ANALYSIS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ANALYSIS - Research Paper Example 73). This poses a threat to the aircraft industry in that trains are going at speeds better than airplanes yet they are cheaper in terms of fare paid (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2006, p. 98). In addition, it has been noted that trains and automobiles are more convenient as opposed to the airplanes (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2006, p. 98). This is because the automobiles offer better services in terms of door to door deliveries. The aircraft industry faces this threat since delivery of both goods and people is restricted to the airports (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2006, p. 101). Travelers however are opting to use more convenient and cheaper means. As such, aircrafts like Bombardier Aerospace face the most significant substitutes as being commercial airlines (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2006, p. 55). This lies in the cost incurred since the cost of boarding a flight on an air taxi is approximated to be the same as the cost of a coach airline ticket (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2006, p. 55). Based on this, it is noted that 8.12% of the first class commuters have shifted to private jets (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2006, p. 87). This can be blamed partly on the post-9/11 disturbances of airline voyage, ineffective airfields and profitable airlines as well as contemporary emphasis on time and effectiveness (Grimm, Lee & Smith, 2006, p. 99). People actually values time and the efficiency in which the airlines are operating. Strengths of the Southwest Airline Company are inclined on the corporation’s growth as well as the internal environment (Lauer, 2010, p. 29). The company has a superior clientele service culture, operational strategy within the firm as well as the capacity to provide the lowest costs in terms of fare (Lauer, 2010, p. 29). These are some of the issues that have contributed to its fast development and survival within the 2009 recession in aircraft industry (Lauer, 2010, p. 31). The company’s operational strategy gives room for the airline to measure the recession with

Corporate and Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corporate and Business Law - Essay Example This essay demonstrates that the manager as a businessman owes a duty of care to all his customers. This entails that he is bound by law to provide goods that have the best interest of his customers at hand. However, in the case scenario, the manager of ABC Ltd sells faulty goods knowingly and does not refund his customers, meaning that he is defrauding his customers. It is indeed important that the manager is held legally responsible for failing to give refunds for faulty goods, and he is compelled to sell quality goods to his customers.Contract law and sale of Goods Act are interrelated and work to salvage the contract arrived at by entities in the performance of business activities. They protect the rights of customers and ensure that the sellers are legally bound by their commitment in the contract. In the case scenario discussed, undue influence, misrepresentation, buyer beware, remedies for breach of contract, and obligations of a seller have been evaluated. This paper makes a conclusion that the sale of goods act has also been expounded in a bid to illuminate the rights and obligations of entities selling and buying goods from each other. It is through this that a contract has to involve two parties; the parties have to come to an agreement and the rights and legal obligations of the parties. These serve as the basis of rulings made in courts as a result of filled litigation and hence understanding of the underlying principles is essential for any finance person or accountant.... A similar decision was arrived at by the court of Appeal in Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists (Southern) Ltd5. The outcome of this case for the defendant was important. This is since it was agreed at that by merely picking the drugs from the shelf; this did not amount to a contract between the two parties. However, a contract was arrived at when the goods were presented at the counter for sale and proper supervision was carried out. The same case applies to Tim and ABC Ltd, the advertisement displayed cannot be treated as an offer to sell by merely picking it but is an invitation to treat and will only bind into a contract once it is presented at the cash point as was done and the mistake corrected in due time. See also Fisher v Bell6. There are some exceptions to the rule of an invitation to treat where an advertisement is treated as an offer to sell. In Chapleton v Barry Urban District Council7 it was held that an attachment of price to a display of deck chairs was an offer to sell and not an invitation to treat. Subsequently, it was ruled that in a self service station, a contract is arrived at when the customer pumps the pump to fill the tank and not at the pay point. Though a weak form of defense, Tim may rely on the prospect that by ABC Ltd attaching a price to the computer, it served as an invitation to sell and not an offer to treat and hence ABC Ltd was liable for the misprice8. A2. Whether the manager’s statement of additional RAM was part of the contract The manager’s statement of additional RAM though not being right forms part of the contract. This is legally on the basis of actual undue influence as ascribed in Bank of Scotland plc v Etridge (No.2)9 where undue influence pertains to

The Threat Of New Entrant Marketing Essay

The Threat Of New Entrant Marketing Essay Introduction Poh Kong Sdn. Bhd. was founded in 1976, by 3 Choon Brothers and their two brother-in-laws, which built in half of a normal retail store in Petaling Jaya. The company started to expand their business around the city in Petaling Jaya. On 1999, the company has reached 50 retail outlets around the Penisular Malaysia. Most of it located in Klang Valley, 3 branches in Johor Bahru, and one branch in each of these city: Melaka, Kuantan, Muar, Batu Pahat, Ipoh, and Sungai Petani. Poh Kong was listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 9th March, 2004, with 60 outlets and approximate 600 employees around the world. Then, the company started to expand the franchise division, and the first franchise outlet is in Complex Karamunsing in Sabah, to be part of the retail expansion in East Malaysia. As to date, the company has reach market capitalization of RM197millions and has more than 1200 of employees, with the total of 101 retail store and still expanding. The mission and vision of Poh Kong Group is to manufacturing and retailing the jewelries, while differentiates their products offered by achieving the four core business principles of value, quality, choice, and trustworthiness. Besides, they also try their best to serve their customers from the walks of life for many of their important moments. From setting the benchmark in retailing of jewelries in Malaysia, Poh Kong Holdings Berhad is known as a company with corporate successes in phenomenal growth over the years. The company also has several in-house brands such as Tranz, Happy Love, Anggun, The Art of Auspicious, and Bunga Raya Gold Bar. While, Poh Kong is also the licensee for Disney Collection, sole distributor for Schoeffel luxury pearls from Germany, Luca Carati and Verdi Gioielli from Italy, Angel Diamonds from Belgium, Cocoro from Japan, which that the company has variety of unique jewelries from around the world. Besides, the company also differentiate themselves by separate the retail concept store. Other than Poh Kong and Diamond Gold outlets, retail concept stores such as Diamond Boutique, Jade Gallery, Tranz Boutique and Oro Bianco are available. Besides, they also providing Gold Bar Buy-Back service to customer, its purpose is to letting the customer to trade back their Bunga Raya Gold Bar for jewelry or trade it for cash. While, they also helping customers to customize the design of the jewelries and also making of corporate awards and gifts, such as Gold emblem, gold plaque an d etc. The group mentioned that they will actively look for more business opportunities to expand, while grow its market share in the same time. Poh Kong is the market leader and will continue to stay on its market position as the largest jewelries retail store in Malaysia. Demand for gold is expected to be recovering over the long term due to its intrinsic values by Asian cultures of giving gold jewelries as customary gifts. Poh Kong also expects the retail sales will be boost due to the coming festive spending seasons and the purchase of gold jewelries and gold bars by customers as a hedge to against the global currency risks and inflation. On top of that, the group will utilize the loan proceeds raised from the ICP/IMTN Programme to grow its business by to finance group wide restructuring programme and the capital expenditure of the Poh Kong Group. Poh Kong will continue to drive and raise its market share by enhancing and differentiating its product to its targeted market segments. In addition, they are trying to attract new customers via introduction of new products and designs, while providing as good customer service as they can. Poh Kong provided different choices of retail concepts to meet the various needs and required of customers. They are also fully commits on the design of jewelries, its craftsmanship, and quality of their products with setting reasonable competitive pricing on them. Other than that, their retail sales teams are supported with advertising, promotions, events marketing and public relations. Strong retail network have been made to reach the mass market, while the image differentiation of its product brands and retail concept stores is performed to meet the needs of different customers. Recently, Poh Kong comes out with floral designs on the recent Hari Raya celebration and some new design and series such as the Anggun series and Melur collections. The well-crafted designs are combined with elements of tradition. Manja collection is designed for children to target new market others than targeting women only. They also teams up with the Italian jeweler, Moraglione 1922, which is one of the worlds finest brands being inspired by the Europes royal families. Customers who love fine jewelries can now have the opportunity to  obtain one of  the Europes finest  brands of gems. The collections available including Anastasia, Isabella, Grace and Sofia,  which comprise of diamonds and colourful precious stones. The executive chairman and group managing director said, Malaysians can now enjoy to wearing one of the best jewelries in the world. With the Moraglione 1922 collections, Poh Kongs customers can expect the best in terms of glamour and elegance. Poh Kong is now considering on the expansion outside of the Malaysia. The group is eyes on Asean marts by plans to open the overseas outlets in Asean before 2015. Research had been done and stated that Asean region especially Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are among the worlds key success gold markets, and they are taking opportunities of the setting up of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) by 2015. Moreover, the gold jewelry consumption are now mostly at China and India, and the company is also considering to expand on it in the future. Sales revenue is expected to rise by growth of 25% compare to this year. 2. Prospective and Strategies Products and services Poh Kong is selling different products in their outlets such as diamond and gem, Jade, Gold, and also Gold bar (Bungaraya gold bar). They also sell international products which consist of Schoeffel, Luca Carati, Angel Diamond, Cocoro, Disney and etc. Besides, wedding and Festive collection also available in the Poh Kong outlets, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya collection could be found on their outlets. Besides, they also providing Gold Bar Buy-Back service to customer, for customer to trade in Bunga Raya Gold Bar for jewelly or trade it for cash. Poh Kong Corporate Sales is also helping customers to customize in the design of jewelries andmaking of corporate awards and gifts, such as Gold emblem, gold plaque and etc. Missions and Visions Poh Kong Group, an integrated one-stop jeweller, from manufacturer to retailer of gold, jewelleries and precious stones, differentiates its products offering by meeting the four core business principles of quality, value, trustworthiness and choice. Poh Kong has served customers from all walks of life for many of their important occasions. Theres always something for everyone, from exquisite pieces to simple designs, from irresistible collections to dazzling custom-made orders are available to suit our patrons taste and budget. Setting the benchmark in the manufacturing and retailing of gold and fine jewellery in Malaysia, Poh Kong Holdings Berhad, as a public-listed company has earned a place in the countrys annals of corporate successes with phenomenal growth over the years. Milestone 1976 Poh Kong was established on March 26th, 1976, with its first outlet at Jalan 52/4, Petaling Jaya, more known as PJ Newtown or PJ State. It has been the Poh Kong Headquarters until today. 1982 First branch in SS2, Petaling Jaya, of retail space 1,500 sqft and 20 employees, was opened. 1983-1992 Poh Kong opened another 13 branches. 1993 Poh Kong upgraded all outlets with fully computerised point-of-sales and inventory systems. 1995 Poh Kong was made the exclusive distributor of Disney characters in gold in Malaysia. 1996 Poh Kong designer team won a gold medal for the Golden Design Awards 1996 organized by the World Gold Council Europe in Italy. 2001 Poh Kong invested RM12Mil to establish a 60,000 sqft modern manufacturing facility in Shah Alam. Poh Kong launched its first in-house brand, Tranz in collaboration with World Gold Council. 2004 Poh Kong was listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on March 9th, 2004. Poh Kong opened its first Poh Kong Gallery-a stylish Italian Classic VIP lounge with 5,000 sqft, at the 1stfloor of its headquarters. Poh Kong reached 60th  outlet in Peninsular Malaysia. 2005 Poh Kong set up a franchise division. 2006 Poh Kong ventured into the diamond cutting and polishing, sales, import and export of precious stones in collaboration with Hong Kong companies. Poh Kong opened its first franchise outlet in Complex Karamunsing, Kota Kinabalu in September as part of its retail expansion into East Malaysia. 2007 Poh Kong was appointed as sole distributor for Schoeffel in Southeast Asia. Poh Kong Group participated in the International Trade Malaysia (INTRADE MALAYSIA 2007) exhibition organized by Matrade and supported by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. 2009 Poh Kong and Luca Carati, one of Italys oldest and most prestigious jewellers launched the brand in Malaysia. Poh Kong is commemorated as the sole distributor in Malaysia. 2010 Poh Kong showcased in house brand products, Tranz and Anggun in Malaysian Pavillion at Shanghai World Expo 2010. 2011 Poh Kong reached 100th  outlet in Peninsula Malaysia. PEST Analysis Political As usual, government policies play an important role on the development of 1 industry. It can affect how well the industry can perform and influence the decision on consumer as well as the sellers. Based on the Malaysia Budget 2011, in order to promote Malaysia as a shopping haven in Asia, the import duty of approximately 300 goods is abolished and imitation jewellery is one of the listed goods. As effective from 1st January 2011, this imported as well as exported jewelry items will enjoy the tax free policy. The execution of this new tax policy has successfully transformed Malaysia to be a duty-free shopping paradise locally and internationally. The reduction on tax burden has encourages tourists and local buyers to spend more with lowest price and it is expected will bringing economic growth in the jewellery industry would expected to growth in both importing and exporting sector. In this gold and jewellery industry, there is an association which will govern the rule and regulation of the industry, which namely Federation of Goldsmith and Jewellers Association of Malaysia. This association was established in 25 April 1978 by 12 different goldsmith associations and today there is more than 1500 goldsmiths and jewellers are in the member list. As at year 2011, the group managing director of TOMEI Group, Mr. Ng YihPyng is the president of this association and the deputy president is served by Mr. Siow Der Ming, the executive director of Poh Kong Holding Bhd. The aim of establishing this association is to protect the interest of the member. They also dealt with lobbying with the government as well as standardize the retail charges of gold and other jewelry ornaments to prevent them from being distorted by competition among the goldsmiths and jewellers. In order to protect the member, the association will try to bargaining with the government on the taxation. E.g. In 1982 the Association bargained over the government for a free and open policy whereby gold bar imports would be exempted from tax, and eventually this had been executed in 1983. This execution had enhanced the performance of goldsmiths and jewellery industry. As mentioned, this association will standardize the retail charges of gold and other jewelry ornaments. However, starting from around October 2012, the standardization of the price no longer apply, which mean all the goldsmiths and jewellers can charges whatever the price of their product they want to. The abolishment of standardize gold price could cause the jewellers who achieved the economics of scale can charge for lower price of their jewellery compared to whose had cost competitive disadvantage. This brings up the more competitive in the jewellery industry and for sure, the larger size company with lower production will win the battle and the small scale goldsmiths and jewellery business will have to move out from the industry. Physical gold bullion is no longer a restricted item since 1987, which means general public can trade in gold like other merchandise. One can now buy and sell gold bullion at goldsmith shops which traditionally sells over-the-counter (OTC) gold jewellery and also at many gold trading companies which apply different trading model to attract business. This has been increased the confident of those investors which buy for the purpose for investment because the existing of physical gold is far better than a just a piece of paper prove that how much gold you have owned. This abolishment had further increased the growth of the industry. In recent the announcement of Malaysia Budget 2013 will also enhanced the lifestyle of the citizen especially of the medium range income receiver. One of the policies listed in Budget 2013 is that the tax rate will be has a reduction of 1 per cent for those chargeable income which currently fall into the category below tax rate of 19 per cent. This will increase the disposal income of those middle income ranges of household, which is 60% of Malaysia household and hence probably will increase the consumption of jewellery industry. Economic Jewellery industry in Malaysia from a very humble beginning of family-owned business transformed into one of the major exporters of jewellery in the Asian region. According to the industry write-up released on Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), the Malaysian jewellery industry consists of 2 segments: Precious metals and gemstone jewellery Costume or imitation jewellery Jewellery sector was ranked the 13th largest contributor and accounted for 1.5% share of total exports of manufactured goods. Based on the trade performance from MATRADE (Appendix), the exports of jewellery in year 2011 grew by 1.7% compared to year 2010.   Malaysias exports of jewellery comprised three major product categories namely jewellery of gold, silver and platinum, which is the main export sector with 81.5% of total jewellery export and followed by is the articles of precious metals, which recorded 18.3 % share of exports and lastly is the imitation jewellery which has a share of 0.2%. According to the news reported in The Star on 13 July 2012, the growth rate of jewellery industry in Malaysia is expected to have a growth rate of more than 6% a year. In current economic condition, the increase of price of fuel, electricity and transportation and other costs has left companies no choice but to increase the price of their goods. According to the consumers of the industry, the prices for gold and jewellery have been increasing rapidly over the years. This has caused a drop in the demand for jewellery. If costs of gold and other precious metals such as silver and platinum continue to escalate, demand for jewellery would decrease and thus affect jewelers and the industry. Malaysia jewellery industry will continue to face keen competition from low-cost producers such as India, Thailand, Indonesia and China. However, the industry has the potential to successfully compete against the luxury goods industry and preserve its traditional domination of the consumers spending. Social In todays jewellery market, consumers preference seem has been changed. The traditional yellow gold jewellery can no longer attract younger customers which prefer their jewellery set in white gold and platinum. Most of the jewelers have changed their strategy to meet the demand of younger customers. One example can be found is the DeGemBerhad. In order to meet the preference of younger customer, one of the listed player in goldsmith and jewellery industry, DeGemBerhad, had purposely launched its division Diamond Platinum, which is more focuses on more trendy and fashionable designs to capture the demands of younger customers who preferred their jewellery set in white gold as well as platinum. Even though there are changes in customers preference in term of design and material the cultural may also affect the consumption level of jewellery industry. In this multi-racial country, the effect from different races can be greater than single race countries. In Malaysia, each race has its own new year, own festive, therefore the gold and jewellery industry performance can be further boosted by these festive. For example part of Chinese traditional culture, gold and precious stone jewellery will be the popular gift to their friend when they are get married or give birth. Furthermore, the Valentines Day, Christmas, and Mothers Day, and etc are also the main boost of the sales in the jewellery sales. Not only have those stated, most of the designs of jewellery in this industry are based on the different season. Different season the jewellers and goldsmiths will comes out with unique designs which use the seasonal theme as the basis. Therefore the innovation and creativity of the craftsmanship are crucial in this area in order to differentiate the product from the competitors and attracting the buyers. For Poh Kong, it used the spider and leaf as the theme for their autumn series design. Crimes affect the consumption of gold jewelry among the consumer. They afraid of being rob therefore they tend to not wearing the jewelry when going out. So the demand of gold will be affected as the crime of robbery increase simultaneously. Technology With today advanced technology, Internet had been effectively using and hence the increased the distribution channel for not only jewellery but also other product. Website has been a tool for the jewellers to list their precious jewellery and giving the information to the potential customers. Also with this technology, the imitation jewellery increased its position by offering the online buying the jewellery and shipping worldwide. The advanced technology in today jewellery industry had made the need of craftsmanship decreased. Before this, the responsibility of the craftsmanship are design the jewellery, supervise the jewellery making process (e.g. make sure the cutting is accurate.). Since the advancement of technology, the development of Rapid Prototyping and Tooling Technology in jewellery CAD (computer aided design) has made the jewellery process more precisely and less craftsmanship is needed. This new technology had simplifies the designing process, ease the adjusting processes if the design is not well designed hence it shorten the time of making a jewellery and increase the productivity. Not only that, the error rate of this technology has greatly reduced to only 0.0012 chances of error occurred. This technology is kept in improving and enhancing. Threat of New Entrant This industry needs very huge amount of capitals in order to operate the business, such as acquisition of shop lot, plant and machineries to manufacture jewelleries, high securities costs and so on. In consider that the inventory itself (gold material) is very expensive to afford compare to other industries (gold price as at 12 November 2012 2.34pm New York Time is USD1,234.87 per ounce, exclude the labour charges and other transaction costs). And of course, this industry will incurred a low exit cost, the disposal price of the inventory (gold jewelries) will be deducted 20% till 25% of the purchase cost and that is risky considered the fluctuation of the gold price. Whereas in terms of the government policys barrier, this industry is controlled by Bank Negara Malaysia, that not everyone can simply operate a goldsmith and jewellery business as there is a needed to get approval from the Federation of Goldsmiths and Jewellers Association of Malaysia, this create the barriers of entry a mong the jewellery industries in terms of capital investment, the rules and regulations and low exit costs. The threats of new entrance for jewellery industries is low because the high barriers of entry. Here, Poh Kong has managed to lower down the average cost by selling more product compare to the small-sized company, in order to utilize the fixed cost. Also, it is very unlikely for those small-sized companies to achieve these economies scale, considered that we need high cost of plant and machinery, and of course a high rental cost to expand the business in order to compete with Poh Kong. Threat of Substitute The more substitutes are available, the more elastic is the demand because customers have more alternative choices. When customers have more alternative choice to choose, the threat will become greater for a company. Jewellery actually is an item that is desired but unnecessary. Therefore only people with surplus income will buy precious metals jewellery. For those people who unwilling to afford a precious metals jewellery, they can choose to spend their money in buying imitation jewellery such as poly-plastic jewellery or non-precious metals jewellery such as stainless-steel jewellery and tungsten jewellery. And yes, there are many jewellers which are dealing with this kind of jewellery and target those low income consumers. All these jewellery will have very low relative price compare to precious metals jewellery such as gold and platinum jewellery. Not only the price, but consumers also can easily buy this type of jewellery through different channel, either from physical shop or b uy it online. Since this imitation jewelleries are cheap and customers usually will not examine them as they already know it is imitation. Therefore, the sellers can operate an online shopping which easier to reach to potential customers and provide free shipping service to attract those customers which unable to afford the precious metals jewellery. The implementation of online shopping by those jewellers has increase the availability of the substitution for precious metals jewellery. Other than that, jewellery market not only offers those precious and non-precious metals jewellery, there are also jewellery made of precious stone and gem which embed into the precious metal or ornament. For those people who do not like gold or any other precious metals but want something special or for collection, they also can opt for amber or crystal jewellery. Amber and crystal jewellery actually not cheap at all, some of the rare amber and crystal jewellery can cost more than a 4 carats diamond. If a person able to afford such expensive precious metal jewellery, it will be not a problem for that person to afford an amber or crystal jewellery. At the end of the point, its just depending on what is preferred by the consumers. The more choices of jewellery available in the market, the more option can the consumer choose from and the higher the threat. Currently the non-precious metals jewellery can be very easy to obtain from many goldsmiths and jewellers. Not all people will love jewellery. As mentioned above, jewellery is an item which desired but unnecessary, so it is considered as a luxury goods. Most of the people will first spending their money on daily necessities then only considers buying jewellery if there is a surplus. Those people who spend their money on luxury goods is try to enjoy better lifestyle. In todays world, those people who wearing or using a luxury product will giving a signal that the person is a rich man, should be more respect to them. So luxury goods in this world is not limited to jewellery only, there could have many other products, such as branded watches, designer clothes, branded hand bag and etc. These products can totally substitute the needs of jewellery for those people who wanting a better lifestyle. Furthermore, these products can also be very easy available, which has high distributional channels that easily distribute to potential customers, therefore the threat of substitute from these products is high. As the result from those many substitutions from the above, Poh Kong is facing a high threat of substitute. The direct substitution, amber and crystal, which will serve the same purpose as the precious metals jewellery, are the highest threat of substitute. It is because Poh Kongs does not sell these kinds of jewellery in its products range even though it is operating jewellery business. Threat of Buyers As an overall, the threat of buyers faced by Poh Kong will be considered as moderate to high. When supply more than demand, the threat of buyer will become higher. Poh Kong has no major customer and relies on this type of customer, which will rapidly purchase substantial amount of jewellery from Poh Kong for every purchase. This indicated that Poh Kong does not face any threat of major customer of discontinue get its sources from Poh Kong. Moreover, the switching cost of buyer is low as after they purchased the jewellery from Poh Kong, there is no restriction of law which disallowed the customers from resells their jewellery to other jewellers.(True?) In jewellery industry, products are differentiated mainly based on the design. When Poh Kong offered less variety of design can be chosen then its competitors, the higher the threat from the buyers as they can choose the preferred design from Poh Kongs competitors. This more alternative available to the customers has increase the threat of buyer for Poh Kong. Even though the jewelleries are served for the same purpose, however the designs of jewellery determine the preference of the customer. Therefore the uniqueness of the design is crucial to capture the customer demand. Human being is a weird creature, when there is a limited range of product can be choose from, they will only choose the best fit their preference from the limited range. Furthermore, Poh Kong actively comes out with different design based on different season, different festive as well as jointly design with foreign reputable company (who). Therefore no any crucial threat will face by Poh Kong in term of differentiation. In addition, most of the jewellers operate its outlets near to their competitors. Therefore, buyer can easily get the price and compare the price between them. If Poh Kongs jewellery prices higher than its competitors, buyer will try to negotiate with them. If they fail in negotiation, they can simply switch to Poh Kongs competitors. In this point of view, the bargaining power of buyer can be consider as high. Bargaining power of suppliers The raw material of jewellery of Poh Kong is mainly supply from gold bullion bank such as UOB Gold Bullion Bank, Al Rajhi Bank or Maybank. The price is set according to the market gold price and hence the supplier did not have any negotiate power for the gold price. The banks may earn the profit by charging the transaction costs and service charges against each transaction deal, therefore, the jewellery industries may negotiate with bank or choose the bank who offer the lowest charges. Therefore, the banks will very concern about these jewellery industries since they order in bulk quantity and they will try to retain the customer royalty and gain the market share. Another source of raw material also comes from the Pawnshop or Pawn Broker which the customer of pawnshop who fails to redeem their gold product such as jewellery, gold coin. This threat of supplier in this group also low because there have a lot of variety of pawnshop in Malaysia and they try to offer the lowest price to sell the failure redemption product. The minor supplies of gold are from individual through trade in or buy back schemes. The gold price is fixed and the price of trade-in is lower than outside by offering the spread. Therefore, the individual may negotiate with Poh Kong to reduce the spread and labour charges but the price cannot run away as the price set in market. Besides that, the gold bullion or gold is a homogeneous products and hence the only way to differentiation the gold bullion bank and pawn shop of industries can do is by good servicing and lower charges. Therefore, the threat of supplies basically is low because jewellery manufacturer may have variety of choices of firms which offer the best price and best services to them. In summary, the bargaining power of suppliers are low since gold is a homogenous product and the price is set in commodity market and also by BNM. Rivalry among the Competitors More than 1500 of goldsmiths and jewellers customer can choose from. The threat of new entrance is low, the bargaining power of buyers and substitutes are high while the bargaining power of suppliers are low There are only 3 listed companies in jewelry industry including Poh Kong, Tomei and DeGem. Poh Kong is not the only player in the jewelry market. Buyer can choose from many other goldsmith jewelrer. For eg: Tomei, DeGem, Habib, Wah Chan. Therefore buyer can choose from different jewelers can hence bargaining power of the buyer will be high because many alternatives can be chosen by the buyers. High industry growth rate The jewellery industry currently is expected growing by 6% per year hence, Poh Kong is able to continue expanding the jewellery market and generate the profit from there. Therefore, although there have an excited competition among the competitors such as Tomei, DeGem and etc, Poh Kong still can gain the profit from therecause the market is expanding. High fixed or storage costs There have a high fixed cost incurred in manufacturing process such as craftsmanship, rental, depreciation of plant and machinery, and there have need to incurred the high security costs to store the jewellery such as a special storage room, CCTV and security guards. This will encourage the rivalry among the competitors because the jewellery manufacturer and dealer will get the market share as much as possible to cover up those fixed costs. Low differentiation or switching cost There have low switching cost among the buyers because the buyers can change their suppliers anytime without incurred any compensation or legal fees (actually their switching costs is just learning costs, research costs). Therefore, these will cause the increases of bargaining power of buyers and threats of substitute. Degem, Tomei, Chow Tai Fook and other jewellery firm will try to lock-in the buyers through their innovation and marketing strategics hence increase the competitions among existing firm. High exit barriers There have low exit barriers for the jewellery industries, its actually just need to expose the risk of fluctuation of gold price when they dispose off their remaining stocks, hence these factor will weaken the rivalry among the competitions because the firms will not need to put the hard afford to stay in the market due to the high exit barriers. BCGs Matrix Attractiveness of portfolio Based on the information gather for each portfolio for Poh Kong, and the BCGs Matrix as at Appendix, trading division is star while manufacturing is question mark division for Poh Kong. For trading division, Poh Kong is a market leader among other competitor because it generates the highest external revenue among other competitors, which higher than the benchmark company is Tomei Consolidated Berhad, the 2nd

geograhy of Ireland :: essays research papers

Geo essay Ireland Ireland is an island on the western fringe of Europe between latitude 51 1/2 and 55 1/2 degrees north, and longitude 5 1/2 to 10 1/2 degrees west. Its greatest length, from Malin Head in the north to Mizen Head in the south, is 486 km and its greatest width from east to west is approximately 275 km. Since 1921 the island has been divided politically into two parts. The independent twenty-six county area, comprising 70,282 sq. km, has a population of 3,523,401 (1991). Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom and contains six of the nine counties of the ancient province of Ulster, has a population of 1,569,971 (1991). In 1973 Ireland became a member of the European Union (EU). The two great mountain systems of Europe, north of the Alps, converge westwards to meet and mingle in Ireland. The older (Caledonian) extends from Scandinavia through Scotland to the north and west of Ireland, where it gives rise to the rugged and mountainous landscapes of Counties Donegal, Mayo and Galway. The higher mountains are of quartzite that weathers into bare, cone-shaped peaks such as Errigal (752 m) in Donegal, Croagh Patrick (765m) in Mayo and the Twelve Bens in Galway. Structures of similar age are responsible for the Wicklow and Blackstairs Mountains that extend southwestwards from Dublin Bay for a distance of more than 100 km. In these, long-continued denudation of a great anticlinal structure has exposed a granite core that now forms rounded peat-covered uplands, the crests being notched in places by glacial cirques. Deep glacially modified valleys of which the best known is Glendalough in County Wicklow penetrate the mountains. The younger structures (Armorican) extend from central Europe through Brittany to southern Ireland, where they reappear as a series of east-west anticlinal sandstone ridges separated by limestone or shale-floored valleys. The hills rise in height westwards culminating in Carrantouhill (1041 m) in the Magillycuddy Reeks, the highest mountain in the country. The famous Upper Lake of Killarney nestles in the eastern slopes of this range. The sea, giving rise to a number of long deep inlets has flooded the valleys separating the western extension of these mountains. In northeastern Ireland basaltic lavas spread widely over the existing rocks in Eocene times and now form the bleak plateau of east Antrim. Westwards the basalt is downwarped and the resultant drift-covered lowland is occupied in part by Lough Neagh, the largest lake in Ireland.

Balanced Budget Amendment

As we discussed and read about this week in our class, the topic of the US Budget and how, why and what should we do about it has become a topic with many views and opinions. The United States of America currently holds over 16 Trillion dollars in debt based on our governments spending practices for the last ten years. Two wars, numerous fiscal collapses and cliffs, a bubble popped housing market, looming medical care costs from a socialized healthcare law and a recession have caused the government to acquire enormous amounts of debt.This debt with caused by what seems to be from irresponsible spending on both the Legislative and the Executive Branches have done nothing to lessen this deficit. One idea that has been discussed not only in Congress, but on prime time news networks is the passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment. A Balance Budget Amendment (as recently seen in House Bill HJR2, 28 NOV 2011) would require that Congress balance its budget every fiscal year unless a three-fif ths majority of both houses approved of maintaining a deficit[1].In a CNN Poll, conducted by ORC International, 74% of Americans surveyed would be in favor of a constitutional amendment to require a Balanced federal budget. So, why did it miss passing by the House of Representatives 23 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed? In the graph we see that federal debt will remain above 73 percent of GDP, far higher than the the 39 percent seen over the last four decades as stated by the Congressional Budget Office. This level is of debt is unsustainable to the our economy and a Balanced Budget Amendment may be the answer to get wasteful spending under control and reduce out national debt.There is a lot of debate for a Balanced Budget Amendment in the United States. The trade-off between â€Å"discipline† and â€Å"flexibility† is at the core of the debate surrounding the establishment of a Balanced Budget Amendment[2]. Those who oppose a Balanced Budget Amendment argu e that it may limit the scope and power of the Government to fully discharge its duties. Under this version of the amendment , three-fifths of congress would have to vote suspend requirements, the government would have to cut expenditures or raise taxes during a recession.This in theory would make the recession worse and limit the ability of the government to use fiscal policy to stabilize the economy. Also, Congress could simply devise special budgets to get around the requirements. An example would be to take some programs â€Å"off budget†, which means that they would not be counted towards the total amount of expenditures by the government and not counting them as part of the Official Budget. However these expenditures would have to get funded from somewhere.Third, Congress could issue regulations or impose mandates or requirements on businesses or other government regulations as non-budgetary ways to get programs funded and these actions could have serious ramifications on the taxpayers and economy. Those in favor of the Balanced Budget Amendment say that if we look at the States within the US who have Balanced Budget laws (all but Vermont have some form of budgetary regulation) there are excellent examples we can use in drafting an amendment which could work for this country.Marina Azzimonti, writes in her article, â€Å"The Political Economy of Balanced Budget Amendments†[3] several very good theoretical findings supporting ways that Congress can use the lessons of the States in drafting a Balanced Budget Amendment that introduces a rule that restricts deficit spending and limits increases in government debt. Her first point is that stricter budgetary rules induce policymakers with discipline regarding how money is spent. Reducing these expenditures it is argued supports positive economic growth by lowering interests rates , higher savings rates, and hence more consumer confidence and economic growth.Also the inclusion of an â€Å"Escape Clause† proposes that a bill to increase revenue or public borrowing may become law if two-thirds of the members of each house approve it. Thus allowing the government to be able to meet certain â€Å"emergencies† to include war, national crisis, or natural disaster. Proponents of these amendments also that running deficits over the long term or persistent deficits can be dangerous as well. When the government runs persistent deficits , a increasing portion of consumer's savings is used to purchase government debt instead of being invested in private capital goods .This is called â€Å"crowding out†, and this effect lower output and incomes in the future. Growing Federal Debt can lead to a sudden fiscal crisis in and of itself. This type of crises can occur when debt levels become so large in relation to the economy's output that the government has difficulty selling it. Current and potential bondholders lose confidence with the governments ability to repay its d ebt and refuse to buy anymore. The government is then forced purchase new debt at higher interest rates, often leading to inflation, reduction in government services and rograms and increased economic hardship on its citizens. There are several good examples of this type of debt crisis in Argentina, Mexico and Greece. The US saw a version of this in 2011, when S&P concerned with the US climbing debt and its credit worthiness reduced its credit rating or the ability of the country to borrow money at lower interests rates. A federal Balanced Budget amendment based loosely on those instituted by the States of this country has many benefits. One such advantage is that a Balanced Budget Amendment can reduce inefficiencies in spending.Azzimonti argues in a theoretical environment model, Politicians tend to be short-sighted since they have no guarantee of being being reelected next time around. This short-sightedness often leads them to increase spending to their constituencies now through excessive deficit spending and accumulate too much debt. These deficits are are less politically costly than raising taxes, which often is a good way for a politician to get voted out in their next election. However, with fiscal restrictions in place politicians are forced to take long view and be fiscally responsible.This leads into the next positive of a Balanced Budget Amendment, and that is reducing future financial burden on taxpayers. When the government releases bonds to be purchased, it agrees to repay its holders in the future for spending today. Those repayment burdens are placed on future taxpayers who may not have received the benefits of current spending. This future tax burden also can hamper long term interests rates today, which can hamper economic activity in the short term.Despite arguments both for and against enacting a Balanced Budget Amendment, Congress needs to come to a solution regarding its fiscal policy. The Federal reserve Bank can not continue to print money to stimulate the economy, and the government can not keep spending money wastefully and hope for our economy to get better. The American People deserve a government that is responsible with its wallet and looks out for all Americans in making the economy stringer and reducing the national debt for future generations.When properly explored and drafted, and if Politicians can agree, transcend party lines and focus on getting spending and debt under control a Balanced Budget Amendment could work to makes the United States financially stronger and more prosperous than ever before. Resources O'Sullivan, Sheffrin and Perez Economics: Principles, Applications and Tools 7th Ed 2012 Azzimonti, Marina. â€Å"The Political Economy of Balanced Budget Amendments. † Business Review Q1 2013 Eddlem, Thomas R. â€Å"Before the Income Tax: How the Federal Budget Government Balanced the Budget Before 1913. The New American February 2013 McCullouch, J. Huston. â€Å" An Improved Balanced Budget Amendment. † The Independent Review Fall 2012 ——————————— [ 1 ]. McCulloch, J. Huston. An Improved Balance Budget Amendment (Art). Independent Review, Fall 2012 [ 2 ]. Azzimonti, Marina. The Political Economy of Balanced Budget Amendments (Art). Business Review, Q1 2013 [ 3 ]. Azzimonti, Marina. The Political Economy of Balanced Budget Amendments (Art). Business Review, Q1 2013

Egan’s Helping Model Essay

Preamble I found the focus of this assignment, to identify and critique three underlying assumptions of Egan’s Helping Model, rather vague. Perhaps a lesson articulating assumptions overall and applying this information to the Model would have been very helpful. The Model seems straightforward initially but the application of the sections and stages at this point seem overlapping and confusing. One needs to drill much deeper in order to academically critique the Model. After studying the Model in chapter two, my three underlying assumptions that Egan states to make the Model work is: (i) that a helper does not necessarily need to have a background in the field of psychology nor experience; (ii) helpers know how to place themselves in the speaker’s place by utilizing good empathy and active listening skills thereby creating a warm, comfortable, and safe place for the speaker; (iii) and that the Model is person centered, that a person is capable of solving their own problems successfully. My level of understanding and comprehension of the Model itself is still in the acquiring stage of learning. The actual successful application of the Model is not on my learning radar screen at this moment; therefore, to critique the Model at this point is very challenging indeed. In order to address the requirements of this paper, I will briefly describe the Model, list three assumptions, and finally, elaborate on one critiquing assumption. The thrust of Egan’s model is for a person to be able to efficiently manage and not to solve one’s difficult and sometimes uncontrollable problems and ultimately realize one’s full potential. This enables people to become better at helping themselves in their everyday lives, (Egan, 2009, pp. 7, 8). The Model is based on the three stages: explore, understand, and act. The helper should be skilled in the application of all three stages. Furthermore, this Model becomes an exercise of independence and empowerment  as well, consequently the person is central to the process and their needs drive the Model by moving the person towards action which leads to choices. The Model acts as a guide, mapping a journey of self fulfillment and self-control as the person explores options guided by the helper. The helper’s approach is based on genuineness, respect, and empathy and the principles of good and active listening. From my perspective, I feel that Egan’s Model is too simplistic. He makes too many assumptions that it will work, such as: the best person to solve a speaker’s problem is the speaker him/herself; that listeners are experienced in dealing with the diversity of problems that speakers bring to the table; and that all listeners engage the speakers genuinely, respectfully, and with empathy, utilizing good and active listening skills. That is a rather tall order for a listener to have in their â€Å"tool box.† The weakness of the model, in my view, is the leading role of the speaker and the assumed skills of the listener. Both of these assumptions dovetail into each other in terms of task completions and guidance. Of course, we are all masters of our fate; however, some folks can’t handle everyday stress as so aptly described by Shawn in the video. We tend to focus on the negative and we are constantly critiquing ourselves to do better in everything we do. We need down time and more importantly, we have to find the time to celebrate our successes and catch our breath before climbing the next mountain. Having said that, let’s return to the Model and review the speaker’s (the person struggling with problems) role. Naturally the speaker is central, otherwise he/she would not be asking for help, but speaking to a person such as myself may lead to even further problems. The Model breaks the helping process into three sections, each describing a stage of the helping and problem-solving process. Each stage is further divided into three tasks that help define the stage and the process involved. Theoretically, the application of the Model is in sequence; however, in practice I can see the tasks overlapping and then the helping process will move backwards and forward between stages. This will create  chaos if task one requires a successful completion but the helper ignores task two and moves directly to task three. Is there a vertical alignment here? Has something very important been overlooked? Then again, this brings into question the inexperience of the helper; the helper may view the process as too rigid, resulting in frustrating the helper which may result in a poorer outcome. Conversely, there can also be a tendency to rush through each stage of the process rather than develop the relationship at the speaker’s pace. The best person to solve or help the speaker with their problems is not the speaker but a trained counselor who in turn interprets the information provided by the speaker and then prepares a plan. Additionally, new problems can be introduced from under-skilled helpers and these under-skilled helpers may offer poor, inappropriate guidance through the problem-solving stages, In conclusion, I feel that Egan’s Model can be effective but at a lower degree of help. At the same time he incorrectly implies that unskilled individuals can guide a speaker to become more empowered in their everyday lives which is a noble ideal; however, the transition from being controlled by problems to self-control and empowerment is a developing process based on effective guidance/advice as well as time. Egan’s three questions: 1. What is going on? 2. What do I want instead? and 3. How might I get to what I want? seem simplistic in their own merit; however, these three stages are critical to the process and must be administered by skilled helpers. As the course evolves, I may gain confidence in implementing Egan’s listening and helping instrument as I learn more about his Model. I sincerely feel the Model is appropriate and effective under proper conditions, but the underlying assumption is the skill factor†¦a skilled helper is the key factor for successful helping. I’ve witnessed too many helpers at a university offering very poor even irrelevant advice to their â€Å"clients†. I strongly feel that experience is critical for any helper to offer guidance and advice to a student seeking counsel in course offerings, etc. References 1. Egan, Gerard. Schroeder. W., The Skilled Helper, Nelson Education Ltd., United States, 2009, 453 pages. 2. http://www.guidanceand counseling.co.uk/approaches-to-guidance-and-oun/the-egan-skilled-helper-model

The moviegoerWalker Percy essays

The moviegoerWalker Percy essays In Walker Percys story The Moviegoer, Binx Bolling, a Stockbroker on the verge of turning thirty is on a quest. Set in 1960 New Orleans during Mardi Gras Binx, an upper class southern gentleman sets out to find out about himself. Answer questions that have tugged at his soul. Questions about despair, everydayness, religion and romance. Binx is stuck in a quagmire. He must break out from this cloak of ennui and find the essence of being. But how? How can people, a person with a soul and a world at their fingertips be so inept at finding what makes them alive. Can it be found in religion or on the arm of a southern beauty? Maybe it can be found in the surrealism of a movie, or the excitement of making money. What if an answer is found? Will it frighten a person back to their everydayness? Some of these question are sound, others may be just thoughts in the authors mind, but they are questions that Binx must find out about. The following will talk about the idea of despair Binx is deathly afraid of being pulled into everydayness. That is to say that he does not want to fall into the trap of a daily, weekly of life long rut. He does not want to settle for just living just an existence. He wants to be noticed, to have the ability of excitement on a daily routine. To work hard and start a family and fight for what he thinks is a grand life. Only to realize years later that such a routine was established you never left from where you started. To Binx that is death. Not physically dead, but soulfully dead. But what is so wrong with everydayness. One could argue that everydayness could be a positive influence. Millions of people for hundreds of years have lived a life of everydayness. Has society stopped? Have people withered into tiny robots fueled by repetition? People need repetition to keep them going. Everyda ...

Euclid Essays (765 words) - Foundations Of Geometry, Euclid

Euclid Essays (765 words) - Foundations Of Geometry, Euclid Euclid Euclid is one of the most influential and best read mathematician of all time. His prize work, Elements, was the textbook of elementary geometry and logic up to the early twentieth century. For his work in the field, he is known as the father of geometry and is considered one of the great Greek mathematicians. Very little is known about the life of Euclid. Both the dates and places of his birth and death are unknown. It is believed that he was educated at Plato's academy in Athens and stayed there until he was invited by Ptolemy I to teach at his newly founded university in Alexandria. There, Euclid founded the school of mathematics and remained there for the rest of his life. As a teacher, he was probably one of the mentors to Archimedes. Personally, all accounts of Euclid describe him as a kind, fair, patient man who quickly helped and praised the works of others. However, this did not stop him from engaging in sarcasm. One story relates that one of his students complained that he had no use for any of the mathematics he was learning. Euclid quickly called to his slave to give the boy a coin because he must make gain out of what he learns. Another story relates that Ptolemy asked the mathematician if there was some easier way to learn geometry than by learning all the theorems. Euclid replied, There is no royal road to geometry and sent the king to study. Euclid's fame comes from his writings, especially his masterpiece Elements. This 13 volume work is a compilation of Greek mathematics and geometry. It is unknown how much if any of the work included in Elements is Euclid's original work; many of the theorems found can be traced to previous thinkers including Euxodus, Thales, Hippocrates and Pythagoras. However, the format of Elements belongs to him alone. Each volume lists a number of definitions and postulates followed by theorems, which are followed by proofs using those definitions and postulates. Every statement was proven, no matter how obvious. Euclid chose his postulates carefully, picking only the most basic and self-evident propositions as the basis of his work. Before, rival schools each had a different set of postulates, some of which were very questionable. This format helped standardize Greek mathematics. As for the subject matter, it ran the gamut of ancient thought. The subjects include: the transitive property, the Pythagorean theorem, algebraic identities, circles, tangents, plane geometry, the theory of proportions, prime numbers, perfect numbers, properties of positive integers, irrational numbers, 3-D figures, inscribed and circumscribed figures, LCD, GCM and the construction of regular solids. Especially noteworthy subjects include the method of exhaustion, which would be used by Archimedes in the invention of integral calculus, and the proof that the set of all prime numbers is infinite. Elements was translated into both Latin and Arabic and is the earliest similar work to survive, basically because it is far superior to anything previous. The first printed copy came out in 1482 and was the geometry textbook and logic primer by the 1700s. During this period Euclid was highly respected as a mathematician and Elements was considered one of the greatest mathematical works of all time. The publication was used in schools up to 1903. Euclid also wrote many other works including Data, On Division, Phaenomena, Optics and the lost books Conics and Porisms. Today, Euclid has lost much of the godlike status he once held. In his time, many of his peers attacked him for being too thorough and including self-evident proofs, such as one side of a triangle cannot be longer than the sum of the other two sides. Today, most mathematicians attack Euclid for the exact opposite reason that he was not thorough enough. In Elements, there are missing areas which were forced to be filled in by following mathematicians. In addition, several errors and questionable ideas have been found. The most glaring one deals with his fifth postulate, also known as the parallel postulate. The proposition states that for a straight line and a point not on the line, there is exactly one line that passes through the point parallel to the original line. Euclid was unable to prove this statement and needing it for his proofs, so he assumed it as true. Future mathematicians could not accept such a statement was unproveable and spent centuries looking for an answer. Only with the onset of non- Euclidean geometry, that replaces the statement

A Guide to the Graduate School Admissions Interview

A Guide to the Graduate School Admissions Interview If youve received an invitation to interview at a graduate school of choice, congratulate yourself. Youve made it to the short list of applicants under serious consideration for admission. If you have not received an invitation, dont fret.  Not all graduate programs interview and the popularity of admissions interviews vary by program. Heres what to expect and some tips on how to prepare so you do your very best. Purpose of the Interview The purpose of the interview is to let members of the department get a peek at you and meet you, the person, and see beyond your application. Sometimes applicants who seem like a perfect match on paper arent so in real life. What do the interviewers want to know? Whether you have what it takes to succeed in graduate school and the profession, like maturity, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation. How well do you express yourself, manage stress and think on your feet? What to Expect Interview formats vary considerably. Some programs request applicants to meet for half of an hour to an hour with a faculty member, and other interviews will be full weekend events with students, faculty and other applicants. Graduate school interviews are conducted by invitation, but the expenses are nearly always paid for by applicants. In some unusual  cases, a program may assist a promising student with travel expenses, but its not common. If youre invited to an interview, try your best to attend even if you have to pay the travel expenses. Not attending, even if its for a good reason, signals that youre not seriously interested in the program. During your interview, youll talk with several faculty members as well as students. You might engage in small group discussions with students, faculty and other applicants. Participate in discussions and demonstrate your listening skills  but do not monopolize the conversation. The interviewers might have read your application file but dont expect them to remember anything about you. Because the interviewer is unlikely to remember much about each applicant, be forthcoming about your experiences, strengths and professional goals. Be mindful of the salient facts you wish to present. How to Prepare Learn about the program and faculty. familiarize yourself with the training emphasis and faculty research interests.Review your own interests, goals, and qualifications. Note what things make you a good match for the program. Be able to explain how your goals and qualifications match what the program has to offer.Take the perspective of faculty members. What can you contribute to their graduate program and research? Why should they accept you? What skills do you bring that will help a professor advance in his or her research?Anticipate questions and rehearse potential answers.Prepare intelligent questions to ask. During the Interview Remember your goals during your interview: to convey your interest, motivation, and professionalism and to gather the information you need to determine if this is the graduate program for you.In meetings with graduate students, try to ask questions that reveal what they really think about their advisers and the program. Most students will be forthcoming especially in one-on-one conversations.Dont underestimate the potential influence of current graduate students. Present your best side because current graduate students may be in a position to help or hurt your application.Some interviews include social events like parties. Dont drink (even if others do). Remember that even though it seems like a party, its an interview. Assume that youre being evaluated at all times. Empower Yourself: Youre Interviewing Them, Too Remember that this is your chance to interview the program, its facilities, and its faculty. Youll tour the facilities and lab spaces as well as have the opportunity to ask questions. Take this opportunity to assess the school, program, faculty, and students to determine if its the right match for you. During the interview, you should evaluate the program just as the faculty is evaluating you.

The Mozart Effect Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Mozart Effect Theory - Research Paper Example The science backing this theory has not been shown to have reliability as it cannot be duplicated through subsequent testing of the same hypotheses. The popularity of the idea, however, has inspired political use of the theory in order to appeal to a public that seems to like the idea that music can affect learning in their children. The romanticism of the science has been turned into a public set of myths that have yet to be proven. The development of the Mozart Effect Theory gives power to the music written by the young composer that extends well beyond its beauty, suggesting that intelligence is affected by exposure to his writings, but the theory only has support and has yet to be definitively proven. According to Don Campbell, â€Å"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who saw, spoke, and listened to the world in creative patterns† (xiv). Campbell discusses the idea of the Mozart Effect in terms of it being miraculous. He lists a series of events that suggest that the music can do wondrous things, including that in Britain there are monks who believe that through playing Mozart’s music to their cows, the cows produce more milk. He reports that in the Washington State Immigration Department they play Mozart and other baroque music during classes for students learning to speak English because it increases learning. He also states that in Japan the Ohara Brewery will use Mozart to increase the density with which the yeast for their sake rises, creating a higher quality drink. Campbell believes that the power of music is far more than in the enjoyment of listening. Brown and Volgsten state that â€Å"the enhancement seen with Mozart is not produced with music per se but occurs with rhythmic auditory or visual stimuli of diverse kinds, and is primarily localized to operations underlying mental rotation† (146). The effect of hearing the music of Mozart or music in general seems to be that the brain responds to the rhythms produced, cr eating a sort of re-organization of thought patterns towards a reception to the information that is in the process of being learned. Brown and Volgsten suggest that the stimulation may simply be arousing, that the effect is caused by the auditory system as it is ‘perked up’ through the rhythms and sounds it is hearing. Campbell, on the other hand, cites that research done at Irvine by Francis H. Rauscher and her colleagues has shown that increased spatial reasoning occurs for about ten to fifteen minutes after listening to ten minutes of Mozart’s music. This effect may go deeper than simple stimulation of the auditory nerves which in turn stimulate brain activity. Neil-Palmer discusses how â€Å"the findings for all of the studies supported the theory that music lessons lead to an improvement in spatial reasoning, but there are contradictions as to which specific skills are affected† (33). One of the theories that Neil-Palmer discusses is that phonemic awa reness may be a part of how music stimulates increased learning. Phonemic awareness involves the way in which language is learned and how a child learns to read through the phonetics of how a word sounds. She cites a study published by Gromko in 2005 in which children were divided into an experimental group and a control group where the experimental group

Loss Prevention Personnel Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Loss Prevention Personnel - Coursework Example The coursework "Loss Prevention Personnel" discusses a type of security guard, loss prevention personnel, that is hired directly through different companies to ensure the safety of the employees, company property, and to help reduce theft in places where goods and services are sold. This kind of employee may have several responsibilities within a company depending on their experience and educational background. The benefits to these jobs give individuals the ability to illustrate their understanding of central know-hows as they are decided to depend on the guard’s environmental background, and within a short time at all, it can boost their capacities or open doors to new opportunities through additional training and on the job. LPP have advantages among competition and are more likely to be promoted from within over new hires. This opportunity increases job opportunities and getting certification credits or in a degree program that will motivate you into wanting more pay and s how off your credentials. People eligible to work in criminal justice field are drug tested asked personal questions in the hiring process and feel that revealing this material is a violation of their rights and privacy because some positions in law require personal information about you. Within polygraph testing, the questions are very personal and are also made to ask you are who you say you are and want to know about your personal being, thoughts, past, opinions, secrets, and nationality to determine if you are eligible for hire.

Leadership and management 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leadership and management 2 - Essay Example Purpose and Requirements of Commissioning for GP Consortia in the NHS The purpose and requirements of commissioning of GP Consortia in NHS is as follows: 1. The main objective of GP Consortia Commissioning is to ensure that the design and structure of the health system is unique and innovative and different (Doctors.net.uk, 2011). 2. The Commissioning calls for the designing a healthcare system, which would revolve around the needs and requirements of the patients (Doctors.net.uk, 2011). 3. It also ensures that the NHS resources are properly utilized. Principles and Practice of Commissioning in the NHS Commissioning in the NHS is considered a method and approach, which concentrates on delivering healthcare facilities and services to the general population. Furthermore, the approach is based on the needs and requirements of the patient. The process of commissioning is considered to be â€Å"complex process with responsibilities ranging from assessing population needs, prioritizing he alth outcomes, procuring products and services, and managing service providers† (Department of Health Website, 2011).  Ã‚  In simple terms, commission in the NHS is considered to be the procedure and a methodology, which concentrates on delivery of healthcare resources to the general public. The principles of Commissioning in the NHS are as follows: 1. ... 5. â€Å"Using commissioning not just to retain existing services or commission new ones but, where necessary, to decommission services which are inefficient, ineffective, inequitable or unsustainable† (GP Commissioning Consortia, 2010). 6. Striving for constant and ongoing improvement and enhancement in the healthcare system. 7. Ensuring that performance of the healthcare system is enhanced and improved. Commissioning Process in the NHS The first step is to understand the process of commissioning in the NHS. The Commissioning process in the NHS calls for identification and recognition of the intended healthcare outcomes. Furthermore, it calls for meeting the needs and demands of the general public along with proper utilization of resources and priorities (Department of Health Website, 2011). For this purpose, it is essential to identify the needs and requirements of the public. Healthcare providers are considered to be the main providers of information and knowledge in the st age of understanding. Based on their perspective, services and facilities are designed in accordance to the need and requirements of the public. After the identification of needs and requirements, it is essential to make an assessment. The process of assessment concentrates on delivering services in an effective manner, opting for the best and sustainable option (GP Commissioning Consortia, 2010). The next step calls for the implementation of the commissioning strategies and ensuring that the resources are utilized in a proper way. After the implementation of commissioning strategies, it is essential to review and report the intended outcomes. How a Medical Practice can become Part of a Practice

Sentencing and the Eighth Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sentencing and the Eighth Amendment - Essay Example clearly states that if a person is convicted more than two times for minor offenses, the third strike will either lead to a 25 year jail term or life imprisonment (Schmalleger, 2006). It was unfair to jail a person for life because he stole a bottle of vitamins. Furthermore, the court viewed the matter as a petty theft due to hunger, but the law had to be applied. Similar cases of certiorari denial will probably appear in future. This is due to the recent increase of offenses all across America, California included. Shoplifting is not something new, and the trend appears not to be dropping soon (Schmalleger, 2006). According to the California courts, the three strikes law will always apply to offenders with more than three criminal records. This can only be changed if the courts decide to amend their law. The three strikes law should apply only to severe and serious crimes. The same case applies here. It is rare for a court to go against its laws and judge a case out of common sense (Schmalleger, 2006). Hence, if a case such as Riggs is heard in the future, then the verdict will still be the same. This could only change if the courts decide to amend their

Philosophy Of Education And Methods Of Teaching Essay - 1

Philosophy Of Education And Methods Of Teaching - Essay Example Education is a serious matter. It must be taken as such. A lot of planning and skilled in dealing with pupils is necessary. As a teacher, I have to tread slowly, steadily and carefully for I have to be dealing with sensitive and impressionable precious human pupils. Philosophy brings forth rightful action. It provides the real cohesive force and necessary academic bonding among the students and the teacher. It leads to the evolving of a conducive environ from within and without. 'Catch them white and dye them hard' has been the aim of education in earlier years since time immemorial. This trend is changing today. Education and teaching are not just lecturing by the teacher. Creativity has to be there. Education is no more where 'rule rules the roost'. Caning of students is no more advisable. A teacher has to teach along while remaining as a friend to students. Philosophy is wisdom, knowledge, virtue, and truth. It is paradigmatic from within. It is always there. Philosophy has an element of timelessness in it. It is dynamic though it does not change. There is a generally accepted notion that 'change is the law of nature'. True it is. Yet, this law by itself does not change. That's how philosophy does not change. Despite this, it is not static but vibrant. Philosophy, as such, represents a way of life. Philosophy may differ from person to person because every individual interprets and understands the philosophy of life in one's own way. Indeed, the reality of philosophy is difficult to grasp fully. As many ways of realizing the ultimate truth are, therefore, amongst us as there are individuals in this world. The ultimate goal is, however, one only. This is the goal of knowing one's own self. This goal is pursued knowingly and, at times, unknowingly. The latter is the case when we do not know where and in which direction we are going while living on this spaceship Earth.

Marriage in Reformed China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marriage in Reformed China - Essay Example In China, marriage reform began in 1949. Women’s rights were a personal interest of Mao Zedong's, and a common issue amongst intellectuals. Up until this time arranged or forced marriages, concubinage and the inability to get a divorce influenced the lives of many women. Chairman Mao enacted the New Marriage Law of 1950 which marked a radical change from existing patriarchal Chinese marriage traditions. Through the marriage law of 1950, everybody in China was given freedom to choose his or her partner in marriage. However, meeting potential mates especially in the countryside was not easy, hence low chances of getting a marriage partner (Niida, 2010, p.2). There was limited privacy for courtship and in the villages, flirting or close conversation between unmarried women and men was not allowed. Parents usually proposed or chose matches for their daughters and sons. This was because, even with the new law, marriages were between families rather than just between individuals. So cial classes Social class refers to grouping of people based on their economic status. In China social class was one of determining factors in 1950’s .This is because marriage was taken to be an affair of the two marrying parties and their parents at such a time. Moreover, it was expectation of the society that the two marrying parties came from the same class in terms of social status. In a situation in which the two matches came from different social classes it was expected that the groom’s family was of a higher status as compared to bride’s status. The New Marriage Law, enacted by Mao himself, removed previous restrictions on marriage such as kin prohibitions, in order to further the notion of â€Å"Free-choice Marriage.† Now individuals were free to marry based on their own preference and not the opinion of others, race, social status, occupation or property (Croll, 1981). Furthermore, a significant change was seen in marriages in the1960’s si nce inherited wealth which was a significant figure was eliminated. This occurred because prior to the law, marriages were often a political or financial alignment between two families, designed to further the interests of both. The changes in law meant that people of varied social classes could marry one another. However, was still expected that the groom should be of a higher social class than the bride. Eventually new criteria for the ideal marriage partner were often socially created based on political consciousness, although relationships and marriages were still sometimes formed on other ideas. Zhitong dahoe or a political and ideological agreement became a sought after quality in potential relationships. Many magazines and periodicals of the time began supporting the idea that one’s spouse should share similar political views, attitude towards work, style of life and quality of thinking. Such philosophies paved the way for what anthropologists call heterogamous marriag es between people of varying professions like laborers and educated professionals (Croll, 1981). Marriage choice and the establishment of alliances have been attributed to problems of stratification and socio-economic differentiation in China for years. Anthropologists and social theorists differenciate between closed marriage systems that suggest a spouse be chosen from one or more designated socio-economic categories and open marriage system that allow almost much anything except for incestuous relationships (Watson,

Philosophy Of Education And Methods Of Teaching Essay - 1

Philosophy Of Education And Methods Of Teaching - Essay Example Education is a serious matter. It must be taken as such. A lot of planning and skilled in dealing with pupils is necessary. As a teacher, I have to tread slowly, steadily and carefully for I have to be dealing with sensitive and impressionable precious human pupils. Philosophy brings forth rightful action. It provides the real cohesive force and necessary academic bonding among the students and the teacher. It leads to the evolving of a conducive environ from within and without. 'Catch them white and dye them hard' has been the aim of education in earlier years since time immemorial. This trend is changing today. Education and teaching are not just lecturing by the teacher. Creativity has to be there. Education is no more where 'rule rules the roost'. Caning of students is no more advisable. A teacher has to teach along while remaining as a friend to students. Philosophy is wisdom, knowledge, virtue, and truth. It is paradigmatic from within. It is always there. Philosophy has an element of timelessness in it. It is dynamic though it does not change. There is a generally accepted notion that 'change is the law of nature'. True it is. Yet, this law by itself does not change. That's how philosophy does not change. Despite this, it is not static but vibrant. Philosophy, as such, represents a way of life. Philosophy may differ from person to person because every individual interprets and understands the philosophy of life in one's own way. Indeed, the reality of philosophy is difficult to grasp fully. As many ways of realizing the ultimate truth are, therefore, amongst us as there are individuals in this world. The ultimate goal is, however, one only. This is the goal of knowing one's own self. This goal is pursued knowingly and, at times, unknowingly. The latter is the case when we do not know where and in which direction we are going while living on this spaceship Earth.

Dexter Morgen- Vigilante Serial Killer Essay Example for Free

Dexter Morgen- Vigilante Serial Killer Essay To those who disagree with the stance of fictional vigilantly heroes such as Dexter Morgan, in effort to convince them that the vigilante’s actions have earned societys full support, the offenses commonly lain against them will be disproved and a new perspective will be given to support them. Dexter is a serial killer in Miami, FL from Dexter, a series on Showtime; however Dexter only kills murderers. Dexter is considered a felon and his actions are a capitol offense. Many would consider that grounds for Dexter to be thrown into jail, or even face death-row. But look at all the murder we allow and encourage today. Our military is trained to kill Americas enemies. While not everyone approves of war and while no one enjoys it, war is a part of our past and will be a part of our future. If nothing else, war must be accepted. Killing has gone on since the beginning of human history- whether that is Cain and Able, or the war between Sumer and Elam. Who gets to decide who is an enemy of America? The obvious answer is Congress. But Congress is a group of elected officials here to serve its people. Our government of the people, by the people, and for the people is created for us. So ultimately we decide who our enemies are. We the people decided who we go to war with- who we kill. How do we decide who is an enemy of America? There are many acceptable answers such as: any one who threatens our interests, any one who disagrees with our laws, or any one who attacks our country. September 11, 2001 a terrorist organization known as Al-Qaeda attacked America by sending planes through the World Trade Centers in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. Al-Qaeda unjustly killed 3,000 Americans and Americans justly kill people like this every day. If killing and war are accepted responses to threats posed against the way we live, then who makes the distinction between what killing is just and when killing is necessary. The answer is simple- the law. This topic no longer becomes a moral issue but an issue of law. If Dexter, like our troops over seas, is killing murders then morally Dexter has support. But not full support- not support from the law. There is no arguing murder is against the law, but there are no doubt exceptions. The military is a great example of citizens who, by our laws, can kill. These men are legally allowed to, or licensed, to kill. These are the citizens who kill murders that have or will murder Americans if given the chance. These murderers exist not only over seas, but also in America- killing 16,000 Americans annually. The court system will do the best they to capture them, but what happens when they fail? When citizens stand up against a crook, murderer, or rapist, the punishment lies with the man who rid the world of the injustice; the man that can not let injustice stand is the man that the law says is out of hand. Why should the good be punished? Murder is usually considered an act of passion. Its usually a one time thing which is why most murderers dont get the death penalty. However, certain acts of passion fit the bill on who should get killed in the electric chair. A man who rapes and murderers victims deserves a much more severe punishment than the man who shot that felon. Most wouldnt mind that the rapist was killed and most would believe that the man who shot the rapist had a good mind to do it. If these actions were perfectly legal, it would spark a movement. A movement that would result in the death or thousand of people who believe they are capable of killing felons too. A movement begun with the good intention of cleaning up our streets that will end with them covered in blood. Civilians should not be encouraged to fight crime. But just like policemen and detectives, with training they can. A license to kill these murderers is the best weapon against them. A process should be set in place to allow for this. When the system fails, these licensed killers can put to rest those who murder. Dexter must find proof of the murderers guilt. It is part of his â€Å"code.† A set of rules made for what person he can kill. Dexter can only kill someone who is a murder, for no condonable reason. If Dexter finds this proof, he is free to kill. Why not make the code the description for who a licensed killer can kill? This will lower the rates of overall death tolls and will stop other murderers who kill for a morally wrong reason or for none at all. If Dexter can kill legally, he has then earned all the support he needs. Dexter doesnt need to be famous, he doesn’t need to have to world accept him, he just needs understanding. He has urges to kill, so why not use them for good? Dexters dark side could be used to created a brighter world, because there can be no light without the dark. If Dexter could be given a license to kill, we all would be in a safer place.

Terrorism and Religion in Kenya

Terrorism and Religion in Kenya EXPLORATION OF THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN TERRORISM RELIGION AND THE IMPACT ON PEACE STABILITY IN KENYA 1. Introduction 1.1 Background to the Research The growing trends of terrorism in Africa, and in the region of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development [IGAD] in particular within which Kenya finds itself, have become a serious concern for security. Its impact on peace and economic development is significantly negative. Many lives have been lost, and fear and anxiety in the people is slowly creeping in. Kenya serves as an epitome of the phenomenon of terrorism taking place in the globe, and the IGAD region in particular. All these reasons necessitated the undertaking of this research at the micro level (i.e., Kenya). Through this study, the authors hope to present a complete grasp of the nature of terrorism and its development in Kenya, with a view to making contributions towards the knowledge of terrorism and addressing it. It is difficult to give a universally acceptable definition of terrorism. Because of its dependence on the historical contexts it appears, its definition is embedded in one’s political position and ideological or religiousviews. What one may call terrorism in one context another may consider it a legitimate action. This poses a challenge to term an actor a ‘terrorist’.Some governments, groups and individuals use terrorising activities for different purposes. For these reasons, here the term ‘terrorism’ rather than ‘terrorist’ is preferred. Terrorism is, therefore, a set of premeditated actions or strategies adopted by non-state (groups or individuals) or state actors against ordinary and targeted notable people to further certain political, social, or religious purposes (Sandler, 2011; Ramsbotham, Woodhouse and Miall, 2011). Without prejudice to state and government terrorist activities existing in some non-democratic countries, this research will focus more on the violent activities perpetrated by the non-state actors. The actors in terrorism use strategies intended to causeextreme anxiety and fear in a wider population, who – theactors hope – wouldin turn pressurize their governments into acceding to the perpetrator/s’ demands. We consider ‘terrorist act’ any form of action that intentionally force people into submission to the will and wish of the actor under the pain of physical and psychological harm (including destruction of life and property). Terrorist activities are not recent phenomenon, although the magnitude of its violence and casualties of our time is impressive. Today, at the dawn of the 21st century, the world experiences the era of the politico-religious wave terrorism. Putting aside the harrowing and terrorizing local experiences of terrorist activities in individual countries throughout the world (e.g., pogroms, criminal activities of groups, of drag cartels and gangs, and state sponsored activities in some countries), the major â€Å"waves of terrorism†(Rapoport, 2008) indicate the growing trends of terrorism globally. Today’s form of terrorism has grown more complicated and transnational, which the IGAD region and Kenya in particular experiences. The experience of Africa of the politico-religious terrorism is recent and growing phenomenon. It is continuing in some countries and emerging in other countries of the Continent. In Northern Africa, it has been off and on: Algeria Mali, Niger and Mauritania have been struggling with Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb since 2001, with another break away branch â€Å"Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa† (MOJWA) in mid-2011 led by a black African, perhaps in reaction to Algerian Arab domination. It remains an al Qaida inspired group. Egypt has a long experience of on-and-off attacks. Somalia in Eastern Africa has been a place for the new breed of terrorism, Al Shabab with links to Al Quida. The Boko Haram, a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist sect began in 2002 with one Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri, the capital of the north-eastern state of Borno, Nigeria, with a complex religious school that attracted young people from the country and its neighbours. The students came mainly fr om poor Muslim families. It has moved to a radical militant Islamist movement, a salafist jihadi group with the influence of Wahhabi creed, with expressed claim of commitment to the propagation of the teaching of Prophet and Jihad, and strict adherence to sharia law, and with vision of changingNigeria into an Islamic state. It is continuing with devastating activities in Nigeria, particularly since 2009,and now (in 2014) expanding even into northern Cameroon. The IGAD region of Africa is rife with terrorism perpetrated by the non-state actors.IGAD region comprises eight countries, namely Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, with its headquarters in Djibouti City. It was founded in 1986 to address the serious sufferings and challenges caused by famine, natural disasters, and economic hardships in the Eastern Africa Region. Today, with its new organisational structure, the member countries cooperate in the areas of foodsecurity and environmental protection; promotion and maintenance of peace and security and humanitarian affairs; and economic cooperation and integration (IGAD, http://igad.int/). The region has an estimated population of 242,226,382 according to the July 2014 CIA’s The World Factbook, and suffers constant threat of terrorism, the experience of which is being deeply felt in Kenya Kenya’s population, according The World Factbook, is estimated to be 45,010,056.The Christians account for the majority of the population (82.5%), followed by Muslims (11.1%) according to the Population and Housing Census of 2009. In the IGAD region, Kenya it has been the host of the largest refugee population, although at the moment with the flow of South Sudanese refugees Ethiopia contains slightly more refugee population. Kenya has experienced terrorism by non-state actors since 1950s. The shifta activities in the northern Kenya, and the ensuing state actions were forms of terrorism. Today, Kenya suffers from both national and transnational acts of politico-religious terrorism. The country has been employing different mechanisms of addressing the problem of non-state form of terrorism, mainly focusing on military means but also in recent times through constitutional reforms to address the sources. These have not shown reduction in terrorism; the experience of nationalist form of terrorism is continuing; the politico-religious form of terrorism is rising. Globally, the period starting from the 2004 pick of terrorism incidents to 2008 showed a considerable decline in international terrorist attacks(Ramsbotham et al., 2011, p. 80). But the situations today in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, northern Africa, and the IGAD regionare no consolation to us. It shows the exponential rise of terrorism in these parts of the regions of the world. The 2014 Global Peace Index Report concludes: â€Å"The world has become less peaceful every year since 2008† (p. 2). This indicates the importance of better understanding of the nature of the conflict and its trends to be able to face the challenge. 1.2 Statement of the Problem Kenya faces a more aggressive, dynamic and destructive form of terrorism with tactics causing a great physical, psychological, and economic damages to the society. The approaches that have been used so far appear to be ineffective. There is a need to assess the nature of terrorism and the mechanisms that have been applied in addressing it. 1.3 Purpose of the Study This research explores the nature of terrorism and mechanisms available in addressing it. 1.4 Objectives of the Study To determine the relationship between terrorism and religion To document trends in terrorism in Kenya To determine the effect of terrorism on peace and development To determine feasibility conditions of terrorism To determine mechanisms of combating terrorism 1.5 Research Questions What is the relationship between terrorism and religion? Are there trends in terrorism in Kenya? What effects does terrorism have on peace and development? What are the feasibility conditions of terrorism? What mechanisms are available in combating terrorism? 1.6 Theoretical Framework This research uses two complementary theories: theory of good governance and theory of strong state. (The assumptions of these theories will be added). 1.7 Justification of the Study To make contribution towards the knowledge of terrorism Offer comprehensive analysis on terrorism in Kenya for policy makers Offer recommendations relevant for the process of addressing the problem 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Understanding the Link between Religion and Terrorism In the literature, there seem to be two broad categories into which the scholars argue: those who consider religion as not being the cause of terrorism, but instead argue that the causes for violence are due to politics or societal problems (extreme poverty, hunger, etc.) (Jackson, 2007; Mamdani, 2002; Ehrlich Liu 2002; Frisch, 2005;Mousseau, 2002). The second category includes scholars who argue that religion is among the main driving forces of terror(Crenshaw, 2000; Pearce, 2005;Silberman, Higgins Dweck,2005;Cliteur, 2010; Rid, 2010; KruglanskiFishman, 2006; Horowitz, 2009). Both groups agree that that religion is not ‘the’ cause of terrorism. However, these authors have not investigated specific religious motivations involved in the terrorism. This research tries to examine more specifically the religious motivations provided by Islam that draws recruits in Kenya, so as to better understand and address the issue. 2.2 Feasibility conditions of Terrorism A number of factors breed terrorism. The most common factors cited in most of the literature include external support (Pillar, 2001; Campbell Flournoy, 2001), repressive governments (Regan, 2005;Bjoro, 2003; Netanyahu, 2001; Carson, 2005), extremist religious ideologies (CilliersSturman 2002;Moustapha, 2002), and socio-economic conditions among the Muslim populations (Campbell Flournoy, 2001; Pillar, 2001 ;Carson ,2005). 2.3 Impact of terrorism in Kenya Despite Kenya being a victim of repeated terrorist attacks, not much literature is available covering the impact the threat has had on the country in terms of peace and security. Some literature relevant to this research highlight the socioeconomic impacts of the threat (Lecey, 2004;Barkan Cooke, 2001; Muhula, 2007; Downing, 2006 ). This research to determine the extent to which terrorism has affected Kenya. 2.4 Combating Terrorism Some elements of an effective counterterrorism strategy relevant to this research, cited by various authors, are public diplomacy and information campaigns(Pillar, 2001); legislation; financial controls (Pillar, 2001;Thomas et al. 2004) and socioeconomic development (Lee, 2004;Campbell Flournoy, 2001); use of military force (Netanyahu, 2001;Juergensmeyer, 2001); and creation of a specialized judicial system for terrorism suspects (Hoffman and Morrison, 2000; Netanyahu, 2001; Shapiro Benedict, 2003). International collaboration is also another aspect that has been underscored (Ramsbotham et al., 2011). How much these will be effective in addressing Terrorism in Kenya will be discussed. 3. METHODOLOGY The research plan hopes to achieve the objectives through multiple answering of the research questions thereby coming up with answers that are social science empirical research knowledge. This knowledge will not only make a contribution to what is already known about the nature and dynamics of terrorism in Kenya, but also be valuable in terms of informing policy in Kenya as is synoptically described below. Research Site Areas of Eastern and Northern Kenya and also selected urban places of the country as a whole Population Adult men and women who are knowledgeable direct (experience based) or indirect (Secondary source based) about terrorist and terrorism in Kenya. Strategy One- off cross-sectional survey will be used. Specifically, because the research will be guided by questions and not hypotheses, descriptive rather than analytic cross-sectional survey will be employed in the collection of data from the sampled population. Thus the prime purpose will be to provide descriptive estimates of the purview of actors in terrorism, terror acts and terrorism. Sampling Due in part to opting to be guided by research questions rather than hypotheses, the probability sampling principle will be relaxed in large measure but not totally dispensed with because of the need to provide estimates of parameters of dynamics of terrorism in Kenya, taking into account Kenyas neighbours ( Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda). The Sample will be constructed from individuals well selected purposefully to meet quotas deemed to be important or salient to getting to know and understand terroristic phenomena what they mean, what they entail, what they imply, what they deny, and what to do about them solely in the interest of socio-economic development praxis in Kenya. Data Collection Procedures Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected from respondents through questionnaire, structured and unstructured interview and focus group discussions. Tentative Budget Budget lines Amount in USD Preparation and Development of Research tools 800 Training of Research Assistants 1,200 Field Research 4,500 Technical Assistance for Data Analysis 1,200 Report Writing 400 Validation Workshop 1,000 Printing Binding and Distribution 900 Logistics (Stationary, Communication, Internet) 1,500 Allowance for Lead researcher and Research Assistants 3,500 Grand Total 15,000 Bibligography Barkan, Joel D., and Jennifer G. Cooke.2001. U.S. Policy Towards Kenya in the Wake of September 11, Can Antiterrorist Imperatives be Reconciled with Enduring U.S. Foreign Policy Goals? Africa Center for Strategic Studies web page article on-line. http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/anotes_0112.pdf. Internet.Accessed December 2014. Bjorgo, Tore. 2003. Finding for an International Expert Meeting in Oslo on Terrorism. Conference, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs 9-11 June. Norway. Campbell, Kurt M., and Michele A. Flournoy. 2001. To Prevail, An America Strategy for the Campaign against Terrorism. Washington, DC: Center for Africa Strategic Studies. Carson, Johnnie. (2005). Kenya the Struggle Against Terrorism. inRotberg, I. Robert (ed). Battling Terrorism in the Horn of Africa. World Peace Foundation, Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC CIA.The World Factbook.https://www.cia.gov/index.html Cilliers, Jakkie, and Kathryn Sturman. 2002. Africa and Terrorism, Joining the Global Campaign, Monograph 74, July. Pretoria. Institute for Security Studies. Article on web page.Available online from www.iss.co.za/ PUBS/MONOGRAPHS/NO74 /Chap1.html.Internet.Accessed December, 2014. Cliteur, Paul B.(2010) â€Å"Religion and Violence or the Reluctance to Study This Relationship.† Forum Philosophicum15. Crenshaw, Martha.(2000) â€Å"The Psychology of Terrorism: An Agenda for the 21st Century.† Political Psychology 21.2. Downing Wyne.( 2006). Al Qaidas (Mis) Adventures in The Horn of Africa. Harmony Project, Combating Terrorism Centre, Westpoint, USA Ehrlich, Paul R. and Jianguo Liu. (2002)â€Å"Some Roots of Terrorism.†Population and Environment 24.2. Frisch, Hillel. (2005) â€Å"Has the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Become Islamic?Fatah, Islam, and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades.†Terrorism and Political Conflict 17.3. Horowitz, Michael C. (2009)â€Å"Long Time Going: Religion and the Duration of Crusading.† International Security 34.2. IGAD.http://igad.int/ Institute for Economics and Peace. (2004). Five Key Questions Answered on the Link between Peace and Religion. http://www.ecomomicsand peace.org Jackson, Richard. (2007) â€Å"Constructing Enemies: ‘Islamic Terrorism’ in Political and Academic Discourse.†Government and Opposition 42.3 Kruglanski, Arie and Shira Fishman. (2006) â€Å"The Psychology of Terrorism: â€Å"Syndrome† Versus â€Å"Tool† Perspectives.† Terrorism and Political Violence 18 Lecey, Marc. (2004). Threat of Terrorism Hurts Kenya Tourism. The New York Times, January. Available on-line from http://proquest.umi/pqdweb? Mamdani,Mahmood. (2002) â€Å"Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: A Political Perspective on Culture and Terrorism.† American Anthropologist 104.3. Mousseau, Michael (2002). â€Å"Market Civilization and its Clash With Terror.† International Security 27.3 Moustapha, Hassouna. (2002). Why Radicals Find Fertile Ground in Moderate Kenya, President Bush met with Kenya President Moi to Discuss Security issues. The Christian Science Monitor, 6 December. Article on-line. Available from http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1206/p07s02-woaf.html.Internet.Accessed December 2014. Muhula, Raymond. (2007). Kenya and the Global war on Terrorism: Searching for a New Role in a New War in Davis, John (ed). Africa on the War on Terrorism, Ashgate, Burlington, USA Netanyahu, Benjamin. (2001). Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies can Defeat the International Terrorist Network. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Pearce, Susanna. â€Å"Religious Rage: A Quantitative Analysis of the Intensity of Religious Conflicts.† Terrorism and Political Conflict 17.3 (2005). Pillar, Paul. (2001). Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. Ramsbotham, O., Woodhouse, T., Miall, H.( 2011) Contemporary Conflict Resolution (3rdedition). Cambridge: Polity Press Rapoport, D. C. (2008).Terrorism.In Lester Kurtz (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, Conflict (2nd edition), Vol. 3 (pp. 2087 – 2104). London, New York, and Amsterdam: Elsevier. Rid, Thomas (2010). â€Å"Cracks in the Jihad.†ASPJ-Africa and Francophonie 1.3 Sandler, T. (2011). New frontiers of terrorism research: An introduction. Journal of Peace Research, 48(3), 279–286. Shapiro, Jeremy, and Benedict Susan. (2003). The French Experience of Counterterrorism. Washington, DC: The International Institute for Strategic Studies. Silberman, Israela,E. Tory Higgins, and Carol S. Dweck (2005). â€Å"Religion and World Change: Violence and Terrorism versus Peace.† Journal of Social Issues 61.4 Thomas, Kean H., Lee H. Hamilton, Ben-Veniste Richard, Kerrey Bob, Lehman F. John, Fielding F. Fred, Roemer J. Timothy, Gorelick S. Jamie, Gorton Slade, and Thomson R. James. (2004). The September 11-Commission Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States Executive Summary. Washington DC: United State Congress. 1