Population Figures for the Dynasties of Ancient China

As of 2016, the population of China was 1.38 billion people. That phenomenal number is matched by enormous early population figures. Censuses were taken as a rule by ancient rulers beginning in the Zhou Dynasty, but what the rulers were counting is somewhat in doubt. Some censuses refer to the number of persons as mouths and the number of households as doors. But, conflicting figures are given for the same dates and its possible that the numbers refer not to the total population, but taxpayers, or people who were available for either military or corvee labor duties. By the Qing Dynasty, the government was using a ting or tax unit to count in the census, which is based on a head count of population and more on the ability of the population to support the elites. Xia Dynasty 2070–1600 BCE The Xia dynasty is the first known dynasty in China, but even its existence is doubted by some scholars in China and elsewhere. The first census was said by Han dynasty historians to have been taken by Yu the Great in about 2000 BCE, with a total of 13,553,923 people or possibly households. Further, the figures are likely Han Dynasty propaganda Shang Dynasty 1600–1100 BCE No surviving censuses. Zhou Dynasty 1027–221 BCE Censuses became normal instruments of public administration, and several rulers ordered them at regular intervals, but the statistics are somewhat in doubt 1000 BCE: 13,714,923 persons680 BCE: 11,841,923 persons Qin Dynasty 221–206 BCE The Qin Dynasty was the first time China was unified under a centralized government. With the ending of wars, iron implements, farming techniques, and irrigation were developed. No surviving censuses. Han Dynasty 206 BCE–220 CE About the turn of the Common Era, population censuses in China became statistically useful for the entire united mainland. By 2 CE, censuses were taken and recorded on occasion. Western Han 2 CE: persons per household: 4.9Eastern Han 57–156 CE, persons per household: 4.9–5.82 CE: 59,594,978 persons, 12,233,062 households156 CE: 56,486,856 persons, 10,677,960 households Six Dynasties (Period of Disunity) 220–589 CE Liu Sung State, 464 CE, 5.3 million persons, 900,000 households Sui Dynasty 581–618 CE 606 CE: persons per household 5.2, 46,019,956 persons, 8,907,536 households Tang Dynasty 618–907 CE 634–643 CE: 12,000,000 persons, 2,992,779 households707–755 CE: persons per household 5.7-6.0754 CE: 52,880,488 persons, 7,662,800 tax payers755 CE: 52,919,309 persons, 8,208,321 tax payers845 CE: 4,955,151 households Five Dynasties 907–960 CE After the fall of the Tang dynasty, China was split into several states and consistent population data for the entire county is not available. Song Dynasty 960–1279 CE 1006–1223 CE: persons per household 1.4-2.61006 CE: 15,280,254 persons, 7,417,507 households1063 CE: 26,421,651 persons, 12,462,310 households1103 CE: 45,981,845 persons, 20,524,065 households1160 CE: 19,229,008 persons, 11,575,753 households1223 CE: 28,320,085 persons, 12,670,801 households Yuan Dynasty 1271–1368 CE 1290-1292 CE: persons per household 4.5-4.61290 CE: 58,834,711 persons, 13,196,206 households1330 CE: 13,400,699 households Ming Dynasty 1368–1644 CE 1381–1626 CE: persons per household 4.8-7.11381 CE: 59,873305 persons, 10,654,362 households1450 CE: 53,403,954 persons, 9,588,234 households1520 CE: 60,606,220 persons, 9,399,979 households1620–1626 CE: 51,655,459 persons, 9,835,416 households Qing Dynasty 1655–1911 CE In 1740, the Qing dynasty emperor ordered that population statistics be compiled annually, a system known as pao-chia, which required each household to keep a tablet by their door with a list of all the members of the household. Later those tablets were kept in regional offices. 1751 CE: 207 million persons1781 CE: 270 million persons1791 CE: 294 million persons1811 CE: 347 million persons1821 CE: 344 million persons1831 CE: 383 million persons1841 CE: 400 million persons1851 CE: 417 million persons Sources Duan C-Q, Gan X-C, Jeanny W, and Chien PK. 1998. Relocation of Civilization Centers in Ancient China: Environmental Factors. Ambio 27(7):572-575.Durand JD. 1960. The Population Statistics of China, A.D. 2-1953. Population Studies 13(3):209-256.

The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay - 1415 Words

â€Å"The happiness of the wicked passes away like a torrent!† This quote from Jean Baptiste Racin summarizes The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in one sentence. The novel’s main focus is on three main characters and how the sins they commit affect their lives in the strict Puritan town of Boston around the year 1642. Hawthorne was very knowledgeable of his Puritan ancestry and shows it by incorporating some important thoughts and traditions into this story about sin and confession. Throughout the novel, the physical, social, mental and emotional changes that result from sin in the lives of the characters are never positive and the outcome of their spiritual battles are not always good; but the author makes it perfectly clear to us that concealing sin is not wise. Hawthorne begins the first chapter of the novel with Hester’s punishment. She had committed adultery, a crime that the Puritans often punished by death. She was sentenced to stand on the scaffold, a symbol of shame, for three hours in front of the whole town and to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† (meaning Adultery) for the rest of her life. She stayed loyal to her new partner and refused to expose his identity. Although she is not justified, Hester did not commit the greatest sin in the novel. Hers was a crime of passion and love, not premeditated or intended to hurt others. The sin in her actions was that her desire was of more importance to her than the Puritan moral code. This is proven when Hester says toShow MoreRelatedThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1242 Words   |  5 PagesLYS PAUL Modern Literature Ms. Gordon The Scarlet Letter The scarlet letter is book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne who is known as one the most studied writers because of his use of allegory and symbolism. He was born on July 4, 1804 in the family of Nathaniel, his father, and Elizabeth Clark Hathorne his mother. Nathaniel added â€Å"W† to his name to distance himself from the side of the family. His father Nathaniel, was a sea captain, and died in 1808 with a yellow fever while at sea. That was aRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne960 Words   |  4 Pages3H 13 August 2014 The novel, The Scarlet Letter, was written by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne and was published in 1850 (1). It is a story about the Puritan settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, set around 1650 (2). The story is written in the third person with the narrator being the author. The common thread that runs through this novel is Hawthorne’s apparent understanding of the beliefs and culture of the Puritans in America at that time. But Hawthorne is writing about events in a societyRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne919 Words   |  4 Pagessymbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†. Symbolism is when an object is used in place of a different object. Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most symbolic writers in all of American history. In â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, the letter â€Å"A† is used to symbolize a variety of different concepts. The three major symbolistic ideas that the letter â€Å"A† represents in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† are; shame, guilt, and ability. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, the firstRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1397 Words   |  6 PagesFebruary 2016 The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 which is based on the time frame of the Puritans, a religious group who arrived in Massachusetts in the 1630’s. The Puritans were in a religious period that was known for the strict social norms in which lead to the intolerance of different lifestyles. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the puritan’s strict lifestyles to relate to the universal issues among us. The time frame of the puritans resulted in Hawthorne eventually thinkingRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne999 Words   |  4 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne is the author of the prodigious book entitled The Scarlet Letter. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits adultery with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, soon finds out about the incident after it becomes clear that she is pregnant. The whole town finds out and Hester is tried and punished. Meanwhile, Roger Chillingworth goes out then on a mission to get revenge by becoming a doctor and misprescribing Dimmesdale. He does this to torture DimmesdaleRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne1037 Words   |  5 Pagesthat human nature knows right from wrong, but is naturally evil and that no man is entirely â€Å"good†. Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the classic novel The Scarlet Letter, believes that every man is innately good and Hawthorne shows that everyone has a natural good side by Hester’s complex character, Chillingworth’s actions and Dimmesdale’s selfless personality. At the beginning of the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is labeled as the â€Å"bad guy†. The townspeople demand the other adulterer’s name, butRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1517 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne composes Pearl as a powerful character even though she is not the main one. Her actions not only represent what she is as a person, but what other characters are and what their actions are. Hawthorne makes Pearl the character that helps readers understand what the other characters are. She fits perfectly into every scene she is mentioned in because of the way her identity and personality is. Pearl grows throughout the book, which in the end, help the readers better understandRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1488 Words   |  6 Pages In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, the main character, Hester Prynne, is a true contemporary of the modern era, being cast into 17th century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts. The Scarlet Letter is a revolutionary novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne examining the ugliness, complexity, and strength of the human spirit and character that shares new ideas about independence and the struggles women faced in 17th century America. Throughout the novel, Hester’s refusal to remove the scarlet letterRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1319 Words   |  6 PagesPrynne and Arthur Dimmesdale are subject to this very notion in Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter. Hester simply accepted that what she had done was wrong, whereas Dimmesdale, being a man of high regard, did not want to accept the reality of what he did. 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Schools Should Ask Students to Evaluate Their Teachers Free Essays

Schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. There are with no doubt a lot of good and experienced teachers, but in my opinion there are also a lot that do not belong in the classroom. Schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers in order to avoid choosing bad and inexperienced teachers, in order to learn what students like and dislike about the teaching methods and to make them feel more valuable for the school. We will write a custom essay sample on Schools Should Ask Students to Evaluate Their Teachers or any similar topic only for you Order Now First of all, a good teacher should have enough educational experience, he should know how to make himself understood, he should treat his students with respect, he should be helpful and concerned. A lot of teachers don’t have these qualities. If teachers are evaluated by their students and their opinions are really taken serious, I think that this problem would be if not entirely removed then at least reduced. Teachers play an important role in student’s lives and they should be very carefully chosen. Second of all, the quality of teaching is also very important and it is something that the administration of school cannot accurately estimate. Students should be able to grade and evaluate the teaching methods in class. They observe teachers’ work every day and can say what is easy or difficult for them, which activities they enjoy the most or what kind of exams they prefer. In addition to this, knowing that their opinions matter would make students feel more valuable for the school and less controlled by the teachers. Students would feel better and more confident if they know that they are not the only ones that are going to be grated at the end of the year. Moreover, evaluating teachers is good for the students because is teaches them honesty and responsibility. To sum up, I think that evaluating teachers by students would be very useful for the whole educational system. It helps choosing the right teachers, the right teaching methods and it is beneficial for the students themselves. How to cite Schools Should Ask Students to Evaluate Their Teachers, Essay examples

Reflection on Differences in Media

Question: Discuss about theReflection on Differences in Media. Answer: Introduction: Australia is a land of cultural diversity. The Australian identity is a product of its geography and history. The continent saw a predominance of European colonialism in the past. Hence one would find a multitude of culture in Australia (Hughey 2013). In the modern technological world, television plays a vital role in the process of multiculturalism. Today, humans live in a world which is largely dependent on media. It is the media which plays a pivotal part in manifesting cultural differences. In the present scenario, television channels exhibit the sense of identity, development of ideology, and cultural understanding of an individual and the society as a whole. In the world of globalization, one would find the cultural barriers breaking. Despite being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, I found cultural differences. People develop their notion of society on their understanding and consumption of popular culture. Popular media here plays a significant part in conveying such messages. This spread of culture may prove to be both advantageous and disadvantageous. While television may act as a vehicle for the development of national culture and politics, it may also subvert and challenge them (Moran et al. 2014). Though the portrayal of actors from different cultural backgrounds has improved over the past few years, representation of cultural differences in commercial television channels persist. For instance, I found an indigent representation of Aboriginals. In fact, Aboriginal actors are hardly seen in television channels. They are not given sustaining roles (Griffiths 2013). The cultural differences in commercial channels are represented through food, clothing, language, rule, and laws. If one watches an Australian drama or a comedy series, one may come across the differences. For instance, a program set in Sydney or Melbourne appears to have a setting of a different universe altogether. The scenes look unreal. One cannot identify with the actual place. There is a constant lack of diversity. It seems that a mass migration never happened in the past. Various ethnic foods like Pad That, Kebabs, and dumplings feature in television. But one can only find the whites having them. The Aboriginal Australian is never portrayed. Moreover, there is a shallow portrayal of the original mainstream Australia. Set in Melbourne, one of the most culturally diversified city in the world, the popular ABC miniseries, The Beautiful Lie, has no non-white characters (ABC Television, 2016). All the characters were white. The TV shows Here Come the Habibs, and The Family Law are the greatest examples of the awkward portrayal of diversity and race by media. The director of the show, The Family Law claims that that the series is about race. But when I looked deeply, I found that the slapstick humor is derived from the hilarious situations in which the characters find themselves. The humor and tension in the show do not come from the ethnicity of the characters (Programs, 2016). Dominant discourse is defined as the written, spoken, and behavioral expectations that are shared within a cultural group. In fact, discourse is a way of talking about a subject. It comprises meanings that are understood by people of a particular culture. A language is a powerful tool which can empower as well as disempower differences. The television programs highlight the privileges that one can get due to the whiteness of ones skin. This is indicative of the dominance that the whites have over the indigenous Australians in the society. It is essential to decentre whiteness and recognize ontological and epistemological assumptions that are invisible and deeply embedded. It is often seen that the Australian society is portrayed in the Anglo way (Hughey 2013). It is imperative to cast actors correctly to ameliorate cultural differences. Laws such as the Broadcasting Act can contribute a lot in constructing and fostering a sense of national identity. The perception of individuals in s ociety changes through television programs. In fact, they play a pivotal role in shaping and defining the culture of a country or society. Hence, it is of utmost importance to portray the culture and identity of an ethnic group or race in a proper way. Television castings have greater and wider implications on the people in society. Television, in fact, acts as an agent of successful socialization. Thus, television programs create a sense and an understanding of dominant ideologies, national and cultural identity, and knowledge of the particular culture. Television acts as a vehicle to transmit knowledge at different levels. It is a great contributor to the development of national and political identity through current affairs, news. Through infotainment, drama, and documentary, television creates a cultural identity and thus hold the power to eliminate differences (Van Dijck and Poel 2015). Cultural diversity is helpful in creating social coherence. The television broadcasting sector of Australia must strive towards presenting the actual Aboriginal culture of Australia. A lack of opportunity for ethnically diverse Australian groups would create angst and dissatisfaction among the people. Inclusiveness of cultural diversity would promote the voices which were previously not heard. Cultural diversity means giving value to the alternative voices. The egalitarian spirit of portraying diverse culture must make its way to the television screen (Dixson 2015). Then only can it percolate into the society. Inclusiveness must find its way to the mainstream channels. State-funded broadcasters like the ABC and the SBS must broadcast more shows like the Legally Brown and Black Comedy. Legally Brown is a show based on a sketch comedy by Nazeem Hussain. It focuses on the perception that whites have of the people of color (YouTube, 2016). On the other hand, Black Comedy is a show develo ped and performed by Indigenous Australians. Both the shows are widely different from what is shown to audiences on prime time television screens by commercial networks (ABC Television, 2016). The other is given a voice in these niche programs. The Australians are unaccustomed to hear such voices with so much of assertiveness. This makes the shows confronting. Media platforms must support such views and present them before the Australian audience more regularly and more efficiently. Moreover, they must be aired at prime time so that the shows can reach a wider audience and create a greater impact. Such television programs are a great opportunity for the indigenous Australians who are otherwise not given any chance to show their creative skills and enhance their talent. I feel that the strategy of cultural inclusiveness would support the voices and needs of people from myriad cultures. It would give value to the unique contribution that the Aborigines make in society. Awareness, compromise, and negotiations must be inculcated to add to the value of the indigenous Australians. The society must support people from diverse cultures. This would help in a better understanding of social, academic, and administrative culture. Mostly, it is essential to regard cross-cultural and multicultural interaction for it is an opportunity for everyone to learn. The interaction between the whites and the colored people would enhance communication in society as well. It would reduce and close the gap in society and further help the Aborigines to live life with a better experience. Giving voice to the other' and centralizing them in the society would reduce the unemployment rates thereby improving their mental and physical health conditions. The colored Australians woul d be able to educate their children and thus create better employment opportunities for the generations yet to come (Ng and Metz 2015). The media is a crucial vehicle that can make a positive impact on the people in society. It can contribute a lot to fight against ethnic and racial discrimination, and against intolerance as media can foster within people a culture of understanding between different cultural, religious, and ethnic groups. Television channels and media are a medium to implement the freedom of expression. Television channels like SBS and NITV can conduct chat shows. Reporting facts and incidents appropriately and sensitively would contribute a lot to reduce tension between groups and communities of different ethnic and racial groups. Documentaries on channels like SBS must be broadcast. For instance, the documentary Immigration Nation talks about various immigration stories of people. Showrunners thus play a significant role in creating diversity. This would, in turn, promote cultural diversity as such media outlets would develop communication, address differences, increase choices, and provide an oppo rtunity to express multicultural dialogues. Individuals and representatives must be given the opportunity to voice their ideas, culture, and knowledge in their language (Dixson 2015). Television programs must provide subtitles for ethnic programs so that everyone can enjoy and get a scope for appreciation. It would also lead to the development of the Australian society. The government must make special provisions to present multicultural minority programs. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure a fair presentation of a group or race. Programs must reflect the countrys cultural diversity instead of portraying just a section of society. Channels must conduct independent reviews of the practices in media. Strategies and policies must be developed to cope up with the existing issues. A deeper understanding of multiculturalism would surely help people to accept the cultural diversity that exists within the nation. References ABC Television. 2016.Black Comedy. [online] Available at https://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/black-comedy/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. ABC Television. 2016.The Beautiful Lie. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/beautiful-lie/ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. Biddle, N. and Swee, H., 2012. The relationship between wellbeing and Indigenous land, language and culture in Australia.Australian Geographer,43(3), pp.215-232. Dixson, M., 2015. Identity in Australia: Issues and Strategies for the Early to Mid Twenty-First Century.Australian Studies,8. Griffiths, A., 2013.Wondrous difference: Cinema, anthropology, and turn-of-the-century visual culture. Columbia University Press. Hughey, M.W., 2013. Whiteness And Social Change: Remnant Colonialisms And White Civility In Australia And Canada. Ethnic and Racial Studies,36(6), pp.1110-1110. Jacobs, K., 2016.Experience and representation: contemporary perspectives on migration in Australia.Routledge. Moran, R.T., Abramson, N.R. and Moran, S.V., 2014.Managing cultural differences. Routledge. Ng, E.S. and Metz, I., 2015. Multiculturalism as a strategy for national competitiveness: The case for Canada and Australia.Journal of Business Ethics,128(2), pp.253-266. Programs. 2016.Watch The Family Law, based on the best-selling book by Benjamin Law. [online] Available at: https://www.sbs.com.au/programs/the-family-law [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. Spencer, S., 2014.Race and ethnicity: Culture, identity and representation. Routledge. Van Dijck, J. and Poell, T., 2015. Making public television social? Public service broadcasting and the challenges of social media.Television New Media,16(2), pp.148-164. YouTube. 2016.Channel Nine - Here Come The Habibs Promo (2016). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZr7gMG13wQ [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016]. YouTube. 2016.Legally Brown. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/user/legallybrownsbs [Accessed 7 Sep. 2016].

Critical Evaluation of Self, God and Other Philosophical Phenomena

I am aware that I am a mortal being that exists in a constantly changing world alongside other beings. The fact that I am human differentiates me from other non human beings though there are some aspects that we share. I exhibit noesis; a capacity to sense what goes around me, hence understand what is going on in my surroundings.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Evaluation of Self, God and Other Philosophical Phenomena specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is through his faculty that I am able to be conscious of all forms, tangible or intangible that I come across. Perception and reasoning allows me to have a world view (weltanschauung) which is apparent in my syntactic association with all things that I perceive. I pursue eudemonia after considering what is right or wrong, good or evil (ethics). I consider God to be an all knowing, omnipresent, and omnipotent being who is perfect and unlike us, does not change. This view of God is not so divergent from the one held by Plato who considered God to be intangible and impersonal. I believe that God is orderly and I therefore attribute the order that is prevalent in the world to his power. It is the same power, in my view, that brought the universe in to being from the void that existed before then. This view concurs with the one held by Plato as he was against negative depiction of God; he postulated that God was pious and divine. In my view, evil comes from the devil’s manipulation of man. Devil takes advantage of imperfections of man and drives a wedge between him and God resulting to his disgrace. Probably this implies that God is to some extent responsible for presence of evil since he is the one who configured man with his imperfections and fails to reign in the devil who manipulates man Questions Epistemology-What do I know? Epistemology is concerned with what knowledge is, how it is structured, its characteristics , frontiers and how it is acquired. I seek knowledge continuously through for instance personal inquiry, practice and education.Advertising Looking for critical writing on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Logic-What is a valid argument? An argument becomes valid if its conclusion is logically derived from true premises. Metaphysics-What is reality? It is concerned with the basic character or nature of being. Things are not always what they seem to be; some appearances may be deceptive while some may end up being real while they are thought to be invalid. Ontology-Who am I? / What am I? I am a human being. A human being is a mortal being that exists, has an intellect and uses his wisdom to try and overcome limitations that characterize him. Axiology-What is good value?Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Critical Evaluation of Self, God and Other Philosophical Phenomena specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Value is the worth that is assigned to an object or phenomena. Something is said to be of good value if it exhibits harmony and beauty or has been arrived at through the right way. Ethics-What is the aim of life? Ethics is concerned with morality in life; a distinction between good from evil, right from wrong and vice from virtue. While living, human beings concern themselves with doing what is just, good and right. This critical writing on Critical Evaluation of Self, God and Other Philosophical Phenomena was written and submitted by user J1ll1an to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Can We Handle Euthanasia essays

Can We Handle Euthanasia essays Euthanasia, though seen by many as murder, is nothing more than a way to help people who are in pain put an end to their times of sorrow and agony. The word Euthanasia originated from the Greek language: Eu means good and Thanatos means death. The meaning of the word is the intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies (Robinson). This definition explains exactly what euthanasia should be, but there are still many meanings and types of euthanasia. Passive euthanasia is hastening the death of a person by altering some form of support and letting nature take its course (Robinson). Passive euthanasia would be removing life support equipment or stopping medication. Another form of euthanasia is active euthanasia, which involves causing the death of a person through a direct action, in response to a request from that person (Robinson). An excellent example of active euthanasia would be the well-known mercy killing by Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Involun tary euthanasia is a term used to describe the killing of a person who has not explicitly requested aid in dying (Robinson). Involuntary euthanasia is most often used for patients who are in a persistent vegetative state and will never recover consciousness. One other form of euthanasia is Physician Assisted Suicide where a physician supplies information and/or the means of committing suicide to a person so they can easily terminate their own life (Robinson). There is only a difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide in some countries. In the United States they seem to mean the same thing. Assisted suicide is generally seen as both voluntary euthanasia and involuntary euthanasia. In Holland however, there is a difference. Euthanasia is used without sinister overtones to describe a doctor hastening the death of a terminally ill patient by administering a fatal dose of m...

Leadership Homework questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leadership Homework questions - Coursework Example o the shared identity of the given company; being a leadership model for followers that motivates them; challenging admirers to assume greater ownership of their work, as well as understanding the weaknesses and strengths of followers, so as to enable the leader to support followers with roles that maximize their performance (Dubrin, 2013). Charismatic leadership on the other hand provides guidance to an organization by one or more persons viewed as inspiring or heroic and who have thus been given the power in the organization to implement drastic changes in addition to extracting exceptional performance levels from the organization’s staff. For instance, a business manager filled with charismatic traits could be enlisted to launch a new product or engineer a turnaround. Most of history’s most successful leaders have been described as charismatic. Charismatic leaders fundamentally are extremely skilled communicators-persons who are not only verbally eloquent, but also capable of communicating to admirers on an emotional, deep level. These leaders by virtue of their charisma are capable of articulating a captivating or compelling vision, in addition to being able to arouse strong passions in their followers (Dubrin, 2013). Emotional intelligence (EI) may be defined as the capability to perceive, control as well as evaluate emotions. There are some researchers who, however, believe that EI can be learned as well as strengthened, whereas others are of the opinion that it is an innate trait. John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey since 1990 have been the key researchers on EI. These two researchers proposed a model that recognized 4 different factors of EI; emotion perception, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions and managing emotions. Perceiving emotions accurately is the first stage in understanding of emotions. It comprises of understanding non-verbal gestures like facial generations and body language. Reasoning with emotions is the next step and comprises

Fair trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fair trade - Essay Example World trade has been increasing at an average rate of six percent for the last 20 years, which is twice the rate of world output. The integration of the world economy with the help of trade has lifted the living standards of the people within these developing nations, which is a positive sign. Sustained and consistent economic growth requires policies that can open trade and investment with the rest of the world. There is proof to it and it is that there has not been a single nation that has achieved economic stability without being open to the world for trade. International trade requires liberalization, i.e., openness to all and sundry within the world no matter what. The living standards are in direct proportion with them. There is a high need to promote and liberalize the manner in which trade is carried out within the world economy. It needs to be more generous to everyone and anyone as well as helpful for the developing nations so that more and more trade is carried out between the economic world markets. (Miles, 2006) Agriculture is one such example of being more liberal for the international trade market. Liberalization by both industrial and developing nations is necessary to realize trade’s potential that acts as a driving force for economic growth and de velopment. It is up to the industrial and developed nations to be more broadminded towards the developing ones so that trade barriers are removed in the wake of open trade between all the countries listed in the economic world. Fair trade is a social movement which is organized in nature and it basically presents a model which is accepted worldwide. It comes directly under the norms of the international trade regimes whereby it promotes payment of a fair price in accordance with the social and environmental standards in different areas of production related with goods and supplies. Fair trade has the emphasis on exporting goods and

Financial Decision Taking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Financial Decision Taking - Essay Example The TMO is also a service-oriented firm with limited resources, such that a well-taken financial decision is critical to its organizational integrity. This essay is structured such that the succeeding sections consist of an assessment, a lineup of conceptual models, a critical evaluation and a conclusion. In the assessment section, the essay discusses the importance of financial planning in the context of TMO's organizational structure and strategic goals. The conceptual models review the available literature on the subject, while the critical evaluation attempts to relate the academic models so mentioned to the real world, meaning the TMO. As part of the conclusion, we will appraise the financial decisions and strategies most suitable for the TMO based on all the preceding data. The TMO administers a London borough consisting of 238 homes of individual designs on eight blocks of a small housing project alongside a main road. This is one of the oldest of similar setups in London, where the blocks of houses had been there as far back as 1947 such that they are in dire need of refurbishing and maintenance. Families of multi-racial origin occupy these housing units under either a tenancy or leasehold agreement, and the estate is easily accessible by bus and subway train services. This TMO became a self-governing body in April 2003, as did four other TMOs managing similar estates in the London area, when the local government compartmentalized its function of providing low-cost housing services to constituents. This fragmentation process came on the heels of the privatization binge involving local government assets and service, a major program of the national government since 1979. Now, the TMO runs the borough through a management committee headed by an operatio ns manager and supported by a six-man staff. The turnover of housing functions to TMO was part of the central government's cost-cutting program and strategy of getting politics out of social services, which tended to hamper activities in this area when local authorities were in control. Thus, management of the housing funds was shifted to agencies, which would be more accountable at the central level and less accountable to local political forces (Cairncross & Calpham). In ceding the function to the TMOs, however, the local authorities set the ground rules that exhort the former to utilize "creative accounting measures." These include; 1) building up a revenue balance to regular the yearly expenditures; 2) sale of suitable assets to generate income for use as capital expenditure; 3) rescheduling existing debts; 4) capitalizing the expenditure on such activities as repair and modernization previously

BT Inc, Tanzania Business Analysis

BT Inc, Tanzania Business Analysis EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The aim of the below report is to outline the development and progression of the Business Plan for BT Inc, Tanzanias first Business and Technology magazine. It will summarize my contribution to this project as well as the key areas of idea initiation, teamwork, presentation experience, alternative scenarios and learning gained as well as other areas covered in the development of the business plan. Overview of B T Inc BT Inc aspires to provide a business and technology magazine which is produced in Tanzania for Tanzanian professionals, students and investors alike. This is a necessity in the growing economy of this country where 600,000-700,000 new professionals enter the fields of business and technology every year. As there is no locally produced magazine covering areas of business BT magazine will be the first of its kind and likely to establish a stronghold in the market before the threat of future competitors is faced. A team of experienced directors together with a world class designer is expected to lead the company in this direction. Initially 100 shares will be offered at a value of Tsh 1 million per share. Payback is projected to occur in the 9th month of the 3rd year as the net profit for the 2nd year is expected to increase by 76% due to reduced costs. With the expected profit of 14 million to be earned in the 1st year, the profit of the 2nd year is expected to increase by 76% due to reduced cost. The net profit growth in the 3rd year decrease to 46% because of the new assets expected to be bought. Investors may choose to exit the business by selling their equity either to existing partners or to a new employee who is eligible for partnership. Teamwork All 3 team members contributed to make this project successful Idea Initiation After several discussions the group decided on a Business and technology magazine under the guidance of Mrs Priti Punatar Presentation Experience A learning experience about time management, public presentation and the importance of thoroughly understanding the business venture an individual wants to undertake. Alternative Scenario Consideration of both best and worst case scenarios allows BT to prudently predict steady growth rate. Team Work Team work is the most important part in any working or academic culture. Most successful businesses always have a core of faithful hardworking team members that pull together to create an amazing empire. The most important attribute in any team member should be dedication and the aim for perfection and the most important of all, the ability to take orders and accept delegation where necessary. A famous man once said, Rome was not built in a day. This is true, it took a large number of men to make it possible and the results were, phenomenal. Each individual brings to the table a very unique set of skills, as was the same within our team. It is important to understand and learn to work in a team environment which will help sharpen teamwork skills when entering a workforce. We have found that involvement of social interactions while completing different tasks is one of the best ways of learning. Conflicts and clashes of ideas in a team are a common problem and it helps if everyone is aware of this being a possibility and prepared to deal with the situation in a mature and academic manner. Our team had faced a similar situation during the initiation period of our plan, the merging of three very highly opinionated individuals was like a combustion but we overcame this by using said before methods of social interaction. Initially, our team consisted of four team members; Joyce Issowe, Krupa Patadia, Priyanka Divecha and myself. At our first group meeting, each of us were assigned tasks to complete and present at the next meeting. The delegation was as follows; Joyce was to create a financial plan, Krupa the industrial analysis report, Priya the marketing plan, and my task was to come up with an operational plan. Joyce Issowe had not being keeping well and was unable to complete the financial plan, seeing this, Priyanka having already completed the marketing plan decided to create the financial plan as we were running short of time. After completing my own tasks, we realized we still needed to consider risk factors and such, so Krupa took over the role of risk analysis and I took over Krupas tasks. Everyone else including myself completed all their assigned tasks with no further problems. The name BT Inc. had been chosen from the phrase Business and Technology which we believed was a professional name to be allocated to a business magazine that targets all the business players in Tanzania. The executive summary, the business and appendices were completed with hard work from all the three team members equally. All In all, every remaining team member picked up the slack, all meetings were attended in time and all our planned goals were reached. Process of Idea Initiation Initially our group had a number of business concepts to go with. Joyce had suggested a dairy farm, Krupa suggested a school for performance arts, Priyanka suggested an engineering consultancy and my own suggestion was a real estate firm. To get a better idea of what we were doing, we met with different people to discuss ideas for a potential business. Somewhere along our quest, we stumbled upon the idea of a telecom system to advertise for real estate, a directory of sorts. After further discussion within our group, and under the supervision of Mrs. Punatar, we decided to work on a business and technology magazine that would aim to build an interactive vessel within the business arts and simultaneously provide a channel of information needed by the new entrants. During this process of Idea Initiation, we learnt a valuable life lesson that all the team members had a different manner of approaching this business plan for which many conflicts of interest were displayed. BT intends to create a communicative vessel among the vast range of business tycoons and provide brilliant business news feeds that have been ignored by other leading magazines. Presentation Experience The process of crafting the slides to be presented, and ensuring the presentation would cover all essential areas whilst summarizing the entire business concept, was a challenging one that taught me about time management, extraction of essential information from available data and the involvement of visuals to convey essential points. Through the course of heated discussion and debate our team prepared a set of slides that all members were satisfied with at the end. Although each member of the team had their own ideas as we started, the merging of all these together allowed us to come up with a synergized and impressive slideshow. All three members of the group presented the plan in parts with me introducing the business, the problem we aimed to solve and our business model. Krupa then took over and covered management team, industry analysis and competition leaving Priyanka to finish the financial overview including; share offering, payback, profitability, break even analysis and current status and projected use of funds ending with exit strategy for investors. Crucial lessons were learnt during this presentation about capturing and retaining the interest and attention of our potential investors, maintaining the set time limit as well as the importance of confidence and a deep understanding of the business venture. Alternative Scenario The success of any business is dependent on external as well as internal conditions. Internal factors are easier to control and predict relative to the external factors. With regards to external conditions, there is always some degree of uncertainty. In order to be prudent all figures taken within the business plan have reflected the worst case scenario. In order to achieve this and to reflect altnernative scenarios that may arise due to unpredictable factors the revenue included in the business plan is less than that actually expected by investors. Due to the unpredictability of Macro-environmental factors the number of subscriptions have been kept at minimum and the advertising revenue included is less than what the firm will target to achieve. Another relevant point concerns the break even analysis. To keep alternative scenarios in mind, both best and worst case of total revenue have been considered whilst the figure taken for cost has been kept at maximum in line with the accounting principle of prudence. This allows investors to be comfortable to know that the minimum success will be as presented in the business plan with an additional potential for greater growth. Business partnerships have also been taken into account in order reflect alternate means to achieve a target. This can be seen as in the outsourcing of printing to keep costs low as well as the establishment of a network of free lance contributors. Figures for costs and budget in the analysis of the financial statemements have also been calculated after the consideration of the alternative growth scenarios and B%T therefore is expected to have steady growth as a worst case scenario where the best case reflects a quicker point of break even and higher profitability. Other Areas Four areas of risk were covered in the business plan including management, marketing, operational and financial risk factors. Research has indicated that due to poor media and marketing services the magazine may be in circulation only within a small group of people and awareness at the beginning may be lessened to to the above noted fact. BT marketing department will be responsible to ensure that awareness is increased even if it requires door to door marketing. Management and operating risks are internal factors that BT directors will monitor in order to ensure success of the venture. With regards to financial risk it is interesting to point out that cash outflow may be more than cash inflow during certain periods and care will have to taken by the financial director to ensure that company affairs carry on smoothly. Turning now to the question of break even analysis, the calculated point may not be entirely accurate as the worst case scenario figures have been used in this calculation and in actual fact B T might break even earlier than this point. Learning and Usefulness of the Business Plan The experience of coming up with a business plan opened up my eyes on the many aspects that are necessary to be considered whilst starting up a business. Extensive research is required together with knowledge of the industry. I have realized that an entrepreneur must have a clear vision on how exactly his company will work and perform. The business man/woman also must be aware exactly where the need for his product/service lies and how to fulfill this need. He/she must be aware of the environment in which the business will compete, what challenges may be faced and how to resolve these. Knowledge of the financial aspect is a key area which the entrepreneur must be well versed with as well. All the points noted above are those covered in the business plan and illustrate the importance of this document to a business. The business plan provides a guideline for any business and all areas covered within it are linked with some aspect of the business that is of importance to stake holders. Having considered the learning gained about the business itself, it is worth pointing out that there has also been great personal learning in the areas of: 1. Listening more 2. Giving importance to others ideas 3. Respecting time and maintaining discipline and punctuality 4. Working within time constraints and meeting deadlines Receiving feedback from my group members has allowed me to overcome many of my previous weaknesses and I have come out as a stronger, better and more understanding individual.

Economic Factors Effects on the Pilgrimage of Grace Essay -- History

Sparked in Lincolnshire in October 1536 and expanding rapidly through Yorkshire and the far north, the Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular rising that presented a â€Å"major armed challenge to the Henrician Reformation† . The first modern writers, Madeline Hope Dodds and Ruth Dodds, argued that it was an association of interest groups with their own worries and priorities. Shortly after, A. G. Dickens supported the Doddsian argument stating that he saw a â€Å"fundamental divergence of interests and attitudes between gentry and commons† . Then, C. S. L. Davies offered an alternative argument that emphasised religion as the cause of the Pilgrimage. In addition, Sir Geoffrey Elton argued that the Pilgrimage was the result of the â€Å"unexpected overthrow of Anne Boleyn in the spring of 1536 and the consolidation of power at court and in government by Thomas Cromwell†. Thus, historians have and will continue to argue endlessly about the true causes of the Pilgrimage; on balance, a collection of factors contributed rather than an overriding cause. As a result, it is fair to say that the rising incorporated a mixture of political, religious, social and economic issues. Therefore, economic factors were only partly to blame for the Pilgrimage of Grace. Firstly, politics was partly to blame for the Pilgrimage of Grace; hence, by early 1527 King Henry VIII sought a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Though, it is hard to pinpoint exactly why, the most plausible explanation is his belief that â€Å"his marriage was barren because of its illegality† and Catherine’s failure to produce a male heir. This is because Henry argued that it was blasphemous of him to marry his brother’s widow and he needed a son in order t... ...t, principle, fear-dabbled in treason† , became involved in the Pilgrimage of Grace. But, Elton’s argument is at least useful in the sense that it gives a helpful view on popular attitudes during this period. Works Cited Beer, Barrett L. Rebellion and Riot: Popular Disorder in England during the reign of Edward VI (1982). Bush, Michael. ‘Up for the Commonwealth’: the significance of tax grievances in the English rebellions of 1536, English Historical Review 106 (1991). Davies, C. S. L. ‘Popular Religion and the Pilgrimage of Grace’ in Order and Disorder in Early Modern England, eds. Anthony Fletcher and John Stevenson (1985). Fletcher, Anthony. Tudor Rebellions (1997). Hoyle, R.W. The Pilgrimage of Grace and the Politics of the 1530s (2001). Shagan, Ethan H. Popular Politics and the English Reformation (Cambridge, 2003).

New Testament And Homer

Hebrew and Greek attitudes toward killing are similar, but once religion is factored in a remarkable difference is revealed. Early Hebrew citizens were murderous people by nature, much like the Greeks, but had God looking down on them saying to them that killing was wrong. Greek citizens would engage in war and human sacrifices with the gods on their side, and even sometimes the gods would take part in the murdering. The Greek way of life was murderous due to their strong urge to be revengeful, whereas the Hebrews murdered to keep the faith. In the text of The Odyssey and the Holy Bible killing is undeniably abundant with citizens killing, God killing, and sometimes the two killing in cahoots. The Holy Bible contains many instances of killing. The one that most everyone is familiar with is, Exodus 20:13, in the Ten Commandments of God stating, â€Å"You shall not murder. † Later in the Bible, God states what will happen to you if you disobey him, â€Å"The Lord will send you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me† (Deuteronomy 28:20). With these to teachings from God, one would think there would be no killing going on and if you did kill you would be punished severely. This however, is not the case. In Genesis, Cain murders his own brother, Abel, out of jealousy. God sees this and is angry that Cain didn’t follow his rules, consequently banishing him and desecrating his body with a mark (The Holy Bible, Genesis 4). In some instances God actually commands killing. In Genesis, God became angry with the people so he kills them all with a flood, sparing only what He put on Noah’s Ark (Holy Bible, Genesis 6-8). God also asks Abraham to sacrifice his own son. Abraham is ready to prove his faith to God and murder, but fortunately God does not make him (Holy Bible, Genesis 22:8-13). When the people worship a golden calf in Baal, God becomes angry because you are not suppose to worship figures or anything other than God, and took command over the people. God makes the men take their swords and slay over three thousand of their brothers and sons (Holy Bible, Exodus 32:27-29). God also kills all of Egypt’s first born when he establishes Passover. During the first Passover, all of the people who do not obey God’s detailed procedure for Passover are visited and murdered by an angel of death. After God makes the Egyptians hearts hard and then weak, the people are able to leave, but are followed by the Pharaoh’s men. God separates the Red Sea for the Hebrews, but once the Egyptian soldiers enter the parting, God fills the waters back up and drowns all the men (Holy Bible, Exodus 12:29-30). All of the killings are influenced by Gods determination to have the people faithful to his religion. God leads the people through Moses and performs various acts to win the faith of the people. He does this by putting death on the door of the Hebrews and then saving the Hebrews by not killing them, therefore winning their faith by making them acknowledge his existence. God commands that people obey him or pay the consequence. This is a threat to the people on disobedience for Gods laws. If you murder you have desecrated Gods will, and punishment will come, and it will come in the greatest way possible. Early Greek society is full of warfare and dedication to the gods. The citizens of their great cities take pride in the glory of their warriors and the proud armies that fight so hard to conquer and plunder their enemies. As they are busy killing in war, they are also dedicated to their gods. Sacrificing humans to the gods is not an uncommon occurrence. The gods also play active roles in the Greeks killing. The gods sit above on Mt. Olympus and watch the many people come in conflict with each other, sometimes taking part in how the divine game is played out. The way the gods interact reminds me as if they are watching a daytime soap opera, interfering with the actions of the actors. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus, a powerful Greek warrior, is glorified in his adventures to Troy. His kills are great and in many numbers. Odysseus is described as a hero and the â€Å"raider of cities. † On Odysseus’s twenty-year quest the gods, mainly Athena, lead him. In the beginning the gods interfere when Poseidon wants to kill Odysseus, but Zeus refrains him from doing so. As Odysseus wanders his way home, he contemplates self-restraint and the value of lives. On part of his journey, Odysseus travels a dangerous path at one point risking his whole crew, which he has lost numerous times. He must decide between one path that will kill only a few and is difficult, or on a simpler path that can kill all of his crew. He realizes the importance of the lives and chooses the less harmful one. Perhaps the greatest and most glorified of Odysseus’s killings is when he returns home to kill all of the suitors pursuing his wife. Greeks killed out of revenge quite often. This created a giant, perpetual cycle of killing that left many angry. As Odysseus is murdering in great numbers at his home he is proud. He believes he is doing justice when he hangs prostitutes dead by a rope and dismembers a goat herder. The vengeful Odysseus is described as a proud fisherman with all his kills. â€Å"Odysseus scanned his house to see if any man still skulked alive, still hoped to avoid black death. But he found them one and all in blood and dust? great hauls of them down and out like fish that fishermen drag from the churning gray surf in looped and coiling nets and fling ashore on a sweeping hook of beach-some noble catch? orpse covering corpse? †(Odyssey, lines 406-414). The pride that Odysseus instills from his murderous ways is apparent. The Gods to do not threaten a punishment on Odysseus. The only threat that is to Odysseus is the families of the suitors who are angry. The main motivation for the killings is families and citizens feuding and avenging past killings. Fortunately, at the end of the Odyssey, the Gods cast a fog in the memories of the people so they will forget their anger towards each other. As the Hebrews kill, God and his threat for them to behave forever accompanied them. However, God’s punishment is not always apparent, for the most part it is. As the Greeks kill they are profitful and in almost no threat to the Gods. In Hebrew culture murder was used by God to help keep order and to acquire his people freedom. The Greeks killed to please the Gods and to please their state, neither of these are a value in Hebrew life. Although Hebrews and Greeks killed a lot with little thought towards it, Hebrew culture was plagued with God’s guilt over you, while in Greek culture you could profit from killing.

Free Essays on Pros And Cons Of Ritalin

Pro’s and Con’s of Ritalin ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It occurs in childhood and causes children to become excessively hyper and chaotic. The symptoms are controlled by stimulants. The most popular would be Ritalin. And as we have been told a few times in class, Ritalin was made before ADHD was even discovered. This sparks many questions as to why it was produced and how people know it is the right drug for this disease. Ritalin has many good aspects that appear to help children with ADHD, but some believe it also has some terrible side affects that aren’t worth the treatment. According to Russell A. Barkley PhD, between 70 and 90% of children treated with Ritalin improve in their behavior.(p.253) Barkley has also stated that between 600,000 and 1 million children annually may be using Ritalin at the school-age.(p.258) Ritalin reduces restlessness therefore increasing attention span with class assignments helping both teacher and student. Aggression, noisiness, and disruptive behaviors are declined. Ritalin improves social behavior by lessening the intensity felt between the child and other beings. Ritalin is entered and eliminated from your bloodstream in 24 hours. So not only does it work as a stimulant fast if an allergies were to show up it would be out of the bloodstream within the 24 hours. Rethinking Ritalin states a story about a woman whose child had such bad temper tantrums accompanied with his ADHD that she had to remove him from preschool. So as a last resort she put her child on Ritalin and, â€Å"It worked so fast it was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde,† she stated. Ritalin seems to have some pretty good reasons to be the drug for ADHD sufferers but let’s explore some of the downsides. Just to have this medicine work properly it must be taken several times a day every day to have the correct effects. ADHD is such an obscure disorder that it is hard to know what do... Free Essays on Pro's And Con's Of Ritalin Free Essays on Pro's And Con's Of Ritalin Pro’s and Con’s of Ritalin ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It occurs in childhood and causes children to become excessively hyper and chaotic. The symptoms are controlled by stimulants. The most popular would be Ritalin. And as we have been told a few times in class, Ritalin was made before ADHD was even discovered. This sparks many questions as to why it was produced and how people know it is the right drug for this disease. Ritalin has many good aspects that appear to help children with ADHD, but some believe it also has some terrible side affects that aren’t worth the treatment. According to Russell A. Barkley PhD, between 70 and 90% of children treated with Ritalin improve in their behavior.(p.253) Barkley has also stated that between 600,000 and 1 million children annually may be using Ritalin at the school-age.(p.258) Ritalin reduces restlessness therefore increasing attention span with class assignments helping both teacher and student. Aggression, noisiness, and disruptive behaviors are declined. Ritalin improves social behavior by lessening the intensity felt between the child and other beings. Ritalin is entered and eliminated from your bloodstream in 24 hours. So not only does it work as a stimulant fast if an allergies were to show up it would be out of the bloodstream within the 24 hours. Rethinking Ritalin states a story about a woman whose child had such bad temper tantrums accompanied with his ADHD that she had to remove him from preschool. So as a last resort she put her child on Ritalin and, â€Å"It worked so fast it was like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde,† she stated. Ritalin seems to have some pretty good reasons to be the drug for ADHD sufferers but let’s explore some of the downsides. Just to have this medicine work properly it must be taken several times a day every day to have the correct effects. ADHD is such an obscure disorder that it is hard to know what do...

ENV 101 Exam 2 pt 1 Essays

ENV 101 Exam 2 pt 1 Essays ENV 101 Exam 2 pt 1 Paper ENV 101 Exam 2 pt 1 Paper What is the difference in the adaptation of a sled dogs (such as a Husky) thick coat of hair to help it withstand the cold temperatures of Arctic winters and a dog that adapts to cold temperatures in the fall by growing a thickened coat? The adaptation of the sled dog best describes adaptation at the ____________ level while the dog exposed to seasonal colder temperatures has _____________. Population; physiological modifications at the individual level Evolution occurs as a result of Better survival or reproduction rates by individuals with a particular characteristic Which of the following is a physiological modification used to adapt to environmental conditions? Leaves becoming thick and leathery on a plant growing in a dry, hot climate Natural selection will ultimately make a species Better adapted to its environment Regular lawn mowing selects for short-headed rather than tall-headed dandelions because Short flowers have less competition when the lawn is mowed often Tolerance limits are _______ that limit a species survival. Any environmental conditions A species can withstand a wide range of pH as an adult but the juveniles can only withstand a narrow range of pH. The abiotic factor, pH, would best be described as a Stress factor Which of the following fish species would be the best indicator of clean, well-oxygenated water? Rainbow trout Populations are most critically limited by Any of these, depending on the system Indicator species, such as lichens, generally have a ___________ tolerance range for a ___________. Narrow; critical factor A species can withstand a narrow range of temperature. Above 100?F there are no species present. In the range from 97?F to 100?F and 90?F to 94?F there are a few species present. Below 90?F there are no species present. 11. What would you label the range of temperature from 90?F to 94?F for this particular species? Zone of physiological stress What would you label the range of temperature from 95?F to 96?F for this particular species in the scenario? Optimal range A generalist is a species that Occupies a variety of ecological niches Certain night-active moths and day-active birds are specialized nectar feeders. How do these species coexist if they are using the same resource for food? They do not compete for the nectar because they feed at different times of the day Humans can best be described as Generalists Resource partitioning leads species to All of these would be a result of resource partitioning Resource partitioning tends to lead to a high degree of _______ in species Specialization Intraspecific competition is competition among ________ for resources Members of a single species Which of the following is not a common strategy for successful interspecific competition? The life cycle of dragonflies (the larva live in the water) An especially effective strategy for reducing intraspecific competition is Different ecological niches for juveniles and adults Symbiosis means A relationship in which both species benefit In the partnership of a lichen, the fungus provides _________ and the relationship is best described as structure and moisture-holding ability; mutualism A keystone species is a species whose presence Influences the population size of many other species in its community In a commensal relationship, One species benefits while the other neither suffers nor benefits A biological communitys productivity is a measure of amount of biomass produced in the community Abundance describes the total number of _________ while diversity describes the number of _________. Organisms in a community; species in a community In a biological community where diversity is great, such as a tropical rainforest, the abundance of any one species is likely to be Small As a rule, near the Earths north and south poles, Neither abundance nor diversity is high Complexity in an ecological community has to do with the number of species at each trophic level A community with hundreds of different types of primary producers, a few herbivores and only one carnivore, has Little complexity A community that changes very little over time is said to have great Constancy In the coastal forest of Oregon an area was clear-cut for logging. Trees at the edge of the clearing and 200 meters into the forest died within a few months after the logging began. What is the best explanation for the death of the trees? increased sunlight, wind and temperature negatively affected the trees A closed community has a Narrow ecotone A climax community is one that Is relatively stable and long lasting Primary succession occurs when a community develops ____________ while secondary succession occurs when one ________. On unoccupied ground; biological community replaces another As ecological development proceeds, a biological community Becomes more diverse The most common reason that introduced species cause trouble is because they Disrupt pre-existing niches Which of the following migrations is likely to cause the extinction of a native species? The introduction of a predator onto an island originally free from predators A biome is described by Broadly similar environmental conditions Location of specific biomes can be predicted based on Precipitation and temperature In the graph of precipitation and temperature, desert biomes would fall in the area marked by the letter A Neo and Trinity are in a biome that has relatively stable temperatures and abundant rainfall. They have a graph of precipitation and temperature similar to the one shown. Which letter marks the biome they are located in? C Cloud forests are found in ________ areas in tropical regions. Cool mountainous Neo finds himself sweating in a moist forest but there arent many streams or wetlands. He is amazed by the tremendous amount of biodiversity including an abundance of biting mosquitoes. Has he inadvertently gotten closer to his goal of finding a boreal forest? No the description is that of a tropical rainforest A biome absent from North America is the Tropical rainforest Which of the following is an example of a specialization that plants in the desert may have? All of these are adaptations of plants living in desert conditions Tropical seasonal forests are specially adapted to tolerate Annual cycles of severe drought and heavy rain

Business inteligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business inteligence - Essay Example The main issues covered by each of these websites include, education, investment opportunities, visitations and tours, live work and an events study. Additionally, the company runs a number of other websites on the very categories but in different other languages among which are Arabic, French, and Spanish. This is due to the fact that the target market for Cardiff is international and hence there is need to customize the websites to suit the target markets. In order to ensure that the websites are of value to the clients, some of the categories considered include: Education Education is a two-pronged economical scope. The Cardiff city hopes to become an academic center within the region. To achieve this, the envisioned city must work strategies capable of beating other modern day academic centers such as Liverpool and London. The city must therefore have schools running and education centers from kindergarten to the university. Theses academic institutions will need accreditation by government authorities to check that they meet the standards of quality (Bogomolova, 2011). The validity of the courses offered Cardiff city must be ascertained. Hence, it will be critical to have an independent body to ensure that the high quality academic standards are maintained and that educational standards are not compromised in any way. The website runs the opportunities that the education sector presents to potential investors. The most common investment opportunity in the academic sector is the setting up and management of private academic institutions. To this, the website target of the currently existing universities, such as Oxford and Liverpool among others, is to invest in the establishment of new campuses within the city. The website offers basic contact information on how interested parties conduct the transactions of obtaining land and other resources necessary for such developments. The company welcomes both local and foreign investors, thus the translation into d ifferent other languages. Additionally, the website targets potential students. The education sector primarily depends on the availability of students. Attracting students in the region becomes difficult since children school in regions habited by their parents. The company thus runs a number of other websites advertising other diverse investment opportunities with an aim of attracting as much residents into the city. This way, the basic level academic institutions are certain of pupils (Jiaming, 2008). Tertiary and university level are not much perturbed by the locality of parents. This is thus a level opportunity and depends on the advertisement potential of the company and the reputation of the subsequent universities that will eventually set up in the region. To ensure that the students of higher learning institutions are comfortable, the websites advertise the various recreational facilities that are available. These include parks, night clubs and other outdoor activities. On t op of this, related websites showcase the opportunities available for part time work to suit students who need to make extra income. It is vital to note that the city targets established academic institutions due to their credibility. Most international students recognize institutions that are globally known hence it would be easy to attract them to Cardiff

Innovation and Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Innovation and Change - Assignment Example According to Dehoff (2005, 1-2) the internal factors that influence an organization’s ability to innovate and change is the decision making process within the organization, the amount and nature of information available, motivators within an organization and the structure of an organization. Furthermore, Dehoff (2005, 1) stated that organizations focus their innovation efforts on development cost, quality of services and products, and the time it takes for products and services to reach the market. This present assignment will provide answers to questions regarding innovation and change, drawing on readings and research that were previously provided. The hallmark of strategic innovation Philips et al. (2006, 175-196) conducted a research on the innovation process as well as the effective management of innovation and the findings overwhelmingly indicated that there is are set of good practices or the hallmarks for innovation that denote an effectively managed innovation process . However, these good practices are only applicable in times when there is stability in the market as well as on the products and hence, the innovations are only required to make the market and the product better. Philips et al. (2006, 183) stated that in case there is a realignment in political force, market force, and technological force an organization will be required to implement discontinuous innovation that has its own distinct set of good practices. Philips et al. (2005, 176) listed the hallmarks of strategic innovation and they include close monitoring and evaluation at each stage of innovation, active involvement of users in the innovation process, the early identification of problems with the innovation, simultaneous engineering to assist in the speedy development whilst retaining cross-functional involvement. Other hallmarks of strategic innovation are incorporation of teamwork into the process and utilization of tools such as rapid prototyping or CAD to increase speed a nd quality of the innovation process. In case of discontinuous innovation, Philips et al. (2005, 183) listed some of the good practices and they include exploring alternative future scenarios and then identifying different possibilities and building the capacity for exploring different innovation strategies at the same time. Importance of organizational features in encouraging innovation Kontoghiorghes et al. (2005, 185-2005) conducted a research study that aimed at exploring the relationship between some characteristics of learning organization and adaption of change, innovation, and the financial performance of an organization. From this study, it is possible to extract the importance of some organizational features in encouraging innovation within an organization. For example, in their study Kontoghiorghes et al. (2005, 197) stated that open communication and information sharing within an organization are the leading organization feature that have an influence on change adaptatio n, innovation, and improvement of a company’s profitability. These features encourage innovation in the sense that different stakeholders within an

Raising money and funding Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Raising money and funding - Assignment Example Financial steps to reduce chances of business failure include ensuring that the business maintains ploughed back profits, good relations with creditors and suppliers, as well as improving entrepreneurial skills (Feinleib, 2011). The factors outlined guard the new business from problems related to inadequate finances and expertise. In addition, a business plan may help foresee potential failure in business. A business plan is a statement that stipulates the business goals, an evaluation of internal and external business environments, and a plan on the means of attaining goals. The core elements of a complete business plan include the goals of the firm, its background information, means of achieving the goals, financial analysis, opportunities, and threats facing the firm, and the exit strategy (Feinleib, 2011). Sources of funding for business owners include personal savings, donations from family and friends, bank loans, as well as venture capital. The sources are mainly essential for new businesses as a preventive measure against failure. Because banks may not offer unsecured loans, effective strategies of securing funding include using equity funding where the firm offers to sell part of its value to investors who become shareholders to the firm. In addition, venture capital is preferred, in which case the venture capitalist firm owns part of the firm and shares in its profits upon providing startup

The rise of Single Parenthood in Contemporary Britain Essay Example for Free

The rise of Single Parenthood in Contemporary Britain Essay Sociology has given us insights into our understanding of the rise in single parenthood in Contemporary Britain. Single-parent families have become increasingly common in Britain. According to government statistics, in 1961, 2 per cent of the population lived in households consisting of a lone parent with dependent children, but by 1998 this had more than tripled to 7 per cent.  According to Hantrais and Letablier (1996), Britain has the second highest rate of lone parenthood in Europe, and is exceeded only by Denmark, and rates in countries such as France, Greece and Portugal are much lower than those of Britain are. Children may start their life living in a single-parent family. However, the single parent may well find a new partner and marry them or cohabit with them. The child will then end up living with two parents.  It should also be noted that many children who live in a single-parent household do see and spend time with their other parent. Further more even in two-parent families, one parent (usually the mother) might be responsible for the vast majority of the childcare. There are many reasons why lone parenthood can come about. People who are married can become lone parents by divorce, separation or death of a spouse. Lone parents who have never been married may have been living with the parent of the child when the child was born, but they subsequently stopped living together. They may not have been living with the parent of the child when they were born. Official statistics give some indication of the frequency of the different paths to lone-parenthood, but do not provide a complete picture. Official figures for Britain shows that the largest proportion of female lone parents in 1995-7 were single, with about a third being divorced and just under a quarter separated. The figures for those who were single do not differentiate between those who were cohabiting when the child was conceived and those who were not. These proportions have changed over time. Clearly the rise in lone motherhood is closely related to increases in the divorce rate and tot he increase in births outside marriage. The increase in single lone mothers may partly result from a reduction in the number of shotgun weddings. Marriages that resulted from pregnancy were often unstable and could end up in producing lone motherhood through an eventual divorce or separation. Now, the partners may chose to cohabit rather than marry and, if their relationship breaks up, they end up appearing in the statistics as a single, never married, parent. The absence of cohabitation does not necessarily imply that the parents do not have a close relationship some writers see the rise of single parenthood as a symptom of increased tolerance of diverse family forms.  There are a number of reasons for supposing that the welfare state is not responsible for the increases. Some commentators dont believe that lone parenthood gives advantages to those seeking local authority housing. In 1993 John Perry, policy director of the Institute of Housing, said Ive not been able to find a single housing authority which discriminates in favour of single parents over couples with children. The homeless get priority, but there is no suggestion that a homeless single parent gets priority over a homeless couple. Single parents who are reliant upon benefits tend to live in poor housing conditions and to have low standards of living. There is little material incentive to become a single parent. There is evidence that a large majority of single parents do not wish to be reliant on state benefits. They would prefer to work for a living but find it impractical to do so. Single parenthood has increasingly become a contentious issue, with some arguing that it has become a serious problem for society.  A vast majority of the population would still agree, I think, that the normal family is an influence for good in society and that one-parent families are bad news. Since not many single parents can both earn a living and give children the love and care they need, society has to support them; the children suffer through lacking of one parent While most commentators agree that single parenthood can create problems for individual parents, many sociologists do not see it a s a social problem, and some see that it is a sign of social progress.  Some view the mother only family as an indicator of social disorganisation, signalling the demise of the family. Others regard it as an alternative family form consistent with the emerging economic independence of women. More controversial that the low average living standard of lone parents is the question of the psychological and social effects on children raised in such families. Findings of a number of American studies, which seem to indicate that children are harmed by single parenthood. These studies have claimed that such children have lower earnings and experience more poverty as adults; children of mother-only families are more likely to become lone parents themselves; and they are more likely to become delinquent and engaged in drug abuse. The findings of such studies must be treated with caution. In a review of research in lone parenthood, Louise Burghess notes that some research in the relationship between educational attainment and divorce suggests that children in families where the parents divorce start to do more poorly in education before the divorce takes place.  David Morgan does believe that the evidence suggests that the children of single parents fare less well than those from two-parent households. He qualifies this by saying that we still do not know enough about what causes these differences; as with the effects of financial hardship, the children would be affected by the stigma attached to coming from a single-parent family.  It is very difficult to disentangle the direct and indirect effects on children of being brought up in a single-parent household and therefore dangerous to make generalisations about such effects.

speech from FDR in our perspective :: essays research papers

F.D.R. Speech Announcer: We interrupt you regular broadcasting, for an urgent word from your president. F.D.R.: Good evening fellow Americans. I speak to you tonight about an urgent issue. I have recently met with my council and advisors on the events in Europe. Japan, Germany and Italy have become axis powers, in the fight to defeat our ally, Great Britain. Together the axis powers have over-thrown much of Western Europe. We have passed the "cash-and-carry" on order to help Great Britain, by supplying when with weapon and such needed for their win. Recently, Britain has run out of cash to pay for our supplies. I have been informed that it may not be possibly for America to remain neutral in this war. In case of the axis powers defeating Great Britain; it is possibly that they may not stop there. There is a chance that Germany, Japan and Italy will extend their fight to the western hemisphere, capturing the US into their power and over-throwing democracy. We, the American people can not sit back and watch these three nations over-power this continent or the continent of Europe. We must fight for our people. We must fight for democracy. These axis powers are three powerful armies combined, and it is our belief that Great Britain can not defeat them single-handedly. We have tried to remain neutral and only supply Britain with supplies, as long as they pay cash and carry it home on their own ships. Now, this is not longer possible. German U-boats are constantly attacking Britain's supply ships, preventing supplies from getting there. Also, Britain no longer has the money to pay for these supplies. In entering this war, we could help Great Britain defeat these three powerful nations, and prevent the Untied States from future threat. In current meetings with advisors a plan has been made to ease the US into this war. Over a year ago, a selective training and service act was signed, established a peacetime draft, in preparation for this time. Germany has conquered many countries in Western Europe, including: Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland and France. Soon after Italy joined Germany in the fight to take over Europe, Romania, Greece and Yugoslavia fell into the hands of Hitler and Missolini. In January of this year, the Lend-Lease Act was passed. This allows the United States the right to sell or lend war materials to countries fighting Germany, Japan and Italy.

Power of Religion in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath Essay

The Power of Religion in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck's epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, chronicles the struggles of the Joads as they join the thousands of fellow "Okies" in a mass migration westward. The Joads reluctantly leave behind their Oklahoma farm in search of work and food in California. While Steinbeck writes profoundly and emotionally about the political problems of the Great Depression, his characters also show evidence of a deep concern with spirituality. When they feel hopeless and are uncertain about their immediate future, their concentration on religion dwindles. On the other hand, when they leave their home, the Joads regain spiritual faith; they have something to live for: California. Once they arrive and find only more difficulties, they lose their sense that better things are ahead of them and gravitate back towards thinking politically. However, they finally return to the source of their original faith--religion-- at their most desperate time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the first characters Steinbeck introduces (after Tom Joad) is the former preacher Jim Casy, who questions his own faith in his initial conversation with Tom: "Ain't got the call [to preach] no more. Got a lot of sinful idears-but they seem kinda sensibleThe sperit's strong in me, on'y it ain't the sameHere I got the sperit sometimes an' nothin' to preach about. I got the call to lead the people, an' no place to lead 'em" (Steinbeck 20-21). His skepticism precludes him from preaching. He still recognizes the importance of his religion, but he is no longer sure of its role in the times of hopelessness. Casy could not preach when neither he nor those to whom he preached had a purpose. When guided by a goal, though, he pro... ...gles with their own faith in the midst of hunger, poverty, homelessness and loss of family are enlightening, and can inspire people who are not in that terrible situation to reconsider themselves. Work Cited Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1998. Works Consulted Conder, John J. "Steinbeck and Nature's Self: The Grapes of Wrath." John Steinbeck, Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 125-140. French, Warren. John Steinbeck. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975. Levant, Howard. "The Fully Matured Art: The Grapes of Wrath." John Steinbeck, Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 35-62. Lojek, Helen. "Jim Casy: Politico of the New Jerusalem." Steinbeck Quarterly, Winter-Spring 1982. 30-37. The New American Bible, Gospel of John. 23:34. New York: The Catholic Press, 1976.

Introduction to the Development of Travel + Tourism

1. Changing Socio-Economic Circumstances:- The first changes in socio-economic circumstances were when the industrial revolution took place. People were moving from the rural countryside into the bigger towns and cities to find regular employment in the factories, mills and mines. All over England work places were shutting down for a week (wakes week this was called). They were taking a paid holiday which was the first big break for most of the working population. People suddenly had an increase in leisure time to do more things with their family and friends; this is because the working hours in a week were dramatically cut from around 45+ to sometimes below 40. The raise in wages meant that more people could do things and go places further a field. They took weekend breaks and short holidays more often as well and also they had budgeting for a week's holiday which they could plan ahead for and get the time off through their employers. By the 1960's there was a huge rise in teen holidays, these holidays were very popular with people between the ages of 18-30. It became part of culture for young people to go off abroad on new package deal holidays. They would go out drinking and after a night in a pub or bar they would go back to their hotel rooms with a young girl and have ‘no-strings attached' sex. They would usually go on holiday for the sole reason of drinking and having sex all week. 2. Technological Developments Public transport was vital part in how and where people took their holidays. Mainly in the 1940's and early 50's, people used the railway to get to holiday resorts like Blackpool, they would travel mainly from places of work like Manchester, Liverpool, Blackburn etc. By the mid 1950's the car was becoming more of a major role in public transport and many people took to driving further away than the original holiday resorts of Blackpool, Scarborough, Brighton etc. They travelled to places like Cornwall and Dorset. Some people even braved going abroad to places like Belgium, Holland and France which was unheard of in those days. They drove to big ports like Dover or Ramsgate and caught a ferry across to Europe. The invention of the jet engine then came along and people discovered holidays in the Mediterranean where the weather was always guaranteed to be hot and sunny. People took to going abroad a lot more because of the jet engine and its power to travel further than anything before that. Lastly and most recently became the use of electronic booking and air traffic control so more planes can come and go from an airport more frequently than ever before. The internet is now the easiest, fastest and sometimes cheapest place to book holidays from. It can be done in a matter of minutes. 3. Product Development and Innovation People in Britain only started going on holiday in the 1860's. The only place they could go to was holiday resorts by the sea like Blackpool, Scarborough etc. If it rained they had to try and entertain their children outside somewhere because they weren't allowed back to there holiday flats until the evening. A great innovation was brought into light in the 1950's by a man called Billy Butlin. It was a holiday camp where there was entertainment all week whether indoors because of the rain or outdoors in the sun. Everyone went there year in year out and thousands of people enjoyed a great time every week it was open. Package holidays were the next big thing to come along. Holidays abroad were all fully paid for including flights. When you got there you didn't have to do anything but relax and enjoy the weather. The hotel cooked food and laid on meals for you and did everything. This was why it's called a ‘package holiday'. 4. Changing Needs, Expectation and Fashions Annual holidays became fashion throughout Briton. Everyone had to take a holiday as the holiday pay act came into use it was far more acceptable for people to go away. It became a culture and it still is a culture for most people in Britain. People often go on more than one holiday a year now, to places further abroad than the Mediterranean. Some people enjoy actually taking a year out of work or education to go and explore the traditions of places in Europe. Whereas most people like just relaxing, enjoying the sunshine and having a good time.

Online Financial Services Essay Example

Online Financial Services Essay Example Online Financial Services Essay Online Financial Services Essay Introduction Services What are services? They are defines as concerned with performing tasks in and around households, business firms and institutions. Services industries are those domestic establishments which are providing some kind of services to businesses, governments and other organizations. FIRE, business and health services are the largest service industries. Business services include activities such as consulting, advertising, marketing and information processing. Categorizing service industries With these service industry groups, companies can be further categorized into those that involve transaction broking and those than involve a ‘hands on’ service. For instance, one type of financial service involves stockbrokers who act as the middle person in a transaction between buyers and sellers. Online mortgage companies refer customers to mortgage companies that actually issue the mortgage. In contrast, legal, medical and accounting industries perform specific hands on activities for their customers. In order to provide their service, these professionals need to interact directly and personally with their client. In this the opportunities for ecommerce are somewhat different. Currently doctors and scientists cannot treat patients over the internet but internet can at least assist their services by providing consumers with information, knowledge and communication. Features of service industries Knowledge and information intensity – With some exceptions such as providers of physical services such as cleaning, gardening and so on, and the most important feature of service industries is that they are knowledge and information intense. They process a great deal of information and employ people with the requisite skill and expertise. For example lawyers for legal services. However, financial services sector is not so knowledge intensive, but it requires much larger investments in information processing just to keep track of transactions and investments. In fact the financial services sector is the largest investor in information technology, with over 80% of their invested capital going to information technology equipment and services. For this reason, many ecommerce services are suited to ecommerce applications and strengths of the internet to collect, store and disseminate information and provide reliable and fast communication. Personalization and customization – Services differ in the amount of personalization and customization required in them to be delivered but still all types of services involve some amount of it. Services like legal, medical and accounting require extensive personalization – the adjustment of a service to the precise needs of a single individual or object. Others allow individual some personalization to choose from a restricted as in case of financial services. The ability of internet and ecommerce technology personalize and customize service or components of service is a major underlying the extremely rapid growth of ecommerce services. Further the amount of customization also depends on the ability of ecommerce or internet to do so. Online Financial Services The online financial services sector is a shinning example of an ecommerce success story. With the innovative, pure online firms have been instrumental in transforming the brokerage industry, the impacts of ecommerce have been somewhat less powerful in banking, insurance and real estate where customers are more likely to use the web for research, but conduct research for traditional suppliers. In addition, pure online financial firms are not yet profitable. The costs of marketing and technology have far exceeded the early estimates of experts. As in the retail marketplace, it is the multichannel financial firms who are showing the fastest growth and strongest prospects of long term revival. Online Banking and Brokerage Online baking was pioneered in the US by NetBank and Wingspan in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Traditional banks had developed earlier versions of telephone banking but did not use online services until 1998. Although late by a year or two, the established brand name banks have taken a significant lead in market share as measured by number of unique visitors. Same goes as true for the brokerage firms as well Early innovators such as E*Trade and Ameritrade had been displaced from their leadership positions by the financial industry giant Fidelity and discount broker pioneer Charles Schwab. Merrill Lynch, The largest brokerage firm in the United States did not develop an online presence until 2000, but it rapidly added new clients after going online. Online Banking Behavior and Preferences Any belief {or maybe even wishful thinking) that the Internet is just a passing fad seems to be laid to rest by a new survey from CashEdge in New York. The survey polled more than 400 consumers nationwide who use online banking. Eighty-five percent of the survey participants said they would bank only with an institution that offered online banking capabilities. In addition, 82 percent said they would use more online capabilities if offered to them. Other survey findings noted that 87 percent of respondents have more than one institution where they keep their money. Along those same lines, 71 percent said they would prefer not to have to use checks or cash, but would rather use online funds transfers. Online usage has also created more of a demand for speedier service. Seventy-four percent of those polled said they expect a new bank account to be available for use the same day that they sign up for it. The popularity of online banking has been based on both speed and convenience. A majority (66 percent) of those surveyed considered having to go to a branch to be a chore. At the same time, 88 percent said they tried to cut down on their visits to the bank while 75 percent said that if they could, they would never go for a branch and would instead do all their banking online. Granted, these are online banking customers being polled, so the results may be somewhat biased. Still, the numbers do show a growing reliance on the Internet as a means for banking. Finally, customers polled said they do have concerns regarding online banking. Close to 50 percent cited security as a main concern about conducting banking transactions over the Internet. In addition, 14 percent said the issue of security keeps them from banking online. Online Mortgage and Lending Online mortgage lending is a growing field that is starting to seriously compete with traditional ‘person lenders’. The process is relatively easy. The important thing to remember is to make sure your know the ins and outs of any and all online home mortgage loans prior to submitting your personal information. In some cases, youll find fees can be much cheaper than traditional in person lenders. Further, you may discover a greater range of mortgage loan programs available. Among the highlights of these programs may be lower rates of interest and flexible repayment terms. Also, borrowers with a bad credit history may find online mortgage lending to be the answer to their prayers. In most cases, web-based lenders offer more alternatives to those with less than desirable credit ratings. Finally, it can shave a ton of time off of the traditional in person route and having to wait (what might be several days) to be approved. The bonus here is if you dont get approved the first time, you can apply to another lender right away and like the first time; youll get your answer quick. Its important to realize that not all online mortgage lenders have representation in all states. Before taking the time to apply online, its in your best interest to make sure that the lender in question is represented in the state in which you reside. A big negative is unfortunately accountability. Its your job as the potential borrower to do your homework and keep on top of your application. Its wise to check out the company to make sure theyre legit and will be able to fulfill any promises they make regarding terms and interest rates. Unfortunately with both traditional and online mortgage lending, the mortgage loan programs offered may be more in lenders best interest than in yours. Again, its so very important that you do some research and comparison shopping. Just like with traditional in person lenders you want to make sure that it is in your best interest not theirs. Another possible negative is the fact that some lenders will charge you a fee prior to you learning whether or not your application has been successful. Please note that some traditional lenders also ask for a fee upfront. Borrowers beware there are many legitimate traditional and online lenders than dont insist on such a fee. Unlike any negative dealings you may have with traditional mortgage lenders, online mortgage lending isnt regulated by a governing organization in which you can complain to. The bottom line is that while online mortgage lending may be the way of the future, its also important to research the lender and ask the right questions. And, while applying for a mortgage loan online may seem like a great idea, dont discount the value of getting a comparison quote from a traditional in person lender. Financial portals A website that provides a variety of financial data and information, acting as an information hub for clients who are individual investors requiring timely financial news and data to make their investment decisions. Financial portals are intended to give clients all the finance-related information they need. Often, the portals themselves will provide visitors with quotes, research, articles, analyst recommendations, etc. Financial portals may also provide links to various relevant sites that offer this kind of information. In addition, many financial portals provide email accounts, chat rooms and web forums. They provide their comparison with comparison shopping services, independent financial advice and planning. On the contrary, independent portal do not themselves offer financial services but act as steering mechanisms to online providers. They generate revenue from advertising, referral fees and subscription. Financial portals are a major source of visitors to major established financial services sites. For instance, about one third of visitors to Wells Fargo began their sessions at a financial portal. About 20% of visitors to established sites exit to portal sites. These have become so important to established online service firms that some providers like Charles Schwab and Citibank went ahead and have developed their own portals myschwab. com and myciti. om respectively, which permits users to personalize their financial web pages and provide account aggregation services. In general, financial portals do not offer financial services but instead they make their money from advertising and add to the existing online price competition in the industry. They are also a counter strategy of the large banking institutions to ensnare consumers into a single branded financial institution system with a single account and high s witching costs. Financial Portals are Hot, but for Whom? Suddenly-even by Internet time-the long sought one-stop financial portal has arrived. E-banking watchers are predicting that very soon, most big banks and some smaller ones will be sporting websites where customers can come to handle all of their financial affairs. Whats been missing until now is the ability to aggregate information and perform transactions that involve a customers accounts at rival institutions. Rich payoffs await the bank that can field a full-service financial portal. Its customers will likely visit he site more often, stay longer, and use more services. An early-adopting bank has the chance to become its best customers primary bank, where all financial information is consolidated into always-available net worth statements. For high-net worth customers, basic banking will likely evolve into online versions of what is now being called wealth management. Financial services industry trends The financial services industry provides four different types of services: sto rage and access to funds, protection of assets, means to grow assets, and movement of funds. These have been traditionally provided by separate firms. However, changing the institutional structure of the financial services industry has direct consequence for the online financial services. The trend contributing towards this cause is the industry consolidation or in other words movement towards integration financials services. Unlike in the traditional times, when banks were not allowed to operate in more than one area and industries like banking, insurance, brokerage were prohibited to from having significant financial interests in one another. Due to this concept only, some very small banks emerged in US in the past and it was also once called the most over-banked country in the world at that time. But this has long back faded into oblivion. Today the concept which is fast catching up is integration of financial services under one umbrella. Industry Consolidation and Integrated Financial Services Financial supermarket Most of the big online stockbrokers offer basic banking services like check-writing, automatic deposit, online bill payment and even A. T. M. cards. Now some companies are pulling out all the stops to convince customers to combine all their financial accounts with them, instead of keeping money at an assortment of institutions. This is called a financial supermarket. First, Bank of America announced that customers with at least $25,000 in traditional bank accounts - like checking, savings, money markets and certificates of deposit - could trade stocks free on the company’s brokerage Web site. Now some online brokers have sharply raised the interest rates they pay on checking accounts. Some time back, E*Trade Financial, based in New York, raised its top rate for checking to 3. 25 percent from 0. 8 percent. In late April, Charles Schwab bolstered its top checking rate to 4. 25 percent, from 2. 58 percent. Consumers have often preferred choosing their financial services a la carte - picking an interest-bearing checking account here, and a stock-trading site there. But financial services companies clearly have something else in mind. But there is dark side to it as well. Consumers should think carefully before combining their financial accounts with one company. The flip side to the convenience may be a decrease in investor privacy and data security. If a hacker broke into a company’s computers, then potentially they will know all of your sensitive information. People who combine their checking and brokerage accounts with one company should be prepared for cross-selling, the industry’s term for marketing many different financial products and services to customers. It is advised that customers should shop around before buying additional financial products, like mortgages and certificates of deposit, and not just to accept the rate at a company where they already have an account. Mortgages are a great example because the difference in cost over the life of a mortgage can be truly astronomical. The promise of internet and ecommerce technologies in the long rum would be to take the financial supermarket model one step further by providing a truly personalized, customized and integrated offering to customers based on their complete understanding in terms of his financial behavior, life cycle status, and unique needs. It will take time to accomplish this thing and also develop the technical infrastructure and consumer behavior toward a much deeper relationship with online financial service institutions. Online Financial Supermarkets. Dont bet on them. Big brokers would love nothing better, but consumers arent likely to bite At E*Trades Web site, you can buy shares in initial public offerings, do your banking, and get a 5% discount on a bottle of Le Parfum de Golf. At the American Express Co. site, you can pay your charge-card bill, trade stock, and book a flight to Kiev or Kuala Lumpur. Merrill Lynch Co. s ML. com will soon have $29. 95 stock trades, videos featuring Merrill market mavens, and an auction for diamond earrings. The Web sure is hip. But does anyone really want all this from a stockbroker? Financial-services companies have long wanted to create giant financial super markets. And financial services companies on the Web are no different. The goal has been to offer consumers banking, investments, insurance, loans, and financial planning in one convenient place. The strategy has failed for decades, and it will fail again online unless financial-services firms radically change the way they sell their products and learn to compete on price. The core difficulty for such would-be supermarkets is that they face a constant barrage of competition from companies pitching better products or services at lower prices. Just as online brokers squeeze commissions down to an average of $15 a trade, American Express offers free buy orders for customers with balances of at least $25,000. Just as portal Yahoo! Inc. popularizes a Visa card featuring 5% discounts for online purchases, startup NextCard Inc. offers similar shopping bargains plus a choice of cards with various rates and terms. And you can design the picture on your card yourself. For free. Funneling The truth is, it probably doesnt hurt to offer sideshows such as earring auctions and perfume discounts. The problem for the one-stop shops comes when they try to funnel online customers into high-priced, proprietary products, which may well alienate Netizens accustomed to saving money online. Those potential customers will click through and be on their way, and its not hard for them to find a better deal. At E-Loan Inc. , you can compare low-rate mortgages from countless lenders. At least a dozen sites offer insurance shopping services. And new firms such as VerticalOne Corp. and a host of others let you maintain multiple online financial accounts from different companies at one Web site. Internet or not, people dont want to be tied downsomething online brokers know all too well. Many customers use online trading as a mere adjunct to their primary accounts at full-service brokers. And if they arent satisfied with one online broker, theyll switch to anotherand complain about their problems on message boards for all to see. A Forrester Research study found that only 16% of consumers are willing to keep their assets in a single institution. And theyre not eager to give up choice, especially when new financial products and services pop up online all the time. The Web is a world where consumers are in charge, and they can move money in an almost frictionless environment, says Forrester analyst James Punishill. Its easy to understand why the financial industry is rushing to develop large-scale financial Web sites. Consumers want to consolidate their financial lives on the Webbut not with just one firm. Successful online companies wont try to pigeonhole customers into the same old proprietary products they sold pre-Internet. Theyll offer a broad selection, use the power of the Web to facilitate comparison shopping, and explain why a premium is justified for higher-priced products. In financial services, the Net has changed the rules. Account aggregation Account aggregation is a method that involves compiling information from different accounts, which may include bank accounts, credit card accounts, investment accounts, and other consumer or business accounts, into a single place. This may include a database or may be provided through screen scraping where a user provides the requisite account-access information for an automated system to gather and compile the information into a single page. Usually this database resides in a web-based application or in client-side software. While such services are primarily designed to aggregate financial information, they sometimes also display other things such as the contents of e-mail boxes and news headlines. One of the first major account aggregation services was Citibanks My Accounts service, though this service ended in late 2005 without explanation from Citibank. Much has been said in the financial services and banking industry as to the benefits of account aggregation principally the customer and web site loyalty it might generate for providers but the lack of responsibility and commitment by the providers is one reason for skepticism about committing to those same providers. The service helps users to manage their money on the Internet (typical desktop alternatives include Microsoft Money, Intuit Quicken etc) in an easy to use manner wherein they get functionalities like single password, one-click access to current account data, total net worth and expense analysis etc. Multiple U. S. financial institutions and credit unions are providing the service, however most of the time a vendor, such as Yodlee or Vertical One, is the technology solutions provider. Both these are the leading account aggregators. They use the screen scrapping technology and software tools to pull information from upto one thousand different financial sites. A smart mapping technology is also used sometimes so that if the underlying websites change, the scrapping software can adapt and still find the relevant information. Account aggregation has evolved with single sign-on at most major banks such as Bank of America. With SSO (usually implemented via SAML) major financial institutions are now expanding their aggregation services into new areas. Rich Presentment (getting all the information about a bill that you owe) is a service that uses Aggregation extensively, and can be seen at AOL, using AOL Bill Pay. Aggregation also powers applications such as Funds Transfer, New Account Openings, Card Based Bill Pay and so on. Independent Financial Advisors are another group that account aggregators are beginning to focus their attention. Having seen increasing competition from the wirehouses and breakaway brokers, positioning themselves as their clients primary advisor is not as easy as it once was. Account Aggregation should be able to help many of these advisors gain the competitive edge by providing a look into their clients held-away and non-managed accounts. Aggregators such as Advisor Exchange and CashEdge specialize in working with the advisor industry and provide historical, transaction level data that is normalized and reconciliation ready The main consumer and regulatory issues generated by account aggregation services include: Disclosure including disclosure about the risk of using an aggregation service; Liability for unauthorised transactions it is important to determine for losses caused by unauthorised transactions. For example, under the current regime, a consumer who discloses their password or PIN to an aggregation service may lose the protection offered by the EFT Code if an unauthorised transaction occurs; Liability for other losses for example, losses caused by misrepresentations, inaccurate information, poor quality of the service, downloading software, interruption of the service, etc; Privacy – e. g. ho has access to personal information, and what will the information be used for; Security especially the security of any location where account information is stored by the aggregator; consumer education; Complaints and dispute resolution most aggregation services surveyed do not appear to provide internal or external complaints resolution processes; Cost of aggregation services, and debt recovery; Cross-jurisdictional issues for example, what are the implications if the ggregator is based in another jurisdiction; Regulation of aggregators should they be subject to the same pru dential supervision framework and other regulations that apply to deposit-taking institutions and/or other financial institutions? ; The implications of the Financial Transaction Reports Act, which is designed to deter money laundering and tax evasion. Security Understanding Consumer Preferences for Authentication Methods Would online banking increase if financial institutions provided their customers with ways to enhance security? A new survey TriCipher Consumer Online Banking Study, suggests that may well be the case. Conducted by Javelin Strategy Research, the survey found that 31 million U. S. consumers would begin banking online and another 39 million consumers would increase their online banking activity if offered free identity protection software by their banks. In fact, this authentication method was chosen by 53 percent of respondents. The second most popular authentication method- chosen by 33 percent of survey respondents- was biometrics, which uses a dedicated hardware device to verify such physical characteristics as a fingerprint. The survey also tracked consumers preferences of the following authentication methods. E-mail or SMS One Time Password (21 percent): An e-mail or text message is sent with a random second password. OTP Token (20 percent): A small electronic device provides a constantly changing password. Out-of-Band (16 percent): A call is made to a registered phone number, requesting that a user enter his or her password over the phone, Peripheral Device Recognition (15 percent): Connection of a removable device (e. g. iPod, cell phone) owned by the consumer Scratch-off Card (11 percent): A card containing several PINS that are scratched off one at a time Exploring the Electronic Vault With electronically signed documents growing in popularity, especially for processing mortgages, banks are facing the question of how to protect and manage them. Banks must provide airtight security, yet at the same time make the documents accessible to a broad range of personnel. Electronic vaults can solve the problem, according to ‘Advanced Electronic Vaulting Solutions. A white paper from eOriginal, a Baltimore based provider of electronic document solutions. An electronic vault, as defined in the companys white paper, manages the legally binding. Authoritative Copy of an electronically signed contract or other document, and possibly its related transaction documents, in a secure location where it is held and transitioned during the entirety of its lifecycle, Electronically signed documents have been legally viable since 2000, when President Clinton signed the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (E-SIGN) Act into law. When an electronic vault is in place, once a document has been e-signed, a final copy is immediately sent to an electronic vault, where access can be controlled. From then on, a log will keep track of anyone who accesses the document, including such functions as printing or copying. An electronic vault can provide additional benefits beyond chose of security and access. For example, using electronic vaults can demonstrate that an institution has an original, untampered document, which enhances the integrity of the document. In addition, the secondary market requires that documents be stored in a secure, closed system, and electronic vaults fit the bill. An effective vault system can even indicate the new owner of a loan document, without tampering with the original document in any way. When judging the effectiveness of an electronic vault system, financial institutions should consider several requirements: 1. All documents should be protected, encrypted and time-stamped. 2. Privileged access rights to the documents should be maintained and enforced. . A complete audit trail should be kept for each document, including document access and transfer of ownership. 4. The document should be tested on a regular basis to determine whether any alterations have been made. 5. A vault system must be able to destroy an electronic original in the case where a paper copy becomes the legal version. Financial industry requirements for better authentication The success of this Web-based channel has bred new problems, pri marily in the orm of new types of online fraud, online versions of traditional fraud, or offline fraud that leverages vulnerabilities in online services. So far, the financial industry has been remarkably effective at controlling this fraud,1 but financial institutions cannot assume that current fraud-control measures will always be effective, and in any case the public visibility of fraud schemes such as phishing is eroding consumer confidence in the safety of on-line financial services, which troubles both financial institutions and their industry regulators. One fundamental issue is authentication. Consumers are not as sure as they should be of the legitimacy of the Web sites they interact with, while the ability of financial institutions to authenticate their customers is being undermined by phishing schemes and other attacks aimed at stealing passwords and other sensitive information. The net effect is that people are losing confidence in the safety of conducting their financial business on the Web, which will have a negative impact on the growth and adoption of online financial services no matter how effective the financial industry is in controlling actual fraud losses. Government regulators, of course, are also concerned about this trend. With these concerns in mind, the Financial Services Technology Consortium (FSTC) last year initiated a project aimed at defining â€Å"Better Mutual Authentication† practices for online delivery of retail financial services. This project has brought together major financial institutions from the banking and securities sectors, along with leading technology vendors, industry associations and observers from government agencies. New insights have emerged from this Project regarding the nature of authentication in a Web/Internet context, including the conviction that- although the necessary technology is largely available in theory- current Web authentication practices must be substantially improved if customer confidence is to be restored. FSTC’s BMA Project encourages and supports efforts by W3C to coordinate broad-based initiatives to improve Web authentication, and Project participants are likely to contribute to, or leverage, W3C’s initiatives. From the FSTC BMA Project’s perspective, requirements need to be addressed in the following eight areas: 1. Usability 2. Mutuality 3. Credibility2 4. Scalability 5. Availability 6. Interoperability 7. Flexibility 8. Adaptability For financial services, the first three- usability, mutuality, and credibility- are the core requirements. Usability is vital. Embedded in the hardware, operating system, browser, and internet services available today in the average computer is a truly impressive array of security technology, but it’s nearly impossible for the average consumer to make effective use of it, or even to determine if it is working correctly. Customer confidence in financial services can only be achieved if customers are able to confirm through trustworthy user interfaces that their Web interactions are safe. At the same time, customer safety depends on protection from impostors who may attempt to impersonate either the customer to the financial service, or the financial service to the customer; hence, the need for mutual authentication. Credibility2 of authentication requires that both customer and financial institution confirm the authenticity of the other party using something better than just passwords or other shared secrets. Beyond these core requirements, no authentication solution can be effective for retail financial services unless it can scale to support the entire consumer population. And consumers will resist adopting any new measures that impact availability of services, or that are too likely to break. Given the diversity of consumer needs, various authentication techniques will be required, and so interoperability is essential. Evolving consumer requirements indicate that flexibility is necessary to allow consumers to utilize multiple platforms in an anywhere, anytime online context. And, emerging threats and ever more sophisticated attacks from increasingly organized adversaries implies that viable solutions must be adaptable to a range of new threat scenarios. FSTC’s BMA Project participants recognize that the problems of Web authentication cannot be addressed by any one organization, or even by an entire industry acting alone. Instead, a coordinated approach is required involving: Operating System (OS) developers Providers of end-user computing platforms- e. g. PCs, mobile devices Browser developers/vendors Web server software vendors Vendors of authentication techniques PKI service providers Web content providers- e. g. , financial institutions Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Standards-setting organizations Industry associations Government agencies End users- e. g. , consumers, citizens W3C is well positioned to bring together many of these players to establish common objectives and align their respective strategies. Financial Industry Re commendations Leverage PKI More Effectively – PKI alone, as currently implemented, does not allow a user to distinguish between a financial institution Web site and one that, although belonging to an impostor, has nevertheless obtained some sort of certificate and supports https sessions One possible approach would be for the financial industry to establish new guidelines for a restricted subset of the existing certification hierarchy that would issue certificates only to financial institutions, and then to add new indicators to the browser â€Å"chrome† that would let the user know whether a site’s certificate is certified by this â€Å"strong† certification hierarchy. Engage End Users in Mutual Authentication Perhaps the greatest concern with current Web authentication practices is that end users- the customers of financial nstitutions- are severely handicapped in their ability to know if the Web site they are viewing is legitimate or an impostor. The financial industry would like to see new approaches to Web authentication that actively engage the user in authenticating Web sites (financial services) as well as providing stronger evidence of the user’s authenticity. This will require active, two-way communications with users that provide consistent, understandable interfaces into the complete authentication process. However, user engagement should not become an additional burden or hurdle to be overcome. Instead, users should, at the very least, be given a dashboard they can trust and that provides the information they need when they need it, including useful alerts or warnings. Achieve Synergies with Alternative Authentication Techniques The financial industry recognizes that reliance on passwords alone is no longer adequate, given the current threat levels. Furthermore, the industry must address new regulatory guidance3,4 that calls for use of alternative authentication techniques that protect consumers from password theft and abuse. Multi-factor authentication is widely viewed as one of the more effective alternatives available to financial services providers. However, there are significant challenges with rolling out new authentication techniques that will adequately scale up to the many millions of consumers that already use online financial services. In particular, consumer adoption is a major concern. Improve Techniques for Managing Passwords No matter what new authentication techniques get deployed, the financial industry will continue to utilize passwords and other shared secrets that can be exchanged bi-directionally between customers and Web sites. Browsers already provide password management tools for users, and increasingly serve as the preferred â€Å"password vault† for end users. Unfortunately, this concession to user convenience also heightens exposure to potential abuses, and financial institutions are increasingly concerned about the mounting threats to their financial services and customer interests. Browsers also provide various means for end users to enter passwords through special-purpose dialogs, though all of these mechanisms are considered deficient in one way or another. The financial industry would like to see new password entry procedures incorporated into browsers that require prior establishment of TLS (SSL) sessions and that enforce effective security practices for use of passwords. Growing importance Small-biz adoption of online banking to surpass 50% More than half of U. S. small businesses will have adopted online banking by the end of 2007, according to a new research report. Small-business use of online banking grew dramatically from 1998 to 2007, and Tower Group, a Boston-area research firm focused on the financial-services industry, estimates a further 10-percent penetration by 2010. Despite the growth and revenue potential of small-business online banking many financial institutions continue to under-serve this vital market, Tower Group says its research shows. While 95 percent of banks in the U. S. offer a dedicated small business online-banking product. Many banks simply provide a re-branded version of consumer online offerings - rather than creating more advanced features that meet the unique needs of small businesses, the research firm contends. Small-business owners straddle the line between consumer banking and corporate cash management. They appreciate the simplicity of retail online banking, yet value the features such as multiple user access and electronic payments found in corporate online banking, Tower Group contends. Banks, credit unions and emerging non-bank competitors of all sizes are chasing the small business market in an effort to capture a share of this expanding segment, said Patricia Hines. senior analyst in the Wholesale Banking practice at Tower Group and author of the research. Highlights of the research include: In order lo retain existing small business customers, banks offering minimal features must expand online capabilities. Tower Group research found that less than 50 percent of banks include electronic payments in their small business online banking offering. At the upper end of the feature set, Tower Group expects banks to increase integration with other high-value online services such as employee payroll, merchant services, and investment management.