Commentary on Robert Frost’s ‘Out Out’

‘Out Out' is a poem that tells the story of a young boy cutting his hand off while chopping wood and then dies, and how those around him cope with the death. This poem shows many techniques which are quite common in Frost's poems; such as imagery, ambiguity and it also has a universal theme to it. This poem can be perceived to have several themes, one of which may be the lives of those living in rural areas and how they have to get on with their lives when they have lost someone close, because there is nothing else they can do. Another theme to the poem could be that of child labour in rural areas, and although the poem is set in Vermont, this is a universal theme, as child labour is known to exist all over the world. The first line of the poem, ‘The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard' does many things for the poem. For a start, the line sounds quite threatening to us and immediately we think that the saw will later become a problem or an issue. The line also personifies the saw, which further makes us believe that the saw will later play a major role in the poem. Frost also personifies the saw by using words like snarled and rattled which makes the saw seem beast-like. The word buzz is onomatopoeic which again personifies the saw. The next line, ‘And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood' describes the saw's purpose in the poem; it makes us more familiar with the saw. The next few lines set the scene of the poem, ‘Five mountain ranges one behind the other, Under the sunset far into Vermont'. Some say that this is a reference to the bible, in Psalms*. The image that this line creates is soothing and contrasts with the first line, which can be perceived as being threatening. The phrase ‘Under the sunset' is ambiguous; it can be interpreted as a soothing image for some but for others it may resemble an ending of something more than just day. Generally, the first five lines set the scene of the poem. They tell us more about where the poem is set and what kind of life the boy lives- a rural life. The seventh line goes on to say ‘And the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled', which is a repetition of the first line. The repetition here is used to show that a long time is passing by while the saw is being used and that perhaps the job is monotonous. This line also brings us back to the reality that the poem is trying to show us. The 2 lines just before line seven gives us a soothing and peaceful image but amongst all this beauty there is this saw, a saw that Frost describes as dangerous. ‘Call it a day, I wish they might have said' has a tone of regret and sympathy, showing that the persona knows what will happen to the boy, and this leaves us to think what will happen and we are left to fear the worst. ‘To please the boy by giving him the half hour that a boy counts so much when saved from work.' This line shows more regret and it is at this point that we realise that the poem involves a young boy and this saddens and worries the reader even more. The line also subtly suggests that if it was ‘called a day' then perhaps the incident with the saw would not have happened. In line 14, the boy's sister comes to him to tell him that it is time for dinner. At this point we are slightly relieved, as the word ‘supper' which is used in the line, relates to normality and we all feel safe in the domesticity and regularity of our own home and therefore, we think that perhaps what we had predicted to happen would not come true. Frost, again personifies the saw in lines 15 and 16, ‘At the word, the saw, as if to prove saws knew what supper meant†¦' Again, Frost makes us fear the worst, and in the next line our fears come true, ‘Leaped out at the boy's hand, or seemed to leap- He must have given the hand'. In the last phrase of this line, Frost has used irony; when someone gives their hand it usually means they are greeting someone or making an agreement on something. Frost words it in such a way as if he is suggesting that the boy welcomed the saw. He then goes on to say in line 18 ‘However it was neither refused the meeting. This again implies that the boy did nothing to stop the saw from hurting him. ‘The boy's first outcry was a rueful laugh'. In this line we are shown that the boy did not cry at first but laughed at his careless mistake, laughed as if to stop himself from crying, or perhaps just because the fact that he had hurt himself hadn't sunken in yet. When he showed his family what had happened he ‘swung toward them holding up the hand, half in appeal but half as if to keep the life from spilling'. In this line, the words ‘half' and ‘spilling' create very gory pictures in our minds. ‘Half' shows the image of half a hand, and ‘spilling' shows the image of red blood rushing out from his cut hand. ‘Then the boy saw all-‘. In this line Frost has used the word saw as a homonym; it could mean that he ‘saw' his life flash before him or it could mean ‘that he had sawed off all of his hand'. The pause after the word ‘all' creates suspense and emphasis and one again we are left to think of the consequences and of what will to the happen the boy. In line 25 we are told the boy's response ‘Don't let him cut my hand off- the doctor, when he comes. Don't let him sister!' This makes the whole poem even upsetting because throughout the poem we are told the story from an outsider but here in this line, we are suddenly given the boy's view on the accident. The poem reaches an anti-climax in line 32: ‘They listened at his heart. Little- less-nothing! – and that ended it.' As readers, it is almost impossible to believe that the boy died from the incident, and the fact that the word ‘death' is not mentioned makes us want to believe that the boy is not dead but has survived. However, some would say that the anti-climax was right at the end of the poem: ‘And they, since they were not the one dead, turned to their affairs'. Here, we would expect the family to grieve and not be able to carry on the way they used, because that is how we would expect people to react in today's world. The reaction that the boy's family has showed is that of stoicism and in today's world, even if we do not realise it, examples of stoicism are common. Throughout the poem, we can see many of Frost's common techniques that he uses in many poems. For example, in line 6 he uses ambiguity with the word ‘sunset' which was mentioned earlier on in this commentary. Many of Frost's poems are in a conversational tone such as ‘Mending Wall', ‘Home Burial' and ‘After Apple-Picking'. To make the poem more conversational in ‘Out Out', Frost has used words such as ‘so', so as to make it seem like a live conversation. It could also have been used a gap-filler in the poem. Overall, I think that ‘Out Out' is a poem to represent the sadness and grief that families have to go through when they lose someone close and how they have to carry on with their lives just because there is nothing else they can do. It is the harsh truth of losing someone close to you, someone you love.

Not All Criminals Are Bad (Great Expectations)

In the novel Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens he tackles various social problems that plagued London in the Victorian era, some of which were Poverty, Hunger, Child Labour and Crime, which Dickens himself endured. Crime as a main source of London’s social problems ran rampant, streets became unsafe as criminal activity spiked and new criminals were being imprisoned every day. In these times criminals were considered to be the lowest people in terms of social class and so were often deemed as dangerous, Disgraceful and generally bad in every sense. Charles Dickens believed that there are exceptions to all criminals being bad, in the sense that you cannot determine a person’s character just because he commits a crime but rather by his motives for doing it. Dickens expresses his theory in Great Expectations through Characters such as Abel Magwitch who is a criminal who seeks redemption and Compeyson who is a criminal who wishes to do nothing more than to swindle people. A criminal by definition is someone who breaks the laws set by society (government), therefore although these characters are not stated or known as criminals in the novel Pip, Herbert, and Wemmick by definition can also be considered as criminals for helping Magwitch, this proves that Dickens also believed that anyone can be a criminal not just people of low social class even the innocent but, Dickens did not fail to expose that criminals can be bad and that even though some criminals do not chose to live the life they do there are those who like the life of crime , which he shows through Compeyson. You can read also King v Cogdon The character Compeyson represents Charles Dickens ideal image of a criminal and in fact Compeyson is the stereotypical criminal with the exception thathe is not a lowly criminal but that of a gentleman: â€Å"He set up fur a gentleman, this Compeyson, and he’d been to a public boarding school and had learning. He was a smooth one to talk and was a dab at the ways of gentlefolks. He was good looking too† (Pg. 343). Although Compeyson is a gentleman he chooses a life of crime, his motives for committing crimes is simply for the fun of swindling people he is portrayed as a cold hearted and disloyal man in which Dickens wished to fully convey as his view of a bad person. Compeyson is much smarter than the average criminal for example Magwitch and uses his wit to manipulate his partners. In the novel it was said that Compeyson had a former partner by the name of Arthur who helped Compeyson form an elaborate plan to steal money from his own sister in law namely Miss Havisham and leave her at the alter on the day of their wedding day. After which his partner Arthur unable to bear the guilt of what he had done killed himself and Compeyson shows no remorse even saying that it’s a good riddance (Pg. 345). This shows how low Compeyson is in terms of him as a person, not caring for his own partner and shows no guilt for using him as nothing more than a tool for committing the crime. It is also revealed that Compeyson had a wife that he kicked mostly, here Charles Dickens further develops Compeyson’s bad image by adding minor details that he abuses his wife giving readers a foul image of him and a general dislike for his character. Compeyson also has history with the more redeemable criminal Abel Magwitch and it becomes evident that Magwitch was used by Compeyson just like Arthur was. In the novel Magwitch tells Pip of how he met Compeyson, Magwitch meets him a couple years back before ever meeting Pip and they quickly become accomplices, after getting committed for felony on the charge of putting stolen notes in circulation and other charges, Magwitch and Compeyson were both sent to trial, Compeyson deserted Magwitch and made it seem like Magwitch did all the dirty work and he was helpless under him. The fact that unlike Magwitch, Compeyson is a gentleman and younger works in his favour and he is given a lighter sentence, exactly 7 years to Magwitch’s 14 year sentence: â€Å"when we was put in the dock†¦ain’t it me as the judge perceives to bea old offender of wiolent passion, likely to come to worse? † (Pg. 346-347). Charles Dickens again gives more information on Compeyson’s past involving Magwitch to show what a dark and sinister person he really is , he sold out yet another accomplice proving that he is indeed bad person because instead of him to try to help Magwitch he looks out for himself and ensures his verdict is lighter, Here Dickens uses bad characteristics as his evidence that he is bad . Later in the novel when Pip is aware of him, Compeyson becomes the main antagonist as he tries to foil Pip’s plans of helping Magwitch; the antagonist is usually a bad person in any play, novel or film so Dickens supports his view of Compeyson being a bad person by subjecting him into this role and not only does Dickens support that Compeyson is a bad criminal by him being dangerous, cold and untrustworthy he also shows the difference in character between him and Magwitch because Compeyson was afforded a great opportunity in life him being a gentleman and yet he wasted his life being a criminal when he could have become so much more in life unlike Magwitch who was not granted the same opportunities. The character Abel Magwitch in the novel represents Charles Dickens exception to the belief that all criminals are bad people. Magwitch is first introduced in the novel through the eyes of Pip the main character: â€Å"A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin† (Pg. ). Here Dickens uses powerful adjectives to describe Magwitch as most people would view a criminal to suggest that his appearance was just as he was which is low. The impression of Magwitch at this point would be a bad person purely base on dickens description of him, I believe that Dickens does this purposely not only to relate how Pip felt but to later prove that not everything is what it appears to be. Magwitch at this point of the novel has just escaped from prison and threatens Pip into retrieving food and file to remove his shackles, here Magwitch is given a negative image by corrupting Pip, an innocent child to steal for him contrasting Dickens belief but readers are also given a hint of compassion through Pip who instantly sees redeeming qualities within the criminal Magwitch who although he sees as terrifying but also as a starving, shaken man who is in need of help. Already Dickens has established that Magwitch is not all bad and that there is more to his story which must be revealed before making any final judgements which is proven when he meets Pip again who is no longer a poor boy living in the Marshes but a Gentleman through acquired expectations from a secret benefactor. Later on in the novel Magwitch seeks out Pip, who now lives in London and the shocking truth is exposed as Magwitch tells pip that he in fact is his secret benefactor (310-315). Magwitch then explains himself saying that he was so moved by what Pip had done for him when he was a child that he felt that he had to repay him by doing everything in his power to make him a gentleman which was Pip’s lifelong dream. Magwitch also tells pip how he went to Australia where he worked in sheep ranching and earned a huge fortune in which he gave to him. Dickens completely turns Magwitch’s image around by showing that he is very loyal and generous, that he is not cold hearted like how a criminal would normally be viewed as. His devotion to Pip’s success proves that Magwitch is not a bad person, it shows that he somewhat cares for Pip and the fact that he had a chance to become rich elevating his own status but instead chose to give all his fortune to Pip shows that he is very selfless. Charles Dickens gives Magwitch redeeming qualities to prove that the man behind the criminal is not bad but indeed good at heart. If the fact that Magwitch was a criminal was removed Magwitch can be seen as a loyal, honest and hardworking Person whose heart is filled with admiration towards a young man namely Pip and wishes to do nothing more but to see him become a gentleman all characteristics of a good person but, one question arises which has not been answered, since Magwitch can become so virtuous why is he even a criminal in the first place, this explanation of why Magwitch is a criminal further explains what dickens meant that there is an exception to the statement all criminals are bad people. Magwitch explains to Pip the reason behind his hatred for his former accomplice Compeyson and basically how he became a criminal. In this he tells Pip the story of how he met Compeyson and the story of Arthur and Compeyson. Magwitch’s background story is that of poverty, he was an orphan just as Pip was and he had to steal as a means of surviving. Magwitch’s story gives readers and understanding of why he got into the life of crime and although stealing cannot be excused as a crime, Dickens represents Magwitch’s case as a justifiable reason for being who he is in terms of being a criminal. Magwitch was not given the same opportunities as his partner Compeyson and so basically grew up into a life of crime, with him being an orphan he had no other means of living, he had to fend for himself, but although he was already at this great disadvantage he also tells Pip that he tried to work sometimes but it wasn’t enough which unfortunately turned him into a criminal when he met Compeyson: â€Å"I’ve no notion where I was born†¦tramping, begging, thieving†¦gone last night† (Pg. 342-343). This suggests that maybe if Magwitch was given a better chance to be successful in life like Compeyson was that he would not be a criminal ultimately supporting that it was out of his hands and that he had no other choice, His motives unlike Compeyson, was purely to survive. It is evident in the novel that Charles Dickens has a soft spot for Magwitch through his history with Compeyson in which he got a heavier sentence just because he looked more of a criminal than Compeyson. Dickens does this to show sympathy for Magwitch but also a satire towards the justice system. Magwitch’s relationship with Pip grows towards the end of the novel as Pip realises that Magwitch sincerely cares for him and that he has not been very accepting of him. Dickens uses Pip’s realization to bring across the point that Magwitch is indeed a good person and that him being a criminal does not define who he is, even a person such as Pip who looked down on Magwitch as being low and nothing more than a criminal even being ashamed when he found out that he was his secret benefactor has been enlightened and now accepts him. Charles Dickens contrast of both characters was his major evidence in proving what he believed, both characters were similar in the sense that they were both criminals but their personalities were completely different, showing that being a criminal has nothing to do with him being good or bad but rather his reason for committing crimes is what actually determines whether he can be judged as a bad person or not. Charles Dickens in proving this also suggested that anyone can become a criminal from Magwitch’s life story and to further prove this the man Character in the novel Pip is surrounded by a life of crime. As a small boy Pip has his first encounter with crime through Magwitch and it is evidently seen that the Marshes has some tainted atmosphere filled with crime through Convicts always breaking out, the hulks (prisoner ship) sailing by and cannons firing to alert residence of a breakout, so it can therefore be said that Pip’s life even before meeting Magwitch had some element of crime in it. When Pip receives his great expectations and moves to London to meet Jaggers (criminal lawyer), he finds out that Jaggers office is beside New gate prison and realises that crime has always been present in his life. Dickens incorporates this element of crime in this new setting not only to relate his experience with the Debtors prison in his own life and foreshadow future encounters with crime but I believe it can be connected to Magwitch in the sense that Magwitch lived in poverty something that he could not control meaning he did not choose to be poor which drove him to become a criminal and Pip now is surrounded by all this crime, he could be easily be influenced in the future to become a riminal also and although one might say that you decide your own future and if you turn out to become a criminal it is your own fault but Dickens gives evidence through Magwitch’s story that sometimes our future can be influenced by factors surrounding us that we have no power over. Pip’s involvement in crime worsens when Magwitch told him that he was his benefactor, he is torn apart with guilt and shame but is further concerned by the fact that Magwitch has yet again escaped from prison and ne eds Pip’s help to prevent him from being caught. By law anyone who assists a criminal is also considered a criminal by association, Pip knows this but feels guilty that Magwitch who although at this point he was still ashamed of had done so much for him and so he felt obliged to returned the favour. Here it is proven that Pip has been influenced to become a criminal and has no power over this situation, Pip eventually decides to help Magwitch knowing that he could also be sent to jail. Dickens shows that even though Pip wants commit a crime it is for a justifiable reason just as Magwitch did stealing turnips to eat as a child. Pip receives help from Wemmick (Jagger’s clerk) and Herbert (Matthew Pocket’s son) with hiding Magwitch from the police and planning to smuggle him out of London. They also could be considered as criminals by helping Pip but their motives for helping Pip is purely good, Pip is their friend who they care for and so they would do anything to help him by doing this Dickens has proven that anyone can become a criminal under the circumstance meaning even good people can become criminals for good reasons. In the world today there are many different types of people, when we say that all criminals are bad it is not true which dickens himself believed, an example of what he meant by an exception is in the case of an 80 year old woman who has nothing left, no one to take care of her, if she has no other means of surviving but to steal does that make her a bad person? What about the man whose father is dying of an illness and he needs money for the operation but he lives in poverty so he robs a bank to pay for the operation, is he also bad for wanting to save his father’s life? Although there is no excuse for committing a crime just as Magwitch realized that the life he lived was inexcusable (), it does not mean that he should be labelled as being a bad person. Therefore with all the evidence that has been given it can be concluded that if people who commit crimes based on good intentions are considered criminals not all criminals are bad, but the question now becomes , who decides which intentions are good?.

A Review of The Dream Society Essay

It is not easy to talk about businesses and make them appeal not only to a niche market but to all people. Most often, a book that talks about business, marketing strategies, and corporate culture is believed to be complex and even boring at some point. This I believe makes Rolf Jensen’s creatively written book entitled The Dream Society: How the Coming Shift from Information to Imagination Will Transform Your Business a deviation from the complex and difficult-to-understand image of business books. The book is about the noticeable reality emerging in today’s business cycle of how the tales and stories behind the products become essential factors that help the product sell. Jensen managed, in his insightful book, to produce an enlightening analysis of today’s business culture and predict a futuristic direction for companies without losing his readers in hard-to-understand concepts and difficult-to-memorize theories. The book revolves around the idea that more than information, imagination will be the biggest selling point of the products in the future. As time progresses and as competitions among companies become tighter and more profound, people become more and more interested on the stories behind the product than just the product itself. A book that intends to explain the flow of the market is often deemed an instructional book that offers tips and suggestions. The Dream Society is very different because it focuses on the trends and phenomena that are observable in the market but are easily missed or not looked upon twice. The book has promising value because it laid down facts along with interesting trivia and anecdotes that would not normally appear in boring business books. Jensen’s work is definitely able to capture the attention of his readers as he talks about how markets today target the consumers’ emotional needs and how some successful companies like Disney, Nike, and Rolex supply these needs by utilizing whatever tales they have that appeal to people’s hearts. Jensen, a talented and knowledgeable scholar, notices how this trend had slowly become the root of huge demands from these companies and he discusses how this marketing strategy will adamantly shape the future of business and corporate culture. Classified under the â€Å"classic Dream Society logic†, these companies are just among those who are able to understand that what the market wants are stories and appeals on their emotional side (Jensen, 2001, p. 3). Companies known as the Dream Society are predictably the ones who will be able to dominate the business world in the future because they could deliver what the consumers want. The Dream Society is actually a vital piece of work that would relate to academic, sociological, and corporate issues. It revolves around the question of what really sells today. Based on the careful research of the author, it is evident that society will give more attention to the stories behind the products and would direct its consumption towards things or objects that appeal to the heart. I felt that the author wants the book to focus more on providing its readers an outward perspective of the market because it narrates in a futuristic sense, providing all the facts of today that are in line with a potential market. The author iss able to achieve this through subtle narrations of personal experiences, analysis on how markets transform and direct attributions to organizations that make use of the consumers’ needs for emotional satisfaction. I noticed that even when the author is speaking in the first person perspective, he never lose credibility of the facts he is stating. Also, despite tackling a very sensitive topic, the book is actually written in a simple manner, organized thoroughly, and given a unique spark by the thought-provoking writing style of Jensen. These characteristics definitely set out the book differently from the others. Jensen’s work appeals to readers because of its insightful and interesting attack of useful topics. It tackles not just facts about huge businesses, but also realities about the people who work behind them. According to the book, more than IQ, EQ is also equally, if not at times, more important in making a person successful. The ability to build good relationships often brings people to the top. What makes the book more appealing is that it addresses a reality that is already being enjoyed by half of the huge organizations while the other half remains ignorant or in denial of it. Jensen’s work offers a fresher and more honest perspective of the transformation of businesses that should not be overlooked. In corporate culture, businesses that focus on being closer to the emotional weaknesses of people guarantee more support from these consumers. The Dream Society also highlights how success stories of companies surpassing adversities and odds become essential tools in dominating the corporate culture. The Dream Society highlights the value of storytelling and the treatment of emotions as commodity as a part of the future of businesses. Products that are packaged in a more imaginative way have the ability to tap the emotions and support of the consumers. The author’s concrete example in the early parts of the book about consumers wanting to buy eggs that are naturally made even if they cost higher emphasize the argument that Jensen wants to present in this book that consumers buy with their hearts and it is bound to be this way for a very long time. Jensen’s work is an understandable prediction for business transformations in the coming decades but it neither offers guarantees nor detailed specific steps of what business owners and corporate leaders should do to make their make their businesses more successful. It only narrates the facts and what influences the market but it could not be considered a guide or directional book. It is an easy, unconventional, very informative, and enjoyable book to read that addresses realities about the market and the corporate world, but it could still not be classified as a guide book on business and how businesses should be run. One of the book’s most creative lines in describing how a business is run is that â€Å"managing a company means staging a drama, daily† (Jensen, 2001, p. 134). And this drama, the strategy of commercializing emotions, and storytelling to appeal to the hearts of the people makes product sell. The Dream Society is definitely different from other business books I have encountered. The author is obviously very talented not only in writing but also in making careful analysis about the future direction of the world’s market. Understanding the needs of the consumers is one of the most basic rules in marketing strategies. Despite being unconventional, Jensen’s book should still be considered a business book because it offers insightful and important facts about the probable future of the market. Even if it is written with simplicity, this does not limit the valuable lessons and realities it shares to its readers and makes it invaluable to the world of business and corporate culture. Reference Jensen, R. (2001). The Dream Society: How the Coming Shift from Information to Imagination will Transform Your Business. McGraw-Hill: New York

Risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Risk management - Essay Example There is a growing recognition that flood risk can be mitigated making space for water through sustainable management. Management of Flood has started considering dilemmas, challenges, and problems† (Begum, et al., 2007). Vulnerability and Flood risk is increasing due to changes in land use and development in flood prone districts as a result of socio-economic demand, changes in climate and rainfall pattern, increasing frequency of extreme events (Begum, et al., 2007). Jeddah is the most cosmopolitan and second-largest city in Saudi Arabia and the gateway to millions of Muslims who want to go to the holy city of Makkah. Jeddah city, which is the main porter of the country’s wealth, the largest seller of oil in the world at all times, and which has paved the way for single currency in the Gulf with its emergence as the second largest bloc in the monetary world, was affected by heavy rains. The rains which lasted for no more than two days caused massive flooding. This flood caused the deaths of more than 120 citizens (al-Ahmed, 2009). To lessen the embarrassment caused by these deaths, spokesperson and media reports reduced the number of flood deaths in the first four days to less than 80 citizens. (Abumansour, 2009) This massive flood was the strongest natural calamity that Saudi Arabia has seen in its history which is less than 100 years old. However the actual reason for destruction and death that occurred in November 2009 is the corruption in some of the sectors of the municipalities in Jeddah. More than four million citizens live in this city and the city still lacks treatment facility and a sewage system. Hundreds of bodies were found during flood rescue operations and some were registered as missing. The main street going to the Holy City was blocked with hundreds of cars floating in the water. The cars were dragged by the water that could not

M8A1 Corporate Social Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

M8A1 Corporate Social - Essay Example One of the current trends in CSR is the emergency of green manufacturing through energy efficient technologies and reduction of raw material wastage in the manufacturing process (Mullerat, 2010). Corporations have undertaken measures to re-engineer the operations in order to make them more eco-friendly and sustainable. May, Cheney & Roper (2007) asserts that a majority of the multinational companies use recyclable packaging, renewable energy sources and have minimized pollution levels occasioned by their operations. In addition, many corporations have contributed heavily to social causes such as disease prevention, education and sanitation in order to ensure positive social impact in the communities. (Amao, 2011). The corporations have encouraged employees to volunteer in social causes of their choice. Another common trend that is evident is the increase in CRS reporting and engagement. Many companies have created CSR departments that are supposed to collect data and prepare annual CSR reports and the impact on the company activities on the social environment (Amao, 2011). CSR has been integrated in the non-financial reporting in order to create awareness that the business is a responsible company that caters for the needs of all stakeholders. Many companies have implemented the ISO 14000 environmental management standard and Global Pact standards that aim at ensuring social sustainability (Asongu, 2007). There is increasing use of the social media in CSR activities of the companies. Many businesses have formed online blogs and discussion forums that are used to understand the ideas and suggestions of the stakeholders (Mullerat, 2010). The thirsty for information and environmental activism has forced companies to report their CSR activities through the social media in order to maintain the regular engagement with the stakeholders (May, Cheney & Roper, 2007). However, it is worthy noting that the government has increased its oversight and regulatory

Status of Women in Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Status of Women in Islam - Essay Example In India the widow was consigned to flames at the funeral pyre of her dead husband. The religious faiths given to asceticism regarded her as the source of sin, the door leading to transgression and contact with her was considered an impediment in spiritual development and salvation. In most civilizations of the world she enjoyed no place in society. [1] She was contemptible and despised in their estimate. She had no social and political rights. She could not exercise her own free will in any financial deal. She was under the tutelage of her father, later under the oppressive rule of the tyrant of a husband and lastly under the patronizing care of the male offspring. She was not permitted by long standing conventions to challenge their authority and she had no course of justice to appeal to by way of escape from tyranny and excesses--not even a breath of complaint. Undoubtedly she has at times been in the seat of authority in some parts of the world. And it is also on record in the world history that empires and governments have danced to her tune, even tantrums, and it has been a common occurrence that she has had ascendancy in familial, tribal and monarchial activities. In some uncivilized tribes she had enjoyed superiority and rule and there are remnants of it still to be seen. [2] Yet as female of the human species, there was little change in her status and she suffered in silence through the course of history and remained deprived of her due rights as usual. Role of Women in Religion Muslims seek guidance from Allah through His book, the Qur'an, and His messenger Mohammed. Muslims believe that the word of Allah is supreme and takes precedence over all traditions cultures. Muslim women were expected to participate in the prayer sessions as the Mosque along with that of the men. Not only were women granted equality like the men, the women were given the same spiritual status as men. "Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, Verily, to him will We give new Life, and life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions." (Koran, Sura 16, Verse 97) [3]. As the Islamic state and religion expanded, interpretations of the gender roles laid out in the Quran varied with different cultures. [4] In modern contemporary times, some Muslim women, as well as men, have rejected the limitations put on them and have begun to re-interpret the Qur'an. "I shall not lose sight of the labor of any of you who labors in My way, be it man or woman; each of you is equal to the other (3:195)" [5] "Spiritual equality, responsibility and accountability for both men and women is a well developed theme in the Quran. Understanding the spiritual equality of women in Islam is to understand that equality between men and women in the sight of God is not limited to purely spiritual, religious issues, but is the basis for equality in all temporal aspects of human life." [6] Independence and Freedom of Choice As for what Muslim feminists argue women should wear to conform to Islamic ideals: unlike Islamists, who maintain that the hijab stands as the very symbol of Muslim piety; the most important element for Muslim feminists appears to be the element of freedom of choice in interpreting the Islamic dress code. Mai

Transportation Security at U.S. Seaports Research Paper

Transportation Security at U.S. Seaports - Research Paper Example The United States is one of the countries with the largest coastlines across the entire globe. This provides it a number or sea ports and sea shores to use in both transport activities, especially the exports and imports trade, whereby the country brings in new products from other countries while exporting its own products to different other countries. Furthermore, these seaports equally act as entry points for people from different countries who want to visit the United States. As such, it creates a transportation avenue, whereby congestion at the seaports due to transport activities is a common aspect. However, the traffic of people and goods leaving and entering the United States through its ports poses a security threat to the entire country at large. This is especially at the backdrop of the 9/11 terrorist attack carried out on the U.S. soil whereby nearly 3,000 people lost their lives.  As such, the security at these seaports within the United States is of crucial importance to all state actors, especially the innocent and naà ¯ve passengers who use the ports for daily activities, such as fishing and transportation. Currently, the number of seaports within the United States stands at over 300. Each of these ports is different in its own manner and style, as well as the intended purposes and daily activities. As mentioned earlier and going by the statistics of the losses suffered in 2001 after the September 11 terrorist attack, the issue of security is of grave importance to the operations carried out at these sea ports.

Business Planning - franchise KFC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Planning - franchise KFC - Essay Example KFC will introduce a range of edible coffee cups and food items like double down dog in London and hopes to launch them in the newly set franchise. Their coffee cups will be infused with various aromas such as coconut sun cream, fresh grass and wild flowers. They plan to introduce buckets of comfort food along with new ketchup made of marshmallows and lemonade. These newly introduced products are supposed to satisfy the demand of the local residents and result in increased sales (Lafontaine and Shaw, 2005). Their new product ranges are supposed to come with many health benefits for people. Their innovative range of products will fall under 400 calories and below 15 grams of fat so that even if people continue eating their foodstuffs at a regular basis that will serve to be a healthy choice for them. These food ranges will contain no trans fats and will contain adequate amount of calories required to remain healthy (Stier, 2004). Their combo meals will come under healthy diet plans and will serve best in taking care of health of their consumers. These newly invented unique recipes will not compromise the quality and will be made of sustainable materials. To gain a competitive advantage, the company will focus on expanding their business and increase its market share. Use of renewable resources will also differentiate the business to some extent. Majority of competitors tend to use plastic materials for their packaging. KFC will use edible coffee cups which will generate less waste and will confirm to be environment healthy (Tsai, Shih and Chen, 2007). It will develop new food products with great taste and value and also at the same time maintain health standards which will satisfy the expectations of the health concerned people too (Sivadas and Baker-Prewitt, 2000). The price of the new products will be reasonable and competitive with other neighbouring restaurants offering chicken menu. Also by offering unique introductory discounts, the new franchise will

The Girl in Hyacinth Blue in Manhattan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Girl in Hyacinth Blue in Manhattan - Essay Example The shower, too, was carpeted-a special type of water-proof carpeting. And finally, the walls were carpeted-water proof and dirt-proof. Across from Myra mounted on the wall was a painting of a young girl in blue; she was given the painting as a gift from a customer, and when faced with the dilemma of where to place it, she decided the bathroom would be best. It's the only time she sat down for more than a minute, after all. Myra was always busy. Her work followed her from the office back to her small apartment. She was an inventor. Her larger efforts involved magnetizing roads and cars, but she could also be credited with the invention of the water-proof carpeting that covered her bathroom, and many others across the city of New York. The bathroom was something of a lab to Myrna, and she was constantly testing out new ideas for carpeting. She was fiddling with a few new ideas currently, none of which were fully complete. Carpeting, it must be understood, was essential in Manhattan. New York was a hard city, and especially welcome to something that would round the corners of its acute, looming skyscrapers. The Hudson River has swelled so much, too, that water-proof anything was sure to be a best-seller. After a solid two hours of sleep, Myra awoke to the shoes of the little girl in the painting. She had somehow fallen asleep on the bathroom floor. Something about the girl in blue was so comforting. Perhaps that was why she placed it in the bathroom. But the girl is not herself surrounded by carpeting. How, Myra thought, could she be so at ease in a room full of jagged, hard edges What was protecting her Perhaps she was painted in a time far less dangerous, Myra reasoned. Myra brushed her teeth and left for work wearing the same thing as the day before, with childhood and comfort on her mind. The skies today were as unforgiving as a mother bear protecting her cubs (simile). It seemed that any small move could provoke hostility, could open the skies to let down floods not unlike those of the Hudson. It was cold and harsh, like the corners of the high rise steel buildings sprouting up all around Myrna (simile) on her walk to work. Cars now outlawed in Manhattan, streets were narrowed, leaving room for more and more buildings to be built. Myrna took her pocket-umbrella out and laughed to herself at fate of a once environmental friendly mandate given way to destruction of a different form. She made her way to her building, a three-hundred story high rise with the sign, "Carpet Your World", lit above the door, surrounded by green water-proof carpeting. There was no grass in Manhattan, only grass-like carpet. Myrna eyed the door; its two handles reached out to her, forcefully inviting her to enter (personification) the bane of an office lying a short distance beyond the doors. Not today. Today was not a day for working. Myrna kneeled down, picked an artificial flower from the bed of carpeting, and turned towardwell, anywhere except the office. Walking several blocks, Myrna stopped at the gate of Central Park. Paved over fifty years ago with cement, Myra's company had succeeded in carpeting the entire park in its latest faux grass line, like the green carpeting in front of her office building. The rain had stopped momentarily, and she lay down beside a large, comforting, artificial maple tree. Staring up into the sky, Myrna's thoughts fell on the painting in her bathroom. Outside of

Critical Introduction to Law Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Critical Introduction to Law Portfolio - Essay Example Much like Poe’s Prefect, I came into the law course, an unthinking member of society, taking the study of law for granted. The second seminar began to reverse my attitude as it engaged thought and reason. Without the benefit of Schlag’s The Enchantment of Reason, I might have read, Poe’s The Purloined Letter as nothing more than detective fiction. However, with the hindsight of Schlag’s The Enchantment of Reason, I not only felt compelled to re-evaluate my own view of the law, I was also able to interpret Poe’s The Purloined Letter differently. I focused on logic and more importantly flawed logic and the power of the human mind and reason. As a result, I was prepared to study law with an open mind. Reading and discussing the Purloined Letter and Schlag’s The Enchantment of Reason I came to appreciate a new perspective on law. Looked at as a system of rules and regulation, Schlag and Poe’s works draw attention to fallacy of blindly sett ing rigid rules and regulations and then following those rigid rules and regulations even when, they do not produce desirable outcomes. I came to the realization that I had a lot to learn about the law, how and why law is made and what compels people to follow and to not follow the law. I also realized that disobeying rules and regulations and finding alternative solutions were not always wrong. The second seminar therefore changed my expectations. I found that I was eager to learn more about the rights and protections anticipated by the law and when and how unanticipated situations would or should be treated by the law. In other words, the second seminar drew specific attention to procedural rather than substantive law, but invokes thoughts of both. Essentially, the second seminar taught me that procedural rules and regulations rarely anticipate every possibility. Rule makers, such as the police in The Purloined Letter who refuse to modify rules when they are inappropriate in an un anticipated situation, end up with rules and regulations that are ineffective. Therefore reason and logic dictates that there are often justifiable grounds for going around the procedural rules and regulations or modifying them to meet a new set of circumstances. The third seminar provided a more direct experience with the law with an introduction to 19th century English legal scholar A.V Dicey. Dicey invited critical thinking about the law and what it takes to learn the law. In Dicey’s Can English Law Be Taught At The Universities? reinforced my enthusiasm to study the law. Dicey admits that the best place to learn the law is in the courtroom. However, he also notes that there are some things that cannot be learned by mere practice and that learning law in university fills that gap. The gap is learning to think critically about legal concepts. That can never be learned in the courts and in the law chambers. I was also encouraged by Kennedy’s First Year Law Teaching as Political Action which encouraged legal scholarship as a tool for encouraging critical thinking rather than merely learning the law as a means to a career. Kennedy encouraged creativity and a unique approach to learning and teaching law. Thus far, I felt that I was already becoming a creative and critical thinker. Introduction to law was nothing like I expected learning the law to be. I always thought studying law meant learning and thinking codes and cases. Now I was thinking about logic and analysis and

American Writers Essay Example for Free

American Writers Essay Ernest Hemingway’s writing is among the most recognizable and influential prose of the twentieth century. Many critics believe his style was influenced by his days as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star, where he had to rely on short sentences and energetic English. Hemingway’s technique is uncomplicated, with plain grammar and easily accessible language. His hallmark is a clean style that eschews adjectives and uses short, rhythmic sentences that concentrate on action rather than reflection. Though his writing is often thought of as â€Å"simple,† this generalization could not be further from the truth. He was an obsessive reviser. His work is the result of a careful process of selecting only those elements essential to the story and pruning everything else away. He kept his prose direct and unadorned, employing a technique he termed the â€Å"iceberg principle. † In Death in the Afternoon he wrote, â€Å"If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of the iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. † Hemingway is also considered a master of dialogue. The conversations between his characters demonstrate not only communication but also its limits. The way Hemingway’s characters speak is sometimes more important than what they say, because what they choose to say (or leave unsaid) illuminates sources of inner conflict. Sometimes characters say only what they think another character will want to hear. In short, Hemingway captures the complexity of human interaction through subtlety and implication as well as direct discourse. The writers of Hemingway’s generation are often termed â€Å"Modernists. † Disillusioned by the large number of casualties in World War I, they turned away from the nineteenth-century, Victorian notions of morality and propriety and toward a more existential worldview. Many of the era’s most talented writers congregated in Paris. Ezra Pound, considered one of the most significant poets of the Modernist movement, promoted Hemingway’s early work, as did F.  Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, on Hemingway’s behalf. The powerful impact of Hemingway’s writing on other authors continues to this day. Writers as diverse as Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Elmore Leonard, and Hunter S. Thompson have credited him with contributing to their styles. Direct, personal writing full of rich imagery was Hemingway’s goal. Nearly fifty years after his death, his distinctive prose is still recognizable by its economy and controlled understatement. 18 †¢ THE BIG READ National Endowment for the Arts.

Native Americans and Colonization Essay Example for Free

Native Americans and Colonization Essay Native Americans had inherited the land now called America and eventually their lives were destroyed due to European Colonization. When the Europeans arrived and settled, they changed the Native American way of life for the worst. These changes were caused by a number of factors including disease, loss of land, attempts to export religion, and laws, which violated Native American culture. Native Americans never came in contact with diseases that developed in the Old World because they were separated from Asia, Africa, and Europe when ocean levels rose following the end of the last Ice Age. Diseases like smallpox, measles, pneumonia, influenza, and malaria were unknown to the Native Americans until the Europeans brought these diseases over time to them. This triggered the largest population decline in all recorded history. Fifty percent of the Native American population had died of disease within twenty years. Soon after, Native Americans began to question their religion and doubted the ability of shaman to heal. This was the first step towards the destruction of Native cultures. The Native Americans had never experienced anything like these deadly diseases before and they came to believe that Europeans had the power to kill or give life. Many Native groups, because they were nomadic, didnt see land as belonging to one person. The idea that someone could come in, claim a piece of land and ban them from it, caused many problems. They could no longer hunt or forage for food in places they had always done so. Fights over territories began to break out and groups who always had plenty of food, now barely had enough. Many Christian missionaries tried to force Native American people to abandon traditional religious beliefs and practices (Mayo, 33). Christian missionaries would sometimes launch attacks on Native American religious institutions when forcing them to convert to Christianity did not work. These harmful attacks destroyed not only their temples and religious artifacts, but also a huge part of their culture. Laws were introduced that protected the land and property the colonists had acquired, banned most of their religious ceremonies, and forced the children into the European educational system. The Europeans wanted to deny the Native Americans of their cultural identity, which eventually would end up wiping them out. Native Americans were deeply effected by colonization. It was extremely unfair of the Europeans to destroy Native American way of life. If the Native Americans had the weapons, like guns and disease, that the Europeans did, then maybe they could have fought for what was theirs. Europeans came to America and changed the Native Americans lives forever. This contact between the Native Americans and Europeans was called the Columbian Exchange. While both Native Americans and Europeans received advantages and disadvantages from the Columbian Exchange, Native Americans definitely suffered more while the Europeans were benefited more. It is not right that the Native Americans lived on American land all their lives and had the land as well as their culture taken away from them in a matter of only a few years. Mayo, Louise A. American Dreams and Reality: A Retelling of the American Story, Volume 1 Second Edition. Illinois: Abigail Press, 2000.

Effects of Swedish Body Massage on Body Systems

Effects of Swedish Body Massage on Body Systems Analysing And Describing  The  Effects of Swedish Body Massage  On The  Major Systems Of The Body Contents Introduction The Aims of Swedish Body Massage and the Body Systems Involved The Effects Swedish Body Massage Has on the Body Systems Lymphatic System Urinary System Cardiovascular System Respiratory System Muscular System Skeletal System The Benefits of Swedish Body Massage on the Body Conclusion Bibliography Introduction My Name is Sheryn McDermott and I am studying HNC Beauty Therapy at Forth Valley College. As part of my Human Anatomy Physiology for Beauty and Complementary Therapists units, I am required to write a report where I must analyse and describe the effects of a selected therapy on the major systems of the body. In the report I must: Research and describe the aim of a selected therapy on one or more systems of the body Research and discuss the evidence that explains the effect of your chosen therapy on the structure or function of the body systems Research the benefits of my chosen therapy on the body and Discuss any evidence available The assessment must be presented as a report and have no less than 1500 words and no more than 2000 which I will include a word count. I must reference using the Harvard referencing system and cite at least 5 different references. The report must be in my own words and I must use evidence based research to support my discussion. Any diagrams I use will have a title and be clearly labelled. The therapy that I have chosen to do my report on is Swedish Body Massage. The Aims of Swedish Body Massage and the Body Systems Involved The aims of Swedish body massage can differ from person to person depending on what they want to get from it. A client could want to relax, reduce emotional and physical stress, relieve tension and aches, increase their well-being, feel invigorated, detox, increase circulation and improve various body functions. There are so many things that body massage can do and as a therapist, it is my duty to know the effects that the massage will have on the body and how I will be able to achieve the clients aims. As a therapist my aims could be to: Increase blood circulation and improve function Increase lymphatic drainage and improve function Lower blood pressure Relieve tension in muscles, relaxing them and improve their condition Improve skin condition Stimulate or relax the nervous system Help reduce adipose tissue Keep joints supple Aid digestion Massage affects all the body systems in a positive way (for those who are not contra-indicated). Some of the major systems affected are the: Urinary system Lymphatic system Cardiovascular system Muscular system Skeletal system Respiratory system The Effects Swedish Body Massage Has on the Body Systems Lymphatic System As therapists massage in the same direction as the lymph flow, towards the nearest lymph node, the speed of the lymphatic flow is increased due to the force of the hands. The pressure that is applied during massage helps with transferring fluids from the tissue, into the lymphatic vessels which will drain the fluid away more quickly. This helps to prevent or reduce oedema in the tissues Interstitial fluid contains waste products from cells, these waste products are diffused through lymphatic vessel walls during massage and this allows the body to remove waste products quicker. Pathogens and microbes can be found in the blood, which the lymphatic system filters and cleans to destroy them. Massage can increase the efficiency of the lymph nodes and spleen which can increase the body’s immune system. (Jane Hiscock, 2010) wrote: ‘Biochemical healing takes place not only by alleviating anxiety but also stimulating the production of antibodies, especially immunoglobulin, so enhancing the immune system.’ Urinary System Massage is very stimulating to the body systems which releases toxins that are built up in the body and aids their removal. The toxins travel in the blood to the kidneys where they are filtered and flushed out in the urine. After a massage it is recommended to the client to drink lots of water to improve this process. An increase in fluids increases blood volume which increases the blood pressure and also increases the efficiency of the kidneys, thus increasing the need to pass diluted urine to lower the blood volume and blood pressure. Cardiovascular System Pressure on the skin (even slight) can empty the superficial capillaries and venules near the surface of the skin. Light, superficial effleurage can affect the flow of blood and help the work of the heart. Massage enhances blood flow in the veins which carry away waste products, toxins and carbon dioxide efficiently, and quickly returns to the blood stream. As the blood flow is increased, so is the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells and tissues. (Rosser, 2012) ‘It speeds up the flow of blood through the veins. Veins lie superficially (nearer the surface than arteries). As the hands move over the part in the direction of venous return, the blood is pushed along in the veins towards the heart. The deeper and faster the movements, the greater the flow. This venous blood carries away metabolic waste products more quickly.’ Gentle stroking produces a contraction of the walls of the capillaries in the skin which has a cooling effect on the body. Dilation of the blood vessels helps them to work more efficiently. Blood pressure temporarily decreases due to relaxation and by decreased stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets increase in number in the blood. Respiratory System As massage is very stimulating to the body and increases circulation, respiration is also increased to feed these stimulated areas with oxygen. Breathing rate and depth is increased to compensate this. The condition of the lungs can be improved as the joints of the thorax will be mobilised which will help to strengthen and improve the tone of the respiratory muscles. Percussion and tapotement massage movements will directly affect lung tissue by increasing circulation to the various part of the lungs such as the bronchioles and alveoli. If there is any mucus or foreign particles in the lungs, these can be dislodged when using percussion movements. (Audry Githa Goldberg, 1996) wrote: ’Such manipulations as percussion will have a direct effect on the lung tissue. Not only will the circulation to the bronchioles be improved, thus feeding the tissues and helping to maintain elasticity, but any mucus or foreign particles, if present, can be dislodged with such manipulations’. Gaseous exchange is also increased in the lungs which will improve the performance of the lungs by ridding the body of carbon dioxide and replenishing it with oxygen. Muscular System When muscles work they require a greater supply of oxygen and nutrients and as a result, more waste products are produced. After exercising when the muscles are resting the waste products can build up and result in stiffness. Massaging the muscles aids removal of the waste products by providing a fresh supply of blood and nutrients. (OKeefe, 2006) wrote: ‘Massage will relieve muscular fatigue by removing the lactic acids that build up in the tissues.’ Some muscle tone can be improved and maintained and with that, elasticity and flexibility is increased which can help improve some postural faults. Tense and short muscles can be relaxed and stretched and over-stretched, loose muscles can be strengthened. Tapotement causes muscles to expand and contract. Muscles are also warmed which helps to relieve tension and pain. Muscles work over joints and if there are adhesions in the joint then the full range of movement will be prevented. Massaging the joint using frictions will help loosen and release these adhesions. This will allow the joint to gain mobility in the joint, more movement in the muscles and therefore increase the range of movement. Skeletal System Pressure against the periosteum (the sheath of connective tissue that surrounds all bones except those at joints) stimulates the blood circulation which will feed and nourish bones and also the joints close by. (OKeefe, 2006) wrote: ‘When massage is applied to bones, it does not have any direct effect. What does happen is that because of increased blood circulation the bones are fed fresh oxygen and waste products are absorbed more quickly.’ Massage in and around joints can help to prevent and loosen adhesion which will help mobilise joints and improve their range. Image 8 Skeletal System The Benefits of Swedish Body Massage on the Body There are countless benefits of receiving massage that will benefit the body directly and indirectly. Skin is moisturised, nourished and desquamated, scarring can be reduced due to the increased stimulation and blood flow which will increase the skin condition overall. Sebaceous glands are stimulated allowing the skin to become more lubricated and supple. Muscles fibres can relax to eliminate bands of tension. Muscle tone and performance is improved and pain and tension relieved. Allows weakened muscles to be more readily used after a period of disuse. Relieves tension headaches. Lymph is stimulated encouraging a healthier immune system and removal of waste and toxins. Oedema in areas can be reduced providing there is no contra-indicated medical condition. Depending on the type of massage, the nervous system can be relaxed or stimulated. Circulation is improved which increases the blood flow to all parts of the body bringing nutrients and oxygen and removing waste. This promotes healing and the regeneration of cells. Blood pressure and heart rate is slowed down during a relaxing massage and if done regularly, has a cumulative effect to benefit clients with blood pressure problems. Increased urinary output will help to get rid of toxins in the body that have been released during massage and is great as part of a detox. People with stiff joints or low range of mobility will benefit from massage in and around the joints to relieve any adhesions and increase the mobility of the joint. Massage over the abdominal area can help aid digestion by encouraging peristalsis and speeds up the digestive process. Massage can help those with constipation. Adipose tissue could be affected as the tissue is warmed which accelerates the chemical activity needed to disperse the fat. The pressure used softens the fat which allows it to be more easily absorbed. Respiratory tract can benefit as it will become relaxed, allows mucus to be dispersed and dislodged and increases the gaseous exchange which allows more oxygen into the body and more carbon dioxide to leave. Breathing properly can help prevent lung infections, encourage good posture and aids relaxation. There are many psychological benefits to massage too. The client can relax, allowing the mind to become still and calm. Emotional stress can be dispersed or even forgotten about during massage and a general well-being can be achieved. Self-esteem, sleep patterns and concentration can be improved. Conclusion During this report and unit I have learned in-depth knowledge about the human anatomy and some of the major body systems. I researched how Swedish Body Massage would affect these body systems and I am now confident in my knowledge of the effects and benefits on the body. I will be able to use this knowledge to my advantage when I am treating clients, enabling me to advise them on how massage could benefit them and ensure the treatment reaches their objectives. I feel it is important to know exactly how the movements, techniques and manipulations used during massage will affect the body. Bibliography Audry Githa Goldberg, L. M. (1996). Body Massage For The Beauty Therapist (3rd ed.). Cornwall: Elsevier. Jane Hiscock, E. S. (2010). Beauty therapy Level 3 (2nd ed.). Barcelona, Spain: Pearson Education Limited. OKeefe, A. (2006). The Official Guide to Body Massage (2nd ed.). London: Thomson Learning. Rosser, M. (2012). Body Massage (3rd ed.). Italy: Hodder Education. Front Cover freelancemd.com Image 1 beautyescape.co.uk Image 2 greathealthbydesign.com Image 3 lucindacareswell.co.uk Image 4 thiswaytohealth.com Image 5 simple-health-secrets.com Image 6 chss.org.uk Image 7 woodgrovesec.moe.edu.sg Image 8 cnx.org Image 9 sourcemassage.co.uk Word Count 1881

Animal Testing :: Animal Testing

The Problem with Testing Drugs on Animals Every year is that nearly 100 million animals die in research laboratories at the hands of curious scientists who perform outdated and inaccurate tests that prove no benefit to humans or animals. Before these animals die, they are routinely burned, scalded, poisoned, starved, given electric shocks, addicted to drugs, subjected to near freezing temperatures, dosed with radioactive elements, driven insane, deliberately inflicted with diseases such as cancer, diabetes, oral infections, stomach ulcers, syphilis, herpes, and AIDS. Their eyes are surgically removed, their brains and spinal cords damaged, and their bones broken. Law does not mandate the usage of anesthesia; consequently, this is rarely administered. Despite all of this cruelty, not a single disease has been cured through vivisection in this century. The overall adult cancer rate has risen in the past 40 years, and a fatal heart attack strikes a person every 45 seconds. The Centers f or Disease Control estimate that 70-80% of the common diseases killing Americans are preventable given a responsible diet and lifestyle. Drug testing on animals is inaccurate and does not benefit humans or animals at all. Animals including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, mice, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rhesus monkeys, imported primates, owls, deer, sheep, llama, and cattle are commonly used for vivisection. Vivisection is the medical term for the practice of experimenting on animals. Charles River Breeding Laboratories, a company owned by Bausch and Lomb, provides 40-50% of the animals used in experiments of laboratories. The other remaining misfortunate animals come from places a little closer to you and me. Some of them come from animal shelters, some come from the "free to good home" ads in the classified section of the newspaper, and some from unsuspecting people who allow their companion animals to become pregnant. What is even worse is that some have bee n stolen directly from their own front yard. Imagine your pet one day being crammed into a cage with ten other animals waiting to die like approximately 20-100 million other animals do each year in numerous unreliable tests. More than 205,000 new drugs are marketed worldwide every year. Most of these animals die after undergoing the most common unreliable test method still in use, animal vivisection. The current system of drug testing puts consumers in a dangerous predicament. According to the General Accounting Office, more than half of the prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration between 1976 and 1985 caused serious side effects that later caused the drugs to be either re-labeled or removed from the market.

The Benefits of Advances in Communication for the Visual or Hearing Imp

The Benefits of Advances in Communication for the Visual or Hearing Impaired Language is a means of communication that people use to interact with others in society. Generally, language comprises vocal sounds to which meanings have been assigned by cultural convention and often supplemented by various gestures. (Sharma, 30) For any 'normal' person, language is no longer viewed as a tool to acquire: language is placed as a standard and basic skill, almost being considered given at birth. Such an idea about language is reasonable when taking into account how the development of speech and language is acquired in early childhood. But as a rule, such a 'standard and basic' process of language development is only relevant to 'normal' people, those without any sensory impairments such as blindness or deafness. For the blind and the deaf, acquiring and developing language is a studious process - the blind having to depend extensively on their hearing, and the deaf depending extensively on their vision. With restricted sensory abilities on thorough development of language, both the blind and the deaf can be limited to possible communication and interaction with others in society. Consequently, many computer related technological inventions and improvements have been developed, and both the blind and the deaf have significantly benefited from these innovations as a way of having wider access and use of language in day-to-day living. Indeed until an emergence of technological innovations, the blind and the deaf suffered limited access of communication and interaction with others, among many other things. In order to fully understand and analyze affects of technological innovations on language development, social interactions, a... ...arry. Working with Braille, a study of Braille as a medium of communication. Switzerland: Unesco 1981 Holbrook, Cay M. Ph.D., ed. CHILDREN with VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS a Parents' Guide. Woodbine House, 1996. Lewis, Morris Michael. How Children learn to speak. London, Harrap [c1957] Oesterreich, Lesia. Understanding children, Language development. April, 2004. Sharma, Vimlesh. Cognitive Styles and Language Comprehension of The Blind. Delhi, India. 2001 Sterne, A and Goswami, UC (2000) 'Phonological awareness of syllables, onset-rime units and phonemes in deaf children' in Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry & Allied Disciplines, vol. 41, no. 5, July 2000, pp. 609-626. General information from DEAFSA and American Foundation for the Blind

Panopticism Essay -- Essay on Panopticism

In his essay â€Å"Panopticism,† Michel Foucault introduces the Panopticon structure as proof of modern society tending toward efficient disciplinary mechanisms. Starting with his example of the strict, intensely organized measures that are taken in a typical 17th-century plague-stricken town, Foucault describes how the town employed constant surveillance techniques, centralized a hierarchy of authorities to survey households, partitioned individual structures to impose certain behavior, and record current information about each individual. As society has progressed, Foucault explains, these practices have expanded into other institutions such as hospitals, schools, prisons and asylums. Bentham’s Panopticon embodies such disciplinary techniques. Inside a tall, central tower amidst the many cells, a surveyor can see all the inhabitants â€Å"without ever being seen† (Foucault 376). The individuals are aware they that may be observed at the moment, but cannot ever be sure. This implementation of power is thus greatly effective because it reduces the amount of people needed to operate the system, while maximizing the number of people it can watch over. Power becomes more economic to maintain. Intervention, and even better, prevention, can be exercised. Panopticism is not the link between power and function, says Foucault, but rather â€Å"it is a way of making power relations function in a function† (381); that is, power and function do not operate discretely, but within each other... Panopticism Essay -- Essay on Panopticism In his essay â€Å"Panopticism,† Michel Foucault introduces the Panopticon structure as proof of modern society tending toward efficient disciplinary mechanisms. Starting with his example of the strict, intensely organized measures that are taken in a typical 17th-century plague-stricken town, Foucault describes how the town employed constant surveillance techniques, centralized a hierarchy of authorities to survey households, partitioned individual structures to impose certain behavior, and record current information about each individual. As society has progressed, Foucault explains, these practices have expanded into other institutions such as hospitals, schools, prisons and asylums. Bentham’s Panopticon embodies such disciplinary techniques. Inside a tall, central tower amidst the many cells, a surveyor can see all the inhabitants â€Å"without ever being seen† (Foucault 376). The individuals are aware they that may be observed at the moment, but cannot ever be sure. This implementation of power is thus greatly effective because it reduces the amount of people needed to operate the system, while maximizing the number of people it can watch over. Power becomes more economic to maintain. Intervention, and even better, prevention, can be exercised. Panopticism is not the link between power and function, says Foucault, but rather â€Å"it is a way of making power relations function in a function† (381); that is, power and function do not operate discretely, but within each other...

Biofoam: Not Just Peanuts Essay

Summer Internship Program State bank of India 7/27/2013 [Type the author name] A SUMMER INTERNSHIP REPORT ON Merchant Acquiring Business Point of Sale (P.o.s.) Submitted to L.J. Institute of Management studies In requirement of partial fulfillment of Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) 2 year full time Program of Gujarat Technological University Submitted on: 27th July 2013 Submitted by: Batch No: 2012-14 DECLARATION 1. Objective of the Study 2. Company Profile History OVERVIEW OF SBI PROFILE MISSION VISION ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HISTORY ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS SOCIAL ACTIVITIES OF SBI Owners Products Current Scenario 3. Organization Overview a. Organisation Structure b. Employee Profile c. Departmentation Information i. Finance ii. System iii. Marketing iv. HR 4. Strategies Adopted a. Finance b. Operations/ Production c. Marketing d. HR 5. Research a. Problems Identified b. Hypothesis c. Research Methodology d. Data Analysis e. Conclusions / Observations / Findings f. Suggestions / Comments OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The objective of the study is TOWARDS THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE IN MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (2ND YEAR, SEM-3) The major objective of the study is : COMPANY OVERVIEW ( study of the various departments of the organization ) & MARKET RESEARCH ON ARE THE CUSTOMERS OF HOME LOAN DEPARTMENT SATISFIED WITH THE PROCESSES INVOLVED IN GETTING LOAN FROM SBI ? HISTORY OF SBI EVOLUTION OF SBI The origin of the State Bank of India goes back to the first decade of the nineteenth century with the establishment of the Bank of Calcutta in Calcutta on 2 June 1806. Three years later the bank received its charter and was re-designed as the Bank of Bengal (2 January 1809), the first joint-stock bank of British India sponsored by the Government of Bengal. The Bank of Bombay (15 April 1840) and the Bank of Madras (1 July 1843) followed the Bank of Bengal. These three banks remained at the apex of modern banking in India. On 27 January 1921,they were amalgamated as the Imperial Bank of India. The three presidency banks came into existence either as a result of the compulsions of imperial finance or by the felt needs of local European commerce and were not imposed from outside in an arbitrary manner to modernise India’s economy. Their evolution was, however, shaped by ideas culled from similar developments in Europe and England, and was influenced by changes occurring in the st ructure of both the local trading environment and those in the relations of the Indian economy to the economy of Europe and the global economic framework. Establishment The establishment of the Bank of Bengal marked the advent of limited liability, joint-stock banking in India. It was the associated innovation in banking, viz. the decision to allow the Bank of Bengal to issue notes, which would be accepted for payment of public revenues within a restricted geographical area. This right of note issue was very valuable not only for the Bank of Bengal but also for the Banks of Bombay and Madras. The concept of deposit banking was also an innovation because the practice of accepting money for safekeeping (and in some cases, even investment on behalf of the clients) by the indigenous bankers had not spread as a general habit in most parts of India. But, for a long time, and especially upto the time that the three presidency banks had a right of note issue, bank notes and government balances made up the bulk of the investible resources of the banks. The three banks were governed by royal charters, which were revised from time to time. Each charter provided for a share capital, four-fifth of which were privately subscribed and the rest owned by the provincial government. Presidency Banks Act The presidency Banks Act came into operation on 1 May 1876. This brought the three presidency banks under a common statute with similar restrictions on business. The proprietary connection of the Government was, however, terminated, though the banks continued to hold charge of the public debt offices in the three presidency towns, and the custody of a part of the government balances. Bank of Madras The decision of the Government to keep the surplus balances in Reserve Treasuries outside the normal control of the presidency banks and the connected decision not to guarantee minimum government balances at new places where branches were to be opened effectively checked the growth of new branches after 1876. The pace of expansion witnessed in the previous decade fell sharply although, in the case of the Bank of Madras, it continued on a modest scale as the profits of that bank were mainly derived from trade dispersed among a number of port towns and inland Centers of the presidency. Bank of Bombay Presidency Banks of Bengal The presidency Banks of Bengal, Bombay and Madras with their 70 branches were merged in 1921 to form the Imperial Bank of India. The triad had been transformed into a monolith and a giant among Indian commercial banks had emerged. The new bank took on the triple role of a commercial bank, a banker’s bank and a banker to the government. But this creation was preceded by years of deliberations on the need for a ‘State Bank of India’. What eventually emerged was a ‘half-way house’ combining the functions of a commercial bank and a quasi-central bank. The establishment of the Reserve Bank of India as the central bank of the country in 1935 ended the quasi-central banking role of the Imperial Bank. The latter ceased to be bankers to the Government of India and instead became agent of the Reserve Bank for the transaction of government business at centres at which the central bank was not established. But it continued to maintain currency chests and small coin depots and operate the remittance facilities scheme for other banks and the public on terms stipulated by the Reserve Bank. It also acted as a bankers’ bank by holding their surplus cash and granting them advances against authorised securities. The management of the bank clearing houses also continued with it at many places where the Reserve Bank did not have offices. The bank was also the biggest tenderer at the Treasury bill auctions conducted by the Reserve Bank on behalf of the Government. The establishment of the Reserve Bank simultaneously saw important amendments being made to the constitution of the Imperial Bank converting it into a  purely commercial bank. The earlier restrictions on its business were removed and the bank was permitted to undertake foreign exchange business and executor and trustee business for the first time. Imperial Bank The Imperial Bank during the three and a half decades of its existence recorded an impressive growth in terms of offices, reserves, deposits, investments and advances, the increases in some cases amounting to more than six-fold. The financial status and security inherited from its forerunners no doubt provided a firm and durable platform. The lofty traditions of banking which the Imperial Bank consistently maintained and the high standard of integrity it observed in its operations inspired confidence in its depositors that no other bank in India could perhaps then equal. All these enabled the Imperial Bank to acquire a pre-eminent position in the Indian banking industry and also secure a vital place in the country’s economic life. Stamp of Imperial Bank of India When India attained freedom, the Imperial Bank had a capital base (including reserves) of Rs.11.85 crores, deposits and advances of Rs.275.14 crores and Rs.72.94 crores respectively and a network of 172 branches and more than 200 sub offices extending all over the country. S B I – THE PROFILE REGISTERED NAME: STATE BANK OF INDIA CHAIRMAN: SHRI ARUN KUMAR PURWAR DATE OF ESTBLISHMENT: 1ST JULY 1955 FORM OF ORGANISATION: NATIONALISED BANK CENTRAL OFFICE: CORPORATE CENTRE APEX ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE, MUMBAI. REGISTERD OFFICE: CENTRAL ACCOUNTS OFFICE Number of domestic branches: 9,177 Number of foreign brances: 70 SYMBOL OF SBI The new symbol of the State Bank of India is circular representing the simplest and the most symmetrical of gometrical shapes. The circular shape of the symbol suggests the continual expansion like the ring in the water, to cover the entire country. From the ancient times, the roundness was considered as the fullness of the man’s being and his growing consciousness. The small circle in the center connotes that despite the SBI’s size it is small man who hold the center of State Bank stage. OVERVIEW OF THE BANK * State Bank of India is the nation’s largest bank, accounting for about 20% of India’s deposit and loan activities. * The bank operates more than 13,500 branches and over 5,000 ATMs within India and more than 50 offices in some 30 other countries. * The bank owns an asset base of $126 billion. * While its size has slowed modernization of both its services and its products, the bank has become more computerized. * Its international banking services include shipping and export financing and merchant banking. * The Reserve Bank of India owns about 60% of State Bank of India. MISSION OF SBI * To retain the bank’s position as the premier Indian financial service group, with the world class standards and significant global business, committed. * To excellence in customer, shareholder and employee satisfaction, and to play a leading role in the expanding and diversifying financial services sector, while continuing emphasis on its development banking role. VISION OF SBI * Premier Indian financial services group with global perspective, world- class standards of efficiency and professionalism and core institutional values. * Retain its position in the country as a pioneer in development banking. * Maximize shareholder value through high sustained earning per share. * An institution with a culture of mutual care and commitment, a satisfying and exciting work environment and continuous learning opportunities. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Directors on the Bank’s Central Board as on 1st July 2006 DIRECTORS Prof. M.S. Swaminathan Shri. Ajay G. Piramal Shri. Suman Kumar Bery Dr. Ashok Junjhunwala Shri. A. C. Kalita Shri. Amar Pal Shri. Arun Singh Shri. Rajiv Pandey Shri. Piyush Goyal Shri. Ashok K Jha Smt. Shyamala Gopinath Shri. O. P. Bhatt Chairman MANAGING DIRECTOR Shri T. S. Bhattacharya PRODUCTS AND SERVICIES OF SBI 1. SERVICES 1. SBI VISHWA YATRA FOREIGN TRAVEL CARD 2. FOREIGN INWARD REMITTANCE 3. ATM SERVICES 4. INTERNET BANKING 5. LOCKER 6. GIFT CHEQUES 7. PUBLIC PROVIDENT FUND (PPF) 2. DEPOSIT SCHEMES 1. CURRENT ACCOUNT 2. BASIC BANKING 3. SAVINGS BANK ACCOUNT 4. TERM DEPOSITS 3. PERSONAL FINANCE 1. SBI SARAL PERSONAL LOAN 2. HOUSING LOAN 3. SHORT TERM HOUSING LOAN 4. EASY TRAVEL LOAN 5. GRAM NIVAS SCHEME 6. CAR LOAN 7. EDUCATION LOAN 8. SCHOLAR LOANS 9. PROPERTY LOAN 10. LOAN TO PENSIONERS 11. LOAN AGAINST SHARES DEBENTURES 12. LOAN FOR EARNEST MONEY DEPOSIT 13. FESTIVAL LOANS 14. MEDI-PLUS SCHEME 15. TEACHERS-PLUS SCHEME 16. SAINIK-PLUS SCHEME 17. TRIBAL-PLUS SCHEME 18. CREDIT KHAZANA 19. RENT PLUS CURRENT SCENARIO * State Bank of India is focusing on internal accruals through competitive and efficient operations to increase profitability in the coming years. * SBI has moved up in terms of processes and technology in working systems. There has been concerted efforts to push up commercial lending, especially credit to SMEs (small and medium enterprises), besides cashing in on real estate boom with focus on improving housing loans. * SBI was focused on deploying capital to improve agriculture sector ‘in a viable way and not as a one-time basis’. * Retail credit alone stood at Rs 50,000 crore for the year ended 31 March 2006. * SBI has teamed up with GE Capital Services to market its credit cards, being showcased as an important product in personal banking. * At present, the bank has over 2.5 million credit cards in circulation * At present, the bank has around 6,000 ATMs across the country with an average disbursement of Rs 10 crore per day. * SBI Life, a joint venture with French company, Cardiff, adopts banc assurance model to expand its business in life insurance. * Through bundling SBI Life with other products, the bank offered protection to customers. Similarly, SBI Mutual Fund through multiple schemes had received overwhelming response from investors. * To facilitate transactions of  salary in labour intensive companies and factories, the bank has introduced Payroll cards, an ATM card for employees to draw salary from banks after the same has been remitted by the employers. They don’t need to have SB accounts for availing Payroll cards. * The bank has targeted 16 per cent growth in deposits and 20 per cent growth in lending for the region in the current fiscal. * Recently, the newly opened branches have received good response from customers as efforts were taken to improve the ambience of banking experience. ORGANISATION OVERVIEW ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE CHAIRMAN (ARUN KUMAR PURVAR) ↓ MANAGING DIRACTOR (SHRI C. BHATTACHARYA) (SHRI K. ASHOK KINI) ↓ DIRACTORS (ED-3, NED-13) ↓ CHIEF GENERAL MANAGER ↓ GENERAL MANAGER ↓ DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER ↓ ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER (MR S. MANKODI, REGIONAL BUSINESS OFFICE, SAURASTRA)↓ (MR. V. SUBRAMAIAN, MAIN BRANCH, RAJKOT) (MR. JAGDISH JOSHI, PFC, RAJKOT) ↓ CHIEF MANAGER ↓ DEPUTY MANAGER ↓ ASSISTANT MANAGER ↓ EMPLOYEES ↓ CLERKS ↓ MASSENGERS DEPARTMENTATION INFORMATION 1. MARKETING DEPARTMENT 2. FINANCE DEPARTMENT 3. SYSTEM DEPARTMENT 4. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT MARKETING MDEPARTMENT MARKETING DEPARTMENT 1. MARKETING – AN INTRODUCTION 2. BANKING SECTOR AND THE ROLE OF MARKETING 3. MARKETING IN SBI 4. 7 PILLARS OF MARKETING 5. CUSTOMER SERVICE AT SBI MARKETING – AN INRTODUCTION Marketing is a multi-faceted subject covering the areas of production, consumption and distribution which can be viewed narrowly as activities that occur in the transfer of services to customers or broadly as all processes  by which the society meets its requirements. Marketing seeks to convert customer deeds into products and offers it to the market so as to fulfill the needs of the customers. Marketing communication is considered as a tool to communicate the benefits of the product to the customer. Marketing management is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. Marketing department is one of the most important departments of any business organization. Whether its business unit, service unit, manufacturing unit, non government unit, tourism, country etc., competition has left no sector but to push itself to survive. The world has become global village and constant research and development, technology up gradation has made the market full of services and products and new ideas for customers. Scope of marketing is ever changing and everlasting. Brand management, event marketing, e-marketing, relationship marketing etc. are the new jargons in this area. MARKETING IN BANKING SECTOR â€Å"THE ROLE OF MARKETING IS TO DELIVER A HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING† Marketing in banking sector is expressed as, â€Å"Putting People First† Banking – a word that brings the picture of money, economy cheques, drafts, savings, deposits, investments, and today.. it may bring more pictures of debit card, credit card, ATMs., Mutual funds, loans for 2 wheelers, 4 wheelers, homes, education, traveling, etc. The scope of banking activities has increased and therefore the role of Marketing in banking sector also has undergone rapid changes. Core banking, Net banking, e-banking, mobile banking, phone banking, are the new awtaars of banking today. BANKING ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA The mantra of today’s marketers is â€Å"Catch the customer and cash the customer† â€Å"Love the customer and not the product† The growth in aggregate deposits of scheduled commercial banks at 17.3% in 2003-2004 was higher than 13.4% in 2002-2003, adjusted for mergers. However, scheduled commercial banks’ credit recorded a lower rise of 14.6% during 2003- in food credit following higher off take of food grains. MARKETING IN SBI Marketing activities in SBI are centralized. Basically there are 14 circles all over the country zone wise. Namely, 1. Ahmedabad Circle 8. Hyderabad Circle 2. Banglore Circle 9. Kolkata Circle 3. Bhopal Circle10. Lucknow Circle 4. Bhubaneshwar Circle11. Mumbai Circle 5. Chandigarh Circle12. Delhi Circle 6. Chennai Circle13. Patna Circle 7. Guvahati Circle14. Kerala Circle Under each circle there is one local head office and few Zonal offices which take care of marketing activities of respective local branches of SBI. At L.H.O., there is one marketing head and good staff who plans & executes all the activities of marketing of SBI & its products for that particular region. The Central office at Mumbai decides the budget of marketing for all different circles and according to the allotted budget and requirements, heads at circle designs and develops the needed marketing strategies. So here, at SBI main branch, Rajkot, AGM of Main Branch, PFC & Regional head, carry out marketing functions under the supervision of L.H.O. Ahmedabad. THE CONSTANT MARKETING ACTIVITIES AT SBI MARKET RESEARCH DESIGNING AND REDESIGNING PRODUCTS & SERVICIES PRICING (setting interest rates) PROMOTION DISTRIBUTION AFTER SALES SERVICES etc. MARKETING MIX OF SBI PRICE The second important pillar of marketing or marketing mix of SBI is â€Å"PRICE†. It is important because other P’s are expense making whereas only this P fetches money. Banking sector is a service sector therefore in this sector there is no physical existence of product but here services are delivered and priced. It can be the interest on loan or charges collected for providing different facilities to its customers. Interest rate is the word used instead of price in banking sector. As far as deposits are concerned the public funds are used by bank and interest is paid to the account holders. As far as loans are concerned the interest is paid by the customer to the bank for using the funds of the bank. Interest rates are decided by the corporate office, MUMBAI under the supervision of RBI. In fact, decision regarding interest rates is all affected by monetary policies, capital market, availability of funds to commercial banks and economic conditions of country. PLACE Distribution or execution of products and services at any bank is mostly through its outlets or branches themselves. Yes today, ATMs are the most dynamic retail channel in terms of transformation they are bringing about in banking habits and about popularity with customers and branch staff alike. Depending on the size o market, city, town, state, country and need, the number and place of Zonal offices and branches are determined. As far as SBI is concerned, most of the branches and offices are located at the heart of the city. SBI has huge network of outlets and ATMs through out the world form where it serves its customers. STRUCTURE OF PLANING & EXECUTION PREMISES CORPORATE CENTER (MUMBAI) LHOs ZONAL OFFICE REGIONAL BUSINESS OFFICE BRANCHES Depending on the size of market, city, town, state and country need, the number and place of Zonal offices and branches are determined. As far as SBI is concerned most of the branches and offices are located at the heart of the city. IN RAJKOT THERE ARE 5 BRANCHES OF SBI: 1. RAJKOT MAIN BRANCH 2. BHAKTINAGAR BRANCH 3. JAGNATH BRANCH 4. LAKHAJIRAJ ROAD BRANCH 5. MARKETING YARD BRANCH PROMOTION GENERAL PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES AT SBI: At every branch of SBI they put hoardings of their different products, not only in branches but also on crowded roads of the city. They give advertisement in TELEVISION and NEWSPAPERS for their different products and special schemes if any.  SBI organized WORKSHOPS on securities market awareness campaign (SMAC) at eight centers and educated about 1675 investors in these workshops. They even give advertisement in national level MAGAZINES. PRODUCTWISE PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES 1. EDUCATION LOAN : For advertising at national level SBI put HOARDING and took help of TELEVISION. At local level they give LEAFLET to all the customers that visit the personal finance cell. Recently they have also started giving SEMINARS and PRESENTATIONS in colleges and coaching classes, where potential customers are found. 2. HOUSING LOAN : To increase the sales and for creating awareness about housing loan, SBI conducted a property fair. For that they took help of print media by giving advertisement in local newspapers and by distributing leaflets. 3. AUTO LOAN : As far as marketing of Auto Loan is concerned bank was in general impression that there was no need of doing. But as the time passed SBI started realizing that there rate are little bit higher in market. They decreased their rate & started doing marketing by giving advertising in the in local newspaper. They are doing promotion jointly with the dealers and also keeping stall at fair or other places. FINANCE DEPARTMENT FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE YEAR| 2005- 06| 2004-05| % change| Total Income (Rs. Crore)| 43,184| 39,548| 9.19| Total Expenditure (Rs. Crore)| 38,777| 35,243| 10.03| Net Profit (Rs. Crore)| 4,407| 4,305| 2.37| Earning Per Share (Rs.)| 83.73| 81.79| 2.37| Return on Average Assets (%)| 0.89| 0.99| (-) 10.10| Return on Equity (%)| 15.47| 18.10| (-) 14.53| Profit Per Employee (Rs. Thousands)| 216.76| 207.50| 4.46| AT THE END OF| March 2006| March 2005| (%) change| Paid up Capital andReserves & Surplus| 27,644| 24,072| 14.84| Deposites (Rs. Crore)| 3,80,046| 3,67,048| 3.54| Advances (Rs. Crore)| 2,61,642| 2,02,374| 29.29| BALANCE SHEET OF THE STATE BANK OF INDIA AS ON 31ST MARCH 2006 (Rs. in billion)| MARCH 2005| MARCH 2006| CAPITAL & LIABILITIES| | | Capital| 5.26| 5.26| Reserves & Surplus| 320.26| 366.80| Minority Interest| 13.04| 14.30| Deposits| 5061.05| 5440.24| Borrowings| 229.30| 369.75| Other Liabilities & Provisions| 656.87| 771.96| Total| 6285.78| 6968.32| ASSETS| | | Cash & balances with Reserve Bank of India | 256.16| 311.29| Balances with banks and money at call & short notice | 253.41| 262.08| Investments| 2619.62| 2279.31| Advances| 2869.87| 3743.17| Fixed Assets| 35.74| 39.58| Other Assets| 250.98| 332.92| Total| 6285.78| 6968.32| Contingent Liabilities| 2017.46| 2930.77| Bills for Collection | 316.90| 247.81| STATE BANK OF INDIA MARKET RELATED RATIOS MARKET RELATED RATIOS| MAR 03| MAR 04| MAR 05| MAR 06| Market Price (Rs) (as on last day of the year/quarter)| 270 | 606| 657 | 968 | Price to Book Ratio (%)| 0.83| 1.58| 1.44| 1.79| Market Capitalization (Rs in Billion)| 142.05| 318.78| 345.75| 509.48| Earning Per Share ( Rs)| 59.00| 69.94| 81.79| 83.73| P/E Ratio (%) | 4.58| 8.66| 8.03| 10.40| Analysis of Performance financial * Level of domestic investments remained stable during the half-year of FY 2005-2006. * Investment Fluctuation Reserve amounted to 5.30% of eligible Investments. * During the half-year the Bank divested its stake in (Credit Information Bureau of India Ltd. (CIBIL) from 40% to 10% and booked a profit of Rs.7.50 crores as a result of this disinvestment. * During the period, forex business on account of customers registered a growth of 28.80% on Year-on-Year basis. * NII of the Bank went up by 24.11% from Rs.6,333.89 crore in H1 of 2004-05 to Rs.7,861.19 crore in H1 of 2005-06. * Staff costs registered a growth of 9.11% due to wage revision. Other Operating Expenses of the Bank showed a growth of 10.41% in in H1 of 2005-06 as compared to H1 of 2004-05 * Total provisions made for this half year were higher at Rs.2,984.21 crore as compared to Rs.2,536.02 crore made in H1 of 2004-05. Major provisions are as under: * Provision for NPAs at Rs.246.74 crore for the current half year (as agains t Rs.508.45 crore during H1 of 2004-05). * Higher Provision for depreciation on investment Rs.2,397.07 crore (as against Rs.344.03 crore in H1 of 2004-05). * Provision for tax at Rs.400.09 crore (including deferred tax debit) as compared to Rs.1,449.97 crore in H1 of 2004-05. Provision for tax is lower mainly due to higher provision for depreciation on Investment. * The provision & contingencies for the Current Quarter (Q2 only) stood at Rs.767.56 crores, as against Rs.1,523.04 crores in the corresponding period of the previous year. SYSTEM DEPARTMENT Information Technology ATM Project * The Bank’s ATM network includes 5479 ATMs in India, which is the largest ATM network in the country. The Bank continues to expand this network rapidly. Customers can transact free of cost at the ATMs of the State Bank Group. * The agreement with VISA and Master Card International for acquiring ATM transactions has resulted in another revenue generation stream. Core Banking Solution (CBS) * The Bank is moving towards a centralized database and a Core Banking Solution, with capability for on-line, real-time transaction processing. The Bank has brought 2165 branches at 437 centers under Core Banking Solution in all Circles, covering 38% business. * Implementation of CBS would substantially enhance the Bank’s capability in introduction of new and innovative products at very short intervals across branches and other value-added services to customers on a 24X7 basis, tone up internal efficiency through straight-through transaction processing capabilities on a centralized database and improve operational effectiveness in the areas, such as, integration of multiple delivery channels, single window for meeting all needs of a customer, better MIS and improved security.This will take the Bank to a superior technology platform leading to near-zero branch level system administration, centralized generation of reports and zero-effort reconciliation of inter-branch entries a s more and more branches shift to core banking platform. * Core banking would integrate the trade finance, Treasury and ALM applications enabling efficient funds management and risk management capabilities. Value Added Services * College/Hostel Fee Payment† through ATMs – Covered more than 67 Institutions sunder this scheme. * Topping up of Mobile phones of Idea, Orange and Airtel transactions. * Opening of Internet Banking accounts through ATMs for cardholders. * ATM is increasingly used as cash point for SBI cards. * Issue of monthly/quarterly season tickets for suburban trains of Central Railway at CST Mumbai. * Cash as well as Cheque Deposit on ATM – Facility has been made Operational on a pilot basis. * Temple trust Donation facility now available for Vaishnodevi, Shri Sai Sansthan, Shirdi and Gurudwara Sahib, Nanded.Devotees can now offer their donations to these Temples through ATM. * Online collection of Application fees for GATE & JMET 2006. * MTNL, Mumbai Bill payment through ATM. PERSONAL BANKING FINANCE CELL : To give focused attention to retail loans at branches, cells have been set up at 182 branches with many more to come. BUSINESS PROCESS RE-ENGINEERING (BPR) : The bank has undertaken BPR exercise and has engaged an international consultant as Advisor for the project. The objective of BPR initiative is to strengthen the bank’s ability to acquire new customers, build lasting relationship with existing customers and increase customer satisfaction through world-class service quality. The BPR team is simplifying and redesigning processes to leverage the core banking solution platform. Strategies are being evolved for migrating transactions to full set of alternate channels namely, ATMs, Internet and Call Centers. The objective is to transform branches into sales and service focused outfits with all back-offices, non-customer facing transactions being moved out of branches to central processing cells. SINGLE WINDOW SYSTEM : To improve customer service and to free the staff for marketing, single window delivery system has been introduced at 7446 branches. HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT 1. Introduction 2. Human Resource Management at SBI 3. Recruitment 4. selection 5. Promotion 6. Training 7. IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT It has become the necessity for the organizations to keep HR Department because EMPLOYEES are the valuable asset of any organization. Each and every organization is concerned with personnel functions and that is the reason for keeping a separate Human Resource Department. The personnel manager has the ultimate responsibility for all personnel and labor polices. This department helps the management in securing, utilizing and developing appropriate manpower to achieve the organizational objectives. For this purpose, it performs several functions like recruitment, selection, compensation, promotion, transfer, training etc. It also relates to the maintenance of industrial peace and harmony, Industrial Relations, labor welfare activities, etc. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT SBI The bank proposes to automate its HR processes with business objectives. Thus the bank has decided to implement an HRM solution which would handle all aspects of HRM, including payment of wages and salaries, CTC, performance management, training management, fixed assets etc. STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES Such programmes for officers in Senior Management grade, and Strategic HR initiatives were launched, and in addition, Revamping of the Training System It was undertaken to meet future needs of the Bank which is under implementation. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS: Industrial Relations includes maintaining the relations with the employees and colleague to maintain the industrial harmony and peace. In order to increase the responsibilities of Senior or Special Assistants, their passing powers have been enhanced and duties enlarged. RECRUITMENT AT SBI As SBI is the government oranisation here for higher level of designation or post SBI prefers to follow the internal source of recruitment that is Promotion, Transfers, and demotion within the organization. As far as other clerical job is concerned there is no recruitment going on for the post of officers and middle level jobs. The External source of recruitment is used that is Advertisement in newspapers, magazines and web sites. Here, major decisions regarding recruitment are taken by SBI Central Recruitment Board, Bombay. SELECTION AT SBI RECEIPT OF APPLICATION SCRUTINISING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED INVITING RIGHT CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW DIFFERENT TESTS FOR SELECTION SELECTION OF THE RIGHT CANDIDATE PROMOTIONS The usual policy for promotion is to promote the person on the basis of seniority or merit. Length of service, education, training course completed, previous work history etc. are factors, which are given weitht while deciding on a operativeness, merit, honesty, many informal influences are powerful determinants of a promotional policy. PROMOTIONS AT SBI There are three types of promotions at SBI : * Fast Track Promotion * Normal Channel Promotion * Seniority Channel Promotion FAST TRACK PROMOTION It is applicable to the employees who have completed 2 years of job. Such employees have to undergo * A written test and * Then group discussion and * Personal interviews respectively. More over, every employee should have secured 90 % and more marks and grade A in confidential performance appraisal report. NORMAL CHANNEL PROMOTION In this channel of promotion employees who have completed four or five years of their job are eligible and they have to udergo written test and group discussion and personal interview. Depending on personal records, performance appraisal, requirement of staff, grades and percentage in test, employees and promoted. SENIORITY CHANNEL PROMOTION It is basedon as the name suggests seniority level of an employee The promotion is given to them. As this type of promotion is only given to senior employees for the higher level of posts and designations, at times they have to also go for written test and at times they have to directly go for oral exams and interviews. Four scale of promotion are there. In this type of promotion, employees who have done 12 years of job are eligible for scale 1 and scale 2 promotion while employees who have completed 14 year of job and carries minimum 50% marks are eligible for scale 3 and scale 4 promotion, Training Bank’s Training Philosophy â€Å"Training in State Bank is a proactive, planned and continuous process as an integral part of organisational development. It seeks to impart knowledge, improve skills and reorient attitudes for individual growth and organisational effectiveness†. State Bank of India†s experience in training spans more than four decades and is based on an in-depth understanding of the business and banking environment, domestic as well as international. TRAINING SYSTEM GOALS * Training * Feedback to corporate office to assist in policy formulation, product development * To act as a think-tank * An internal consultant * Organisational development interventions * To conduct customised on-site programmes at our branches * Interventions at branch level for organisational development * Research & Development TRAINING METHODOLOGY * Knowledge * Lectures * Exercises * Questionnaires * Quiz * Group work * Interface/panel discussions * Skills * Case studies * Exercises * Group work * Attitudes * Small group Work * Role play * Exercises * Interface/panel discussions * Customer interaction * Training media: Audio-visual teaching aids and computer aided learning MARKET RESEARCH -IN HOME LOAN DEPARTMENT VARIOUS STAGES IN RESEARCH Stage-1: PROBLEM IDENTIFIED At the very first stage in research the researcher has to clearly identify and define the problem. A well defined problem helps the researcher in the research. As it said that â€Å"A PROBLEM WELL DEFINED IS HALF SOLVED.† My research problem is â€Å"What are the experiences & difficulties faced by customers in getting Housing loan from SBI?† Stage-2: IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH OBJECTIVE Identification of Research objective is very essential in any research because if the researcher fails to identify the research objective he may fail in his research and the researcher can not achieve ultimate results. Research objectives are the end results.It directs and provides the base for the research plan. The objectives of this research are: 1. Primary Objective : To identify the difficulties faced by the customers in getting Housing loan from SBI and to find the gape. 2. Secondary Objective : * To identify the expectations of the loan holders. * Based on the opinions and experiences of the customers, to give suggestions to remove this gape. Stage-3: RESEARCH PLAN For gathering the needed information the researcher needs to draw out the most efficient research plan based on well defined research objective. Designing of research plan includes the following: 1. Data source 2. Research Approaches 3. Research Instruments 4. Research Methods [1]Data Source: In market research data can be of two types: Primary data: In primary data the information is obtained from the original source by researcher. Here, information needed is â€Å"the perception of the loan holders from SBI regarding the processes involved in housing loans†, which is only possible through personal meets with them so it is primary data source. Secondary data: The data, which is already collected and used, previously, is secondary data. For meeting the loan holders I got the personal information like name, address, telephone number etc. from their accounts so that is secondary data. [2]Research Approaches: Primary data can be collected in four ways: Focus groups Surveys Observation Experiments Observational research and survey research are two approaches, which have been used to meet the objectives of research. Observational research has been carried out simultaneously with survey research. [3]Instruments Used in Research : Researchers have a choice of two main research instruments in collecting primary data. * Questionnaires and * Mechanical Devices For surveying the housing loan holders of SBI, the research instrument used is questionnaires for each of them individually. [4]Survey Methods: There are two methods of survey: * Survey of population * Survey of samples selected from the whole To carry out the research, the method adopted here is the survey of the samples. First step to Sample Survey is designing the Sample Plan. Sampling Plan basically deals with the following: * Sample Size * Sampling Method Sampling Plan * Sample size-100 * Sampling method -Simple Random sampling * Instrument used For survey -Questionnaire & Personal Interviews QUESTIONNAIRE Instruction: a) The purpose is to make survey only. b) Information provided will be kept confidential NAME: _________________________________________ CONTACT NO.: _________________________________________ OCCUPATION:ââ€" ¡ Business ââ€" ¡ Profession ââ€" ¡ Service MONTHLY INCOME:ââ€" ¡ 8000 to 15000ââ€" ¡ Above 25000 ââ€" ¡ 15000 to 25000 * Had you visited other banks before taking loan from SBI? ââ€" ¡ Yesââ€" ¡ No * Reason for selecting SBI : ââ€" ¡ Nationalized bank ââ€" ¡ Lower interest rate ââ€" ¡ Good facilities ââ€" ¡ Lower cost ââ€" ¡ Speedy sanction * How you received the related information? ââ€" ¡ In a single piece ââ€" ¡ In bit of pieces * What was the gape between date of application and sanction of loan? ââ€" ¡ 1 to 5daysââ€" ¡ 5 to 10 days ââ€" ¡ 10 to 15daysââ€" ¡ 15 to 20 days ââ€" ¡ More than 20 days * In your opinion, comparatively sanction process is: ââ€" ¡ Speedyââ€" ¡ Moderate ââ€" ¡ Low * Within how many days loan amount was disbursed? ââ€" ¡ 1 to 2ââ€" ¡ 11 to 15 ââ€" ¡ 3 to 5ââ€" ¡ 16 to 20 ââ€" ¡ 6 to10ââ€" ¡ More than 20 * Did you face any difficulty in receiving disbursement? ââ€" ¡ Yesââ€" ¡ No * In comparison with other banks the interest rates of SBI are: ââ€" ¡ Higherââ€" ¡ Lower ââ€" ¡ Equal to other banks * Your suggestion: _______________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY DEPENDING ON THE VIEWS OF THE HOME LOAN HOLDERS OF SBI BASED ON THE QUESTIONNAIRE PREPARED. OCCUPATION OF DIFFERENT CUSTOMERS The above indicated results shows that more of the home loan holders are Businessmen. There is not much variation between service and profession class as the number of both the class of the customers are nearly similler. CLASSIFICATION OF THE CUSTOMERS ON THE BASES OF THEIR INCOME LEVEL BY DIVIDING THEM INTO SPECIFIC INCOME CLASS The above graph shows that there is not much deviation among the different classes. More of the home loan holders are having the monthly income between 15000 to 25000. Those having monthly income more than 25000 are lesser. But looking to the overall scenario there is equal distribution among all the  three income class. NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS WHO HAD VISITED OTHER BANKS BEFORE TAKING LOAN FROM SBI The graph shows that more of the loan holders had inquired, directly or through other sources like friends or relatives, other banks before taking loan from SBI. THIS SHOWS HOW THEY RECEIVED BASIC INFORMATION To the response of this question, more of the customers replied that they faced a little difficulty in receiving different information regarding basic information or the information about documentation. REASONS GIVEN BY CUSTOMERS FOR SELECTING SBI The above graph looks very unevenly distributed but it is due to the reason that the respondents gave more than one answer to this question. Some told that more than one reason are there for selecting SBI. One of the reasons not mentioned through graph is â€Å"TRUSTWORTHYNESS† stated by some of the respondents. GRAPH SHOWING THE TIME DURATION BETWEEN APPLICATION GIVEN BY CUSTOMERS AND LOAN SANCTIONED BY THE BANK The above result is full of variations. During the survey, It was found that some of the first 22% customers got the loan sanctioned even within one day. On the contradictory part, some of 11% customers did not get the loan sanctioned even after 40 days of application. This was also due to the delay in submission of required documents by customer. IF THE SANCTION OF LOAN WAS SPEEDY FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF CUSTOMERS TIME TAKEN BY THE BANK TO DISBURSE THE LOAN AMOUNT TO THE CUSTOMERS AFTER SANCTIONING Gape between sanction and disbursement is generally found to be 2 to 8 days after sanction of the loan. Some of the customer faced difficulty in receiving the disbursement of the loan. Few got the payment after a long wait of approximately a month. CUSTOMERS WHO FACED DIFFICULTY IN RECEIVING THE DISBURSEMENT OF THEIR LOAN AMOUNT INTEREST RATES IN VIEW OF THE CUSTOMERS OF HOMELOAN DEPARTMENT RESEARCH FINDINGS 1. Liberalization in the loans is needed. 2. It was found that most of the customers who got the loans sanctioned fast, received the disbursement faster and those who got the loan sanctioned late, got the payment late than the average time. Of course, this can be due to unclarity on the part of customer. 3. Customers want that they should be able to get all the information from one person only so that they need not to run here and there. 4. Core banking should be fully helpful to the customers. In spite of core banking customers are still facing difficulty regarding flexibility for payment of installment. 5. Lower documentation should be there for the loans. As per customers view only really needed documents should be asked for. 6. Customers who got delayed sanction or delayed disbursement were dissatisfied and suggested to faster the operations of the bank. 7. Most of the customers expressed view that they prefer SBI more for the home loans as it is very good, as compared to the other private banks also, as far as the home loan’s aspect is considered 8. Dissatisfied customers told that the operations involved in sanction and disbursement needs to be made faster like that of private banks. 9. Fast response to the various inquiries of the customers is needed. Some customers as shown in the results complained that they got the information from more than one person. 10. The infrastructure facilities like good interior and air-conditioned branches should be there. 11. Customers expect to be treated with politeness and respect. 12. Customer care should be given more importance. 13. More attracting facilities are needed. 14. Customers should be given full knowledge about the services inquired. 15. More connectivity with other banks. 16. Better front desk services are yet needed, customers are not yet fully satisfied with it. 17. For all the new coming schemes awareness should be created among people. 18. For entertainment of the waiting customers small T.V., Newspapers, Magazines etc should be there. SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS * Nationalized Bank * Safety and security of money * Highest number of ATMs * Years of experience – Century * Large Network * Government Support * Transparency in charges. * Experienced employees WEAKNESSES * Rigid work culture * Lake of young employees * Excessive Documentation * Bureaucracy * All branches and Head offices are not having fully modern infrastructure. OPPORTUNITIES * Constant fear in the minds of customers towards Private Banks. * Ever expanding rural, urban, and international market. THREATES * Private Banks provides more facilities at low charges. * Shifting customer preference towards private banks. * Dynamic employees and greater technological product of private banks. * Customer satisfaction is high in private banks. SUGGESTIONS 1. PEOPLE : * Good suggestions coming from employees side should be appreciated and implemented. * Motivational package for excellent work at the bank should be offered. * Employee integrity and sincerity should be rewarded. * Make duty a desire of employees through Satisfying sociological, financial, status need of employees. * Work culture of employees should be like that of private banks employees. * Young and enthusiastic employees should be recruited for customer care services. All nationalized bank can join hands in this regard and can even seek approval from RBI. * System of hire and fire should be there for this new young employees up to particular age limit. 2. PROMOTION : * To increase the young customers step-ins, SBI can install in house cyber cafes to attract the young customers in premises of SBI. * New schemes and constant recorded announcement of the products in the bank premises itself can attract the attention of customers visiting the bank at least during peak hours. * SBI is flooded by new generation products but they need intensive marketing especially for products like demat A/c, insurance, mutual fund and e-banking. 3. PRODUCT : * Mobile banking, bill payment services, online tax payments, NRI tax advisory, Investment solutions should be given importance. * SBI should have tie up with big industries, schools, NGOs, hospitals, commercial complex, colleges etc for opening the salary A/C of their employees. * Too much documentation and complex procedure should be reduced to greater extent. For example, if a customer is having A/C with any nationalized bank then a simple check can be used for cross checking of their identity. * Women’s A/C : At SBI study of profiles show that lesser number of women prefers SBI, while the fact is number of working women in Rajkot is improving day by day.  To capture this section of society, saving A/c offering with different schemes for women can be planed out. 4. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT : * Each and every counter should be named properly above the desk through hanging sign boards and name boards to minimize customer quarries. * Renovation is the need of SBI branches and good interior with pleasing environment is the demand of today’s competitive edge. * Cabin system should be destroyed and customer-employee interaction should be without any glass partition between them. This reduces the status gap and offers warm helping hands to customers’ problem solution. * Departmentation in the banks should be such that customers don’t need to ask anybody to search for required counter. * Chart showing the designation and department of concerned persons should be there inside the bank.