Sex Education Is Important For A Student s Comprehensive...

+ Sex is important. Every human life is the result of someone having sex. So why has sex education become such a controversy? The entirety of the issue seems to fit under a cloud of scandal, because almost every topic is slightly taboo. Sex education however, is vital and absolutely necessary for a student’s comprehensive education. Students, parents, and teachers begin to hit roadblocks when human dignity and social inequalities begin to cause issues and misconceptions about sex education. When one is informed about what sex education really is, the issues within sex education that need to be faced, and how communication can create more solutions, the understanding of how sex education should be handled will naturally increase. The difficult and controversial topic of sex education is inundated with complicated issues, however with the help of increased education and communication, more solutions can be found for our most challenging problems. Sex education is a program that can teach students about multiple facets of sex, the anatomy of male and female bodies, and relationships leading up to sex. Unfortunately, more often than not, sex education does not cover over all of these topics. Depending on the school or program certain elements of the education process may be withheld from students. In her 2008 book, Risky Lessons: Sex Education and Social Inequality, Jessica Fields discusses how the North Carolina school board chose to omit three chapters from their sexShow MoreRelatedShould Sex Education Be Taught? Abstinence Only Education?1397 Words   |  6 PagesSexual education in schools has become a highly controversial topic over the past few years. Some people believe students should be taught abstinence-only education, while others believe students need the full on â€Å"sex talk†. While the sex education controversy may seem silly, it is very important that students receive the most efficient education possib le. When it comes to education parents want their children to receive the most effective kind. This is also very true in terms of sex education. SexRead MoreSex Education For Public Schools1426 Words   |  6 PagesSex Education Research Paper Sex education being taught in public schools is a reoccurring topic in many schools. More recently, it has also caught the attention of the public again due to rising unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease among young teenagers in the US over the last decade or so. â€Å"Each year, U.S. teens experience as many as 850,000 pregnancies, and youth under age 25 experience about 9.1 million sexually transmitted infections† (McKeon). Sex Education is attempting toRead MoreSex Education Is An Important, Emotional And Controversial1645 Words   |  7 PagesSex education is an important, emotional and controversial topic to teach youth in today’s world. The question is, what is the best information, and the best way to teach them? Comprehensive sex education is teaching teens how to practice safe sex, providing teens with types of protection, and how to use it, as well as services and resources available to help them in making decisions to practice safe sex. Abst inence-only programs teach teens to not have sex, or anything â€Å"arousing† until marriageRead MoreThe, Birds And The Bees Analogy1575 Words   |  7 PagesSex is a very awkward subject to talk about especially for parents to their children, as it brings up thoughts and topics over raging hormones and actions. Ever since humans have evolved through time, sex has been imperative to survival by sharing various genetics, skills, and traits from both parties. Seems easy enough? Not necessarily. Even if parents do use the classic ‘birds and the bees’ analogy for discuss this scandalous subject, children are still curious about how it works and wish to exploreRead MoreSex Education And Sexual Education948 Words   |  4 Pagesdecline is comprehensive sex education taught in schools. One the other hand, the opponents believe that the reason for this decline is the sex education classes that teach about not having sex. Even when most schools are teaching abstinences only sex education about sixty-six percent of high school students says they are sexually active. Which concludes that the abstinences only sex education is not working and is not the proper way of teaching sex education in schools. Not teaching proper sex educationRead MoreSex Education in the U.S. and Japan Essay1202 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen discussed for decades to decrease teenage pregnancy and sex related diseases. According to The National Campaign to prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (2013), the U.S. has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy among developed countries, and about sixty eight girls per thousand became pregnant in 2008. To change this situation, the U.S. provides two kinds of sex education: abstinence-only sex education and comprehensive sex education. In contrast, Japan has one of the lowest rates among developedRead MoreShould Sex Education Be A Part Of The Necessary Curriculum?1321 Words   |  6 PagesThe debate over whether or not sex education sho uld be a part of the necessary curriculum has been a popular topic of controversy since the 1960s (Pardini). Sex education is defined as â€Å"[a] broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, and other aspects of human sexual behavior† (â€Å"Sex Education†, Science Daily). Today in the United States, many people no longer feel that sex is a topic to be ignored or not mentioned in â€Å"polite society,†Read MoreAbstinence-only vs. Abstinence-plus1607 Words   |  7 Pagesare bigger than the issue of underage sex, and all the issues stemming from it. The number of teenagers becoming sexually active, pregnant, and contracting sexually transmitted diseases are rapidly on the rise. There is no simple fix, or easy solution to this problem. Sex education should begin at home, and extend to include an effective program in schools that reinforce a clear message of abstaining from sexual activity in additi on to informing students of the risks posed by engaging in sexualRead MoreSample Resume : Comprehensive Sex Education887 Words   |  4 PagesMentor: Cruickshank BACKGROUND EQ: SHOULD COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION BE TAUGHT IN US PUBLIC SCHOOLS? While abstinence-only sex education discusses solely abstinence, comprehensive sex education provides information about various areas of human sexuality and methods to practice safe and healthy sexual behaviors. To fully understand the controversy surrounding comprehensive sexual education, one need to obtain knowledge about the history of sex education in the United States, legislation, classRead MoreThe Significance Of Sex Education982 Words   |  4 PagesOctober 2017 The Significance of Sex Education As teenagers start to grow up, they face with many difficult decisions about relationship and sexual behavior in their lives. It can impact their lives, health and behavior. To make sure that your children follow the right path to live a healthy life, sex education can prepare them to make good decisions. If you are not sexually active, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give up your chance to learn about it. Sex education shouldn’t be limited to teenagers

The Killer Angels By John M. Skipper Essay - 781 Words

History 1301 John M. Skipper The Killer Angels is a historic backstory of the days leading up to the Civil War. The story is told from multiple viewpoints including Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, George Meade, and Winfield Scott Hancock. It is mentioned the Army of Northern Virginia is moving behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, and that the Army of Potomac is also moving, but is traveling very slow. This is one of the characteristics which plagued them throughout the war. Shaara gives insight to the background of both Armies. He described the Confederates as a unified group with soldiers of the same background, while the Union is the exact opposite. Its men are very divided soldiers fighting for unification. There is one similarity between the two sides which stands out more than all the others; both sides are ready for the final showdown. Shaara gives insight into this by hinting towards the conflict, yet never telling the reader directly. This causes the reader to be drawn deeper into the story anticipating wha t will happen next. There are illustrations showing movement of the Confederate and the Union armies, an epilogue, and an afterword stating the events after the Battle of Gettysburg. In the foreword, Sharra tells the reader the purpose of the book is to educate the reader on the history of the battle, but also give insight into the soldier’s thoughts. Sharra also writes that out of all the historic writings about the battle, he chose to use letters,

Post 1914 Drama Essay Example For Students

Post 1914 Drama Essay Written in 1947, J.B. Priestleys didactic murder-mystery, An Inspector Calls, accentuates the fraudulent Edwardian era in which the play was set. Britain in 1912 was inordinately different to Britain in 1947, where a country annihilated by war was determined to right the wrongs of a society before them. In 1912 Britain was at the height of Edwardian society, known as the Golden Age. A quarter of the globe was coloured red, denoting the vast and powerful Empire and all Britons, no matter what class they belonged to were proud to be British the best nation in the world. Theatres, musicals, proms concerts and films entertained the growing population. The upper classes led such a lavish life of luxury that the Edwardian era is now infamous for its elegance, ostentation, extravagance and sexual license. However despite the illusions of these secure times this epoch was full of hypocrisy, prejudice and exploitation. There was a huge divide between the upper and lower classes and the difference between the affluent lifestyle the wealthy lived compared to the downtrodden existence of the poor was remarkable.  In 1947 Britain had just come to the end of a devastating world war where families had suffered immense losses and society was desperate for a fairer, more equal lifestyle. Socialism and left-wing Labour views were becoming increasingly popular and Priestley, himself a Socialist, was anxious to point out the flaws of a society which rewarded rich men who openly exploited the poor for profit. He effectively uses hindsight in his play to ensure the corruption, hierarchy and discrimination of Edwardian Britain was not repeated. There is an irrefutable message in Priestleys thriller, a feeling felt by many Socialists at the time. Being responsible for oneself, it was thought, was not enough, if one wishes to obtain a fairer society then one must accept responsibility for others. Priestley believed that the upper classes have wealth and influence and therefore have responsibility for the way in which society is organised. He argues that the upper classes control what happens to the lower classes and that this power must be exercised with care. He is trying to convey to the audience the need for personal responsibility and also responsibility for the way in which our actions affect others. In the play Priestley explores the diverse aspects of responsibility. He relates these ideas to the Birling family although the family members are stereotypes representing people at the time. Mr. Birling is ascribed very Capitalist views and believes A man has to make his own way has to look after himself. These clearly contrast the views portrayed by the Inspector, Priestleys mouthpiece in the play, which are very socialist. We dont live alone. We are members of one body we are responsible for each other. The character Mrs. Birling automatically tries to pass the blame and responsibility of the suicide of Eva Smith onto someone else, willingly creating a scapegoat, Go and look for the father of the child, its his responsibility, she tells the Inspector. Although Sheila Birlings views are more socialist she represents the younger generation in society, she is more concerned with fashion, her appearance and family life, rather that the controversial political and social views of the time. The play as a whole is addressed to all of society and the characters are purposefully created for the audience to be able to relate to them. There are four main roles played by the clear-thinking Inspector. As well as representing Priestley and being his mouthpiece in the play he acts as a narrator, summarising key events for the audience and as a conscience for each individual family member. He also portrays a traditional policeman of the time with a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses before actually speaking. This immediately unnerves and discomfits a person. .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e , .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .postImageUrl , .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e , .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e:hover , .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e:visited , .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e:active { border:0!important; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e:active , .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u906e6b583da9584e1962c52801ebf28e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Scene or section EssayHe has a very concise way of questioning and interrogating his suspects and as a policeman he is always in control, adapting the manner in which he addresses the family members to suit their personalities. He is firm and direct with Sheila, yet not too unkind. She has admitted to her involvement in the incident involving Eva Smith and has shown that she will learn from the experience. He also becomes much tougher when it is necessary. Mrs. Birling refuses to admit to her involvement in Smiths suicide and the Inspector becomes almost aggressive in his attempt to prise the truth from her. As a dramatic devise Priestley uses the Inspector as the role of narrator and unifies the structure of the play. There are many connotations within the name Inspector Goole. As an inspector he has come to investigate or inspect the family members and their actions. Goole is similarly sounding to the word ghoul, a ghost or phantom. It introduces a very eerie, morbid feel to the play as if the Inspector is not real, a ghost from the past and ever present in the lives of the Birling family.  The Inspector is a father-confessor, a moral force who has made the characters judge themselves. He claims to know a limited amount but expertly draws the confessions from each individual character. Throughout the play he has used relatively simplistic language, often minimal amounts, allowing the members of the family to relay their versions of events in their own time and manner. However when he states to the family, each of you helped to kill her, he links all of the events together, recalling each characters involvement. His final speech dramatically contrasts his use of language throughout the play. He uses ornate, oratorical, exaggerated and hyperbolic diction in an almost biblical tone, preaching to the family and the audience. He moves from commenting on one particular person to all of those people who are cruelly and unnecessarily exploited in society, millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths. This is Priestleys main message, echoed in the characters actions and the Inspectors interrogation through the play; we are all responsible for each other.

Louis Farrakhan Essay Research Paper Dear fellow free essay sample

Louis Farrakhan Essay, Research Paper Dear fellow Jews, Louis Farrakhan is a powerful Muslim leader in America, celebrated for being the Messiah of hope and the curate of hatred. Bing the Messiah of hope, he emphasised the involvement to stop human agony. He addressed a powerful message of solidarity and ego aid that inspired one million African American throughout USA # 8211 ; a measure towards work outing offense, drug dependence, broken households and other upsets in the community. But as the curate of hatred, he shows another side of his face by declaring his involvement in hatred and human agony. He publically said, borrowing a spot of Hitler s aura that Jews are # 8220 ; blood chumps # 8221 ; , Judaism is a # 8220 ; trough faith # 8221 ; and Hitler was a # 8220 ; evilly great adult male # 8221 ; . In his run non merely is Judaism bigoted but about every human being in the universe regardless of race or national beginning, hapless Whites, rich Whites, even African Americans who are non of the Nation of Islam. We will write a custom essay sample on Louis Farrakhan Essay Research Paper Dear fellow or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This unqualified behavior, as you know, indicates that his self-importance, haughtiness and tunnel vision has blinded his perceptual experience of world. We are hurt and merely can non bury his unpleasant comments about Judaic people with his long and destructive history of dogmatism and antisemitism. # 8220 ; Not another Hitler! # 8221 ; A fellow Jewish said. Of class, people are still thinking at what went on in the head of great slayers and liquidators of this century like Hitler, non like Farrakhan who merely extent himself to words. But I personally think that The Federal Government was right to let his visit. Why so did the Federal Government give credibleness and weight to a purveyor of hatred? Banning Farrakhan is non the appropriate manner to cover with this racialist speechmaker because this means that we would give up freedom of address which is a important component of Australia s democratic tradition. When your ears are ruddy hot with Farrakhan s words at least maintain your head cool! Peoples put labels on Farrakhan and neer say they have studied the adult male. They have been privy to studies and now have become â€Å"Farrakhan Experts† . That s what made some of us blind, deaf and dumb. Farrakhan is an illustration of class! Our experience with the honorable Louis Farrakhan gives us a alone advantage when it comes to trusting upon information about him. If person met the adult male and came off with a positive experience, so related that experience to us, so wear T you owe yourself at least to analyze what he s stating! Hitler was an enemy to Jews, but Jews study him. Since infinite people in the universe have a alone position of this adult male, why non endeavor for the same position? We know it s something you and many others refuse to admit. Then certainly in the spirit of duologue, that Jews can sit an talk with Farrakhan! There s no suggestion that the Farrakhan administration is involved with terrorist act or condemnable activity. Australia s Torahs about offense and libel, are adequate protection to forestall the voicing of racism and dogmatism in the multicultural society. If Farrakhan does tour to Australia, he will be capable to our Torahs of calumny and libel. Should he interrupt them he may be charged and if convicted he could be refused entry in the future.As the Federal Government allows his visit, we will hold the opportunity to hush him, by manner of ridicule, argument, and ground. Valuess of tolerance, common regard and freedom of faith are excessively cherished to support. In Australia so many people are working so difficult to contend racism and we are seeking to construct integrity with the assorted multicultural groups in this state, whereas Farrakhan is a dissentious component. Racism and blood feud haven t got a topographic point in people s Black Marias. God merely knows, the wages such destructive people deserve in the hereafter.

Justice Essays (524 words) - Political Philosophy, Virtue

Justice The concept of justness is a subjective reality. Justice is not present in any one person, justice appears to be present only in consensus. There is no just, justice, only the presence of action and consequence for persons in a consensus regarding their concept of justice. Justice is only just to those who have conformed to their idea of justice and have helped to create it. Those who are effected by the justice that is placed around them and do not agree with it are being treated unfairly. For those people there is no justice. Without total consensus defining justice there is no justice. If there is a justice without conformity it is not just, and therefore is not manifested as justice, but as a form of government. If we put aside religion, deities, and God centered ideologies, we can find no true justness. Justice is a reflection of justness. Without the existence of justness there will never be true justice. What we call justice, should be called consensus and conformity to laws and mores. When we move to this point, we find that we are actually discussing government. For there will never be true justice, only our conformed moral sense of what is acceptable and unacceptable. This once again leads us to many forms of government. If we discuss justice in the sense of divine intervention and religious beliefs then justice has a whole new meaning. Justice now becomes the writings and beliefs of a conformed religion. Catholicism for example, follows the teachings of the Ten Commandments, and the word of God that is written in the Bible. Although the ideas and philosophical thinking in these writings have extremely righteous and moral views they can only go as far as to teach you how to live morally. "Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you." Some believe the Golden Rule is the only true justice, according to Jesus, justice was not eye for an eye. " Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you." These were some of the morals that people believed to be justice. What if perhaps there was no God, or deities of any kind, then all of this is boils down to morality. Even then, what defines morality? We cannot define morality as justice for it has no clearly objective ground on which to define it. Even as an individual we cannot find justice. If each of us were alone in the woods, and away from all forms of conformed justice, justice would not be present. For we must conform to the laws of nature. One may believe that it is unjust that he/she has to collect food before winter, and therefore he/she decides to rest instead of saving food. As a consequence, over the winter he or she will starve, because they did not conform to the highest form of natural government, which is nature. Nature moves according to its own laws which people may experience as unjust.. He who searches for justice will only find millions of forms of government, his search will be everlasting until he realizes that the only justice he will ever know is his own subjective belief of what is just.. Even then, who are we to define our own justice?

The Prefix Hypo and Related Words

The Prefix Hypo and Related Words The Prefix Hypo and Related Words The Prefix Hypo and Related Words By Mark Nichol A recent post listed and defined words with the Greek prefix hyper (meaning â€Å"above,† â€Å"beyond,† or â€Å"over†). Here, words based on its antonym, hypo-, are the focus. The most common words beginning with hypo include hypodermic (literally, â€Å"under skin†), an adjective describing injection under the skin or tissue or growths beneath the skin (the word is also employed as a noun, and hypo is a common truncation), and hypothermia (â€Å"under heat†), the term for abnormally low body temperature. Other medical conditions include hypoglycemia (â€Å"under sugar blood†)- colloquially known as â€Å"low blood sugar†- and hypochondria (â€Å"under cartilage†), mental depression in which the sufferer imagines physical ailments, so named from the original belief that such feelings originated in the abdominal organs; the term for the pathological state is hypochondriasis. Hypochondriac is both an adjective describing the condition and a noun pertaining to the sufferer. Hypoallergenic means â€Å"unlikely to cause an allergic reaction,† and the hypothalamus is a key part of the brain that regulates automatic processes in the body. Oxygen deficiency is called hypoxia, and hypomania is a mild mania associated with bipolar disorder. (The respective adjectives are hypoxic and hypomanic.) Other well-known words in the hypo family are hypocrisy (â€Å"under decide†), which evolved in meaning in Greek from â€Å"sift† to â€Å"play a part† and now describes actions or attitudes that contradict one’s stated beliefs or opinions, and hypothesis (â€Å"under proposition†), which denotes something assumed and taken for granted for the sake of argument; the plural is hypotheses. One who demonstrates hypocrisy is deemed hypocritical and called a hypocrite. The adjectival form for hypothesis is hypothetical, and the verb form is hypothesize. A hypotenuse is the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle. (The root word is the basis of tension and tenuous.) More obscure terms in this group include hypocorism (â€Å"under caress†), meaning â€Å"pet name,† as in a diminutive like Bobby, a term of endearment such as honey, or baby-talk forms of address such as papa; such words are hypocoristic. One who lives underground is hypogean (the antonym is epigean), and a hypocaust is a chamber for lighting a fire to heat rooms located above. (The root is the same as that seen in holocaust.) A disguised relation is hyphen- literally, â€Å"under one,† because the mark was originally located beneath the words to be connected. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesAppropriate vs. Apropos vs. Apt

Synthesis paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Synthesis paper - Essay Example i. To establish the level to which alternating air mattress overlays could be effective in preventing the incidence of such developments while in comparison with static air mattress overlays in hospitalized set-ups Results: In the first comparative review by Chou and team (2013), the results confirmed the position by many studies that an alternating air mattress results t a lower incidence of pressure ulcers while compared to a static air mattress. From the second review, constant low-pressure or alternating support services result to lowered incidence rates of pressure ulcers with the hospitalized patents. In the third study, one study reviewed showed that using static air mattress outlays like foam mattresses for such patients would not prevent the occurrence but rather delayed it. Hospitalized patients and especially the elderly suffer an increased risk of developing pressure ulcers examples of which are pressure sores, bed sores as well as decubitus. The ulcers have been studies over years and the prevalence have been identified to range from 0.4% to 38% within acute care settings (Chou et al, 2013). Other factors that have been pointed out to contribute towards the prevalence variance are age, body weight as well as race. There are various mechanisms that have been embraced with efforts towards reducing the risks of developing the pressure ulcers such as the use of static overlays, alternating pressure and using air fluidized beds (Fulton, Monro & Wallen, 2009). The effectiveness of either of these tools however vary and hence the necessity of such a comparison as this study. The levels of pressure ulcers within hospitalized settings have been in use for assessment of patient service and hospital safety. A principle that have been in use for preventing deve lopment of pressure ulcers have been removal of any pressure or avoidance of prolonged tissue pressure (Chu, 2013). However, it is to be

Case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case analysis - Essay Example This tool permits a systematic and disciplined evaluation of internal and external factors. Equally appropriate for the present case is the PESTEL tool using which, one can analyze the political, economical, social, technological, environmental and legal angles, in order to test strategy options. PESTEL factors substantially deal with the external situation within which a company has to operate. De Beers’ strengths lie in its knowledge of the industry in all its facets – from mining to retail marketing of jewels – and the controlling interests it had created through subsidiaries, cross holdings and trading practices. However, this very breadth of monopolistic operations has drawn adverse public attention. Discovery and development Political situation in Africa where De Beers has its major mining interests has been undergoing significant change since dismantling of apartheid. Socio-economic factors like poor pay and working conditions, child labor and inadequate welfare measures are issues of concern for public. While it is in the forefront of exploiting technology in operations, degradation of natural environment, particularly in opencast mining operations, puts additional responsibility on the company. Anti-trust laws and ban on child labor practices add to its cup of PESTEL woes. De Beers are in the company of other global companies like Microsoft, MacDonald and Wal-Mart in terms of sweep of operations and breadth of controversies. Microsoft is accused of suffocating competition, MacDonald of unsustainable use of packing materials and Wal-Mart of exploiting cheap labor in China and other Asian countries in its bid to offer lowest cost products. Leveraging its knowledge and technology, the company has to enhance efficiency of operations, both vertically and horizontally. Acquiring rights for mines in new areas

Assessment and Tests Evaluation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assessment and Tests Evaluation - Research Paper Example I chose this test since it plays a lot of significance in determining the qualities and capabilities of an individual. It reflects on the level of personification one has over the looming issues in life (Anderson & Morgan, 2008). This is a test administered in order to determine the activeness and relation of ones interests with those of a certain career. For instance, if one is interested in what goes on and is done by teachers, then that particular individual can make to be a good teacher. I chose this test since it reflects in individual capabilities and interest as rested in their talents. Anderson, P. & Morgan, G. (2008).Developing Tests and Questionnaires for a National Assessment of Educational Achievement, Issue 277, Vol. 2 of National Assessments of Educational Achievement. Chicago, CA: World Bank Publications Soled, S. W. (1995). Assessment, testing, and evaluation in teacher education, Social and Policy Issues in Education: Contemporary Studies in Social and Policy Issues in education, Kerry Carlyle Series. New York, NY: Greenwood Publishing

Effect of the Financial Crash on Islamic Banks in the UK

Effect of the Financial Crash on Islamic Banks in the UK Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction to the Subject Background of the Subject General Objective The purpose of this study is to examine how the internal factors of the Islamic Banking affected their performance before, during and after the financial crisis in the GCC in comparison to the conventional banking in the same area. Research Questions This study aims to answer the following questions: How did the financial crisis affect the profitability of Islamic Banks in comparison to Conventional Banks? What are the internal factors (bank specific characteristics) that influence the profitability of Islamic banking for every year from 2006 2009? Did these factors have the same impact on the profitability of Islamic Banking before, during and after the financial crisis? Did these internal factors influence the profitability of Islamic Banking in the same manner as of the Conventional Banking? Need for the Study Significance of the Study Assumptions of the Study Limitations of the Study Although we cannot neglect the importance of the external factors on the profitability of Islamic Banking, they were not included in this study. To understand the reason behind this decision, we need to go through the different types of external factors and how they are classified: Macroeconomic Factors Country Regulation Rules Bank Regulation Rules These factors were not included for the following reasons: Since we are examining the performance of 92 banks (27 Islamic Banks and 65 Conventional Banks) in 6 countries, the number of countries used in the study is not significant enough to study the impact of GDP and inflation accurately on Bank profitability especially when examining each year separately Country Regulation Rules as per the IMF Database, although it differs slightly for the selected countries, did not change over the period from 2006 to 2009. This means that for each bank, these factors remained constant. Data about Bank Regulation Rules could not be obtained for GCC banks Delimitation of the Study This study was delaminated to the Islamic and Conventional Banks in the GCC whose data could be obtained in the Bankscope database. Chapter 2: Literature Review Overview of Islamic Banking Islamic Baking has established as an alternative to conventional interest-based banking. The first stirring of the Islamic Banking movement began in 1963 by Dr. Ahmed Alnajar in a small town in Egypt, called Mit Ghamar. Dr. Alnajar completed his education in Germany and found that it had many saving banks operating on interest. He took the idea from a savings bank in Germany and created his own small Islamic bank that was interest free. After Dr. Alnajars small bank proved successful, the establishment of other Islamic banks followed. In 1971, the Nasser Social Bank was founded in Egypt with the objective of lending out money as a charity on the basis of a profit and loss sharing system and helping people in need. And in 1975, the idea of Islamic banking spread to other Islamic regions such Dubai Islamic bank in United Arab Emirates and The Islamic Development (IDB) Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Wilson, 1990). Even though Islamic Banking has only been around for thirty years and is still in an evolving stage, Islamic Banking is the fastest growing segment of the credit markets in the Muslim countries. In 2009, Assets held by Islamic Banking banks rose by 28.6 percent to $822bn from $639bn in 2008, according to The Bankers â€Å"Top 500 Islamic Financial Institutions† survey while conventional banks posted annual asset growth of just 6.8 percent. Furthermore, GCC states accounted for $353.2bn or 42.9 percent of the global aggregate, while Iran remained the largest single market for Shariah-compliant assets, accounting for 35.6 percent of the total. Finally, Islamic banking operations are not limited to Islamic countries but are spreading throughout the world. One reason is the growing trend toward transcending national boundaries, and unifying Muslims into a political and economic entity that could have a significant impact on the pattern of world trade (Abdel-Magid, 1981). Islamic Banking Rules and Principles Islamic banking rules are according to the Islamic Shariah derived from the Quran and prophet Mohameds sayings. The three main practices that are clearly prohibited in the Quran and the prophets sayings are, Riba (Interest), Gharar (Uncertainty), and Maysir (Betting). Prohibition of Riba or any predetermined or fixed rate in financial institutions is the most important factor in the Islamic principles pertaining to banking. As stated in the Quran â€Å"Allah forbids riba†. Riba means an increase and under Shariah the term refers to the premium that must be paid by the borrower to the lender along with the principle amount as a condition for the loan (Omar and Abdel, 1996). Gharar occurs when the purchaser does not know what has been bought and the seller does not know what has been sold. In other words, trading should be clear by stating in a contract the existing actual object(s) to be sold, with a price and time to eliminate confusion and uncertainty between the buyers and the sellers. Maisir is considered in Islam as one form of injustice in the appropriation of others wealth. The act of gambling, sometimes referred to betting on the occurrence of a future event, is prohibited and no reward accrues for the employment of spending of wealth that an individual may gain through means of gambling. Under this prohibition, any contract entered into, should be free from uncertainty, risk and speculation. Contracting parties should have perfect knowledge of the counter values intended to be exchanged as a result of their transactions. Therefore, and according to Ahmed and Hassan (2007), the principles of Islamic banking and finance enshrined from al-Quran and Prophet Mohamed‘s Sayings can be summed up as follows: Any predetermined payment over and above the actual amount of principal is prohibited. The lender must share in the profits or losses arising out of the enterprise for which the money was lent. Making money from money is not acceptable in Islam. Gharar (deception) and Maisir (gambling) are also prohibited. Investments should only support practices or products that are not forbidden or even discouraged by Islam. Islamic Banking Products Islamic Banking products have to be done according to Islamic rules and principles, based on profit and loss sharing as well as avoiding interest. According to BNM statistics 2007, Al Bai Bithaman Ajil financing is the most common in Islamic Banking. There are a lot of Islamic Banking products; however there are some famous Islamic products that will be discussed in this section. 1. Al Bai Bithaman Ajil /BBA This involves the credit sale of goods on a deferred payment basis. In BAA, the Islamic bank will purchase certain assets on a deferred payment basis and then sell the goods back to the customer at an agreed price including some margin or profit. The customer will make payment by installments over an agreed period. A fixed rate BBA is a powerful hedging tool against interest rates (Rosly, 1999). 2. Murabahah Murabahah is a contract of sale. The Islamic Bank acts as a middle man and purchases the goods requested by the customer. The bank will later sell the goods to the customer in a sale and purchase agreement, whereby the lender re-sales to the borrower at a higher price agreed on by both parties. These are more for short term financing 3. Mudharabah According to Kettel (2006), Mudharabah is a basic principle of profit and loss, where instead of lending money at a fixed rate return, the banker forms a partnership with the borrower, thereby sharing in a ventures profit and loss. Mudharabah is an agreement between the lender and entrepreneur, whereby the lender agrees to finance the project on a profit sharing basis according to a predetermined ratio agreed by both parties concerned. If there are any losses the lender will bear all the losses. 4. Musharakah Musharakah means partnership whereby the Islamic institution provides the capital needed by the customer with the understanding that they both share the profit and loss according to a formula agreed before the business transaction is transacted. In Musharakah all partners are entitled to participate in the management of the investment but it is not compulsory. Musharakah can help in providing financing for large investments in modern economic activities 5. Al Ijarah Ijarah means meaning to give something on a rental basis. In Ijarah, the bank acquires ownership based on the promise and leases back to the client for a given period. The customer pays the rental but the ownership still remains with the bank or lender. As the ownership remains with the lessor (bank), it continues to give the service for which it was rented. Under this contract, the lessor has the right to re-negotiate the quantum of the lease payment at every agreed interval to ensure rental remains in line with the market rates (Hume, 2004). 6. Wadiah Wadiah is a trust contract and the bank provides gift (hibah) and various types of benefits to the customer. This is exactly like a normal conventional savings account. 7. Istisna Istisna allows one party buys the goods and the other party undertakes to manufacture them according to agreed specifications. Normally, Istisna is used to finance construction and manufacturing projects. 8. Salam Salam is defined as the forward purchase of specified goods with full forward payment. This contract is normally used for financing agricultural production. According to Hassan (2004), Salam based future contracts for agricultural commodities, supported by Islamic Banks, can help to overcome the agricultural financial problems Table 2.1 lists the products of conventional banking and their correspondent products in Islamic Banking. Source: Obaidullah, 2005 Financial Crisis and the Islamic Banking To be able to compete with conventional banks, Islamic banks have to offer financial products that are comparable to the ones offered by the conventional banks. This exposes the Islamic banks to similar credit, liquidity and risks driven by market instability. Despite that, Islamic banks managed to remain stable at the early phases of the crisis. That was driven by three main Factors. First, Islamic banks financing activities are strongly tied to the real economic activities than their conventional counterpart. Even though Musharakah and Mudharabah both provide better risk sharing while keeping strong link to the real sector, they are used minimally for different reasons. Most financing activities are done through Murabah and Ijarah followed by Istinsa. In the GCC and during 2007, Murabaha comprised of 65.4%, Ijarah 12.78% and Istinsa 2.83%. Both Murabaha and Ijrah transactions require the Islamic bank to know the clients purspose and use of finance as well the ownership of the asset by the bank. This help in ensuring that the funds are used for their stated purposes. On the other hand, conventional banks do not require disclosing the use of funds as long as the client is believed to creditworthy or can post suitable collateral. Second, Islamic banks avoid direct exposure to exotic and toxic financial derivative products. Since Shariah prohibits riba and gharar, the asset portfolio of Islamic banks did not include any CDOs, CMBSs, and CDSs which turned out to be highly toxic for conventional banks and amplifying factor for the crisis. These derivative products, initially used for hedging purposes, became device for highly speculative investments among conventional financial institutions. Unavailability of hedging instruments for Islamic financial institutions, which was perceived as weakness before the crisis, became a strengthening factor for them. However, exposure to other investment risks driven from equity markets, sukuk, real-estate and ownership stakes in other businesses remain a source of concern when overdone or undertaken purely for speculative gains. Third, Islamic banks in general have a larger proportion of their assets in liquid form than their conventional counterparts. This is driven by two main reasons: (1) there is no lender of last resort (LOLR) facility available to Islamic banks, and they do not have access to market liquidity in the form of the interbank market, high liquidity was maintained for risk management purpose. (2) Excess liquidity is required due to lack of interest-free short-term investment opportunities as real economic investments require some development period. As the global financial crisis became a global economic crisis, it started to affect Islamic banks in an indirect manner. The financial crisis has triggered a chain reaction whereby the slowdown in the real economies of the developed countries has started to affect economic growth and investment activities in export driven economies of the developing countries through lower trade in goods and services as well as through the declining commodity prices including that of oil. The economic downturn is not only affecting the investment and financing activities of financial institutions including those of Islamic banks, it is also reducing the funding of these banks through lower personal savings and declining corporate profits. It should be noted that most of the Islamic banking industry comprises of commercial banks whose major funding source are retail deposits, investment banking constitutes only a small portion of the industry. Islamic banks in some regions may face risk on their fina ncing and investment side of the balance sheet due to the crisis induced volatility of equity markets where these banks have large positions. Downturn in the real estate markets where these banks have large direct and indirect exposures is also another source of risk. Similarly, the changing wealth position of their high-net-worth (HNW) clients who also hold financial exposure in the hard-hit conventional financial sector of the West and therefore are now postponing any investment plans is also a factor. The relative importance of each of these factors varies by the region. For example, the banks in the GCC and particularly in the UAE are more exposed to real estate market risk, followed by risk of international equity markets. For the banks in Asia, their investments in domestic and international equity markets are a source of concern as equity markets are showing higher volatility. In some of the countries, the existing fiscal imbalance which has widened after the crisis is also a factor in the increased volatility of the markets Previous Literature The study of bank profitability is an important tool to evaluate bank operation by examining the different factors affecting bank profitability and using these factors for management planning and strategic analysis. In the last four decades, many studies have been conducted to study both bank profitability and the determinants of bank profitability either for particular country or for a panel of countries. These studies normally divide these factors into internal factors and external factors. Internal factors represent the bank-specific characteristics such as bank size, liquidity structure; liabilities†¦etc while external factors can be macroeconomic factors such as inflation and GDP growth or Country-specific regulations rules and practices. In the area of banking profitability, many studies have been conducted to investigate the profitability of conventional banks while only few were conducted in the field of Islamic banking. In this chapter, we will review these studies for conventional banking first and then will focus on studies in the Islamic banking field. Then we will cover the conceptual framework of this research. Conventional Banking Different studies have been conducted in the field of conventional banking profitability. Short (1979), Bourke (1989), Molyneux and Thornton (1992), Goddard, Molyneux, and Wilson (2004), Peters et al. (2004) are some of the researchers in the field. Short (1979) is one of the early scholars who studied the relationship between banking profit rates and concentration for sixty banks in Canada, Western Europe and Japan during the 1970s and he included independent variables including government ownership and concentration by using H index to quantify concentration. Results showed that the government ownership impact on profitability varied throughout the countries studied but expressed an overall negative relationship. He also found evidence that indicated higher concentration rates lead to higher profit rates (Short, 1979). Bourke (1989) also compared concentration to bank profitability but included other determinants. Bourke (1989) covered ninety banks in Australia, Europe, and North America between 1972 and 198 and examined different internal and external factors: internal factors such as staff expenses, capital ratio, liquidity ratio, and loans to deposit ratio; external factors such as regulation, size of economies of scale, competition, concentration, growth in market, interest rate, government ownership, and market power. His results show that increase in government ownership leads to lower profitability in banking. He also found that concentration, interest rates, and money supply are positively related to profitability along with capital and reserves of total assets as well as cash and bank deposits of total assets. Bourke adds that well capitalized banks enjoy cheaper access to sources of funds as they are less risky than less capitalized banks (Bourke, 1989). Later, Molyneux and Thornton (1992) studied the determinants of European banks profitability. The paper examined eighteen counties in Europe between 1986 and 1989. This paper replicated Bourkes (1989) work by using internal and external determinants of bank profitability. However, Molyneux and Thornton (1992) results showed that government ownership expresses a positive coefficient with return on capital (profitability) which contradicts with Bourkes findings. Other results were similar to Bourkes, showing that concentration, interest rate, and money supply were positively related to bank profitability (Molyneux and Thornton, 1992). In one of the recent papers on bank profitability on European banks, Goddard, Molyneux, and Wilson (2004) shows similar findings to the paper by Molyneux and Thornton (1992). It investigates the determinants of profitability in six European countries and it covered 665 banks between 1992 and 1998. The study used cross-sectional and dynamic panel models. The variables used in the regression analysis were ROE, the logarithmic of total assets, Off Balance Sheet (OBS) dividends, Capital to Asset Ratio (CAR). The results from both models were similar: evidence reveals that there is a positive relationship between size (total assets) and profitability. Meanwhile, OBS appears to have a positive relationship with profitability for UK but neutral or negative for other European countries. Moreover, results also state that CAR has a positive relationship with profitability. Furthermore, the paper touched on ownership type by indicating that there is high competition in banking due to the fact t hat there is foreign bank involvement in domestic banks, and that profitability is not linked to ownership (Goddard, Molyneux, and Wilson, 2004). Peters et al. (2004) studied the characteristics of banks in post-war Lebanon for the years 1993 to 2000 and compared the results to a group of banks from five other countries in the Middle East including UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman for the years 1995 through 1999. They used Return on Equity (ROE) measure profitability and leverage and they employed regression models that relate bank profitability ratios to various explanatory variables. This study tests the relationships between bank profitability and size, asset portfolio composition, off-balance sheet items, ownership by a foreign bank, and the ratio of employment to assets. The results show a strong association between economic growth and bank profitability, whether measured by ROE or ROA. They found that Lebanese banks are profitable, but not as profitable as a control group of banks from five other countries located in the Middle East. Islamic Banking In the area of Islamic Banking, Bashir (2000) assessed the performance of Islamic banks in eight Middle Eastern countries. He analyzed important bank characteristics that affect the performance of Islamic banks by controlling economic and financial structure measures. The paper studied fourteen Islamic banks from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Sudan, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates between 1993 and 1998. To examining profitability, the paper used Non Interest Margin (NIM), Before Tax Profit (BTP), Return on Assets (ROA), and Return on Equity (ROE) as performance indicators. There were also internal and external variables: internal variables were bank size, leverage, loans, short-term funding, overhead, and ownership; external variables included macroeconomic environment, regulation, and financial market. In general, results from the study confirm previous findings and show that Islamic banks profitability is positively related to equity and loans. Consequently, if loans and equity are high, Islamic banks should be more profitable. If leverage is high and loan to assets is also large, Islamic banks will be more profitable. The results also indicate that favorable macro-economic conditions help profitability (Bashir, 2000). Hassoune (2002) examined Islamic bank profitability in an interest rate cycle. In his paper, compared ROE and ROA Volatility for both Islamic and conventional banks in three GCC region, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. He states that since Islamic banking is based on profit and loss sharing, managements have to generate sufficient returns for investors given that they are not willing accept no returns (Hassoune, 2002). Bashir and Hassan (2004) studied the determinants of Islamic banking profitability covers 43 Islamic Banks between 1994 and 2001 in 21 countries. Their figures show Islamic banks to have a better capital asset ratio compared to commercial banks which means that Islamic banks are well capitalized. Also, their paper used internal and external banks characteristics to determine profitability as well as economic measures, financial structure variables, and country variables. They used, Net-non Interest Margin (NIM), which is non interest income to the bank such as, bank fees, service charges and foreign exchange to identify profitability. Other profitability indicators adopted were Before Tax Profit divided by total assets (BTP/TA), Return on Assets (ROA), and Return on Equity (ROE). Results obtained by Bashir and Hassan (2004), were similar to the Bashir (2000) results, which found a positive relationship between capital and profitability but a negative relationship between loans and profitability. Bashir and Hassan also found total assets to have a negative relationship with profitability which amazingly means that smaller banks are more profitable. In addition, during an economic boom, banks profitability seems to improve because there are fewer nonperforming loans. Inflation, on the other hand, does not have any effect on Islamic bank profitability. Finally, results also indicate that overhead expenses for Islamic banks have a positive relation with profitability which means if expenses increase, profitability also increases (Bashir and Hassan, 2004). Alkassim (2005) examined the determinants of profitability in the banking sector of the GCC countries and found that asset have a negative impact on profitability of conventional banks but have a positive impact on profitability of Islamic banks. They also observed that positive impact on profitability for conventional but have a negative impact for Islamic banking. Liu and Hung (2006) examined the relationship between service quality and long-term profitability of Taiwans banks and found a positive link between branch number and long-term profitability and also proved that average salaries are detrimental to banks profit. Masood, Aktan and Chaudhary (2009) studied the co-integration and causal relationship between Return on Equity and Return on Assets for 12 banks in KSA for the period between 1999- 2007. For their research, the used time series model of ADF unit-root test, Johansen co-integration test, Granger causality test and graphical comparison model. They found that there are stable long run relationships between the two variables and that it is only a one-direction cause-effect relationship between ROE and ROA. The results show that ROE is a granger cause to ROA but ROA is not a granger cause to ROE that is ROE can affect ROA input but ROA does not affect the ROE in the Saudi Arabian Banking sector. Conceptual Framework Theoretical framework is a basic conceptual structure organized around a theory. It defines the kinds of variables that are going to be used in the analysis. In this research, the theoretical framework consists of seven independent variables that represent four aspects of the Bank Characteristics. Theses aspects are the Bank Size (Total Assets), Capital Structure (Equity and Tangible Equity), Liquidity (Loans and Liquid Assets) and Liabilities (Deposits and Overheads). Bank profitability is the dependent variable and two measures of bank profitability are used in this study, namely return on average equity (ROAE) and return on average assets (ROAA). In this section we develop the hypothesis to be examined in this research paper. Development of Hypotheses This paper attempts to test seven hypotheses. A hypothesis is a claim or assumption about the value of a population parameter. It consists either of a suggested explanation for a phenomenon or of a reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. According to Becker (1995), hypothesis testing is the process of judging which of two contradictory statements is correct. Hypothesis 1: Profitability has a positive and significant relationship with the total assets (ASSETS). Total Assets of a company represents its valuables including both tangible assets such as equipments and properties along with its intangible assets such as goodwill and patent. For banks, total assets include loans which are the basis for bank operations either through interest or interest-free practices. Total assets is used as a tool to measure the bank size; banks with higher total assets indicate bigger banks. Molyneux and el (2004) included total assets in their study and found a positive significant relationship between total assets and profitability. Therefore, total assets are expected to have positive relation with profitability which means that bigger banks are expected to be more profitable. Total assets are converted logarithmic to be more consistent with the other ratios Hypothesis 2: Profitability has a positive and significant relationship with equity to asset ratio (EQUITY). Total equity over total assets measures banks capital structure and adequate. It indicated bank ability to withstand losses and handle risk exposure with shareholders. Hassan and Bashir (2004) examined the relationship between EQUITY and bank profitability and found positive relationship. Therefore, EQUITY is included in this stud Effect of the Financial Crash on Islamic Banks in the UK Effect of the Financial Crash on Islamic Banks in the UK Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction to the Subject Background of the Subject General Objective The purpose of this study is to examine how the internal factors of the Islamic Banking affected their performance before, during and after the financial crisis in the GCC in comparison to the conventional banking in the same area. Research Questions This study aims to answer the following questions: How did the financial crisis affect the profitability of Islamic Banks in comparison to Conventional Banks? What are the internal factors (bank specific characteristics) that influence the profitability of Islamic banking for every year from 2006 2009? Did these factors have the same impact on the profitability of Islamic Banking before, during and after the financial crisis? Did these internal factors influence the profitability of Islamic Banking in the same manner as of the Conventional Banking? Need for the Study Significance of the Study Assumptions of the Study Limitations of the Study Although we cannot neglect the importance of the external factors on the profitability of Islamic Banking, they were not included in this study. To understand the reason behind this decision, we need to go through the different types of external factors and how they are classified: Macroeconomic Factors Country Regulation Rules Bank Regulation Rules These factors were not included for the following reasons: Since we are examining the performance of 92 banks (27 Islamic Banks and 65 Conventional Banks) in 6 countries, the number of countries used in the study is not significant enough to study the impact of GDP and inflation accurately on Bank profitability especially when examining each year separately Country Regulation Rules as per the IMF Database, although it differs slightly for the selected countries, did not change over the period from 2006 to 2009. This means that for each bank, these factors remained constant. Data about Bank Regulation Rules could not be obtained for GCC banks Delimitation of the Study This study was delaminated to the Islamic and Conventional Banks in the GCC whose data could be obtained in the Bankscope database. Chapter 2: Literature Review Overview of Islamic Banking Islamic Baking has established as an alternative to conventional interest-based banking. The first stirring of the Islamic Banking movement began in 1963 by Dr. Ahmed Alnajar in a small town in Egypt, called Mit Ghamar. Dr. Alnajar completed his education in Germany and found that it had many saving banks operating on interest. He took the idea from a savings bank in Germany and created his own small Islamic bank that was interest free. After Dr. Alnajars small bank proved successful, the establishment of other Islamic banks followed. In 1971, the Nasser Social Bank was founded in Egypt with the objective of lending out money as a charity on the basis of a profit and loss sharing system and helping people in need. And in 1975, the idea of Islamic banking spread to other Islamic regions such Dubai Islamic bank in United Arab Emirates and The Islamic Development (IDB) Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Wilson, 1990). Even though Islamic Banking has only been around for thirty years and is still in an evolving stage, Islamic Banking is the fastest growing segment of the credit markets in the Muslim countries. In 2009, Assets held by Islamic Banking banks rose by 28.6 percent to $822bn from $639bn in 2008, according to The Bankers â€Å"Top 500 Islamic Financial Institutions† survey while conventional banks posted annual asset growth of just 6.8 percent. Furthermore, GCC states accounted for $353.2bn or 42.9 percent of the global aggregate, while Iran remained the largest single market for Shariah-compliant assets, accounting for 35.6 percent of the total. Finally, Islamic banking operations are not limited to Islamic countries but are spreading throughout the world. One reason is the growing trend toward transcending national boundaries, and unifying Muslims into a political and economic entity that could have a significant impact on the pattern of world trade (Abdel-Magid, 1981). Islamic Banking Rules and Principles Islamic banking rules are according to the Islamic Shariah derived from the Quran and prophet Mohameds sayings. The three main practices that are clearly prohibited in the Quran and the prophets sayings are, Riba (Interest), Gharar (Uncertainty), and Maysir (Betting). Prohibition of Riba or any predetermined or fixed rate in financial institutions is the most important factor in the Islamic principles pertaining to banking. As stated in the Quran â€Å"Allah forbids riba†. Riba means an increase and under Shariah the term refers to the premium that must be paid by the borrower to the lender along with the principle amount as a condition for the loan (Omar and Abdel, 1996). Gharar occurs when the purchaser does not know what has been bought and the seller does not know what has been sold. In other words, trading should be clear by stating in a contract the existing actual object(s) to be sold, with a price and time to eliminate confusion and uncertainty between the buyers and the sellers. Maisir is considered in Islam as one form of injustice in the appropriation of others wealth. The act of gambling, sometimes referred to betting on the occurrence of a future event, is prohibited and no reward accrues for the employment of spending of wealth that an individual may gain through means of gambling. Under this prohibition, any contract entered into, should be free from uncertainty, risk and speculation. Contracting parties should have perfect knowledge of the counter values intended to be exchanged as a result of their transactions. Therefore, and according to Ahmed and Hassan (2007), the principles of Islamic banking and finance enshrined from al-Quran and Prophet Mohamed‘s Sayings can be summed up as follows: Any predetermined payment over and above the actual amount of principal is prohibited. The lender must share in the profits or losses arising out of the enterprise for which the money was lent. Making money from money is not acceptable in Islam. Gharar (deception) and Maisir (gambling) are also prohibited. Investments should only support practices or products that are not forbidden or even discouraged by Islam. Islamic Banking Products Islamic Banking products have to be done according to Islamic rules and principles, based on profit and loss sharing as well as avoiding interest. According to BNM statistics 2007, Al Bai Bithaman Ajil financing is the most common in Islamic Banking. There are a lot of Islamic Banking products; however there are some famous Islamic products that will be discussed in this section. 1. Al Bai Bithaman Ajil /BBA This involves the credit sale of goods on a deferred payment basis. In BAA, the Islamic bank will purchase certain assets on a deferred payment basis and then sell the goods back to the customer at an agreed price including some margin or profit. The customer will make payment by installments over an agreed period. A fixed rate BBA is a powerful hedging tool against interest rates (Rosly, 1999). 2. Murabahah Murabahah is a contract of sale. The Islamic Bank acts as a middle man and purchases the goods requested by the customer. The bank will later sell the goods to the customer in a sale and purchase agreement, whereby the lender re-sales to the borrower at a higher price agreed on by both parties. These are more for short term financing 3. Mudharabah According to Kettel (2006), Mudharabah is a basic principle of profit and loss, where instead of lending money at a fixed rate return, the banker forms a partnership with the borrower, thereby sharing in a ventures profit and loss. Mudharabah is an agreement between the lender and entrepreneur, whereby the lender agrees to finance the project on a profit sharing basis according to a predetermined ratio agreed by both parties concerned. If there are any losses the lender will bear all the losses. 4. Musharakah Musharakah means partnership whereby the Islamic institution provides the capital needed by the customer with the understanding that they both share the profit and loss according to a formula agreed before the business transaction is transacted. In Musharakah all partners are entitled to participate in the management of the investment but it is not compulsory. Musharakah can help in providing financing for large investments in modern economic activities 5. Al Ijarah Ijarah means meaning to give something on a rental basis. In Ijarah, the bank acquires ownership based on the promise and leases back to the client for a given period. The customer pays the rental but the ownership still remains with the bank or lender. As the ownership remains with the lessor (bank), it continues to give the service for which it was rented. Under this contract, the lessor has the right to re-negotiate the quantum of the lease payment at every agreed interval to ensure rental remains in line with the market rates (Hume, 2004). 6. Wadiah Wadiah is a trust contract and the bank provides gift (hibah) and various types of benefits to the customer. This is exactly like a normal conventional savings account. 7. Istisna Istisna allows one party buys the goods and the other party undertakes to manufacture them according to agreed specifications. Normally, Istisna is used to finance construction and manufacturing projects. 8. Salam Salam is defined as the forward purchase of specified goods with full forward payment. This contract is normally used for financing agricultural production. According to Hassan (2004), Salam based future contracts for agricultural commodities, supported by Islamic Banks, can help to overcome the agricultural financial problems Table 2.1 lists the products of conventional banking and their correspondent products in Islamic Banking. Source: Obaidullah, 2005 Financial Crisis and the Islamic Banking To be able to compete with conventional banks, Islamic banks have to offer financial products that are comparable to the ones offered by the conventional banks. This exposes the Islamic banks to similar credit, liquidity and risks driven by market instability. Despite that, Islamic banks managed to remain stable at the early phases of the crisis. That was driven by three main Factors. First, Islamic banks financing activities are strongly tied to the real economic activities than their conventional counterpart. Even though Musharakah and Mudharabah both provide better risk sharing while keeping strong link to the real sector, they are used minimally for different reasons. Most financing activities are done through Murabah and Ijarah followed by Istinsa. In the GCC and during 2007, Murabaha comprised of 65.4%, Ijarah 12.78% and Istinsa 2.83%. Both Murabaha and Ijrah transactions require the Islamic bank to know the clients purspose and use of finance as well the ownership of the asset by the bank. This help in ensuring that the funds are used for their stated purposes. On the other hand, conventional banks do not require disclosing the use of funds as long as the client is believed to creditworthy or can post suitable collateral. Second, Islamic banks avoid direct exposure to exotic and toxic financial derivative products. Since Shariah prohibits riba and gharar, the asset portfolio of Islamic banks did not include any CDOs, CMBSs, and CDSs which turned out to be highly toxic for conventional banks and amplifying factor for the crisis. These derivative products, initially used for hedging purposes, became device for highly speculative investments among conventional financial institutions. Unavailability of hedging instruments for Islamic financial institutions, which was perceived as weakness before the crisis, became a strengthening factor for them. However, exposure to other investment risks driven from equity markets, sukuk, real-estate and ownership stakes in other businesses remain a source of concern when overdone or undertaken purely for speculative gains. Third, Islamic banks in general have a larger proportion of their assets in liquid form than their conventional counterparts. This is driven by two main reasons: (1) there is no lender of last resort (LOLR) facility available to Islamic banks, and they do not have access to market liquidity in the form of the interbank market, high liquidity was maintained for risk management purpose. (2) Excess liquidity is required due to lack of interest-free short-term investment opportunities as real economic investments require some development period. As the global financial crisis became a global economic crisis, it started to affect Islamic banks in an indirect manner. The financial crisis has triggered a chain reaction whereby the slowdown in the real economies of the developed countries has started to affect economic growth and investment activities in export driven economies of the developing countries through lower trade in goods and services as well as through the declining commodity prices including that of oil. The economic downturn is not only affecting the investment and financing activities of financial institutions including those of Islamic banks, it is also reducing the funding of these banks through lower personal savings and declining corporate profits. It should be noted that most of the Islamic banking industry comprises of commercial banks whose major funding source are retail deposits, investment banking constitutes only a small portion of the industry. Islamic banks in some regions may face risk on their fina ncing and investment side of the balance sheet due to the crisis induced volatility of equity markets where these banks have large positions. Downturn in the real estate markets where these banks have large direct and indirect exposures is also another source of risk. Similarly, the changing wealth position of their high-net-worth (HNW) clients who also hold financial exposure in the hard-hit conventional financial sector of the West and therefore are now postponing any investment plans is also a factor. The relative importance of each of these factors varies by the region. For example, the banks in the GCC and particularly in the UAE are more exposed to real estate market risk, followed by risk of international equity markets. For the banks in Asia, their investments in domestic and international equity markets are a source of concern as equity markets are showing higher volatility. In some of the countries, the existing fiscal imbalance which has widened after the crisis is also a factor in the increased volatility of the markets Previous Literature The study of bank profitability is an important tool to evaluate bank operation by examining the different factors affecting bank profitability and using these factors for management planning and strategic analysis. In the last four decades, many studies have been conducted to study both bank profitability and the determinants of bank profitability either for particular country or for a panel of countries. These studies normally divide these factors into internal factors and external factors. Internal factors represent the bank-specific characteristics such as bank size, liquidity structure; liabilities†¦etc while external factors can be macroeconomic factors such as inflation and GDP growth or Country-specific regulations rules and practices. In the area of banking profitability, many studies have been conducted to investigate the profitability of conventional banks while only few were conducted in the field of Islamic banking. In this chapter, we will review these studies for conventional banking first and then will focus on studies in the Islamic banking field. Then we will cover the conceptual framework of this research. Conventional Banking Different studies have been conducted in the field of conventional banking profitability. Short (1979), Bourke (1989), Molyneux and Thornton (1992), Goddard, Molyneux, and Wilson (2004), Peters et al. (2004) are some of the researchers in the field. Short (1979) is one of the early scholars who studied the relationship between banking profit rates and concentration for sixty banks in Canada, Western Europe and Japan during the 1970s and he included independent variables including government ownership and concentration by using H index to quantify concentration. Results showed that the government ownership impact on profitability varied throughout the countries studied but expressed an overall negative relationship. He also found evidence that indicated higher concentration rates lead to higher profit rates (Short, 1979). Bourke (1989) also compared concentration to bank profitability but included other determinants. Bourke (1989) covered ninety banks in Australia, Europe, and North America between 1972 and 198 and examined different internal and external factors: internal factors such as staff expenses, capital ratio, liquidity ratio, and loans to deposit ratio; external factors such as regulation, size of economies of scale, competition, concentration, growth in market, interest rate, government ownership, and market power. His results show that increase in government ownership leads to lower profitability in banking. He also found that concentration, interest rates, and money supply are positively related to profitability along with capital and reserves of total assets as well as cash and bank deposits of total assets. Bourke adds that well capitalized banks enjoy cheaper access to sources of funds as they are less risky than less capitalized banks (Bourke, 1989). Later, Molyneux and Thornton (1992) studied the determinants of European banks profitability. The paper examined eighteen counties in Europe between 1986 and 1989. This paper replicated Bourkes (1989) work by using internal and external determinants of bank profitability. However, Molyneux and Thornton (1992) results showed that government ownership expresses a positive coefficient with return on capital (profitability) which contradicts with Bourkes findings. Other results were similar to Bourkes, showing that concentration, interest rate, and money supply were positively related to bank profitability (Molyneux and Thornton, 1992). In one of the recent papers on bank profitability on European banks, Goddard, Molyneux, and Wilson (2004) shows similar findings to the paper by Molyneux and Thornton (1992). It investigates the determinants of profitability in six European countries and it covered 665 banks between 1992 and 1998. The study used cross-sectional and dynamic panel models. The variables used in the regression analysis were ROE, the logarithmic of total assets, Off Balance Sheet (OBS) dividends, Capital to Asset Ratio (CAR). The results from both models were similar: evidence reveals that there is a positive relationship between size (total assets) and profitability. Meanwhile, OBS appears to have a positive relationship with profitability for UK but neutral or negative for other European countries. Moreover, results also state that CAR has a positive relationship with profitability. Furthermore, the paper touched on ownership type by indicating that there is high competition in banking due to the fact t hat there is foreign bank involvement in domestic banks, and that profitability is not linked to ownership (Goddard, Molyneux, and Wilson, 2004). Peters et al. (2004) studied the characteristics of banks in post-war Lebanon for the years 1993 to 2000 and compared the results to a group of banks from five other countries in the Middle East including UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman for the years 1995 through 1999. They used Return on Equity (ROE) measure profitability and leverage and they employed regression models that relate bank profitability ratios to various explanatory variables. This study tests the relationships between bank profitability and size, asset portfolio composition, off-balance sheet items, ownership by a foreign bank, and the ratio of employment to assets. The results show a strong association between economic growth and bank profitability, whether measured by ROE or ROA. They found that Lebanese banks are profitable, but not as profitable as a control group of banks from five other countries located in the Middle East. Islamic Banking In the area of Islamic Banking, Bashir (2000) assessed the performance of Islamic banks in eight Middle Eastern countries. He analyzed important bank characteristics that affect the performance of Islamic banks by controlling economic and financial structure measures. The paper studied fourteen Islamic banks from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Sudan, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates between 1993 and 1998. To examining profitability, the paper used Non Interest Margin (NIM), Before Tax Profit (BTP), Return on Assets (ROA), and Return on Equity (ROE) as performance indicators. There were also internal and external variables: internal variables were bank size, leverage, loans, short-term funding, overhead, and ownership; external variables included macroeconomic environment, regulation, and financial market. In general, results from the study confirm previous findings and show that Islamic banks profitability is positively related to equity and loans. Consequently, if loans and equity are high, Islamic banks should be more profitable. If leverage is high and loan to assets is also large, Islamic banks will be more profitable. The results also indicate that favorable macro-economic conditions help profitability (Bashir, 2000). Hassoune (2002) examined Islamic bank profitability in an interest rate cycle. In his paper, compared ROE and ROA Volatility for both Islamic and conventional banks in three GCC region, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. He states that since Islamic banking is based on profit and loss sharing, managements have to generate sufficient returns for investors given that they are not willing accept no returns (Hassoune, 2002). Bashir and Hassan (2004) studied the determinants of Islamic banking profitability covers 43 Islamic Banks between 1994 and 2001 in 21 countries. Their figures show Islamic banks to have a better capital asset ratio compared to commercial banks which means that Islamic banks are well capitalized. Also, their paper used internal and external banks characteristics to determine profitability as well as economic measures, financial structure variables, and country variables. They used, Net-non Interest Margin (NIM), which is non interest income to the bank such as, bank fees, service charges and foreign exchange to identify profitability. Other profitability indicators adopted were Before Tax Profit divided by total assets (BTP/TA), Return on Assets (ROA), and Return on Equity (ROE). Results obtained by Bashir and Hassan (2004), were similar to the Bashir (2000) results, which found a positive relationship between capital and profitability but a negative relationship between loans and profitability. Bashir and Hassan also found total assets to have a negative relationship with profitability which amazingly means that smaller banks are more profitable. In addition, during an economic boom, banks profitability seems to improve because there are fewer nonperforming loans. Inflation, on the other hand, does not have any effect on Islamic bank profitability. Finally, results also indicate that overhead expenses for Islamic banks have a positive relation with profitability which means if expenses increase, profitability also increases (Bashir and Hassan, 2004). Alkassim (2005) examined the determinants of profitability in the banking sector of the GCC countries and found that asset have a negative impact on profitability of conventional banks but have a positive impact on profitability of Islamic banks. They also observed that positive impact on profitability for conventional but have a negative impact for Islamic banking. Liu and Hung (2006) examined the relationship between service quality and long-term profitability of Taiwans banks and found a positive link between branch number and long-term profitability and also proved that average salaries are detrimental to banks profit. Masood, Aktan and Chaudhary (2009) studied the co-integration and causal relationship between Return on Equity and Return on Assets for 12 banks in KSA for the period between 1999- 2007. For their research, the used time series model of ADF unit-root test, Johansen co-integration test, Granger causality test and graphical comparison model. They found that there are stable long run relationships between the two variables and that it is only a one-direction cause-effect relationship between ROE and ROA. The results show that ROE is a granger cause to ROA but ROA is not a granger cause to ROE that is ROE can affect ROA input but ROA does not affect the ROE in the Saudi Arabian Banking sector. Conceptual Framework Theoretical framework is a basic conceptual structure organized around a theory. It defines the kinds of variables that are going to be used in the analysis. In this research, the theoretical framework consists of seven independent variables that represent four aspects of the Bank Characteristics. Theses aspects are the Bank Size (Total Assets), Capital Structure (Equity and Tangible Equity), Liquidity (Loans and Liquid Assets) and Liabilities (Deposits and Overheads). Bank profitability is the dependent variable and two measures of bank profitability are used in this study, namely return on average equity (ROAE) and return on average assets (ROAA). In this section we develop the hypothesis to be examined in this research paper. Development of Hypotheses This paper attempts to test seven hypotheses. A hypothesis is a claim or assumption about the value of a population parameter. It consists either of a suggested explanation for a phenomenon or of a reasoned proposal suggesting a possible correlation between multiple phenomena. According to Becker (1995), hypothesis testing is the process of judging which of two contradictory statements is correct. Hypothesis 1: Profitability has a positive and significant relationship with the total assets (ASSETS). Total Assets of a company represents its valuables including both tangible assets such as equipments and properties along with its intangible assets such as goodwill and patent. For banks, total assets include loans which are the basis for bank operations either through interest or interest-free practices. Total assets is used as a tool to measure the bank size; banks with higher total assets indicate bigger banks. Molyneux and el (2004) included total assets in their study and found a positive significant relationship between total assets and profitability. Therefore, total assets are expected to have positive relation with profitability which means that bigger banks are expected to be more profitable. Total assets are converted logarithmic to be more consistent with the other ratios Hypothesis 2: Profitability has a positive and significant relationship with equity to asset ratio (EQUITY). Total equity over total assets measures banks capital structure and adequate. It indicated bank ability to withstand losses and handle risk exposure with shareholders. Hassan and Bashir (2004) examined the relationship between EQUITY and bank profitability and found positive relationship. Therefore, EQUITY is included in this stud

The Vulnerability of Man Essay example -- essays research papers

The Vulnerability of Man   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nature dwarfs us. The jungle absorbs us. Struggling to survive in the middle of an enticing jungle, one truly challenges his own restraints to the temptation of the jungle – of the horror of an abyss which lies so closely beneath us. All of our days and ways are a fragile structure balanced agitatedly atop the hungry jaws of nature that will effortless devour us. A happy life is a daily amnesty from this knowledge. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now share a common theme where the feeble human cannot restrain the domination of the jungle. Those who live in a fool’s paradise will die in a fool’s paradise, and those who discover the horrors of life will die in the jungle. Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now and Captain Kurtz in Heart of Darkness have both been lured into a â€Å"God-like† life in the jungle. Willard and Marlow both travel a long way down a river to attempt to rescue Kurtz, or kill him. The Kurtz in both stories have lost restraint to the wilderness, while Willard and Marlow fight hard to keep theirs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The opening scene in the movie captures a distraught Willard having just returned from the Vietnam War. Willard is pouncing around in his hotel room as though a savage. Only later it is revealed that he is resisting the temptation of returning to the jungle. â€Å"When I was here, I wanted to be there; when I was there all I could think about was getting back in the jungle† (Captain Willard). This scene suggests Willard’s strength to resist temptation. Having already escaped from Vietnam once, he will do it again. The matter is however, the difficulty of withstanding the jungle is like pulling two burly magnets in opposite directions. Willard himself deals with a desire to escape into the jungle. He is uncertain of his reasons, but his physicality and mentality demands it. In Apocalypse Now, the Vietnam War only plays a surface role, a parallel for the jungle, in which both display the effects of corruption and destruction on man. The true significan ce of the story lays beneath the surface, as the horror of existence, the horror of strength, and the horror of an ability to kill without feeling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel, Marlow and four other Englishmen are stranded close to the mouth of the Thames Riv... ...ad put his restraint to test eventually swallowed him whole. As does in Apocalypse Now, both Kurtz’ die saying â€Å"The horror. The horror.† While the definition of this â€Å"horror† is clearly defined in Apocalypse Now, it is left unclear in The Heart of Darkness. These words might have no larger meaning at all. Though there is a constituent of madness to Kurtz, he's remained coherent enough for the audience to wonder whether in casting off all restraints in the jungle, he has discovered some dark truth about the world, a truth that horrifies him. His words might be a pronouncement on the universe we all inhabit, as in Apocalypse Now, Colonel Kurtz’s discovery of how fragile men live their lives is easily tempted by the wilderness, and most will fall into this trap.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, the stories contain symbolic imagery of the all-too-powerful nature against the defenseless man. Both stories contain a horror of which one has been given a definition, and the other left for the audience to define. The stories examine a man’s capacity for evil and madness, and the level of self-control necessary to survive the manipulation of nature.

Body Language in the Workplace

The book deals with how Body Language affects your business career and illustrates you step-by-step examples on the effect of Body Language and how to use it in favour of your success. The author’s Allan & Barbara Pease both come from the Business World and established this book together, developing specific techniques trough personal experiences. Allan Pease made his first personal experience with the effect of Body Language as a Teenage Boy, working as a door-to-door salesman for a rubber sponge company. He quickly learned, by watching the people’s Body Language on what they were thinking and then found a way to persuade them to willingly buy the rubber sponges without them noticing it. He later worked as a successful salesman for an Australian Life Insurance Company. The Book is a â€Å"How to† Book and designated to prospective and current Business People. The author adresses the reader directly, which gives a more personal approach to the Book. The author’s style is very informal, the quality of writing is very clear and original which makes it easier for the reader to follow and not get bored. It suits the intended audience. Body The book contains seven Chapters, each chapter representing a different situation the reader is confronted with in his/her everyday Business Life, making it easier for the reader to identifiy himself/herself in the examples and adapting them more easely. Each example is given an additional illustration or specific situation so the reader is directly involved in the situation and understands better what the author is refering to. Furthermore, there are 14 Business rules spread out over the book. More precisely, each chapter contains 2 Business Rules that have to be remembered. Moreover, the book is divided into two different categories: ‘A woman in Business’ and ‘A man in Business’. The first chapter has the Title â€Å" Interviews: How to Get the Job†¦Every Time; Are you Sitting Comfortably ? How to Sit, Where and Why â€Å" . It discusses how a First Impression is made and how to work on it. The first impression is more important than what is written on your Curriculum Vitae. The Interviewer will remember your appearance rather than what College you attended. This chapter also tells you what to do and what not to do in an interview, by example not to wear a Goatee because it represents Satan and people will most likely repel people subconciously. Furthermore, the chapter sow the reader how seating arrangements can change your whole position and what type of Table is most suitable for a Conference. The second chapter has the Title â€Å" How to Take Your Career in Your Hands: the Art of Handshaking, Networking and Surviving the Office Party†. In this chapter the reader learns what a Handshake can do to his/her professional career, in other words : â€Å"A good handshake can be the difference between a career boost and career suicide†. Furthemore, the reader learns how to behave at an Office Party and how to boost your popularity. The third chapter, â€Å"Persuasive Presentations† shows the reader how to behave during a Presentation, taking a close look at the audience and work with Power Point Presentations. In this chapter the reader learns that the audience sitting on their left is more likely to be attentive and respondend to Jokes than the audience sitting on their right. The fourth chapter, â€Å"Mastering Meetings and Perfecting Phone- and Video-Conferencing† tells the reader how to behave during a Video Conference, watching his/her Body Language and adapting the speed of Voice and sound to the other person during Phone- and Video-Conferences. The fifth chapter, â€Å"The Best-Kept Secrets of Successful Businesspeople† demonstrates the reader how to make himself/herself â€Å"taller† in the Businessworld, since it is proven that taller people get higher positions and therefor higher salaries. Moreover, this chapter shows the reader how to use eye contact and moderate smiling in specific situations. The sixth chapter, â€Å"Globalisation: The Perils and Pitfalls† shows the reader to take into consideration foreign Body-Language, especially in the Business World where people travel a lot. The authors give the most common example of Japan,where certain aspecst of Body Language are perceived differently than in Europe and how misleading Body Language can ruin a Business Plan. For example, when Japanese people nod their head while you are speaking does not mean that they are in complete agreement with you, but they are rather telling you that they are listening and that you should keep on talking. The seventh and last chapter, â€Å"Office Politics, Power-Players, Office Romances and Other Ticking Bombs† gives the reader examples on how to avoid intimidation by superiors,seeing who’s surfing on the internet and who’s really working at home, how to spot and â€Å"office romance† and most importantly how to deal with stress. Conclusion The Book gives a clear and specific Guideline on â€Å"How to† Behave in different situations , but also shows the reader the Consequences of the mistakes he/she might be making without being conscious about them. The book is easy to follow and would rather be used by people preparing for an interview. In my opinion, it is very interesting to see how such little things that are thought to be unnoticed can have such a big impact on your professional career. Personally, I encountered the same experience as the Author, Allan Pease working as a â€Å"sales person â€Å" for an NGO, but instead of doing door-to-door I had to accost the people on the street. Opening your arms to the person and showing your palms is more likely to make people stop and listen to you than moving towards them, arms crossed. It was very interesting for me to find myself in certain aspects of the book and and learn ways to improve your own appearance. I would definetly recommend this book to any person who is looking for a Job or changing Workplace and/or preparing himself/herself for a presentation.

Experimental Design Assignment Essay Example

Experimental Design Assignment Essay Example Experimental Design Assignment Essay Experimental Design Assignment Essay The household product that we used was 5% ammonia. Ammonia is a chemical compound composed of nitrogen and hydrogen, with a formula of NH. Nitrogen is one of the main ingredients commercial agriculture, industrial manufacturing, and household cleaning products. It can be used to clean floors, rugs, tubs, silver, ovens, and crystal. However, after using the ammonia as a cleaning agent, it is washed away with water, flowing into the sewer system and into the environment, where it can affect other living organisms. According to Ammonia concentration determines differential growth of ammonia- oxidize arches and bacteria in soil microcosms, the proportion of ammonia into soil will affect the ecological niches for plants. After a certain proportion of ammonia to soil, the ammonia will create an environment where it is difficult for any plant to grow. Thus, the purpose of this experiment is to determine the concentration of ammonia at which the niche for plants to grow. Hypothesis Ammonia proportion of egg of soil to 30 ml of ammonia would not destroy the lands niche. There will be no difference between the control group and the group with 30 ml of ammonia. Methodology: In order to test the null hypothesis, first we measurements of soil in a beaker without any ammonia and equally divided the soil into 3 plant containers. In each plant container 5 seeds were added. This group was labeled as our control group. Then, 10 ml of ammonia was added to another beaker of egg soil and it was again equally divided into 3 other plant containers. Each of these containers was filled with 5 seeds as well. This second group was labeled as our 1% concentration group. The labeled as 2%, 3%, and 4% concentration respectively. For this whole process, we had 15 different containers in total. After 14 days, the results were collected. First, grown plants from each plant container in the control group were cut its base, measured and weighted. Then the mean of the heights and weights was calculated for this group. The same process was repeated consequently for 1%, 2% 3% and 4% labeled grouped concentration. Results Figure 1 Figure 1 shows the mean of the mean for each group. From the control group to 10 ml of ammonia, there was a 998% decrease in the weigh of plants and 100% decrease in the growth of plants from 10 ml to 20 ml. There was no grew in the plants after 20 ml. Figure 2 Figure 2 shows the weights of plants in each group. There was a 680% decrease in the weight of the plants from the control to 10 ml of ammonia and 100% decrease from 10 ml to 20 ml. After 10 ml of ammonia, there was no more growth in plants. Discussion In this experiment, there was no growth after 10 ml of ammonia. Since we made the incineration too high it was difficult to test our null hypothesis using the t-test analysis. Our results clearly show that any proportion of egg of soil to more than 10 ml of ammonia will be very harmful to the niche for plants. In the future, proportions of egg of soil to 1 ml-10 ml of ammonia could be used to test to see the correct niche of ammonia for plants, as weve seen in this experiment that small amount ammonia could be helpful for farmers. Given the results from our experiment, the usage of household ammonia does affect our environment. Same result will be true for other household antibacterial or detergent products which might be beneficial to us in some cases but are very harmful to the overall environment. The government should regulate the excessive misuse of these environmental contaminates so that we all will be protected from a long term negative effects of environmental changes. Nicola, Garage, Propose, James, and Overcame, Daniel. Ammonia concentration determines differential growth of ammonia-oxidations arches and bacteria in soil microcosms January 13, 2011. The ISMS Journal