services as a new market channel to offer their customers a variety of services 24 hours a day. This e-banking, compared to traditional banking, heavily involves non-human interactions between customers and online bank information systems (Furst, Lang Nolle, 2002). When the customer evaluate of the e-banking service they received from Banks, then their satisfaction depends on website features/user interface design (Doll Torkzadeh, 1988) and that can be important to analyze the designed features of banking services delivered to the customers. 1.4 STUDY PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to establish the important that how the customers fond the concept and carry out e-banking services and to determine whether the utilization from the e-banking services, make more efficient, accurate and in time of banking services and also to make a variety and excellence between automated and a manual or ordinary Banking systems. To comprehend electronic Banking system in the context of Pakistan by the way of an analysis on the factors that manipulates customers favorable reception of electronic banking services. Particularly to consider the services and products associated with ordinary banking and e-banking with their fast, rapid, efficient, enhanced are more useful methods and to provide the customers to recognize the online banking services. It is to identify the significant aspects that shape the customers view about electronic service and features and the outcome of these services on customers satisfaction in Pakistani banking sector. The current study offers and considers a model to explain how ease, rapid, efficient operation, security, enhanced reliability and reaction positively and meaningfully affect customers awareness of e- services and how these manipulates the customers satisfaction. The leading issues pay attention in the study of e-banking customers to recognize the necessary dimensions of e-service provided by the banks. The study of the literature exposes the convenience, efficient operation, security and privacy, reliability with rapidness, and responsiveness with enhanced methods of e-banking service factors. These dimensions share many general facets of those quality determinants originated within the context of traditional service industries by earlier research (Parasuraman D. Grewal, 2000). Alternatively, these dimensions have their distinct attributes inherent in automated service quality environment (Al-Hiwari ward, 2006). The convenience dimension refers to ease of use and accessibility of the service at all times. The customers prefer flexibility to meet their financial needs at all times, which affect their perception of the e service quality (Gerrard Cunningham, 2003). Lio Cheung, 2002 found that accessibility positively determines perception of quality of service. (Lockettt Litter, 1997) and (Moutinho Goode, 1995) established that time utility is a major contributor of customers perception of e service quality. A lot of studies mentioned that the location e-service delivery is a strong driver of customers perception of e service quality (Aldlaigan Buttle, 2002; Almossawi, 2001; Levesque McDougall, 1996). The second dimension of e-service quality, efficient operation, relates to efficient and speedy operation of these services. Efficient in operations enhances the resources for the customers. Customers accord priority to user-friendliness of ATM. (White Nteli 2004) found that efficient and faster delivery has positive effect on customers perception for quality. Dilijonas, D.; Kriksciun ien, D.; Sakalauskas, V Simutis, R. 2009 argues that minimum breakdown of machines constitutes the essential aspect of e-service feature. (Al-Hawari ward, 2006) talks about the efficient ATM functions positively affect the customers perception of service quality. The element of consistency and dependability describes accurate and assured service at all times. Online users want to obtain the right quantity and right feature of service at all times, as promised by the banks. The literature provides strong support that rapidness, efficient and enhanced are essential determinants of customers perceived service quality and positively relates to customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ use of online services (Fassnacht Koese, 2006; Polatoglu Ekin, 2001). The responsiveness aspect of e-service quality relates to the ability of the bank staff to provide the agreed services timely, accurately, dependably, and promptly. Customers prefer to resolve their complaints expeditiously (Karjaluoto, Mattila Pento, 2002). Prior studies indicate that responsiveness is crucial to sustain service quality and facilitates to build long-term relationship between service provider and the customers (Bauer, Falk Hammer Schmidt, 2006; Long McMillan, 2004). The research results will reflect a positive and strong relationship between online service quality and customers satisfaction. 1.5 BENEFITS OF E-BANKING The e-banking services open seven days a week and 24 hours a day. To decrease the cost-line and no need of physical bank branches To create more deep collection  for consumers needs and expectations. Terms of services to customers for their personal choices. Easy access for all. With the e-banking money can easily be get within no time from ATM machine. In current time E-banking has open out rapidly all over the world. Almost all Banks are making much use of E-banking amenities to offer good services. The extension of E-banking has also significantly advantaged the normal customer in all purposes. 1.5.1 Benefits from the customers point of view Common customers have been much affected in an optimistic manner by E-banking. A lot of ordinary tasks have been fully computerized resulting in much ease and reliable. The main benefit from the customers point of view is major time saving by the computerized of banking services as well as online processing and an easy maintenance tools for managing customers money. Some other key benefits of e-banking for customers are as follows (BankAway, 2001; Gurău, 2002). Decreased costs in operating and using the banking e-services. Increased relief and timesaving operation can be made 24 hours a day, without consulting with the bank. Rapid and enhanced access to information. Organizations or customers will have much easy access to get information as, they can check on several accounts on click of a button. Improved cash management. E-banking services speed up cash cycle and enhance the efficiency of business operations, as large types of cash management methods are available by e banking. Decrease costs in terms using the different e-banking products and services Rapidness the reply of services is very fast therefore the customers can actually wait till the last minute before final fund transfer transaction. Customers can take their history of different funds management Consumers account is particularly accessible with in online account. Consumers can withdraw money at any time through ATMs that are now generally available all over the country. With withdrawing money, customers can also take mini banks statements, account balance on ATMs. Through online banking consumers can control their account while sitting in his office or in home. No need to go in the bank personally for such matters. E-banking has also provided the facility in payment of utility bills. There is no need to stand in long queues for these matters. All these services are generally available at bank website. The development of credit card and its usage also owes significantly to E-banking. Now a customer can purchase anything worldwide without moving paper money with him. Banking services are available 24 hours a day; seven days a week or they are only a mouse click away. 1.5.2 Benefits from the bank point of view Banking industry has also various benefits due to the development of E-Banking procedure. Some are mentioned as below. The core benefits for the banking point of view is that e-banking services are better response to the market. The main purpose of every financial organization is to boost up the profits for its vendors. Online banking services offer ideal chances for increasing the profits. Some clarifications for this pricing plan can be proposed Banks receive extra profits on transactions completed via electronic channels.The abundance of payments is not a main concern for banks. Cross subsidization in special services groups is used, for instance, profits from loan activity balance poor abundance from payment services. The development of E-banking has much helped the banks in minimizing their overheads charges and service cost. Many services and dull tasks have now been fully computerized and in better Efficiency and good time usage. The growth of E-banking has made banks more economical. It has also led to growth of banking industry, commencing of new opportunities for banking processes. E-banking has reduced the paper work in banking industry, thus give them to work with paper less environment. E-banking has also provided facility to bank in proper records and documentation of the transactions. The e-banking capabilities of computer networks, like as the Internet, are much better than any branch network. 1.6 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF E-BANKING With the fame of the Internet growing progressively, many industries are discovering new and attractive method to make it appealing medium to keep up with the continually altering preferences of clients. Nowadays, we can do almost everything over the Internet like shopping for home goods, business deals, contact with friends and so on. The Internet has apparently nonstop possibilities for the banking industry. Most of us have known about online banking services, and more than a majority has perhaps not even tried it yet. Some of us are feeling more relax and easy to work with real people, paper work and money instead of its virtual complement. At last there are a many advantages and disadvantages of online banking services. In this study there will be outline of good side as well as the bad side of online banking services. That you can feel online banking is safer way to manage your transactions and you can be overcome your fears. 1.6.1 Advantages Online banking is very suitable and convenient. It allows people to pay their bills and make transactions anytime during any time of the day and in the week. E-banking system never closes any time because people can access it through internet. There will be no matter in which country you are or anywhere in the world. Customers can make online transaction and handle your finances with conveniently. Secondly, e-banking services are very rapid, effective, enhanced and efficient. E-banking system also gives the option of transaction making in the different bank accounts from a website. Mostly e-banking websites are compatible with programs like Microsoft infrastructure, which makes organizations assets more valuable. 1.6.2 Disadvantages There are also some disadvantages in e-banking services. The main problem is that most people do not trust the transaction performed on online and almost wonder whether they did the right thing? Of course, people more relax and feel easy to find printing the transaction receipts of their transactions. The receipt will confirm them whether or not their transaction has gone successfully. For beginner e-banking can be difficult to learn and some time website could take time to start up. Some websites ask for identification, which can be very inconvenient for the new comers in e-banking. People like talking in person-to-person in case of any difficulty or problem. They like the personal touch like customer service and these kinds of people do not feel comfortable with e-banking. 1.7 ELECTRONIC BANKING IN PAKISTAN Electronic banking is the most recent in the line of technological aspects of the recent past in Pakistan. ATMs, mobile Banking, Credit Cards and Debit Cards, Internet Banking, Cyber Cash have come forward as useful delivery channels for usual banking services and products. In Pakistan, MCB RBS took as a pioneer to introduce ATMs and credit cards in the mid 1990s. The Annual Report of SBP (2003: p. 110) mentioned this delayed access of electronic banking by regulatory hurdles; much costs for startup, reforms on-going banking sector and lack of technological knowledge. The e-banking promoted with the circulation of the Electronic Transaction Ordinance 2002 by the Government of Pakistan. This attraction facilitates legal respect of digital signatures the risks associated, reducing documentation with the exercise of electronic technology in business. In current situation, almost all Pakistani commercial banks have their own setup and networks, they issuing debit and credit cards and have joined collectively in operating ATM Switch Networks with each others. As according to (Kolachi, 2006) Pakistani banks offers the following online banking services and products to their customers. Inquiry:  Account balance inquiry, Account statement inquiry, fixed deposit inquiry, Check statement inquiry Payment:  Credit and Debit cards payments, Transfer of funds, Utility bills payments and direct payments. Request:  Demand draft requests, Stop payment requests, Cheque/Check book requests, New fixed deposit requests Download:  Statement download, download Customer profile, other information and guidelines. The Annual Report (2009, p. 111) of SBP explains that domestic banks are the foremost provider of ATM facilities while foreign banks, like ABN AMRO Bank, Standard Chartered, and Citibank control the credit card business in Pakistan and over 95% of the total amount of transactions. 1.8 RESEARCH QUESTION The research question is in the sense that, the endurance of any e-banking system based on the large extent that depends on the banks ability to maintain and attract customers by offering modern and technologically enhanced banking services and products. Investigate between customer perception of e-services and the services environment in Pakistan. In order to understand and to be accomplishing the purpose, the research question of the study defined as follows: To what extent E-banking System is more efficient, rapid and offers enhanced opportunities compared with ordinary banking system in Pakistan?

The Chosen, My name is Asher Lev, In the Beginning, and The Book of Lights :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Assimilation and the American Jew in Potok’s The Chosen, My name is Asher Lev, In the Beginning, and The Book of Lights.  Ã‚  Ã‚   America has always been a country of immigrants, since it was first settled by Europeans over five hundred years ago.   Like any country with a considerable immigrant population, American has always faced the problem of assimilation.   Because America was founded and settled by immigrants, her culture is a combination of the cultures of other countries. Should these immigrants isolate themselves from the mainstream American culture, or should they sacrifice the culture of their homelands for the benefits American culture has to offer?   Judaism in particular has had to deal with the assimilation question.   One of the world’s oldest religions, it has remained strong over its six thousand year history by remaining distinct – and isolated – from other cultures. Chaim Potok focuses on how Orthodox and Hasidic Jews have handled this problem in his books The Chosen, My name is Asher Lev, In the Beginning, and The Book of Lights. Many of Chaim Potok’s characters want the American Jewry to remain isolated from the mainstream American culture: The world kills us! The world flays our skin from our bodies and throws us into the flames! The world laughs at Torah! And if it does not kill us, it tempts us! It misleads us! It contaminates us! It asks us to join in its ugliness, its abominations! (The Chosen 127)  Ã‚   The Chosen â€Å"deals with the problems Jews have faced in trying to preserve their heritage – in particular, the problem of how to deal with the danger of assimilation† (Young). The Jews have always been professionals occupying jobs in medicine, law, education, and other fields requiring a college degree. American Jews, however, face a dilemma: â€Å"Ideas from this secular world inevitably impinge upon an individual born in a church community or a synagogue community, especially when that individual embarks on a college experience† (Potok 2). American Jews must either take on nonprofessional jobs, assuming an identity completely different from that of European Jews, or expose themselves to secular America. Isolation is thoroughly impractical for the American Jew. Chaim Potok’s works often focus on main characters whose talents draw them to the outside world:    When individuals are brought up in the heart of such a community or culture [as Danny’s and Reuven’s did in The Chosen] they learn to commit themselves to its values †¦ They see the world through the system of values of that unique community.

A feminist or misogynistic Essay

In the play Medea, Euripides recognises the lack of gender equality of his time and comments on the patrichial nature of ancient Greek society. A feminist theme resonates in the play and has been developed through the characterisation of Medea and Jason. Medea, the female protagonist, is portrayed as powerful figure. Medea is spurned and aggrieved by a man but instead of accepting the situation submissively as she would have been expected to do, she asserts her own power. Furthermore, when King Creon decides to banish her, she doesn’t hesitate to argue persuasively on her own behalf despite his position of power. She naturally assumes that she has the right to speak as a man might do. Medea recognizes the oppression of women in her society when she declares â€Å"we women are the sorriest lot: first we must at great expenditure of money but a husband and even take on a master of our body†. However, Medea herself denounces women by admitting that they were born ‘useless for honest purposes’ suggesting that woman’s skills lie solely in the ability to exert their will by deceit and manipulation. Her deceptive nature is evident in the nature of the murder of Glauce by giving gifts laced with poison. Medea argues that although women have a deserved reputation for treachery, they only do so as the patriarchal society to which they belong deprives them of any other avenues of power. Yet Medea’s response to masculine exploitation surpasses any reasonable measures by her horrific murder of her children. The audience is positioned to be shocked and unsympathetic towards her actions. Medea’s actions are portrayed as hers alone not indicative of the natural behavior of women and Euripides acknowledges that the social injustice experienced by Medea cannot absolve her personal accountability for her actions. In the play through his characterisation of Jason, Euripides mocks the men’s supposed entitlement to authority and supremacy over women. Jason, the key male figure, from the onset of the play reveals himself to the audience to be a weak character, at odds with his reputation as a hero. His abandonment of his obedient wife, Medea, his greed-driven re-marriage and his inability to admit his own culpability in the drama that ensued, portrays him to the audience as vapid, vacuous man whose actions are fuelled almost entirely by self-interest. His constant emasculation of Jason by his depiction as a weak and flawed character makes him appear unsympathetic to the audience. Medea is a strong-willed and powerful individual whose personality traits would be stereotypically attributed to a male character whilst Jason’s self-obsessed and treacherous ways would more often be linked to a female character. Through the depiction of Medea and Jason, Euripides makes the conjecture their characters are both highly flawed and so they should be condemned for their deeds rather than for the gender.

“The Most Valuable Thing in Life Is Friendship”. Do You Agree?

In this era of globalization, people are busy chasing for material wealth,leaving behind many valuable things. It is undeniable that our society is becoming more materialistic. For most of us,money is the most important thing on earth. However, we have forgotten that there are certain things which money could not buy. To name a few,friendship,family,love and health. But which is the most valuable thing in our life? In my opinion,friendship is what I will cherish the most. Admittedly,depression had become a big menace in our society. People start to concern about this issue and it has surely become a hot topic nowadays. Mass media has been trying hard to give solutions to the public,hoping to reduce the impact of depression,such as suicides. However,people are becoming more individualistic nowadays. We are selfish and only mind their own business. Worse off,we no longer see the value of a true friendship. Instead,we love to compete among each other,either to get a higher position in class or in a company. More disheartening is, some even set friends up just to achieve success. This phenomenon certainly do not help those who are suffered from depression They have no where to seek for help as they hardly find a friend they could trust to talk to. As we all know,the cost of getting professional help is rather pricey and not everyone can afford it. Therefore,I believe that nothing is more important than we,as a part of the society,change our mindset and see the importance of a true friendship, namely the most valuable things in life. A friend is a listener,a counselor, a supporter and the list is endless. A friend is also someone we can trust. The reason I am of the opinion that friendship is the most valuable thing in life is a friend is always be there for us and is always ready to give us a helping hand. For instances,a friend can help to take care of our homes and pets while we are on vacation. When we are depressed,a friend is also ready to listen and give us advice. The value of friendship is also seen in the business. There are many businessmen and entrepreneur that always highlight the importance of friendship in their life. They shared their experience,which their friends offered them modal to start their business and promoted their business. Those who are working in the insurance sector also. One of the qualities to success in this field is having a wide social circle. In short,I believe that friendship is really the most important and valuable thing in life. However,I could not deny the fact that family is also one valuable thing in life. Whenever we met a problem,the first one we'll think of is our family. It is always true that family will never betray us and is able to forgive our every mistakes. We grew up with our family members and therefore,the strong bonding causes them to be the one that understand us the most and will give us suitable advice to make a decision. Many successful figures show that they cherish their family and always try their best to spend some precious time with family. Many good qualities we possess now, too,were inculcated since we're young by our dear parents. The undivided love from our family makes it one valuable thing to cherish in our life. There are also many things to cherish in life. To name a few,knowledge is also valuable because with a wide knowledge,others will not look down upon us. Our own reputation and image can be increased with vast knowledge we gained in our life. Health, too, is what we should cherish in our life. Without a healthy body,we will not be able to enjoy our life. To summary,there are too many valuable things to be cherish in our life besides friendship. To conclude,we should not take a true friendship for granted. Instead,it is imperative for us to put as much effort as we could to conserve the value of a friendship,which is the most valuable thing in our life, as it brings us immense benefit. If you think it is bad,forgive me. I am still learning to produce a nice piece of work. And,honestly,it is better than what I've written in my MUET test just now.

Illiteracy in United States

Illiteracy in United States Free Online Research Papers Illiteracy in America can have negative and devastating effects on society as a whole. The effects that illiteracy has range from embarrassment, to low self-esteem, as well as high crime rates. Illiteracy seems to have an even more devastating effect in the lower income communities. Driving down a street and not knowing how to read the street signs can be scary to an illiterate person. Even worse, sitting in a classroom and being called on by an instructor to read aloud and not being able to read, can be even more frightening. There are many Americans faced with these types of challenges and nowhere to turn, because they are afraid and embarrassed. As in Edward P. Jones’s, The First Day, the embarrassment the mother had to face while enrolling her child into school is disheartening. While trying to fill out the paper work for her child, she says, â€Å"This form. Would you mind helpin me fill it out? The woman still seems not to understand. â€Å"I can’t read it. I don’t know how to read or write, and I’m askin you to help me† (109). The mother in â€Å"The First Day† had to say this in front of her child. It must have taken a lot of courage for her to speak up that day. As you see this is the perfect example of embarra ssment and humiliation that an illiterate person has to deal with on a day to day basis. Negative effects of illiteracy in America are also heavy in politics. One has to wonder how someone who can’t read or write manages to vote. In order for a person to vote or make a wise decision about who they should vote for, one must know how to read. As Jonathan Kozol writes in â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society†: The number of illiterate adults exceeds by 16 million the entire vote cast for the winner in the 1980 presidential contest. If even on third of all illiterates could vote, and read enough and do sufficient math to vote in their self-interest, Ronald Regan would not likely have been chosen president. There is, of course, no way to know for sure† (165). Kegan makes a great point. Most illiterate people that do vote, vote based on what the person looks like and not what they know about the person and what they can do to help. In doing this our society is threatened by the fact that the right officials may not be elected because the percentage of illiterate voters may not choose the person best suited for the position. That is a scary thought, but one to think about. Communication is key when trying to earn an education. Younger students may be dealing with things at home that make them afraid to ask questions in the classroom, so they are left wondering the answers to those questions. Other students may have more confidence in themselves and their parents may have taught them that the only dumb question is the one not asked. Therefore, self-esteem and communication play a major role in illiteracy. Robert Bickel and Sande Milton write; in â€Å"The Social Circumstances of Illiteracy: Interpretation and Exchange in a Class- Based Society: As communication breaks down, the thoroughly social process of learning to read may Become a threatening activity, a source of humiliation, in which some students feel that Rewards, recognition, punishment, and subordination are distributed unfairly. Moreover, not learning to read may become not only a continuing act of self-defense and passive-aggressive defiance, but a political statement of loyalty to the ethnically homogeneous peer group- the emergent alternative to conventional classroom organization. (207) In reading this, it proves that an illiterate person may use a defense mechanism, like showing anger to hide the fact that they can’t read. This particular defense mechanism can lead to a high crime rate. Crime leads to overcrowded jails, which lead to higher taxes, and the list goes on and on. Illiteracy in America seems to be an issue that does not receive enough public attention. There are so many illiterate people in society who may overdose because they can’t read the directions on a prescription. There are even more illiterate people incarcerated and would rather stay incarcerated to hide the fact that they can’t read or write. Programs for these types of people should begin during elementary school, so that children know exactly what they may be faced with when they become an adult. Teachers should embrace the student who seems to sit in the back of the class and shy away from the other students. More one on one time spent with the student who seems to act out in a bad way the most, while in class. The student, who is not paying attention and seeking attention in negative ways, is acting out for a reason, but it is up to the teachers to pay attention in order to try to intervene and possibly stop the problem before it starts. Illiteracy seems to be a growing problem in America that can’t be fixed overnight. More programs need to be created and more parents need to be involved in the education of their children. Offering programs for illiterate people and advertising these programs should be priority over alcohol and condom commercials. There should be programs offered for illiterate people during election time, more than another time of the year. To do this would help so many Americans feel liberated and apart of something. It may even encourage some to go back to school and further their education. Slowly the world could change and what a wonderful world it could be. This task would be too much for one person to handle alone, therefore, the world needs to get involved if there is going to be change. Bickel, Robert, and Sande Milton. â€Å"The Social Circumstances of Illiteracy: Interpretation and Exchange in a Class-Based Society.† The Urban Review. Vol. 15, No. 4, 1983: 203-214 Jones, P. Edward. â€Å"The First Day.† The Blair Reader. Seventh Edition: 107-110 Kozal, Jonathan. â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society.† The Blair Reader. Seventh Edition: 164-172 Research Papers on Illiteracy in United StatesHip-Hop is ArtStandardized Testing19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceQuebec and CanadaBringing Democracy to AfricaHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Fifth Horseman

In the life of a modern man born in the Renaissance essays

In the life of a modern man born in the Renaissance essays Have you ever pondered the birth of your hobbies? Or have you ever wondered who invented the mechanisms you use in your everyday life? Well, modern art, today's religion, and the present printing press had to originate some point in time. And what could be a better time then during the Renaissance and the Reformation? These three points were a major part of those years. If it weren't for them, a lot of things we have today, if you think about it, we simply would not have them. Modern art. Today's art is another way to express your feelings and emotions with the stroke of your hands. Back in the time of the Renaissance, the humanist's emphasis on cultivating an individual's talent inspired Italian artists to express their own values, emotions, and attitudes. In modern and in past times ...

What Is Zorvolex Uses, Dosage, and Side Effects

What Is Zorvolex Uses, Dosage, and Side Effects SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you taking Zorvolex? Or are you simply looking to learn more about the medication? Regardless, we’ve got answers for you. In this guide, we explain all of the most important facts to know about Zorvolex, starting with what it's used for and what its dosages are. We then go over possible side effects and drug interactions you can have with Zorvolex. What Is Zorvolex? What Is It Used For? Zorvolex pills are diclofenac capsules. Each capsule is 18 mm long and bisected into two colors (blue and light green). On the capsule is an imprint that varies depending on dosage (we’ll talk more about what dosages there are in the next section). So what is this medication used for? Zorvolex is a low-dose prescription drug used to relieve mild to moderate acute pain or osteoarthritis pain. Like Advil and Aleve, Zorvolex is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), meaning it can reduce pain, aches, fevers, and swelling/inflammation. Doctors often prescribe Zorvolex to patients who have osteoarthritis pain or pain from other short-term issues, such as muscle aches, backaches, menstrual cramps, sports injuries, and tooth pain. Zorvolex Dosage and Contents There are two dosages of Zorvolex: 18 mg and 35 mg. Both doses come as blue and green tablets; however, Zorvolex 18-mg tablets have the imprints â€Å"18mg† and â€Å"IP-203,† whereas Zorvolex 35-mg tablets have the imprints â€Å"35mg† and â€Å"IP-204.† Diclofenac is the only active ingredient in Zorvolex. This substance is an NSAID and thus comes with the same risks as other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen. Diclofenac relieves pain by preventing the body from creating a substance that causes pain, inflammation, and fever. If you are prescribed Zorvolex, your doctor will determine an appropriate dosage for you based on the type and severity of pain you have. As with any NSAID, you should take the lowest dose possible for the shortest amount of time needed to get better. That said, there are some general guidelines when it comes to Zorvolex dosage. Patients who have osteoarthritis typically take three 35-mg capsules a day. For all other pain management, the recommended dosage is three 18- or 35-mg capsules a day. Remember, though, that it'll ultimately be up to your doctor to decide on an appropriate dosage for you. Your doctor will choose an appropriate dosage for you based on the type and severity of your pain. Zorvolex Brand Name and Manufacturers Zorvolex is the brand name of a type of diclofenac capsule and is manufactured for and distributed by Iroko Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Other diclofenac medications are available under different brand names. Zipsor is the brand name for diclofenac potassium capsules used to relieve mild to moderate acute pain, whereas Cambia is the brand name for a diclofenac potassium powder (that becomes a solution) used to treat migraines in adults. Both Zipsor and Cambia are distributed by Depomed, Inc. Zorvolex Side Effects As with any NSAID, there’s the potential for side effects when taking Zorvolex. These effects can range from mild feelings of discomfort to severe allergic reactions. Always tell your doctor if you’re experiencing any side effects or if they don’t seem to be getting better. According to the official Zorvolex website, commonly reported side effects include the following: Swelling Nausea Vomiting Dizziness Headache Constipation Diarrhea Gas Itching Heartburn Occasionally, serious Zorvolex side effects or allergic reactions can occur. Such signs include the following: Swelling of the face or throat Trouble breathing Heart failure Kidney problems Liver problems Skin reactions indicating an allergy If you experience any of these side effects, seek immediate medical attention. If you're having any serious side effects, see a doctor ASAP. Drug Interactions to Avoid With Zorvolex Certain drugs can interact poorly with Zorvolex, so be sure to tell your doctor about any medications you’re currently taking (including over-the-counter pills, vitamins, and supplements) before you start taking Zorvolex. According to the National Institutes of Health, drugs and substances known to interact poorly with Zorvolex include the following: Alcohol Blood thinners such as warfarin Aspirin Beta-blockers Loop diuretics Lanoxin (digoxin) Lithium Trexall, Rasuvo, Rheumatrex (methotrexate) Neoral, Sandimmune, Gengraf (cyclosporine) Alimta (pemetrexed) Other NSAIDs Recap: What Is Zorvolex? In conclusion, here are some of the essential points to remember about Zorvolex: Zorvolex is a blue and light-green capsule imprinted with either â€Å"18mg/IP-203† or â€Å"35mg/IP-204.† It is used to treat mild to moderate acute pain and osteoarthritis pain. Available dosages are 18 mg and 35 mg (the dosage will be reflected on the capsule). The main ingredient in Zorvolex is diclofenac, an NSAID that relieves pain by halting the body's production of a pain-causing substance. Zorvolex is the brand name of a type of diclofenac capsule. There are also other brands of diclofenac medications, such as Zipsor and Cambia. Like any NSAID, Zorvolex can cause mild to severe side effects, from nausea and vomiting to facial swelling and skin reactions. If your side effects are serious or if you are having an allergic reaction, see a doctor immediately. Certain substances can interact poorly with Zorvolex, including alcohol, blood thinners, and other NSAIDs. Always tell your doctor what medications you’re on so that you can avoid any problematic interactions.

Racial Discrimination Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Racial Discrimination - Research Paper Example The enforcement of laws under Title VII is done by The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and does not protect age discrimination or disability discrimination that are dealt by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employers under the jurisdiction of Title VII include private sector companies whose commercial operations affect â€Å"interstate commerce† and who employ 15 or more employees, Federal, state, and local government employers, Unions, Employment agencies (making hiring referrals). The law permits discrimination on religion, sex, and national origin if there is a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) rationally essential for standard business operations. Organizations that are exempted from Title VII prohibitions and protections are religious organizations, scholastic institutions, or societies, employing persons of a particular religion; bona fide, tax-exempt private clubs; contracts that contain a Bona fi de occupational qualification necessary to perform the job; and aliens employed outside the United States. It is important to note that Title VII does not prohibit all discrimination. Employers are open to study factors such as experience; job knowledge, personality characteristics, provided those factors are interconnected to the job in question. Title VII remedies include reinstatement, back pay, damages and attorney's fees (Feldman, Fox & Morgado, PA). Backpay and similar retrospective support, presented to recipients of employer discrimination, is proposed to reimburse individuals for monetary losses straightforwardly traceable to discriminatory practices. Front pay is remuneration granted for lost compensation (opportunity cost) during the period between judgment and reinstatement. Similar to back pay, front pay fundamentally is the counterpart of lost incomes. A principal petitioner can recover attorney fees under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Furthermore, main parties recover "costs" which include filing fees, transcripts, and other entries. Punitive damages exist in cases result from under Title VII (discrimination because of race, sex, national origin, and religion) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but not the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). These damages are created to reprimand past misconducts and discourage future wrongdoings, and the plaintiff must demonstrate that the employer acted with "malice" or in irresponsible neglect for federally protected legal rights. Elements necessary to establish a prima facie case of employment discrimination? The plaintiff must initially present a prima facie case of discrimination. A prima facie case is that minimum amount of evidence required to claim a legitimate question of discrimination (Air Force Alternative Dispute Resolution Program).

Alternative Channel Management Techniques Research Paper

Alternative Channel Management Techniques - Research Paper Example Partner relationships can be effective, but they need to be implemented correctly. The channel partner needs to be viewed as an integrated extension of the producer's internal sales organization (Wardley 2006 p.2). There must be a high degree of cooperation between the manufacturer and the distributor to have an effective relationship, and this necessitates a financial commitment to the partnership. Both parties need to have a sense of investment and an opportunity to gain from the relationship. These opportunities may be in the form of exploiting overlapping strategies such as marketing or advertising. Other areas of mutual concern and benefit may be in the service or support areas. With a partnership relationship, these issues become of more concern to the distribution channel when they have a financial stake in the overall process. The goal of getting a quality product to the most end users is a mutually shared objective. Though developing a channel partnership relationship has it s advantages, it also has its difficulties. One of the first concerns of the process is that the manufacturer may have other channels that compete with the partner. Competing for the same customers is not only one of the biggest obstacles to a partnership, but it can also double the cost of attracting and retaining customers (Wardley 2006 p.4). The manufacturer may also have other partners who are competing for the same retail outlets. Another obstacle to effective channel partnerships is getting access to the channel's information and technology.

PANC-1 cell line Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

PANC-1 cell line - Essay Example nts who go through the resection and have the free margins of tumor, the reported 5-year rate of survival can only be between ten to twenty five percent (Ke, Wang, Xu, and Abassi, 2011). Whenever the pancreatic cancer turns to be metastatic, it becomes uniformly fatal having an overall survival of approximately six months from the time of diagnosis (Blackburn, Vay Liang, and Milner, 2011). For the past thirty years a combined method of radiotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy have been applied in treating pancreatic cancer (Mani, Guo, & Liao, 2008). However, there has been no huge improvement in the rate of survival. This means that a powerful therapeutic method is required. In attempts of obtaining an appropriate therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer, this paper investigates the effect of caffeine on the PANC-1 cells. Pancreatic Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths in world. Even with recent efforts to come up with modalities, the rate of mortality remains being high. Caffeine can be used in treating this illness, even though the molecular mechanisms of the agents are not understood fully. This is, to some extent, responsible for the failing of these agents in treating pancreatic cancer. In a study conducted in this field, PANC –1 mutant p53 was used in investigating the influence of caffeine on the growth of cells and the effect on cell modulation cycle and the gene apoptosis relation (RÃ ¼ckert, Werner, & Aust, 2012). The extraction of proteins from these cells was treated 4 mM of Caffeine was put to a western blot analysis. The cells of drug treating were analyzed for the calculation of the number of those cells that experience apoptosis. In the observation, the study found out the time and dose dependent inhibition of growth was seen in the PANC cells after the treatment with caffeine (Mani, Guo, & Liao, 2008). The analysis by the western blot displayed an up regulation of the p21WAF1 in the cell lines that were treated with caffeine. In

The Role of Women in Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

The Role of Women in Organizations - Essay Example In 1980s businesswomen became a powerful force in the European and US economy. The transition to post-industrial society boosted structural changes in the economy and rapid development in the services sector. Women were opening a multitude of service enterprises, which grew and gained public recognition. Society had to admit that small business was made for women. A study, conducted by Coates in Britain, showed that, while women represented a third of overall respondent managers, they nevertheless only represented 4.3% of executive positions against 9.9% of men. By far the largest single group overall was middle managers (47%), even here only 25 of the women studied had attained this level. The vast majority of women were thus junior managers (Coates, 1997). Women are now more than 1% of the Fortune 500 CEOs, yet research shows that companies with the highest percentage of women at the top financially outperform those with the lowest number of women at the top. Companies run by women are as financially sound and creditworthy as the typical firm in the U.S. economy and are more likely to remain in business than the average US firm. In 1987 two million female-owned businesses had $25bn in sales. One year later, five million female-owned businesses had $83bn in sales. Around the world, women-owned firms comprise between one-quarter and one-third of the businesses in the formal economy and are likely to play an even greater role in informal sectors. In Japan, the number of women managers is still small (around 300,000), but it has more than doubled over the past 10 years. In Australia, the proportion of women working in their own business is also growing. Women working in their own business in Australia numbered 216,300 in 1983-84 and 272,400 in 1989-90, an increase of approximately 26 per cent (Milojevic). Why does it happen that companies with women occupying senior positions perform better than those with male leaders One of the reasons may be that women's leadership style, based on openness, trust, sociability, interest in people, caring, ongoing education, compassion and collaboration. Women are more likely to succeed because of their natural qualities and because they admit they need help and surround themselves with good people: they are cautions, strategic risk takers, whose

Create a branding strategy for a small island destination (Phuket) Literature review

Create a branding strategy for a small island destination (Phuket) - Literature review Example (2005). A brand contains a trademark which is normally protected by law. The function of the brand is to identify the owner of the business. In most times, the consumer tends to think that the quality of a product is the same as the brand. The importance of branding helps a business to be able to market its products. Brands have a tendency to confuse people with the product itself. The most important thing in deciding for a brand is to select a good brand and also decide on how many brand s are to appear on the product line. Different decisions can be decided upon. These options include the following: A company should decide on how the brand should appear to the customers as well as the stakeholders of the business. A brand that has a long term perspective should be of bigger consideration. This is according to Varumarkesskola, 2007. Good management is very important in order to ensure that the brand is kept alive and customers as well as the stake holders. An island can take advantage of its originality by acquiring other companies and penetrating to the market according to (Bradley, 2002). The brand quickly develops from being of a local market to an international market. It thus becomes known to international market. For an island to design an international brand it has to decide on which markets to act on, accessibility of the products to the international market and whether to bring new products or to modify the existing products. Brands should be unique so that their popularity can grow faster and should be as well-being accessible. According to Ying Wong and Merrilees (2007), developments of brands on the international basis offers opportunity to exploit the economies of scale, developing global markets and pursuing of multiple market segments. However. It is important to note that, brands are not guaranteed success in the market world. Through

Lateral Violence in the Emergency Department Dissertation

Lateral Violence in the Emergency Department - Dissertation Example The paper "Lateral Violence in the Emergency Department" talks about the lateral violence as an act of violence against ones’ peers and focuses on lateral violence in the Emergency Departments in the US healthcare system. The lateral violence has increased the prevalence of mental health conditions such as depression and schizophrenia among clinical nurses (Kathryn, 2011). When nurses are not happy their motivation and job satisfaction decrease. Eventually, these lead to higher employee turnover rates which increase the healthcare institution’s expenses and a shortage of staff. Most importantly, lateral violence among nurses has compromised the quality of healthcare service by reducing the levels of optimal patient care. Lateral violence has especially been identified as more prevalent among nurses working in Emergency Departments. There are cases where a nurse has noted an error in medication administered by a fellow nurse but because of lateral violence within that se tting that nurse fails to report this error, may be due to fear or revenge, this later leads to aggravated conditions for the patients. Many patients have experienced a relapse in their conditions because one nurse refused to help another nurse claiming to be too busy when their help was needed or sought. Most of the decisions and medications nurses in ED make determine whether a patient lives or dies. It is, therefore, crucial that the incidences of lateral violence between nurses working in the ED be kept at their minimum.

Create a branding strategy for a small island destination (Phuket) Literature review

Create a branding strategy for a small island destination (Phuket) - Literature review Example (2005). A brand contains a trademark which is normally protected by law. The function of the brand is to identify the owner of the business. In most times, the consumer tends to think that the quality of a product is the same as the brand. The importance of branding helps a business to be able to market its products. Brands have a tendency to confuse people with the product itself. The most important thing in deciding for a brand is to select a good brand and also decide on how many brand s are to appear on the product line. Different decisions can be decided upon. These options include the following: A company should decide on how the brand should appear to the customers as well as the stakeholders of the business. A brand that has a long term perspective should be of bigger consideration. This is according to Varumarkesskola, 2007. Good management is very important in order to ensure that the brand is kept alive and customers as well as the stake holders. An island can take advantage of its originality by acquiring other companies and penetrating to the market according to (Bradley, 2002). The brand quickly develops from being of a local market to an international market. It thus becomes known to international market. For an island to design an international brand it has to decide on which markets to act on, accessibility of the products to the international market and whether to bring new products or to modify the existing products. Brands should be unique so that their popularity can grow faster and should be as well-being accessible. According to Ying Wong and Merrilees (2007), developments of brands on the international basis offers opportunity to exploit the economies of scale, developing global markets and pursuing of multiple market segments. However. It is important to note that, brands are not guaranteed success in the market world. Through

Inspirational Stories Essay Example for Free

Inspirational Stories Essay Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, â€Å"Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don’t you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet? † The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a â€Å"shoe† for himself. There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself your heart; and not the world. Once there was a king who told some of his workers to dig a pond.  Once the pond was dug, the king made an announcement to his people saying that one person from each household has to bring a glass of milk during the night and pour it into the pond. So, the pond should be full of milk by the morning. After receiving the order, everyone went home. One man prepared to take the milk during the night. He thought that since everyone will bring milk, he could just hide a glass of water and pour inside the pond. Because it will be dark at night, no one will notice. So he quickly went and poured the water in the pond and came back. In the morning, the king came to visit the pond and to his surprise the pond was only filled with water! What has happened is that everyone was thinking like the other man that â€Å"I dont have to put the milk, someone else will do it. † Dear friends, when it comes to help the Religion of Allah, do not think that others will take care of it. Rather, it starts from you, if you don’t do it, no one else will do it. So, change yourself to the way of Allah to serve Him and that will make the difference.

Impact of Leadership Styles on Job Satisfaction of Nurses

Impact of Leadership Styles on Job Satisfaction of Nurses Every day nurses have the responsibility for the health as well as the well being of their patients and therefore to ensure a continuity of the patient care each every nurses on a unit work tougher to ensure that they achieve the shared goals. The cohesive team thus work diligently to promote then patent health, safety and recovery and to achieve such unity nursing manager coordinates and supervises all the interactions that go on between all the team members he is in charge of (Longerich, et al 2003).Nurse leaders may be nurses mangers who are responsible for one nursing unite or a nurse executive held responsible for all the in-patient nursing units. Nurse steam leaders achieve their roles by applying the various nursing leadership style which include: transformational, transactional as well as dynamic leadership. A combination of more than one leadership style is often considered more effective but a single type also serves the intended purpose depending on the situation that the leader is in (Mahoney, 2001). Background The nursing professionals faces one of the greatest challenges of developing future leaders as powerful leadership skills are required all nurses i.e. those responsible for providing direct acre to those in the top management position for example anyone looked upon as an authority ranging from a nurses taking care of a patient to those responsible for giving assistance to others. All of them are considered s leaders. Another difficult that faces leadership for health care professionals is that most of the leadership theories were not developed based on the healthcare context but rather with in the business context then applied to healthcare. A clinical nursing leader is involved in direct patient care as well as offers a continuous improvement of the care by influencing others. Leaders have skills, task which they utilize to as an attitude that inform behavior leading to consistent superior performance with long-term benefits to all those involved. Leader s not alloy control other but are more of visionaries who serve to helping employees to lead, plan, organize and control their activities (Jooste, 2004). In the past decade shelf life of leaders in the health service has halved and instead of working in environments that encourage creative thinking especially about the future of health care there is one that consists of vast paper trails that are characterized by motions masquerading as activity. Thus the luxuries of personal lives for the senior staff are tumbled upon especially in some of the healthcare organizations where 60- hours working in a week has become quite normal. This situation has made some health care staff to no longer work for patients but rather to be motivated by pronouncements from government representatives , media expose an even on the latest scandal regarding misuse of public money (Woolnough, 2002). Health care system has witnessed different parts of the health organization focus on different things which is often marred with poor coordination across the various departments with objectives being sandwiched between keeping costs down with efforts to increasing patient services. Such in-coordination as been felt by the hospital administrators especially at times when demands for administrative services increases and thus administrative jobs are cut. Making choices require certain amounts of freedom, thought, actions, time for weighing options, as well as time for reviews of such decision, unfortunately in health cares leaders lack such luxuries as the reliable, easily accessible and relevant information they require to make decision is often not unavailable. Further more resources and time that is essential for such responsibilities is missing and this affects much of the health care leaders who are driven by gut feeling which is linked to strong sense of personal values regarding what is right, just and reasonable(Outhwaite, 2003). Irrespective of the countries which healthcare leaders operate they are always expected to fulfill the following roles: being a diplomat, a visionary, politician, conflict resolver, coach, figure head as well as a human being failure to which no leader can claim to the title. as a matter of fact most leaders face the pressures of sharing a little pieces of themselves with anyone that ask for it, in addition to that healthcare leaders face real dilemmas regarding several issues like ways of radically changing their organizations without any guarantees of success despite the well planned changes and being able to accept the consequences of their actions, working with political agendas or legislations which they disagree with and also accept the consequences, apportioning of resources of the available as fairly as possible while also accepting the consequences, saying no when they want to say yes and also accept the consequences ,trying to act ethically yet sometimes leading to failures and knowing that despite their selfless effort someone some how cries foul. In addition to that healthcare leaders are faced with challenges of making decision like making choices regarding decisions on acting on absolute principle or creative several flexible responses, to keep particular services or to discard them, having a open organization and developing closer ties with the service users yet at same time having little or no control over the eventual outcomes, to continue to lead or not (Outhwaite, 2003). Failure to act in decisive manner by healthcare leaders may lead to general delay action for instance lack of medical and nursing action in the review of requested treatment in admission leads to inaction on the part of delivering the treatment. The pivotal role of the leader may be overshadowed by fear of unjust critism which result to delayed decision which its ultimate consequence of having to deal with sense of failure and guilt. Leadership Leadership can be defined as the process of influencing others, meeting goals by obtaining the co-operation from those around them and acquiring the resources to achieve their goal. To be a leader you must make a decision to act; doing so requires skill, knowledge, energy, vision and self-confidence (Tappen, 2001). On the other hand, leadership may not be obvious or visible process of influencing others, but the very leadership features within the individual may trigger other people to act according the leading person. Carney (1999) defines leadership as persuading others to pursue a common goal by setting aside individual concerns, while Marquis Huston (2000) states that leadership is made up of authority and accountability. They define authority as the power one has to direct the work of others and accountability as well as the moral responsibility that comes with the position of leadership. Majority of existent theories pays attention to leadership as a personal feature which is more or less helpful when achieving goals within the organization and not for individual goals. However, this paper work would focus on both parts as leadership in nursing field requires the same amount of attention to the work of organization and the individual as well. In other words, if adding all definitions together, we get the idea that leadership involve influence on others, authority, achievement of goals through command work and the leaders moral responsibility. The basic question is how the leader arranges his / her priorities, the job of staff, atmosphere, etc. Leadership theories Trait theory Much has been written about the differing leadership styles and theories over the last seventy years. Many leadership theories have evolved over the last century starting with Trait theory. It is based on the assumption that some people possess personality traits which single them out as natural leaders and those who possess such traits should be nurtured into leadership positions (Marquis Huston, 2000). However, this theory was abandoned by the 1940s as no set of consistent traits could be identified and thus research focused on the behavior and attitudes of managers based on the assumption that leadership styles are based on specific behavior. (Sellgren et al, 2006) Nowadays, many ideas of trait theory are rejected as psychology studies provided evidence that leadership though appears as every individuals feature is not that helpful when trying to nurture it so this theory now has only historical rather than practical importance. Behavioral theory Research on leadership has shifted focus from leadership traits to leadership behavior (Bass, 1981 cited in McNeese-Smith, 1996). Behavioral theories particularly focus on what a leader does (Whitehead et al, 2007). This approach was adopted from the 1950s onwards following two major studies by American universities. It looked at what a leader does and what he / she should do, what is leaders role when facing certain problems, the behavior exhibited by leaders and the influence of leadership style on a groups performance. Research into behavioral theory was based on the premise that each leader has a style based on their personality, they experience and education (Ekvall, 1992 cited in Sellgren et al, 2006). Also, the theory was interested on leaders interaction in group work, and how members of the group react to each other and especially, the leading figure. For further analysis, the leaders behavior can be separated into three main leadership styles Authoritarian, democratic and Laissez-faire (Tappen, 2001). Leadership style is related to the amount of control or freedom which the leader affords to the group (McCarthy, 1998). Authoritarian Authoritarian leaders keep most of the authority and make most of the decisions without much consultation with the group. Autocratic leadership style does not allow group participation and does not nurture creativity. This may have the effect of de-motivating the team members in the long term (Whitehead et al, 2007). In some cases it can even be said that autocratic leader does not even need a group work; all what matters is groups ability to follow the orders. Authoritarian style can however, be useful in situations where group participation would be counter-productive or where rapid decisions need to be made. Still, rapid decisions do not guarantee success, so this type of leadership in many cases is rarely acceptable. There are certain researchers nowadays who examine the leadership and leaders behavior of important historical figures. They draw a conclusion that many presidents, politicians and generals of the past were good authoritarian leaders as the very lifestyle back then were based on social status and the power within the society (Whitehead et al, 2007). Education also played an important role and the good leader was the one who could lead the whole nation to success by making decisions on his own. Fortunately or not, nowadays this type of leadership is often treated as unacceptable behavior rather than type of leadership. Democratic This style of leadership takes the opinions of the group into account. The decision making is shared with the group paying attention to every single critique and comment from other members of the group. This style encourages group participation and exercises general, rather than close supervision. (Carney, 1999) In other words, it is all seen in the very word democratic; the leader within the group is seen as more important figure than everyone else, but the leader himself / herself is responsible for creating a feeling of equality; work in such group usually would be followed by friendly and positive atmosphere as every individual in the group would be seen in many cases as more important figure than the very problem they are solving. Possible drawbacks may be that democratic leaders are only strong when every individual feels strong in the group, but some leaders are not capable of withstanding their opinion if it may damage the atmosphere within the group. Despite that, these case s are rarely discussed as after such incidents the authority of the leader may be diminished and the group would be searching for other leading figure. Laissez faire In this style the leader allows the group to determine their own way of working and does not provide much direction, feedback or decision making. This type of leader is passive and non-directive; he / she provide little support for the group and in fact may turn requests for help and support back to the group in general (Tappen, 2001). Some groups require passive leader, who in a way will took all responsibility, but actions and decisions would be made by other people in the group. It does not necessarily suggest that this kind of leadership is provoked by group members; the leader should be conscious about the situation and accept that. Some behavior researchers and psychologists even points out that this type of leadership requires more psychological knowledge and personal strength than others; not many people would allow such freedom for the group without being afraid to accept full responsibility of their actions (Tappen, 2001). In more recent times, research carried out by Kouzes Posner (1988) and Bass (1995) showed interesting results about leadership behaviors. They studied over 1,300 leaders and have identified five different leadership behaviors: Challenging the process: these are leaders who are innovative and experimental; their work should be a challenge. Inspiring a shared vision: Intuitive leaders who picture the future and enlist others to become involved; Enabling others to act: these are empowered and supportive leaders who build trust and team work; Modeling the way: Leaders who act as role models, setting a good example and practicing what they preach; Encouraging the heart: Leaders, who support their followers, recognize and reward their accomplishments, though some researchers nowadays questions methods of leading the group through rewards (especially material). These leadership behaviors are very useful and can be used as independent variables to measure both the managers opinion of their style of leadership and that which is perceived by those they manage. This in turn can be used as an indication of employees satisfaction with their managers style. Situational leadership theory This leadership theory is based on the premise that leadership style should be determined by the situation or the individuals involved (Marquis Huston, 2009). The differing leadership styles of situational leadership proposed by Hersey et al (1997) are based on the maturity or readiness of the follower. They set out four levels of readiness ranging from low (unable or unwilling) to high (able, willing and competent) and depending on the level of the follower the leaders style is directive, coaching, supportive or delegate in approach. There would be helpful to present an example which would illustrate this theory better. For example, the leader who is working with group of people which is known to him / her would follow absolutely different steps or provide different behavior when working with other group of people which he / she has not met before. That is because new people would consciously or not question presented leaders authority, their working methods may contradict the meth ods by which leader chooses to act, etc. In other words, this theory focuses on the new direction which was not discussed before the conflict between group members and leader when facing certain new issues, or anything at all what is innovative and not known how to deal with. Situational leadership stresses out the importance of leaders actions in new situations where group work has to be organized very carefully (Hersey, 1997). Charismatic Theory (Transactional and Transformational leadership styles) New leadership styles have developed in more recent times and that involves the transactional leadership and transformational leadership, both of which are part of Charismatic theory (Rafferty, 1993). In rapidly growing health sector, these kinds of leadership are especially notable up to the present day. Transactional leadership is characterized by bargaining, it emphasizes the organizations goals while recognizing the rewards that people value. Once goals have been achieved the leader rewards those who helped to achieve them (Lindholm et al 2000, Carney 1999). It seems as a very fair method to focus on goals rather than rewards; the sequence of actions is very strict, showing that efforts would be rewarded only if they were effective. Transformational leadership has charisma as its focus. The leader provides the vision, instilling a sense of pride in achievements, while gaining trust and respect from the group. Transformational leadership raises both leader and follower to a high level of motivation and morality as both shares a common value according to Burns (1978) who coined the term. In other words, both leader and the follower are on the same level, the main distinction is who leaded who to such level. To shortly sum up, this theory basically was called charismatic as leader must be able to build up the strategy consciously and think ways of how group can effectively be included into achievement of necessary goals. Servant leadership One of the more recent leadership concepts is Servant leadership. This style is very different to traditional views of management where the organizations needs take precedence. Servant leadership is concerned with service to the follower as opposed to engaging followers to support organizational goals (Stone et al, 2004). Servant leaders take into account their followers needs first and this in turn empowers them to achieve organizations goal. This also sometimes brings problem of inequality in light as the leaders needs and the followers would be of very different level. Thus, one side could feel in a way used but in many cases feelings would not be considered that important as many problems are solved in formal style and achievement of goals is the only satisfactory solution. This theory was called servant for various reasons very few literature provides the origin of such concept, as the fact that organizations word is always the last, is quite natural itself (Carney, 1999). To sum up these kinds of leadership theories, the short evolution of leadership studies it is seen that analysis provides numbers of exceptions, and ambiguities. Every theory and every type of leadership can be understood and interpreted differently considering every individual. Leadership is necessary in group work to achieve certain goals, but nothing can guarantee or provide an easy pattern to do so. However, after this discussion we now would be focusing on another part of this paper analysis; in what forms leadership appears in nursing field and how leadership styles can help to achieve personal or institutional goals and bring satisfaction for the job. Leadership styles in Nursing What is clear from the literature is that no one style of management and leadership is consciously used within nursing as a specific method to cope with certain issues that nurses and ward managers are facing. However, what emerges is that predominantly health care has moved away for the traditional autocratic style and towards a combination of transactional and transformational leadership. A study of 71 Irish Health Managers carried out by Armstrong (1999) found that over half used transactional and transformational leadership. The reasons are quite obvious. The period of time shows that the research is quite new and nowadays autocratic leadership is usually interpreted negatively. Transactional and transformational leadership, however are more effective in nursing field as such kind of leadership showed great success in institutional work (Avolio, 1988). Nurses in general, aims to helping people, and these two styles of leadership are emphasize the co-operation with other people; g roup work and care for others is extremely important to get successful results. Nowadays in nursing field other models are rarely seen as effective and though it can be said that democratic leadership is also very common, it usually appears in the group of nurses excluding their direct leader the employer. Democratic leadership often occurs where leader is not the one with higher status, but the one which is chosen by the group as the most reliable or so on (Bass, 1995). In a study carried out by Lindholm et al (2000) he found that more than half of managers interviewed exhibited a combination of both transactional and transformational leadership styles and these managers appeared to experience fewer management problems, less resistance to change and greater support from other professional groups within health care. What is not really acceptable is that these studies do not provide enough information about minorities, who are using different leadership styles. Although, it is only natural to state that leaders who uses different methods or have mixed qualities, often are said to be better than those who can be applied only to one pattern. The Hay group, an international management consultancy firm which carried out a study of leadership styles in seven NHS trusts in Brittan sets out six leadership styles which are prevalent in nursing (Kenmore, 2008): Directive: A leader who instructs staff on what to do without consultation, this often seems as autocratic style, though also can be the transactional or transformational leadership style leader; Visionary: The leader who provides long term guidance and vision for the future, the team work is important and especially the trust for a leader; Affiliative: This leader creates harmony within the team as other way the achievement of goals would be not as effective as needed; this style is especially good if the certain group is going to co-operate in the future, they would find ways to achieve goals effectively together as a team; Participative: A leader who generates ideas and develops staff commitment; it is an active leader who also works in a group though he / she clearly states who is the leader; Pace-setting: This leader promotes high standards and task accomplishments as he / she finds the reward as the best way to motivate his group; statistics show that money as motivation is not the most important part for job satisfactory, but still this kind of leaders are quite common; Coaching: A leader who promotes self-development and further education; it is a sort of investment in group for facing future tasks; also very effective if the team would work together for a long period of time. The Hay group found that the most effective ward managers are flexible in their approach and used a variety of these leadership styles in order to get the best performance from their staff (Kenmore, 2008). However there is no comparative study of leadership styles carried out within Irish nursing on this scale which identifies an opportunity for further research in order to gain better understanding in the Irish context. In Ireland the National Clinical Leadership Programme (2008) was set up by the Office of the Nursing Midwifery Services Directory (ONMSD) to assist nurse managers to develop leadership skills which support the new and expanded ways of delivering quality patient care. This programme was adopted from the Royal College of Nursings (RCN) Clinical Leadership Programme framework which aims to develop transformational leadership qualities in participants (Clinical Leadership Pilot Evaluation Report, 2008). The theoretical framework focuses on: Learning to self manage Developing effective relationships Patient focus Networking Political Awareness This leadership programme has since been developed further by the ONMSD to become the National Leadership Development Project. This project has developed competencies which promote clinical leaders. These, the ONMSD believe, are the key to providing better care and developing leadership within nursing. This pilot project commenced in March 2011 with the completion date set for 2012. (NLDP, 2010). So far, this project received positive reviews by many researchers of health care studies and the nurses themselves. Defining Job satisfaction history and current thoughts Job satisfaction is defined by Locke (1969) as: a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job experience. It is described as a positive affective orientation towards employment by Muller McCloskey (1990). Job satisfactory is a crucial factor which influences individuals personal appearance in his / her work sphere which can result in increasing or decreasing effectiveness in job duties. As a formal area of research, job satisfaction did not really exist until the mid 1930s although there was a good deal of qualitative research and theorizing about the concept of job satisfaction. These included Freud (1922) who felt that morale acted to suppress negative tendencies, encouraging personal sacrifice and commitment to group goals. Janet (1907) theorized that repetitive work encouraged one to dwell on negative thoughts and cause obsessive thinking. Historically, researchers were interested in job satisfaction as a means of increasing productivity. Scientific management theory assumed that above all things, workers value economic incentives and would be willing to work harder for economic incentives. Taken these two opinions into account it is seen that the lack of personal or moral satisfaction still was not discussed widely. This led to the Hawthorne studies which were carried out by Professor Elton Mayo from the Harvard Business School between 1927 and 1932. This study began by examining the effect of physical conditions on productivity, however in the course of his investigations he became convinced that factors of a social nature were affecting job satisfaction and productivity. This study revealed that the feelings and attitudes of workers affected production rates and this led to him introducing an interview programme to assess the nature of the relationship between methods of supervision and workers attitudes. As a result of these interviews it became apparent that small changes in work conditions temporarily increase productivity but further investigations reveled that this increase resulted, not from the changes in conditions, but from the knowledge that workers were being observed. In other words when interest was shown in workers their productivity increased but when this interest was withdrawn , the productivity fell. This later became known as the Hawthorne effect. This research provided strong evidence that people work for other purposes than pay as well and sparked a wave in research into other factors which affect job satisfaction. After these studies and thoughts about job satisfactory, numbers of tools for measuring job satisfaction appear. One of the most commonly used is Maslows theory of human needs (1954). Maslow asserted that human needs emerge sequentially according to a hierarchy of five need levels: physiological, safety, affiliation, achievement and esteem and self-actualization. Maslow argued that the satisfied need was not a motivator of behavior and therefore the importance of higher needs increases as lower needs are satisfied. This was followed by Herzberg et al (1959) who went on to develop a theory of job satisfaction based on Maslows hierarchy and concluded that not all factors increase satisfaction. They conclude that there was a relationship between job satisfaction and certain work behaviors as well as between job dissatisfaction and other work behaviors. Hertzberg concluded that satisfaction and dissatisfaction were two totally different phenomena which develop from distinct sources and h ad differing initial and long term effects on behavior. Hertzberg also found that the factors related to good feelings towards ones job were achievement and recognition, the nature of the work itself, responsibility, advancement and salary. The bad feelings towards the job stemmed from company policy and administration, technical supervision, the question of payment, interpersonal relationships with supervisors and working conditions. Hertzbergs basic proposition is that workers are driven by two different factors; hygiene and motivation factors. Hygiene needs related to the physical and psychological environment in which the work is done while motivational factors relate to the nature and the challenge of the work itself. However, there has been severe criticism of Hertzbergs theory due to its lack of empirical support as well as the very idea of job satisfactory did not provide examples of fairly different job spheres. The job satisfaction of nurses There is a wealth of literature relating to job satisfaction in general management literature and to a lesser extent, in nursing literature. From the moment when job satisfaction became a field of psychological interest, numbers of considerable researches has been done on various aspects of job satisfaction. One of the most notable studies was carried out by the Hay group and it would be mentioned further. Job satisfaction is not easily defined mostly because it means different things to different people. Job satisfaction is multifaceted and can be affected by both internal and external factors. Atchison (2003) lists pay as the most important external factor but states that internal factors such as a good boss, professional development and a nurturing work environment are even more important. This is borne out by the extensive study carried out by the Hay group (1999) of over 500,000 employees in 300 locations where they found that employees rated pay and benefits in only 10th position in the reasons for employee satisfaction. According to Atchison (2003), pay checks are entitlements and not motivators. The only time a pay check is motivating is when there is a threat of loss of the pay check. Atchison (2003) states, that job satisfaction to nurses is unique as what motivates nurses is not so much pay and conditions but rather the well-being of the patient and a sense of a job well don e. What is more, not payment, but the patient is one of the most important figures in nurses job. Even when the patient outcome is not positive a nurse may feel a sense of satisfaction having met the patients needs spiritually, physically and psychologically. This is defined by the Hay group (1999) as Meaningful work, making a difference and is cited as the 3rd most common reason given by employees for wanting to stay with a company. Pay ranked at only 10th place as a reason for staying, though this may vary in other countries depending on nursing conditions, economy, etc. This research lists ten reasons overall (Hay group, 1999): Career growth, learning and development Exciting work, challenging Meaningful work, making a difference Great people Being part of a team Good boss Recognition for job well done Autonomy, sense of control over ones work Flexible work hours and dress code Fair pay and benefits This is re-iterated by Lebbin (2007) who says that many people who work in health care are motivated by improving the health and well-being of their patients. He goes on to state that staff dissatisfaction cannot be fixed by increasing pay and benefits but by the organization addressing its primary goal which is caring. Blegin (1993) found that factors affecting employee satisfaction were: employer commitment, communication with supervisors, autonomy, recognition, and peer communication. This study also found that stress and routinization negatively affected employees satisfaction. Basically, if an employee meets constant stress in work place or the job becomes as a routine, the changes are necessary, and the payment is rarely a sol