Benin Essays (450 words) - French West Africa, Communes Of Benin

Benin Benin, independent nation of W Africa, formerly called Dahomey. Once a French protectorate, it is a country of 40 ethnic tribal groups and a low-level economy. Land and Economy. Located in the bulge on the S side of W Africa, Benin is bordered by Nigeria, Toga, Berkina Faso, and Niger, with 75 mi (121km) on the Gulf of Guinea. The coast is hot and humid, and there are two rainy and two dry seasons; average annual rainfall is 32in (813mm). Benin has three plateaus, one fertile, another of bare rocks, and a third with streams flowing to the Volta and Niger rivers and including the Atakora range. The E section is a plain. Subsistence agriculture is the economic base. Palm products and cotton account for half of export revenues. People. The leading class in Benin is composed of male-line descendants of the Aja (Fons, or Dahomey) who had established the early kingdom. Trained for civil service by the French, they are the best educated; literacy is 25% among school-age children. In the N are the nomadic Fulani and the Somba tribe, hunters with no political organization; E are Baribas. 90% of the population is rural, and 65% practices animist religion. French is the common language. Government. Benin has been under military rule since 1970. The constitution of 1977 instituted a national assembly, whose members belong to the sole legal political party, the Benin People's Revolutionary Party. History. Benin's history dates back to three principalities--Allada, Porto-Novo, and Dahomey--in the S area who were being pushed by the N Kingdom of Abomey in the 16th century. Dahomey was the most aggressive, pushing N and selling slaves. In 1863 the king of Porto-Novo sought French protection. By 1892 France had subjugated all groups and made them protectorates as part of French West Africa. In 1960 the country became independent as Dahomey. The official name was changed to Benin in 1976. Economic and regional rivalries have caused numerous military coup d'?tats and changes of government since 1960. The Marxist-Leninist military government in power since 1972, led by Brig. Gen. Mathieu Kerekou, relaxed its authority somewhat during the late 1970s and improved relations with France. Benin became the center of an international environmental controversy in 1988 when it became known that European nations planned to dump toxic wastes there. PROFILE Official name: People's Republic of Benin Area: 43,483sq mi (112,621sq km) Population: 4,663,832 Density: 107.3per sq mi (41.4per sq km) Chief cities: Porto-Novo (capital); Cotonou Government: Military Religion: Animist, Christian, and Moslem (Muslim) Language: French(official) Monetary unit: CFA franc Gross domestic product: $1,400,000,000 Per capita income: $340 Industries: food processing, including beer, palm oil Agriculture: peanuts, cotton, coffee, tobacco Minerals: petroleum Trading partners: France (major), other members of European Common Market, franc zone countries

Analysis of the Allemande from the English Suite No 3 in G minor.(J.S Bach) essays

Analysis of the Allemande from the English Suite No 3 in G minor.(J.S Bach) essays According to Phillip Spitta the English Suites must be regarded as Bachs most deliberate and developed excursions in the suite form. J. Matheson says that they give the picture of a contented and satisfied mind delighting in order and repose In these Bach combines elements of the French tradition with the south German suite type which Johann Jacob Froberger had originated. He also assimilates some Italian influences. His ability though, to give varied forms to pieces of the same species makes the Suites easily recognizable as his own works. Generally in the Suites, the allemande prepares the way for the courante and they both form a whole. The allemande in Suite No 3 is a fine example of the grace and emotionally versatility that Bach can show on the keyboard. It consists of two sections, equal as to length, of twelve bars each. With a first look we can see that the harmonies are broad and both parts have various figures. The piece begins commonly with a short note, a semiquaver before the first bar and it is followed by an arpeggiation of the tonic chord in the left hand. We have two part texture with semiquavers against semiquavers that share the melodic sequence until bar 3. The harmony is mostly straightforward but interesting if we accept the second chord with the F sharp in the bass as a VII leading to a V7 in the next beat. The second bar continues with an arpeggiation of chord i as the passing bass sequence sets up a V chord in the third beat and resolves back to the tonic in the beginning of bar 3. Up to here the harmony seems fairly simple and we can not really see any specific mood being portrayed. In bar 3 though, a clear sequence begins in the bass and a series of arpeggiated chords lead to a first modulation in bar 6.! Already, the F natural in the start of the bar produces a richer feeling for the melody. The sequence, that starts with the tonic, descents gradually to VII, then to v and climbs...

The acceptance of Genetic Therapy in the American society Essay

The acceptance of Genetic Therapy in the American society - Essay Example The manipulations of the creative chemical of life, DNA, inspires both wonder and fear in the human heart and mind and has created countless controversies in its application to combat disease. Genetic therapy is the alteration, removal, or insertion of genes in order to treat an illness. This definition is taken from the Washington Times article by, Marilynn, Marchione. This method uses a technique discovered by researchers to find and then correct the defective genes that are cause of the disease. This scientific marvel raised many questions, both in the scientific community and the public, each having various interpretations and viewpoints on the subject of genetic therapy. Some people depend on these experiments to improve their lives while others deem scientists as playing God. On the other hand some can see both side of the spectrum. Introduction (Positive) Those people suffering from a disease most often will have a positive and optimistic outlook regarding the promising resear ch involving genetic therapy. Curing a life threatening disease like AIDS, or repairing vision loss that severely impacts your quality of life can bring about an new and hopeful world for those who are suffering. This would be a world where one would not have to worry about suffering or even their longevity; they could just live carefree. This may seem like a pipe- dream, but the good news is that every day we are coming close to making it a reality. This remarkable new therapy was brought to light from and the case of an AIDS patient who seemed to recover from the disease after receiving a blood transfusion from a donor, who apparently had a natural immunity to HIV. Therefore it was theorized that the donor cells combated the virus. Regarding article reporting this same case, during a Boston conference Dr. John Zaia, was quoted after the announcement of their scientific breakthrough saying. â€Å"For the first time, people are beginning to think about a cure†. This was uplif ting news for the entire world because many people had died from AIDS. Thinking that a virus that killed millions can one day be treated as if it were a common cold truly shows the advancement and growth science and medicine This article further states, â€Å"Scientist used genetic engineering in six patients to develop blood cells that are resistant to HIV.† However, even though the gene therapy has shown very promising results, one must not celebrate too soon as this research is still in experimental stages, and it is still far too early to declare this method as an absolute cure. Gene therapy offers various possilbe benefits, and discovering a cure for HIV is perhaps only the beginning. For the first time in history researchers are using this new therapy to improve the vision in patients who were almost blind. According to The Seattle Times writer, Thomas H. Maugh, â€Å"this discovery brings hope to thousands with inherited forms of vision impairment in the field of reti nal dystrophies.† Previously, cataract surgery along with medication and corrective lenses were used to cure vision impairment. Additionally, doctors have not been able to restore vision due to hereditary degenerative disease to restore their patients sight. Now with the use of gene therapy scientists are able to take these defective genes and replace them with strong healthy ones in order to cure an ailment. Similar to the Aids case article previously mentioned an

Operations Management (OM) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operations Management (OM) - Essay Example Service System. Unlike product systems or manufacturing systems, service systems are unique in that they tend to be based more upon face-to-face customer interaction. In the bank, however, an effective service system will take advantage of the inherent nature of the business of banking. Banks do not manufacture money, but they do interact with individuals and companies to assist them with their financial needs. Accordingly, the branch manager can implement a service system that accommodates customer needs. Even though a banking-based service system will be somewhat intangible, the benefits of a well-designed one will be notable. For example, the branch manager may know that Friday afternoons are high volume time periods for the bank, as the local factory pays its employees on Fridays. Since no person want to stand around waiting on tellers to cash or deposit their checks, the branch manager could study the customer volume data for a month and then implement a service system that focu sed upon scheduling tellers and account managers around the times of highest volume. This OM technique would provide both efficiency in staffing as well as a happier client base. Job Design. Job Design. Job design is a relatively straightforward way of increasing operational efficiency in all organizations, but particularly in the banking industry. Like any other business, a bank has to maintain a productive workforce, and economic efficiencies are very important. Accordingly, our branch manager could spend a little research time on every segmented task within the bank. Looking for areas of overlap or opportunities for cross-training, the manager could design the job descriptions to maximize productivity without sacrificing customer service. For example, the job design of the teller would involve the standard activities of a bank teller; processing deposits, cashing checks, overseeing counter activities, etc. Similarly, the job design of an account manager is very easy to determine; be available to open new accounts for existing and new customers, perform customer service duties by telephone, solicit new accounts through various means, etc. If our branch man ager were to implement an effective job design, she might be able to construct a head teller or other hybrid position that could assist with teller operations during high volume times, and solicit accounts during times of low counter activity. This is an example of effective job design, and such an OM tool is very effective in this application. Quality Management. As we know, modern quality management is not so much about correcting mistakes after they occur, but preventing them from occurring at all. In a bank, customer service quality and the absence of numerical or clerical error is paramount to both the operations and reputation of the institution. The branch manager should place a high emphasis on attention to detail and quality job performance in both the technical (teller) and customer relations (account manager) departments. By utilizing such methods as regular staff meetings, on-going skill training, and written policy manuals, the branch manager can utilize the OM methodology of quality management

Strategic Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Strategic Marketing - Essay Example Impact from uncontrollable variables such as Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors as well as Customers, Competitors, Suppliers, Publics and the company’s internal environment needs to be managed so that the opportunities are capitalised upon while countering any adverse effects. Managing the controllable variables in a company involves the managing of the marketing process. Marketing process involves identifying the consumer needs, selecting the need segments, which the company aims to cater to, and focusing on the selected segments with a well formulated marketing mix. The report aims at evaluating the controllable variables a company uses in meeting the needs of its business environment and analyse the similarities and contrasts between the controllable variables being utilised by two companies engaged in manufacturing and exporting of home accessories to the UK market. The two companies chosen are Zeba Group from India and J.D.Lighting Factory from China. T he analysis will also address the importance levels of each controllable variable to the two companies. With the rapid globalisation process and the increased level of Free Trade, the number of well established exporters to the European countries from Asia has increased substantially over the past decade. The two Asian export giants, India and China are pursuing their export drives aggressively and with the right mix of marketing elements, some companies have become established suppliers to some of the most sophisticated consumer markets in the world such as the UK. Zeba Group from India and J.D. Lighting Factory from China are two such examples of companies that have been successful in marketing their products in the UK home accessory market. Zeba Group, established in 1986 caters to many of the European and American markets with carpets, linens, quilts, cushions and a range of table and bed linen under its own brand name. The products are made available through a host of

Factors that Influence Buyer Decision for Property

Factors that Influence Buyer Decision for Property CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction of Study Nowadays, the demands for houses increase every year. In Malaysia, housing demands include all sorts of houses which are low cost houses, medium cost houses and also high cost houses. All the demands for the houses come from all kind of income groups based on their income. The supply of the houses sometimes over than demands that makes the houses abundant. More challenges of competitive market in these decades because the developers entering the housing market increasing. At the same time, the local and national economic makes the developers to aware and pay attention to the buyers for their needs, satisfaction and preferences. When the developers meet the buyers needs, satisfaction and preferences in delivering the product, this will avoid in abundant of the property. The thesis is about the findings of the research that determines the factors that influence the buyers towards buying the residential property. The buyers that involved in this thesis are chosen from the people that attend new launched project and also the buyer that already bought a house. The findings also come from the observation of the study area and also the market. All the factors that influence buyers in decision-making will be defined and the preferences and satisfaction of the buyers also taking into account. The outcome of this study will help to increase the quality of the property towards the development of new residential property in the market. 1.1 Background of Study The study covers the buyers and also the residential property in Kuching, Sarawak. The demand for houses increased in Kuching caused by the increment of the population in this town. The study can also be the guide towards preparing the residential property based on the preferences and the satisfaction of the buyers. If the residential property build based on the preferences and satisfaction of the buyer, the market will be active and the supply of the houses will meet the requirements of the buyers through this study. The factors that maybe included that influence the buyers in decision making are design, location, developers reputation, facilities within neighborhood, safety and security and the price. The factors that influence the buyer in decision making toward the residential property of each respective buyer is different, so through this study, the factors can be defined. 1.3 Problem Statement This dissertation is to know what are the factors that influence buyer in decision-making for residential property. It is to assure that the preferences and satisfaction of the buyers could be determined. 1.4 Objectives There are two main objectives for this research. They are as follows: To define the factors that influence buyers in decision making for residential property To measure the level of importance of factors that influence buyers in decision-making process. 1.5 Scope of Study The scope of this study is mainly in Kuching which is located in Sarawak. The study will focus on residential property in Kuching Sarawak. The residential properties which are the landed property that involve in this study include the medium cost housing and high cost housing. The landed property that being focused are single storey terrace house, double storey terrace house, single storey semi-detached house, double storey semi-detached house, single storey detached house and double storey detached house. It also concentrated on the buyers in three groups of age between 25 years old to 30 years old, 30 years old to 35 years old and 35 years and above. The three groups are chosen because of the age of 25 years to 30 years is the best age to own the house and the age of 35years and above is the age which they must own the house for living. Besides that, this study also focuses on the group of income in order to determine the level of affordability in buying the property. In this study, the residential property that involves is medium cost housing and high cost housing. So, the income group should be determined. 1.6 Significance of Study The significance of this study is to know the factors that influence the buyers in decision making of residential property in order to make sure that the supply of the property will fulfill the requirement of the buyers in buying the property. It also important to know the preferences of the buyers so that no housing units in the area would be abundant caused by not fulfill their satisfaction. In addition, this study also can be the guidelines and also preparation for the developers in order to build and supply the property to the market and at the same time, the government can take action to avoid the housing development from being abundant. The factors that influence buyers in decision making are also important because it can help to determine the design, the location, the price and also the facilities that needed in the development. 1.7 Methodology of Study In this study, two methods used in order to find the information to lead through the completion of this thesis. The methods are divided into two which is primary data and secondary data. For primary data, the method is by distributing the questionnaires. In distributing the questionnaires, the person to answer the survey are the new buyers, the recent residents and also the visitors at the new launched project and housing exhibition. For secondary data, the method are by manual which come from reading the reference books, journals, papers and also the magazines , by statistics data which can be look at the Department of Statistics of Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia and Economic Planning Unit and also the data collection from online through websites related to the topic and also the research papers. Through reading, much information can be gathered together for a good and successful outcome in this study. All the materials to be read will be find at main library of Universiti Malaya, library Faculty of Built Environment, National Library, Pustaka Negeri Sarawak and also Perpustakaan Sultanah Zanariah Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. 1.8 Organization of Study CHAPTER 1 Introduction In chapter 1, the introduction includes the background of the study that will be discussed in this thesis. It also shows the problem statement that also can be the hypothesis of this study. The objectives of this study also include in this chapter. Besides that, the introduction also discussed the scope of the study, the significance of study and also the methodology of the study. CHAPTER 2 Literature Review Literature review consists of the strategy of the thesis in order to gain and gather the data of information that are needed in this study. All the data from the articles in the property magazines and books, the journals related to the housing demands and property buyers, the research papers about the related topics, books that include all the information about buying a property and also residential property, magazines that shows the factors influence the buyers in decision making of residential property. CHAPTER 3 Overview the Study Area For this chapter, the overview of the study area will consists of the socio-economy in Kuching which is the location of this study. The socio-economy depends on the population of people in Kuching, the household income, the group of age, the changes in physical environment and others socioeconomic issues. CHAPTER 4 Research Analysis and Findings The research analysis is the analysis of this study from all the information and data that gathered together in order to get the outcome. All the analysis and the findings from this study determines into graphs, charts, tables and also pictures to make this study clear. CHAPTER 5 Research Outcomes and Conclusion In this chapter, all the finding and research analysis will be summarized and the conclusion of this study will be presented. Either than that, the implication of this study are also discussed and the availability of the problem statement whether it can be used or not. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction In decision making for residential property, there are several factors that influence the buyers. The factors are divided into categories. The categories are buyers taste and preferences, demographic factors, economic factors and marketing strategy. This thesis will focus on residential property which is the landed property. The landed property consists of property for high income group and middle income group which are terrace house, semi-detached house and detached house. The property categorized according to the supply and demand in the market and also the prices. The location for this housing study will focus in Kuching, Sarawak that have a large population due to Sarawak, the biggest state in Malaysia which have the multiracial including Malay, Chinese, Indian and others. The reason to have this location as the case study is because of the big location with multiracial and can explore the demand and the preferences of the consumers in buying the residential property. 2.2 Definition 2.2.1 Decision- Making Decision-making is an outcome of mental processes. Every decision making process produces a finalchoice wherebythe output can be an action or an opinion of choice which is a continuous process integrated in the interaction with the environment concerned with the logic of decision making and rationality with the invariant choice. Decision making made by the buyer, depends on individuals need, preferences, satisfaction and also their requirement in order to choose the perfect and right choice in buying the property. The decision making influence by various factors. In this study, the objective is to determine the factors that influence buyers in decision making of residential properties. The decision making of every people related to the factors and the way of the people think in order to fulfill the need and satisfaction through the requirement of the property. 2.2.2 Consumer (Buyer) The product which is goods and services that consumes by a person and has the ability to choose between the different suppliers and products. In the other hand, consumer or buyer is a party that requires or agrees to own, acquire and have the benefit in usage for the services that in exchange for money or other consideration under a contract or agreement of sale. The consumer or buyer in this study just focuses on high group income and middle group income. It is because to look towards the choices or need of this income group in their decision making for buying residential property. For lower income group, it just only lead to the affordability in their decision making, so they are not chosen as the respondent in context of buyer for this study. 2.2.3 Consumer Behavior ‘Consumer behavior examines not only consumers action, but also the reasons for those behaviors. On a macro level, marketers are interested in demographic shifts as well as societys values, beliefs and practices that affect how consumers interact with the marketplace. Thus, concepts are drawn from sociology and psychology figure prominently in the study of consumer behavior. (Karen M Gibler and Susan L Nelson, 2003, p.63-64) Consumer behavior is the study of how people behave when obtaining, using, and disposing of products and services or when, why, how, where and what people do or do not to buyproducts.It mixes ofpsychology, social,personal andcultural. It is attempting to understand the buyer decision-making process for both, individually and in groups. The characteristic of individual consumers such asdemographicsand behavioral variables which is in an attempt to understand peoples wants. It also assesses influences on theconsumerfrom groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Customer behavior study is based on consumer buying behavior, with the customer playing the three distinct roles of user, payer and buyer. The relationship marketing is being the influential of asset for customer behavior analysis as it become a keen interest in the rediscovery of the true meaning of marketing through the re-affirmation of the importance to the customer or buyer. A greater importance is also placed on consumer retention, customer relationship management, personalization, customization and one-to-one marketing. Social functions can be categorized into social choice and welfare functions. Consumer behavior also can be define as the process and activities which the people engage in when searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services to satisfy their needs and desires. For cultural, the people will act based on the cultural that usually be the influence in certain places and surrounding. For social, the people will think and act more to socially action that also can be positive and negative. In physiological aspect, it is more to thinking and the personal behavior leads to the decision making. People maybe influence by the way they thinking of. 2.2.4 Marketing Definition of marketing by Institute of Marketing is the management function which organizes and directs all those business activities involved in assessing and converting customer purchasing power into effective demand for a specific production or service to the final customer or user so as to achieve the profit target or other objective set by the company. ‘Marketing is a combination of marketing concept of marketing concept, marketing function and the operational implementation of these functions in the context of the concept. The marketing concept can be most simply explained as a belief that the organization can function in the best interests of its customer and its self where a balance is achieved between the need of both of these parties. (Trustrum, LeslieBernard,1989, p.48). Marketing plan is the marketing strategy by the developer to sell their property to the people so that people will attract to buy the property from them. The advantages of marketing strategy will diverse marketing activities that can be better co-ordinate and can avoid or reduce to a minimum crisis management such as unsold unit and etc. The basis of marketing strategy is 4Ps consist of Product, Price, Place and Promotion. 2.2.5 Developer The coordinators of the activities that converting ideas on the paper to the reality by building the realproperty that encompassing activities range from therenovationand re-leaseof existingbuildings to the purchase of rawlandand the sale of improved parcels to others. Developers usually take the greatestriskin the creation or renovation of real estate and receive the greatest rewards such as the money and also acknowledgement from the purchaser or respective buyer that satisfy with their product. Usually, developers purchase a tract of land then determine themarketing of the property. After that, they developing the building program and design, obtaining the necessary public approval and financing, building the structure, leasing, managing, and ultimately selling the property. Developers work with many different counterparts along each step of this process including the architects, planners, engineers, surveyors, inspectors, contractors, property agents and etc. The developers build the house to supply to the market and sell to the buyer based on the demand in the market. The demand depends on the needs of the consumer, the market trend and also the economic trends. 2.2.6 Residential Residential property is the property in the residential area that includes the single family housing, multi-family residential or mobile house. The residential property is under the zoning of residential and may permit high density land use or low density land use. Residential development is real estate development for the purpose of residential. The developments are when the land divided into lots with the house constructed on each piece of subdivided land. 2.2.6.1 Medium Cost Housing Medium cost housing is the property that sell in the median price that can be purchase by medium income group and high income group. The medium cost housing in this research is the single storey terrace house, double storey terrace house, single storey semi-detached house and double storey semi-detached house. 2.2.6.2 High Cost Housing High cost housing is the property that the price is high and usually for the high income group of people. The high cost housing is selling with the high price that the price influences by the material, the design, the location and the size or area. The people that usually buy the high cost property is the people that need the high satisfaction and also all about luxury. The high cost housing could be the detached house and also high end property. In this research, the high cost housing is the single storey detached house and double storey detached house. 2.3 Factors Factors divided into four categories which are demographics factor, economics factor, buyers taste and preferences and marketing strategy. The factors distribute in the categories so that it is easy to determine what, how, when and etc. In addition, the factors that influence buyers in decision of residential property can be determining by distributed the factors as above. For demographics factor, it includes the age, social class and race or ethnicity. Age of the buyer also important that may influence them in decision making because it may show that what type of residential property they want that can give them satisfaction or needs for the requirement of the property. For social class in this study, it consists of high income group and middle income group because it is easy to know what they want to consider before buying the property not only based on their financial. The low income group is not included in this study because of the affordability of them to buy the type of property which is just the low cost housing. Race or ethnicity is one of the demographics factor because it also could influence the buyer whether to live in a same location with it own ethnic or race or just mixed with other races and ethnic. For economics factor, it consists of prices, availability of finance and affordability. Prices of the property depends on the type of property, location of the property, the supply and demand of property and also the market trends of current situation. The availability of finance may depend on either the government loan or private institutions loan such as bank and etc. The finance also depends on the availability of the bank in releasing the amount of loan and based on the income of buyer. Affordability is the main thing to discuss whereby every people have their own level of affordability. Marketing strategy is also one of the factors in decision making. Marketing strategy has four basis which are price, promotion, place and product. The price can me the measurement to know what is the price that agreed and affordable for the buyer based on the type of property, location and also the market price. The promotions in this marketing strategy consist of the launching of the project and the exhibition also important which is good in order to promote the property to the prospective buyer. Such promotion can attract more buyers and give the buyer opportunities to ask about the property and also giving the good image of developer and the product itself. Place is the location where is the property located and it seems very important because in every location, it have its own density and population. Some of the buyer wants the location either the high density or low density of population and some of the buyer wants to buy the property located in the city centre or otherwise. For the product, it depends on whether it is high class property or medium class property for high income group and middle income group. Depending on the class of property, the marketing strategy should be based on the focus group that will buy the property. So, the developer has the main role in the development to plan a good marketing strategy in order to have the successful project by selling 100% of the units. Buyers taste and preferences is the buyer needs and satisfaction in order to fulfill their taste and comfortless. The buyer needs and satisfaction is different. According to Abraham Maslow (1954), safety is one of the needs of human. The safety includes the security of family, health and property. So, the people needs the property for secure and health whereby every human being need shelter to lives. For satisfaction, it is more towards the luxury, taste and comfort that will be different depending on the person. Preferencesis a concept that have been used in thesocial sciences, particularly economics that assumes a real or imagined choice between alternatives and the possibility of rank ordering of these alternatives, based onhappiness, satisfaction,gratification, enjoyment and theutilitythey provide. More generally, it can be seen as a source ofmotivation. In cognitive sciences, individual preferences enable choice of objectives or goals. 2.4 Factors Might Be Influence the Buyer From the factors above, the factors might be influence the buyer in decision making for the residential property are the design, location, developers reputation, facilities within neighborhood, safety and security and the price. The residential property has several of design nowadays such as contemporary design, modern design or traditional design. All the design chooses by the buyers to buy the residential property. So, the design might be one of the factors that influence buyer in decision-making. The location also might be the factors that influence the buyer in decision making. The location might be choose by the buyer are in the city centre, near the city centre and out of the city. The location that the buyer wants to live is the factors might be influence them in decision making. The developers reputation might be the factor that influences buyers because it is all about quality and confidence to the buyer to buy the house. The reputation of the developer could show the quality of the house and build the confidence to the buyer in buying the property from them. The safety and security in residential area is important because nowadays the criminal cases highly increased and made people more aware about the security for the safety living. The people trust that if in the area have a good security and safety, it would be safe for living and it might be one of the factor that influence buyer. The price is based on the design, location and also the market trends. The price that is reasonable based on the area or size, design; location would be the factors that influence buyer in decision-making. So, the factors might be influence the buyer will be determined in the questionnaire and the level of interest would be defined. 2.5 Buyers Decision- Making Process Buyers decision vary an importance and complexity, thus, it is important to classify them to be understand the characteristics, the products, the marketing strategy implications on each type of purchase behavior. 2.7 Theory of Needs Maslows theory of needs Figure 2.5: Maslows Theory of Needs The safety level includes the security of the body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health and property. In this research, the important part of the safety is the shelter whereby its a need for the family to live with comfortable and healthy living in a property. So the buyers have the right in the need for a property that they want to buy and before make the decision, they need to know what is the factors that influence them in buying the property. 2.8 Conclusion For this literature review, the discussion more on the definition of decision making, consumer, developer, the marketing and also factors that lead to the factors that influence buyers in decision-making. All the category of factors based on the buyer itself and also the market trends that supply the property. The developer also have to take note that not only the demand of buyer need to be fulfill but also the economic and demographic factors must taking into account. In conclusion, the factors that influence buyers in decision making of residential property for this case of study and also the level of interest of those factors can be determine by the research. CHAPTER 3: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY AREA CHAPTER 3 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY AREA 3.0 Introduction This chapter attempts to give an overview of the study in Kuching. The issues to be discussed in this chapter are information related to socioeconomic in Kuching. 3.1 Background of Study Area Sarawak is one of the state on the island of Borneo which also known as ‘Land of the Hornbills. It is situated on the north-west of the island and it is the largest state among all in Malaysia. It is the capital of Sarawak as it is the largest city on the island of Borneo and also the fourth largest city in Malaysia. Sarawak divided into eleven administrative divisions which are Kuching Division, Samarahan Division, Sri Aman Division, Betong Division, Sarikei Division, Sibu Division, Mukah Division, Kapit Division, Bintulu Division, Miri Division and Limbang Division. Each division divided into districts which are 33 districts in Sarawak. In Kuching Division, there are District Of Kuching, Lundu and Bau. The study area of this research is District of Kuching in Kuching Division. The district covers an area of 1, 863 square kilometres with the population approximately 620 700. The district of Kuching is administered and divided into three local governments which are Kuching North City Hall, Kuching South City Council and Padawan Municipal Council. The part under Kuching North City Hall covering an area of 369.48 square kilometers which is the area north of te Sarawak River, parts of Old Kuching and also the western Central Business District. Meanwhile, the area south of the Sarawak River, eastern Central Business District and towards the South China Sea is within Kuching South City Council jurisdiction. The rural areas within Kuching District, Batu Kawa, Kota Sentosa and Third Miles are under the jurisdiction of Padawan Municipal Council. District Jurisdiction Land Area (square kilometers) Kuching Kuching North City Hall 369.48 Kuching South City Council 61.53 Padawan Municipal Council 1431.83 Total 1862.84 Table 3.1: Total Area of Kuching District For further information about the location of Kuching, please refer to the Appendix I. 3.2 Population Sarawak has the population of about 579, 900 in years 2006.From this survey, it shows that Kuching District has a great housing market which the potential buyers are from the category of 25 years old and above. According to the population census 2006 published by Department of Statistic, Malaysia, the population of Kuching District is as the following:- Jurisdiction Total Kuching North City Hall 133, 600 Kuching South City Council 143, 500 Padawan Municipal Council 302, 800 Total 579,900 Table 3.2: Population Census 2006 in Kuching District (Sources: Population Distribution by Local Authority Areas and Mukims, Census 2006, Department of Statistics Malaysia.) 3.2.1 Projected Population by Ethnic Group (Sources: Population Distribution by Local Authority Areas and Mukims, Census 2006, Department of Statistics Malaysia) The majority projected population by ethnic in Kuching District within Kuching Division is Chinese, which is 38% of the whole population and about 220, 400 people. The second ethnic is Malays, 36% and follow by other ethnic groups 16% and Iban 10 %. The projected population by ethnic group and jurisdiction in Kuching for year 2009 is shown in the Table 3.3. The total population from the table has shown that majority of residents in Kuching District live under Padawan Municipal Council jurisdiction. Population under Kuching North City Hall is lesser than other jurisdiction although the land area is bigeer in size than Kuching South City Council. Jurisdiction Total Malay Chinese Iban Other Ethnic group Kuching North City Hall 133, 600 80, 160 26, 720 10, 040 16, 680 Kuching South City Council 143, 500 40, 805 68, 800 21, 060 12, 835 Padawan Municipal Council 302, 800 87, 799 124, 842 26, 890 63, 269 Note: 1. Population projection based on the 2006 Population Census 2. The added total may differ due to rounding (Sources: Population Distribution by Local Authority Areas and Mukims, Census 2006, Department of Statistics Malaysia) 3.2.2 Projected Population by Age Group Age Group Kuching North City Hall Total 579, 900 0-4 80,500 5-9 60,800 10-14 52,200 15-19 54, 900 20-24 49, 300 25-29 49, 300 30-34 43, 500 35-39 37, 400 40-44 30, 700 45-49 29, 600 50-54 25, 300 55-59 20, 800 60-64 16, 900 65-69 14, 500

The Surprising Moby Dick :: Moby Dick Essays

The Surprising Moby Dick      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moby Dick was not the novel I expected.   I was under the impression that it would be about seafaring and the whale Moby Dick.   Instead, Moby Dick is a story about Captain Ahab's obsession.   There is very little in the story about the revenge itself, just about Ahab's monomania.   Out of 465 pages, only forty-two of them deal with the actual battle between Ahab and Moby Dick.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The novel places very little emphasis on actual seafaring. Ishmael never even steps on a boat until page seventy-four.   Even when the ship finally leaves port, the mention of anything involving sailing or the life of sailors is kept to an absolute minimum.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is, however, plenty of emphasis is on whaling, the anatomy of whales, and their behavior.   The book goes into great detail describing the whalers of Nantucket, and gives in-depth explanations of the different types of whales, quoting several outside sources in the process.   The narrator mentions the awesome size of the sperm whale, and how few books even try to describe it.   He also shows great respect for people who go whaling, and describes the camaraderie that forms between them.   This is an annoying inconsistency in the novel, since Ishmael (the narrator) tells the reader that he has never been on a whaling ship before, and has never seen a live whale.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first twenty-three chapters focus on Ishmael's thoughts and actions.   He introduces the reader to whaling and describes the Pequod. After the ship sets sail, he seems to vanish from the story. At certain intervals, however, he plays minor roles, and it is Ishmael that survives to tell the story.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From chapter twenty-four onward, the novel is almost completely about Ahab hunting for Moby Dick.   He has the blacksmith construct a special harpoon, made from the finest iron, and soaked in the blood of the three harpooners.   The forging of the harpoon is somewhat ironic, since the rope attached to that same harpoon is what drags Ahab to the bottom of the sea.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite Ahab's apparent madness, he still seemed able to reason clearly.   He carefully and methodically located the region of the sea that

Performance Appraisal of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited

1. 0 Introduction Every company has its own vision and mission. Achieving of its vision and mission is primarily depends on the performance of the employees. If the employees are not dedicated to their works, they will not achieve company’s mission as well as its vision. It is the duty of the Human Resource department in a company to measure the performance of the employees and based on their performance appraisal report and considering the need of the organization assigning employees with different training and development programs so that the employees can develop their skills as well as contribute in the development of the organization.As a result, the organization can achieve its goal from their employees. This performance appraisal and training program has great impact on financial institution to achieve its targeted profit and competitive advantage. As a part of our BBA Program, our Human Resource Management Course Instructor Mr. Faisol Chowdhury assigned us to prepare a report on the employee performance measurement in an organization, the training and development program offered in an organization and the benefit the organization gets from these training and development programs.We have selected our report topic as, â€Å"Performance appraisal, training and development programs and its benefits in AL-Arafah Islami Bank LTD†. 1. 2 Background of the Company: Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited is a scheduled commercial bank. With the objective of achieving success here & hereafter by pursuing the way directed by Allah and the path shown by His Rasul (SM), Al Arafah Islami Bank Ltd was established under the Bank Companies Act 1991 and incorporated as a public limited company under the Companies Act 1994 in Bangladesh with the primary objective to carry on all kinds of banking business in Bangladesh.The Bank is listed with Dhaka Stock Exchange Limited and Chittagong Stock Exchange Limited in 1998. For the purpose of maintaining boost modern manageme nt, advanced technology, good profitability and steady growth transparency Al-Arafah Islami Bank started its journey in 1995 with the said principles in mind and to introduce a modern banking system based on Al-Quran and Sunnah. A group of established, dedicated and pious personalities of Bangladesh are the architects and directors of the Bank. Among them a noted Islamic scholar, economist, writer and ex-bureau craft of Bangladesh government Mr.A. Z. M. Shamsul Alam is the founder Chairman of the bank. His progressive leadership and continuous inspiration provided a boost for the bank in getting a foothold in the financial market of Bangladesh. A group of 26 dedicated and noted Islamic personalities of Bangladesh are the member of executive committee of the bank. MR. Badiur Rahman and MR. Ekramul Hoque are the existing chairman and the managing director of the bank. Now AIBL is one of the top ranked banks in Bangladesh. Recently it has introduced its 100th branch milestone by openin g its 100th branch in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. AIBL annual Report, 2011) Vision: †¢ To be a pioneer in Islamic Banking in Bangladesh and contribute significantly to the growth of the national economy. Mission: †¢ Achieving the satisfaction of Almighty Allah both here & hereafter. †¢ Proliferation of Shariah Based Banking Practices. †¢ Fast and efficient customer service. †¢ Quality financial services adopting the latest technology. †¢ Maintaining high standard of business ethics and competitive return on shareholders' equity. †¢ Firm commitment to the growth of national economy. †¢ Innovative banking at a competitive price. Attract and retain quality human resources. †¢ Balance growth. 1. 3 Objective of this report: We have prepared this repost based on two purposes: Primary Objective †¢ To provide detailed information about the performance appraisal process of AL-Arafah Islami Bank LTD †¢ To provide detailed information on t raining and development †¢ To figure out the benefits of the training and development program Secondary Objectives †¢ It is an assessment criteria for our MGT-351 (Introduction to Human Resource Management Course) †¢ It is a practical implementation of our theoretical knowledge 1. 4 Scope of the StudyAs we have an assigned topic we have covered only that certain topics in this report. For covering that certain topics we talked to the Human Resource Division head and the training institute principal of AL-Arafah Islami Bank LTD. As a result we got some valuable information about the performance appraisal method of bank and their training programs which helped us to justify our theoretical concept of performance appraisal, training method and its real life benefit. As AIBL is a Shariah based Islamic bank we have also gathered some valuable information about Islamic banking system. 1. Methodology For making any report we have to collect primary and secondary information which reflect the actual situation of the company. We have collected both primary and secondary data for making our report. I. Primary data: The data we have collected from Mr. Md. Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Managing Director of AIBL, Mr. Mazharul Islam, Vice President & the Head of HRD, AIBL, Mr. Zahid Hasan, Assistant Vice President & Principal of the AIBTRA through interview are considering as primary data. II. Secondary data: The data we have collected from their AIBL website (http://www. al-arafahbank. om), Annual Report, periodicals, various books, articles etc regarding banking activities, different literature and official records ) are considered as secondary data. 2. 0 Literature Review 2. 1. 0 Performance Appraisal: What is Performance Appraisal? Performance Appraisal (PA) means evaluating an employee’s current and previous performance relative to his or her performance standards. (Dessler & Varkkey 2012, p. 318) Performance = f (A, M, O) A = ability, M = motivation, O = opportunity It is not a process that happens once a year or every six months, but one that happens every day.It should focus solely on employee performance improvement. It is an element of the Performance Management system. Performance appraisal always involves 1) Setting work standard 2) Assessing employees actual performance relative to those standard 3) Providing feedback to their employee with the aim of motivating him or her to eliminate performance deficiencies Potential Benefits of Performance Appraisals There are a number of potential benefits of organizational performance management conducting formal performance appraisals (PAs).There has been a general consensus in the belief that PAs lead to positive implications of organizations. Furthermore, PAs can benefit an organization’s effectiveness. One way is PAs can often lead to giving individual workers feedback about their job performance. From this may spawn several potential benefits such as the individual workers becoming more productive. Other potential benefits include: †¢ Facilitation of communication: communication in organizations is considered an essential function of worker motivation. It has been proposed that feedback from PAs aid in minimizing employees’ perceptions of uncertainty.Fundamentally, feedback and management-employee communication can serve as a guide in job performance. †¢ Enhancement of employee focus through promoting trust: Behaviours, thoughts, and/or issues may distract employees from their work, and trust issues may be among these distracting factors. Such factors that consume psychological energy can lower job performance and cause workers to lose sight of organizational goals. Properly constructed and utilized PAs have the ability to lower distracting factors and encourage trust within the organization. Goal setting and desired performance reinforcement: Organizations find it efficient to match individual worker’s goals and performance wi th organizational goals. PAs provide room for discussion in the collaboration of these individual and organizational goals. Collaboration can also be advantageous by resulting in employee acceptance and satisfaction of appraisal results. †¢ Performance improvement: Well-constructed PAs can be valuable tools for communication with employees as pertaining to how their job performance stands with organizational expectations. At the organizational level, numerous studies have reported positive relationships between human resource management (HRM) practices† and performance improvement at both the individual and organizational levels. †¢ Determination of training needs: â€Å"Employee training and development are crucial components in helping an organization achieve strategic initiatives†. It has been argued that for PAs to truly be effective, post-appraisal opportunities for training and development in problem areas, as determined by the appraisal, must be offered . PAs can especially be instrumental for identifying training needs of new employees.Finally, PAs can help in the establishment and supervision of employees’ career goals. 2. 1. 1 Performance Appraisal Methods: Many organisations have eliminated formal appraisal programs, preferring a structured hiring, training and organisational culture centric employee performance. Most organisations still practice some sort of appraisal methods to evaluate employee performance. A mixture of different appraisal methods is always recommended for a better and meaningful result. (Dessler & Varkkey 2012, p. 324) GRAPHIC RATING SCALE: The graphical rating scale is the simplest and most popular method for appraising performance.A graphical rating scale list traits (such as â€Å"communication or teamwork†) and a range of performance values (from â€Å"uncertainty† to â€Å"outstanding† or â€Å"below expectation† to â€Å"role model†) for each trait. The superv isor rates each subordinate by circling or checking the score that best describes the subordinate’s performance for each trait. [pic] Alternation ranking Method: Ranking employees from best to worst on a particular trait, choosing highest, then lowest until all are ranked [pic] Paired Comparison method: Paired comparison method helps to make the ranking method more precise.For every trait (quantity of work, quality of work, and so on), you pair and compare every subordinate with every other subordinate. Forced Distribution Method: The forced distribution method is similar to grading on a curve. With this method, anyone can place predetermined percentages of rates into several performance categories. The proportions in each category need not to be symmetrical. Critical Incident method: Keeping a record of uncommonly good or undesirable examples of an employee’s work related behaviour and reviewing it with the employee.Manager then uses the record to assess the employees ’ performance when it is time for PA. Not helpful for comparing employees and making salary decisions. Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS): A behaviourally anchored rating scale (BARS) is an appraisal tool that anchors a numerical rating scale with specific examples of good or poor performance. Essay Description: A written statement describes employee’s strengths, weaknesses, past performance and future development. Managers write the descriptions of the employees. So, good writing skill is the pre-requisite for this method.Management by Objectives: MBO is a comprehensive and formal organization-wide goal setting and appraisal programme, used sometimes as a primary appraisal method or a supplementary method. Electronic Performance Monitoring: Electronic performance monitoring (EPM) systems use computer network technology to allow managers access to their employees computers and telephone. So managers can monitor employees rate, accuracy and time spent working o utline. 2. 1. 2 Performance Appraisal Problems (Dessler & Varkkey 2012, p. 333) †¢ Unclear Standard – Most of the appraisal scales are unclear.Standards and traits are interpreted differently by different people. †¢ Halo Effect – When a supervisor’s rating of a subordinate on one trait biases the rating of all other traits. E. g. an unfriendly employee will often be rated ‘unsatisfactory’ for all traits rather than just for that specific trait. †¢ Central Tendency – Tendency to rate all employees the same way – the middle of the rating scale; which is usually rating an average rating. †¢ Leniency or Strictness – Tendency to rate all subordinates either ‘high’ or ‘low’. Biasness – Tendency to rate employees based on their differences on age, race, sex, background and other characteristics. 2. 2. 0 Definition of training and development: Training means giving new or current empl oyees the skills they need to perform their jobs. It is the process of providing employees with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to successfully perform their current job. It usually involves teaching operational or technical employees how to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. (Dessler & Varkkey 2012, p. 274)Development is the process that provides employees knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to perform jobs at present and jobs they aspire to in future. It is generally aimed at helping top level executives better understand and solve problems, make decisions, and capitalize on opportunities. The cost and budget of development program is higher than training. (Dessler & Varkkey 2012, p. 295) 2. 2. 2 Training Programs There are several training programs- (Dessler & Varkkey 2012, p. 283) †¢ On the job training: It having a person learns a job by actually doing the tasks by him. Apprenticeship: It is a process by which people become skilled wor kers, usually through a combination of formal learning and long-term on the job training. †¢ Job instruction: listing each job’s basic tasks, along with key points, to provide step-by-step training for employees. Sometimes position description (PD) can be used as job instruction. †¢ Coaching: Under an official appointed teacher employee learn the basic tactics of the job. †¢ Mentoring: linking an experienced employee with less experienced employee to share experience, knowledge and skills. Helping someone to change his attitude, not his skills. Lectures/Seminar/Workshop: Lecture is a quick and simple way of providing knowledge to large groups of trainees. †¢ Audiovisual/Multimedia: Audiovisual based training techniques like DVDs, films, PowerPoint, and audiotapes are widely used. †¢ Vestibule: Vestibule training is a method in which trainers learn on the actual or simulated equipment they will use on the job, but are trained off the job(perhaps in a s eparate room or vestibule). †¢ Computer Based Training (CBT): With computer based training, trainers use interactive computer-based and DVD system to increase knowledge and skills. Role Play: Role playing is to create a realistic situation and then have the trainees assumes the part (or roles) specific person in that situation. †¢ Action Learning: Action learning programs give managers and others released time to work analyzing and solving problems in departments other than their own. †¢ Assessment centres (in-house / off the job) : centre that assesses participants performance, benchmark this against established standards, and consider remedial resources. E. g. Ernst & Young. Simulated training: provides trainees with the opportunity to learn on the actual or simulated equipment while off the job in a risk free environment. E. g. driving, medical examinations, pilots. †¢ E-learning: learning delivered, enabled and mediated by electronic technology. E. g. compute r / internet web based training sessions on cost effective, OH&S issues. †¢ Vestibule Training: training that takes place away from the production area on equipment that closely resembles the actual equipment used on the job. 2. 3. 0 Development methods (Dessler & Varkkey 2012, p. 296) There are several development methods-Job Rotation: Job rotation means moving managers from department to department to broaden their understanding of the business to test their abilities. Action Learning: Action learning programs give managers and others released time to work analyzing and solving problems in departments other than their own. Case study: giving employees a written description of an organisational problem to diagnose and solve. Management games: computerised management game where trainees are divided into five or six person companies, each of which has to compete with the other in a simulated marketplace.Outside seminars: attending seminars arranged by outside organisations. E. g . AHRI. University programs: continuous education programs in leadership, supervision etc. Role Play: Role playing is to create a realistic situation and then have the trainees assumes the part (or roles) specific person in that situation. In house Development centers/Corporate University: In house development center typically offer a catalogue of courses and programs aimed at supporting the employers’ management needs.Executive Coaches: Executive coaches is an outside consultant who questions the executive’s boss, peers, subordinates, and (sometimes) family in order to identify executive’s strengths and weakness and how they can capitalize their strength and overcome the weakness. 3. 1. 0 Performance Measurement in AL-Arafah Islami Bank LTD. AIBL has its own Human resource department. Personal data and the records of service and performance are recorded and maintained separately for each employee by HRD. HR executive and HRD head regularly measure their employe e’s performance.For measuring performance HRD of AIBL use APR (Annual Performance Report). Annual Performance Report (APR): (AIBL employee’s service rule p. 27) A system of annual report on the work and conduct of the employees will be laid down by the Board and such report will be called Annual Performance report(APR) and the bank may also call for special performance reports on any employees as and when considered necessary in the interest of the bank. AIBL has two specific format of APR (annual performance report): I.Operational post: It includes 27 traits. Operational employee’s (CEO, DMD, EVP, SVP and etc. ) performance is measured based on this 27 traits. II. Micro Finance & Logistics Posts: It includes 18 traits. This APR format is applicable for non-officer grade employee like filed supervisor, field assistant, Driver, Armed force, MCG(Messenger cum Guard) Operational post (APR format) Annual Performance Report (APR) (AIBL employee’s service rule p. 74) Personal Traits of the Officer under reporting (To be filled in by the reporting officer) |SL. No. Traits | Mark Secured | | | |Excellent | | | |Excellent |Very Good | |1 |Foundation course on Banking(Batch-I/2011) |1 |45 | |2 |Foundation course on Banking(Batch-II/2011) |1 |39 | |3 |Laws & Regulations in Bangladesh for Foreign Exchange Transaction & International Trade |1 |42 | |4 |Investment Operation & SME |1 |49 | |5 |Audit of Foreign & Exchange Trade Operation |1 |29 | |6 |Orientation Course on Banking |1 |45 | |7 |Orientation Course on Banking |1 |36 | |8 |Audit of Investment Operation |1 |27 | Development Programs that are offered by â€Å"Al-Arafah Islami bank† †¢ Job Rotation: For developing employee HRD of AIBL rotate the job and responsibility of each employee on a regular basi †¢ Action Learning: Action learning programs give managers and others released time to work analyzing and solving problems in departments other than their own. †¢ Case study: During the probation period, a written description of an organizational problem given to employees to diagnose and solve †¢ Workshop: workshops are organized by AIBL on a regular interval. Workshops organized by AIBL in 2011 (AIBRTA training & workshops 2011) S/L |Subject |Number |Participants | |1 |Capacity Development in ICC & Internal Audit |1 |21 | |2 |AML Compliance: Independent Testing Procedure |1 |27 | |3 |UCP-600 and its Application |1 |50 | |4 |Implementation of Web Based EXP from matching Through Online System |1 |23 | |5 |Al-Arafah Solar Energy Investment Scheme Management |1 |40 | |6 |Al-Arafah Solar Energy Investment Scheme Operation |1 |29 | |7 |Prevention of Money laundering and Fraud-Forgery in Banking |1 |41 | |8 |Security measures in handing Cash, Cheques and Instrument |1 |42 | |9 |BACH, MICR Cheque & Instrument and Security measure |1 |48 | |10 |Automation In Banking Operation in Bangladesh |1 52 | |11 |Green banking & Environment Risk Management |1 |44 | |12 |AML & CFT Issues(Batch-I/2011) |1 |49 | |13 |AML & CFT Issues(Batch-II/2011) |1 |44 | |14 |Operation Risk Associated with manual payment |1 |40 | |15 |UCP-600 |1 |48 | |16 |Asset Liability Management & Profit Maximization |1 |48 | |17 |General Insurance: bankers issues |1 |44 | |18 |Legal Process of Investment Recovery |1 |38 | |19 |Salesmanship in handling Foreign Remittance |1 |41 | |20 |Supervisory Review Process |1 |30 | |21. |Environment Risk Management & Investment Risk Management |1 |30 | |22. |Asset Liability Management & Profit Maximization |1 |40 | |23. |Renewable Solar Energy Management |1 |42 | |24. |Renewable Solar Energy Operation |1 |51 | |25. Readymade Garments Industry finance in AIBL |1 |48 | |26. |Implementation of Web Based EXP from matching Through Online System |1 |56 | |27. |Green Banking & Environment Risk Management |1 |21 | |28 |Functions of Internal Control & Compliance Division |1 |46 | |29 |Shariah Implementation in Aibl (batch-I) |1 |28 | |30 |ShariahImplementation in Aibl (batch-II) |1 |23 | |31 |AML & CFT Issues |1 |45 | |32 |Control of Primary Securities against Investment |1 |51 | |33 |UCP-950 |1 |23 | | | | | | Outreach Workshop: Outreach workshops are very helpful for providing development programs outside the Dhaka city. (AIBRTA training & workshops 2011) 2011 following outreach workshops are organized by AIBL S/L |Subject |Number |particepents | |1 |Sariah Implementation in Aibl(Veneue Agrabad, Khulna, Zindabazar, |1 |90 | | |Bogra branch) | | | |2 |Money Laundering prevention 2011(lead bank AIBL, Venue: Jhalakathi |1 |33 | | |branch) | | | Executive Workshop: AIBL organizes executive workshop for top level executive. 2011 following executive workshops are organized by AIBL |S/L |Subject |Number |Participants | |1 |Stress Training 1 |42 | |2 |Core Risk management |1 |42 | |3 |CAMEKS Rating & Banks health |1 |35 | |4 |Preparedness for BASEL II |1 |40 | |5 |Internal Control & Compliance |1 |42 | |6 |Corporate Gove rnance |1 |35 | †¢ Role Play: After completing each topic in the training institute, each trainee is sent to the nearest branch of the bank to implement his learning into the real life †¢ In house Development centers/Corporate University: AIBTRA typically offer a catalogue of courses and programs aimed at supporting the employers’ management needs. 3. 3. Organizational Benefits of Training & Development program Productivity: (M. Islam 2012, pers. Comm. , 26 November) Training is a process of learning as well as the function of acquired knowledge aiming at better performance of the employees, while development involves not only the related process but also helps the employees in building up their personalities, at the same time as, improving their progress towards the actualization of their full potentials. In order that the total performance may be improved, organizations need to have trained and experienced people. AIBL practices training and development for their employees with the thinking that their efficiency will increase.They think that these programs are very important for the preparation of the employees with the necessary skills that are required for particular jobs. Besides, failing to reach an expected level of performance of the employees or declines in the productivity also require training and development programs to be administered in the organizations. Team Spirit: Building team Spirit is very important for any organization because everyone in the organization work as a team and most of the time they are dependant with each other. So if they have no team spirit and team coordination then they will be failed to reach the goal and more value to the company. The complexities of various jobs emerge the importance of training and development programs.So AIBL train their employees for building the team spirit among the employees because they know when they practice the team spirit among the employees then the production level ultima tely increase. Organization Climate: This bank is one of the most disciplined Banks with a distinctive corporate culture. Here they  believe in shared meaning, shared understanding and shared sense making. Their people can see and understand events, activities, objects and situation in a distinctive way. They mould their  manners and etiquette, character individually to suit the purpose of the Bank and the needs of the customers who are of paramount importance to us. The people in the Bank see themselves as a tight knit team / family that believe in working together for growth. Health Work Environment:The offices of the Bank situated in the heart of city, generally in commercial surroundings. Offices are centrally air conditioned and well decorated with modern furniture and sophisticated technical Banking equipment. With the advancement of  Technology, offices of the Bank’s are now become paperless; most of the banking tasks are recorded and accomplished here with stron g banking software. They are continuously training employees for getting used to it and employees are learning and implementing very well. Inter and intra office communications are generally held by telephone, fax, internet and cell phones. The interior decorations of the office look gorgeous.Employees do their task in a safe and healthy environment Image: For the image of the company they give training and development to employees because as a big company they have some reputation to other companies and if they want to make them as a strong competitor they should maintain a good image both in the whole industry and to the customer. Profitability: The main agenda of any business is to make profit. For making profit they have to maintain quality products and services and to produce product efficiently. AIBL has different companies and every business’s main purpose is to make profit. So they think about the other factors behind this success so they arrange training and developm ent.Communications: The increasing diversity of today's workforce brings a wide variety of languages and customs. For being successful, it is also important to maintain communications among the employees and the other clients. So it is very important how to communicate with them and in which way it will be more effective. For this reason AIBL arranges some training and development program for their employees. They mainly do this for mid level and top level employees. Ethics: Today's society has increasing expectations about corporate social responsibility. Also, today's diverse workforce brings a wide variety of values and morals to the workplace.So for maintaining ethics they arrange some training and development program and practice this in their organization. Employee Benefits By providing training and development employee also get benefitted from it. Some of the benefit is given below: Training Improves Job Satisfaction: The training program improves the job satisfaction of the employee because when any employee get training then he/she become more efficient about his/her job. He/ she will be rewarded for his/her performance or can get recognition from senior employees which will motivate them. Training gives them knowledge which they share with others and they come out with so many ideas which involve them into work more.So, when his/her efficient level goes up and does the job more efficiently, then the salary of the employee goes up and overall the satisfaction level improves. Increased Employee Motivation: AIBL arranges some orientation program about their new technologies. So when the employees get some information about it and know how it works, then they are more motivated to do the job. But sometimes it’s not about a ‘new’ way of doing things, and simply about reminding each other about the ‘best’ way of doing things. Like any relationship, your employee relationships can get stale unless you consistently invest tim e and effort to remind them how important they are to you, how valued their contributions are, and critically that they are all part of one team—the same team Reduced employee turnover:Training and development increases employee’s motivation so that they eager to do his/her job with the company. So the employee turnovers become low and they tend to stay in the organization for long period of time. 4. 0 Findings ? We have found that all the employee of Al Arafah Islami Bank Limited has got training and thus the employee performance shows great potentiality and skill. The analysis also shows the respondents have got variety of experiences which is taking banks performance upward. ? A respondent as employee of Al Arafah Islami Bank Limited seems in young age and all of the employee educational level exceeds masters which are providing banks performance a great rhythm. Most of employees got 60 days entry level training which is known as Foundation Course and 5 to 10 days m id level training because here number of employees is higher than advance or other level. The bank provides advance and other level training according to their succession plan or situation. ? In Al Arafah Islami Bank Limited the respondents as employees got both on the job training and off the job training from the bank but unfortunately the employees did not international training from the abroad. ? Respondents show that training and development program provided by the bank is well organized and equipped. It also considered that training and development programs are directed and controlled by skilful trainer and these programs are based on banks working activities. Respondents as employees of Al Arafah Islami Bank agreed that training provided bank is beneficial for their working performance. So we can see training and development program provided by Al Arafah Islami Bank has positive effect on employee performance. 5. 0 Recommendations †¢ Al Arafah Islami Bank Ltd is arrangin g initial training employees but in mid level and advanced level they are not arranging well length programs. Al Arafah Islami Bank Ltd must be arranged training program and increase length of these types of training before sending employee which types of training will necessary for the trainees in future and one of the advantages s that no hindrance with regular activities. For these reasons, customer service of the bank will be increased and customer satisfaction will increase. †¢ TNA is essential for every bank to carry out the banking activities and to reach its goal. We know that TNA is the difference between standard performance and the actual performance. The bank should measure TNA before sending for training. Higher authority will take appropriate decisions for each employee to measure TNA and must be fair in their work. †¢ Though the trainers are very much skilful and knowledgeable persons sometimes they are not understand the trainee’s needs or their lack ing. So they must make know the need of trainees. The training and development department of Al Arafah Islami Bank Ltd provides the training to their employees try to improve the training and maintain international standard which helps the bank to reach its mission and vision. 6. 0 LIMITATIONS Followings are the limitations of the project work taken by us: ? One of the limitations of this project study is of the time limitation. Since the duration of our project study is of 4 weeks, it is somehow difficult to fully know any organization like AIBL in this limited time  period. ? Senior managers and others officers in AIBL are also very busy. They do not have enough time for solving our queries in details. Some respondents were conservative as they were hesitated to express their real opinion. ? Main limitation of this report was that the bank did not disclose all the data and main information for obvious reasons, which was could have been very much vital 7. 0 Conclusion Al-Arafah I slami Bank started in 1995 with the said principles in mind and to introduce a modern  banking system based on Al-Quran and Sunnah. Al-Arafah Bank is one of the markets leading bank in the banking sector and it has already proved its presence and contribution in the socioeconomic prospect. For the economic development of a country banking sector plays a vital role .In this project, we briefly discuss about organizational background, mission, vision and in topic analysis we elaborate performance appraisal, training and development program and its benefit. We can conclude that to compete with other bank Al Arafah Islami Bank needs skilful employees this is achieved by the effective training program. They have passed 16 years and  today they have established their own service and Brand with much goodwill. But still they  have problems and they are lagging behind with their competitors. Finally for the betterment of the organization, we hope that if they  take the above mentione d suggestions into account, they will definitely surpass its close  competitors in the banking service. References:Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd. , 2012, Employees’ Service Rules 2009 Al-Arfah Islami Bank Training and Research Academy, 2012, AIBTRA training & workshops 2011 Dhaka AI-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd. , 2012, Annual Performance Report 2011 Al-Arafah Islam Bank Ltd.. , 2012, Company Overview, [online] Retrieved December 13, 2012 , from , http:// http://www. al-arafahbank. com/ Dessler, G. & Varkkey, B. , 2012, Human resource Management, Pearson, India Wikipedia, 2012, Performance evaluation, Potential benefits of PA, [online], Retrieved December 13, 2012 , from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Performance_appraisal [pic][pic][pic] ———————– 32 – 1 –

How to Start a Club in High School 8-Step Guide

How to Start a Club in High School 8-Step Guide SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you want tostart a club at your high school?If your school doesn’t offer a particular club or group that you’re interested in, starting your own is a great way to meet new people and spend time doing something you enjoy. You'll also get leadership experience that can help strengthen your resume and college applications. Read on to get step-by-step instructions on how to start a high schoolclub. Overview of High School Clubs Before you start your own club, you want to make sure that you understand how high school clubs are run and why they're important. Clubs are a great way for students to participate in activities they enjoy, learn new skills, and meet new people.High school clubs can cover a wide variety of topics, from math to skiing to protecting the environment and more. Club meetings are usually held after school. Some clubs meet regularly and require a large time commitment while others meet once a month or less.Each club usually has a teacher or staff member who acts as supervisor. Students can also hold leadership positions in the club, such as president, vice-president, and secretary. Many students enjoy being in clubs because theygive them an opportunity to spend time with their friends and doactivitiesthey find fun and interesting.Colleges and employers also like to see students who have participated in extracurriculars such as clubs because it helps them understand a student’s interests better and shows that the student likes being involved and working with other people. Many high schools offer a wide variety of clubs for students; however, it would be impossible for a high school to offer every single type of club. Why WouldYou Start a New Club? There are multiple reasons why you’d want to start a new club at your school. Some of the most common are listed below: You Want to Pursue a Hobby You Enjoy One of the best and most common reasons for starting or joining a club is because it allows you to pursue an activity you enjoy, whether that’s Ultimate Frisbee, baking, or something else. Clubs allow you to practice this hobby, learn more, and get better at it. If your school doesn’t offer a club for the activity or interest you want, then starting your own club will allow you to continue to enjoy this hobby. You Want to Raise Awareness About a Cause You Care About If there is a particular issue that you feel strongly about, such as promoting recycling or providing school supplies to students in Africa, you can have an impact by creating a club that focuses on that issue. By starting a club, you can increase awareness of a particular problem, collect money or supplies to donate, and possibly spend time volunteering to help improve the issue. You Want to MeetPeople With Similar Interests Joining a club can be a great way to meet other students with similar hobbies and interests. You get to enjoy your interest with other people and can learn more about it by working with them. You Want to Gain Leadership Experience An excellent way to get leadership experience is by starting a new club. You will learn how to create a new organization, recruit members, and get it running smoothly. Colleges love seeing examples of leadership, and being the founder of a club is a great way to show that you know how to take charge and handle responsibility. How to Start a Club in High School Now that you know all about high school clubs and why you'd want to start your own, let's get started! Follow the steps below to start a club that is interesting, well-run, and will last a long time. Step 1: Brainstorm Ideas Your first step is deciding what you want your club to focus on. You may already know, but if you don’t, think about your interests and activitiesyou enjoydoing. Chances are you can develop a club around each of them! For example, if you enjoy skiing and wish you had more opportunities to ski, you could start a ski club at your school. If you need more ideas for potential clubs, we have a complete list of extracurricular activities, with dozensof high school club ideas. Once you have your idea, check to make sure your school doesn’t already have a similar club. You can do this by looking at your school’s student handbook or asking your academic adviseror someone at the school office. Step 2: Define the Club's Purpose and Goals Once you know what you want your club to be about, it’s time to get more specific.Figure out what the purpose of the club is, what activities you want members to take part in, and what goals you have for the club. For example, if you're starting thatski club, will the purpose of the club be organizing ski trips? Teaching members the basics of skiing? Discussing skiing gear? A combination of all three? Will meetings just be for organizing trip logistics, or will you also include lectures from ski experts or show videos of ski trips? What do you need to accomplish for the club to be considered successful? Three ski trips a year? Ten members taught the basics of skiing? By figuring this out now, you will be able to provide a clearer and more complete vision of your club when you present the idea to the school and potential members. Other questions to think about: Why do you want to start this club? What is the purpose of the club? What will club members do during meetings? How often will the club meet? Where will the club meet? What are the goals of this club? Do potential members need to try out for the club, or will anyone be allowed to join? Step 3: Register Your Club With the School Most high schools require clubs to go through a process to become school-approved. This may be as simple as filling out a form, or it may require discussing the club with teachers or school staff. Without school approval, you likely won’t be able to have club meetings or post information at school, which can make it difficult to recruit members, so learn how to properly register your club and make it official.If you’re not sure how to do this, ask your academic adviser, a teacher, or someone at the school office. Your student handbook may also have information on registering clubs. Before you register your club, make sure you have completed the previous steps so that you can answer questions about the club, why you want to create it, and what club members will be doing.After getting your club approved by the school, a teacher or staff member may be assigned as the club supervisor. If not, ask a teacher you know well or who you think will have an interest in the club to act as supervisor. Your school may also require you to write bylaws for the club, which will explain what the purpose of the club is, how people can join the club, if and how club elections will be held, and more. If your school does require you to write bylaws, they will often give you a template to fill in to make the process easier. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Step 4: Spread the Word Once you know what you want your club to focus on and have gotten it approved by the school, it’s time to recruit some members.If you haven’t already, figure out a time and place to hold your first meeting. You may need to get permission from your school to host the meeting in an empty classroom or another place. Mention your club to your friends and people you think will be interested.If your school allows it, create and post flyers a week or two before the first meeting that briefly state the club’s name, purpose, and time and date of the first meeting. Try to make these flyers eye-catching and interesting to look at. For a ski club, including a color photo of a person skiing down a mountain and a heading like "Love toski? Want to learn how? JoinJefferson High School's new ski club!" can catch students' interest and convince more people to attend the first meeting. Fill empty seats by spreading the word and promoting your new club. Step 5: Hold Your First Club Meeting Don’t try to do too much at your first meeting; your goal should just be to introduce the club and answer any questions people may have.Introduce yourself, state what the club’s purpose and goals are, what members will do, and any potential ideas you have for future activities and events. Also, providingsnacks is a great way to get people to love you and your new club. To continue with the ski club example, for its first meeting you would explainthe purpose of the ski club, whether that's organizing ski trips, teaching people how to ski, or another focus. Review (before the meeting!) the answers you gave to the questions in step 2and discuss those if you're not sure what to talk about. Youcan thengive a brief overview of what activities you'd like members to be able to participate in, such asski lessons, weekend trips, etc., and then end byshowing pictures ofski spots the club may visit to get people excited about future meetings. After you've spoken,people who are attending the meeting a chance to introduce themselves and give their opinion on what they think the club should focus on.Have a list where potential members can write their e-mail addresses to stay informed onfuture club news. At the end of the meeting, let members know where and when the next meeting will be held. Step 6: Assign Duties and Plan Events At one of the first few meetings, you should assign leadership roles to help keep the club running smoothly. Common officer roles include: President:Leads and supervises the club with help from other officers. Vice President: Fills in when the president is not available. Secretary: Takes notes during meetings, maintains club records, keeps members updated on club news and events. Treasurer:Manages the club’s budget and expenses Hold elections or nominate people to fill these positions.Once you have your club organized and a leadership structure established, start planning activities for club members.These activities can take place during club meetings or atspecial events outside of meetings.Potential ideas to consider include bringing in guest speakers, planning club outings, organizing fundraisers, and hosting discussions or lectures. You probably want the first activity to be somewhat small to prevent you or other club members from getting overwhelmed with planning and to increase the probability of it being successful. For a ski club, the first activity could be a day-trip to a nearby ski slope, and, eventually, you could work up to a weekend trip to a resort a few hours away. In between ski trips, you could plan to have guest speakers come and discuss skiing, test out ski gear, and holdfundraisers to helpcover expenses. Step 7: Establish a Budget Most clubs require some money to stay running, even if it is only a small amount to cover printing costs and snacks. Some clubs may need a much larger budget if theyuse a lot of materials or go on trips. Your treasurer should develop a budget that gives a rough estimate of the expenses your club will expect to have. Things you may want to have in the budget include printing fees, food and drinks, travel expenses, gifts for guest speakers, and any materials you may need. Schools often provide stipends to official clubs, and this may be enough to cover your expenses. If not, consider fundraisers or club dues to raise enough money to keep the club active.For a club that hasa lot of expenses, such as a ski club that offers ski trips,you will probably use a combination of school stipends, fundraisers, and member dues to help cover costs. Want to go on a ski trip? Better start saving your pennies. Step 8: Keep Your Club Going! Now that you have your club up and running, it’s important to make sure it lasts.Keeping your club around for the long term will ensure that more students get to enjoy it, and it will also look more impressive to colleges because it showsthat you can commit to something and have the skills to keep a club running long-term. In order to keep your club going, make sure you continue to follow the above steps and recruit new members, assign leadership roles, stick to a budget, and plan activities and events to keep your club exciting. It can also help to have a special event at the end of each year, whether that's a party, weekend trip, or important guest speaker. Doing this will give members something to look forward to and help keep people interested in the club. Final Tipsto Keep in Mind Starting a club is a lot of work, so make sure you have enough time to devote to it before you begin the process. Don’t try to do everything all at once. It’s okay to start small and have your first few meetings focus mostly on getting to know each other and brainstorming ideas. Trying to plan too many things right away can be exhausting and overwhelming. Encourage group members to voice their opinions, and make sure you listen to their ideas. Taking multiple viewpoints into consideration will help your members enjoy the club more and can give you great ideas for future activities. If there are similar clubs or organizations at your school or in your community, you may want to consider working with them. This can help spread the word about your club, help members meet new people, and give you more options for interesting activities. What's Next? Want to find outmore about extracurriculars and why they're so important? Check out our guide to extracurriculars and learn how they can help you get into your dream college! Want more ideas to help you start your club? We have a list of hundreds of extracurriculars, and you're sure to find something therethat interests you! Want to use your club to help others? Check out our guide to learn more about community service and ways to give back. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Suppressing superficiality essays

Suppressing superficiality essays OK, so guys are stupid and compete with each other in endeavors more pointless than ABC's Thursday night lineup. But at least we're honest with ourselves, girls. You've at least got to give us thathey, it's more than we can say for you. Ask a guy what he wants in a girl. Chances are he'll mention intelligence, confidence, fun, etc. But you can be damn sure somewhere on the list, closer to the top than not, will be attractiveness. Looks. Hotness, desirability, bootiliciousness whatever you want to call it, men want it. Damn straight we're superficial. And you know what? It doesn't matter. Acknowledge something, give it acceptance, and it ceases to be an issue. Yeah, we care. And yeah, girls know it. Which leads to things like eating disorders, low self-esteem and Cosmo. This sucks a lot. But at least it's out there. You can accept it, deal with it. The opposite of girls, guys are told from an early age their looks don't matter that much (though the importance of paycheck size is never in doubt). Be a nice guy, be a provider that's what's important. Then, when it turns out looks are important, we're confused. We've been lied to, led astray. Goddamnit, if you'd just admit it matters what we wear, we'd be more than willing to dress up a little. But you keep saying it doesn't and then act all standoffish because we're wearing a Weezer T-shirt and our We might not mind a little more pressure to conform if it meant expectations were clearer. Hey, I think I could handle constantly dieting; at least then I'd know my oversized ass was why I never get hit on. As it is, I'm left to assume I must not have presented a convincing enough image as a future husband. Or was it because I lost that pool game? Uncertainty's a bitch. So we're superficial dicks. You're never going to hear a man go: "Well, yeah, ...

Understanding the mythology through participation of a Hindu religious Essay

Understanding the mythology through participation of a Hindu religious ritual, The Saraswati Puja - Essay Example Excited with the prospect of being a part of one of the oldest religions in the world, I patiently waited out the days till the day of the Puja arrived. I reached his house and I was informed that the ritual they were celebrating was known as Saraswati Puja. I saw all house members dressed in their ethnic wear, either in white or in yellow. On asking, I was told that both were the colors associated with Goddess Saraswati who was worshipped as the goddess of wisdom. I saw voluptuous amounts of flowers and fruits being put up as offerings in front of a female stone idol that was depicted with four arms and a bird at its feet. People sat on the floor in a semi circular way in front of the idol with a priest sitting in front of it chanting rhymes or what is known as mantras. It seemed a bit difficult to understand in the beginning the significance of conducting such a ritual and seeing all members of the family sitting in front, hands folded and showering flowers on the idol at regular i ntervals. The celebration of the Saraswati Puja Nevertheless, I was asked by my friend to sit along with them and take part in the ritual. I had never really sat on the floor in the posture that they were sitting, which initially made it difficult for me to sit with folded legs. I was told by my friend that in Hinduism, one doesn’t sit in front of Gods with their legs aimed towards them, and that was why they had to fold their legs while offering praises. It was quite radical from what I had seen or heard about in other religions but I realized every religion had their own way of viewing and following things. I was quite impressed by the way I saw everyone being engrossed in the ritual and devoting all of their concentration, in spite of the physical difficulties of sitting cramped on the floor. My friend told me that Hindus believed that Gods would be impressed by the devotion with which followers worshipped them and would shower their blessings on them. I was highly moved w ith the amount of devotion that I was seeing from everyone in the family which made me realize how religious Hindus were. It was also fascinating to see the vast amount of fruits and sweets that were put up on plates but however no one was even touching it. I felt quite compelled to take a few pieces out of it, but was told that since those were put up as offerings, no one would touch it unless the rituals were over and they had been fed upon by the Gods. It sounded very mythological but I was amazed at the different ways in which people ensured of their devotion to Gods. It was also enlightening to know that the idea behind showering Gods and Goddesses with flowers came from the concept that the flowers represented purity, beauty and smell, all of which were considered to be pleasing to the Gods. Hence they always ensured that the freshest of flowers were brought for such rituals. I could also see a lot of incense sticks burning which were giving out a beautiful smell and I realize d how much importance the Hindus gave towards creating a perfect environment for worshipping their Gods, believing that Gods would bless them in seeing their devotion and efforts. It also in way made me realize the spirituality that Hindus possess which was so famous and desired all over the world, and I was at that time involved in such a ritual which was a direct essence of the spirituality of the Hindus. I felt glad that I had been invited to be a part of such rituals and traditions and I could see and understand the culture and religion at such closeness. I felt more and more at ease as time passed through the rituals and I could sense calmness settling inside me. At the