Icici Bank Report

ICICI BANK ABOUT ICICI BANK: ICICI Bank is India's second-largest bank with total assets of Rs. 4,736. 47 billion (US$ 93 billion) at March 31, 2012 and profit after tax Rs. 64. 65 billion (US$ 1,271 million) for the year ended March 31, 2012. The Bank has a network of 2,766 branches and 9,363 ATMs in India, and has a presence in 19 countries, including India.ICICI Bank offers a wide range of banking products and financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and through its specialised subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life and non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management. ICICI Bank started as a wholly owned subsidiary of ICICI Limited, an Indian financial institution, in 1994. Four years later, when the company offered ICICI Bank's shares to the public, ICICI's shareholding was reduced to 46%.In the year 2000, ICICI Bank offered made an equity offering in the form of ADRs on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), thereby becoming the first Indian company and the first bank or financial institution from non-Japan Asia to be listed on the NYSE. In the next year, it acquired the Bank of Madura Limited in an all-stock amalgamation. Later in the year and the next fiscal year, the bank made secondary market sales to institutional investors.With a change in the corporate structure and the budding competition in the Indian Banking industry, the management of both ICICI and ICICI Bank were of the opinion that a merger between the two entities would prove to be an essential step. It was in 2001 that the Boards of Directors of ICICI and ICICI Bank sanctioned the amalgamation of ICICI and two of its wholly-owned retail finance subsidiaries, ICICI Personal Financial Services Limited and ICICI Capital Services Limited, with ICICI Bank.In the following year, the merger was approved by its shareholders, the High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad as well as the High Court of Judicature at Mumbai and the Reserve Bank of India. ICICI Bank has its equity shares listed in India on Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited. Overseas, its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). As of December 31, 2008, ICICI is India's second-largest bank, boasting an asset value of Rs. 3,744. 10 billion and profit after tax Rs. 30. 14 billion, for the nine months, that ended on December 31, 2008. BRANCHESOFATMS:ICICI Bank has a wide network both in Indian and abroad. In India alone, the bank has 1,420 branches and about 4,644 ATMs. Talking about foreign countries, ICICI Bank has made its presence felt in 18 countries – United States, Singapore, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Qatar and Dubai International Finance Centre and representative offices in United Arab Emirates, China, South Africa, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Bank proudly holds its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Russia and Canada out of which, the UK subsidiary has established branches in Belgium and Germany. Products Personal Banking * Deposits * Loans Cards * Investments * Insurance * Demat Services * Wealth Management NRI Banking * Money Transfer * Bank Accounts * Investments * Property Solutions * Insurance * Loans Business Banking * Corporate Net Banking * Cash Management * Trade Services * FXOnline * SME Services * Online Taxes * Custodial Services Board Members * Mr. K. V. Kamath,- Chairman * Mr. Sridar Iyengar * Dr. Swati Piramal * Mr. Homi R. Khusrokhan * Mr. Arvind Kumar * Mr. M. S. Ramachandran Dr. Tushaar Shah Mr. V. Sridar Ms. Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director & CEO Mr. N. S. Kannan, Executive Director & CFO Mr. K. Ramkumar, Executive Director Mr. Rajiv Sabharwal,Executive Director Head Office ICICI Bank 9th Floor, South Towers ICICI Towers Bandra Kurla Complex Bandra (E) Mumbai Phone: 91-022-653 7914 Website: www. icicibank. com SWOT ANALYSIS: Strengths of ICICI Bank * ICICI is the second largest bank in ter ms of total assets and market share * Total assets of ICICI is Rs. 4062. 34 Billion and recorded a maximum profit after tax of Rs. 51. 51 billion and located in 19 countries * One of the major strength of ICICI bank according to financial analysts is its strong and transparent balance sheet * ICICI bank has first mover advantage in many of the banking and financial services.ICICI bank is the first bank in India to introduce complete mobile banking solutions and   jewelry card * The bank has PAN India presence of around 2,567 branches and 8003 ATM’s * ICICI bank is the first bank in India to attach life style benefits to banking services for exclusive purchases and tie-ups with best brands in the industry such as Nakshatra, Asmi, D’damas etc * ICICI bank has the longest working hours and additional services offering at ATM’s which attracts customers * Marketing and advertising strategies of ICICI have good reach compared to other banks in India Weaknesses of  ICICI Bank Customer support of ICICI section is not performing well in terms of resolving complaints * There are lot of consumer complaints filed against ICICI * The ICICI bank has the most stringent policies in terms of recovering the debts and loans, and credit payments. They employ third party agency to handle recovery management * There are also complaints of customer assault and abuse while recovering and the credit payment reminders are sent even before the deadlines which annoys the customers * The bank service charges are comparatively higher The employees of ICICI are bank in maximum stress because of the aggressive policies of the management to win ahead in the race. This may result in less productivity in future years Opportunities of  ICICI Bank * Banking sector is expected to grow at a rate of 17% in the next three years * The concept of saving in banks and investing in financial products is increasing in rural areas as more than 62% percentage of India’s popu lation is still in rural areas. As per 2010 data in TOI, the total number b-schools in India are more than 1500. This can ensure regular supply of trained human power in financial products and banking services * Within next four years ICICI bank is planning to open 1500 new branches * Small and non performing banks can be acquired by ICICI because of its financial strength * ICICI bank is expected to have 20% credit growth in the coming years. * ICICI bank has the minimum amount of non performing assets Threats of  ICICI Bank RBI allowed foreign banks to invest up to 74% in Indian banking * Government sector banks are in urge of modernizing the capacities to ensure the customers switching to new age banks are minimized * HDFC is the major competitor for ICICI, and other upcoming banks like AXIS, HSBC impose a major threat * In rural areas the micro financing groups hold a major share * Though customer acquisition is high on one side, the unsatisfied customers are increasing and ma ke them to switch to other banks. PORTER’S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS: Bargaining Power of Suppliers: * Inputs have little impact on costs When inputs are not a big component of costs, suppliers of those inputs have less bargaining power. Low cost inputs positively affect  ICICI Bank. Bargaining Power of Customers * Large number of customers * When there are large numbers of customers, no one customer tends to have bargaining leverage. Limited bargaining leverage helps  ICICI Bank. Intensity of Existing Rivalry * Low storage costs (ICICI Bank) * Government limits competition (ICICI Bank) * Large industry size (ICICI Bank) Threat of Substitutes New Aspirants in Banking sector like AV Birla, Tata Group,  IFCI etc. Threat of New Competitors * Strong distribution network required (ICICI Bank) * High capital requirements (ICICI Bank) * High sunk costs limit competition (ICICI Bank) * Industry requires economies of scale (ICICI Bank) * Geographic factors limit competition (ICICI Ba nk) * High learning curve (ICICI Bank) SUBSIDIARIES COMPANIES: At March 31, 2012, ICICI Bank had 17 subsidiaries as listed in the following table: DOMESTIC SUBSIDIARIES * ICICI Securities Primary Dealership Limited * ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited ICICI Prudential Trust Limited * ICICI securities Ltd. * ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Limited * ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited * ICICI Prudential Pension Funds Management Company Limited * ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited * ICICI Home Finance Company Limited * ICICI Investment Management Company Limited * ICICI Trusteeship Service Limited INTERNATIONAL SUBSIDIARIES: * ICICI Bank UK PLC * ICICI Securities Inc. * ICICI International Ltd. * ICICI Bank Eurasis Ltd. Liability Company. * ICICI Securities Holdings, Inc * ICICI Bank Canada FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS:As required by United States securities regulations, ICICI Bank Limited (NYSE: IBN) filed its annual report in Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2012 (FY2012) on July 31, 2012. The Form 20-F annual report includes the Bank’s consolidated financial statements under Indian GAAP and a reconciliation of consolidated profit after tax and net worth under Indian GAAP to net income and stockholders’ equity under US GAAP, approved by the Audit Committee of the Board. The consolidated profit after tax for FY2012 under Indian GAAP was Rs. 7,643 crore (US$ 1,502 million) and the net income under US GAAP was Rs. ,998 crore (US$ 1,375 million). Stockholders’ equity as per US GAAP was ` 63,872 crore (US$ 12. 55 billion) at March 31, 2012 compared to the consolidated net worth as per Indian GAAP of ` 61,277 crore (US$ 12. 04 billion) ICICI BANK Key Financial Ratios of ICICI Bank Mar’12 | Mar’11| Mar '10| Mar '09| Mar '08| investment Valuation Ratios| | | | | Face Value| 10. 00| 10. 00| 10. 00| 10. 00| 10. 00| Dividend Per Share| 16. 50| 14. 00| 12. 00| 11. 00| 11. 00| Operating Profit Per Share (Rs)| 76. 15| 64. 08| 49. 80| 48. 58| 51. 29| Net Operating Profit Per Share (Rs)| 346. 19| 281. 04| 293. 74| 343. 9| 354. 71| Free Reserves Per Share (Rs)| 376. 49| 358. 12| 356. 94| 351. 04| 346. 21| Bonus in Equity Capital| –| –| –| –| –| Profitability Ratios| | | | | Interest Spread| 4. 44| 4. 01| 5. 66| 3. 66| 3. 51| Adjusted Cash Margin(%)| 17. 45| 17. 52| 13. 64| 11. 45| 11. 81| Net Profit Margin| 16. 14| 15. 91| 12. 17| 9. 74| 10. 51| Return on Long Term Fund(%)| 52. 09| 42. 97| 44. 72| 56. 72| 62. 34| Return on Net Worth(%)| 10. 70| 9. 35| 7. 79| 7. 58| 8. 94| Adjusted Return on Net Worth(%)| 10. 70| 9. 27| 7. 53| 7. 55| 8. 80| Return on Assets Excluding Revaluations| 524. 01| 478. 31| 463. 01| 444. 94| 417. 4| Return on Assets Including Revaluations| 524. 01| 478. 31| 463. 01| 444. 94| 417. 64| Management Efficiency Ratios| | | | | Interest Income / Total Funds| 9. 07| 8. 41| 8. 82| 9. 82| 10. 60| Net Interest Income / Total Fun ds| 3. 89| 4. 01| 4. 08| 3. 99| 4. 29| Non Interest Income / Total Funds| 0. 03| –| 0. 08| 0. 08| 0. 02| Interest Expended / Total Funds| 5. 18| 4. 41| 4. 74| 5. 83| 6. 31| Operating Expense / Total Funds| 1. 89| 2. 09| 2. 59| 2. 60| 2. 76| Profit Before Provisions / Total Funds| 1. 91| 1. 77| 1. 41| 1. 30| 1. 40| Net Profit / Total Funds| 1. 47| 1. 34| 1. 08| 0. 96| 1. 12| Loans Turnover| 0. 8| 0. 17| 0. 17| 0. 18| 0. 20| Total Income / Capital Employed(%)| 9. 10| 8. 41| 8. 90| 9. 90| 10. 62| Interest Expended / Capital Employed(%)| 5. 18| 4. 41| 4. 74| 5. 83| 6. 31| Total Assets Turnover Ratios| 0. 09| 0. 08| 0. 09| 0. 10| 0. 11| Asset Turnover Ratio| 0. 09| 3. 55| 4. 60| 5. 14| 5. 61| Profit And Loss Account Ratios| | | | | Interest Expended / Interest Earned| 68. 00| 65. 29| 68. 44| 73. 09| 76. 28| Other Income / Total Income| 0. 37| 0. 02| 0. 92| 0. 86| 0. 17| Operating Expense / Total Income| 20. 77| 24. 81| 29. 05| 26. 22| 26. 00| Selling Distribution Cost Composition| 0. 73| 0. 94| 0. 72| 1. 4| 4. 43| Balance Sheet Ratios| | | | | Capital Adequacy Ratio| 18. 52| 19. 54| 19. 41| 15. 53| 13. 97| Advances / Loans Funds(%)| 65. 30| 64. 96| 58. 57| 69. 86| 72. 67| Debt Coverage Ratios| | | | | Credit Deposit Ratio| 92. 23| 87. 81| 90. 04| 91. 44| 84. 99| Investment Deposit Ratio| 61. 16| 59. 77| 53. 28| 46. 35| 42. 68| Cash Deposit Ratio| 8. 60| 11. 32| 10. 72| 10. 14| 10. 12| Total Debt to Owners Fund| 4. 23| 4. 10| 3. 91| 4. 42| 5. 27| Financial Charges Coverage Ratio| 0. 39| 0. 44| 0. 33| 0. 25| 1. 25| Financial Charges Coverage Ratio Post Tax| 1. 31| 1. 34| 1. 26| 1. 20| 1. 20| Leverage Ratios| | | | |Current Ratio| 0. 13| 0. 11| 0. 14| 0. 13| 0. 11| Quick Ratio| 16. 71| 15. 86| 14. 70| 5. 94| 6. 42| Cash Flow Indicator Ratios| | | | | Dividend Payout Ratio Net Profit| 32. 82| 35. 23| 37. 31| 36. 60| 33. 12| Dividend Payout Ratio Cash Profit| 30. 36| 31. 76| 32. 33| 31. 00| 29. 08| Earning Retention Ratio| 67. 19| 64. 49| 61. 40| 63. 23| 66. 35| Cash Earning Retention Ratio| 69. 65| 68. 01| 66. 70| 68. 87| 70. 51| AdjustedCash Flow Times| 36. 54| 39. 77| 44. 79| 49. 41| 52. 34| | | | Mar '12| Mar '11| Mar '10| Mar '09| Mar '08| | | | | | | Earnings Per Share| 56. 09| 44. 73| 36. 10| 33. 76| 37. 7| | | | | | Book Value| 524. 01| 478. 31| 463. 01| 444. 94| 417. 64| | | | | | Source:Moneycontrol. com ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: CURRENT RATIO: STUDY OF PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT: Meaning: It is a financial statement, which shows net profit & loss of a company for a specified period. The accounting year means calendar year 12 months or less or more then 12 months. Parts of the Profit and Loss Account The Profit & Loss Account aims to monitor profit. It has three parts. 1) The Trading Account. This records the money in (revenue) and out (costs) of the business as a result of the business †trading† ie buying and selling.This might be buying raw materials and selling finished goods; it might be buying goods wholesale and selling them retail. The figure at the end of this section is the Gross Profit . 2) The Profit and Loss Account. This starts with the Gross Profit and adds to it any further costs and revenues, including overheads. These further costs and revenues are from any other activities not directly related to trading. An example is income received from investments. 3) The Appropriation Account. This shows how the profit is â€Å"appropriated† or divided between the three uses mentioned above. HORIZONTAL ANALYSIS:When an analyst compares financial information for two or more years for a single company, the process is referred to as horizontal analysis, since the analyst is reading across the page to compare any single line item, such assales revenues. In addition to comparing dollar amounts, the analyst computes percentage changes from year to year for all financial statement balances, such as cash and inventory. Alternatively, in comparing financial statements for a number of years, t he analyst may prefer to use a variation of horizontal analysis called trend analysis. VERTICAL ANALYSIS:When using vertical analysis, the analyst calculates each item on a single financial statement as a percentage of a total. The term vertical analysis applies because each year's figures are listed vertically on a financial statement. The total used by the analyst on the income statement is net sales revenue, while on the balance sheet it is total assets. This approach to financial statement analysis, also known as component percentages, produces common-size financial statements. Price/sale ratio: About Price to Sales Ratio(P/S) The price to sales ratio (PS ratio) is calculated by dividing stock price by the revenue per share.It is most useful for comparing companies within a sector or industry because â€Å"normal† values for this ratio vary from industry to industry. In general, low price to sales ratios are more appealing because they suggest that a company is undervalue d. P/E ratio: About Price to Earnings Ratio The price to earnings ratio (PE Ratio) is the measure of the share price relative to the annual net income earned by the firm per share. PE ratio shows current investor demand for a company share. A high PE ratio generally indicates increased demand because investors anticipate earnings growth in the future.The PE ratio has units of years, which can be interpreted as the number of years of earnings to pay back purchase price. PRICE/BOOK VALUE RATIO: About Price to Book Ratio The price to book value is a financial ratio used to compare a company's book value to its current market price. Book value is an accounting term denoting the portion of the company held by the shareholders at accounting value (not market value). In other words, book value is the company's total tangible assets less its total liabilities. DCF METHOD: Beta(? ) The Beta (? of a stock or portfolio is a number describing the correlated volatility of an asset in relation to the volatility of the benchmark that said asset is being compared to. This benchmark is generally the overall financial market and is often estimated via the use of representative indices, such as the S;P 500. An asset has a beta of zero if its moves are not correlated with the benchmark's moves. A positive beta means that the asset generally follows the benchmark, in the sense that the asset tends to move up when the benchmark moves up, and the asset tends to move down when the benchmark moves down.A negative beta means that the asset generally moves opposite the benchmark: the asset tends to move up when the benchmark moves down, and the asset tends to move down when the benchmark moves up. It measures the part of the asset's statistical variance that cannot be removed by the diversification provided by the portfolio of many risky assets, because of the correlation of its returns with the returns of the other assets that are in the portfolio. Beta can be estimated for individual companies using regression analysis against a stock market index. The formula for the beta of an asset within a portfolio is here ra measures the rate of return of the asset, rp measures the rate of return of the portfolio, cov(ra,rp) is the covariance between the rates of return. The portfolio of interest in the CAPM formulation is the market portfolio that contains all risky assets, and so the rp terms in the formula are replaced by rm, the rate of return of the market. Beta is also referred to as financial elasticity or correlated relative volatility, and can be referred to as a measure of the sensitivity of the asset's returns to market returns, its non-diversifiable risk, its systematic risk, or market risk.The market itself is considered to have a Beta of 1. Using regression analysis, the beta of the stock is calculated. If the beta of the stock is greater than 1, this means the stock’s prices are more volatile than the market, and vice verse. For example, if a stock ha s a beta of 1. 2, this means that a 1% change in the market index will bring about a 1. 2% change in the stock’s price. Stocks with high beta are considered to be more risky compared to the ones with low beta. Bollinger Bands: Bollinger Bands  is a  technical analysis  tool invented byJohn Bollinger in the 1980s, and a term  trademarked   by him in 2011.Having evolved from the concept of trading bands, Bollinger Bands and the related indicators  %b  and bandwidth  can be used to measure the highness or lowness of the price relative to previous trades. Bollinger Bands consist of: * an  N-period  moving average (MA) * an upper band at  K  times an  N-period  standard deviation  above the moving average (MA  +  K? ) * a lower band at  K  times an  N-period  standard deviation below the moving average (MA  ? K? ) Typical values for  N  and  K  are 20 and 2, respectively.The default choice for the average is a simple  moving av erage, but other types of averages can be employed as needed. Exponential moving averages  are a common second choice. Usually the same period is used for both the middle band and the calculation of standard deviation. INTERPRETATION: The use of Bollinger Bands varies widely among traders. Some traders buy when price touches the lower Bollinger Band and exit when price touches the moving average in the center of the bands. Other traders buy when price breaks above the upper Bollinger Band or sell when price falls below the lower Bollinger Band.Moreover, the use of Bollinger Bands is not confined to stock traders;  options  traders, most notably  implied volatility traders, often sell options when Bollinger Bands are historically far apart or buy options when the Bollinger Bands are historically close together, in both instances, expecting volatility to revert back towards the average historical volatility level for the stock. When the bands lie close together a period of low   volatility  in stock price is indicated. When they are far apart a period of high volatility in price is indicated.When the bands have only a slight slope and lie approximately parallel for an extended time the price of a stock will be found to oscillate up and down between the bands as though in a channel. Traders are often inclined to use Bollinger Bands with other indicators to see if there is confirmation. In particular, the use of an oscillator like Bollinger Bands will often be coupled with a non-oscillator indicator like  chart patterns  or a  trendline; if these indicators confirm the recommendation of the Bollinger Bands, the trader will have greater evidence that what the bands forecast is correct.Monte carlo simulation: Risk analysis is part of every decision we make. We are constantly faced with uncertainty, ambiguity, and variability. And even though we have unprecedented access to information, we can’t accurately predict the future. Monte Carlo simul ation (also known as the Monte Carlo Method) lets you see all the possible outcomes of your decisions and assess the impact of risk, allowing for better decision making under uncertainty. Monte Carlo simulation is a computerized mathematical technique that allows people to account for risk in quantitative analysis and decision making.The technique is used by professionals in such widely disparate fields as finance, project management, energy, manufacturing, engineering, research and development, insurance, oil & gas, transportation, and the environment. Monte Carlo simulation furnishes the decision-maker with a range of possible outcomes and the probabilities they will occur for any choice of action.. It shows the extreme possibilities—the outcomes of going for broke and for the most conservative decision—along with all possible consequences for middle-of-the-road decisions.The technique was first used by scientists working on the atom bomb; it was named for Monte Carl o, the Monaco resort town renowned for its casinos. Since its introduction in World War II, Monte Carlo simulation has been used to model a variety of physical and conceptual systems. ICICI BANK CHARTS The annotated chart above shows a stock that opened with a gap up. Before the open, the number of buy orders exceeded the number of sell orders and the price was raised to attract more sellers. Demand was brisk from the start. The intraday high reflects the strength of demand (buyers). The intraday low reflects the availability of supply (sellers).The close represents the final price agreed upon by the buyers and the sellers. In this case, the close is well below the high and much closer to the low. This tells that even though demand (buyers) was strong during the day, supply (sellers) ultimately prevailed and forced the price back down. Even after this selling pressure, the close remained above the open. By looking at price action over an extended period of time, we can see the battl e between supply and demand unfold. In its most basic form, higher prices reflect increased demand and lower prices reflect increased supply. Interpretation:The Rate-of-Change (ROC) indicator, which is also referred to as simply Momentum, is a pure  momentum oscillator  that measures the percent change in price from one period to the next. The ROC calculation compares the current price with the price â€Å"n† periods ago. The plot forms an oscillator that fluctuates above and below the zero line as the Rate-of-Change moves from positive to negative. As a momentum oscillator, ROC signals include centerline crossovers, divergences and overbought-oversold readings. Divergences fail to foreshadow reversals more often than not so this article will forgo a discussion on divergences.Even though centerline crossovers are prone to whipsaw, especially short-term, these crossovers can be used to identify the overall trend. Identifying overbought or oversold extremes comes natural to the Rate-of-Change oscillator. Standard deviation chart that measures the amount of variability or dispersion around an average. Standard deviation is also a measure of volatility. Generally speaking, dispersion is the difference between the actual value and the average value. The larger this dispersion or variability is, the higher the standard deviation. The smaller this dispersion or variability is, the lower the standard deviation.Chartists can use the Standard Deviation to measure expected risk and determine the significance of certain price movements. BRIEF ABOUT PORTFOLIO Annexure: News Analysis Regarding Portfolio * Bajaj Corp Nirmal Bang is bullish on Bajaj Corp and has recommended buy rating on the stock with a target of Rs 228 in its October 9, 2012 research report. â€Å"We have upgraded our FY13E and FY14E earnings estimates for Bajaj Corp (BCL) by 6. 4% and 3. 7%, respectively, factoring in higher gross margins. Consequently, we have increased our target price on the stock to Rs228 (from Rs220 earlier) and retained Buy rating on it. † * DABUR INDIA LTD..AnandRathi has come out with its report on consumer sector. The research firm recommend`s buy on ITC, Nestle India, Colgate, GSK Consumer, Emami, Pidilite, Agro Tech Foods, Bajaj Corp. , Lovable Lingerie, Zydus Wellness, and Tilaknagar Industries. Dabur, Marico as Hold, and have Sell on HUL, Asian Paints, Britannia, and VST Industries. Consumer companies are expected to report 17% revenue growth, led by higher volumes and prices. We expect stable EBITDA margins, despite rise in raw material costs (up 7-8%) and reduced weights. With tax rates likely to rise 50-150bps, we expect net profit to increase only 15% yoy.Revenues on the rise:  We expect sector revenues to grow 17%, led by volume and price. Offtake from the Canteen Stores Department, comprising 8% of sales, would be subdued. However, rupee depreciation of 10-12% will benefit companies with more than 15% in exports (Asian Paints, M arico, Dabur). * Bharti Airtel Top telecom carrier  Bharti Airtel  Ã‚  will bid in an upcoming auction of mobile phone airwaves, said a company source, who declined to be named as the matter is not public yet. The airwaves auction is the result of a Supreme Court order to revoke permits issued in a scandal-tainted sale in 2008.Bharti Airtel is not affected by that court order but it could be looking to buy additional spectrum. Friday is the deadline for companies to submit their application to participate in the auction, which is scheduled to start on November 12. ICICI BANK: SBI  Ã‚  ,  HDFC Bank  Ã‚  and  ICICI Bank  Ã‚  are the best bets, says Sudarshan Sukhani, s2analytics. com. Jaiprakash Associates  Ã‚  , they had set a target of about Rs 100, much lower when it was Rs 80-81. It is almost there. So now for people who hold positions there are the potential of more gains, but at Rs 95 I do not know if a trader can actually buy. The targets are just in front of us .Perhaps the stocks will consolidate. Perhaps it could go up and it may not. † He further added, â€Å"The risk-reward is no longer in favor of a short-term trader. For actually people who still hold them I think there is more upside. † â€Å"The Bank  Nifty  itself becomes a buying opportunity as we just entered the last half an hour of trading. The Nifty is clearly above the 5700 level. I had explained earlier that we do not need a level on the Bank Nifty. If the Nifty is trading above 5700 we can buy the Nifty as well as the Bank Nifty and we should, at least the aggressive traders should. The CNX-IT can be left alone.Which are the best stocks in the Bank Nifty to go along with? It is State Bank of India, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. OBSERVATION: ICICI Bank- Key Fundamentals Market Cap (Rs Cr. ): 118,375 EPS – TTM (Rs):64. 19 P/E Ratio (x):15. 91 Face Value (Rs):10. 00 Latest Div. (%):165. 00 Div. Yield (%):1. 60 Book Value / sh. (Rs) :523. 79 P/B Ratio (x): 1. 96 CONCLUSION: There are many online services which offer tools that enable us to choose investments plus those which offer relatively affordable trade margins. These options are basically for everyone though experienced traders could be well versed with them.To evaluate a good online trading service we need to look at the several factors. Issues to do with fees plus commissions for doing business can quickly rise up. Comprehensive services should be able to provide extended markets in addition to investment services including other retirement options. Since purchasing and selling at online stock trading is nerve racking, overall best services provide instant messaging as well as phone support. Bibliography: www. Moneycontrol. com www. Bseindia. com www. Nseindia. com www. Wikipedia. com ANNEXURE :- As per 1st NOV 2012:-

Engage in personal development in health, social care or children Essay

Outcome 1 Understand what is required for competence in own work role 1) Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role To assist service users with everyday tasks such as washing, toileting, dressing, eating, drinking. To assist with mobility and disability. To help in the promotion of mental and physical activity through talking and reading with them, taking them out, hobbies and recreation. House cleaning and laundry. Read and write reports. Take part in training updates regularly. Follow policies and procedures at all times. Report any changes to service user’s health or circumstances. Encourage service users to be as independent as possible. Be mentor to new staff and complete their supervision plans. Carry out medication duties. Complete methodologies, action plans and evaluations for individual residents on a monthly basis. 2) Explain expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards There are two main standards that I am expected to be able to comply with – National Miniumum Standards The purpose of these Standards is to set out the National Minimum Training Standards for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England. These standards define the minimum you should know, irrespective of your individual work role. Often you will gain this knowledge during a period of induction in the first weeks or months of your employment. While meeting these minimum standards is not the same as being competent in your role, they do provide the foundation for safe and effective practice. The  standards do not seek to set out competences for workers, but correspond to the underpinning knowledge within the Core Competences for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England. The National Minimum Standards consist of 10 Standards – 1. The roles of the Healthcare Support Worker and Adult Social Care Worker 2. Your personal development 3. Effective communication 4. Equality, diversity and inclusion 5. Duty of care 6. Safeguarding 7. Person-centred care and support 8. Health and safety 9. Handling information 10. Infection prevention and control Each Standard has several units within. For example, the first Standard has 4 units – 1. Understanding your own role 2. Your relationship with others 3. Working in ways that have been agreed with your employer 4. Working in partnership with others Each unit then has it’s own elements. For example, the first unit has 3 elements – 1.1.1 Understand your main duties and responsibilities 1.1.2 Understand the standards and codes of conduct and practice that relate to your role 1.1.3 Be aware of how your previous experiences, attitudes and beliefs may affect the way you work National Occupational Standards National Occupational Standards have been developed in most industries. They – Describe best practice in particular areas of work Bring together the skills, knowledge and values necessary to do the work as statements of competence Provide managers with a tool for a wide variety of workforce management, quality control and specification tasks Are the basis of training and qualifications. Skills for Care and Development develops standards with the care sector that focus on all levels of work, with an expectation that the standards will be used at least as much in human resource and operational management, as they will be in the development of qualifications. Skills for Care and Development works with employers and others to contribute to and promote the developing uses of the standards. I am expected to be able to carry out my duties to the best of my ability, competently and to at least the minimum standards set out in both of the above Standards. Outcome 2 Be able to reflect on practice 3) Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice Everyone has different values, beliefs and experiences which are important to them and what we see as acceptable or desirable is an important part of who we are. For example, Someone’s religion, diet, class, sexuality and ability are individual to them. The way we respond to people is linked to our beliefs, what we class as important and what our interests are. We are more likely to respond positively to someone who shares our values, than to someone who has different values. It is natural to want to make friends and spend time with people who share our interests and values. In a work place, problems can arise when we start to assume what we know is ‘right’ or ‘normal’ for someone. Everyone sees things in different ways. For example, if i was to put ‘songs of praise’ on the tv, I am forcing everyone to watch a program following MY own religous beliefs. As a professional, it is my duty to provide the same quality of care and support for all, regardless of their values, beliefs and what they consider to be important. If I was to allow my own preferences to interfere with my work, I will be failing to perform to the standards of the Code of Practice for social care workers. All Care Workers are to respect and promote people’s individual views and wishes. Outcome 3 Be able to evaluate own performance 1) Evaluate own knowledge, performance and understanding against relevant standards To be able to evaluate my own knowledge, performance and understanding, I need to be able to reflect on what I do and the way I work. I also need to know my own weaknesses and strengths. Once I am able to do this, I can learn to think about the way I work, in a constructive way, and use this to identify areas for improvement. For example, during the day, I would make a cup of tea for all the residents. But, after reflecting on this, I can see that I should have given the residents a choice of drink and not assume that they all wanted tea. This would then be in accordance with Standard 3, of the National Minimum Standards. Outcome 5 Be able to use learning opportunities and reflective practice to contribute to personal development 1) Evaluate how learning activities have affected practice Although I had been a carer for a while, when I became a carer for residents with dementia , I was unsure of how to communicate with them. I shadowed the Senior Carer for a while and learnt quickly that although the residents have dementia, most can communicate verbally on a basic level . I learnt how to communicate through not only speech, but using hand signs as well. I learnt that some of the residents are quite hard of hearing, so I have to speak up. If I had not of shadowed the Senior Carer, It would of taken me longer to adjust to communicating with the residents in a way that they would understand me, and I would understand them.

European colonialism is often depicted as a force of greed that Essay

European colonialism is often depicted as a force of greed that exploited the African people for financial gain however, one cou - Essay Example Europeans used guns and bombs. This was described as spiritual or religious war, as the Africans hoped for immunity from the bullets, offered to them by their gods. However, the evils of the war have been discussed over and over, with little focus on the benefits the war had on Africans and the Europeans. This paper seeks to find out the benefits of the war to both Africans and Europeans, especially through moral changes. As earlier noted, Africans used bows and arrows, swords and shields to wage their war against the American soldiers. However, during the progressive days of the war, they adopted the Europeans style of fighting, and embraced the use of guns and bullets. Although these arms were not legally acquired as the African militants staged ambush on the American army and stole away their guns and ammunition, they helped improve their fight against the American soldiers significantly. The realization that their forms of fighting could not be comparable to that of the Americans quashed their naivety and they started embracing the importance of modernized forms of fighting. To this modern day, the Africans import guns and ammunition for war and internal security. The African disorganized form of fighting always gave advantage to the Europeans soldiers. They did have any form of training in fighting skills. This made the European army to have an advantage over the Africans. With time, they learnt the art of organized fight which greatly improved in their fighting tactics. At times they surprise that Americans soldiers and won in a number of battles. Most of the African and European gains from colonization were long term. Various changes were experienced by Africans, but also enjoyed by the Europeans. Effects of colonialism are felt in the African continent even to this day, years after the rule ended and the continent became independent. The Europeans gained economically through the raw materials that they acquired from Africa. The Europeans borrowed the sh ield used by the Africans in the war to form a basis for a number of games played by the Europeans. Some of the African games were adopted by the Europeans with minimal changes to suit the European children. Other games played by the European children based their ideas from the African games. Although most of the Africans consider the colonial rule to have been bad, evidence shows that they benefited handsomely from the rule. Some countries that were not been colonized when they lagged behind other countries that had undergone the colonial rule, they attributed this to the lack of the colonial rule in their country. An example is Ethiopia, a country that was not colonized by and foreign power. Emperor Haile Selassie declared that at one time, the county was too poor because it had not experienced the colonial rule like its African counterparts. For example, most of the Africans before the colonial era were culturists. They did not have a formal religion and mostly thought that their gods lived in the forests, in caves or in the mountains. However, with colonization, Europeans brought religion to the Africans. They taught them the values of Christianity and the importance of the bible. The Europeans introduced Christianity to the Africans, and thus changed their way of life and understanding of Christianity. Many at times, the Africans would offer rituals and sacrifices to their gods, but when the Europeans

Personal Computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Personal Computers - Essay Example Worldwide, PC sales totalled about 100 million in 2002 (Samuelson, Nordhaus 2003). In the wake of falling prices, PC industry has experienced a continuous boom. Today, PC has become an indispensable product. This paper will discuss the factors that have had an impact on the price pattern of this indispensable product. To do so, some basic concepts of economics will be introduced. A market is a mechanism through which buys and sellers interact to determine prices and exchange goods and services. Prices direct the decisions of consumers and producers in the market. Higher prices tend to reduce consumer purchases and encourage production. Contrariwise, lower prices encourage consumption and dampen production. Therefore, prices are the balance wheel of the market mechanism (Samuelson, Nordhaus 2003). The following graph justifies this concept: It is imperative that an accurate interpretation regarding changes in price and quantity of a particular product is done. This is because the change in quantity as a result of a change in price could be instigated from either the demand side or the supply side (McCain 1981). For example, if fewer airline tickets are sold, it could either mean that the airfares have surged or demand for travel has plummeted. Studying the price behaviour in conjunction with the quantity can sometimes lead to meaningful conclusions. This can be substantiated with a change in the price of bread leading to a change in quantity demanded. Rising price of bread leading to reduced sales suggests a decrease in supply and therefore, a change in the supply curve to the left. On the other hand, rising price of bread leading to a surge in sales indicates that demand has outweighed supply. In relation to demand and supply, it is important to introduce the concept of elasticity. Elasticity refers to the degree of responsiveness in supply or demand in relation to changes in price (McCain 1981). If demand is elastic, it means a small change in price will cause a significant change in demand. An inelastic demand, on the other hand, does not reveal the same characteristics. Following is a graphical representation of elasticity of demand: (http://www.sparknotes.com/economics/micro/elasticity/section1.html) Goods that have ready substitutes tend to have more elastic demand than those without any substitutes. Food, for example, is demand-inelastic as there is no substitute for it. So even if the prices do increase, there will be no effect on the quantity consumed. On the other hand, if price of coffee goes up, consumers have substitutes to choose from, like tea or cola and this may cause a drop in demand. Economic history indicates that the total output in the United States has increased tenfold over the last century. Much of this increase in output stems from the technological change which has improved productivity. An example of a technological change is when a firm adjusts its production process to reduce waste and increase output. This is termed as process innovation and it differs from product innovation whereby innovative products are introduced in the marketplace (Russell, Wilkinson 1979). Process

In Depth Divorse Law Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

In Depth Divorse Law Case Study - Assignment Example Fixed resource bargaining or simply â€Å"Zero-Sum† is sometimes referred to as win-lose or distributive bargaining. It is a negotiation strategy in bargaining that is usually employed in the distribution of fixed resources like money hence the name Fixed resource bargaining. Each party in the negotiations usually feel that their objectives or interests are in a balance and therefore the major goal is the trying to and securing concession from the party that is unwilling. Hence one of the parties will lose and thus the name win-lose bargaining.It is a bargaining type that is significant since it aids in solving disputes that would otherwise no have been resolved by employing any other method. In the event that the stakes involved are very high, the resistance to decree is oftenly heightened. It is very difficult to announce as to how the matter that is being negotiated will be dealt with.The captious layout in the â€Å"Zero-Sum† bargaining method is analyzed by a †Å"bargaining some model of negotiations†. There are three vital negotiation points in the model in the book. The first is the offer point in which one side opens an offer to the opposite side. By doing this, expectations from both groups are stipulated as a beginning point. Nevertheless this is done with the supposition that stipulating the desired point in which they contain their rational and final agreement. Of course the other party will rebut this favoring the target they contain.

Compares and contrasts the kernels of different operating systems Essay

Compares and contrasts the kernels of different operating systems - Essay Example This operating system is developed for common users. However, there are many other kinds of operating systems which serve specific operations and functions of individual users and organizations. In this scenario, Kernel is the most important element of an operating system. It allows an operating system to carry out some specific routines and tasks. The basic purpose of this research is to compare and contrast kernels of different operating system. This paper presents a comparative analysis of different operating systems and their kernels. An operating system is the most important element of a system. It runs all the software applications and tools installed on a computer (Tanenbaum, 2008). In this scenario, the kernel is the "core" or inner most important part of any OS (operating system). In fact, an operating system uses the capabilities of the kernel to offer a wide variety of callable routines that facilitate other applications to display text, access files and graphics, get input from a mouse or keyboard, and some other similar routines and tasks. As discussed above, at the present there are numerous kinds of operating systems which are developed for different environments. For instance, some of them include existing freeware and commercial OSs, and others are being developed at various universities as technology and research based projects. In the same way, these operating systems have some powerful features as well as flaws which make them suitable for diverse kinds of functions and hardware. In view of the fa ct that in the past few years, there have been massive developments and advancements in computers, as a result kernels have improved as well. In this scenario, some of the earlier operating systems are yet based on low-performance hardware of the 60s and 70s; however they do offer constancy as newer operating systems require advanced capacity of contemporary processors and still have

Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Terrorism - Essay Example The first component is use of violence or involvement of threat. Albeit the modern world has recorded the emergence of cyberterrorism where information and communication systems would be employed, physical violence remains a definitive feature of terrorism. Secondly, the violence should be quest for social or political objective. Finally, terrorism would not be aimed at any particular individual since the aim would be to cause psychological harm beyond the immediate objects or victims of the attack. This randomness aims at creating fear. Thus, a useful definition would outline terrorism as random use of violence or threats by an organized group in pursuance of political or social objectives. Examples of groupings that have met these features and thus considered as terrorists include Al-Qaeda, the Irish Republican Army, IRA and Aum Shinrikyo. There are various reasons that would cause a group to launch a terrorist attack. Political motivations have been reported over years. The traditional Irish Republican Army gives an appropriate example of a terrorist group with modest political objectives which fought what it considered as outside domination. Theirs involved small scale bomb attacks resulting into dozens of casualties to attract the attention of the world but not to a large extent alienate members of their community. Internationally, the dominance of few nations having massive political, economic and military power encourages acts of terrorism. Giving an example of Al-Qaeda, Shimko (299) argues on social and political goals motivated by specific forms of religious fundamentalism as probable causes of terrorism. The surges in terrorists that are religiously motivated have been on the increase since 1991. By 1995, they comprised more than half the recognized active international terrorist groups. The magnitude of the September 11 US terrorist attacks makes it unique. Considering it as war would limit action against perpetrators to military action thus the

Ways of Seeing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ways of Seeing - Essay Example This paper outlines that ways of seeing has seven essays that have been divided into two major forms. This includes; four essays that use words, images, and the remaining three that uses only images to illustrate given information or an idea. This book /video categorically illustrates that ‘seeing comes before words’. The way the child looks and recognizes before he or she can speak is an example that justifies the illustration that states that seeing comes before words. In another scenario, ways of seeing establishes the place in the surrounding world. We usually see the sun set in the evening and justify that the earth is turning away and this shows that explanation behind the scenario never quite fits the vista within our eyes. According to Fuery and Kelli, the key of dreams painting presentation shows how a gap exists between words and seeing.   From this essay it is clear that various scenarios have been portrayed in this book in regards to ways of seeing. The method of seeing however, encounters changes on an image perception. As established by various scholars, an image either can be recreated or reproduced to represent a set of appearance hence; suggesting that we use the word since all images are man-made. In regards to valuation of an image, it is therefore known that an image gives a value in response to its representation. In regards to the national gallery, the firm has reproduced several Leonardo’s cartoons like the Virgin and Child with St Anne and St.  

Discusion board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discusion board - Assignment Example The applications also enable management identify and correct any unforeseen challenges that may arise. Business processes are sources of competitive advantage. Business processes need to be unique and strategic to offer a competitive advantage. For instance, a business with processes focused on the creation of innovative products and services or those that portray a high sensitivity to customer queries and concerns tend to create a competitive advantage over their rivals. 2-How does Porters five forces shape industry competition and strategy? What are the implications? Do you agree with these five forces? Is there any other force that affects competition and strategy? What is the role of MIS in this framework? Understanding one’s business, specifically the strengths and weaknesses, is very important in facing rival competition. This is the basis in Porter’s five forces that shape industry competition and strategy. According to Porter, these five are; supplier power, buyer power, competitive rivalry, threat of substitution and threat of new entry. The five are centered in understanding the power that lies in a business and very useful in the analysis of the current positioning of a business, from a competitive point of view. Understanding this power, according to Porter, enables one to gain an advantage position by capitalizing on the strengths and improving weaknesses. For instance, in threat of new entry, the knowledge that competitors can easily penetrate the market and bring competition enables a business create barriers strong enough to keep off competitors thus maintain a competitive position. These forces shape the markets and industries businesses operate in. For inst ance, in competitive rivalry, having very few or no competitors at all offers a business competitive advantage in the industry it operates in. I agree with these five

Healthcare Organization Essay Example for Free

Healthcare Organization Essay Healthcare organizations are now stepping up their strategies in improving their programs and systems. Business and marketing are collaborated to boost resources which are expected to serve as a benefit to their clients. Considering the fact that HCOs consist of social factors and societal influences, it is vital for healthcare practitioners and most importantly the management to build a stronger foundation and forecast plan for their courses of action. The advent of technology and the tight competition in the market may apparently positively of negatively impact HCOs. Hence, given the appropriate concepts and strategies armed with proper implementation of designed concepts, any HCO is most likely to survive (Longman, 2005). Simple concepts and theories of marketing and organizational behavior will help HCOs in circumstances like risk management, conflicts, human resources and other forms of the like. Analysis Communication is one of the most important fields in any organization. Given the fact that an organization is composed of individuals with varied characteristics and personalities, it is vital for these beings to have a common channel that will serve as a bridge in closing deals and team participations. Technology is perhaps the focal element in creating a robust and efficient means for communication (Mascarenhas, 1995). HCO may take advantage of this communication-related improvement by acquiring the most updated and most effective tools in running the organization. The most recent sparks of idea which proved to be of great help to healthcare practitioners are e-Prescription and e-Documentation. It paved a way for HCO to make their services become more available not only to clients within their vicinity but globally. Through the help of the internet, they are able to endorse their products and their services with just a click away. E-Documentation has helped every HCO evidently because it helped in the documentation of patient records and made these files available in a secure database which enabled patients to track their health-related records hassle-free. These developments in communication have even made HCOs all over the world collaborate and communicate efficiently and more rapidly. Earning them the all the time that they need to conduct business. As for the case of the Veterans Health Administration, the entity is fortunate enough to receive help from the state. Even though the benefits that the latter receives continue to be criticized, their organizational, planning and marketing strategy proves to be surfacing in high grounds. They see to it that their programs are not only available and accessible to a popular few but for those who are qualified for their services. Thus, they would need a little improvement with regard to how they generate resources for their facilities. Especially since they are dealing with a continuum of patients that will grow each year, they should employ updated amenities and hear the concerns of their clients. They should make their managerial actions transparent to the public and employ activities that will drive investors to donate for their cause. Conclusions and further remarks Having technology commence in a swift sense is an opportunity for healthcare organizations to make the most out of their capacities.  Citing the problem on VHA, they lack in communication efficiency which in essence should be improved so as to keep their clients’ trust on their ability in healthcare. Healthcare organizations even so need to integrate organizational strategies especially since they are deal with the society (Karlawish, Fox, Pearlman, 2002). Financial stability is also important which is why they should learn how to implement economy-inclined policies and strategies for their philanthropically tending organization.

Political Apathy in Youth Essay

Political Apathy in Youth Essay Is Political Apathy Among Youths Prevalent Across The World Today? Tan Hong Kai Introduction The antithesis of social advancement, political apathy, is a pressing yet thorny issue all countries need to address. Citizens’ impassivity towards politics could destabilise a country, particularly the youths as they are the future of a nation. With the increasingly rapid pace of life, youths tend to be more occupied with keeping up with the Joneses and climbing up the social ladder rather than getting themselves involved in the affairs of their state. Recently, American youths have also made clear that they do not vote due to their dislike of politicians. Political apathy is a universal problem. It recognises no boundaries, and continues to be pervasive across many parts of the world today. Definition of Key Terms Political apathy is a lack of concern and the indifferent attitude of citizens towards public affairs. Throughout this essay, the term youths will refer specifically to persons between the ages of 18 and 29. Political Apathy Among Youths in America One of the main problems with American youths is the huge propensity to be politically indifferent. This attribute is seen in two metamorphic events, the 2008 and the 2012 Presidential Elections. 3.12008 and 2012 Presidential Elections The 2008 United States Presidential Elections saw Barack Obama succeed George Walker Bush as the 44th President of the United States. The voter turnout for the 2008 Presidential Elections was 61.6%, which was the highest since the 1968 Presidential Elections. Howbeit, Hayes (2013) pointed out that the youth vote made up a mere 19% of the electorate. The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement pointed out that youths â€Å"make up 21% of the voting eligible population in the U.S.† The data above can be represented in a pie chart, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. 2008 Presidential Elections Voter Turnout. Only 11.7% out of the 21% of youths casted a vote in the elections. Four years later, in the 2012 Presidential Elections, Barack Obama was re-elected to a second term. Voter turnout, however, decreased from 61.6% in 2008 to 58.2% in 2012. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (2012), 45% of youths voted, which is a decrease as in 2008, 51% of youths casted a vote. Evidently, less than half of all American youths are keen in choosing the leader they want to represent their nation. According to Kohnle (2013), the 2013 Harvard Public Opinion Project found that most American youths would replace every member of Congress if they could. However, 26% have declined the opportunity to vote in the 2014 midterm elections. Although American youths do hold certain views against the political leaders, they are uninterested in instigating change themselves. Stockley (2014), per contra, expressed that historically youths have been the least reliable voters as they tend to be distrust and be dissatisfied with the government for not listening to concerns, thus believing that their votes do not matter. This could be the reason why American youths choose not to vote. The participation of American youths in the elections suggests that problem of political apathy among youths is present in America. As youths are uninterested in voting, there is a lack of political participation as they choose to abstain from voting. Political apathy is thus present in the United States. 3.2Political Participation of American Youths Nevertheless, American youths cannot be said to be completely apathetic about politics. During the African-American Civil Rights Movement, youth activists participated in the â€Å"sit-in movement†, which had â€Å"at least 56 colleges in the region linked to† it. A decade later, hundreds of youth demonstrated at Times Square to protest against the Vietnam War. Thus in history, youths were proactive about politics and wanted a say in the decisions the government makes. In recent times, similar movements had taken place as well. In 2011, youths organised the Occupy Wall Street protest movement to express dissatisfaction at the country’s economic disparity and alleged political corruption. This suggests that even till today, youths do participate in politics and in this case, pressure the government to reform and ameliorate the country’s plight. American youths are hence not as apathetic as feared. American youths are concerned and do express their thoughts over state affairs through demonstrations and protest. Political Apathy Among Youths in China While America is ruled democratically, the People’s Republic of China adopts a different kind of political ideology. Governed by the Communist Party of China, civilians in the socialist country do not have the opportunity and freedom to vote for a leader. Nonetheless, the difference on political ideology has no impact on whether citizens are concerned about the state’s affairs; youths in China are politically apathetic as well. To date, the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 was the only student-led demonstrations in China. In 1989, Chinese youths gathered in Tiananmen Square. Youths called for social equality, freedom of speech, and most importantly, democracy, amidst political corruption and economic nepotism. However, on 4th June, Chinese troops entered Tiananmen Square and opened fire on these student protesters. This attack conveys the message that the government is unwelcoming of these demonstrations and will be hostile towards anyone who partakes in such protests. Political apathy in China can be attributed to the education system and the stringent laws the Communist Party of China had enforced in the country. The Chinese Education System The Chinese education system places a huge emphasis on galvanising chauvinism. Taboo topics such as the Cultural Revolution, the Hundred Flowers Campaign, the Great Leap Forward and the aforementioned Tiananmen Square Massacre are intentionally omitted from the syllabus. (â€Å"Political Apathy Among Youth†, 2012) As these taboo subjects are usually events which stir anti-government fervor, youths lack exposure to these movements which could have spurred them to participate in political activities and make a difference. Besides, in the Chinese education system, America’s multi-party system is ridiculed. In high school, students go through Political Science lessons and courses, in which they are taught sensitive yet critical issues such as Sino-Japanese relations, the â€Å"Taiwan Issue† and â€Å"Mao Zedong Thought.† These lessons stir nationalistic feelings and promote patriotism among the students. Thus, youths are taught to be loyal and committed to the Communist Party of China. As a result, youths would refrain from instigating anti-government protests or participating in politics as they are satisfied with status quo. The Prohibition of Demonstrations All protests are banned in China. â€Å"Public demonstrations from dissidents that explicitly oppose the government will be whisked away by the police force.† (â€Å"Political Apathy Among Youth†, 2012) Due to such strict laws the government has imposed, youths would naturally be unconcerned about politics. Youths know that any efforts to call for change will be dismissed. Only government-sanctioned protests are permitted. This can be seen from the 2012 Anti-Japan Riots. Tang (2012) reports that â€Å"Outside the Japanese Embassy, student protesters shouted slogans demanding that Japan relinquish the Senkaku islands.† While Chinese youths do not initiate any movements or demonstrations as it is banned, they would still participate in protests approved and led by the Communist Party of China. Political apathy is hence prevalent amongst Chinese youths as they do not display any interest or concern unless they are instructed by the government to do so. Political Apathy Among Youths in Singapore Singapore has always been known as the bridge between the East and the West. As mentioned, both the youths in the East and the West are politically apathetic. Intriguingly and idiosyncratically, that is not the case in this hybridised cultural melting pot. Political Participation of Singaporean Youths Singaporean youths have actively participated in politics. This can be seen from the organisations youths have established in response to certain political issues. 5.1.1Youth for Ecology In 2013, the government released the Population White Paper which proposed the Singapore population to hit 6.9 million in 2030. The release triggered a countrywide debate as Singaporeans did not welcome the import of foreign labour. A group of youths from Singapore Polytechnic realised that â€Å"there was little said about the environmental impact of what was outlined in the paper†, thus they formed the â€Å"Youth for Ecology† to raise awareness. Dialogues were organised and papers were written and submitted to Nominated Member of Parliament Faizah Jamal to address in Parliament. Singaporean youths are concerned about the nation’s future as well. They are also willing to take action to appeal to the government certain aspects they might have missed out. 5.1.2Social Media According to Lee (2013), a Singapore Polytechnic survey found that â€Å"almost 71% of those aged 15 to 19 said they speak up on politics and the Government on social media, while 68% of those aged 20 to 24 do so†. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, all of which are hugely popular among the tech-savvy youths, can be used to express their opinions on state affairs. A study conducted by the Institute Policy of Science (2010) showed that 25.5% of youths participate in politics online as compared to 16.8% adults. Over 77% of Singaporeans in their 20s have a Facebook account (Nielson, 2009) while more than half of Singapore Members of Parliament have a Facebook account. (Hussain, 2010) Thus, social media can be utilised to convey their opinions on political issues and ensure it is heard by the Members of Parliament. With such a convenient platform, youths are recommended to air their views freely and encouraged to participate in political activities. 2006 and 2011 General Elections Nonetheless, the voting turnout of Singaporean youths has been largely disappointing. Chang (2012) found that in Singapore, despite its compulsory voting, the youth turnout had a 40% drop from 63% to 2006 to 38% to 2011. About 70% of young voters had hardly voted in elections. A survey conducted by The New Paper found that 40% of youths will not vote if voting were optional. Furthermore, 25% of youths bemoaned that they have little say in government policies. (â€Å"Are our young Singaporean voters politically apathetic?†, 2011) This suggests that Singaporean youths believe that it would have been pointless to vote since they could not influence any plans the government proposes. Conclusion As Meheresh Yeditha puts it so nicely, â€Å"As the youth, we are its future. Our habits, political views, and actions will have a major effect on the future of our country, and the future of humanity. We as a youth have a moral obligation not only to be informed about current situations, but also to try to make a difference.† Political apathy is something any country could not afford. Youths, being a crucial subset of every electorate, can influence election results to a huge extent. Despite, political apathy is still present in today’s world. Youth turnout for the American Presidential Elections in 2008 and 2012 was low. Nevertheless, American youths have organised political movements to protest about certain issues. Saying that American youths are politically apathetic would be a sweeping statement. In China, due to the education system which places a huge emphasis on chauvinism and the prohibition of demonstrations, youths believe that any participation would not have any impact on how the country is ran at all. Therefore, Chinese youths would not be concerned about state affairs knowing that there is no room for contribution. In Singapore, youths are actively participating in the country’s state affairs. For instance, youths have established organisations which provide feedback to Members of Parliament on certain governmental policies. Youths have also used social media as a platform to express their opinions. However, youth turnout has declined, and youths would choose not to vote as they believe they had little say in politics. Nevertheless, voter turnout should not be the only measure used to determine whether a country’s youths are politically apathetic or not. Political participation should also consist of how vocal they are and how much they engage themselves with political issues. Such is the case in America and Singapore, where youths may not vote but are proactive in voicing out their concerns through protests and peaceful demonstrations. As in the case of socialist China, since there are no elections and freedom of expression is limited, Chinese youths are demotivated to participate in politics, which explains why they are politically apathetic. Plato once said â€Å"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. For a democracy to work, people must participate in that democracy. The same applies to any political ideology. Governments worldwide have gradually become aware of that and are starting to take measures to curb political apathy. In America, MTV has established the â€Å"Rock the Vote† organisation, which strives to fuse pop culture and technology to encourage youths to register and cast a ballot. It allows youths to register online, which is a more convenient process. In Singapore, the People’s Action Party has set up and developed a youth wing, called the â€Å"Young PAP†. Formed by Singaporean youths, it seeks to influence youths to participate in politics as they are indispensable to Singapore’s future. In China, while plans have been made to provide more channels to allow youths to express their thoughts, it remains to be seen what will be put into effect. During the 2011 United Nations High-Level Meeting, Senior Official Zhou Changkui mentioned, â€Å"As youth is an important political force, facilitating youth in political participation symbolizes equality and progress of a society. Participation is a way for young people to improve their status, exercise their rights and promote common development.† It could only be a matter of time when barriers are removed and Chinese youths start to engage themselves in political activities. It is therefore unfair to say that political apathy among youths is prevalent across the world. While it exists, it is not pervasive and widespread. Youths in democratic countries such as Singapore are less politically apathetic as compared to those in countries with lesser freedom, such as China. Hence political apathy among youths is not prevalent across the world today, but it is existent and is a pressing problem for countries to curb and prevent. 7.0References

Children and How They are Affected by Divorce Essay -- Cause Effect Di

Children and How They are Affected by Divorce   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In years past, the American Dream for most young girls’ is to grow up and be married to Prince Charming and to â€Å"Live Happily Ever After!† Although this may be expected - it is rarely fulfilled. Marriage is the legal and binding union between a man and woman. Yet when couples marry, they vow to stay by their partner’s side ‘till death do us part.’ Currently that vow seems to have little or no value in today’s society. The current statistics for survival of marriage are quite grim. The divorce rate in the United States is somewhere between 50 percent and a startling 67 percent. (KSL News) One contributing factor the growing epidemic of divorce is the parting of different family members or the breakup of the family unit, as well as effect it may have upon the children or the other spouse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the family is broken up it can lead to divorce and ultimately many negative implications. It may have effect on the mental stability as well as create even more conflict and tension between others. Research evidence has shown that marital distress and conflict within a marriage causes a wide range of negative effects on the children of the feuding spouses. Many of the effects upon the children include depression, isolations, social inadequacy, mental health issues and academic status decreases. A study conducted in 1991suggests that out of 13000 people, the children that come from a divorced family tended to have poor academic performance and displayed more behavior problems. Some American couples suggest the divorce may be a way to solve their problems quickly and perhaps, more easily, rather than taking the time to work things out through counseling and other alternatives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When divorce occurs it does not just happen between those that are married, everyone in relation to the divorcee’s are effected. This suggests a â€Å"community divorce,â€Å" and presents many other dilemmas. Community divorces contribute to conflicts between mutual friends and create tension between certain family members. More often than not, children are in the middle of the divorce and feel that it may their fault. A lot of the time, the children’s welfare is not properly taken into account. Although some situations allow for flexibility, for example: growing up in an abusive home versus the separation of two parents. Nonetheless,... ...just the separation of feelings of love between to people - it is the parting of a lifestyle and stability for the children involved. Works Cited: Amato, P. R. (1993). Children's adjustment to divorce: Theories, hypotheses, and empirical support. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY, 55, 23-38. Amato, P.R. (1994). Life-span adjustment of children to their parents' divorce. THE FUTURE OF CHILDREN, 4, 143-164. Amato, P. R., & Keith, B. (1991). Parental divorce and the well-being of children: A  meta-analysis. PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN, 110, 26-46. Hetherington, E. M. (1993). An overview of the Virginia Longitudinal Study of Divorce and Remarriage with a focus on the early adolescent. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY, 7, 39-56. Hughes, R., Jr. (1996) INTERNET IN - SERVICE ON CHILDREN AND DIVORCE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.hec.ohio-state.edu/famlife/divorce/index.htm, (January 8, ‘04) Landers, Ann ? (accessed on January 8, ‘04) THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN PARENTING DURING AND AFTER DIVORCE,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚ © American Responsible Divorce Network Unknown (accessed on January 8, ‘04) STEPS IN REDUCING NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN, http://www.marriage-relationships.com

In Search Of Excellence: Review :: essays research papers

In Search of Excellence is a book dealing with many different principles of economics and what makes big business' excellent. The first idea that Peters discusses is his chart of the McKinsey 7-S Framework. The graph is very simple but the ideas are fairly complex. In their research, they found that their philosophies were too hard to explain and easily forgettable. They made this Framework to deal with strategy, structure, style, systems, staff (people), skills, and shared values (culture). This has 7 S's (easy to remember) and a graphical representation to visualize. This shows the businessman that the intractable, irrational, intuitive, and informal organization can be managed. For example, anyone assuming that a new manager of a Taco Bell will perform exactly as the old manager did is ridiculous. The organization of workers must adjust and adapt to the new manager's way of business. Another more main topic of the novel is the Eight Basic Principles. Their research had shown that the excellent companies had been based on the basics. The companies had to try to keep things simple. Sometimes, to a big business, it might seem logical that business should be run more complex the larger it is. From their research, this is usually not true. The first pricnciple is a bias for action. This is basically saying "Stop talking and do something about it." When Taco Bell has a rush of customers and their supplies for making food are low, they (usually) don't say "You know what, I have no more cheese" or "Could someone get me some more cheese?" They take action and get the cheese, make it if necessary, and get the problem solved as quickly as possible. The second Principle they deal with is to be close to the customer. This means good service and listening to what the customer has to say. If the producer, Taco Bell, is not in touch with what the customer wants to eat, then the business will most likely fail. Although it also refers to customer satisfaction; quality food made right and curteous service: "Have a nice day and enjoy your meal!" The third principle is autonomy and entrepreneurship. This is the innovation principle. 3M is known for innovation and they welcome the changing and rearranging of old and new products. For example, my dad took 3M's basic arthroscopy pump and redesigned it into an in flow-out flow cannula. This innovation on his part temporarilly set 3M back on its feet in that product line. The fourth basic principle is productivity through people. This deals with the indivdual as the best means for efficiency improvement rather

William Butler Yeats Essay -- essays research papers

William Butler Yeats - An Irish poet, dramatist, and prose writer - Known for having intellectual and often obsucure poetry works - Quoted to be â€Å"one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century† - Even Received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923 o What was most recognizable about that fact is that he is famous for his lyrical poetic works that came after the prize - Yeats war born in 1865 in Dublin Yeats's childhood was broad in education and personal experiences. Yeats became a youth full of emotional contradictions. Spiritually, educationally, and personally, Yeats seemed to pull himself in different directions, unable to decide on a clear path. These internal contradictions would come to shape the writer and man that he would one day become. o Father was a lawyer turned painter o Art was no stranger in his family o But his religious views were His spiritual outlook played significant role in his life and his works. Born into a Protestant family, with a paternal grandfather and great-grandfather having been Anglican clergymen, religion was a constant presence in his childhood. Yeats began to abandon the religion of his Rationalist upbringing and made a new religion out of poetic tradition (Kunitz, 1560). "You know what the Englishman's idea of compromise is? He says, some people say there is a God. Some people say there is no God. The truth probably lies somewhere between these two statements." - In his youth he was very interested in the occult - stemming from his fascination with Irish folk stories and tales - Became increasingly interested Mysticism o Specifically, Reincarnation, communication with the dead, mediums, supernatural systems, and oriental mysticism  Much of his work was influenced by these factors  â€Å"The mystical life is the centre of all that I do and all that I think and all that I write† - 1886 Formed the Dublin Lodge of the... ...e witnessed this serene scene at Coole Park - The swans emphasize a fixed flow in the inconsistencies of time o â€Å"passion or conquest†  Question whether the swans take off for the passion of flight or simply for the spirit of adventure - Yeats makes the swans seem other worldly, existing inside his state of nostalgia - In the final lines, he expresses doubt for the first time o He seems to expect to find that the swans will have flown away one day and he will be left without the feelings of delight that they sinstill in him  Other ‘men’s eyes’ will enjoy their beauty †¢ Meaning that time will go on and some one else will simply take his place o The poem ends with a question which suggests that the poet is pondering not only what will happen in the future but also how he will feel then - This poem is filled with detailed imagery and an introspective steady theme of nostalgia

Happiest memory Essay

I was given a chance to visit the Himalayas, to one of the concealed places in the province where a panoramic view was preserved. It was very provincial and solemn. Its coniferous and subtropical forests, wetlands, and montane grasslands are as much a part of this world as the inhospitable, frozen mountaintops that tower above. The mountains were the wrinkles of age and pimples of youth on Earth’s crusty outer skin. They rose up as the crust collides, cracks, crumbles, folds, and spews. They dominated their surroundings with towering height. I clearly remember when I was on my way there that the emerald shade produced by the different kinds of trees were smiling and alluring me to join them. However, what I first saw was just superficial compared to its hidden beauty awaiting me, as I explored the place, especially when I went around the surrounding area where the sun ate away the darkness. Since it was miles away from the city, I had to climb up the mountain. But, as I finally reached its zenith, I could step on the fogs as they rose going up to the sky and formed as clouds; I could feel that I was on the top of the world, thus the cold dewdrops touched my toes as they dispersed and went along with the air. After a while, I didn’t know that I still had to clamber down to finally reach another astonishing place. From there, I stayed in my grandfather’s ancestral house. Nearby, I could see the hills planted with rice. Their fronds were swaying and dancing as the wind blew. Some were brimming with the golden yellow grains ready to harvest. At the backyard, an array of different trees weighed down with copious fruits that were mouthwatering. On the other side, were bountiful vegetables watered with love and care. These plants were within a reach which served as our everyday food. The tour guide took me to one part of their place which truly took my breath away; to my surprise, they let me ride at the back of their _Carabao_‎, thus, I felt the tail of it at as it swung from side to side. As I got there, I was amazed at what I saw! The river was crystal clear; the pebbles were like diamonds that glittered in the water. I even felt like bathing in the river and it felt good knowing that the river was unpolluted. I didn’t even see any moss nor trash, instead just dried leaves falling from the trees that surrounded it, but I was oblivious as to where the water took the  leaves as they swam away from my sight. Furthermore at night, the place was covered with darkness since there was no electricity in the place, however, thanks to the moonlight, for it lit the entire place, plus the flashing lights of fireflies were everywhere providing at least a little bit of glow that made the night more beautiful. Gazing upon the sky, I was struck by the darkness of the night, darker than smeared charcoal, small splashes of gold glittering here and there as if an artist had brazenly attempted to light it without aim; smoky grey clouds deteriorate under the florescent silver beams of the moon, as if they were shadows to be banished. The stars were like diamonds illuminated in the sky thus making me realise how spectacular the place was. For me, it was really the best place I have ever been. Whatever I experienced from that place will be kept in my heart and memory forever because I know that it is probably the last time I will see that place as beautiful and conserved as it was. I hope that the people living there will continually take good care of their environment as much as they care and value themselves. My heart pounds and shrieks with some strong attachment as I feel as if there is a powerful force in my soul clinging and digging itself into the mountain, urging me not to let go. I believed that I was protected by the wings of nature and as if I was away from the demands of the mortal world.

Bauhaus School

Das Bauhaus Jeremy Hart German Civilization 2320 Professors Cook, Kopp, and Prager March 6, 2013 The Bauhaus, a revolutionary school of art and craft founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, stands today as an important influence on postmodern art and architecture. It is also the namesake of its own movement; which is characterized by severely economic and geometric designs and a functional view of materials. To truly understand the origins of the Bauhaus and the importance of its modern implications, we must first know about the influences that its founder relied on. The Vienna Secession was formed in Austria in 1897.The secessionist artists attempted to create their own style that had no clear relation to any historical eras. Paired with this avant-garde approach, they relied on more pure geometric designs to produce their art. The geometric approach to art proved to have lasting effects on Gropius and his contemporaries. The Werkbund was the German model of the Vienna Secession. Founded in 1907, the 12 artists and 12 industrialists who comprised it aimed to infuse industry with modern and functional designs. These designs would both foster efficiency and function and be free of traditional elements and ornamentation.A leading artist in the Werkbund named Peter Behrens was Gropius’ mentor and employer. Along with Belgian painter Henry van de Velde, the two men were Gropius’ main influences in forming the Bauhaus. In the Bauhaus manifesto he wrote in 1919, Gropius vows to return artists to the deep seat of creativity that rests in the handicrafts, and bring together an unbiased consortium of artists who would dictate architectural style to the modern world: â€Å"By the grace of Heaven and in rare moments of inspiration which transcend the will, art may unconsciously blossom from the labour of is hand, but a base in handicrafts is essential to every artist. It is there that the original source of creativity lies. Let us therefore create a new guild of craftsmen without the class-distinctions that raise an arrogant barrier between craftsmen and artists! Let us desire, conceive, and create the new building of the future together. It will combine architecture, sculpture, and painting in a single form, and will one day rise towards the heavens from the hands of a million workers as the crystalline symbol of a new and coming faith. In the latter half of this passage, Gropius is expressing a Utopian vision that encompasses the general public: â€Å"†¦building of the future together†¦from the hands of a million workers. † The new styles would not be just for artists, but their work would be accessible to everyone. The nature of the designs would be streamlined and simple to they could be mass-produced. The art would not only be of interest and use to a niche audience but to the majority, so they could appreciate its function and efficiency When the new conservative government of Weimar withdrew support for the Bauhaus in 1925, it found a new home in Dessau.Out of the new home in Dessau came the radical changes in style and material of everyday items, such as tea infusers, office chairs, and table lamps. Most importantly perhaps, the Bauhaus in Dessau was the home of the first workshop for architecture, the key Gropius outlined in his manifesto that would serve as the medium for infusing function and creativity into everyday applications. The new architecture would be the first tangible contributions to industry. Prior to this point, Germany had been in the midst of a severe economic crisis brought on by World War I.Now that there was money to be spent, new innovations in architecture began to become the standard in the modern industrial world. The first chance the new school had to prove itself, quite ironically, was by building itself. The school was to be constructed following mostly Gropius’ designs, now commonplace features of Bauhaus architecture: flat roofs, lack of ornamentation, an d strict geometric lines. The first true revolution in architecture for which the Bauhaus is credited came in the form of the workers’ housing areas.Architect and Gropius contemporary Ludwig Mies van der Rohe organized an exhibition for architects to design a modern solution for worker housing, with only one rule that each building have a flat roof. Unfortunately no groundbreaking design was hatched, but the designs helped change the culture of architecture forever. The Bauhaus was already establishing itself as a symbol of progressive art and architecture. Following the architectural and industrial boom in Germany, the Bauhaus relocated to America in 1933, fleeing Hitler and the Nazis.New director Laszlo Moholy-Nagy founded the New Bauhaus in Chicago. The spirit of innovation that marked the original Bauhaus was just as prevalent here as New Bauhaus students developed breakthroughs in photography, film, and the use of materials. In America, the Bauhaus style is still influen cing the gamut of industrial design, from towering skyscrapers that seem to be built entirely out of glass, to ‘wiggle chairs’ actually made completely of cardboard. Ultimately, postmodernists and modernists stand starkly opposed when it comes to the necessary attributes and function of designs and art.Postmodern culture was born out of a disregard for modernist minimalism, arguably a style perpetuated if not championed by Bauhaus theory. So one can say modernism is the de facto reason for postmodernism’s existence. The practitioners of postmodernism sought to revive theories from previous centuries that appealed to the human need for comfort for the body and beauty for the eye. The true similarity between the two movements was the importance of function. Both schools of thought believed art and architecture specifically should serve to promote the building’s function. The true difference lies in aesthetics.So in the same way we attribute postmodern styles to high art of years past, we can also attribute Bauhaus styles to the past. Gropius’ vision of a return to purer geometric forms, a proclivity for functional efficiency, and respect for materials exemplifies this. We see the strong disjunction between modern (Bauhaus) and postmodern style as the latter reacting to the former. Making this connection lets us argue that modernism and postmodernism are actually two aspects of the same movement, and thus shows us that the free-thinking, subjective aspects of postmodernism owe their creation to the logical, analytical aspects of its predecessor.Works Referenced Bauhaus Museum. www. bauhausmuseum. com/history/manifesto Bauhaus School. March 4, 2013. http://thebauhaus. org/thebauhaus/ Chicago Bauhaus and Beyond. March 4, 2013. www. chicagobauhausbeyond. org Exhibit Bauhaus. March 4, 2013. http://bengal. missouri. edu/~kuhlerd/art327/index. html Roger Cook. Class notes. http://germanciv. missouri. edu/2320/bauhaus/index. html

Utilizing Online Social Networking Sites

Social Networking Business and Human Services organizations all over the world try to look for different ways to improve and be successful. One of the ways organizations have been able to maintain success is by networking and linking themselves with similar organizations. A website that provides organizations with this type of networking is LinkedIn. In week two I was given the task to research and understand why such sites as LinkedIn help human service organizations stay connected with their professional community and other human service professionals.In addition to researching how these sites enhance more quality services and support and how additional training keeps you up to date and competitive against other organizations. History of LinkedIn LinkedIn is a site used by business professionals all over the world. This site provides business professionals and other types of organizations the ability to exchange information and other networking types of opportunities. Created by fi ve founders, LinkedIn’s website officially took off in 2003 (LinkedIn. com, 2012).The five founders asked 350 of their closest contacts to join their site and within the first month had over 4500 members in the network (LinkedIn, 2012). By the end of 2003 they had over 81000 members and now present day has over 41 million members (LinkedIn, 2012). LinkedIn had a vision to redefine the social networking community and set a new standard. Considered by many to be the businessman’s Facebook, it continues to grow and help businesses to gain new opportunities through social networking. Using LinkedIn to Stay ConnectedLinkedIn has provided human service organizations the ability to reconnect to past and present colleagues, which allows them to stay in constant touch. In addition, help them gain inside connections with similar types of organizations that enhance their growth and success. The network also provides similar organizations within their network to share advice and a nswer questions. Human Service organizations grow and remain successful by linking themselves, working together and gaining referrals from similar types of organizations.Being tied into an online community helps an organization stay connected to other human service agencies and the ability to offer more types of support services. For example, one human service agency may provide speech and occupational therapy, where as their community link specializes in integration behavioral therapy, which their client needs. What then happens is a quality referral to that agency. These two organizations were able to work together, provide more services, all for the greater good of the client’s needs.How it works is that an online user can search for an organization under the search tool. Once an organization is found the user could research statistics regarding the organization, location, and who runs it. The user can then ask to follow the organization and become a networking connection. Training Training and continuing education is an important aspect to any human service agency. Organizations need to be able to provide training opportunities to their employees to keep them up to date and remain competitive in their field.New types of therapies and research are developed all the time and directors and employees need to be aware of them. Through LinkedIn and staying in touch within their online community, organizations can now attend approved training sponsored by different organizations. Some organizations can even upload the training online so that employees can do their continuing education hours without leaving the office. Sites such as NHS on LinkedIn have provided numerous human service organizations with online training, consulting, professional development, and human services training (NHS-LinkedIn. om, 2012). In addition to finding online training and development, employees can also look for employment for human service organizations through the LinkedIn c ommunity. Instead of putting an ad in the newspaper more organizations are looking to LinkedIn and other online sources to find knowledgeable and qualified employees. Technology Used to Stay Connected Some other ways that human services or other business organization use technology to stay connected to their business contacts and employees is by the internet and other social online networking websites.Sites like Facebook and Twitter can be an essential tool in keeping contact and the ability to provide constant updates. My friend’s son attends a specialized Autism School in the Salinas area. The director has 2 offices in the San Luis Obispo area and one in the Stanford area. Although her job as director keeps her on the road visiting the different sites, there are times when she is unable to visit the area. She keeps in constant contact with the assistant director and employees by using Skype.Skype is an online tool where you can have instant face- to- face chats and hold mee tings without all being at the same place at the same time. This way she is always able to attend weekly meetings, get updates, and hold training sessions with her employees. This site has enabled her to grow her organization in different areas while not having to visit the site daily. Staying Connected to the Community If I was trying to find a way to stay connected to other human service professionals in my area I would turn to the internet in order to build and find online networks.Sites such as LinkedIn would be perfect for my individual needs and allow me to build contacts while enabling me to advertise my organization. I would look to LinkedIn to help me build my online website. The purpose of this site is to allow registered users to follow your organization and become notified when other contacts or updates have been added like training, fundraisers, or networking opportunities. This can help me grow a professional contact list that I trust and find other business opportunit ies recommended by someone from another contact network.Conclusion Social and online networking is an online platform that can be used to build contacts and other business opportunities. Sites such as LinkedIn, has given human services and other business organizations the ability to grow, keep in contact, and build relationships. Since 2003, LinkedIn has continued to be the number one site that businesses turn to in order to build their online community. Since that time LinkedIn has continued to improve their site by designing better applications to make building an online community easier.Human Service organizations will do what they can in order to achieve their mission. Working together with other organizations is the key to building relationships, offer more support services, and provide quality referrals to their clients. References LinkedIn. com, (2012). Company history. Retrieved on October 25th, 2012 from http://press. linkedin. com/history/ NHS (2012). NHS management servic es. Retrieved on October 25th, 2012 from http://www. linkedin. com/company/nhs-management-services

King Lear: Family Relationships, Human Nature and Its Failings Essay

â€Å"I love your majesty according to my bond; no more nor less† (I. i. 94-95). Good morning teachers and HSC students. King Lear, a timeless story of family relationships, human nature and its failings. But what makes this play â€Å"timeless†? The fact that it contains universal themes of love, jealousy and family relationships makes it applicable to modern times even though it was written for a 16thcentury audience. Two critics that have commented on the thematic concerns of family relationships and human nature are Maggie Tomlinson in â€Å"A violent world† and Jim Young in â€Å"Still through the hawthorn blows the cold wind†, both of which I’ll be discussing, today in detail. The concept of family relationships is a prevalent theme that can be viewed on many levels, such as the deterioration, renewal and the nature of familial bonds. There are many family relationships in the plot of King Lear, with the two major ones relating to the sub plot of Gloucester and the main plot of Lear. In both these relationships, betrayal is the major factor that contributes to the deterioration of the kinship. In Gloucester’s case, through the simple act of humiliating Edmund, where Gloucester says in his presence â€Å"There was good sport at his making and the whoreson must be acknowledged† (1. 1. 21-24), he created a rift in the relationship. Maggie Tomlinson brings up a rather significant point when she comments on the nature of the relationship and the trust that is abused. She states â€Å"The evidence is simply not the sort of thing any one let alone a father would believe in† This illustrates the trust that is built in these types of relationships and the ability of it to be exploited. Family relationships are also seen between the daughters and King Lear. Shakespeare cleverly investigates the nature of relationships through Lear’s test to see who loves him the most. Goneril and Regan are portrayed as manipulative people with the gift of words and courtly manners, but it can be noted that Cordelia also loves her father but cannot express it where she says â€Å"I am sure my love’s more ponderous than my tongue† (I. i. 76-78). With the absence of a maternal figure, one could question how much Lear love’s, let alone, knows about his daughter. The fact that he banishes Cordelia, when she cannot express her love, shows the little knowledge he has of her weaknesses and strengths or the state of his mind. After surrendering his power, Lear demands love from his daughters Goneril and Regan, but does not receive, so he begins to plead. Jim Young comments on this deteriorating relationship, where Lear’s perspective is that his daughters owe him love because of the material gifts he has given them †Thy half of the kingdom thou hast not forget, where in I thee endowed† ( II. iv. 177-181). This emphasises the obligations of the forced relationship instead of its natural occurrence. Another aspect that is deeply investigated in King Lear is human nature and its failings. To define human nature it is the attributes of humankind that are assumed to be shared by all human beings, making it a timeless theme. To be human is to fault and to learn from one’s mistakes. Temptation is a core aspect that causes these faults and is part of human nature. Throughout the play, temptation can be seen especially through that of Lear. Its human nature to feel love but one of Lear’s flaws is his pride, he wants to be praised, hear how much he is loved. But this flaw in his nature of temptation causes his downfall and the loss of his sanity. In his confusion, he becomes metaphorically blind. It is only during the storm that he receives his own test, where things might change or cease. It is in this storm that he goes back to nature as a primal being, where the only thing that distinguished him from an animal, was stripped , that is the ability to think and reason. Here, he is stripped of all clothes, and hence dignity presenting the failing of ones nature. Young goes on to say that Lear only becomes sane because of those around him especially the Fool. The Fool stands by with Lear and shares his in sufferings but is specific about one point: â€Å"Never give your power to anyone†. It is human nature to want power and respect, and when Lear gives it away, as seen through the losing of his knights, he himself becomes a fool. Lastly, Shakespeare also investigates human nature’s connection to redemption in Edmond. Edmond seeks redemption before he dies, where death is the redemptive justice. Knowing that he was not to live, he tried to change his evil nature by notifying others to go and save Cordelia from his murderous messenger, but as Maggie Tomlinson said, Shakespeare cleverly incorporates the attempts of a person to change their nature. Here, Edmond fails and is responsible for Cordelia’s death. Tomlinson brings up the question if whether this shows that we can attempt to change, but it is our human nature to be conservative and not dwell into unfamiliar territory, and hence Edmond tries to do good by saving Cordelia but only fails. King Lear will continue to remain a timeless story, and enlighten audiences about family relationships and human nature, for years to come. One could only wonder if those in Shakespeare’s time appreciated the play, the amount it is appreciated now. Thank you.