Lost and Sex and The City Essay

By choosing any two programmes that you are familiar with describe and discuss what the term ‘Quality Television’ means. Quality television refers to the development and rise of quality television drama. The term ‘quality television’ however mostly refers to the emergence of quality broadcasters’ they themselves use to describe a genre/style of television programming that they argue is of higher quality than other genres. ‘Television is for appearing on, not looking at.’ (Coward, 1993: 436) They are referring to the kinds of programmes that are perceived as more expensively produced and, especially more culturally worthwhile, due to their subject matter or content. In the history of ‘quality’ television, it presents a daunting set of challenges. There is no central register of quality programming quality style is defined by depth and warmth of its characters and the use of self reflexivity and the notion that the writers and viewers enjoyed an unusual degree of freedom. The term also associates mostly on the issue of gender representation. In this essay I will discuss television shows, Lost and Sex and The City and how they have both proved great quality television through their success and interesting storylines. (Jancovich, Mark, Lyons, James, Quality Popular Television, 2003) The complex characters, settings and dilemmas are what make good quality television. This brings me to Lost. Lost is an American television drama that follows the survivors of a plane crash that end up on a mysterious island. Each episode typically features what happens on the island as well as a secondary storyline of the characters lives. Most of the characters in Lost are driven to reconcile a patriarchal crisis; Jack must resolve an ‘Oedipal’ conflict with his alcoholic father, John Locke must redeem his masculinity and after being manipulated by his father and rebuild his disabled body and Kate and Sawyer are repetitively haunted by their fathers and dark pasts. The whole island is an experimental site, emphasizing the constant distress of mystery that the island holds and the unknowing. Within this, each episode continues a story about each character, most encountering their violent fathers and how this will shape the collective islands culture. In one particular episode, ‘The 23rd Psalm’, flashbacks consist between Nigeria, the present day and a Nigerian beechcraft airplane that crashed on the island. ‘Mr Eko’ becomes aware that drug addict ‘Charlie’ has possession of a heroin filled Virgin Mary statue that he realizes has a connection to his own past. After discovering the plane on the island, Eko finds his brothers corpse along with it. The episode has an overall theme of redemption of Mr Eko’s religious leanings that have created a major turn in his life. This also challenges our assumptions about coincidence and fate and how the overall series depicts spirituality and realism through the characters pasts. (www.uk.tv.ign.com/artcicles/101/1011812p1.html) The director, ‘JJ Abrams’, creates strong character development and long term plotting which is why the Lost series remained so strong and captivating for audiences. The fact that people were being forced to live together and survive, made it interesting to watch because relationships were created very fast and viewers wanted to see love, fights and dramas as well as action and supernatural happenings on the island. In the first pilot episode of Lost, the first scene shows an eye close-up and character ‘Jack Shephard’ as he awakens in a jungle and notices a yellow Labrador retriever darting through the forest. He then runs through the jungle to a beach where he is faced with the disaster of the plane crash and people fighting for survival. Quality TV dramas are what make audiences want to keep watching and Lost is a great example of this because in the very first scene, viewers are already given that mind blowing experience and the drive to keep watching. The characters are also faced with the unraveling of the islands mystery and the motives of the unknown ‘Others’ who may also inhabit the island. The series tracks two major, interconnected themes; first, the struggles to survive and live together on the island and second, the lives of the fourteen main characters before the crash which is retold through flashbacks. It doesn’t follow the stereotypical television back story and allows viewers to become connected with the characters, their secrets and motivations. Jack is a doctor becomes the leader of the group; helping Charlie kicks his drug addiction and encourages ‘Shannon’ to pursue her relationship with ‘Syid’. Jack is seen at the very beginning of the series and in the last episode in the last scene where it re creates the first scene again only in a different context. The way Lost starts off, during; with all the inconceivable and unthinkable story lines, makes it so mesmerizing for audiences. After six seasons of plot twists, there was a completely thrilling but not entirely logical finale. Audiences across the world became worried about what Lost would end like and how everything could be explained because of its constant complexity. Lost is full of mind puzzling and gripping drama that has become a huge success through its mind blowing performances. (www.tv.com/shows/lost) Another American quality TV show is Sex and The City. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the comedy-drama series follows the lives of a group of four women; three in their mid thirties and one in her forties and throughout their different natures and constant changing sex lives, they remain great friends with high confidence. Sex and The City becomes quality television through the continual of its quirky storylines and modern social issues that explore the differences between friendships, relationships and revolves around femininity. The main character ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ is the narrator of each episode which is structured through her train of thoughts. Throughout the entire series, Carrie is entangled with her on and off relationship with ‘Mr Big’ and whose name eventually is revealed to be John Preston. Each character has their own individual unique personalities which female audiences can relate to and connect with. Sex and The City has proven to be one of the most successful and controversial television programmes of the last decade. In transforms the idea of the incisive widow into the life of the single urban female and emphasizes an upper class life. It also presents sophistication and yet, much of the generic and stylistic conventions, are by no means new to this specific show. (LeMay, Matt, Sex and the City and the Discourse of Quality Television: 2) ‘Once upon a time on a small island not too far away, there lived four smart, beautiful women who were all very good friends’. (LeMay, Matt, Sex and the City and the Discourse of Quality Television: 2) This quote already establishes the genre of the show and the kind of characters the audience may expect to see. Much of the criticism both positive and negative, show degrees of realism which suggests how they are entwined in the history of industry and market standards of quality television and determines gender and class. Many other dramas can be traced back to earlier ‘realist’ family sitcoms and still remain relevant to contemporary quality television such as Sex and The City. There is a particular emphasis on self reflectivity and the program’s representations and intersexuality. Through Sex and the City, the relation to feminism and sexual taboos positions itself in the history of television. Intersexuality occurs through the importance and real-life impact of the cultural phenomenon called ‘Sex and the City’. (Akass, Kim, McCabe, Janet, Reading sex and the city. London: I.B. Tauris, 2004) In conclusion, the serve to clearly set out the intended debate and issue of ‘Quality TV’, is the way in which critics and audiences currently define it and supplying a broad overview of the critical contentiousness of quality TV as a collective term. Quality Television is about captivating storylines, unique characters and enabling viewers to want to watch excellent programming. Within this, audiences are able to connect with the show through the interesting structures that are included in them. Bibliography Books: Jancovich, Mark, Lyons, James, Quality Popular Television, 2003) McCabe, Janet, Akass, Kim, Contemporary American Television and Beyond, 2007) Akass, Kim, McCabe, Janet, Reading sex and the city. London: I.B. Tauris, 2004 Articles: (LeMay, Matt, Sex and the City and the Discourse of Quality Television: 2) Websites: www.uk.tv.ign.com/artcicles/101/1011812p1.html www.tv.com/shows/lost

Impact of mobile and internet banking Essay

Abstract Financial institutions have been in the process of significant transformation. The force behind the transformation of these institutions is innovation in information technology. Information and communication technology is at the Centre of this global change curve of mobile and internet banking in Kenya. Rapid development of information technology has made banking tasks more efficient and cheaper. This study sought to  determine the impact of mobile and internet-banking on performance of financial institutions in Kenya where the survey was conducted on financial institutions in Nairobi. The study also sought to identify the extent of use of mobile and internet banking in financial institutions. The study investigated 30 financial institutions. The study found that the most prevalent internet banking service is balance inquiry while the least is online bill payment. Cash withdrawal was the most commonly used mobile banking service whereas purchasing commodities was the least commonly used. CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION. Background of the study Mobile banking is an innovation that has progressively rendered itself in pervasive ways cutting across several financial institutions and other sectors of the economy. During the 21st century mobile banking advanced from providing mere text messaging services to that of pseudo internet banking where customers could not only view their balances and set up multiple types of alerts but also transact activities such as fund transfers, redeem loyalty coupons, deposit cheques via the mobile phone and instruct payroll based transactions (Vaidya 2011). The world has also become increasingly addicted to doing business in the cyber space, across the internet and World Wide Web. Internet commerce in its own respect has expanded in various innovative forms of money, and based on digital data issued by private market actors, has in one way or another substituted for state sanctioned bank notes and checking accounts as customary means of payments (Cohen 2001). Technology has greatly advanced playing a major role in improving the standards of service delivery in the financial institution sector. Days are long gone when customers would queue in the banking halls waiting to pay their utility bills, school fees or any other financial transactions. They can now do this at their convenience by using their ATM cards or over the internet from the comfort of their homes. Additionally due to the tremendous growth of the mobile phone industry most financial institutions have ventured into the untapped opportunity and have partnered with mobile phone network providers to offer banking services to their clients. ATM  banking is one of the earliest and widely adopted retail e-banking services in Kenya (Nyangosi et al. 2009). However according to an annual report by Central Bank of Kenya its adoption and usage has been surpassed by mobile banking in the last few years (CBK 2008). The suggested reason for this is that many low income earners now have access to mobile phones. A positive aspect of mobile phones is that mobile networks are available in remote areas at a low cost. The poor often have greater familiarity and trust in mobile phone companies than with normal financial institutions. Banking In general terms, banking is the business activity of accepting and safeguarding money owned by other individuals and entities and then lending out this money in order to earn a profit. The Banking Act of Kenya defines banking to mean the accepting from members of the public of money on deposit repayable on demand or at the expiry of a fixed period or after notice, the accepting from members of the public of money on current account and payment and acceptance of checks and the employing of money held on deposit or on current account or any part of it by lending, investment or in any other manner for the account and the risk of the person so employing the money. Currently Kenya has 43 licensed commercial banks of these, 31 are locally owned and 12 are foreign owned. Citibank, Habib Bank, standard chartered and Barclays Bank are among the foreign-owned financial institutions in Kenya. The government of Kenya has a substantial stake in three of Kenya’s commercial banks. The remaining local commercial banks are largely family owned. Commercial banks in Kenya accept deposits from individuals and make a profit by using the deposits to offer loans to businesses at high interest rates. These banks are regulated by the Central Bank Act and the Companies’ Act, which stipulates the activities they should be engaged in, the rules on publishing of financial statements, minimum capital requirements as well as reserve requirements. Examples of new innovations in the Kenyan banks include adoption of ATMs, smart cards, internet and mobile banking as discussed below. Mobile banking Mobile banking (m-banking) refers to provision and availment of banking and  financial services through the help of mobile telecommunication devices. The scope of offered services may include facilities to conduct bank and stock market transactions, administer accounts and to access customized information. Mobile networks in Kenya offer m-money services in the name of M-pesa by Safaricom, Orange money by Orange, Yu-cash by Essar, and Airtel money by Airtel. Currently the mobile money market size is about 15 million users transferring Kshs. 2 billion daily, of these over 14 million are Mpesa customers. M-money providers have partnered with commercial banks such as Equity Bank, I&M Bank, and Kenya Commercial Bank, Barclays and Co-operative to offer mobile based financial products that aim to reach the unbanked. Internet banking Internet banking (e-banking) is the use of internet and telecommunication networks to deliver a wide range of value added products and services to bank customers (Steven, 2002) through the use of a system that allows individuals to perform banking activities at home or from their offices or over the internet. Some online banks are traditional banks which also offer online banking, while others are online only and have no physical presence. Online banking through traditional banks enables customers to perform all routine transactions, such as account transfers, balance inquiries, bill payments, and stop-payment requests, and some even offer online loan applications. Customers can access account information at any time, day or night, and this can be done from anywhere. Internet banking has improved banking efficiency in rendering services to customers. Financial institutions in Kenya cannot ignore information systems since they play an important role in their operations because custome rs are conscious of technological advancements and demand higher quality services. Problem Statement A fundamental assumption of most recent research in operations improvement and operations learning has been that technological innovation has a direct bearing on performance improvement (Upton and Kim, 1999). Strategic management in financial institutions demand that they should have effective systems in place to counter unpredictable events that can sustain their operations while minimizing the risks involved through  technological innovations. Only financial institutions that are able to adapt to their changing environment and adopt new ideas and business methods have guaranteed survival. Some of the forces of change which have impacted the performance of financial institutions mainly include technological advancements such as use of mobile phones and the internet. Since the beginning of e-banking Kenyan financial institutions have witnessed many changes. Customers now have access to fast, efficient and convenient banking services. Most financial institutions in Kenya are investing large sums on money in information and communication technology (ICT). However while the rapid development of ICT has made some banking tasks more efficient and cheaper, technological advancements have their fair share of problems; for example they take a large share of bank resources, plastic card fraud particularly on lost and stolen cards and counterfeit card fraud. Thus there is a need to manage costs and risks associated with internet banking. It is crucial that internet banking innovations be made through sound analysis of risks and costs associated to avoid harm on banks performance. Bank performance is directly dependent on efficiency and effectiveness of internet banking and on the other hand tight controls in standards to prevent losses associated with internet banking. In order not to impair on their prosperity, financial institutions need to strike a balance between tight controls and standards in efficiency of internet banking. This is only possible if the effects of internet banking on financial institutions and its customers are well analyzed and understood. Mobile money has emerged as a strong competition to financial institutions in Kenya. Initially cellular phones were developed to improve communication from the earlier primitive forms of communications such as smoke and drums. Financial institutions introduced ICT as an improvement to the banking channels. This has thus enabled bank customers’ access information relating to their accounts, (Tiwari, Buse and Herstatt, 2007.). In this regard mobile phone service providers have taken mobile money services deeper into the financial sector by offering a range of financial services through their networks. The CBK and the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) have allowed service providers to offer mobile money services as there appears to be no reprieve as competition in the mobile money business is still heating up with entry of new money transfer systems which now allow transactions across all mobile  telephone service providers like M-pesa. Objectives of the study. The study objectives are: To establish the impact of mobile and internet banking on the performance of financial institutions in Kenya. To establish the extent of use of mobile and internet banking in financial institutions in Kenya. Significance of the study The study will be crucial to emerging financial institutions as it will provide answers to the factors against the implementation of internet banking in Kenya, prove of the success and growth associated with the implementation of internet banking and highlight the areas of banking operations that can be enhanced via internet banking. It is equally significant for bank executives and indeed the policy makers of the banks and financial institutions to be aware of internet banking as a product of internet commerce with a view to making strategic decisions. The study is also expected to give an insight on the state of mobile money services as a competition to the commercial banks in Kenya and the factors that have greatly influenced its growth. Players in the financial institution sector and telecommunications industry will find the study useful as they can use the findings to strategize on how they can mutually benefit from this development. Finally, our study adds to the existing literature, and is a valuable tool for students, academicians, institutions, corporate managers and individuals who want to learn more about mobile and internet banking. Limitations of the study In undertaking this study a number of challenges were faced. There was bureaucracy in getting approval to respond to questionnaires with most institutions insisting that permission be sought from the Chief Executive Officer or Human Resource Manager. This led to delays in obtaining the required responses for data analysis in time. Some customers were unwilling to divulge information and seemed to not have time to fill in the questionnaires. CHAPTER TWO. Literature Review. This chapter seeks to explore in depth the concept of internet and mobile banking through a review of the various theories as well as empirical studies. Theoretical framework Theory of information production and contemporary banking theory Diamond (1984) suggested that economic agents may find it worthwhile to produce information about possible investment opportunities if this information is not free; for instance surplus units could incur substantial search costs if they were to seek out borrowers directly. There would be duplication of information production costs if there were no banks as surplus units would incur considerable expenses in seeking out the relevant information before they commit funds to a borrower. Banks enjoy economies of scale and have expertise in processing information related to deficit units (borrowers). They may obtain information upon first contact with borrowers but in real sense it’s more likely to be learned over time through repeated dealings with the borrower. As they develop this information they develop a credit rating and become experts in processing information. As a result they have an information advantage and depositors are willing to place funds with a bank knowing that this will be directed to the appropriate borrowers without the former having to incur information costs. Bhattacharya and Thakor (1993) contemporary banking theory suggests that banks, together with other financial intermediaries are essential in the allocation of capital in the economy. This theory is centered on information asymmetry, an assumption that â€Å"different economic agents possess different pieces of information on relevant economic variables, in that agents will use this information for their own profit† (Freixas and Rochet 1988). Asymmetric information leads to adverse selection and moral hazard problems. Asymmetric information problem that occurs before the transaction occurs and is related to the lack of information about the lenders charact eristics, is known as adverse selection. Moral hazard takes place after the transaction occurs and is related with incentives by the lenders to behave opportunistically. Innovation diffusion theory Mahajan and Peterson (1985) defined an innovation as any idea, object or practice that is perceived as new by members of the social system and defined the diffusion of innovation as the process by which the innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of social systems. Diffusion of innovation theory attempts to explain and describe the mechanisms of how new inventions in this case internet and mobile banking is adopted and becomes successful Clarke (1995). Sevcik (2004) stated that not all innovations are adopted even if they are good it may take a long time for an innovation to be adopted. He further stated that resistance to change may be a hindrance to diffusion of innovation although it might not stop the innovation it will slow it down. Rogers (1995) identified five critical attributes that greatly influence the rate of adoption. These include relative advantage,compatibility,complexity,triability and observability.According to Rogers, the rate of adoption of new innovations will depend on how an organization perceives its relative advantage, compatibility, triability,observability and complexity.If an organization in Kenya observes the benefits of mobile and internet banking they will adopt these innovations given other factors such as the availability of the required tools. Adoption of such innovations will be faster in organizations that have internet access and information technology departments than in organizations without. Empirical studies Internet banking Recent literature has a narrow focus and ignores internet banking almost entirely; it equates internet money with the substitution of currency with internet gadget. For instance Freedman (2000) suggests that internet banking and internet money consists of three devices; access devices, stored value cards, and network money. Internet banking is simply the access to new devices and is therefore ignored. Internet money is the sum of stored value (smart cards) and network money (value stored on computer hard drives). Santomero and Seater (1996), Prinz (1999) and Shy and Tarkka (2002) present models that identify conditions under which alternative payments substitute for currency. Most of these models indicate that there is at least a  possibility for internet substitutes for currency to emerge and flourish on a wide scale depending on the characteristics of the various technology and those of the potential users. Friedman (1999), intimated that internet banking presents the possibility that an entire alternative payment system not under the control of the Central Bank may arise. Today computers make it at least possible to bypass the payment system altogether, instead using direct bilateral clearing and settlement (Friedman, 1999). Trends in mobile and internet banking in Kenya With the emerging wave of information driven economy, the banking industry in Kenya has inevitably found itself unable to resist technological indulgence. This has led to a boom in development of mobile banking laying down a strong base for low cost banking, and growth of mobile phone use in rural Kenya. Standard Chartered in 2009 launched its mobile banking in seven markets in Africa. In the Kenyan market it offers a number of services on a unique, user-friendly platform called Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) and is only available on GSM carrier networks which enable customers to access banking in real time, anywhere in the world, through their mobile phones. The platform is a convenient menu-driven application that is not dependent on specific customer handsets and does not need to be downloaded. Barclays bank’s m-banking platform is known as ‘hello money’. It allows customers to carry their bank in their mobile and access banking services anytime/anywhere on the move. Unlike other players in the sector this is all for free. Co-operative bank pioneered mobile banking way back in 2004 by enabling customers to access their accounts and transact using their mobile phones. It offers services such as balance enquiries, mini-statements, SMS alerts on credit and debit transactions to an account, pay utility bills and funds transfer. Equity bank on the other hand has its own m-banking platform known as Eazzy 24/7 offering services similar to those of co-operative bank. Telephone and PC banking is a facility that enables customers, via telephone calls, find out about their position with their bankers by merely dialing the telephone numbers given to them by the banks. In addition, the computers on the phone would require special codes given to the customers as a mea ns of identification of authentic users before they can receive any information they requested for. Telephone and PC banking brings the bank to the doorstep  of the customer, it does not require the customer to leave his premises. The card system is a unique internet payment type. Smart cards are plastic devices with embedded integrated circuit being used for settlement of financial obligations. Depending on the sophistication, it can be used as a Credit Card, Debit Card and ATM cards. The cards are internetally loaded with cash value and can be carried around like cash and store information on a microchip. The microchip contains a â€Å"purse† in which value is held internetally. In addition, it also contains security programs which protect transactions between one card user and the other. It can also be transferred directly to a retailer, merchant or any other outlet to pay for goods and services, and like cash, transactions between individuals without the need for banks or any other third parties. Also, the system does not require central clearing, it is valued immediat ely. CHAPTER THREE. Research Methodology A research methodology guides the researcher in collecting, analyzing and interpreting observed facts (Bless and Achola, 1988). This chapter introduces the logical framework to be followed in the process of conducting the study. It is divided into: research design, population and sample, data collection and data analysis. Research Design According to McMillan and Schumacher (2001) a research design is a plan for selecting subjects, research sites and data collection procedures to answer the research questions. It is the conceptual framework within which research is conducted and constitutes the blueprint for the collection of data and the analysis thereof of the collected data Based on the purpose of the study and the type of data involved, descriptive and qualitative research designs were used. The goal was to provide a clear understanding of mobile and internet banking and its usage in financial institutions and therefore conclude on the impact it has had on their performance. Qualitative data was collected from the managers, subordinate staff as well as from customers of the financial institutions. Population and Sample. Cooper and Emory (1995) define population as the total collection of elements about which the researcher wishes to make some inferences. An element is the subject on which the measurement is being taken and is the unit of the study. The population of interest in this study consisted of 61 financial institutions operating in Kenya of which only 30 responded. The managers, employees and customers were targeted as the key respondents. There was a need to sample the population because not all the population elements use mobile and internet banking. The study therefore used stratified sampling. This is the process of dividing members of the population into homogeneous subgroups before sampling. The strata should be mutually exclusive: every element in the population must be assigned to only one stratum. Financial institutions were classified according to microfinance institutions, SACCOS and commercial banks where 2 microfinance institutions, 11 SACCOS and 17 commercial banks were sampled . Data Collection. Primary sources were used in data collection. Open and close-ended questionnaires were administered to target respondents. In total two questionnaires were delivered: one to managers and employees and another to customers. They purposed to find out information regarding the level of usage of mobile and internet banking, demographics of the customers, services offered and used, level of satisfaction, impact on performance, opportunities for growth and challenges faced through the use of mobile and internet banking. This instrument allowed for cost and time savings for the respondents as well as the researchers. Data Analysis According to Bryman and Bell (2003) data analysis refers to a technique used to make inferences from data collected by means of a systematic and objective identification of specific characteristics. Once data is collected it has to be edited to verify to the completeness of data, coded in order to assign numbers or symbols to the various answers for effective categorization/classification, entered in order to convert the information gathered to a medium for viewing and manipulation (e.g. excel or statistical  package for social sciences SSPS) and finally displayed through the use of frequency tables and charts. Collected data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Qualitative data regarding customer level satisfaction, challenges faced demographics and services provided and used were analyzed using content analysis to measure the semantic contents of the message. Qualitative data was analyzed using statistical data analysis. The data was tabulated in pie-cha rts, tables and graphs for easier understanding and presentation. Data Analysis and Interpretation This section presents the data analysis, findings and discussion of the study in line with the research objectives of the study, the study’s research objective was to establish the impact of mobile and internet banking on financial performance of financial institutions in Kenya. To achieve the objective the research raised a number specific objective; to establish the extent of use of mobile banking and the extent of use of internet banking in financial institutions in Kenya. Data analysis The response rate of the questionnaires from the three types of institutions under study was fairly high, out of the 98 questionnaires sent to the respondents, 64 questionnaires both from customers and managers/employees were returned for analysis. To enhance the quality of the data obtained structured questions were used whereby the respondents were asked to give various indicators on mobile and internet banking. Various data were collected to satisfy this study in accordance with the methodology. The software that was used for the following analysis was Microsoft excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Summary The study revealed that among the financial institutions surveyed, commercial banks had the highest usage of internet banking at 43.3%, SACCOs had the second highest usage of internet banking whereas none of the microfinance institutions used internet banking.Amongst all the financial institutions surveyed commercial banks had the highest usage of mobile banking, SACCOs the second highest whereas MFIs had the least usage of mobile banking even though all of them used mobile banking. Of the services provided by financial institutions via internet banking the service that customers used most was online balance inquiry (40%) whereas the least used service was online bill payment (3.3%). According to the financial institutions the customer turn out level was high (63.3%) as a result of the use of internet banking. 66.7% of the respondents indicated that internet banking had a positive impact on performance whereas only 6.7% indicated that it had not impacted on performance of the financi al institutions Conclusion The study was able to achieve the set objectives; to explore the impact of mobile and internet banking on performance of financial institutions, as well as the extent of use of mobile and internet banking, by surveying a representative sample of financial institutions within Nairobi. The study found that commercial banks had the highest rate of usage of internet  banking among the financial institutions sampled. SACCOS are slowly adopting internet banking, while micro finance institutions have not yet adopted internet banking. The study revealed that the most prevalent internet banking services were seeking product rate information and the use of online credit cards. Since its introduction in mid-2005, the adoption of internet banking has been slow due to impaired unavailability of infrastructure and lack of supportive legislation for internet banking (Nyangosi et al 2009). However the adoption of internet banking has enhanced performance of the banking industry due to increased efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. The study found that mobile banking faces various challenges among them being, system delays by the mobile money transfer service providers, slow processing of transactions especially during the weekends, high transactions costs, limit on the amount of money that can be withdrawn in a day and fraud. These challenges can be solved through regular maintenance of mobile money transfer systems which will help in managing the systems’ capacity and in turn address the problem of transaction delays and improve customer service through speedy support and lower user charges. Suggestions for further study The study focused on the impact of internet and mobile banking on financial performance of financial institutions in Kenya while its evident its rampant growth impacts on the overall economy as well. Therefore, a study should be conducted to investigate the impact of mobile and internet banking on the economy.The study found that mobile banking has been adopted at a faster rate than internet banking therefore a study needs to be conducted to investigate why this is the case. References: Berestien, A. (1998), Monetary Policy Implications of Digital Money, Kyklos, Vol. 51. Bhattacharya, S. and A. Thakor (1993), ‘’Contemporary Banking Theory,’’ Journal of Financial Intermediation 3, 2-50. Bilderbeek, R (Dir.) (1994): ‘’Case studies in innovative and knowledge- intensive business services.’’ TNO Report. STB/94/041. Research project for the EC DG XIII, print EIMS Programme. Bryman and Bell (2003), is the resource-based ‘view’ a useful perspective for strategic management research?, The Academy of Management Review, 26(1), 22-40 Central Bank of Kenya. (2008) Bank Supervision Report. Nairobi: Central Bank of Kenya Central Bank of Kenya. (2009) Bank Supervision Report. Nairobi: Central Bank of Kenya Central Bank of Kenya. (2010) Annual Report. Nairobi: Central Bank of Kenya Cooper, D and Emory, C. (1995) Business Research Methods. Chicago. Irwin Diamond, D. and P. Dybvig (1983) ‘’ Bank runs, deposit insurance and liquidity,’’ Journal of Political Economics 91,pp.401-419 ECB (1999) ‘’ Payments Systems in the European Union’’: Addendum incorporating 1997figures (Blue Book), January. Freedman, C. (2000), Monetary Policy Implementation: Past, Present and Future-‘’Will Electronic Money Lead to the Eventual Demise of Central Banking?’’ International Finance, Vol.3, No.2, pp. 211-227 Freixas, X. and J.C. Rochet (1998), Microeconomics of banking, MIT Press. Friedman, B, (1999), the Future of Monetary Policy: The Central Bank as an Army with Only a Signal Corps?InternationalFinance, Vol.2, No.3, pp.321-338. Goodhart, E. (2000). Can Central Banking Survive the IT Revolution? InternationalFinance, Vol. 3, No.2.pp.189-209. Juniper Research, (2009). Mobile Banking Strategies: Applications, Opportunities and Markets 2010-2015. Kariuki, N. (2005), Six Puzzles in Electronic Money and Banking IMF Working Paper, IMF Institute. Vol. 19. February. Mcmillan & Schumaker (2001); Non-enforceable implementation of enterprise mobilization: and exploratory study of the critical success factors, Industrial Management & Data Systems, 105 (6), 786-814. Prinz, A. (1999), Money in, the Real and the Virtual World; E-Money, C-Money, and the Demand for CB-Money, Netnomics, Vol.1, pp.11-35. Santomero, A.M, and Seater J.J, (1986). Alternative Monies and the demand for Media of Exchange, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol.28, pp. 942-960. Steven A. (2002), Information Systems: The Information of E-Business, New Jersey: Natalie Anderson, pp.11-36 Tarkka, J.(2002), The Market for Electronic Cash Cards, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol.34, pp.299-314.

Economics of Health Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics of Health Care - Assignment Example The statement is false because the incorporation of a subjective utility weight in the calculation of quality-adjusted life years does not affect the question of allocative efficiency. An allocative efficiency deals with the allocation of resources; on the other hand, cost-utility measures the quality of adjusted life years. The use of cost-utility will, therefore, be inappropriate when subjective utility weight is incorporated. According to Hurley (2010, 109), to address the question of allocative efficiency, it requires the use of the cost-benefit analysis. This is because the potential Pareto criterion method is required for the analysis (p.109). The result is negative. This means that the annual costs for carrying out the exercise are very expensive compared to the benefits that the university gets in terms of savings. Basing on the cost-benefit analysis, it is recommended that the university does not carry out the vaccination process. This is because of the high cost of this process. The program does not pass the cost-benefit analysis test because it gives a negative net benefit. Negative net benefit means that the implementation of the exercise would result in losses rather than gain in comparison to the effort used. The theory states that education induces greater taste for health. This means that health and education are causally related in instances where a third factor is missing. Focusing on the graph, it shows that both a better taste for more education and higher levels of learning are caused by the introduction of a third factor such as time. In this case, the lower rate of time leads to a greater investment in both variables resulting in a negatively sloping graph. For this graph, the two are not causal but have a correlation brought in by the introduction of a third factor that affects both variables. Â  

The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963. The Role of Diplomacy in Preventing Essay

The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963. The Role of Diplomacy in Preventing the 3rd Word War - Essay Example The Cuban missile crisis is largely held as the greatest military conflict that occurred during the Cold War. American destroyers were positioned along a picket line with the aim of intercepting Soviet ships moving missiles and atomic warheads to Cuba. Moreover, American air, naval pegged with ground forces got ready for air raids against Soviet missile sites under structure in Cuba. The Strategic Air Command stood put on an extraordinary state of vigilance– â€Å"DEFCON II,† merely one step away from the fact â€Å"war is imminent.† In October 1987, contrary to the setting of Mikhail Gorbachev’s glasnost, it is worth noting that a conference on the Cuban Missile Crisis was conducted. This was the first time, together with living veterans of the Kennedy Government, three reliable Soviet witnesses: the sons of Khrushchev coupled with his closest associate, Anastas Mikoyan, and a past Khrushchev speechwriter were in attendance. After years of persistent secr ecy, the display of reliable Kremlin insiders considerately, cordially, even optimistically linking anec ­dotes and examining the crisis was an exciting novelty, promis ­ing further exposes (Waltz, 2012). Evaluation His heart was thumping rapidly. His hands were quaking, and the tautness was taking his pant away. The tick tack of the watch was retelling him there was not ample time left. Similar to a chess game, John F. Kennedy was at the verge of making a quick and clever decision. Checkmate, and he would triumph in the game. But what if he made an erroneous move? A lot of people’s lives depended on his decision, hence were in his hands. What is branded as the â€Å"Fourteen days of October† (Van De Mark, 1996) stood as the closest that the universe had ever witnessed to a nuclear war. In the course of 1962, the Soviet Union started to construct secret missile headquarters in Cuba for the drive of creating equilibrium over the U.S. arms collection. The U.S., sensi ng a threat from the Soviet Union, took instant actions to  avert this progress. The condition eventually intensified, and neither side was philanthropic upon their stresses (Hershberg, 2004). Yet, as in each chess game, one can either gain, loose, or the game is haggard. In  politics, however, the game is only haggard when there is cooperation amongst the players. In this case, the destiny of millions plainly hinged upon the capability of two people President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev, to influence a compromise. Interests and Goals Certain people might claim that beginning a battle would be the greatest answer for  US. Of course, as a global influence, it would not have been tough for them to overthrow USSR. The conflict would not essentially have to be nuclear. One of the choices that Kennedy had was to block Cuba so as to strike the missiles located by USSR in Cuba’s terrain. It is worth noting that some people still consider that it would have be en a harmless option into backing the end of the conflict. However, this would not function as a way to terminate the conflict but somewhat to initiate it. What are thought to be the significances of little wars are often the grounds for bigger ones (Jane and Ramesh, 1989). The United States deliberated on placing an attack on Cuba via air and sea. However, they agreed on a military "solitary confinement" of Cuba. The U.S. proclaimed that it would not license aggressive

Inghir-Jerusalem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Inghir-Jerusalem - Essay Example The synagogue is no more but the Kamal’s grandfather seems to vividly remember that it once stood at the position. As Kamal speaks with some people, the mixing of Arab, French, and Berber languages is evidence enough of their ties to Tinghir. The documentary explores the 2000 years old Jew shelters in the author’s village of Tinghir, situated in Morocco. Throughout the film, Kamal moves back and forth between Tinghir and Israel in search for answers. As the film advances, Kamal meets some Jews who still hold tight to their Moroccan identity. This is great step towards finding out the real events that triggered the Jew migration from Tinghir. The film is based on a true story that shows the collaboration between Jews and Muslims that fell apart after the Jews moved to Israel. Although the Jews did not have it all, the coexistence was still a great one. As Kamal speaks to both sides, Jews and Muslims, they seem to cherish and desire a reunion to the great coexistence that they once had. Kamal tries to discover what happened with an aim that the two once friendly communities will one day reunite. The film has an interesting and captivating story line that gives the viewers a desire to watch more as the events unfold. The film has an important lesson and can be used to stop the raging conflicts that are recurrent in today’s world. From time to time, the Israelites are in conflict with the Arab nations and as a result, a great hostility has escalated. How could the once peaceful coexistence turn into raging conflicts and everyday war? What went wrong? What can be done? These are among the many questions on peoples’ minds as they try to bring to an end the seemingly unending conflict. This film can be used as a starting point to remind the two conflicting sides of the enviable cooperation that once was. In addition, the Muslims were not the reason for the Jew

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China Essay - 9

Marketing Mix for U.S.A car market Chery Cars China - Essay Example s home Chinese market along with global operations, it has been found that with the help of knowledgeable and skilled workforce, the company has maintained a unique presence amid its well-known rivals globally. Chery has used its marketing practices with the intention of gaining decisive competitive advantages. Correspondingly, it is recommended that Chery will have to largely focus on standardisation along with adaptation of a few factors regarding marketing activities depending upon the situation and circumstances to ensure its successful operations in the US. Chery Automobile Company Limited is one of the renowned automotive manufacturing companies in global market. It had started operations in China in 1997 and within a short span of time it has extended its business globally. In terms of recent observations, Chery has introduced more than 20 models of cars which are available in the market. Certainly, the management of Chery is interested in entering the substantial market of the United States car market, probably with a joint new brand marque with the Jaguar Land Rover (Chery, 2013). According to the given scenario it has been observed Jaguar Land Rover seals the deal with Chinese company for an investment of $1.1 billion (Telegraph Media Group Limited, 2014). The automotive market of the US has been the second largest market in the world. Over the years, many automotive companies have extended their business in the US primarily because it is one of the foremost markets of SUVs, sports cars, and luxury cars in the world in terms of size and buying power of the US consumers (Bloomberg, 2010). During the last decade, it has been observed that the necessity of cars in the US market has been enormous even after the high fuel prices and the world petroleum crisis. It is expected that US automobile will continue to grow in the near future. According to the analysis in has been observed that, cars are preferred by the U.S. consumer according to the location and

The Helmet-To-Helmet Rule Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Helmet-To-Helmet Rule - Essay Example It is seen that the new helmet-to-helmet rule works effectively in reducing the number of concussions. This is basically achieved through the measures introduced by the rule, which holds the players accountable for their actions. The defenders are thereby limited in their hard hits. Thus it is realized that the rule has reduced the head injuries that were a common occurrence in the early days before its implementation. The rule receives much support on the conventional view that it greatly mitigates the serious injuries while also punishing those who fail to observe the rules of the game. Such accountability, it is argued, is very important in bringing sanity into the game. It has been realized that the graduating students who join the National Football League (NFL) are becoming bigger and stronger yearly. In that regard, the number of injuries associated with the game is increasing. The game is also becoming more violent given these types of players. The rule is certainly very timel y considering that most of the rules that usually defined the game of football are seriously ignored. In the last few years it has been realized that that most defenders have practically shifted from the conventional methods of tackling and usually confront their opponents head fast. Such dangerous moves usually create crushing tackles. Well, football is certainly intended to be a violent game and most of the hard moves are certainly within acceptable limits (Wingate 78). Nevertheless, proponents of the helmet-to-helmet rule argue that some of the moves made by the defendants are practically unnecessary. As such, given the frequent concussions, it creates the need to control much of the game through the application of universal rules. The new helmet-to-helmet rule is therefore very appropriate and should be supported at all costs considering the important transformation it has brought into the game. One fundamental benefit of the helmet-to-helmet rule is the reduced number of head i njuries that have been associated with its implementation. In each football season, it is estimated that over 20 percent of high school players and 10 percent of college players usually sustain dangerous brain injuries each year (Carter 49). Well, such statistics are shocking and should therefore trigger a new sense of thought in that respect. The increase in the number of concussions is partly attributed to the increasing speed in the games and the defiance of the rules that guide the game. The new helmet-to-helmet rule is therefore perceived as a remedy to the cases of concussions, which usually cause long term effects on the affected people. Such effects include dementia, loss of motor skills and occasional memory loss. These are very dangerous effects that should be controlled at all costs. The imperative of this particular rule at this point in time cannot therefore be underestimated. The challenge is further compounded by the results revealed by new research and evidence which reveals much serious effects of concussions on the affected people. David Kusher in his research realized that cases of multiple concussions spanning over months or years might result into serious neuropsychological deficits. It is also realized that continuous concussions over shorter periods might translate to the second impact syndrome. In this case, a concussion obtained while a player is on recovery from a previous one might lead to a condition known as progressive cerebral edema. Three or more concussions are likely

Law and management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Law and management - Assignment Example ess in which the courts interpret and apply legislation in the courts is known as the statutory interpretation.The court looks on the meaning of the statute and looks at how it is implemented by the process. The statute, which is regarded as a bill, or law, which is passed by the legislature, subjects the people on the rules and obligations. However, apart from statutes making law, statutory interpretation involves making a decision on how a particular bill or law will apply in a particular case. A clear interpretation is sometimes very important especially when a case involves a statute and sometimes the words of a statute have a plain straightforward meaning. However, in other times, there is ambiguity or sometimes vagueness in the normal words of the statute, which must be resolved by the judge.The judiciary gives out an interpretation on how the legislation should be applied in a certain case since there is no unambiguous legislation that addresses all matters. There are several reasons as to why words being imperfect symbols in the communicating intent, they are ambiguous,and the meaning changes with time, and lastly the unforeseen incidences are unavoidable and the new technology and anew culture apply the existing law to be challenging. Addition of uncertainties may also take place in the course of enactment; for example, need to cater for special interest group or compromise.Judges have the responsibilities of giving out the meanings of the statutes. They use several measures and methods of statutory interpretation such as theuse of traditional canons of statutory interpretation, legislative history and additionally the purpose. It is known that,in common law jurisdictions, rules of statutory interpretation may be applied to the enacted legislation or additionally to the legislation that is delegated such as administrative agency regulations. The judiciary majorly takes such actions; therefore,there is a responsibility that the court needto do, it must try

Red Bull Marketing Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Red Bull Marketing Questions - Essay Example High income customers have high potential of consumption than low income customers. Therefore, the sales territories will be divided into high sales prospect and low sales prospects. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012), Australia has a high number of employed people. The employment rate increased by 0.1 percent and this will result to increase in consumer’s consumption. This provides a basis on identifying the sales team territory. The sales territory will be divided into high sales potential and low sales potential territories. The sales team will be allocated roles to seek and increase sales among the income earning people and the unemployment. The income generating individuals constitute the high sales prospects territory while the unemployment make up the low sales territory. Additionally, the sales territory will be determined geographically. The sales team will be allocated responsibilities in different geographical regions. Different sales representatives will be assigned Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern territory (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012),. In addition, most people living in urban areas have a higher income than the people living in the rural areas. The sales team will be allocated responsibilities in different rural and urban areas. The size of each territory will be determined to decide the number of sales staff to be allocated. This will ensure that the sales representatives are not given too much or too little to do. This can result to over or under servicing of consumers. The sales personnel will be allocated territories appropriately to avoid over servicing of consumers. This can cost the Red Bull since over taxed sales representatives take on suboptimality in their activities. They will take a remarkably small number of leads; spend less time with existing consumers and spot few potential consumers.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 30

Case Study Example 8). Children rights advocacy in the UK takes the efforts of many stakeholders. Besides the UNCRC, which is implemented in the UK, UK laws recognize the necessity to ensure full protection of children’s rights. A parent serves as the primary caregiver for every child in the UK. There are several organizations together with the government, which ensure that the children live stress-free life. The case entails stressful situations that I undergo as a 16-year-old girl. My mother is in a turbulent relationship that affects the entire family. I rarely contact my biological father. My three siblings belittle me. My mother serves as a nurse at a local nursing home and is rarely available to perform her responsibility as the family’s primary care-giver. Most of the time, I serve as the primary caregiver for my siblings in her absentia. Taking care of my siblings is a challenging task because I must report to the Youth Offending Office every day. The police arrested me for alleged robbery. Besides, I have other duties to perform. Although on a part-time basis, I must attend a specialist educational facility meant for young individuals who exhibit educational and behavioral difficulties. The office arranged for me to start attending a pupil referral unit. I have to balance between the referral unit and my statutory education. I intend to join a catering course after my GSC E, which I am due to complete. At home, I do not get sufficient time for sleep because the house has limited space for the family. I sleep on the sofa, instead. An adult recently raped my sister, Laura, and I feel it is a fundamental concern for me to sacrifice my commitments and help her through the hard times she is undergoing. I, however, have limited support and guidance to help my sister. As the victim, I need help from relevant groups of professionals. CRAE is a key institution mandated to implement the UNCRC and

Alternative Energy Sources Essay Example for Free

Alternative Energy Sources Essay Scientist have been on a great journey for years (especially in the 21st century) for a better and more efficient way to harness energy, that does not pose a negative impact on our environment. Many paths have been explored and a few of them are: Tidal Power, Solar Windows, Nuclear Waste, Flying Wind Farms, and Nuclear fusion. In my research I have found some of these sources to be more practical than others. However, they all contain the potential to be large scaled and put into effect if not in the near future then in the distant future. A few that I wanted to key in on is: Tidal Power, Solar Windows, and Flying Wind Farms. Why is it necessary for us to look into alternative sources? Well it is because in our current situation we are polluting our environments with harmful substances that can have long lasting impacts. Not only does these substances affect the human life but also the wild life. That is only one aspect of need in our world. Another aspect would be in third world countries. Cheap and efficient ways to harness power will bring many of these countries out of poverty and into wealth, benefiting us all. Tidal power is the process of harnessing the energy from waves in the sea/ocean. This idea was at one point highly sought out for. However, as wind turbines started to come into the picture this idea was put aside and neglected for a few years. Recently this idea has been getting more attention and has been resurfacing as an engineer with the air force has created a way to harness theoretically 99% of its energy (as opposed to the 50% it was getting a few years ago). In past projects drag was the main element used to capture the energy. The new method from the air force engineer uses lift instead of drag which gave him higher results in the end. I can strongly see this source of energy playing a big part in powering our homes day in and day out. Solar Windows is a higher level of solar panels. A recent break-through in quantum dot solar technology enables solar panels to act as transparent windows. When this technology becomes available to the public, every window  in every metropolitan building (highly efficient) to every household can be equipped to power itself. In the Past four years itself the US has increased its solar capacity by 500% in seeing its potential for an avenue in clean energy source. So this is yet another source that I strongly believe and trust will have an impact on our environment. Flying Wind Farms comprised of Buoyant Air Turbines (BAT) is an interesting topic. It involves a blimp and a wind turbine fused together to get into higher altitudes (1000-2000 ft) to get stronger and more consistent winds. Not only is the energy harnessed but also this blimp will also act as a double to provide Wi-Fi in a larger scale. It is predetermined that the entire tower based wind farms will be replaced by BAT. These Bat devices are capable of retracting and extending in altitude as it senses the wind pressure getting too strong or too weak. The wind turbines were initially considered a hoax but now have taken the industry by storm. In saying that I do see a future for this innovation. However, I do not see it being accomplished in the near future. Overall my understanding is that there are many ways to harness renewable energy, however, some will be more efficient than the others. In the short list that I presented I see the Tidal power project having the greatest capacity to be seen in the near future. It is also one of the most efficient forms of collecting energy as it can collect up to 99% of the tidal energy. This will be great for a large scale like powering entire cities. However, for an average consumer looking to power their homes then I would point them to the Solar Windows as soon as they arrive in the market, because they provide an energy source without having to sacrifice appeal of the home. As regular solar panels tend to be bulky and weird looking sitting on the top of the roofs. As scientists and engineers look for alternative energy sources lets provide our support by simply accepting the fact that there is a need for all these alternative energy sources.

One Malaysia Concept Among Malaysian Media Essay

One Malaysia Concept Among Malaysian Media Essay Malaysia is a renown country that is located in the southern parts of Asia, Malaysia consists of thirteen states and three federal territories which in general forms up a total land mass of 329,847 square kilometers, the country also boost of a population of 28.25 million people this is according to the 2010 census. one unique thing about Malaysia is the separation of the country into two separate regions by the South China Sea but the same country with its capital city base situated at Kuala Lumpur and the base for the federal government situated at Putrajaya this indicating that both the different regions of the country are politically and economically represented to reduce the cases of one part wanting to break from the main country due to lack of political or economical misrepresentation, therefore the two separate regions are known as the Peninsular Malaysian and the Malaysian Borneo in other words they are respectively known as the West and East Malaysia. The country is bordered by other Asian countries that are very influential in the world political and economic fields some of these countries include Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and Philippines (Kaufman, 2008). The country is currently going through a lot of challenges at the moment this challenges range from matters of governance and nationalism. The divided ideas of the Malaysian nationals is threatening the peace of the country as the Malaysians are saying that there country is invaded with lots of foreigners who have taken the all the major administrative, economical and political roles of the country and are running the country thus leaving out the true Malaysian out of the normal running of there own country this has resulted to animosity of the countryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s citizens, therefore the media has to perform its duty in order to create a clear relationship between the countries citizens and the foreigners living in the country (Toumi, 2010). Malaysia has one of the most intriguing history as compared any other country in the world, that can be dated back to the to the 16th century when the country was ruled by a king who was in -charged of the entire Malay kingdom but in the 18th century the British conquered the country and they eventually became a British colony, the country later got its unification from the British in the year 1946 this was when the eastern and western regions and other countries like Sabah and Singapore were unified, it later became a federation in 1948 and archived its independence in 9 years later that is in the year 1957 (WTEC Hyper-Librarian, 1997). Its union with Singapore wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a long one this is because Singapore walked out of the union and later became an independent country this was some years after the country got its independent. The country also boasts of being a country that is full of tourist attraction sites, this is because it has traditional and natural resources, that attract tourists who visits the country annually just to se these spectacular natural features the country has, the country also is expanding its horizons by venturing in other productive matters such as commerce, science and medical inventions that provides the country with supplementary income to ensure that the country can easily sustain it population without asking for aids from donors (WTEC Hyper-Librarian, 1997). Roles of the media in bringing an understanding of Malaysia amongst the Malaysians Before undertaking the assignment of identifying the roles that the media plays and its contributions in improving the understanding of the Malaysians in Malaysia we have to first of all define and know what the media is and its roles/ importance amongst us (Kaufman, 2008). In general according to a lay mans understanding the word media refers to various means of communication this implies that the media is a platform that provides different people and individuals with the opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas amongst themselves in efforts aimed at improving there current form of life to a more improved one (Daily Express, 2003). This communication is passed on through various channels that include the Television, Radio, and Newspaper, other forms of media include the internet, brochures, advertisements on billboards amongst other sources of information that tend to appeal or influence an individual to take in a given action into action (Nadchatram, 2007). Therefore media simply is the device that creates a smooth platform for the creation and consumption of messages from one person/ point to the other freely. Roles of the media The media just like any other organ in that has a public influence / contact has an important role in the society that it relates to and in this section I am going to take a look on the important roles that the media play in the society and they include the following. The first role of the media is to educate its audience; this role is actually efficient because the people and the media are closely related to each other and interact frequently (Ahmad, 2005). The media interacts closely with the masses without any interference occurring between them therefore the media will use this time to educated the masses on the recommended issues thus ensuring the people a well informed when they about what is expected of them or how to handle themselves in a given situation (Center For Democracy And Governance, 1999). This interaction will ensure that the public are well trained and educated on the ways they are supposed to handle themselves in a given kind of situation. The other role of the media is to inform its audiences, this is were the media informs its audience / readers and viewers what is going on in there surrounding, the media will use its influence to tell or show there respective audience what they are supposed to be aware of or what is going on in there surroundings, this is slightly different from the previous role of informing the audience as therefore in this case the media will be updating the people on what is going on while educating will be introducing them to new ideas aimed at improving there lives and improve there living conditions (TechTerms.com, 2006). Surveillance is another role of the media; this is where the media monitors and provides its audiences, viewers and readers with information pertaining to development of pressing issues. This is exclusively seen when the media monitoring the behaviours activities and any other important information that is involving people involved indulging in inappropriate behaviors that may have negative impacts on the public (TechTerms.com, 2006). In surveillance role is where the media will investigate on allegations that are indicted on graft and other illegal cases people, non governmental / governmental organizations are the most monitored by the media thus providing the audience with the ways that the organizations and individuals are affecting the ways in which an individual operates, at the same time the media checks on the ways in which a decease or disaster is affecting individuals and at the same time updating them on the level and of containing the disease or disaster in a community (T oumi, 2010). The other role of the media is correlation, this is where the media will relate what is going on ion one point of the world with what is happening in the other point of the world, this is when the media highlights some of the intriguing matters that are hitting the headlines internationally, this will be in the field of science invention politics, economics, social or abnormal situations (Ahmad, 2005). This will be made clear to the viewers as there will be in a position to know what the other parts are experiencing and implement some of these things in order to improve there living condition (Daily Express, 2003). The media also plays the marketing role this is when the individual or a company will be in position of airing his product in order to sell the product, thus the individual will be in a position to use the media in order to alert and/ or inform the people that there is a new product in the market (Foulger, 2003). This will make the respective customers be in a position to know the products and purchase them a role that is being used by the media houses to sustain themselves as the products they are advertising raise some income for the media organizations. Ways the media can improve relationship in Malaysia In the previous section I have noted the roles of the media and there significance to the people who interact with the media, therefore in this section of paper I am going to see the role that the media plays for a better understanding of the Malaysian idea this is by evaluating on the ways the media can use its powers to ensure that the Malaysians live in togetherness without misunderstanding each other. The media is supposed to provide the Malaysian citizens with the kind of information the will enable that each of the Malaysian individuals will practice the act of acceptance and respect amongst other factors that will ensure that the dermas and wishes of the prime minister Dato Najib Tun Razak are fulfilled this according to his speech that he delivered during the day that he was taking over the office of the leading the nation, he wanted the to see a1-Malaysia (Zainala, 2010). This is when he gave the media the opportunity to be the center stage of realizing that the dream of one Malaysia is experienced. As I had mentioned earlier the media plays an important in any community this is because the communities are in close contact with the community and the majority of the Malaysian population (Nadchatram, 2007). The media can helping the healing process of the country this is because the country is highly affected with cases of ethnicity that are the key reasons that are destroying the close relationship that should be experienced amongst the Malaysian citizens (Ahmad, 2005). In this case the media is supposed to play a great role in uniting the country the is in the verge of disintegrating as a result of the ethnicity in our country Malaysia and I highly believe that the media can come up with a method that can with a peaceful Malaysian society as a result of constant information regarding the importance of a 1Malaysia. I am a well trained journalist and the only tool that I will use to unite my country Malaysia from disintegration in the future and this is through the media, which according to me is the only way that I can save my country from the threat of disintegration as a result of political and ethical differences. The media will have a positive impact if used properly in the Malaysia in order to quell the raising differences that are being experienced in the country, so in order for the media to realize positive impacts on the current existing differences that is currently being experienced in the country is when the media is used to Persuade the public (Zainala, 2010). When the media persuades the public this will ultimately contribute to an improved attitude of the Malaysian a citizens who will listen to the views that are being explained by the media and this will automatically ensure that the citizens of Malaysia change there reasoning and then unite to format country of national unity (Center For Democracy And Governance, 1999). In persuading my audience I will send massages that will basically be preaching for peace and at the same time persuading the Malaysian citizens to top indulging in practices s that marginalizes other Malaysians thus classifying them in different classes yet they come from the same country, the media will manage in unifying them by telling them (Listeners/ audience ) that some practices such as intermarriage are the best for the country this is because the people from different places and cultures will be able to unite and form a family thus strengthening the people living in the country and in the end resulting to the unity of a one Malaysia (Center For Democracy And Governance, 1999). I would use the media to see an ethnic free Malaysia this is when I would use it as an instruments that I have in to ensure that a 1 Malaysian nation is realized, this is when the media houses in the country put a lot of there concentration in highlighting the issues that are related to seeing a 1 Malaysia nations (Daily Express, 2003). This can only be achieved when the media concentrated on reporting on issues that discouraging the uses of some encroached Malaysian cultures that deprive the country the realization of a new nation, this will to some point transform the ideological thinking of the individuals as the media will ensure that it provides the viewers, readers, and listeners with documentaries that will aim at telling them the impotence of unity (Foulger, 2003). This will to some extent reduce the cases of discrimination amongst the Malaysian citizens, in this case the ramparts information that swill be used by the media in discouraging ethnicity in Malaysia will definitely result to the unity of the Malaysia citizens this is because the media will have painted a clear picture to them thus ensuring that they will reform as the media has shown them the importance of the unity of 1 Malaysia thus the citizens will opt to be together and forget about there ethnic background thus ensuring that the country becomes one without any ethnic differences (Nadchatram, 2007). The government should also use or work hand in hand with the media in order for the achievement of the 1 Malaysia, in this case the government should invite the media to provide a critism and monitoring of its daily activities this will especially help the citizens to become more enlightened on the plans and activities of the government, I highly believe that if this is implemented a new Malaysia will be realized (Ahmad, 2005). This is because the Malaysian people will be informed with the media on the daily activities the government and this will bring some trust into the citizens who will feel that the government works hand in hand with them and this will automatically result to one nation that has the same political views that will ensure that the individuals in the country feel connected to the government of the country. The media should also show good images and news to the Malaysian citizens and the international countries, this will to some extent ensure that the people living in Malaysia to value piece in there country this is where the country citizens will see that they need to uphold peace in there country and them will have achieved in quelling there ethnic behaviours therefore making them to resort to be peaceful thus making them peaceful and more unethical (Zainala, 2010). This will be realized when the media indulges in public relations that will contribute to the government and the people that are living in Malaysia with this being implemented the Malaysians will feel more peaceful with each other and in the end they will be able to live freely in the regions without conflicts.

Evidence Based Practice Impact Of Nurses Nursing Essay

Evidence Based Practice Impact Of Nurses Nursing Essay Evidence-based practice (EBP) is widely recognised within the role of nursing. Its implementation and purpose in the delivery of care is seen as an important driver for nursing practice and clinical outcomes (Cullen Adams 2010). It has been defined as the: conscientious integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patients values and needs in the delivery of high-quality, cost effective health care (Burns Grove. 2007, p.4). EBP provides opportunity for nurses to ensure that clinical interventions and decisions making processes are safe and suitable for every patient group and enabling effectiveness in patient advocacy (Parahoo, 2006). An important part of practice and nursing culture, EBP should not be seen as an extra aspect to daily workload. Knowledge-base gained from pre-registration educational programmes and clinical experience should be the basis for the development of EBP (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). Nurses critically reflect daily in clinical practice with the implementation and evaluation of care and it is important to understand that this forms the foundation in research for evidence. Quick reference for guidance does not necessarily need to be a lengthy process with accessibility to intranet and local policies, protocols and best practice statements. However, the self-recognition of base knowledge and skill should be continually developed (Parahoo, 2006). Nurses require time to strive fo r answers to clinical questions, expanding clinical expertise in locating research evidence. Using critique frameworks as suggested in Burns Grove (2007), articles should be critically appraised with time spent deciding how they might apply to clinical practice. By taking a rigorous approach to appraisal, making an informed decision about the reliability and validity of sources of evidence, nurses can really look the effects in clinical practice and how the evidence can be delivered (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). Nurses working in clinical settings should really think about dilemmas or problems that come up frequently in their clinical practice that they would like to know further research and evidence for. It is expected that registered nurses should be comfortable and competent with the components of EBP such as forming clinical questions, literature searching skills, including accessing appropriate literature and showing enthusiasm in its development. Nurses need to have good resources and support from employers through providing access to library facilities containing major on-line databases such as EBSCO; Cochrane library database; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and the British Nursing Index (BNI). Through the use of databases, a comprehensive literature review should be conducted to generate understanding of what is known and not known about the particular clinical problem (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). The review can allow the nurse to decide whether adequate knowledge exists allowing for change in clinical practice or whether further research is required. From this initial thought may follow development of clinical question creating ethical consideration and understanding of beliefs and values of patients and colleagues. Nurses should being with searching highest level of evidence such as systematic reviews involving the compilation and ranking of evidence according to its methodological origin (Whiting. 2009). Systematic reviews summarise the results of high quality studies, often reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Described and the gold standard to research, they identify which interventions work, those which are not as effective and where further research should be carried out. In this way, bias is reduced and the effects of treatments studied are not overestimated. By using such evidence, time will be reduced in the need for critical appraisal (Whiting. 2009). It is important to note that as nurses move forward having more autonomy in decision making and its emphasis of patient centred care there still remains lack of appreciation in best evidence for patient response in emotional, psychological and holistic understanding and focus lies within scientific interventionism. Cleary-Holdforth Leufer (2008) criticise that the described highest level of evidence fails to acknowledge research based on patient experience and perception and aspect fundamental to nursing practice. This can be viewed in clinical guidelines developed by Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), derived from systematic reviews of scientific literature all guidelines have levels of evidence statements with the highest level of evidence being meta-analyses, systematic reviews or RCTs (SIGN 2010). 640 words To apply evidence into practice it is vital for nurses to have role models that respect EBP, rather than relying on clinical expertise alone (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). They must value ideas and effectively support the process if clinical questions arise. Role models need to be enthusiastic about EBP and having positive vision about the opportunities EBP can provide when integrated into day-to-day practice. Nurses need be able to view the benefits of applying best current evidence to their practice and therefore creating a positive motivation for EBP. At all levels, nurses need to be interested in using the EBP and adopt certain practices and attitudes. These include devotion, professional pride, positiveness, courage and willingness to carry out change and commitment to continuous learning (Cleary-Holdforth Leufer 2008). The nurse will not only see maturity in professional self but also development of personal achievement and identity. Decision makers and new found knowledge needs to not only be distributed but fully utilised and the nurse must ensure that colleagues receive, read, understand and appreciate the value of and actually utilise it in their own decision-making processes and, where appropriate, alter their behaviour. As with any clinical intervention, evaluation of its effectiveness is essential and nurses must discuss with colleagues and participants Further to this assignment will be appraisal and evaluation of two papers providing critique and discussion. Each will be assessed for the appropriateness for evidence-based practice. Gethin, G. Cowman, S. (2008) Manuka honey vs. hydrogel a prospective, open label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial to compare desloughing efficacy and healing outcomes in venous ulcers. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18 (3) p.466-474. Gethin and Cowman (2008) clearly seek to measure the effective comparison of two healing agents on venous ulcers and use a quantitative paradigm with two views to methods of debridement, and indicate that an RCT was undertaken. In a quantitative research study there is focus measurement of the relationship between variables (Burns Grove, 2007). Being the area of interest in the study, the variables that change over time are subject to statistical analysis. A prospective design has been decided on and to the reader indicates a collection of variable data with one or more points in the future. Macnee (2008) adds that time is a defining factor in the design of a quantitative study. In this case the time points were at week 4 and week 12 from initial baseline. A reasonable amount of information has been provided in the design title and allows the reader to be aware of the approach used. It seems that the research hypothesis is best addressed by quantifiable approach being the appropriat e design methodology for investigation. Gethin and Cowman (2008), aimed to select adults presenting with venous leg ulcers having over 50 percent of the wound area covered in slough. Further to this, they followed substantial inclusion and exclusion criteria which was clearly stated and indicated in the research including tables that could be easily understood by the reader. There could however be potential problem with this as a more tightly controlled or restricted sample could lead to limitations to clinical meaningfulness (Parahoo, 2006). The researchers goal is to avoid bias which could potentially distort findings and making it difficult or impossible to interpret results (). There is inconsistency in the description of the members in the study that could indicate bias. The researchers use both the term subject, participant and patient and to the reader, this could be questioned as to how removed the researchers were from those in the sample (Macnee, 2008). Had sample been used consistently then the reader could inte rpret this as being a distance and impersonal approach. Reassuringly the researchers state that they removed themselves from selection process and used blinded randomisation by two persons independent of the study to eliminate personal bias. Blinding refers to the group allocation and the concealment from one or more individuals involved in the research process (Karanicolas, Farrokhyar Bhandari 2010). The larger the sample size in a quantitative study, the more likely the study will apply to clinical situations and aiming to make generalisations about the larger population based on findings (Parahoo, 2006). The study uses a sample size of 108 which seems small and perhaps is unlikely to produce results of statistical significance failing to disclose the actual effectiveness of the agent used. It may have been that Gethin and Cowman (2008) failed to get enough funding to support their study or an increase in sample size would have been too time consuming. Non-probability sampling was used with recruitment of subjects attending a clinic. This type of sampling limits the extent of generalisation of the results to the population outside the research (Burns Grove, 2007). Failure to enrol the predetermined number of subjects creates limitation and restricting what a reader may learn about the study. Further to this, Gethin and Cowman (2008) did not discuss During the data collection stage of the process, there are two important considerations: the potential impact on the reliability and validity of the study. Reliability refers to how reliable the data collection methods are, this is the extent to which the selected methods will collect the same data on repeated occasions. The more consistent this is, the more reliable the methods are (Macnee, 2008). Gethin and Cowman (2008) used local clinical investigators who took part in a pretrial inter-rater reliability (IRR) study determining the level of agreement between the three raters when assessing slough as a percentage within wound bed. As the assessment was split between three data collectors, the reader could query potential differences in subjective opinion in deciding the percentage of slough within the wound bed. Thus influencing the accuracy and consistency in measurement making the measure less reliable. Validity refers to the extent to which the methods used to collect and analyse the data accurately measures what the researchers intended it would measure (Macnee, 2008). They selected to use Visitrak Digital Planimetry a tool for wound measurement. Sugama et al. (2007) explores and concludes that this type for wound measurement device was a efficient reliable system applicable for use in clinical practice improving validity of the research. It must be noted however, that this is only valid if the users are fully competent in its use. An important methodology feature of RCTs is to minimise bias and maximise the validity of the results (Whiting 2009). Gethin and Cowman (2008) failed to blind participants and data collectors due to the obvious orange staining from the Manuka honey. For a reader this is a immense flaw in the research introducing bias. The data collected in quantitative research must either be numerical or converted to numerical data and entered into a database (Macnee, 2008). Gethin and Cowman (2008) selected to use a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and further a statistician who was completely disconnected from the research in terms of collection and interaction with the subjects. This is a very positive aspect of the research and Gethin and Cowman (2008) failed to elaborate why participants pulled out from the study and a reader should be highly concerned as to what exactly happened to these subjects and question averse reactions to the chosen product. A nurse having found this during a literature review would suggest there are too many weaknesses in the research to apply this to clinical practice and decision making. A main concern is the safety of patients and I would decline to use this product until further research was carried out considering all the available evidence potentially utilising a systematic review approach. Until then, it would not influence decision making in relation to methods of debridement. This intervention applied in everyday clinical practice could potentially have adverse consequences that outweigh the potential benefits. The cost was not reported and it may be that the Manuka honey treatment is very expensive providing only small health benefits and failing to make good use of reso urces. It may have been beneficial for the researchers to provide a rough idea of the cost of producing one unit of benefit. An aspect fundamental to nursing practice is to incorporate understanding of the participants perspective about their experiences (Leufer Cleary-Holdforth 2009). This is not something that was not explored, had funding been available qualitative research, which will be explored in the next paper could have been incorporating using two design methods. 1305 words Hancock, H. C. Easen, P. R. (2006) The decision-making processes of nurses when extubating patients following cardiac surgery: An ethnographic study. International Journal of Nursing Studies. [Online] 43 (6) p.693-705.

Statement of Philosophy of Education Essay -- My Philosophy of Educati

Statement of Philosophy of Education My philosophy of teaching and education in general is very broad at this stage in my career. I am sure that as I teach in future years, my philosophy of teaching will change as I gain experience. As for now though, the following paper will describe the way I feel about teaching, learning and education in general. First, I view learning as a journey the students take throughout their school careers and throughout life. I feel that on this journey, teachers are placed in the position to help guide these students to their destination, or at least help them on their way. This journey would include hurdles and obstacles that would be overcome and some that would be left for later teachers to try to help the students past. I know that as a teacher, it is important for me to help the students to truly understand concepts being taught that will help them in later mathematics classes and in their lives in the future. I also feel that a good basic tool for teachers to help provide students with that will enable them to be more prosperous in life is the concept of problem solving. This tool reaches far past mathematics. I believe that students are not just buckets that we, as teachers, are to pour knowledge into hoping that none leaks out. I do believe though that the teacher should r each for opportunities to help connect the content material to previous knowledge and experiences of the students. As for the teacher’s role in the students’ lives, I feel again that he/she should be a guide for the students in their journey through mathematics. I feel that the teacher should help the students in their problems in the content and also be creative in teach... ... the students’ lives. I know too many people who never feel that their life will amount to anything, and if I can affect just one life and make a difference in that one, I will be satisfied. I had many teachers in my school career, but I can honestly say that my mathematics teachers had the greatest affect on my life. I see this in my personal life and in the way I teach and feel that teaching math should be handled. One of my favorite statements about education is â€Å"Education is what survives when what has been learnt has been forgotten,† by B.F. Skinner. I feel that this is such a valid statement and one of the main reasons I feel that by teaching a child to truly learn and as they travel on their journey in life to pick up tools that will not only help them in their classes in school, but those that will help them be productive and happy adults.

The Infection of Rabies :: Disease Virus

Rabies: The Infection Rabies is an infectious disease that is hard to survive through. Although rabies is mostly found in animals, humans can also carry the virus and spread it amongst others. This virus is well known as the slow virus because it will slowly kill you. There are many symptoms of rabies, in both animals and humans, that reveal themselves only after they have been bitten. This part of the essay will give you the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the rabies infection. The infectious disease known as rabies is a virus that spreads from the wound to the central nervous system, causing the body to malfunction until finally crashing down. This virus is a transmittable disease that that runs in both humans and animals. In order for the virus to be transmitted, the saliva from the rabid animal needs to enter the open wound. There are many symptoms that prove that the bitten victim has rabies, one of them being death. This virus is really tricky because not only will you get the virus but you won’t really know if you have rabies until the symptoms reveal themselves. At the time of the bite, saliva may enter the wound. The only way for the virus to be transmitted is if the saliva is in or close to the nerve tissue. From the nerve tissue, it travels until reaching the central nervous which then spreads to the spinal cord and brain. The virus incubates in the victim for approximately 1 to 3 months. The victim has no symptoms at this time. When it reaches the brain, the virus multiplies rapidly, passes to the salivary glands, and the victim begins to show symptoms. The infected victim usually dies within 7 days of being sick (â€Å"Transmission† 2). We all hear stories about a rabid dog biting a human but we have to consider that not all rabies infections are transmitted by bites; the virus can also be transmitted by non-bites. The non-bites can be scratches, abrasions, open wounds, or mucus membranes contaminated with saliva or other potentially, infections material such as brain tissue from the rabid animal (Coye10). Mammals are the only species that can transmit rabies to one another. Although humans are mammals, they can’t transmit the disease the same way that animals transmit it. One way, which is the only recorded evidence where a human transmitted the virus to other humans, is by organ transplant (â€Å"Investigation† 2). The Infection of Rabies :: Disease Virus Rabies: The Infection Rabies is an infectious disease that is hard to survive through. Although rabies is mostly found in animals, humans can also carry the virus and spread it amongst others. This virus is well known as the slow virus because it will slowly kill you. There are many symptoms of rabies, in both animals and humans, that reveal themselves only after they have been bitten. This part of the essay will give you the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the rabies infection. The infectious disease known as rabies is a virus that spreads from the wound to the central nervous system, causing the body to malfunction until finally crashing down. This virus is a transmittable disease that that runs in both humans and animals. In order for the virus to be transmitted, the saliva from the rabid animal needs to enter the open wound. There are many symptoms that prove that the bitten victim has rabies, one of them being death. This virus is really tricky because not only will you get the virus but you won’t really know if you have rabies until the symptoms reveal themselves. At the time of the bite, saliva may enter the wound. The only way for the virus to be transmitted is if the saliva is in or close to the nerve tissue. From the nerve tissue, it travels until reaching the central nervous which then spreads to the spinal cord and brain. The virus incubates in the victim for approximately 1 to 3 months. The victim has no symptoms at this time. When it reaches the brain, the virus multiplies rapidly, passes to the salivary glands, and the victim begins to show symptoms. The infected victim usually dies within 7 days of being sick (â€Å"Transmission† 2). We all hear stories about a rabid dog biting a human but we have to consider that not all rabies infections are transmitted by bites; the virus can also be transmitted by non-bites. The non-bites can be scratches, abrasions, open wounds, or mucus membranes contaminated with saliva or other potentially, infections material such as brain tissue from the rabid animal (Coye10). Mammals are the only species that can transmit rabies to one another. Although humans are mammals, they can’t transmit the disease the same way that animals transmit it. One way, which is the only recorded evidence where a human transmitted the virus to other humans, is by organ transplant (â€Å"Investigation† 2).