Communication between countries

Communication between countries has become one of the most important things for country leaders to consider. However, some people think that regular communication can lead to a mixture of culture that may cause culture collapse. Actually, communication between countries cannot be avoided in modern society. Also, culture will always disappear when time passes as young people are less concern about culture. Besides, communication can create new culture that can lead the world to a more platonic place that all people can live together without much culture differences Firstly, we need communication and diversity between countries.Different countries have different culture. Without communication, the country is over closed that may cause huge disaster. Just like China during King Dynasty: when the empire decided to close the gate of trade, she actually closed a most convenient way to develop and gain power. Finally, the whole country was almost defeated by the foreign enemies. From the le sson taught by Chinese people's blood, we cannot stop communicating between countries. Secondly, culture collapse is not mainly caused by communication. When ages pass, all old things will eventually disappear s these are not what young people interested in.Therefore, when more old people have gone, less people are familiar with it; even it Is their own culture, until finally when they realize it. At that time, those people actually need other similar culture to complete their lost part. From time to time, the thing that some called culture collapse occurs, but it is Just a way for people to maintain their culture. Last but not least, it is true that many cultures have huge differences that a little action may cause huge misunderstanding. For example, the same gesture made In China means K means money in Japan and also means affront In Brazil.As a result, because traveling has become one of the most Important entertainments, so we need to accept different culture from communicating between countries. Although there are many religions In the world, their mall purpose Is the same which Is to give people belief, to prevent them giving up when meeting difficulties as they believe gods are helping them, and to lead them In the right way with appreciation. In that case, even countries have a variety of culture; the mixture of culture can actually Improve the ultra and make It better.In conclusion, communication between countries cannot be stopped as not only countries need It, culture needs It, too. It may cause culture change Its original, but It Is no doubted that the communication Is helping the culture and lower the speed of culture collapse. Communication between countries By Rose-Wang have gone, less people are familiar with it; even it is their own culture, until finally huge misunderstanding. For example, the same gesture made in China means K means money in Japan and also means affront in Brazil.As a result, because revealing has become one of the most impo rtant entertainments, so we need to many religions in the world, their main purpose is the same which is to give people helping them, and to lead them in the right way with appreciation. In that case, even countries have a variety of culture; the mixture of culture can actually improve the culture and make it better. In conclusion, communication between countries cannot be stopped as not only countries need it, culture needs it, too. It may cause culture change its original, but it is no doubted that the communication is helping the

An Interview with Steve

Life for me has amounted mainly to life here in Texas. IVe traveled a little; IVe been to both the west and east coasts of this country. IVe seen large cities and small towns, oceans, deserts and mountains. IVe traveled through several states and have met people from all kinds of backgrounds. Growing up we had classes in school. We learned of a whole new world out there, with different cultures and traditions.We had learned how our country began; how it was discovered, how it was populated, and of the wars our ancestors went through to ain independence and equality for all who live here. Through our parents and grandparents we learned that, with the exception of Native Americans, our ancestors emigrated here from countries far away, most of which are separated from us by vast oceans. Other than what we have read, the pictures we see in those books, the portrayals on television and film, most of us will never know the places our ancestors walked, or converse with people who presently live in those countries.With the development of the Internet and the World Wide Web, those countries are now coming literally to our fingertips. One of the most fascinating aspects of getting access to the Internet is how it brings the people of the world into our own homes. We can find out firsthand how those people live, what they believe, their customs, and their opinions of us. That is the focus of this essay. One of my good friends, for the past two and half years, is a man named Steve. We met online in a chat community and become fast friends. He is 48 years old and lives in Essex, England, which is a county northeast of London.Steve is a truck driver by trade and a musician by heart. He's sent me some of his songs, two of which he rote, and in my opinion, he's a very good musician, though he often says he's not. He's an avid Rolling Stones fan, and most of the songs he performs at pubs reflect this. This makes for amusing chats between us at times as he tries to convert anoth er wayward soft-rock-loving soul into a Stone's fan. I'm not really sure how Steve felt about me asking to do my essay on him. He undoubtedly thinks I'm being very nosey, ‘nosey peep' was the actual term he used, but he did consent to being interviewed.The only question he asked was if he had to be serious in his answers. When I asked him â€Å"Where do you live? † of course he nswered â€Å"modem land†. I told him that didn't help with my essay, and he replied, mfou know the answer, ask the stuff you don't. † And so our interview began†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ It seems that America has a great fascination with Great Britain. We see British actors every. vnere. We even nave some British snows on television. Many ot the stories covered in the news these days are telling of news of England, especially concerning the royal family. Why is this?IVe mentioned this fact to Steve a few times in chats. This opens up quite a little debate. He says it's only natural for us to lo ok to them, as England is the ‘parent' of us. I tell him that can't be. My ancestors came from France and Germany. He gets a chuckle, and then starts to lecture on how America as a whole was started by them, and we made the grave mistake of wasting good English tea, to which I happily reply that it's 0k, because I don't drink tea. I asked Steve if he sees himself as English or British. English, foremost, he says. I then asked him what he enjoys about his country.He said he enjoys the countryside, with its quiet rolling hillsides, spring flowers and gentle smooth rivers. He enjoys the music, and the English ale, with its bitter but smooth taste, and he adds it must be erved at room temperature. Somehow I think he was being extra poetic because I had asked him to elaborate on his original answer of â€Å"countryside, music, English ale†. He's generally a man of few words, at least typed words, but when gently prodded, he can say quite a lot, sometimes sarcastically, but o ften humorously. We discussed some of the history in England.He says that the English tend to take their historical sites for granted, though they do a good Job of protecting the old buildings and sights. When I asked if he goes out and enjoys the historical places, he said, â€Å"No, but IVe worked in a few places of historical interest†. He says â€Å"If you live in Manhattan, you don't go up to the Statue of Liberty. We take it all for granted really. We shouldn't but do. † I can easily see the truth in what he says, as much of our history here is being allowed to be forgotten. When speaking of lifestyles, Steve says that he likes to experience different cultures. â€Å"Big Ben is on my doorstep.I would rather travel the world and see differing ways of living. I can see Big Ben anytime. The world is changing. I'd like to see some of it before McDonalds gets there first. Even Bangkok has a McDonalds. † Steve is speaking f his recent trip to Bangkok, Thailand. I asked him if differing lifestyles was the big draw for so many British to immigrate to the states. He says that the draw for the English is that living in the states is similar to England's way of life, only much more comfortable. The main difference, he says, between England and the United States is that America is very inward looking.We seem to have 99% American news and Just 1% on the rest of the world. Though that may have changed since 9/1 1 . He says that Americans wish to know less of the world in general. Then he apologized for sounding insulting. He ent on to say that England ruled most of the world at one point, so theyVe always had interest in the world. He says that their news is about 50/50. I said that I wondered why England wants to rule so many countries. He said â€Å"We don't anymore. We've tried to give some countries back, but they won't have it. We tried to give Gibraltar back to Spain, but the people said they wanted to stay British † I asked why that was.He said, â€Å"They like us. We're quaint. † This moved us on toa subject Steve has much to say about. I asked him what life was like under the rule of a monarchy. He took no time to say, â€Å"Personally, it's dreadful. I hate being the Queen's subject. † Having only seen the monarchy on American television, I was curious as to why he would say that. He replied, â€Å"l resent their ways, their opinions. They are snobs of the worst kind; privileged and pampered while some of their people starve on the streets. Theyre hypocrites. † He goes on to say that the royals are expensive trophies for the tourists to view.Steve states, â€Å"They'll never change. The aristocracy survives to keep the working man in his place. Give him a beer, a bit of telly and football, and he'll be good and quiet. † I mentioned that they portray the royals here as heading oward a possible collapse, and he says, â€Å"It's not that simple, I'm afraid. They are too powerful, to o rich. They have low friends in high places. It would take a revolution to get rid of them, and the English people Just want a quiet life. † To lighten the conversation up, I turned the subject to English traditions. He states that there aren't many left.He says, â€Å"We have Guy Fawkes Day. It's fireworks to celebrate the capture of Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up parliament. † He laughs, â€Å"When I worked there, down in the basement on a wall is scrawled ‘Guy Fawkes was here', and an email address. Guy Fawkes was like three hundred years ago. We also have Pancake Day, when we all eat pancakes. Some have pancake races, where women run while tossing pancakes in a pan. We also have egg and spoon races where you run with an egg balanced on a small spoon. All very sensible pastimes. † Our conversation rolled around to what the English think of America.Steve's impression seems to come through easily with his words. â€Å"It depends on whether theyVe been to America or not. IVe never met anyone who's been there that doesn't love America or Americans. Americans over here in England, though, can come across as a little loud and brash. The English that go over to the States tend to go to Florida for the climate and Disneyworld. It's where all the travel package companies sell holidays to. It's closer than California. Most English peeps like beaches. They fly 5000 miles to lie on a beach for two weeks. It doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather see the countryside or the cities. Then he quotes ‘Sunshine bores the daylights outta me,' a Mick Jagger line. Did I mention he was a Stone's fan? Steve has always been quick to say how much he loves America. He's traveled across the ocean about four times already, and driven from one coast to the other, a trek he ays he wants to do again, as soon as he can afford a month off from work. I asked if he thought it would be more difficult, since 9/1 1, to get a visa to come here. He said he has a l ife visa. If youVe been in the States a couple of times on short visas and haven't overstayed or misbehaved, they give you a life visa.Or at least they used to. He proudly admits to having one. With his views of the government in England, I couldn't help but ask if he'd ever considered moving here. He said he had, after his first visit here. And after his second. A d his third â€Å"The first couple ot times I was married My sister-in-law nad MS and my wife wouldn't leave England. I also had a cracking band, which in American terms means a really good band. On a later trip, the housing market crashed. If I had sold my house, I would have owed $120,000. † Going back to the discussion of England, I asked if they got much sunshine during the year.Steve, in his charming way said, mieah, we had a good summer. Think it happened on a Thursday. † I inquired about this because we've all seen the old classic movies depicting London always under a blanket of fog. When I mentioned this, he laughed. â€Å"No, that's a myth. We do get fog occasionally but mostly in the countryside, ot London. But when we get it, we get it, thick as soup. † He goes on to say that it rains a lot in England, which makes the country very green, which he likes. England is known for its poor maintenance on roads. I asked Steve about this.He says, â€Å"Potholes are everywhere in local roads. The weather breaks roads up and they won't pay for upkeep. England is famous for digging holes in the roads. They lay cables, pipes, etc. , fill them in, come back a week later, dig them up again. It's a British pastime. † I asked if people travel much. He says most people holiday abroad. It's cheaper to go to Spain than to stay in England. When asked if England was a majority of wealthy or poor, he says that most are not poor, but they have their money tied up in their houses. â€Å"On paper, there are a lot of rich people.I myself have $200,000 on paper, but it's tied up in my ho use. The cheapest apartment in my area costs $130,000. If you rent, it's usually from the local government. Then, as an example, after a few years you can buy it at a 66% discount. Then you pay maybe $30,000 for a house that's worth $100,000, so most people buy. The government does this for their own benefit. It's short term; they get cash and don't have to pay the maintenance costs. The downside is that there are no homes available for people to rent. I unfortunately bought on the open market, so no discount. It's interesting to know that, like here in America, they have a variety of accents. Steve speaks Cockney, which is known around the London area. If youVe seen the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen film â€Å"Winning London†, my sister's favorite movie, you'll get a hint of it. To us it's fast spoken and hard to understand, and believe me, isn't much easier to understand in text, which he throws in from time to time Just to confuse me. He also mentions the Queen's English, whi ch is much more proper sounding, and hat we generally hear spoken on television.There are other accents as well, depending on the region you come from. I hated to end the interview. England has so much to learn about. I would have liked to delve much more deeply into the history and culture of his country, the things we don't hear and read about here in the States. But it's getting late for Steve. England is 7 hours ahead of Texas. It's very easy to forget the time difference and Just keep talking, on my end at least. I am very happy to have met Steve, even if we never get the opportunity to meet tace-to-tace.

A Taste of Honey Essay Example for Free (#3)

A Taste of Honey Essay ? In a ‘normal’ mother-daughter relationship a mother’s part is to provide love and affection all the time. A mother should provide this love and affection even more when the daughter is feeling depressed and down in the dumps. A ‘normal’ mother should care for her daughter when she is ill and nurse her back to full health. She should give her daughter advice when problems come up and her get through the problem by helping to come up with a solution. A mother should guide her daughter through life and prepare her for its challenges. A mother should learn from her mistakes and ensure that her daughter doesn’t make the same mistakes. A mother should provide stability for her daughter. She should do this by giving her a good home in one place, by providing food and doing things like washing clothes for her. A mother should ensure that her daughter gets a good standard of education. She should encourage her daughter in everything she does and push her so that she achieves it to the highest standard. A mother should teach her daughter the differences between right and wrong so that it will give her a chance to build up her own set of principles in life. The most important thing a mother should do is give her daughter unconditional love and sacrifice her pleasure for the sake of her child. The daughter’s part in a ‘normal’ mother-daughter relationship is to have respect for her mother and to not do things like calling her by her first name. A daughter should not take her mother for granted and should help her with the housework as much as possible. A daughter should take care of her mother when she is ill. At the start of the play Helen and Jo have just moved into a new flat. Immediately we see that Jo has a lack of respect for her mother, Helen. I know this because Jo calls her by her by her first name. We see that Helen doesn’t care about Jo’s well being and whether she’s hurt or not. I know this because Jo wants to put a scarf around an unshaded light bulb and Helen just sits by and watches her burn her hand. JO: Can I have that chair, Helen? (Jo takes chair from Helen, stands on it and wraps her scarf round light bulb – burning herself in the process) There are many examples of Helen not caring including the time when Jo wants to turn on the gas stove but she is afraid she will cause a gas explosion. Helen doesn’t come and help her like a ‘normal’ mother would but just gives her a stupid piece of advice. HELEN: Turn them all. You’re bound to find the right one In the play we also see that Helen is not teaching Jo the basic rights and wrongs of life. For example when Jo tells Helen that she has stolen some bulbs she doesn’t tell her off like any ‘normal’ mother would but she condones it. HELEN: Where did you get those bulbs? JO: the Park. The gardener had just planted about two hundred. I didn’t think he’d miss half HELEN: That’s the way to do things. Helen doesn’t care what Jo does with her life and whether she gets proper education or not. For example when Jo tells Helen she is going to leave school, Helen just tells her to do what she likes. HELEN: it’s your life. Ruin it your own way. A ‘normal’ mother would have tried to persuade her daughter to finish school and get good qualifications. When Helen recognises Jo’s talent as an artist she just gives her daughter a backhanded compliment, whereas a normal mother would praise her and push her to go to art school. HELEN: I didn’t know I had such a talented daughter. Look JO: I’m not just talented. I’m geniused HELEN: I think I’ll hang this on the wall somewhere. Now The above quote gives me the impression that Helen maybe wants to encourage her but doesn’t know how to. Helen has provided no stability in Jo’s life. Jo was always moving houses and schools. JO: Too many schools and too many different places. This was because Helen was always running away from one of her fancy men. JO: Why did we have to come here anyway? We were HELEN: I was fed up with the other place JO: You mean you were running away from somebody Helen is a bad influence on Jo and does not act appropriately in front of her. When Peter arrives she allows him to make sexual advances towards her and doesn’t really do anything to stop it. PETER: Aren’t you wearing your girdle? HELEN: Well you certainly liberate something in me and it definitely ain’t maternal instincts. A ‘normal’ mother would do this sort of thing in private without the presence of her daughter. Another example of Helen being a bad influence on Jo is when she encourages Jo to drink. When Jo refuses Helen almost tries to force it down her. HELEN: †¦have some of this if you’re cold A ‘normal’ mother wouldn’t force her 15-year-old daughter to drink. Helen doesn’t sacrifice her pleasure for Jo. For example she always throws Jo out of bed, every time one of her fancy men comes. JO: You should have asked him to stay. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been thrown out of bed to A ‘normal’ mother would go somewhere else. Another example of this is when Helen decides to go to Blackpool with Peter for the weekend. She just leaves Jo to fend for herself with only a quid to live on. HELEN: Can you give us a quid, Peter? I’d better leave her some money. We might decide to make a weekend of it and she can’t just live on grass Jo is very insecure and is afraid of the dark. JO: I’m not frightened of the darkness outside. It’s the darkness inside houses I don’t like This is probably because Helen left her alone a lot of times since she was a child. Jo is very possessive about her mother. JO: You leave me alone. And leave my mother alone As I said at the start of the essay about Jo not having any respect for Helen, Helen also doesn’t have any respect for her daughter as she calls her names like a whore. HELEN: You know what they’ve been calling you round here? Jo craves her mother’s love and affection throughout the play and for most of the time she doesn’t get it. Helen directs her love and affection to her fancy men and not to Jo, leaving her jealous. HELEN: Can’t bear to see me being affectionate with JO: You’ve certainly never been affectionate with me. You have seen in the above examples about how Helen is not a good mother but Jo is not completely innocent. There are examples of Jo often trying to spite her mother deliberately and annoying her. One example is when she makes her mother’s coffee as weak as she can, as she knows she likes it strong. PETER: What sort of coffee is this anyway? It an hardly HELEN: She always does that. Makes it as weak as she can Between Helen and Jo there are sometimes fleeting moments of affection shared. An example of Helen caring is when Jo tells her mother that she is getting married at her age. Helen tells Jo that she should learn from her mistakes and not ruin her life by getting married. HELEN: Oh Jo, you’re only a kid. Why don’t you learn from my mistakes? It takes half your life to learn from your own. This is one of the few moments in the play where Helen is acting like a proper mother and giving the advice that she should give. When Helen and Jo are having this conversation they are at the point of having a heart to heart when they suddenly start having the normal banter that they do. This has happened often in the play and it gives me the impression that they can’t communicate with each other properly and can’t talk about their feelings openly. Throughout the play Helen often refers to Jo as ‘she’ as if there is a third person in the room. Helen most often does this when she is frustrated with Jo. At a point in the play when Helen is arguing with Jo and is really fed up with her, she says†¦ HELEN: You’re asking for a bloody good hiding, lady. Just be careful. Oh she’d drive you out of your mind A ‘normal’ mother would talk to her daughter directly. Helen and Jo often have conversations a ‘normal’ mother and daughter wouldn’t talk about. They talk about things like sex. For example†¦ JO: He was thin, weak-chinned, with a funny turned HELEN: It wasn’t the nose I was interested in. When Helen and Jo are in the same room together the atmosphere is always fraught and the pair are always making sarcastic comments to each other. For example†¦ HELEN: Do I look all right? Pass me my fur. Oh my fur, JO I bet somebody’s missing their cat. Helen has never given a second thought to Jo. As soon as a better offer comes along she would take off and leave Jo alone. This comes true when she gets married to Peter as she just leaves to go to live with Peter leaving Jo with no money and no support. Jo is all alone. In the time that Helen is away Jo becomes pregnant. The boy is gone and she needs someone to look after her properly. She finds that someone when she meets Geoff. He is a homosexual boy and he looks after Jo throughout most of her pregnancy. In other words he became a mother figure to Jo. He did all the things Helen should have done like the cooking, cleaning and teaching her things about the pregnancy. When Helen comes back she gets rid of Geoff. So as always a really good thing in Jo’s life has been short-lived and she is right back to where she started. Helen comes back because Peter has ‘chucked’ her out. She has nowhere to go. This gives me the impression that Helen only sees Jo as a convenience. In conclusion this assignment proves that Helen and Jo have an abnormal mother-daughter relationship. There is a lack of respect between the pair and they can’t communicate properly. They can’t express their feelings towards each other even though deep down they do love each other. The assignment proves that that Helen is not a good mother and doesn’t know any parenting skills. It also proves that Jo is a neglected daughter who craves her mother’s love and affection. Having said that, Helen is not a completely bad mother and has given her daughter worthwhile advice sometimes and Jo has done some bad things to her mother sometimes. The title of the play is ‘A TASTE OF HONEY’ and it means a little bit of sweetness in life. In the play Helen and Jo have ‘A TASTE OF HONEY’ in their life. Helen got it from Peter. Jo got it from the boy and Geoff. It was short-lived and they ended up right back to where they started. I thought that ‘A TASTE OF HONEY’ an interesting play and was quite sad reading about a daughter who was rejected for most of her life and a mother who didn’t know how to be a good parent. A Taste of Honey. (2017, Oct 15).

Chapter 10 & 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Chapter 10 & 11 - Assignment Example Managers even have to hire employees for the safety department; the task of the employees of the safety department is to collect information about the incidents that take place in the organization. 2. Incentive programs are used by managers as a means to stimulate employees to use safety measures during their everyday work. Incentive programs have been successful for a certain extent, but these measures even have a downside. Employees do not provide timely information to managers to ensure that managers continue the functionality of the incentive programs. If managers fail to counter the issues in a timely manner, the issues become worse and uncontrollable. When the incentive programs are discontinued by the managers, employee performance decreases and even becomes worse. The theory of needs produced by Maslow states that individuals are motivated to fulfill their needs and they have different levels of needs. The theory even states that individuals first try to accomplish their basic needs, and then they pursue the remaining needs. Example of psychological need includes shelter, example of safety needs includes job security, example of social needs include colleagues in work place, and example of esteem needs includes aims and objectives in life. Once all these needs are fulfilled, managers start helping others. 4. The need achievement theory of McClelland states that individuals have a need to attain power, be affiliated with others and achieve something in life (Friend, 2010, p.236). The theory even states that some individuals have a higher degree of desire to fulfill the need for power than other needs. The theory states that need for achievement refers to an individual’s desire to be around friends and family members, the need for power refers to their desire of being able to influence others and the need for achievement refers to an individual’s desire to achieve aims and objectives in life. 5.

Navigating through the Life Cycle of Maturity Essay

Navigating through the Life Cycle of Maturity - Essay Example Apparently, the adoption of a direct way of selling their franchises to their customers as opposed to their competitors for instance Compaq who relied on retailers to sell their franchises. Evidently, this served to improve their business since it boosted the customer seller relationship. In addition to that, good management also played a major role in the growth of Dell. On that note, while their competitors such as IBM struggled with management politics, Dell was strategizing on how to improve their business. Secondly, an analysis of Dells declining industry yielded the following. Although, technology buy outs have worked for the Dell competitors, but with the decline in the personal computer market as a result new innovations have contributed to the demise of Dell. Finally, examples of dells strategy over the competition are as follows. The leadership strategy which entails the company striving to become the dominant player in the declining business venture is one method. Secondly, the niche strategy which emphasizes on the pocket demand that are declining gradually as compared to the industry as a whole. Moreover, this entails the flow of funds. Finally, there is the divestment strategy, which consists of the process a company sells the business to other

Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project - Research Paper Example According to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), there are several inconsistencies with the five scenarios mentioned. For instance, it is the sole responsibility of GAAP to evaluate and account on the transactions conducted in the company. In other words, it ensures that is correct presentation of the business income and expenses of the corporation in relation to realized profits and losses. On that aspect, for instance, the lease on technology assets on inflated prices constitutes a violation of the GAAP rule of accountability. Additionally, there is also the breach of the principle of full disclosure/materiality (Epstein & Saafir, 2010). In this principle, according to the umbrella of GAAP, the leasing of technology assets should have been made public in terms of the transactions and the records of the sales. There is also the breach of the principle of sincerity. For example, in making understatements of e-commerce state the tax payments, the organization goes aga inst the principality of GAAP that requires sincerity and honesty. Alternatively, this also violates the GAAP principle of regularity whereby a company should abide its sets rules and laws. The receivership of post-employment benefits by fictitious workers is also a sign of fraud in the organization. In accordance with GAAP requirements, the principle of non-compensation guards against the hiding of pertinent details that deal with financial information (Bragg, 2008). Therefore, there is an element of fraud because workers within the company are using proxies to award themselves heft payments. This is a breach against compensation by either asset or debt in the principle of non-compensation. Moreover, it also contradicts the GAAP principle of full disclosure that requires all financial information including payments and transactions to be disclosed in public through records. Another fraud that is apparent according to GAAP rules is that one involving the hiding of cash to help other future quarters. The earnings are meant to short change the expectations of an analyst in future reports. However, unknown to the corporation, this is a contravention of the principle of regularity that requires any company to conform to its stipulated rules and laws of financial transaction without making any monetary concealments (Epstein & Saafir, 2010). Furthermore, there is also the principle of utmost good faith that states that all the information pertaining to the firm should made public to its respective insurer before taking any policy. This is because such a move leads to shady dealings as one witnessed above to manipulate the judgment of a financial analyst. In the same view, there is also an element of fraud in the concealment of inventory shrinkage because it seems low for the industry. According to the GAAP rules, the principle of prudence if grossly violated and subjected to financial ridicule. The principle expects firms to abide with the reality of the company wit hout making things look contrary to the reality. On that account, there should only be recording of revenue and inventory shrinkage when sales have been made at their disposal value (Harrer, 2008). Additionally, this move by the company also goes against the principle of full disclosure/ materiality that requires the making of all financial inf

Ethical Dilemma Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Ethical Dilemma Paper - Essay Example This conclusion has been drawn from the fact that the parties which are involved in this situation which are that of the young child, her biological parents and foster parents are likely to experience either pain or pleasure as a consequence of the court’s decision. Such that the law’s decision in favor of the biological parents would indeed grant them with happiness however, the child who has been raised by her foster parents since infancy would not appreciate being handed over to her biological parents as this action is being taken against her will, nor would the foster parents who have showered the child with love and affection experience pleasure as a consequence of the court’s decision. On the other hand, the implementation of rule based thinking in this scenario would recommend that by adopting a reckless approach towards parenting, the child’s parents have forgone their right to establish an association with their daughter if she does not intend to do so willingly. In the given case, the young girl has accepted her foster parents as her natural parents and demanding her to change this perception would be considered unfair because her natural parent’s incompetence in failing to responsibly raise her cannot be deemed as her fault. The court’s decision in this case can be negated by relating to the case 14-year-old, Kimberly Mays who was awarded the right to choose between her biological and adoptive family (Konstan, 1994). Therefore, as the child has been returned to her natural parents against her will, then it can be stated that ethics do not support law in the given scenario as per the foundations of rule based ethics. The similarities and differences of the ethical schools which have been applied in this case are based upon their evaluation of the matter and the identification of the parties which are involved in the case. The distinction between the theoretical models however, lies in the reason behind the court’s

Financial Performance for SAC 2010 & 2011 Assignment

Financial Performance for SAC 2010 & 2011 - Assignment Example At the end, recommendations are presented for Sparklin Automotive Company on the basis of performance evaluation presented in the report. Ratio analysis refers to the financial analysis tool through which financial analysts carry out the analysis of a company’s financial performance by conducting a quantitative analysis. For the purpose of determining different ratios for the company, its financial statements are considered, which include comparative information, i.e. information pertaining to more than one financial year (Albrecht, Stice, & Stice, 2008; Eugene F. Brigham, 2012; Needles & Powers, 2010). Current ratio is a measure of liquidity position of a company, which determines the amount of liquid assets possessed by a company in comparison with the amounts owed by it in short run. The ratio is determined by dividing current assets with current liabilities of the company (Needles & Powers, 2010). The debt to equity ratio for a company shows that how far a company’s finance is obtained through borrowing with reference to the total equity of the company. This ratio, as the name suggests, is determined by dividing the total debt of the company with total equity (Needles & Powers, 2010). The inventory turnover ratio shows the frequency with which a company’s inventory is sold over a period of time. The ratio is determined by dividing the total sales revenue with the average inventory level or ending inventory, as the case may be (Needles & Powers, 2010). This ratio signifies the efficiency of a company with respect to the collection of its amounts owed to debtors. When accounts receivable turnover is high, it is considered favorable because the company is able to maintain a lower level of receivables with respect to total revenues earned on credit. The ratio is determined by dividing the total revenues earned with accounts receivables (Needles & Powers, 2010). The gross margin percentage is a ratio which shows gross margin as a

Superannuation Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Superannuation Australia - Essay Example One of the key features that MySuper offers is easily comparable fees structure that has a list of allowable forms of fees (Patrick, 2004). In addition, the fees that a member of MySuper is charged are limited. Some of the major fees that are involved include administration fee, investment fee, and other types of fees including exit fees, investment switching and contribution splitting. MySuper products offers total & permanent disability (TPD) insurance that is of standard and default in nature. This implies that the members will have the opportunity to decrease or increase their insurance cover without leaving the MySuper product. Upon joining, members of MySuper product will automatically receive a prescribed level of insurance (Mansell and Wehn, 1998). Similarly, individuals who decide to opt out of the insurance cover will no longer pay the insurance premium. In its effort to attain an economic growth that is based on extensive investment, the Australian government introduced a lifecycle investment option as a default to MySuper product. One of the major aspects of the lifecycle investment option is that it allows the trustees to move members into another investment mix in an automatic manner. Some of the factors that are considered during moving of members include age, time, gender and retirement among others (Bill, 2013). Through the Trustee Tailored Superannuation, new inventive lifecycle methods have now been introduced thus ensuring that member’s income is properly invested. Another notable feature that is found in the MySuper product is disclosure. This implies that the extent of trustee disclosure depending with the fees, investment allocation as well as investment performance will be higher. As a result, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) will be in a position to compare data that is related to long-term net return thus

Vodafone Case Essay Example for Free

Vodafone Case Essay The UK mobile telecommunications market is one of the most competitive in the world and, as a consequence, customer attrition or ’churn’ is high. In 2005, as part of a strategy to build on its market leadership, Vodafone UK began the quest for a competitor intelligence tool that would help its sales advisors reduce customer attrition and secure new sales. Vodafone wanted a service that would deliver timely, accurate information on the tariffs, deals and handsets being offered by its competitors to the employees that need it most the customer facing staff. After a rigorous analysis of competitor intelligence offerings from over a dozen providers, Vodafone UK selected CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢. The service delivers same day market tracking and analysis of key competitor information from other mobile operators, major retailers and mobile virtual network operators. Quarter by quarter reduction in churn Measurable improvements in conversion rates Integration with retention and sales strategy Easy deployment with minimal impact on IT/CRM systems Partnership approach to implementation and training The Challenge With thousands of tariff, handset and offer combinations available in the market, keeping contact centre advisors up to date can seem an impossible task. Vodafone UK recognised this challenge and identified that it required a competitor intelligence tool that would help it to retain existing contract customers, notably at time of contract renewal, and attract more new customers. The company had initially considered developing its own solution, but had soon found that this would have been excessively costly both in financial terms and in the amount of resource required and identified that this was not its core area of expertise. Vodafone UK also found that there was a dearth of competitor data that was comprehensive and accurate enough for advisors to rely on during high pressure customer negotiations. The company therefore sought a partner which understood the specific challenges of the mobile telecoms market and which could apply that expertise to the data it delivered. Business Objectives â€Å"This has been an excellent implementation for CInergy, and Vodafone’s innovation and dedication to the project has enabled it to achieve very good results from the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ system†. Brian Boroff, MD, CInergy International Vodafone UK’s brief was that it wanted to understand its competitive landscape more clearly, to enable it to respond swiftly and effectively to customer requests and to ensure that it had a clear picture of how its offers stacked up against the competition. Specifically, the company wanted this information to be available not just to the management and marketing functions, but directly to advisors in its contact centres who deal with customers day to day. The company also wanted a system that would not have major implications for its IT platforms and which could be integrated into the existing desktops used by contact centre advisors, complete with Vodafone corporate branding. Finally, Vodafone UK needed an exp ert in the field that could provide end to end support from designing the service, through to delivery, advisor training and rollout across the organisation. The Solution: CInergy AIâ„ ¢ CInergy had already developed its Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ (AIâ„ ¢) competitor intelligence platform for the mobile telecoms market at the time that Vodafone issued its RFP in 2005. By designing an appropriate interface and tailoring specific service modules to meet Vodafone’s needs, CInergy was able to meet the criteria detailed in the RFP and to deliver a fully working system in a very short timeframe. After a successful trial, the service was rolled out to the majority of Vodafone’s contact centre community around the UK during 2006. Key features of Vodafone UK’s implementation of CInergy’s AIâ„ ¢ include: Comprehensive tariff and promotion monitoring Handset / device tracking with up to date pricing from all major competitors On demand, side by side comparisons of different deals, tariffs and handset options Expert analysis and scripted points that enable Vodafone sales advisors to demonstrate ’why we’re better’ Fully branded interface to match Vodafone  UK’s Intranet Reliable, accurate data analysed by teams with mobile telecoms knowledge A hosted, secure platform Delivering Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ Vodafone and CInergy worked closely together to ensure that Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ would deliver optimum benefits in terms of improved customer retention and sales. This partnership approach has enabled Vodafone to achieve a swift return on its investment. The company has found that its levels of churn have decreased as more sales advisors become familiar with the system and are able to integrate the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ functionality and information into their acquisition and retention processes. CInergy supported Vodafone in the development and delivery of induction training on Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ for all contact centre advisors with access to the system. Now that the system is in use, short refresher sessions delivered in the weekly advisor meetings ensure that all advisors are kept up to date as new features are introduced. Since CInergy AIâ„ ¢ was launched in 2006, CInergy has worked with Vodafone to implement two major upgrades to the system, as well as providing regular enhancements to the interfaces, functionality and database content based on feedback from the advisors who use CInergy AIâ„ ¢every day. â€Å"Since we’ve started using the system, it has contributed to a fall in our churn rates quarter by quarter, ensuring we remain highly competitive in the UK market†. John Coulstock, Senior Manager, Vodafone UK The Results As John Coulstock, a senior manager at Vodafone, explains, â€Å"We launched Accelerated Intelligence in Q3 2006 and it is currently in use by a large number of our contact centre advisors. Since we’ve started using the system, it has contributed to a fall in our churn rates quarter by quarter, ensuring we remain highly competitive in the UK market. We’ve found that the more our agents use the system, the more sales they are able to close. The CInergy  AIâ„ ¢ application has become an integral part of our customer retention and sales strategy.† Vodafone has now renewed its contract with CInergy for an extended term. CInergy’s AIâ„ ¢ service has delivered a range of benefits to Vodafone including: A contribution to a reduction in contract churn since its launch in Q3 2006 Improvement in the rate of saves in consumer and enterprise customer bases Reduction in call handling time Increased ability to set deals in a market context leading to better acquisition performance Improvements in operational efficiency by eliminating onerous, manual data collection Improved reporting, trend prediction, forecasting and analysis Clear understanding of competitor offerings to improve key pricing messages in advertising, dealer negotiations and channel marketing CInergy AIâ„ ¢ Content Modules CInergys AIâ„ ¢ is a powerful platform which is modular to suit the needs of todays mobile operators: Tariff and price tracking Detailed handset and device information Channel specific deals and advertising Source: Vodafone KPIs, December 2007 CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ has contributed to a 18.6% reduction in churn since its launch in Q3 2006. As Brian Boroff, MD of CInergy concluded, â€Å"This has been an excellent implementation for CInergy, and Vodafone’s innovation and dedication to the project has enabled it to achieve very good results from the CInergy AIâ„ ¢ system.† Vodafone UK Contract Churn Within OneYear of CInegy Al Rollout About Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢ CInergy’s Accelerated Intelligenceâ„ ¢(AIâ„ ¢) puts competitive information into the hands of customer facing teams, enabling them to counter competitive offers and achieve higher retention and sales performance. The service enables service providers to significantly improve the number of sales they  close in a single call, helping to drive down the cost of customer acquisition and retention as well as improving revenues. Accelerated Intelligence is proven in the UK mobile telecom space having worked with four of the UK’s main network operators, delivering an average incremental customer save rate of 1.59% and reduction in call handling time of 22 seconds. CInergy International was set up in 2003 to deliver customer acquisition and retention solutions to providers of mobile and fixed telecom, broadband and digital television services. â„ ¢ About Vodafone UK Vodafone UK has 18.4 million customers and is part of the worlds largest mobile community offering a wide range of voice and data communications. The company is committed to providing mobile solutions that allow both consumer and business customers to make the most of now. Vodafone customers can now use Internet on your Mobile to view and navigate web pages and their favourite sites such as YouTube, eBay and the BBC. In addition, Vodafone connects customers across the globe with roaming agreements worldwide. It provides 3G roaming in 29 countries and offers great roaming value with Vodafone Passport.

Evaluation of Banking Services for International Students

Evaluation of Banking Services for International Students ABSTRACT The main aim of the study was to evaluate the major banking institutes in Newcastle and distinguish the services and account types offered to international students. For the study, four banks were selected among which three were United Kingdom based and one was an international bank. The banks included in the study were HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Barclays and National Westminster (NatWest). By using two questionnaires; one from the international students and other from the bank personnel, the present study assessed the important factors that were considered significant in selecting the bank and the importance of students as customers for the banks. The results suggested that there was little different in the basic facilities offered by the four banks, but Lloyds TSB was the most popular among the international students due to its variety of student accounts. In conclusion, the research offered an insight into the management and the marketing strategies that banks can make use of to attract in ternational students as potential customers. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The aim of the present study was to evaluate the major banking institutes in Newcastle and distinguish the services and account types offered to international students. For the study, four banks were selected among which three were United Kingdom based and one was an international bank. These banks were: HSBC Lloyds TSB Barclays National Westminster (NatWest) The researcher compared the services, interest rate, few charges and the ease of accessibility of these banks to the international students with they region they resided and attended their respective colleges or universities. The topic of the present research was selected by the researcher because the issue of how international students select their banks in Newcastle has been given considerable attention by researchers. The reason for this is that most international students who come to Newcastle are without local bank accounts and in the long run most students need such a facility to work on completing transactions such fees payments, living expense, accommodation and fulfillment of other financial needs. Investigating such information would assist banks to recognize the suitable management and marketing strategies required to attract new students as customers and keep hold of existing ones (Kaynak Kucukemiroglu, 1992). The relevant literature indicates that a great deal of research effort has been put into investigating the bank selection decisive factor for international students in the United Kingdom. Researches on bank management and marketing are not a new phenomenon. In fact, a lot has been written on the subject of bank management and marketing with the bulk of the literature relating to banking behavior of general customers. A broad range of marketing paradigms related to customers has been examined, including market segmentation, attitudes, purpose, inclinations, bank loyalty, bank selection choices, bank representation, bank service value, contentment and multiple bank users (Garland 2002). One marketing concept related to customers that has fascinated abundance of researches has been the thought process of customers or the grounds on the basis of which customers decide to interact with particular banks (Anderson, Cox Fulcher, 1976; Evans, 1979; Kaynak, 1986; Boyd, Leonard White, 1994). A thorough examination of the present literature ascertains the generalization related to the thought process of retail customers. The population of interest in the vast bulk of such custo mer researches has been the general customer. Only a few of researches have intended for younger age groups such as the undergraduate section of the market though over past few years, the bank management have started to take vast interest in this section of the population (Mokhlis, Nik Mat Salleh 2008). Even though greater parts of undergraduate students are unemployed and their earning comes largely from educational loans, they offer an exceptional business opportunity for banks. First, in regards to their buying power, the student segment is growing and has turned lucrative (Ayadi 1996). With the development of educational services in United Kingdom, the amount of international students in further and higher education has been increasing rapidly over the years. Secondly, students are expected to require a bank account to settle their tuition fee or parental funding and might be taking care of their personal financial matters for the first time (Kaynak Whiteley 1999). Those students who do not yet hold bank accounts would be required to open one as they begin college because all transactions are done through the students bank accounts. Regardless of their comparatively basic banking requirements, students are considered an important segment in the market at the level in the buying cycle where they might be more receptive to marketing strategies from financial institutions (Thwaites Vere, 1995). Another important feature of the student market is the possibility for above-average profitability. Lewis (1982) suggested that banks understood that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"it is important to attract students to open accounts when they begin college, in the expectation that they would stay with the after graduation, and be lucrative, in the long run, for the bank. The fundamental reason for this observation is that college student is the section of the population who has the likelihood of earning a larger income than any other section of the population. As stated by Duncan, Smeeding Rodgers (1992), only individuals who are studying have a considerably greater probability of rising from the low income strata into the middle class. Specially, as contrasted with non-graduates of similar age group, graduates usually secure more highly paid jobs, achieve a more developing career and thus, grow a need for a greater variety of personal financial services as they go by their own life cycle. The ski ll to build up an existence in the student market through suitable attainment and maintenance strategies is thus expected to have an effect on banks future market share and revenue (Thwaites Vere, 1995). International students signify as a significant market for financial institutions such as banks. The skill to value, comprehend and deal with the precise needs of this segment section of the population is now a vital market reality (Cicic, Brkic, Agic, n.d). Bankers can no longer maintain their conventional belief that only business and salary earning customers will bring revenue to the bank. They must understand that student customers are also possibly lucrative market section and prospect market earnings will be attained by banks only if they target this up-and-coming section and win them (Grady Spencer 1990). Banks that would get hold of student segment must know the significant factors that decide the basis upon which students choose between financial institutions (Kaynak Yavas 1985). Bank marketers must be capable of discerning what is central to student customers in the market and how their force compares with those of their competitors (Cicic, Brkic, Agic, n.d). United Kingdom has an extensive history of inviting international students to educate themselves in its colleges and universities. According to UCAS (2009), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“In the UK in 2009 there were 1.8 million full-time undergraduate students in higher education, which included over 104,000 international students.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? The rapid growth in the amount of international students in the past few years has become a significant supply of export revenues, and it surely has the ability for further rapid growth. It had been recommended that provided with the right support, the amount of international students studying in UK universities could more than double in the next few years (Higher educations importance goes well beyond teaching 2009). There are numerous factors involved in offering of student accounts in nearly all financial institutions. It might be due to growing the customer base or acquiring the new customers in the budding stage. In the contest to get hold of more and more customers and attract the younger generation, the financial institutions are offering various types of products and services. International students studying in the United Kingdom need to look after numerous things once they have arrived at their respective colleges and universities. These include accommodation, health, money matters, registration, etc. But the first and the foremost duty of a student on arriving in United Kingdom is to open his or her account in order to carry out the required financial transactions. Even though, the student cannot open a bank account until he or she has arrived and enrolled at the college or the university, but Barclays now offers a bank account that can be opened before arriving in United Kingdom (International Student Handbook 2009). In order to open a bank account, an international student needs to first decide on the bank and the account that he or she requires. Some banks offer first-time students a Student Account with special advantages. However, each bank offers different facilities, and the student would need to compare and decide which one will be best for him or her (International student: banking Information 2009). Once the bank has been chosen, the student needs to take his or her passport along with his or her student visa to the chosen bank. If the student belongs to EU, then he or she is also required to take the national photo identity card as well (Opening a UK bank account 2003). Furthermore, the banks also require a letter or certificate from the university confirming the students United Kingdom study details. Moreover, in order to open an online or a telephone account, the bank may require more proof of the students identity (You can bank on it: opening a bank account in the UK 2004). The reaso n for banks requiring proof of ID is because the law of UK states that all financial services companies must do everything they can to ensure their services are not being used for financial crime. Because of this, banks must avoid accounts from being opened under fake identities. They must ask each and every individual who wants to open or operate a bank account for documents to prove their identity (International student opening a UK bank account, n.d) As Newcastle has gained the one of the top most position in the United Kingdom for further education, therefore the need for the student to open bank accounts to carry out their financial transactions has risen as well. This is because most international students who come to Newcastle are without local bank accounts and in the long run most students need such a facility to work on completing transactions such fees payments, living expense, accommodation and fulfillment of other financial needs. Thus, the banks have recognized the significance of international students as potential customer and it is due to this fact, the banks in Newcastle are aiming to improve their clientele by attracting students to open bank accounts in their respective bank through different marketing strategies and incentives. As a result, numerous bank representatives are seen roaming around in the first week of the academic year in various universities and colleges marketing their benefits to the potential cu stomers. These bank representatives provide students with information regarding various services and benefits that are offered at their respective banks. They would also provide information regarding the different accounts that can be opened at the banks. The most common type of accounts are: Deposit account or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"basic account Current account Student account The banks also offer a number of facilities to their customer to make their financial transaction more convenient and easier. These facilities include: Cash withdrawals available at Post Office Debit Card ATM ATM Card Direct Debit Online Banking Telephone Banking 1.1 Research Aims The basic aim of the research was to: Find the cheapest bank account students can open. Compare HSBC, Lloyds Plc, Barclays and NatWest in Newcastle for their international student services. Availability of banks/ATMs within the student area of Newcastle. 1.2 Research Objectives The objectives of the present research were to: Evaluate the best account type to open for international students. Investigate the majority of bank accounts used by international students. Investigate the reason for international students choosing a certain bank to open their bank accounts. Study the geographic locations and ease of access to the banks within the region designated to students and their life styles. Study the 4Ps (Product, Price, Promotion, Place) of the banks. Investigate the importance of students as potential customers for the banks. Find out the marketing and management strategies employed by the four banks. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW The banks in todays world are trying to attract students to open their accounts at their banks. The reason for this is that the banks think about it in the long term point of view. To them a student is not a student: a student is an individual who would have a career some day and this particular individual would be a loyal customer, would pay back his or her overdraft (sometimes with charges), need a loan or a mortgage and so on. Therefore, the perception of the student account summed up by the banks, is to facilitate the banking needs of the students who are working towards undergraduates. The basic banking needs that would help students fulfill their financial needs vary from bank to bank as different banks offer different products and services, such as cards, deposit slips and cheques, to its student customer. A small number of researches regarding the subject of bank selection decisive factor of international students in the UK have taken place over the years. Gray (1977) examined student behavior regarding bank services in the UK. He suggested that convenience was the most vital factor affecting the students choice of bank. Another research by Lewis (1982) analyzed the banking behavior in students studying in the UK. A total sample of 716 students in 11 universities and colleges in the Greater Manchester area were inspected for the research. From findings of the study, it was discovered that 92 per cent of students thought they would remain with their current bank until their course finished while 44 per cent considered carrying on with the same bank. Moreover, it was discovered that convenience of site of the bank and its facilities to college was the main factors influencing on students choice of bank. A study by Thwaites and Vere (1995), also taken place in UK, illustrated that nearness of an ATM to the educational institution, free banking service and student offers were the main three reasons used by students in choosing the banks to deal with. The present study was focused on researching the main facilities provided by HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest in their student account. Furthermore, the researcher also studied the extra facilities provided by each of the bank in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"student account. The study helped the researcher get a general overview of the banking facilities provided to international student that were offered by HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest. Thus, the researcher was able to move forward and decide upon the most feasible and the optimum choice of international students regarding the bank and the bank account. The review of the literature was mainly focused upon the products and services offered by the four banks HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest to international students. Furthermore, the extra facilities that differentiated one bank from the other were also thoroughly studied in the literature review. National Westminster Bank Plc or generally known as NatWest is a part Europes second largest bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group. In order to make the students financial transactions convenient and easier, NatWest has fifty five branches in the countrys largest universities. Moreover, NatWest also has 1650 branches that are more than any of the commercial banks in the country. To benefit the students who come to study in the United Kingdom from overseas, NatWest has offered a Blue International Account that charges a fee of 6.95 pounds monthly. This account facilitates international students by offering them an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) which enables the full time students more than 40,000 travel, online and lifestyle discounts within the region and abroad. Furthermore, the Blue International Account provides with a useful guide that contains information on banking in the UK and advice on how to manage finances as a student. The guide is available in 5 different l anguages. NatWest has also made transfer of funds for students easier as now they can easily receive money from their home country and pay their bill online. Moreover, the bank also offers both online and telephone banking to international students to keep a check of their finances during any part of the day. NatWest also offers the students mobile phone top-up facility along with mobile phone banking and text alerts regarding the finances. Another significant aspect of Blue International Account is insurance which allows students to insure mobile phone and other gadgets. Also, the bank offers the students an Orange SIM card for the mobile that dials to more than 50 countries for 5p per minute. NatWest also provides it student customers with discounts like saving 1/3 on rail fares if the students age ranges between 16 and 25 all the way through Great Britain for a whole year. Also, if the tickets are booked through the NatWest Box Office, then students receive a 25% discount on tick ets to the plays, concerts and other events (Advantage Blue International: student option 2010). The worlds à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"local bank, HSBCs international network comprises of over 9800 offices in 77 countries along with 59,000 Link ATMs in the United Kingdom (HSBC Passport 2010). The bank offers a dedicated package known as the Passport Account for international students with 24 hours access to their money but with no credit or draft facilities. Students holding a passport account at HSBC are charged 6 pounds a month for a period of 12 months after which renewal of the account is mandatory (HSBC Passport 2010). The bank further provides passport holders with a Western Union Gold Card on which the students can earn points and make saving on transaction fees when sending money bank home. Also students can receive a discount of 4 pounds on international money transfer fee. The Passport Account at HSBC also offers its students customers with both internet and telephone banking. Moreover, the bank provides the students with Maestro Debit card and Direct Debit or standing orders and access to saving accounts with high interest (Comparison of banking facilities offered in Oxford by the major banks 2009). There is a special UK relocation service offered by the bank with relocation advice in eight different languages. The students can also receive a UK SIM card with 10 pounds of free credit along with low cost international calls. International students can also open a Basic Account at HSBC which is easy to comprehend and administer. The benefits of opening a Basic Account are that firstly, students can check balances, get statements and make withdrawals of up to 200 pounds with their basic bank account card at HSBC bank cash machines in UK. Secondly, students can also access up to 200 pounds per day over Post Office counters with basic bank account card and PIN numbers. Regular bills can be paid; standing orders and direct debits can be set up on the account. Also students can enjoy free internet and telephone banking (HSBC Passport 2010). The Lloyds TSB Group is a renowned UK-based financial service organization that offers complete banking and financial services in both United Kingdom and abroad. There are thirteen branches of Lloyds within the designated area for international students within Newcastle (Student Account 2010). There is a variety of Lloyds TSB student accounts to select from, depending on the requirements and situations. It has the most number of accounts available to offer to international students for free and minimum of 7.95 pounds monthly is charged for silver account and accounts such as gold have a higher fee rate with more facilities (Student Account 2010). The Lloyds Student Account has been presented with 5 Star Rating by Defaqto for its outstanding variety of attributes and advantages. There are three types of student accounts that students can choose from at Lloyds (Student Account 2010). Firstly, the Student Account offers a Debit Card and a Master Card. Also it provides with a free NUS Ex tra card and a years free mobile phone insurance. The students can receive up to 75 pounds cashback and free music downloads while using the Lloyds Student Bank Account. The facilities of internet banking, phone bank and free text alerts is also offered along with the benefit of saving the change in which surplus cash is moved into a savings account each month (Comparison of banking facilities offered in Oxford by the major banks 2009). Another type of student account offered is the Islamic Student Account which carries the same benefits as the Student Account but with the guarantee that the money will be held in reserve in accordance with Shariah (Islamic Law). Moreover, the student is given the option to utilize other non-Shariah benefits if they wish. The third type of bank account offered to students is the Graduate Account which receives a Classic credit card with at least  £500 credit limit. The facility of internet banking is also provided and commission-free travel mo ney is given as well (Student Account 2010). Barclays is one of the worlds top most banks. Their status has been created on over 300 years of services. Barclays is an international bank with its branches in more than 60 countries. Barclays offers an International Student Account known as the iBank Student that can be opened before arriving in United Kingdom (iBank Student and foreign student bank accounts with Barclays Wealth International 2010). iBank Student is offered for a small monthly charge of  £5 and a opening balance of  £1,000. The iBank Student account is an international account also available in sterling, US dollar and euro. The VISA debit card can be connected in sterling and is accepted in 22 million locations around the world (iBank Student and foreign student bank accounts with Barclays Wealth International 2010). Students can also receive discounts up to 25% on Hewlett Packard laptops, desktops and accessories. The account offers easy access and a savings account in which funds can be deposited a nd withdrawn whenever the customer wishes. The savings account can also be opened to earn higher interest by the student (Comparison of banking facilities offered in Oxford by the major banks 2009). The student can also gain access to complete collection of savings and investments or balances of  £10,000 or more. International telephone and online banking is available 24 hours to operate money in diverse currencies and time zones. The bank also offers expert advice from our mortgage advisers to help the student or his or her parents to buy property in UK (iBank Student and foreign student bank accounts with Barclays Wealth International 2010). The literature review on the different services offered by HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Barclays and NatWest indicated that all of the banks provide students with the basic services that are required to fulfill the financial transactions, however, the Student Account product is structured in various ways, in accordance with the style, strategy and control affairs of each bank. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Sample The present study was an investigation into student banking arrangements at four major banks- HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest- in the Newcastle area, and recommendations as to which provided the best services to international students. A sample of 100 subjects, including both males and females, ranging from the ages of 18 to 28 years, was drawn from different areas in Newcastle, United Kingdom. All the subjects were international students belonging to Newcastle university dormitories, Northumbria dormitories and Newcastle college campus in Newcastle. Another sample of 40 subjects, both males and females, was drawn from bank personnel of HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest. 10 employees from each bank were drawn as a sample. Further information from both international students and bank personnel was gathered regarding age, gender, education, accommodation, etc. 3.2 Sampling Strategy The sampling strategy employed in the research was Stratified Random Sampling. Stratified Random Sampling also referred as proportional  or  quota  random sampling, is separating the population into uniform subgroups and then drawing a simple random sample from each subgroup (Trochim, 2006). The reason for employing Stratified Random Sampling was that it enabled the researcher to draw a sample of international students from the total population and then draw a random sample among the international students to administer the questionnaire. Same was the case with the questionnaire from the banking personnel. For the present study, both primary and secondary researches were carried out. The use of both primary and secondary researches enabled the researcher to not only gather facts and figures about the products and services the different banks offered but it allowed analysis of the arrangements that the banks offered to international students through these products and services. 3.3 Primary Research 3.3.1 Questionnaire for Students A questionnaire was distributed among international students of Newcastle to find out which of the bank accounts was used most by the students. The questionnaire also had questions concerned with why the students chose a certain bank among HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest and what features of that bank attracted them the most. There were questions designed to investigate the geographic locations and ease of access to these banks within the region designated to students and their life styles. The questionnaire was divided into three sections. The first section dealt with gathering the information regarding the student respondent. This section included questions on age, gender, and educational level, how the student was funding his/her education, his/her tuition fee, maintenance cost, etc. The second section of the questionnaire was designed to gain an insight in the respondents history of banking. This section included questions on the number of accounts the student held previously and the type of account he/she held. The next section that is the last section was regarding the respondents experience of banking in Newcastle with the four banks; HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest. The questions in this section also dealt with the importance of different offered services to the respondent, factors that were involved in the students choosing a certain bank. Furthermore, questions on comparison of the four banks in Newcastle that is, HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest on the difference of the services and the type of accounts the respondent held at these banks were also included. 3.3.2 Questionnaire for Bank Personnel Another questionnaire was designed to gather data from the bank personnel of HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest. These questions were related to how important potential student customers were to their organization. Furthermore, the questions also investigated the management and marketing strategies these banks used. This questionnaire was also divided into three sections. The first section of the questionnaire was designed to provide a profile of the bank employee who responded to the survey. Questions on age, gender, the bank they were currently working for and their designation at the bank were included. The next section was regarding the importance of students as customers to these banks. In this section, the banking personnel were asked questions regarding whether it was important to have students as their customers, the type of accounts held by the students, why the students chose their bank over their competitors and the significance of different types of services offered at their banks. The third section was related to the marketing strategies, that is, the 4Ps that the banks used to attract students. This section included questions on the product, price, promotion and place of the products and services offered to the international students. 3.3.3 Consent Letter All the participants in the study were given a consent letter, which gave them the right to withdraw any information at any stage of the research. Also the authority and confidentiality of the people was confirmed 3.3.4 Cover Letter A cover letter was attached to both the questionnaires which explained the aims and objectives of the research to the respondents. It gave information about the time that the questionnaire would take to complete. Furthermore, it explained the privacy and the confidentiality of the information gathered. . 3.4 Secondary Research Secondary research was also employed in the present study. The purpose for this was to gather data regarding each bank from internet, books, articles and international account handbooks. The use of secondary research enabled the researcher to gather information regarding the various products and services offered to international students by these banks. Furthermore, it also enhanced the level of objectivity involved in the research as the data was gathered from other sources. 3.5 Research Design A comparative research design was employed in the study. A comparative research design evaluates two or more groups on one variable (McMillan 1991). This was employed because the research is an investigation in to student banking arrangements at four major banks in the Newcastle area, and recommendations as to which provide the best services to international students; (HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest). Thus, it was a comparison of the four banks as to which offered the best and the cheapest services to international students. 3.6 Procedure In order investigate into student banking arrangements at four major banks- HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest- in the Newcastle area, and recommendations as to which provided the best services to international students, a sample of 100 subjects, ranging from the ages of 18 to 28 years, was drawn from Newcastle, United Kingdom. All the subjects were international students belonging to Newcastle university dormitories, Northumbria dormitories and Newcastle college campus in Newcastle. Another sample of 40 subjects was drawn from bank personnel of HSBC, Lloyds plc, Barclays and NatWest. A comparative research design was employed in the research which is aimed the comparison of two or more groups on one variable (McMillan 1991). Stratified random sampling was used. First of all written permission was taken from the heads of educational institutions and the banks. They were briefed about the research, its significance, time involved and the procedure. Furthermore, the sample populati on was informed and consent forms were distributed. Also the authority and confidentiality of the people was confirmed. Individual testing was carried out. One time approach to the participants was used for data collection. The subjects were administered the questionnaires. The testing e

Princess Diana Spoke Volumes on AIDS Awareness :: essays research papers

During Princess Diana's life she helped with many foundations and charities. But she finally dedicated herself to one cause in particular. Princess Diana became very involved with helping AIDS sufferers and their families. Starting in the early nineties until her death in 1997 Diana did everything she could to help all AIDS foundations. Even though she was regal, she did not consider herself better than any AIDS sufferer, and constantly held AIDS victims and visted them when everyone else was afraid of their touch. Princess Diana first became interested in helping the needy when she was in high school. Diana fisrt started charitable works with the Voluntary Service Unit, where she would visit mentally handicapped teenagers. While many of Diana's friends were afraid and resistant about visiting Darenth Park, a huge mental hospital, Diana found that she had a natural desire for this work. Even though Diana was a princess and part of the royal family, she was not afraid to help AIDS vi ctims and sufferers. Diana wasnt afraid to touch or even hug kids or adults who had AIDS or were HIV-positive. On the other hand,the Queen, the Queen's sister, and the queen's niece always wore gloves when merely shaking hands. "Everyone needs hugs" Diana once said. Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first royal family member to openly work with and support AIDS victims. "I touch people, I think everyone needs that,"stated Diana when discussing about how she freely hugs and touches AIDS patients and people who are HIV-positive. In 1989, Diana made one of her first public visits to an AIDS facility in England.Diana started her work with AIDS during a very hard time in her life. Even though Diana could have quit her charitable works after her divorce, she embraced them with a renewed passion. Diana's support for AIDS victims and sufferers came a crucial time when tabloids and her royal family didnt fully approve of her works.Diana became a favorite around normal, ev eryday people because she made them feel loved. Diana thought it was normal to touch and have conversations with AIDS patients when others wouldnt go near them. Diana conquered public fear of AIDS when she held a baby with AIDS in Washington in her arms. Diana was special because she won people's devotions by simply being devoted to them. To many people Diana was a hero because she actually listened and understood AIDS patients, as well as show affection and love.

Buddhism :: essays research papers

Buddhism is a strict religion with restrictions that determines how a follower of the religion must live life. Buddhism is a large part of culture and society in south- eastern Asian countries. In the western hemisphere, there are simply not enough Buddhists to have a large impact on western society. A Buddhists ultimate goal is to reach their state of nirvana. To reach this state, their life is guided by firm presets. Buddhists believe that their lives they are living now were shaped in a previous life. Therefore Buddhists have to reach their own Karma. In order to reach their own karma, a Buddhist must follow the noble eightfold path. These are right views, right aims, right speech, right conduct, right living, self-control, right- mindedness and right meditation. This backbone to the religion is one of the reasons many people can’t follow it. One of the hardest principles for most Americans to follow would be self- control. The Buddhists meaning of self- control is meditation, yoga, deprive the body of sleep, have no contact with corrupted minds and control your diet. Considering that nearly 2/3 of all Americans are overweight, this would be a hard principle to follow. Another principle Americans would have following is, right conduct. Most people can’t be pure in behavior. This means no drinking or doing drugs, no looking at pornographic magazines etc. a lot of people in the united states will also have trouble telling the truth all the time. It’s hard to find a completely honest person now- a- days. The hardest principle for Americans to follow would be right meditation. Meditation requires willingness to suspend all thought, desires and attachments, and remain quiet. In meditation the material world that we live in is seen as a distraction that robs people of their

Hemophilia :: essays research papers

The genetic disorder which I have chosen as the subject of my report is hemophilia. There are two types of hemophilia, hemophilia-A and hemophilia-B. The clinical symptoms of both are very similar so for the purposes of this paper I have chosen to concentrate on hemophilia-A. Hemophilia-A is an X linked bleeding disorder resulting from a defect in a protein known as coagulation factor VIII. Since the disorder is X linked it is expressed mainly in males, who must have mothers who are carriers. Females who express the disorder must have affected fathers and mothers who are carriers, or who are affected. The level of severity of the disorder breeds true in any given family, which indicates that the phenotypic expression of the disorder reflects the genetic defect. In about 5% of cases, hemophilia-A results from partial deletion of the factor VIII gene, and is severe. Other cases result from a single base mutation in the gene. This can result in nonsense mutations which result in premature stop codons, and a severe expression of the disorder, or missense mutations which cause milder forms of the disorder. In some cases the disorder can also result from spontaneous mutations, but this is less common. The gene for hemophilia-A is located at Xq28 while the gene for hemophilia-B is located at Xq27.1-q27.2. There are about thirty other disorders associated with the Xq28 area including manic depression and favism. This must indicate that Xq28 includes many different genes which have not yet been isolated. The primary symptom of hemophilia is uncontrolled bleeding. The disease can range in severity from a mild increase in bleeding, to massive bleeding from even a minor wound. Treatment involves blood or clotting factor transfusions, and this increases the risk of contracting HIV, hepatitis or other blood transmitted diseases. Since blood banks have started screening and treating blood for HIV, the infection rate has dropped to almost nothing. However,prior to 1985 almost half the hemophiliac population was infected with HIV. Defects in the factor VIII gene are so numerous in type that doctors cannot easily test for each one of them. By doing a series of genetic tests a definitive answer can be given about 60 to 80 percent of the time. By combining the genetic tests with a blood test, this percentage rises to about 80 to 90 percent. Recently a single defect was found which is thought to account for about half of the more severe cases of hemophilia.

Visual vs auditory

This research paper Is based on experiments that were conducted with the sole purpose of determine people's different preferences towards various learning and presentation techniques, which translates to content retention and ability to learn and remember a wide range of content that was taught in class.This experiment was done on two deferent environments; one experiment was done on people in a control environment (classroom) where students did not use visual aid in their study, while the other environment was not done in the classroom but rather In the open and involved the use of visual lad such as; projectors, graphs, chart among other visual equipments. Participants tried their best to write down each word they either saw or heard but some participants did better than others.Both Group A and Group B performed approximately the same. The result of this experiment, which was based on the ability of the respondents to retain or remember different words, was recorded in a frequent t able which will be analyzed in this research paper. Intro Researchers and policy makers alike allude to the fact that virtually all human beings re visual beings and not theoretical beings, and that they learn better as well as remember or recall different facts and information based on how these information was passed to them.For example, research has shown that when visual aids such as charts, graphs, projectors among other visual aids are used In teaching and presentation, the audiences are able to increase their word or content retention to a larger extent compared to when no visual aid are not used in presentation and teaching (Carol and Roger, 1978). This lab report will conduct an in-depth analysis on n experiment that was conducted by 18 participants, under control and non-control environment In relation to use of visual lad In making experiments.The research paper will thereafter make recommendations, conduct a step by step analysis on what participants did in the experimen t, predict the future of visual presentation, highlight the methodology that was used in conducting this study, outline the key limitations of the study and make a conclusion that is based on the findings of this study. Method Participants 18 participants that are enrolled In an Experimental Psychology class performed an core requirement. The participants consisted of 17 female and one male.The participants analyzed the use of visual and illustration learning, and how they influenced word remembrance. The study used simple random sampling in selecting the sample size that was used in the experiments. Setting This experiment took place in a small room that measured mom by mom, there were no windows in this room. The participants had 25-30 seating options; the chairs had a wooden desk and metal chairs. There was a blackboard in front of the room as well as the back of the room. There was also a rectangular table in the front of the room s well as the back of the room.There was also a rectangular table in the front of the classroom. Materials The material's that was needed for this experiment was random assignment sheet, desktop computer, projector and projector screen, ‘phone (auditory presentation & timer), pens or pencils, and sheets of paper w/ 25 spaces which were computer sized. Random assignment is a method in organizing experiments in which participants have equal odds of being given to a precise state of the experiment. The desktop computer was used to look up the words and sounds for the experiment.The erector and the projector screen was used to make the presentation more vivid so all the participants could see and hear the presentation. The phone was used as an auditory presentation and timer. Participants used pens or pencils to record the data. The sheet of paper with the 25 spaces was used by the participants to record data that was obtained from this experiment. Experimental Design The experiment design was between subject design. Participan ts were assigned by random assignment they were then placed in Group A or Group B.Group A was given the visual presentation whereas participants in Group B were given the auditory reservation. Participants were being observed by effects each presentation had on them. Procedure The experimenter randomly assigned participants got assigned either to Group A or to Group B by the number they received by the experimenter. Group B left room while Group A remained. The experimenter then provided the participants instructions and a sheet. Participants wrote down words they remembered then participants swapped sheets with a classmate. The experimenter reviewed correct words.After that participants wrote down the total number of words correct they received. Participants reported total number to experimenter. Then the Participants in Group A the ones that were presented with a visual presentation stepped outside and Group B the auditory participants entered the classroom. Group B followed the s ame steps as Group A, Group was presented the auditory presentation through the ‘phone. Results Figure 1 indicates the difference between both groups, Group A performed slightly one indicated that the participants in Group A performed better than those in Group B.Group A the ones that received the visual presentation which allowed the participants to answer more correct words whereas Group B had the auditory reservation which was hard to hear so it caused a change in results. The mean for Group A was 12. 4444 whereas the mean for Group B was 10. 6667. The t-test indicates that there is no significances. Discussion Predicting the future of visual aid or visual presentation in the teaching curriculum and presentation is a complex issue this is because of the drastic changes that have been seen in virtually all sectors and how they embrace this concept.For instance, in the academic and teaching profession, the use of visual aid or visual software's such as power point presentatio ns has been embraced through the use of Powering presentation both by the learners and course facilitators, power point presentation tends to be more visual rather than theoretical and hence would help in enhancing the ability of learners to improve their word retention ability, conversely, the use of Youth tutorials is another avenue that will be used more frequently by learners in the future to find real time information in real time.These tutorials provide a visual as well as audio step by step flow on different research topics to user which improves their word retention ability Carol and Roger, 1978). In addition, the future of visual presentation in conferencing and interviews looks very bright.This is made possible because of the use of voice over internet platforms such as Keep, where people can interact over a wide geographical location, resulting to exchange of information and ideas among people. Teleconferencing will further simplify as well as eliminate all the obstacles that existed in the traditional environment, because people are able to interact at low costs, based at their convenience, and moving from one location to another.Since the world has been reduced from the traditional market place, to one the modern market space, businessmen, and professionals such as teachers can be able to share information with each other, as well as benchmark with each other (Carol and Roger, 1978) Also Carol and Roger (1978) contend to the fact that the variability as well as reliability of research is one way or another enhanced by acknowledging the limitations of the study. Basically, this research paper is subject to a number of limitations in the environment, and demographic characteristics of different people.One, this research did not take into consideration the different geographic characteristics of people such as age which would affect people's content retention and remembrance ability. For instance, old people have a low remembrance ability compared to young people this is because old age affects some of the human cells that increase word retention and remembrance. Second, considering the fact that remembrance and content retention can be done through experiments, however, sensitive issues such as physiological or emotional issues that may affect the ability o recall words and remember them all together are difficult to establish.Third, time for carrying out the proposed research is limited, as the researcher will work within strict timeliness. Fourth, there is possibility of change of organizations or the individuals under consideration; this is because the research does not take into consideration the long-term effects of variables of study (Carol and Roger, 1978)). The study gave some suggestions for further research and experiments on the chosen researcher thus thought that research be done in other institutions and people of efferent age groups over a longer period of time in order to establish a better view of current resea rch.It was also suggested that a research should be conducted on different learning institutions to establish whether the use of visual aid and teaching software's such as Powering presentations have improved the word retention of people in these schools since these software's were introduced in their learning institutions (Carol and Roger, 1978). Based on the findings obtained in this research paper, it is evident that use of visual aid such as projectors, charts among other usual materials, enhance and improve the ability of people to retain, remember and recall different aspects of learning like remembrance of words during presentation.Although, some small disparities are reported on people whose memory does not depend solely on the use of visual aid because of demographical and physiological differences in different people based on age, emotions, health status of people among other things. Therefore, the use of visual aid in the teaching curriculum should be encouraged because o f the benefits it provides to students in improving heir ability to retain and remember different things that they are taught in class (Carol and Roger, 1978).Carol and Roger (1978) alludes to the fact that the use of visual presentation and aid has a lot of benefits, however, there is evidence to show that the use of visual aid is superior to some people compared to another group of people. For example, the use of visual aid in fifth grade, kindergarten, colleges and second grade level helped the students to improve their word retention ability, on the other side; the use of visual aid among older people produced mixed results. However, these disparities tend to disappear in the long run.

Sustainable Redevelopment of the Riverside in the City of Antwerp

Introduction TheH2O forepart has yielded touchable societal, recreational and environmental benefits therefore pulling the involvement of many ; powerful involvements have realized its political and economic position. The symbolic and economic significance of waterfronts has been reinforced where excess ports or renewal have provided big piece of lands of development land near to bing urban Centres, in some instances enabling major extensions to the nucleus. ( hypertext transfer protocol: //books.google.be/books? hl=nl & A ; lr= & A ; id=2ZZFAAAAQBAJ & A ; oi=fnd & A ; pg=PR1 & A ; dq=the+water+front+of+antwerp & A ; ots=lPY-qiuSUC & amp ; sig=szihP7Z8ykMrvL-JzFIh1jX0nzM # v=onepage & A ; q=the % 20water % 20front % 20of % 20antwerp & A ; f=false ) Filip and lorquet explained Antwerp as one of those universe metropoliss deeply attached and connected to its river Scheldt ; get downing organize a little colonies in a curve of the river, and so progressively entwined with its river curves, turning in to a mediaeval metropolis. This ‘organic’ and self-generated relationship was based on the obvious advantages of propinquity to the H2O, but quickly gained economic complexness in the late center ages ( portus, eliandus ) The increasing of the economic activities accelerated by the industrial revolution in the 19Thursdaycentury required the use of many big ship, taking the natural flow of the river to be straightened to travel for Scheldt quays, as a solution in maintaining up with the economic advancement and scaling up of the ships between 1877 and 1884. ( ibid ) and ( van de put, 2007 ) . Straitening the Scheldt River and the subsequent building of the quays in Antwerp brought about a historical breach in the city’s relationship to the river. The organic and historical relationship the metropolis developed with the river by a developed system of canals, recesss and reimports got disconnected from the Scheldt. The quays became an independent ‘intermediate’ entity between the metropolis and the river: an extended rock and concrete organic structure ( fig. 1 ) The Scheldt quays became the scene of heavy port activities and were closed away from the interior metropolis by Fe fencings ( Nunes, 2011 ) Fgure 1 In the twentieth century the seaport activities once more underwent a scaling-up and moved downstream to the North of the metropolis. Antwerp became a moderate-sized metropolis with a universe seaport. The quays remained as a vacant, deserted and undetermined infinite, with the warehouses and railroad. Paths as informants of the former activities. The edifice of the hapless concrete inundation defence wall at 1.35m above the land degree confirmed the position of the quays as an stray no-man’s land ( van de put, 2007, P. ) . Harmonizing to the advancement study, The quays on the right bank of the Scheldt are a stretch of 7 kilometres long and 100 metres broad, from Petroleum South to the dry docks Island. The derelict port substructure today forms a barrier between the metropolis and the Scheldt. The renovation of one of the most of import public infinites in the metropolis of Antwerp is to convey back closer to the watercourse. ( 20140301 ) With the inundation of 1976, the quay wall was non high plenty to protect the metropolis from storm tide, and the current concrete dike wall was erected, Climate alteration is expected that the H2O degree will lift further in the hereafter. This may intend that, in storms, the tallness of the dike wall is no longer plenty to protect Antwerp sufficient, The dike must therefore higher [ I ] . Therefore, the chief and immediate ground for the planned renovation of the riverbank is to protect the metropolis of Antwerp against possible implosion therapy in the hereafter. For that beef uping the quay wall in the first topographic point and increasing the weir is necessary. The redevelopment of the quays is the biggest undertaking in the Flemish Sigma Plan in urban context. ( progress study ) Recently the challenge refering the metropolis – river relation has got a new dimension. Harmonizing to the Sigma program the inundation barrier needs to be heightened another 90cm, which brings it to a degree of 2.25m above the land degree. It needs no farther account that this intercession will alter dramatically the experience of the quays itself and the unfastened position between the metropolis and the river ( van de put, 2007 ) but besides require the remotion of today’s strip of quays, a 23 000 square meter port barren with tonss of hints and memories of its industrial yesteryear, complete with jury-rigged utilizations and a easy establishing urbanity. In order to reconquer this waterfront while doing it flood immune, the metropolis of Antwerp commissioned a multidisciplinary squad led Proap landscape designers with WIT and D-RECTA on a competition entry that, alternatively of a unequivocal design strategy, proposes a toolkit of possible quay faculties that can b e combined to organize the new waterfront profile in a participative and bit-by-bit procedure affecting multiple stakeholders ( Babette, 2011 ) . Therefore, the maestro program Scheldekaaien has three aims [ two ] : – Reconstruction of the quay country as one of the most outstanding public infinites in Antwerp ; – Stabilization of the quay wall ; – Raising the weir until 9:25 TAW in conformity with the updated Sigma program. ( 20140301 ) Undertaking description The renovation of the riverbank is a joint enterprise of the metropolis of Antwerp, which is responsible for the renovation of the quay country as a public sphere, and the Flemish Region, which nv via Waterways and Sea Canal. Responsible for the stabilisation of the quay, the execution of the updated Sigma program and pull off the quay countries. ( 20140301 ) â€Å"The reestablishment of Antwerp’s connexion to its waterfront has been a end for the city’s contrivers for more than a decennary, but merely late have forces aligned to do that dream non merely a practical world but besides a necessity. The 130-year-old bluestone quay wall running along the Scheldt ( pronounced â€Å"Skel-duh† by locals ) has deteriorated to the point where Reconstruction is no longer a luxury. At the same clip, the full seaport must be brought into conformity with the state’s Sigma Plan, a regional flood-prevention enterprise foremost implemented in 1977 as a response to massive implosion therapy and so recommissioned in 2004, which requires that the metropolis be fortified to defy a 4,000-year storm.† [ three ] The Scheldt is non merely the ‘raison d’etre’ for Antwerp, it is besides a menace. Tidal kineticss of the H2O degree are apparent far inland of the estuary, and even enlarged by the embankment. The river besides means flood menace and possible catastrophe. Since the concrete wall built in 1978, Antwerp got wholly divorced from its river and as it described earlier, the actualized Sigma program demands a rise of the protection degree to 9,25m TAW, 90 centimeter higher than the existent protective wall so as to do certain the protection of the metropolis from inundation. But, farther raising the degree of the wall means a 2,25m wall above the quay surface that would blockade all positions to the river and render the quay surface barely accessible. So the new inundation protection can non merely be a mere protective infrastructural device. This twelvemonth, the concluding Maestro program for the Scheldt Quays, designed by PROAP and WIT designers, is up for blessing. In a alone manner, the Master program surveies and integrates the flood-defense as a stipulation and a structuring component for public infinite, whereas the coveted public infinite in bend determines possibilities for the flood-defense. The new inundation protection design should arouse the experience of the river. So location and nature of the inundation protection are defined harmonizing to the next urban infinite or urban tissue. Located near the river, the quays become portion of the urban infinite, whereas a location near to the metropolis safeguards the existent character of the immense quay surface as a floodable country. Specifying the nature of the inundation protection – fixed or nomadic – it deliberates the positions on the river, and will make this within rigorous conditions of safety, cost and feasibleness. â€Å"That procedure will be governed by a series of 10 topographical subdivisions that read from above like the keys of a piano. Each key will turn to the river in a distinguishable manner: one subdivision, resting on pontoons, will lift and fall with the tides ; another will incline down bit by bit from a protective berm ; a 3rd will cantilever out over the H2O, ever negociating between H2O and worlds while including the varying inundation degrees of the river. All appropriately answer the demands of the Sigma Plan while retaining access—visual and physical—to the river† [ four ] The instead definite character of this unreal protection device demands a really accurate reconciliation between fixed or nomadic, difficult and soft. The Mobile barriers will safeguard positions on the Scheldt and heighten the handiness of the quay platform ( even if the consequences of the proficient survey specify a minimal threshold of 7,65m TAW or a medium threshold of 7,80m TAW ) . Fixed barriers reach the actualized Sigma degree of 9,25m TAW. They obstruct the positions towards the river, but at the same clip explicit the nothingness near the metropolis. The sequence of fixed and nomadic solutions is meticulously staged. About the territories Definition of s.d The construct of sustainable development is the consequence of the turning consciousness of the planetary ; links between mounting environmental jobs, socio-economic issues to make with poorness and inequality and concerns about healthy hereafter for humanity. The procedure of incorporating issues related with the environment and socio-economic facets was largely famously expressed in brundtland study definition of sustainable development as â€Å"meeting the demands of the present without compromising the ability of the future coevalss to run into their needs† ( bilhood, 2005 ) However, it is by and large agreed that economic system, environment and societal equity are three first constituents of sustainability construct. To guarantee that the degree of sustainability of urban reclamation undertakings can be significantly enhanced, due consideration to assorted demands and outlooks of different nowadays and future coevalss is required in urban design procedure. Urban design is defined as ‘‘the art of doing topographic points for people’’ ( DETR, 2000 ) . It is considered to be a procedure to fulfill functional and aesthetic demands ( Couch & A ; Dennemann, 2000 ; Vandell et al. , 1989 ) . It gives design waies to edifices and infinites agreement in order to make a high quality and sustainable built environment for the citizens ( Oktay, 2004 ) . Previous surveies supported that good urban design could convey a batch of benefits to a community. Assorted parties are better off as more investing chances are offered, productiveness additions, higher return can be obtained, more occupations are created, a broad assortment of accessible comfortss is provided and quality of life impr oves ( CABE & A ; DETR, 2001 ; Couch, 1990 ) . Social sustainability refers to maintenance and betterment of wellbeing of current and future coevalss ( Chiu, 2003 ) . A undertaking is said to be socially sustainable when it creates harmonious life environment, reduces societal inequality and cleavages, and improves quality of life in general ( Enyedi, 2002 ) . ( Edwin Chan ? Grace K. L. Lee ) The World Bank [ v ] states thatâ€Å"social sustainability means reacting better to local communities ; guaranting responses are tailored to local state contexts ; and advancing societal inclusion, coherence and answerability.At undertaking degree, this means undertaking equal societal analysis and appraisal, this in bend allows for equal designation of societal chances, every bit good as equal extenuation of societal impacts and hazards, including through the proper application of societal precaution policies.† When speaking about project’s sustainability – from a socio-cultural position, it is necessary to measure whether societal inclusion, coherence and answerability were promoted throughout the life of the undertaking. For a undertaking to be socially sustainable it must affect local engagement or audience, in order for people to hold their sentiments heard, give them a sense of ownership over the undertaking and to do the undertaking more effectual within the local context ( kiristen and roman, 2014 ) Environmental sustainability â€Å"The term environmental sustainability refers to systematic conditions where neither on a planetal nor on a regional degree do human activities disturb the natural rhythms more than planetal resiliency allows, and at the same clip make non impoverish the natural capital that has to be shared with future generation† [ six ] environmental sustainability so is limited to and in fact becomes a subset of ecological sustainability as it is defined by callicot and mumford, as â€Å" meeting human needs without compromising the wellness of ecosystems† ( moreli, 2002, p.2 ) in other words environmental sustainability could be defined as a status of balance, resiliency, and interconnection that allows human society to fulfill its demands while neither transcending the capacity of its back uping ecosystems to go on to renew the services necessary to run into those demands nor by our actions decreasing biological diverseness. ( morelli, 2011 ) Talking about ecological and envi ronmental sustainability we have to see many facets uniting history, yesteryear, current, and future ecosystem demands, every bit good as to take into consideration all the nature and human alterations ( natasa, 2014 ) Economic sustainability For Solow, so, sustainability would look to be an duty to continue the contemporary economic chances ( such as productive capacity ) for the hereafter, non needfully to increase them. We may bask the fruits of the accrued capital and environmental resources that we inherit ( in the signifier of the income and comfortss to which they give rise ) , but we may non consume the entire stock. This rule requires us to go through on to future coevalss what we have inherited from past generations—since we did non roll up or bring forth it ourselves. It is non based on a claim of equal wellbeing for the following coevals. Continuing productive capacity intact is non, nevertheless, an duty to go forth the universe as we found it in every item. What needs to be conserved are the chances of future coevalss to take worthwhile lives. The fact of replaceability ( in both production and ingestion ) implies that what we are obligated to go forth buttocks is a generalised capacity to make well-being, non any peculiar thing or any peculiar resource. Since we do non cognize what the gustatory sensations and penchants of future coevalss will be, and what they will make, we can speak of sustainability merely in footings of conserving a capacity to bring forth well-being. ( anand and sen, 2000 ) Therefore, economic sustainability can be seen in footings of taking the current economic advantage by the nature or infinite without cut downing the possible economic portion of future coevalss. Political sustainability ; thepolitical sustainability of a undertaking can be analysed through the engagement of different groups, anteroom groups, the extent to which the antonym groups are allowed to take part in the undertaking and the political support a given undertaking has. Undertakings that are capable of leting the maximal degree of engagement and suit the different nterest that assorted groups have through a democratic and acceptable manner can be called politically sustainable. MentionSmits Filip, and Alix Lorquet. â€Å" Eilandje. A instance of waterfront pioneering. †Margot Van de Put, â€Å"Imagining a new waterfront for Antwerp† , 43rd ISOCARP Congress 2007Nunes, J. F. ( 2011 ) . Masterplan for the Scheldt Quays.Diedrich, L. B. ( 2011 ) . Site specific landscape architectural attacks in modern-day European seaport transmutation. Portus Plus, ( 2 ) , 1-16.