Capital budgeting decision is whether to lease or buy an asset Essay

Capital budgeting decision is whether to lease or buy an asset - Essay Example It is very important to study all capital investments options that are available with the firm because of the long-term consequences. The simplest example of a capital budgeting decision is to decide if a firm should buy an asset or lease the same. Buying the asset will result in capital investments while leasing will lead to operational outflow. Capital budgeting methods In order to evaluate the capital budgeting options available with it, a firm can use many of the following ways: Net Present Value: Net present value is the cash the firm will need today as a substitute of making the investment of purchasing the asset (Ross, Westerfield, Jaffe, 2004). If the NPV is positive, this means that the firm will get that cash amount equal to the NPV. The calculation of the net present value takes into account the time value of money along with the cash flow associated with the project throughout the lifetime. A project should be pursued if the net present value is positive. Internal rate of return: This is the discount rate that makes the Net Present Value of a project zero. If the IRR of purchasing the asset is greater than the discount rate, the asset should be brought. Otherwise, the asset should be leased. ... Profitability index: The profitability index ratio is an indication of the cost associated with the project viz-a-viz the initial investment made. The ratio can be calculated as: Accounting rate of return: Accounting rate of return is the rate of return that is generated from the proposed capital investment. Each method has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. While NPV calculation is based on too many assumptions including that of the future cash flows as well as the return on equity. The calculation is also based on the premise that the cash flows generated are invested back at the discounted rate which is not a realistic assumption. The internal rate of return calculation assumes that the returns from the project are re-invested in the project. However, this might not be true in most of the cases. In addition, if the project has multiple positive and negative cash flows, it may have several IRRs. As a result of this, firms shall use modified internal rate of return (MIRR), which is the discount rate that makes the investment equal to the future value of the cash flows from investment (Kierulff, 2008). The actual method used for capital budgeting decisions differ from firm to firm depending upon the size of the firm, the rate of growth of firm and leverage of firm amongst others. Graham and Harvey (2000) in their paper â€Å"The theory and practice of corporate finance: Evidence from the field† indicate that net present value and internal rate of return are the most popular methods used for capital budgeting decision methods. They also concluded that there is no dependence of the method used on the growth rate for firms with smaller debt ratios. Large firms are more frequent user of NPV as compared to smaller firms. Public companies are more likely to

Abercrombie and Fitch report Essay Example for Free

Abercrombie and Fitch report Essay Abercrombie Fitch was established in 1892, and originally was a retailer of outdoor and sporting goods. In 1976, it went bankrupted and was acquired by Limited Brands in 1988. Michael Jeffries was nominated to become CEO in 1992, and he dramatically improved the status of AF to be a global fashion retailer. Now the symbol of American style and beloved brand by many customers worldwide, Abercrombie and Fitch produces mainly apparel, fragrance and lifestyle goods targeting at consumers aged from 18 to 25. There are 4 sub-brands in AF which are Abercrombie and Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks. Each sub-brand has its own characteristics and its positioning in the fashion market is slightly different. Abercrombie Fitch is rooted in East Coast traditions and Ivy League heritage, it is the essence of privilege and casual luxury (Abercrombie and Fitch Co. 2012, P. 3). Abercrombie Kids is for the kids who want to be like their older brothers or sisters and the core concept of it is casual and preppy looks. Hollister’s heritage stems from Southern California and was designed to represent cool beach style. Gilly Hicks is the newest and smallest brand in AF made only for the girls’ clothes or underwear. With the opening of a flagship store in Canada in 2005, AF started to enter the global market. Now it has 139 stores outside of the US, and it recently opened stores in Seoul, South Korea and in Shanghai, China to expand into the Asian market. We chose Abercrombie and Fitch since we would like to see how successful this multinational apparel company can be by insisting its All-American style in different cultures. We wanted to explore its unique retail strategy and brand positioning as this brand is sought after a lot of young adult. Several controversial issues of AF were the deciding factor in our choice of company. Work Oriented Culture Of all the methods which exist for explaining cultural differences, â€Å"the dimensional approach is more influential† (Peng Meyer, 2011). Geert  Hostede, a Dutch professor, established the overarching theory consisting of five cultural dimensions. The first is power distance which outlines the expectation and acceptance of the unequal distribution of power by the less powerful members of a country (Peng Meyer, 2011). Individualism vs. collectivism is the cultural dimension characterized by whether the  citizens view themselves as distinctly different or dependent upon group involvement. The third cultural dimension is masculinity vs. femininity which refers to the values, traditional male or female, which are held in the highest regard. Determining the extent to which an individual will embrace uncertain circumstances is the uncertainty avoidance dimension. Finally, long-term orientation deals with the emphasis the citizens place upon â€Å"perseverance and savings fo r future betterment† (Peng Meyer, 2011). The US is the home country of Abercrombie and Fitch. Power Distance Individuality Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Long-term Orientation Scoring a 40 caused the US to be in the lower half of the countries for power distance. Hierarchy is â€Å"established for convenience† (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014) as superiors are easily accessible and communicate informally. Information is free flowing as managers take input form their subordinates. The US received the highest individuality score of 91. Citizens are considered â€Å"the best joiners in the world† (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014). It is not extreme for Americans to work with people with whom they are not familiar as deep friendships are not commonly formed. What an individual is capable of doing or has already done will determine their value of being  hired or promoted. Ranking 15th on the masculinity scale with a score of 62 indicates a masculine nation. US firms create a culture of â€Å"live to work† (Geert-hofstede.com, 2014) where higher status and financial rewards are key driving factors. Leaders which are forceful and decisive are highly valu ed. Employees who are less visible and indecisive are not able to attain success With a score of 46, the US is shown to have a below average uncertainty avoidance. Innovation is extremely valued as new ideas are quickly accepted. As compared to firms in higher uncertainty avoidance countries, US firms will quickly go after new, emerging, and risky opportunities. The US is seventh from the bottom of the list for long-term orientation with a score of 29. While future planning is involved in US firms’ decision making process, quarterly reports are incredibly significant and limit the time firms can look ahead. Employees’ savings rates in countries such as the US are much lower than those in long-term oriented nations. Home Region Oriented Firm Rugman and Verbeke in 2004 established a triad of economic power consisting of Asia, the EU, and North America. Analysis of 380 firms determined how many were home-region oriented, bi-regional, host-region oriented, or global (Rugman Verbeke, 2004). A home-region oriented firm has â€Å"at least 50% of their sales in their home region of the triad† (Rugman Verbeke, 2004). To be a bi-regional company, at least 20% of all sales must take place in two regions, but the company cannot have more than 50% in the region where the company is based. If a firm has more than 50% of its sales in a region different than its home region then the firm is considered host region oriented. In order to be global, a firm must have â€Å"at least 20% of their sales in all three regions of the triad, but less than 50% in any one region† (Rugman Verbeke, 2004). AF is considered a home region oriented company based upon the released date from 2013. Of the $4,116.9 million in sales, 64.59% or $2,659.09 million is generated in the home region, North America. $1,116.78 million or 27.13% of all their sales take place in the EU region. Asia is far behind as the remaining 8.28% of sales, 341.03 thousand dollars, is dispersed across the  rest of the world. No calculations were needed as the sales figures and percentages were given. (Csimarket.com, 2014). The industry for which AF operates can explain their sales distribution. As the company is in the fashion and retail industry, its’ sales are incredibly dependent upon the affinity of the customers for specific brands and styles. Since the company is based in North America, the firm is much more familiar with the prevalent style which would need to be present to increase sales. AF also established itself in their home country before expanding. These factors could explain the firm’s international orientation. Ownership Advantages First, one downstream ownership advantage of AF is the possession of a specific brand image which is not easily imitable. The firm operates under different brands Abercrombie Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister, and Gill Hicks for slightly different targets. Each sub-brand represents a different brand image but they eventually add up to one big image, â€Å"American Cool†. To the fashion retailers, the most important ownership advantage is their own irreplaceable brand image. In this context, AF has its distinct position in the fashion market and is using their brand image successfully to attract the customers (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, P. 3). Second, the other ownership advantage of AF is its’ in-store experience. AF stimulates the customers’ senses of sight, sound, smell, and touch by utilizing handsome male models, music, fragrances, rich fabrics and interior design. Customers (mainly females) can get a chance to take a photo with the models, and this became a representative in-store experience of AF. In addition to this, AF uses certain perfume to attract customers and to make them remember AF for a longer time than just seeing, which is called â€Å"scent marketing†. Also, the stores always play the video of the American beach to emphasize its â€Å"cool† brand image. AF only sets up the flagship stores and controls them through the managers who are trained in the US and sent to the international flagship stores to monitor the whole operation. This system makes it possible to transfer this in-store experience to the newly established flagship stores very well. Therefore, all AF stores, even those  overseas, are committing the standardized in-store experience by offering customers the same experience (Abercrombie and Fitch Co. 2012, p. 4). Uppsala Model Network Internationalization Model Differences â€Å"The Uppsala model views that market knowledge is gained only by operating directly in a market; thus the model focuses on experimental knowledge† (Childs Jin 2013, p. 38). According to the Uppsala model, will increase their market commitment gradually based upon their experience in the market and based on the knowledge they gain in the market. On the other hand, according to the Network internationalization model, firms can start their internationalization before they enter the market by settling network relationship in advance. Therefore, firms do not have to follow the stages of the Uppsala model but â€Å"building a number of such relationships constitutes a large and important investment, and once established, and organiza tional or ownership advantage† (Vahlne Johanson 2013, p. 195). Uppsala Model Network Internationalization Model Similarities Both models consider the network as important knowledge that firms should gain. The network facilitates information and experience by building up the trust in a relationship and also by learning from other market players. Within the Uppsala model, the core concept of the gradual extension of a company’s internationalization into a market, which gains the company valuable experience, should be based on the interplay with customers, suppliers, and other competitors. As the company’s network broadens, it can get more knowledge and at the same time its degree of internationalization will become higher. In this context, we can find similarity between the two models. International Trajectory In 2005, AF first opened its’ flagship store in Canada. Starting from this, AF entered the European market with opening flagship stores in major cities of the European countries, such as London, Milan, Paris, and Amsterdam. On December 15, 2009, AF opened its first Asian flagship store in Tokyo as a starting point to enter the Asian market. Currently, AF owns 19 flagship stores in Canada, 110 in Europe, and 11 in Asia. Among those stores, 39 are sales subsidiaries. In Canada, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, AF has wholly-owned subsidiaries because there are DCs in those countries, meaning that they are the most important countries in each continent (Abercrombie   Fitch Co. 2012, PP. 19, 101102). Firms who have a strong brand image and possess asset specificity (a unique product or a unique way of doing business) are more likely to internationalize quickly (Childs Jin, 2013). AF is a good example of this case, so it could skip the lower stages of the Uppsala model, such as s poradic exports or exports through sales agents, and could set up the subsidiaries directly overseas, which only takes 7-9  years. Consequently, now we can assume that the company is already in a quite higher stage of the Uppsala-based stages model with its sales subsidiaries and wholly-owned subsidiaries. Degree and Nature of International Sourcing Abercrombie and Fitch does not own factories producing the products and it has not sourced more than 10% of its merchandise from any single member of its approximately 155 vendors in 20 countries, including the United States, China, Vietnam and Guatemala (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, p. 4). In particular, more than 90% of its suppliers are in Asia (Google.com, 2011). The company has established supplier product quality standards to ensure the high quality of fabrics and other materials used in the company’s products (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, p. 5). Abercrombie and Fitch has two distribution centers (â€Å"DCs†) in New Albany, Ohio. The two DCs were initially responsible for the distribution of merchandise to the stores and direct-toconsumer customers, both regionally and internationally. Since 2009, AF has offshored its DCs by using a third-party DC (TNT Fashion) in Roosendaal, the Netherlands for the distribution of merchandise to stores and direct-to-consumer cust omers located in Europe and a third-party DC in Hong Kong since 2011 for the distribution of merchandise to stores located in Asia. Its two DCs in New Albany, Ohio currently only support its North American stores, and direct-to-consumer customers outside of Europe (Abercrombie Fitch Co. 2012, p. 5). The nature of offshoring the DCs is to broaden the direct-toconsumer business worldwide and facilitate the international expansion of Abercrombie and Fitch stores in Europe and Asia. Furthermore, Abercrombie and Fitch has a strong, cooperative and long-term relationship with its vendor factories. When the CEO Mike Jeffries was asked about the cost pressures from raw materials and labor costs, he emphasized  that a strong relationship with vendors has been key since they had assisted AF and been fair in terms of cotton prices and other increases. He also added that AF and vendors have been there for each other for the long term (Barrie, 2010). Strategic Advantages and Drawbacks of International Sourcing and Offshoring The first advantage of international sourcing is that AF can hedge against the supplier risks. Since AF has relationships with over 100 vendors in 20 countries, it can flexibly switch from one source to another when necessary. AF has the ability to increase its total supply capacity. Even if there are a sudden wave of demand for certain products, having a strong relationship with over 100 vendors will ensure AF a certain supply of products and therefore the supply chain will be more stable (Inboundlogistics.com, 2011). However, such global sourcing strategy also brings some disadvantages. The source of production activity is too dispersed; it is a challenge to find qualified executives who know the local business environment and understand the corporation’s inner workings especially in the Asia Pacific region (Inboundlogistics.com, 2011). We would advise Abercrombie and Fitch to send executives from the US to those countries and hire local managers simultaneously to ensure the production activity smooth. The primary advantage of offshoring is to reduce costs. Offshoring its distribution centers in Europe and Asia can save distribution and transportation costs of merchandise to stores in Europe and Asia. However, if the third-party distribution center in the Netherlands or Hong Kong shuts down suddenly, the distribution of merchandise in Europe and Asia will be totally disrupted. Therefore, AF should leverage the risk by running an additional distribution center in some low-cost countries, such as Vietnam. This move will also support AF’s future expansion. Opportunities and Threats in Vietnam Opportunities Labor cost in Vietnam are absolutely lower than that of China (JETRO, 2011) (NWPC, 2014). See Appendix 1 for figure 1. Government policy to attract FDI (Kim, Lee Cheong, 2011). See AppendixThreats 2.  TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) Cost reduction, lead time reduction, and tax benefit. See Appendix 3 for table 1. Currently only 16% of AF clothes are produced in Vietnam (Google.com, 2011). See Appendix 4 for figure 2. Vietnam has a better status for lead times, infrastructure, and working circumstances than other developing countries (Kim, Lee Cheong, 2011). As AF doesn’t operate their own manufacturing facilities but uses vendors, it can be intense competition among the companies who want to attract vendors in Vietnam. Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka which have lower labor cost than Vietnam are trying to develop their infrastructure and manufacturing conditions to attract vendors. In the future, those undeveloped countries can be a threat to the Vietnam market. Minimum wage in Vietnam is increasing by 15% in 2013, and 17% in 2014 (Vettoretti Huyen, 2013). Suggestions for the Emerging Market We suggest establishing a distribution center (DC) in Vietnam as a strategy to create synergy with the new manufacturing facilities in Vietnam. Currently, many global fashion retailers are trying to generate vertical integration in the emerging markets because they can control the demand fluctuation easily and simplify procurement and administrative procedures eliminating the need to deal with a wide variety of suppliers and distributors. If TPP is concluded, the degree of tariffs will decrease, so it would be better to concentrate on upstream investment in Vietnam. Because emerging markets are not wellorganized and there is more lack of conditions than the developed market, owning a DC will be more stable and protective. Eventually, a DC in Vietnam will create good access to the Asian market. In  overseas developed markets, AF doesn’t own the distribution centers but uses third-party DCs in the Netherlands and Hong Kong. However in Vietnam, we assume that AF would set up a distribution center as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The third-party logistics in outsourcing the whole distribution to a specialized company would reduce the cost. Now AF has only third-party DCs in overseas and there is a threat to be shut down. In order to prevent this situation in advance, owning at least one wholly-owned DC is practical. Because a wholly-owned DC totally controlled by the company, the company can adjust to the demand fluctuation better than a third-party DC. Therefore wholly-owned DC will function as a safety net in a case there is an uncontrollable problem in a third-party DC. Strategic Objectives of Entering China With regard to market seeking, â€Å"China will represent the biggest market potential for our brands,† said Craig Brommers, senior vice president of marketing for AF (Fashionunited.com, 2014). Undoubtedly, China is a huge and growing market with a population of approximately 1.4 billion. Therefore, AF has been trying to locate its potential customers by opening the first flagship store in Shanghai and 8 Hollister stores in different cities since 2012. The company plans to open over 100 new stores under its Hollister and AFs label in China over the next ten years (Fashionunited.com, 2014). With regard to efficiency seeking, there are an abundant suppliers and a low-cost labor force. Specifically, over 60% of its vendors were located in China in 2011 (Google.com, 2011). Also, there has been a distribution center in Hong Kong since 2011. Therefore, AF can achieve lower transportation costs since the delivery is closer to its target markets. Past Foreign Entry Modes Abercrombie and Fitch started its international expansion in London by opening the first overseas flagship store in 2007, and it almost adopted a single foreign entry mode in the last 7 years. AF established a wholly-owned subsidiary when entering a new market, such as the Netherlands, UK, Hong  Kong, Singapore and Japan. However, AF opened its first Hollister store in Dubai in 2013 through a joint venture with Majid Al Futtaim Ventures and an AF flagship store is expected to open in Dubai in 2014 the same way (Majid Al Futtaim Ventures, 2014). For Abercrombie and Fitch, establishing wholly-owned subsidiaries is a better entry mode for international expansion. AF can enjoy full control of the international stores since it pursues an intensely American retail and marketing strategy (Marx, 2010). Therefore, establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary enables AF to integrate the operation of its subsidiaries tightly with itself and to control what the subsidiary should follow. In addition, it takes a lot of efforts to establish an effective relationship in a joint venture and the cultures of the companies may be incompatible. Financially, The parent company can consolidate the results of its wholly-owned subsidiaries into one financial statement (Basu, 2014).Considering that AF is opening more international stores worldwide, the financial reporting would be too complicated if it engages in joint ventures in many different countries. Multinational Strategy Home Replication Stage The multinational strategy of Abercrombie and Fitch closely resembles the home replication strategy. There are several evidences from practice. First of all, the local responsiveness of AF’s international stores is very low. The staff greets shoppers in English, rather than the local language of the foreign countries. This results in foreign customer alienation since some customers will be forced to surface their rusty English during the transaction (Marx, 2010). AF replicates its home country-based competencies such as brand positioning. Sex appeal is a big part of the brand’s charm in the United States; AF also puts this masculine ideal into practice of its international stores. Particularly, many of the male staff members are half-naked in the stores (Marx, 2010). Finally, the implementation of its marketing strategy and operation is easier. The store design and the interior are the same worldwide along with extremely dim lightings, a strong smell of cologne and perf ume and the staff singing or dancing with the  pounding American songs. ‘Real-life’ Social and Environmental Dilemmas A ‘real life’ social dilemma has adversely impacted AF in recent years surrounding its CEO. The official website of the company states the company strives to be â€Å"an inclusive environment that values the differences of its associates and customers† (Anfcareers.com, 2014). While this is the official statement, an interview with the CEO, Mike Jeffries, brought a contrasting view to light. Jeffries identified his target market by claiming, â€Å"a lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes]†¦Are we exclusionary? Absolutely† (Walker, 2014). AF has since released an apology, but boycotts, negative celebrity statements, and petitions were enacted. This issue is an ethical dilemma to the firm because of their strategic place in the clothing market. In order to stay popular, an essence of exclusivity has been built around the brand, since the more exclusive the brand appears, the more interest the brand receives. This has been AF’s approach, but this strategy is not inclusive. The firm had to determine whether to increase their size options or continue with the current productive model. The most important stakeholders for this dilemma are the CEO and those who hold a large portion of AF’s stock. If AF is not able to effectively remedy the situation then the company’s profits will continue to suffer. AF is a public company so their performance directly affects their stock. If the dilemma is not resolved quickly, it could trigger a chain reaction of a loss in profits which leads to lower stock causing several holders of the stock to drop it effectively dropping the value of the stock. The effects of this dilemma could have extremely long lasting repercussions. An environmental issue which has become a dilemma for AF is the implementation of harmful chemicals in their signature fragrances. Within the fragrance Fierce, â€Å"11 secret chemicals that are not listed on the label† (Henricks, Malkan, Shils, 2014) were found that heighten allergic reactions. This particular fragrance caused reactions from various activist groups such as Physicians for Social Responsibility, MomsRising, and others which total over 1.5 million people (Henricks, Malkan, Shils, 2014). Utilizing harmful chemicals is an ethical environmental dilemma for AF  because the current formula has generated incredible revenue. The official website of the company addresses large environmental impact areas such as limiting their carbon emissions, but nothing addresses something  which impacts the environmental on this particular scale. If AF is able to hide these chemicals and still gain their desired sales results then it has little motivation to stop acting in this manner. The most important stakeholders surrounding this dilemma are not only the executives and upper management of the company, but also the lowest store employees. A loss in serious sales will affect most employees in a company, but this situation would directly affect individual store employees.Customers may stay away from the stores in order to avoid the negative side effects resulting in a loss of profit and jobs for store employees. Developing a Globally Standardized Strategy Currently, Abercrombie and Fitch already has an established a globally standardized strategy to cope with the selected dilemmas. The strategy is laid out on a website by the company which was created specifically for displaying the considerate side of AF. Covering everything from the sustainability to collaborations to specific policies, AF clearly display their globally standardized strategy to â€Å"ensure that the highest values of human rights are being upheld at our headquarters, in our stores and within our supply chain† (anfcares.org, 2014). AF should have a globally standardized strategy. Even if ethical imperialism is not wise, the specific industry operations call for a globalized solution. Several ethical viewpoints are almost universal for garment manufacturing. Several unethical decisions such as environmental negligence and the use of harmful chemicals have resulted in scandals and dilemmas because of the accessibility of information. For example, the infamous in terview with the CEO was conducted years before it gained notoriety. By having a globally standardized strategy, AF could mitigate potential situations before they arise. The selected dilemmas have global relevance. Inclusion, the principle dealt with in the social dilemma, is incredibly important to a multitude of  cultures across the world. A store in the Netherlands which openly admitted to not wanting homosexual customers would experience a similar backlash. The environment issues also reaches across borders. Asthma, one of the problems which are heightened by the fragrances, is prevalent in â€Å"an estimated 300 million people† (Aaaai.org, 2014). Abercrombie and Fitchs’ Actions Compared to Unilever The actual solutions by AF are not similar to the solutions practiced by Unilever. Both AF and Unilever have explicit codes of conduct and plans to deal with ethical dilemmas which arise. Even though these plans exist, AF has demonstrated that its actions do not always align with their official stance. Unilever’s approach to social impact such as gender equality has been greatly documented, and one of their main goals by 2020 is to â€Å"help more than 1 billion people improve their health well-being† (Vis, 2014). The implementation of this policy is seen as Unilever has helped generate around â€Å"65,000 microentrepreneurs† (Vis, 2014). A stark contrast exists between Unilever’s actions and those of AF. Unlike Unilever, the ultimate actions of AF and their refusal to stock larger size clothing proves the company is dedicated to portraying a positive image without actually helping to make a positive change in society. AF’s actions toward their environmental impact align almost with their actions for social justice. Although its’ official stance is to reduce its environmental footprint, the company has taken no action in light of the protests by environmental groups driven â€Å"to get rid toxic chemicals from the environment† (Lutz, 2013) which are the result of their colognes. Unilever’s approach towards economic longevity has been greatly noted as â€Å"75% sites [send] zero waste to landfill† (Vis, 2014). Unilever’s approach is much more preferable to AF’s approach. From a social standpoint, Unilever’s actions have actively made a beneficial social change as Unilever continues to fulfill their promises. AF continues to ignore their customer’s plight even though the company claims to truly care. From a corporate standpoint, Unilever’s approach is better because many news outlets have cited the company as making a positive chan ge, while AF continues to have controversies resulting in a sales drop of 10%. Overall, Unilever has a much better strategy than AF. Appendix 1 Figure 1: Average Monthly Wage of Asian Countries (Nwpc.dole.gov.ph, 2014) Appendix 2 Improvement of the Vietnam Government Policy on FDI (Kim, Lee and Cheong, 2011) The Vietnam government policy for FDI was dramatically improved by registering into WTO (World Trade Organization) and preparing for PNTR (Permanent Normal Trade Relations). Besides, the government adopted global standards, abolished discrimination of foreigners, and opened the service part such as finance or communication. As a result, FDI into Vietnam broadened to various areas, for example, fabrics, mining, energy, finance, logistic and so on. Especially concluding PNTR between the US made it possible to participating into WTO and encouraged foreing investors to enter into the Vietnam market. Another important change in the policy is related to the modification of legal restrictions or rules. On 1st of July, 2006, the government changed the original law for FDI which had been adapted only to the local people into the newly modified law for FDI which is commonly adapted to the both parts of foreigners a nd local people. This was the effort of the government to create more competitive investment conditions which are changing subject of application, and abolishing double price and repatriation tax. Also the government has been modifying the original business law, investment law, land law, and corporate taxation. References 1) Aaaai.org 2014, Asthma Statistics | AAAAI. [online] Available at:http://www.aaaai.org/about-the aaaai/newsroom/asthma-statistics.aspx [Accessed 14 May. 2014]. 2) Abercrombie and Fitch 2012, Annual report 2012, Abercrombie and Fitch Co., New Albany, Ohio. 3) Anfcareers.com 2014, Abercrombie Fitch Careers. [online] Available at:http://www.anfcareers.com/page/Diversity [Accessed 15 May. 2014]. 4) Anfcares.org 2014, AF Cares Our Strategy. [online] Available at:http://www.anfcares.org/sustainability/environment/strategy.jsp [Accessed 16 May. 2014]. 5) Barrie, L. 2010, Abercrombie Fitch sees opportunities in higher costs. [online] Just-style.com. Available at: http://www.just-style.com/analysis/abercrombie-fitch-sees-opportunities-in-highercosts_id109585.aspx [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 6) Basu, C. 2014, The Advantages Disadvantages of a Wholly Owned Subsidiary. [online] eHow. Available at: http://www.ehow.com/info_8627934_advantages-disadvantages-wholly-ownedsubsidiary.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 7) Childs, M. and Jin, B 2014, Is Uppsala model valid to fashion retailers? An analysis from internationalisation patterns of fast fashion retailers. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 18(1), pp.36 51. 8) Csimarket.com 2014, Abercrombie Fitch Co. (ANF) Jan. 31, 2014 Sales per Country and Region, Annual Report CSIMarket. 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Available at: http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=739 [Accessed 14 May. 2014]. 13) Inboundlogistics.com 2011, Supply Chain Gain: Global Growth Inbound Logistics. [online] Available at: http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/supply-chain-gain-global-growth/ [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 14) Kim, T., Lee, J. and Cheong, J 2011, Firm Level Productivity and Survey Results for Korean Firms in Vietnam and Indonesia. KIEP Research Paper No. Policy Analysis-11-22, pp.16-180. 15) Lutz, A 2013, Reasons Why People Hate Abercrombie Fitch. [online] Business Insider. Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-and-fitch-worst-controversies-20138?op=1 [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 16) Majid Al Futtaim Fashion 2014, Hollister to make its Middle East debut in 2013. 17) Marx, W. 2010, In Tokyo, Abercrombie Misses Its Mark. [online] BoF The Business of Fashion. Available at: http://www.businessoffashion.com/2010/02/in-tokyo-abercrombie-misses-itsmark.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 18) Nwpc.dole.gov.ph 2014, Official Website of National Wages and Productivity Commission. [online] Available at: http://www.nwpc.dole.gov.ph/pages/statistics/stat_comparative.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 19) Overseas Research Department Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) 2011, The 21th Comparative Survey of Investment-Related Costs in 31 Major Cities and Regions in Asia and Oceania. p.68. 20) Peng, M. and Meyer, K 2011, International Business. 1st ed. London: Cengage Learning, pp.7276, 363, 458-459. 21) Rugman, A. and Verbeke, A 2004, A perspective on regional and global strategies of multinational enterprises. Journal of International Business Studies, 35(1), pp.318. 22) The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business 2013, Abercrombie Fitch Equity Research Report. pp.3 4. 23) Vahlne, J. and Johanson, J 2013, The Uppsala model on evolution of the multinational business enterprise – from internalization to coordination of networks. International Marketing Review, 30(3), pp.189 210. 24) Vettoretti, A. and Huyen, H 2013, Vietnam Set to Increase Minimum Wages from December 31, 2013. [online] Available at: http://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/vietnam-set-to-increaseminimum-wages-from-december-31-2013.html/ [Accessed 18 May. 2014]. 25) Vis, J 2014, Making Progress, Driving Change. 26) Walker, J 2014, Abercrombie Fitch: Sorry!. [online] The Huffington Post. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/23/abercrombie-and-fitch-apology_n_3323668.html [Accessed 18 May. 2014].

The Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay

The Customer Satisfaction By Measuring Service Quality Tourism Essay The measurement and management of service quality are fundamental to the survival and success of service companies Legcevic, 2008. The hotel sector is a large segment of the service industry which provides services and accommodations to a wide range of customers. To make sure that a hotel is satisfying its customers needs, it is necessary to measure service quality periodically to identify areas in need of improvement. There are several methodologies used for measuring service quality, but this research study shall employ one of the more popular models called the SERVQUAL model. This theory was developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry. They were early researchers studies about the concept of quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). The SERVQUAL model was created to measure service quality as perceived by the customer (Parasuraman et al., 1985). According to Shangri-La Hotels Annual Report of year 2008 and 2009, the occupancy rate of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has declined continuously (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008, Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The most likely cause of this problem is the political instability that hit Thailand recently. On the other hand, it is possible that this decline in the number of customers was a result of a decline in service quality. Even though the Shangri-La Hotel continued to emphasize customer needs and provide excellent service to their customers, it is still crucial to measure service quality to ensure that the customers are satisfied with the hotels services and responsiveness to customer needs. The result of measuring service quality also helps management to understand exactly what their customers expect from the hotel and the level to which they are satisfied with their experience at the hotel. This measurement model functions as a tool to promote communication between the hotel man agement and their customers. This research was conducted to observe customer perceptions about hotel services by measuring service quality using the SERVQUAL model at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. The benefits of this research are not just to understand the level of customer satisfaction; but moreover, it can use as a guideline to enhance service quality and promote customer loyalty. Title of project: A Study of Customer Satisfaction by Measuring Service Quality; A Case Study of Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok Statement of research problem: A continual decline in the number of hotel customers over the past few months has had a direct effect on the hotels income. The main factor which is believed to have caused this decline was internal political instability in Thailand. In an effort to transform a crisis into opportunity, this is an appropriate time to observe customer perceptions of service quality in order to help hotel management improve quality and prepare their business for when the situation returns to normal. Project objectives: The objectives of this research are as follows: To measure service quality of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok by using SERVQUAL model, To understand the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality, and To gain a clearer understanding of customer perceptions of service quality from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok in order to improve hotel service quality in the future. Conceptual framework Reliability SERVQUAL Dimensions Responsiveness Assurance Customer Satisfaction Empathy Tangibles Scope of the study: The scope of this research focuses on measurement of service quality at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok by using the SERVQUAL model which considers service quality from the following five dimensions: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. The sample population would be a random sample of 100 hotel customers during the period from June to July, 2010. The survey technique would employ the use of questionnaires. This study focuses on the relationship between customer satisfaction and service quality. Definitions of terms used in the study: SERVQUAL model: An instrument for measuring service quality comprised of five dimensions such as: a) reliability, b) responsiveness, c) assurance, d) empathy and e) tangibility. Parasuraman summed up that customers perceive service quality by comparing their expectations with the actual organizational performance, and they evaluate service quality in different dimensions (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Service Quality: A product or outcome of all the staff managers of the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok working together to satisfy their customers. In other words, high-quality service is a service that meets or exceeds customer needs and expectations (Wisniewski, 2001). Customer Expectation: is prediction service of customer that hotel should be provide to them. Predict service directly influence customer satisfaction evaluation (Zeithaml et al., 1993) Customer Perception: A feeling or sense possessed by the customer which is derived from their experiences at the hotel. Customer Satisfaction: The level to which a customer perceives that their expectations were met in the transaction with the hotel (Hallowell, 1996). Assumptions: A customer who receives a high level of service quality from the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is more likely to be satisfied with the overall level of service at the hotel. Limitations: Size of sample: The political uncertainty in Thailand during the past several months resulted in a decrease in the number of tourists all over Bangkok. Furthermore, the occupancy level at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok has been suppressed due to a reduction in room availability for internal renovations. The limited number of hotel customers may limit the sample size, leading to sample error. Time frame of data collection: The time frame is a major problem for this research because the research time table is quite short, especially considering that this season is the low season for tourism in Thailand. Since the tourist numbers are much lower than during high season, it could be difficult or impossible to reach the appropriate sample size. Human ethics considerations: This research is being conducted for educational purposes to learn about customer satisfaction at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok. For this reason, the hotels management is allowing researchers to collect data from their customers. Therefore, the researchers should not force the customers to complete the questionnaire if they are hesitant. The questionnaire is being designed so that it does not contain sensitive items which would make customers feel uncomfortable. Practical significance: Measuring service quality is more difficult than measuring the quality of manufactured goods because the nature of services is intangible (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). The SERVQUAL model is an efficient tool to help measure service quality and clarify customer satisfaction. The result of this research would be useful for the Shangri-La Hotels management and staff members so that they can better understand their customers level of satisfaction with perceptions about the hotels services. It will help hotel management in their efforts to maintain and improve hotel service quality. In addition, other hoteliers and organizations within the service industries sector could adapt this research to use as basis for studies into their own organizations. Background information: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is a well-established Asian hotel chain in major cities throughout Asia, Oceania and The Middle East. The headquarters is located in Hong Kong. Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is one property of many properties of Shangri-La Company, located in the Silom district, has a total of 799 rooms including serviced apartments and other facilities such as restaurants, conference rooms, spa, swimming pool and tennis courts (Shangri-La Hotel, 2010). Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is located in a convenient place next to the Chao Phraya River which is the main river of Thailand, and is only half an hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport and 10 minutes away from central business by BTS Skytrain. For these reasons, this hotel has the ability to attract numerous tourists. Furthermore, Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok is connected to Sathorn Pier, so tourists can take public boats or long tail boats to travel to and visit several kinds of tourist attractions easily such as the Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, the Flower Market and Khaosan Road. There is a high diversity of tourism industries which promote the economy in this district and along this river. However, in recent years, the Thai economy has experienced difficulty for a variety of reasons. Figures 1 and 2 compare the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the period from 2007 to 2008 with the period from 2008 to 2009. Figure 1: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yield 2007-2008 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2008) Figure 2: The Shangri-La Hotel Weighted Average Room Yields 2008-2009 Source: Shangri-La Asia Limited (2009) The figures above show that there was a significant decline in the performance of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Thailand in 2008 compared with 2007, and this decline in performance continued into 2009 with a drop on average room occupancy. According to the 2008 Shangri-La Asia Limited Annual Report, occupancy and RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotels decreased in 2008 by 15 and 10 percentage points respectively (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2008). Moreover, the overall weighted average RevPAR for Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts Thai properties decreased a further 11 percent in 2009 (Shangri-La Asia Limited, 2009). The global financial crisis, the extensive renovations at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok and political uncertainty are cited as the main reasons for this decline. Literature review: There are several pieces of literature regarding studies of service quality which say that if a customer had a pleasant service experience, they would probably use that service again and would be likely to invite their friends or tell someone else to utilize those same services. In the same way, if customer had a poor service experience, they generally never forget about it, and many customers will complain and go elsewhere (Assael, 1987, Farrington et al., 2009, Peter and Olson, 1987). Word of mouth is a powerful communications tool. Customers may tell others whenever they experience poor service quality, and this would have a direct effect on the organizations image resulting in an eventual decrease in revenue. The power of this communications tool has always been evident from the past until the present. Consequently, organizations must always ensure that their service quality is the most pleasant and best to generate customers satisfaction. This is because the backbone of service organization growth is not just a high quality product or pricing strategy, but it is also the combination with good customer service. When customers receive good service the outcomes are positive(Farrington et al., 2009). Nowadays, companies increasingly emphasize service quality and customer satisfaction throughout, so that they can increase customer loyalty, because it has determined that high customer loyalty is key to success in their market segment(Cronin et al., 2000). Service quality is widely studied and useful in service industries(Carman, 1990, Collier and Bienstock, 2006, Cronin and Taylor, 1992, Cronin et al., 2000, Gronroos, 1984, Parasuraman et al., 1985, Parasuraman et al., 1988). Many scholars have taken an interest in service quality issues because of their intangibility, which makes them very difficult to measure (Bergman and Klefsjo, 1994). For these reasons, several researchers created a model to help clarify the measurement of service quality. The most popular and extensively used models are Gronroos Service Quality Model and Parasuramans Gap Model (Legcevic, 2008). It could be describes of each model as following; Gronroos Service Quality Model splits customer perceived service into two dimensions: 1) technical quality, and 2) functional quality (Gronroos, 1984). 1) Technical quality or outcome quality is what customer receives as outcome of the process in the resources. Functional quality is how customer receives from technical outcome (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuramans Gap Model indicates that five gaps exist between management and customers during the service delivery process (Parasuraman et al., 1985). For my research, I will employ the SERVQUAL scale by using gap scores to help measure service quality. Service Quality: Today quality become recognized as a strategic tool to enhance and improved business actual performance both of goods sector and service sector. The key factor to success in service industry is service quality. The purpose of service quality is to satisfy the customer. Hence, service quality and customer satisfaction influence each other. As mentioned in the beginning, service quality is defined as a product or outcome resulting from all members in the organization trying to satisfy their customers (Wisniewski, 2001). Service quality also could be defined as crucial decision-making criteria for service consumers (Cronin et al., 2000). Customers evaluate service quality by comparing organizational performance with their expectations (Zeithaml et al., 1993). However, Parasuraman proved and indicated that there is a problem with customer perception of service, because five gaps exist between the customer and the service provider during service delivery. The figure below illustrates the Service Quality Gap Model by Parasuraman. Figure 4: The Service Quality Gap Model Source: Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1985) According to figure as above, it could be describes each gap as following; Gap1: Service provider not knowing what the customers expect Gap2: Service provider not selecting the right service design Gap3: Service provider not delivering to service standard Gap4: Service provider not matching performance to promises Gap5: The difference between customer expectations and customer perceived service (Legcevic, 2008) A gap which may occur between customer expectation and customer perception is not the only measurement of service quality. However, it is a determinant of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If the service providers response to customer needs is below their expectations, the customer would estimate that the quality is low. Measuring the gap between expected and perceived service is a routine method of utilizing customer feedback(Pizam and Ellis, 1999). SERVQUAL Scale: The main benefit of the SERVQUAL instrument is that it helps management to measure the quality of service by comparing customers expectation of service and customer perceived service which categorizing each problem facet into five dimensions. It lets them classify the problems into dimensions, helping management to focus on the problems and improve service quality in the right way when some elements of service are found to be lacking. The SERVQUAL model was created by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry in 1985. The 1985 version consisted of ten dimensions. The model was further developed, and in 1988 it was refined into five dimensions. The SERVQUAL model has been widely used as an efficient instrument for measuring service quality in many service industries (Asubonteng et al., 1996). The five dimensions are: 1) reliability, 2) responsiveness, 3) assurance, 4) empathy and 5) tangible. According to Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1985), they defined each dimensions as follows: Reliability: Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately Responsiveness: Willingness to help customers and provide prompt service Assurance: Knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust and confidence Empathy: Caring, individualized attention the firm provides its customers Tangible: Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance of personnel The most important dimension that the customer used to evaluate service quality is the reliability dimension (Legcevic, 2008). Parasuraman developed a set of questionnaires using 22 parallel questions to measure customers expectation of service and customer perception of service in the five dimensions. The measurement uses a Likert Scale with seven levels ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The service quality measurement of each pair of questions uses performance minus expectation. A positive score represents positive service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Quality = Performance Expectation Nevertheless, there are numerous of academic studies which do not support these five dimensions. These studies determined that problems occur with this measurement method. Chen (2008) argued that SERVQUAL should add more dimensions to give the result more validity and credibility (Chen, 2008). Carman (1990) argued that each dimension should not be general because each service industry is different. Therefore, this model could not be used in the same format across industries (Carman, 1990). Although, there are weak points existing in SERVQUAL model, the concept of dimensions is still useful and when anyone interested in service quality issue, one choice which remind is SERVQUAL scale because its great to demonstrative power (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Then, it is used frequently today. SERVPERF Scale When discuss about SERVQUAL scale, it can not forgot to talks about SERVPERF scale as well. SERVPERF is one of service quality measurement scale. The results of both scale (SERVQUAL and SERVPERF), when compare these method to each other, the result which occurs are quite similar. However, there are differences in measuring process. Moreover, it is difference in reliability. To classify divergence between SERVQUAL scale and SERVPERF could be concise explain as following; SERVQUAL use customers expectation of service and customer perceived service to find service quality while SERVPERF use only customers perception for consideration. Cronin and Taylor (1992) compare between these two scales a found that SERVPERF is enough for measure service quality. However, the SERVQUAL scale is effective than SERVPERF scale because it provide more pragmatic diagnosis of service quality (Jain and Gupta, 2004). Customer Satisfaction: There are plentiful researchers studies on customer satisfaction. The definition of customer satisfaction is also diverse. Pizam and Ellis(1999) states that customer satisfaction is a psychological concept relating to a feeling of pleasure and well-being which is a result between needs in mind and an appealing product or service (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). The sense of satisfaction brings about positive attitudes which leads a customer seek that satisfying experience again (Assael, 1987). Customer satisfaction also has an influence on corporate survival. Naumann (1995) states that in order to attract a new customer, an organization has to pay costs in the form of time and resources equal to approximately five times that which is necessary to retain an existing customer (Naumann, 1995). Therefore, it leads the organization to determine quality as the ability to retain existing customers. However, not every customer will perceive the same level of satisfaction with the same level of service, because their sense of satisfaction is related to word of mouth communication and their past experiences (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). All people have had different experiences, thus they also have different objectives, needs and expectations. To ensure that the organization provides a high level of service quality, customer satisfaction surveys are necessary. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Bery (1994) suggested that product quality, service quality, and price are each factors that encourage satisfaction (Parasuraman et al., 1994). Customer loyalty develops when customers become satisfied with these different factors provided by the organization (Farrington et al., 2009). The following is a conceptual framework showing the connection of each element which involves customer satisfaction. Figure 3: A Conceptual Framework for the Effects of Perceived Product Quality, Service Quality, and Pricing Fairness on Consumer Satisfaction and Consumer Loyalty Customer Satisfaction Product Quality Perceived Product Quality Perceived Service Quality Service Quality Customer Loyalty Perceived Price Fairness Price Source: (Bei and Chiao, 2001) Understanding the critical elements described above, how they are related, and how they help the organization is a foundation to success in the service industry. Data required: The data required for this study would be based in information collected from Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok customers. This research also requires the use of SERVQUAL as the main model to help measure service quality. Furthermore, may utilize some other theories from journal articles and textbooks which are related to this research. Other sources of information may include Shangri-La Hotel and Resorts information, particularly with regards to general information and occupancy data as required supporting in this research. Data sources: This research will utilize the following two types of data: Primary data: The primary data for this research will be collected from 100 hotel customers who stay at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok for least one night. The guests will be selected by simple random sampling technique, and they will fill out questionnaires regarding hotel service quality. Each questionnaire shall contain three parts: the first part will be general information, the second part will be about the expectations, perceived service quality and third part is level of satisfaction of the customer. Secondary data: The secondary data will be gathered from literature such as journal articles, textbooks, Shangri-la Hotel, Bangkok data and hotel website sources. The process of data collection shall be conducted from June to July, 2010. Data collection techniques: This research would be collects the data from 100 of customers of Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok who stay at the hotel at least one night. The researcher would be select population sample by employ random sampling method and using questionnaire as the tools. The measuring service quality instrument in this research is SERVQUAL. The questionnaire composes of three parts as following; First part is about demographic data of customers (gender, age, nationality, occupation, reason for stay, how often that they have been stay at Shangri-La hotel, Bangkok and why they selected here as a place to stay). Second part, it would be focusing on customers expectation of service quality (customers expectations) and received service quality (customers perceptions), in this area customer would answer both of these two aspects into SERVQUAL dimensions. This research would use Likerts scale to measure into five point scales. Likerts scale is a instrument to help measure attitude and opinion (Laerhoven et al., 2004). On the customers expectation question side would be ask customer to rate ranging from Very unnecessary 1,2,3,4,5 Very necessary. On the customers perceive service question side would be ask customer to rate ranging from Very poor 1,2,3,4,5 Very good. Third part would be ask customer one question about their satisfaction of overall hotel service quality. In addition, researcher would leave the area for customer to add any recommendation. Data analysis: As for this research would be use SPSS program (Statistic Package for Social Science) to help analyze questionnaire survey. Timeline: Researcher has 13 weeks to process this report. This research process began on May 22, 2010. Due date of research proposal is on June 20, 2009. As for research final report is require to be submit on August 15, 2010

Direct :: Computer Science

Direct Direct input methods. In this report I am going to explain the different direct input methods starting off with bar codes. A single barcode number is actually seven units. A unit is either black or white. A unit that is black would display as a "bar". A unit that is white would display as a "space". Another way of writing a barcode unit is "1" for a single unit "black bar" and "0" for a single unit "white space". For instance, the number "1" is composed of the seven units, "0011001" or "space-space-bar-bar-space-space-bar". Remember, a single barcode number requires seven units. Also, on a UPC barcode the same numbers on the left-hand side (the Manufacturer Code) is coded different than the numbers on the right-hand side (Product Code). The left side numbers are actually the "inverted" or "mirrored" codes of the right side numbers, for instance what is a "bar" on the right-side, is a "space" on the left-side. The right-side codes are called "even parity" codes because there is an even number of "black bar" units. For instance the right-side "6" is "101000" - 2 even-numbered "black bar" units. The left-side is called "odd-parity" because there is an odd number of "black bar" units. For instance, the left-side "6" is "0101111" - 5 odd-numbered "black bar" units. Having different coded numbers for each side allows the barcode to be scanned in either direction. Direct input methods. In the second part of my report on direct input methods I am going to be talking about magnetic stripe readers. A magnetic stripe reader, also called a magstripe reader, is a hardware device that reads the information encoded in the magnetic stripe located on the back of a plastic badge. Magnetic stripe readers can be read by a computer program through a serial port, USB connection, or keyboard wedge, and are generally categorized by the way they read a badge. For instance, insertion readers require that the badge be inserted into the reader and then pulled out. Swipe readers require that the badge pass completely through the reader. The magnetic stripe on the back of a badge is composed of iron-based magnetic particles encased in plastic-like tape. Each magnetic particle in the stripe is a tiny bar magnet about 20-millionths of an inch long. When all the bar magnets are polarized in the same direction, the magnetic stripe is blank. Information is written on the stripe by magnetizing the tiny bars in either a north or south pole direction with a special electromagnetic writer, called an encoder. The writing process, called flux reversal, causes a change in the magnetic field that can be detected by the magnetic stripe reader.

Poem Comparing Essay

Good evening Mr. Georges and fellow classmates, I have researched about 2 poems and made a comparison between the two. I’m here today to talk to you about them and see what you think at the end of the speech. The two poems I researched were (on the sea, author John Keats) and (sea fever, author John Masefield). as you can see from the title of the poems that they are bot about the sea but don’t be confused, they’re both completely different stories. Both of these poems talk about the sea, they are both referring to the sea as a human and identifying it in a human characteristic kind of way. As we can see along the sonnet (on the sea), the author uses terms as uproar rude, mighty swell, caverns, and vexed, desolate shores. He also mentions The Greco-Roman goddess Hecate associated with magic and the wild. This is referring to the sea and how ruthless it can be. This poem deals with nature, focusing on its wild and violent side. This poem also reflects on human actions. The poem is comparing the nature with the human being, because we can also get wild and violent. It seems a criticism of the alienation of the human being -above all when living and working in big cities. So the author may be calling our attention – the speaker of the poem addresses to us (Oh ye!) -And giving us a piece of advice- not to underestimate nature. John Masefield’s poem â€Å"Sea Fever† is a work of art that brings beauty to the English language through its use of rhythm, imagery and many complex figures of speech. The imagery in â€Å"Sea Fever† suggests an adventurous ocean that appeals to all five senses. Along with an adventurous ocean, â€Å"Sea Fever† also sets a mood of freedom through imagery of traveling gypsies. These poems both use a rhythmic tone in their stanzas. In the sonnet â€Å"sea fever† lines 3 and four, it uses rhythmic language, these lines say â€Å"And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking† These are just two lines in the poem but if you actually read the poem you can see examples of rhyme throughout the whole poem. In the sonnet â€Å"On the sea† examples of rhythmic language can be found in the lines 4 and 5, these lines say â€Å"Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound, Often tis in such gentle temper found† and as in the first sonnet, this sonnet also has rhythmic language throughout the whole poem. These poems also have their differences; they each talk about the sea but in a different perception. The sonnet, (on the sea), talks about the sea and how angry it can be, it is comparing the sea with human actions and is warning the humans to be careful of the nature. It talks about the Greco-Roman goddess Hecate associated with magic and the wild. I wonder if the author is referring to something that happened to his life that made him so angry to write this poem, what do you think it could be? The Author uses language techniques like Personification, Capitalisation and rhyme. He personifies the Sea in line 5 by saying it has a gentle temper. The author uses capitalization for the word †Sea† which makes me believe that he was trying to make the subject of the poem a human. â€Å"He uses Rhyme throughout the whole poem and it does make the poem seem more interesting to read. The sonnet (sea fever) is completely opposite to the sonnet (on the sea) because sea fever talks about the sea but it talks about a sailor and how he just can’t wait to get on a ship and sail into the sea. This poem talks about a sailor who is very excited to go out to sea, he wants adventure, and he wants a wild journey into the ocean living the vagrant gypsy life. The author refers to the sea as a home to this sailor unlike the sonnet (on the sea) which refers to the sea as a wild, dangerous and ruthless place. The author uses language techniques like Metaphors, emotive language and Repetition. Examples of Metaphors used in this poem are (sea and the sky) line 1, (star to steer) line 2, (and gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife) line 10. Examples of Emotive language used in this poem are (to the lonely sea and the sky) line 1 (and the sea gulls crying) line 8. An example of repletion is that he starts every stanza with the sentence (I must go down to the seas again). So in conclusion these poems are similar but different in many ways, and like me and you each of them has their ups and downs. They both talk about the sea but each in a different perception. Thanks for listening to my speech and I hope you gained a little information from me today.

Team Performance Reports Improve Team Productivity With CoSchedule

Team Performance Reports Improve Team Productivity With Tracking your teams performance can be†¦ well, challenging, to say the least. With multiple moving pieces Varying project timelinesand deadlines quickly approaching Consistent thoughts can include (but definitely not limited to) the following: â€Å"Are we completing all assigned tasks?† â€Å"Is my team overworked? Or worse, do they have enough work to do?† â€Å"Are we going to be late with a piece of content?† â€Å"Is an item going to be completedat all?† â€Å"How many tasks are overdue?† â€Å"Is an item going to get missed because I wasn’t tracking and supporting my team properly?† Yikes. With everything you have to keep track of already, you can hardly take the time to collect, measure, and analyze data about your team. So the bigger question from all of this is†¦ how can you fix + remediate any issues  if you can’t SEE how your team is performing? I mean as long as blog posts / emails / social media / etc. get out the dooryou’re good, right? Or at leastyou’re good for the meantime. BUT†¦ wouldn’t it be amazing if you could actually see your team’s performance? For instance, a nice gauge of all the items you worked on last month or a comprehensive list of completed, open, and overdue tasks? What if you saw a nice ‘ole 100% completion rate? And some correlating  GRAPHS 🠤“ †¦ created with data that came STRAIGHT FROM YOUR CALENDAR. Too good to be true? Think again :) Introducing  Team Performance Reports from . Gain insight into your team’s overall progress in one powerful report. Pinpoint areas of improvement, spot trends, and set realistic goals for your entire team (without all the tedious data collection). It’s going to make tracking your team much easier†¦ AND allow you the time to make adjustments so you can improve your team’s overall productivity. *GASP* Basically what I am saying is, it’s going to be pretty awesome. Gain Powerful Insight Into Your Team’s Overall Progress  In One Report Chasing down projects and tasks and deadlines is hard enough†¦ so adding another checklist item (like tracking down data and creating reports) when you are already swamped probably  isn’t going to happen. But with Team Performance Reports, we’ve made it easy for you to gain powerful insight into your team’s overall progress in one report, so you can focus on driving productivity and meeting your deadlines NOT scouring the calendar for project updates. It’s about saving you time, so you can focus on the things that matter (like your awesome content plan, of course). Now, let’s dive into how you can start making Team Performance Reports work for you. How to Get Started With Team Performance Reports To get started with Team Performance Reports, head to your Analytics tab on the left side of your calendar and select â€Å"Team Performance.† Your screen will look a little something like this: (!!!!) First,  specify your date range. From there, you can filter by person or project (read on for more details about this), view your overall completion rate and ultimately, grasp the productivity and progress of anything + everything you want to track within your calendar. *fist pump* Now, let’s talk about the SWEET completion rateand because you love data just as much as we do (#nerd), here is a quick explanation of how we get that number: Tasks Completed On Time: Tasks completed within your specified date range that are completed on or before the due date. Tasks Completed Past Due:  All the tasks due in a date range that are completed after the due date, and any tasks that were completed in the specific report date range that were overdue in a previous date range. Overdue Tasks:  Any tasks in the report date range that were not complete before or on the due date AND not completed before the end of the report date range. Basically, you’re going to be a TASK MASTER. #boom

French and Haitian Revolutions essays

French and Haitian Revolutions essays Throughout the French and Haitian Revolutions both political and social revolutions occurred. With the revolutions occurring first in France, lead to the need for Haitians to create there own government. A revolution takes place when people attempt to change the features of their society, that effect people as a whole. Most revolutions are decided by mass violence, which cant be controlled by the ones that started the action. Power over nations doesnt always come to the most authoritative and successful leaders, but also to countries that have financial success. Leading into 1614, France struggled to be financially secured. Louis XVI found a problem with the governments technique of selling congressional chairs to produce profit, because it took the absolute power that the king had previously. With the king beginning to feel pressured, steps where taken to prevent the public to become part of the governing body. In 1789, the Estates-General meet for the first time since 1614. The Estate-General was called to deal with the financial crisis. This Estate-General consists of the First Estate, the clergy, the Second Estate, the nobility, and the Third Estate, commoners. There purpose was to address the parliament of Paris, because of an attack on the parliament that gives agreement to the royal plan for taxing the nobility. At this point Louis XVI expected not to lose power to the owners of seats (nobles), or commissioners that made up what was called the third estate. The third estate was composed of a group that held one vote. This group was complied from the rich merchants to the poor peasants. These people where normally out voted by the other two estates, and they felt they were being deal with unfairly. With being barred from attending a meeting, the members met at in an indoor tennis court, where they came up with the Tennis Court Oath, which would break away from the Estate-General, and declare them the National As...

Essay on Flight into EgyptEssay Writing Service

Essay on Flight into EgyptEssay Writing Service Essay on Flight into Egypt Essay on Flight into Egypt  Ã¢â‚¬ËœFlight into Egypt’ is one of the most remarkable prints by the Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker Hendrick Goudt. Hendrick Goudt was one of the greatest printmakers of   the 17th century. Most of his works were strongly influenced by the German artist Adam Elsheimer. From the entire Goudt’s oeuvre, it is important that Goudt’s seven engravings are the reproductions and transcriptions of the Adam Elsheirmer’s paintings, therefore Goudt’s seven engravings did represent Elsheirmer’s fame and his reputation to a great extent. They two met in Rome and later became friends, â€Å"Adam Elsheirmer’s   working life in the city was bound up with that of Hendrick Goudt, a problematic and somewhat mysterious figure who seems to have been both his patron and his pupil, etc.† (The Grove Encyclopedia of Northern Renaissance Art). Goudt had lived with Elsheirmer for several years and engraved his se veral paintings thus he was able to support his family. Goudt allegedly lost patience because of Elsheirmer’s slow and meticulous work, as a result he was sent to a debtor’s prison, which had serious affect upon his health.  Ã¢â‚¬ËœFlight into Egypt’ is an engraving and etching that was a reproduction of Elsheirmer’s painting. In both artists’ ‘Flight into Egypt’ the size and the representation of the subject matter are the same. The depiction of the biblical event ‘Flight into Egypt†, when Joseph, Mary and Jesus try to escape from the persecution by the Herod the Great. The nocturnal’s setting is revealed via depiction of landscape in the background and the elements of this biblical event. The drama of this scene is vivid because of its unique naturalistic depiction of the light and its detailed contrast between light and darkness.In the first scene of Elsheirmer’s depiction, we see the three main figures J oseph, Mary and Jesus, who are in the centre of the painting. Joseph is walking and holding the torch in his left hand and it illuminates Mary, holding the baby Jesus and riding on a donkey. In the background of the painting, the left side is the depiction of two figures and a few animals, surrounding the camp fire and on the right side the depiction of the moon, reflected in the river. The darkness of the painting presents the naturalistic landscape scene to the viewer and rather realistic depiction of the sky and the light. The darkness tone creates a calm and peaceful environment, but at the same time also evoking an opposite feeling of the mysterious unknown fear in the darkness, related to their escape. The whole painting is significantly using the scientific way to portray the sky and light, application of the contrast between light and darkness with the aim to presented its mysteries subject matter of this moment of the holy family’s escape.Both artworks are in small sizes, namely 36.2 x 41.3 cm. Irrespective of their small sizes, the both artworks are still showing the incredible details of the figures and the sky, by presenting a realistic nocturnal scene to the viewers. Especially with Goudt’s print, we see the use of juxtaposition lines to portray the dark night sky; each line is clearly shown side by side in order. Comparing two works, we could state that the usage of colors in both artworks is different. In Elsheimer’s painting, taking into consideration the depiction of the darkness nocturnal scene, the sky’s color, slowly changing from the moon, through dark to light, it is evident   that Elsheimer is using different tones of blue color with the aim to create a dramatic, but realistic view of the sky. Secondly, the distinctive contrast between the sky and the forest are able to present the atmosphere perspective to the viewers, and give the viewer a sense of distance between the holy family, the forest and the nigh t sky. The two artworks are revealing the   unbelievable skill of both artists to depict each detail of this scene. In Elsheimer’s painting, the realistic depiction of the scene, by using the different variations of color, is a great evidence of his profound skill. In contrast to the Goudt’s print, we are see the detailed depiction of the fabric on the holy family’s clothes, as well as the plants and the trees in the setting. In the Elsheimer’s painting, the viewers are not able to see the detailed depiction through its lines or texture of the subject. However the great talent and the skill of the painter are presented with the help of perfect application of color variations, contributing to creation of an absolutely realistic scene, specially, if we pay attention to the Gout’s depiction of the night sky, which is clearly shown through the details of the engraved lines. On the lighter part, we are able to see the lines, depicted closely and clear ly; on the darker part the engraved lines are layering on the top of each other. In Goudt’s print, the depiction of the clouds is stronger and more vivid in comparison to Elsheimer’s painting; the depiction of clouds in various tones and shapes, surrounded by the moon and its reflection in the river, help the viewers to imerge into the atmosphere of the scene of the night escape of the holy family.  Ã‚  The composition of the two artworks is practically the same, but the Goudt’s print could be considered a kind of total inversion of the Elsheimer’s painting; therefore it might be the Goudt’s use of the printmaking. First of all it is possible to trace the subject matter and scences from Elsheimer’s painting in those by Goudt; secondly, he used engraving and etching techniques, first putting ink on the plate and then putting the copper plate on paper. The inversion of the two artworks could be explained via presentation of different stages of etching. The final argument is that there is Goudt’s calligraphic of Latin inscription in the bottom of the Goudt’s print, reflecting the dramatic nocturnal through its chiaroscuro of the image.

1)Danto's 'inferential bypass 2)susan sontag's regarding the pain of Essay

1)Danto's 'inferential bypass 2)susan sontag's regarding the pain of others - Essay Example Nonetheless, there were artists who changed art and art audiences both. One of these, according to Danto, is Bernini’s David. This changed the face of perceptual art and brought it into its own limitless sphere. Some aspects of this sculpture that were different were that this sculpture had movement, cues, and more emotional expression. Now when Danto talks of inferential bypass, this contrast to his opinion of limited art eras which he talks about in â€Å"The End of Art.† Taking Bernini’s David, he becomes an example of technology assisted art. Here art has more representational power which is not just pictorial. Danto’s notions of technology connecting art and audiences, is what he means by inferential bypass and consequently he uses Bernini’s David to highlight this. Sontag herself suffered from extreme experiences such as war and the unlimited pain it brings with it, both for the suffering and for the ones helplessly watching. Perhaps what Sontag meant was that it felt like a movie, in the sense that there is so much action and subsequently so many interpretive meanings to be derived from it. The photographs in questions show what actually happens in a war. The human aspect of it; pain, bleeding, wound and amputated bodies. This is not usually emphasized in photographs and remains an elusive aspect of many people around the world who have been lucky enough to never experience war. Photographs should be actual evidence of war and war happenings. They need to present the true yet hurtful aspect of it. Only when it captures what is true is photography actually authentic. Sontag’s though present an interesting question, do photographs tell the truth and present the entire picture? This is because when the photographs were taken different images conveyed different ideas. All photos were different in their feel, concept, idea and angles. Sontag’s points out that even in a war when photography is involved, there need to be a number of

The Body In American Popular Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Body In American Popular Culture - Essay Example Even as early as the beginning of the twentieth century, American culture has been concerned with the concept of the ‘body’, and in the need for physical exercise and fitness for both men and women (Winter, 1999, p.33). focusing on the body and the concept of masculinity. One of the important reasons for this development is the increased attention given to the male body by popular culture and the media. With the stress on desirable body images, there is increased premium placed on physical attractiveness for men, with the consequent need for men to invest in their appearance. Visual media in the form of advertising, film, magazines, folk tales, and other fields promote men’s increasing awareness of their bodily condition, encouraging them to pursue ideal conceptualizations of physical beauty. Wienke (1998) adds that vulnerability to the allure of the consumer market is also increased. To â€Å"enhance both the physical and symbolic value of men’s bodiesâ⠂¬  states Wienke (1998, p. 256), there is growing the availability of a range of exercise equipment, dietary supplements, and other products.

Can we identify a compound that could be added to spermatozoa in vitro Assignment

Can we identify a compound that could be added to spermatozoa in vitro to enhance their motility - Assignment Example In particular, sperm motility is an important parameter because it indicates the integrity of the sperm tail and axoneme structures as well as the status of mitochondrial metabolic machinery (Saharkhiz et al., 2013). The World Health Organization uses a 40% cut off as the lower limit of progressive sperm motility. Although the exact cause of asthenospermia is not clear, there is growing evidence that it may arise due to hyper-viscosity of semen, varicoceles, autoimmunity of the sperm cell, and necrospermia resulting from immotile cilia (Kartagener) syndrome (Saharkhiz et al., 2013). Overall, reduced sperm motility indicates epididymal or testicular failure that can be caused by various factors. Currently, treatment of male infertility has focused mainly on the traditional in vitro fertilization (IVF) approach and newer interventions such as micro-epididymal sperm aspirations and microsurgical fertilization. However, these techniques are uncommon in andrological practice. Current research efforts in this area focus on the use of chemical stimulation of spermatozoa. A number of chemicals can stimulate sperm motility including the addition of compounds known to exhibit phosphodiesterase inhibition (PDEI) activity to enhance sperm motility in vitro without compromising sperm morphology and function. PDEIs are a class of related compounds such as pentoxifylline (PTX) that selectively catalyze the hydrolysis of 3’ phosphate bond in cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) phosphate or cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate (cGMP). In one of the pioneering studies on in vitro stimulation of sperm motility, Shen (1991) demonstrated that Pentoxifylline (PTX) increases motility (velocit y) of ejaculated human spermertozoa both in in vitro aesthenozoospermic samples in oral therapy. Related studies have shown that PTX added in sperm suspensions increases sperm motion within 10 days with the motility characteristics persisting

Managerial Decision Making (see instructions) Essay

Managerial Decision Making (see instructions) - Essay Example Managers in todays business environment are faced with numerous often-unplanned events that require decision-making. In the past it was more common for a manager to decide the course of action individually or within formal groups. Important decisions in the business circle are now deemed too risky or important to be made entirely by one person. A manager must seek the right advice from several different sources. Decisions made by group when dealing with problems and issues take place everyday in the life of an organization. Today it is often common for many managers to seek involvement from lower level employees in the decision making process whenever it can be done. However it is not always possible just to ask a colleague what they should do. Most decisions will require a process of a greater degree of subordinate participation; these decisions can be made through a variety of different ways such as committees, task groups, departmental participation and so forth. It is said that making decisions in a group allows for every angle to be looked at and every possible idea to be created with every decision from a group offering the best solution this method of decision-making. This paper hopes to discuss advant ages of group decision-making using several theories and some real life case studies. We will see how participation in decision-making affects companies decisions; we will look at several helpful models i.e. vroom-jago model and all referencing it to real life situations and quotes from famous persons in the field (Schwenk, 1990, p.161–176) Managers as part of their job are faced with many decisions in which they have to undertake, it is up to the managers themselves to decide in what kind of way they want to make the decision and solve the problem. However groups can offer an essential feature in decision making for an organisation. As Coghlan points out: Membership of teams and groups shape perception and participation in organisational

COOP training program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

COOP training program - Essay Example This program gives more opportunities to students for employment through giving them opportunities to prove themselves at respectable companies. Madinah Net Holding Company (MNCO) is a joint stock company specialized in general contracting and construction loading and unloading and electric construction and supporting government projects in the work of maintenance and operation. It also produces and manufactures basic materials used in construction (stones, sand, ready mix,  asphalt). The headquarters of the company is located Madinah and there are several branches in the city of Riyadh, Qurayyat, Ahsa and Dammam. MNCO was established in the beginning of 1418 AH to contribute to boost and develop the economy through the implementation of construction projects, loading, unloading, maintenance and operation of various government and private sectors. This was through developing the strategic plan to improve service delivery in the field of operation, maintenance, and it proved successful achievement of objectives through the provision of qualified chiefs and modern techniques that have contributed to overcome obstacles to reach its vision. Believing in the importance of the role of human resources in achieving the objectives, MNH has been keen to appoint a skilled workforce and attract talents and experiences from different sectors and formed integrated technical and management work groups at a high level of training, efficiency, and began to implement its efforts even exceeded expectations, and thus gained the confidence of customers and their satisfaction with the support of such experiences and competencies. Madinah Net Holding Co. for Cement Products Factory consists of main and technical administration, sales department, production, laboratory and financial department. All of these categories carry a group of competent and a high degree of

Leadership Challenges in Virtual Teams Research Proposal

Leadership Challenges in Virtual Teams - Research Proposal Example This discussion explores that virtual teams have gained a lot of prominence in various institutions due to the proliferation of information technology in business. Therefore, medium, small and large organizations may adopt this approach to project work depending on their goals. This report descusses that The size and geographical dispersion of these companies warrants special attention in the study. These organizations select virtual teams in order to minimize cost and time wastage associated with bringing all members of the group together. Sometimes experts may be located in different areas, so virtualization allows professionals to make their contributions across great distances. The method also enhances decision making, productivity and response times to tasks. It adds flexibility to the work process and brings about innovation processes transnationally. When developing conceptual understandings of a problem, these groups often struggle to come to an agreement. It is difficult to control and monitor activities in these teams. Such groups must follow through on decisions in a structured way. The model is vulnerable to communication breakdowns, power struggles and mistrust. The distance between these team members creates challenges in project management. T echnophobia is a real problem for companies using virtual teams and so is cultural diversity. Issues concerning conflict management may also be difficult in this set up. 2. Problem statemen

Managerial Decision Making (see instructions) Essay

Managerial Decision Making (see instructions) - Essay Example Managers in todays business environment are faced with numerous often-unplanned events that require decision-making. In the past it was more common for a manager to decide the course of action individually or within formal groups. Important decisions in the business circle are now deemed too risky or important to be made entirely by one person. A manager must seek the right advice from several different sources. Decisions made by group when dealing with problems and issues take place everyday in the life of an organization. Today it is often common for many managers to seek involvement from lower level employees in the decision making process whenever it can be done. However it is not always possible just to ask a colleague what they should do. Most decisions will require a process of a greater degree of subordinate participation; these decisions can be made through a variety of different ways such as committees, task groups, departmental participation and so forth. It is said that making decisions in a group allows for every angle to be looked at and every possible idea to be created with every decision from a group offering the best solution this method of decision-making. This paper hopes to discuss advant ages of group decision-making using several theories and some real life case studies. We will see how participation in decision-making affects companies decisions; we will look at several helpful models i.e. vroom-jago model and all referencing it to real life situations and quotes from famous persons in the field (Schwenk, 1990, p.161–176) Managers as part of their job are faced with many decisions in which they have to undertake, it is up to the managers themselves to decide in what kind of way they want to make the decision and solve the problem. However groups can offer an essential feature in decision making for an organisation. As Coghlan points out: Membership of teams and groups shape perception and participation in organisational

Leadership Challenges in Virtual Teams Research Proposal

Leadership Challenges in Virtual Teams - Research Proposal Example This discussion explores that virtual teams have gained a lot of prominence in various institutions due to the proliferation of information technology in business. Therefore, medium, small and large organizations may adopt this approach to project work depending on their goals. This report descusses that The size and geographical dispersion of these companies warrants special attention in the study. These organizations select virtual teams in order to minimize cost and time wastage associated with bringing all members of the group together. Sometimes experts may be located in different areas, so virtualization allows professionals to make their contributions across great distances. The method also enhances decision making, productivity and response times to tasks. It adds flexibility to the work process and brings about innovation processes transnationally. When developing conceptual understandings of a problem, these groups often struggle to come to an agreement. It is difficult to control and monitor activities in these teams. Such groups must follow through on decisions in a structured way. The model is vulnerable to communication breakdowns, power struggles and mistrust. The distance between these team members creates challenges in project management. T echnophobia is a real problem for companies using virtual teams and so is cultural diversity. Issues concerning conflict management may also be difficult in this set up. 2. Problem statemen

A look at the death rates in the united states according to race Essay Example for Free

A look at the death rates in the united states according to race Essay Death Rates, Many of the death rates in the United States may be explained, for example, why are the death rates of African Americans so high on homicide? Well, it is said that because most black people live in Urban areas or in what people call â€Å"guetos† (not necessarily all but a good amount) that means they usually live on these dangerous places where death rates are pretty high making their victimology pretty high. Now if we combine this with the fact that most black men kill other black men whether it is (usually because of gangs) then we can assume that the death rates of black men because of homicides is pretty high because they usually live on places that are very dangerous and controlled by gangs and most are killed by people of their own race (and some may argue too by police but thats another topic) which would explain these statistics and same could be explained for other races. Another example could be that many Americans (despite the different racial groups) are likely to die from heart disease, and that is because of the fast foods. In other words, if Americans would eat healthier instead of constantly going to fast foods and started to take care of themselves also by doing exercise then it wouldn’t have to worry so much of dying from heart disease and those death rates among Americans will most likely decrease. The differences in the death rates are because of culture and the way people live their lives, so if a race, for example, let’s maybe there’s a high death rate of Hispanics because of kidney failure (this is an example it may not be true) then maybe the reason could be because they drink a lot of alcohol or something same with other types of diseases or may be ways of thinking. Maybe whites can’t control their stress or are less likely to seek help when they have psychological problems which would explain the high deat h rates. I believe all of these differences in death rates are because of how each racial group decides to live and that is why in certain categories those death rates are high for the different racial groups.

Educational Status of Women in India

Educational Status of Women in India INTRODUCTION Education and literacy can be viewed as essential prerequisites for the full integration of women into the social and economic life of the nation. Apart from providing greater opportunity for employment in the skilled and prestigious high-income jobs, female education and training have important consequences for the whole familys welfare, as well as for its individual members. Where the mother of the household has above average education she is more likely to enter the labour market and use her supplementary income to raise the standard of well-being of the family. In addition, most studies from around the world have found a relationship that is inverse between a womans education and her fertility, and that is positive between her education and the early survival chances of her child (Ghazi, 1985). A childs academic achievement is also likely to be closely associated with its mothers level of schooling. The educational status of women therefore is the key indicator of the stage of so cietal development and the potential for progressive change. Literacy is an important indicator of development among tribal groups. Among women in general, high literacy rates lead to lower infant mortality rates (Kingdon, 1999; World Bank, 1997), reduce the number of pregnancies and enhance the status of women both in domestic life and society. Additionally, the mothers literacy status and educational attainment have significantly positive effects on the childs human capital attainment (Sengupta and Guha, 2002; Colclough, 1982). The tribal population, in general, lags behind the Hindus and the Scheduled Caste population both in literacy and educational attainment. This discrepancy in human capital attainment between the mainstream population and the tribes is particularly marked among tribal women. However, the literacy rates for scheduled tribes in India have also improved substantially from 1961 (8.54 per cent) to 2001 (47.10 per cent) for both males (13.04 per cent to 59.17 per cent) and females (2.89 per cent to 34.76 per cent) respective ly. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The present paper aims to focus on the educational status of Muthuvan women belonging to the state of Kerala. THE STUDY POPULATION The tribes under study are known as Muthuvans who are residing in the Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary in Devikulam taluk of the Idukki district in Kerala. The Muthuvan settlements are located in the interior of the forest. To reach the Muthuvan settlements are too difficult because of the segregated nature of settlements in the interior forest. Necessary and relevant information was collected from three Muthuvan villages in the Sanctuary namely Eruttalakudi, Puthukudi, and Fifth Mile. The study generates ethnographic data through secondary sources, participant observation, orally conveyed memories, personal observations and interviews. In the 2001 census report the population of Muthuvan tribe is clubbed with the Mudugar tribe of Wayanad district therefore does not give the correct population of both these tribes. The population size of Muthuvan/Mudugar tribe has been given as 21000. The Muthuvans are settled agriculturalists, cultivating lemon grass, ragi, maize, beans, sweet potato and other allied vegetables. Their chief food items are ragi and rice with leaves and vegetables. Each household produce their food. LITERACY LEVEL OF TRIBES IN KERALA In all the five year plans, priority was given to educational development of the Scheduled Tribes. The main reason for the very slow spread of education among the Scheduled Tribes is the peculiar nature of their habitation. Majority of the Scheduled Tribes are living in remote areas far away from educational institutions. The socio-economic condition prevailing in the tribal settlements are not conducive for studies. Lacks of sufficient educational institutions in tribal areas, their poverty etc, curtailed effective educational development among Scheduled Tribes. However, the literacy rate of the tribes in Kerala (64.9 per cent) is far ahead of the tribal areas in India (47.10 per cent) and even higher than the literacy rate of the total population of the country (64.8 per cent). The Muthuvans are very poor. Many of the students discontinue schools at Primary and Middle school due to financial difficulties. Though the state and central government is providing enough financial assistance in the form of scholarship, free boarding, lodging facilities, provision to text books and mid-day meals in primary schools, stipend and hostel facilities, not many tribal children are attracted to education. The Muthuvans have not been earning much to educate themselves. Their cultural surrounding and poverty creates hindrances in the process of their education. NON-FORMAL EDUCATION AMONG THE MUTHUVANS Among the Muthuvans the dormitories were a kind of training institution for unmarried boys and girls. It is in this Chaavati (male dormitory) and Kumari Madam ( girls dormitory) that the traditions were passed from mouth to mouth, from older age group to youths and from youths to younger ones. The parents and the elders of the village initiate the child into different customs and traditions of their community and group. The dormitory system exist as a kind of school where the Muthuvan youths of either sex learn how to perform their conjugal and social duties as also the lore of the clan. These Muthuvan dormitories are chiefly meant for imparting social education to the Muthuvan children. Muthuvan dormitory especially the Chaavati functions as if it is a club, a place for juvenile happiness, a non-formal school, and also a training center for children for making the Muthuvan boys as mature community members. At least up to the second quarter of the 20th century Muthuvans had both male and female dormitories (Krishna Iyer, 1939; Luiz, 1962) to train their youths to a useful and mature community member. But now the female dormitories (kumari madam- where kumari indicate the young unmarried-girls, madam indicates dwelling) had undergone a process of decay. The Muthuvan dormitory (Chaavati) acts as a club for members to come together to share traditional experience. Their folk-tales, folk-songs and folk dances reveals lessons in different agricultural operations, hunting, wood cutting, honey collection, and in economic pursuits. These stories and anecdotes speak about sanctity of Muthuvan discipline, social approbation, social justice, law and order in their community. Chaavati enables them to get to know how to protect the community by learning the ways of defence against animal raids and enemy attacks, teaches them how to be useful for the community through co-operative labour, enables to know the community rituals and rites and also how to participate in them, provides an avenue to be community conscious and corporate in their feelings and actions thus making them responsible to the community. Members are also taught how to make fishing nets, traps, mats, ornaments etc., whereas in formal schools this kind of activities are absolutel y not seen and home could not attract the Muthuvan children. From the dormitory, each Muthuvan acquire the knowledge about the flora and fauna, the forest track path, medicinal plants for various diseases and so on. In the Chaavati Muthuvan children are properly educated in order to face future eventualities of life and cope ages with the cultural requirements. FORMAL EDUCATION Formal education is considered as important tools for social change and development. Formal education can be broadly divided in to two, primary and secondary education. Primary education is intended for all children aged between 4 years to 12 years where as secondary education is provided for children aged 12 years and above. In general any type of education oral or written is the action of developing the individual mentally and morally. For primary education in all the study villages government established primary schools with a single hut class room which will house all the students up to IV standard, handled by a single teacher. Muthuvans send their children to school up to primary level. To attract the children to school, government provides many facilities for students in primary level. All students in the primary school are provided with book, pencils, and slates for free of cost. Government also provided mid-day meal to all students in the primary level. In mid day meal per day 150 gram rice and 30 gram dal and 2 eggs in a week are provided. Children above the IV standard will be sent to the tribal hostels and tribal schools away in the block or district headquarters. But once they come for vacation, majority of them never return to hostels. The strange life style and schedule at the hostel, being away from the parents and the village, missing all the cultural and social freedom, all these make them quit the hostels and keep them still close to illiteracy. Like any other people they too feel comfortable to speak their own language and dialect, the enavan pech (our own speech). LITERACY TRENDS AMONG THE MUTHUVAN WOMEN Among the Muthuvans the demand for education is much lower than as compared to other tribes in Kerala. Muthuvan women have to work in order to cope with their daily living and do not place a high value on education. Additionally, in the remote Muthuvan hamlets where a good infrastructure is lacking, women find it difficult to have access to schools. Many are not even aware of the existence of schools in their areas due to lack of communications and networks. LITERACY LEVEL OF THE MUTHUVAN WOMEN Even though Kerala has a high literacy rate even in the rural areas (90.9 per cent), women among the Muthuvan tribe are still lagging behind in literacy (36.98 per cent compared to the women literacy rate of Kerala, 87.80 per cent). The general trend of high female literacy rates in Kerala and the high status of women in the state have no impact on the literacy rate among the Muthuvan women because of their isolation and living in the dense forest away from the main stream. Considering the educational qualification of the women respondents in the study area, out of the total 211 respondents 71.09 per cent are illiterate, 18.48 per cent studied up to the primary level, 10.5 per cent were in the Middle school level. Only two respondents were studied up to Higher Secondary Level and two were studied up to graduate level. Due to the provision of incentives such as mid- day meal programmes and distribution of uniforms, there is a slight increase in the number of children who go to school. In the sample population, Muthuvans in the age group of 5 to 19 years showed some inclination towards schooling. Out of 92 boys and 83 girls, 81.66 per cent boys (75 boys) and 80.53 per cent (67 girls) attended school. These are obviously the first generation learners because the largest number, 82.66 per cent boys (62 out of 75 boys) and 79.10 per cent girls (53 out of 67 girls) were in the primary school. The number of girls and boys in the Middle and High school were meager. There are many reasons for this condition. Non-availability of middle schools in the vicinity of tribal settlements as well as the failure of ITDP schools in the state of Kerala to offer Middle schools and High Schools is the two most important reasons for the educational backwardness of tribal children. Poverty of the parents is yet another re ason. Above all they are still unaware of the importance of education. EDUCATION OF THE MUTHUVAN GIRL CHILDREN The girl child among the Muthuvans is denied the future opportunity of the total development. The reasons associated with not educating girl child are financial constraints, early marriage, submissiveness, and motherhood. After attaining puberty, Muthuvan girls are not allowed to go to school even if the school is located in the settlement itself. Girls have no say on the topic of education. It is entirely their parents decision. Regarding their aspiration to educate their daughters, the parents had different response. More than half of them wanted to send their daughters to schools but others thought it was futile. In absence of hired labour, the girls work at home and fields is of utmost importance and all considered the fact that eventually the girls have to get married and start their families. Where parents are enthusiastic about educating their daughters, they enroll their daughters in schools but rarely allow them to complete their schooling. The girls study up to primary scho ol only; since there is no middle school in their area they have to go to town to continue their education. The Muthuvans are reluctant to send their girl children out of their settlements since they are very much concerned about the safety of their daughters. Thus they discontinue their education at the primary level and turn to household chores and agricultural activities. From early childhood itself Muthuvan girls play a prominent role in running the family. By the age of 12-14 years most of the girls join the agricultural force. The girls also supplement the household income through their labour-force and also participate in minor forest produce collection. If they have spare time in spite of all these activities and obtain permission from their parents then they may go to school. According to 47.86 per cent of the respondents the reason for their present educational status is that the facilities were not available for them to get educated, 0.94 per cent revealed that girls education was not allowed, 6.16 per cent said the reason that because of agricultural activities and household chores they did not get time to study, 3.31 per cent opined that they did not have any interest to study since this education is worth less for them on account of that they are staying in the forest and they possess enough knowledge from the forest itself to cope with their lives. Out of 211 respondents 93.36 per cent are ready to send girl children to school up to primary level, while 6.63 per cent shows unwillingness to send their girl children to school. They are of the opinion that girl children should first learn how to manage household chores and agricultural activities as they have to manage her husbands house after marriage. From early childhood to begin with, girl children are trained in various domestic chores. As soon as girl is grown up enough to play she is regarded old enough to work. She may be seen assisting her mother in all domestic work bringing fuel from the forest, carrying water from the nearby pipe and by attending to small babies. She has to attend all kinds of domestic work. When the girl children started to manage the household mother can go for agricultural activities without any hindrance. In absence of hired labour, the girls work at home and fields is of utmost importance and all considered the fact that eventually the girls have to get married and start their families. Other than going school 50.23 per cent of the girl children were managing the household chores, helping in agricultural activities and taking care of the younger children. Even if the schools were located in their hamlet itself, due to these work burdens girl children were always withdrawn from the schools. DROP-OUT AMONG THE MUTHUVAN CHILDREN Drop out is an evil of primary education. Primary education is imparted with two main objectives as to make the children literate and to prepare them for becoming responsible citizen of the country. So the children to be literate should have at least four years schooling and to be a responsible citizen most have and eight years of schooling. The drop out pupils of the study area is large. So it is very important to analyze the cause for drop out. REASON FOR DROP-OUTS The reasons for drop-out are depending on family status, economic imposition, bi-lingual education, lack of interest, etc. Among the Muthuvans it was found that the problem of dropout is not an isolated phenomenon, but it may be attributed to so many other facts. 1. Economic Backwardness The Muthuvans depend on agriculture for their subsistence. Further they also engaged in wage labour and each family income ranges from Rs 800/-to Rs.1000/-per month. As such they find it difficult for them to spend hard earnings on the expenses of their childrens education. Though majority of the families depended on agricultural produce and collection of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP), barter system has no longer very much effective in their daily living. Everything has a price now a days including education. Exploitation of non-tribes in procurement of agricultural produce from Muthuvans and consequently trap in vicious cycle of indebtedness accentuated the problem of poverty. Due to their poor economic condition, children assist their parents in familial subsistence. As such this drop-out problem is perpetuating in the study area. 2. Socio-cultural factors Socio-cultural practices of Muthuvans play a significant role in the overall development of children in the study village. The formal education which is imparted to Muthuvan children is devoid of learning about their own society and their vernacular language, they are forced to learn alphabets in alien language. Even the teachers are not well versed with Muthuvan language and they teach in text book language. They are not bothered about whether the children are capable of understanding what they are taught. It is the fact that despite their tradition and culture these societies have to accept the innovation for getting employment. But they feel that the medium of instruction should be local up to primary level and the syllabus should be based on their culture and society. Lack of such amenable medium of instruction and territorial based education causing lot of confusion among the children. Eventually they turn down this education under those psychological pressure and phobia about the formal education. 3. Non-availability of facilities All the settlements had primary schools and Anganwadies, but these settlements do not have Middle school and High Schools. The Primary Schools in the study area was working with a single teacher in a small hut having only one room. All the students from Standard I to Standard IV were sitting in the same class room and the single teacher managed all the classes. Further analysis of the reasons for dropout showed that after the attainment of puberty girls never allowed to go to schools, in addition to this their economic conditions also forced them to dropout. The dropout generally occurred after the child completed the school. Where schools are not located at close quarters from the settlements, rates of dropout as well as non-enrollment are high. There is a natural hesitation on the part of most parents to send children to schools located at a distance. Lack of appropriate atmosphere of schooling, continuous attendance, parental interest, study interest are some of the important problems of education faced by Muthuvan children. Few teachers perceived economic problems, inadequacy of clothing, lack of books and stationery as the reasons for poor attendance of students. Poverty coupled with insufficient infrastructure is responsible for the prevalence of large scale drop out among the tribal children. The Muthuvan settlements are located in forest belts. Often children have to walk through wild animal infested forest tracts to reach the nearest school. This is a big safety risk. For example, not a single child in the school going age in the settlements in the midst of Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary was going to school, where the schools are located away from the settlement. The Muthuvans are especially apprehensive about sending girls through lonely forest tracts for a very genuine fear. Many a time not only they encounter wild elephants but also wild and lusty men. There have been instances when forest contractors, non-tribal men in the neighbouring villages have tried to make sexual advance at these young girls. PRE-METRIC HOSTEL FOR FEMALE CHILDREN The Kerala state provided a boarding institution for tribal girls- pre-metric hostel as it is called, in Marayoor, the nearby town of the study area, for the convenience of the tribal girls who are coming from the remote settlements. The hostel has now thirty-two boarders who are students in Government-run and private schools. Of them, only six are from Muthuvan community. As Muthuvans consider themselves as superior to the other tribes they do not prefer to admit their children to the hostel where they would have to live, interdine, and interact with the Malapulaya children. Muthuvans are claiming superior status over Malapulayas. The school dropout rate among Muthuvan children is said to be considerably high. It would seem that besides their hesitancy to stay and interact with Malapulaya children, Muthuvan children who are used to high altitudes and evergreen forest habitat and associated way of living find the hostel and school alienating. The resistance of Muthuvan parents to the ir children intermingling with Malapulaya children is very high. This also forms one of the reasons for not sending the children in the schools away from Muthuvan hamlet. DISCUSSION Low literacy among the Muthuvan tribe in general and women in particular, presents a very serious problem. The demand side of labour market has a feedback effect on the investment decisions on the Muthuvans in education. They are relayed on agriculture for their livelihood. The Muthuvans consider both boys and girls as economic asset to the family, therefore sending them to school upsets the traditional pattern of division of labour. Muthuvan girls usually help their mothers at home in all possible ways and work in the field in the agricultural seasons. In non-agricultural seasons they are usually engaged in the collection of minor forest produces, grazing cattle and goats, under these circumstances parents never force the children to go to school at all. Although economic constraints hinder tribal girls from getting educated, cultural, social and family structures also contribute to the tremendous variation in dropout rates of girls among the Muthuvans. Besides going to school majority of the Muthuvan girls are managing the household chores, taking care of the younger children, helping in the agricultural activities, collecting minor forest produces and firewood. They also bring water from the far away pipes and looking after the livestock. Parents want the children to help them in agriculture and other allied activities. On the top of that, school vacations are not synchronized with the heavy agricultural seasons of sowing or harvesting. So the parents cannot be faulted for pulling out their children for getting of little extra help. The study area has only primary and middle level schools. After completing middle level education, they are unable to go to town for higher education due to cultural and safety reasons as mentioned earlier. The Muthuvan literacy level, in general is quite low. But in case of Muthuvan women it touches the lowest bottom. Muthuvans as settled agriculturalists lack enough food grains to maintain the family whole year. Education therefore is a luxury for them which they can hardly afford. Each school- going girl in a Muthuvan family is an economic unit and contribute to the family. If the girl is taken away from her normal economic work to attend school, the family is deprived of little income which she brings; instead, the parents have to feed the child out of their earnings which further reduces the economic stability of the family. Merely increasing the number of schools in tribal areas or throwing up superficial incentives per se will not bring development to the doors of the tribal women or girl children. The actual needs and real life situations have to be taken cognizance of while planning schemes for tribal development. In order to facilitate tribal girls to make extensive and effective use of schooling facilities, schools must be located within easy and safe reach of children. This definitely is a meaningful incentive for a large number of tribal parents who are desirous of sending their children schools. One cannot expect young girls to walk for miles through dangerous animal and human infested forest tracks. It is easier to offer scholarships and gold medals to successful tribal learners than opening new schools in distant tribal belts or removing the actual hurdles to effective utilization of existing facilities. The introduction of formal education is not without any negative impact. A set of values totally alien to the Muthuvan culture have now been introduced to their community. Often, the curricular content of class room training is in direct contradiction to their real life experiences. Barring a few exceptions tribal education programmes do not take into account the needs and conditions of tribal life and culture. A curriculum that is alien to their culture and ways of life leaves them confused. Such concepts as the father being the sole bread earner, mother attends only to household chores, boys playing out-door games and girls engaged in domestic work leaves them perturbed. Even the gender insensitive games that are taught in the non- tribal schools do not have positive attitude towards tribal values. The non-tribal culture at large does not have a very pro-women attitude and the same is reflected in the attitude of these teachers towards female children. The teacher addressed the gir ls as waste, burden, and scolded them whenever they did not show interest in the lessons or failed to answer their questions. They made a point to repeatedly remind the female students that their place was in the home and that kitchen work does not require any formal schooling. Teachers with such attitudes are doing great damage to the motivation of girl children because of their gender blind attitudes. Ideas that had hitherto not crept into Muthuvan mind have now been introduced. Many female teachers also act as a negative, influence on women and girl children. They express their displeasure and disapproval about such tribal practices as elopement, divorce and widow marriage. These young children are slowly developing a sense of aversion towards their indigenous practices, many of which are very progressive.