Personal development through reflective practice Essay

Personal development through reflective practice - Essay Example ts on a monthly basis with all of the heads of service within the council Senior Management Group to make sure that all of the senior managers within the council have a regular opportunity to keep up to date with the latest changes and/or issues which are taking shape. Their stipulated task and the agenda is to Provide strategic advice to the council, ensuring that the policy objectives of the council are incorporated within the work programmers of services; Lead and/or manage the development of major strategies; Provide information and support to councilors, managers and staff; Manage the performance of the directors and heads of service to enable services to implement the councils policies efficiently and effectively; Oversee the development of working relationships between councilors and staff; Ensure the health of the organization (values, culture, expectations and structures);Provide the lead on corporate and inter-agency initiatives to achieve an integrated approach for issues which fall outside of traditional service delivery mechanisms; Co-ordinate the councils work with partner organizations and to establish working relationships with their representatives; Represent the council in local, regional and national debates and Deal with the re solution of conflict. The primary agenda of the counsel is to ensue that the children are developed to their full potential and are brought in a stable, safe and a secure environment. The real deal lies in improving upon their educational attainment and to help even the most vulnerable children and young people to groom them and become better individuals in the long run. Would be to Enabling all children and young people to fulfil their potential, Promoting their safety, care and stability, improving their educational attainment and to enable the most vulnerable children and young people in the Council to develop to their full potential The real strength of the department lies in the wide pool of staff knowledge

Super Size Me Analysis Essay Example for Free

Super Size Me Analysis Essay To some, eating solely off the McDonald’s menu for thirty days to see what the effects may be is looked down at as an attack on unhealthy and fast food corporations, but to many, Super Size Me is an incredible documentary that helps shine a light on the horrendous effects that fast food has on our society. Morgan Spurlock’s rules are simple: only food off of McDonald’s menu may be eaten, he must consume three meals a day, if asked to super size he must, and everything on the menu must be eaten at least once. On day one he goes and gets baseline measurements of his body from numerous health and medical experts to be able to gauge himself as the month progresses, and from there on out, it’s chow time. Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me digs beyond the obvious correlation between fast food and poor health. Spurlock exposes the flaws in our society’s choice of food, makes the point that personal responsibility is essential, and openly criticizes corporate and government deniability. By using an extremely personal setting, a plethora of unforgettable visuals, interesting dialogues, a steady change in tone, and incorporation of children, Spurlock effectively delivers his message that fast food is a fast way to deteriorate your state of health. Morgan Spurlock, unlike many other documentary producers, creates an extremely personal point of view. He does so by allowing the viewer to see over his own shoulder, and not a random test subject, to watch his month long McDonald’s binge. Spurlock immediately, and at times humorously, opens up completely to the audience. Before the viewer knows it, Spurlock is half naked at the doctor’s, throwing up on camera, and being torn apart by his wife about his in ability to perform in the bed. By having this more personal and open point of view, Spurlock is able to earn more of the audience’s trust making it easier for him to get his message across. Second to the personal setting, the visual effects utilized by Spurlock make the message of the documentary hard to forget. Without fail, every two to five minutes a McDonald’s â€Å"Golden Arches† appear somewhere on the screen, making it hard for the audience not to pair a negative denotation with it by the end of the film. Aside from all of the McDonald’s signs, the camera consistently zooms in, as close as one would ever want to be, to Spurlock’s super sized french fries and extra greasy Big Mac. Watching the repetitiveness of close ups on processed, fried, and poorly made food is enough for any viewer to not want to east fast food for quite sometime. Spurlock also uses simple charts, such as the ones to display his portrait as days pass, to allow the viewer to easily see the trend of negative health increasing directly with the amount of time spent on his McDonald’s diet. Another interesting visual Spurlock uses is the satanic drawings of what appears to be Ronald McDonald. The pictures are demonic and are supposed to depict Ronald as a ruthless clown and not someone a little kid would like to be around. And if all of these visuals weren’t enough, Spurlock goes even further when he shows a common body weight reduction surgery in action. The viewer first sees probes with cameras and tools inserted into the patient’s repulsively large belly, and then ends up inside the patient’s fat filled stomach watching the surgeons nip and tuck away. Spurlock makes it very hard for the viewer to forget what his message is with all of these images that stick in the back of your mind. From the head of McDonald’s to a middle school kid buying lunch, Spurlock carries out an assortment of dialogues throughout the documentary. Although many are significant, the most memorable and effective would have to be the conversations Spurlock has while visiting Madison Junior High School. He first confronts a girl with only cookies and french fries on her plate and asks her if she’s going to eat anything else. The girl simply says no. Spurlock moves on to the lunch line and asks a girl if she was going to get anything else other than french fries on her plate and she responds, â€Å"Well I’m getting milk†¦ its my calcium and my vegetables. † If you weren’t disgusted with the kid’s food choices alone, Spurlock moves on to the lunch ladies to get their two cents on the food being served at their school. The lunch ladies were content with the saying â€Å"ignorance is bliss. They serve the kids french fries, swiss rolls, and high sugar drinks, assuming that they had brought their own sandwich from home, but none of them ever checked to see. They all claim that they are setting up the kids to make the right choices yet most of the kids aren’t. All of these dialogues Spurlock has at the Junior High School in Illinois were very eye opening, and made the viewer feel obligated to see more of what is going on behind the scenes at their own local schools. Further on in the film, Spurlock calls McDonald’s  Headquarters trying to set up an appointment with someone high up in the corporation. Nearly every phone call he made he is promised either a message be delivered, a return phone call, or a good time to call back. Following close to twenty phone calls later, Spurlock gives up trying to schedule an appointment with the head of McDonald’s. After seeing Spurlock get shot down time and time again, it makes the viewer wonder if McDonald’s is trying to dodge a question that could damage their reputation, as well as contemplate how unprofessional their business is run. Another key strategy Spurlock uses throughout his month long McDonald’s stint is the gradual change in tone. From the beginning, Spurlock is very excited to kick off his McDonald’s exclusive diet and has a cheerful tone and positive attitude. After a couple of days turn into a couple of weeks, Spurlock’s tone changes drastically. Instead of optimistic and cheery, like from the beginning of the month, Spurlock now has a rather negative and dire one. Phone calls between him and his girlfriend that once were normal, turn in to him seriously questioning his will to continue with his experiment. Spurlock’s tone and attitude are easily noted as having a negative correlation with days spent on the McDonald’s diet. By showing this trend, Spurlock is able to emphasize the emotional, rather than just the physical, effects of his diet to the viewers. Throughout the documentary, Spurlock continuously incorporates children to capture the viewer’s attention and to show that the obesity problems start at a young age. â€Å"A Pizza Hut, a Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a Pizza Hut. McDonald’s, McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a Pizza Hut† is sang by young children, some being obese, right at the start of the film. If this doesn’t raise a red flag in one’s head that children are being taught how to sing America’s most unhealthy fast food restaurants in school, I’m not sure what will. Spurlock also spends a decent portion of his documentary in schools. He examines the food choices available to the kids, asks them about what they eat, and observes their physical education class. The most effective use of incorporating children is the interviews he conducts by holding up pictures of famous Americans and famous fast food icons, then asking the children who they are and what they were. Some of the children could identify George Washington and what he did, but as soon as Spurlock showed them a picture of Jesus all were stumped, one boy even guessed he was George W. Bush. Then the pictures of Wendy and Ronald McDonald were shown, and to no surprise every kid there knew exactly who Ronald was and that he is associated with McDonald’s. By putting this emphasis on young children being led down the wrong path at an early age, makes the viewers compelled to believe that our society is going wrong with teaching healthy food choices. Whether it was the personal touch, visuals, dialogues, change in tone, real footage, or incorporation of children, Morgan Spurlock does an impeccable job provoking Americans to question their choice in food and influencing them to take action. When the final results of Spurlock’s experiment are posted (13% weight increase, cholesterol level of 230, and dysfunctional liver) it’s going to be very hard for me to walk into a McDonald’s. So, next time I’m faced with the choice of eating at fast food or taking a little time of my day to cook myself a meal, I definitely know which one I’ll be doing, but the real question is will everyone else?

Pathophysiology of Acute Renal Failure

Pathophysiology of Acute Renal Failure Intro The following pages will concern the scenario of Georgina Lawson. I will examine the pathophysiology of Acute Renal Failure and then highlight the pharmacological management specific to Mrs Lawsons treatment. I will then concentrate specifically on Mrs Lawsons condition by identifying three signs and symptoms that she displayed upon admission, and discuss how the diagnosis of Acute Renal Failure has been reached. Next there will be a discussion on the tests undertaken at the time of Mrs Lawsons admission, their relevance, results and also the expected findings when the assumption of Acute Renal Failure has already been made. Additional tests that could also been ordered but werent will also be highlighted with their potential benefits shown. In the last part of this paper, I will write about the impact of having a BMI of 50 on the disease of process of T2DM and Acute Renal Failure as well as the pharmacological implications of having such a weight. Part 1 Acute renal failure is a representation of the rapid decline in renal function whereby blood nitrogenous wastes (urea nitrogen, uric acid, and creatinine) accumulate due to a decreased glomerular filtration rate, impairing fluid and electrolyte balances.reference? Filtration of plasma through the glomerular capillaries into the Bowmans space is the initial stage of urine production.reference Large molecules can not easily cross through the glomerular wall during normal production therefore urine is protein free. The capillary filtration pressure is higher in the glomerular than in other capillaries in the body; this increased area of pressure is what allows for the afferent and efferent contraction and relaxation of arterioles to produce high volumes of filtrate. If the glomerular filtration rate is altered the initial stage of urine production does not occur, therefore diminishing the kidneys ability to remove nitrogenous waste from the body (Porth, 2005, p.?). Acute Renal Failure is categorised in 3 areas, prerenal, intrinsic and postrenal. As prerenal characterises the symptoms displayed by Georgina Lawson only that area will be discussed. Possibly intrinsic if going down the line of Glomerulonephritis. 3 Symptoms: BP on admission 160/80 Hypertension is a constant increase of resting systolic blood pressure greater than  140 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure greater than  90 mm Hg or both.reference Primary hypertension with no known cause is most common where as secondary hypertension with an identified cause is usually due to a renal disorder. referenceUsually, no symptoms develop unless hypertension is severe or long-standing (Bakris G, 2010). Blood flow depends on the rate of heart beats and the volume of blood pumped out with each beat. If rate or volume increases, blood pressure rises, and prolonged hypertension may damage many organsreference. Initially the heart works harder to pump out more blood against higher resistance.reference The heart then requires more oxygen, and is more susceptible to damage, also predisposing arteries and arterioles to damage. Arteriosclerosis results when blood moves through arteries and arterioles at high pressure, damaging the vessel causing white blood cells to be drawn to th e damaged area to form a plaque.reference Prolonged hypertension causes the kidneys to be damaged as the delicate capillaries of the kidney are continually exposed to high blood pressure, they break down, becoming permeable to proteins and other molecules. Tubules can become clogged, decreasing the kidneys ability to make urine. The presence of protein injures capillaries cell wall membranes causing further damage and worsening the situation (Porth, 2005,p.?). Dark, cloudy, odorous urine Protein is present due to damage to capillary cell walls in the kidneys, which allow proteins to pass through pores in the basement membrane during glomerular filtration. Reference Normally red blood cells and plasma proteins do not pass through the glomerulus; therefore urine is a blood and protein-free filtrate. In a healthy person the glomerular filtration barrier will excrete less than 150mg of protein in the urine over a 24hr period (Porth, 2005, p.?). Georgina described to the GP low urine output with burning on passing urine, followed by a fluid increase. On admission urine output is still minimal, concentrated with a strong odour.Why do you think this is happening? Cloudy or murky urine is a sign of infection, which may also have an offensive smell. Reference Murky urine may also be caused by the presence of bacteria, mucus, white blood cells or red blood cells, epithelial cells, fat, or phosphates.reference Osmolality or specific gravity of urine changes with the concentration of solutes, depicting a sliding scale of the hydration status and functionality of the kidneys.reference The ability to concentrate urine is lessened when renal function in impaired, with specific gravity values falling to 1.006- 1.010, while normal values during times of hydration are 1.030- 1.040. What was Georginas result and what does this demonstrate? Pitting Oedema bilaterally Edema is the expansion of the interstitial fluid volume by 2.5-3L which is evident by palpable swelling where?. Edema manifestations associated with Georginas sudden onset of symptoms include; Increased capillary filtration pressure: An increase of extracellular volume is caused by the decrease of sodium and water excretion by the kidneys, increases of capillary volume, pressure and consequent movement of fluid into the tissue space.reference Deceased capillary colloidal osmotic pressure: caused by inadequate production or abnormal loss of plasma proteins, largely albumin, most commonly in the kidney. This is due to the glomerular capillaries becoming permeable to plasma proteins, predominantly albumin, allowing them to be filtered out of the blood and lost through urine.reference Increased capillary permeability; enlargement of capillary pores or integrity of capillary walls are damaged, causing permeability is increased. This allows plasma proteins and other osmotically active particles to move into the interstitial space and increase colloid osmotic pressure, in so doing enabling the accumulation of interstitial fluid. (Porth, 2005, p?) Part 2 Discuss the tests that were ordered for Georgina and explain why they were chosen in regards to your chosen element discussed in part 1. Bloods: Na+: 135 Sodium: 135- 145 K+: 5.5 Potassium: 3.2- 4.3 Cl: 108 Chloride 99 109 Urea: 12.0 3.0- 8.0 Creatinine: 1.5 mg/dl 45- 90 Cholesterol: 6 6, this occurs in the duodenum and small intestine. Highly bound to plasma protein, especially albumin Mainly in the gastrointestinal mucosa and the liver Largely excreted by the kidneys. 2- 4.5hrs 1- 2hrs Medication critique With the fluid overload and lack of urination Goergina is experiencing, aspirin would not have an effect on her current hypertensive. Although some studies have discussed that the vasodilatory effects of aspirin would out weight the negative anti platelet effects on patients with kidney diseases, standard treatments remain that those suffering renal failure and cardiovascular disease should not be routinely prescribed aspirin. Glibenclamide What is the above medication? How does it work? How does it achieve its therapeutic effect? Oral hypoglycaemic Appears to lower the blood glucose acutely in individuals with type 2 diabetes by stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas, an effect dependent upon functioning beta cells. Therapeutic use? Or indication for use? What about for your patient? It acts with glucose to improved sensitivity of beta cells to physiological glucose stimulus and leads to an insulin secretion in the rhythm of meals. Increased bgls will be lowered by this and help stimulate Georginas pancreas to improve beta cell production What is the therapeutic range for this medication? Side effects? Hypoglycaemia may occur. Gastrointestinal effects such as nausea, vomiting, epigastric fullness and diarrhoea are the most common side effects.    Drug interactions. Drugs which may enhance the hypoglycaemic action should be used with caution. Pharmacokinetics A: D: M: E: HL: P: Nearly completely absorbed (84 +/- 9%) after oral administration. Is extensively bound (99%) to serum proteins. Completely metabolised in the liver. Excreted as metabolites in the bile and urine, approximately 50% by each route. 2-5 hours after oral administration. Peak serum concentration is reached in two to six hours Medication critique In patients with renal insufficiency, depending on the degree of the renal excretion disorder, there is increased elimination of the metabolites via the bile. If Georginas kidney dysfunction is significant she should be continued on this medication. References Metformin What is the above medication? How does it work? How does it achieve its therapeutic effect? Metformin  causes increased peripheral uptake of glucose by increasing effectiveness of available exogenous or endogenous insulin.reference The mode of action of  metformin  may be linked to increased insulin sensitivity. It does not stimulate insulin release but does cause antihyperglycaemic effects when insulin is present. Possible mechanisms of action include inhibition of gluconeogenesis in the liver, delayed glucose absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and increased peripheral uptake of glucose.reference Therapeutic use? Or indication for use? What about for your patient? Metformin  has antiketogenic activity comparable to some extent, to insulin itself.  Metformin  lowers both basal and postprandial blood glucose in diabetic patients but does not cause hypoglycaemia in either diabetic or normal individuals. reference What is the therapeutic range for this medication? 500 mg three times a day is often sufficient to obtain diabetic control, the dose can be increased to 1 g three times daily, which is the maximum recommended daily dose.reference Side effects? Mild gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and loss of appetite are very common, especially during the initial treatment period. These symptoms are generally resolve during continued treatment.reference Drug interactions. Calcium channel blockers may affect glucose control in diabetic patients therefore regular monitoring of glycaemic control is recommended.reference Pharmacokinetics A: D: M: E: HL: P: Oral administration  is absorbed along the entire gastrointestinal mucosa. not bound to plasma proteins. Excreted unchanged in the urine and does not undergo hepatic metabolism. 6hrreference Medication critique In patients with decreased renal function based on measured creatinine clearance, the plasma half-life of  metformin  is prolonged and renal clearance is decreased in proportion to the decrease in creatinine clearance. (Renal failure or renal dysfunction (creatinine clearance

The Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race :: Sports Running Geography Papers

The Leadville 100 Mile Trail Race Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Leadville, Colorado is a historical monument. In the mid 1800s, Leadville was a booming mining city known for its lead and zinc. People fled there looking to build their fortunes, and at one point the population rose to nearly 30,000. Today, Leadville attracts many tourists because of its frontier mentality, beauty, and historical district. Although the population has drastically dropped to 2,800, Leadville is a charming town that truly represents the spirit of Colorado. One might ask what Leadville is well known for today? A popular event that puts the small town on the map for many people throughout the country is the Leadville Trail 100 mile race. This ultra running race which originated in 1982, is well known throughout the running community. The 100 mile race which must be completed in thirty hours or less, covers many trails and passes in Colorado. The main difficulty of the race is the challenge of the altitude. The climb and the decent of the trail totals 15,600 feet, with the lowest point being 9,200 feet and the highest point being 12,620 feet. Together, the altitude, incorporation of water crossings, changes in temperature, and steep inclines and descents, make the Leadville race one of the most difficult 100 mile races in the running world. The $160.00 entry fee that is required to run in "The Race Across the Sky" is money well spent. Not only do individuals get to run in one of the most beautiful states in the country, but they get to experience the friendly atmosphere of Colorado. The locals from Leadville volunteer to work at the aid stations which line the course, and there is truly a spirit for running. It is not only a challenging and competitive race, but a guaranteed good time. Throughout the 30 hour race which begins at 4:00 A.M. and ends at 10:00 A.M. the following day, there are fans and volunteers to make the experience more enjoyable. There is definitely a "personal" feeling which the Leadville 100 brings to running. The course is basically made up of a one hundred mile loop that can be broken up into ten different stages. Dana Roueche who is from Boulder, Colorado, has run the Leadville Trail 100 three times. In an effort to increase the percentage of finishers, he posted a journal which discusses the strategies he follows in completing the race.

Business Process Outsourcing Management System

AbstractA BPO is an area where several customer service representative (CSR) agents are located to man a bank of telephones and computer terminals. These agents are specially trained on telephone etiquette, the type of customer queries, that may arise and on how to respond to these queries in a quick and efficient manner.A BPO can also equipped with an automatic call handling system like an Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) so that all routine, repetitive queries. BPO has tremendous impact on business. BPO for selling goods and services, as well as call centers for providing customer care, is going to become a familiar part of the business of virtually every person. BPO also pioneered the developed of self-service via the telephone, using interactive voice response technology. It is providing a richer and friendlier environment for self-service transactions than the tone telephone can be answered by the system without the customer having to speak to a customer associate.Introdu ctionThe purpose of this project was the BPO management system for information about the customer need from inside and outside world. BPO is typically categorized into back office outsourcing-which includes internal business functions such as human resources or finance and accounting, and front office outsouring-which includes customer related services such as contact center services.BPO that is contracted outside a company’s country is called offshore outsourcing.BPO that is contracted to a company’s neighbouring country is called nearshore outsourcing.Given the proximity of BPO to the information technology industry.USE CASE DIAGRAM:SEQUENCE DIAGRAM:COLLABORATION DIAGRAM:CLASS DIAGRAM:REAL TIME PROCESS DIAGRAM: COMPONENT DIAGRAM:

How effectively do the functional areas in Lex Transfleet work together Essay

Marketing and sales function Purpose of the marketing function: the marketing function makes sure that they are getting the right product to the right people at the right price. Crucial to the success of Lex Transfleet or any business. One of the objectives of Lex Transfleet is to To carry out research to improve its products and services. Lex Transfleet should make sure of the following: Product – finding out and producing what the customer’s wants, for example what van or truck rental services the customers need. Lex Transfleet will carry out research to find out what the customers want and what demand there is for that service and they will try to fulfil that so that they have more customers who are interested in their services. Price – Fixing the price at which the customers will buy the product so that when the customers are interested in the products and different services they will want to know how much money they will be giving for this product or service and it will be easier for Lex Transfleet as they will know the price for this because they have already set it. Promotion – Deciding how they are going to promote their product using advertising, publicity and special offers and when Lex Transfleet does this they will attract more customers and their company will get more famous. Place – This is where the sales function comes in, the sales function will help Lex Transfleet decide on where and how they are going to sell the product; whether it is locally, nationally, over the phone or the internet. I think they work quiet affectively together because they share an improvement which means they get each others opinions on how to change things to make them better. Sales is the last part of the marketing strategy which means to sell the product after the prices, promoting, places and products are all don’t and updated so the customers will be satisfied knowing that Lex Transfleet is giving them a good secure and safe product it is important that these things are accurate because they are the main reason the business is up and running without them there is no business. Products and the Customers Lex Transfleet will need to get to know their customer and what the customer wants for example a customer will want to hire out a truck but for that Lex Transfleet will need to know what kind of a truck or van that is an check if they do them type of trucks. A customer – a customer is a person who buys a product for e.g. someone comes to Lex Transfleet and hires out a truck the person who hires it is the customer. A consumer – Is the person that uses the product for example if a truck is hired out for someone else to drive it he/she is then known as the consumer. Consumer types: The market is made up of different types of consumers as it has different segments trying to sell the product to everyone will not work for example selling expensive products to poor people. Consumers can be classified by: Age Gender Wealth and income Geographical area Lifestyle (fashion and taste) Lex Transfleet carries out a research into people, businesses and the governments to find out what type of vans, trucks and services they require. They link this with the finance function to get finance to carry out the research and advertising. They also link this with the Human resources to get the employees as they recruit and select people and researchers to carry out the research and get HR to train them for example induction training. The wages are paid by the finance function to pay for researchers and this means it is then auditable because it is recorded and so all the functional areas can work together to meet the aims and objectives effectively. Market research involves field (primary) and desk (secondary) research: Primary research – this involves communicating directly with the consumer to find out what they exactly it is that they need. Lex Transfleet carry out questionnaires and they invite customers to their business to interview them and this is what helps them with their research to meet there customers needs better. Lex Transfleet can also give loyalty cards which records every item bought by the customer. Secondary Research: Involves publish material for example reference books, statistics and marketing reports by specialist companies. This allows the marketing and sales department to find out information about consumers income and expenditure. Government publications also have information about spending, population changes, household information and family income. Pricing The price of the truck rental service needs to be fixed in Lex Transfleet and the reason for this is because Lex Transfleet wants to: Make profit – Lex Transfleet wants to cover the cost of it trucks so it does not make a loss in the business. Beating competition – Lex Transfleet will want other businesses to rent the trucks from them instead of competitors by keeping prices low and maximising sales which will attract more customers to come and buy trucks and other services from them. Providing a quality product or service – Lex Transfleet will need to make sure it is not undercharging for its services and products because customer will pay high prices for better products so this also means they will not have any loss in the profit. Lex Transfleet has also changed its name to RAC plc as it is branded and it will attract more customers. Promoting the product The Promotion Process involves the following which Lex Transfleet does: Advertising – informing the public or other businesses about Lex Transfleets products and services, e.g. they use the internet, newspapers. Branding – Lex Transfleet makes sure they create an image of the product or service in an attractive way Lex Transfleet has changed it name recently to ‘RAC’. Having a logo to and image to persuade customers to use them. Packaging – Lex Transfleet presents the product in an attractive way so the trucks have M.O.T and are safe and practical to use. Publicity – in the media which mean special promotions and sponsor which Lex Transfleet have on their website. Lex Transfleet have had good publicity in the news paper and press so get positive image. Give special offers to big companies who rent lots of trucks and for longer. They do have a website which they are on http://www.lvl.co.uk/vans/van_info/lex_transfleet.php giving promotion to subscribe to a van and light truck magazine. Place Involves selling the product for example selling the vans and truck rental services all over the U.K and they have a website which can attract customers. Lex Transfleet sell truck rental services directly to the customer which is safe. Lex Transfleet will give customers a quote through their internet using online bookings or emailing them and over the phone. Lex Transfleet uses telesales for selling to the customer over the phone so they will need call centre staff. Direct mail which Lex Transfleet uses to send their brochures out the businesses. E-commerce Lex Transfleet sell their services over the internet through their website you have to email them first to get a quote Lex Transfleet uses ICT in the marketing and sales function for: advertising and website, keeping customer’s profiles on the system, online marketing and also finding out research on their competitors by looking at the internet and other websites. Human Resources Function Purpose of the human resources function: Deals with hiring, firing and well being of the staff and all other functions for example sales and marketing, administration and finance ect. So it can run effectively. In Lex Transfleet they will need to deal with: Recruitment of staff which means that Lex Transfleet will need to be advertising vacancies liaise with finance for costs and payment, how many people to recruit. Disciplining and dismissing staff in other functions to run smoothly and to reduce costs. Training and development and promoting of staff which will liaise with finance for cost of training and other functional areas to check who needs training for example in Lex Transfleet induction and health and safety or other courses are taken place for this and if someone is in the sales and marketing function they will need training to do the job properly. Maintaining good working conditions of the staff and Health and safety in Lex Transfleet. Looking after employee and the business relationship and liaising with other functional areas like sales and marketing to find out how well the staff in Lex Transfleet are doing and rewarding staff by giving pay rises and liaise with finance about budget to give pay rises. Dealing with employee organisation for example the trade unions. The employees and the business have rights and responsibilities and Human Resources have to deal with this and make sure staff is aware of this in Lex Transfleet. Interest of employees protected by the trade union and by staff associations and also the rights of the employees protected by the employment laws liaise functional areas to make sure there is a safe working environment in Lex Transfleet. Everything is recorded so the employee will know if they have made any mistakes and need to improve or they have met their needs. Operations and management function Purpose of the management function: This function transforms the business resources into products and services for example operations which is the production of a goods or service. Land machinery – Lex Transfleet needs to find land, offices, call centres, machinery or equipment required and need to get information from other functions to get the right amount. Machinery equipment – Lex Transfleet has software, computers, photocopiers which the business needs. People who work there and for the business – call centre staff, mangers, supervisors, operator’s consultants, accountants, specialists, solicitors. Materials and stock used by the business – trucks that are brought, truck parts, stationary, computers, software. Factors of production Land – the offices , buildings Labour- the people who work there Capital –the money invested into the business Enterprise –the input of the entrepreneur The resources used by Lex Transfleet will have to be paid for. This results on costs for the business for example wages, rent, rates, materials, stock, electricity, phone bills all of these have to be dealt with the finance department. When operations in Lex Transfleet are trying to produce a product or service it will have to look at its costs to manufacture that item or service and it will have to make sure that the sales department will cover the day to day costs and the greater the added value the greater the possible profit. So the more money they get from sales and they take away that from the running cost they get profit. Efficiency and productivity Efficiency means – making the most for the resources for example good productivity by the staff and also the number of sales made by staff in Lex Transfleet or the number of calls taken by the employee. Some employees paid a bonus for selling more services and also to motivate them to make more sales for Lex Transfleet. Quality assurance – quality assurance is very important as it means more returns to the businesses. Quality control of a service or product is very important for feedback to the marketing department. Operation check with sales as they monitor the calls and make sure the quality of service is very good. Sales liaise with Human Resources to give training to customers in Lex Transfleet. Operations liaise with Human resources to give training operation staff. Operations also monitor number of complaint and reasons for complaint to minimise this and improve services better by liaising with sales team to find out what their customer views are as they are in the front line and dealing with customers on a regular basis. Operations liaise with marketing to get information about customer demand, competitor information and lots more. Operations also check with sales function to check which items/services are selling more to make decision about producing more or less of these goods or services and then contacting the marketing function to either advertise more or less. Operations will liaise with finance to buy more or less to expand and liaise with Hr to get more staff. Finance Function Purpose of the finance function: To control inflow and outflow of money in the business and is also closely involved in the production of goods or services and links in with other functions of the business and senior management. Finance department Other functional areas Sales of products have to be recorded Sales Cost relating to the production have to be recorded Money has to be raised for producing the services and products (sales staff, trucks, offices) Operations/production Bills have to be paid Administration Wages have to paid Human resources Accounts have to be kept to calculate profit and loss All departments above Financial planning reports have to prepared Senior management In Lex Transfleet the finance department looks like this the table below shows this as the finance director. Finance director Financial accounting Costing and budgeting Managing finance Payroll Recording transactions Keeping accounts Preparing reports for the senior management Working out the cost of the product and services. Interpreting past costs and income Setting targets for cost and income Working out what resources are needed Raising capital and loan to finance the resources Rescoring hours worked by employees Calculating pay and deducting tax Financial accounting All transactions have to be recorded. Sales of the products and services from the sales department so they are auditable as they are recorded. Purchases made for stock or material from the operations department again so it’s recorded. Each type of expense for example electricity, bill rent, and wages are from the administration department. Wages is the information collected from the Human resources function so employees are paid on time and correct. Debtors are people who owe the business money for example the customers who have brought a product and still haven’t given the money for it. Creditors are people whom the business owes money for example if Lex Transfleet has brought something from somewhere e.g. a truck then they owe the money to the suppliers if they haven’t yet paid for it. Accounting ICT used to records all the transaction and special accounting software used to records wages. Financial statement is produced for management and this shows profit and loss and also, helps management monitor the main aims and objectives of the business the information on financial statements are on computer databases and so computers prepare the accounts automatically Finance produce 2 main accounts: Profit and loss shows sales figures form the sales functions, expenses from all functions and then can calculate the profit. The balance sheet shows how much the business owns and owes. Costing and budgeting this is how the function works together: Operations tell the finance of the cost of raw material purchased, for example trucks, tyres, equipment purchased by Lex Transfleet. The cost of paying the wages for the employees working for Lex Transfleet which the human resources function will let them know about. Other expenses such as: Bills which are the costs from administrations function. Electricity, water, rates, stationary are also in the administrations function. Advertising , promoting the business – sales and marketing function and they communicate with administration function so the suppliers are paid on time. The Finance function has to liaise with other functional areas to calculate the costs for making the product and service to ensure that there is a sufficient finance to cover the costs and also the business is making the most of efficient use of its resources. Budgeting Finance has to set budgets there are two kinds of budgets, a sales budget I used to forecast the income of the business from sales, and a production budget which is used to plan for the cost for producing the service for example cost for buying trucks and hiring people. Both Budgets will monitor the actual figures with forecasted and if the figures do not match for examples sales figures then they will liaise sales function to change their forecast or with marketing to advertise and promote the services better. Raising finance are the Long term finance needs which are used for investing in premises, trucks, machinery, computers and lots more, and theirs short term needs which is like buying stock for example trucks, paying bills, and paying wages. Finance has to raise money for the other functions such as marketing, sales, operation and administration to finance their expenditure so that the activities can takes place to meet Lex Transfleets aims and objectives. Payroll Works out pay and deduction of tax and national insurance of its employees and it gets it information from the Human Resources function and it is done by computers in Lex Transfleet as it is a large Plc and also uses computer payroll programmes as they are faster and very accurate., so the employees are happy as they will be being paid properly and accurately. Administration Function Purpose of the administration function: Administration is making sure that the right resources are in the right place at the right time. The administration function makes the business run smoothly and makes sure that: Paper in the photocopiers Paper in the loo Premises are safe Telephone messages are passed on Administration and communication: Information and messages such as enquiries, orders, complaints from external sources. Callers with or without appointment will call in and different functions will communicate with each their for the day to day running of the business these methods include paper, documents, telephone, fact, internal email and meeting. If finance needs to meet with operation function to make decisions the administration function will arrange it for example if a customer wants a meeting with the sales team the administration function will arrange it. The marketing function is done by: Sales so that they get records of customers, finance so they get to process accounts and payroll. Opening and distributing post when it arrives to all other functions and collecting and stamping the post going out at the end if the day from all other functions. Operating and telephone switchboard which means transferring these calls to the relevant people in other functions. Dealing with callers to premises and directing them to the relevant functions. Designing and printing forms for all the different functions and also filling and database maintenance and making sure the premises are clean and secure: Cleaning can be outsourced in Lex Transfleet which means using external companies which come and carry this out so the place is clean and safe for employees and visitors.

Audism Essays

Audism Essays Audism Essay Audism Essay My Mother and Father instilled DOD morals upon me. I was never taught to feel superior or inferior to anybody. My Mother showed me right from wrong. If I even so much as whispered a racial slur, I would have been punished harshly. But I never thought in black and white or Deaf and hearing. I knew growing up that God has the right to judge but we as humans do not. Of course growing up had curiosities and still to this day I still do, but there is a place and time to ask those questions. How could I discriminate against anybody for any reason. It would be shameful, because they could turn it back on me. Growing up I was ridiculed for being poor. My Dad worked hard but we lived within our means. My sister-in laws cousin is deaf. She wears a hearing aid and speaks. By seeing the movie, now know that she is an audits. She always feels superior to Deaf people who cannot speak and Deaf people who do not having hearing devices of some kind. That is definitely autism in the works. I remember specifically one time we were eating out all together; me, my brother, his wife, and the cousin. The cousin was making fun off girl at her work that cant speak well because she is Deaf. The cousin was just telling us the story about it. She said that her co-worker is Deaf and wears a hearing aid but doesnt speak well and that she is better than her cause she speaks. I just stayed quiet to keep the peace in my family but I knew that wasnt right. She considers herself hearing not Deaf. I told her that was taking SSL and Deaf Culture this semester and she didnt have a reaction. She just said well good luck with that. Since we come from a small town, we all grew up around each other. To try to spark some curiosity in her; always find myself telling her owe my classes are going. Maybe to change her ways of thinking. Autism should be punished by the court systems. Its sad that children and adults that are Deaf are left out of a lot of things, especially in their own families. It made me angry in the movie how they spoke of their family members saying Ill tell you later, or not important. Its just rude to exclude somebody for any reason. For English I wrote a Proposal paper on a device called order assist. Its a package that can be purchased by fast-food restaurants to make it easier for Deaf people to order through a drive-thru.

Elements in the Human Body and What They Do

Elements in the Human Body and What They Do There are several ways to consider the composition of the human body, including the elements, type of molecule, or type of cells.  Most of the human body is made up of water, H2O, with cells consisting of 65-90% water by weight. Therefore, it isnt surprising that most of a human bodys mass is oxygen. Carbon, the basic unit for organic molecules, comes in second. 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of just six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. Oxygen (O) - 65% - Oxygen together with hydrogen form water, which is the primary solvent found in the body and is used to regulate temperature and osmotic pressure. Oxygen is found in many key organic compounds.Carbon (C) - 18% - Carbon has four bonding sites for other atoms, which makes it the key atom for organic chemistry. Carbon chains are used to build carbohydrates, fats, nucleic acids, and proteins. Breaking bonds with carbon is an energy source.Hydrogen (H) - 10% - Hydrogen is found in water and in all organic molecules.Nitrogen (N) - 3% - Nitrogen is found in proteins and in the nucleic acids that make up the genetic code.Calcium (Ca) - 1.5% - Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Its used as a structural material in bones, but it is essential for protein regulation and muscle contraction.Phosphorus (P) - 1.0% - Phosphorus is found in the molecule ATP, which is the primary energy carrier in cells. Its also found in bone.Potassium (K) - 0.35% - Potassium is an im portant electrolyte. Its used to transmit nerve impulses and heartbeat regulation. Sulfur (S) - 0.25% - Two amino acids include sulfur. The bonds sulfur forms help give proteins the shape they need to perform their functions.Sodium (Na) - 0.15% - Sodium is an important electrolyte. Like potassium, it is used for nerve signaling. Sodium is one of the electrolytes that helps regulate the amount of water in the body.Chlorine (Cl) - 0.15% -  Chlorine is an important negatively-charged ion (anion) used to maintain fluid balance.Magnesium (Mg) - 0.05% - Magnesium is involved in over 300 metabolic reactions. Its used to build the structure of muscles and bones and is an important cofactor in enzymatic reactions.Iron (Fe) - 0.006% - Iron is found in hemoglobin, the molecule responsible for oxygen transport in red blood cells.Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Selenium (Se), Molybdenum (Mo), Fluorine (F), Iodine (I), Manganese (Mn), Cobalt (Co) - total less than 0.70%Lithium (Li), Strontium (Sr), Aluminum (Al), Silicon (Si), Lead (Pb), Vanadium (V), Arsenic (As), Bromine (Br) - pres ent in trace amounts Many other elements may be found in extremely small quantities. For example, the human body often contains trace amounts of thorium, uranium, samarium, tungsten, beryllium, and radium. Trace elements considered essential in humans include zinc, iodine, possibly silicon, probably boron, selenium, probably nickel, chromium, manganese, lithium, possibly arsenic, molybdenum, cobalt, and possibly vanadium. Not all of the elements found within the body are essential for life. Some are considered contaminants that appear to do no harm, but serve no known function. Examples include cesium and titanium. Others are actively toxic, including mercury, cadmium, and the radioactive elements. Arsenic is considered to be toxic to humans, but serves a function in other mammals (goats, rats, hamsters) in trace amounts. Aluminum is interesting because it is the third most common element in the Earths crust, yet serves no known function in living cells. While fluorine is used by plants to produce protective toxins, it serves no essential biological role in human beings. You may also wish to view the  elemental composition of an average human body  by mass. Sources Chang, Raymond (2007). Chemistry, 9th Edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-110595-6.Emsley, John (2011). Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. OUP Oxford. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7.Frausto Da Silva, J. J. R; Williams, R. J. P (2001-08-16). The Biological Chemistry of the Elements: The Inorganic Chemistry of Life. ISBN 9780198508489.H. A., V. W. Rodwell; P. A. Mayes, Review of Physiological Chemistry, 16th ed., Lange Medical Publications, Los Altos, California 1977.Zumdahl, Steven S. and Susan A. (2000). Chemistry, 5th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 894. ISBN 0-395-98581-1. Elements in the Human Body and What They Do

Alan Mullaly and Ford Motors Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alan Mullaly and Ford Motors - Term Paper Example †). For instance, it was during the recent global economic downturn that most of the automobile companies faced various challenges in gaining a competitive position to survive in the international market which included General Motors, Harley Davidson and even Ford. It is in this context that leadership advantages were apparently observed in these companies. The most debated issues related to this context were the turnaround of Ford which is stated to be steered by Alan Mulally as the organizational leader (Dean & Varshney, â€Å"Your Next Turnaround Leader: Industry Expert or Outsider?†). Alan Mulally is considered to be an outsider to the automobile industry as well as to the company (i.e. Ford Motors) due to the fact that his early professional career related to the Boeing Company, a commercial airplane and integrated defense system producer and thus had limited knowledge about the operational structure of the automotive industry (BBC News, â€Å"Boeing Exec Made New Ford Chief†). He joined the company in the year 2006 when Ford was witnessing losses and severe downfalls in its overall competency. In order to face these challenges and sensing the upcoming recession then, Alan Mulally decided to borrow a significant amount from the debt market against the company’s assets. ... One factor has been the leadership of Alan Mulally and the other factor was the crisis faced by the company during the period. Thereby, the paper intends to recognize the stronger factors to influence the change management of Ford and reward its remarkable competency in the international platform. Impartial Evaluation Both the factors of change, i.e. the financial crisis faced by the organization and the leadership change witnessed by the organization can be observed as quite significant in influencing the turnaround of the company. It was in the year 2006 when the company was facing losses for four consecutive years. Therefore, it is quite evident that the company had to witness significant challenges to maintain its financial competency and survive in the fiercely competitive market of global automobile industry (Armitage, â€Å"Ford CEO Alan Mulally: The Turnaround Specialist†). Alan Mulally joined the company during the financial crisis of the company. Financial turmoil wa s also apparent in the domestic economy of the company that certainly supported the impacts of internal limitations faced by the organization. Considering these facts, Alan Mulally concentrated on the implementation of various strategies that included retrenchment, restructuring of the organizational operations, marketing strategies, as well as financial strategies (Wall Street Journal, â€Å"Testimony of Alan R. Mulally†). Few of the most significant strategies that boosted the change in the organization concentrated on the borrowing of $23.6 billion from the market against the assets of Ford Motors (Armitage, â€Å"Ford CEO Alan Mulally: The Turnaround Specialist†). The strategic decisions of Alan Mulally further initiated to cut almost 30,000

Annotated Bibliogrphy Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bibliogrphy - Annotated Bibliography Example The article claims that the Department of Homeland Security was formed thirty days after the attack through the coming together of many agencies in order to combat terrorism. The article asserts that â€Å"Homeland Security† is a key area of concern for governments worldwide, which is obliged to provide protection to the citizens as well as the infrastructures that support them. The article also claims that role of information technology is very important in homeland security. In relation to this, the article claims that information technology can help mitigate risk as well as enhance effective response to natural or manmade disasters. On contrast, the article also claims that use of technology like surveillance, profiling in addition to data aggression hamper privacy and civil rights. The article also claims that information technology constitute of an infrastructure that need to be

Medical research abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical research abroad - Essay Example The last bit of the presentation will conclude about the research conducted. Marriages in most African countries become recognized upon payment of the bride price which has many names in various African settings. In South Africa, it is referred to as labola; in East Africa it is referred to as mahari; in Zimbabwe it is referred to as roora; generally, in African settings, it is referred to as head-money. This payment is normally in the form of cash or other forms, and it is directed towards the family of the lady being married. African women are vulnerable when being used as research specimens as typified by many African constitutions. I will use Nigeria as a case example, maturity is deemed to start when one clocks 18 years. Another way that women can be considered of a mature age is when they have been married. However, as a result of the payment of the bride price, African women are considered as objects that are purchased in marriage. As a result of this, constitutional rights of these women of being regarded mature are taken away from them upon marriage. Therefore, African will be forced to seek approval from their husbands or even family members of their husbands when they want to enroll in clinical research. This is the challenge that is faced in clinical research using African women. The same normally applies for older women who are unmarried. Ion this scenario, the Nigerian constitution and indeed, most African constitutions have placed women under the care of their father or guardian until they are married. However, these rules are not applicable in Europe or in America. Another remarkable finding is that bride price is not paid to black women in the West Indies and the US. Therefore, it is only African black women who become disadvantaged when it comes to this. Solutions to this problem faced by African women have no borne

Critical Response of Herzl and Pinsker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Response of Herzl and Pinsker - Essay Example He wanted a Jewish state for the Jews, as if it fell into the very same category. Indeed, the secular approach he championed cleared his ideals of any religious fervor, and left the idea of the Jewish people as something that could only be equated with race and ethnicity. Race also played an important role for Herzl because it defined who the Jews were not. A prime example of this is in the Dreyfus affair, which Herzl does not specifically mention but depends upon because of its historical importance to his audience. Dreyfus was an example of anti-semitism, which Herzl explained was a result of a variety of situations—these being assimilation, success of Jews, and other interactions with Western society. Herzl believed that there was no hope for Jewish assimilation, and this may have contributed to the importance of race in his thinking. Because assimilation was such a problem, race was not just an important factor for Jews, but also was important for non-Jews. The fact that J ews had trouble assimilating into French society, for example, showed that the French race was distinguished from the Jews and thus the religious group was not part of the French racial group. This led to the conclusion that the Jewish people were like a race, separate from European races. Without this establishment of the Jewish people as being racially excluded in Europe, it would be difficult to link the group with Jewish nationalist ideology. After establishing this difference, Herzl could then go on to develop Zionism as a specific nationalistic ideology that exclusively applies to Jews, yet has the same framework as other nationalistic movements that are based off of race and blood. Thus, with no use of religion or language to classify the Jews as a people and a minority, Herzl was left with the concept of race in order to define Jews and bring them together toward a nationalist agenda. In Herzl's writings, the idea of awakening from a sleep as pointed by Anderson in European nationalism is also present in Jewish nationalism. Herzl refers to the history of the Jewish people, and especially stresses that they have a history of weakness which is used a survival strategy. Herzl and Pinsker both discuss the history of the Jewish people, from ancient times to modern times, as one of expulsion and mistreatment. However, these recounts of Jewish history are seen as a point of contrast with what is happening in the modern era, beginning with the hope of Jewish emancipation in Western Europe. The French Revolution, while a great awakening for the Enlightenment movement and for the French people, also showed an example of the Jewish people awakening from not so much a great sleep but a great captivity where they were denied equal status under any governments. Later recognition of their equal status under other states seemed to point to the dawn of a new age. The development of the Jewish state as a solution to the problem of Jewish assimilation and discrimination ushered in a new atmosphere, where Jewish thought suddenly experienced the same sentiment that Anderson mentions. The Jews of Europe underwent an awakening from a deep sleep in their own sense as they began to understand the reason for all their woes and as they began to envision a solution that would bring them out of Europe and into a new land. As Herzl believed that the Jews must be a majority in their own land to finally be emancipated,

Dialogue with a Nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dialogue with a Nurse - Essay Example Dealing with kids require extreme patience and composure. Also, I feel for someone like me who’s working in Florida, knowledge of the Spanish language can be very useful because of the major Spanish speaking populace out here. A. Obviously, when you start working you realize that things are far from ideal or like you said expectations are not met. It took some getting used to but I conformed to the working environs quickly and now I am pretty comfortable working here in South Memorial. The doctors and other co-workers are nice and I have a nice rapport with them. Again, I’d say working with kids has been the biggest perk for me. A. The worst experience was that of the death of an infant from influenza whom I was treating. It was a beautiful baby boy who was just a month old. I had grown quite fond of him while nursing him and his death was a big setback to me . I remember it was the first time I cried a lot at work in the changing room. A. Sometimes, I feel the job of a nurse is very thankless. Especially, for me who happens to be a nurse in the pediatrics department. The attitude of the parents is far from grateful at times, in fact quite rude sometimes. It is understandable as they are all very emotionally attached to their children and can’t bear to see them in pain but then they have to understand that as nurses we are just doing our job. I also get wrung out from working long hours sometimes. The job of a nurse can be physically very demanding at times; sometimes I have to go without food and even water for long stretches in my service time. A. I am that kind of a person who doesn’t have long-term goals. Yeah, my friends keep reproaching me for my shortsightedness and callous attitude towards my future and career but I just can’t think of what I’ll be doing or where I’ll be more than 2 years down the line; 3 tops. Meanwhile, I am absolutely in love with my job here in

Analysis of Storefront Software Packages Term Paper

Analysis of Storefront Software Packages - Term Paper Example All these websites are built on an HTML language that improves its quality and makes it current in the world of Web-technique applications. The HTML pros include increased accessibility (With the use of HTML 5 as a web development tool, screen readers are allowed to easily gain access to web contents in HTML elements and Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) suites. These features help with dynamic contents and advanced graphical user controls that are developed based on Ajax, HTML, and JavaScript; as applied to all Web pages with rich graphical and text contents). Other features include; Mobile Applications, Offline caching, Video and audio support, Improved site speedFor this particular concern, the developer had a deeper view by providing accelerators and quick links which are in most cases used by experts for reasonably faster navigations. A user, therefore, has the options to select best criteria to reach the desired page.In payments, a client has the right to or not to c lick on the â€Å"Pay it Now† button depending on how ready he/she is to do so. Upon clicking it, the client is directed to the payment page to enter all payment information.To shop one has to go to Shopping Bag web page, where he/she has the capabilities of selecting any item displayed, deleting in case one changes mind, changing quantity through quantity arrows e.t.c.Website platform provides the best marketing and merchandising site for all the products available and developed by companies that develop such applications.

Critical Response of Herzl and Pinsker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Critical Response of Herzl and Pinsker - Essay Example He wanted a Jewish state for the Jews, as if it fell into the very same category. Indeed, the secular approach he championed cleared his ideals of any religious fervor, and left the idea of the Jewish people as something that could only be equated with race and ethnicity. Race also played an important role for Herzl because it defined who the Jews were not. A prime example of this is in the Dreyfus affair, which Herzl does not specifically mention but depends upon because of its historical importance to his audience. Dreyfus was an example of anti-semitism, which Herzl explained was a result of a variety of situations—these being assimilation, success of Jews, and other interactions with Western society. Herzl believed that there was no hope for Jewish assimilation, and this may have contributed to the importance of race in his thinking. Because assimilation was such a problem, race was not just an important factor for Jews, but also was important for non-Jews. The fact that J ews had trouble assimilating into French society, for example, showed that the French race was distinguished from the Jews and thus the religious group was not part of the French racial group. This led to the conclusion that the Jewish people were like a race, separate from European races. Without this establishment of the Jewish people as being racially excluded in Europe, it would be difficult to link the group with Jewish nationalist ideology. After establishing this difference, Herzl could then go on to develop Zionism as a specific nationalistic ideology that exclusively applies to Jews, yet has the same framework as other nationalistic movements that are based off of race and blood. Thus, with no use of religion or language to classify the Jews as a people and a minority, Herzl was left with the concept of race in order to define Jews and bring them together toward a nationalist agenda. In Herzl's writings, the idea of awakening from a sleep as pointed by Anderson in European nationalism is also present in Jewish nationalism. Herzl refers to the history of the Jewish people, and especially stresses that they have a history of weakness which is used a survival strategy. Herzl and Pinsker both discuss the history of the Jewish people, from ancient times to modern times, as one of expulsion and mistreatment. However, these recounts of Jewish history are seen as a point of contrast with what is happening in the modern era, beginning with the hope of Jewish emancipation in Western Europe. The French Revolution, while a great awakening for the Enlightenment movement and for the French people, also showed an example of the Jewish people awakening from not so much a great sleep but a great captivity where they were denied equal status under any governments. Later recognition of their equal status under other states seemed to point to the dawn of a new age. The development of the Jewish state as a solution to the problem of Jewish assimilation and discrimination ushered in a new atmosphere, where Jewish thought suddenly experienced the same sentiment that Anderson mentions. The Jews of Europe underwent an awakening from a deep sleep in their own sense as they began to understand the reason for all their woes and as they began to envision a solution that would bring them out of Europe and into a new land. As Herzl believed that the Jews must be a majority in their own land to finally be emancipated,

Analysis of Storefront Software Packages Term Paper

Analysis of Storefront Software Packages - Term Paper Example All these websites are built on an HTML language that improves its quality and makes it current in the world of Web-technique applications. The HTML pros include increased accessibility (With the use of HTML 5 as a web development tool, screen readers are allowed to easily gain access to web contents in HTML elements and Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) suites. These features help with dynamic contents and advanced graphical user controls that are developed based on Ajax, HTML, and JavaScript; as applied to all Web pages with rich graphical and text contents). Other features include; Mobile Applications, Offline caching, Video and audio support, Improved site speedFor this particular concern, the developer had a deeper view by providing accelerators and quick links which are in most cases used by experts for reasonably faster navigations. A user, therefore, has the options to select best criteria to reach the desired page.In payments, a client has the right to or not to c lick on the â€Å"Pay it Now† button depending on how ready he/she is to do so. Upon clicking it, the client is directed to the payment page to enter all payment information.To shop one has to go to Shopping Bag web page, where he/she has the capabilities of selecting any item displayed, deleting in case one changes mind, changing quantity through quantity arrows e.t.c.Website platform provides the best marketing and merchandising site for all the products available and developed by companies that develop such applications.

The Organizational Change Essay Example for Free

The Organizational Change Essay A. What is organizational change? Organizational change is a term used to describe a total overhaul of an organisation. This refers to a big scale changes to suit the current change in needs. There are many reasons. Sometimes there is need for an organisation to curb challenges arising like neck to neck competition, retrenchments or massive lay offs. It may also involve new changes in technology and an organisation might want to adopt or re-fix the new structure in their work places. All this will affect the working operations and environment of an organisation. Organizations sometimes might find need to merge with other related organisation this will force both organisation to restructure (McNamara, 2008). Basic Context for Organizational Change An extreme markets battle has forced many organizations to adopt many ways to survive. An organization might have been offering quality services or rather substandard services hence need to adopt modern technology. This cannot be done without know how, it requires in depth information about how and how effective the change will be. Organizational change can be very expensive, some organization are on favor for minimal changes as they review the effect of the new change. These small changes act as stepping stones for more changes to come for instance lay offs; this is a very costly assignment to an organization. It is important to learn that organizational change requires lots of funding (Darby Mcglynn, 2000, p13). Though this can bring desirable transformation, it is a painful undertaking especially where finance is concern. At the end of the day an organization should evaluate its achievements brought about by the big change Organization change is a very technical procedure; it requires intellectuals, skilled person or specialist who has an insight understanding about the running, management and all other that pertain administration. The entire running and management will be approached very differently of an organization. It entails new procedures and regulations to be followed by the organization’s management and entire work force (Darby Mcglynn, 2000, p13). Every organizational change presents new vision and approach. Accomplishment of the targeted goals and result is now viewed in another perspective; this is because the change might come up with new challenges. The duties and roles of every individual worker changes, others might be absorbed hence need for everyone involved to specialize on ones best subject. It’s noteworthy to learn that every each organizational change shakes all the running of an organization from the top level to bottom and bring new sense of direction. After organization change is accomplished efficiency should be expected and redundancy eliminated (Darby McGlynn, 2000, p. 13). B. Forces for and resistance to organizational change  Organizational change is viewed as a life circle and every organization should undergo in order to survive both internal and external pressures. It is very fundamental given other forces surrounding the change are put into account. Emergence of new technology can compel an organization to embrace and adopt, for the benefits and betterment of an organization. Computerization of an organization’s department is a perfect example of technology changes especially those which have been carrying on their duties manually Such office automation comes with more efficiency and reliability in executing duties (Darby McGlynn, 2000, p13 ). Another example is the introduction of automated teller machines by banks, despite their cost they are accurate and efficient s compared to bank clerks. In that connection it can led a bank into providing more products and services to their clients and customers, competitiveness needs for more supply in the market, change of services products. For any organisational change to take place it need profound consultation in relation to the targeted results. Its result and final achievement should be tangible and convincing (McNamara, 2008). C. Evolutionary and revolutionary change in organizations  Evolutionary change The change within the organization should be successful and constant such that it does not arouse any massive upheavals within and without the organization. Major development and progress in any organization is dependant on the degree of change in the new ideas and how the affected react to it. The organizations need to check at what their users want and supply them appropriately. The use of the collective intelligence and social networking within the organization is evolutionary since it encourages the blending of different good ideas towards the progress of the organization. Exploration of complex situations and involving everybody to participate intermsof decision making is also evolutionary to an organization (Casey, 2008). Attracting people to your vision as a manager within an organization plays a very important role in persuading them to buy into your outcome products, since this will give them a since of feeling that their contributions are very appreciated. Initiatives are the best way to introduce implement and institutionalize deliberate and on-going renewal. The involvement of many people in operational problem solving evolves to Participative Management Problem which is a profit sharing program that increases productivity and employee involvement across the board (Miraglia, 1994). For the renewal of any organization it calls for the organization to improve on its response to customer needs and increase its willingness to experiment with multi-function structures and teams which are led by entrepreneurial spirit. The management layers also need to be scrutinized and reduced and the ineffective functions scrapped off. Determining better ways of pushing responsibilities to every section of the organization without any inconvenience is evolutionary. The creation and continuation of complex activities like efforts in training and quality management processes brings better changes to an organization. This calls for the keeping of simultaneous changes to move in relationship to each other rather than in isolation (Casey, 2008). Revolutionary Change The organizations don’t look to their users in order to try and adjust on what users are willing to adapt to on a large scale. The situation by which most organizations only look for the way to sell out their big products without considering the taste of the consumers is revolutionary since they force the consumers into doing new things they are not comfortable with. The abrupt introduction of or addition new technology within the organization is sometimes very disruptive since it will require quite a bit of training which will consume sometime to allow for adjustment (Miraglia, 1994). The time taken by the organization to sell out its ideas sometimes can be longer. This can be due to disagreements across the decision making board which delays the implementation processes. Within any organization the implication for the Human resources need to seen as not only just to preserve and teach old lessons, vocabulary and assumptions but also to lead in the change processes, development of versatile models, teaching and encouraging new vocabulary and also be at the forefront of the encouraging continuous learning and sharing of knowledge The critical business issues like entrance into emerging markets and new product development pose a revolutionary change into the organization. The competition by related organizations also poses a challenge (Miraglia, 1994). D. Managing the Organizational Change Since an organization is a group or an association made by people who come together with different thoughts and opinions with an aim of achieving certain goals, therefore an organization is made up of individuals and in order for organizational change to be successful; there are different principles which should be considered. First an individual has got to achieve personal change which gives a positive approach to the change by applying it. Thoughtful planning and implementing sensitivity is another crucial principle to boost the organizational change. Consultation and involvement of the individuals affected by the organizational change is important since forcing of changes to an individual will cause problems (Kotter, 2002). The organizational change must be real, measurable and also achievable. These characteristics are relevant in the management of individual changes. Before the commencement of organizational change management, there are questions which are supposed to be taken into consideration. Organizational achievements, why, and how will an organization know if it has achieved the changes. Who the changes have affected and their reactions, how much of the change can be achieved and what parts of the change which are needed with help. These features are in strong relation to the management of the Organizational change (Kotter, 2002). For proper management, change needs to be understood and managed in such a way that people can successfully cope with. The director is the settling pressure. The affected organization or individuals need to agree with the change, understand the need for change and also be given a chance to decide on how the change will be managed and also they should be involved in the application and planning of the change (Kotter, 2002). Confronting each other is the best way to undertake susceptible issues of organizational change management. People or employees need to encourage their, manager to talk face to face to them if they are of help to the manager in managing the organizational change. Sending mails through internet and writing notices are the weakest ways of communication and enlargement understanding. If there is urgent change to be made in an organization, the reasons should be investigated and also its urgency is real. Also their needs to be consideration if the consequences of accepting the rational time-frame can be more devastating rather than taking control over the unsuccessful change. Fast changes in organizations avoid proper consultations and involvement and these leads to complications and more times is consumed when it comes to solving the issues (Kotter, 2002). For successful management for an organizational change, top management in an organization should be involved. This brings out reliability, ideas and expressiveness from the champions. Change is achieved when carried out as a group. The change representative always has a role of carrying out translation of the vision to a practical plan and also carries out the plan. Change communication is required to be regular with all the affiliates of the organization. For change to be maintained, the organizations’ composition needs to be given an amendment by either making course of actions, guiding principles and also deliberate plans. Such kind of change in the constructions of an organization characteristically involves re-freezing process and an unfreezing change (Mc Namara, 2008). E. Organizational Development Organizational Development is a challenge which gives authority to the organizational members in order for expansion to take place in peoples’ openness with each other concerning their opinions of the association and their experiences in the organization. This encourages members to take greater accountability for their own deeds as members of the organization. In organizational development the assumption is that when people practice the purposes simultaneously, there is a likeliness of organizations finding out new techniques of working together and hence there is achievement of the organizational goals (Nielsen, 1984, pp2-3). The final thought of organizational expansion is that organizations are social arrangements. Their aim is to increase long term presentation and physical condition of the organization as well as to also improve lives of its associates. The organizational development loom stresses on organization background which manipulates the way people perform their duties using organizational change based on exploration and achievement (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008). By using planned modification based on research, there is increase in motivation, elimination of obstructions and easier change. The perfect is an organization where there is constant improvement which is rampant in a way that it is not expected as a proposal. Organizational Development, changes the performances, shared beliefs and values, of the organization by working with technical and social systems like incentives, communication, work processes and civilization (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008) Organizational Development assists an organization in authorizing leaders and individuals’ workers. It also creates a culture of constant improvement and arrangement around shared achievements. There is easier and faster change making. All the minds of the employees are put to task. Organizational Development also enhances momentum and quality of choices. There is also assistance by the Organizational Development in beneficial conflict making rather than negative. Also leaders are given more control over the outcome by giving workers more authority over how they do their tasks (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008). There are different benefits which the Organizational Development has achieved, they include satisfaction to its customers, individual feeling of success, and profits by reducing costs for non profits, improvement suppleness of the organization, they have also achieved effectiveness of the costs as well as living, occupation and employment satisfaction. Objectives of organizational development are observed in an organization where, the needs of the customers are always recognized and thought about by the managers and the workers, also people get remunerations for success instead of failure of innovation or creativity hence there is high improvement. The construction and processes are based on the present requirements rather than in the past needs hence there is efficiency and assistance offered to people (Tool pack consulting surveys, 2008). Also in an organization, organizational development s’ objectives are achieved when in an organization; there is constructive resolving and conflict treatment. Hence this is used for modernization with no suppression and lack of intrusion with efficiency. The system of rewarding strengthens the organizational wellbeing. Also open communication is encouraged in both imaginative and straight and hence all the appropriate feelings are distributed and due to this, people can learn from the experience. Decisions are required to be made by people with most related, express knowledge (Toolpack Consulting surveys, 2008). Conclusion Organizational Change is a very crucial feature which brings about wide change in any organization with the aim of assisting the organization achieves its goals strategically. Such changes include, restructuring of self managed teams, new technologies, collaborations, mission changing and also changing of the complete Management of Quality. Hence there is transformation of the organization. This designates essential as well as elementary orientation in the way that the association operates (Mc Namara, 2008). In order for this change to take place successfully, individuals play a very important role in the organization. Hence there opinions and achievements as well as there aims are very crucial and require to be put into consideration. And this will only be possible with the application of some principles which once put into practice; the change becomes successful (Kotter, 2002). Since communication is important to the success of any organizational change efforts, it is important for face to face communication since it is believed to be strong as compared to sending mails and notices. Motivation should be encouraged amongst the organization by rewards, incentives etc. Organizational Development is of great benefit to organizations since it brings about profits, satisfaction both at work and in life. Also goals are achieved due to the Organizational Development efforts (Tool pack Consulting surveys, 2008).

The Aims and Objectives of an Islamic Bank

The Aims and Objectives of an Islamic Bank Islamic banking is becoming increasingly popular and plays a prominent role in the financial services sector in Malaysia. According to latest statistics shown, the Muslim population of Malaysia is approximately 25 million. There is definitely a strong demand and strong growth potential in this sector. In Malaysia, the banking sector is mainly dominated by the conventional banking system whereby interest is not being prohibited. It is because the Islamic banking system is relatively new and there are insufficient regulations at present to govern them. If these obstacles are being resolved, the Islamic Banking sector will blossom given the influence of Malaysia in the international Muslim community. The primary aim of this research is to examine and understand in depth the development of Islamic banking in the world of finance. This piece of research can be divided into three sections. The first section looks at significant differences between conventional banking and Islamic banking. Products and services offered by these financial institutions will be marked to comparison. The second section looks at how the practice of Islamic banking started and how it has emerged to become a vial force in the economy. The final part of the research will focus on how the Islamic banks penetrated the Malaysian market and the challenges faced. 1.1 Structure of Dissertation This dissertation is divided into a few topics and each topic covers different areas of research. This is to give readers a clearer view of the research and make it more user-friendly. It is well thought and designed to ensure the smooth flow of the reading. The structure of the dissertation can be summarized as follows: Chapter 1: This chapter describes the aims and objectives of this research. Chapter 2: This chapter discusses the principles and fundamentals of Islamic banking Chapter 3: This chapter explains in detailed the state and scope of Islamic banking industry in Malaysia. I have also mentioned to objectives and roles the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre Initiatives plays in the industry. Chapter 4: Research methodologies and strategies that were being adopted for this paper was discussed. Chapter 5: I have marked two Islamic banks in Malaysia for side by side comparison. I have drawn up a table to compare their financial performance and position over the past two years. Chapter 6: I have interviewed two Islamic bankers from Malaysia. On top of that, I have also provided my personal analysis of their answers. Chapter 7: Competition and globalization of the Islamic banking industry. Moreover, I have also discussed opportunities and challenges faced in the world and in Malaysia. Chapter 8: A summary of the paper was included with recommendations and limitations to research. 2 INTRODUCTION So, what exactly is Islamic Banking? Islamic Banking is banking based on Islamic laws (Shariah). The Shariah principles are derived from the Quran and the Sunnah (sayings of Prophet Muhammad). Moreover, secondary sources of Islamic laws such as opinions collectively agreed among Shariah scholars, analogy and personal reasoning are also adopted in the rules and practices of Islamic banks (Al-Omar, 1996). The research then looks at the differences between conventional banking and Islamic banking. There governing principles of Islamic banks are: Riba Absence of interest-based transactions. Charging of interest is prohibited under Shariah principles. Money itself does not have inherent value and should not be used to create more money. Wealth can only be generated through legitimate trade and investment. Ghirar Acts of speculation are not accepted under Islamic principles. For instance, buying goods now at lower price in the hope of selling them at higher price in future. The reason being speculators make private gains at the expense of society at large. Zakat Introduction of Islamic tax for the purpose of wealth distribution so that every Muslim is guaranteed a fair standard of living. Haram It is forbidden for Islamic banks to finance activities forbidden in Islam such as prok meat and alcoholic beverage. In order to ensure that the trading activities do not contradict with Shariah principles, all Islamic banks are required to set up Shariah Committee, who acts as advisor to the banks. On the other hand, conventional banks charge interest on transactions. These interests are widely seen as price of credit. Furthermore, conventional banks focuses on elimination of risks and thus do not share any liabilities with the borrower. (Figure 1) Islamic Bank Vs Conventional Bank Based on Shariahprinciples. Based on best economic principles. Bank should not take advantage of borrower. No interest charged. Charges interest to reflect price of credit. Does not allow involvement in haramactivities such as pork meat and alcoholic beverage. Aims at maximizing profit without restrictions other than compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks. Intoduction of zakat. Non-existence of zakat. Promotes risk sharing between providers of credit and borrower. Interest is assured to providers of credit. No liabilities borne by the bank. Emphasis placed on viability and feasibility of projects. Emphasis placed on credit-worthiness of customers. Only provide guarantee for deposit account (al-wadiah). If funds placed under mudarabah accounts, customers shares profit or loss incurred by bank. Provides guarantee to all its depositors. www.learn islamicfinance.com 2.1 Fundamentals of Islamic Banking Finance Islamic commercial law is based on a few major principles. They will be discussed in detailed as follows: Musharakah (Partnership Finance) Musharakah is a contract in which the bank and the client contribute jointly to the capital of a specific project or deal to make a profit. Therefore, risks of profits and losses are being shared between these two parties according to terms and conditions stipulated in the contract. This principle exposes bank to the risks of the project, in other words protecting the interests of the community. This will prevent banks from yielding their unfair influence and sells disadvantage products to clients. Mudarabah (Trust Financing) Mudarabah is a contract in which the banks provides all the capital required whilst the partner contributes in terms of skills, experiences and efforts. The bank receives a pre-determined share of profits as agreed by both parties upon commencement of the project. The major difference between mudarabah and musharakah is that in this case, the bank bears all financial loss whilst the client goes unrewarded. Therefore, it is also the banks responsibilities to assess the feasibility and viability of the project. As such, it is vital for the bank to have a good and credible credit system to evaluate all its exposures on these projects. In short, this principle encourages individuals to participate in financial activities It also gives individuals without sufficient resources an opportunity and platform to prove themselves in the society. Murabaha (Cost-plus Financing) Murabaha is a contract in which the banks informs their client about the acquisition price of certain goods and products and sells them with a margin. It requires the bank to declare an honest price of acquisition. It is one of the most common principles adopted in Islamic banking system to promote interest-free transactions. It is widely practiced in asset financing and both commodity import and export. Bai-Muajjal (Deferred Payment Sale) It is a contract in which the seller sells a certain goods or products to the buyer at an agreed fixed price to be paid later at a specific date by the buyer. In short, it is a sale on credit. The bank merely acts as the financier by deferring the receipt of the sale price of goods it sells. Ijara (Leasing) In this case, the bank buys capital equipment or property and leases it out under instalment to clients. Similar to conventional leasing, the client has the option to purchase the goods at the end of the lease period. The fact that there is real good to be financed means that it is Shariah compliant. A very common product adopting this principle is Islamic mortgage whereby the buyer buys the property on an instalment basis. Qard Hassan Islamic teachings promote brotherhood amongst Muslims. Qard Hassan is seen as a gratuitous loan that helps fellow Muslims who need financial assistance. It can be defined as a loan to be repaid at a later date without incurring any interests. According to Rob (1992), Islamic banks may raise funds through sale of shares to public and main deposit accounts. Therefore, the bank has a responsibility to lend a helping hand to those in desperate situation without taking of their advantaged position. 2.2 Compatibility of Islamic Banking with Conventional Banking Islamic banking system has very similar features to conventional banking except that Islamic banks operate in compliant to Shariah laws and principles. Both banking systems have common features and common products. The main differences being prohibition of interests being incurred and sharing of profits and losses between banks and their clients (Abdur Rahim, 2009). They have the same objectives except interpretation of interest. Islamic banks fall into realms of the economic world as well. They try to ensure all their operations comply with Shariah laws yet at the same time conform to rules set by international bodies such as International Accounting Standards Board and Audit Practices Board. This is to ensure they remain relevant to the society and at the same time conform to their religious principles. Islamic banks sell products such as mortgages, savings accounts, insurance which is also sold by all conventional banks across the world. According to Nienhaus (1995), Islamic banks offer facilities more or less the same as conventional banks, in compliance with the welfare principles of Islam. 3 LITERATURE REVIEW A literature review is a process in which published articles or information are studied as part of the research for the preparation of a dissertation. For the purpose of this project, I have gathered information from books and articles from various sources. I have studied the concept of Islamic banking, having limited understanding about this topic previously. Further, I have also included discussion about the development of Islamic banking in the world, and in particular, Malaysia. This paper allows readers to have a good grasp of Islamic banking in general. It gives readers the opportunity to study about Islamic banking in greater detail when the interest of this industry gathering strong momentum. This is of particular importance because Islamic banking has a huge impact of the world economy because of the strong influence of the oil-rich Gulf States. 3.1 Introduction Since a few decades ago, Islamic banking has emerged as a new reality in the world economy. Its philosophies and principles are however, not new, having been outlined in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) more than 1,400 years ago. The emergence of Islamic banking is often related to the revival of Islam and the desire of Muslims to live all aspects of their live in accordance with the teachings of Islam (Siddiqi, 1983). This chapter provides a brief overview of how Islamic Banking was introduced in the World and how it penetrated the Malaysian market. Islamic banking today has proven to be a popular and reliable financial system in the world. It is widely seen as a viable alternative to the conventional banking system over last 3 decades. Islamic banking was described by scholars as wishful thinking when the idea was first mooted almost thirty years ago (Iqbal and Philip, 2006). Many conferences and discussions were carried out at that time to work on the finer details of this system. Several blueprints were drafted by Islamic scholars from all over the world to ensure a detailed system is created. The first international conference on Islamic Economics was organized by Kings Abdul Aziz University in Makkah marked an important milestone in the history of Islamic banking (Iqbal, 2005). Financial gurus, economic experts and Islamic leaders were invited to present their view and opinions. Following this, the first Islamic bank, Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) was established in the United Arab Emirates in 1975. Since its formation, it has established itself as the leader in the industry and has won several accolades internationally. In 2009, it recorded net profit of  £200 million with assets worth over  £14 billion. Islamic banking has gained tremendous momentum and has been growing rapidly over the years. Islamic banks now offer products in various areas such as banking, insurance, mortgage and asset management with annual growth of 10% for many years. 3.2 History of Islamic Banking in Malaysia Islamic banking industry in Malaysia is growing at a moderate pace. It is a unique market because Islamic banks in Malaysia are allowed to operate in parallel to conventional banks (interest-based). The multi-ethnic population of Malaysia makes the entire change of financial system to follow the Shariah system not viable. Government of Malaysia opted for gradual way of introducing Islamic banking by allowing conventional banks to sell Islamic banking products and services such as sukuk (Arif, 1989). The dual banking system has been recognised by both West and East leaders and it is seen to be the model of the future. In fact, many central bankers have visited Malaysia to see the effectiveness of this dual system first hand. Furthermore, this dual system also eliminates the wrong concept of general public that Islamic banking products are sold exclusively to Muslims. The history of Islamic banking industry goes back to as far as 1963, when the foresighted government set up the Lembaga Tabung Haji also known as the Pilgrims Management and Fund Board. It was set-up primarily to encourage Muslims in the country to save up on their income in order to perform pilgrimage in Mecca (Kamarulzaman Bhupalan, 1983). Besides, the fund was also created to provide a platform for participation in the economic and investment activities. Based on the success of the Lembaga Tabung Haji, coupled with the consultation of Shariah experts and economic gurus, government then proceeded to set up the first ever Islamic Bank in 1983. Setting up of Bank Islam Berhad Malaysia (BIMB) marked a milestone in the banking industry. It proved to be hugely popular because over half the Malaysian population are Islam followers. What followed through was the listing of the bank in the stock exchange of Malaysia in the early 1990s. As of today, the bank has 100 braches located all ove r Malaysia. With the fairytale of BIMB, central bank decided to allow commercial banks and merchant banks to offer Islamic banking products under the Islamic Banking Scheme. It was not long after that the central bank set up the National Shariah Advisory Council to oversee all issues pertaining to Islamic Banking. Due to the economic liberalisation, central bank finally grants licenses to foreign Islamic banks to operate in Malaysia in 2004. Al-Rahji Bank and Kuwait Finance House took full advantage of this ruling and step foot into the Malaysian banking industry. The last count of Islamic banks operating in Malaysia stood at 21. 3.3 Scope of Islamic Banking in Malaysia Islamic Banking started out as mere deposit taking and lending facility has since transformed into all aspects of banking, money and capital market operations. In Malaysia, the central bank is in favour of a dual banking system, whereby Islamic banks are allowed to co-exist with conventional banks. It is at the consumers choice to select which services they prefer that cater to their needs. This is in stark contrast with the scenario in Iran and Pakistan, where conventional banking system is abolished completely to make way for Islamic banking. They claim to be devoid of conventional interest based financial transactions. Today, the Malaysian Islamic banking sector is blossoming as reflected in the extensive distribution networks comprising 152 full-fledged Islamic banking branches. The ability of these Islamic banks to offer competitive products with attractive and innovative features has attracted both Muslim and non-Muslim population in the country. This has also spurred non banking institutions such as savings institutions to introduce Shariah compliance product to appeal to a wider consumer base. According to Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia, there are 21 Islamic banks who have subscribed to their membership. The list of Islamic banks is provided as follows: Affin Islamic Bank Berhad Alliance Islamic Bank Berhad Al-Rajhi Banking Investment Corporation Berhad AmIslamic Bank Berhad Asian Finance Bank Berhad Bank Islam Malaysia Bank Berhad Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Bank Berhad Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bank Berhad Bank Simpanan Malaysia Berhad CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad EONCAP Islamic Bank Berhad Hong Leong Islamic Bank Berhad HSBC Amanah Malaysia Berhad Kuwait Finance House (Malaysia) Berhad Maybank Islamic Bank Berhad OCBC Al-Amin Bank Berhad PT Bank Muamalat Indonesia Public Islamic Bank Berhad RHB Islamic Bank Berhad Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad Unicorn International Islamic Bank Berhad As evident from the list above, there are 21 banks offering Islamic products in the Malaysian market. Confidence is clearly shown on the Malaysian market with international banking powerhouse presence such as Standard Chartered group and Kuwait Finance House. The Governor of Central Bank Malaysia recently declared the central banks intention to lure larger overseas banks to provided services that comply with Muslim tenets. As a sweetener to any potential deal, the central bank has raised foreign ownership limits at local Islamic banks and insurance companies to 70%. Rising oil wealth has turned the Islamic banking into an industry with assets with $1 trillion in assets globally. The central bank is doing its utmost, implementing initiatives to explore this relatively untapped market. In addition to the changes in foreign ownership limits, the central bank is also offering tax breaks for Islamic products and has relaxed rules for Islamic banks to trade in foreign currencies (Aziz, 2006). This is seen as a major breakthrough because the foreign currencies dealing is tightly regulated due to the impact Malaysian market suffered in the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. In July 2010, Khazanah, Malaysia sovereign wealth fund made its debut in Singapore debt market issuing sukuk or Islamic bonds worth $1.5 billion, three times the size of Singapore sukuk market until now. This further strengthened the Malaysian government efforts to promote Islamic banking products both domestically and internationally.