E-Learning in Pharmaceutical Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

E-Learning in Pharmaceutical Industry - Essay Example There are three major forms of e-learning, which include computer-based learning, internet-based learning, and virtual learning environments. In this paper, we will discuss the role of virtual learning environments in enhancing pharmaceutical students’ knowledge. A slight overview of the effectiveness of web-based learning will also be included in the paper. In the present world, online learning is getting more and more famous because it is proving very beneficial for the students. "E-learning with its more active and interesting opportunities is gradually replacing the traditional form of teaching† (Roy). It not only helps pharmaceutical students manage their study schedule in accordance with other commitments of life but also provides a good overview of the market, which they need to serve. â€Å"E-learning is one way of helping to change the sales force’s perception of the market† (â€Å"E-Learning†). The pharmaceutical industry of any specific co untry has a well-established practice of providing effective training to the pharmaceutical students, medical representatives, and pharmacists. However, trainers related to this field cannot provide regular attention to every sales person properly in the field. â€Å"Much more personal support can be provided with a well structured e-learning programme as long as there is an effective tracking system in place† (â€Å"E-Learning†). Distinguishing Features of Online Learning Environment â€Å"E-learning is undoubtedly a more flexible way of learning† (Roy). Online learning environments provide an interactive way of learning to the students in which teachers and students can interact with each other without physical presence. Online quizzes, assignments, and threaded discussion boards are some of those features, which distinguish online learning environments from traditional learning environments. Discussion boards not only enable communication between students and teachers but also provide a way to the students to interact with other students enrolled in the course. Some online institutes make use of graded discussion boards to measure knowledge of the students. In graded discussion boards, teachers ask the students to write short paragraphs on the topics provided by them. Students need to have awareness of the ways to use internet and other modes of communication not only to participate properly in general and graded discussion boards but also to complete their quizzes and assignments within time. Ways to be Successful in Online Learning Environments â€Å"Although the online education is a popular option among the students, not all students suit the education style in online setting† (Harvard). The reason is that some students do not know the basics of learning in such environments. Some students do not have the required skills whereas some students do not have proper facilities to study in such environments. To be successful in onl ine learning environments, students need to possess some key skills and abilities. There exist a number of strategies for the students to do well in online learning environments. Some of the main techniques include development of proper study schedule, written communication skills, and web navigation skills. All of these skills play a very important role in making students adapted to the online learning environments. Let us discuss these skills in some detail in order to know how these skills can help students of pharmacy learn

Business Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Law - Research Paper Example The case involves three parties, Alex, Francis and Samantha. When handling a contract, the terms of a contract are important in setting out regulations required to make a communication. The ‘term’ refers to the promise made in the conditions of the contract to be legal binding. The terms of a contract indicate the contents of the agreement. The agreement between Francis and Alex was to sell the Artifact mirror for $200 for the given duration. Alex reached home and informed Francis on his willingness to purchase the artifact for the agreed price. The message however reached Francis after he offered the artifact to Samantha for $230. Alex had a legal enforceable contract with Francis as he orally communicated with him concerning his willingness to take up the offer. The breach of a contract occurs when one party fails to perform in accordance to the agreed terms and conditions (Answers 2011). Forming a contract requires an offer. An offer refers to the willingness to abide by conditions provided by the contract. Francis offered a product for sale and Alex was willing to take up the offer, given the terms that Francis provided. Both Francis and Alex are bound to the contract given the time agreement does not expire. The other element of the contract evident in the case is acceptance. Acceptance refers to the unconditional agreement to the provided terms whether in oral or written. Francis orally accepted to the terms and conditions of the purchase. The acceptance should reflect the conditions of the original made offer. Alex made a call to confirm the purchase before the set time expired, meaning he accepted to purchase the artifact at $200. The communication between the two parties was as agreed. In the case, Francis and Alex formed a contract on purchasing the artifact. Communication was involved and Alex told Francis that he would think of about the offer. Alex later sealed the contract by confirming the purchase through telephone. The contract bet ween Francis and Alex has the counter-offer element. The initial price of the artifact was at $250, Alex made a counter- offer of $200, and Francis accepted. The price of $250 was a invitation to treat and not an offer. The display of the artifact mirror caught the interest of Alex. He however makes a counter offer of $200 (Arias 2010). It is important to realize the terms set to understand that a contract existed between Francis and Alex. The first important term of recognition is to agree that Francis created an enforceable contract. The promise in the contract involves allowing Alex to purchase the artifact mirror for the given time. The freedom of the contract involves a free negotiation by parties regarding the agreed terms. Alex negotiated without interference and at his own will. Alex and Francis both negotiated at an equal strength hence the contract was valid. The contract has no limitations to the freedom, as illegal undertaking did not take place. The purchase remained op en to Alex until the set time, but he sold the artifact to Samantha instead. Proving the terms of a contract comes with two possibilities, either orally or written. Francis orally accepted to sell the artifact to Alex within the time duration. Though no other witnesses were present to confirm, Alex remained the legal buyer of the artifact until the set deadline (Brakel and Hert 2009). Like in the case of Rankin vs. Scott Fell and co (1904) 2 CLR 164, the ruling indicates presence of a contract even if no

A Balanced Chemical Equation by Experiment Essay Example for Free

A Balanced Chemical Equation by Experiment Essay Introduction The purpose is to use the mole relationships to prove the validity of the balanced chemical equation and that the final product of the experiment would confirm the balanced equation. The hypothesis made is that the experiment would in fact confirm the balanced equation. This is because, by balancing the equation two products that do exist are hypothetically formed. By the end of this experiment it will be seen whether the products calcium carbonate and sodium chloride will be made upon mixing calcium chloride and sodium carbonate together. The dependent variables are the amount and the chemical composition of the product formed and the independent variables are the individual amounts of deionized water, calcium chloride and sodium carbonate. Therefore, if calcium chloride and sodium carbonate are mixed together, then the reaction will produce calcium carbonate salt and sodium chloride. Materials * Stirring rod * Electronic balance * Fine filter paper * Deionized water * 2 small beakers * Sodium carbonate * Erlenmeyer flask * Graduated cylinder * Calcium chloride * Safety glasses * Funnel Procedure 1. The groups name was marked in pencil on the rim of the filter paper. 2. The mass of the filter paper was measured and recorded. 3. A clean dry small beaker was put on the electronic balance and was tarred. 2.138 grams of sodium carbonate crystals were added and the exact mass was recorded. 4. A different beaker was then put on the electronic balance and was tarred. 1.040 grams of calcium chloride was added to and the exact mass was recorded. 5. Approximately 25 mL of deionized water was added separately to each of the beakers. Each beaker was stirred with different ends of a stir rod until the solids were dissolved. 6. The calcium chloride solution was poured into the sodium carbonate solution. 7. The funnel was rested in a tall Erlenmeyer flask and the liquid was poured through into the filter paper which lined the inside of the funnel. This collected the solid. 8. Two separate 10 mL quantities of deionized water was poured through the filter paper. 9. The beakers and stir rods were cleaned and returned to their appropriate places. 10. When dried, the mass of the filter paper and soil was measured and recorded and discarded into the garbage. Results Quantitative Results Na2CO3 2.138 grams CaCl2 1.040 grams Final Substance (Na2CO3 + CaCl2 ) 2.125 grams Filter Paper Qualitative Results Na2CO3 * When mixed with water, foam appeared at the side and the surface of the solution * There was also a white flaky substance that formed CaCl2 * When mixed with water, the solution fogged up with foamy substance at the sides of the solution * Tiny bubble like substance also formed at the side Final Substance (Na2CO3 + CaCl2 ) * When the two substances mixed together, a white powdery precipitate was formed. * The flakes of powder were easily broken down. Calculations Conclusion The initial hypothesis stated can now be proved correct as after completing the experiment, the statement, which stated that the experiment would prove the balanced chemical equation true. As in the balanced equation CaCO3 was formed, this is in fact calcium carbonate, which is the salt that was produced. It is known that a chemical reaction took place because a precipitate was formed, one of the indications of a chemical equation. Also, this is a double displacement reaction. The information given by coefficients in a balanced equation can be understood to represent the relative number of molecules of that substance and as the relative number of moles involved in the reaction. Equations must be balanced because: Law of Conservation of Matter: Atoms can be neither created nor destroyed in an ordinary chemical reaction, so there must be the same number of atoms on both sides of the equation. The mass of all the reactants (the substances going into a reaction) must equal the mass of the products (the substances produced by the reaction). By using the percent yield, the success of the experiment can be determined. The higher the number of the percent yield (closer to 100%) is an indication that the experiment was more successful. The percent yield of this experiment is 99.68% 100.32%, which indicates that the reaction was successful, but the change of 0.32% is also to be noted. This change may have been caused because of incorrect mass data. Possible errors that could have occurred involve an inaccurate measure in mass of the final substance. When pouring the calcium chloride into the sodium carbonate, there was a residue left in the beaker that held the calcium chloride therefore not all of the substance was poured into the sodium carbonate. This also occurred when the final solution was poured through the filter paper. This would have led to a change in the mass data of the initial products to produce the insoluble calcium carbonate salt. Another error that could have occurred includes the fact that the product produced was kept overnight exposed to dust particles which may have mixed with the product and changed the mass data or the chemical composition of it. Also, there may have been impurities within the instruments used to perform the experiment. As other classes also use the same instruments, it can be determined how well they were cleaned and what chemical residue may have been left on the instruments. Modifications to the procedure of this lab that can lead to fewer errors include and more reliable results would be to check the utensils used for the experiment very well and to clean them with a cleaning agent to cancel out the possibilities of chemical residues left on them. Also, leaving the filter paper with the product in an airtight container or other vessel that would allow for steady temperatures and not let any substances in or out of the vessel.

Literature review compilations Essay Example for Free

Literature review compilations Essay 1. Rao, V. (1993). The rising price of husbands: A hedonic analysis of dowry increases in rural India. Journal of Political Economy, 666-677. Motivation and objective : Attempts to investigate the reasons behind the increase in dowry . Methods : It adapts Rosens implicit market model to the Indian marriage market and tests predictions from the model with data from six villages in South Central India and from the Indian census Theories : Using utility function, U is assumed to be maximized, given that U is the utility function which represent the household preferences. The function will be U = U(X,W,H). Where X refers to consumption of goods, W refers to the desirable traits of the bride and her family and H is traits of the groom. Main Findings : It is found that a marriage squeeze caused by population growth, resulting in larger younger cohorts and hence a surplus of women in the marriage market, has played a significant role in the rise in dowries. ( Surplus of women over man at marriageable ages) 2. Skogrand, L. M., Schramm, D. G., Marshall, J. P., Lee, T. R. (2005). The effects of debt on newlyweds and implications for education. Journal of extension, 43(3), 1. Motivation and objective : Examines the relationship between newlywed debt, selected demographic variables, and newlywed levels of marital satisfaction and adjustment.. Methods: A 38-item survey was mailed to a random sample of 2,823 newlywed couples in a western state. The couples names were randomly chosen from the marriage licenses that were filed within the state during a six-month period. Husbands and wives were asked to complete their surveys separately.The response rate was 40%, with 1,010 couples responding. Theories and tools : Marital satisfaction was measured using the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) (Schumm et al., 1986), and marital adjustment was measured using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) (Busby, Crane, Christensen, Larson, 1995). The KMSS and RDAS are established measures for assessing marital satisfaction and adjustment, both having correlation coefficients above .78. Main Findings: The findings from this study indicate that entering marriage with consumer debt has a negative impact on newlywed levels of marital quality. The large majority (70%) of newlyweds in this study brought debt into their marriage relationship. This amount of debt, along with other expenses associated with couples beginning their lives together, are likely to  distract couples from the developmental task of building a strong marriage relationship during the first few months and years of marriage Policy recommendation: .- Because many individuals marry with no more than a high sch ool education, educating individuals about debt and its potentially negative impact on marriage relationships should begin in high school. This may be one way to help couples achieve healthier marriages 3. S. Dalmia (2004). A hedonic analysis of marriage transactions in India: estimating determinants of dowries and demandfor groom characteristics in marriage. Research in Economics 58 (2004) 235–255. Motivation and objective : This paper uses data from a retrospective sample survey to develop and test a framework capable of explaining dowry exchange and groom selection in India. Methods: Using a sample of 1037 households between 1956 and 1994, this paper develops and tests a framework capable of explaining marriage transactions and groom selection in India. Theories and tools : It adapts Rosen’s (1974) implicit market model and takes the view that dowry is a simple economic transaction that functions to ‘equalize’ the value of marriage services exchanged by the households of the bride and groom. Main Findings: Consistent with ethnographic evidence, results indicate that dowries are higher in regions more to the north. Most importantly, contrary to popular belief, it is found that holding groom characteristics constant, real dowries have decreased over time. Finally, in estimating the parameters of the demand functions for a set of groom attributes, results show that the most important determinants of demand for various groom attributes are price of the attribute, bride’s traits, and the socio-economic status of the bride’s h ousehold 4. Siwan Anderson (2007). The Economics of Dowry and Brideprice. Journal of Economic Perspectives—Volume 21, Number 4—Fall 2007—Pages 151–174 Motivation and objective: This paper first establishes some basic facts about the prevalence and magnitude of marriage payments. It then discusses how such patterns vary across countries depending upon economic conditions, societal structures, institutions, and family characteristics. Theories and tools: The descriptions of marriage payments in this paper are synthesizedfrom a patchwork of studies across periods, places, and even epochs, and there are doubtless numerous cases which remain undocumented.  Discussion: Economists’ interest in marriage payments partly stems from their potential to affect the wealth distribution across generations and families. However, economic analysis has not directly investigated these welfare impacts of marriage payments. In this respect, marriage transfers which are destined for the couple, either in the form of dowry or dower, may function differently from those which are paid directly from one set of parents to the other, like bride price or groom price. The former payment is an intergenerational transfer. The latter forms a circulating fund, with receipt for marriages of one gender being used to pay for marriages of children of the other. 5. Sarwat Afzal Imtiaz Subhani (2009). To Estimate An Equation Explaining The Determinants Of Dowry. Iqra University Motivation and objective : The focus of this study is to estimate an equation explaining the determinants of dowry. Methods: The data of 140 respondents is used to examine the variables to determine the dowry size, data set on bride-groom characteristics and dowry. The study has been focused on analysis that dowry paid is dependent on which variables Subject in the rural subcontinent. Since the objective of study is to estimate the equation explaining the determinant of dowry so all the variables given in the data are takes as independent and the dowry paid is taken as dependent variable. Theories and tools: This paper determine the determinants of dowry, using multiple regression analysis, the author used the ANOVA table, R2 value to tabulate the determinants of dowry price. Main Findings: This research suggested that dowry paid is based on the status and the affluence of husband’s family as well as the education of the husband’s father that are the important determina nts of the incidence of dowries. The influence of husband’s father education is accounted as a predictor for the system of dowry paid 6. Edlund, L. (2006). The price of marriage: Net vs. gross flows and the South Asian dowry debate. Journal of the European Economic Association, 4(2†3), 542-551. Motivation and objective : The rise in dowry payments in India has been taken as evidence that women increasingly are at a disadvantage on the marriage  market and must pay for marriage. Moreover, high dowries, it is argued, add to the plight of parents of daughters and have thus contributed to the scarcity of women (brides). However, the logic is curious, and, this paper argues, flawed. The term dowry can mean different things, and it may be useful to distinguish between the assets the bride brings at the time of marriage (gross dowry) and those netted against the groom payments (net dowry). The former is what is generally meant by dowry, while the latter is a concept used mainly by economists Methods: Data are from a retrospective survey of marriages conducted in 1983 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi- Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). These data have been used in a number of studies of South Asian dowry inflation. ICRISAT conducted a stratified random sample of 40 households each from six villages in South-central India. The first household married in 1923 and the last in 1978. Main Findings: Empirically, the paper has shown that in a much-used data set on dowry inflation, net dowries did not increase in the period after 1950, belying claims of recent increases. Moreover, variables designed to capture marriage-squeeze or male relative to female heterogeneity failed to move dowries in the expected direction. 7. Balwick, J. (1975). The function of the dowry system in a rapidly modernizing society: The case of Cyprus. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 158-167. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to examine the functional relationship between the dowry system and modernization for the country of Cyprus. Two inferences tried to be drawn in this paper are attempt to develop is two 1) the dowry system has served a latent function in encouraging a rapid rate of urban, Industrial, and technological development in Cyprus; and (2) that the rapid rate of technological development in Cyprus, along with new concepts of marital arrangement, are weakening the importance of the dowry system Methods: The analysis of this papers topic will begin by considering the function of the dowry system in Traditional Greek Cypriot society, move to a consideration of the function of the dowry system during rapid modernization, turn to a consideration of the effect of modernization upon the dowry system, and conclude by  speculating as to the possible effect which a decline in the dowry system will have upon marriage. Main Findings: modernization is a threat to the continued existence of the dowry system. The argument was made that, besides the major aspects of modernization themselves, the concept of romantic love, as a byproduct of a largely western stimulated modernization process, has been damaging to the dowry system. However, to so speculate about the future effects of modernization in Cyprus only points to the necessity for social scientists to utilize the situations created in developing countries to further examine the relationships between modernization and social structures. 8. Gaulin, S. J., Boster, J. S. (1990). Dowry as female competition. American Anthropologist, 92(4), 994-1005. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to prove that dowry as a reproductive tactic used by prospective brides and their kin to attract the wealthiest bridegroom. The authors attempt to explain not only the rarity of dowry, but also why it occurs in the societies it does. Methods and theories: The analysis of this papers topic will begin by considering the female-competition model. The female-competition model assumes that, in Homo sapiens as in other animals, the behaviors associated with pair formation can be interpreted as (possibly unconscious) reproductive tactics. The authors interpret the bias in marriage transactions as reflecting a bias in competition for marriage partners. Dowry is their dependent variable; the independent variables in the female-competition model are social stratification and marital form. They grouped the existing categories to create dichotomous variable. Main Findings: The female-competition model is correct; the authors would expect th e largest dowry payments to flow from the middle class to the elite, as women in the middle tier compete for husbands in the highest 9. Rao, V. (1993). Dowry ‘inflation’ in rural India: A statistical investigation. Population Studies, 47(2), 283-293. Motivation and objective : The author of this paper look more directly at the causes of the increase of dowry (investigate the reasons behind the rise in the real value of dowries in rural India)and use unique data collected from a small sample of households by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Methods and theories: The data used in this paper are from a random sample of 40 households, 30 cultivating and 10 laboring, per village, from six villages in three districts of rural South-Central India. The surveys were conducted by ICRISAT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.15 The districts are Akola and Sholapur in Maharashtra state, and Mahbubnagar in Andhra Prades. A quadratic specification of dowry determinants is estimated. Correlations values between variables, OLS , and other statistical tools are being used. Main Findings: The empirical results support the hypothesis that the marriage squeeze has played a significant part in causing dowry inflation. The size of the dowry transfer also seems to be affected by hyper gamy, indicated by the difference in the amount of land owned by the parents of the respective spouses before the marriage. Due to the small size of the sample and the respondents lack of accuracy in reporting their ages at marriage, not much can be said about the impact of age or other potential determinants on the transfer. At the district level, however, the marriage squeeze does seem to matter in reducing differences in the ages at marriage of men and woman. 10. Teays, W. (1991). The burning bride: The dowry problem in India. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, 29-52. Motivation and objective : The author consider the issue of dowry, its roots in custom and religious tradition, as well the ways in which the dowry system has become a dowry problem with daily dowry deaths, usually of young and often pregnant women. Main Findings: Females being devalued in the Hindu world. The internalization of that devaluation is evidenced by the numbers of mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law who actively participate in dowry murder. Marriage has become a commercial transaction complete with bargaining. Traditionally dowries were limited by convention and caste-social realities, but now the demands are out of control. The growing trend of dowry murders only reflects the socio-economic crisis in India. 11. Zhang, J., Chan, W. (1999). Dowry and Wifes Welfare: A Theotrical and Empirical Analysis. Journal of Political Economy, 107(4), 786-808. Motivation and objective : This paper offers an alternative analysis. Where dowry are claimed to be not only increases the wealth of the new conjugal household but also enhances the bargaining power of the bride in the allocation of output within that household, thereby safeguarding her welfare. 2 hypotheses: Dowry increases the resources available to the bride’s new family; Dowry increases the bride bargaining position in the family, as well as her welfare. Methods and theories: This study uses data from the 1989 Taiwan Women and Family Survey,an island wide probability survey of women aged 25–60 years of all marital statuses and from different geographical locations. The female respondents provide socioeconomic information on their parents, their husbands, and themselves. An important feature of the data is that these women report transfers on dowries and bride prices related to their marriages. All these variables are then measured using statistical tools. Main Findings: The result supported the theoretical prediction that a dowry improves the wife’s welfare through both income and bargaining effects. The result also shows that a dowry is indeed a property under the wife’s control. Bride-price reduces the transaction cost involved in recovering the appropriate shares of marital output by each party, a dowry enhances the bride’s position in the household and safeguards her welfare. 12. Bishai, D., Falb, K. L., Pariyo, G., Hindin, M. J. (2009). Bride price and sexual risk taking in Uganda. African journal of reproductive health, 13(1). Motivation and objective : This study assessed the relationship of bride price to sexual risk taking based on a large, population based survey. Methods and theories: Data were collected on bride prices for 592 married women in 12 districts in Uganda in 2001. Controlling for covariates, we found that having had a bride price significantly lowered the wifes odds of sexual intercourse with a partner other than the spouse (OR= 0.222; 95% CI= 0.067, 0.737). Controlling for covariates, bride price increased the husbands odds of non-spousal sexual intercourse (OR=1.489; 95% CI= 0.746, 2.972). Main Findings: Bride price payment is statistically significantly associated with lower rates of non-spousal sexual contact in women, but is  not, statistically significantly associated with higher rates in men 13. Dalmia, S., Lawrence, P. G. (2005). The institution of dowry in India: Why it continues to prevail. The Journal of Developing Areas, 38(2), 71-93. Motivation and objective : This article empirically examines dowries in India and provides an institutional and economic rationale for the existence and continued prevalence of the system. Main Findings: Using data on marriage transactions and on the personal and family traits of marital partners the article demonstrates that payments of dowry serve to equalize the measurable differences in individual characteristics of the brides and grooms and their respective households. Thus, dowry qualifies as the price paid for a good match in the marriage market. Results also reveal that the form of inheritance system, the residence of the bride after marriage, and the gender ratio of marriageable women to men have no effect on the incidence and size of dowry 14. Diamond†Smith, N., Luke, N., McGarvey, S. (2008). ‘Too many girls, too much dowry’: son preference and daughter aversion in rural Tamil Nadu, India. Culture, health sexuality, 10(7), 697-708. Motivation and objective : The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has experienced a dramatic decline in fertility, accompanied by a trend of increased son preference. This paper reports on findings from qualitative interviews with women in rural villages about their fertility decision-making which is due to the dowry rate. Main Findings: Findings suggest that daughter aversion, fuelled primarily by the perceived economic burden of daughters due to the proliferation of dowry, is playing a larger role in fertility decision-making than son preference. 15. Rozario, S. (2002). Grameen Bank-style microcredit: Impact on dowry and womens solidarity. Development Bulletin, 57, 67-70. Motivation and objective : This article focuses on two specific problems connected with Grameen Bank-style microcredit in Bangladesh: its negative impact on women’s solidarity, and its consequences for the practice of dowry payments. Main Findings: Findings suggest that Unmarried women are not  accepted in the microcredit samities and so cannot receive loans. The argument is that they will get married and go away to their husbands’ village, then who will repay their loan? This denies any opportunity to marginal groups, like unmarried women and, of course, widows and abandoned women. Such policies also mean that unmarried women are made completely dependent financially on the mercy of their families. 16. Kazi Abdur Rouf, (2012) A feminist interpretation of Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions campaign, Humanomics, Vol. 28 Iss: 4, pp.285 – 296. Motivation and objective : The purpose of this paper is to look at Grameen Bank (GB) Sixteen Decisions campaigns and its implications to feminism; and to examine the degree to which women borrowers of the Grameen Bank are empowered to participate in familial decision-making around dowry and teenage marriage and to develop their public spaces in the community. Moreover, the paper critically looks at the GB women borrowers development through the Sixteen Decisions Design/methodology/approach – The study uses multiple research methods. It reviews and analyzes GB Sixteen Decision texts and feminist literature, uses survey method to collect data from Grameen Bank micro borrowers in 2011 and uses secondary data. Main Findings : This study still finds the gender equality issues exist in the Grameen Bank Sixteen Decisions texts and the Sixteen Decisions campaign strategies for women borrowers empowerment especially due to the issue of dowry. Policy Recommendation: This critical analysis is very important to empower Grameen Bank women borrowers because the campaign should be made more effective in addressing womens issues like dowry-less marriage. Grameen Bank should revise the Sixteen Decisions texts and support borrowers in their anti-dowry and anti-teen age marriage campaign in Bangladesh. 17. Tenhunen, S. (2008). The gift of money: rearticulating tradition and market economy in rural West Bengal. Modern Asian Studies, 42(5), 1035-1055. Motivation and objective : This article examines the rise of dowry system injanta, a West Bengali village in the Bankura district, where the dowry payments are a relatively new phenomenon. The oldest generation in Janta had experienced times when no demands for money or other gifts had been made during marriage arrangements, but since the 1950S huge dowry payments have become the central financial transactions in the region. In addition to oral history interviews on dowry  practices, the author draws from his research on the changes in caste, gender and class relationships in the village. Findings : The gift of money does not merely represent class and economic identities, rather, its intr oduction is connected to a reconstruction of gender and caste identities as well. The article demonstrates how the giving of money has influenced other categories of gifts, while the market logic has drawn from cultural considerations. Yet, money is not the only agent in the process; gifts are essentially about constructing social and cultural identities: the interconnected domains of gender, kinship, caste and class. The introduction of the monetary gift has made it possible to make connections and set a price on different aspects of personhood facilitating and intensifying the connections between different discourses on personhood. 18. Shenk, M. K. (2007). Dowry and public policy in contemporary India. Human Nature, 18(3), 242-263. Motivation and objective :. This paper argues that a functionalist perspective on dowry could lead to improved dowry policy, and that an approach based in human behavioral ecology (HBE) is uniquely suited to this task. Design/methodology/approach – The author develop a behavioral ecology model of Indian dowry and test it with quantitative and qualitative data Main Findings : The author conclude that if dowry legislation is to achieve broad support or bring about effective social change, it must address and support the positive motivations for and effects of dowry and take a targeted approach to dowry violence, which is not uniformly distributed across regions, castes, or social 19. Rao, V. P., Rao, V. N. (1980). The dowry system in Indian marriages: attitudes, expectations and practices. International Journal of Sociology of the Family, 99-113.. Motivation and objective :The study examined the students expectations of dowry for persons with different educational background, their attitudes and feelings about the dowry system, and the practices of dowry payments in immediate and kin families Design/methodology/approach – The questionnaire method was used to collect data from a sample of 585 college students from  India Main Findings The study revealed that the average dowry expectation were not consistent With the number of years of education but were in line with the prestige of education. Non-Hindus, metropolitan residents, high socioeconomic status students, and medical students expected higher dowry than their counterparts. The majority of the respondents considered dowry unimportant in settling a marriage and felt that the present dowry system should be discontinued. However, most of the respondents brothers received dowry while their families gave dowry to their sisters. The kin families also practiced dowry payment at the time of marriage. The students seemed equalitarian in terms of control over the dowry as most believed that both husband and wife should decide how to spend it. Inconsistency in the attitudes are also observed as three-fourths of the sample considered dowry unimportant in the settlement of a marriage but nearly one-third of the males and 40 per cent of their parents expected to receive dowry when the respondents got married. 20. Freed, R. S., Freed, S. A. (1989). Beliefs and practices resulting in female deaths and fewer females than males in India. Population and Environment, 10(3), 144-161. Motivation and objective:. A preference for sons and the low status of females are implicated in the preponderance of males over females as reported in each census of India from the first one taken in the 19th century. A number of cultural practices, some of which are quite ancient, are involved in this such as sexual imbalance and dowry murder. This discussion is sees the determinants of female deaths in India. Design/methodology/approach – This discussion is based both on 19th and 20th century sources and on fieldwork conducted in the North Indian village of Shanti Nagar in 1958–59 and 1977–78. Findings : It is found that dowry act as one of the determinants that resulted in female deaths which is more commonly known as Dowry Murder Policy Recommendation: The modern Government of India has so ught to abolish dowry which would, presumably, put an end to dowry murder.

Irish Banking in a Digital Age: NTUC Income

Irish Banking in a Digital Age: NTUC Income Index Introduction Case Study Information Systems used by NTUC Income before Migrating Business Processes used by NTUC Income before Migrating Problems Associated with the Old Systems New Digital System capabilities How did the new system resolve the problems How did the new digital system provide a basis for the orange strategy Could Orange have been available with the Old systems Three Important Lessons for Irish Retail Banking Conclusion Introduction Banking in a digital age is a huge subject and I have gone into some detail to analyse the case study and to answer the questions outlined. However I want to initially highlight the diagrams below, the first diagram shows the percentage of customers that consult the internet and is self-explanatory, however it does highlight how important the internet is to banks to create revenue and to ensure their viability on into the future. The second diagram however is somewhat of a parallel to this in that it shows that younger customers are inclined to bank with larger well known banks regardless. An interesting argument could be given for both sides. Case Study Information systems used by NTUC Income before migrating were: Old fashioned HP 3000 mainframe system Decades old Cobol programs Batch processing systems, Agents tried to submit the documents using notebooks Business Processes Used by NTUC Income before migrating to new digital systems were: Entirely paper based Customers met with broker/agent to complete proposal form Form is submitted by courier to Office service department Form is logged and sorted Form is then sent to underwriters. Accepted proposals then sent to computer Services Department be printed and distributed. All original documents then sent to storage unit for logging and filing In a lot of cases departments had to pass physical documents among each other Problems Associated with the Old Systems Very cumbersome and time consuming process After proposal form completed by customer it could take 2 to 3 days for the form to be couriered to underwriters Form then sent to computer services department to be printed and distributed. Sent to storage unit to be logged and stored which could take over two to three days Document retrieval slow and cumbersome taking up to two days to locate, then the form had to be shipped by courier. Refiling would take 2 days. Documents had to be physically passed to each other High volume of staff involved in clerical roles, from start to finish the policy will have been handled by up to 13 staff Entirely paper based system Existing computer system very unreliable with regular breakdowns Breakdowns meant loss of man hours re-inputting lost data Existing system had to be backed up daily however if system crashed during the day staff had to choose whether to save daily reconciliation or whether to do a full back up If daily back up not completed previous days data would be lost No Real time data, systems did not allow data inputter to see if customer is existing or new. Loss in revenue and sales due to lack of real time data. Existing system had 3 major hardware failures which mean loss of 6 days. Regular breakdowns No up to date information for departments or internal digital mailing system. 2.1 New digital system capabilities New Java based EBao Lifesystem All branches equipped with scanners and new monitors New PC RAM of 128MB New hardware and software for application servers Disk storage systems Data transmitted immediately All Documents scanned and stored on digital devices Data stored on two or more servers all connected by two or more connection lines. Faster cable Wireless capability Fiber-optic Backbone 2.2 How did the new system resolve the problems? Reduced timeframe for induction of policy Efficient scanning and processing systems. Real time data, enabling cross sales and cross referencing for existing customers Reduction in time to react to market trends and changes. Easier to design and launch new products to keep ahead of market trends Good backup systems, data saved on two or more servers ensuring no loss of data New disaster recovery site that no longer required restoration of the previous day’s data Improved customer service as new system gave a single view of each customer showing all real time data allowing cross selling and reduced turnaround times Up to 50 percent saving on time and costs 3.1 How did the new digital system provide a basis for the orange strategy? Orange was stuck in a paper based timewarp. This meant that all time and energy was put into manual applications which did not leave time for them to focus on a more customer friendly and customer focused organization. The new system meant that there was a huge reduction in the need for large volumes of clerical staff and these staff could be utilized to provide a better customer service and also provide a better profit for the business by utilizing the customer information to enable cross sales. It also enabled time for the marketing strategy to be overhauled as up to date data was now at hand. This data provided a customer profile facilitating the sale of more relevant products by providing some Golden Nuggets of information. As the systems could provide some analytical and operational CRM data. It also enabled the business to be able to react quickly to any new market trends as the new digital systems were able to take on and launch new products quickly and in fact enabled them to set up a brand new concept in the insurance business, the launch of the Orange motorcycles fleet. This fleet was very distinctive and easily spotted on the high street which in itself was a major marketing tool but they not only serviced their own customers who had accidents but also non customers which in turn meant that these people would go to Orange the next time they needed a quote for insurance and also created a Feel Good moment. It enabled them to launch Orange Eye which was a smartphone application. This provided an in car camera which helped combat motor insurance fraud which ensured that costs for the company would be kept down and in turn allowed for reduced insurance policies. 3.2 Could Orange have been available with the Old Systems? Orange would most definitely not have been possible with the old system. They were not able to provide an efficient, straightforward, transparent system or product due to the major constraints of the old systems. 4. Three important Lessons for Irish Retail Banking 1. Banks have to embrace the Digital Age to Increase profit. Banks have to embrace and utilize all systems available and even create new systems in order to increase revenue and in turn increase profit. According the statistics provided by The Second UPC Report on Irelands Digital future the projected value of the Irish internet economy in 2020 will be E21.1 BN, Projected on line Consumer Spending will be E12.7 BN as opposed to figures provided for 2014 when online consumer spending was E5.9 BN. Therefore this market has to be tapped to ensure the viability of the bank into the future. While initially consumers were reluctant to take on some of these new online systems such as online banking one would wonder what their reaction would be if it were to be taken away from them overnight. As can be seen from table below sourced from PWC the percentage of users of online services has increased tenfold and banks have to embrace this change and utilize it to their advantage. Gen Y = born 1980, Gen X = born 1965 – 1979, Baby boomers = 1946 – 1964, Matures born prior to 1946 2. Digital systems improve services. The new orange system allowed for funds and also staff to be freed up to create a much better customer experience. One way of doing this was to send out the Orange Fleet which proved a huge success. This model has been in some way reproduced with banks now beginning to think outside the box, by providing some time/space shifting services such as Mobile Mortgage Managers who will visit you out of bank hours and in turn the new systems that allow you to bank on line 24 hours a day online in the comfort of your own home. Bank of Ireland are currently trying to promote an internal scoring card system that they call NPS to ensure that we continue to provide an excellent customer service and allowing all opportunities to be utilized and all cross sales achieved to ensure a good profit and also a good service to the customer. As outlined in our lectures 50 percent of time and effort is invested in trying to get new customers in the first place and 50 percent to hold onto them. It costs six times more to get a new customer therefore a high retention of existing customers ensures an increased profit. Accenture created a Consumer research of over 13000 in 33 countries and they found that 61% if customers globally switched providers due to a bad experience and 85% switch providers because they feel that companies don’t make it easy to do business with. It is no secret that the general public’s perception of the Banks in light of the recent recession and bailout by the government has not been advantageous and therefore it is in our best interest to improve our systems and also do things a bit differently and this NPS scorecard is in some way helping this. Also the public would not have great trust in the Banks and again the â€Å"simple honest and different approach† adapted by Orange could be adapted in a more robust platform by the Banks. 3. Correct systems have to be in place in order for customers to adapt and embrace the change. Bank of Irelands digital systems were sometimes seen as cumbersome by both staff and by customers alike. There were some major issues with Banking on line for business customers as it was difficult to get set up and in a lot of cases it wasn’t compatible with certain computer systems. There is also the public’s perception of the risk concerned with digital technology and some customers do not trust the systems and still prefer to go in to the Bank and make their transactions or apply for their loans with a human. I showed a family member how to pay a bill on line. This was their first attempt at using this system and they were very impressed with how easy the process was, however as the payee was an Ulster Bank customer the transaction took a couple of days to go through. This caused my relation a huge worry (they are in their 60’s) as she would have preferred to have had physical evidence such as a receipt for the transaction and they could not relax until the funds were acknowledged as received. This however is not such a worry for younger generations as they have more trust in the digital systems. The security issues need to be addressed and maintained and also the banks need to keep ahead of the fraudsters. As long as this continues to happen I c an see a continued rise in the use of digital banking systems. Conclusion As outlined on the Bain Brief article â€Å"Many banks have been too quick to capitalize on digital technologies as a way to strip costs out of their operations. Steering their technology-enable customers to websites, mobile apps and ATMs, they are shuttering full-service branches and replacing them with automated kiosks. But while the savings from taking a self-service approach can be enticing, the longer term costs of abandoning customers to their own high-tech devices are unacceptably high.† The Digital Challenge to Retail banks Oct 17,2012 by Dirk Vater, Youngsuh Cho and Peter Sidebottom. This article was written in 2012 and since then Bank of Ireland has come to realize this and are trying to keep their physical branch footprint in place in as much as possible in order to have a face behind the bank. Other major banks in Ireland have been reducing their branch footprint in order to reduce costs. We will have to wait and see in the future what the best approach to this will have been and as always hindsight is sometimes a great thing. Referencing Accenture Study, Global Consumer Pulse Research (2014) Bain Banking Study (2012) FIS Primary Consumer Research (Aug 2011) Laudon, Laudon,(2014) Management Information Systems Second UPC Report on Irelands Digital Future (2014) Stapleton, (2015) Banking in a Digital Age Webinars Putnam, (2011) Attracting and Retaining Gen Y and Gen X Vater, Youngsuh and Sidebottom (2012) Bain Brief The Digital Challenge to Retail Banks Villers, (2015) PWC Banking will mean digital banking in 2015

Sexual Frustration in Alfred Hitchcocks Rope Essay -- Rope Film Analys

On May 21, 1924, two highly intelligent university scholars from Chicago, Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold, executed their highly-calculated plan for the cold-blooded murder of a distant relative of Loebπs, 14-year old Bobby Franks. As students of Nietzscheπs philosophy, Loeb and Leopold had set out to commit the ≥perfect murder≤ in order to actualize the belief that they were of an elite group, superior to the common man, to whom the standard moral code did not apply. So infamous is the story of their murder and eventual detainment that it has become entrenched in American popular culture, with numerous books and films aspiring to recreate it in vivid detail. Amongst these, Alfred Hitchcockπs Rope (1948) stands out as an exemplary achievement both in its cinematic technique as well as its carefully executed plot, which exposes the psychological decomposition of the two murderers as their deed is gradually discovered. However, the aspect of the r eal case that is not explicitly addressed in the film as a result of the censorship codes at the time, but one of the primary reasons that Hitchcock was initially attracted to the project, is the homosexuality of the two young men, a factor which becomes pivotal to a Freudian interpretation of the film. It is the shifting and complicated dynamic between their aggression and, more fundamentally, their frustrated homosexual desires which explains the depravity of their actions. Strewn throughout Rope are many indications that underlying the ostensible story of a murder are unfulfilled homosexual desires of such an intensity that the dialogue and actions of Brandon and Phillip, the names of the two murderers in the film, unintentionally ... ...oing so without danger. If the loss is not compensated for economically, one can be certain that serious disorders will ensue≤ (742). Because society prevented them from gratifying their erotic instincts, the boys had to find other means of maintaining their psychic equilibrium, which, in their case, brought with it only deadly results. References: Freud, Sigmund. "Civilizations and Its Discontents." The Freud Reader. Ed. Peter Gay. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1989. Linder, Douglas O. ≥The Leopold and Loeb Trial: A Brief Account.≤ Famous American Trials. 1997. November 2, 2004. Rope. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perfs. James Stewart, Rupert Cadell, John Dall. Videocassette. Warner Brothers & Transatlantic Pictures, 1948.

Traumas Apologize and Healing of the Colonized and Radicalized Essay

Throughout the twentieth century, the trauma inflicted upon people of color as a by-product of colonization, racialization, and assimilation has left a lasting imprint not on only the lives of the oppressed, but on the lives of the generations that follow them as well. Years after these subjective events have passed and been recognized as unjust and immoral and formal apologies from the U.S. government have been made, the trauma remains ever present in the minds of individual victims as well as the affected community as a whole, and traumatic healing does not actualize. Racial oppression has been an overtly prevalent issue; from the unjust treatment in WWII Japanese relocation camps and Cambodian refugee camps, to the colonization of land, compromised reservation sovereignty, and physical abuse of Native Americans. Although not as pronounced, racial injustice still continues today in a more discretely structuralized manner that is purposely designed to allow forms of oppression to co ntinue yet have them over looked or passed off as lawful under U.S. regulation. The most prevalent forms of trauma that were experienced during these occasions include but are not limited to, post traumatic stress, intergenerational trauma, and soul wounds. The end of these oppressive events does not mean that repression is over, nor does it erase the scars it as left on the victims; the traumatic wounds still linger within individuals, the affected community, and through future generations. Attempts to remedy the harm done through apologizes, and in some instances compensation, address the error, and attempt to restore financial balance; however, they neglect to change the underlying inequality issues that were set in place that for the injustices to ... ...Loss in First Person Plural, Bontoc Eulogy, and History and Memory." Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Korean Adoption Studies. By Nelson Kim. Park, Tobias Hu%u0308binette, Eleana Kim, and Petersen Lene. Myong. S.l.: S.n., 2010. 129-45. Print. Duran, Bonnie, and Eduardo Duran. "Native Americans and the Trauma of History." Studying Native America: Problems and Prospects. By Russell Thornton. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin, 1998. 60-72. Print. Smith, Andrea. "Sexual Violence as a Tool of Genocide." Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide. Cambridge, MA: South End, 2005. 7-31. Print. Um, Khatharya. "Refractions of Home Exile, Memory, and Diasporic Longing." Expressions of Cambodia: The Politics of Tradition, Identity, and Change. By Leakthina Chan-Pech Ollier and Tim Winter. London: Routledge, 2006. 86-100. Print.