Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Two Types Of Ratio Comparisons For Etisalat Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 974 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Compare and contrast essay Did you like this example? In this  report  we will  analyze two Types of Ratio Comparisons first ratio Trend or time-series analysis and second Cross-sectional analysis for Etisalat. We will find liquidity ratios, activity ratios, leverage ratios, profitability ratios, market ratios and the DuPont system for Etisalat. Etisalat Overview Etisalat; UAEs first telecommunication company laid its foundation in 1976, with a paid up principal of about (AED) 7,906,140,000 And the par value per share is (AED): 1.00. The number of current employees is about 10500 persons. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Two Types Of Ratio Comparisons For Etisalat Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Major owner The Federal Government of UAE own Etisalat up to 60.03% Actions It is the prime objective of Etisalat to offer services that suits everyones needs. Etisalat is responsible for providing telephone, TV and Internet services and a host of other services, serving everyone across UAE. It is a multinational firm with presence in most of the International markets. It provides state-of -the-art services to its clientele. Reach out. The worlds waiting. (ETISALAT) (ETISALAT) (ETISALAT) Vision A world where peoples reach is not limited by distance. People stay in touch with each ither, beyond boundaries. Businesses of all types, stay connected with the rest of the world, enabling sources to reach their customers. Introducing latest technologies by providing chances of access to the ones who want to utilize them. (ETISALAT) Mission To extend Etisalats services by extending clients reach. It strives to continuously enhance its network enabling clients to grow, learn and innovate. (ETISALAT) Values Energy Etisalat values the energy to attain the desired outcome in any business. It is ready to face the future challenges and chances to grow. Openness It has an open door policy, and it truly believes in honest, fair and straight forward business dealings. Enablement Our aim is to open up opportunities and to actively help people reach their goals. We always deliver what we say we will. (ETISALAT) We will use Trend or time-series analysis to evaluate Etisalats performance for year 2010 and 2009. Short-term solvency, or Liquidity Ratios Etisalats Ratio for 2010 = 19313791 /24477988 = 0.79 Etisalats Ratio for 2009 = 19562585 / 23488380 = 0.83 Etisalats ratio for the year 2009 is better than that of 2010; (0.83) But as per the studies it has to be greater than 1, hence here no ratio is higher than 1. (ROSS, 2008) Etisalats Quick Ration for 2010 = (19313791-316261 ) / 24477988= 0.78 Etisalats Quick Ration for 2009 = (19562585- 272410 ) / 23488380= 0.82 (ROSS, 2008) Etisalats Quick ratio in 2009 is better off because it is close to1, but it is not that liquid because in order for it to be liquid it should be more than 1. Assets Utilization, or Turnover Ratios Etisalats Inventory Turnover 2010 = 4126455/316261 = 13.05 Etisalats Inventory Turnover 2009 = 3919638 / 272410 = 14.4 This calculates Etisalats liquidity of an inventory; how quick it sells its products and services. Hence, it is better in the year of 2009; 14.4; higher than 2010 (13.05). (ROSS, 2008) Etisalats Days Sales in inventory in 2010 = 365 / 13.05 = 27.97 days Etisalats Days Sales in inventory in 2009 = 365 / 14.4 = 25.3 days This ratio informs us about the average age of inventory; the average days sales in inventory. Based on our findings, the ratio in 2009 was better than 2010, because it was lower, so the lower number of days, the better it is. (ROSS, 2008) Receivables Turnover Receivables Turnover in 2010 = 8448082 / ( 29359666 ) = 28.77 Times Receivables Turnover in 2009 = 3264142 / ( 30831390 ) = 10.58 Times This ratio tells us about the amount of time required to collect the accounts receivable, which in this case is better for the year 2009 (10.58 Times), so the fewer the better. (ROSS, 2008) Days Sales In Receivable = Year 2010 = 365 / 28.77=12.69 Days Year 2009 = 365/10.58=34.50 Days In this ratio, Etisalat did better in 2009, as compared to 2010, as the more number of days also helped it to pay to suppliers in more days. (ROSS, 2008) Total Asset Turnover Total Asset Turnover for 2010 = 31929488/ 20078214 =1.59 Total Asset Turnover for 2009 = 31334387/ 71378596 = 0.43 This ratio informs us, as to how nicely Etisalat used its assets to generate sales. It is better in 2010, as it is higher (1.59). (ROSS, 2008) Capital intensity = For Year 2010: 20078214/31929488 =0.63 For Year 2009: 71378596/31334387=2.27 Long Term Solvency, Or Financial Levarage Debt Ratio = Total Liabilities / Total Assets Debt Ratio 2010 =33041805 / 75607132 = 43.70% Debt Ratio 2009 = 30989298 / 71378596 = 43.41% The debt shows the total money utilized to have profits, which is better in 2010, as its higher (43.70%), so Etisalat has a graeter degree of independence and higher financial leverage. (ROSS, 2008) Debt-equity Ratio: total debt/total equity Debt-equity Ratio in 2010 = 33041805/42565325=0.77 Debt-equity Ratio in 2009 = 30989298 /40389298=0.77 The Debt-equity Ratio remained the same for both years. Times Interest Earned = EBIT / Interest For year 2010 = 6996442 / 384836 = 18.18 For year 2009 = 8814963 / 571493 = 15.4 This determines Etisalats efficiency to make interest payments as in contracts; it is also termed as interest coverage ratio, which is better in 2010 for Etisalat. (ROSS, 2008) Profitability Ratios Profit Margin PM = Net Income / Net Sales Profit Margin in 2010 = 27802963 / 31929488 = 87.07 % Profit Margin in 2009 = 26911751 / 30831390 = 87.3 % The higher the profit margin the better it is, the lower the relative cost of products sold. It was higher in 2009, as compared to 2010. (ROSS, 2008) Earnings Per Share (EPS) EPS in 2010 = 7428778 / 7187400 = 1.03 AED EPS in 2009 = 8582733 / 7187400 = 1.19 AED EPS demonstrates the amount earned on each outstanding share of common stock in dirhams , but not the amount of earnings divided among its shareholders. It was better in 2009 as it was higher (AED 1.19). (ROSS, 2008) Return on Total Assets (ROA) = ROA in 2010 = 7428778 / 75607130 = 9.82 % ROA in 2009 = 8582733 / 71378596 = 12.02% R.O.A determines the profits made with available assets; also termed as Return on Investments (ROI). This ratio was better for the year 2009, as Etisalat made a profit of AED 12.02% on each asset investment in Dirhams. (ROSS, 2008) Return on Equity (ROE) = ROE in 2010 = 7428778 / 42565325 = 17.45% ROE in 2009 = 8582733 / 40389298 = 21.3 % It determines the return earned on common stockholders investment in Etisalat. Here, the stakeholders were better off in 2009 than in 2010, as the return on equity was 21.3%. (ROSS, 2008) Market Ratios Price Earnings (P/E) Ratio = P/E in 2010 = 9.983 / 1.03 = 9.69 P/E in 2009 = 10.95 / 1.19 = 9.20 P/E determines the amount that the investors are willing to pay for each dirham of the firms earnings. Hence, higher the rate, the better it is, which shows the confidence of investors in investing in Etisalat, which is better for the year 2010. (ROSS, 2008) Market/Book (M/B) Ratio M/B in 2010 = 9.983 / 4.95= 2.01 M/B in 2009 = 10.95 / 5.62 = 1.95 Market/book ratio in 2010 is higher for Etisalat, demonstrating better growth chances. (ROSS, 2008) DuPont system analysis DuPont system analysis = ROA = It will be equal to the answer we got from ROA †¦ (ROSS, 2008)

Sunday, December 22, 2019

How Curriculum Is Implemented All Within The California...

According to the glossary for Education Reform, the definition of curriculum is â€Å"the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program.† (S. Abbott (Ed.), 2014) This term, curriculum, can be as simple as a unit plan for a specific subject or as complex as district mandated lessons for an entire department. My focus will be on issues surrounding how curriculum is developed, how decisions are made on who teaches what, and how curriculum is implemented all within the California public school system. I believe the core mission of being a teacher is to deliver meaningful curriculum to our students which will allow them to successfully pass each grade level and become productive members of society. How do we, as†¦show more content†¦(Instructional Quality Commission - CalEdFacts) The California Department of Education (CDE) conducts focus groups with the goal of improving existing frameworks. The IQC then creates the Curriculum Framewor k and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFCC) where half the members must be classroom teachers. The CFCC meets in a forum open to the public. They then create a draft framework. The draft is made public for 60 days where anyone in the community that is interested can comment on it. After the 60 day period, the SBE holds a public hearing to formally adopt the framework. The criteria developed in the framework are used to select instructional materials for schools. (â€Å"Curriculum Frameworks Adoption Process – CalEdFacts†) From here districts choose how the curriculum is implemented in their schools. Throughout the history of education, many curriculum frameworks have followed the one-size-fits-all formula. This model makes schools more like a factory where students sit in class, listen to the teachers lecture, memorize and regurgitate facts, pass a test, and move on if they are able to fit into that mold. If they don’t they fail. We know, based on Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences that people learn and are intelligent in different ways so why would we think that teaching everyone the same thing at the same time in the same way would work? In the most current

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Education Essay Free Essays

Many issues that become about in a kid ‘s instruction bend into tough challenges for instructors, kids, and besides households. These issues fall under the class of â€Å" Children ‘s Oral Language Learning † and these issues are simply a trial to see merely how far instructors, kids and parents will travel to supply the critical instruction that a kid needs, and in the procedure, larning something new themselves each twenty-four hours. The subject and its issues that will be outlined and analysed that is related to kids ‘s unwritten linguistic communication acquisition is Second Language Learning. We will write a custom essay sample on Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Education Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Three issues that are associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition will be outlined, analysed and theorised. Following that will be the recommendations and suggestions for pedagogues of immature kids in respects to 2nd linguistic communication acquisition. The first issue that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is that kids who come from culturally and linguistically diverse ( CALD ) backgrounds may happen it hard to set in a new school and may experience left out and/or stray amongst other equals and instructors. As a consequence they may happen it nerve-racking to larn English and may show hurt or defeat in school. The 2nd issue associated with this subject is that parents who come from a CALD background may experience uncomfortable and unaware of what is traveling on in the school and with their kids ‘s acquisition because they are disadvantaged by being unable to talk or understand English. They may besides experience as if their demands and more significantly their kids ‘s demands are being neglected and non met due to their inability to talk English. The 3rd issue that is associated with this subject is that instructors should guarantee that during the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure that they maintain the kid ‘s first/home linguistic communication, guaranting that it does non go lost in the procedure. The first issue that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is that kids who come from a CALD background may hold trouble seting to a new school or in an environment that they are non comfy in, and holding to larn a 2nd linguistic communication can do it more nerve-racking for the kid. The key to larning a 2nd linguistic communication, particularly when it is a kid that is larning the 2nd linguistic communication, is to take it one measure at a clip. Rushing the kid through the procedure will merely do it more nerve-racking for both the kid and the pedagogue. The kid may meet feelings of defeat and hurt, hence doing it harder for the kid to set to the school ‘s environment and besides to acquire along with other equals. Educators should besides maintain in head that marginalizing and/or pretermiting CALD kids should n’t take topographic point in the schoolroom. CALD kids could perchance meet similar experiences from schoolmates, such as negative behavior and attitudes including racism. Everyone has their ain sentiments and some may experience stronger about peculiar issues so others. ( Newman A ; Pollnitz, 2005 ) . The ground as to why everyone has different beliefs and sentiments is due to their upbringing, that is, what their parents believed and taught them, their environmental milieus and the people in their community holding certain beliefs and ethical motives, hence impacting others. Whether their sentiments and ethical motives are right or incorrect, it has become a portion of who they are. Nevertheless, when people express their feelings towards certain issues, they seldom take into history how another person may experience about the remarks and sentiments put frontward ( Preston 1996 ) . This can be farther supported by Rizvi ( 1993 ) who mentions that as kids grow older they progressively seek to turn up themselves within contradictory discourses of popular racism. Contradictory discourses of popular racism can besides act upon a individual ‘s subjectiveness and where they place themselves in society, which can so hold a negative impact on CALD kids and their households as they may experience vulnerable and inferior because of how others may comprehend them. Furthermore, kids who do n’t come from a CALD background could individual out, or marginalise kids who are from a CALD background, hence doing them experience neglected and isolated, and even insignificant in the schoolroom, therefore doing the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure more hard for both kid and instructor. To assist with this issue, pedagogues are recommended or suggested to guarantee that all kids are included in category treatments, acquiring them involved in group activities and besides edifice and keeping a good and collaborated relationship between the pedagogues and kids, and besides between the kids from CALD and non-CALD backgrounds. This could include holding CALD kids bring in different resources from place such as books in their ain linguistic communication and so holding groups of kids write or draw their ain reading of the book so discoursing it as a whole about what they have written or drawn. Another illustration to assist kids experience more included and to work collaboratively with other kids is to integrate engineering into the kids ‘s acquisition. Technology such as educational computing machine games can successfully heighten a kid ‘s relationship with other kids and more significantly their literacy accomplishments. This can be supported by Resnyanicsy ( 2001 ) who notes that the new agencies of literacy through engineering opens up new acquisition chances Furthermore, when working closely with kids, households, communities and staff, it is important that early childhood pedagogues recognise the differing values and belief systems that people have in the universe. Furthermore, it is of import to guarantee that people are cognizant of how they perceive difference. It is unjust to consciously or unconsciously exclude and marginalise others based on discourses that place persons in a negative manner The 2nd issue that is associated with this subject is that parents from a CALD background may see feelings of hurt and defeat for their kid ‘s acquisition and may experience as though their kids ‘s demands are n’t being met. They may besides experience as though their demands are being neglected and may experience that they and their kids are disadvantaged in some manner due to their inability to talk a 2nd linguistic communication. This can be supported by district attorney Silva and Wise ( 2006 ) who note that parents ‘ perceptual experiences towards quality attention in a school environment depend on the footing of their cognition towards quality attention and kid development. What parents delineate as quality attention depends on what they believe the household needs ( district attorney Silva A ; Wise, 2006, who cite Emlen, Koren A ; Schultze, 1999 ) , and besides due to their cultural upbringings, values and rules ( district attorney Silva A ; Wise, 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Siddiqi et Al ( 2006 ) , the household environment as a domain of influence is an of import facet for kids. Children ‘s development is influenced by their household environment. For this ground household engagement is important to assist kids experience secure, loved and supported, furthermore can be seen as a measure in the right way for inclusion in the early childhood scene. Recommendations for pedagogues who are involved in the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure in respects to this issue could include constructing collaborative relationships with households who come from a CALD background. Building and keeping collaborative relationships with CALD parents can turn out to an effectual and worthwhile experience, therefore doing the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure easier for the kid and instructor. This can be supported by Billman et Al ( 2005 ) and Tett et Al ( 2003 ) who note that constructing collaborative and effectual partnerships amongst stakeholders, peculiarly instructors and parents, can turn out to be a worthwhile and efficient relationship between the two groups. For illustration, Billman et Al ( 2005 ) notes that what kids learn in the school environment, will trip on-going conversations with their parents at place. This of class can heighten the kid ‘s 2nd linguistic communication acquisition, every bit good as the partnership between the parents and the staff. This could include instructors holding afternoon tea with the parents, to do them experience more comfy, as an afternoon tea can be less of a formal meeting so that the parents do n’t experience tense or awkward in that state of affairs. To let them to go cognizant of the regard and recognition that pedagogues have towards cultural diverseness, instructors could inquire parents to come in and convey in different resources from their background and to demo them to the kids and so leting the kids to research the different resources. Having regular afternoon teas, even if it is one time a month, is important so that pedagogues get to maintain the parents involved in their kid ‘s acquisition, and to do them experience and understand that they are a valuable resource in their kid ‘s acquisition. Another recommendation could be for pedagogues to propose to parents where they could happen topographic points where they can larn English or another 2nd linguistic communication and where they can happen resources in the community to assist them with the whole procedure. Having a multicultural twenty-four hours at the school or other cultural events could besides be another recommendation for pedagogues. This could assist parents experience and understand that their civilization is valued and respected in the school community. Besides in the procedure kids get to larn about the different civilizations of the universe and parents could convey in their cultural nutrients and music to tum it into an eventful twenty-four hours. Parents and pedagogues, from both positions, have identified in the past and at present clip that some instructors have been respectful or cognizant of other civilizations in the school, even more so than others. They normally tend to admit this factor and recognise and raise consciousness towards an issue or concern towards any cultural difference ( district attorney Silva A ; Wise, 2006 ; Pacini-Ketchabaw A ; Schecter, 2002 ) . Furthermore, when kids become cognizant of the constructive relationship between their parents and their instructors, so it is likely for the kid to organize a stronger bond with their instructors ( Billman et al, 2005, who cite Elicker A ; Fortner-Wood, 1995 ) . The 3rd subject that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is guaranting that when larning a 2nd linguistic communication, that instructors maintain the place linguistic communication in the school environment, so that it does non go lost or forgotten. It can go rather easy to ignore or bury the kid ‘s first/home linguistic communication, so it is imperative that instructors and kids become cognizant of this factor and guarantee that they do everything that they can to maintain the place linguistic communication acknowledged and remembered ( Makin A ; Jones Diaz, 2002 ) . By keeping the kid ‘s place linguistic communication, instructors are turn outing that they are admiting and esteeming other diversenesss in the schoolroom. This can be supported by Pacini-Ketchabaw A ; Schecter ( 2002 ) who note that Teachers ‘ engagements in a kid ‘s lingual and diverse background prove that they value the civilization and are committed to the kid ‘s learning procedure. Furthermore, cultural diverseness can be seen as the chief nexus between the place and the school, every bit good as the stakeholders, that being the parents, the instructors and the community ( Pacini-Ketchabaw and Schecter, 2002 ) This can be fbrther supported by Newman A ; Pollnitz, ( 2005 ) who believe that â€Å" Culture is seen to compromise the manner people live- their linguistic communication, music, history, art, values and beliefs † ( p.254 ) . Therefore it is of import to include kids ‘s place languages into the school scenes to guarantee they feel valued and self worthy, this will assist observe diverseness in a positive mode. Recommendations for pedagogues for this issue could be affecting parents in their kid ‘s acquisition, as mentioned in the 2nd issue. Besides, similar to the first issue ‘s reconmendations, kids and parents could convey in different resources such as books and images from their cultural background, to heighten the collaborative relationship between the pedagogues and the parents, and besides between the kids and pedagogues, and to a fbrther extent, kids ‘s relationships with their schoolmates. Not merely does this heighten the relationships between the stakeholders, but by conveying in different resources from assorted cultural backgrounds, kids ‘s literacy skills become enhanced in the procedure ( Barratt-Pugh et Al, 2003 ) . Educators should be cognizant that a kid ‘s apprehension of literacy starts in the place. This can be supported by Jones Diaz ( 2007 ) who province that â€Å" Young kids ‘s apprehensions about literacy develop within their sociocultural and lingual communities † . ( p7 ) . Educators can integrate more than one linguistic communication pattern to guarantee kids are acquiring the best possible experience. Children and households will more likely feel that their involvements are valued and worthy. This can farther be supported by Marsh ( 2002 ) who says that kids who come from a CALD background have high opportunities of heightening their literacy accomplishments in the school environment. For illustration, instructors are able to integrate chances into the school, in this instance, heightening a non-English speech production pupil ‘s literacy accomplishments. Overall, cultural diverseness in the place, in the school and in the broader society is an facet of every individual ‘s life that must be valued, treated severally and every bit and must non be disregarded by persons, particularly by pedagogues of kids. Educators should besides be unfastened to new instruction facets, particularly when it is in respects to doing a kid feel included and besides when it involves heightening a kid ‘s literacy accomplishments. As literacy is everlastingly changing, so is the manner that instructors teach and kids learn ( Makin A ; Jones Diaz, 2002 ) . As mentioned antecedently, engineering can be seen to be a successful tool to integrate into the kid ‘s acquisition when it comes to heightening their literacy accomplishments. However, many instructors will prefer to lodge with their original instruction ways, ways in which they are familiar and comfy with. Nevertheless, Cunningham-Andersen A ; Andersson ( 1999 ) note that instructors should seek and avoid their ain single rules parallel to their instruction moralss to supply an instruction for kids that will heighten important and good developmental accomplishments in the kid ‘s acquisition. How to cite Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Education Essay, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Antigone Vs. Roman Woman Essay Example For Students

Antigone Vs. Roman Woman Essay Antigone v. The Roman WomenIn the play, Antigone and Creon battle a philosophical war dealing with the controversy of the Greek ideals. They both based their actions on their beliefs of what is right and wrong. The whole problem arises when their believes and ideas encountered each other, making it contradiction between morals. Antigones side of the conflict held a much more heavenly approach, as opposed to the mundane road that Creon chose to follow. Antigone feels that Creon is disregarding the laws of heaven through his act. After she is captured and brought to Creon, she tells him I do not think your edicts strong enough to overrule the unwritten unalterable laws of God and heaven, you being only a man. Antigones opinion is one that supports the Gods and the laws of heaven. Her reasoning is set by her belief that if someone is not given a proper burial, that person would not be accepted into heaven. Antigone was a very religious person, and acceptance of her brother by the Gods was very important to her. She felt that It is against you and me he has made this order. Yes, against me. Creons order was personal to Antigone. His edict invaded her family life as well as the Gods. In Antigones eyes, Creon betrayed the Gods by not allowing her to properly bury her brother, Polynices. She believed that the burial was a religious ceremony, and Creon did not have the power to deny Polynices that right. Antigones strong beliefs eventually led her to her death by the hand of Creon. Never, though, did she stop defending what she thought was right. As Creon ordered her to her death, Antigone exclaimed, I go, his prisoner, because I honored those things in which honor truly belongs. She is directly humiliating Creon by calling his opinions and decisions weak and unjust. She also emphasizes his prisoner, which tells us that Creons decision to capture Antigone was his own, and was not backed up by the majority of the people. She feels that Creon is abusing his power as king and dealing with her task to a personal level. Creons actions are guided by the ideal that states, Man is the measure of all things. The chorus emphasizes this point. Creon believes that the good of man comes before the gods. Setting the example using Polynices body left unburied is a symbol of Creons belief. No man who is his countrys enemy shall call himself my friend. This quote shows that leaving the body unburied is done to show respect for Thebes. After all, how could the ruler of a city-state honor a man who attempted to invade and conquer his city? From that perspective, Creons actions are completely just and supported by the ideals. Though most of Creons reasonings match with the Greek ideals, the people questioned his action on this point. First, Antigone was his prisoner, not necessarily the publics. In fact, the general population supported Antigone, though they were too scared to say anything. Haemon, the son of Creon, knew of this, and told Creon, Has she not rather earned a crown of gold? Such is the secret talk of the town. This proves that Creon was exercising complete domination of political power, which is strictly forbidden in the new ideals. Also, not allowing Antigone perform her religious ceremony of burying her brother is interfering with religious affairs. This denies Antigone freedom of religion. The contradictions between the beliefs of Creon and Antigone are strong throughout the play. Both have well-structured arguments, but neither completely dominates the other. .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd , .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .postImageUrl , .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd , .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd:hover , .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd:visited , .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd:active { border:0!important; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd:active , .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5a486645507b8b8ceaf9ebb2d23083bd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Gender Issues Essay Contest Some people still question who the real hero is in the play. Antigone is motivated by her strong religious feelings while Creon is out to make good for his city-state. The chorus opinion is the determining factor, as in the end, they convince Creon to set Antigone free. Creon had to weigh each factor carefully, and in the end, he had to decide between ideals.This shows that the Greeks allowed their women or at least those in high position have the ability to speak on legal matters or to make their thoughts known which is

Friday, November 29, 2019

Against Feminism essays

Against Feminism essays The other day I saw a very pregnant woman stand for close to an hour on a very crowded train. Not one person offered her a seat. And I thought - Is this what women are trying to achieve? If this is the equality we ¡Ã‚ ¯re looking for, then we better put on spacesuits,  ¡cause the road to hell is going to be flaming and quick. I am a female. Of course I am supportive of the women ¡Ã‚ ¯s rights and gender equality. What I despise is being labeled or considered a part of some gender group. The word  ¡Ã‚ °feminist ¡ annoys me. I ¡Ã‚ ¯m a woman. Enough said. I know many women are going to hate me for saying this, but I see feminism as a lame excuse, and I believe this issue is backfiring. There ¡Ã‚ ¯s nothing wrong with trying to accomplish equality, respect and independence. But first of all, it is bizarre to try and prove that men and women are one and the same. Secondly, why are we trying to draw ourselves as such victims and men as such monsters? I strongly believe that you ¡Ã‚ ¯re only a victim if you allow yourself to be. And thirdly, something ¡Ã‚ ¯s given to us women by nature that men just don ¡Ã‚ ¯t possess. That is, to be a wife, and a mother - why deny it? What ¡Ã‚ ¯s wrong with having a man take care of a woman if that ¡Ã‚ ¯s what she wants? How is that oppression? How is tha t inequality? I DO expect a man to open a door in front of me. I expect a man to pay for my dinner if it was he who asked me out in the first place. And it ¡Ã‚ ¯s pretty obvious that most feminists do hate men. The right wing of feminism makes me sick. Sure there are men out there that rape and hurt, but what about the women? Karla Tucker? But of course they argue that women are victims of men and that men deserve what they get. Well, I refuse to be a victim to anyone. I can stand on my own two feet, and I refuse to let anyone man or woman be supreme over my body or feelings. Those who say they are victims let themselves be the victim, and I feel nothing but p...

Monday, November 25, 2019

Hoffmann Surname Meaning and Family History

Hoffmann Surname Meaning and Family History The Hoffmann surname originated as a nickname for a farmer who owned his land rather than rented, from the Middle High German Hofman, meaning person working on a farm. The name eventually came to denote a steward (manager) of a manor farm; as such, it was widespread throughout central and eastern Europe, in both German and non-German-speaking countries. Hoffmann is the 10th most common German surname. Surname Origin: German, Jewish Alternate Surname Spellings:  HOFMAN, HOFMANN, HOFFMAN, HOFMANS, HUFFMAN, HUFFMANN, GOFMAN, HAUFFMAN, HOUGHMAN, HUFMAN Famous People with the HOFFMANN  Surname Dustin Hoffman  - Oscar-winning actorAbbie Hoffman  - American political activist; founder of  the Youth International PartyPhilip Seymour Hoffman  - American actor and directorGaby Hoffmann - American film and television actressErnst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann  (E. T. A. Hoffmann) - German Romantic author of fantasy and horrorAlbert Hofmann - Swiss scientist; best known for his discovery of LSDRoald Hoffmann - American theoretical Nobel Prize-winning  chemistFelix Hoffmann - German chemist best-known for inventing aspirin Where is the HOFFMANN Surname Most Common? According to surname distribution from Forebears, the Hoffmann surname is most prevalent in Germany, where it ranks as the 7th most common surname in the nation, but is used by a greater percentage of the population in Luxembourg, where it is the 3rd most common surname. It is also fairly common in Austria (74th), Denmark (116th) and Switzerland (150th). The Hoffman spelling, on the other hand, is most prevalent in the United States, although this spelling is not always derived from the German Hoffmann. According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, Hoffmann is found most frequently in southwest Germany, especially the states of Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz, followed by the northeast German states of Brandenburg and Sachsen-Anhalt. The Hofmann spelling of this surname is also found primarily in Germany, but  in the states of Sachsen, Hessen, Bayern and Thuringen, followed by Zurich, Switzerland. Genealogy Resources for the Surname HOFFMANN Meanings of Common German SurnamesUncover the meaning of your German last name with this free guide to the meanings and origins of common German surnames. Hoffmann  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Hoffmann  family crest or coat of arms for the Hoffmann surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. DistantCousin.com - HOFFMANN  Genealogy Family HistoryExplore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Hoffmann. The Hoffmann  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Hoffmann  surname from the website of Genealogy Today. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997 https://www.thoughtco.com/surname-meanings-and-origins-s2-1422408

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Bermuda Triangle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bermuda Triangle - Essay Example However, it was found later that many of the strange accidents were not so strange after all. Well Known Incidents Of Disappearances The mystery of the triangle probably took hold with the first publicized disappearance in 1945 when 5 Navy Avengers disappeared in the area. The myth gained momentum after reporter E.V.W. Jones compiled a list of â€Å"mysterious disappearances† of ships and planes between the Florida coast and Bermuda. As more incidents occurred, the reputation grew and past events were reanalyzed and added to the legend. In 1964, "Argosy Magazine" gave the triangle its name in an article titled "The Deadly Bermuda Triangle" by Vincent Gaddis. (Obringer â€Å"How the Bermuda Triangle Works†) List of some well known disappearances include: The U.S.S. Cyclops 1918 - The Cyclops was scheduled to sail to Brazil to refuel British ships in the south Atlantic. After setting out from Rio de Janeiro and a brief stop in Barbados the ship and its crew with 306 passe ngers were never heard of and gone without a trace. U.S Navy Avengers Flight 19, 1945 - 5 Navy Avengers in 1945 disappeared in Bermuda Triangle during a routine patrol. The cause of the disappearance was originally â€Å" pilot error†, but family members of the pilot leading the mission couldn’t accept that he had made such a mistake. ... (Obringer â€Å"How the Bermuda Triangle Works†) Myths on Bermuda Triangle UFOs, mystical rays from the sun to the lost Continent of Atlantis, giant sea monsters and supernatural beings are linked to the mysterious disappearances in the triangle. Other theories include the theory of Electronic Fog, Compass Variation theory. As per the electronic fog theory, there is sudden appearance of dense fog. Ships and aircraft get engulfed in some kind of electronic fog and the fog keeps moving along with the ship or the plane.   Eventually, all the electronic equipment and other instruments start malfunctioning and ships and airplanes either disintegrate or disappear without a trace. So far, all such incidents of electronic fog have been described as supernatural phenomena.  This is despite the fact that some of the real SOS calls quoting the strange fog, actually came from veteran and experienced pilots or coast guards. Due to lack of any scientific explanations, these have been tr eated as unreal tales.   The theory of compass variation was generated by the US coast guard to justify ships and planes getting lost in bermuda triangle (Bermuda-attractions.com). Normally a compass points toward magnetic north and not true geographic north. The difference between the two is known as compass variation. The amount of variation changes by as much as 20 degrees as one circumnavigates the earth. Every navigator factors in the compass variation while creating the navigation charts. Otherwise, even with a 1 degree difference, the ship or the plane can end up miles away from its target when it traverses a long distance. In bermuda triangle, the magnetic

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Hitler's non-traditional weapons of Wold War 2. I.E. other than Guns, Term Paper

Hitler's non-traditional weapons of Wold War 2. I.E. other than Guns, Planes, Tanks, Bombs, Gas and rockets - Term Paper Example Most of these were conventional weapons although some were an exaggerated show of might while others were discovered accidentally such as certain nerve gas weapons that had potential to be extremely damaging but never saw use in the war. Others still proved very effective in achieving set objectives of destruction and advancing the war in Germany’s favor. However, it was none of these conventional weapons that caused the most devastation. It was neither of them that made Hitler so feared and loathed in an equal measure. The non-traditional weapons gave Hitler an iron grip on those working under him during his reign (Welsch, 1998). Hitler was a master at using terror to intimidate as well as garner admiration from his followers. On more than one occasion he overruled and even had killed those he viewed as being disloyal to him or being incompetent for tasks assigned. For instance, during the advance of soviet troops toward Berlin, Goring, who tried to assume leadership from Hitler who was besieged in Berlin was ordered arrested and was removed from all positions in government. During the same period, Himmler was trying to negotiate terms of surrender with forces allied to the west. When Hitler discovered this, he had him arrested and had his representative Fegelein shot (Bullock, 1962). Hitlers promise of a more united and integrated society earned his admiration from his followers, but the reality was that he brokered deals with whomever he felt necessary to achieve his goals. Hitler got political mileage from the fact that he disregarded prior treaties and brokered deals that prevented him from achieving his goals (Welsch, 1998). Despite promising a united nation, he felt that other ethnic groups within Germany were enemies and were a stain on a potentially pure German race. His anti-Semitic views fuelled his policies and his hatred for the Jews led to one of World history’s worst mass killing acts to date;

Monday, November 18, 2019

Assembly of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assembly of God - Essay Example atement of Fundamental Truths (SFT) defines the 16 basic components for AG ritual, which mostly include the two biblical ordinances of baptism and Holy Communion (Poloma, 2013). However, they do not baptize infants and regard baptism by water as public declaration of ones commitment to Christ. Notably, the AG believes in the Holy Trinity, which relates to only One True God revealed in three persons that include the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Believers give their tithes and offerings that pay church bills (The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 2014). The doctrine of salvation in AG follows the teachings of Jacob Arminius that reckons that believers can fall from grace if they fail to repent their sins. The AG has unique Pentecostal beliefs where it follows a fundamentalist approach to the Bible. Notably, the AG concentrates on evangelism and missions, and faith healing crusades in practicing their religion. Worship in the AG adopts music as a major component practiced before, during and even after the service (The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 2014). The music has different accompaniments that inspire singing during the service. The music may include traditional hymns, hand-clapping gospel songs, contemporary compositions, or reverent worshipful choruses for congregational and special ministries (The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 2014). Subject to the congregational nature of the Assemblies of God, there is no formal liturgy, and most church bulletins do not include details about the order of service (Pol oma, 2013). However, most Sunday services follow a familiar routine that starts with a congregational hymn followed by worship session, prayer session, and the sermon (Poloma, 2013). The history of the Assemblies of God dates back to 1914 when a group of Evangelicals from the Pentecostal movement started the denomination (Gotquestions.org, 2014). The initial purpose of forming the AG was to foster unity and doctrinal

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Role of a Smooth Economy

Role of a Smooth Economy In an economy, in order for a country to have balance it must have stability and growth to become successful and function properly. The economy is very important, as it is as defined as the wealth and resources of a country or region. A strong economy brings wealth and stability to consumers, borrowers, purchasers, savers, and lenders. We also need a balanced financial system that runs smoothly to go along with a strong economy. One might ask what is the financial system? It is a network of markets and institutions that bring together households, businesses, and governments. When the financial system begins to struggle or becomes unstable everyone is affected. Chaos is an inevitable result when the financial system is not stable and we face the possibility of recessions. The financial system helps the economy keep a healthy status but lack of control and other factors such as corruption, greed, and too much debt have kept it from functioning properly. Financial systems provide great services such as data on risk sharing, liquidity and information. The risk in finance are high because many of the times we are dealing with uncertainty as it is difficult to determine how well organizations may do. The services that the financial system provides is the fact that it allows risk sharing and this helps spread and transfer risk. The transferring of risk is a good thing because it ensures not just one entity is affected when a great loss occurs. Risk sharing is a great feature the financial system provides and â€Å"it allows savers to hold many assets† (Hubbard, O’Brien, 2012 pg 13). The second service the system provides is liquidity. Savers and borrowers are provided with ease that an asset can be exchanged for money. Lastly we know that the financial system provides information and when dealing with money it is important that everyone involved is well informed on the loss or risk that one faces. The services the financial system provides are essential to the functioning relationship between everyone involved and are a great benefit that citizens receive. It has been demonstrated that when these things are not watched and monitored financial crisis happen. Countries with severe poverty have a weak financial system in place. In order for everything to run smoothly positive relationships much exist. Banks must have loans in order to collect interest rates to keep running and consumers must be well informed and protect themselves from abuse and fraud. It is all a revolving relationship where everyone involved benefits in some way and in order for it to continue, the parties involved must remain courtesy and no abuse of one another. Countries such as Mexico and Greece are an example of just what a bad economy looks like. Greece is currently facing a difficult situation as they have major debit issues and banks are running out of solutions. In the United States as we all know, we have been forced to face financial crisis in the past with the Great Depression and the Great Recession of 2007. In both situations the country faced unemployment and a rise in poverty that at times seemed difficult to overcome. In The Recession of 2007, the financial system was unstable and banks struggled to conduct business as necessary but did not have bank failure as in the 1930’s. Liquidity and funding was a problem that was a major key role in both time recessions. Although the economic decline was not as severe in 2007 as in 1930 the country was very much hurting. We must note both crises were preceded by innovations in consumer finance in the 1930s we saw installment on consumer credit and in the 2000’s banks ramped up lending in regards to real estate and securitization of mortgages. (Geewax, npr.org). The biggest difference of course is that the Great Depression lasted approximately 43 months oppose to the Great Recessi on that lasted 18 months. A big difference noted between the two crises was the United States response; in The Great Depression they raised taxes and cut spending and in 2007, they issued a Federal stimulus plan that gave fiscal relief to states to lessen the impact if tax increases. Both of these hard times displayed what a lack of financial stability looks like and just how far debt can take the country. Inflation and bad planning leads the countries to suffer banks have a hard time climbing out of the debt. Improper lending and borrowing really created a problem that occurred in 2007 and many did not thing the United States would recover. The Federal Reserve is a large bank that lends the United States money and throughout history they have obtained more and more control. Although many argue whether or not they should exist or have power the reality is they have much control over the financial markets as they play a major role in regards to money or U.S. currency. In 2008 the SAFE Act was established as a precaution to stop some issues from occurring. The SAFE Act put into effect the federal registration requirements that an individual that is acting as a residential mortgage loan originator and is employed with an company that is regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Thrift Supervision, National Credit Union Administration, or the Farm Credit Administration. (Federalreserve.gov). They also developed the Troubled Asset Relief Program in which the government attempted to address and improve the s ubprime mortgage crisis, the program for the most part ended in 2014. They also implemented the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (treasury.gov). The housing market needed a lot of improvement after the crisis that was faced. In the current years it has become more difficult to purchase a home than before as requirements set in place are attempting to stop people from buying homes they simply cannot afford. Changes such as robust supervision and regulation of financial organizations are also among implementations for improvement. Among all of the supervision changes, we also witnessed new employment roles in the Federal Reserve in charge of supervising firms that could be a threat to financial stability. They established changes so that consumers would not be subject to financial abuse in hopes of winning back the trust of Americans across the country that lost faith in the government. Other changes were also implemented and I believe it was all in efforts to avoid the crisis from repeating itself. Many consider the changes the government made to be too much, but with what we have seen happen in past years these changes were very much needed. In conclusion, the financial system is complex and has many implications when things are not running smoothly. Factors such as loans and interest rates are what keep things flowing and when something is off balance everyone feels it one way or another. History shows us what happens when things are not ran smoothly and control is lost to inflation and greed. All of the parts that make up the financial system are important, as we must have risk, liquidity, and information to function. It is important that we have supervision in place and that risk is always assessed when dealing with borrowers and savers. The government continues to attempt to keep things running smoothly so that history does not repeat itself and money does not lose value, now how long this will last is unclear. References Financial Regulatory Reform. (n.d.). Retrieved June 29, 2015. Geewax, M. (2012, July 11). Did The Great Recession Bring Back The 1930s? Retrieved June 29, 2015. Hubbard, R., Brien, A. (n.d.). Key Components of the Financial System. In Money, banking, and the financial system (Second ed., p. 13). Pearson. Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) Information. (2013, August 2). Retrieved June 29, 2015.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Organic Biofumigants Essay -- Agriculture Biology Farming Farm Essays

Organic Biofumigants In recent years, production of many crops has become inhibited by taking several herbicides and pesticides off the market. If a producer wishes to be in organic production, this is even further inhibited by products useable to stay within organic guidelines. Biofumigants are basically any product used to control pests and competing weed species within a crop. This has become a hurdle for many producers due to labeling issues as well as the desire to keep the crops and their land feasible for â€Å"organic† production. There has been a great deal of research and discoveries pertaining to alternative methods of controlling the crop inhibitors (weeds and pests) in a more organic matter. Organic biofumigants have become one of the most feasible options for carrying out this daunting task. A big problem that today’s producers face is the control of nematode populations. Certain crop rotation systems may greatly increase the control a producer has over these problems. There are several crops that can be implemented into a rotation that can perform several tasks including: bio-fuel production and the control of pests and weeds organically. According to Klein et al. (2006), glucosinolates are natural products that when degraded in a soil can have profound impacts on the defense of insects and fungi invading a crop. Many of the crops that contain glucosinolates are in the Brassicaceae family. One of the most popular cover crops for the purpose of releasing glucosinolates is mustard and its different varieties. Mustard can be planted as a cover crop before several different crops. The crops that we found to benefit the most from this type of system were tap-root crops such as potatoes and sugar beets. ... ... Mohammad , Akhtar, Abdul Malik. "Roles of organic soil amendments and soil organisms in the biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes: a review ." Bioresource Technology Volume 74. Issue 1.August 2000 Pages 35-47 . 03/27/07 5&_user=2532480&_coverDate=08%2F31% 2F2000&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000057783&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2532480&md5=0f8465d8d83ce62f9ccf3fa585e54c76>. Zasada, I.A. and Ferris, H.. "Nematode suppression with brassicaceous amendments: application." Department of Nematology, University of California 18 February 2003 3/27/07 . Wilson, D. â€Å"Lecture: Mutualism.† Given 28 March 2007. University of Wyoming Department of Agriculture.

Monday, November 11, 2019

5 Things All Students Worry About

Let’s face it – being a student can be stressful at times. We know that you might be having the time of your life meeting new people and learning new things, but there are some fundamental concerns that most students face at some time during their university careers. Here are our top 5 concerns that students can face, and what you can do to alleviate them. 1. ‘I can’t afford being a student’ All student’s worry about money. The fact is, when you are studying pretty much 24-7 without a regular income, then finances can get a bit tight; after all your student loan will only go so far! Picking up some part-time work can be a great way to alleviate this stress, so why not check if any bars, shops or even your Student Union have any vacancies. You can also make ?50 easily by referring a friend to our site – Click here for more information. 2. ‘I’m falling behind on my course’ Sometimes your course can seem quite daunting, but that’s to be expected – you are being introduced to a lot of new ideas and a higher level of study. For many this can feel overwhelming and a lot of students stop attending lectures as a result. If you feel that you are struggling to keep up with your course, why not speak to your lecturer who will have helped others in a similar situation as you lots of times before.3. ‘I haven’t revised enough!’ This worry usually comes about when students see how much revision their friends are doing; but the fact of the matter is that everyone revises differently and just because your roommate has temporarily moved into the library doesn’t mean you should start to panic. The best way to reassure yourself that you are doing enough revision is to draw up a revision plan, clearly write out the key topic areas that you need to go over and make a plan to tackle each subject area bit-by-bit. Check out our guide to Essential Revision Tips. 4. ‘I feel so far away from my home and family’ Whether you are an international student, or have moved to another city – It’s very common for students to feel homesick and a little bit isolated when in an unfamiliar environment. The best remedy for this is to go out and embrace what the new location has to offer– explore the area and local clubs, get involved with the student union actives or sports club. Before you know it, not only will you have new friends, but also a familiarity with the city so that it will feel just like a second home. Check out our guide for International Students. 5. ‘I want the best marks – but I don’t even know what a top class essay looks like!’ This is a tricky one – many lecturers will hand out example essays for you to look at but rarely identify what it is that defines a top-quality essay, or the key things the examiners are looking out for. Even if they do, the essay might not be entirely relevant to your argument. This is a worry that our site can alleviate – we can provide you with top-quality essay guides and resources that are 100% tailored to fit your needs, and that you won’t find anywhere else. Fact. Click here to find out more.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Definition and Examples of Doublets in English

Definition and Examples of Doublets in English In English grammar and morphology, doublets are two distinct words derived from the same source but by different routes of transmission, such as poison and potion (both from the Latin potio, a drink). Also known as  lexical doublets and  etymological twins.  When the two words are used together in a phrase  they are called  coupled synonyms or  binomial expressions. Three words of this kind are called triplets: e.g., place, plaza, and piazza (all from the Latin platea, a broad street). Examples and Observations English has many doublets from Latin sources. Usually, the earlier word came from Norman French and the later one came from central French . . . or directly from Latin. Occasionally we have three words, or a triplet, from the same source, as in cattle (from Norman French), chattel (from central French), and capital, all derived from the Latin capitalis, meaning of the head. Another example is hostel (from Old French), hospital (from Latin), and hotel (from modern French), all derived from the Latin hospitale.  Ã‚   (Katherine Barber, Six Words You Never Knew Had Something to Do With Pigs. Penguin, 2007)It is no coincidence that the basic meaning of adamant was diamond. The word diamond is a doublet of adamant, the two words having come ultimately from the same Greek source, adamantos.The present-day adjective, meaning unyielding, inflexible, usually in the phrase to be adamant, is first recorded in the 1930s. It was apparently an extended use of such earlier phrases as an adamant h eart (1677), meaning a heart of stone and adamant walls (1878) stone walls.  (Sol Steinmetz, Semantic Antics. Random House, 2008) Cadet, Caddie, Cad In Medieval Gascon French, a capdet was a little chief, little head, from the Late Latin capitellus, a diminutive form of Latin caput head. The term was originally applied specifically to a younger son of a nobleman, serving as a military officer at the French court, . . .. The term passed into Standard French in this Gascon sense, but later was generalized to mean younger (son, brother).In the 17th century, French cadet passed into English, which reworked the French meanings and, in the process, created the doublet form caddie. During the 17th and 18th centuries cadet was used to mean junior military officer, while caddie meant military trainee. The 18th century also saw the creation of the abbreviated form cad, which seems to have had a variety of senses, all of them suggesting assistant status: assistant to a coach-driver, wagoners helper, bricklayers mate, and the like.(L. G. Heller et al., The Private Lives of English Words. Taylor, 1984) Differences in Meaning and Form Doublets vary in closeness of meaning as well as form: guarantee/warranty are fairly close in form and have almost the same meaning; abbreviate/abridge are distant in form but close in meaning (though they serve distinct ends); costume/custom are fairly close in form but distant in meaning, but both relate to human activities; ditto/dictum share only di and t and a common reference to language; entire/integer are so far apart that their shared origin is of antiquarian interest only. (Tom McArthur, The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 1992) Doublets in Legal Language [David] Mellinkoff (1963: 121-2) indicates that many . . . legal terms appear in companythey are routinely used in sequences of two or three (doublets are also known as binomial expressions and binomials). . . . Everyday words can be transformed into legal formulae in this way. Melinkoff also points out that many doublets and triplets combine words of Old English/Germanic (OE), Latin and Norman French origins. Examples of doublets of sound mind (OE) and memory (L)give (OE) devise (F) and bequeath (OE)will (OE) and testament (F/L)goods (OE) and chattles (F)final (F) and conclusive (L)fit (OE) and proper (F)new (OE) and novel (F)save (F) and except (L)peace (F) and quiet (L)These expressions are mostly centuries old, and some date from a time when it was advisable to use words of various origins either to increase intelligibility for people from different language backgrounds, or more probably it was intended to encompass previous legal usage or legal documents from both early English and Norman French.  (John Gibbon, Forensic Linguistics: An Introduction to Language in the Justice System. Blackwell, 2003)The non-exhaustive lists below present a selection of doublets and triplets still commonly found in legal documents:Doublets:aid and abet, all and sundry, attached and annexed, ask and to answer, deem and consider, each and all, fit and proper, have and hold, legal and valid, true and correct, totally null a nd void, peace and quiet, son and heir, terms and conditions, last will and testamentTriplets:cancel, annul, and set aside / ordered, adjudged, and decreed / signed, sealed, and delivered(Mia Ingels,  Legal English Communication Skills. Acco, 2006) Morphological Doublets [M]orphological doublets (rival forms) . . . are pairs of synonymous complex words which share the same base but involve distinct formatives, e.g. two different affixes (cf., for instance, the existence of attested doublets in -ness and -ity: prescriptiveness/prescriptivity, etc.). One may predict that this sort of formal fluctuation is not likely to persist for a long time; usually, one of the rival forms eventually takes over and becomes established (thus strengthening the derivational pattern it represents) while the other variant sinks into oblivion (or they acquire specialized meanings, as in historic / historical, economic / economical). (Bogdan Szymanek, The Latest Trends in English Word-Formation. Handbook of Word-Formation, ed. by Pavol Ã…  tekauer and Rochelle Lieber. Springer, 2005) Pronunciation: DUB-lit EtymologyFrom Latin duplus, two-fold

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

35 Troublesome Irregular Verbs

35 Troublesome Irregular Verbs 35 Troublesome Irregular Verbs 35 Troublesome Irregular Verbs By Mark Nichol In English, many verbs adapt simply to the past tense with the attachment of either -d or -ed, as in walk/walked or brake/braked. These are called regular verbs. Many other verbs, however, undergo more significant alterations to transform from references to present-tense actions to those representing actions performed in the past. Such words are called irregular verbs. The simple past, the tense form that describes what has previously occurred, is fairly straightforward once one assimilates the forms for each irregular verb. But complications set in when the past participle a verb assisted by an auxiliary verb, or a past-tense form of the verb to be is employed. Some past-participle forms are easily distinguished from their simple-past counterparts, as in the case of ate/eaten, for example, or saw/seen (â€Å"I ate already†/â€Å"I had eaten already†; â€Å"We saw the movie†/â€Å"We had seen the movie†). Others, however, often literally give writers pause. Many of them are presented below in sample sentences with simple-past usage for comparison: 1. â€Å"A problem arose.† â€Å"A problem had arisen.† 2. â€Å"They beat the odds.† â€Å"They had beaten the odds.† 3. â€Å"She bore it well.† â€Å"She had borne it well.† 4. â€Å"He broke the record.† â€Å"He had broken the record.† 5. â€Å"My friend drank three beers already.† â€Å"My friend had drunk three beers already.† 6. â€Å"You forsook us.† â€Å"You had forsaken us.† 7. â€Å"The boy hid the ball.† â€Å"The boy had hidden the ball.† 8. â€Å"I lay on the floor for a moment.† â€Å"I had lain on the floor for a moment.† 9. â€Å"We rode far.† â€Å"We had ridden far.† 10. â€Å"The phone rang.† â€Å"The phone had rung.† 11. â€Å"She rose to the occasion.† â€Å"She had risen to the occasion.† 12. â€Å"She sang.† â€Å"She had sung.† 13. â€Å"He shook it loose.† â€Å"He had shaken it loose.† 14. â€Å"The shirt shrank when I dried it.† â€Å"The shirt had shrunk when I dried it.† 15. â€Å"We strode along merrily the entire way.† â€Å"We had stridden along merrily the entire way.† 16. â€Å"The team strove to come back from behind.† â€Å"The team had striven to come back from behind.† 17. â€Å"I swore that I had not taken it.† â€Å"I had sworn that I had not taken it.† 18. â€Å"They swam to the other end and back.† â€Å"They had swum to the other end and back.† 19. â€Å"He took her back home.† â€Å"He had taken her back home.† 20. â€Å"My sister tore the paper up.† â€Å"My sister had torn the paper up.† Hanged and Hung The past-participle form of hang is a special case. When referring to an object, hung is employed for both simple past and past participle: 21. â€Å"They hung the stockings with great care.† â€Å"They had hung the stockings with great care.† In reference to execution by hanging, however, hanged is often (but not always) used in both forms: â€Å"The horse thief was summarily hanged.† â€Å"The horse thief had been summarily hanged.† Hung in the latter sense is more likely to appear in a more casual context, as in a jocular usage or when referring to hanging in effigy: â€Å"I’ll be hung by my feet over an open fire if I don’t finish this in time.† Choices Many other verbs offer writers alternative forms for past tense, past-participle tense, or both: 22. â€Å"I awaked (or awoke or awakened) to a deafening hum.† â€Å"I had awoken (or awaked or awakened) to a deafening hum.† 23. â€Å"She forgot to call back.† â€Å"She had forgotten (or forgot) to call back.† 24. â€Å"The swimmer quickly dove (or dived) into the pool.† â€Å"The swimmer had quickly dived into the pool.† 25. â€Å"I got nothing in return.† â€Å"I had gotten (or got) nothing in return.† 26. â€Å"She lighted (or lit) another cigarette.† â€Å"She had lit (or lighted) another cigarette.† 27. â€Å"He proved that I was right.† â€Å"He had proven (or proved) me right.† 28. â€Å"The boat sank.† â€Å"The boat had sunk (or sank).† 29. â€Å"She showed him the door.† â€Å"She had shown (or showed) him the door.† 30. â€Å"The medallion shined (or shone) in the sunlight.† â€Å"The medallion had shone (or shined) in the sunlight.† 31. â€Å"I sneaked (or snuck) out last night.† â€Å"I had snuck (or sneaked) out last night.† 32. â€Å"The tiger sprang (or sprung) noiselessly.† â€Å"The tiger had sprung noiselessly.† 33. â€Å"The car’s interior stank (or stunk) of stale fast food.† â€Å"The car’s interior had stunk of stale fast food.† 34. â€Å"My dog waked (or woke) me up.† â€Å"My dog had woken (or waked) me up.† 35. â€Å"My aunt weaved (or wove) the scarf.† â€Å"My aunt had woven (or weaved) the scarf.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Direct and Indirect ObjectsWhat's a Male Mistress?Sit vs. Set

Monday, November 4, 2019

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Business Plan - Essay Example Such expansion will entail the setting up of a store location to offer the pretzels and its new selection not only during annual state fairs, but whole year round. Its customer will no longer have to wait during annual state fairs to avail of the pretzels and its new selection but can now go to a permanent location where they can avail of the product. Such expansion and setting up of store location however needs more capitalization. To this end, the present owner, son of the original owners Mr. and Mrs. Smith, will infuse a $ 50,000 capitalization to finance the expansion. The additional $50,000 loan with additional credit line will be used to cover the additional equipment to expand production and to cover additional overheads. To continue and expand the operation of Pretzels Galore and be able to cater to its unserved market by making Pretzels Galore available through a fixed store location creating and developing delicious, innovative, and a wider array of pretzels selection to the highest quality that will be appealing to different age groups and across different market segment and enhance the company’s market base and profitability. To become the leading provider of pretzel in the next two years through its distinct and delectable taste and by offering a wider array of Pretzels that is innovative and appealing while competitive in price. Pretzel is a unique knot like shape type of baked food made from dough and can be offered in a variety of soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors. It originated from Europe and has a distinct symmetrical looped form. Pretzels Galore was a creation of Mr. and Mrs. John Smith who after years of participation in annual state fair has created a market following owing to the distinct taste and flavor of its pretzels. This was enhanced by the second generation of the Smiths who after experimenting for new flavors of the original

Saturday, November 2, 2019

THE STRuggle for the american curriculum Assignment

THE STRuggle for the american curriculum - Assignment Example This paper intends to provide a vivid description about the Kliebard’s four interest groups and insight about the organization, which are sorted out by the four groups. Furthermore, the study also reflects about the socio-political and the economic factors, which greatly influence the organization being sorted. Correspondingly the paper further compares and contrasts about Dewey’s notions about the organization of the curriculum. Kliebard Four Interest group of American Curriculum Theory American curriculum theory signifies a hypothetical correlation keen to inspecting and affecting educational programs. Each of the interest groups embodies strength for an altered selection of knowledge and values adapted from the culture and different curriculum. Kliebard basically identifies four interest groups in the struggle to control or modify the subject organization of the American curriculum. The name of the interest groups are humanist (mental disciplinarians), social efficie ncy, child study (develop mentalist), and social meliorates (Kliebard, 2004). Concerning the historical data in the year 1890s, the theory related to mental discipline or humanist believed in the abilities of the students to develop psychological reasoning. Furthermore, it has also been observed that in this particular group the education system was not planned for social improvements in itself but for the systematic progress of mental power. The humanists viewed schools as instruments for taking the traditional values, susceptibilities, and cultural acmes that has been associated with the Western civilization. Although it formerly justified this large- skills curriculum the best process to train mental facilities. In this era humanists have maintained old-style subjects on the basis of their intrinsic value as carriers of cultural tradition. The second group based its knowledge on the evolving study of child development, which controlled them to reject faculty psychology and provid ed an insight that effective training must be provided to children with diversified learning capabilities and competencies at different levels of growth stages. This group requires a child-centered program that would plan not only to match the skills of children at each stage but also to excite their interest and motivate them towards the curriculum. Another group reflects Social meliorism which believes that study is a tool to change society for betterment. This tool is based on the power of individual’s intellectuality and the skills to improve through education. The future of the people is not fixed by gender, heredity, socio-economic status or any other issues (Kliebard, 2004). â€Å"Social efficiency educators† were directing to design a curriculum that would improve the social value of each individual in the society. This theory believes that society could be organized by the effective application of the American’s curriculum. Students should know their ro le within the societal context. This theory introduces high and vocational schools for the students and also introduces learning activities, which will assist in overall societal development. The effective curriculum for the society will inculcate smaller strategies for establishing advance learning concept for the society to grow (Kliebard, 2004).

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Choose promt in attachment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Choose promt in attachment - Essay Example The latter has seen a lot of improvement in the film industry for women. Also important was the Civil Rights Movement. Mulvey’s theory in which she stipulates that women are just sexual fantasies for males in earlier films supports this argument. Laura Mulvey is renowned for her ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema’ where she analyses the production technique of Hollywood films. According to her ‘gaze theory’, most of the films produced have a masculine approach. This implies that the films use women as objects that provide visual pleasure for men (Hemery, 2013). In films today, there still exist forms of objectifying women, even though they are also given major roles involving active participation. Examples of films that portray women as sexual objects include 100 Girls, National Lampoon’s Dorm Daze and I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. In 100 Girls, there are women who are in the film to fulfill the actor’s sexual desires. In today†™s films, especially those meant for children, the female gender is not represented equally as their male counterparts. However, when they appear in such films, they are either passive or over-attractive. For instance, women in animated films are portrayed as extremely thin, with small waists and hourglass figures. In films such as Pretty Woman, women are portrayed as escorts who are paid for their companionship services. A rich businessperson, Edward, pays Vivian Ward, played by Julia Roberts. Later on, they fall in love. They are also adorned with alluring clothes. Men, on the other hand, are presented as saviors, warriors, breadwinners, and protectors of the world in films. For example, in the film, The Avengers, the pictorial cover portrays five men and one woman. Apart from the unequal representation of women, the picture also portrays her carrying the smallest of the weapons. According to research findings, only 32.8% of speaking characters are female while the remaining 62. 7% of the characters are male. In total, less than 17% of films in the industry are balanced in terms of gender (Smith, 2008). Similarly, in the directing and producing areas for every one female there are approximately five males. This is alarming, especially since almost half of the society is made up of females. Film Industry in the early 1950s was marred with various stereotypes, including the traditional role male and female. In the few instances that women were represented in films, they appeared as homemakers, with a lot of babies and household chores. Films today have however revolutionized women’s role a little bit (Hemery, 2013). This could be attributed to modernity and westernization that has seen women pursue their careers and still play their roles as wives and mothers, like in Strike back. Jodhi May is portrayed as a survivor in the male dominated world of military, and she climbs to the top. Many females are also portrayed as having a great affinity for romant ic relationships. For instance, The Ugly Truth portrays Abby Ritcher as a romantically challenged woman, who lashes out her list of how her dream man ought to be. Most films also show women as weak, and no matter who wrongs the other in film, the woman always forgives and gets back with her male partner. An example here is Project X, a high school themed film. Films like Clueless depict the nature of girls as shallow. The reasons for this is because all they do is shop and enjoy

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Ink and Paper Communication Essay Example for Free

Ink and Paper Communication Essay People say that the art of letter writing is dead. But my idea of heaven is writing a letter to a dear friend in a far away town, a note to my cousin saying â€Å" thankyou † for the dinner we had this weekend, a fan letter to the writer whose story I read and admired. I love to write something, be it a short story, a poem, a serious article or just letters. It is so magical to gather the right words and put them together on the paper†¦ I write a couple of letters a day, and suffer from bouts of guilt, thinking I may perhaps be over burdening my friends and relatives with my written material. Letters have been very important in my life, those that I have written and received. I have treasured the ones which are very dear to me, to read them again and again reveling in the magical spell they cast on me every time unfolding something new. It was a hobby that started from my childhood, when I wrote letters to my school friends, teachers, relatives and strangers as well. I std lX, when suddenly half the nation was consumed by the passion of acting, I too was one of them. I wrote my first fan letter to the great ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ and received from him a typed reply and his autographed photograph. His letter, the special handmade greeting card, and the letters written by my friends are the most treasured possession. Recently when I revealed my letter writing habbit to my friend, I was told, †but my dear, no one writes letters anymore! Where’s the time?† Agreed! I know people who never write letters for whom its just a waste of time. How easy it is to reach for the telephone type a few digits and talk to person miles away from you†¦ no pondering over thoughts no addressing of envelopes and no waiting for response. No doubt, the telephone is more efficient and instant but I doubt whether it is, on the whole as effective as a letter. Letters have a certain power, your heartbeat ticks rhythmically with every comma and a full stop†¦ you can preserve a letter , read it study it, carry it around like a cherished possession. It is not momentary as a telephone call, quickly done and quickly forgotten. As I have grown over years, I have matured and hopefully become wiser. I have learned to think twice before dropping a letter written in a melancholic mood. I have regretted it because by the time the letter is received the gloominess is banished and then one is left anxiously thinking about the reaction at the other end. There were moments when shyness led me to writing letters. I would have never been able to make friends with strangers had I not been a keen writer. I cannot dream of calling up a writer, actor, painter whose work I admire, until and unless I know them personally. But without hesitation I write them letters of appreciation, and if my letter is welcomed, it is answered and if not, I’ve got nothing to lose. Its funny but I’ve maintained friendships solely through letters that may, I fear, break if there is a face to face encounter. So keep in touch. The pen and paper you use does not matter the voice coming from the heart does. The next time when you write a letter notice for a second the magical tune that your pen plays on your paper , the rhythm of the flow of your thoughts, like the first raindrops touching the mother earth. You feel as if you are actually sitting in front of the other person reading out thoughts, collecting thoughts, coloring them with ink and presenting them paper to loved ones†¦.. anxiously waiting for the reply†¦. Letters have their special brand of magic.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Business Essays Literature Customer Retention

Business Essays Literature Customer Retention Literature Customer Retention Introduction In compiling this literature review, the author has deliberately cast a wide net. This has not only included both major and less prestigious journals, but also practitioner magazines and self-help websites. Customer retention is clearly marketing topic of considerable current and practical interest. Whilst some of what has been written is of dubious value, and some isnt actually even about customer retention at all, it is felt that ideas put forward should be allowed to stand on their merits. Insights by practitioners can often provide useful illumination of academic theory, and it is only by bringing them together that the full picture can be appreciated. The Rise of Customer Retention The sole purpose of a business Peter Drucker (1973) once famously claimed was â€Å"to create a customer†. Marketing has traditionally focused on market share and customer acquisition rather than on retaining existing customers and on building long-lasting relationships with them (Kotler, 2003). However, keeping the customer has become regarded as equally, if not more important, since (Badgett et al., 2004) reported that a 5 per cent increase in customer retention generated an increase in customer net present value of between 25 per cent and 95 per cent across a wide range of business environments. Research done by Gupta et al. (2004) found that a 1 per cent increase in customer retention had almost five times more impact on firm value than a 1 per cent change in discount rate or cost of capital. As a result of these researches, the business case for marketers to focus on the management of customer retention became more clearly established. Because of this, there is a growing recognition now that customers, like products, have a life-cycle that companies can attempt to manage and they can be acquired, retained and grown in value over time. Freeland (2003) points out that customers climb a value staircase or value ladder from suspect, prospect and first-time customer, to majority customer and ultimately to partner or advocate status. In response to these changes there has been a new emphasis on defensive marketing, which focuses on holding on to existing customers and getting more custom from them (higher â€Å"share of customer†), in contrast to activities which focus on winning new customers. One of the reasons for the great popularity of customer retention is the recognition that losing a customer means in fact more than a single sale: It means losing the entire stream of purchases that this particular customer would make over a lifetime of patronage (Kotler and Keller,2006). More recently, market share has been gradually losing its importance as marketing’s wisdom of focusing solely on customer acquisition (hoping that this effort will compensate for high levels of defection) is now being seriously questioned and considered as very high risk since ever more players enter an increasingly crowded marketplace (Baker,2000). Todays banks find themselves more and more in a situation in which they have to build professional customer retention management systems. There are two main reasons for doing so; on the one hand, the costs of gaining new customers in highly competitive markets are increasing considerably. On the other hand, the profitability of an individual customer grows permanently with the duration of the business-relationship (Liu Lai, 2004 ; pg 398). Customer retention attempts to win a slightly larger share of the customer’s spend than would otherwise be the case (McAlexander,2006). In spite of this, according to Weinstein (2002, p. 259), most companies spend a majority of their time, energy and resources chasing new business. 80% or more of marketing budgets are often earmarked for getting new business† (Weinstein, 2002, p. 260). This is in line with Payne and Frow’s (1999) finding that only 23 per cent of marketing budgets in UK organizations is spent on customer retention. Aspinall et al. (2001), in contrast, found that 54 per cent of companies reported that customer retention was more important than customer acquisition. Support for retaining customers in the marketing literature (e.g. Ahmad and Buttle, 2002) is extensive. The benefits of retaining customers to the organisation are higher margins and faster growth, derived from the notion that the longer a customer stays with an organisation, generally the higher the profit. The significance of retaining customers is not new to marketing, as Drucker (1963) believed that marketing is as much concerned with retaining as well as acquiring customers. However, as competition has intensified and markets become saturated, an awareness of the benefits of retention has grown, particularly in the retailing of financial services. Benefits of Customer Retention Dawes and Swailes (1999) explain that successful customer retention circumvents the costs of seeking new and potentially risky customers, and allows organizations to focus more accurately on the needs of their existing customers by building relationships (p36). Researchers have also pointed out that customer retention has a significant impact on profitability and positive customer satisfaction and leads to superior financial performance. This is because firms with high customer retention rates tend to have lower costs, maintain more profitable long-term relationships, and enjoy substantial word-of-mouth advertising (p92). Reynolds (2002) suggests that once a company acquires a group of customers, it can retain that group by making them feel special through customer recognition. Reichheld (2006) in his article ‘Learning from Customer Defections’ identified that longer a customer stays with a company, the more they are worth as in the long-term customers buy more, take less of a company’s time, are less sensitive to price, and bring in new customers. If a customer is retained in a business there is certainly a steady flow of revenue to the business, moreover, there are chances to increase the existing revenue by cross selling or up-selling activities. In addition to this, acquiring a new customer can be a much more onerous and expensive task than keeping an existing one. When banks focus on individual customers by establishing a relationship and encouraging satisfaction and loyalty they have more chances to increase and retain their customer base. Relation banking can be seen as a vehicle to increase single-brand loyalty, decrease price sensitivity, induce greater consumer resistance to counter bank offers or counter arguments (from advertising or bank sales-people), dampen the desire to consider alternative banks, encourage word-of-mouth support and endorsement, attract a larger pool of customers, and/or increase the amount of product bought. It can lead to more purchases more often, give the ability to mass customize communication, minimize waste, helps promote trust and attempts to win a slightly larger share of the customer’s spend (Ongena, S., and Smith,2000). Relationship leads to loyalty, and loyal customers are supposed to buy more, pay higher prices and bring in new customers through word-of-mouth support (Morgan et al.,2000). However, some of these â€Å"profitability-arguments† related to relationship banking have been challenged by Reinartz and Kumar (2002), who compared the behaviour, revenue, and profitability of more than 16,000 individual and corporate customers over a four-year period, concluding that they discovered little or no evidence to suggest that customers who buy on a steady basis are necessarily cheaper to serve, less price sensitive, or particularly effective at bringing in new business. They also found that a considerable amount of loyal customers were only marginally profitable, while a large percentage of short-term customers were very profitable. Woolf (1996) argues that greater success comes from a strategy based firmly on understanding customer economics and only secondarily on customer loyalty and building relationships. However, despite their criticism, even critics themselves have suggested that customer loyalty (relationship) is a worthy contributor to the shareholder value of a company(Houston, 1999;pg33), and that â€Å"firms are encouraged to study their position and options in the pursuit of this goal†(Oliver,1999; pg37). The Lifetime Value Concept Customer retention has also given rise to the concept of Customer lifetime value (CLV or LTV) which represents the net present value of profits, coming from the individual customer from a flow of transactions over time. Novo (2006) describes Customer lifetime value (LTV) as the present value of the stream of future profits expected over the customers’ lifetime purchases. Companies can look at their investments in terms of cost per sale, rate of customer retention and also conversion of prospects. LTV is also used as a convenient yardstick of performance, however, it has tended to become a bit too much of a holy grail for corporate, marketing and sales executives, to the extent that entire conferences and seminars are often devoted to helping optimize it (Romano Fjermesta, 2003; pg 233). It is important to retain customers, but not at the cost of other essential marketing activities. Putting customers into key categories helps to clarify analysis and acts as the basis for marketing activities designed to improve customer lifetime value. While the importance of calculating the Customer Lifetime value in deciding the retention strategies cannot be questioned, some writers are of the view that measuring the lifetime value can sometimes be complicated as it involves a lot of analytical forecasting. Knox et al (2003; pg 207) argue that ‘calculating Customer lifetime value is problematic because it involves forecasting what amounts of what products customers will buy in the future years, and what the sales, administration and logistics costs will be. Because profits in future years are progressively less valuable (because of inflation) and less certain, a discount rate has to be applied. The higher the discount rate, the less valuable future profits will be’. Customer Retention and the rise of relationship banking (RM) The objectives of relationship marketing is to identify and establish, maintain and enhance and, when necessary terminate relationships with customers and other stakeholders, at a profit so that the objective of all parties involved are met. This is done by a mutual exchange and fulfillment of promises. Kabiraj et al. (2004) in their study of relationship practices in India noted that the Indian banking sector can only stay competitive by building lifelong partnerships with their customers. Relationship banking techniques can be employed to develop an ongoing dialog with customers, integrated across all contact points. Knox et al. (2003, p. 19) addressed that RM is a strategic approach designed to improve stakeholder value through developing appropriate relationships with key customers and customer segments and involves an enterprise-wide marketing strategy and technology platform. If done correctly, it enables organizations to retain the loyalty of their customers. It is about managing and monitoring customer behavior and has the potential to change a customers relationship with the banking organization and increase revenue (Dyche, 2002, pg.4). In todays economic condition, relationship banking can help to provide a sense of personal service without an actual person (Seybold, 2007). They allow banking organizations to integrate customer interaction channels and provide consistency in their interactions with customers, generate better customer intelligence, customize their offerings and communications to customers, manage customer interactions and relationships more effectively, and manage the customer portfolio by assessing the lifetime value of customers (Ely, 2006). Relationship Marketing/banking is not a new concept, its roots lie in the marketing basics of repeat purchase, customer retention and customer loyalty. Traditionally followed by retailers, the concept is slowly spilling over to the banking and financial services industry. Berger (2005) describes relationship banking as an attempt to advance the sales culture in bank marketing beyond order taking to a more pro-active form of direct selling which includes knowing more about the customer needs and tailoring products and services to suit individual requirements. Its goal is to establish a long term, intimate and relatively open relationship between banks and its customers. Eg Commercial banks and other financial institutions attempt to apply the concept of relationship banking through Personal Banker and Private Banking programs (Stauss Schoeler, 2004; pg 147). In this way, they are able to understand their customer, give personal advice and develop proximity with the customer. Customer retention has been shown to be a primary goal in firms that practice relationship marketing (Coviello et al., 2002). While the precise meaning and measurement of customer retention can vary between industries and firms (Aspinall et al., 2001) there appears to be a general consensus that focusing on customer retention can yield several economic benefits (Buttle, 2004). As customer tenure lengthens, the volumes purchased grow and customer referrals increase. Simultaneously, relationship maintenance costs fall as both customer and supplier learn more about each other. Because fewer customers churn, customer replacement costs fall. Finally, retained customers may pay higher prices than newly acquired customers, and are less likely to receive discounted offers that are often made to acquire new customers. All of these conditions combine to increase the net present value of retained customers. Lindgreen et al. (2000, p. 295), computed that it can be up to ten times more expensive to win a customer than to retain a customer and the cost of bringing a new customer to the same level of profitability as the lost one is up to 16 times more. Although a number of authorities have suggested that relationship marketing represents a paradigm shift (Christopher et al., 1991; Sheth and Parvatiyar, 1995) from a longer established transactional orientation to customer management, Gronroos (2000, p. 23) noted that the relational perspective on marketing is in fact â€Å"older than the transaction perspective in marketing† and is â€Å"probably as old as the history of trade and commerce†. There has been growing interest in relational aspects of customer management. Relationship banking permits businesses to leverage information from their databases to achieve customer retention and to cross-sell new products and services to existing customers which is why they are synonymous to existing customer promotion. It is believed that companies that implement relationship banking practices make better relationships with their customers, achieve loyal customers and a substantial payback, increased revenue and reduced cost (Blery Michalakopoulos, 2006). Relationship banking when successfully deployed can have a dramatic effect on bottom-line performance. There are two main aims of relationship banking. One is to increase revenue by raising purchase levels and/or increasing the range of products. A second aim is more defensive, by building a closer bond between the banking organization and current customer banks hope to maintain their customer base (retention). The whole idea of relationship banking is based on the argument that profits can be increased significantly by achieving either of these two aims. In todays economic climate building relationships can help banks to do more with less by providing a sense of personal service without an actual person. (Roberts, 2004) Relationship banking seeks to identify and talk to individual customers on a massive scale and this torrential flow of live transactional data offers the possibility to transform how banks manage their business. While it is not important to retain customers, it is important to retain the right customers in the business. Overtime, choices must be made as to which customers to acquire, which ones to develop and which ones to retain. It is true that not all customers are worth retaining, since from a long-term perspective not everyone is equally profitable. It is important to know if a currently unprofitable customer would generate a future profit stream, if an investment were made in enhancing the customers’ satisfaction. These problems can be addressed by profiling customers and making investments in those who offer the desirable growth and profit potential. (Subhash C. Jain 2005, p278) Relational Exchange and Customer Loyalty RM forms the bridge between the banking organisation and the customer, by means of reinforcing linkages, responding to customer needs and serving micro-segments (Berry, 2002; Hennig-Thurau, 2000). Freeland (2003) who has observed and contributed to this body of literature, comments: ‘Marketing practice has increasingly turned towards alliances, partnerships and other forms of relationship marketing, whose success requires effective co-operation. Interpretations of RM vary (Brodie et al., 1997), but common themes are that relationships are based on power being distributed equally between partners (Liu Lai, 2004) and that both the buyer and the seller are active in a rich, multi-dimensional exchange. Further elements that mediate successful relationships are trust and commitment (Garbarino and Johnson, 2006) in which trust is conceptualised as a belief that the partner in the exchange will fulfil the perceived obligations of a relationship. Where the focus is on individual customers, loyalty and retention initiatives can be seen as vehicles to increase single-brand loyalty, decrease price sensitivity, induce greater consumer resistance to counter offers or counter arguments (from advertising or sales-people), dampen the desire to consider alternative brands, encourage word-of-mouth support and endorsement, attract a larger pool of customers, and/or increase the amount of product bought( Bolton et al., 2000) Two aims of customer retention programs stand out, one is to increase sales revenues by raising purchase/usage levels, and/or increasing the range of products bought from the supplier. A second aim is more defensive, by building a closer bond between the brand and current customers it is hoped to maintain the current customer base. Loyalty and retention initiatives can lead to more purchases more often, give the ability to mass customize marketing communication, minimize waste and help promote trust. It attempts to win a slightly larger share of the customer’s spend than would otherwise be the case if the additional value of the scheme were not offered (McAlexander,2002). Research will analyze in greater detail the ways in which retention initiatives can transform the bank’s business and help make strategic business decisions, which is the purpose of the research (to evaluate retention as a key marketing strategy). One of the reasons for the great popularity of customer retention is the recognition that losing a customer means in fact more than a single sale: It means losing the entire stream of purchases that this particular customer would make over a lifetime of patronage – also known as the â€Å"customer lifetime value†(Kotler and Armstrong,2001). Role of Employees Within the Retention Process Another area of research would be the employee involvement in the customer retention process. In the Journal of Marketing Management, Buttle (2004) stresses on the importance of the front line employees. He argues that employees have the power to take actions which provide immediate customer satisfaction and thereby reinforce customer retention. This necessitates actively managing interactions between customer and staff and instigating improvements to the external quality of service by increasing the levels of internal service which staffs receive from within the organization from support departments and technology. (p153) Robert Heller (2005; og 117) insists that the most vital statistic for retaining a customer in any business is its employees. He quotes â€Å"that a satisfied worker creates a satisfied customer and higher financial returns: and that, by the same token, disgruntled staff lead to customer dissatisfaction†. A research by staff at Sears, the US retailing giant in 2006, established a convincing and clear correlation between employee attitudes, customer attitudes and financial results. The research showed that for every 5 units of improvement in employee attitudes, there were 1.3 units of gain on the customer impression index. Moreover, the latter added up to a 0.5% increase in sales over what they would otherwise have been.This outlines the obvious linkage between employee attitudes and customer retention. Therefore, if a business wants to retain its customers, along with devising strategies for customer satisfaction, it has to bear in mind that, employee satisfaction is equally important. The reseserch will analyze the role played by employees in Citibank in promoting customer retention. Researchers have argued that both customer facing and back office staff have a role to play in customer retention. The study will examine the ways in which the staff in Citibank performs their role and the effect it has on customer retention. Customer Clubs Some banks make the use of customer clubs as a strategic instrument for creating customer retention. Customer clubs are communities of current customers that are initiated and organized by companies (Diller, 1997; Butscher, 1997; Butscher and MuÈller, 1999). The current customers are approached for a potential membership to enable a steady direct communication and to intensify the relationship during the total time of business relation (Tomzcak and Dittrich, 1999). As an institutionalized form of added-value services, they aim at offering club members a wide range of benefits and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. The goal of customer club is to improve the general operational profitability by customer retention. A customer club is regarded as a suitable platform to increase the interaction frequency between the bank and the customer (customer interaction effect) by creating contact and feedback opportunities. By doing so, a close contact is built around the client throughout the entire customer life cycle (Coviello et al., 2002; pg 8). A central objective of customer clubs is the augmentation of organizational knowledge about the customer (customer knowledge effect). With each customer contact starting from account opening the organization receives detailed information about the personal situation, interests and demand structures of the account holders. These insights are collected in a global member data base and linked with further customer data, which form the basis for individualized marketing measures (Ganesh et al., 2006; pg 65). However, some argue that it has to be considered that the set up and development of a customer club requires considerable investments. Whereas the cost effects of these investments are obvious and can be calculated rather easily, there is no certainty with respect to the existence and degree of the expected loyalty effects. Also, the customers willingness for a membership depends on the fact whether a distinct advantage is offered to them as customers are only willing to supply data and participate actively in the club membership, if their individual cost-benefit-calculation leads to a positive result (Gupta et al., 2005; pg 7). Therefore the customer club must offer a bundle of exclusive services, which are attractive for the target group from either a financial, material or communicative perspective. Retention measures and process Banking organizations in the vanguard are making several proactive changes in their service capabilities. They are developing diagnostics to understand what their customers need and value. They are examining what they need to do to retain customers and then train their people accordingly and are reinforcing service-oriented behaviours. Banks are exploring how to anticipate and respond successfully to differences in customer requirements between geographies. They are leveraging the intimate product knowledge of technical people and other staff and teaching them about the critical role they play in customer retention. Some financial service organizations are also teaming up sales, service and technical experts much farther upstream in a customer relationship in ways that are cost-effective and value added (Johnston, 2005; pg 211). It is also worth pointing out that the service component of forward thinking banking organizations is no longer relegated to one department containing the lowest-paid people. Major Banks use technology to accomplish menial tasks quickly, allowing everyone in the organization the time to enhance their skills as salespeople, research and development contacts and potential consultants on complex jobs (Morrman et al., 2002; pg 314). Research done by Nyer (2007) showed that everyone who interacts with customers must become an active agent for customer retention. A number of organizational processes can be associated with customer retention, including customer satisfaction measurement process, customer retention planning process, quality assurance process, win-back processes and the complaints-handling process. The notion that companies should engage in planning if they want to achieve desired business outcomes is deeply embedded in modernist management literature. Retention metrics Despite the scarcity of research into customer retention planning, investigators and commentators have begun to report on a number of related questions, such as how to define and measure customer retention, how to segment customers for customer retention efforts, and what strategies to employ to recover at-risk or lost customers. Aspinall et al. (2001) investigated the issue of definition and measurement of customer retention. They found that customer retention was particularly an issue in larger banking organizations but absence of measurable indicators makes it harder to gauge the impact of strategy implementation on customer retention. Buttle (2004) found that banks can employ one or more of several types of retention-related KPIs – raw, sales-adjusted, or profit-adjusted customer retention metrics. Banks that adopt raw customer retention metrics focus on the retention of a given percentage or number of customers, regardless of value. Banks that use sales or profit-adjusted retention metrics will focus their efforts on customers that generate higher levels of sales or profit. Coyles and Gorkey’s (2002) research also notes the significance of focusing on the retention of profitable customers, rather than all customers. They suggest that it may be more important for banks to focus on managing the overall downward migration of customer spending than customer retention in its own right. They note that many more customers change their behaviour than defect, so the former typically account for larger changes in value (Coyles and Gorkey, 2002, p. 80). They report the case of one bank that lost 3 per cent of its total balances when 5 per cent of checking account customers defected in a year, but lost 24 per cent of its total balances when 35 per cent of customers reduced the amounts deposited in their checking accounts. Another question that researchers have attempted to answer concerns the focus of companies’ customer retention efforts (Koch, 1998; Ganesh et al., 2000). Should retention of every customer be the goal, or should retention efforts be focused on subsets or even individuals? A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (2002) observes that poor management of customer churn is a major value destroyer and that the key to prevention is to predict and avert attrition of the â€Å"right customers†. The â€Å"right customers† are those that contribute most significantly to the achievement of the company’s objectives. The implication of there being â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† customers to retain is that companies are advised to segment their customer base for retention efforts in much the same way that they would segment the market for acquisition efforts (Weinstein, 2002). Evans (2002) suggests that the right customers are those with the highest residual lifetime value. Although there has been little investigation of customer retention planning processes, there has been considerable attention paid to assessing the role and effectiveness of retention strategies and tactics directed towards valued, at-risk or lost customers. For example, a number of researchers have examined the contribution of relationship marketing instruments such as loyalty programs and customer clubs to customer retention outcomes (O’Brien and Jones, 1995; Dowling and Uncles, 1997; Stauss et al., 2001; Verhoef, 2003). Others have examined the development of customer attachment to organizations (Moorman et al., 1992; Oliver, 1999; Hofmeyr and Rice, 2000). The research will look into the retention KPIs of Citibank and assess whether the KPIs accurately measure retention. Type of banking relationships Banking relationships can be economic and social. Economic content deals with the economic benefits and costs of participating in the relationship. Customers are only willing to participate actively in a relationship if their individual cost-benefit calculation leads to a positive result (Stauss Seidel, 2005). Social content suggests that although economics may indicate a prosperous relationship, no relationship can be successful in the long-term without a social environment that nurtures communication, honesty, fair play and an awareness of mutual interests and therefore relationships should accommodate opportunities for interactions so that friendships may be developed. Building a customer retention strategy Setting up a strategy around customer retention requires careful planning and should include detailed plans and methods for customer identification and registration, segmentation and reward design. In order to be a source of sustainable competitive advantage, the banking organization developing the strategy must always take into account what its loyal customers value, since loyalty and retention is inextricably linked to the creation of value (Morgan et al, 2000). The strategy should make sure that it directly supports the value proposition. A value proposition is â€Å"the full positioning of a brand , the full mix of benefits upon which it is positioned† and the answer to the customer’s question â€Å"Why should I buy your brand?†(Kotler Armstrong,2001). Moreover, in order to be viable, a retention strategy must build and sustain noticeable differences in its offerings that are difficult to copy, since a lack of differentiation removes any potential of competitive advantage – which is anything but easy in banking., where first movers are quickly imitated (Morgan,2001). It must be considered that the retention strategy do not exist in a vacuum, but should be a coherent element of the bank’s overall strategy and capabilities. The strategy should take into account the nature of the business, its market position, goals, and the competitive landscape. There is still some confusion regarding the nature, scope, role and influence of customer retention initiatives. From a functional perspective, many marketers believe