Bee Biology

Discuss pesticide problems relating to beekeeping, including symptoms, distinguishing from disease and preventing pesticide impact. Adult Parasites: †¢ Varroa Mites o Caused by the parasitic mite called Varroa Destructor (Buncombe Country Beekeepers Association, 2007). o Symptoms include: existence of adult mites on adult bees, brood, or hive debris; adults have their abdomens shortened, wings distorted, and legs are deformed; and lastly, adult population and brood area declines dramatically, with blotchy brood pattern (North Carolina State University, 2007).o It can be prevented through using screened bottom boards, mite-tolerant stocks, drone-blood trapping, and management of still dusts (North Carolina State University, 2007). o Varroa mites can be detected using sugar shake or ether roll, sticky board, alcohol wash, or drone-blood inspection or visual inspection. o Treatments: Spring (before honey flow) o The use of volatile treatment (thymol, formic acid, etc) should not be used for they can cause reduction in the brood area. Appropriate dosage of Apistan or checkmite+ can be used as long as the mites have not formerly developed a resistance (Buncombe Country Beekeepers Association, 2007).Late spring/summer (during/immediately following honey flow) ? Chemical treatments should never be used while hone supers are on hives. o Exploit one or more systems of preclusion, for instance, the use of screened bottom boards or mite-tolerant stock (Buncombe Country Beekeepers Association, 2007). Autumn (preparing for winter) ? Test regularly for mites, if possible once a month. o Alternate treatments regularly to lessen the comprehensive exposure of any chemical for mites (Buncombe Country Beekeepers Association, 2007). †¢ Nosema o Caused by the protozoan, Nosema apiso Stress from periods of long confinement, fast brood build-up, sustenance discrepancy and bad weather are some factors that may cause the existence of Nosema (Stanford, 2003). o Symptoms consis t of distension of the abdomens and paralyzed behaviors of adults. o In order to control the disease, practice proper management technique while using the antibiotic fumagilin (Fumidil B, Nosem X) (Stanford, 2003). †¢ Other adult bee diseases include rickettsial disease, amoeba disease, spiroplasmas, and many others. Brood Diseases: †¢ American Foulbroodo Caused by spore-forming bacterium called Paenibacillus larvae larvae (Stanford, 2003). o Symptoms consist of sour or â€Å"of a glue pot† odor; pierced or sunken capping; and resultant sticky black scales (Stanford, 2003). o To prevent the disease secure hygienic stocks; avoid robbing by keeping colonies strong; minimize comb swapping between hives; replace three combs in the brood chamber every year with foundation or drawn combs from honey supers; and disinfect bee hives or suspect frames and brood boxes at the NCDA fumigation chamber using ethylene oxide (North Carolina State University, 2007).o If the disease i s already present, treatments include burning of all frames and euthanizing of bees; scorching or fumigation of empty brood boxes, bottom boards, inner covers, and lids; lastly, contact your regional Apiary inspector (North Carolina State University, 2007). †¢ European Foulbrood o Caused by the bacterium Melissococcus pluton and associated flora o Symptoms include a characteristic odor; rare presence of perforated or hollow cappings; and a resultant black scale, which is often twisted in its cell (Stanford, 2003).o To prevent the disease, maintain a strong and healthy colony. o To treat the disease: maintain a hive quarantine and be vigilant for re-emergent signs of the disease; for light infections, reduce the area of the brood nest, replace infected combs with foundation, and keep the colony strong; for more serious infection, treat with terramycin, feed to colonies in powdered sugar by dusting on the top of the brood nest (North Carolina State University, 2007).†¢ Other brood diseases include chalkbrood, stonebrood, sacbrood, and Purple brood. Pests and Predators: †¢ Wax moth o Symptoms include: large larvae tunneling through the wax combs of weak hives or stored bee equipment; and presence of silk cocoons in infested hives or equipments (North Carolina State University, 2007). o Treatment recommendations include: storing of unused combs with PDB crystals. Never place crystals on a living colony, as the fumes are highly toxic to adult bees and brood.In case of heavy infestations, freeze combs for 1-2 days before reusing (North Carolina State University, 2007). †¢ Small Hive Beetle o Symptoms include: presence of adult beetles and eggs or larvae; watery, fermenting comb with small white grubs eating the wax; and larvae crawling out of the front entrance of the hive and burrowing into the soil (North Carolina State University, 2007). o If there are adults, tape half a strip of checkmite+ beneath a square of corrugated cardboard placed on t he bottom board of hive.If larvae are present: replace infected combs with foundation, then urn them or freeze them; Apply GuardStar soil drench around the perimeter of the hive to kill developing pupae in the ground around the hive (North Carolina State University, 2007). o Other pests in the honey bee colonies include ants, robber flies, mantids, yellowjackets, and other wasps (Stanford, 2003). 2. Describe the setup of a good honey house, indicating positive aspects of your arrangement. For the rural areas, Vautier Hive is ideal.It allows the bee keeper to produce good quality honey with fewer costs in building it. The hive is made from cement to protect the colonies from bad weather, bush fires and predators (BeesforDevelopment, 2006). The heavy weight of the hives will make it hard for the thieves to steal those (Volunteers for Africa Sustainable Natural Resource Management, 2006). The vautier hive should be raised off the ground on rocks or tires. The bee colony dwells in a sma ll volume that is needed. At harvest time, just open the hive, remove the flames that are full of honey and replace them with new flames.Close the hives until the next harvest(BeesforDevelopment, 2006). The hive produces 20-25 kg of honey per year (Volunteers for Africa Sustainable Natural Resource Management, 2006). †¢ Materials needed: o Cement o Lumber, bamboo or branches o Wooden mould †¢ The width of the hive should be twice than its height. Interior dimensions should be smaller. Create an entrance hole in the bottom of one side (BeesforDevelopment, 2006). Put a platform in front of entrance then make a ventilation hole at the back (BeesforDevelopment Inc. , 2007).†¢ The 22 frames should all have a top-bar and 2 triangles. Any long and stiff piece of wood can be used for top-bar. Cut the triangles from a square or rectangular piece of wood. Glue the triangles under the top-bar, making sure that all the frames are the same size (BeesforDevelopment, 2006). †¢ In order to encourage the bees to use the frames properly, put wax guides or foundation to the top-bar, centered and running the whole length of the top-bar, all the way to the edges of the triangles (BeesforDevelopment Inc. , 2007).

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Summary

The story is about a boy Charlie Bucket, who lives in extreme poverty. A poor but virtuous boy, Charlie lives in a tiny house with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bucket, and all four of his grandparents. His grandparents share the only bed in the house, located in the only bedroom, and Charlie and his parents sleep on mattresses on the floor. Charlie gets three sparse meals a day, which is hardly enough to nourish a growing boy, As a result, he is almost sickly thin. Once a year, on his birthday, Charlie gets one bar of Wonka chocolate, which he savors over many months. For the first time in a decade, Willy Wonka, the solitary and eccentric chocolate maker, is opening the doors of his unique chocolate factory for five members of the public. The lucky five who find a Golden Ticket in their Wonka chocolate bars will win a daylong tour of the factory and a lifetime’s supply of Wonka treats! For young Charlie Bucket, this a dream come true when one cold winter night, he retrieves a dollar from the ground and buys two Wonka's Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow, by sheer luck or destiny. As Charlie unwraps the second chocolate bar, he sees the glimmer of gold just under the wrapper! Yes, he was one of the chosen lucky one! Happiness struck the poor Bucket family. Charlie’s oldest and most beloved grandparent, Grandpa Joe, sprang out of bed for the first time in decades and decided to accompany Charlie to the Wonka Chocolate factory. The very next day, Charlie, and the unworthy fellow winners Mike Teavee(a rude television addict), Veruca Salt(an insufferable brat,who demands every single thing from her rich father), Violet Beauregarde(an ardent gum chewer), and Augustus Gloop(a corpulent child whose only hobby is eating), step into the Great Chocolate Factory. In the factory, Charlie and Grandpa Joe marvel at the unbelievable sights, sounds, and especially smells of the factory. Whereas they are grateful toward and respectful of Mr. Wonka and his factory, the other four children succumb to their own character flaws. Augustus Gloop falls into the hot chocolate river—while attempting to drink it—and is sucked up by one of the many pipes. Veruca Salt is determined to be a â€Å"bad nut† by nut-judging squirrels who throw her out with the trash. Violet Beauregarde impetuously grabs an experimental piece of gum and chews herself into a giant blueberry. With the hope of being on his beloved television, Mike Teavee shrinks himself, and his father has to carry him out in his pocket. During each child’s fiasco, Mr. Wonka alienates the parents with his nonchalant reaction to the child’s seeming demise. He remains steadfast in his belief that everything will work out in the end. After each child’s trial, the Oompa-Loompas (Mr Wonkas’ workers from Loompaland) beat drums and sing a moralizing song about the downfalls of greedy, spoiled children. When only Charlie remains, Willy Wonka turns to him and congratulates him for winning the entire chocolate factory. Charlie, Grandpa Joe, and Mr. Wonka enter the great glass elevator, which explodes through the roof of the factory and crashes down through the roof of Charlie’s house, where they collect the rest of the Bucket family.

An Alarming Portrait of the Nuclear Power in the World

Unfortunately, even if someone could wave a magic wand that causes all of the nuclear weapons on earth to disappear, many believe that due to the depletion of natural resources, the earth would still be in danger of catastrophe, and humankind in danger of extinction. Jonathan Schell's book â€Å"Fate of the Earth† is an alarming portrait of the nuclear power in the world. Since the end of World War II, nuclear arms have kept the world's population in a state of constant concern that â€Å"something† could happen, whether by design or accident. As tensions continue to build throughout the Middle East, particularly between India and Pakistan, and more recently the nuclear potential of North Korea and China, the nuclear arms race may have subsided between the United States and Russia however, it is still alive and thriving around the globe. As Schell writes, â€Å"These bombs were built as weapons for war but their significance greatly transcends war and all its causes and outcomes†¦ They grew out of history, yet they threaten to end history† (Schell 3). The potential for nuclear war seems to increase daily as more countries seek to obtain the ultimate weapon of power, the â€Å"Rolls Royce† of combat, the ability to destroy thousands of lives in a flash. Yet with that flash, comes not only the possibility but the probability of more flashes resulting in incalculable damage to life and the earth itself. Schell writes that nuclear weapons â€Å"are a pit into which the whole world can fall – a nemesis of all human intentions, actions and hopes† (Schell 3). Yet, many believe that the earth's future is in peril even without the threat of nuclear wars. They believe that the impact of man upon the environment and the planet's natural resources threatens the earth and humankind as greatly as any nuclear war. Within recent decades, many environmental indicators have moved outside the range in which they have varied for the past half-million years (Wallstrom pp). According to a 2004 article in the International Herald Tribune, â€Å"We are altering our life support system and potentially pushing the planet into a far less hospitable state† and if policies cannot be developed to cope with the â€Å"uncertainty, complexity and magnitude of global change, the consequences for society may be huge† (Wallstrom pp). Although there has been much progress during the last century, such as the eradication of major diseases along with increased life expectancy and standards of living for many, the global population has tripled since 1930 to more than six billion and shows signs of continue growth, and moreover, the global economy has increased more than 15-fold since 1950 (Wallstrom pp). This progress has led to a wide-ranging impact on the environment as human activities have begun to significantly affect the planet and how it functions (Wallstrom pp). Atmospheric composition, land cover, marine ecosystems, coastal zones, freshwater systems and global biological diversity have all been substantially affected,† however, it is the magnitude and rate of this human-driven change that are most alarming (Wallstrom pp). The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to human activity is nearly 100 parts per million and still growing (Wallstrom pp). This is already equal to the entire range experienced between an ice age and a warm period such as today and it has occurred at least ten times faster than any natural increase in the last half-million years (Wallstrom pp). Moreover, human influence extends beyond atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and increases in global mean temperature (Wallstrom pp). During the 1990's, the average area of humid tropical forest cleared yearly was equivalent to roughly half the area of England, and at current extinction rates, humans â€Å"may well be on the way to the Earth's sixth great extinction event† (Wallstrom pp). The Earth is a well-connected system, thus, carbon dioxide emitted in one country rapidly mixes throughout the atmosphere, and pollutants released into the ocean in one location are transported to distant parts of the planet (Wallstrom pp). The impacts of global change are complex, since they combine with local and regional environmental stresses in unexpected ways (Wallstrom pp). For example, coral reefs are now under additional pressure from changing carbonate chemistry in ocean surface waters, a result of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (Wallstrom pp). Moreover, the wildfires that hit Europe, Canada, California and Australia in 2003 were the result of many factors, such as land management, ignition sources and extreme local weather (Wallstrom pp). However, prevailing warm and dry conditions, most likely linked to climate change, amplified fire intensity and extent (Wallstrom pp). Due to poor access to fresh water, more than two billion people now live under what experts call â€Å"sever water stress,† and with population growth and economic expansion, this number is expected to double by 2025 (Wallstrom pp). Biodiversity losses, currently driven by habitat destruction associated with land-cover change, will be further exacerbated by future climate change. Beyond 2050, rapid regional climate change, as would be caused by changes in ocean circulation in the North Atlantic, and irreversible changes, such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and the accompanying rise in sea levels of 6 meters, or 20 feet, could have huge economic and societal consequences (Wallstrom pp). Past geological records indicate that never before has the Earth experience the current â€Å"suite† of simultaneous changes and many feel that humans are sailing into â€Å"planetary terra incognita† (Wallstrom pp). According to a 1999 article from Cornell University, â€Å"because population growth can not continue indefinitely, society can either voluntarily control its numbers or let natural forces such as disease, malnutrition, and other disasters limit human numbers† (Pimentel pp). Human population, especially in urban areas, together with the increasing food, water, air, and soil pollution by pathogenic organisms and chemicals, are causing a rapid increase in the prevalence of disease and human deaths (Pimentel pp). Due to current food shortages, more than 3 billion people are malnourished worldwide, the largest number and proportion ever, and according to the World Health Organization, an estimated 40,000 children die each day due to malnutrition and other diseases (Pimentel pp). Humans are responsible for fifty-five percent of all available water run-off (Myers pp). Moreover, greater amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus are mobilized by humans in the form of crop fertilizer than by natural processes, and humans harvest an amount of ocean fish that reflects fully one third of phytoplankton productivity in temperate continental shelves (Myers pp). A NASA study released in April 2005, has revealed the heat exchange between the Earth and space is seriously out of balance, leading researchers to call it the â€Å"smoking gun† discovery that validates forecasts of global warming (Hanley pp). According to computer models of climate change, the global temperatures will rise 1 degree Fahrenheit this century, â€Å"even if greenhouse gases are capped tomorrow† (Hanley pp). And if carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions continue to grow, things could spin â€Å"out of our control† especially as ocean levels rise from melting Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets (Hanley pp). James Hansen of NASA said the research shows that â€Å"for every square meter of surface area, the planet is absorbing almost one watt more of the sun's energy than it is radiating back to space as heat – a historically large imbalance† (Hanley pp). According to a Stanford University study release May 16, 2005, the first signs of spring are appearing earlier each year: robins are arriving several days earlier, woodpeckers are laying their eggs a week earlier, and Washington's cherry trees bloom a month earlier than they did fifty years ago (Borenstein pp). The study says that man-made global warming is clearly to blame, and means that the global environment is changing so fast that the slow evolutionary process of species adaptation cannot keep up (Borenstein pp).

Evaluation of Firm versus Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evaluation of Firm versus Market - Essay Example A firm’s decision to make or buy depends on which is more beneficial to the firm. If the firm chooses to make then it will have to engage in vertical integration where it starts or acquires a business in order to facilitate upstream activities that are required for the production of the goods and services that it provides. In making this decision there are various factors for consideration, including the coordination of production flows through the vertical chain. In order to determine whether to make or buy a firm should compare the benefits and costs of using the market as opposed to performing the activity internally. The benefits of using the market include: ï‚ § The fact that firms that are producing for the market (market firms)can achieve economies of scale that cannot be achieved by producing that the firm may not be able to achieve by producing it internally ï‚ § Market firms must operate both efficient and innovative to survive and so they have to subject themselves to the discipline that the market requires. The overall success of the corporate entity may hide the inefficiencies that exist in carrying out specific activities internally. The costs of using the market include: ï‚ § The fact that coordination of production flows through the vertical chain may be compromised when an activity is purchased from an independent market firm rather than performed internally. ï‚ § The risk of private information being leaked to competitors by the independent market firm.... In order to determine whether to make or buy a firm should compare the benefits and costs of using the market as opposed to performing the activity internally. The benefits of using the market include: The fact that firms that are producing for the market (market firms)can achieve economies of scale that cannot be achieved by producing that the firm may not be able to achieve by producing it internally Market firms must operate both efficient and innovative to survive and so they have to subject themselves to the discipline that the market requires. The overall success of the corporate entity may hide the inefficiencies that exist in carrying out specific activities internally. The costs of using the market include: The fact that coordination of production flows through the vertical chain may be compromised when an activity is purchased from an independent market firm rather than performed internally. The risk of private information being leaked to competitors by the independent mark et firm. transaction costs involved in doing business with independent market firms can be avoided if the activity is performed internally Coordination of production of production flows through the vertical chain is of extreme importance to business. When the decision to buy a product from a market firm is taken coordination of production flows has to be emphasized through the preparation of contracts. In order for this to be a success the decisions that one firm makes must be coordinated with those of the other firm. There has to be a good fit if this cooperative effort is to succeed. The dimensions of production that this encompass are timing fit; size fit; colour fit; and sequence fit. Timing fit relates to the coordination of the increased supply of a new

Health communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Health communication - Essay Example sment and intimidation are common when a person is in a new environment, and for that reason, it is essential to use open-ended questions that encourage a person to talk freely (Duggan, 2006). I am not aware of a good policy/procedure to improve interpersonal communication skills specifically. Health literacy is the ability to access health information about diagnoses, treatment, and medication, and use it appropriately and in an informed manner (Duggan, 2006). It is advisable for patients to have sufficient information about the management of their disease. To ensure a patient understands health literacy, it is essential to improve communication skills and create an environment in which one can understand such concepts. Wendy Johnson presents an interesting insight into the argument. The point about understanding other cultures is vital because of the racial and ethnic differences inherent in the society. It is only through passable communication that a patient can gain health literacy and be actively involved in the treatment process. I agree with Shaylee Read’s post, especially about communication skills. At times, it is essential to have an interpreter to ensure a smooth flow of the communication process and to guarantee that the physician understands the exact problems and requirements of the patient. Even so, in case there are no interpreters, a physician must exercise patience, appreciate, and respect all

Is war an inevitable feature of international politics Essay

Is war an inevitable feature of international politics - Essay Example multiplicity of governments are not reduced to one government and international politics transformed to domestic politics." In order for war to begin, a relationship should exist between two parties, as it is a mistake or disagreement in this relationship which leads to war occurrence. So is the growing number of formed relationships due to globalisation increasing the unavoidability of war (1) Fighting is more than only competition between countries, because competition does not inevitably entail a party trying to gain an advantage by dropping their adversary's position. War is more aggressive; it includes conflict and it usually violent. The causes why countries go to war are plentiful and varied; instances include countries going to war to gain or enlarge the territory they possess, in support of other countries, to keep prestige and to defend or advance their economic interests. The goal of war could be disputed to be to show which party is 'stronger' in cases where this is not definite, as weaker countries will frequently be too frightened to fight, and stronger countries won't have a necessity to fight. It was revealed that the closer two countries are in terms of political and cultural features, the lower the opportunity of a war beginning between them. But the great amount of countries around the world means that there is a large quantity of cultures and background, and the alliances formed between like-minded countries are raising the disagreement between the different-minded countries. Donnelly analysed the relationship between international war and the creation of alliances and states that this is where the start of war lies. In general, countries which have lasting formal alliances frequently go through more wars than those nations which do not. And since alliances between major powers often have alliances of other majors powers as opponents, the incidence and size of wars is likely to augment in the following years. (3) There are two main ideas regarding war: that it is natural, and that it is not. The 'rational act' view argues that people are naturally aggressive and hostile, and war is therefore something inherent to humans, and that although war is unpleasant, it is sometimes necessary. Some theorists who regard war as part of human nature have traced it to being a result of our animal descent, or cruelty in an earlier age. Von Bernhadi stated that war is a "biological necessity" and that it was beneficial as it allows the taking away the weaker countries and therefore ensures the continued existence of stronger countries. "War was regarded as a fact of life and as a useful instrument of diplomacy, not as a problem. Peace, considered as an essential condition of international relations, was no preoccupation" (Ceadel 1996) Many European sociologists even consider conflict, and consequently the war, to be serving a positive idea in humanity. On the other hand, in spite of the plentiful claims made about the easiness of war, the facts to support this are too weak. (1) If war is peculiar to humans, then why are wars not conducted between countries at all times Why is it that wars only happen at definite times, and not all the time The contrasting view of war is that it is not innate in humans, but that it is brought about by exterior factors. The examination of the "irrational act"

Systems and Operations Management Recommendations Essay

Systems and Operations Management Recommendations - Essay Example 4-7). Operations management involves various manufacturing processes such as supervising, designing, and managing so that the business functions can come under redesign for the production of goods and services. Operations management also makes sure that minimum resources come under utilization in the process of production so that it can become efficient and the business strategies come under effective implementation. Besides, the operations management administers the inputs (particularly in the form of materials, labor, and energy) that come under conversion to output (in the shape of outcome that is goods and services) in an effective and efficient manner (Kumar and Suresh, 2009, pp. 9-11). On the other hand, Systems management is the overall administration and management of the organizations information technology distributed systems. ... This company established its business operations in the early decade of 1960 in Sydney, Australia with the core service provider of photocopying. With the success in the photocopying business, Lachlan (the founder) expanded its business operations and started out as Atokowaâ„ ¢ printing and they reproduced copies for different organizations (Lord Ashcroft International Business School, 2012). Today, Atokowaâ„ ¢ Advantage deals and trade a wide range of stationery and office supplies to individuals and businesses (which are the two distinct types of customers they cater). From their widespread businesses, they now own several retail outlets from where they deliver stationery and office supplies directly to organizations. Additionally they also carry out customized printing upon request for different enterprises. Atokowa also prints brochures, flyers, letterheads, business cards, memo slips, and various other products (Lord Ashcroft International Business School, 2012). With the success and growth of the business, the vision came to cognizance to become the one-stop shop for stationery and office supplies. However, with the passage of time, the vision broadened and the focus towards technology was driven. Atokowa widened their focus and initiated the trading of Commodore 64 and the IBM PC 5100 (one of the technological advancements at that time). Moreover, the company continued their interest in technology and provided a range of information technology products in their retail outlets for their customers (Lord Ashcroft International Business School, 2012). Systems and Operations Management Analysis and Evaluation The systems and operations management analysis and evaluation comes under practice that

The Professional Engineer and Micro-Electronics Essay

The Professional Engineer and Micro-Electronics - Essay Example This report is a comprehensive assessment of the work of professional engineer, who abides in a challenging work environment and has to incorporate with several legal and ethical obligations. The objective in this report is to investigate that how professional engineers work for sustainability, and what methods and programs they use to address complexity in their work environment. The Professional Engineering Tool Flow and Process Diagrams In the engineering practice, it has been noted that complexity lies in each of the engineering process. It could be a manufacturing process, process of design, or process of inventory that involves complexity. To understand complexity of a particular process, the professional engineer uses the tool of process diagram which is also called as flow diagram or process chart in engineering terms. This tool provides schematic representation of a process. Process diagram actually gives the whole picture of the process (the inside and outside of a process) ongoing in engineering. Mostly, chemical manufacturers, automotive firms, and electrical firms use this apprehensive tool to analyze the critical and problematic areas of a process. To condition a process, this tool is wide in its application. The Case of a Low-Capacity Manufacturer It is a noted fact that manufacturers try their best to improve and condition their manufacturing processes. ... rategic analysis tool such as the process diagram, which highlights the corrupt areas of a process, giving a reason to readjust or remove those areas (Carlo & Arleo, 2013). The literature brings the case of an apparel manufacturer which re-designs its production system and production facility by means of using process diagram tool. The process diagram assists and guides the manufacturer in different stages. It assists first in terms of reflecting on how the process is going and how possibly it can be modified or improved (Carlo & Arleo, 2013). The process diagram labels the schematic flow of the process that involves stages of blowing, basting, steeping, drying, dying and finishing altogether for producing a felt hat. These are stages that require readjustment and reformation as asserted by the manufacturer (Egelston, 2012). Using the process flow diagram, the manufacturer displays the AEIOUX sequence of its process. The areas which are absolutely necessary A, especially important E, important I, ordinary O, unimportant U, and undesirable X are highlighted using the analytical tool of process diagram (Carlo & Arleo, 2013). Using the process flow diagram, the manufacturer is able to take important decisions like which areas can be removed or can be brought to readjustment after the analysis has been made. The manufacturer improves the quality of its process by deploying the comprehensive analysis tool- the process flow diagram. Actually, the diagram has provided the algorithm to the manufacturer to improve and condition its whole production system (Carlo & Arleo, 2013). Process Flow Diagram of Felt Hat Manufacturing (Carlo & Arleo, 2013) The consequences led by the effective analysis tool (the process diagram) is that cost has got reduced and waste which was earlier

Death Penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Death Penalty - Essay Example Death penalty has been a controversial issue in the international community. Many nations have been disturbed and argued about the best way it can be handled. This has made generation of questions on how best the capital offenders can be punished in order to have justice for both the offenders and victims of the circumstances. The bill of rights supports the right of individuals to live and associate freely. On the other hand, the same legal provision is also used to condemn capital offenders to death sentence. The religious community questions the legality of the death sentences and at the same time urges citizens to follow the law. It is still ironical when they defend the law breakers. Many countries stress that the justice system must be observed for the victims. Several views have been given on this issue. They are legal, religious, political and socialist perspectives. There are arguments about the pros and cons of execution. Publicized studies have also confirmed that many innocent people have been wrongly executed. On the other hand, the issue of terrorism is a threat to state, especially when the perpetrators are not brought to book. What should be the best action to take? This has brought divergent views. Generally, opinion is divided on the step to take on this issue. Some people insinuate that it will be very expensive on the tax payer’s side if execution is allowed. It costs about between two to five times more to execute a criminal than to maintain a criminal in the prison for the rest of the life (Paternoster and Bacon 91). Those against argue that the financial amount required is pegged on the long court procedures, legal wrangling and many endless appeals. A criminal can be on death row for up to 20 years (Baumgartner, Boydstun and De Boef 47). This is very expensive for the state due to the said legal procedures. Supporters of the death penalty state that it is better to use state resources to penalize the murderers in order to save lives of innocent people. They categorically state that this action creates crime deterrent. Crime would always be on the increase if there is no any stern action taken against these people (Vaughn 98). According to research carried out in P ennsylvania alone, there are ineffective defense attorneys who fail to conduct satisfactory investigations to support their clients. This has lead to conviction of innocent suspects, especially those involved in complicated cases (Hood and Hoyle 105). Many cases are confirmed that some lawyers made mistakes and the judges have made rulings based on their findings. It is also argued that death penalty is barbaric form of punishment. Paternoster and Bacon state that all forms of death penalty are unfair (55). In exemplifying this, the argument states, whether it is through lethal injection, hanging, using the firing squad or electric chair, this state sanctioned murder is not fair before a crowd of people (Paternoster and Bacon 56). For instances, California physicians refused the demand by the government to use lethal injection as a means of execution hence execution was stopped. They claimed that there are many constructive ways in addressing violent crimes and those two wrongs do n ot make a right (Baumgartner, Boydstun and De Boef 78). However, the proponents of death penalty action feel that this is the only way to deter criminals from any further illegal actions. They argue that justice must be served in favour of the victims. Most fundamental legal provision is that punishment should always fit the crime. In addition, justice delayed is justice denied (Morris 70). Those against death penalty sentences say that it is bad because the state should not use killing to show that murder and manslaughter are bad. There should be another appropriate method. Prison alone is effective because life there is quite deterring, as stated by those who are against the death penalty. They quote, ‘

Bananas - description Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Bananas - description - Research Paper Example Conclusion Thesis Statement Various varieties of bananas exist in different parts of the world offering nutritional value at an affordable price. Bananas are fruits available throughout the year in tropical countries, and they come in different varieties, shapes, and colors. Bananas grow from a rhizome, stretch through a thick stem and develop flowers (â€Å"banana†). The varieties of use make banana one of the most valued crops in the world. The fruit’s nutritional value and relatively low price make it an attractive export product for countries in Southeast Asia, South America, and East Africa (Morton 37). This essay describes the taxonomy, characteristics, varieties, and food uses of bananas. In addition, the essay will give comparison and contrasts of â€Å"bananas are good for health†, versus â€Å"bananas are bad for health.† Taxonomy Bananas come from the genus Musa of the family â€Å"Musaceae† (â€Å"banana†), and the seedless, edibl e ones come from the â€Å"species M. acuminata Colla or the hybrid M. X paradisiaca L.† (Morton 30). The different species of banana provide a clue to the fruit’s geographical origins, usually found in countries with tropical climates like Brazil, India, and Indonesia. Having various hybrids further expands the fruit’s varieties and ensures continuous cultivation and propagation. Varieties The classification of bananas occurs into two principal groups namely Sucrier and Gros Michel. The Cavendish subgroup includes the Giant Cavendish, the Dwarf Cavendish, and Bungulan (Morton 35). Predominantly found in Colombia, the Philippines, and Burma, bananas from the Sucrier group are small in size, sweet, with thin skin (Morton 35). Bananas from the Sucrier group are readily consumable due to their size and taste; people use them in dessert recipes. The Gros Michel group produces bananas that are larger than the ones in the Sucrier group, are yellow in color, and usuall y found in South America, Central Africa, and the Caribbean (Morton 36). The Cavendish subgroup includes the Giant and Dwarf Cavendish, and the Bungulan (Morton37). Medium-sized, thin-skinned, and delicate, the Dwarf Cavendish, grows in China, East Africa, and South Africa. The Giant Cavendish is larger than the Dwarf Cavendish and closely resembles the Gros Michel (Morton 37). Ripening unevenly during the winter and prone to quick spoilage, Jamaicans mostly use the Bungulan for cooking. (Morton 38). Food uses The uses of bananas for food are as diverse as the available varieties and hybrids. A banana may be eaten when raw, peeled, sliced, or mixed with other fruits. Biting the soft, starchy flesh of a banana results in bursts of sweetness or undertones of tanginess. When added in dessert recipes, a banana’s flavor and mushy texture harmonize with the more crunchy and soft ingredients. Broiled or baked, ripe bananas can be served with peanuts and brown sugar (Morton 41). Fina lly, to preserve a banana, it can be boiled and immersed in a syrup mixture or fried in canola oil and served like potato chips. Nutritional Value In addition to the various food uses of the banana, this fruit possesses â€Å"high nutritional value† (â€Å"Banana†). As a healthy fruit, banana occupies a significant place in the food level pyramid. Regardless of the manner of consuming a banana, the flavorful, sweet, and starchy fruit is â€Å"full of vitamins† (â€Å"banana†). Low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium, raw bananas are an abundant source of potassium, fiber, and Vitamin B6 (Morton 43). Long, short,

Case Assignment 2 Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 2 - Case Study Example It goes without saying that Lynn Tilton carries a sense of charisma around her multifaceted personality, which is a combination of impressive glamour and a stark sense of business and an inspiring vision that seldom fails to impress people. People mostly end up getting enamored by her leadership skills and her resource savvy sense of management. One big thing about Lynn Tilton that makes her an astute manager and an insightful leader is her ability to carry and exercise authority. As a leader she is vehemently dedicated to her goals and does not mind being stringent if the need be. 2. One big positive leadership trait evinced by Lynn Tilton is her panache for being what she actually is. She does not mind cracking jokes about her personal life, affiliates to a glamorous sense of dress up in a corporate setup, decorates her office with somewhat bizarre seeming artifacts and art. It would not be wrong to say that people could not help being impressed by her straightforwardness and chari sma. However, this very same quality and traits could also be considered to be a negative aspect of Lynn Tilton’s leadership persona in the sense that she tends to too much mix her personal preferences with her business style. This could many a times could send wrong messages to the employees and colleagues and may disorient or confuse them. ... s that her style of leadership is somewhat dictatorial as she herself admits, which if taken too far may lead to suppression of individuality and free opinion amongst her employees. 3. Lynn Tilton does evince a situational approach towards leadership while managing the rusted assets she invests in. She pays a lot of stress on impacting and influencing the organizational culture of the company she tends to manage, so that she could make the company a success by introducing a new management and new products. Lynn Tilton is considered to be tough on the former employees of the companies she purchases. Perhaps this is so because being an astute situational leader she is very particular about gauging as to how every employee fits into her vision and the scheme of things to come. Moreover Lynn comes out to his employees as a humorous person and she is a good actor as she well understands how to adapt her leadership style to the situation at hand. Lynn evinces a great sense of self confiden ce and is not scared of being public about her life and preferences. She is a great believer in herself and the companies she happens to invest in. 4. Lynn is a transformational leader as she is internally motivated and uses her innate motivation and drive to influence the companies and assets she invests in. That is why Lynn has been able to convert many rusted assets she invested in into thriving and successful businesses. Like a true transformational leader, Lynn has the courage and the ability to make tough business decisions. The former employees of the companies she purchases tend to be weary of him because they know that she would not hesitate from making tough decisions if the need be. The big thing about Lynn is that the tough decisions she makes yield results because they align

Thompson v. Oklahoma Essay Example for Free

Thompson v. Oklahoma Essay The case Thompson v. Oklahoma took place in 1988. William Thompson (15 year-old boy) killed his brother-in-law, who had been abusing his sister. The murder was not committed in state of temporary insanity, so the court considered it as first-degree murder and sentenced William Thompson to death. As far as the 8th and 14th Amendments ban death sentence for a person, who is under 16 years old at the moment of committing crime, the Court considered execution of 15-year old boy as cruel and unusual. The case was reversed and remanded and the Supreme Court granted William Thompson certiorari. The crime was committed by four persons. William Thompson took part in murder. The killed had a lot of bruises, his leg was broken; his chest, abdomen and throat had been cut, and he had been shot two times. Then after they fettered him to a concrete block and threw him to the river. All four people, who took part in crime, were sentenced to death. As far as Thompson was under 16 at the moment of committing crime, he couldn’t be executed because of prohibition. The justices thoroughly examined circumstances of crime, and concluded that the child was quite aware of consequences at the moment of committing crime and as far as he had mental capacity to realize all the consequences of crime. They stated that there was no chance to rehabilitate William Thompson with help of juvenile system and that he should be treated as adult. At the first stage of trial, the prosecutor presented three photographs, showing the dead body after it was taken out from the river. The photos were introduced to convince guilt of William Thompson. Later the prosecutor asked to find two circumstances, which prove that crime was cruel and heinous. The Court complied with request. In such a way the Court of Criminal Appeals gave its approval to the fact of death sentence. They stated that as far as a person, who was under 16 years old at the moment of committing crime, is certified as an adult for trial procedures, he can be also punished as adult. At the same time, as far as the Supreme Court granted William Thompson certiorari, they had to consider, whether a death sentence was â€Å"cruel and unusual punishment† for a minor and violates his constitutional rights. First of all, there should be a certain degree of culpability, which allows accepting death sentence for a minor. The problem was that authors of the 8th Amendment introduced prohibition against â€Å"cruel and unusual punishments†, although they didn’t give any specifications for that. Judges, who were responsible for trial, should examine, whether the punishment could be considered as violating the â€Å"evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society† Trop v. Dulles, 356 U.S. 86, 101 (1958) (plurality opinion) (Warren, C. J.). Justice Powell compared rights of adults and children, and came to conclusion, that there are certain differences between them. For example, children are not eligible to vote, to purchase alcohol and cigarettes, to mention a few. Justice Powell stated that according to laws of Oklahoma, a person under 16 years old can be treated as a child only. Taking into considerations all prohibitions and limitations in rights for minors (as well as driving with parental consent, marrying with parental consent only, etc), the child cannot be treated as adult during the trial and to be fully responsible for his actions before attaining his maturity. Further the Supreme Court examined minimum age for death penalty. For example, there are 14 States in America, which don’t recognize death penalty at all; from the other side, there are 19 States, which authorize to impose death penalty, but don’t state minimum age of a person (this is an obstacle to find consensus). Although, the judges accepted supposition, that in those States, where death penalty is accepted, minimum age of criminal should be at least 16 years. The American Law Institute and the American Bar Association also are against the death sentence for minors. Judges also presented the fact, that there are plenty of countries, where death penalty is prohibited at all (such countries as Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, Spain, New Zealand, the Netherlands, etc) Further, the Supreme Court examined quantity of people, sentenced to death during the XX century, and came to conclusion that majority of cases were held in the first half of century. The average age of young people, committed crimes and sentenced to death, was approximately 18-20 years old. There were only five minors (under 16 years old), sentenced to death for participation in cruel murders. The Court also considered age as a mitigating circumstance, stating that young people at the age under 16 are not able to control their behavior to that extent, the adults can. Young people are more impulsive and cannot think in long-rank terms, as the adults can, so they shouldn’t be treated as adults during trials. So, taking into consideration all afore said, the Court Criminal Judgment’s decision was vacated and the case Thompson v. Oklahoma was remanded, getting instructions to prohibit death sentence for a youth under 16 years old.

Importance of Youth Sports | Essay

Importance of Youth Sports | Essay Sports as an activity can be traced back to the earliest existence of human beings, for as long as they have been active and sportive. It is a great way for people to master the benefits of nature and their surrounding or environment for that matter. By studying the history of sports, we can learn about the social changes that man has gone through in the past as well as the transformations that sports in itself has undergone. These changes are mostly evidenced in the changes of the rules that govern the various sporting activities as well as in the manner in which they are played. It involves the development and exercise of natural human talents and skills as opposed to exercising them for their importance. Sports has mainly been a preserve of those in their youth as that is the point at which one still has the strength, agility, mindset and the motivation to be actively involved in it. In most sporting activities, one is said to be at their prime in their youth. Sports can be broadly categorized as either team sports or individual sports. Team sports include soccer, basketball, netball, hockey, baseball, volleyball among others. Individual sports include games like badminton, tennis, squash, table tennis, darts, scrabble, and chess among others. The other classification of sporting activities can be physical or non-physical. The physical sports are those that require movement of the body muscles for which fitness is of the essence. Majority of sports fall in this category. Non-physical sports include board games like chess, draft, scrabble among others; these are mostly played in the mind but nevertheless are still sports. All over the world, sporting activities have provided great entertainment for audiences. The 2006 FIFA football world cup in Germany alone had a cumulative television audience of 26.29 billion in-home and 2.1 billion out –of-home viewers (fifa.com). Football is not in this category alone, sports like basketball, baseball and other mainstream sports have been known to have a lot of their tournaments declared sold out due to over subscription by fans intent on going to watch their favorite players thrash their opponents. The entertainment provided by these sporting activities ensures people spend their free time progressively instead of wasting it on activities that will in the end not add any value to their lives. Sports among the youth is a key factor that has been noted to promote prosocial characteristic traits among individuals. According to Bar-Tal, (1976) and Bierhoff, (2002), prosocial are positive forms of social behavior that are not motivated by personal obligations, rather they are voluntary and they have positive results. These include; cooperation, sharing, respect, altruism and many others (Larrieu Mussen, 1986). Sports among the youth is therefore a very important tool through which individuals, especially the antisocial ones can hone their social skills through interaction with their team mates as well as the opposing players. Through this interaction, ones communication skills are also enhanced and developed and these are acquisitions that will benefit the individual later on in life. Obesity has reached worrying proportions and this is a particular concern to health experts especially since this is caused by an increased rate of inactivity among the youth (National Institute of Health, n.d.; World Health Organization, 2000). According to Storm Jenkins, (2002), the childhood obesity rates which currently stand at approximately 15% are an increase of over 40% through the past 40 years. Childhood obesity is not only a cause of health problems at the present in the form of Type II diabetes but due to its relation to adult obesity, these individuals are likely to become struggling adults with obesity if they do not change their sedentary lifestyles. By engaging in sports activities especially for the purposes of having fun, these children will not only enjoy themselves but they will also have the added advantage of working their way to a better lifestyle that will improve their health. Youths who engage in sporting activities are encouraged to learn good sportsmanship qualities and by learning these they also get to familiarize with the five Cs of positive youth development. These five Cs are; competence, confidence, connection, compassion caring, and character. These are important life tools and skills that any growing and developing youth need in order to be able to relate with his juniors, peers as well as seniors well. They enable the individual to grow into a respectable adult capable of making wise decisions that will positively influence not only himself but also those around him. Through sports, one acquires the confidence to tackle the obstacles that life throws at him having become accustomed to challenges from various types of opponents. Sports among the youth are a good way of passing free time. According to health organizations, there is a growing trend of moral decadence among the youth which is leading to very promising lives being wasted due to drugs. Most of these drug activities are carried out due to individuals having a lot of idle time in which they do not participate in any physical activities, as a result, they resort to destructive drug habits. Case studies have shown that most of the youth who engage in sporting activities have a much lower likelihood to engage in drug activities as it interferes with their performance on the fields and at the same time, especially for those interested in pursuing sports as careers, it us likely to cut short their dreams. Sports therefore acts as a deterrent from drugs. Careers have been developed through sports. In the early 90s, one of the most popular individuals all over the world was Michael Jordan, and it was not because of his ever shining bald head. Jordan possessed dribbling skills that mad non-sports enthusiasts feel like they should get off their couches and go â€Å"shoot some hoops†. Basketball was Michael Jordans career, and he enjoyed it because later in an interview, he calmly stated that he was having fun since he was getting paid to do his hobby. Currently there are millions of athletes who have turned into millionaires simply by engaging in activities that they once considered hobbies. They are earning even more than some of the employees on Wall Street. Sports can therefore end up providing the youth with a way of fending for themselves in this world where white collar jobs have become scarce and the manual jobs are being constantly replaced by technology. Careers can therefore be created through sports. Sports does not only create employment opportunities for the participants, off the field, there are team managers, tacticians, fitness experts, dietary advisors and a whole lot of other experts who benefit from the youths involvement in sports. Jobs are created for grounds men who have to ensure football pitches have been watered to the required standards, the referees, umpires and other officials whose duty it is to ensure that the rules and regulations governing the various games are followed, and to ensure that order is maintained. Psychologists are also at hand to provide in depth analysis of the reasons why various actions are taken by various individuals. Medical practitioners make killings by bringing in products, albeit illegal, that can help athletes to improve their performances in their various sports. These are just a few of the beneficiaries of youth engaging in sports, but it is therefore true to say youth and sports are employers to very many individuals all over the w orld. Some individuals, especially the introverts have problems associating with people, they would rather stay within their shells and remain alone. When these people engage in sports, they may end up being so excellent in them and that would provide them with a sort of an identity which they can be proud of. These individuals will have a common ground with which they can socialize and that helps them open up to the rest. It is not unusual to find people for whom when they have problems, they run, not to their families first, but to their teammates. They get a sense of belonging there and that makes sports a big player in fostering relations and creating environments in which people can socialize. This is also true for people who may not have anything in common, except love for a particular team or sports and they form friendship since they meet at the venue of the game on regular basis. Many life long friendships have been formed in football stands. Having the youth participate in sports provides them with the necessary experiences that they can apply to great benefit later in life. In sports, one comes face to face with the realities of life that includes success and victory, shame, failure and defeat. Disappointments are common and these are important things that one has to get used to. Life is not a one way street to success and these experiences provide one with the foundation on which to base future decisions. One learns important lessons like how to react to failure and how to survive without giving up in the face of adversity, how to celebrate victories without making opponents feel like they are worthless, how to hang on and give your best to your team even though they may not be having a great day, and how to console teammates after losing an emotional game. These and others make people bond together into a tight knit unit that appreciates every individuals strengths and weaknesses. Sports makes people to appreciate the fact that not all humans are perfect and people make errors, the important thing is how to put those errors in the pat and move on without getting scarred for life, and those are lessons learnt from sports. Sports therefore touch the lives of people, spectators and players alike and create bonds among them that are impenetrable even in difficult times. It is common to see players cry when a teammate gets injured or is no longer going to continue playing with them, the outside world may know the players strengths on the field, but it is the teammates who train daily with him who know his contribution both on and off the field. Playing in sports involves taking risks and being able to live with the consequences. One will have to make certain decisions without knowing how the opponent will react, but he shall go forward nevertheless with the decision and hope the opponent swallows his bait. This makes individuals better prepared for the situations that they will be involved in later on in life that may require them to make decisions without being aware of the consequences. Athletes are also usually under the advice of their coaches and managers who have a say in the decisions they make. Sports therefore makes individuals obey authority and this moulds them into responsible adults who have fear and respect to authority. This makes the society a better place to live in as people are surrounded by individuals who are not self serving, but care how the outcome of their actions will impact on the society around them. When engaging in sports that are physical in nature, an individual has to be in shape and physical fitness will be a quality that will determine winners and losers. The fitness expectations will make an individual to live a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy foods, doing physical activities that will better make them able to compete well. Sport s therefore encourages healthy lifestyles among the youth and leads to the development of a better society of healthy people. Games also need individuals to analyze their opponents and develop tactics with which to beat them having discovered their weaknesses. At the same time one will know how to use their strength to their advantage and how to use it to cover their weaknesses. Therefore individuals will learn how to strategize and overpower opponents, skills that are necessary for survival not only in the competition but in the world as well. Sports is a great way of bringing people together and spreading the messages of goodwill. The world is currently faced with a situation where no single race is social or dominant in a given sport, many other individuals are coming up to challenge the status quo and this may not go right with certain individuals who are of the opinion that their races are superior. Therefore sports is increasingly being used as a way of encouraging people to live and associate together in harmony and to shun evils such as racism. Sports is also being used to pass messages of peace among humans. These make it important among the youth as it makes them understand the issues that are unfolding before them in a language they can relate to. Among the youth, sports is also being used as a tool for reaching out to the less fortunate. It is very common to hear of tournaments organized to raise funds towards certain causes like helping victims of hurricane disasters, tsunamis among others. Sports therefore acts as a way in which the youth can use what they have in the form of their talents to give back to the society that has helped mould them into who they are. Very many children are growing up and are in need of role models to give them something to look forward to. Outstanding sports personalities are usually great role models for such children in that from most of them come stories of winning a struggle. Most successful athletes either came from very humble backgrounds or had to struggle in the face of adversity in order to make it to where they are. There are also others who may not have had it so rough in the beginning, but still had to go through experiences in their lives which would have made them give up their dreams. Instead they took the bull by the horn and confronted their fears and are today great in whatever they do, providing an inspiration to the billions in need of it in the world. Sports thus provide the role models to give the motivation for others to pursue their dreams and ambitions. References Bierhoff, H.W. (2002). Prosocial behavior. New York: Taylor Francis. Bar-Tal, D. (1976). Prosociabehavior: Theory and research. Washington, D.C.: Hemsphere. Larrieu, J., Mussen, P. (1986). Some personality and motivational correlates of childrens prosocial behavior. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 147(4), 529-542. World Health Organization. (2000). Obesity: Preventing and managing the global epidemic. Geneva: Author. About Fifa; TV Data. Retrieved on 10th October 2009 From http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/marketing/factsfigures/tvdata.html Storm, H., Jenkins, M. (2002). Go girl: Raising healthy, confident, and successful girls through sports. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. Mary Sara Wells, Skye G. Arthur-Banning, Karen P. Paisley, Gary D. Ellis, Mark F. Roark and Sara Fisher Journal of Park and Recreation Administration Spring 2008 Volume 26, Number 1 pp. 1-21; Good (Youth) Sports: Using Benefits-Based Programming to Increase Sportsmanship Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1996). Physical activity and health: A report of the surgeon general. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Perkins, D. F., Jacobs, J. E., Barber, B. L., Eccles, J. S. (2004). Childhood and adolescent sports participation as predictors of participation in sports and physical fitness activities during young adulthood. Youth and Society, 35(4), 495–520. Escobedo, Stryer, B. K., Tofler, I. R., Lapchick, R. (1998). A developmental overview of child and youth sports in society. Sports Psychiatry, 7, 697–711. Smith, R.E., SmoU, F.L. (1996). Way to go, Coach!: A scientifically validated approach to, coaching effectimness. Portola Valley, CA: Warde Publishers. Smoll, F.L., : Smith, R.E. (1989). Leadership behaviors in sport: A conceptual model and Research paradigm. Journal of Applied Sodal Psychology, 19, 1522-1551. SmoU, F.L., Smith, R.E. (Eds.). (1996). Children and youth in sport: A biopsychosocini perspective. Dubuque, lA: McGraw-Hill

The Relationship Between And Mother And Daughter English Literature Essay

The Relationship Between And Mother And Daughter English Literature Essay The most intriguing and challenging relationship on the planet is the one of mother and daughter. It is no shock as to why. There are so many factors involved in this relationship. There is a special and unmistakable connection between mothers and daughters. When a baby girl is born, the mother has an immediate connection that transcends comprehension. She knows that child is the best pieces of her. This child is connected to her as if she were her soul mate. so beautiful, rapturous , pregnant with their child. She told no one but she knew the baby was to be a girl. It would be herself again, reborn and this time perfect. As this little girl grows up, the relationship gets complicated. Intense love and intense hatred surface. Women are sociable. Talking about lifes problems comes easy to a young girl and her mother. She comes home from school and tells her Mommy about her day, her friends and her dreams. As she grows up she will go to her mother for advice about boys and have many laughs together. When she becomes a teen, mother daughter relationship can go one of two ways. One Is just as likely to happen as the other. Either the Mother and Daughter will come together emotionally and bond over lifes trials and tribulations. Or theyll become adversaries, suddenly making the mother who loved and nurtured her daughter, who was once her best friend, suddenly arch-enemy number one. The Mothers desire to be her daughters best friend conflicts with her daughters need to be an individual. Mrs. Dietrich is a divorcee mother that is yearning for meaning and love in her life. Nola is a young adult looking for independence and to feel like a grown woman. This is the theme throughout the story. Nola saw Mrs. Dietrich watching her and walked away angrily and when Mrs. Dietrich caught up with her she said, I cant stand it, Mother. Her voice was choked and harsh, a vein prominent in her forehead. Let me go. For Christs sake will you let me go. This relationship is a typical one of a seventeen year old girl and her mother, marked with the intensity only a teenage daughter can bring out of her mother . As Nola glances up, startled, not prepared to see her mother in front of her, their eyes lock for an instant and Mrs. Dietrich stares at her with hatred. Cold calm clear unmistakeable hatred. She is thinking, Who are you? What have I to do with you? I dont know you, I dont love you, why should I? Teenage girls want their mother both close to them and far away emotionally, but they are not sure how to achieve this so they give mixed signals. The daughters push away and instinctively their mothers try to regain control of their connection by pursuing the emotional closeness. In the attempt to keep their relationship close, mothers tend to smother their teenage daughters. Mrs. Dietrich sees Nola as her only source of love so she tries to keep that alive, unbenonst to her she is smothering Nola with her overbearing need to feel attachment. Sometimes in weak despondent moods, alone, lonely, self-pitying, when she has had too much to drink, Mrs. Dietrich thinks she is in love with her daughter. Mrs. Dietrich is not her own woman. Her divorce, compounded by her loneliness and alcoholism forces her to need Nola in a way that is not healthy. She hides behind her daughter because she doenst know how to live anymore. She spent her whole life being needed, by her husband and her daughter , and now that she doesnt feel needed she essentially is in crisis mode. As she tries to hold on to every little glance, every word and every breath her daughter takes, Nola asserts herself further from her grasp. When Nola is away she seems to forget her mother entirely-doesnt telephone, certainly does not write. Its the way all their daughters are, Mrs. Dietrichs friends tell her. Mrs. Dietrichs divorce from Nolas father is also a driving force behind each womans behavior. In theory, divorce need not mean disconnection. In reality, it often does. One large survey in the late 1980s found that about one in five divorced fathers had not seen his children in the past year, and less than half of divorced fathers saw their children more than several times a year. A 1981 survey of adolescents who were living apart from their fathers found that 52 percent had not seen them at all in more than a year; only 16 percent saw their fathers as often as once a week. Moreover, the survey showed fathers contact with their children dropping off sharply with the passage of time after the marital breakup. (world without fathers)   Ã‚  Once the oldest child hits adolescence, parents are catapulted into a process of life review. Where have I been, where am I now, where am I going? These questions gnaw at parents who observe their children at the brink of adulthood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It hits hardest the parent who is the same sex as the adolescent. Mothers and daughters actually have more difficulty than fathers and sons. In either case, the children tend to serve as a mirror of their younger lost selves, and bear the brunt of parents regrets as parents distance themselves. Among parents who have gone through a real divorce, the emotional divorce that occurs between adolescents and their parents can heighten difficulty. It may reawaken feelings of sadness. Parents who dont have many interests outside the family are also vulnerable. Their kids are telling them to Get a life! and that is exactly what they need to do.(adolencents whose hell is it)

America and the Decay of Morality: The Great Gatsby and The Sun Also Ri

America is a popular image in literature and films. Dozens of writers sought to expose America’s vices and evaluate the consistency of its values, morality, and ethical norms. The pursuit for material wealth and the American dream were the topics most frequently discussed in American literature during the 1920s. The effects of World War I on individual beliefs and ideals, the ongoing decay of morality, the hollowness of dreams and convictions, and the failure to materialize one’s life goals together created a complicated situation, which often resembled a journey for nothing. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises are equally similar and different. The two stories are similar in their commitment to the failure of the American dream and its moral hollowness. However, the means and literary methods which the two authors choose to prove their point are distinctly different. Hemingway and Fitzgerald attempted to evoke aimless traveling across East to West and West to East through their writing styles in which the various nature of modernism in literature is reflected. Hemingway adopts his original sentence structure called â€Å"cablese† which consists of ordinary speech and exact words without any vague expressions, while Fitzgerald describes the protagonist, Gatsby through Nick’s perspective. The purpose of this essay is to examine how the two modernist writers depict America in the 1920’s in a state of moral decay and the pursuit for material wealth gradually replaces the purity of conventional moral ideals and beliefs in their ways by comparing and contrasting the two novels. Both stories are considered to be fictional representations of the American dream—moral decay in America and the fa... ... Conclusion The American Dream and the decay of American values has been one of the most popular topics in American fiction in the 20th century. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises create a full picture of American failure and pursue its ideals after the end of World War I by portraying the main characters as outsiders and describing the transportation in a symbolic way. Putting the aimless journeys for material life foreground, Fitzgerald and Hemingway skillfully link West and men and associate East to not only money but women. As American modernists, Hemingway utilizes his simple and dialog-oriented writing to appeal to readers and Fitzgerald ambiguously portrays Gatsby through a narrator, Nick, to cynically describe American virtue and corruption, which substantially contribute to modernism in literature.

Red Badge Of Courage Paper -- essays research papers

During the Civil War, a Union regiment rests along a riverbank, where they have been camped for weeks. The tall soldier Jim Conklin spreads a rumor that the army will soon march. Jim is a man who is very sure of himself and his own opinions. Henry Fleming, a recent recruit with the 304th regiment, worries about his courage, thinking that if he were ever to see a battle, he might run. Henry joined the army because he was drawn to the glory of military conflict, but since he joined, all the army has done is wait.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At last the regiment is given the orders to march, and the soldiers spend several wearying days traveling on foot. Eventually they near a battlefield, and they begin to hear the distant roar of battle. After taking their positions, they were charged by the enemy; Henry, boxed in by his fellow soldiers, realizes that he could not run even if he wanted to. He fires mechanically, feeling like a gear in a huge machine. The blue regiment defeated the gray soldiers, and then men congratulate one another. Henry wakes from a brief nap to find that the men are being charged again. This time, terror overtakes him, and he leaps up and flees from the line. As he dodges through the landscape, he tells himself that he did the right ting to flee, that his regiment could not have won, and the men who remained to fight were fools. But he passes a general on horseback, and overhears the commander saying that the men have held back the enemy charge. Feelin...

Customer Satisfaction Towards E-Banking Services: a Case Study on Ific Bank Ltd.

Prelude In a constantly changing world of today, where past is replaced by dynamic present and the dynamic present is being replaced by more challenging future, the old ways of doing things is no longer valid. Change is permanent and a reality. Those who are not able to keep pace with the changes are destined to loose the race. Science and technology is changing the way financial institutions perform their transactions. Today’s banks are shaking by these technological changes. Life has never been so easy, comfortable, and luxurious. Science and technology have brought our life to this stage. But a new technology brings with it not only the potential for success but also a never-ending series of questions regarding its design, its value to its users, ultimate use and acceptability. E-banking is the waves of the future. It provides enormous benefits to consumers in terms of case and cost of transactions, either through internet, telephone or other electronic delivery channels. For many consumers, electronic banking means 24-hours access to cash through an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or Direct Deposit of paychecks into checking or savings accounts. But electronic banking now involves many different types of transactions. E-banking is a form of banking where funds are transferred through an exchange of electronic signals between financial institution, rather than exchange of cash, cheeks or other negotiable instruments. With the expansion of global Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and the internet, e-banking is set to play a pivotal role in the national economy, proper software, infrastructure, cyber low and skilled manpower are important for the implementation of e-banking in a country. The concept of e-banking includes all types of banking activities performed through electronic networks. E-banking includes activities like payment of bills and invoices, transfer of funds between accounts, applying for a loan, payment of loan installments, sending funds to third parties via emails or internet connections regardless of where the client is located. Since e-banking offers some smart services benefiting both banks and customers compared with traditional banking system, it has become imperative to make necessary room for the scheduled banks to flourish e- banking. Since e-banking offers some smart services benefiting both banks and customers compared with traditional banking system, it has become imperative to make necessary room for the scheduled banks to flourish e-banking. Among others, attractiveness of e-banking includes: ? it lowers transaction cost; ? provide 24-hour services; ? ensure increased security and control over transactions; ? reduces fraud risk; ? performs higher volume of transactions with less time; ? increases number and volume of value payment through banks; ? llows remote transactions facilities that replace physical presence of a customer in a bank branch and; ? increases transaction speed and accuracy. On the other hand, traditional banking is time-consuming and more costly and therefore, e-banking is replacing traditional banking all over the world. Especially with the increasing acceptability of digital signatures around the world, e-banking has made life much easier and banking much faster and more pleasant, for cus tomers as well as for bankers. Problem Statement Customer satisfaction is required for the banking sector to raise profitability, business growth and success. Customer perception is very important to add value of the banking services and products. E-banking is the waves of the future. It can provide speedier, faster, reliable services to the customers for which they are relatively happy. It provides enormous benefits to consumers in terms of case and cost of transactions, either through internet, telephone or other electronic delivery channels. A new technology brings with it not only the potential for success, but also a never-ending series of questions regarding its design, its value to the user, its ultimate use and acceptability. Although there has been significant effort made to eliminate paper-based payment transactions, the basic way of handling payments by consumers has not changed. The study has been undertaken to evaluate the reaction of the customers towards the e-banking services. Research Objectives E-banking services provide smart replacement of traditional banking services and benefit both the bankers and the customers. But in Bangladesh, due to presence of some constrains, e-banking is not flourishing as it should do. The main objective of this research study is to find out the reaction of the customers towards the e-banking services. In this context, the specific objectives would be to observe – ? The types of e-banking facilities a bank, in this case IFIC Bank Ltd. , offers to its customers; ? The factors that satisfy the customers in receiving e-banking facilities offered by the bank; ? The constraints the customers face in adopting e-banking facilities; ? The expectations and recommendations of the customers towards e-banking services. Literature Review A. E-Banking in Bangladesh In Bangladesh, e-banking facilities are yet to be fully developed although some technology driven products and services have been in operation over the last few years. The existing technology driven products and services offered by the traditional banks are ATM services, debit card and credit card, transactions through POS terminals, inter-branch online transactions through individualized online closed network of individual bank, limited customer services provided through internet and membership of SWIFT allowing scheduled banks to conduct wireless transactions especially e-transactions. All these technology based products and services have obviously unlocked the way to step toward e-banking. Moreover, as a part of modernizing national payment and settlement system, Bangladesh Automated Clearing House (BACH) that includes Bangladesh Automated Cheque Processing System (BACPS), and Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network (BEFTN), is being implemented under the â€Å"Remittance and Payments Partnership† (RPP) project of the Bangladesh Bank funded by DFID-UK is expected to speed up the adoption of e-banking as well. E-banking at per international standard is yet to develop in Bangladesh. At present, several private commercial banks (PCBs) and foreign commercial banks (FCBs) offer limited services of telebanking, internet banking, and online banking facilities working within the branches of individual bank in a closed network environment. As a part of stepping towards e-banking, the FCBs have played the pioneering role with adoption of modern technology in retail banking during the early 1990s whereas the state-owned commercial banks (SCBs) and PCBs came forward with such services in a limited scale during the late 1990s. Moreover, the banking industry as a whole, except for the four specialized banks (SBs), rushed to offer technology based banking services during the middle of the current decade. Online Banking: Transactions in online banking are performed within closed network for which the customer use specialized software provided by the respective bank. International standard online banking facilities are expanding in Bangladesh. At present, 29 scheduled banks offer any branch banking facilities through their respective bank online network that provides facilities like transaction through any branch under the respective bank online network; payment against pay order or pay order encashment, demand draft encashment, opening or redemption of FDR from any branch of the same bank; remote fund transfer, cash withdrawal, cash deposit, account statement, clearing and balance enquiry within branches of the same bank; and L/C opening, loan repayment facility to and from any branch of respective bank under its own online network. Inter-bank transactions or transaction between inter bank branches are yet to expand. Under the modernization program of the National Payment and Settlement System, Bangladesh Automated Clearing House (which includes Bangladesh Automated Cheque Processing System and Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network) came into effect from September 2009 followed by implementation of online banking at per international standard in near future. Internet Banking: Internet banking refers to the use of internet as a remote delivery channel for banking services which permits the customer to conduct transactions from any terminal with access to the internet. It is the WWW through which banks can reach their customers directly with no intermediaries. Internet banking in true sense is still absent in Bangladesh. Only 7 out of 47 banks are providing some banking services via internet that include account balance enquiry, fund transfer among accounts of the same customer, opening or modifying term deposit account, cheque book or pay order request, exchange rate or interest rate enquiry, bills payment, account summary, account details, account activity, standing instructions, loan repayment, loan information, statement request, ,cheque status enquiry, stop payment cheque, refill prepaid card, password change, L/C application, bank guarantee application, lost card (debit/credit) reporting, pay credit card dues, view credit card statement, or check balance. The core banking activities like fund transfer to third party, cross border transactions and so on are still uncovered by internet banking offered by the scheduled banks in Bangladesh. Mobile Banking: Mobile banking (also known as M-banking or SMS banking) is a term used for performing balance checks, account transactions, payments etc. via a mobile device such as a mobile phone. Mobile banking is most often performed via SMS or the Mobile Internet but can also use special programs called clients downloaded to the mobile device. The standard package of activities that mobile banking covers are: mini-statements and checking of account history; alerts on account activity or passing of set thresholds; monitoring of term deposits; access to loan statements; access to card statements; mutual funds/equity statements; insurance policy management; pension plan management; status on cheque, stop payment on cheque; ordering check books; balance checking in the account; recent transactions; due date of payment (functionality for stop, change and deleting of payments); PIN provision, change of PIN and reminder over the internet; blocking of (lost/stolen) cards; domestic and international fund transfers; micro-payment handling; mobile recharging; commercial payment processing; bill payment processing; peer to peer payments; withdrawal at banking agent; and deposit at banking agent. Despite huge prospects, only a few banks adopted mobile banking in Bangladesh during the last year. Tele Banking: Tele banking refers to the services provided through phone that requires the customers to dial a particular telephone number to have access to an account which provides several options of services. Despite huge potential, telebanking services have not been widened enough in daily banking activities in Bangladesh. Only four banks so far provide a few options of telebanking services such as detail account information, balance inquiry, information about products or services, ATM card activation, cheque book related service, bills payment, credit card service and so on. Funds transfer between current, savings and credit card account, stock exchange transactions etc are still inaccessible through telebanking in Bangladesh. B. Prospects of e-Banking in Bangladesh E-banking is now a global phenomenon. Apart from the developed countries, the developing countries are experiencing strong growth in e-banking. The government’s emphasis on building a digital Bangladesh, setting up ICT park, raising allocation for developing ICT infrastructure, waiving taxes on computer peripherals and other measures including the automation program of banking sector led by the Bangladesh Bank and competition among the scheduled banks in improving customer services have accelerated the prospects of e-banking in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Bank is implementing the RPP project for modernizing national payment and settlement system. The BACH including BACPS and BEFTN has started functioning from September 2009 followed by the development of inter-bank online network. The project plans to go for real time gross settlement (RTGS) by 2012. It has been made mandatory for all head offices of the scheduled banks to be connected with Bangladesh Bank for satisfying BACH and BEFTN. These efforts would allow the scheduled banks to be connected to each other for conducting inter-bank online transactions in near future and this would smoothen the introduction of e-banking in Bangladesh. Internet services came to Bangladesh with connectivity in 1996. Digital telephone exchanges have been established in 389 upazilas and 17 growth centres. Work is underway to cover the rest of the upazilas under digital exchange system. Meanwhile, Bangladesh has joined the information super-highway by connecting itself with international submarine cable system in 2006. A total of 159 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have now been connected with this system of which 64 are actively providing services. Internet connection is slow with bandwidth range 32 kbps to 56 kbps for dial up and 64 kbps to 8 mbps for broadband. The establishment of internet exchange is under implementation. Encryption laws to accept electronic authentication of transactions has been enacted in 2006 and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has been legalized. Under this scenario, as a part of government decision of building digital Bangladesh, the existing capabilities of ICT sector is likely to increase rapidly in bringing all upazilas under internet services and this will contribute in widening the scope of e-banking throughout the country. Although all branches of FCBs and 99% branches of PCBs were computerized by December 2006, the average for all bank branches was 37% since only 4% and 16% of SBs and SCBs respectively were computerized. Out of a total of 6,565 branches in 2006, 2,426 were computerized of which 651 branches of 22 PCBs and 7 FCBs together were providing any-branch-banking facility under respective bank online network. During the period, the number of ATM booths and POS terminals stood at 478 and 4,647 respectively covering important merchant outlets in six divisional cities and some other important district towns in Bangladesh while 43 banks became the member of SWIFT and 25 banks adopted router connection. Since about 50% of total bank branches belong to SCBs spread throughout the country including the rural areas, ICT penetration is crucial for this category of banks. The recent corporatization of the NCBs, would influence the banks in this category to be competitive through improving their service quality incorporating the use of modern technology. Although all these are positive developments, more attention is needed to enhance ICT capabilities of the banking system especially the SCBs for successful implementation of e-banking all over the country. Although e-banking has bright prospects, it involves some financial risks as well. The major risk of e-banking includes operational risks (e. g. security risks, system design, implementation and maintenance risks); customer misuse of products and services risks; legal risks (e. g. without proper legal support, money laundering may be influenced); strategic risks; reputation risks (e. g. in case the bank fails to provide secure and trouble free e-banking services, this will cause reputation risk); credit risks; market risks; and liquidity risks. Therefore, identification of relevant risks, and formulation and implementation of proper risk mitigation policies and strategies are important for the scheduled banks while performing e-banking. In Bangladesh, despite huge demand from the business community as well as the retail customers particularly the urban customers, the expansion of e-banking is beset with several infrastructural, institutional, and regulatory constraints such as unavailability of a backbone network connecting the whole country; inadequacy of reliable and secure information infrastructure especially telecommunication infrastructure; sluggish ICT penetration in banking sector; insufficient legal and regulatory support for adopting e-banking and so on. In Bangladesh, telephone connectivity is inadequate, cost of PCs are still beyond purchasing capacity of most people, internet connection is costly, IT literacy is yet to reach satisfactory level, banking sector lacks skilled IT personnel, and huge investment requirement for establishing technology based banking services are prime drawbacks. Despite the constraints, efforts by the Bangladesh Bank in modernizing the country's payment system and commitment by the government in building ‘Digital Bangladesh’ have brought competition among the scheduled banks to improve banking services and rapidly adopt e-banking on a wider scale. Research Design Since the research is conducted to find out the factors that satisfy the customers towards e-banking, the constraints they face in adopting e-banking facilities and their expectations and recommendations towards e-banking, the research is particularly suited as an exploratory research. Data Collection Methods For the purpose of the study both primary and secondary data have been used. Primary data have been collected from the customers through depth interview with the help of a questionnaire, which is attached with this report in Appendix I. In case of secondary data, the data has been collected from the websites, brochures, annual reports, and manuals of IFIC Bank Ltd. Sample Design The target population for the study was all the customers of IFIC Bank Ltd. who receive e-banking services from the bank. Elephant Road Branch of IFIC Bank Ltd. is selected as the sampling unit. All the customers of the branch who have used e-banking services constituted the sampling frame. A sample size of 30 customers has been selected. The sample was selected using convenience sampling. Analysis Qualitative analysis of the facts found through depth interview of the customers and secondary data collected through other sources is done throughout the research. This qualitative analysis is totally a judgmental analysis of the researcher. Here, no quantitative analysis is done. To find out the reactions of the customers towards e-banking services it is tried to find out whether the customers use the e-banking services frequently; people of which occupation use the service frequently; if the customers are comfortable with using the e-banking services or not; if they are satisfied what factors make them satisfied; if the customers are facing constraints, what type of constraints they are facing; what the customers suggest to diversify away those constraints; and lastly what the customers expect more from the bank regarding e-banking services. Overview of IFIC Bank Ltd. International Finance Investment and Commerce Bank Limited (IFIC Bank) is a banking company incorporated in the People's Republic of Bangladesh with limited liability. It was set up at the instance of the Government in 1976 as a joint venture between the Government of Bangladesh and sponsors in the private sector with the objective of working as a finance company within the country and setting up joint venture banks/financial institutions abroad. The Government held 49 per cent shares and the rest 51 per cent were held by the sponsors and general public. In 1983 when the Government allowed banks in the private sector, IFIC was converted into a full-fledged commercial bank. The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh now holds 35% of the share capital of the Bank. Leading industrialists of the country having vast experience in the field of trade and commerce own 34% of the share capital and the rest is held by the general public. The Bank’s mission is to provide service to the clients with the help of a skilled and dedicated workforce whose creative talents, innovative actions and competitive edge make its position unique in giving quality service to all institutions and individuals. The bank is committed to the welfare and economic prosperity of the people and the community, for it drives from them the inspiration and drive for onward progress to prosperity. The bank wants to be the leader among banks in Bangladesh and make indelible mark as an active partner in regional banking operating beyond the national boundary. In an intensely competitive and complex financial and business environment, we particularly focus on growth and profitability of all concerned. Milestones in the development of IFIC BANK |1976 |Established as an Investment & Finance Company under arrangement of joint venture with the govt. of Bangladesh. | |1980 |Commenced operation in Foreign Exchange Business in a limited scale. | |1982 |Obtained permission from the Govt. to operate as a commercial bank. | |Set up a its first overseas joint venture (Bank of Maldives Limited) in the Republic of Maldives (IFIC's share in Bank | | |of Maldives Limited was subsequently sold to Maldives Govt. in 1992) | |1983 |Commenced operation as a full-fledged commercial bank in Bangladesh. | |1985 |Set up a joint venture Exchange Company in the Sultanate of Oman, titled Oman Bangladesh Exchange Company (subsequently| | |renamed as Oman International Exchange, LLC). | |1987 |Set up its first overseas branch in Pakistan at Karachi. | |1993 |Set up its second overseas branch in Pakistan at Lahore. |1994 |Set up its first joint venture in Nepal for banking operation, titled Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd. | |1999 |Set up its 2nd joint venture in Nepal for lease financing, titled Nepal Bangladesh Finance & leasing Co. Ltd. which was| | |merged with NBBL in 2007 | |2003 |Overseas Branches in Pakistan amalgamated with NDLC, to establish a joint venture bank: NDLC-IFIC Bank Ltd. , | | |subsequently renamed as NIB Bank Ltd. | |2005 |Acquired MISYS solution for real time on-line banking application. | | |Core Risk Management implemented. | |2006 |Corporate Branding introduced. | |Visa Principal and Plus (Issuer and Require) Program Participant Membership obtained. | |2008 |Observing 25th Anniversary of Customer Satisfaction. | |2009 |64 Branches offering Real Time On-line banking facility. | Services Offered by IFIC Bank Ltd. Corporate Banking IFIC Bank is providing a wide range of financial services, offering specialist advice and products to corporate clients to meet diverse demands of changing market scenario. Products and services for commercial and business customers include: Working Capital Finance, Project Finance, Term Finance, Trade Finance, Lease Finance, Syndication Loan etc. Retail Banking Retail Banking is mass-banking facility for individual customers to avail banking services directly from the wide branch network all over the country. The bank provides one-stop financial services to all individual customers through its innovative products & services to cater their need. With a view to provide faster and more convenient centralized online banking services, now, all its branches have been brought under the real time online banking system. IFIC Bank offers a wide variety of deposit products, loan product & value added services to suit the customer’s banking requirements. Products and services for individual customer include: Consumer Finance, Deposit Product, Card, NRB Account, Student File, SMS Banking etc. SME Banking The growth of Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) in terms of size and number has multiple effects on the national economy, specifically on employment generation, GDP growth, and poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. At present, Small & Medium Enterprise sector is playing a vital role in creation of new generation entrepreneurs and ‘Entrepreneurs Culture' in the country. Experience shows that borrowers of small enterprise sector prefers collateral free loan since normally they cannot offer high value security to cover the exposure. To facilitate SME sector of the country, IFIC Bank provides collateral free credit facilities to the small & medium entrepreneurs across the country whose access to traditional credit facilities are very limited. The bank is offering 15 different products for selected target groups, such as – Easy Commercial Loan, Retailers Loan, Muldhan Loan, Women Entrepreneur’s Loan (Protyasha), Transport Loan, Working Capital Loan, Project Loan, letter of Contractor's Loan, Bidder's Loan, Working Capital Loan, Project Loan, Letter of Guarantee, Letter of Credit Loan against Imported Merchandize (LIM), Loan against Trust Receipt etc. E-Banking Services Offered by IFIC Bank Ltd. Since the beginning of its journey as a commercial bank in 1983, IFIC Bank has been giving great emphasis on the adoption of modern technology. It became the pioneer in the field of automation by introducing computerized branch banking right in the same year. Subsequently, all the branches were brought under similar automated platforms with upgraded software applications to offer all the critical banking features. At present all 82 domestic branches are fully computerized under networked environment. The Bank has taken up a new project with Misys International Banking System Inc. (UK) to further upgrade its banking operation to state-of-art world class on-line banking solutions to provide faster and even more convenient centralized services to the clients. Besides, the Bank is also operating fully on-line Automated Teller Machine (ATM) services under the banner Q-Cash at a number of locations in Dhaka and Chittagong. The ATM facilities are available to the customers at Q-Cash booth. At present, there are five ATM booths of the bank. IFIC Bank Ltd. or achieving customer satisfaction and for surviving in this competitive market has concentrated on offering different types of e-banking services to its customers. Different e-banking services offered by the bank are fully online branch banking facilities, credit card, debit card, prepaid card, SMS banking facilities etc. IFIC Credit Card IFIC Bank VISA Credit Cards are issued in two types namely Gold and Classic for both local and international use. The Local Cards can be used at any ATM displaying VISA Logo for withdrawal of cash and at any POS displaying VISA Logo for purchase of goods & services within Bangladesh whereas the International Cards can be used at any ATM and POS displaying VISA logo anywhere in the world. International credit card is a dual currency card and as such one can use the same plastic at home & abroad. Classic cards are for lower limits and less costly. IFIC credit cardholders can enjoy 20 to 50 days interest free period depending on the date of transaction and the date of statement generation. Interest free period will not be allowed for cash advance. The customers can repay any amount not less than the minimum payment due within the due date and keep account regular to enjoy revolving credit facility. Customers can enjoy credit facility at lower interest rate of 2% per month. Customers can enjoy cash withdrawal facility up to 60% of the credit limit through ATMs. One can enjoy up to 100% of your credit limit through Bank POS from any branch of IFIC Bank Limited. First two supplementary cards are free. Customers can select any two from their near & dear persons and give them supplementary credit cards. They can also enjoy and share their credit limit. They can also allow specific limits for them within their credit limit. No interest will be calculated on the amount other than cash advance if the total billing amount is paid within the payment due date. In case of part payment or no payment, interest @2% per month will be applied from the date of transaction on daily product basis until the outstanding balance is fully paid. IFIC Debit Card IFIC Bank VISA Debit Card can be used at any ATM displaying VISA Logo for withdrawal of cash and at any POS displaying VISA Logo for purchase of goods & services within Bangladesh. ATM transactions are to be secured by Personal Identification Number (PIN) known by the concerned customer only. POS transactions will not require PIN. However, all the transactions are to be authorized by the system electronically. IFIC debit card is issued against any individual savings/ current account maintained with any branch of IFIC Bank Limited. The designated savings/current account can be operated by using the debit card without using cheques any time. The customers are not required to pay any charge for transactions at Merchant Point of Sale (POS) for purchasing goods and services. For cash withdrawal from ATM/Branches, a little charge may be applied. No interest will be calculated on cash withdrawal or purchases. No minimum amount due and no hassle of payment of monthly bills. IFIC Prepaid Card IFIC Bank VISA Prepaid Card can be used at any ATM displaying VISA Logo for withdrawal of cash and at any POS displaying VISA Logo for purchase of goods & services within Bangladesh. ATM transactions are to be secured by Personal Identification Number (PIN) known by the concerned customer only. POS transactions will not require PIN. However, all the transactions are to be authorized by the system electronically. Prepaid card is safer than carrying cash and more convenient than writing cheques. IFIC Prepaid card is issued by the branches instantly on filling-up the Application Form and making initial deposit. There is no need to have any account with the Bank. Prepaid card are suitable for the customers who does not maintain any account with IFIC. No interest will be calculated on cash withdrawal or purchases. No minimum amount due and no hassle of payment of monthly bills. Bank POS are available at all the branches of the Bank. Any IFIC Card Holder can withdraw cash from any branch of IFIC Bank Ltd. through Bank POS. Credit Card Holders can withdraw cash up to 100% of their credit limit. SMS Banking IFIC Bank Ltd. atered the demand of time in the era of modern banking technology through SMS Banking Service. It is indeed a fast, secure, convenient, economical and quickest way of banking. The service is available round the clock seven days a week. Customers can check their balance, account inf ormation, or even get your mini account statements through IFIC SMS Banking Service by using their mobile phones. Services available by SMS banking are as follows: Account Service ? Balance Enquiry ? Mini Statement Request (Last 5 Transactions) ? Foreign exchange Rate enquiry ? Fixed Deposit Rate enquiry ? Interest Rate enquiry ? Branch Location enquiry ? PIN Change ? Bank Product Information ? Greetings Loan Installment Notification (overdue) ? Any other Massage Card Services ? Current Outstanding Balance ? Mini Statement Request ( Last 5 Transactions) ? Minimum Payment Due ? Payment Due Date ? Payment Due Alert ? Transaction Notification Analysis The concept of e-banking includes all types of banking activities performed through electronic networks. In Bangladesh, despite huge demand e-banking is not flourishing as it should do. On the other hand, customer satisfaction is required for the banking sector to raise profitability, business growth and success. Customer perception is ve ry important to add value of the banking services and products. Through this study it is tried to find out whether the customers are appreciating the e-banking services offered to them or not; factors that satisfy them in receiving e-banking services from banks; the constraints they face regarding this matter and what they expect from the banks regarding e-banking services. For conducting the research, data from both primary and secondary sources are collected. Primary data are collected by doing depth interview of the customers with the help of a questionnaire, which is given in the Appendix I. This research study is based on the case study on IFIC Bank Ltd. The sampling unit is the Elephant Road branch of the bank and 30 regular customers of the branch are used as sample for conducting the research. To find out the reactions of the customers towards e-banking services it is tried to find out whether the customers use the e-banking services frequently; people of which occupation use the service frequently; if the customers are comfortable with using the e-banking services or not; if they are satisfied what factors make them satisfied; if the customers are facing constraints, what type of constraints they are facing; what the customers suggest to diversify away those constraints; and lastly what the customers expect more from the bank regarding e-banking services. The research is an explorative research. That is why only qualitative research has been done on the facts found through depth interview and on the basis of secondary data collected. Nature of Respondents The research is conducted based on the opinion of 30 regular customers of IFIC bank Ltd. , Elephant Road branch. Of the respondents 4 customers are businessman, 15 are service holders, 4 are students, 5 are housewives, 1 is teacher and 1 is a retired banker. Among the respondents, 11 respondents are female and the rest of them are male. Types of E-banking Services Used by the Respondents IFIC Bank mainly provides 5 kinds of e-banking services, namely, online transaction, debit card, credit card, prepaid card, SMS banking service. Other than these ATM booths and POS terminals of the bank or other ones having VISA logo provides e-banking services to the customers. Among the respondents, all of them use online transactions; 23 customers use debit cards; 10 customers use credit cards; 11 customers use SMS banking facilities. Among the customers no one uses prepaid card service. Frequency of Usage of E-banking Services by the Respondents Among the respondents, 9 customers use e-banking services highly frequently; 13 of them use with medium frequency and 8 of them use with low frequency. Businessmen and some of the service holders use e-banking services highly frequently. Some service holders and students use with medium frequency and lastly rest of the service holders and housewives, generally, use with low frequency. Factors Satisfied the Customers regarding E-banking Services IFIC Bank has started offering e-banking services to its customers only recently, which is not more than 2 years. So the customers, who do regular transactions in the bank, are very satisfied with the type of e-banking services they are receiving from the bank. All the customers of the bank can enjoy online banking facilities. Even two years before there was branch banking system. So, the customers had to go to branch to branch for their transaction making purposes. But now, with the introduction of online banking, they can do their transactions from any branch in Bangladesh without any encumbrance. Recently, all the 82 branches of the bank are providing online banking services to the customers. So, the customers are feeling it convenient to uses e-banking services. Usage of debit and credit cards has made customers life easy. People do not have to go to branches to withdraw money. Rather they can use the ATM booths of the bank or other ones showing VISA logo and withdraw money. They can also check their account balances and get mini statements of their accounts using ATM booth. Customers can use POS terminals showing VISA logo to purchase goods and services and pay bills. SMS banking also has made customers life easy. They can use their mobile phones for balance checking, getting any kind of relevant enquiries or for making relevant requests. So, the customers are feeling it is easy to use e-banking services as it saves a lot of time and cost. Some customers feel it is safe to use e-banking facilities. A lots of paperwork and manual work has been eliminated with the introduction of e-banking services, which reduces the chance of errors. According to above analysis, it is found that the factors for which customers are satisfied with e-banking service are convenience, availability of quick services, easy services and safety. Constraints Faced by the Customers Many of the respondents have said that they are facing constraints using e-banking services offered by IFIC bank. Some customers say that they cannot depend on the e-banking services, like debit cards, credit cards. They have the fear of security. They have some misconceptions regarding these services. They say that, it would be easier for others to do fraudulent activities with their accounts or cards if they use them. For this reason, some customers do not use these services although they bear the cards. Some customers have lack of awareness regarding the benefit of e-banking services. They are not aware of safety, easiness and benefit of using e-banking services. Some customers have lack of dependency on e-banking services. They rather feel it safe to do TT rather than doing online transactions. They do not understand the speediness of using e-banking services and like traditional and manual work. Some customers find it costly using e-banking services. Cost of using debit cards and credit cards are very high according to them. Again, the bank has only 5 ATM booths of its own and POS terminals are available only in the branches, which does not bear extra cost, but they are only few in number. Other organizations’ ATM booths and POS terminals cost extra charges which the customers do not like to bear. According to above discussion, it is found that the constraints the customers face are fear of security, lack of awareness, lack of dependency, and cost. Expectations and Recommendations of the Customers Regarding E-banking Services According to the customers, the expectations from the bank and recommendations for the bank are as follows: ? The bank should install more ATM booths of its own to different locations to make it available, easy, convenient and less costly for the customers to use the facilities. ? The bank should have some programs to create awareness and increase dependency about the products they offer to customers. The bank can distribute brochures, leaflets to its customers informing them about advantages of using the services. The bank can also send letters to the customers informing about the products. Some customers have requested that it would be better if the letters are sent in Bangla rather than in English. ? As some customers think that using e-banking services are costly for them, the bank may reduce the cost of these services or may give some discounts. ? The bank should concentrate more on the safety of the services. ? The bank should do more advertisement about their products. Some customers are not even aware about the SMS banking service and the prepaid card service is offered by the bank. ? The bankers should be more helpful in making the customers aware and understand about the new e-banking services offered by the bank. Conclusion Customer satisfaction is required for the banking sector to raise profitability, business growth and success. Customer perception is very important to add value of the banking services and products. E-banking is the waves of the future. It can provide speedier, faster, reliable services to the customers for which they are relatively happy. It provides enormous benefits to consumers in terms of case and cost of transactions, either through internet, telephone or other electronic delivery channels. A new technology brings with it not only the potential for success, but also a never-ending series of questions regarding its design, its value to the user, its ultimate use and acceptability. The research has been undertaken to evaluate the reaction of the customers towards the e-banking services. The research was an exploratory research. Qualitative analysis of the data collected from both primary and secondary sources are done. Primary data was collected by doing depth interview of the customers of Elephant Road branch IFIC Bank Ltd. Sample size was 30. According to the analysis the factors for which make customers satisfied with e-banking service are convenience, availability of quick services, easy services and safety. The constraints the customers face from receiving e-banking services from the bank are fear of security, lack of awareness, lack of dependency, and high cost. The customers expect that the bank should be more careful and concentrate on informing the information about the newly launched products to its customers to increase awareness and dependency on those products. The bank should make the services more convenient to the customers. And it should also take care of the security matters of the customers. ———————– Target Population: All the customers of IFIC Bank Ltd. who use e-banking services offered by the bank Sampling Unit: Elephant Road branch of IFIC Bank ltd. Sampling Frame: Name of all the customers of the branch who have used e-banking services Sample Size: 30 Sampling Technique: Convenience Sampling Exhibit 1: Sample Design