A Christmas Carol (English Coursework)

During 1843 Charles Dickens wrote a novel ‘A Christmas Carol'. The novel was influences by the experience Charles Dickens had of the social divide of the rich and the poor during the Victorian times. Charles Dickens had a terrible childhood, his family spent several years in increasing poverty. Dickens was sent to work long hours in a blacking factory. This was because his father was imprisoned for debt in 1824. Dickens spent ten hours a day sticking labels on pots of boot blacking. His life was miserable and he was determined to improve the quality of his and those of other poor people. Crime rates increased dramatically due to poverty and destitution. The memories of these hard times haunted dickens for the rest of his life. He felt bad about the neglect of the poor. In a lot of his work he describes the issues with poverty and the social and physical conditions of Victorian London. He compares these conditions to the wealthy, luxurious lifestyles of the upper class to bring awareness of the disgusting standards of living at the lower end of society, so that everyone could be educated on this subject, he even gave public reading of his own work. London's industrial age helped the UK to become rich and successful. However, this era had affected the country physically, socially, and culturally, because of the establishment of the factory system. Many people began moving to cities in search of a secure job, this lead to a huge growth in the population. This caused there to be three times more people living in Great Britain at the end of the century than the beginning. The overcrowding resulted in conditions that were dangerous and caused an increase in crime and poverty. In London the river Thames was full of sewage and the air was full of soot and pollution. Young children and adults were forced to work 14 hours a day and were paid rock bottom wages even though they were working in life threatening conditions. The poor had no jobs, not enough food and had a low life expectancy of twenty nine. This was because most people in the bottom end of society were malnourished which was caused by starvation they also couldn't afford healthcare. However, the higher classes made increasing profits at the expense of the poor. The rich took advantage of the poor by forcing them to work long hours in life threatening conditions for little pay. The rich thought the poor were poor because they were lazy and couldn't be bothered to do anything. At the beginning of the novel the reader is immediately given a negative impression of scrooge being a stingy old man. Dickens emphasises the point by describing Scrooge with many words that all mean nearly the same: â€Å"Oh but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! This is effective in showing the reader that his desire for money comes before anything else. It shows that his number one priority is making as much profit as possible. This makes the reader get the impression that Scrooge is extremely horrible and greedy. When Dickens uses weather to describe Scrooge he makes him sound as horrible as possible, a man who has no feelings. â€Å"External heat and cold has little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. † Dickens suggests that no weather has an affect on him whether it's cold or hot. Scrooge is much too cold hearted to be affected by anything or anyone, no matter what time of year. Scrooge is presented as being unattractive and having no emotions. â€Å"The cold within him froze his old features,† this makes the reader think the cold from inside him has made him ugly on the outside. This description of Scrooge is made even more unpleasant when it is compared to that of Scrooges cheerful nephew. When Scrooges nephew, Fred comes to wish Scrooge a merry Christmas Scrooge replies by saying, â€Å"what reason do you have to be merry? This shows the reader that Scrooge has no respect for his nephew. It is also ironic as he thinks no poor person has anything to be merry about, But he is rich and miserable. He, like many of the rich at that time believed the poor are poor because they are lazy. When two men come to Scrooge to ask for money to give to charity he replies, â€Å"I don't make merry myself at Christmas, and I can't afford to make idle people merry. † This shows that scrooge is hard-hearted and doesn't see the poor as people but sees them as a problem. Scrooge thinks that the poor should be left to die to decrease the population as there was overcrowding in London at the time this novel was written. ‘If they would rather die' Said Scrooge, ‘they had better do it, ‘and decrease the surplus population. The miserable and gloomy mood of Scrooge is further emphasised by Dickens use of pathetic fallacy. â€Å"The fog comes pouring in at every chink and keyhole†¦ â€Å"The houses opposite were mere phantoms. † The use of pathetic fallacy creates a dull atmosphere which matches the atmosphere created by Scrooge. The use of the word ‘Phantoms' creates an even spookier atmosphere. It is almost as if what ever Scrooge is feeling he will make the same atmosphere and weather as he is feeling. In stave three Dickens describes the Market Place and the poor part of town: both give a different impression to the reader. â€Å"There were great round potbellied baskets of chest nuts, shaped like the waistcoats of jolly old gentleman,† By Dickens using this simile it makes the reader think of father Christmas because he is often described as being happy and joyful. This is effective in showing that people don't have to be rich to be joyful. This description of the market place is made even more cheerful when compared to the miserable and unpleasant, poor part of town which is shown to be a depressing and disheartening place to live. The description of the poor part of town is shown as being even more unattractive, â€Å"The people half naked, drunken, slipshod, ugly. † The comparison between the cheerful market place and the poor part of town is really important because it shows how the rich people live and how depressing the lives of poor people are. This is effective in showing people how lucky they are compared to the poor people's lifestyles. Victorian society is reflected as being greedy and non-caring and also shows the massive social divide between the rich and the poor. By the end of the novel Scrooge has completely transformed from being a bitter and miserable old sinner into a more cheerful and energetic youthful man. He used to be, â€Å"A squeezing, wrenching, clutching, covetous, old sinner! † whereas at the end of the novel he describes himself as, â€Å"I am as light as a feather. I am as happy as a school boy, I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! † This description of Scrooge shows that he is no longer a grumpy old man and now has changed into a much more youthful and jolly man. He no longer thinks that he is better than all poor people and that poor people can't be merry. In this section of the novel there is a lot of exclamation marks and short sentences used to show that he is peaking excitedly, this enhances the fact that he is in a happy and enthusiastic mood. This use of short sentences and exclamation marks almost makes Scrooge sound younger. In my opinion ‘A Christmas Carol' is really effective in informing the reader of the social divide between the rich and the poor during Victorian times. I think that the book would have been good at informing the rich about the appalling living standards of the poor par of town. There was no other way for the rich people to find out about this because they had never been to this part of the town. I think that Charles Dickens was trying to make everyone aware of the poverty and overcrowding the poor people were going through, he was emotionally attached because he had been through this for most of his childhood and early adulthood.

What does chapter one of “The Spire” reveal about Jocelin and his attitude to other people?

How does Golding's language reveal the extent to which he deceives himself? The first chapter of William Golding's novel â€Å"The Spire† reveals much about Jocelin's attitude to the people around him and also the contrary view that others hold about it. The language Golding uses highlights Jocelin's delusions and shows the reader just how much he deceives himself. Throughout the first chapter we are introduced to many of the people that Jocelin encounters on a daily basis. One of the first characters to appear is Goody Pangall, who Jocelin views as his ‘daughter in God'. This phrase shows how much Jocelin admires Goody and, at first, appears to simply demonstrate more of Jocelin's loving nature. However, after reading the following paragraph where he watches her walking away from him ‘with love and a little disappointment', it becomes clear that the sentence holds more meaning than just showing his fondness. It shows up Jocelin's somewhat obsessive character, suggesting he views Goody as being flawless and that he has idealised her to the point where he can imagine her as God's daughter. As Jocelin thinks ‘my daughter' it becomes apparent that he has deceived himself into thinking that he loves Goody as if she were just his daughter but Golding makes it clear to the reader that this is not true. As the paragraph continues it is revealed just how much Jocelin is infatuated with Goody for example, when she does not follow the same routine as usual, he has to ‘glimpse the long, sweet face' as she turns away from him. Golding's use of the word ‘glimpse' suggests that Jocelin is purposely looking out for her ‘sweet face'. Golding repeats this word later in the paragraph ‘got a glimpse of green dress', this too implies that Jocelin is trying to see more of Goody. The fact that Golding has given Goody Pangall a ‘green dress' under her ‘grey cloak' and ‘wimple' makes her more of a distraction for Jocelin and it give the impression that he waits each day to catch a ‘glimpse' of her exotic, colourful interior under her seemingly plain, dull exterior. It also shows the reader that Jocelin is looking at Goody with a masculine gaze, trying to see her passionate side instead of the pure and obliging woman that she must present to society. During the first chapter Goody Pangall is only referred to as ‘Pangall's wife'. Withholding her name allows Golding to deny Goody her own identity and personality, turning her into a possession rather than an individual person. As Jocelin thinks of her as ‘Pangall's wife' it may be that he is trying to remind himself that she is married and the fact Jocelin feels the need to remind himself that she is married and that he cannot have her shows that he does not love her solely as a ‘daughter'. A reason the Jocelin is so attracted to Goody Pangall is that she is quiet and she knows her place in society as, at the time the novel is set, society is extremely patriarchal. This is emphasised by Jocelin's thought that Goody ‘is entirely woman' solely because of what he calls ‘foolish' ‘childish curiosity'. This language shows that he recognises her ‘foolish' ways as only applicable to women, if he was to show any curiosity it would not be classed as ‘foolish' as he would, as a man, have a legitimate reason for it. Although Jocelin recognises her ‘folly' he does not reprimand her, telling himself that ‘that is a matter for Pangall or Father Anselm'. Golding has written this to remind the reader that Jocelin does not want to recognise any of Goody Pangall's faults as then not only would she not be perfect, but he would probably upset her and he does not want to do anything to hurt Goody. When Goody has left the church Golding turns the reader's attention to Gilbert, ‘the dumb man'. With Jocelin's first words to Gilbert, ‘I think he made you choose me, Gilbert', Golding subtly reminds the reader that Jocelin is a man of God and that he has immense faith in Him. This contrasts with the previous paragraph about Goody Pangall where it seemed that Jocelin had become so immersed in his thoughts about her that he had forgotten about who, and where, he was. Gilbert has many of the same qualities as Goody Pangall. He is quiet and does not interfere with Jocelin's plans for the spire, instead he agrees with everything Jocelin suggests. In a peculiar way Gilbert has every characteristic that people expected of a woman in those times and this is probably why Jocelin is so fond of him. As Gilbert does not, or more precisely cannot, object to any of Jocelin's remark or aspirations Jocelin is more comfortable around him. Unlike the chancellor, Pangall and others in the church, Gilbert is the one person who does not have any objections to the spire and Jocelin's delusions that God will perform a miracle in allowing it to be built. Therefore Jocelin need not be guarded around Gilbert for he knows that Gilbert will not confront him about the near non-existent foundations like the chancellor does ‘I don't know, my Lord Dean'. That Jocelin likes to be around people who do not query him reveals that he likes to have control of the situation that he is in, and that he needs to be right. Golding has created Jocelin as a rather selfish character, he wants to build the spire and is determined to do so as, he believes, ‘God will provide'. However, Jocelin has become so absorbed with the detail and planning required and is so inspired by the grandeur that he is certain the spire will provide for the cathedral that he does not pause to think about the effects of the building on his friends. Golding uses subtle phrases and words to show this egotism such as ‘my place, my house, my people' and ‘I know them all, know what they are doing and will do'. These two sentences show that Jocelin sees the people around him as a means to building the spire and does not want to associate with them unless they support him or provide a skill that will build the spire. Jocelin does not see his actions as self-centred, he sees himself as a man who loves everyone and Golding frequently mentions what Jocelin sees as agape love, ‘he shot an arrow of love after him', ‘Jocelin looked sideways at him, loving him'. The reader is shown how Jocelin's aspirations for the spire are damaging his relationships with others by the deacons scathing insults. The remark ‘say what you like, he's proud' is met with the reply ‘and ignorant'. These simple comments hold a huge amount of meaning, for deacons to talk about their dean in such a derogatory manner, especially in the cathedral itself, shows that Jocelin really is pursuing an impossible and ludicrous goal. When Jocelin overhears this conversation he confronts the deacons asking ‘who is this poor fellow? ‘. To the reader it is obvious they were talking of Jocelin but Jocelin himself is so engrossed in his thoughts that it does not occur to him that they could be discussing him. Before Jocelin approaches the deacons they remark ‘he thinks he is a saint! A man like that! ‘, Golding's use of exclamation marks after these statements makes them even more prominent and what they are suggesting more absurd. For a dean in a church to be thought of as a ridiculous candidate for being a saint indicates to the reader that Jocelin's actions are extremely inappropriate for a man of his importance in the church. A man like that! ‘ shows that the deacons do not look up to Jocelin as a role model nor do they respect him. It also proves that Jocelin thinks highly of himself, he does not even consider for a moment that the deacons are talking about him as he believes his to too high in the church and too respected for anyone to think of him as ‘ignorant', let alone voice their vie ws. Another example of Jocelin's pride in himself comes when he meets with Gilbert again. Jocelin asks Gilbert to show him the carving and exclaims, ‘Oh no, no no! I'm not as beaky as that! ‘. This denial shows that Jocelin has an exact idea of what he believes he looks like in the same way that he believes he knows what people think of him. After studying the carving further Jocelin ‘fell silent', this silence may be because he has realised that actually the carving does resemble him, ‘mouth wide open, lined cheeks, hollow deep under cheekbone'. Golding is also suggesting to the reader tat in chasing his dream of the spire Jocelin has neglected not only his relationships with others but himself as well, allowing himself to become older and more dishevelled. Golding has taken the idea of Jocelin becoming lost in his vision by giving Jocelin the thought ‘at the moment of vision, the eyes see nothing', a phrase completely suited to Jocelin and his situation. Overall, chapter one reveals to the reader that Jocelin has allowed himself become so absorbed into his vision of the spire that he has begun to ignore the people around him and to avoid them if they disagree with him or criticise his dream. It gives a great insight into Jocelin's thoughts and other's perceptions, showing the reader that most people in the church have started to see Jocelin as a person to ridicule as he is so self-involved that he will not notice. Golding's language helps to expose Jocelin's self-important views making them stand out and his continual use of the words ‘joy' and ‘love' in Jocelin's thoughts emphasise the fact that he believes he is blessed with the task to build the spire whereas the reader can see that it is more of a curse as it is beginning, even in the first chapter, to damage not only his relationships but his wellbeing too.

Narrative Essay on the Life of Frederick Douglass Essay

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave Frederick Douglass recounts his life of slavery and his eventual flight to freedom. When he was a youngster he was placed in a household in which the naive mistress started to teach him to read. Her efforts were halted by her husband and young Douglass recalled his lecture on the reasons slaves should not be educated. However the brief lessons placed within Douglass the desire to continue to learn, by whatever means possible, to read and to write. He had discovered that education and literacy was to be his â€Å"pathway from slavery to freedom. † Douglass illustrates that literacy is the most important asset a man can ac-quire if he is to achieve life-changing goals. Douglass’ new ambition to become literate had both positive and negative effects. His new desire filled him â€Å"high hope and a fixed purpose† and his life was fundamentally changed from that early time in life. His quest for literacy was fueled with confidence that his future life would be radically different and better once he had mastered reading and writing. However it was not without negative effects as well. The more he learned of slavery the more he hated his own condition and the slave-owners that created it. As his masters became aware of his ability he was constantly watched as they tried to prevent him from reaching his goal. For a slave the path to literacy was very difficult. However the path to literacy led Douglass to consequences he could not have im-agined. An entirely new world was opened for him, and with literacy came knowledge of a life that slaves had been denied. With literacy eventually came knowledge of religion and the great Abolition movement. The greatest consequence of literacy was freedom of the mind and freedom of thought, and literacy became for Douglass the tool with which he would become his own â€Å"master†. Literacy was for Douglass and other slaves a power which they had been denied. Ignorance and illiteracy were tools more powerful than the whip and chains, and were used effectively by the slave-owners to keep slaves in submission. The slave owners un-derstood this and feared literate and educated slaves who would now know there is no truth in the slave-owner’s belief that they â€Å"should know nothing but to obey his master. † Slave owners knew the desire for literacy would spread among the slaves and would be the essential method for their eventual freedom. It was a power the slave owners were not willing to give to their slaves. Douglass defines literacy not only by describing the obvious ability to read and write, but shows true literacy as the ability to understand and communicate thoughts, de-sires, and emotions. Douglass shows literacy as being the true bond between free men and the method to unite against slavery and oppression. Literacy unites man while ignorance and illiteracy keeps man isolated from the rest of the world. Although Narrative was written over one hundred and sixty years ago it still serves as a valid reminder of the power of literacy, which remains the most important as-set a man can acquire. With literacy all things are possible, and without it the illiterate become slaves to ignorance.

International Business in Emerging Markets Essay

International Business in Emerging Markets - Essay Example The managers need to be accountable for their tasks and undertakings since they have to find the middle ground between what is deemed as right and what cannot be termed as unacceptable on their part right from the very beginning, as far as the operational stance of the MNCs are concerned. The managers therefore have a big responsibility to take care of because they need to be accountable for all their actions and tasks, and without their proper input, it would be a difficult process to make sure that these MNCs remain proactively consistent within their respective working domains. This paper studies how managers have been able to showcase their own selves towards the mission and vision of the multinational companies and how the same has been drafted in the wake of the strategic shifts and organizational structures whilst dealing with the different governments and companies within the emerging market zones. The need is to define how the governments and the companies within the emergin g markets basically come in close association with one another. When one understands the due role of the MNCs doing their bit within the emerging countries, then only the liaised role of the governments and the companies can be deciphered in an easy going manner (Henisz, 2009). Otherwise there could be serious issues in the wake of such MNC operations spread in the underdeveloped countries and other emerging markets all around the world. The governments and the companies within such emerging markets are always finding one or the other reason to be assured that they are doing something worthwhile for the locals since these MNCs have vested interests, as is known within the relevant business circles. What is significant to note is the fact that these MNCs have to manifest their due role through proper guidance and coordination with the relevant publics so that there is no missing link within the prevalent scenarios which have come about. The MNCs need to recognize where they can go wr ong and what corrective steps, if any can be taken on their part from time to time. However, this does not mean that the governments and the companies under scrutiny within the emerging markets do not have any role: they are equally accountable for what kind of steps that they enact so that the MNCs do not find any difficulty in conducting their relevant business operations and go ahead with the changing business practices which are applicable all over the world. The MNCs therefore need to pinpoint where their managers have to play an active role and what the implications of these managers would be towards the end goals and objectives of the MNCs. If these managers know that they are doing something worthwhile for the sake of the organization, it will be manifested through the actions and behaviors of the managers but if the MNCs have not yet dictated policies and regulations to deal with the changes that keep on happening amongst different countries in terms of their governments an d other industrial settings, then this would mean that a lot of work needs to be done, and which should be accounted for within the relevant mix of things. However it is always a good starting point for

Religious-Discrimination Claims on the Rise Article

Religious-Discrimination Claims on the Rise - Article Example Managers are torn between respecting strict religious doctrines observed by employees and balancing between codes of dressings as envisaged in the firm’s organizational culture. The continued intermixing of work and faith creates a complex scenario for managers. The situation is worse when employees are expected to perform their duties that contradict with their faiths. For instance, transportation companies are finding it difficult to have Muslim and some Christians drivers transport alcohol and other products that contradict their faith. One of the factors that have been said to lead to employees’ increased advocacy for their rights is increased immigrants in the country. As people sharing a similar faith increase, they gain power and courage to sanction managers to respect their religious rights in organizations. This explains the doubling of religious discrimination cases in the last 15 years, as reported by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. However, cons idering that most religious discrimination cases are brought by immigrants, the reported cases are way below other discriminations based on age and sex. The low figures may also be explained from the view that most people are afraid of negative publicity and losing their jobs. Employees in such a case will carry out their duties to maintain their careers. On the same, note most reported cases involve the code of dressing and objection to carrying out duties that contradict with one’s faith of allegiance, compared to a case that involve refusal to observe worship days. This is because organizations do try to observe days of worship for different employees, though the code of dressing affects the company’s looks to its clients, and refusals to carry out allocated duties may imply absconding from duties. For instance, a Muslim faithful expected to transport alcohol from one point to the other is deemed by the company to have absconded from duty if he/she refuses to comply with such orders. This is the reason behind increased cases of religious discrimination reported to the EEOC. Federal court rulings have increased managers’ dilemmas as they have interpreted the law against discrimination in favor of the complainant, requiring companies to pay fines for not respecting people‘s beliefs. For instance, Abercrombie was required to pay a $71000 fine for refusing to hire two women wearing a hijab. To the company, such hijab were against their culture but to the federal courts, the company discriminated against the two women. This has added to the precarious situation that most managers face today. However, though EECO has tried to minimize such cases by talking to companies about the right to observe religious beliefs, companies have found a loophole to win these cases. Abercrombie got a reprieve from the Federal Appeals Court, which observed that the complainants had not indicated in writing that the head scarfs were of religious significan ce. Therefore, the company had not discriminated against the two. Therefore, the main requirement for such employees to get the right to exercise their religion is to request for accommodation, which the company would consider granting or not based on written submissions. Though the Civil Right Act of 1964 requires that employees accommodate employees from different faiths unless such accommodation may lead to hardships, the act is vague in the description of hardships. Consequently, it is upon the company to advance enough

Student Participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Student Participation - Essay Example This type of passive response is self-explanatory, the students are hesitant to admit in public that they do not understand the lesson. The admission of such fact is associated with embarrassment and shame since other students would perceive that learner as slow. Unfortunately, the whole class feels that way towards themselves. Anxiety from past unpleasant experiences brought by humiliation either from teachers or fellow students is a strong motivator in keeping one’s self from actively participating in discussions. This is where the role of utilizing response cards becomes important. The learner can participate in learning by joining the group in responding to the question. The inconvenient feeling brought by anxiety is lessened since everybody is exposed when giving out an answer. The group becomes engaged in collaborative learning where nobody stands out nor left out. The first benefit of using response card is helping students overcome their anxiety when participating in class, consequently, frequent interaction that merits a positive response boosts the morale of the learner. This translates to positive reinforcement that would intrinsically motivate the student. The second benefit that response cards provide to the teaching of Math is that it acts as an effective assessment tool for the teachers. It is a common fact that students dislike types of assessment since evaluation of academic performance is always correlated with paper and pencil examination. The mere term â€Å"assessment† already gives a negative connotation for learners since it is associate with failing grades and unkindly remarks from some parents. However in the case of response cards, the students do not easily realize that an assessment is going on. The questions are viewed in a positive way by perceiving it as a challenge. Sometimes, response cards are even seen as

Diverse Britain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diverse Britain - Essay Example A list is long but important thing is that rule and laws gave them equal rights who settled in UK regardless of their ethnicity, race and culture. (Ethnic Diversity) Some of the demographic features of ethnic diversity in UK are worth enumerating. Ethnicity Population Proportion in total UK population Bangladeshi 283,063 0.5% Black (others) �,585 0.2% Black African �,277 0.8% Black Caribbean �,876 1.0% Chinese �,403 0.4% Indian �,053,411 1.8% Mixed race �,117 1.2% Other �,615 0.4% Other Asian (non-Chinese) �,644 0.4% Pakistani �,285 1.3% White �,153,898 92.1% Source: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=273 It will be most interesting now to see how media people respond to the notions of ethnic diversity in UK. R eports from Print Media Murrells (2011) in The Guardian reports under the heading ‘Preston's Nathan Ellington claims he was racially abused at Millwall’. Nathan Ellington claimed he had a worst racial humiliation of his life at Millwall. "I've never seen a more racist and abusive crowd as I saw today at Millwall! Disgrace to the human race." Murrells (2011) further writes quoting Ellington, â€Å"I didn't bite or report it, it's just sad really that there are still people with so much anger at a football match." (Murrells, 2011) Ellington further said that he was inflicted with a remark of thief and targeted of monkey noises as reported in the paper. It is really surprising that such a celebrity player has to face such hostile remarks particularly, when Nathan is British born. It was simply not a club rivalry but something more than that. â€Å"Commercials represent only 5% of TV ads featuring ethnic minorities† (Sweney, 2011) With above title a report published in The Guardian in its issue of 21 April 2011. Subject of the report was that only 5% of the 35,000 ads were involved with the actors from black or other ethnic community. The report prepared by Clearcast mentioned that TV advertising is not proportionately representing blacks in view of the fact that Asian, Black and other ethnic minorities constitute about 13 percent of the UK population. Issue of ethnicity and belonging to black community still prevents one doing significant role in television commercials. Otherwise, how can one explain such a low level of participation in the ad business? It seems that it will take years before any racial discrimination is totally eliminated and participation of the other ethnic community sharply increases. The report further said that only 1130 ads were such that when any actor of ethnic minority group was given a main role. It means that commercials are not appropriately representing the diverse makeup of the UK. (Sweney, 2011) â€Å"Your tr ibe need to behave like proper English children: What BBC's Mishal Husain was told by shopper in supermarket.† (Jarvis, 2011) Above heading appeared in Daily Mail in its issue of 8th May, 2011. The children of BBC news reporter Mishal Husain were told to behave ‘like proper English children’ when she visited a mall in Waitrose for shopping along with her three children and husband. Ms Husain is the upcoming star of BBC News. She is born and brought up in UK though her parents belong to Pakistan. Even BBC1’

Current Situation on the Consumer Credit Market in the U.S Term Paper

Current Situation on the Consumer Credit Market in the U.S - Term Paper Example This paper offers contemporary analysis of the recent tendencies in American market for consumer loans. The research clearly shows that the situation in the market is gradually improving, considering the growth in consumer loans provided. Consumer purchases just like the entire consumer behavior, is a complex one. Businesses as well as academicians have been focusing on this behavioral pattern for quite some time. In the post crisis situation the business houses also need to have fair knowledge of consumer’s income. In the post crisis situation where most countries are still recovering from economic downturn, consumers are experiencing low disposable income. The effects of credit crunch of 2007 fails to die down as organizations may not be able to finance sufficient credit and this is likely to have an effect on consumer credit. Clearly after the global financial crisis US economy has suffered a loss in mortgage markets. The credit situation has been deeply influenced by financial crisis. Bad debts as a result of easy availability of credits have culminated into a crisis. Financial crisis was just an outcome of accumulating debt. During the economic times in 2005 consumer spending was at such a rate that savings had landed on zero. Post crisis consumers are increasing their savings rate. Although still much in wide usage consumers are trying to make less use of credit cards. In recent times banks have made some recovery and lending is again taking place. They are mainly supplying student loans.

Banking Crises in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Banking Crises in UK - Essay Example By doing so, banks are actually diverting their resources to potentially unproductive activities as the regulatory compliance may not directly provide the desired benefits in terms of monetary return. The emerging trends in the regulations in the financial as well as corporate markets are increasing in numbers and intensity as the increasing mismanagement and corporate scandals have forced regulatory authorities to look for the legal frameworks which help achieve the organizations more transparency as well as flexibility in their approach and responsibilities towards all the stakeholders in the firms. Some of the external events like the 9/11 incidents also played a major role in bringing in the new regulations into place so that traditional business channels specially the financial institutions are not being used for potentially harmful activities including terrorism. It was because of these reasons that regulations like BASEL II, Sarbanes Oxley, and The European Commissions Financial Services Action Plan were enforced to rationalize and revamp the existing regulatory framework. Thus the challenges are various to the banking sector as a whole and to the UK financial sector especially as London is now largely being considered as the international hub of the financial activities all over the world. In order to The essay will look into the present crisis banking sector is facing currently all over the world and UK especially. External environment for the UK Banking and Finance Companies In order to analyze the external environment for the UK Banking and finance companies, it is very important that we need to take a very comprehensive view of the factors involved into the overall banking scenario in the world. The globalization is taking its roots on more firm basis and it is because of this reason that the economic resources are being shifting from the more developed countries to the emerging economies such as China, Brazil, India and Russia. The emergence of the BRIC has therefore effectively shifted the economic resources and with it the economic activities therefore now since most of the activities are being performed in those geographical locations therefore like all other businesses, the banks are also shifting themselves to these locations to concentrate on the market development and penetration into these countries. (Hale, 2004). Thus the trends in globalization are forcing banks and other financial institutions in UK to face challenges from the banks working in those areas as most of the international syndications are being done by the regional banks in those regions and the overall market share of the UK Banks is shrinking. Further to this, banking sector over the period of time has seen a period of consolidation allowing a wave of mergers and acquisitions. Banks, over the period of time has improved their competencies by acquiring and merging with more efficient banks in order to gain more and more market space. Further Information technology is a new and emerging trend in the market which suggests that the banks are increasingly becoming more competitive in this area.(Grealish,2004) One of the most important challenges that are being faced by the UK Banks is the fact that the impact of US subprime mortgages is going to hit or have already hit the UK banks. The subprime mortgage crisis which has started into US is slowly being engulfing

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Research Paper - 2

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Research Paper Example In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. Sexual harassment is considered as employment discrimination if it takes place at the workplace. Earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Nature of sex harassment incidents at workplace Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the at traction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. Chaudhari (2006) has pointed out an incident in which a senior doctor used verbal sexual harassment even in the operation theatre. A female doctor of 34 years of age said â€Å"ah† when the operation theatre needle accidently pierced her hand. In response to that the senior doctor said â€Å"You are making a sound like you are having sex† (Chaudhari, 2006, p.11). In this case, the senior doctor tried to harass the junior doctor even in the operation theatre which shows that sex harassments are happening even at workplaces where one would never anticipate such activities. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal... This essay stresses that sexual harassment is an act of intimidation, bullying or coercion for in an effort to force a person to engage in sexual activities. In many cases, the victim may not register any complaints about the sex harassments and hence the number of the actual sex harassment cases is extremely higher than the number of the reported cases. This paper declares that earlier sex harassment incidents at workplaces were mostly happened against the women employees. However, at present even male workers are complaining about the sexual harassment they are facing from their female superior employees. In other words, both males and females are equally suffering from the sexual exploitations at workplace. Sex harassments can take place in the workplace in different forms. Sex harassments can take place physically, psychologically, verbally or nonverbally. Even some of the gestures can categorize in the sex harassment lists. In most of the cases, sex harassments start verbally. The culprit often tries to catch the attraction of the victim with the help of comments with sexual overtones or remarks sexual nature. The culprit often analyzes the response of the victim to the initial verbal assaults microscopically before deciding whether to continue his/her activities or to stop it there. In the above incident, if the junior doctor r esponded or seems to be responded favorably to the comments of her senior doctor, sex harassment will enter the second phase of unwanted body touches or physical activities.

Case Analysis, Turnaround of JC Penny Assignment

Case Analysis, Turnaround of JC Penny - Assignment Example With the rapidly changing customer lifestyle and preference, the retailer can look into modifying its offerings like including more low-priced items in its merchandise. JCPenney can also take advantage of globalization by opening new stores in rapidly developing economies. 1. Pursue relationship marketing. Relationship marketing is now becoming essential in recognition of the lifetime value that repeat transactions from a single customer can bring. Relationship marketing will help JCPenney by cultivating customer loyalty, lowering transaction costs, and more targeted marketing. However, this new strategy will be bringing in more costs; will necessitate the introduction of a new corporate culture; and training of human resource. 3. Improve pricing. Since customers are searching for trendy yet high value products, JCPenney should improve its pricing. Improved pricing will attract more customers, heighten demand, and gain their loyalty. However, price cuts might harm the company by reducing margins and erode company's image. This case analysis recommends that the best strategy that JCPenney can pursue is relationship marketing. The company can implement this through its database of customers.

The Importance of Literacy Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Literacy Essay Try and imagine our society without a common language. This could be quite a hard idea to fathom. Allow me to assist you. If this hypothetical idea were in fact true, a typical conversation between two individuals would be as follows: one of the two would begin the conversation by making noises representing their language, the other person would not understand these noises and respond with unrecognizable noises to the first individual. As you can well imagine, this would get quite frustrating. Rita Mae Brown describes literacy as, a social contract, an agreed upon representation of certain symbols (420). If the symbols (letters) meanings are not agreed upon by those attempting to communicate, then interpreting one another becomes difficult. Simply stated, literacy is very important. Society has proven time and time again, it will reward those individuals who are competent and impede those who are not, whether expressed in terms of employment opportunities (job success) or just on a social level. One need look no further than their everyday activities in order to realize how important literary skills are. Without adequate literary skills one may not be able to identify on a label the correct amount of medicine to give a child, or read and interpret a sign giving instructions on what to do in case of a fire. These two examples bring perspective to literacys importance. Nevertheless, recent surveys have indicated that, 4. 5 million Canadians, representing 24 percent of the eighteen-and-over group, can be considered illiterate (Adult Illiteracy 5). Illiteracy is truly a problem within Canada. Although many groups are working to render the problem of illiteracy, much work still lies ahead. As our society moves on into the next century literacy is proving vital to economic performance. Without basic literary skills in ones possession they will become lost in our rapidly changing society. The modern worker must be able to adapt to the changing job-scene. This often means gathering new skills and knowledge from printed material, whether instruction manuals, computer programs, or classroom training (text books). It is quite commonly the case that highly skilled jobs require a high level of literacy. Therefore, literary skill level is an important factor in predicting an individuals economic success. It will affect an individuals income, their employment stability and whether they even receive employment opportunities. Presently, our world revolves around literacy. Simply being literate allows one to continuously upgrade ones literary skills to a higher level. It allows one to stay informed of happenings in and around the world through mediums such as newspapers and magazines. Knowing current news about what is going on in this ever changing world of ours is the key to staying ahead. Another thought to ponder is this, we rely on those with high literacy levels to record and document findings and happenings for future generations to reflect on. These writings would most likely be dull and inaccurate or would not exist at all without our current levels of literacy. When viewed from a social standpoint, literacy remains just as important as when viewed from the economic standpoint. Linda Macleod of the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice, points out that, 65 percent of people entering Canadian prisons for the first time have trouble reading and writing, low literacy is part of a constellation of problems that can limit choices in life and thus lead people to criminal activity (20). Somebody in possession of a high level of literacy will most likely be well informed and tend to make wiser decisions. By obtaining this level of literacy they have also gathered a large vocabulary giving them many words to choose from to express their ideas and feelings. Conversely, many would agree that a conversation with one who has a good grasp of the English language is always more delightful than with one who is less educated. Literacy can act as a window, opening ones view to the world. Presently, we are being bombarded with information, news, trivia and gossip (not that this is always a positive feature in our lives). Without sufficient literary skills one cannot even absorb any of this information. These people will miss out on many of lifes benefits, socially as well as economically. Without sufficient literary skills one would have a tremendously difficult time functioning in our current world. Think about your average day, consider how many times you refer to your literary skills to aid you, could you function without those skills? Finding an address, reading a map, reading a menu, performing a bank transaction, these are just a few common tasks that require your literary skills. Also, when looking at the importance of literacy to our nation, its value is evident. High levels of literacy throughout all sectors of Canadas workforce are necessary, low literacy levels of workers affect Canadas ability to perform in the increasingly competitive international marketplace (Literacy 7). Literary skills become building blocks. First creating a well- educated society, then a highly skilled labour force which can compete and adapt to the changing market. These factors lead to an increase in economic growth within the nation which in turn, results in a higher standard of living for its people. As our society moves forward into the future, a higher level of literacy will become more important to ones level of success. Where would our society be without our ability to exchange knowledge and information? How many times have you made a purchase that read on the outside instructions inside? You and I think nothing of this, and in a sense take our gift for granted. For many, deciphering written instructions is a near impossible task, asking for assistance does little more than to further lower their self esteem. Literacy is important. To truly seize the benefits possible in ones life it has to be accepted that literacy is the key. Society will continue to reward skilled individuals and disadvantage those who are not.

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited Management

Coca-Cola Amatil Limited Management Introduction The soft drink manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries around the globe. In Australia, it is one of the greatest revenue generators, estimated at $4bn as of 2016 according to the ibisworld.com 2016 report (IBISWorld.com, 2016 P. 1). The major players in the industry in Australia are Coca-Cola Amatil Limited and Asahi Holdings. The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the performance of Coca-Cola Amatil Limited by first looking at the overview of the company itself. Overview of the Company Management and directors of the company The management of Coca-Cola Amatil Limited comprises of the Board of Directors and the group leadership team. The Chief Executive Officer, officially known as the group managing director, Ms. Alison Watkins (CCA, P.1) is both on the board of directors and the leadership team. The board of directors comprises of the Chairman, Mr. David Gonski, and the CEO (CCA, P. 1). The Chairman is a non-executive director. The other non-executive directors include the following: Ilana Atlas, Non-Executive Director (Independent) John Borghetti, Non-Executive Director (Independent) Anthony (Tony) Froggatt, Non-Executive Director (Independent) Martin Jansen, Non-Executive Director Mark Johnson, Non-Executive Director (Independent) Wal King, AO Non-Executive Director (Independent) David Meiklejohn, AM Non-Executive Director (Independent) Catherine Brenner, Non-Executive Director Paul OSullivan, Non-Executive Director (Independent) Krishnakumar Thirumalai, Non-Executive Director (Nominee of TCCC) (CCM, 2016) The management team consists of the Group managing director, Ms. Alison Watkins, and the following: Mr. Reg Weine, Managing Director SPC Mr. Barry OConnell, Managing Director, Australian Beverages Mr. Kadir Gunduz, Managing Director, Indonesia PNG Mr. Shane Richardson, Managing Director, Alcohol Coffee Mr. Chris Litchfield, Managing Director, New Zealand Fiji Ms. Libbi Wilson, Group Human Resources Director Ms. Betty Iyanoff, Group General Counsel Ms. Katie Newton-John, Joint Company Secretary Mr. James Lane, Sales Director Ms. Liz McNamara, Group Head of Public Affairs and Communications Mr. Simon Edgar, Director Marketing, and Strategy Mr. Chris Sullivan, Chief Procurement Officer Mr. Warwick Hutton, Chief Information Officer Mr. Andrew Wilson, General Manager-Strategy, Planning Innovation Mr. Davis Akers, Head of Investor Relations Ms. Kate Mason, Chief Transformation Officer (ibisworld.com, 2016) Major shareholders (holding at least 5% of shares) Coca-Cola Amatil Limited is a public limited company in Australia (IBISWorld.com, 2016 P. 1).   According to IBISWorld.com, (2016), the major shareholders are the following: Coca-Cola Holdings Ltd of the United States of America, with a percentage shareholding of 29.21 HSBC Custody Nominees Limited (Australia) with a share of 18.65% JP Morgan Nominees Australia Limited with 10.05% shareholding National Nominees Limited (Australia) with 8.54% shareholding Citicorp Nominees Pty Limited with 5.93% shareholding. Compensation of Directors and Top Executives The company has a remuneration committee that is responsible for setting out the remuneration of all employees. The committee has set favourable compensation incentive plans that are performance based; a key management who performs better is likely to earn more on top of the fixed remuneration. According to the CCA Annual Report (2015, P. 62), the compensation of key management personnel was as follows; A.M. Watkins, the Group Managing Director, had a fixed compensation which included Salary and leaves entitlements amounting to $2,263,266, non-monetary benefits of $450, superannuation of base salary of $19,046 and another amount of $7,720. The manager was also able to take at-risk performance related compensation which amounted to $1,564,500 (Coca-Cola Amatil Annual Report, 2015, P. 62). The Group Chief Financial Officer, Mr. M.J. Robert had a fixed salary of $1,810,083 and non-monetary benefits of $258. He also received a superannuation of base salary amounting to $9,654 (CCA Annual Report, 2015, P. 62). He was also entitled to at-risk performance-related compensation of $267,027 (CCA Annual Report, 2015, P. 62). The Group Human Resources Director, E.C Wilson, was entitled to a fixed salary of $620,987 and non-monetary benefits of $36,562 (CCA Annual Report, 2015, P. 62). The Managing Director of Indonesia PNG was entitled to a fixed salary of $719,674 and non-monetary benefits of $432,970, and a risk allowance of $ 371, 626 (CCA Annual Report, 2015, P. 62). The managing director of New Zealand and Fiji was entitled to a fixed salary of $341, 440 and non-monetary benefits of $5,254 with risk allowance of $316,269 (CCA Annual Report, 2015, P. 62). The managing director of Australian Beverages, on the other hand, was entitled to a fixed salary of $939,462 and non-monetary benefits of $118,222 with a risk allowance of $491,447 (CCA Annual Report, 2015, P. 62). Key performance Indicators (accounting and market) Coca-Cola Amatil Limited, being the largest company in the Asia Pacific in the soft drinks industry, has several key performance indicators which serve as the basis for its business decisions. According to ibisworld.com (2016), the Accounting Key Performance Indicators include: The Return on Revenue percentage Percentage Return on Shareholders Funds Percentage Return on Assets Percentage Profit Margin The Revenue per Employee The Net Profit after Tax (NPAT) per Employee The percentage Effective Tax Rate The Percentage Gearing The Interest Cover The Current Ratio The Dividends paid per Share The Marketing Key Performance Indicators are: The percentage change of Total Revenue Growth The percentage change in Sales Revenue Growth The Percentage change in Total Assets The percentage change in the Net Profit After Tax The percentage change in Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) The percentage change in Shareholders Funds Evaluation of the performance of Coca-Cola Amatil Limited Coca-Cola Amatil Limited is one of the major players in the Soft Drink Manufacturing Industry in Australia. The industrys retail market has been hit by changing customer preferences of soft drink which has led to a significant drop in revenue. However, the growth in popularity of energy and sports drinks has spearheaded the growth of the industry. According to IBISWorld.com (2016), the industry revenue has been projected to increase at an annual rate of 2.4% for the next five years through 2015-2016. In Australia, the company is ranked position 72 in the top 2000 companies. The primary source of income of the company is from the manufacture of beverage and tobacco in the Australia industry. According to ibisworld.com (2016), Coca-Cola Amatil Limited is reported to have generated total revenue of $5.253 billion in the year ending 2016. The company operates in two groups namely: Non-Alcoholic beverages, and Alcoholic, Food, and Services. Under the Non-Alcoholic Beverage segment, the company manufactures and distributes the Coca-Cola licensed products in five Asia Pacific countries which are Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia (IBISWorld.com, 2016). For the purpose of evaluation, the report will cover the various segments in which Coca-Cola Amatil Limited operates. Spirit Manufacturing in Australia In 2007, CCA started to venture into the alcoholic beverage market after signing a 10 year deal with Beam Global Spirits and Wines Inc and executing it as a joint venture with SABMiller (IBISWorld.com, 2016). As of 2016, the number of companies in the industry is 71 with a turnover growth rate of 1.31 and a size of $1.7831 billion (IBISWorld.com, 2016). Coca-Cola Amatil Limited has an estimated market share of 15.3% in this industry (IBISWorld.com, 2016). Over the past five years, from 2012 to 2017, CCAs alcoholic segment has been performing well despite a reduced consumption which has slowed growth rate. According to IBISWorld.com (2016), CCAs revenue in this industry is expected to increase at an annual rate of 3.3% through December 2017. The primary competitors are Diageo Australia Limited and Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Limited. Diageo and Asahi Holdings have market shares of 23.6% and 12.3% respectively, implying that Diageo is the market leader followed by CCA. Fruit and Vegetable Processing in Australia The company ventures in the fruit and vegetable processing through its subsidiary company called SPC Ardmona (IBISWorld.com, 2016). The subsidiary processes a broad range of fruits and vegetable products for sale in various retail stores. The companys performance in this segment has been hampered by cheap imports from South Africa and Italy (IBISWorld.com, 2016). There has also been a competition between the major supermarkets such as Woolworths and Coles, which has also led to the reduction in prices of the products. The industry size is estimated to be $5.8864 billion with a turnover growth rate of 0.29. CCA has a market share of 5.7%. Other players in the Industry are Simplot Australia Pty Limited and Heinz Watties Pty Limited with market shares of 8.1% and 6.6% respectively (IBISWorld.com, 2016). Coca-Cola Amatil has been struggling to cope with the competition over the past five years. Generally, it has been underperforming due to oversupply from cheap imports. Extreme weather has also affected the company since it has reduced fresh produce.   In 2013, the total revenue was 319.8, up from 317.2 in 2012. There was also an increase in 2014, but the revenue decreased in 2015 which was recorded to be 319.6 down from 328.1 in 2014. The revenue in 2016 rose to 332.4. Soft Drink Manufacturing Coca-Cola Amatil boasts being the largest soft drink manufacturer in Australia with a market share of 53.8% (ibisworld.com, 2016).   Its rival, Asahi Holdings Pty Limited has a market share of 24.9%. Historically, the performance of CCA has been strong. However, high competition and shift of customers preference of soft drinks due to health concerns have significantly affected the revenue.   Despite being the market leader in the industry, CCA has been underperforming over the last five years. The companys revenue has been falling due to pressures from competitors and marketing costs. According to IBISWorld report (2016), the revenue increased between 2011 and 2012. From 2012 to 2016, the profits have sharply decreased. Overall Company Performance In overall, CCA has been performing relatively well considering the fact that its main business segment has the highest market share in Australia. Sales Revenue According to Saunders Cornett (2014), sales revenue refers to the net income from the sales of goods or services after all the costs have been subtracted. Over the last five years, CCA has been recording an unstable growth in sales revenue. As at December 2012, the sales revenue was $5,097,400. This was followed by a drop in 2013 which recorded sales revenue of $5,036,400, a growth rate of -1.2%. In 2014, the sales revenue grew at a rate of -1.9% to $4,942,800. This was the lowest figure in the span of five years. In 2015, CCA did a lot to achieve high sales revenue of %5,093,600,000 which is equivalent to a growth rate of 3.1%. In 2016, the sales revenue changed positively at a rate of 1.1% to record a figure of $5,150,800,000 (ibisworld.com, 2016). Although the sales growth rate seems to be staggering, the average growth of sales revenue from 2011 to 2016 is 1.4%. Total Revenue Saunders Cornett (2014) define total revenue as the income of a company from all sources, including the sales revenue, in a given period. The figure includes the sales revenue and revenue from other sources. Just like the sales revenue, CCA has had unstable total revenue since 2012. The company recorded $5.175 billion of total revenue in 2012 (ibisworld.com, 2016). In 2013, the total revenue dropped by 1.1% to record $5.1199 billion (ibisworld.com, 2016). In the following year, a further decline in total revenue was also realized, at a staggering figure of $5.0341 billion, which was a drop by 1.7% (ibisworld.com, 2016).   In 2015, CCAs total revenue increased at a rate of 3% to become $5.1869 billion by the end of the year (ibisworld.com, 2016). By the end of 2016, the total revenue was recorded as $5.2532 billion, which was an increase of 1.3% from the previous year. On average, the percentage change in growth rate since 2011 is 1.5%, implying that the company is on the righ t track. However, comparing to the average growth rate in the industry which was 2.36% in 2016, the company has been underperforming. Net Profit after Tax (NPAT) Net Profit after Tax (NPAT) is the amount of money a company earns after all its expenses (Saunders Cornett, 2014). Coca-Cola Amatil Limited has been hit by fluctuations in profits, and its profits have generally been decreasing sharply from 2012 to date. In 2012, the net profit after tax was $457.8 million. This was followed by a sharp decrease in 2013, which was $79.9 million, which is a percentage decrease of 82.5% (ibisworld.com, 2016). In 2014, the profits increased more than twice and reached $272.1 million, which is 240.6% growth. The profits grew further by 44.6% in 2015 but, as of 2016 December, the profit was $246.1 million as opposed to $393.4 million in 2015, which was a decrease of 37.4% (ibisworld.com, 2016). On average, CCA has not been doing well regarding profits. Its average change in NPAT is -16.1%. As of December 2016, the industry average NPAT was 4.99%, implying that CCA has been performing poorly. Return on Revenue (ROR) To understand the profitability of CCA, it is essential to look at the change in ROR. In 2012, the change in ROR was 8.9% (ibisworld.com, 2016). In 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, the ROR was 1.6%, 5.4%, 7.6% and 4.7% respectively (IBISWorld.com, 2016). This implies that the company was more profitable in 2012 and 2015 compared to the rest of the years. Return on Assets (ROA) The ROA measures the profitability of a company in relation to its assets. CCA has been doing well since it has been recording a positive ROA since 2012. Coca-Cola Amatil Limited management team can be said to be efficient in utilizing assets to generate revenue. From 2012 to 2016, the Return on Assets is 6.8%, 1.2%, 4.5%, 5.9%, and 3.8% respectively. The average ROA in the industry as at 2016 was 1.9% compared to CCAs 3.8% (IBISWorld.com, 2016). The company has, therefore, been performing well in the industry. Question 2 Robert Alba just won the state lottery. He has been given the option of receiving either  $62.9 million today or $5 million a year for the next 35 years, with the first payment paid  today. Discuss the process that Robert should use to determine which payment option he  prefers. Ignore all taxes and assume that Jesse will live for at least 40 more years Solution To determine the best option, we need to determine the present value the Annuity due of for the given cash flows since the payment in the second option is going to be made at the beginning of the period. Present value or the discounted value refers to the current worth of the given amount of money or the stream of cash flow that is going to be received in future at a particular rate of return (Brealey, Myers, Allen, and Mohanty, 2012). The present value is usually less than the future value due to the time value of money characteristic, which states that money will always earn an interest; therefore, a dollar today is more than a dollar tomorrow. The formula is as follow; (Brealey, Myers, Allen, and Mohanty, 2012) Where C=the cash given per period i = rate of interest n= the number of payments In this case, the present value of $62.9 million today is $62.9 million. Robert Alba should determine the present value of the cumulative cash flows of $5 million per year for 35 years.   The best option would be that with the highest present value. Using the formula above, the present value for option B will be as follow; Assuming a uniform interest rate of 10%, $53.04 million is less than $62.9 million; therefore, Robert Alba should choose option A, i.e. to receive the payment of $62.9 million now. List References Brealey, R.A., Myers, S.C., Allen, F. and Mohanty, P., 2012. Principles of corporate finance. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. CCA Annual Report, 2015. Real Possibilities Real Progress-2015 Annual Report. Accessed on https://www.ccamatil.com/-/media/Cca/Corporate/Files/Annual-Reports/2015/CCA166-CCA-Annual-Report-2015-WEB_final.ashx CCA, n.d. Coca-Cola Amatil Limited. Accessed on https://www.ccamatil.com IBISWorld.com, 2016. IBISWorld Company Premium Report: Coca-Cola Amatil Limited. Balance Date: 2016 Saunders, A. and Cornett, M.M., 2014. Financial institutions management. McGraw-Hill Education.

Constraints to Islamic finance growth

Constraints to Islamic finance growth Contents INTRODUTION: The global financial system: Facing the challenge: Reaching critical mass: THE REGULATORY CHALLENGE: Malaysia as case of study: CONCLUSION: Reference INTRODUTION: The Islamic financial industry today is an important component of the global financial world, the total Islamic assets ballooned from US$150 billion in the 1990s to US$1 trillion in 2010.The most successful and fast developing sector of Islamic financial industry is namely –SUKUK, Islamic banking, TAKAFUL, and fund management. SUKUK market at the end of 2010 was estimated to reach US$143 billion; the Islamic banking sector worldwide is valued at US$850 billion in term of assets, while Islamic fund industry under management grew by 15% globally. The IFSB expects the value of global Islamic financial assets to reach US$1.6 trillion by 2012. Islamic finance has demonstrated its competitiveness and resilience during the global financial crisis. Today Islamic finance is in transition to the next stage of development, greater international integration and Islamic finance institution to mobilize a higher level of global cooperation will help to further propel the prospects of Islamic finance moving forward. Several countries now in the race to become Islamic finance hubs such as –London, Hong Kong and Singapore, also new market such as-Luxembourg, South Korea and Australia, in addition they aspire to become Islamic finance centers. The global financial system: Global wealth currently held by 4.4 billion people has increased 72% since 2000 to reach US$195 trillion driven by robust growth in emerging markets, many of which are comprised of large, diverse Muslim populations. Global wealth is estimated to grow 61% to US$315 trillion by 2015. On the other hand, US banking assets are valued at approximately US$13.3 Trillion at the end of 2010.while global banking assets reached US$85 Trillion by end of 2011.The value of global Islamic across all asset closes remains minuscule in comparison to that of their conventional counterpart .Total Islamic financial assets make up less than 1% of the total global financial assets. Facing the challenge: Nowadays market capitalization of Islamic banking dwindles in comparison to their conventional counterpart, the capitalization was only 4.1%, and actually Islamic banks were much less affected by the global financial crisis. The Islamic banks are facing a larger challenge as the conventional banks recapitalize and merge. Conventional banks have been able to return to profit in NO time in 2010 only, the ten top conventional banks (by –Pre-crisis market capitalization) net profit increase by 139% year on year. Meanwhile the Islamic banks suffered 55% decline in net profit during the same period. Reaching critical mass: Islamic finance needs to reach the critical mass and cannot be underestimated. It has been identified as the number one for Islamic finance to become truly competitive with the conventional system, ways to get this goal could include reaching out to untapped markets and audiences or build an entity can influence multiple areas of the market with expertise and capital. Large –scale institutions which will have all the capabilities to penetrate the various segmented markets with expertise and knowledge while providing Shariah- compliant financial solutions. Another often mentioned challenge in the Islamic finance industry is the issue of liquidity. The Islamic finance markets currently lack the liquidity , but in the last ten years Islamic financial institutions (IFI) developed rapidly to meet the demand from both retail and corporate entities, and IFIs still face the challenge of a lack of instruments to manage liquidity as a result product being short -term given under the current constraints. But the large Islamic finance institutions can enhance market liquidity and hence offer product pricing by integrating their global and regional market operations. Also Islamic finance needs to meet the human capital requirement. Many Islamic banks still have limited capabilities and expertise to consistently create, therefore increase with development of Islamic financial product and services need for high skilled staff. Further areas of focus in capacity building and talent development include: The need for practitioners and stakeholders to be highly qualified. The need for specialized training and educational institutions. The development and adoption of industry best practices. The collaboration and exchange of knowledge across jurisdictions and supplementary research into and development of key specialized areas. Second area for reaching critical mass is Islamic microfinance, currently there are more than 200 Islamic microfinance institutions around the world, the main countries are Indonesia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan; but Islamic microfinance is still in its nascent stage. A 2007 global survey on Islamic microfinance undertaken by the (GAP) group to assist the poor shows that only 350.0000 customers and accounts for only around 0.005% of total microfinance outreach. Although 2010 estimates now put this figure at 0.05%, the slow growth in Islamic microfinance is due mainly to the fact that the facilities were usually provided by specialized institutions such as non-government organization (NGOs) and not by Islamic banks. Islamic microfinance should be integrated into countries mainstream banking and financial system, this will help to: Create greater awareness of product. Encourage product innovation Improve access to microfinance. Widen and strengthen the distribution channels. Standardize regulation and improve transparency. THE REGULATORY CHALLENGE: Global financial sector lost almost US$ 1.8 trillion as a result of the financial crisis and a big part of the recent financial crisis can be blamed on regulatory failure .The absence of rules during the global depression resulted in many economists to reconsider their views on the model based on market in economic theory and is continuous in current communities in conventional banking. Many governments all over the world have introduced financial and economic reforms as a kind of government intervention to produce well- regulated financial systems, Malaysia as case of study: Malaysia was resilient against the global financial crisis due to strong fundamentals and inherently sound financial regulatory framework. Islamic banking in the country was well protected from the effects of the crisis because of the Islamic financial institution strict commitment to Islamic principles, which prevents high level of benefit speculative activities. The regulatory authorities have introduced a comprehensive regulatory and supervisory framework for Malaysia’s dual financial system. Stronger standards have been set for corporate transparency governance, accountability, disclosure, risk management, customer protection, and market discipline. Below are some of the introduced internal regulations: 1- Corporate Governance Guidelines 2-Rate of Return Framework 3-Guidelines on Financial Disclosure 4_Sharia Committee Guidelines 5-Islamic Money Market Guidelines 6-Capital Adequacy Standards 7-Musharakah and Mudarabah 8-Firewalls for Islamic Window Operations. Generally, these initiative and regulation have the following effects on the Malaysian Islamic financial system: System, maintain the confidence of the public with IFIs as the custodians of public funds. Strengthen a competitive financial system which offers efficient and reliable services. Ensure the health of each IFI for development Prevent the risk of a contagion and methodology failure of the financial system Promote good market practices and high standards of corporate governance Protect customer and shareholders interest. CONCLUSION: There are some elements that are likely to comprise the growth of Islamic finance as below: The present Islamic banking is based on reproduction of conventional banking products, this is lacking to achieve the overall aims of Islamic finance system which is based on impartial distribution of economic advantages and makes Islamic finance less effective than their conventional counterparts. Not all the conventional products have an Islamic finance identical treasury and liquidity management tools. Islamic finance needs changes in the legal regulatory and tax environment to absorb finance without incurring additional cost to the customers. The different interpretations of sharia provisions have resulted in the absence of unification; common understanding is required to merge local market with the global market. Shortage of necessary tools to manage liquidity Expertise and human resource in Islamic finance are rare. For Islamic finance to get good stage of growth should be extended to reach critical mass, chances to get there include: 1-Large scale institutions have the possibility and capability to penetrate the different fragmented markets with experts while providing sharia compatible with financial solutions. 2-Microfinance has ability to find opportunities for the untapped SME market of the emerging economies and to capture interest in Islamic microfinance. 3-Sound regulation, to make sure that Islamic finance has a decent opportunity of growth and development while expending to critical mass. Some of the remaining challenges to be overcome include the development of human capital. Reference www.dawn.com/news/641420/comment-and-analysis-growth-constraints-in-islamic-financial-sector IFSB 4th public lecture on financial policy and stability, lecture by Baljeet Kaur Grewal- Amman- Jordan -2011 1

The Knight and the Miller Portrayed by Chaucer Essay -- Knight Miller

The Knight and the Miller Portrayed by Chaucer society. The Knight would be an educated member of society, whereas the Miller would be nearer the bottom of the social spectrum. The type of education each would have had is reflected in the language Chaucer uses in each portrait. In the Knights prologue Chaucer uses longer words and longer sentences. Chaucer lists all the battles the Knights has been in, and the long sentences used help to show the reader that the Knight is educated. In the Millers prologue shorter sentences and shorter words are used which infers that the Miller is uneducated. ‘A swerd and bokeler bar he by his side’ The two characters are defined by their role in society in the 14th century. The Knight and the Miller are complete opposites, not only in social status but also in terms of morals and values. The description of the Knight focuses on his deeds rather than his personality or physical appearance. This reflects the Knights character, that he is not bothered by how he looks to go on the pilgrimage ‘All besmotered with his habergeon, for he was late y-come from his voyage.’ This shows that the Knight is modest and doesn’t mind how he looks when he’s on the pilgrimage. The Miller on the other hand wears bold colours and seems like he has dressed up for going on the pilgrimage. Everything about him is big, both physically ‘Ful big he was of brawn, and eek of bones.’ and personality-wise. The words Chaucer uses to describe each character are very different. The Knights portrait includes words such as ‘worthynes’, ‘trouthe’ and ‘honour.’ These words show admiration for the Knight. The words used to describe the Miller on the other hand are very simple words. Chaucer compares him ... ...of the pilgrims have weapons but each for different reasons. The Knight has come from a battle and has used his weapon for fighting in the Crusades and for his faith, ‘For he was late y-come from his voyage, and wente for to do his pilgrimage.’ The Miller has his sword for show and bravado and it seems he only uses it for mindless violence. The references to the Millers strength show his severe lack of restraint, intelligence and social status. Chaucer has presented the two portraits to introduce the two characters before they tell their tales. They are each very different both in social status and in personality, which is a reason why Chaucer put the tales next to eachother in the ‘Canterbury Tales,’ as it creates a contrast and variation in the story. The two portraits lay the foundations for both the Miller and the Knight to tell the tales they tell.

Historical, Sociological, and Philosophical Elements of Heart of Darkne

Historical, Sociological, and Philosophical Elements of Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An awareness of the historical, sociological, and philosophical climate prevalent during the time in which Heart of Darkness was written plays a key role in understanding the significance of Conrad's complex work. Joseph Conrad began work on Heart of Darkness in 1898 and completed it the following year in 1899. During this time the impressionist movement was in full swing, European colonization was at its peak, racial tensions were rapidly increasing, and man was confronted with the fall of the traditional view that held man as the eminent ruler the world. Each of these issues significantly influenced Joseph Conrad's writing of the novel as well as its collective meaning for all mankind.    A look at Conrad's writing style will allow us to infer his possible intent upon writing Heart of Darkness and therefore how the reader should approach it. Conrad's writing style is centered upon the literary sense of impressionism. Literary impressionism is characterized by the use of details and mental associations to evoke subjective and sensory impressions rather than the re-creation of objective reality ("impressionism"). Conrad is trying to communicate to the readers in a way that transcends the written word. The intent here is not to abstract orderly ideas about experience, rather they try to re-create and communicate the rich complexities of experience itself, with all its darkness, messiness, and ambiguity intact (Dintenfass). Some critics have argued that Conrad presents so much detail and chaos in his works that it becomes too much for him to analyze. Conrad responded to this attack in a letter directed toward critic Richard Curle:    .. ...enfass, Mark. "Heart of Darkness: A Lawrence University Freshman Studies Lecture." 14 Mar. 1996. *http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~csicseri/dintenfass.htm* (2 Feb. 2000). Guerard, Albert J. Conrad the Novelist. Cambridge, MA.: Harvard U. Press, 1958. Hayes, Dorsha. "Heart of Darkness: An Aspect of the Shadow," Spring (1956): 43-47.. Hillman, James. "Notes on White Supremacy: Essaying an Archetypal Account of Historical Events," Spring (1986): 29-57. Jean-Aubry, George. Joseph Conrad: Life and Letters. Vol. 1. New York: Page, 1966. McLynn, Frank. Hearts of Darkness: The European Exploration of Africa. New York: Carol & Gey, 1992. Mellard, James. "Myth and Archetype in Heart of Darkness," Tennessee Studies in Literature 13 (1968): 1-15. Yatzeck: Marlow's Lie - http://cwis.lawrence.edu/www 4. french in Africa - www.sas.upenn edu/ AF._Studies

Debate: the Other Side and Morning Respected Judges

Thank You Molly! Good morning respected judges, my fellow contestants and members of the audience. Today we are indeed honoured and privileged to stand before you and speak against the common motion that â€Å"THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE†. Hmmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦not until you see my neighbour’s garden maybe then you will change your mind. First of all, what does the grass is always greener on the other side mean?It means that from your perspective, what other people have is always going to look better than what you have. It’s about being jealous of other people’s things and never being satisfied with who you are and what you have. I think each one of us is guilty of practicing â€Å"The grass is always greener† theory at various times in our lives; be it from moving schools, changing careers to pursuing new relationships. It happens most often when we are unhappy about some portion of our existence.The problem with following this pract ice is that once you arrive on the other side, we often find that it's drought conditions and there's nothing we can do and it’s too late to go back. In fact the statement â€Å"The grass isn’t always greener on the other side† originated from a story of goats that kept trying to reach the other side of a river and when they got there the grass was all dead and since there was nothing else to eat they all starved to death.This story symbolizes that sometimes you should not try to change your situation or location but instead to work with what you have. I really like a quote from the song Million Dollar Man by Cutlass that says â€Å"the grass isn't greener on this lonely side. † Meaning, don’t sacrifice everything and everyone trying to get a better life because you’re just going to be stuck wishing for what you had. Things might look good somewhere else and you want what others have because you think it’s better than what you have ho wever that is not necessarily the case all the time.Relationships are one area I am tempted to begin with since it governs a good proportion of our lives. Let’s say you spent a good part of your live with a man who you adore and love to bits. You share a lot of experiences together only to be dumped for someone who is prettier and allows him to watch football all day on Sunday. It won’t be long before he realises that this person has faults too. She might be cheating on him or cost too much to maintain (High maintenance). . As time goes on he starts to see the 2nd woman’s true colours.She's not as nice and doesn’t treat him as good as you did. The 2nd woman is shallow. The man starts to regret leaving you because his adventures are turning into misery. We can also apply this to the thousands of Africans migrating to the west in search of greener pastures. Most of these migrants are professionals understood to have sacrificed decent and respectable jobs ba ck in their respective countries under the illusion that life was going to be plain sailing overseas.For those that have had to stoop low, one can imagine the psychological effect and damage to one's ego, and the humiliation associated with a lowered social status. Some migrants have been forced into career changes, such as cleaning, security personnel, car park attendance, kitchen assistants, carers just to mention a few. Although some might have realised their dreams but the majority have seen their dreams washed away by the day and unfortunately is even harder to go back with all the expectation back home.Hundreds of them also loose their lives in transit. Is the grass really greener on the other side? Finally, I’m sure we all agree on the fact that you shouldn’t be envious of other people just stick to what you have because it’s probably much much better and you should be grateful and appreciate it as other people would rather be in your position and would d o anything to have your life. I will sign off with few lines from one of my favourite songs â€Å"As long as you love me† Justin Bieber the grass ain't always greener on the other side, It’s green where you water it So I know we got issues baby but I'd rather work on this with you Than to go ahead and start with someone new† meaning even if you have problems in your life it doesn’t mean you should want to have someone else’s life. You can always work on these problems †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. do you agree? Well as a team we sure we all do and that’s the very reason why we are sticking with BS for a long haul as we believe the grass isn’t greener anywhere else. Thank you very much for your kind attention. I rest my case! ———————– debate speech

Human Resource and Organizational Success Essay

A Human resource department is an organizational entity which is primarily formed to report organizational relationships, organize people and function in a manner that best supports organizational goals accomplishment. The key behind any Human resource department is the organizational devotion towards availing of efficient procedures, policies and people-friendly guidelines that will give support to the company (Cole, 2002). The department equally ensures the corporation vision, mission, values, company metrics together with other factors that keep the company on visionary focused are optimized. With this consideration, the focus of this paper will be on the benefits of having a Human resource department, the negative impact of not having a the department, the possible benefits or negative side effects a Human resource department on employees and the various types of Human resource departments. In tackling the issues that revolve around Human resource, the research done entailed past information concerning this sector in any organization. According to Cole (2002) the Human resource department in any organization its cornerstone in the sense that it gives the guideline that keeps the organization functional. In the course of this study, the benefits of having a Human resource department was attained in from both primary and secondary sources but the core information was obtained from secondary sources mainly text books. The negative impact of not having this department is a matter that has only been handled from one perspective by most of the authors in the sense that they mainly focus on the importance and advantages of having a Human resource unit in the organization. The danger or risk in evading this organizational unit has seldom been addressed and just a few writers among them McConnell (2001), Lewin, Mitchell, Sherer (2002) & Cole, all of whom have been engaged in writing about the same in their Human resource texts. The possible benefit of a Human resource sector on employees is equally an important focal point that had a lot of content as far as the sources used to carry out the research are concern. As observed the positive impact of the Human resource subdivision in the organization has a huge contribution to the employees’ welfare and output. According to some literary critics it was found that negative side effects of the Human Resource department on employees are equally present and form a major area of concern for most of the modern organizations. As a result of the numerous benefits that are associated with the various Human resource departments, they have been forced to have several sub units in order to carry out all their functionalities to total satisfaction. Benefits of having a Human Resource Department There are several benefits of the Human resource department to an organization such as employee recruitment and training. This department develops a systematic plan that is used when hiring the staff and aiding the building of professional work teams. The strategies that this department puts in place in implementing employment appointments are several. These include creation of internship opportunities, developing of test plans for the employees to be hired, allocating training sessions for the recruited employees and keenly analyzing any interviews. Building public relations is another vital role played by the Human resource section in an organization. An organization is aided by the Human resource to build proper referral systems and have proper public relations standards. It is very essential that a company develops excellent associations with other enterprises in the market so that it propels its earning by way of cooperation with other commercial sectors. The Human resource department is responsible for arranging business meetings, seminars and official business gatherings for an organization in order for the company to get acquainted with other businesses and the market at large. The same department is responsible for ensuring that the firm’s pay scale meets the terms of the changing laws and regulations. This in effect aids the firm in attaining and retaining competitive staff. The compensation managers determine commission rates and administer executive compensation programs for corporate staff that may be involved in issues such as sales on commission basis (Mathis & Jackson, 2007). When it comes to the developing of an organizational business plan, this department is an active participant. The plans in question involve both marketing and business decisions. The Human resource units’ dedicated professionals have the ability to implement marketing strategies and provide new plans that bring more capital and business to the organization. The end result increases the overall firm’s profitability. On the same note, expert consultants in the mediation and configuration of various opinions in the development of the business plan are situated in this very department. Consultancy provision is another gain that comes along with having a Human resource department. In an organization, the work-team or individual members of staff usually face numerous issues in the course of carrying out their duties (Lewin, Mitchell, Sherer, & Industrial Relations Research Association, 2002). The Human resource acts as a medium for all the advice employees seek and avail answers to general queries. Any managerial disputes are effectively handled by the Human resource department and employee problems are settled down proficiently and professionally. The Human resource branch acts as a business’ forethought by the fact that it deals with long-term business management. This department goes ahead to evaluate the business’ future scope and formulates approaches that seem most profitable to the organization in the long run and as such lead to business stability by establishing a firm medium for the corporation to stand on in future (Mathis & Jackson, 2007). In case of any potential business valuations by any other department in the firm, the Human resource unit works alongside the department in question to weigh the viability of its valuations. Due to the several benefits of having a Human resource division in the organization there are serious consequences of failing to incorporate this vital section into any corporation. A firm that either does not have a proper Human resource team in place or doesn’t have any has a lot of difficulty when it comes to having proper public relations. The reason is that, it’s a sub-section of the Human resource department which has the duty of ensuring the business maintains good public relations (Cole, 2002). The organizational referral systems would be in jeopardy due to inadequate public relations standards. This inadequacy in public relations eventually causes the business to relate poorly with other firms in the same industry and as such profitability gradually declines. A further cause for the profitability to decline would be as a result of in-capacitance of the organization to schedule business meetings, seminars and official business gatherings for acquaintance with other businesses. The firm’s ability to keep on monitoring the pay scale in relation to any changing laws and regulations would be a great challenge without the hand of the Human resource department. This in effect results in the firm failure to hire competent staff and retaining the same because qualified people in most cases are usually aware of the market wages of their profession. Adequate determination of commission rates for sales agents and administration of executive compensation programs for corporate staff would be a stumbling block for the organization in terms of employee motivation (Lewin, Mitchell, Sherer, & Industrial Relations Research Association, 2002). In developing organizational business plans, if present, the Human resource department is an active participant in the articulation. Due to the expertise involved in coming up with marketing and business decisions, it’s a great challenge for an organization without this department to have dedicated professionals to implement marketing strategies and work out new plans that bring more capital and business to the organization. The end impact is that the overall firm’s profitability would not rely on the business future plans as expected. When hiring staff, it’s very difficult for a company to come up with a proper procedure of the recruitment process and so they may end up hiring unqualified staff or worse still, turn away persons that are well suited for a given post. The main cause of this would be insufficiency in development of test plans for the employees to be hired, allocating training sessions for the recruited employees and poor analysis of interviews. Building of professional work teams is not possible when qualified persons from the Human resource department are not in the picture because the strategies that the professionals in such a department put in place can not be substituted by anyone who is not qualified to deal with Human resource related tasks professionally (McConnell, 2001). The creation of opportunities within the organization that would allow for internship opportunities may be overlooked. Unless the importance of allowing for internships is properly understood and its overall impact to the organization, only qualified employees may be considered in joining the organization. In any organization, the work-team or individual members of staff are bound to face numerous issues in the course of carrying out their duties. Without the Human resource incidences of strikes, go-slows, increased complaints and general worker dissatisfaction would be on the increase. This in effect lowers output and general company’s profitability declines (Lewin, Mitchell, Sherer, & Industrial Relations Research Association, 2002). Managerial disputes will equally result in resignations that effect loss of competent staff or frequency in engaging the organization in labor related cases in the courts. Business’ foresight especially in long-term business management is hampered if a company has no proper Human resource in place. The main reason for this occurrence is in the fact that evaluation of business future scope and formulation of profitable approaches to the organization in the long run is highly dependent on a competent Human resource team. A further cause would be alluded to the fact that, it’s only the Human resource department expertise employees that can work alongside other department in the firm if a thought emanates and they would see its fulfillment. Benefits of the Human Resource Department on employees Establishment and maintenance of a firm’s pay structure is done by the compensation managers within the Human resource sector. With the aid of compensation analysts, compensation managers formulate ways of ensuring that the pay rates are fair and equitable. They take a further step by participating in salary surveys to find out if the firm’s pay matches up to others in the same industry. Additionally, the department oversees the company’s performance management system compensation side. In effect, this ensures that they design a reward system for pay-for-performance plans that includes the setting of merit pay guidelines and incentive or bonus pay criteria. The major beneficiary in this instance is the employee so that underpayment is avoided. The employee assistance plan managers in the Human resource segment are responsible for programs that enhance employee wellness and safety which improves their work-life balance. These may comprise of occupational health and safety standards and practices, physical fitness and health promotion, minor health treatment and medical examinations, transportation programs and carpooling, employee suggestion systems, elder and child care plus counseling services. The counseling aids employees deal with alcoholism, emotional disorders, consumer, marital, legal, family and financial problems (McConnell, 2001). They do this by maintaining the application forms for the workers that are beneficiaries, claim forms and benefit booklets so as to give out to the relevant employees. Moreover, this department handles the distribution identification cards that insurance firms provide for the employees. Besides, the Human resource section helps employees by ensuring that they receive pay rises and promotions and the end result is motivation, enhanced morale and productivity. Labor relations managers within the Human resource department implement industrial labor relations programs that benefit all the employees. Information for management use during collective bargaining agreement consultations is prepared. The labor relations staffs then administer the contract after interpreting it in relation to salaries and wages, grievances, employee welfare, healthcare, pensions, union and management practices together with other contractual stipulations. Educating of organizational employees on the laws that protect their rights and development of their skills via availing courses and classes that teach them new skills and upgrade their prior education is another importance of the Human resource department. With better skills the staff is in a better position to benefit the company more, furthermore the employees are well prepared for jobs that require greater skill (McConnell, 2001). Training of workers to a level that their output meets the required standards is necessary if the organizational goals are to be met. In addition, the Human resource department trains employees on safety measures at work and on how they should look out for each other including the new employees. The workers are educated on skills that improve their interpersonal relations both in and out of the organization (Grundy & Brown, 2003). The Human resource department has training specialists that set up executive or leadership development programs for employees that aspire to move up in the organizational rank. Other training programs assist employees on job transitions due to consolidations or mergers and retraining programs as result of technological changes. Negative effects of the Human Resource Department on employees The establishment of Human resource departments has some negative impact to the employees. For instance when it comes to wages and maintenance of a firm’s pay structure revision, issues to do with inflation and the value of a country’s currency are at times not put into consideration. This occurs in such a way that, as much as the pay is increased it fails to add value due to the cost of living. The salary surveys taken are at times done on a random basis and not fully competent in the industry but their overall result has to be incorporated in the firm. During implementation of programs that enhance employee wellness and safety, the criterion of merit keeps on shifting from time to time and as such some employees are forced to seek their own medical attention and insurance cover especially when it is decided that such benefits will not be given to all the employees (Guerin & DelPo, 2009).