African Short Story + Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

African Short Story + Questions - Coursework Example At the end of the story, the young boy walks to the bend of the river and forces himself to vomit the handful of grapes he has consumed. This is symbolic of his loss of innocence with regard to the grandfather whom he has hitherto idolized and loved wholeheartedly. The dates, which the boy considers to rightfully belong to Masood, have been given to the boy by his grandfather. They have come to signify the payment of a debt. This leaves a bad taste in the sensitive boy’s mouth. He vomits the dates to distance himself from his grandfather’s actions. The boy, in the innocence of his youth, takes things at face value. He obviously adores and idolizes his grandfather, considering him to be a â€Å"giant† among men. His sense of identity is centered round the mosque and in relation to his grandfather – the approval of the imam and that of his grandfather are equally important to him. He is a lover of nature, and empathizes with Masood’s concern for the date trees. He is sympathetic to the poor man’s plight. The grandfather is an avaricious, ruthless man, whose rise in social position has been at the cost of his humanity. He is obviously a powerful man in the community. His hypocrisy is evident in his reciting of his prayers and his approval of his grandson’s knowledge of the Koran, while simultaneously holding Masood in the vice of debt. He considers land to be the symbol of power and determinedly covets the little Masood still owns. He is jealous of Masood’s inherited wealth. Masood is a man who loves the land which he has inherited. His concern for nature is evident in his admonition to the boy, â€Å"Be careful you dont cut the heart of the palm.† Despite being helpless to overcome the debt and poverty, he sings and laughs and takes delight in life. His attachment to his ancestral land is deep, and is not just in terms of material

ELO Reflection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ELO Reflection - Assignment Example Auto racing eliminates human interaction in competition and takes a certain amount of success or failure of the hands of competitors. Racers chasing the feeling of adrenaline that one gets only in a race car as they come close to replicating any medication or other human experience. This feeling is addictive and consume. All you think about is running, and if you are not on the track, everything you think you want to go to the race next time. The drivers love their racing cars and love to go fast more than anything else. And once you master a particular form of the race, you want to go even faster. But the faster you go, the more dangerous it can be. You know as the driver how the race can be dangerous? Absolutely. Family members know that it is dangerous? Yes, they do. They know that all can be lost on the track, their families, their jobs and their way of life, if something goes wrong? Of course they do. Every veteran racer has been in a serious accident. It is often the first serious accident that causes the rotor to reassess the situation. Not everyone comes back from this first serious accident, and it is com mon to see riders leave the drivers seat on total because of the insistence of family and friends. I got an opportunity to be a part of the thrill. I remember walking to the rear of the pit garages eventually three-quarters of the way through the race and triggered a latecomer mechanic. I asked him what it was like running with the circus sports, traveling the world in a race to the next. When I went, it was the last year of the (relatively small) V8, and as shelled cars in curves and deep breakthrough, deep in the ears is something that you do not much of what cars and fans are doing as much fun as the race itself is not possible to follow in person. Wind cars tearing eyes, your face pecks rubber patches, and the

A Case Study Of Barclays Bank Ghana Marketing Essay

A Case Study Of Barclays Bank Ghana Marketing Essay Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a broadly used and accepted strategy for nurturing a firms relationship with clients and business prospects. It involves the use of globally accepted technological tools to technically organise and synchronize work procedures, especially in the area of sales and marketing and technical support. The principal aim of CRM is to search, attract, and keep customers, grow and retain already existing ones and try to win back lost customers as well as cut down on costs of business service. For any firm to start, grow and remain in business the customer is vital and as such CRM is of key importance. Business success means that firms must see CRM as an area to invest in it is an investment and not be counted as a cost. However, if CRM is not handled properly it can be costly and detrimental to any firm. On the other hand, if well applied it will go a long way to enable any firm retain its clients base and subsequently grow its business. CRM to a very large extent affects the movements rate of customers in any industry, for the purposes of this research; the banking industry will be examined. Attrition rate is hugely dependent on CRM; customers in the banking industry have grown in terms of choice and control. A company therefore needs to strategise critically in its bid to retain customers. Of key importance in CRM is not just smiling faces but value in service delivery or superior product, leading to customer satisfaction and therefore customer loyalty and retention, which is the pivot of financial performance (Reichheld et al 2000; Hesket et al 1997, Reichheld, 1994). 1.1 GHANAS BANKING INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The Banking industry is highly competitive industry with 26 Banks currently competing for Corporate and Retail Clients. The industry is vastly capitalized with a total share holders fund of over One billion, Eight hundred thousand (GH ¢1,854,648,000), culminating to an average of over seventy one million of share holders fund per bank (GH ¢71,332,620.00). This may seem adequate per bank, regarding the upward adjustment of the Stated Capital by Bank of Ghana by 2012. The average share holders fund is however misleading as a number for banks are still struggling to even meet the twenty five million minimum capital requirement by 2010. In reality, it is only just about eight Banks whose capital is meets the Sixty million required by 2010. The Regulation to increase the minimum capital requirement of the banks comes on the back of the discovery of Oil in Commercial Quantities. This is required to position the banks strongly to take be able to take up larger transactions. While only f our (SCB, BBG, GCB and EBG) banks control almost 50% of the total assets held by the banking industry, the other twenty two banks are competing to increase their asset base to enable them compete with the larger banks. Profitability in the industry is quiet competitive as only four banks (BBG, FAMB, UTB and BSIC) made losses. The rest of the Banks made profit. With the developing new oil economy and the resulting expansion in the Ghanaian Economy, Banks are faced with a better opportunity to increase their profitability and consequently, their asset base. They are however faced with loan recovery difficulties resulting in an average of 18% of loans disbursed going bad. The Continual reduction of Inflation to 9.44% and the Policy lending rate of Bank of Ghana, has forced the base lending rate of the Bank Interest rates downwards. This however has ignited a price competition in the industry culminating into a debate on whether interest rates should reduce any further than it has, espe cially when loans default rate remains high (www.ghanaweb.com,www.bft.com) 1.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON BARCLAYS GHANA Barclays Bank Ghana is one of the biggest and first foreign banks to enter the Ghanaian economy at a time in which the three major banks namely Barclays, Standard Chartered and Ghana Commercial Bank and enjoyed oligopolistic positions before other banks entered the industry. Barclays has operated in Ghana for ninety four years. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barclays Bank PLC. Its vision is to become the best bank for every customer, in every branch, for every product and every time. Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited has an expansive retail and commercial banking network in the country with 92 branches and over 130 ATMs in all regional capitals and major towns. Its products and services are targeted particularly at the business and corporate, as well as retail customers. Barclays offers a wide range of commercial, Retail and Treasury products and services. It also offers local business banking product and services for Small Medium Enterprises and indigenous businesses (http://www.ba rclays.com/africa/ghana/barclays_in.htm). The Bank of Ghana in February, 2010 named Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited the biggest foreign bank and also the largest bank in terms of capacity to handle transactions in Ghana. In June 2009, Barclays launched its Bancassurance proposition in partnership with Enterprise Life Assurance Company Limited (ELAC) to enhance our product range with insurance product such as Term, Family Funeral Plan and Education Plan for the convenience of its customers. The Banks Premier Banking offers tailor made solutions and one-on-one banking to its high net worth. The Premier proposition amongst others offers; dedicated banking suites, financial planning, lifestyle alliances, global access to Premier lounges (airport) etc. In addition Premier Life, a new service proposition to replace Prestige Banking has been introduced. It is targeted at customers who require convenient banking, quick and efficient service as well as a level of privacy and recognition. The Barclays Offshore Banking Unit, the first of its kind in Ghana and indeed Africa South of the Sahara, continues to offer world class banking service to non-resident private clients and corporate. Industries financed by Barclays include cocoa, the backbone of the countrys economy; timber; gold and other minerals as well as business in the manufacturing sector and commerce. The banks sustainability programme focuses on three pillars. Banking for brighter futures; Looking after local communiti es and Charity begins at work. Barclays uses these key pillars to support developmental projects across Ghana. More than 80% of staff are involved in voluntary community programmes annually. Dubbed Make a Difference Day, it is the biggest corporate voluntary activity in Ghana. Barclays Bank of Ghana Limited is part of the Barclays Africa Group comprising ten (10) African markets under Barclays PLC(http://www.barclays.com/africa/ghana/barclays_in.htm) 1.3 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift from transaction focused policies to customer relationship focused policies. This is because the fundamental task of business is to create and keep a customer in a sustainable way and at an acceptable return to a shareholder. Levitt, Marketing Myopia. Majority of industries all over the business world have made varying efforts to go along with this shift in order to be able to retain the largest customer base possible. Some have managed it successfully whiles others are still woefully behind, and as such unable to break even. This dissertation is therefore aimed at examining the impact of CRM on customer attrition and also uncovers most appropriate methods of application. As a matter of fact it has become necessary to pursue this field as research to boost efforts of industries in their bid to uphold CRM in their business operations in order to retain and grow their customer base. An in depth knowledge of CRM and its appropriate use re veals that it reduces attrition. Thus the aim of this research work is to critically investigate the strategies of CRM and how it can be used to boost customer retention. The outcome of this research will establish CRM as the lifeline to any industry and hopefully get firms to adopt to it and grow their business. 1.4 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Based on previous study, it has been established that bad CRM practise can be very damaging for any business. A recently released Harris Interactive study confirms that a bad customer service experience with your company is enough to make a majority of consumers run for the hills. The study reported that 80% of 2,049 US adults surveyed decided never to go back to a business/organization after a bad customer service experience. The study clearly indicates that an organizations customer service level is a defining factor that will make or break a company (www.crm2day.com/library/50483.php). Thus it is no doubt CRM is one of the main factors contributing to the rise or fall of an industry. CHAPTER TWO 2.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The purpose of this research work is to; Understand clearly the concept of CRM Provide reasons why industries need to invest in CRM Explore the extent to which industries focus on CRM Establish the merits and de-merits of CRM Suggest the methods of application of CRM 2.1 RESEARCH QUESTION As a follow up to the aims and objectives of this research, certain questions will be examined using the findings and suggestions of some experts in this field as background. Jankowicz (2000) advocates strongly that knowledge does not exist in a vacuum, thus the present research only has value in relation to the work already done by other people. With the above as a basis, this research work will aim at finding answers to the questions below; A definite description of Customer Relationship Management( CRM) How does CRM boost business success? What are the various ways of CRM application? Is CRM a field to invest in at all? How important are customers to any industry? Why do banks need CRM? 2.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY With recent developments in the concept of CRM and its impact on business industries Huber et al.(2001) state that many marketing strategists and industrial-organization (IO) economists emphasize that creation of superior customer value is a key element for ensuring companies success ; it has become crucial to re-examine by research work the whole area of CRM establishing its importance and highlighting reasons why industries need to give more focus to this area. The results of the research will significantly achieve the following: Contribute to the knowledge providing good understanding of the key factors in CRM Establish CRM as a field to be invested in Assist industries that want to adapt CRM strategically Constitute a useful addition to work already done in the field Provide a basis for further research 2.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This research will be limited to the banking industry with specific focus on Barclays Bank. It would have been profitable to include other service industries but this will not be possible considering the broad nature of CRM and the costs and time constraints which relates to the time frame within which this results needs to be submitted. CHAPTER THREE 3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1 INTRODUCTION Customer relationship management (CRM) is bringing together of people, processes, and technology seeking to provide understanding of customer needs, to support a business strategy, and to build long-term relationships with customers. Successful usage of the integrated technology requires appropriate business processes and organizational culture to adequately address human behavioural elements. Because it is not simply a technology solution, success in CRM business is largely dependent on people. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a combination of people, processes, and technology (Chen and Popovich, 2003) that seeks to provide understanding of customer needs (Stringfellow et al., 2004), to support a business strategy (Ling and Yen, 2001; Bull,2003), and to build long-term relationships with customers (Wayland and Cole, 1997). Although enabled by information systems, CRM is not a technology solution (Rigby et al., 2002; Chen and Popovich, 2003). The core processes are handled b y people and requires clear understanding of the goals of key decisions and system-people interactions. To appreciate the concept of CRM an evolution of it needs to be highlighted. 3.2 EVOLUTION OF CRM From the 1980s to the 2000s the research of CRM have progressed tremendously (Ling and Yen, 2001; Goldenberg, 2006). The evolution of CRM started from target marketing (Prabhaker, 2001) and sales force automation (West, 2001) to relationship marketing (Gronroos, 1994) and has increased the demand for customer information management. However, as the scope of CRM grew, comprehensive emphasis on technology has become the focus. At the same time, the increased interest in CRM technology management has downplayed the importance of people issues, which are intimately responsible for successful CRM implementations (Goldenberg, 2006). New forms of competition and structural modifications of exchange processes have led to the emergence of the relationship paradigm for creating long-term relationships among customers and suppliers. This is partly due to the globalisation of business, internationalisation, deregulation, information technology advances, shorter product life cycles, and the evolv ing recognition of the relationship between customer retention and profitability (Morgan and Hunt, 1994; Zineldin and Jonsson, 2000; Chandra and Kumar, 2000; Sahay, 2003; Stefanou et al., 2003). Relationship paradigm refers to all activities directed towards establishing, developing and maintaining successful relational exchanges (Gro ¨nroos, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997; Gummesson, 1994; Morgan and Hunt, 1994, cited in Donaldson and OToole, 2002; Sahay, 2003). Through out the 1990s, in many organisations strategies, there was a shift from the need to manage transactions toward relationship management (Light, 2003). While enterprise resource planning (ERP) packages dominated the transaction management era, customer relationship management (CRM) packages lead with respect to relationships. The relationship between marketing strategies and performance has been studied from numerous theoretical perspectives, for example, transaction cost economics (Williamson, 1985, 1993; Park and Kim, 200 3), market orientation (Jaworski and Kohli, 1993; Harris and Piercy, 1999; Martin and Bush, 2003; Nielsen et al., 2003; Stefanou et al., 2003; Shapiro et al., 2003; Bigne ´ et al., 2004), and profit impact of marketing strategy (Kumar et al., 2000). The focus on the content of marketing strategies has been valuable in identifying performance-enhancing strategies (Goodhue et al., 2002; Plakoyiannaki and Tzokas, 2002; Chen and Popovich, 2003). While the concepts presented and discussed in the above perspectives are clearly valuable and have clear meaning, they also reflect a lack of accurate operating elements. Efforts made in this direction have failed to provide the concepts with sufficiently accurate and indicative operating elements (Grisi and Ribeiro, 2004). It is our view that past attempts of extant literature on implementation of customer relationship strategies have been insufficient and not gone far enough in the transition from the old to the new. According to Narayandas and Rangan (2004), empirical research in relationship management has tended to take a snapshot of a relationship at a given time and then attempted to project its trajectory (Croteau and Li, 2003). This gap has prompted researchers such as Anderson (1995), Jap and Ganesan (2000) and Lambe et al. (2001) to call for more field-based research based on case studies that draw on material from the multiple exchange episodes that constitute relationships and that offer insights into the processes of relationship initiation and maintenance (Narayandas and Rangan, 2004). Work on implementation of CRM strategy has focused on database management, direct marketing techniques, e-commerce and customer relationship mechanisms (Ling and Yen, 2001; Winer, 2001; Shoemaker, 2001; Gefen and Ridings, 2002; Fjermestad and Romano, 2003; Apostolou and Mentas, 2003; Croteau and Li, 2003; Bull, 2003; Park and Kim, 2003; Chen and Popovich, 2003; Kotorov, 2003; Scullin et al., 2004). This has been most noticea ble in business to consumer markets, and in services and financial services in particular. Donaldson and OToole (2002), indicated that though not all, many schemes are little more than sophisticated selling. According to Hertz and Vilgon (2002), many CRM implementation projects are fraught with difficulties in terms of technically not delivering the anticipated business benefits. Hertz and Vilgon (2002) indicate that up to 60 per cent of CRM implementation projects fail to live up to expectations. The study reported in this paper aims to contribute to the existing literature on the relationship marketing paradigm and the implementation of customer relationship strategy by examining both of these issues. This is accomplished by providing a better understanding of the components of CRM on the one hand, and the implementation of CRM strategy on the other. CRM systems have been used for a long time to automate processes (Ngai, 2005). However, the system process cannot manage customer re lations (Rigby et al., 2002; Chen and Popovich, 2003) because customer knowledge needs to be comprehended by business managers (Bueren et al., 2005), the face-to-face communication needs to be performed by front-line operators (Stringfellow et al., 2004), and a customer-centric culture needs to be formed by organization architects (Oldroyd, 2005). Although critical to the firm and dynamic in nature, the human side of CRM processes has gained little attention in CRM studies. Indeed, superior value of products/services delivered to customers leads to customer loyalty, the real driver of financial performance (see Reichheld et al., 2000; Heskett et al., 1997; Reichheld, 1994). Reichheld and Sasser (1990) show that, on average, a five percentage points increase in customer retention leads to between 40-50 percent increases in net present value profits. A few years later, Reichheld (1994) reports that a decrease in defection rate (or an increase in retention rate) of five percentage poin ts can increase profits by 25-100 percent and that this result is consistent across a wide array of industries. Satisfaction is a state of mind and it is only important as an indication of the intention of the most important behavior of repeat purchase, favorable word-of-mouth, and referrals. Reichheld (1994) states that customers who describe themselves as satisfied are not necessarily loyal. A cost benefit analysis reveals that huge resource allocation to CRM by businesses world-wide (estimated at $100 billion to date at the time of writing, see www.CRM-forum.com) has been primarily IT driven, not marketing driven. While CRM is meant to be about enabling a customer orientation, often it is not marketers pulling the strings: The serious question for the marketing profession is whether to respond to the challenges raised by new technology. The authors are not suggesting that one size fits all. The assertion by OMalley and Mitussis (2002), that where the ethos of relationship marketi ng does not exist in an organisation, it may be prudent for marketers to limit their CRM ambitions to advanced database marketing, is very sensible. But the disruption of new technology gives marketers, at the very least, opportunities to improve their internal influence. Many respondents in this research doubted whether CRM can control attrition rate in the business industry. My hypothesis suggests that CRM powered by technology and human involvement can control attrition rate in the business industry specifically banking where fierce competition is fuelling switching from bank to bank by customer. Are switching costs too low to dissuade clients from staying loyal to a particular bank? CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 METHODOLOGY The research seeks to explore the topic through the use of qualitative data. The choice of methodology will give the researcher an in-depth view, Easterby-Smith et al (2002), (Deshpande ´, 1983) on the extent to which CRM could go to control the attrition rate in the banking industry. This section extensively considers the research methods, tools and techniques available to achieve the aims and objectives and also to justify the use of the research method that will be employed in this study. Jankowicz (1995) describes methodology as the analysis of and justification for the part method(s) used in undertaking research. Furthermore, methodology seeks to explain the research procedure adopted by a researcher and should consist of the following: research design, data collection methods, sampling, field work, analysis and interpretation of data (Boyd, 1981). As asserted by Oppenhein (1992) for every social research there is the need to examine appropriate methodologies necessary for con ducting a particular study. As further stated by Oppenhein (1992) it is often seen that as research takes shape the aims of the research undergoes a number of subtle changes as a consequence of greater clarity in thinking, such changes may require a new or better design, which in turn will lead to a better specification for the instruments of measurement. Sources of data are the carriers of information and basically there are two sources of data- primary and secondary (Ghauri et al., 1995). Saunders et al, (2003) identified a third source as tertiary. However, it must be emphasised that while tertiary and secondary sources of data form the basis of the literature review, primary data sources are linked to the empirical research. As suggested by Kinnear and Taylor (1996), when research objectives include identifying problems or spotting potential opportunities, the use of exploratory research is the most suitable method. Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) argue that the knowledge of differ ent research traditions enables one to adapt a research design to cater for constraints. A qualitative research approach is used because it is a valuable means of finding out what happened; to seek new insights; to ask questions and assess phenomena in a new light (Robson, 2002). It great advantage is that it is flexible and adaptable to change, as in conducting exploratory research the researcher must be willing to change direction as a result of new data that appears and new insights that occur to the researcher (Saunders et al., 2003). As further reinforced by Adam and Schvaneveldt (1991) flexibility is inherent in exploratory research which does not mean there is no sense of direction to the enquiry but rather that the focus is initially broad and becomes progressively narrower as the research progresses. However, qualitative biases can also occur and result in inaccurate measurement and findings. 4.1 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION/ SOURCE Both primary and secondary data will be used in this research. The primary data will be obtained from the semi-structured telephone interviews with some Barclays customers in Ghana. A semi-structured interview is suggested so as to obtain relevant information through the use of open-ended questions thus encouraging the interviewee to emphasize his/her point of interest (Easterby-Smith et al., 2002; Healey, 1991; Jankowicz, 2000). Individual in-depth interviews are deployed to provide the anonymity essential in allowing sensitive internal material to be revealed. It is also the most practical way of getting participation from busy Barclays customers. The interviews were semi-structured with a topic guide to provide some structure and consistency to the interviews, as advocated by a number of researchers (Miles and Huberman, 1989). The secondary data will be obtained from the companys website, published materials such as, academic journals, newspaper articles, search engines and books. Ghauri et al, (1995) says it all that the purpose of secondary data is to frame the problem under scrutiny, identify relevant concepts, methods and techniques and facts to position the research. 4.2 SAMPLE FRAME AND STRATEGY There will be sample size determination on the data collected. A total of 100 Barclays Bank customers will be interviewed. Also, due to time and budget constraints involved with the research, the sample would be a convenient size. Indeed. The interviews will be transcribed and analyzed with the use of a simple median. Thus the software Microsoft Excel will be used to calculate the percentage and numbers to clarify the data. It is worth emphasizing that due to the small size of the study, a deviance may appear in the result. CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 DATA ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING PROBLEMS As said above, there are limitations associated with the data collection through the means of semi-structured interviews. It is necessary to consider data quality issues such as reliability, bias, validity and generalizability which are seen as important to any qualitative research. According to Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) reliability in qualitative research is concerned with the probability of whether another researcher who has the same research will come up with similar information and findings. According to the authors (pp 53) reliable research tries to find answers to three questions. The first is will the measure yield the same results on other occasions? Secondly will similar observations be reached by other observers? Thirdly is there transparency in how the raw data will be analyzed? Thus for this study the researcher believes that reliability will be dealt with as previous research has been carried out on the small business sector which the researcher will be making use of including some materials through secondary data. Also, with the use of qualitative, non-standardised research, the result of the study implies that findings are not intended to be repeatable, as they reflect the reality at the time of collecting the data, which might be subject to change (Marshall and Rossman, 1999). In addition, bias on the side of the interviewee or interviewer can also affect the quality of the research; hence it should be noted that being aware of this, the researcher will ensure in the design of the interview questionnaire and also in terms of asking the right questions to get the required answers in line with the aims and objectives of the research. The researcher at all times Endeavour not to use any verbal or non-verbal behaviour that could affect the quality of the interview. Also a lot of readings will be undertaken in terms of text books, as well as obtaining guidelines from a professional interviewer and through practice. According to Saunders et al. (2003) validity is concerned with whether the results are what they appear to be. Oppenheim (1992) also notes that sample accuracy is more important than its size, in that there is a compromise between the theoretical sampling size and practical limitations such as time and costs. In terms of validity the researcher deems this to be high as the method used, that is, the in-depth interview will give the researcher a hands-on experience and the ability to see the reactions of the respondents through their interactions. The last issue will be the generalizability which according to Saunders et al., (2003) is the situation whereby findings of a research are applicable to other research settings. 5.1 ETHICAL ISSUES / CONSIDERATION Ethical issues occur when undertaking any kind of research and these have to be taken into consideration. Research ethics refer to the acceptability of a researchers behaviour towards the rights of subjects of research. To ensure this, researchers behaviour is guided by the code of ethics appropriate to academics and the profession or association of the researcher (Saunders et. at, 2003). The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities (Cooper and Schindler, 2003). According to Easterby-Smith et al. (2002) the ability to explore data or to seek explanation through qualitative methods will require a greater scope for ethical issues. This is particularly important when the data collected during interviews for example concerns sensible subjects or private stories, etc (Denzin and Lincoln, 1998). This issue is relevant in this research, as Barclays Bank customers will be asked about their finances and other privat e issues regarding possible attrition. The researcher however, is aware that when it comes to issues about finance, people are reluctant to give information. Hence the researcher will take the necessary action to avoid any such issues. Thus this research will consider the anonymity and privacy of respondents and accordingly would be based on the consent of respondents who will be provided with a cover letter, informing them of the purpose of the research and also providing assurance of the confidentiality of information given. Also, the name of the researcher as well as the University will be given in order to avoid any ambiguity. As a result, the researcher will be conversant with ethical considerations and both the researcher and respondents will be protected. 5.2 RESEARCH TIME TABLE 2010-2011 SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY Identification of research area 1ST    4th Formulation of research questions 6th Formulation of research strategy, 9th research design and selection 15th   methods Writing of the research proposal 20rd Negotiation of access 26th Literature review 29th 5th 27th Data collection 8th 24th Data analysis 28th 19th Writing the first draft 2nd 15th Writing the second draft 20th 2nd Writing the final draft 15th Dissertation due date 30th BIBLIOGRAPHY Rafaeli, A. and Sutton, R., (1987) Expression of Emotion as Part of the Work Role, Academy of Management Review, pp. 23-37

Poor Parents Must Educate Their Children Essay example -- Solutions to

A child does not show up for school for the third day in a row and the teacher notices that a pattern of absences has appeared. Is it the child’s fault? The parents’ fault? Can the school do something to stop this trend? There is a definite association between the parents of a child in poverty and the education that child does (or does not) receive, and there are many factors that play into this connection: intimidation the parents feel, expectations put on the child, parent employment, location and condition of the school, and health issues. Unfortunately, all of these issues mean that children in poverty are on an unequal plane when it comes to education, compared to children in higher classes of socio-economic status. Lord Acton wrote of the United States over 140 years ago, â€Å"In a country where there is no distinction of class, a child is not born to the station of its parents, but with an indefinite claim to all the prizes that can be won by thought and labor . It is in conformity with the theory of equality . . . to give as near as possible to every youth an equal state in life. Americans are unwilling that any should be deprived in childhood of the means of competition.†1 It is sad and ironic how this statement is not true in the United States today. Parents may not want to get involved in their child’s school life because schools have a negative connotation in their minds. Many adults in poverty grew up in poor families and have bad memories of school from their childhoods. They may have been bullied or did not make good grades. There may be an association for them between school and feeling stupid. Also, some parents of students in poverty have a lower level of education than the people working at schools. When talking to principals or teachers, a parent does not want to feel inferior in the conversation. The more diverse vocabulary used by the faculty and staff at schools can be intimidating. This is one reason why parents are reluctant to get involved in reading programs, the Parent Teacher Association, and other extra-curricular activities. In order to distance themselves from the feeling of inferiority, parents distance themselves from their children’s schools. In addition to being physically distant from the place their children receive their education, parents of children in poverty may not breach the topic verbally. Parental encouragement ... ...91. Philipsen, Maike Ingrid. â€Å"The Problem of Poverty: Shifting Attention to the Non-Poor.† In Late to Class: Social Class and Schooling in the New Economy, edited by George Noblit and Jane A. Van Galen, 269-285. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2007. Polakow, Valerie. â€Å"In the Shadows of the Ownership Society: Homeless Children and Their Families.† In Invisible Children in the Society and Its Schools, edited by Sue Books, 39-62. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007. Pollitt, Ernesto. â€Å"The Relationship between Undernutrition and Behavioral Development in Children.† The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 125, No. 8S (August 1995). http://www.unu.edu/ (accessed on April 6, 2015). Sato, Mistlina, et al. â€Å"Poverty and Payne: Supporting Teachers to Work with Children of Poverty.† Phi Delta Kappan Vol. 90, No. 5 (January 2009): 365-370. http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com (accessed April 6, 2015). Shipler, David K. The Working Poor: Invisible in America. New York: Random House, Inc., 2004. Weissbourg, Richard. â€Å"The ‘Quiet’ Troubles of Low-Income Children.† The Education Digest Vol. 74, No. 5 (January 2009): 4-8. http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com (accessed April 6, 2015).

Ascent of Money

The Ascent of Money – Individual Essay ECO/372 October 10th, 2012 The Ascent of Money – Individual Essay The Ascent of Money written by Harvard Professor Nail Ferguson as a way to converse about â€Å"The Financial History of the World† (Ferguson, 2009). Ferguson describes the increase and development of economics concentrating on insurance, financial institutes, and the bond market. Ferguson reveals the method in which history can enlighten our comprehension of the existing economic predicament for American worldwide domination or control.Ferguson's main premise is that these institutions, which are highly criticized these days, are vital for the success of the capitalist system. Stock markets allow companies to raise money in order to expand their businesses and by that create jobs, or provide services in which the consumer is interested in. In the process, the quality of life of the people, who got hired or received better services, has improved. The banking s ystem achieves a similar goal, but in a different manner.The banking system acts as the middleman, between the person who wants to lend money and the person who wants to borrow money. Doing so, helps to allocate better capital into places where it is more needed. In the episode entitled â€Å"Risky Business,† Ferguson observes the origin of the insurance trade in Europe; how catastrophes similar to Hurricane Katrina depicts dilemmas in risk management, how countries like Japan and Chile administer risk for their people; and the large rewards that can be accumulated through risk with hedge funds (Ferguson, 2009).The position of jeopardy engaged in the insurance industry. Comprises the incapability to cover-up the payments owing from the disaster rooted by Hurricane Katrina; the source of the insurance trade; how Japan converted into a wellbeing state, and it’s penalties in the current day; Chile leaving from the welfare state model in the 1970's; the unoriginal market, and the unusual riches it has led to as well as the implosion of such firms as AIG (Ferguson, 2009). Life is a serious of ups and down and somewhat risky at times.This is the reason the individuals take out an insurance policy on their homes, vehicles’, and themselves? There are movements’ when the unforeseen tragedy happens and the state steps-in to help. When the disaster with Hurricane Katrina occurred, Ferguson visited the site to inquirer why the market can’t offer sufficient safeguard against disaster. His journey takes him to the beginning of contemporary insurance at the start of the 19th century to current date insurance issues (Ferguson, 2009).Insurance is a risky business and mainly used to evade against the peril of a dependent of unforeseen events. Insurance is distinct as the evenhanded move of the danger of a defeat, from one unit to one more, in trade for compensation. An individual that is an insurance agent or broker is an individual that sells insurance policies from vehicle policy to a homeowner’s policy. The insured, or policyholder, is the individual or person purchasing the insurance plan or policy. The quantity to be priced for a definite sum of insurance coverage is called the premium.Risk management, is an exercise in appraise and manage the risk factors, and has developed as a separate subject of learning and observation (Ferguson, 2009). The contract engages the insured to assume assurance and identified comparatively in a small amount in the shape of fee to the insurer in trading for the insurer's pledge to reimburse (assure) the insured in the situation of a monetary (individual) demise. The insured obtains an agreement, called the insurance policy, which fine points the stipulations and conditions under which the insured will be financially compensated.Risk management is the classification, appraisal, and prioritization of risks pursued by synchronized and inexpensive request of capital to diminish, ob serve, and manage the likelihood or collision of fateful measures or to capitalize on the understanding of opportunity. Perils can occur as part of doubt in economic markets, development failures, lawful liabilities, natural accidents, and disasters as well as assaults from an opponent or enemy or even from unforeseen causes.The strategy to supervise danger naturally is to include moving that danger to different individual, evading the danger, plummeting the harmful results or likelihood of the danger, or still tolerating little or the entirety of the possible or real penalty of a specific danger. Particle characteristics of risk management principles have been praised and analysis for possessing no quantifiable enhancement on risk, whether it is self-confidence in estimation and judgment. ConclusionAlthough risk management and insurance are directly linked, insurance by itself is not totally risk management. Risk management is extreme expansive and consist of the theories dealing w ith evading, stopping, and reducing cost and damage. Risk management focuses on additional means than insurance for removing the monetary penalties of items lost in a disaster. References: Ferguson, Niall (2008-11-13). The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World. Retrieved from The Penguin Press HC. ISBN 978-1-59420-192-9The Ascent of Money. (2009). Risky Business. Retrieved from http://video. pbs. org/program/ascent-of-money/ The Economist (2008). A Financial History of the World. Retrieved from http://www. economist. com/node/12376642 Ferguson, Nail 2009). The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World. Retrieved from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=4Xx_5PuLIzc Cornell University Risk Management & Insurance. (2005). Welcome to Risk Management & Insurance. Retrieved from http://www. risk. cornell. edu/

Sharing a Room Is Difficult

Sharing a room is difficult. Having a younger sister means mess, mess, and more mess. I try to arrange things a certain way and find them completely changed by the time I get home at the end of the day. Despite the downsides of sharing, I love my room because of the way it has changed throughout the years. The first thing you notice as you enter my bedroom is the blue stars on the white walls, and the cherry laminated wood flooring. The size of the room is not big neither small, just average sized. There is only one window which is on the far right corner, which lets the sunlight in every morning. We have a big mirror on the side facing the dresser and my bed. My bed is my favorite thing in my room. After a long day of studying or working out I get to relax on a soft, comfortable, full sized bed. It has a Dodger blue colored comforter set, and about a dozen pillows. There are usually two to three college books laying there for unfinished homework. Space for me is important. I like to have everything in place and very clean. My biggest obstacle is having enough room for my clothes in the closet. Everything is arranged into shirts, sweaters, and coats on one side; and jeans or sweats on the other. Workout shoes, tennis shoes, and heels are all nicely put on the bottom according to color. Movie nights are usually held at my house and in my room so I have a variety of comedies, action, and thriller movies. My all time favorites include: Gone in Sixty Seconds, Crash, A Walk to Remember, and Love and Basketball. I also have an Xbox in my room for when my brother wants to play Call of Duty. The television is my wakeup call every morning. I have a bookshelf filled with about thirty books. Some from high school other’s just for my enjoyment. I enjoy reading books other people recommend or books that grab my attention. Some of my favorite books you will definitely find on the top shelf are: Dear John, The Lovely Bones, and My Sister’s Keeper. I would usually get home and read for about half an hour on my warm and cozy bed.

9 Super-Tricky Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

9 Super-Tricky Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them You’ve done a lot of interview prep already and you’re feeling pretty ready. But you’re still dreading the questions you haven’t prepped for- or the really tricky ones that seem perfectly simple, but have multiple strategic layers designed to get at something subtle. Don’t get tripped up or surprised by the following tricky questions- prepare your answers now so you’re calm, cool, and collected on your interview day.1. â€Å"Why did you leave?†Mostly tricky if you just got fired or quit soon after starting. Easy enough to answer if you lost your job as a part of a restructuring or layoff; just be honest there. Otherwise, be as transparent as possible and try to give answers about things that were out of your control (lack of growth opportunity or challenge, etc.). And restrain yourself from saying anything negative about the company or your former boss.2. â€Å"What’s your salary requirement?†Remember: loser speaks first. Try to avoid being the first person to say a hard number in this situation. Pivot if you can and do your best to get them to throw out a number first. If you must give a direct answer, make sure you have a good sense of what sort of salary range would be appropriate for you and start there. Make sure the bottom is no lower than your current salary or the low end of their advertised range.3. â€Å"How did you hear about the position?†You might be thinking: why do they want to know this? But remember, most hirers like referrals and it’s all about who you know. They’re trying to figure out who you might already know at the organization. They want to know whether you’re a champion networker, up on all the latest industry intel. Try to find an elegant answer to this question that isn’t just â€Å"uh†¦ I found it on a web search?†4. â€Å"What is your greatest professional achievement?†You get a chance to go into one accomplishment in depth here and really sell yourself. Try to load in plenty of quantifiable and verifiable detail into your answer. Back up any claims of your own greatness. But  don’t go overboard with the self-praise- humility might also be something they are looking for.5. â€Å"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?†They want to know first and foremost that you have a career vision for yourself. They also want to know if you’re so obsessed with finding a path up that you’ll be taking the first path out. Strike a balance between assuring them you’re keen to be a loyal contributor to the company for the long haul, and showing your ambition. Enthusiasm for the company itself will go a long way here, particularly if you feel you’re a great fit for their work culture and could see yourself advancing internally.6. â€Å"What’s with the gap in your employment?†You should be ready for this question if there are gaps in your employment. Be honest and succinct. Make sure to mention any volunteering or education that could earn you extra points. And be passionate about explaining any career changes, taking extra care to mention how your unique skills translate perfectly to this job.7. â€Å"Are you hoping to start a family?†Questions about your marital status and plans to have children are illegal, but you will occasionally be asked. Pivot from this answer as quickly as you can. Say something like: you’re really more focused on your career at the moment and very interested about this fascinating part of the company’s work†¦ is there more they could tell you about that?8. â€Å"Do you like to work on your own or as part of a team?†Both. You like both. Explain how great you are at both. Don’t let yourself get pigeonholed here, because you’ll never know when they’re looking for a self-starter they don’t have to worry about, or a true team player for a more collaborative environment.9. â€Å"Do you have any questions for us?†Interviews are supposed to be more of a two-way street than an interrogation. You will be asked if you have any questions and you will need to have a few. Even if most of your questions have been answered in the course of the interview, have one or two things you could ask. When in doubt, try: â€Å"What’s your favorite thing about working here?† And give your interviewer a chance to talk about herself and the company while you regroup.

Theory and Practice Behind the Creeping Barrage of WW1

Theory and Practice Behind the Creeping Barrage of WW1 The creeping/rolling barrage is a slowly moving artillery attack acting as a defensive curtain for infantry following closely behind. The creeping barrage is indicative of the First World War, where it was used by all belligerents as a way to bypass the problems of trench warfare. It did not win the war (as once hoped)  but played an important role in the final advances.   Invention The creeping barrage was first used by Bulgarian artillery crews during the siege of Adrianople in March 1913, over a year before the war began. The wider world took little notice and the idea had to be re-invented again in 1915-16, as a response to both the static, trench-based, warfare into which the swift early movements of the First World War had stalled  and the inadequacies of existing artillery barrages. People were desperate for new methods, and the creeping barrage seemed to offer them. The Standard Barrage Throughout 1915, infantry attacks were preceded by as massive an artillery bombardment as possible, intended to pulverize both the enemy troops and their defenses. The barrage could go on for hours, even days, with the aim of destroying everything under them. Then, at an allotted time, this barrage would cease - usually switching to deeper secondary targets - and the infantry would climb out of their own defenses, rush across the contested land and, in theory, seize land which was now undefended, either because the enemy was dead or cowering in bunkers. The Standard Barrage Fails In practice, barrages frequently failed to obliterate either the enemys deepest defensive systems and attacks turned into a race between two infantry forces, the attackers trying to rush across No Mans Land before the enemy realized the barrage was over and returned (or sent replacements) to their forward defenses...and their machine guns. Barrages could kill, but they could neither occupy land nor hold the enemy away long enough for infantry to advance. Some tricks were played, such as stopping the bombardment, waiting for the enemy to man their defenses, and starting it again to catch them in the open, only sending their own troops later on. The sides also became practiced at being able to fire their own bombardment into No Mans Land when the enemy sent their troops forward into it. The Creeping Barrage In late 1915/early 1916, Commonwealth forces began developing a new form of barrage. Beginning close to their own lines, the creeping barrage moved slowly forward, throwing up dirt clouds to obscure the infantry who advanced close behind. The barrage would reach the enemy lines and suppress as normal (by driving men into bunkers or more distant areas) but the attacking infantry would be close enough to storm these lines (once the barrage had crept further forward) before the enemy reacted. That was, at least, the theory. The Somme Apart from Adrianople in 1913, the creeping barrage was first used at The Battle of the Somme in 1916, at the orders of Sir Henry Horne; its failure exhibits several of the tactics problems. The barrages targets and timings had to be arranged well beforehand and, once started, could not be easily changed. At the Somme, the infantry moved slower than expected and the gap between soldier and barrage was sufficient for German forces to man their positions once the bombardment had passed. Indeed, unless bombardment and infantry advanced in almost perfect synchronization there were problems: if the soldiers moved too fast they advanced into the shelling and were blown up; too slow and the enemy had time to recover. If the bombardment moved too slow, allied soldiers either advanced into it or had to stop and wait, in the middle of No Mans Land and possibly under enemy fire; if it moved too fast, the enemy again had time to react. Success and Failure Despite the dangers, the creeping barrage was a potential solution to the stalemate of trench warfare and it was adopted by all the belligerent nations. However, it generally failed when used over a relatively large area, such as the Somme, or was relied upon too heavily, such as the disastrous battle of the Marne in 1917. In contrast, the tactic proved much more successful in localized attacks where targets and movement could be better defined, such as the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Taking place the same month as the Marne, the Battle of Vimy Ridge saw Canadian forces attempting a smaller, but much more precisely organized creeping barrage which advanced 100 yards every 3 minutes, slower than commonly tried in the past. Opinions are mixed on whether the barrage, which became an integral part of WW1 warfare, was a general failure or a small, but necessary, part of the winning strategy. One thing is certain: it wasnt the decisive tactic generals had hoped for. No Place In Modern War Advances in radio technology – which meant soldiers could carry transmitting radios around with them and co-ordinate support – and developments in artillery - which meant barrages could be placed much more precisely - conspired to make the blind sweeping of the creeping barrage redundant in the modern era, replaced by pinpoint strikes called in as needed, not pre-arranged walls of mass destruction.

Bilingualism as a Contributor to Cognitive Reserve - Factors That May Article

Bilingualism as a Contributor to Cognitive Reserve - Factors That May Lead to Delay in Diagnosis of Symptoms of Alzheimers Disease Bilingualism as a contributor to Cognitive Reserve Critique Bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve Critique The article focuses on factors that may lead to delay in diagnosis of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (Schweizer et al, 2012). One of the factors identified is bilingualism. Other factors reported causing delay ions years of education, education, and stimulating leisure activities (Schweizer et al, 2012). Therefore, a sophisticated amount of diagnosis is required to identify the symptoms. The argument in the article is that bilingualism is an environmental factor that acts to produce cognitive reserve (CR) (Schweizer et al, 2012). Moreover, the article argues that acquisition of a second language in an individual makes individual have an elevated mental function. The weakness of the article starts from introduction. First, the authors affirm that there exist imbalance between brain atrophy and level of cognitive functioning. However, the authors describe that the relationship between the two is poorly understood. Second, the authors refute the credibility of use of cognitive reserve. The authors raise doubts on the correlation nature. However, even after raising doubts they go on to use it in the study. On the other hand, the authors agreed to have used computed tomography (CT) scan of participants with probable AD while the article talks of research done on individuals with AD (Schweizer et al, 2012). As a result, doubt is raised on credibility of participants used in the research. Moreover, there is a high chance the result would fail to support the hypothesis based on the number of participants in the study. For example, 40 patients were relied upon to carry out the study. In contrast, none of the research relied upon in the introduction involved such few number of participants. The research relied in hundred of participants due to the seriousness required for such analysis. In addition, the article develops a high sense of credibility. First, the article introduction has relied on several other researchers carried before on the topic. As a result, any claim made by authors in the introduction is supported by scientific research done before. Moreover, the article clarity is achieved by relying on a method that had been tried before in testing the hypothesis. As a result, the article does not raise any doubt on the procedure of estimating whether the hypothesis is true or false. The method is relied on to test the CR hypothesis. Moreover, the article has demonstrated a high standard of ethics. For example, the study first sought approval from the Hospital Ethics Board (Schweizer et al, 2012). However, the article might have faced some limitation. One of such limitations may have been getting clear response from participants as they are physiologically challenged. Moreover, the other limitation may have been in getting adequate number of participants. There are several things to learn from the article. First, I have identified that improved mental function may pose a challenge in the future. However, the article was not appealing due to use of jargon only understood by people specializing in the field of study. A repeat of experiment could enhance the study in various ways. The number of participants could be increased. Moreover, I would like to know what changes takes place in the brain due to high mental function that increases potentiality to AD. Reference Schweizer, T., Ware, J., Fischer, C., Craik, F & Bialystok, E. (2012). Bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve: Evidence from Brain Atrophy in Alzheimer’s Disease. Cortex, 48, 991-996.

Suicide after Combat in the Military Research Paper

Suicide after Combat in the Military - Research Paper Example The effects of this on the military personnel’s psychological well being has been adverse and contributed greatly to the military suicides since the inception of the missions. Discussion Military deployment negatively affects the lives of the military personnel and their respective families - their family life is altered forever- as it entails four distinct phases; pre-deployment, deployment, reunion and post deployment. The events in these phases affect the military official mentally as they have to deal with issues related to the changes occurring in their lives; they are shifting from their normal life schedules to others they have no idea how they are likely to turn out and if they would actually be back to their families or not. Pre-deployment issues include dealing with the separation from the social support network they are used to, dealing with the increased workload and the shift in daily duties. In the deployment, they may encounter issues like physical injuries, exp osure to traumatic events and lack of communication with their loved ones among others. The re-union and post deployment phases pose their own challenges as the individuals strive to readjust to their old lifestyles and social networks as well as deal with the reality of their experiences during the deployment (Hoge,  2006). The effect of the entire deployment experience is can be devastating and the individual is unable to effectively fit into the society and options of suicide make more sense to appease their conscience. Why does this happen? The deployment experience has negative impact on the military official’s mental health. Stressors and experiences related to the post-deployment, deployment, and post deployment experiences together put the service member at a risk of mental health problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, depression and drug and substance abuse. The experience in one way or the other impairs the service members quality of life; a decrease in the emotional well being, social functioning and the general health of the concerned individual. According to military surveillance data, mental health related concerns and behavioral health among the service members rise 3-6 months after deployment and sometimes it exerts a lasting effect on the military personnel. Other than the experience in the military deployment and combat, mental health is triggered by the interpersonal concerns and stressors throughput the four phases of the deployment. A study conducted on the 2008 OIF veterans showed that mental health was impacted by the post-deployment social support. The study participants reported not getting the desired family and friends emotional and instrumental support they desired during and after the deployment. The respective families experienced financial difficulties, spousal arguments, physical aggression and sometimes abuse of a spouse and child abuse during the post deployment period. Long deployment periods increase the s ervice a member distress levels and shows more psychiatric and physical health symptoms compared to the short deployments, however, the effect of the location and duration of deployment on the peoples’ mental health of depends on the types and severities of the stressors.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Fast Food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits and Disadvantages of Fast Food - Essay Example Further, fast food is beneficial in terms of bridging the gap created by a constantly changing food culture. In the world today, busy schedules for people have contributed to the issue of food being of less importance in individual’s daily interactions. The fast foods bridge the gap by enabling interactions while eating at the fast food joints (Ellen and Spur 2004, p.65). More companies are shifting into the business of fast food products because of the convenience and the ever increasing number of working class population with limited time to prepare homemade food. In addition, according to BIS Shrapnel(2003) more companies have increased their advertisements related to offering customers with more convenient and quicker way of eating without consuming time and money as highlighted in figure 1(appendix). Conversely, fast food contributes to a number of health problems or conditions that include heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. This type of food is unhealthy as a re sult of containing high cholesterol, fats and calories which, has been identified as the main risk factor contributing to obesity. In a country such as Korea for example, the high prevalence rate for obesity is as a result of consuming fast foods (Bryant and Dundes, 2008, p.328). On the other hand, in a country like Australia, more individuals are critical on the idea of consuming fast-food as evident from the public outburst in regard to the cricket team being sponsored by a fast-food company (Bellisle et al 2004, p.178). The negative of fast effects related to fast food and health, has led to a number of research on health conditions like obesity and consuming fast foods. According to Bellisle et al. (2004, p.180), the increased number of fast food locations and in... This paper approves that , fast food is beneficial in terms of bridging the gap created by a constantly changing food culture. In the world today, busy schedules for people have contributed to the issue of food being of less importance in individual’s daily interactions. The fast foods bridge the gap by enabling interactions while eating at the fast food joints. More companies are shifting into the business of fast food products because of the convenience and the ever increasing number of working class population with limited time to prepare homemade food. Conversely, fast food contributes to a number of health problems or conditions that include heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. This type of food is unhealthy as a result of containing high cholesterol, fats and calories which, has been identified as the main risk factor contributing to obesity. This essay makes a conclusion that eating patterns across the world continues to change with more people being attracted to fast food because of its convenience. However, individuals while consuming fast food needs to consider serious health issues related to the consumption of fast food currently identified as a major contributor to obesity. On the other hand, fast food companies need to provide their customers with healthier options or choices for fast food products. While fast food is beneficial to customers in terms of providing a quicker means of eating, consumers need to adopt a moderate habit in terms of consuming fast foods.

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Astronomy - Essay Example Agnostic individuals do not believe a higher power created the universe. The Big Bang Theory is given as evidence that the Earth and surrounding galaxies were created due to pure science. Hydrogen and helium combined to enact an explosion that after of billions of years created Earth and intelligent life. The agnostic individual also believes that this is Earth’s springtime, when considered in terms of seasons. Everything eventually dies, including the Earth and Sun. It might take billions of years, but the universe will keep dying and renewing at only a predictable rate. Agnostics believe in science due to the provability. The do not believe in a higher power due to lack of proof. Atheists believe no higher power exists. The universe was the results of trivial consequence of cosmic evolution. The stars, moon, planets, and so forth were all created by accident. Human evolution is also considered a lucky fluke by Atheists. No omniscient being could have created the Earth, because the scientific proof shows otherwise. Unlike the agnostic that does not believe because lack of evidence, Atheists believes no higher power ever existed. The astronomy findings and other science are often touted as proof of their beliefs. Intelligent Design is the new compromise that Christians, Islam, Judaism, and even Eastern religions have made about a higher power creating the universe. Basically an Intelligent Design example is of building blocks. When an individual take building blocks with the alphabet or numbers and throw them on the floor, rarely if any design can be determined. The universe is too complex for it to have left to chance. Evolution, according to Intelligent Design, would never occur without being manipulated by a higher power. Christians, Muslims, and Jews believe that God created the universe in six days. Adam and Eve mentioned in these religious texts. These individuals will not even consider astronomy due to the conflict with their belief. Religious

Aging aircraft wiring problems and solutions Essay

Aging aircraft wiring problems and solutions - Essay Example Aging aircraft wiring has been a cause of significant threat to both invaluable human life and material. It is almost certain that a smart wiring alone will not be the solution to this problem considering the working conditions of an aircraft. Keeping this scenario in mind this paper is trying to consider a few of the most pressing safety problems in aviation today. The NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) later determined the cause of the TWA 800 accident to have been a wiring failure that led to an ignition spark in the fuel tank. The Swissair disaster is believed to have been caused by electrical arcing originating from an in-flight entertainment cable. These disasters provided the initial impetus to begin reshaping commercial wiring policies' (Kevin R. Wheeler and Dogan A. Timucin 2007).A TWA747, flight 800, heading for Paris and Rome with 230 from JFK international airport on the night of July 17, 1996, exploded shortly after take off and during initial climb out. The hug e aircraft was blown up killing all the passengers and crew aboard. One of the most extensive aircraft investigations in the history was initiated following the crash. After many findings the initial fear of a terrorist missile attack was vanished. Enormous efforts were vested on the recovery process along with the FBI and NTSB investigations. The search was supported by FAA, US Navy Boeing and hundreds of contractors. Finally, the remains of the aircraft were recovered from Atlantic. To the continuing frustration of conspiracy theorists, investigators determined that the aircraft was not downed by a bomb or missile, but rather fell victim to a much more insidious enemy - faulty wiring. Hot or chafed wire is believed to have ignited the fuel vapors in the empty center wing tank, creating a massive explosion and in-flight breakup of the aircraft. The similar incidents occurred in the aviation industry at regular intervals. Obviously the wire and connector fault detection and prognosis problem is difficult and each agency is doing the best that it can with the resources given (J.S. Barrett and M.A. Green 1994). Thus, developing the appropriate theoretical approach, using simulations and data collection for development and eventually leading to requirements definition for all aspects of the wiring fault detection problem seem to be a huge task. The terrific crashes remind us that the aircraft electrical system malfunctioning can lead to tragic eventualities in terms of human life and monetary loss. Wiring problems often lead to troubleshooting nightmares, and canceled missions. With miles of wire bundles running through barely accessible compartments, inspecting and repairing wiring problems can eat up your maintenance budget and resources in a very short time. To help maintenance managers address these types of issues, we investigated the tools and techniques that can be used to minimize down time and improve safety. Jim sparks (2004) felt that 'wiring in aircraft has been installed without much thought given to the overall life. The concept has been one of "fit and forget." Various failure modes and their severity may not have been considered during the design or modification process. Maintenance programs often did not address the impact of insulation breakdown and resulting arcing, nor was consideration given to the probability of splices

Legal Perspective of International Football Essay - 1

Legal Perspective of International Football - Essay Example Sports are considered as apolitical in the sense of being neutral and value-free in terms of cultural values, but it plays different roles in relation to different cultures. It is able to reproduce power relations as sports is a reflection about the dynamics of social change in society and organizations like FIFA and IOC are more influential than many countries. With the significant changes in the sphere of competitive sport, the law also has assumed increasing importance in regulating the sport. It is argued that commercialization of sport has brought incremental change and today it is increasingly commodified and developing as an integral part of the leisure industry. In this perspective, Sports Law reflects the dynamics of power relations in society and changes, as social, political and economic relations shift, and the law is not a neutral mechanism, separate from social values. Therefore, the use of law in regulating sport has to be understood in the context and recognition of i t being used in a contingent and ideological way.Sports may be distinguished by its characteristics of standardized rules, official regulatory agencies, the importance of organizational and technical aspects and the learning of strategies, skills, and tactics by participants. The nature of competition in sports is special since it depends on the concepts of equal opportunity, fair play, and solidarity, and there is an interdependence of interest between participants in the sporting competition. Competition is a fundamental prerequisite for sport and when sporting activity is motivated by money and fame, and at the same time there is commercialization and commodification, together with the spectacularization, it is likely to create competition and conflicts among organizers and participants. To quote Howard M. Stupp, Director of Legal Affairs, The International Olympic Committee â€Å"Sport has continued to grow as a global phenomenon, and the impact of the law on sport and sports e vents has increased significantly†. According to Blackshaw (2003) â€Å"Sport is big business accounting for more than three percent of world trade and one percent of the combined GNP of the 15 member states of the European Union (EU).† Numerous job opportunities are created, directly or indirectly, in Sport related activities involving sports sponsorship, endorsement, licensing, merchandising, image rights and broadcasting arrangements. The commercial importance of sports led to the creation of nodal agencies for control and monitoring of sports activities.

Samuel Adams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Samuel Adams - Research Paper Example One of the significant individuals is Samuel Adams. Most people associated the name not with our liberty and freedom, but with the beer franchise by the same name. His contribution to this country goes far beyond malt liquor. In fact, Samuel Adams was more than just a Politian; he was one of the architects of the revolution and the face of independence. With his contributions with the Sons of Liberty, being a colonial leader, and more he was one of the most significant people in America’s pursuit to freedom and independence. Samuel Adams was born September 27, 1722 to Samuel and Mary Adams in Boston, Massachusetts. He had in total 11 siblings but only 2 of them would survive past the age of three. Politics were a part of Adam’s family. His father was a successful local politician and his cousin, John Adams, would one day be elected the second President of the United States (Biography Channel 2014). Samuel attended is initial education in a small schoolhouse, but he was taught both Greek and Latin. At the age of 14 he entered Harvard University and graduated in 1740. However, after college he was not entirely certain where he would focus his life. He was not interested in the brewery company options. His earliest attempts to establish his own businesses went poorly, mostly because Adams was not particularly good with finances. He would ultimately, begin working for his father and would marry his first wife, Elizabeth Checkley, in 1749. She brought six children into the world, but died shortly after the stillbirth of her youngest child in 1757 along with all but two of their children, a son Samuel and a daughter Hannah. Career issues continued to plague Adams. He became a tax collector from 1753-1765, however, his loss of approximately 8000 pounds due to sheer negligence he was relieved of his position. He ultimately repaid the monies lost from his own pocket. It was not until he married his second wife, Elizabeth Wells,

Legal Perspective of International Football Essay - 1

Legal Perspective of International Football - Essay Example Sports are considered as apolitical in the sense of being neutral and value-free in terms of cultural values, but it plays different roles in relation to different cultures. It is able to reproduce power relations as sports is a reflection about the dynamics of social change in society and organizations like FIFA and IOC are more influential than many countries. With the significant changes in the sphere of competitive sport, the law also has assumed increasing importance in regulating the sport. It is argued that commercialization of sport has brought incremental change and today it is increasingly commodified and developing as an integral part of the leisure industry. In this perspective, Sports Law reflects the dynamics of power relations in society and changes, as social, political and economic relations shift, and the law is not a neutral mechanism, separate from social values. Therefore, the use of law in regulating sport has to be understood in the context and recognition of i t being used in a contingent and ideological way.Sports may be distinguished by its characteristics of standardized rules, official regulatory agencies, the importance of organizational and technical aspects and the learning of strategies, skills, and tactics by participants. The nature of competition in sports is special since it depends on the concepts of equal opportunity, fair play, and solidarity, and there is an interdependence of interest between participants in the sporting competition. Competition is a fundamental prerequisite for sport and when sporting activity is motivated by money and fame, and at the same time there is commercialization and commodification, together with the spectacularization, it is likely to create competition and conflicts among organizers and participants. To quote Howard M. Stupp, Director of Legal Affairs, The International Olympic Committee â€Å"Sport has continued to grow as a global phenomenon, and the impact of the law on sport and sports e vents has increased significantly†. According to Blackshaw (2003) â€Å"Sport is big business accounting for more than three percent of world trade and one percent of the combined GNP of the 15 member states of the European Union (EU).† Numerous job opportunities are created, directly or indirectly, in Sport related activities involving sports sponsorship, endorsement, licensing, merchandising, image rights and broadcasting arrangements. The commercial importance of sports led to the creation of nodal agencies for control and monitoring of sports activities.

Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Essay Example for Free

Impact of Information Technology in Organizations Essay What Is Information Technology (IT)?Information technology is one of the very advancing and in-demand technologies of this era. Ever since this technology has emerged, it has heavily dominated many organizations and firms providing them with efficient way of work. Before indulging into the depth of this technology with respect to organizations, it is first important to get a brief idea about what information technology really is. Information technology basically involves all the things that are related to the technology and science of computer and telecommunication systems. Information Technology is concerned with developing technology into something more fruitful. Information technology is inclusive of both rational and technological elements. On the other side, technological elements comprise of terms and conditions of information technology that are needed for logical structure of a system (Kalam 1, 2000). In other words, it can be said that information technology includes both computer hardware and software like voice, telecommunication stuff, multimedia and so forth. Therefore, information technology is helpful for inserting, extracting or processing information (Kalam 1, 2000). It must be clear to all that information technology is not just limited to computer oriented areas, but also helpful in departments of telecommunication, micro graphics, various firms and other support services. Internet technology is also termed as the information revolution at many instances and as Information and Communications Technology at other instances. Information technology makes life easier for everyday places especially large organizations and places like libraries and is very helpful in managing all types of information in form of databases. Since information technology relies heavily on computers, many firms and educational institutes call their computer departments as IT departments. Such department is also called Information Services (IS) or Management Information Services (MIS) in several organizations (Jidaw, 2008). Most of the advanced Information Technology Department involves the usage of computers, servers, database management systems, and cryptography. The people needed in such departments are System Administrators, Database Administrators, and Technology Manager and these people are supposed to send all reports to Chief Information Officer (CIO). Since many companies are  really concerned about the security and privacy of the information within them, the scope of job inside Information Technology organization is very high and the data security and server experts get highly paid for their jobs (Schneider, 2008). Impact of Information Technology in the SocietyWith respect to ongoing theories and justifications about the modern changes in the world, it has been justified that this era of humans is in the middle of a third big revolution. Early revolution included innovations and strides in agriculture, mechanization, and industrialization. The third one and the recent one is the Information Revolution. The development in the technology of information and communication has been taking place for nearly hundred years and the growth is still at its pace. It is amazing how easily one piece of information can be transferred from one corner of the world to another in just a blink of an eye. People can exchange all kinds of information to people all over the world or just to a specific group of people. In this ever changing and modernized society, information technology plays a significant part in many aspects. This approach has proposed fresh business offers and advancements in many organizations. Information technology supplies the organizations with firm communication deals that are helpful for the firms to develop the business at a worldwide level very easily. In order to organize a long chain of distributors, dealers, and purchasers, all the organizations have set up global information systems. These global information systems help in keeping a track of placed orders, delivered products, and payments made all over the world. All the credit goes to the advancement in internet technology which has made all these things possible and made them easy to handle. The setup of basic information is made in such a way that at the lowest stage, there are servers comprising of one operating system. Software like database and web serving are usually installed on these servers, making them interconnected with each other and to the users through the help of a network infrastructure. The users who have access to these servers are facilitated with their personal hardware, operating systems, and software tools (Alexandrou). Basic Elements of Information TechnologyBefore jumping in the depth of the  impact of information technology in organizations, it will be handy to learn about the basic elements of information technology so that it will make it easy to comprehend this technology. As it was already mentioned that information technology can be described as such kind of technology which is needed to develop information into something more fruitful. Specifically it can be deduced that employing computer and its software to convert, save, progress, send, and extract information is what information technology is all about. The following technologies are the important technologies generated from information technology:1- Computer Hardware Technologies:Such technologies comprise of personal computers, powerful servers that are maintained by devices that sends, retrieves, and saves information. 2- Telecommunication and Network Technologies:Technologies linked with networking and telecommunication enhance the level of communication between organizations as they comprise of telecommunications media and related software that is both wired and wireless and are helpful for Internet and other networks. 3- Computer Software Technologies:Such technologies comprise of all kinds of software and web browsers useful in educational institutes and business organizations. 4- Data Resource Management Technologies:Such kind of technologies involve all the things needed to maintain a database for a company or institute (Kawatra 25, 2000). Impact of Information Technology on Various InstitutionsWhen the term institution comes, it does not point out to one specific workplace or anything of that sort, instead all the organizations, companies, firms, and schools can be categorized under the word institution. Organizations are divided according to their role and management policies. This portion will now briefly talk about how information technology has affected these institutions in helping them gain success. 1- Governments:Government itself comprises of various branches and  institutions, and each of the institution of government has a particular area to deal with. With the advancements in information technology, all the government institutes have also developed a lot to and have provided the citizens with better services. Not just this, but also, this advancement has heavily improved the security abilities of government by helping them design better and improved weapons and tools for the war and for military and army people (Kawatra 27, 2000). B2 Bomber is one such example of a plane which came into being solely due to the advancement in information technology and modern computer methods. Along with this, government can also keep sensitive information about anything in a safe environment, without the fear of it getting extracted by unauthorized people. 2- Commercial Businesses:Commercial businesses play a vital role in todays time and therefore, without any doubt, it can be said that the innovations and strides made have affected such businesses too. The extremely vital part played by information technology in such businesses is to supply benefits to the world of commercials. These benefits are achieved by the commercial businesses by the help of the newly progressed software like application software and operating systems (Kumar 104, 2000). Since television is the most entertaining and quick form of showing things all over the world at the same time, commercial businesses have taken the full advantage from this. 3- News Media Organizations:All the work done by news media organizations is relied totally on computers and therefore this shows how information technology has put an impact on them. Every task performed by information technology is also needed by news and media organizations, like saving information, sending it out to people, creating information and so forth (Ritendra 42, 2005). Hence, it can be seen how important the information technology is for such organizations. 4- Educational Organizations:Along with providing benefits and advantages to business-oriented organizations, information technology has even influenced the educational organizations. The advancements in information technology has made it very easy for the students as well as the faculty members to pretty much search anything on the Internet, exchange any personal  information via emails and share any knowledgeable things on forums and groups (Meadowcroft, 2000). Impact of Information Technology on Undergraduate EducationEvery industrialized nation has government bodies which try to integrate and coordinate the level of technological progress which aids in the foundation and establishment of educational institutes. Along with having a qualified faculty, it is significant to have information technology as part of the undergraduate education systems. Having information or computer department does not mean that it should only be available to the people of that area; instead students should be involved too by doing presentations, and working on other such things. Faculty members and undergraduate students can use computer facilities to take the full advantage of this technology on their finger tips. This technology has increased the ease of gaining information and decreased the hassle of worrying about the time it would have taken to seek information otherwise (Williams). The following impacts have been put by those tools:1) These tools help students in copying, presenting, researching and understanding the real-life oriented scientific complications which helps in building the examining capability in students. 2) Information technology helps in building the teamwork and learning capabilities among the students and helps them to solve matters and problems by searching and discussing with each other. 3) As information technology is advancing day by day, this is also bringing rapid changes in the formation and distribution of educational tools. 4) The proper and frequent use of information technology can help in providing an efficient educational system. 5) Information technology also helps the students of one part of the world to interact with the students in other parts of the world (Williams, 1996). Impact of Information Systems Technology on OrganizationsIt will be doubtless to say that nowadays, majority of the organizations, whether  private or government, rely a lot on information systems. Thus, it can be said that information technology has become truly mixed with all sorts of businesses. Organizations, like telecommunications or finance, involve efficient usage of information technology in order for them to exist successfully. Ever since the concept of e-commerce has started, this technology plays a vital and significant role in carrying out any business. Organizations are not only employing information technology to improve old ways of business deals, but are also employing it to discover fresh and innovative chances in order to gain success. Though employing old methods and approaches will not do any harm, but they will not lead to a lot of success in the future and will just maintain a stable outcome for the organizations. For instance, there are several banks and insurance companies that still rely on such systems which were introduced nearly 30 years ago (Bharadwaj 169, 2000). ConclusionIn the end, it can be concluded that the advancements and progresses in information technology in firms and organizations have undoubtedly brought a noticeable revolution. Information technology has led to ideas and notions that not only improve merely one organization, but also increases competition among various organizations to do something better and efficient. Every organization wants to be the best one and therefore, for that purpose it always keeps on looking for advancements and ways to employ them in order to turn itself into a superior and flourishing one. As pressure is building inside organizations and improvements are being made in technologies, all the organizations are making efforts to utilize these technologies and gain success and prosperity from them. There is no doubt that as things are becoming advanced, they are providing easier and quicker way of performing tasks while giving better results every time. Obvious improvements can be seen in all areas of businesses due to the magic spread by the information technology. New approaches and techniques are followed and implemented by all business organizations and training is being given to people of different firms for the sake of making them experts. The story does not end here, there are yet more advancement expected in information technology and as more tools and technologies will be developed, people will be able to succeed more and the competition will increase. Information  technology is a good base for those interested in computers to have their career in this field, as this field will not only give a start to their careers but it also promises success and progresses in the upcoming years. Educational institutes teach information technology as a separate subject in schools, which shows the importance of this technology and the role it plays in everyday life. It can be deduced that information technology is a necessity of daily life and is a food for prosperity. References: 1-Jidaw Systems Limited, 2008, What is Information Technology?, http://www.jidaw.com/itsolutions/whatisit.html2-Laura Schneider, 2008, Information Technology Definition and History, Tech Careers Guide, 3-Alexandrou, M. (n.d.), Definition of information technology, 4-Goel (Ritendra), 2005, Fundamentals of information technology, Lucknow: Paragon. 5-Kawatra, P. S., (2000), Textbook of information sciences, New Delhi: A.P.H. Pub. 6-Abdul Kalam, A. P. J,2001, February 3-9, Knowledge society, Employment News7-Meadowcroft, B, 2001, The impact of information technology on work and society, from 8-Kumar, K., Singh, S. P, 2000, From information society to knowledge society, Journal of Library and Information Science, 25(2), 104-111. 9-Luther S. Williams, 1996, Information Technology: Its Impact on Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology, Report on an NSF Workshop, National Science Foundation. 10-A. Bharadwaj, A resource-based perspective on information technology and firm performance: An empirical investigation, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2000, 169-196.

The Cognitive Models Of Ocd Psychology Essay

The Cognitive Models Of Ocd Psychology Essay The study is aimed to investigate the Quality of Life of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder patients in relation to Severity of the symptoms and Cognitive Appraisal. The study will explore the predictors of Quality of life of OCD patients from variables of Symptom Severity dimensions and Cognitive Appraisal. It is hypothesized that patients having OCD with more Symptom Severity, and Cognitive Appraisal of obsessions will have impaired Quality of life. Correlational research design and purposive sampling will be used. 60 patients with primary diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive disorder, with age range of 18 years and above will be recruited. For assessment, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Symptom Checklist (OCDSC), Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM), and WHOQOL-BREF will be used. Pearson Product Moment will be employed to find the relationship of Symptom Severity and Cognitive Appraisal with Physical health, Psychological health, Social and Environment related Quality of life. In addition, Multip le Regression Analysis will be used to explore the predictor of Quality of life of patients with Obsessive Compulsive disorder. Introduction The study investigates the Quality of Life (QoL) of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patients in terms of Symptom Severity and cognitive appraisal. The severity of symptomology and clinically manifested psychological distress exacerbates the functional impairment of OCDs patients. The functional impairment debilitates and gradually leads to poor treatment compliance as psychotherapy include the dysfunction area in treatment plan. The present study is intended to understand the relationship of the associated factors that will help facilitate the better understanding on etiological and therapeutic grounds. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder According to American Psychiatric Association (2000), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder OCD) is an anxiety disorder classified into Obsessions and Compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts, id, images, or impulses that and individual experienced as senseless yet anxiety evoking. Compulsions are desires to engage in behavioral or mental acts according to specified rules or in reaction to obsessions (i.e., to lower down obsessional anxiety). However, individuals are unaware of the trigger and may perform stereotyped acts according to idiosyncratic rules (Wells, 1997). Obsessions are persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are experienced as intrusive and inappropriate. The most common obsessions concern thought about contamination, doubting, aggressive or horrific impulses and sexual imagery (Wells, 1994; Wells Morrison, 1994 as cited in Wells, 1997). A compulsion is a repetitive behavior that is overt or covert. Overt compulsions include hand washing, checking, ordering, or alignment of objects. Covert compulsions are mental acts such as praying, counting, or repeating words. The goal of these overt and covert compulsions is to reduce or prevent anxiety or distress (Wells, 1997). Symptom Severity Severe OCD is characterized by Substantial frequency of obsessions and compulsions (from 4 hours a day to every minute of the patients waking hours), Substantial impairment from the OCD (usually in all domains of life including social, work, and family), Poor insight into the symptoms (or how realistic the patient thinks their fears are), and/or Substantial co morbidity which complicates the presentation of the symptoms (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia). Severity of symptoms, as characterized by high frequency of symptoms or significant distress, is often measured through self-report measures such as the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R; Foa et al., 2002). Obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms include both obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions often have themes of fear of contamination or dirt, having things orderly and symmetrical, aggressive or horrific impulses and sexual images or thoughts. However, compulsions typically have themes of washing and cleaning, counting, checking, demanding reassurances, performing the same action repeatedly, and orderliness (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2012). Studies indicate that there are clinically meaningful differences among these symptom-based subtypes. It was reported that OCD patients with compulsive hoarding report higher levels of anxiety and depression, greater impairment in occupational, family, and social functioning and poorer response to pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatment (Abramowitz, Franklin, Schwartz, Furr, 2003). Despite the documented detrimental effects of OCD on quality of life, evidence suggests that not all individuals with OCD are uniformly impaired. Masellis, Rector, and Richter (2003) found that severity of obsessions, but not compulsions, was related to lower overall quality of life. Similarly, Eisen et al., (2006) reported that severity of obsessions and comorbid depression predicted impairment across eight domains of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction, whereas compulsion severity was related only to impaired work functioning. In contrast, Stengler-Wenzke, Kroll, Riedel-Heller, Matschinger, and Angermeyer (2007) found obsessions to be unrelated to Quality of life ratings, but that severity of compulsions was associated with reduced physical and psychological well-being, as well as impairment in social and family life and leisure activities. Cognitive Appraisal Grinker and Spiegel (1945, as cited in Sincero, 2012), explained appraisal as a process that requires mental activity involving judgment, discriminating and choice of activity based largely on the past experiences of and individual. According to Lazarus (1984), cognitive appraisal occurs in reaction to stress. One is the threatening tendency of the stress to the individual, and second is the evaluation of the resources that is required to minimize, tolerate or eradicate the stressor and the stress it produces. According to Lazarus, appraisal takes two forms, Primary Appraisal and Secondary Appraisal. Primary appraisal has been distinguished into irrelevant, benign-positive and stressful. Irrelevant implies when experiences not stressful, it falls within the category of irrelevant (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). The appraisal of relevancies is not themselves of great concern, but the cognitive processes by which these events are appraised. Benign-positive appraisal occurs if the outcome of encounter is constructed as positive and enhances well-being. These appraisals are characterized by positive emotions. Stress appraisal includes harm/loss, threat and challenge. In harm/loss, damage to the person is suspected. Threat concerns are the anticipated harms or lose. Challenge appraisal focus on the potential for gain or growth inherent in an encounter and they are characterized by pleasurable emotions such as eagerness, excitement, and exhilaration, whereas threat centers on the potential harms and is characterized by negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and anger (Lazarus Folkman, 198 4). The aim of secondary appraisal is to provide information about the individuals coping options in a situation. It has three components including problem focused coping, emotion focused coping and future expectancy. When an individual is deciding whether a situation is a threat or challenge, or he must do something to manage the situation, secondary appraisal becomes significant in order to figure out what might and can be done. Secondary appraisal activity is crucial feature of stressful encounter (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). When an individual is faced with adverse situation, something needs to be done to control it and avoid any subsequent consequences. Secondary appraisal follows primary appraisal of a situation. This necessarily includes evaluation of the situation and suitable reaction. The person than evaluate what can be done to cope with a particular situation. The reaction to the situation is decided by carefully analyzing what is at stake and what can be done to reduce negative consequences (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). Cognitive Models of OCD According to OLeary (2005), the number of cognitive models describing OCD phenomenon. These illustrate the rate of dysfunctions in general cognitive processing or dysfunction in cognitive appraisal and beliefs. Salkovskis Model (1985; Wells, 1997) based on cognitive and behavioral concepts in the formulation of obsessional problems. It theorized that the importance of appraisal of intrusion as the major source of distress, rather than the content of the intrusion itself. The appraisal of the significance of intrusions is determined by underlying beliefs. Once negative appraisals of responsibility occur, the second process of initiation of neutralizing responses which may be internal or external begins. When a person neutralized the intrusive thought he attempts to reduce responsibility and discomfort. Thus, the recurrences of intrusions become more likely because responses to them result in such cognitions acquiring greater salience. Studies have found significant correlations between responsibility and obsessive-compulsive behaviors in both clinical (e.g., OCCWG, 2001) and nonclinical participants (Freeston, Ladouceur, Thibodeau, Gagnon, 1992; as cited in OLeary, 2005). According to Rachman (1998; as cited in OLeary, 2005), the catastrophic misinterpretation about the importance of unwanted thoughts made by a person increases the range and seriousness of potentially threatening stimuli. In this way numbers of neutral stimuli that were insignificant are interpreted as threatening. This transfer of the neutral stimuli and situation to potentially threatening ones increases the range of threats and therefore increases the opportunities for the provocation of obsessions. This happens with both internal as well as external cues. In internal cues, the person deduces a threat from the fact of feeling anxious. Moreover, when the patient feel anxious he interpret it as if he is losing control of self and thus there is an increased likelihood that he will act upon the unwanted impulse. Hence, the catastrophic misinterpretation of ones anxiety can interact to increase the misinterpretation of the intrusion. Neutralizing prevents exposure to any disconfirming e vidence regarding the personal significance of the intrusive thoughts. This cycle remains until the catastrophic misinterpretation is changed or reduced and the internal or external stimuli are no longer interpreted as threatening. Quality of life The World Health Organization (1994) defines Quality of Life as an individuals perception of his/her position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which he/she lives, and in relation to his/her goals, expectations, standards and concerns. It is a broad-ranging concept, compromising of the persons physical health, psychological state, social relationships, and their relationship to salient features of their environment (Hollar, 2012, p.74). Obsessive compulsive disorder may significantly affect self-care, social relationships, occupational functioning, family and marital relationships, child-rearing capacities, and use of recreations or spare time (American Psychological Association, 2007). Bobes (2001) revealed that patients with obsessive-compulsive illness had definite impairment in all domains of quality of life other than physical functioning. Similar findings emerged from the studies of Moritz (2005) and Eisen (2006), also showed that as compared to general population, OCD patients have poor health related quality of life in all domains except physical health. Few studies, however, have examined whether OCD symptom dimensions are differentially associated with impairment in functioning and Quality of life. Only one study to date has evaluated the impact of different dimensions of OCD symptoms on Quality of life. Fontenelle et al., (2010) found that whereas depression severity predicted impairment across eight domains of functioning assessed by SF-36, only hoarding and washing, but not other OCD symptom domains, predicted impairment in other areas of functioning social functioning and limitations due to physical health problems, respectively. OCD sufferers generally recognize their obsessions and compulsions as irrational, and may become further distressed by this realization. Cummins (2000) suggest that it is difficult to define Quality of Life because it can be characterized in both objective and subjective terms (as cited in Barofsky, 2012). According to Spranger Schwartz (1999), Quality of life is a multidimensional and dynamic concept: perspective can change with the onset of major illness. With the onset of illness, individuals relevant cognitive or affective processes (e.g. in their health or lives) include making comparisons of ones situation, with others who are better or worse off. People may adjust to deteriorating circumstances because they want to feel as good as possible about themselves (Ayers, et al. 2007). According to Salkovskis (1985) the difference between the obsessive compulsive disorder patient who experience prominent distress and disturbance lies in the meaning they make out of their obsessions. However, normal individual tends to view these intrusions as meaningless and benign whereas OCD patient make catastrophic interpretation out to these cognitive intrusions. These maladaptive interpretations discriminates the OCD patients. Cognitive models of OCD implied that a thought will be distressing and repetitive depending on the meaning assigned to it, not because of the content of obsessional thoughts (Teachman, 2005). The Obsessive Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG) has shown that symptom severity correlates with appraisals of intrusive thoughts among individuals with OCD. In comparison with individuals who do not have OCD, those with OCD appraise unwanted intrusive thoughts as more important to control and as conveying more responsibility for preventing harm related to the thought (OCCWG, 2001). Purdon and Clark (1994) suggested that high scores on measures of OCD suggest that the individual is more likely to believe that intrusive and unwanted thought will occur in real life and will experience more guilt in reaction to those thoughts. Appraisals that one could act on the intrusive thought as well as appraisals about control, responsibility and the significance of the thought for ones personality also correlate with the OCD symptoms (as cited in Corcoran and Woody, 2007). Thus, models of Obsessive compulsive disorder showed that cognitive appraisal of unwanted intrusive thoughts will produce significant distress in patients having OCD that in turn will affect quality of life. There is evidence suggesting a relationship between Cognitive Appraisal and Psychological and Physical well-being (Coyne, Aldwin Lazarus, 1981; Harris, Heller Braddock, 1988; Jerusalem, 1993; Nezu, 1986). There is a general Conesus among research that an individual appraisal of the significance of the situation in terms of personal well-being will be a major determinant of affect (Carver et al., 1989; Harris et al., 1988; Lazarus Folkman, 1987; Lazarus, 1991; Smith Ellsworth, 1985). The way a person evaluates the significance of an event for him/her produces different emotional reaction, making some people more vulnerable to adverse effect than other (Kessler et al., 1983; as cited in Kausar, 1994). Perceived control experienced by an individual has an effect on outcome (Partridge Johnston, 1989). Increased levels of perceived personal control are associated with more favorable psychological adjustment (Folkman, 1984) and perceived lack of control on the other hand predicts psyc hological symptoms (Prime-Emberry, 1972; as cited in Kausar, 1994). How an individual appraises and copes with the stress is important to his/her well-being (Antonovsky, 1979; Lazarus 1981). According to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), a fit between cognitive appraisal and coping strategies is postulated to produce a better outcome. Johnson and Kenkel (1991) concluded that appraisals of threat (Appraisal of self, holding self back) and use of coping strategies of detachment and seeking social support were associated with emotional distress. Moreover, Felsten (1991) suggested that appraisals of challenges and expectations of successful coping should be associated with lower distress and better well-being. Rassin et al. (2001; as cited in Yorulmaz, 2007) suggested that unwanted and intrusive thoughts are experienced by everyone and the difference between normal and abnormal lies in the appraisal process, frequency and distress. Therefore, the examination symptom severity and cognitive app raisal as the predictors of quality of life of OCD patients may facilitate the understanding if the distress and impairment faced by them. In OCD, primary appraisal occurs in conjunction with the intrusive thoughts associated with obsessions, and secondary appraisal leads to faulty coping (compulsions and avoidance). According to Carr (1971), patients with OCD typically overestimate the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome in the context of primary appraisal (during obsessions) (as cited in Stein, Hollander, Rothbaum, 2009) and they perform compulsive behaviors in order to reduce perceived threat. In term of cognitive domains, studies of patients with OCD have found an exaggerated sense of responsibility, overestimation of threat, perfectionism, over importance of thoughts, need for control and intolerance of ambiguity (Rachman, 1993; Salkovskis, 1985; as cited in Sten, Hollander, Rothbaum, 2009). Individuals with OCD report markedly reduced Quality of life and general well-being, diminished occupational attainment, impaired family functioning, and higher rates of suicidal thought attempts. According to Koran et al. ( 1996), severity of OCD is inversely correlated with social functioning (as cited in Simpson, Neria, Fernandaz Schneier, 2010). According to Teachman (2007), subjective cognitive complaints exacerbate the effects of obsessional beliefs, and promote maladaptive responses to intrusive thoughts thus increasing the severity of the OCD symptoms. In present study, it is intended to explore mediating role of Cognitive Appraisal on Quality of Life perceived by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder patients with Symptom Severity and Cognitive Appraisal of the disorder are expected to impair the patients functioning. Literature Review This section includes the review of the studies that investigated the studied variables that are Symptom Severity, Cognitive Appraisal and Quality of life. Kumar, Sharma, Kandavel Reddy (2012) examined the contribution of cognitive appraisals to the quality of life (QoL) in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder. In Cross sectional study, it was hypothesized that cognitive appraisals of obsession contribute to poor quality of life in OCD patients. Sample size was 31 consecutive patients from Behavioral Medicine Unit of the NIMHANS and 30 Normal controls. Exclusion criteria were patients having severe co morbid psychiatric, physical and neurological disorder. The assessment was done by using mini Internal Neuropsychiatry Interview (MINI), the YBOCS severity scale, Clinical Global Impression-severity, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, the Interpretation of Intrusive Inventory-31 and WHOQOL-BREF. Data was analyzed using independent t-test and chi-square test. Relationship between the domains of cognitive appraisal and the QoL after controlling for the duration of symptoms was analyzed by using Partial correlation. The resul ts indicated that all the domains of cognitive appraisal have strong negative relationship with psychological domain of QoL. Thought control and inflated personal responsibility also correlated negatively with the total QoL. Cognitive appraisal specifically contributes to poorer QoL in OCD so modification of beliefs and appraisal may be essential for better QoL. Main limitations were small size, patients were recruited from Behavioral Medicine Unit of major psychiatric hospital, and findings may not be easily generalized. Sample was predominantly male so its important to examine gender difference in cognitive appraisal and its relationship to QoL. Fontelle et al., (2010) in a study compared patients with OCD and normal on severity of different OCD dimensions and levels of QoL of patients with OCD. Further, it was also investigated the socio demographic variables and co occurring depressions and anxiety symptoms have significant contribution in impairment of QoL of OCD patient. They hypothesized that universal pattern of impairment in the physical, mental, and social aspects of quality of life of patient will be associated with more significant hoarding symptoms. The patients with the diagnosis of OCD were included; age between 18-80 years and without any other neurological, endocrinological or systematic disorder. The measures used were Saving inventory revised (SI-R), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Obsessive Compulsive Inventory- Revised (OCI-R), Medical Outcome Study 36-item short form health survey (SF-36). Chi-square and independent student t-test was used for the comparison of categorical a nd continuous variables respectively. The patient who met the inclusion criteria was 135 out of which 65 were patients, and 70 were controls. The result supported the hypothesize only partially, the decline in particular aspects of patients QoL was significantly associated with hoarding and washing symptoms for but co occurring symptoms, the most prominent determinant of the impairment of QoL of subject with OCD were depressive and anxious ones. The study had limitations that sample was taken from specialized institutions, second control group was of nonclinical individuals, rating on depression scale and QoL Instrument may be dependent on state and change during continuity of OCD, they applied generic tool for measuring QoL in OCD. Teachman (2007) studied subjective concerns about cognitive decline partially mediate this relationship between obsessional beliefs and OCD symptoms across young and older adult age group in a large community sample. The sample size was 335 including males and females. Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Obsessional Beliefs Questionnaire and Memory Functioning Questionnaire were used. This study attempted to evaluate the modification of cognitive model proposed by Rachman and Salkovskis. The results provide support to cognitive models of obsessions and suggest that obsessional beliefs that have been validated in younger adult samples are also important for older adults. It was shown that the relationship among subjective cognitive concerns, obsessional beliefs and OCD symptoms was consisted but older patients showed greater subjective cognitive concerns, Grant et al. (2006) carried out a study to find out the differences of OCD patients with primary OCD and sexual obsessions and OCD patients without sexual obsession on number of clinical variables. They included co morbidity, symptom severity, insight, quality of life, and social and occupational functioning under the clinical domains. 293 subjects, meting criteria for OCD, aged 19 years or older were included and interviewed. Clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorder, Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) to assess OCD symptom severity, Subject Clinical Global Improvement scale was used to evaluate the response towards medication. Rating on the degree to which previous treatments have proved to be effective was taken on 7 point scale. Brown assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS) was used to evaluate the insight and current Depressive symptom and QOL by were assessed by using 17-item Hamilton Rating scale for Depression and Quality of life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionn aire respectively. The findings supported the hypothesize that earlier age of OCD, presiding entry in treatment, increased rate of aggressive and religious obsession onset was related to having OCD with sexual obsessions, and also with increaser depressive symptoms, longer duration of treatment, and higher rates of impulse control disorder. Teachman, Woody and Magee (2006) attempted to evaluate cognitive theories of obsessions and they experimentally manipulated appraisals of the importance of intrusive thoughts. The design contained both experimental and quasi-experimental elements. Implicit Association Test was used to examine the influence of instructions about the importance versus meaninglessness of unwanted thoughts on reaction time. Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised, Beck Depression Inventory, Interpretation of Intrusions Inventory III, Obsessional Beliefs Questionnaire-Short Form, State Self-Esteem Scale, and Personal Significance Scale were the part of study. Results indicated that the manipulation shifted implicit appraisals of unwanted thoughts in the expected direction, but not self-evaluation of morality or dangerousness. Interestingly, explicit self-esteem and beliefs about the significance of unwanted thoughts were associated wit the measure of OCD beliefs, whereas implicit self-evaluations of danger ousness were better predicted by the interaction of pre-existing OCD beliefs with the manipulation. Libby et al., (2004) studied Cognitive Appraisals in young people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The study had two aims to investigate whether the same pattern of cognitive appraisal found in studies with adults will be observed in the younger population. A secondary aim of the study was to establish the relationship between cognitive appraisal and the extent these predict obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Three groups of young people aged between 11 and 18 years old were recruited for the study. First group were of patients with OCD, second was patient with anxiety disorder and third one was non clinical group. Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version, Responsibility Attitude Scale, thought-Action Fusion Scale, and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale was used n the study. The young people with OCD had significantly higher scores on inflated responsibility, thought-action fusion, and one aspect of perfectionism, concern over mistakes, than the other groups. In addition, inflated responsibility independently predicted OCD symptom severity. The results generally supported the cognitive appraisals held by adults with OCD to young people with the disorder. Saxena et al., (2010) conducted a research to compare compulsive hoarding and non compulsive hoarding OCD patients across variety of QoL domains. They hypothesized that hoarders would be older and have lower FAF scores than non hoarding OCD patients. Secondly, hoarding patients would be less satisfied with their living situations, given their amount of clutter, and hoarders would have greater victimization/ safety concerns and finally hoarders would have greater financial problems and receive more social service assistance than non-hoarding OCD patients. To study this171 adult patients were selected (84 males, 87 females) with age aged 18-72. They were diagnosed OCD and treated openly between 1998 and 2005. Out of these patient 34 met criteria of having compulsive hoarding syndrome. 137 patients didnt report any hoarding symptoms. Patient presented with a wide range of co morbid diagnosis. Those with active psychosis, mania, dementia, mental retardation or other cognitive impairment were excluded. Standardized rating scales were used to assess symptom severity and level of functioning. YBOCS was used to measure OCD symptom severity. Severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured by 28 item Hamilton Depression rating scale (HDRS-28) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (Ham-A) respectively. QoL was assessed with Lehman Quality of Life Interview Short. Obtained scores for QoL between 2 groups were compared using Analysis of Variance procedures. ANCOVA were performed with covariates and also for secondary analysis on individual items. Results showed that compulsive hoarders were significantly older that non hoarding OCD patients. QoL scores on victimization and safety factors differed significant between 2 groups. Hoarder felt less safe in streets and less satisfied with protection. Both groups had significant occupational impairment, unemployment and disability. Discrepancy in sample size between 2 patient groups and intensive patient setting were the limitation s of study. Eisen et al., (2006) conducted a study to assess multiple aspects of QoL in individuals with OCD. It was hypothesized that all aspects of QoL would be affected, and that severity of OCD symptoms and depressive symptoms would be associated with impairment in QoL. 5 years prospective naturalistic study was conducted on 197 participants with an age 18 years or older, primary OCD. An exclusion criterion was having an organic mental disorder. YBOCS, Brown assessment of Belief scale, Modified Hamilton rating scale for Depression, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire, Social Occupational Functioning assessment scale, Medical outcome survey 36-item short form Health Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was conducted to assess relationship between clinical features of OCD and QoL. Results showed that YBOCS score of 20 appeared to be an inflection point where QoL becomes significantly more impaired, suggesting that functioning and QoL, may be preserved in individu als with OCD until threshold of severity is crossed. Limitations of the study were participants seeking treatment and therefore finding may not apply to those individuals who do not seek treatment. Moreover, subjects were evaluated only once. It was suggested that the role of treatment in improving QoL in OCD should be further investigated along with a need to assess which aspect of QoL and psychological functioning. Guraraj et al., (2008) conducted research in which they hypothesized that patients suffering from severe OCD may have comparable level of global functioning, family burden and QoL and disability with patient suffering from schizophrenia. 70 subjects from National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience gave informed consent. Inclusion criteria were (a) a primary diagnosis of DSM IV OCD/schizophrenia (b) continuous illness for the previous 2 year (c) Clinical Global Impression Severity (CGI-S) score of > 4 (d) availability of a primary care giver involved in patient care for 2 years Mini-international Neuropsychiatry Interview was conducted to confirm the diagnosis. Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), World Health Organization (WHO-Quality of life (QOL)(BREF Version), WHO Disability Assessment Schedule-II (WHO-DAS-II). Family Burden Schedule (FBS) were used to assess global functioning, quality of life and disability. ANCOVA was employed with age of onset and duration of illne ss as covariate for comparison of family burden, QoL and disability between 2 groups. Pearson correlation between socio demographic/ clinical variable, family accommodation and functioning with family burden were performed. The results demonstrated that severe OCD is associated with significant impairment in functioning and severe family burden and disability. QoL was poor and severe OCD and schizophrenia are often associated with comparable disability, family burden and poor QoL. Huppert et al., (2009) compared the QoL of OCD patients with functioning of matched healthy controls. They hypothesized that OCD patients in remission would report similar QoL and functioning matched healthy controls (HCs), while individuals with OCD would report poorer QoL and functional impairment. Additional prediction was that OCD patients and comorbid psychiatric disorder would report the worst QoL and functional impairment. Finally, Individuals with a history of OCD (current or past) increased severity of OCD would be related to decrease in QoL and increased functional impairment, even when controlling for depression. 66 comprised the current sample. 36 HCs were included. They were matched on age, sex and ethnicity. Stru