Thursday, October 31, 2019

Leadership Assumptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership Assumptions - Essay Example Educational leaders are not pre defined and moulded into certain stature. They are people who may be in the position to influence and motivate students to give their best. Educators and school administrators both can take up the role of educational leaders because both of them have the capacity to wield considerable influence among the students and teachers alike so that they give their best. Good leadership teaches through self example. Students like to emulate persons who inspire them and are capable of instilling self confidence. It is especially relevant in the context of multi cultural society where students learn to interact with each other without racial prejudice. They learn to develop attitude and behaviour which is conducive for a mutually benefiting and tolerant society. Educational leadership is a strong tool for promoting independent thought and actions with good analytical and rational approach towards issues and people thus facilitating and building a society which believes in peaceful coexistence in a multicultural atmosphere. Good leaders build relationships based on mutual trust and confidence which is the main reason that changes are accepted with equanimity. Students learn to become good leaders through observation and imbibe qualities that help them to evolve as an individual with strong character. In the educational institutes, peer leadership promotes and develops, quality education with scientific temperament incorporating the needs of the changing time. School administrator as educational leader, helps create a congenial atmosphere of learning and encourages students and teachers alike to develop skills and knowledge base that would be mutually beneficial to them. Students get effective learning environment and teachers are provided with a wider scope for professional growth in the area of core competencies. They

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

LAND LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

LAND LAW - Essay Example The general rule is that contracts are not transmissible and cannot be enforced against third parties. However, this rule is not absolute and admits exception as when real rights are affected then the terms and conditions of the contracts entered into by other persons may be enforced or deemed binding upon said thirds parties and acquiescence or recognition of rights bestowed is rendered compulsory. A natural person or juridical entity therefore is free to enter into an agreement to exercise dominion or ownership over a property. Ownership of a real property in fee simple excludes all others from the enjoyment and possession thereof giving the owner complete and unconditional rights over the property to cede, dispose, transfer, mortgage or otherwise alienate it in a manner not contrary to law, public policy and good morals. An owner’s unbridled right or dominion over the property should be mindful of the rights of others to peaceful co-existence. It should not be a nuisance as to usurp the rights of others to freely enjoy fruits or benefits of their properties as well. Legal concerns are presented by Mineral Ventures resulting in its acquisition over the freehold owned by Leo through foreclosure proceedings after he defaulted in the payment of the loan he procured in 2007. Though Leo voluntarily vacated the premises, the problem arose when he removed a number of huts built in 2004 which were attached individual plinths that served as offices and facilities for his employees. Another issue which must be equally given attention is the claim of ownership of Reckless Rail (RR) over the one mile railway track connected from the freehold to the national railway system. RR now asserts its ownership over the railway track as Leo defaulted in the payment of the annual installment. Pursuant to its agreement with Leo, RR shall retain ownership over the track until it is fully compensated for its supply and fitting of concrete sleepers and steel rails. Mineral Ventu res wants to find out if it has rights to run after Leo for the return of huts he removed and if Mineral Ventures can sell the freehold with the railway track without recognizing RR’s rights over it. Elementary is the rule that Leo as the landowner can validly enter and in fact had entered into a legal property mortgage agreement with Mineral Ventures covering Prospect Hills to keep Leo’s business operations afloat. Prior to the execution of the real estate mortgage, it is likewise indisputable that Leo had executed a binding and enforceable commercial contract agreement with RR. Under the agreement between Leo and RR, it was mutually consented and stipulated that the ownership of the railways RR installed in Prospect Hills stretching towards the national railway shall be retained by it until the annual installments are paid in full. On the first issue posed by Mineral Ventures if it has legal standing to demand for the return of the huts or in the alternative, entitle d to be indemnified or to recover the cost of the huts, it must first be determined whether the huts are considered immovable or real property and movable or personal property. A property is considered as immovable by its nature if it is land, roads, mines, quarries and others of similar nature. A structure however is characterized as an immovable property if it is incorporated or adhered to the soil in a fixed or permanent manner

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Study On The Importance Of Green Banking Finance Essay

Study On The Importance Of Green Banking Finance Essay Introduction In our life money has always play an important and crucial role in almost in every aspect. And in this, bank is an institution which mainly deals with money. According to Freixas and Rocher bank is an institution whose current operations consists in granting loans and receiving deposits from the publics (1999, p1). Till date, the banking industry has improvised his products and facilities to provide it to their customer. No one has imagined that 100 yrs ago, that bank will play a crucial role in 21th century. Now banks are influencing the development and the growth of the economy in the way of both quality and quantity. The major source of financing investment of banking sector is from commercial projects which are important for economic growth. Hence, for promoting socially responsible investment and environmentally sustainability banks play a vital role in it. As we know banks themselves is not a polluters but its having relationships with some companies and institution which are p olluter or could be in future. Banks are environmental friendly as in term of pollution and emission in its sector. In banking sector the internal environment impact is very low and clean as in the usage of water, energy and paper. The impact is not related with banks activities but with it customers activities. Therefore, the impact of external activity is enormous which is difficult to estimate. And environmental management is like a risk management it increases the value of an institution and lowers down the loss ratio. Thus banks should encourage prudent lending and environmentally responsible investment to the institution. Further those industries which are become green and those which are on its way to get green they have to fulfil the priority to lending by the banks. This process of finance can be called as Green Banking to restore the natural environment banks makes the industries to grow green. The concept of green banking will be equally beneficial to the industries institution banks and economy. Internationally, banks and institutional investor for environmentally responsible/ socially responsible investment projects having their growing concern about it rate (Earth submit, 1992). Financial institution and bank can effectively achieve this goal because they have played an intermediary role in an economy and to the number of investors. Now-a-day environmental issue is not only a concern of the government and direct polluters, it also a concern of those institutions which are stake holders and partners of their business. So the bank and other financial institution can provide a vital support in maintain the environmental protection and sustaining the economic development. The bank operate on long term return on their investment and credit, due to the environmental liability there is risk of non -payment and in the reduction of value in credit extension and investment. So it will get more important for the banking sector to follow certain safe procedure for the environment evaluation of the projects before providing them funds. There are some studies has been shown in the positive correlation between financial performance and environmental performance (Hamilton, 1995; Hart, 1995). Thus it will get more important for the banks and other financial institution in the context of environment performance whether to invest in companies or advise client to do so. The environmental management has to follow different rule formation for conservation of the resources like clean water act, toxic substance control act, clean air act. All these are environmental liability for banking institution in a recent (Bindhu.N.Nayak, 2008). Adopting all these principle will be beneficial for the banking sector and to the financial institution as to consumers and also their stake holder. On international scale various strategies has been adopt to sustain development. The multilateral financial and development institution and international consortium has been building up the standard of environment and strategies to estimate the investment projects. The main aim of this paper is to discuss the issue of the banking sustainability and how it can play a role for the sustainable development and growth for the economy, particularly in the India aspect. Methodology The most important and difficult part of the project is methodology. As in this project the research method which is been use to examine the importance of the green banking in economy to sustain the environment with the help of it. There are certain sources to collect a data for the project such as working papers, academic journals, and relevant books. The research has been done by getting secondary data from genuine source such as articles, journals which are issued by genuine newspaper agencies of a specific country. The project is based on the secondary data analysis as getting primary data is difficult because whatever the policies is taking consideration in bank is taken by the top management authorities and it is hard to have interaction with them in personally. Research Methodology Research is to be done to figure out the proper knowledge of the subject in a systematic way. It is analytical and hard working process to figure out the about the fact and theory. The term methodology refers the theory of how research should be done (Saunders, 2009). According to Welman and Kruger (2001) there are various techniques and methods in order to get effectively and scientifically correct information of the subject by applying objective method. Systematically Review The research of this subject is done on the basis of systematic way. And there is already material has been published by a genuine source on this particular subject. As it is said by Gronhaugh and Ghauri (2005) that the word systematic suggest research is based on logical relationship and not just belief. As method of research is consist of explanation of the data collection and the outcome of the facts from the study and finding the limitation of the subject. As Tranfield (2003) stated that traditional reviews are generally lack of information and some time the source of information was not authentic. Therefore, traditional review should be done very carefully and selective which include the evidence which is supported by the genuine authors summaries (Critical Appraisal Skill Programme, 2005). Quantitative and Qualitative Investigation of Methods: It is necessary, first to understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative investigation methods. Generating or using numerical data is called Quantitative data technique and generating of non numerical data is called qualitative technique. If both techniques are using to approach the data then its called mixed method (Saunders, 2009). According to Smith (1981) every method has its own weakness and strength. And as result may be differ as the use if the different technique and approaches by the researcher. Usually researcher goes for the qualitative approaches which consist of analysation of words through illustration and non- standardised frame work and comparison. As the project is an illustrative research and the objective is to understand the importance of the Green Banking in the India. Corbun and Strass (1990) has explained that the use of qualitative method is to understand the aspect of the subject. And it can be useful in understanding more about the subject which is already known. Quantitative methods can be use to gain insights approach to the issue which is sometime not possible to get the results from the quantitative method. Therefore, to describe key issues researcher prefer to use the quantitative methods especially in the case of transfusion service management which is not possible to get through from the quantitative method. The classical structure of literature reviewing according to the researcher is like; Study of basic level of banks and its importance in the economy. And research has been done on the Green Banking at international level. Then at what level Green banks are taking initiative in the Indian economy. Accumulation of the Green banking policy and more narrows down to the work to get the objective of research. To get the transparent literature review, researcher have to describe all the approaches which make to search the selected literature, key words, outline of the choice and data base (Tranfield, 2003). To analysis the literature several journals, books, articles and electronic base data were use. Source of Tool: To get the relevant material Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India site have been re-examine which is an official website of India. There are other search engine has been used such as Google scholar and University Library site has been used to gather the resources but university Library site is come to notice that there are very less journal are available regarding Green Banking. Analysis of Secondary Data: According to Haakim (2000) secondary data from different sources can also be combined if they have the same geographical basis, to form area based data sets to get the answer of the research question secondary data can be use as in getting the objectives which is aimed for the ample assembly. Genuineness of the facts is tested by the reputed database which is publicised by the authentic resource. The aim of this study is to analysis the secondary data methods while investigating the facts and do the international comparisons and to understand the potential outcome that why Green Banking is very important in the developing countries and how they are playing a crucial role in sustaining the development of the economy like India. Aim and objectives of research: The purpose is to learn what strategies leaders in emerging market growth have adopted to attract FDI and how financial services play major role. The purpose is to develop a model for both categories and test the model empirically to substantiate the hypotheses. What are the lessons that laggards can learn from these leaders? The study intends to show a path to the PIN countries and other markets that will emerge in next two decades. Therefore the objectives of this research are as follows: To illustrate the benefits and shortcomings of Foreign Direct Investments in developing countries like India and China. To understand the impact of FDI on gross domestic product of these emerging countries. To examine current situation these economies and analyse the future possibilities of growth. Limitations of the study: This is systematic review based study of the available literature in the area of Green Banking. Genuiness is the touchstone of Analysising the literature. Whereas, there are general and accurately presented material is available about Green Banking in European countries but very few literature was found related to the Green Banking in India. And even thought their not much significant data or literature has been get from the Google scholar and University Library or any other search engine regarding Green Banking in India. Whereas, sincere efforts has been done by the researchers to get the authentic data from the genuine source and the judgement has been done on the secondary the data. Research of the Credibility: There is certain research tool to examine the credibility like Generalisability, Reliability, and validity. Dochartaigh (2002) described it as,assessing the authority or reputation of the source. Validity: In the case of qualitative research the degree of validity is to be tested. To get the correct result, test of validity is important. Validity is concerned with whether the findings are really about what they appear to be about, is the relationship between two variables a causal relationship.(Saunders, 2009). This is a valid research because it is based on systematic data analysis from the genuine resource and on the basis of this research the question has been answered. Reliability: Reliability define by Joppe (2000) it is a consistent of a result which represent the accurate number of data is presented over the time and the study of result reproduced the same methodology then it can be said that research is reliable. If the research contains the systematic review of the available secondary data of same objective with a same topic and same results then the research of study is reliable (Golafshani, 2003). Triangulation: The term triangulation means that the collection of different data technique, which ensure about what you are thinking that they are telling you (Saunders, 2009). According to Mathison (1998) it is crucial for the methodological issue in quantitative and naturalistic approaches to establish valid proposition and get control on bias because alternative epistemology is incompatible with the scientific traditional techniques. But this research is based on the secondary data analysis not from the primary sources. So, this method is not applicable for this research. Consideration of Ethical: This research is completely based on the secondary data review and not on the primary collection method like interviewing or questionnaires etc. So, the approval of ethical and confidentiality is no use in the research. The collection of data is based on books, articles, journals and reports. The research material which has been used is properly referenced and checking the authenticity of the resource to avoid the plagiarism. Importance of green banking Until now, the business operation of financial and banking institution were not acknowledged towards the environmental concern. Generally, the environmentally degrading activities of banking sectors is like obstructing or getting in the way of business affair of their client. Nevertheless, it will be risk to their business if they were dealing with the environment. Although, there are indirect cost to the banks as they are not directly affected the by the environmental degradation. It is due to the firm environmental regulation which is enforced by the other countries authorities. In the case of failure, the industries have to face the consequence which leads banks to its closure. For example, in 1980 comprehensive environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). There was a huge loss for the bank in 1980s in U.S. The bank was directly responsible for the environmental pollution of their clients activities and made them to pay the remediation cost. Thats why banks in U.S are more concern about the environment while lending the fund to their clients. In European countries banks held directly responsible for any misdeed has been done by their clients. Therefore banks and other financial institution have to engage with their stakeholder on social and environmental policy. So that their clients investment can be evaluate. This would make clients to build up a proper management for social and environmental policy issue regarding investment. The green banking is important for both economy and the bank, by escaping from the risk which is involved in the financial sector. Legal Risk: there is a relevant environmental legislation risk for banks if they do not comply with it. More particularly, there is more lender liability risk for paying up the claims and the cost of damages for pollution causing to the asset or depraved. Banks can be helped by the environmental management by enhancing it image and reduce the cost and risk and taking advantage of revenue opportunity. Reputation Risk: As now there is more awareness about the safety of environment and banks may loosen up their reputation if they involve with the big project, which are indulging in the environmental destruction. Environmental management system have a few cases as in good result in cost saving and increase in the value of the bond (Heim, G et al, 2005). Sometimes it has lower risk, great environmental stewardship and increase in profit. Reputation risk is involved in both ethically and economically. By adopting the green banking strategies bank can deal with these risks. There are two components are involved in green banking strategies (1) innovative environmentally oriented financial products (2) managing risk environment (IFC, 2007). Banks have to make a proper arrangement for environmental management system. So that risk can be evaluate which involved in the investment project. The risk can be adopted by recommending the distinctive techniques and rates of interest. From high risk project banks can withdraw fund from it. Creating services and financial products is a second component of green bank which support the environmental benefit with commercial benefit. All these comes in bio-diversity conservation, investment in renewable projects energy, investment in technologies, energy efficiency, environmental investments in mutual funds and bonds (WBCSD, 1997). There should be protective polices for the liability guideline on development and environmental risk. The financial and banking institution should prepare a report of every project they invest and finance (Jeucken, 2001). For projects seeking finance they can have an environmental assessment. For each project bank can outcome with an environmental hazard management procedure and follow it. The big financial institution like Japan bank for international cooperation (JBIC) and International financial corporation (IFC) have consolidated with environmental management in their business strategies. All projects are taking consideration into terms of environmental impact in an account factors like, the substance scale and sector of the project, uncertainty and the degree of environmental impact proposed project site. Even World Banks are lending loan to the beneficiary country on the certain level of commitment that they adopt the environmental protection measures. Over time there is a change in the environmental norms to follow the agreement. And it is considerably bit costly to follow up the standard and environmental norms. If the economic benefits can be consider in the terms of productivity health care and insurance then the cost is not much higher than the benefit. In the study its confirms that 14 billion pound had been caused in the medical expenses and 200 million working days had been loss due to air pollution which resulting in losses in productivity to the European union (Stavros Dimas, 2005). Technologies which are environmental friendly practically decrease the financial burden and also building up the economic sense for the industries. Due to the more environmental awareness among the consumer in all over the world the pollutant industries were facing resistance by the consumer which often cause them massive boycott and close down of the industries and the cost is adding enormously. The concerns about environment are articulated into the international policy trade and act as a blockade for ESGs (Environmentally Sensitive Goods). So affirming modes of production and sustainable technologies are now not taking as a financial burden. Although, it providing high profits and new opportunities for the business. Green banking has neutralized the risk, save the cost and up brings the reputation of banks. So it serves both the commercial objective of the bank as well as its social responsibility. Green banking solves the problem faced by the environmental regulation and enforcements authorities related to size and location of the polluting unit. The authorities have practical limitations on enforcing environment standard on small-scale industries and also industries located in far off places. International initiative of green banking At international level there are many banks who have taken initiative to get their branch green. There is one bank name PNC Financial Group Inc which is based in Pittsburgh has certified as a green bank. PNC green bank does not stop with getting eco-friendly construction. They include there parent company business model in developing their products, marketing and giving training to their employee. PNC is one of the banks who have taken the green concept so seriously that it evolved the idea into the brand of the company. PNC has started its construction of getting green bank in 1998. They had selected 17 different sites for their location and make sure that it is easily accessible through transportation. Then they had planned to build their building accordingly to U.S Green Building Council (USGBC) and Leader in Energy and Environmental Design certification process. In 2000 the building was completed and it was the largest LEED green certified building in the world. Some of the new features have been included into the building structure like the lobby of the building is eco with a green roof. It was stated by Gary Saulson the director of the corporate real estate that you can walk into the building lobby on 90-degree humid day without any problem because there is a three- story water wall in the space which work as coolant radiant which maintain the inner temperature of the bu ilding. Because of this innovative method PNC has set a new standard of development. And it has been appreciated by the mayor of the city for setting up the standard of eco-friendly responsibility and quality development in the city. And in 2007 PNC Bank has secure 20th rank among the Best Green Company for America Award (Deb Stewart, 2008). Now PNC has more than 58 eco-friendly branches all across the state. And 41 branches has also obtained the Benchmark of Green Bank most of the branches has granted the LEED certification. As all of these branches has follow the eco-friendly process such as; Recycling: Near about 15 percent of furniture fabric and carpet is made of green material or recycle material for example Door and cabinetry are made of wheat board which process by the wheat product. Water and Energy Efficiency :- the usage of energy has been reduce by 50 percent because of the high-tech system installation in the building and maximum usage of the natural light and water usage was also reduce by 6200 gallon in year. Reduction in land waste: Wastage of construction material like steel, wood and cardboard is to be recycled. By doing this 150 ton per branch wastage has been reduce. Using of the pre-made panel for exterior has reduced the waste, while constructing the panels. To protect the ozone layer non- chlorofluorocarbon refrigerant are use for cooling the system (Deb Stewart, 2008). In 90s the United Nations environment programme has launched a program which is known as UNEP finance initiative (UNEPFI). Under this, near about 200 financial institutions of all around the world has taken the participation and signed the initiative statement to promote the environmental development (Jeucken, 2001). The main purpose is to merge the social and environmental dimension to the financial performance. According to the UNEPFI, the sustainable development is a basic thing for the business management. It supports for the elementary advance to the environmental management and offers reconciling environmental discussion into the asset management business operations and other decision of the banks (Earth Submit, 2002). In 1991 the IFCs environmental panel was established for receiving the environmental assessment project. ABN-Amro banks which is Netherlands based banks who has developed certain polices like reputation risk management (RRM) to recognise, manage the non- financia l and asses within their business strategies. Likely, the big international banks like Deutsche, HSBC, Standard Chartered and ABN-Amro banks has look and discuss at environmental problem under Kyoto protocol. Moreover, the government of Dutch has requested formally from the banks to achieve sustainable development. This agreement has been establish between banks and government in 1999. This environmental policy will improve the development of services and new financial products. The Rain Forest Action Network (RAN) and Earth (FOE) had challenged the industry with their campaign which highlighted the case in which commercial banks were bankrolling Disaster in 2000 in U.S. Bank Tract is a network which formed by the NGOs to promote the sustainable finance in the commercial sector in 2002. This coalition up comes with 6 principles which assisting in the protection of environment and justice by the bank. This is known as Collevecchio Declaration (Bibhu Prasad Nayak, 2008). These 6 principles are no- harm, commitments to sustainability, responsible sustainable market and transparency, accountability and governance. There are more than 200 institutions that signed up the declaration and asked the banks to integrate with these commitments into their business operation. The declaration states that Finance and Commerce has been at the centre of a historic detachment between the worlds natural resource base, production and consumption. As we reach the boundaries of ec ological boundaries of the ecological limit upon which all commerce relies, the financial sector should take its share of responsibility for reversing the effects this detachment has produced. To guideline the project banking institution have been constraint into common set of social and environmental policy for sustain the green finance. In Oct 2002 the group of small banks along with IFC had come with the proper general guideline and later in July 2003 they came up with a policy is known as Equator Principle. And other big commercial were also adopting this set of principles in their structure. And in July 2006 equator principle has been revised and updated. The used of the revised set of principle, the project coverage has been lowered by 10 million from 50 million dollar. Now 16 countries with 46 financial institutions were managing their business in more than 100 countries and they all have adopted the equator principle. The adoption of this principle in the business operation has become common standard for the project which integrated with social and environmental issue in business. (Bibhu Nayak, 2008; p10) The NGOs has received the activities of equator bank in a worldwide and it being proclaimed, when they came to know that it not commit to the equator principle. Sustainable Banking Award has been initiated by the Financial Times along with IFC in 2006. There are 151 financial institutions in which 104 institutions has made through to the final list of award in 2007. The ratio of bank apply was more than the previous year, it was about 100 percent more. The international initiative of banks operations are voluntary in nature and the basic thing is to up come of the common good for the enhancement of the ecosystem. In competitive market there is a short coming of a voluntary commitment. As an increase of the green money in the market, lender will stimulant to delay the social commitment and the commercial interest which will programme in the short run. If the green money is voluntary than it will be precondition demand for the green bank. According to the government policy the bank which is responsible for the breach of law of their clients will have to help in promoting green banking. Green Banking In India From last two decade, the growth rate of Indian development is very high. And this is because of the industrial sector that plays a curial role in the development of the India. However, controlling the environmental challenge has been occurred in the way of Indian industry which makes impact in their business i.e. emission of pollution by their clients. Although government of India is trying to solve this problem by adopting the environmental policies and comforting the industries to adopt this environmental technology. Fortuitously, India is a second fastest growing nation in the world in producing green house gases. Indias three main metropolitan cities like Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai are the worlds most busy and polluted cities. In India major polluted industries are paper and pulp, zinc steel and copper metallurgical industries, refine, tanneries, sugar, pesticides and insecticides, textile, fertilizers etc. The environmental management have to be taken care by the financial institution and banks, who are investing in the industries project. This can be done by improving the level of efficiency, quality of products and services. In this case banks and financial institution play an important role because these institutions are major source of finance to the industries. In India there are broadly two main categories for the environmental policies and regulation which is liability, law control and command regulation. The control and command regulation are ex an-te regulation which are assigned to prevent from the environmental polluting businesses. With the help of this policy lending institution will set up a specific standard for the industries, so that they have to follow the regulation and project will examine closely by the ministry of environment and forest authority and its up to these authority whether they give the permission or not. The liability law is like based on the analysis of past performance (ex post). In this impose will be made by the authorities on the industries by closing down or imposing fine on them etc. Although there is no such law in India which impose any fine on the bank; which are providing financial help to those client whose are responsible for creating damages to the environment. Once the legal regulation comes in th e frame work then the environmental standard will raise in India. And the industries which are responsible for polluting the environment will either have to shut down or have to invest money in the development equipment to meet the standards. And at international market industries will lose their competitiveness, which will directly affect the bank sector and economy of India. Thus it is crucial for the bank to protect them from getting into non- performing assets in coming days. Analysisation of these facts make banks to accept the concept of Green Banking. The institutions which are not capable to control the pollution now may be future polluters. And one day, the legislation will taken a strict decision against the polluters who are responsible for damaging the environment and may have to shut down their units. For e.g. in Delhi and Agra, almost 150 SSI units had to be shut down because of not following the standard. Now banks and financial institutions are taking consideration about these perspectives, if the industries were not performing the environmental standard. According to the pollution control status there are 17 different categories of institution where they are equal number of institution which are shut down or defaulted. When there is a shut down or a default of a project, bank has to face financial losses it is because of increase of the li ability and bad asset. Year Total Acceding^ Defaulting^^ Shut down 2001* 1551 1350 24 177 2002* 1551 1351 22 178 2003* 1551 13356 52 189 2004 2155 1877 53 225 2005 2455 1909 168 265 2006 2678 2044 297 335 Note: ^Competent to agree with the Standards, ^^ Not able to agree Standards. Source: * Annual Report 2005-2006 LOk Sabha ; Govt. Of India, Ministry of Forest and Environment; (sourced from www.indiastat.com) Now-a-days, awareness is spreading among the public regarding environmental pollution. And people are taking strict action against those industri

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essay on the Metamorphosis in Pride and Prejudice -- Pride and Prejudi

Metamorphosis in Pride and Prejudice   Ã‚   As the story develops in Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, the reader is witness to a shift in attitude between the principle characters. The chapter in which Elizabeth Bennett's reactions to Mr. Darcy's letter are explored provides valuable insights into this metamorphosis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first description of Elizabeth's state upon perusing Fitzwilliam Darcy's revelatory missive is characteristic of Austen when relating heavy emotion: she doesn't. "Her feelings as she read were scarcely to be defined," she tells us (Austen 233). Of course, all this negation of representational skills is purely for dramatic effect, and Miss Austen goes on to provide a full account of every aspect of Elizabeth's emotional upheaval per her reading of the letter, but not, however, without using the device again in the second paragraph, in treating the subject of the truth about Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth's feelings are conveyed as having been "...yet more acutely painful and more difficult of definition." Said difficulty is indeed short lived, as the next sentence reads, "Astonishment, apprehension, and even horror, oppressed her" (Austen 233).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Wickham segment of the chapter, spanning pages 234, 235, and the better part of 236, is significant not so much in its development of Wickham's character, as in what it does to Elizabeth. After the aforementioned astonishment et. al., Elizabeth momentarily engages in denial ("This must be false! This cannot be! This is the grossest falsehood!" (Austen 233)) but eventually her intellectual faculties regain their footing and she settles down to a second "mortifying perusal of all that related to Wickham, and command[s] herself ... ... character about whom we can care, in the midst of a narrative which is not a chore to read. Works Cited Auerbach, Nina. "Waiting Together: Pride and Prejudice." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 336-348. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. 1813. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. Harding, D. W. "Regulated Hatred: An Aspect in the Work of Jane Austen." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 291-295. Johnson, Claudia L. "Pride and Prejudice and the Pursuit of Happiness." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 367-376. Mudrick, Marvin."Irony as Discovery in Pride and Prejudice." Pride and Prejudice. By Jane Austen. Ed. Donald Gray. New York: Norton and Co., 1993. pp. 295-303.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Reverse Logistics

REVERSE LOGISTICS SUPERVISED BY: ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR M. RAKOVSKA PREPARED BY: TATYANA BLAGOEVA FACULTY NUMBER: 10114004 Contents A Supply Chain Opportunity3 What is Reverse Logistics? 3 Case Examples4 Money is Hidden in Returns5 Reverse Logistics Completes the Supply Chain System6 Reverse Logistics and the Supply Chain Maturity Model11 Concluding Case Study Example13 The results were impressive:14 A Supply Chain Opportunity Most practitioners have their own understanding of the fundamental processes involved in an extended supply chain network.The novice will tell you it starts upstream with suppliers supplying suppliers, moves through manufacturing and production and goes downstream through distributors or direct to the business customers. An improvement effort starts within the four walls of a business by drawing a process map and working on product, information and financial flows to improve the key steps in the linkage that will save time, money and use of assets. The journeyman will go further and explain that a supply chain continues externally, until products and services have been delivered to the end consumer.System improvement involves order management, planning and distribution, inventory management and effective customer satisfaction. This counselor knows that supply chain is about bringing the key process steps to best practice and optimized conditions, while receiving high satisfaction ratings from the customers and consumers. The seasoned professional will shake his or her head and calmly explain that the journey is not ended until the products and services elivered have been accepted. If there is dissatisfaction with the results of the supply chain and something is returned, the processing continues. We stand with those who favor this extended enterprise view of supply chain, which results in the total satisfaction of the end consumer. There is a great opportunity in that sense, to focus on the generally forgotten or too often lower priority are a of attention given to finishing the job – going the last few feet in the linkage.When it comes to completing the end-to-end processing, companies should do two things: * Take the full view and understand the total cost of supply chain, which includes having and dealing with returns * Realize the opportunity that an analysis of the return part of the system offers in terms of finding and solving problems, better satisfying customers and consumers, and discovering a way to increase revenues What is Reverse Logistics?When considering any area of business as an opportunity for improvement, begin with having an understanding of just what you are trying to change. What is Reverse Logistics? The broader concept of  logistics  is described by The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) as:   The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information f rom the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer requirements.Wikipedia defines the narrower concept we are considering as:  Reverse logistics is the logistics process of removing new or used products from their initial point in a supply chain, such as returns from consumers, over stocked inventory, or outdated merchandise and redistributing them using disposition management rules that will result in maximized value at the end of the item’s useful life. For our purposes, reverse logistics includes all the activities that are mentioned in the definition above, with the difference that reverse logistics encompasses all of these activities as they operate in reverse.Therefore, according to authorities Dr. Dale S. Rogers and Dr. Ronald S Tibben-Lembke, reverse logistics becomes: The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory, finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or proper disposal. To settle on a specific definition, reverse logistics is the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of capturing value, or achieving proper disposal to the satisfaction of the customer or consumer.Remanufacturing and refurbishment activities may be part of the procedure. Reverse logistics includes processing returned merchandise due to damage, seasonal inventory, restock, salvage, recalls, and excess inventory. It also includes recycling programs, hazardous material programs, obsolete equipment disposition, and asset recovery. For a practitioner, the disposition choice is determined by the most profitable alternative: * Reconditioning –  when a product is cleaned and repaired to return it to a â€Å"like new† state Refurbishing –  similar to reconditioning, except with perhaps more work involved in re pairing the product. * Remanufacturing –  similar to refurbishing, but requiring more extensive work; often requires completely disassembling the product * Resell –  when a returned product may be sold again as new * Recycle –  when a product is reduced to its basic elements, which are reused – also referred to as asset recovery. Case Examples A business printer field service and reverse logistics model helps explain how an operating system works.The process for such a firm starts when a business customer with a problem calls an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or third party customer support contact, both of which are used in an attempt to diagnose the problem and provide problem resolution instructions if applicable. An OEM field technician or third party certified technician attempts to repair the equipment on-site. If unable to make the repair, the unit is sent to the OEM or certified third party repair facility, where a regional-based loan er or exchange program may be available. The unit is then repaired at the OEM or third party repair facility.The OEM then ships the returned unit or comparable unit back to the customer, or places the unit in used stock if an exchange is previously provided. A field technician is then scheduled to install the loaner unit, exchange units, or repair equipment at the customer site   As an example, consider firms involved in the aftermarket sales and services business, and how reverse logistics plays a role. Products in this business can include accessories, replacement parts, and repair and service parts. The services could include: product and technical support, training, product documentation, warranty and claims management, and field service repairs.As an adjunct to these products and services, reverse logistics fits the definition by providing for: exchanges and in-warranty repair, out-of-warranty repair, maintenance, upgrades and retrofits, remanufacturing, and end-of-life asset recovery and hazardous material disposal. In the aftermarket business, field services and reverse logistics are generally considered one of the harder areas to manage, coordinate and operate efficiently. The area is often forgotten or given little consideration regarding launch of new products, importance to overall customer satisfaction and loyalty, and company profits.In a specific case example of how complex the situation can become and how allowances are made to assure proper services are provided, we can take a look at what Microsoft did when it decided to introduce its XBOX. The details help make the point about the importance of paying attention to the full supply spectrum, including reverse logistics. Microsoft decided to have the main product manufactured by Flextronics. Accessories would be produced by a variety of manufacturers. Distributors and electronics retailers were to perform the warehousing, distribution, and end customer sales functions.Solectron was used for af termarket warranty and customer repair services. Microsoft took the time to ensure the above capabilities were fully operational before the first XBOX was sold to an end consumer and that any returns would be processed effectively by the designated party. In another example, a cell phone reverse logistics model proved very beneficial for a firm selling such products under their brand name. This firm had the cell phones manufactured by LG Industries, Samsung, Motorola and others. Accessories were again manufactured by a variety of firms.Order taking and initial end consumer billing was performed by Amazon. Forward logistics, including warehousing, carrier service programming and order fulfillment were performed by CellStar. Cellular carriers such as Verizon and Sprint provided the monthly service. Extended warranty and product protection insurance was provided by lock/line. The customer call center service and reverse logistics was performed by CellStar. Money is Hidden in Returns Re asonable estimates made of the costs involved in the area we are considering indicate that reverse logistics as a part of supply chain could equal a half percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, an enormous sum that often simply detracts from financial performance. Saving some of that money is one avenue for finding benefits. Understanding how to use reverse logistics to differentiate a business and build satisfaction and revenues with customers is generally hidden in the twilight of this area. If we take a look under the covers of this often neglected part of supply chain, we’ll see how a company can better understand the opportunities to eliminate many of the reasons for returns and turn dissatisfaction into satisfaction.The idea is to take a look and consider where you might do a better job with a nuisance part of your business. Let’s start by considering some common objective for reverse logistics initiatives. These include: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reduced repair / replacement unit costs †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reduced replacement turnaround times †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feedback on hardware design and ease of use †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feedback on OEM quality †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Feedback on end consumer education and first level customer support †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Improve understanding of real reasons for hardware returns †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reduce overall level of returns   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Standardize returns processes across enterprise where possible/desired †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Utilize common systems across enterprise and automate the returns process to the extent possible/desired †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Handle increased volumes of returns due to new products, programs, business par tners †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enable demand driven supply chain concepts for returned products †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Differentiate company services from the competition Reverse Logistics Completes the Supply Chain System Exhibit 1 – Reverse Logistics: Returns, Customer Service, Field Service, Repair and  ReplacementNow let’s look at how you turn the objectives into benefits. A glance at Exhibit 1 shows reverse logistics can include a multiplicity of actions, from returning goods from a consumer to the retailer or provider, receiving customer service or   having field service take place to repair or fix the item in question, or having the product sent to a third party for repair or replacement. The fact is that reverse logistics includes virtually all of these services, and we counsel a broad perspective should be taken to not let this area be a burden to the business.Most companies tend to place the involved operations in the hands of a subsidiary part of an existing logistics function and pay little attention to the effect it can have on the company’s brand, financial performance or supply chain efficiency. A better view is to take a harder look at this area of the supply chain and find ways to turn what is typically a nuisance into something of value to the business. To make sense out of what we’re considering, let’s remember that reverse logistics includes all of the activity related to the final disposition of products that must be removed from the supply chain system.Such activity involves the processes related to removing products from a supply chain that do not have value for the customer or end consumer. These products may be the result of poor workmanship, over-stocked inventory, outdated or obsolete design, damages, or general dissatisfaction with product performance. For whatever reason, someone at the end of the downstream side of the supply chain says â€Å"I don’t wa nt it† and the smart supplier will make it easy to return the goods.The goal is to make certain the least damage is done to the firm’s brand and reputation, and to handle the process so it results in a positive rather than a negative impression. A system of disposition management is required to handle such situations in an effective and rewarding manner, with the understanding that reverse logistics is far different than forward logistics. In the return situation, there must be a convenient point of collection for receiving the goods or to remove these goods from the supply chain.This process step can require inspection, re-packaging, storage, and salvage of any residual value that might exist; and the development of a transportation mode that is compatible with the existing forward system of supply. The range includes credits for unwanted goods that are returned to inventory, payment for damage that may or may not be a fault of the supplier, replacement of obsolete pro duct, and simply accepting the return of goods that have no apparent problem. Much of the goods in the last category are re-conditioned or re-packaged to go back into the system or to an alternate buyer.There are many examples of firms using this type of system to turn what used to be an out-of-pocket loss into a profit by re-selling the returned goods to a satisfied customer. Exhibit 2 – Reverse Logistics Model – Small Logistics Partner In the model depicted above, the partner receives the returned goods and makes a test to determine if the need is for disposal, there is a major defect and the unit must be repaired, or there is a cosmetic defect and the unit can be refurbished. In either of the latter cases, the unit is repaired and placed in stock for subsequent used stock order fulfillment.In a broader situation, as shown in exhibit 3, the process becomes more involved. Now we see the unit is returned based on the â€Å"return from† location and goes to a des ignated center. The same type of processing takes place, but may also include factory direct repair if authorized by the OEM. This model is more appropriate where large volumes of product are to be processed. Exhibit 3 – Reverse Logistics Model – Large Repair Partners A model used by a satellite TV service provider is described in exhibit 4, where we see different business partners being used for returns processing and minor defect removal versus major product defect repair.Exhibit 4 – Model for Satellite TV Service Provider Where there is sufficient volume, cost savings for using a regional test and refurbishment center can be significant. As shown in exhibit 5, we see the results of an actual example. In this case, the total annual savings of $3. 5 million was based on 1. 4 million returns. Exhibit 5 – Projected Cost Savings for Refurbishment Center Reverse Logistics and the Supply Chain Maturity Model Improving the reverse logistics process starts with making selections from the list of objectives a firm wants to accomplish with its attention to this generally neglected area of supply chain.Our list includes the following common intentions: * Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty – don’t lose customers because of a bad experience * Reduced repair, replacement or re-shipment costs – handle the process in an effective manner * Gain feedback from the process to eliminate root causes – demonstrate to the customer that the firm studies its problems and makes them go away * Improve understanding of the reasons for returns – get to the bottom of why the system did not function in a fail-safe manner * Utilize common systems and automate the returns process to the extent possible – Find the way to turn a problem into an opportunity for better customer satisfaction and a source of revenue * Differentiate the firm’s services from those of the competition – Use the experience to ga in customer confidence and build new sales With such a list in hand, the next step is to determine what is currently taking place to meet the objectives versus what must be done to assure they are fully met. The procedure must follow some basic principles, including: * Move credit/flag product receipt point for returned product as close to the customer as possible * Minimize shipping costs * Minimize refurbishment/repair costs * Minimize hand-offs between organizations, facilities, systems, etc. in order to reduce costs and overall cycle time CSC has developed a proven methodology for helping take this step. In Exhibit 6, we see the characteristics and capabilities a firm demonstrates, as it moves up the familiar supply chain maturity model.Beneath each level of the model, we see industry examples showing what a company can achieve as it makes its progress to higher levels of achievement. CSC has been very successful using this calibration matrix to help a firm position its reverse logistics activities against what can be achieved. Exhibit 6 – Maturity Grid – Reverse Logistics Concluding Case Study Example A concluding case study will help demonstrate the kind of hidden values we’ve been considering. The firm is a major provider of logistics services to the wireless communications industry, serving network operators, agents, resellers, dealers, and retailers, located in North America, South America and Asia. Sales are in excess of $2 billion. The business problem was typical of the industry.Strong competition and low margins were prevalent factors on traditional forward logistics services. The firm needed to improve its business customer and end customer service levels. There were increasing business customer demands for more timely and useful data. Existing processes were fragmented, inconsistent and error prone. It was a very labor and paper intensive situation. The company did have a vision: Focus on diversification into higher margin p roduct and service lines. Position the firm to provide more value added customer services with higher profit margins – especially around reverse logistics including end customer support, advanced exchange programs, asset recovery, warranty and repair services.The solution that emerged included some very typical steps in a reverse logistics situation. The firm assessed its existing application architecture and technical infrastructure along with the high level business requirements needed to achieve its vision. A packaged application was recommended to address gaps in reverse logistics capability and leverage existing IT infrastructure. The firm reviewed its existing operations and business processes and introduced industry best practice concepts for reverse logistics. Business process improvement workshops were conducted, which were used to highlight opportunities for standardization and guide new application software configuration, enhancement and implementation.Finally, the firm performed custom enhancements as needed and implemented new software to enable enhanced reverse logistics capability. The results were impressive: * Re-designed business processes, new reverse logistics application capability and outsourcing of non-core functions allowed them to expand and improve level of service to customers, increase sales revenue stream by adding new customers, and increase overall profit margins * The new reverse logistics solution enabled the following typical improvements for their business customers (before versus after): –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reconcile warranty credit – from 30+ days   to

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Lmt 100

AIFAA HUSNA BINTI ASHA’RI 112542 LMT 100 / 44 LECTURER : PUAN ZURAIDAH ABU BAKAR Question 1 (a) If I was Sivasothie, I will object the arranged marriage made by my family because I know that arranged marriage will not last longer even though it was parent choice. There were lack of love and respect between husband and wife when we married with someone which we do not know well. Furthermore, there was also the danger of arranged marriage which the husband will act violent towards his wife and to be worse the wife was too afraid to speak out. In Sivasothie’s situation, her future husband was materialistic. As he works as a doctor, the value of dowry that he wanted was too high that cannot be afford by Sivasothie, plus he did not wanted to be considerate with her family at all. In this case, it shows that a woman pride was very low because she cannot afford to pay the dowry for the man, just because of the arranged marriage made by their family. Question 1 (b) If I was the American girl, I will have a slow talk with my husband to improve our relationship. Maybe it was hard to have a slow talk as my husband was too cold, but I will try to change and improve the situation to save my marriage or else my relationship with him will become worse. The love between us is fading and it will die if I do not take any action on it. A marriage with no love was meaningless because we were living with our partner everyday and there will be lack of intimacy. It was okay if our husband was not care about us too much. We do not have to be emotional towards our husband because it will destroy the marriage that we build. Hence, we need to make things better and save the marriage from divorced. Tolerate between each other is important so that our relationship will last longer.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The So essays

Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The So essays Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The Social Contract Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva in 1712. One Sunday evening in March 1728, when he was not yet sixteen, Rousseau found himself shut out of Geneva after a walk in the country. He had forgotten the time, and the city gates were closed when he reached them. This had happened to him twice before, and his master had beaten him for staying out all night. This time he decided he would not go back at all. So his life of wandering began. Rousseau was never able to adjust to life in any country. How much of his trouble was of social or psychological origin, and how much of it was due to his physical malady, a urological disorder that caused him discomfort and embarrasement throughout his life, cannot be known. He had tried to do what a young man making his way in the world was supposed to do. He had various love affairs. He had given up his ancestral Protestantism and entered the catholic Church. He had enjjoyed the patrinage of the high born. He hah used influence to be appointed secretary ti the French embassy at Venice. He had written operas that were well received,and he had also been accepted by Diderot and other enlightenment thinkers, and was affected by their views. Enlightenment thinkers felt that they were leading a mission of liberation, that by striking th ematch of reason the darkness of the past would be dispelled and humanity woul quickly and easily liberate itself. They attacked war and the military values of the traditional aristocracy. Tjey rejected artificial social distictions. They lauded most forms of freedom, including freedom of the press, speech, and of religious belief. They supported the application of science to economic activity, a view appealing to the middle class and liberal aristocracy. They believed that hteir eighteenth century civilization eas ready for enlightenment and the great progress that wuld result. Yet, the optimism of...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Suspension Definition in Chemistry

Suspension Definition in Chemistry Mixtures may be classified according to their properties. A suspension is one type of mixture. Key Takeaways: Suspension Chemistry Definition A suspension is a type of heterogeneous mixture.Over time, particles in a suspension will settle out.A suspension contains larger particles than are found in a colloid. In a colloid, the particles remain mixed over time. Suspension Definition In chemistry, a  suspension is a heterogeneous mixture of a fluid and solid particles. In order to be a suspension, the particles must not dissolve in the fluid. A suspension of liquid or solid particles in a gas is called an aerosol. Examples of Suspensions Suspensions may be formed by shaking oil and water together, oil and mercury together, by mixing dust in air. Suspension Versus Colloid The difference between a suspension and a  colloid  is the solid particles in a suspension will settle out over time. In other words, the particles in a suspension are large enough to permit sedimentation.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

What Makes a Compelling Romance Novel

What Makes a Compelling Romance Novel What Makes a Compelling Romance Novel? Ann Leslie Tuttle worked at Harlequin Books - a division of HarperCollins - for over 20 years, most recently as a Senior Editor. During her tenure, she acquired and edited NYT and USA Today bestselling authors in romance, women's fiction, and mystery, including Sylvia Day, Julia London, Lisa Renee Jones, and Hank Phillippi Ryan.If you know how a story will end, why would you want to read the book? That’s the question that romance writers constantly struggle to answer. Readers come to the genre knowing they will (almost) always get a happy ending in which the protagonists find and profess their love.To entice readers, writers must therefore deliver a fresh premise with strong, evocative prose and pacing that gets to the heart of the story - usually beginning with the protagonists meeting in the first chapter. These will be the elements that usually prompt someone to pick up the book and start reading. Most importantly, the writer’s crafting of the two main characters and their emotional journeys is what will keep the reader hooked.Having been an editor working on romance titles for well over 20 years, I’ve seen both debut and experienced authors struggle to create compelling characters whose emotional push-and-pull is strong enough to sustain the length of the story. Over the years, I’ve pulled together my own list of trouble spots - and ways to surmount them - that I’d like to share with you now. See what makes a compelling romance novel here! Trouble Spot #1: CharacterizationThe best lesson I ever received in characterization was at a writers’ conference, where an author who was pitching me told me that she wrote horoscopes for a living. The writer took that skill and developed such detailed horoscopes for the hero and heroine in her story that she knew precisely who they were regarding their tastes and personalities, what obstacles they faced, what had occurred in their past or backstory, etc.While I wouldn’t recommend that every romance writer start building astrological charts, I would encourage you to make sure you really know who your protagonists are. Delve deeply into their stories so that they’re not just one-dimensional stereotypes. Indeed, the more (believable) hardships they’ve endured in the past, the more material you will have to mine.Keep in mind that while stories featuring large families are popular with readers, it can often be a challenge to write about a presumably tortured hero who comes from such a loving, happy home. But if he’s served in the military or lost a close friend in a childhood accident, he may have other emotional reserves upon which you can draw. id=attachment_15175 style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption aligncenter">"Oh, Mr. Darcy!" (image: BBC)In the end, it’s all about the emotional conflict our romantic leads must surmount that makes their story so compellingThe emotional conflict is not to be confused with the external one. The external conflict usually revolves around an issue of miscommunication, perhaps differing career and money goals - or if you want to kick it up a notch, an external threat. (This is particularly effective when one of the main characters is on the run, or in hiding.)For example, the heroine might have left town eight years ago, believing her high school boyfriend didn’t love her simply because he never got her note or phone call - this is the external conflict they must resolve if they want to patch things up. Or maybe the protagonists believe they can’t be together because one lives on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast. These kinds of conflicts can usually be o vercome by a heartfelt conversation or compromise, but it sometimes involves uncovering the main players in a global threat and taking them down.A strong emotional conflict boils down to either a question of trust or fear. For instance, if your hero lost his first wife to cancer, it’s understandable that he won’t want to run the risk of ever experiencing that all-consuming pain again. Or if the heroine shared her deepest secret with an ex who betrayed her trust, she’s probably reluctant to open up to a new partner.In each of these emotionally fraught cases, the conflict is deep and will require some growth on the part of your hero and heroine to recognize that, despite high stakes involved, love is worth putting oneself on the line.Even if one of your characters first realizes and even confesses their love, the resolution of the conflict should take up most of the book (Elizabeth and Darcy, anyone?). If you’ve created a conflict that is sufficiently compe lling, there should not be an instance where both the protagonists confess their love, only to be driven apart again by some external threat or unsolved thread.Yes, readers may know how your story ends. But with multi-faceted protagonists, emotional appeal, great plotting, and a strong conflict, they will still want to travel with the characters as they overcome each milestone on their journey to finding love.For more help with writing great romance, you can also take inspiration from any of the books on these lists:The 10 Best Historical Romance Novels Like OutlanderThe 25 Best Romance Authors and Their Must-Reads30+ Best Young Adult Romance Books That You Can't Miss Out On40+ Paranormal Romance Books with BiteWhat are some of your experiences writing romances? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Issues Facing Gender in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Issues Facing Gender in the Workplace - Essay Example Lets take an example of Canada in which men occupy positions that are supervisory or administrative, full-time, high in pay and status, and that are often in the transport, communications and manufacturing sectors while women are predominantly concentrated in non-standard work, usually clerical and service work in part-time or temporary positions that are characterized by low skill requirements, low pay, and few benefits. Even in professional positions, women continue to be disproportionately represented in "feminine" nursing, teaching, and social science professions. (Amber Gazso, 2004) Gender issues in career development have undergone an absolute information explosion. It is generally observed that career ambition in women is lower than career aspiration among men. Men tend to be more motivated and possess a broaden view than women on work. But it is surprising to see that women's aspirations have substantially increased over the past several decades. No matter what the reason behind women's aspirations is, several environmental factors have been implicated, including cultural and ethnical background. Many researchers have observed, for example, that the relative traditionality of gender role attitudes and occupational plans may limit the level of women's vocational and educational aspirations. It is true that women may experience a number of barriers in preparing for career decisions, like home-career conflict. Women appear to be placing increased importance on goals in the work domain. This change has not detracted from the importance women give to the home and family domain, nor diminished the expected conflicts among roles. As might be expected, this shift has presented women with additional challenges in their career planning. As is true with many other stages of women's career development, entry into the work force seems to be more complex for women than for men, given gender discrimination and stereotyping, and the demands of multiple roles. One aspect of career development more typical to women than men is role exiting and reentry. Rather than going directly from school to work, many women first engage in full-time family roles, returning to school or work later

Friday, October 18, 2019

Medical Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Medical Admission - Essay Example I was feeling very embarrassed because it took me the longest to scrub into surgery, so I decided that I needed to leave the surgery first to get a head start preparing for the next surgery. In addition, I wanted to grab a cup of coffee to help wake me up. I was still wearing the surgical hat and smock as I passed through the double doors of the entrance of the surgical wing. While I was passing through the doors, an older man approached me and asked if Catalina was okay. He had the look of worry and fear in his eyes. I did not know what to say because I was not a doctor. Before I could say anything, the rest of his family members, who were sitting on the chairs lining the hallway, got up and approached me. All of them with the same look of fear and concern asked me questions about Catalina. I was not sure if I should say anything, but I felt the need to say something to comfort them during what must have been the longest hour of their lives. I told them the operation went well and C atalina was going to be just fine. Their eyes and faces immediately became full of joy and happiness. They hugged me, thanked me, and the mother and grandmother even kissed me. That moment motivated me to become a physician. I had never felt anything like that before. It was at that moment when I made the final decision to serve the mankind by becoming a doctor. A month before traveling to South America to shadow my uncle for the summer, I had been volunteering at a hospital next to campus for about a year.  

Colonial Salem, Witch Trials as a quest for power Essay

Colonial Salem, Witch Trials as a quest for power - Essay Example In fact, religion, witches, and Satan may have had less to do with the outcome of the Salem trials than the male/female conflict that permeated the town and the era. Gender attitudes were prescribed by the fundamentalist religion of the time, and religious figures may have had a fear of the women expressing themselves, and a hostility towards their feminist demands. Gender roles and sexism played a key part in the Salem Witch Trials, as the events of 1692 became another chapter in the ongoing struggle that women have confronted in their quest for status, fairness, and justice. Witchcraft has traditionally been stereotyped as the domain of the female gender, as well as being a social construct perpetuated by the dominant male power structure. Witnesses who testified against the witches seemed to "acquiesce in and reinforce theories of witchcraft, developed by theologians and lawyers, which emphasize female weakness—the greater susceptibility of women to temptation; their greater sensual depravity" (Holmes 45). These theories were simply prejudicial stereotypes that had no basis in scientific or social fact. Feminism and gender roles are central to the Salem Witch Trials as they recognize and address the "systems of power and oppression" that existed at the time (Gasser 27). In 1692 Salem, men controlled the political spectrum, only men could vote and hold public office, they were the leaders in the Puritan religion, and owned most of the personal property (Demos 63). These factors would create an environment where women would have few opportunities except to keep their place, not speak out, and acquiesce to male demands. In addition, clinical hysteria was common in the 17th and 18th century when women were denied self-expression and limited in power and status (Hill 22). The charges of witchcraft in 17th century Salem were a manifestation of the womens struggle, and defined as witchcraft only by the male power structure. As the hysteria

THE ACCOUNT CYCLE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THE ACCOUNT CYCLE - Research Paper Example This is done so that non-accounting professional would be able to comprehend the journal entries themselves and to make it easier for them to read the financial records. As soon as these transactions take place, they are recorded in the day books or books of prime entry. After a predetermined interval, the balances in the books of prime of entry are summed up and posted to ledger accounts. These ledger accounts are generally prepared in T-form, each having a debit and credit side. There are five categories of accounts, which include: assets, liabilities, revenues, expense and capital. There are also separate journals for each category for accounts. They include general journal, purchase ledger and sales ledger. The balances of these ledgers appear either on debit or credit side based on the type of accounts. Capital account usually has a credit balance. Similarly, liabilities and revenue accounts have credit balances, whereas expense and asset accounts have debit balances. However, t he main task of accountants is to determine the type of entry and determine the double entry accounts that are going to be used in each transaction. Sometimes, whenever accountants forget to make a double-entry of a transaction, they can still reconcile the accounts at a later date using the available records. At the end of the period, all the accounts, which are made in T form are balanced. The balance of each of these accounts is then posted to trial balance. The accounts having a debit balance is posted on debit side of a trial balance, whereas accounts having credit balance is entered on the credit side of the trial balance. Accounts which have equal debits and credit and there is no balance are ignored and not posted in trial balance. At the end of the period ending and closing entries are recorded in the journal format and then posted to the trial balance to prepare the adjusted trial balance. This is done to give a better picture of a business transaction.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Family Law, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Family Law, - Essay Example Under such circumstances, the state is bound to uphold and protect family interests in its constitution, as a pre-condition for ensuring social order and preserving the sanctity of marriage bonds. The preservation and development of the institution of marriage is also intrinsic to the growth and development of the Irish State and nation. Specifically, the law acknowledges the fact that the role women play at her home is important without which common progress cannot be realised. Therefore, the common contention is that family economic burden should not perforce a woman to seek income avenues and neglect in the carrying out of household duties and child-rearing activities, particularly because this forms the nucleus of the family establishment in Ireland. The sanctity of marriage and its continuance is also a state promise in Ireland. It is now sought to consider the family under the following Articles: Article 119: Marriage is the formation of family for expansion and growth of national population and the constitution is bound to protect marriage. In it both the male and female members enjoy equal status in the eyes of law. Article 120: It is of paramount importance that the parents raise their children in the right manner, in physical, mental spiritual and social fitness and this is to a very large extent, assisted by the government policies and programmes which are conducive to family rearing. Article 121: This article gives equal status to illegal children (children born out of wedlock) as to legitimate children Article 122: The lives of young people must be protected against exploitation of any kind and they must be prevented from indulging in moral and spiritual debauchery, and not tending to their minds and bodies properly. It is also the duty of the state to take proper steps for ensuring this. The concept of a nucleus family is based on the lives of a married couple wherein the man is the head and provider of the family and the woman is the sustainer and mother figure, who takes care of the family duties and the development of the physical, intellectual, spiritual and moral aspects of the children. Lifelong values to be cherished and implemented are passed on from the parents to their children from generations to generations and this evolutionary process is continued. The traditional stronghold of marriage gives it a social context based on natural law, and this is further sanctified by the discouragement of divorce, and also, the social disapproval of cohabitation. The campaign against the use of contraceptive devices promotes the birth of off-springs and the continuance of the proliferation of the humans in the state. Homosexuality is also strongly disregarded in the Irish Constitution. Article 41 & 42 of the constitution has been enacted with the sole purpose of the protection of the sanctity of marriages and the family. The Irish Constitution under Section 41.3.1 validates the family as a natural unit of social life, and the state is under commitment to carefully preserve this aspect of family life. The stronghold of marriage systems of which the family is a natural outcome, needs to be protected against outside incursions. In delineating this position, the law distinctly recognises the valuable contribution made to the welfare state. It is not

Politcal Science 240 Comparision Report Canada Essay

Politcal Science 240 Comparision Report Canada - Essay Example hough the Aboriginal people originally inhabited the country, the eastern region Canada was a French settlement for more than a century before the white man discovered it. In the late eighteenth and nineteenth century, the country received most of its immigrants from Britain and the United States where some of the people who settled from the US were called Loyalists since they were loyal to the interests of the British. By the late 1800, the country had a countrywide railway system that was able to transport settlers who had European origins and most of these settlers were the underprivileged or those running away from religious or political persecution. Nonetheless, particular groups of immigrants, such as the Jewish were subsequently denied entry into Canada during the consequent world wars as well as the Great Depression. However, since the late sixties, a greater part of the country has developed more tolerance in accepting more political refugees and immigrants from different countries all over the globe. Canada experienced a return of prosperity after World War Two as a result of the continued Liberal governments that allowed national policies to address social welfare such as universal health care, pensions for the older members of the population as well as for the veterans. The financial crisis associated with the Great Depression, along with the extensive corruption in the country, had resulted I the people of Newfoundland relinquishing responsible government 1n1934 making the country a crown colony under the rule of a British governor. Success was restored when the United States military came in with more than ten thousand soldiers together with massive investments in various bases. Popular sentiments started to favour the United States and this alarmed the Canadian government, which wanted the Newfoundland to enter into a confederation rather than joining the United States. In 1948, the people of Newfoundland were given three referendum choices by the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Family Law, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Family Law, - Essay Example Under such circumstances, the state is bound to uphold and protect family interests in its constitution, as a pre-condition for ensuring social order and preserving the sanctity of marriage bonds. The preservation and development of the institution of marriage is also intrinsic to the growth and development of the Irish State and nation. Specifically, the law acknowledges the fact that the role women play at her home is important without which common progress cannot be realised. Therefore, the common contention is that family economic burden should not perforce a woman to seek income avenues and neglect in the carrying out of household duties and child-rearing activities, particularly because this forms the nucleus of the family establishment in Ireland. The sanctity of marriage and its continuance is also a state promise in Ireland. It is now sought to consider the family under the following Articles: Article 119: Marriage is the formation of family for expansion and growth of national population and the constitution is bound to protect marriage. In it both the male and female members enjoy equal status in the eyes of law. Article 120: It is of paramount importance that the parents raise their children in the right manner, in physical, mental spiritual and social fitness and this is to a very large extent, assisted by the government policies and programmes which are conducive to family rearing. Article 121: This article gives equal status to illegal children (children born out of wedlock) as to legitimate children Article 122: The lives of young people must be protected against exploitation of any kind and they must be prevented from indulging in moral and spiritual debauchery, and not tending to their minds and bodies properly. It is also the duty of the state to take proper steps for ensuring this. The concept of a nucleus family is based on the lives of a married couple wherein the man is the head and provider of the family and the woman is the sustainer and mother figure, who takes care of the family duties and the development of the physical, intellectual, spiritual and moral aspects of the children. Lifelong values to be cherished and implemented are passed on from the parents to their children from generations to generations and this evolutionary process is continued. The traditional stronghold of marriage gives it a social context based on natural law, and this is further sanctified by the discouragement of divorce, and also, the social disapproval of cohabitation. The campaign against the use of contraceptive devices promotes the birth of off-springs and the continuance of the proliferation of the humans in the state. Homosexuality is also strongly disregarded in the Irish Constitution. Article 41 & 42 of the constitution has been enacted with the sole purpose of the protection of the sanctity of marriages and the family. The Irish Constitution under Section 41.3.1 validates the family as a natural unit of social life, and the state is under commitment to carefully preserve this aspect of family life. The stronghold of marriage systems of which the family is a natural outcome, needs to be protected against outside incursions. In delineating this position, the law distinctly recognises the valuable contribution made to the welfare state. It is not

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Plea Bargaining Essay Example for Free

Plea Bargaining Essay Most cases are resolved through plea bargains. This is resulting from negotiations between the prosecutor and defense attorney. Plea bargains can be made at any stage of the criminal justice process. Plea bargains can be either a charge bargains or sentence bargains. There are advantages and disadvantages with plea bargains. With plea bargains, it can reflect the due process and crime control of the criminal justices. Plea bargain is an argument between the prosecutor and the defendant to plead guilty to a crime to receive a lesser charge or sentence rather than going to trial and getting a harsher sentence or charge. These bargains are another way for the prosecutor to have the defendant to testify against other defendants on other cases as well as the trail they are in. Plea bargains are another way to help reduce cases from going to trial. Usually please bargains are between the council and the defense attorney but the judge can have a factor in it depending on the jurisdiction. They can work with the judge for a predetermined sentence. If the prosecutor goes back on the agreement, the defendant can ask the judge for relief. The judge may use different tactics to go about this such as withdrawal of the agreement or have the prosecutor go through the agreement there are distinct types of plea bargain. Charge bargaining is the most common and used plea. Charge bargaining involve negotiating charges that would be filed. This plea bargain will be to lesser charges and the higher charges will be dismissed. Sentencing bargaining involves pleading guilty to the state charges and not to a reduced charge so that the agreement is for a lighter sentence. There is also a lesser used plea bargain called fact bargaining. This bargaining uses certain facts in return to not use other facts in the case that would cause a different verdict. The plea bargain has to follow through with these knowing rights: a knowing wavier of rights, a voluntary wavier, and a factual basis to support the charges t which the defendant is pleading guilty. Plea bargaining is often criticized but the majority of convictions are due to bargaining. The benefits a plea bargains is there for the defendant. The defendant has this as an option instead of a trial, its uncertainties and to avoid maximum sentence. For the courts it lightens their loads for the judges and the prosecutors. The disadvantages of plea bargains are for those who are innocent pleading guilty for a crime to avoid the harsher verdict if found guilty in a trial. The plea bargains require the defendants to give up their constitutional rights. Rights that are protected by the fifth and sixth amendment: the defendant will have to waive the right to a jury, the right against self-incrimination in the right to confront hostile witnesses. The plea bargains are accepted as long as the defendant understands the consequences and volunteers to do so. Now if the defendant is coerced to do a guilty plea then it is unconstitutional. It also makes law enforcement and lawyers lazy in doing their job because it is an easy way out of not taking the time to investigate and to prepare a decent case. The due process makes sure that the defendant is receiving fair treatment while in the criminal justice hands. Plea bargaining reflects the due process because if the prosecutor has all their facts together, they can pursue a case to avoid the motions of a trial. The counsel allows the defendant the option of the plea bargain. If accepted, their sentence is reduced. The crime control assumes all is guilty before court so the plea bargains will not likely to be used here. The crime control suggests everyone is guilty and they should be tried and punished before the court. Though they are on opposite ends, the due process and crime control model have benefits that all of the branches of the criminal justice can handle. To ensure those individuals are receiving fair trails, the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments are very valuable to the justice system. According to FindLaw (2013), â€Å"Judicial economy simply means that one goal of the judicial system is to conclude cases in an efficient and speedy manner. Without plea bargaining, it is widely believed that there would be an explosion of cases which in turn would overtax and disrupt the current legal system. † Plea bargains are a notion to a sure sentence. Going to trial can result in months or years of arguments, hung jury, and evidence being unaccounted for, and etc. Prosecutors prefer to settle cases with plea bargains than to juggle a verdict with a jury.

Monday, October 14, 2019

History Of Measuring Consumer Ethnocentrism Marketing Essay

History Of Measuring Consumer Ethnocentrism Marketing Essay For marketers it is essential to understand the importance of attitudes, motives, beliefs and attitude change in the study of Marketing and Consumer Behavior. Therefore, Consumer Behavior is about the perceptive of the consumers needs and what affect their purchase intention. Consumer behavior can be distinct as the study of individuals, groups or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use and dispose of products, services, experiences or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society (Hawkins, 2001). It covers the field from psychology, sociology and economics. With the open-door-policy in 1979, China has improved its trade relations with the rest of the world. China benefited from foreign direct investments and its export expansion. Today, China is the second largest economy in the world. The rapid growth in China led to an increase in consumption. Chinese consumers nowadays have comprehensive choices in buying different kind of products. Due to the open-door-policy, many overseas companies have entered China and benefited from the increased consumer spending. Chinese consumers can choose from foreign goods that are imported from overseas or manufactured by foreign companies in China, or domestic goods. Due to the increased foreign investments, domestic companies face fierce competition in several markets. Markets are globalizing in China but Chinese consumers still keep buying local products. The globalization affects consumer behavior but China has a strong traditional culture which remains noticed in the countrys choice of product purch ase. According to Mooij (2011), globalization can also cause a strengthening of local identities. Studies have identified that consumers in developing countries have a different perception than consumers in developed countries towards local made products. The consumers in developing countries believe that foreign sourced goods are better than local made products. Belk (1996) identified that globalization can lead to motives to resist the globalization policies, such as localism, ethnogenesis and the neo-nationalism. Further research about this paradox can be an effective way for investors, entrepreneurs, companies and producers to develop and enhance their marketing strategy in China. There have been several studies about consumer ethnocentrism and its effect on consumer behavior and purchase intention. Most of the studies have their focus on the Western consumers. There has been little emphasis on the research of Chinese consumer purchasing behavior and evaluation towards consumer ethnocentrism, which leads to a scarce knowledge of the Chinese consumers. This study focuses at explaining the degree of consumer ethnocentrism and its assumptions on evaluation of several products. This research will focus on food products by Chinese consumers. To explain the relationship there has to be a literature review to issue the concepts in the research and analyzing existing studies on consumer ethnocentrism to understand the theoretical background. Secondly, a research question and the hypotheses will be described and after the methodology will be explained. To test the hypotheses, data will be collected. At last, after evaluation of the hypotheses, a conclusion can be drawn from the present study. 1.1 Problem statement Chinese consumers are shifting towards other consuming patterns as the economy grows faster than any other country in the World. The behavior of Chinese consumers has shown significant changes in the couple of years. In the 12th five-year plan, the Chinese government wants to boost its domestic consumption. The changes have led to a declining demand for foreign goods. An explanation can be that Chinese consumers are becoming more ethnocentric because of the favoring for domestic products. The central question in this research is therefore: Does Consumer Ethnocentrism (CE) apply for the Chinese consumer towards food products? Which moderators are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes of CE for Chinese consumers towards food products? 1.2 Research method A literature review is needed in order to answer the central question. A literature review is needed to gain insight about a suitable method to measure Consumer Ethnocentrism. It is important to set a theoretical background to gain insight about the factors that are influencing CE, the effects of CE and the moderators that are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes of CE. A conceptual framework can be developed after a literature review. In this framework, the factors that can be found that are influencing CE and also the outcomes and moderators that are influencing the relationship between CE and the outcomes, will be presented. The final conceptual model will be empirical tested. This research will be a quantitative research. A questionnaire will be developed and a convenience sample will be used to collect data. A total of 210 questionnaires will be delivered randomly to adult participants. 1.3 Thesis structure In Chapter 2, there will be an explanation how Consumer Ethnocentrism can be measured and if this is applicable in this research. In Chapter 3 there will be a brief description of the Chinese consumer market. In Chapter 4, the conceptual framework of Consumers Ethnocentrism will be developed and thereby its hypotheses. This framework will be the basis for the empirical research that will be described in Chapter 5. At last, the conclusions, limitations and recommendations will be discussed in Chapter 6. 2. Theoretical background 2.1 Ethnocentrism The concept ethnocentrism was first introduced by Sumner (1906). According to the author, ethnocentrism is the tendency to perceive that a particular ethnic or cultural group is being more significant than other groups. Individuals who tend to be more ethnocentric find their group better than others, who are seen as inferior. Ethnocentric individuals have developed an own perspective of how they see people or groups and they dont accept individuals who are different from them (Netemeyer et al., 1991; Shimp and Sharma, 1987). In the field of sociology Lewis (1976) argued that individuals tend to give their group members a privileged treatment than non-group members. Thus, ethnocentrism established the development of in-groups, which is the group of the individual as pride and on the other side a disfavor for out-groups (Levin Campbell, 1972). According to Lynn (1976) ethnocentrism is part of the human nature. Thus, the phenomenon can be used for large diversity of societal groups including the local community, regions and nations. In the study of Chryssochoidis et al (2007, p. 1518) he issued: ethnocentrism is based on the formation of we-group feelings, whereby the in-group is the focal point and all out-groups are judged in relation to it. Levinson (1950) also related ethnocentrism to cultural narrowness which explains behavioral tendencies of favoring the individuals with the same culture and excluding other cultures, who are not the same. 2.2 Consumer ethnocentrism Consumer ethnocentrism is derived from the psychological concept of ethnocentrism and particularly points out to ethnocentric perceptions held by consumers in one country, the so called in-group, towards products from a different country, the out-group (Shimp and Sharma, 1987; Shankarmahesh, 2004). Ethnocentrism is adapted in order to suit Consumer behavior, which is suitable for marketers. Ethnocentrism has already been discussed to the study of consumer behavior in the 1970s (Markin, 1974; Berkman et al, 1978). Shimp and Sharma (1987) defined the concept in order to suit the field of marketing. Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) argue that the ethnocentric tendencies of consumers are influenced by social-psychological and demographic factors. The basic conceptual model of Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) shows that Consumer Ethnocentric is the focal concept that is related to demographic variables (age, gender, education) and social physiological variables (openness to foreign cultures, patriotism, collectivism/individualism and conservatism). The result of Consumer ethnocentrism is overestimating the domestic products and underestimating the import products. Thus, Consumer Ethnocentrism is a significant factor towards import product attitude. In their model, there is also a moderating factor. The model issues that when products are perceived as not necessary, consumers will have stronger ethnocentric tendencies towards the attitude of import products. Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) have tested this conceptual model in Korea. Results have shown that there is a negative correlation between openness to foreign cultures and Consumer ethnocentrism. This shows that people who are open to foreign cultures, are less ethnocentric. There is a positive correlation between patriotism and Consumer ethnocentrism. The demographic variable gender is also significant related to CE: women show more ethnocentric tendencies than men. The study also identified that higher education leads to less ethnocentric tendencies. The research did not find a negative correlation between age and CE. Consumer Ethnocentrism tendencies Antecedents Openness to foreign cultures Patriotism Conservatism Collectivism/individualism Attitude towards imports Moderators Perceived necessity Economic threat Demographics Age Gender Education Figure : Basic model Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) Consumer ethnocentrism is about the perceived appropriateness and morality when buying foreign products and preferring domestic goods over foreign goods which can be seen as consumer loyalty (Shimp and Sharma, 1987). According to Shrimp and Sharma (1987) highly ethnocentric consumers tend to believe that purchasing foreign-produced goods will affect the countrys economy negatively and will cause unemployment. Conversely, non-ethnocentric consumers, who do not consider ethnocentric beliefs, have no bias where a product is produced. These consumers will consider their purchase based on evaluation of the merits of the products. Shimp and Sharma (1987) state: The family unit would be expected to be the primary socialization agent, but adult opinion leaders, peers and mass media would also influence a childs ethnocentric orientation during the prime period of early childhood socialization. This statement explains that an adults perception is created by what he or she has learned and exper ienced as a child. According to Lingquist (2001) the degree of ethnocentrism is influenced by the developed levels of different regions. In some studies there has been concluded that consumers in developing countries tend to perceive foreign sourced products as prestigious and of high quality while on the other side, developed countries tend to perceive domestic products as prestigious and of higher quality (Agbonifoh and Elimimian, 1999; Bow and Ford, 1993; Sklair, 1994; Wang et al., 2000). Sharma et al. (1995) assume that the less significant product categories lead to greater ethnocentric tendencies and behavior by consumers. Orth Firbasova (2003) and Dosen Krupka (2007) have researched the food industry, where it has been identified that ethnocentric consumers have more willingness to purchase domestic food products instead of foreign food products. To measure consumer ethnocentrism, Shimp and Sharma (1987) developed The Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE). The CETSCALE is a 17-item predictor of consumer ethnocentrism (Lindquist et al. 2001). This measurement distinguishes consumers whether they are highly ethnocentric or not, thus consumers scoring high on this scale will tend to prefer domestic products over foreign ones. There are several researchers that use the CETSCALE with their own modification for aiming on employment impact, patriotism and economic impact in studies (Lindquist et al., 2001; Cleveland et al., 2009). The scale has been applied widely in different countries, such as Turkey, France and the Czech Republic (Klein et al., 2006). Herche (1992) identified that the CETSCALE is able to forecast consumers choices to buy domestic or foreign products. He argues that this measurement is even better than demographic and marketing mix variables. According to Balabanis (2001), the Customer ethnocentric mea sure of buying intentions differs from countries. Good and Huddleston (1995) agreed on this. They identified that Polish consumers find it significant to purchase foreign goods, contrary to Russian consumers. In a research study of Wei (2008) he issues that the Consumer ethnocentrism will decrease when brand sensitivity and product cues are taken in account. These factors will influence the purchase intention of the consumer. The CETSCALE will be further explained in paragraph 2.3. 2.3 CETSCALE The central question in this research is: Does Consumer Ethnocentrism apply for the Chinese consumer towards food products? This question can only be explored if there is a method to measure CE. There are different kinds of methods and tools to measure CE, but the Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale is the most common used. Shimp and Sharma (1987) have developed this scale to measure CE (see 3.1). Previous studies have tested this scale on its reliability and validity (see 3.2 and 3.3). At last there will be a conclusion if this CETSCALE is valid for measuring CE in this research. 2.3.1 Measuring Consumer-ethnocentrism The first study to measure CE was done by Shimp (1984). He came to a conclusion that measuring CE was being hindered by a suitable tool. Before Shimp developed the CETSCALE, there were other tools, such as the famous F- and E-scales of Adorno et al. (1950). These scales were able to measure ethnocentric tendencies but were useless because of the commonality and dated nature of the scales. Shimp (1984) used an open question to test CE empirically. He used the following sentence: Please describe your views of whether it is right and appropriate for American consumers to purchase products that are manufactured in foreign countries. The question is aimed on the perception of the respondent, questioning if buying foreign products is ethical. Shimp (1984) indicated that the choice for an open question is legitimate, given that the concept of CE is very complex and the relevant dimensions were not known at that moment. Shimp Sharma (1987) developed and validated a multi-item scale to measure the CE of individual consumers: the CETSCALE, which stands for Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale. The CETSCALE consist 17 items, with a 7-point Likert-scale ranged from Totally disagree (1) to Totally agree (7). The 17-item CETSCALE is validated and tested on its reliability in three studies, which are the four area study, Carolinas study and crafted-with-pride study. Shimp Sharma (1987) also developed a shortened version of the CETSCALE for the national consumer good study. This scale consists 10 items of the original 17-item scale. This is because the 17-item scale is often being used for commercial market research. For this subset scale Shimp Sharma (1987) use a five-point Likert-scale. In table 1, the 17-item and the subset 10-item scale is shown. 17-item CETSCALE 10-item CETSCALE 1 American people should always buy American-made products instead of imports. 2 Only those products that are unavailable in the U.S. should be imported. 1 Only those products that are unavailable in the U.S. should be imported. 3 Buy American-made products. Keep America working. 4 American products, first, last, and foremost 2 American products, first, last, and foremost 5 Purchasing foreign-made products is un-American 3 Purchasing foreign-made products is un-American 6 It is not right to purchase foreign products, because it puts Americans out of jobs. 4 It is not right to purchase foreign products, because it puts Americans out of jobs. 7 A real American should always buy American-made products. 5 A real American should always buy American-made products. 8 We should purchase products manufactured in America instead of letting other countries get rich off us. 6 We should purchase products manufactured in America instead of letting other countries get rich off us. 9 It is always best to purchase American products. 10 There should be very little trading or purchasing of goods from other countries unless out of necessity. 11 Americans should not buy foreign products, because this hurts American business and causes unemployment. 7 Americans should not buy foreign products, because this hurts American business and causes unemployment. 12 Curbs should be put on all imports. 13 It may cost me in the long-run but I prefer to support American products. 8 It may cost me in the long-run but I prefer to support American products 14 Foreigners should not be allowed to put their products on our markets. 15 Foreign products should be taxed heavily to reduce their entry into the U.S. 16 We should buy from foreign countries only those products that we cannot obtain within our own country. 9 We should buy from foreign countries only those products that we cannot obtain within our own country. 17 American consumers who purchase products made in other countries are responsible for putting their fellow Americans out of work. 10 American consumers who purchase products made in other countries are responsible for putting their fellow Americans out of work. Table 1: The CETSCALE of Shimp Sharma (1987) 2.3.2 International reliability The basic requirements of a scale, that can be used in several countries, is the reliability of a scale (Craig Douglas 2000). In case a scale is being used in a different country than where the scale is developed, there can be a measurement invariance. This refers to observing the construct in different conditions and studying constructs where the measurement does not always measure the same attribute. Linguistically or conceptual inequality of measuring instruments can cause variations in the reliability. This is a threat to the validity of conclusions. The focus on the study of the reliability is to obtain the same results when using the existing measuring instrument in a different context, different way or different point of time. These tools do not have to be reliable in every context, despite the attempt to develop tools that can be used in every culture (Craig Douglas 2000). Therefore, the CETSCALE does not have to be reliable everywhere. If the scale in the United states giv es a good reflection of the items that are measuring the CE in the United States, however this does not mean that these are the right items for a different country (Douglas Craig 2000, p.277). It is important to determine if the CETSCALE is international reliable and therefore suitable in other countries. The reliability of a scale can be identified in multiple ways. There are two parts of reliability of the CETSCALE that come up for discussion: The internal consistency and the dimensionality of the CETSCALE and the stability of the CETSCALE over time. The internal consistency is being measured with the Cronbachs Alpha. The Cronbachs alpha measures if the items of the CETSCALE truly measure one concept: Consumer Ethnocentrism. The internal consistency has to be large enough (alpha higher than 0.60) to measure CE with the CETSCALE. When this is the case, the items can be considered as reliable indicators of CE (Hair et al. 1998). When a low alpha occurs, the respondents do not have consistent image of the concept and in that case the measurement is not reliable. A requirement by measuring the internal consistency of a set of items, is that the items are one-dimensional (Hair et al. 1998). This means that the items have to be interdependent and combined they have to measure one concept (Hair et al. 1998). Factor analyses are important to measure the dimensionality of a set of items by determine several factors (Hair et al. 1988). For one-dimensionality all items of the CETSCALE have to load high on one single factor (Hair et al. 1998). The stability of the CETSCALE over time is being measured by a test/retest method. The consistency of the answers of a respondent is being measured at different moments. The objective of this method is to be sure that the answers do not vary over time, in order for the CETSCALE to be considered reliable at every moment (Hair et al. 1998). According to Hair et al. (1998) Cronbachs alpha is being defined as: Cronbachs Alpha is most widely used objective measure of reliability. It is used to measure the internal consistency of a test or scale. The measurement is expressed as number of 0 and 1, whereby the nearer Cronbachs Alpha coefficient is to 1, the better the internal consistency of the set of variables. Internal consistency and dimensionality of the CETSCALE Shimp Sharma (1987) were the first researchers that executed four distinctive studies to determine the reliability of the 17-item CETSCALE. These studies have shown that the internal consistency of the CETSCALE is very high; the Cronbachs alpha of the four studies varies from 0.94 to 0.96. The internal consistency and the dimensionality of the CETSCALE is identified in several studies and countries (Appendix 1). The alpha coefficients in the appendix show a consistency. That implies that the alpha in every study lies about 0.90 (with exception of the alpha for Hungary in the study of Lindquist et al. (2000)). In any other cases the internal consistency meets the minimum of 0.60.Orth Fibrasova (2003) have studied the role of CE towards the evaluation of food. They have found a high Cronbachs Alpha value for the CETSCALE and imply that the CETSCALE is internal consistent. There are different opinions about the amount of items of the scale that must be used. Shimp Sharma (1987) have used 10 items in the national consumer good study, because of the limited possibilities in the questionnaire. Lindquist et al. (2001) have studied the dimensionality of the shortened 10-item CETSCALE in Hungary, Czech and Poland. According to this research, the CETSCALE does not have a universal good fit in the central- and east-European countries. They assume that a scale that can be used in every country does not exist. Therefore, they suggest to use a part of the CETSCALE items and add some land specific or population specific items to effectively measure the CE. Another problem the authors have identified is the translation of the CETSCALE. The authors imply that the scale functions better in English then translated to their native languages in their research. The authors emphasize that the back-translation technique must be used to set up an accurate translation of the scale. Stability of the CETSCALE over time Shimp Sharma (1987) have used the test-/retest method by doing the research twice with a interim period of five weeks. These studies have found comparable alpha values. Shimp Sharma (1987) conclude that the CETSCALE is stable over time. Nielsen Spence (2001) have also researched the stability of the CETSCALE over time. They studied the stability in the United States over an eight week period during the summer of 1992. In this period they have found that the CETSCALE-scores are stable over time but by investigating different groups, the scores can vary over time. They conclude that a longer period of data collection, scores can vary more. 2.3.3 International validity The validity of a scale refers whether a scale or set of measurements measures the focal concept accurate (Hair et al. 1998). The three most accepted types of validity are convergent, discriminant and nomological validity. Convergent validity examines the degree to which the operationalization converges with other known measuring instruments of the concept. Discriminant validity assures that the scale differs enough of other similar concepts and nomological validity measures if the scale shows the relationship based on previous studies or theories. These types of validity are empirical tested by defining the correlation between theoretical defined sets of variables (Hair et al. 1998). Convergent validity This type of validity examines the correlation between two measurements that measure the same concept (Hair et al. 1998, p. 118). A researcher can look for this and find an alternative tool to measure CE and correlate this method with the CETSCALE. If the correlations are high, then the CETSCALE truly measures CE. Shimp Sharma (1987) have found a convergent validity in their study. The 17-item CETSCALE correlates with the open question of Shimp (1984). This correlation (r (=correlation coefficient) =0.54, n=388, p Discriminant validity Discriminant validity is the degree where two concepts are different. This type of validity examines the correlation between measurements. In this case, the CETSCALE is being correlated with a different conceptual measurement. The correlation has to be low, as it shows that the CETSCALE differs enough comparing to another measurement (Hair et al. 1998, p. 118). Shimp Sharma (1987) have found evidence for discriminant validity. Three constructs are being used in the studies (patriotism, politics, economic conservatism and dogmatism) that are related to Consumer Ethnocentrism. The researchers have used a test of Fornelll Larcker (1981). They assume that the average variance of the separated constructs is larger than the variance where the constructs are being combined. They have found that this is the case for the CETSCALE and the politic-economic conservatism-scale. The variance distinctive is 71% for the CETSCALE and 61% for the conservatism-scale, as the combined variance of the two constructs is 34%. Thus, Shimp and Sharma (1986) indicate that there is a discriminant validity. The study of Sharma, Shimp Shin (1995) also proves that there is a discriminant validity between CE and the product attitude towards foreign goods. They have found this through a factor analyses on the 17-item CETSCALE and the 10 attitude items. Findings have shown that the CETSCALE items and the attitude-items load on two different factors. A factor analyses have shown that the correlation between the two constructs (r = 0.568) differs significantly . Thus, these two constructs are not similar. Nomological validity Nomological validity examines how far the CETSCALE can give an accurate prediction for other concepts in a model that is based on theories. In this case, a research must identify theoretical supporting relationships from earlier studies, then he has to determine if the scale has comparable correlations (Hair et al. 1998, p.118). For the 17-item scale Shimp and Sharma (1987) have used the CETSCALES-scores of the respondents to determine the nomological validity. Shimp and Sharma (1987) applied different measuring instruments of Warshaw (1980), Fishbein Ajzen (1975) and Ajzen Fishbein (1980). These tools have been used two years before the development of the CETSCALE to investigate the purchase of a domestic or foreign car. The purchase of a foreign car is negative correlated with the CETSCALE score of the ethnocentric respondents of Shimp and Sharma (1987). Furthermore, the ethnocentric consumers have less favorable cognitive structures and attitudes regarding foreign cars than non-ethnocentric consumers. These results imply the nomological validity of the Consumer Ethnocentrism concept and measuring this concept with the CETSCALE. The 10-item scale is also tested on its nomological validity by Shimp and Sharma (1987). They have tested this by looking to the country origin of the manufactures. According to this study, the country of origin of the manufacturer is an important purchase consideration when the scores on the CETSCALE increase. Consumers with a higher score on the CETSCALE are likely to choose for American manufactures and have less preference for European and Asian manufactures. Predictive validity Herche (1992) has some remarkable notes about the predictive validity of the CETSCALE. He assumes that the predictive validity of the CETSCALE is product specific (the predictive validity for cars is higher than computers). Herche (1992) gives several explanations for this phenomena. First, when buying a more expensive product, people tend to have more ethnocentric tendencies because these transactions have a bigger economic impact. Another possibility is that if there are no acceptable domestic goods available, even ethnocentric consumers are being forced to purchase foreign goods. Also, the degree of involvement can be responsible for the difference between product categories. Purchases with a higher involvement can evoke emotional reactions about the country origin. However, this does not have to be true because the involvement of a purchase of a car does not has to be bigger than the purchase of a computer. Witkowski (1998) assumes that the predictive validity of the CETSCALE does not has to be product specific but also country specific. He has found this assumption in his study in Mexico and Hungary. Respondents in this study are asked to give nine durable products in the past three years. There was a significant negative relationship between the CETSCALE-scores and the purchase of a foreign car, television, video recorder and washer in Hungary. No significant relationship was found between CE and the purchases in Mexico. 2.3.4 CETSCALE in this research The internal consistency of the scale is high in most of the studies and meets the minimum requirements of the Cronbachs alpha value of 0.60. Orth Fibrasova (2003) have done studies of the role of CE regarding food products. To measure CE, they make use of the CETSCALE. In this research the shortened 10-item scale of Shimp Sharma (1987) will be used. The main reason the use the 10-item scale is because the length of the questionnaire has to be limited. In paragraph 3.3, sufficient evidence has found for the international validity of the CETSCALE. Thus, the CETSCALE is an useful scale to measure CE in China. 3. Chinas consumer market Due to the globalization of markets, there is an abundance of foreign goods in China. Domestic companies had to face strong competition of foreign companies during the last ten years. According to Cui (1999), the Chinese consumer market has the largest growth opportunity in the world. The market of 1.3 billion people, with an emerging spending power of the middle income class, is an enormous opportunity for producers of consumer goods. Each year 10 million new Chinese consumers enter the market. In 2010, Chinas consumer market was approximately worth $1.7 trillion. According to Forbes (2011) the domestic consumer market in China could grow to about $15 trillion within ten years. A.T. Kearney (2007) assumes that the middle class will increase its consumptions especially on food, the branded food product market supposed to increase from $150 billion to $650 billion by 2017. The statistics show that the mediocre