Saturday, August 31, 2019

Use the Slept Framework to Analyse the Current External Business

A. Written Report (25%) You are required to analyse the business environment of a UK based manufacturer of a luxury product of your choice. Please note that: * The actual company is hypothetical. * It is assumed to supply to the upmarket department stores and boutiques around the world but its main market is the UK. * You must agree your specific product with your tutor. * By luxury product, we mean an expensive product that is not a basic necessity. To complete this assessment task, you must: a. Use the SLEPT framework to analyse the current external business environment for issues that may affect your company.Attach this in the Appendix. No word limit for this section. b. Drawing on your analysis of the external business environment, explain and justify the three most important issues currently facing your company. Word limit is 2000 words for this section. Word Limit The word limit is 2000 words (excluding any items in the appendix**). Students are advised to stick to the word lim it – if you exceed the word limit, it should be within the 10% rule. Work submitted that exceeds the word limit may be penalised on the basis of failure to demonstrate academic discipline. *The Appendix should only be used to support your discussion (which is what is being marked) with reference materials e. g. diagrams, scanned images, Internet printouts, articles etc. It should not be used to supplement your essay so that more words can be squeezed into your assignment! In other words, a poorly written essay with a fantastic appendix is not going to achieve a good grade. Referencing To get a good grade, your discussion must be underpinned by a wide selection of secondary sources and academic materials (e. g. books and journal articles) throughout your work or where appropriate.All work must be fully referenced (preferably using the Harvard Referencing System) to acknowledge sources used or consulted for the production of your report otherwise it would be considered as plagi arism. Correct referencing is a vital skill you will need to master for any academic writing. Please DO NOT USE references taken from Wikipedia, MarketingTeacher. Com, QuickMBA. Com or similar websites that allow students to do a quick ‘copy and paste’ quotations of academic concepts. These websites may be useful for initial research and/or reading but they should not end up in any part of your work as they are not legitimate academic sources.This kind of practice does not encourage deep learning. Deep learning can only come about if you invest time and effort into in-depth reading in original sources. A) Use the SLEPT framework to analyse the current external business environment for issues that may affect your company. Attach this in the Appendix. No word limit for this section. I will be using SLEPT in order to analyze the external business environment for key issues that may affect my hi-fi firm. ‘Rich Sounds' is a luxury selling Hi-fi Company based in the Uni ted Kingdom. The company does compete internationally, however its main trade mainly takes place within the UK.The market is estimated to be worth ? 2 billion in 2007 compared with a peak value of ? 2. 1 billion in 2005. The growth of the market for portable music players and, more recently, for home docking stations has offset a decline in home hi-fi system sales. The arrival of the iPod marked a sea change in the audio equipment market. Sales of MP3 players have grown dramatically at the expense of other portable music players, especially CD players. In the home, CDs remain the dominant format but are increasingly played on PCs and laptops – this change has adversely impacted the sale of conventional home audio equipment (Mintel. Rich Sounds does compete at the higher end of the hi-fi market with brands such as ‘Sony’ and ‘Panasonic’. SLEPT framework is used to analyze the current external business environment for issues affecting a business such a s Rich Sounds. The luxury hi-fi market has many external influences which can affect it. Technology is one of the main external influences from the SLEPT analysis. Development in technology has meant that smaller and sleeker devices such as iPods are selling instead of traditional hi-fi systems. Advances in technology, for example advertising has hugely helped the growing sales in the hi-fi market.Many electronics companies tend to have huge celebrity endorsements which in return boost their sales as people nowadays tend to favour electronics which are advertised by celebrities and follow the trend. It is said that companies such as Rich Sounds need to spend at least ? 1million on advertising in order to compete at the top level. (Mintel) Also more and more people tend to download their music nowadays and this means an increase in competition for Rich Sounds as more people would buy computers and laptops rather than hi-fis.Ownership of PCs has now reached high levels and the majorit y of consumers are accessing the Internet at least once a week at home. Another issue in SLEPT is economic factors. The current ‘credit crunch' has resulted in more and more people having less disposable income and this knock on effect means electronic sales could suffer. It is thought that due to this, people are less likely to buy hi-fi's, but instead buy necessities. The credit crunch has also reduced the amount of affluent people and this means it could reduce the market size and this means Rich Sounds could become more competitive.It could be said that spending on repairs has fallen dramatically over the last five years, as lower product prices mean it is often more cost-efficient to replace than repair. The final issue linked to economic factors is society. Hi-fi's are associated as being a seasonal product especially at Christmas time when people are buying them for presents so this is when Rich sounds would expect a huge increase in sales. Also people that work long ho urs and work further away from home can help boost Rich Sounds sales. Nowadays, commuting to work is tedious to a lot of people and so they can listen to audio equipment at this point.The final issue in SLEPT is political issues. Although there is not much to say for this point, I can briefly say that tax issues affect my firm. B) Drawing on your analysis of the external business environment, explain and justify the three most important issues currently facing your company. Word limit is 2000 words for this section. I will now discuss the three most important issues from the SLEPT analysis and these are the technological, social and economical issues. Trends are an important aspect of the economic environment.Nowadays it is becoming increasingly more fashionable to follow celebrity trends and those celebrities who advertise electronics such as hi-fis tend to sell the most. An example of this is when Sony used Justin Timberlake dancing on their adverts to help promote their goods and this saw a huge increase in sales. Research suggests that the two most popular hi-fi companies are Panasonic and Sony and these spend millions and millions on advertising. This means Rich Sounds could advertise new equipment with different celebrities to help promote it hugely. Another economic factor is the ‘credit crunch'.It has resulted in people having a lot less disposable income and so therefore hi-fi sales will fall dramatically. Due to this people will not splash out on luxury goods like hi-fis, however they will buy necessities instead. This provides a knock on effect and therefore Rich Sounds sales may fall. Also the credit crunch has seen a reduction in the amount of wealthy people and this can reduce the size of the market and therefore make Rich Sounds more competitive. http://academic. mintel. com. lcproxy. shu. ac. uk/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show&/display/id=271602/display/id=299002#hit1

Friday, August 30, 2019

Ancient Polytheistic Religion Compared to Judaism

Ancient polytheistic religion compared to Judaism Ancient polytheistic and Judaism are two of the most opposite beliefs possible. Polytheistic belief is the belief in more than just one god. Polytheism was brought to this world by the ancient Egyptians and the ancient Greeks. The Greek gods often took on the form of being humans while the Egyptian gods were the main cornerstone to their beliefs and religion. Judaism or the belief of Monotheism is the belief in one main god. Monotheism we brought to the world by the Jewish culture. It was originated from the Hebrew bible and is one of the oldest religions still living today.Judaism was a monotheistic religion of the Jews having its spiritual and ethical ideas embodied mainly in the Torah and the Talmud. The Torah and the Talmud are part of the sacred book of the Jews which is the bible. The first civilization appeared to have arisen in Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was founded by a group of people called the Sumerians during the fourth mil lennium B. C. E. It lies in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley. The Sumerians and their successors were polytheistic which means they worshiped many gods and goddesses. Their Gods and Goddesses were visualized in human form, with human needs and weaknesses.The Mesopotamians believed that the human race was created to serve the gods. The Mesopotamian temples were run like great households where the gods were fed fantastic meals, entertained with music, and honored with ritual. The Mesopotamians had a very gloomy picture of the afterworld. They were confined to a dusty dark netherworld, doomed with hunger and thirst unless someone offered them food or drink. There was no reward in being religious because everyone was in equal misery. Religion played a huge part in the literature and art of Mesopotamia.Poems were told of the deeds of the gods, like how the world was created. Also poems were told of the great hero king Gilgamesh, who tried to escape death by going on a journey to find the sole survivor of the great flood. The religious architecture was in the form of temples in the cities. As the Mesopotamian civilization rose up in the valley of Tigris and Euphrates, the Egyptian civilization was centered on the Nile River. The Egyptians were also a polytheistic religion, in that they believed in many gods. Egyptian Gods have human bodies, with human or animal heads, and wear crowns or thorns.Egyptian Gods were gods of different things such as the sky, sun, earth, and music. The Egyptians worship took place at small shrines; they left offerings to the chosen gods as well as simple prayers. The Egyptians believed that there afterlife was full of dangers, but those dangers could be overcame by magical spells in the Book of the Dead. Also the Egyptians believed in the preservation of the body and that it was essential for the afterlife. The Hittites were an Indo-European, speaking a language that was related to the Greek and Sanskrit.The Hittites adopted Mesopotamian writi ng along with many other aspects of the Mesopotamian culture, including polytheism. The discovery of iron was found in the Hittites region, somewhat before the creation of their kingdom. The discovery led to the making of iron weapons and tools rather than copper ones. The Discovery of the iron led to the beginning of the Iron Age. Other ancient societies that were polytheistic were the Persians, and the Assyrians. The Israelites possessed little worldly power or wealth, but they created a powerful religion, known as Judaism which is a form of monotheism.Judaism was the first and the longest lasting form of monotheism in a world of polytheism. Judaism is a part of two other religions that have played a big role in the history of the world, Christianity and Islam. Monotheism is the belief in one universal god, who was the creator and ruler of the universe. The Jewish God is neither a natural force nor like human beings, or any other kind of creature; he is so elevated that those who believe in him may not picture him in any form. I personally best relate to Judaism and believing in one single god because I practice the religion of Christianity.I believe the words of the bible and how God is said to have created all forms of life and all things. I grew up in a religious family where we attended masses weekly on Sunday mornings and prayed before and after our meals. I believe that the religion you have been raised up into plays a huge role on your worldview that you best identify with. Along with your family I also believe it’s your own personal ethics that play a role in your worldview of religion. Your ethics are based on what you believe is right or wrong.In my religion of being a Catholic, I believe that God created all things and sent Adam and Eve to represent him in man form. I also believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, rose to heaven and then came back to earth for human salvation and to save us from sin. The reason I don’t believe in Polytheism is because I find it hard to believe that there would be gods for many different parts of our world. I also think that if a God is suppose to be worshipped and treated like an all-mighty that there should only be one person or God treated with the most significant amount of respect.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Child Labor at Industrial Revolution Essay

Child labor is the idea of forcing adolescent children into hazardous tasks working under ruthless circumstances and surrounded by an unsafe environment. Children are valuable and precious therefore, they should not be mistreated and allowed to experience misery and suffering at such a young age. Problems, disagreements, injuries, and death have all been caused by child labor. Child labor was the worst issue that provoked acute social, mental, and physical damage to America. We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. † (The United States Constitution) The preamble of the U. S. constitution was made for plenty of reasons; one of those reasons was to prevent practices such as child labor to somehow disappear in America. Residents of the United States of America want a â€Å"more perfect union†. Words in the preamble such as justice, defense, tranquility, and liberty are the absolute opposite of child labor. Why would America be referred to as an almost â€Å"perfect† nation while child labor still progresses? Why would the fellow citizens of America say there is justice in America when there’s child labor practiced there? These notable questions apply from the height of child labor in the 19th Century until today of the 21st century. Children labored around perilous machinery and went through arduous conditions at a very young age, usually 16 years and under. Adolescent children were forced to work intense hours and were paid low wages or no payments at all which eliminates the purpose of having the U. S. preamble in the constitution since people hope to â€Å"establish justice†. Employers were foul and did an awful attempt to supply the children at work with a safe and healthy surrounding. The circumstances children persisted brought several forms of harm toward the children. They were paralyzed by industrial incidents, defaulted appropriate movement and clean fresh air, and became vulnerable to diseases. These children took the risk at death enduring cruel conditions to support their families. Overseers also practiced physical punishment by having whipping rooms for children that misbehaved, slept while working, and were too slow. In coal mines, children were filthy, harnessed like animals, and had to drag heavy loads on their fragile backs behind them. They suffered pain for all day and tolerated injured hands, aching backs, the fear of getting squashed to death by coal, and sickness from breathing in coal dust. Breaker boys worked above ground, picking slate and other blemishes from coal. By doing so they often got a skin condition called â€Å"red tips† caused by sulfur from the coal contacting with skin, making their hands cracked, bloody, and swollen. Breaker boys also inhaled coal dust because of the process of coal mining released poisonous gases which could result in throat trouble or respiratory illness. Their faces were black and filthy covered with coal dust. Machinery in the mines, especially coal crushers were menacingly noisy and often led to hearing loss and on those rare unfortunate days, a boy fell into the coal crusher. Mining tunnels have collapsed as well, hindering and disabling workers to their death while spreading disease from rat infestation. â€Å"Joseph Martonik, about 15 years of age. Caught in the machinery and horribly mangled. Aug. 31, 1910 Cranberry Colliery. If he had obeyed instructions, or if the machinery had been properly protected, the accident might not have happened. † (Hindman 101) Besides breaker boys in the mines there were hippers, boys who opened doors from mining cars that were often ran over. There were also spraggers, boys that kept the mining cars moving and once in a while boys got an arm or leg jammed in and sliced off. In factories, machines ran so quickly and rapidly that tiny fingers, arms, and legs were entangled in them. Since factories put out odors and toxins, it destroyed the pure air nearby which caused illness and metronomic conditions. In canneries, children as young as 4 years labored in festering surroundings for long hours and received little pay. They had to peel shrimp from their shells that gave a spiteful chemical, making their gentle hands bleed and peel. In textile mills life was woeful and unhealthy. The mills were freezing in the winter and humid in the summer. Girls in the textile mills did the more skillful work as spinners which â€Å"was to watch rotating bobbins for breaks in the cotton. When the cotton broke the little girl had to quickly mend it and then brush the lint from the machine frame. † (Greene 55) Boys did the simple job as doffers which was to replace empty bobbins. Children lost fingers or hands in the machinery that spun the bobbins. In rural areas such as farms, children harvested crops in extreme temperatures, carried stacks of produce, and used ominous farming equipment. Children were doing menacing tasks by topping beets. They held a beet against the knee and cut off the top with a 16 inch knife that had a sharp prong on the end. Too often, children accidentally hooked themselves in the leg with the knife. (58) Street trades, working on the streets, faced children into the wrong direction with physical dangers and bad influences. These children worked early in the morning for long hours outdoors all season in the worst weather which could cause illness and or death. Standing on the ground for hours led to orthopedic defects. They took the risks of muggings, terrible weather, and car or bike injuries. Young girls sold flowers, gum, fruits, and vegetables on the streets. Newsboys were on the streets as early as 5 am. and sometimes worked in the evening past midnight which was unhealthy for their age. These children worked about 16 hours a day instead of attending school. There were two kinds of sweatshops. The first kind was composed of compact manufacturing businesses in vile establishments. Many people died in fires because workers were locked in the rooms they labored in to guarantee that they would work for the entire 10-12 hours mandated and could not escape no matter the situation. In those rooms, children finished embroiders and sewed pieces of garments or piecework. Workers were paid by what they completed rather than the numbers of hours. The other kind of sweatshop was located in tenement houses which were crowded, insufficiently vaporized buildings overrun with rodents. It isn’t necessary to actually see the children laboring under repulsive conditions in pictures or in reality to feel their pain, to give them compassion, and to realize how inferior the idea of child labor really is. Just by reading or hearing about the details of children laboring in poor circumstances can enable one to see beyond their teary eyes. The history of child labor begins in the late 19th century when the Industrial Revolution triggered in England which eventually arrived in America. The Industrial Revolution was the time when hand tools were replaced by machines and farming was substituted by manufacturing. Discoveries in science and technology fueled a significant change in the society. Sequences of inventions entered America, altering the textile industry. The textile industry was the first business to become industrial. The inventions introduced at this time period brought changes upon commerce and peoples’ lives. With these new adjustments in the populace, children became exploited by employers and were misused extensively. Children were often targeted even in the modern-world. The growth of factories obliged people to endow them, therefore, employers ventured young children into factories. There was an abundant amount of children which made them easily exchangeable if they died or quit Adults usually have more power amongst children because of age and probably wealth. Thus, adults can easily manipulate or force children into employment. The children from poor families which was the majority, were mostly aimed at since they were in need of money to keep their family above poverty level. Even children as young as three made an effort to help their families by working. Children have always worked ever since the beginning of refinement like chores around the household. At first, the general population believed that hiring children was beneficial to the child and the community. The child would stay out of troubles and won’t be a burden. Children can become more independent and gain maturity. America presumptively accepts child labor because â€Å"the government didn’t record the national statistics on employed children† so people weren’t involved on what was happening. (20) Working children also kept production prices short which evoked the nation to be economical beyond the sea. Child labor assumed to be a national trend. However, while employing children became such an interest, adults were losing their jobs to children because they were hired for less money compared to adults, but with the same, possibly more hours. As industrialization of child labor continued to evolve, people began to acknowledge the evils of it. This generated the idea of reforming child labor. Reformers formed the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The SPCC prepared a restrictive factory bill for the New York state council. They wanted to forbid factory work for children under 14 years young. Moreover there was too much disagreement to this consideration but this downfall gave the organization more hope and motivation to sustain. Soon, New York passed the Factory Act of 1886 which restricted children below the age of 13 from working in factories and farms. Unfortunately this policy was inadequate and unenforceable. There would only be one inspector that had to examine all the factories in the state and was indulged to report violations just once a year. In addition the evidence of a child’s age was determined without an official document. In 1904, residents in America collaborated to compose the National Child Labor Committee. This committee believed that children needed to enjoy a vigorous and delightful puerility instead of being roused to work. If not, they would be denied the opportunities that every American deserved. 38) The NCLC constructed the Uniform Child Labor Law in 1910 which demanded a minimum age of 14 years for manufacturing employment and 16 years of age mining. They also encouraged restraint of night-work for children below 16 years young. Dramatic photography, photographed by Lewis W. Hine who was the photographer of the NCLC, rotated around the states, giving mankind access to see America’s children acted under brutal milestones. The photographs of young children at work helped the NCLC acquire the public’s attention. With their concern, 39 states passed child labor policies which definitely satisfied them, but the laws were not enforced and were misunderstood from it’s intentional purpose. The reform of child labor arose tensions against those who opposed the idea, in particularly the South. The South feared that if the NCLC became successful, employers would have to hire adults which were paid more than children and would decrease stock prices. People argued that child labor rules would dissuade manufacturing and the children wouldn’t be able to gain maturity in preparation of adulthood. In between the middle of the war to eliminate child labor, a Great Depression commenced. It changed political perspectives in America and availed Child labor reform. In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act also known as the FLSA. This act forbid employment in mining or manufacturing for children under 16 years of age while children below 14 years of age were able to work as long as it did not counteract with their education or health. In actual fact, the law only protected about 25% working children. (69) In 1944, the United States joined World War II and at this time, laboring provisions slightly improved. Younger children barely worked because school was in session. The toils the children did were much less odious and adverse than before. Children also became curtailed to work in coal mines or glass factories. The war ended in 1945 yet child labor still flourished. However, after the war, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act and organized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA was assigned to oversee the country’s industries and ensure that they followed the regulations. Enforcing child labor laws had frequently been tough since there were not enough inspectors who were upposed to authorize the FLSA which means the Department of Labor inspects only half of the businesses in America. Furthermore, penalties have never been sufficient enough to hinder felons. In 1989, violators paid only a $165 fine that can easily be recovered by doing more business. Presently, Congress changed the FLSA on November 5, 1990 which made the utmost penalty for child labor violations be increased to $10,000. The federal government endured a explicit deal to evict child labor and restore peace to the children of America. â€Å"Child labor as it once was no longer exists. (73) Several of the events that happened in America during the 19th century impacted America positively. There was the Louisiana Purchase and the new states added into the Union which provided more land in the U. S. There was also the elimination of slavery, gaining woman’s rights, and the new inventions that were created. The wars such as the War of 1812 and the Mexican War were not as meaningful as the issue of child labor. When men died in battle, they died with honor. When children died in factories by the horrid conditions, they died with despair. Men have already passed their childhood, unlike children who have obviously not. Child labor, although it is outlawed and isn’t as commonly used as before, still exists. Children are still determined to work just as adults are. They choose to work to earn their own money to be able to purchase items independently and most importantly to support their families. Now, teenagers work under youth employment where children work around a healthy environment with fair wages. Most teenagerswork in the food industry or the entertainment industry. Nowadays, there are still sweatshops in America that violate the child labor laws and neglects the health and safety of their workers. The conditions from the 19th century is similar to the working conditions today. Youngsters labor in crowded, squalid buildings with horrible ventilation. Even though the law restrains children under 18 years old from using powered machines, inspectors saw children in New York enduring around dangerous machinery in factories for very small earnings. Toilets were also improperly functioned and workers ate their lunch on the cluttered, untidy workshop ground beside machinery that released chemicals. Newspapers are still sold on the streets by children usually in their own neighborhood. Even today, children are constantly prone to pesticides on their human flesh when they make contact against leaves and inhale toxins that surround them at work, without having access to medication or sanitation. â€Å"Today no society anywhere in the word advocates child labor. Indeed most nations have laws outlawing it. Yet child labor continues and, according to a United Nations report, is a growing evil. † (10) Will child labor still occur in America? How can any nation like the Untied States completely end child labor? When will child labor no longer exist? Is there hope for the future in becoming â€Å"perfect†? Perhaps the answers will come very soon. In a nation that people tend to believe is â€Å"perfect†, still contains flaws and imperfections. Child labor was definitely the most ghastly, heinous dilemma in America during the Industrial Revolution that stimulated rigorous damage both psychologically and morally. Hopefully sometime in the future, the world can officially announce the end of child labor.

Analysis of two Musical Selections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Analysis of two Musical Selections - Essay Example For the most part, this version speaks of deep loss that the singer will never recover from and the difficulty occasioned by the prospect of â€Å"moving on†. This is depicted by the tempo which increasingly moves from Adagio, then gradually to andante, moderato and finally culminating in a faster tempo near the end and finally climaxing with an adagio. The tone expressed here tells the story of a miserable and disillusioned life while also bringing out the passion and emotions that exist.  Dolly Parton’s version of the song, however, paints the picture of a more resigned singer, who readily accepts fate while still acknowledging that the love still exists, is more realistic to the prospect of moving on after the loss. As depicted by the tempo which is slow and easy at the beginning: otherwise referred to as andante, while gradually condensing into a moderate tone at the middle of the song and ending with a tone that is neither too fast or slow. The tone expressed her e is sincere, while still acknowledging the presence of a strong love by the singer for the lover. It remains detached, but also acknowledges elements of appreciation and not regret as is the case with the other version of Whitney Houston.  The rhythm is depicted by some elements of consistency at the start of both songs while tapering off at the start of the Chorus where each voice takes on a different distinctive pace. The rhythm in Whitney Houston’s version is approximately two times slower than the Parton version and the extra emotions that are expressed in the song are made known with the care and slow pace exhibited in every vocal sang.  Dolly Parton’s version, however, consists of a tone that gradually and consistently makes known to the listener an understanding of the end of the relationship and the resolve to move on.  

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Self evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Self evaluation - Essay Example My voice tone also reflected various points that were being passed during the speech. To emphasize a point I made sure my tone had a sense of finality unlike at times when I was just stating basic points when my tone was relaxed. As I was preparing for my speech I practiced several times before the mirror to ensure that my body language added credibility to my talk. To make it more effective I made sure there were slight pauses as I gave my talk to ensure the listeners had a few seconds to deliberate over what I just said. I also made use of notes that carried the major points that I covered in my talk. In this way I could just take a glance at them and I could recall the whole point. The introduction is clearly outlined in the first paragraph and does its role of introducing the subject matter. It informs us about Facebook and gives a brief description and background information about the social site. The body contains discussions on the social network site and this is done in detail, starting from more information about the site to the various topics in regards to the site: such as the criticisms to the site and the media impact that the site has on the general population. The conclusion part of my essay was not clearly laid out. This is because after the last discussion point my talk ended. There should be a discussion that summarizes all the points that have been discussed and lets my listeners know my stand in relation to Facebook. Before my next presentation there are several things that I will ensure I do. One of these is practice the speech in front of a mock crowd. This is important as I will be able to evaluate whether all the relevant points were covered and if my presentation was clear as expected. Another thing that I can do to increase the effectiveness of my presentation is to include examples and exact statistics. For example when I write that Facebook has led

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Cultural Differences and People Management Essay - 1

Cultural Differences and People Management - Essay Example As the paper stresses the current situation is showing a change in the mind set and work domain involving women; from a survey conducted by the ORC worldwide, as of 2008, the ratio of men to women assigned to work overseas was 83.5: 16.5, the number being quite low for women, but a growth of 2.5 % from the previous survey conducted in 2002. Some would consider it fun to move into a new place, but the reality dawns on them once they are there. International mobility and repatriation requires a lot of resources, ranging from time for planning to financial support, to facilitate smooth transit into the new environment. Apart from work purposes for mobility, the other large group who feel the pressure of international mobility are the vast number of international exchange students. The jostle for any of these groups extends from issues of administrative management dealing with the countries of destination, and expatriate support in the moving out and settling in new environments, to cult ural shock and adjustment. It has never been easy, but it calls for the foreigner (employee or student) to be flexible enough to cope with the new life. Depending on the organization one is involved, there could be welcome activities that ease up the tension and familiarize new settlers in a place. This study declares that students studying overseas have experienced this programs based on the different international exchange student groups and the admitting institutions. However, whether these people have moved in temporarily or permanently, the multifaceted experience in the unfamiliar environment, way of life, and transition in the different cultures, results to serious influences and implications. Cultural Shock occurs in different ways among people who encounter unfamiliar situations, or any happening that was not expected in a mix with different cultures. Based on the profound personal experience in the environment, it could reoccur differently immediately after settling or lat er in the adjustment period, as people would be forced to respond to the changes in situations. Due to its way of emergence, some people argue it as one event happening, but the majority view it as a process. According to Furnham, culture shock depict unpleasant effects as surprises or shock experienced after touring or living in different cultures, because the occurrence were unexpected and could lead to negative evaluation of the diverse (own and new) cultures. The shock is experienced by those in mobility, whether internationally or within the region or society (such as organisation restructuring and population social changes), highly skilled or less skilled, but facing unfamiliar environments of cultural context. However, there are minor situations that make one less affected or perhaps not experience the cultural shock; this depends on the previous experiences in other cultures, the variation of one’s culture and the newly available, one’s preparation (psychologic ally and resourcefully) before and/or after encountering unfamiliar culture, which all influence the degree of the culture shock and individuals reactions.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Thesis that uses your original profile and your newly collected data Essay

Thesis that uses your original profile and your newly collected data to clearly present your point to your audience - Essay Example It has been observed that the most significant qualities of a transformational leader are strong execution skills, leading by example and the ability to sense what requires change. The existence of a truly ‘transformational’ leader was identified James MacGregor Burns who differentiated between leaders who were transactional in nature and those who were transformational in nature. The latter were defined as those that brought about some considerable, constructive change in the mindset of the organization and its employees through the use of powerful vision and motivational tactics to enable the various organizational actors to look beyond their immediate self-interests and work for the interest of the entire organization (Burns). However, this definition is criticized on the grounds that the pressing need and struggle for bringing â€Å"change† can divert the efforts of the followers away from the core tasks. For example, a school principal who insists on change management will hamper students’ learning by forcefully engaging them in CSR activities and taking time away from them. The CSR program is designed to enhance the level of ed ucational standards within institutions and is funded by the state (U.S Department of Education). The purpose of this program is to enable students of all levels to achieve the high academic standards set by the state after thorough research (U.S Department of Education). Schools are then required to fulfill the eleven aspects of this reform. These components include professional development of staff, setting up of SMART goals, parental involvement in bringing about improvements as well as the use of an external partner that assists the school in implementing these reforms (U.S Department of Education). The fact that the most significant quality is that of having a strong vision is also heavily debated. There are leaders who have an excellent vision, they know where to get but either do not know how to get there or

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Anti-diabetic medication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti-diabetic medication - Research Paper Example Monotherapy with Metformin is effective in controlling the blood glucose levels in Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM), however, it can also be used in conjunction with other oral hypoglycaemic drugs such as sulfonylureas and are effective in eliminating the use of insulin therapy (Dunn & Peters, 1995). Metformin is highly recommended in NIDDM patients because of its good glycaemic control, therefore it is crucial to understand its pharmacodynamics, adverse effects, contraindications, drug interactions, dosage and basic patient education for an effective prescription. The major action of metformin is decreasing the hepatic production of glucose and also reduces the intestinal absorption of glucose after meals. The better aspect about metformin is that it does not stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreatic beta cells, like the sulfonylureas. This removes any risk of causing hypoglycaemia in the NIDDM patients. Metformin has proved to reduce the HbA1c levels by 1% to 2% (Tindal, Sedrak, & Boltri, 2014). Metformin also increases the peripheral glucose uptake and increases the insulin sensitivity of tissue to insulin. These effects are helpful in improving glucose tolerance and also reduce the basal and the post-prandial levels of blood glucose. Metformin has also shown through clinical studies that it reduces the plasma lipid levels through its action on liver. It lowers total cholesterol, serum triglycerides, low-density lipids and increases high-density lipids. It is also effective in reducing platelet aggregation and makes the blood les s viscous (Wynee, Woo, & Millard, 2002). Metformin is used in the treatment of NIDDM as a monotherapy or in combination with other oral hypoglycemic drugs. It is especially of importance in obese patients who cannot use sulfonylureas, because metformin does not cause weight gain and also reduces plasma lipids (Wynee, Woo, & Millard, 2002). Metformin has shown in studies that if it is used in

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Information Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Information Policy - Essay Example I am concerned with the issue because the government continually pushes businesses towards the edge in setting harsh legal laws concerning privacy while they fail to assist the companies in handling it. The governments set rules that ensure businesses safeguard individuals’ personal information and prevent it from leaking to a third party. While this is important, most governments fail to specify personal information that a business should not gather or distribute (Serwin, McLaughlin & Tomaszewski, 2011). They impose fines on businesses for mishandling information without guiding them. Furthermore, businesses need to secure their information and information concerning their clients to reduce leakages to third parties. My concern challenges the government to give valuable insights into the problem of managing information security instead of embracing a legislative approach. The issue is of significant interest due to the need for urgent solutions to enable businesses protect personal and other business-related information. Companies require assistance in creating information security platforms in their entire networks. I can assist them develop internal privacy policies, making agreements on network security and technology contracts, negotiating vendor contracts, and reviewing employee policies and procedures. Businesses also need advice regarding database-marketing outsourcing where they store client personal information on servers external to the companies (Schwalbe,  2000). Hence, the existence of numerous gaps in the information management sector makes the area of privacy and security

Friday, August 23, 2019

Syncretizing Christianity with Confucianism Essay - 2

Syncretizing Christianity with Confucianism - Essay Example Confucius pointed out that heaven and the life after death were very complicated and were beyond human understanding, therefore, each and every individual should focus on doing the right thing while still alive. Brook (13) defines syncretism as the attempt of combining disparate and opposing beliefs together. Christianity is one of the oldest forms of religion with the highest number of believers in the world today. Madsen affirms that Christianity as a religion becomes the hardest to syncretize with Confucianism because Christianity is a religion which has its own doctrines that are all written down and followed by all Christians in the world today. Christians believe in the bible as the only source of the word of God. They believe that the divine God talks to them through the Bible (482). Combining the beliefs of Confucianism with those of Christianity will only serve to cause instability in the church since the base of the belief system will be shaken. Christians believe that there is life after death and therefore God will come back to the end of life on earth and bring justice to the people. Kato points out that according to Christianity good people will go to Heaven while those who were involved in evil deeds will be burnt eternally in hell (10). Syncretism imperils interfaith discourse by trying to detach Christianity from the doctrines and historical core. It will become very difficult in combining the two belief systems because it will be more complicated for Christians to drop their belief system where they strongly believe that God is omnipresent.The doctrines of Christianity does not tally with those of any other religion in the world today, therefore, combining the beliefs of both religions will only serve to bring wrangles and misunderstanding in the world today.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Memo Spiderman Essay Example for Free

Memo Spiderman Essay For this assignment I have chosen Spiderman. In the last movie of the trilogy, Spiderman turns into the Dark-Spidey by a symbiote that enters into his body and changes him.  When the symbiote attacks Peter Parker he at first feels more powerful. He turns black and acts without judgment. People still see him as Spiderman, so his new personality runs his body and runs the town he is supposed to be helping. Mary Jane and others start to notice the changes in him and alienate themselves from him. Eventually he returns back to regular Peter Parker and Spiderman. Normally Spiderman’s actions would just seem like a hiccup in his judgment. However, using the psychodynamic theory to analyze his actions, there would be a better explanation for his changes. Using the concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego, the levels of Spiderman can be explained. Spiderman helps everyone in the city and with good intentions. He follows the rules, but still acts as a superhero. Spiderman in this case would be the Superego of Peter Parker. In the psychodynamic theory, a superego purpose is to uphold the moral rules of the social world. However, when he changes into the Dark-Spidey he lets out his Id. He acts out. Dark-Spidey wants to run the city for his own pleasure and does not think of others. In a Freudian perspective, the Id is a pleasure seeker. Peter Parker does not act out by any means. He works as a regular reporter for the Daily Bugle. Parker would be the Ego, by acting in accordance to the constraints of his life but still balancing his Id and his Superego. Although this example is completely fictional, this portion of Freud’s theory applies very well and makes sense. Most people will eventual let out their Id out, because they go for what they want when they want it. The theory cannot be tested, but fluxes in people show that the Id, Ego, and Superego do exist to some extent.

English Banking Law Essay Example for Free

English Banking Law Essay INTRODUCTION: There are three types of cheque frauds exists in UK viz. forged, counterfeit and fraudulently altered cheque fraud. In 2005, the cheque fraud in U.K was estimated about  £ 40.3 million – a 13% decrease from the 2004 total of  £ 46.2 million. The earlier year figures also revealed a steady increase totaling  £ 36million in 2002 and  £ 45million in 2003.In U.K during 2005, counterfeit cheque fraud was estimated at  £ 3.23m, forged cheques fraud was estimated at  £ 30.9 m in 2005 and fraudulently altered cheque fraud was estimated at  £ 6.2 millions. SOURCE: FRAUD FACTS -2006 APACS- UK This paper studies the various protections available to banks and customers when using cheques as opposed to cards, as method of payment. PROTECTION AVAILABLE TO CHEQUE PAYMENTS UNDER BILL OF EXCHANGE ACT, 1882, UK (BEA) AND CHEQUES ACT 1957 Under Bill of Exchange Act, 1882, under section 81 A, a non-transferable cheques has been defined as follows†   Ã¢â‚¬Å"81 A (1). Where as cheques is crossed and bears across its face the words ‘account payee’ or a/c either with or without the word ‘only’, the cheques shall not be transferable but shall only be valid as between the parties thereto. (2) A banker is not to be treated for the purpose of section 80 above as having been negligent by reasons only of his failure to concern himself with any purported endorsement of a cheque which under subsection (1) above or otherwise is not transferable. (Cheques Act, 1992). One risk associated with the cheques bearing forged or unauthorized endorsements’. However protection is available under the English Bills of exchange Act, (BEA, or the Act). Under BEA, a legitimate holder of a cheques payable to bearer attain a good title to the instrument overcoming thereby any adverse claim of ownership that might have been hold good against his predecessor. Accordingly, the payment by the drawee bank to those acquirers discharges the cheques as well as the drawer’s engagement thereon so as to permit the drawee bank to debit the drawee’s account. But this is not applicable to cheques payable to order. In the case of payable to order cheques, effect of an unauthorised or an absence of endorsement or forged endorsement shall have to be looked into under the circumstances of forged endorsements. One of the ways to prevent forged endorsement or loss due to stolen cheques is to use crossed cheques or cheques payable in account. Cheques crossing are available under the BEA, UK. The crossed cheques requires to deposit the cheques into account rather than payable to bearer does not reallocate the cheques theft losses but it minimizes the loss and thus benefits the party on whom the loss falls. Further the losses arose due to stolen cheques or loss cheques payable to bearer fall on the dispossessed owner under BEA. Thus under BEA , reallocation of loss away from dispossessed owner may not be successful in case of crossed cheques payable to bearer as the onerous shifted to bank for its negligence. If a bank has acted in good faith and it is protected under BEA for the payment made to open cheques to bearer.    In the case of crossed cheques, if the bank seeks protection, it should have acted without negligence and in good faith. Under BEA, if forged endorsement losses fall on the taker from the forger who is naturally a bank. Further, the cheques payable to the order under the BEA, loss reduction thus seems to be mainly advantageous to the collecting bank. Further the collecting bankers of the crossed cheques are protected under the BEA over forged endorsements as long as they acted in good faith and without negligence. Further under BEA, the drawee bank is protected and this shifts the reallocation of forged endorsement losses to the first innocent party prior to the collecting bank.   Where the one who grabbed the payment through a bank account was the conman, such innocent party is construed to be dispossessed owner. Thus the crossing has reassigned the loss to the dispossessed owner, thus excluding the collecting bank that took the cheque from the conman. Thus under BEA, protection is available to banking channel had they acted in good faith and without negligence even in case of crossed cheques .If an open or crossed stolen cheque has been collected by or paid to the conman , the loss is assigned to the dispossessed owner .Under UK laws , where a cheque is payable to order is collected or paid over a forged endorsement for or to a non-bank situated in the chain of title subsequent to the conman, loss is assigned to the non-bank from that of the conman. This is apart from of whether the cheque was collected for or paid to the innocent taker from the conman or someone obtaining title from the conman despite of crossing.   Where the cheque is crossed and it has to be paid into a bank account and then only it can be encashed as it will be convenient for the dispossessed owner to trace that person and assign the loss to him. Thus the crossing of cheque becomes more helpful to the true owner. However thus the innocent endorser has to bear the loss as the benefit is not in the reallocation of losses. The best example of the above is the Nigerian gangsters operating in UK and taking the gullible students who are in the poverty to carry out cheque fraud worth  £ 50 million a year. These Nigerians conman recruit poor students with promises of good cash reward for just providing the conman with their bank account particulars. By using stolen corporate cheque books, they then deposit huge amount of British pounds through the accounts. No sooner the account is credited with the collection amount from the fraudulent cheques, the account will be emptied before the firm or bank realizes what has happened. The major lion’s share goes to the conman and only a very meager amount goes to the innocent, poor student who has provided the bank account number to the conman. When the fraud comes to light due to alerting by the bank to the police, it is the poor, innocent student who will become the scapegoat. The conman mainly selects the students from Camden in North London where thousands of students from the capital’s universities congregate. Conman liberally offer them up to  £ 5000 for doing nothing. Then the conman approaches an insider who is working in the royal mail and induces them to steal a company’s cheque book. Then the conman visits the company office to collect the director’s signature from the dustbin and thus they scrupulously copy the same in writing the bogus cheques.   Thus the conman had a fortune by sharing a lion’s share in the booty leaving the innocent, poor account holder to face police and possible fraud investigation.[i] Banks and building society’s in UK from September 2006 onwards is not to accept the cheques that are issued in favour of the banks itself in a move to avoid frauds. Bank is to insist to issue the cheques payable to an individual or to include the individual’s name on the payee line after the name of the institution. This strategy is mainly designed to ensure that the money lands in the right account and to bring to an end to cheque fraud which reached to a height of  £46.2 million in 2004 which includes counterfeit and stolen cheques. This modification is being launched following a case in which an independent financial advisor informed his clients to draw cheques out to the financial institutions where the money was going to be invested. He then paid them in to his own account, rather than the customers account.[ii] Under the BEA , there is a provision with a bill containing words prohibiting transfer or indicating an intension that it should not be transferable and these instruments is termed as ‘ not negotiable’. As such these instruments can not be negotiated by the payee to another holder. In UK, an account payee or a/c payee and with or without the words only can be encashed only by the account holder and thus it can not be encashed other wise than by an endorsement. Further, under the BEA, the consequence of an unauthorised or forged assignment is similar to that of forged endorsement as both do not convey title. Under BEA, in there is no acceptance, the drawee can not be held liable on the instrument and it does not exclude in tort or in receipt of money provided elements of such liability are present. If the drawer has given sufficient notice well in advance informing the drawee about the forged endorsement and the remedy available to the drawer against drawee for the forged endorsement is under contract and this arises regardless of any particular provision of the BEA. Further under BEA , no remedies is specified for the misappropriation under forged endorsement but the injured can avail the common law remedies for the embezzlement of property in chattels generally rather than stipulating specific recourse to the true owner of misappropriated cheques. Further the loss of cheque does not forfeit the action on it under the BEA. Under BEA, no title is passed on under the forged endorsements and one who derives the title under forged endorsement can not enforce payments against a prior party to the forgery. Further no payment is made under due course so as to discharge the cheque and to preclude drawee’s liability against the drawer. Thus the original owner from whom the cheque was stolen and forged inherits the right to and on the cheque and he has a right to sue for the wrongful interference with his rights. Further under BEA, an endorser is barred from refuting the authenticity and promptness of all previous endorsements and at the time of endorsement, he had a good title and this denial will be advantageous for the holder in due course later. Further under BEA, the drawee bank can base its reliance on laws governing mistake and restitution for the payment made over a forged endorsement. Further, under BEA provisions, true owner may recover on the lost cheque from any party prior to the falsification till up to the drawer. Under BEA, cheques payable to fictitious or non existing persons is deemed to payable to the bearer. A collecting bank can not be held responsible for payment made to a thief if it is drawn on fictitious name and if they have acted in good faith which absolves the collecting from its liability. In Fok Cheong Shing Investments v. Bank of Nova Scotia, the president of the drawer who turned to be the authorised signatory of the company issued a cheque to a real person with an intention for misappropriation. The loss was allocated to the drawer under the fictious payee provision. Thus the drawee bank is being protected under the BEA if it has paid a cheque over forged endorsement in the ordinary course of business under good faith. Thus the statutory protection is extended to the collecting bank which collects in good faith and without negligence a cheque bearing a forged endorsement. S 60 of the BEA does not warrant that drawee bank should act with out negligence. However one may assume that a bank has to act without negligence in the ordinary course of business. The UK Review Committee on Banking Services Law and Practice considered provisions ss.60, 80 and s.1 of the Cheques Act 1957. The committed recommended to combine these provisions under single enactment so that statutory protection may be extended to a paying bank acting in ’good faith’ and without negligence. Both the s 82 and s.1 of the Bills of exchange (crossed cheques) Act were repealed by the Cheques Act 1957 in UK which mainly extended the protection to open cheques and other payments documents. In UK, the drawee is primarily liable to payment, the endorser is liable secondly and the drawer is the ultimately liable to payment upon dishonor. Not withstanding this, the drawer and the endorser may sign without recourse. The United Nations Convention on international Bills of exchange and International Bills of Exchange and International promissory notes , 1988( UNCITRAL Convention) specifies that the drawer may exclude his own liability for acceptance or deferment by an express stipulation in the Bill. Such stipulation will hold of use only where another party is or becomes liable on the bill. PROTECTION AVAILABLE TO PAYING BANK: Section 24 of the BEA states that a forged signature is no signature. In Brown v Westminster Bank (1964), the estoppel caused from the misleading facts from the client. In this case , the bank has reminded a old lady , the customer against the veracity of the signature as her signature was forged more than in 300 cheques and in turn she certified that the signature was her own.   When the bank was sued by her son later, it was held that bank was not liable and they were estopped from denying the genuineness of the cheques. In Tai Cotton Mills Ltd v Liu Chong Hing bank (1985), it was held in this case that a customer of a bank needs to check his bank statement to keep on watch that the forged cheques were processed. The bank’s express condition to the contrary in the contract with customer can absolve the banks from the wrongful debit. Like wise if a bank pays a cheque in breach of a mandate by oversight, it has the right of subrogation and the bank has the right to take the possession of a title or good that it effectively paid for. PROTECTION IN THE CASE OF CONVERSION: It is not necessary for the bank to check every endorsement on the cheque and it would be time consuming and onerous to do so. So as to assuage the liability of banks, BEA (1882) and the Cheques Act (1959) offer defense for the paying bank. Bank of Ireland v Hollicourt (Contracts) limited (2000) EWCA Cir 263. A suit was filed against a bank which continued to pay on cheques against the company’s bank account even after filing of a petition for bankruptcy. It was held that the bank had acted as an agent and didn’t have any beneficial interest and the legislation made the disposition void but that did not operate the way claimed. Roger Smith and Christopher Trimothy Esmond Hayward and Lloyds Bank TSB; Harvey Jones Ltd and Woolwich Plc (2000). Where a cheque has been misused falsely to change the name of the payee, then the piece of paper can not be termed as a cheque and an action for alteration against the collecting or paying bank will stand only as the nominal value of the paper and not as to the face value. As the material alteration was carried out with out assent of any one but the fraudster and under the bill is avoided save against a party consenting or making to the alteration. PRECAUTIONS TO BE OBSERVED WHILE WRITING A CHEQUE: Write clearly the name of person in whose favour your are writing a cheque with additional information like Dr, Er, his shop name or company name etc. From September 2006 on wards whenever you issue a cheque to UK building society or to a bank, add additional information other than the name of the bank or society like account no, bank branch name etc. To prevent fraudsters to add words in the empty blank space available in the written cheque, it is always better to draw a line through unused spaces. Don’t pre sign blank cheques and also try to fill all the details like full name, amount in figures and words and don’t issue undated cheques. Always issue ‘account payee only ‘crossed cheques’ to avoid any frauds. CREDIT CARD CHEQUES: These cheques have been issued as an additional facility on credit card accounts for the last 10 years in UK. These are similar to the normal bank account cheques and can be deployed for the same purpose. During 2004 , about 3.4m credit cheques have been issued which constitute a very little percentage (2%) as opposed to overall number of credit card in operation which totaled to 1.727 billion in the UK according to APACS , the UK payment association. The credit card cheques are likely to bounce in most of the cases if credit limit has been crossed. These credit card cheques are utilised for high value transactions ranging from  £ 850 as against  £ 58 for a UK credit card purchases and  £ 120 for payment of a personal cheque. In credit card cheques, the customer need not ask for the cheques from the credit card issuer but they are issued at the discretion of the card provider and there are different terms and conditions applicable to transaction done through credit cards cheques as compared with a credit card and this is being unaware by the most of the customers. One of the disadvantages is the fraud that is prevalent in the credit card cheques as the most of the issuer are forwarding it to their customers on discretionary basis. These credit card cheques are vulnerable to fraudulent activities as most of the customers do not aware that credit card cheques have been dispatched to them. In the case of these credit card frauds, lender has to bear the losses rather than customer. CREDIT CARD FRAUDS: Credit and debit card frauds cost  £ 400 m during 2004 and devise deployed by the fraudsters have become sophisticated.One of the remedy is to insure against the ID theft. Some insurance company offer it as free adds on with home insurance policy. One of the protection for the prevention of credit card frauds   is the introduction of new industry standard namely ‘Chip and Pin† which required implanting a microchip inside the credit and debit card and mandates that consumers key in a secrete four-digit personal identification number to complete a transaction using the card. As the result the consumers deceived by the fraudsters are on the decrease in UK. [i] Dan Evans, â€Å"Gang’s Pounds 50m stolen cheque racket ‘, Sunday Mirror, Jan, 12, 2003. [ii] â€Å"Banks put checks on Cheques in new bid to beat pounds 46 million fraud, The Birmingham post, December 8, 2005, page 24. Check Your Balance before the Match. The News Letter (Belfast, Northern Ireland) : 11 Cheques in the Post-Mortem. The Birmingham Post (England) 21 Jan. 2006: 27. Cheques to Be Stubbed Out. After 350 YEARS; Signed and Sealed. The Mirror (London, England) 10 Nov. 2004: 1. Fraud Bill Shock. Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England) 31 Jan. 2006: 2. Ghost Workers Help Fraud to Soar. Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) 2 Feb. 2005: 6. King of the Cons. The Mirror (London, England) 11 Jan. 2005: 10. Postman Given Asylum Plundered [Pounds Sterling] 20million. The Daily Mail (London, England) 21 Dec. 2005: 17. Store Bans Slowcoach Cheques to Speed Checkouts. Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) 3 Apr. 2006: 4. Sally Ramage Dabydeen, â€Å"Legal and Regulatory Frame work â€Å"iUniverse, 2004.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards

Advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards In this modern era with the rising of e-commerce in the world, the usage of credit card is getting popular among the world nowadays. The usage of credit card has actually spread towards the college student and has increasing visibility (Hayhoe, 2002). Meanwhile, this is the best chance for the credit card companies to put on target at college students because college students are expected to have higher of earning power and this makes the credit card companies believe that as a desirable market (Warwick Mansfield, 2000). Credit card can be best defined as a small plastic card issued by the bank to the consumers to purchase goods and services in advance with a credit limit on the spending (eHow, n.d). With a credit card, the users are able to purchase goods without using cash. Users will have the ability to use it as online payment in internet and uses it as monthly installment for large volume goods and services (eHow, n.d). However, interest charges are applied to the credit cards. There are many different types of credit card associations nowadays. For example, American Express, Dinner Club, MasterCard, Visa and many more. Each month, the credit card user is sent a statement by bank that indicated their purchases for previous month. After the cardholder received the statement, he or she must pay the amount of their purchases otherwise may choose to pay a higher amount when the credit issuer charges interest on the amount owed. Even credit cards have higher interest rates than most consumer loans; many people still prefer to use it yet. This is because almost every store that we can see allows for payment of goods and services through credit cards today. The increasing number of banks that provides credit card has eventually increases the competition between banks in attracting the customers. Every bank has tried their own way to persuade the customers to apply the credit customers. The worst part is, they even attract college students by having promotion in the college. Historically, the bank actually started to bump into student credit card market in the late of 1980-an (Manning, 2000). In the long run, this will cause many problems to the college students. This is because most of the college students does not how to plan their money effectively. According to Henry, Weber, and Yarbrough (2001), most of the students will have the credit problems is because college students do not practice to have a written budget. The researchers also expected college students are vulnerable to financial crisis (Henry, Weber Yarbrough, 2001). The incredible increase of the usage of credit card actually has demonstrated the crisis among the college students. The increased number of credit cards among college has seen a major growth since the past decade (So, Grable Bagwell, 2003). Based on a research, 70% of all undergraduates at four-year colleges have at least one credit card today (So, Grable Bagwell, 2003). Advantages and Disadvantages of using a Credit Card Credit Card is an Automatic advanced card which people can use it to get the goods without paying the cash. Credit cards are widely use by people all around the world as a source of convenient to get what their needs. But, there are many advantages and disadvantages of using it. One of the advantages of credit card is that with credit card can eliminate the need to carry large sums of cash wherever we go. For example, if we are away from home for vocation, we dont need to take large amount of cash in pocket. Besides, credit cards may also offer us additional protection if goods that we bought is lost, damaged, or stolen. This is where the credit card company can know that the fact that we have made a purchase. In addition, we can also see that some credit card companies offer insurance for the customers on large purchases. By this way, the companies can protect their customers and give their customers the security of using the card. With a credit card can also assist us build a credit line. By having a good credit history is very vital, which meant that making payments on time and in full month, it help us not only applying a credit card, but also when applying for the loans, rental, or even some jobs will more easily. In conjunction to that, credit cards can also be useful in times of emergency as well. For example, students with a credit card can take the necessary actions by helping parents when they falls ill, a car is damaged, or trying to buy a higher cost books in the university. Some credit cards also offer some extra benefits for their customers, such as discounts from particular stores or companies, bonuses such free airline miles or travel discounts. All of these benefits is helpful for us as long as we bear in mind that out spending limits. On the other hand, the disadvantage of credit cards is that they encourage people to spend money that they dont have. The customers can spend any time as they want even they have less money. Indirectly, the customers cannot pay for the bill statements that what they had spent. By this way, the more money the customers owe the credit card companies, and yet they will charge the customers on interest each month on their spending. The other disadvantages of credit card is that the credit card companies will charge the customers on high amount of interest on each balance that the customers dont pay off at the end of the month. This is how the credit card companies make their money and this is how many of credit card users will get into big troubles. And, credit card fraud also is one of the disadvantages. This is where the credit card also same as a cash, it also can be stolen sometimes. They maybe be physically stolen from customers wallet or credit card number and use as to swap the mo ney. The good news is that, when we realize our credit card is stolen, quickly we can report to the credit card companies. This is to avoid us by not being charged for any purchases that someone else has made. As conclusion, credit cards can make life easier and convenient to the users as they utilize it wisely. But, if we use it wrongly, it will become huge financial burden for us. If we decide to use the credit cards, we must know some simple rules such as limit our purchases, dont spend outside our budget, pay off the balance at the end of each month, and most importantly is dont give credit card information to anyone else as the safety methods. 1.1.2 Development of credit card in Malaysia In old days, there was no such thing as money. Each person would provide for his own food and clothing and also shelter. As time goes by, a system of barter by exchange of needs began. Barter trade however, was not that simple. Sometimes, it was difficult to find those who had exactly the item that was needed. Some goods were used for barter trade because they could easily be carried, have a common value and be easily divided. This commodity money became a medium of exchange soon. Common goods such salt, bread, grain, tobacco were among the item that had served as money. The first money appeared when the ruler or king issued a constant value. For example, in historical times in Malaysia, blocks and tin were kind of commodity money. As businesses developed, it became inconvenient to move large sums of coins around the country. In the middle ages, people preferred to deposit their coins with trustworthy goldsmiths, in exchange for paper receipts. Whenever a depositor wanted to make payments, he would exchange these receipt back for coins. As long as the goldsmith was trustworthy, the paper receipt was as good as coins. Thus, the first paper money and first banks were developed. In Malaysia, only the Bank Negara Malaysia is allowed to issue coins and paper currency notes. The value of ringgit is legal tender and is backed by gold and foreign exchange held by Bank Negara. In nowadays, there are now 3 forms of money we can see in Malaysia. They are coins, paper currency, and transaction account which are cheques and credit cards. While coins and paper currency are used to transfer money at the present time, cheques and credit cards commit money that will be earned in the future. Cheques is the most common instruments used to transfer funds. And then, cheques and credit cards become more popular as they provide their holders with the power to purchase without having carried around large amount of cash. Research Background Credit card among college students has become a hot topic of growing nowadays. This is because college students are experiencing unique transition period in their lives. Financially, they are going through the process from financial dependence to independence. They may have learned some consumer skills in cash management at home before coming to college. At this moment, students just want to start to learn on how to use credit wisely and just matured enough to be able to sign legal contracts include credit card contracts. There are also some other studies that show that students are greatly involved with credit cards. Yet, the use of credit cards among students has received much attention in recent year from members of the financial community and policy makers. Credit card companies grab this golden chance to target students because they are expected to have higher average earning power and are seen by the credit card companies as a desirable market (Warwick Manfield, 2000). Besides, we can see that mixed practices among students credit use will make them have a low knowledge about credit because they do not fully understand the financial implications of having a large number of credit card debt. By this way, this will make them to spend more. (McNeal and Yeh, 1993) A research also showed that at average age of eight years children, making their first independent purchase as socialization as a consumer begins in their early years. Nowadays, as we know that a service tax of RM50 will be charges on each principal credit card in Malaysia start from 20l0. And, for every supplementary card, a service with RM25 will be charged yearly. The governments impose this tax is because the users of credit card is increasing day to day. 1.3 Problem Statement This study analyzes the factors that influence the usage of credit card among IPTA and IPTS students. The research will give the opportunity to collect accurate data from the designed questionnaire in order to analyze the relationship of the variables. The following problem statement is supporting the research background of this study: To what extent do demographic, knowledge, kind of purchases, credit attitude, and family background influence the usage of credit card among IPTA and IPTS students? 1.4 Research Objectives Students attitudes towards credit card could play a vital role in determining its distribution. After figuring out the problem statement of this research, let go to the objectives of this research. The objective of this research is to distribute a proper framework and to analyze the factors that influence the usage of credit card among IPTA and IPTS students. From the research study also, it could assist to provide some suggestion to solve this problem. The three main objectives of this research study are: To investigate the role knowledge of credit card use plays in compulsive buying among the students. To test demographic. To compare the monthly usage of credit card among IPTA and IPTS students. To determine which factors is most significant effect towards usage of credit card among IPTA and IPTS students. 1.5 Significant of study It is important to study that how the credit card as a key of contribution to everyone no matter to bankers, users, society or among college students. Every companies and banks will benefit with owning a credit card. Mostly are those banks making money from the credit card companies? This is how it goes. If a bank agrees to take their customers deposit, they dont keep it all in the back. This is because there are only a small percentage of the bank customers will demand their money at any given time, a percentage of all deposits( vault cash), is kept on hand. Some of this cash will loan out to credit card companies so that they can finance the purchases their customers make, until the customer pays the credit card company back. Actually, most credit card companies are organized as banks, so that they are regulated in a different way than regular companies. As a result, the more money that is owed by bank or company, the more that bank or company is worth. This is because of the way the American accounting system works. Meanwhile, the main benefit to each customer is convenience. A credit card allows small short-term loans to be quickly made to customer who need not calculate a balance remaining before every transaction, provided the total charges do not exceed the maximum credit line for the card. Credit card also provides more fraud protection than the debit card for the users. Many credit cards offer rewards and benefits packages, such as offering enhanced product warranties at no cost, points which may be redeemed for cash, products, and also for the airline tickets. This makes the users feel more satisfaction about their services of owning a credit card. Additionally, carrying a credit card is more comfortable to some users either than carrying a bucket of cash in their pocket. On the other hand, owning a credit card also benefited to community. This is how they permit people around to make a large purchase, such as expensive materials or those for cars. This make the people can buy those things easier. Yet, with credit card be useful for emergencies use like medical bills. Also, credit card offer additional protection of purchases. Example, if the goods that already bought by people is lost or had been stolen, the credit card company can prove for the fact that people have made a purchase with original receipts. So that people do not need to worry too much because some credit card companies are offering insurance on credit card. With a credit card too, it can help to create entrepreneurs. Many entrepreneurs who were unable to get the bank loan will have to use credit card as a way to finance their projects. Although by this way it is extremely risky, there is no choice to help some entrepreneurs become more wealthy and successful in future. Nowadays, we might see many credit companies also set up target in campus areas to encourage college students for sign up their card. They might give free gift such as t-shits, umbrella, water bottles for those who signing up the card. Some research shows that students are valuable customers because they are loyal for their first card and will continue to make their purchases in future. With the credit card, students can make large purchases easily such as expensive text books, airline ticket, hotel room booking, garments, and etc. 1.6 Organization of study This research focus mainly on how credit card use by students of IPTA and also IPTS. This research project compromises of 3 main chapters. It consists of introduction and background, literature review, and also research methodology. The first chapter introduces the area of the study that mainly on the overview and background of the research and the concept of credit card, its advantages and disadvantages, and overview of the previous and current issues related to the topic, and followed by problem statement of this study. Problem statement is referred to a clear statement of the question or issues that to be investigated with the goal of finding and answer solutions. The second chapter is provides a review on the related literature on credit card and the factors that can affect its usage. Literature review is review of facts from past researchers who conducted theirs studies on the same field (usage of credit card) in order to support this research study. The effort to form literature review was done by the information gathering from the internet, journals article and other sources such as past researches journals and articles that is vital to form the literature review. The purpose is to find out all the facts, data and information required to support the topic selected. Besides that, this chapter also includes the review of literature that explains the relationship between each independent variables and dependent variable. The third chapter presents the organized research methodology by explaining the research techniques used in the collection and analysis of the survey data. It includes designation framework, area of study, population sample size, data collection methods are also included, and identifying the variables that consist of dependent variables and independent variables.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

An Analysis of the Movie, Double Impact Essay -- Movie Film Essays

An Analysis of the Movie, Double Impact The movie opens twenty-five years ago in Hong Kong. The parents of two twin babies, Alex and Chad, had borrowed money from Raymond Zhang and Nigel Griffith, two lead smugglers. They needed the money in order to build a tunnel between Hong Kong and the mainland. After the tunnel was built and the money collected, Nigel Griffith and Raymond Zhang had a gang of hit men massacre Alex and Chad's family. Frank Avery, a friend of the family, races into the scene and finds the parents already dead. The two babies are in the back seat with a maid. She takes Alex and flees the scene. Frank sees Chad left behind and takes him and runs. Twenty-five years after these events we find Frank Avery, who is played by Geoffrey Lewis, has raised Chad as his own kid. They own a gym in Los Angelos. Frank has been trying to locate the other brother for the past twenty-five years and has finally found his whereabouts in Hong Kong, working for Raymond Zhang, played by Philip Chan Yan Kin, and Nigel Griffith, pla... An Analysis of the Movie, Double Impact Essay -- Movie Film Essays An Analysis of the Movie, Double Impact The movie opens twenty-five years ago in Hong Kong. The parents of two twin babies, Alex and Chad, had borrowed money from Raymond Zhang and Nigel Griffith, two lead smugglers. They needed the money in order to build a tunnel between Hong Kong and the mainland. After the tunnel was built and the money collected, Nigel Griffith and Raymond Zhang had a gang of hit men massacre Alex and Chad's family. Frank Avery, a friend of the family, races into the scene and finds the parents already dead. The two babies are in the back seat with a maid. She takes Alex and flees the scene. Frank sees Chad left behind and takes him and runs. Twenty-five years after these events we find Frank Avery, who is played by Geoffrey Lewis, has raised Chad as his own kid. They own a gym in Los Angelos. Frank has been trying to locate the other brother for the past twenty-five years and has finally found his whereabouts in Hong Kong, working for Raymond Zhang, played by Philip Chan Yan Kin, and Nigel Griffith, pla...

Monday, August 19, 2019

leadership :: essays research papers

1. Introduction The current concept of evaluation of information technology makes certain assumptions. These centre in broad terms on the ability of evaluation systems to represent initiatives in ways that allow efficacious judgements to be taken. As a consequence of this assumption, representational faithfulness is assumed to be a primary requirement. Given representational faithfulness, it is assumed, rational decisions can be taken, and evaluation can be used to foster learning within feedback cycles. This assumption is consistent with a particular kind of leadership, which has been termed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“transactionalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. Transactional leadership is based on the premise that leaders clarify the goals of subordinates, and provide rewards and punishments concomitant with performance against goals. Transactional leadership clearly has an important role to play within the modern enterprise but there is an alternative: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“transformationalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? leadership (Burns, 1978). Tr ansformational leadership begins with assumptions which differ markedly from transactional leadership, and thereby implies a different approach to evaluation. In broad terms, these assumptions centre on achieving results by stimulating subordinates; rather than through systems of contingent reward. The central question to be pursued in this paper concerns the relevance and implications of transactional and transformational leadership for the practice of information technology evaluation. The next section considers transactional leadership and explains its relationship to evaluation. Limitations of evaluation based upon evaluation and transactional leadership are explored both through the existing literature and through an existing study of the views of a group of Financial Directors of UK FTSE top-500 companies (all quotations used within this paper are taken from McAulay et al, 1997). Transformational leadership is then presented and comments made by the Financial Directors are used to suggest ways in which evaluation can be aligned with this form of leadership. The implicit argument is that familiar problems that are associated with the exercise of evaluation as framed by transactional leadership can be avoided within transformational leadership. The implication of the paper is that the exercise of evaluation should not be understood as an ontological inevitability but as a consequence of context, including the context provided by leadership. 2. Transactional leadership The leaderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role within the transactional view of leadership is one of clarification; leaders clarify the role of subordinates and motivate them through rewards for good performance and punishments for aberrant behaviour. Transactional leadership stresses contract and contingent reinforcement (Bass, 1985). It is underpinned by path-goal theory, which establishes a role for the leader as the person who points out to subordinates the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“paths to successful effortà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Color blind by the Counting Crows Essays -- song analysis

I am colorblind Coffee black and egg white Pull me out from inside I am ready (repeat 3 times) I am taffy stuck and tongue tied Stutter shook and uptight Pull me out from inside I am ready (repeat 3 times) I am fine I am covered in skin No one gets to come in Pull me out from inside I am folded and unfolded and unfolding I am colorblind Coffee black and egg white Pull me out from inside I am ready (repeat 3 times) I am fine (repeat 3 times) The song â€Å"Colorblind† by The Counting Crows nothing less than perfect for the scene it was chosen for in the film â€Å"Cruel Intentions†. It was played was one of the film’s main characters lost her virginity to another character. Though it was a beautiful fit for the scene which it played upon I don’t believe the meaning behind the song is the newness of being deflowered. The lyrics and the instrumentals accompanying them are both extremely simple in contrast to the actual meaning behind the song. To be quite succinct, the song itself is relatively simple but it is the meaning and the effort put forth in each and every line that makes it so deep. In the first line, "I am colorblind† (1), this is a clear depiction the songwriter’s (Adam Duritz) perception of everything. His emotions have been dulled due to pains of the past cnsequently renderring him cold and unfeeling. He sees everything as it is; there is simply no middle ground or grey area when it comes to life. This can be seen in the next line, â€Å"Coffee black and egg white" (2) He sees everything just as it is presented, not for what it could be if viewed differently with an open mind and open heart. â€Å"Coffee black† is a representation of how he merely sees the black of the coffee, as opposed to perceiving the richness, aroma, or other detectable qualities. The next two lines, "Pull me out from inside. / I am ready, I am ready, I am ready" (3-4) signifies the fact he is in a shell with a wall of defense up. He does not want to let his guard down, leaving him vulnerable to the pain that only a loved one can bring. In the next line when he says he is ready for love three times, this is an indication of the fact that he is ready to succumb to the power and the feeling of love. He indeed is apprehensive about the situation and is having... ...es metaphorical use to promote the ambiguity of his subject matter. Imagery is also present within the context of the song. The imagery portrayed in this song because it allows the listener visualize this scenario and his emotions. Phrases like â€Å"coffee black and egg white† which is repeated twice in the song, enables the listener to envision the message he’s trying to convey. Refrain is one of the characteristic components of many lyrical compositions, whether poetry or song. The refrain identified in this song is when the writer repeated the phrase â€Å"I am ready† three times; this is the key phrase that most accurately expresses the writer’s mentality, thus dictating the tone of the song. The repetition only serves to the purpose of reinforcing the message. The song, once again, is quite simple but it is this simplicity that makes the song as powerful as it is. It was very well written and every musical instrument that accompanied the song was epic. This piece of work is truly a masterpiece.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Of Mice and Men Importance of Friendship George and Lennie

Of Mice and Men has many themes presented by Steinbeck, one of which is about friendship. The novella shows the relationship between the protagonists, George and Lennie, and showing how they try to achieve the American Dream by working together. This is in contrast to many of the other characters who are alone by themselves which seems to be the norm at the time of the Great Depression. The reader is able to look at how the need to have a companion is portrayed by Steinbeck, especially during the harsh economic times that the story is set in.The reliance that George and Lennie have on one another is able to emphasise on how it is only the friendship between the two of them which allows them to survive. Lennie saying ‘I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you. ’ is underlying the true reliance that both George and Lennie have for one another. Lennie also sees his friend ‘he pulled his hat down more over his eyes the way George’s hat was. â €™ as a role model and sees him as guidance as to how to live his own life. George needs Lennie as much as Lennie needs George despite Lennie being the one who is mentally challenged and in need of constant supervising.Steinbeck also uses the character Lennie to refer to how it should society should be collectively looking after the vulnerable in society rather than George having to look after him by himself. Thus the reliance of each of the main characters on one another emphasises how important the friendship is in keeping both them and the novella together. The friendship is also portrayed by Steinbeck as he is opposing the idea of people working just by themselves. â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family.They belong no place†¦they ain’t got nothing to look ahead to. †Ã‚   is showing what Steinbeck sees of the idea of itinerant workers being by themselves. This is despite the fact it would have much likely to be easier during the time of the Great Depression to be by yourself and have a sustinent way of life. Yet Steinbeck emphasises friendship by looking at how unhappy the people who are by themselves are. The fact that Lennie who can only understand basic ideas is able to see the migrant workers as ‘lonely’ goes to point out how a companion is needed to be able to live a happy life.They are also said to have ‘nothing to look ahead to,’ which counters the idea that people are able to achieve the American Dream just through hard work and determination from ‘rags to riches’. As a pair they are going against the ideology of ‘every man for himself’ which is preached as w Thus George and Lennie being together can be seen to show how they are closer to achieving the dream as a result of being able to work together. They are able to share the dream between one another which makes it a serious possibility.The circular narrative which then destroys the dream only makes it more tragic as it seems as if they had a possibility but there never was. This is what Steinbeck uses to undermine the idea of the American Dream for it is not even realistic despite co-operation. Thus due to the economic depression, Steinbeck shows that friendship is important to be able to cope through the difficult times The friendship is also important in comparing to other characters in the novella that are depicted as lonely as well as being the vulnerable in society.Curley’s wife is seen as one of the most isolated characters ‘Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever once in a while. ’ for all she desires is attention and for people to take notice of her. The fact that she has no-one to be with is what leads her to acting in a promiscuous manner and eventually this is also a cause of her death. Thus the strive to be happy without a friend can be fatal. Crooks is also a person who strives for friendship, â₠¬ËœS'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy 'cause you was black. ’ but it is unable to get it because of his colour.This is also emphasises the oppressive nature of society at the time because Crooks is lonely for he has been segregated. Although most of the men have no true friends, they at least get to play cards and associate with others. Lennie, because of the colour of his skin and his friendship with George, cannot possibly understand Crooks' plight. George chooses to kill Lennie at the novel's end, realizing that Lennie could not stand the loneliness of being locked up in a prison or an asylum. This is also able to highlight the true friendship which is separated at the end which also brings an end to the novella.Thus the need for companionship, which is shown by other characters that are victimised within society, is emphasised as other strive for what George and Lennie have. Throughout the book Steinbeck uses many char acters to emphasize a message which he wants to get across to the reader. This is how the importance of being able to share a friend was vital during the 1930’s as it was the time of the Depression era and everyone always needed someone else to be with. This is what makes the true friendship between George and Lennie a key component of the novella.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Burger King Corporate Social Responsibility

Assignment Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers â€Å"the ethical principle that a person or an organization should be accountable for how Its acts might affect the physical environment and the general public† dobber, D. & Fahy, J. , 2009). Nowadays, CSR programme Is a global trend, which Is encouraged by the government. It also helps the company in partnership and investment opportunities. On the other hand, CSR programme can enhance the company's Image In the consumers' views. It would be very effective In a competitive market.And furthermore, CSR programme can Improve he productivity and reduce the producing cost for the company. For these reasons, all kinds of business have began to focus on their CSR programme as responding to the sociality concerns In various ways. Burger King corporation (BKC) Is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. 3K Is founded In 1954 by James McLamore and David Edgerton. In the end of 2012, It has a total of 12,700 outlets In 7 3 countnes. Recently, BKC has lust arnved to Vietnam. BKC Is located In Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.However, BKC does not seem to provide a good marketing campaign here. BKC has installed several CSR programmes in other countries but not in Vietnam yet. To implement a CSR programme is a way ot marketing it to Vietnamese society. The problem in Vietnam market is Vietnamese people are not used to tast food due to culture differences. They also care a lot about their looks, their healthy, especially obesity problem. People in ages of 16-35 are the main customer target of BKC, However, the rate of obesity of people in these ages is increasing rapidly.

Guide to Tailoring

What you have to keep in mind are the characteristics of a tailored garment, what a jacket always has: a rolled collar, lining, a straight-cuffed sleeve, and a lapel (which is the front of a coat; a continuation of the collar). After understanding what a tailored garment always includes, being familiar with the quality of standards always helps. First off, it should be fashionable and have an attractive fit on you. Having the proper waistline, length, sleeve fullness, and sleeve length appropriate for you and your style. The jacket should fit smoothly over your undergarments but have an appropriate amount of ease for the body movement; making sure that the neckline and the armholes fit your body without gapping or straining. Dart and design details should be properly placed as well as the shoulder length, unless your pattern calls for a dropped shoulder. Besides the fabric, choosing a pattern may be one of the trickiest parts because of the many styles and trends out there. Avoid styles that you have never worn before, choosing one that suits you in a flattering style, length, and fit and select a pattern designed for tailoring, Make sure to buy the same size your normally would because companies already add in the ease for people sewing with heavy or thick fabrics. If you want to be extra cautious you can add â€Å"in-case† seams on the existing pattern. There are other fitting techniques and alterations you can do if your jacket doesn’t fit right. If it is too big, you can include or increase the size of the darts, fold out excess fullness/fabric to make an area smaller, redraw darts and/or seam lines, or slash and overlap the fabric to decrease dimensions. If your jacket is too small, you can slash and spread the fabric to increase dimensions, decrease the size of the darts or take them out altogether, or just add fabric. Although if your jacket is too small, it may not have the desired look that you want after the alterations, so be careful. Lastly is the fabric, another hard part. The very first thing that you want to do is choose a fabric that is appropriate for the style you have chosen. You want a fabric that is heavy enough to give your garment body and shape but one that can also be molded (can be tailored easy). Be aware of fabric nap (so stripes/prints/patterns). You can use these fabrics but make sure you buy enough so that everything matches. Keep in mind that when all the fabrics are put together, you want your garment to look natural and not to stiff.