College Life and Stress - 730 Words

In the research article by MacNair and Elliott, it is stated that college students are more prone to stress (D’Zurilla Sheedy, 1991) because of the transitional nature of college life (Towbes Cohen, 1996). The main contributing factors to the stress is being away from home for the first time, trying hard to maintain academic achievement and adjusting to a new social environment. How they handle the stress will affect the way they make decisions and solve problems that arises as they go through college life. A scale called the Student Stress Survey, which is a questionnaire of 40 potentially stressful scenarios, is used to determine the sources of stress. According to the article, there are five main sources of stress. A change in sleeping habits, vacations/breaks, changes in eating habits, new responsibilities and increased work load. The outcome of stress may depend on its source and the severity. Stress among college students is a major problem, impacting their overall health. Students, especially the freshmen’s, who are expected to handle difficult academic workloads at a faster pace while adapting to new social situations. A study done by Paul D. Welle and Helen M. Graf (2010). is to determine the effectiveness of lifestyle habits and coping strategies on stress tolerance among college students. Those who have a habit of exercising tend to be able to handle stress better. The test is conducted using cluster sampling which is recommended for sampling intact groups asShow MoreRelatedStress On The Life Of A College Student1264 Words   |  6 PagesStress in the Life of a College Student Stress is an emotion that is against nature to enjoy; yet it cannot be avoided as a human. A bum on the side of the interstate, who is considered the scum of society, experiences stress as he pleads for food and money in order to live another day. With this being true, stress increases as ability and opportunity increase. No one can deny the fact that college is an exhausting time for any student in the pursuit of a career due to its overwhelming workloadsRead MoreCauses and Effects of Stress in the Life of a College Student1667 Words   |  7 PagesCauses and Effects of Stress in the Life of a College Student If one were to ask an adult about their college experience it is likely than the majority will say it was the best time of their life. They had fun, enjoyed the full college experience, etc. If you ask students currently in college to describe their experience, it may still be the best time of their life but it will likely also be described as stressful and filled with a variety of pressures. The average college student will likely changeRead MoreStress For College Students1463 Words   |  6 Pagesto the max.† This is a quote that quite a few college students are familiar with and have probably said themselves. College can be a fun but also stressful time for students. They are focused on making sure they attend class and get passing grades so they can be successful and hopefully succeed in the next chapter of their life. Researchers at Columbia University and the University of San Diego conducted a study conducted a study to determine how stress negatively affects academic performance and enrollmentRead MoreEffects Of Stress On College Students1498 Words   |  6 Pagesthem do. A problem faced by many college students in society is an overwhelming amount of unnecessary stress being placed on their shoulders. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to their high stress levels. Solving some sources of stress and helping students to cope with the immeasurable stress would help them to live happier, healthier lives. There are several ways the stress level of college students could be lowered, such as training programs, stress management classes, incoming freshmanRead MorePhysical And Emotional State Of College982 Words   |  4 Pagesend of high school to the beginning of the first year of college students in this stage begin to encounter thoughts and worries that start revolving around their head. Transitioning to college is a big change, every student transitioning to this set of lifestyle is still not prepared enough to conquer the world o n its own. New experiences and changes take over and students entering the â€Å"college life† start to experience different sorts of stress due to many situations that are occurring in their livesRead MoreHow Can We Study Related Stress For College Students?1251 Words   |  6 Pages How to manage study related stress for college students Is it the truth that every college student lives an easy life? Most parents usually encourage their high school children to get a higher grade for their applications to universities by telling them how interesting and relaxing life will be in college. Yet, according to a survey from The Jed Foundation which taking care of mental health for college students, over eighty-five percentages of university students feel very stressful to finish theirRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress On Students With Stress Management927 Words   |  4 PagesRelief Stress is something everyone deals with on different levels and in different ways. Stress can originate from daily hassles, bad time management, and big life changing decisions. College is where all three of these appear to meet; whether it be deciding what career to chase, the impending terror of midterms, or what to eat for lunch stress is surrounding college students. If universities do not look into ways of helping students with stress management, than students are not only at risk ofRead MoreStress on College Students797 Words   |  3 Pagesfirst-year college students face to stress. Stress is come from different ways. From The Associated Press and MTV conducted a survey of college students, 74% of students feel stress about grades,67% of students feel stress about financial worries, 54% of students feel stress about their families and 53% of students feel stress about relationships(The Associated Press and MTV,2009). In the following, I would like to discuss what cause, effe ct and prevention of college stress. The cause of stress is dividedRead MoreCollege Students and Stress1649 Words   |  7 PagesCollege and Stress There are numerous stress factors college students encounter while striving to complete their educational goals. Their grades may be affected by daily life situation stressors that accumulate throughout the semester. Students’ financial needs, lack of social support, family drama, and other various circumstances can all mount up to a tremendous amount of stress and may result in poor grades and lack of collected credits. In fact, stress continues to be a constant issue in people’sRead MoreThe Effects Of Stress Among College Students Essay855 Words   |  4 PagesOver the years many studies have been conducted to determine what creates stress and how college students can cope with stress. Stressors in a student’s life can be created through personal, educational and social experiences. A student faces many experiences while transitioning from high school, to college, and into adulthood. These experiences include: living arrangements, personal finances, importan t career decisions, experiences of failure, interpersonal relationships, and personal finances

Relationships Of Men And Women - 1485 Words

The play that Euripides tells of a woman named Medea put forth many views on the relationships of men and women in the Greek society. These relationships are seen as the dominant man with a woman by his side, committed to him fully. Medea sees these relationships not necessarily as a good thing, but as a situation in which a woman may truly be burdened by the expectations of her. Medea states early on that, â€Å"We women are the most unfortunate creatures.† (Line 231) She states this because she feels and knows that women don’t have much control over their own lives. She seems to accept this role at times in the play, but towards the end, Medea changes her ways and rebels. Women in the Greek society were confined to the orders of patriarchy. They would go their whole life being controlled by a man, beginning with a father-daughter relationship then transitioning into a husband-wife relationship. The women had little to no voice in the matter of marriage. These women we re set to marry a man based on wealth and family ties, not how much the groom and bride love each other. Medea simply states this fact in lines 232-234, â€Å"Firstly, with an excess of wealth it is required for us to buy a husband and take it for our bodies a master; for not to take one is even worse.† She knows that without marriage, a woman will receive a bad reputation and be held to it throughout life. If never married, then a woman would have no children because being intimate with anyone before marriage willShow MoreRelatedRelationships betwen Men and Women972 Words   |  4 Pagesis full of all different kinds of relationships, whether it is with co-workers, peers or a significant other. Building and maintaining these relationships is critical in living a fulfilling, happy life. While there are many different kinds of relationships and they are all important, romantic relationships are especially unique. Along with being unique, they can be difficult and take work a nd dedication by both partners. The difficulties faced in these relationships can be attributed partially to theRead MoreThe Relationship Between Men And Women843 Words   |  4 Pagesher life the way she wanted, and wrote about things no one else dared to write about at the time. Colette’s themes were extremely revolutionary as they related to the relationship between the sexes, the strength of women, and her own personal experiences. A lot of Colette’s works are based around the relationship between men and women. Her family’s negative marriage experiences were the basis of her view on the sexes. â€Å"She knew that her mother’s first marriage had failed† (â€Å"(Sidonie-Gabrielle) Colette†)Read MoreRelationship Between Men And Women1866 Words   |  8 Pagesthat men take relationship dissolutions more negatively than women. This is due in part to the fact that men are more likely to have open relationships with many women; while women wait to choose a partner. Once a man is ready to commit to one woman it is hard for him to let go of her. Negative feelings take place in men once a relationship has dissolved. A woman will be more positive, and be able to self-rediscover once on their own. In this text, we will uncover the differences between men and womenRead MoreRelationship Between Men And Women903 Words   |  4 Pages Men and women both have been taught that they cannot su rvive without each other particularly women without men, and this has been reflected in the laws created by societies. When it comes to legal means of perpetuating the subjection of women, Mill looks to the role of family, and marital contracts. Mill argues that the history of marriage has mostly been forced upon women, and was contract to improve the means of the father. â€Å"the wife is the actual bond-servant of her husband: no less so, as farRead MoreThe Real Relationship Between Men And Women1037 Words   |  5 PagesThe Real Relationship Between Men and Women In the play Trifles by Susan Glaspell, the men in the play are completely out of touch with the women. This may be perhaps the single greatest important theme of the play. The gender differences set the stage for the utmost vital event of the story, the murder. The men of the story are mainly oblivious to the steps the women undergo in the story. Understandably the women solve the murder before the men even get close. The men acted just as Mr. Wright inRead More Women, Men, Love and Relationships Essays1647 Words   |  7 Pageswant they want from a man, most women will provide a list of qualities that have been drilled in their heads since they were little girls. The perfect lifestyle has three things that have to be added together in order to come out with the correct equation. Money, kids, and most of all a wonderful man to provide these things are what women want most in life. One of the most known sayings today is that women go to college to get their MRS degree. The confusing issue to men is that once they find theirRead MoreThe Relationship Between Bisexuality And Its Effects On Men And Women1619 Words   |  7 Pagesattraction to both males and females. This means that a bisexual woman can be attracted to either a man or a woman and have a meaningful relationship with either gender. Bisexuality can be transitional but it can also be a stable sexual orientation no different from lesbianism. With transitional bisexuality women typically experience attraction towards men and women but soon identify with either heterosexuality or lesbianism. Their bisexuality is merely a way for them to find out who they are and whatRead More Relationships Between Women and Men in Brownings Poems Essay2589 Words   |  11 PagesRelationships Between Women and Men in Brownings Poems Robert Browning is described as ‘a love poet who was acutely aware of how women and men can be separated by jealousy or the passing of time’. In studying his poetry, what did you notice about the relationships he explores? What is revealed about the time in which Browning was writing? The ‘Love Poet’ Robert Browning was born in London in 1812. In 1846 Browning married the poet Elizabeth Barrett and eloped with her to Italy. AfterRead More How does Shelley present relationships between men and women?1095 Words   |  5 PagesHow does Shelley present relationships between men and women? Shelley present relationships between men and women in various ways but they all have an inter-linking message within them. This is that women are dependent on men in the majority of relationships. Shelley uses characters as examples of different relationships; for example Caroline and Alphonse’s relationship is a very loving one. All that Frankenstein says of his parents his good things, for example he says, â€Å"Active spiritRead MoreWhy Gay Men and Straight Women Have Such Close Relationships860 Words   |  3 Pagesever-growing topic, one might wonder why gay men tend to have the closest relationships with straight women. Ellen DeGeneres’ once said, â€Å"every straight woman has a gay best friend by their side.† Why is this? I decided to read and write about an experiment that was done to answer the question of why gay men and straight women have such close relationships. The article’s title is, â€Å"Friend with Benefits, but Without the Sex: Straight Women and Gay men Exchange Trustworthy Mating Advice.† Previous

Travelling and Tourism Combining Historic

Question: Discuss about the Travelling and Tourism for Combining Historic. Answer: Part A: Information booklet for a new employee Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Sydney is a Five Star Hotel that is renowned for combining historic charm with the modern comfort. Radisson Group of Hotels is an international hotel that operates in more than 73 countries with more than 990 locations. The Hotel located in the Sydney CBD is one of the major attractions of the country like others like Sydney Opera House (radissonblu.com 2016). The Hotel offers a boutique atmosphere to its visitors in addition to a natural ambience. The Hotel also offers modern facilities including free wireless connection. The Hotel has a spacious room, which provides the amenities for conferences and other ceremonial occasions. The Hotel has been serving the visitors with great priority since a long time. Three different sectors with which the Hotel interacts: Radisson is one of the renowned hotels in Sydney. The Hotel aims at providing all kinds of facilities to the visitors. It is for the same reason, the Hotel has to keep in close contact with other tourism sectors such as travel agents. The main visitors of the hotel are tourists and their intention of visiting the Hotel is for tourism purpose. Keeping this perspective in mind, the Hotel has to keep good communication network with different travel agencies. The Hotel always provide help to the visitors by offering them the services as per their requirement. Three environmental issues that the organization deals with: Blu Radisson undertakes a number of Corporate Social Responsibilities activities. The organization shows great concern towards water saving activities. There is the provision of minimizing the usage of water in their washrooms. The Hotel maintains a constant temperature of the air condition in the Hotel to minimize the over utilization of electricity. Radisson believes in using environmental friendly substances to minimize the degrading nature of environment. The Hotel does not use any plastic substances for the packaging purpose. They prefer the use of eco friendly substances. Three business ethics: Radisson Blu is well renowned for its ethical practices and the services that the Hotel offers to its visitors. The mission of the hotel is to provide complete satisfaction and best service to their customers. They carry on ethical practices at every instances of time. For example, whenever there are the situations of over booking, the management tries to handle the situation with great ease. If the Hotel gets over booked then they also try to provide accommodation to the visitors in some other hotels. Codes of practice: The management of the Hotel practice thorough codes of ethics and does not make any instances to avoid the code of practices. Equal opportunities are given to both male and female employees of the organization. Each and every employee is provided with the basic amenities that support their employment opportunity. The Hotel also supports multi-cultural nature of employment. There is no kind of discrimination among the employees belonging to different ethnic groups or races. Every employee is given equal opportunity to perform in the organization. Examples of technology used: The Hotel does not miss the opportunity of using various technological devices and other facilities to improve the business. For the marketing purpose, the Hotel uses the impact of the Social Networking Sites like Facebook and Twitter to target their consumers or visitors. Apart from the marketing purpose, the Hotel uses these sites for e-booking. A consumer can easily book a room in the hotel by searching them online. The consumers are provided with help instantly. It can be said that by using these technological tools, the organization has gained huge profit in the business. Current issue affecting the work place: The target visitors of the Hotel are mainly the tourists who come to Australia for vacation. There has been increasing issues regarding terrorism and other factors. It is for this reason, there has been a decline in the number of expected visitors in the country. Therefore, this can be considered as one of the major issues affecting the business of the workplace. Apart from this, there has been a decline in the value of Australian dollars in the recent time (Mowforth and Munt 2015). It is for the same reason there has been a decline of profit margin of the Hotel. Part B1: Role play Role Play 1: Student-Student as customer-travel agent The first two days of the tourism could be spent in New South Wales as the domestic destination for tourism. For the foreign destination, three continents for the tourist purpose are Middle East, Europe and South America. Five cities around the world that can be the selected destination for tourism purpose are Qatar and Dubai in the Middle East. It would be a stay of 6 days in that continent. The next destination could be Europe, where the major attractive cities for tourism purpose are Switzerland, Zurich. The stay in this continent would be of another 8 days. For the remaining five 5 days, Rio de Janerio in South America would be the ideal destination for the tourism purpose. Depending on the availability of flights and the suitable timing, ticket bookings can be made. It would be a round trip and therefore, the flight tickets will be made keeping the time of the tour in concern (Ritchie and Goeldner 2014). As per the requirement, the customers would leave for the journey on 1st November for New South Wales and then following the routine, the travel shall get over by 21st November and the customers shall return to their home by the same day. Role Play 2: Student-trainer as travel agent As a part of advice, the trainer might advice to understand the body language of the customer. As a travel agent, it is very important to understand the perspective of the customers. If the agent is capable enough to understand it, there is a greater chance that the customer shall make the booking and the travel agent will get the contract from the customer. It is also important to convince the customer by providing them certain discount or other combined offers. Part B2: Written Project: Tourists prefer to fly to different destinations mainly in winters. It would be mild summer in New South Wales, Australia. If the climate of Dubai is taken into consideration, it can be said the climate there will be quite warm there. However, the stay is very short there. The customers shall move to other places like Switzerland where it would be chilling cold. From there, the next destination would be Rio, where the temperature would be equivalent and it is neither too warm nor too cold. Climate of the place at the time of travel Currency and currency exchange to Australian Dollar 4 Main attractions in the place Cultural difference Health and Travel Warnings New South Wales Climate will be mild summer. Exchange rate is same Katoomba, Jenolan Caves, Avoca Beach, Wyong There is no such cultural difference between Australia and NSW. Since, the visitors might have to travel the mountains and hills, therefore people having any such problem might take precaution. Dubai Warm summer 1 Aus Dollar= 2.77 UAE Dirham Burj Khalifa, Dubai Museum, Bastakia, Dubai Creek. Dubai is a Islam country and thus, there will be cultural difference. It is expected that the visitors would maintain a proper dressing style to match their culture. Switzerland Cold winter 1 Aus Dollar= 0.74 Swiss Franc Swiss Alps, JungFrau, Matterhorn, Mount Pilatus European and Australian culture are more or less same and there is no such cultural difference. If there is any kind of health concern regarding cold climate or mountains, proper check has to be kept. Zurich Cold winter 1 Aus Dollar= 0.58 British Pound Swiss National Museum, Uetliberg, Fraumunster Same cultural aspect and no such distinction. Health issues must be kept in check. Rio de Janerio Mild winter 1 Aus Dollar= 2.46 Brazilian Real Christ the Reedeemer, Corcovado, Santa Teresa Culture might vary and the tourists might face certain challenges in terms of the local accent or the food. It is expected that the tourists has tio be comfortable with the food of the continent. Part B3: Presentation: Advice from the trainer: It is important to convince the customers. The deals provided by the tourism sector should be convincing enough that the customers should not deny the offer. It depends on the perspective of the tourist agent to understand the needs of the customers and provide them the same. Travelers remain concerned about their budget. Therefore, selecting the places that remain within their budget is important. It might happen that the travelers might not as if the places that the tourist operate offer them. Therefore, providing better and a large number of options depending upon their requirement is what differentiate the quality of a good travel agent. Apart from this, the agent has to be very polite and pleasant at the time of describing the offer. They should be available to answer any kind of query at any point of time. References: Blanke, J. and Chiesa, T., 2013, May. The travel tourism competitiveness report 2013. InThe World Economic Forum. Getz, D., 2014. Residents' attitudes towards tourism: A longitudinal study in Spey Valley, Scotland.Tourism management,15(4), pp.247-258. Hall, C.M. and Williams, A. eds., 2013.Tourism and migration: New relationships between production and consumption(Vol. 65). Springer Science Business Media. Mowforth, M. and Munt, I., 2015.Tourism and sustainability: Development, globalisation and new tourism in the third world. Routledge. Patterson, I.R., 2016.Growing older: Tourism and leisure behaviour of older adults. Cabi. radissonblu.com , 2016, About Radisson, Available at: https://www.radissonblu.com/en/plazahotel-sydney, [Accessed on 29-8-2016] Ritchie, J.B. and Goeldner, C.R., 2014.Travel, tourism, and hospitality research: a handbook for managers and researchers(No. Ed. 2). John Wiley and Sons.

Riordan Manufacturing business system

Riordan manufacturing was opened in 1991 in San Jose, California. It has since then been involved in manufacturing of plastic products used for automotive, appliance and aircraft parts. In addition, it produces plastic materials which are used in medical sectors and in beverage companies. In order to attain a future of profitability and growth, the company has set its goals which include; focusing on research and development and good customers and employees relationship.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Riordan Manufacturing business system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Riordan Manufacturing uses various accounting tools to measure its performance. One of the most important approaches is ratio analysis. This involves examination and interpretation of correlation between numerous financial variables, by shareholders or creditors. Riordan uses ratio analysis to benchmark itself in the market. Some of the ratio an alysis uses in Riordan Manufacturing include: liquidity ratios, such as current ratio, and quick ratio, to measure its solvency levels. This is done by taking the current assets and current liabilities to ascertain the various ratios; it also measures its debt structure, which is measured by dividing the net debts against the net assets; Riordan expresses its gross margin as a percentage. The profit margin is net sales less the operating expenses during that period; and profitability ratios to show the profitability of the company during a particular accounting period. Some of the profitability ratios used by Riordan Manufacturing include; return on assets, debt ratio, earnings per share and dividend payout ratio. Riordan uses these tools to identify changes in the company’s operations and the trends in the market against other companies. The companies systems are interconnected and dependent, and they are functional from the reception of the raw material shipment to the rele ase of the finished products. The sub-systems involved involves passing the incoming material’s documents, from the deliverer to the receiving staff who compare the document against the order and in validation, the data is fed into the inventory system by the inventory clerk. In addition the information regarding the amount of raw material used and the number of assembled produced are submitted to the clerk who inputs the date into the inventory system (Docstoc, 2010). When a sell is in process, the information concerning the customer and the amount ordered are entered into the shipping and billing systems by the sales system. Accordingly, the shipping system produces a document from the inventory system based on the amount ordered. After the ordered goods have been loaded into the truck the trucks number, date and time of departure are fed into customer’s billing system. Later upon shipment, the copies of order are entered into the inventory system.Advertising Lo oking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, to verify the amount of raw materials, assembled and finished products, an annual physical inventory is carried out against the figures of inventory system. To facilitate this, the department uses two types of desktop computers, which are the â€Å"Dell Optiflex computer with Windows 2K operating system and Compaq Presario’s operating on Windows 98 and Microsoft Office.† These systems are used by different facilities, where each facility and individual members of the sale team uses a variety of softwares and procedures to gather the customer’s information and to trace down sales. The whole IT system, involved in the receiving of raw materials and release of produced goods is used by all the three Riordan companies in Georgia, Michigan, and China, although they produce different commodities. However, the sub-systems involved, wh ich are; reception, inventory, manufacturing, branding and delivery, require some improvement to make the whole process successful. For instance, the reception does take a lot of time in comparison on the delivered materials and their order. A more integrated method of electronically weighing the material delivered could save the company a lot of time for other processes (Docstoc, 2010). This can be achieved by comparing the weight of delivered goods and the ordered weight. In the inventory, the weight of the delivered good will be noted and since each plant processes one product the finished manufactured good can be compared against the weight. Moreover, the sales department needs to install software that will compare the customers’ information and the market demand to production system records to determine the amount to be produced. This will curb the problem of dead stock, a major problem in Riordan manufacturing process. In the same case, there should be a connection betw een the inventory system and the production system. This will enable the production team to assess the quantity needed to avoid the loss incurred in holding finished products. Also, the connection needs to be extended to delivery department, on which automatic hand sensor should be used to delete the released products from the inventory system. This will save time used in feeding the information manually. Reference List Docstoc, (2010). Improving Riordan’s Networks. Riordan manufacturing business systems. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Riordan Manufacturing business system specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Riordan Manufacturing business system was written and submitted by user Turner T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Swiss Hospitality Touch

Career Path to Journalism Essays

Career Path to Journalism Essays Career Path to Journalism Essay Career Path to Journalism Essay Sports media has changed the way sports are viewed today. Sports reporters live their job. They do this in order to give their audience concise explanations of their views on the current sports world. Sports reporters go through a specified career path, and are highly trained to perform their job at the highest level. I plan on taking the specified route, putting in time, and making sports a priority in my life in order to become a household name in sports. As an accomplished reporter, I will travel all over the world to report back to the U. S. as a primary source of sports information. The career path to becoming a journalist is very specific, and starts early. Writing is the major skill needed to be a touted reporter, so it is necessary to put an emphasis on English early in one’s education (WISCareers NP). Besides English, there are other classes that are not mandatory, yet very beneficial. Journalism and the performing arts are very helpful classes for any reporter (WISCareers NP). Through journalism I will learn skills specific to a future career in the field. Through performing arts I will become comfortable performing live, a skill essential to any broadcasting career. After high school comes the most indispensible part of any journalist’s career. With the exception of special cases, all journalists require a minimum of a four-year bachelors degree in journalism to obtain a job (WISCareers NP). I plan on attending The University of Texas, Austin(UT), where I will major in sports journalism. UT has a highly touted journalist program that will teach me specific skills essential to a career in journalism (Education Portal NP). I also plan on completing a minor in broadcasting production. Doing so will teach me what is done behind the scenes. That valuable knowledge gives me the flexibility to work on set or behind the camera. Having multiple skills that directly apply to journalism will serve me well when I need to â€Å"climb the ladder†. There is a vast field of reporters that is filled with cutthroat competition. To excel to great success one must have to be unique, have honed skills, and have passion for sports. Reporters are judged by their audience, an inferior one sticks out. Poor reporters take away from the sport, and are the subject of extensive ridicule. To elevate to the top level of reporting, one must learn how to put their own mark on all of their work, and prove their quality through experience. You should make an especially strong effort to land a summer or part-time job on the local newspaper; constant new experiences are the key to becoming a good sportswriter. These experiences will greatly enhance your ability to obtain a full-time position following graduation† (Heitzmann 54). Traditionally, the standard way to do this would be to start at a small news group, but do to the forecasted 7% decrease in job availability over the next 10 years in Wisconsin, I am going to take an alternative route to my success (WISCareers NP). Even though the field is downsizing, I plan on entering the competition by utilizing the new vastly growing region of the industry: digital social networking (WISCareers NP). With Facebook nearly adding more than 150,000 members a day (TIME NP), I will make my first splash as a reporter on my own internet series. Through self-employment I will not have to rely on my employers to give me opportunities to showcase my ability, and hope for a job. Instead, through self-employment I will hold my own destiny in my hands. By producing and staring in my series, I will showcase what I have learned at The University of Texas Austin. Pushing my show through blooming digital social networks, my show will gain a following, and in turn boost my reputation, pushing me into the spotlight. Reporters generally start with a low salary, and can only increase their pay if they prove themselves in the field by creating fan base. The average starting pay level for sports journalism in Wisconsin is $17,890 per year, and $19,650 per year nationally (WISCareers NP). Once I accumulate a following, I take my talents to the next level and apply at ESPN for a job opening either in front, or behind the camera. There I will have to work my way from behind the scene on stage, from minor to major roles, and eventually becoming a major contributor as a major sports analyst. While in the spotlight I will reach the national top pay level of $74,000 per year, and I will eventually surpass it as I reach celebrity status (WISCareers NP). As a key member of ESPN, I will receive major opportunities that otherwise would not be available. I will have the opportunity to travel to major league stadiums to cover games, attend championships, report internationally at the Olympics, and meet both current, and former athletes while getting paid. Once I gain seniority at ESPN, I will be living any diehard sports fan’s dream. As a sports reporter, everything one does is dedicated to being the best source for all sports related news. The obvious part of being a reporter is hat happens in front of the camera, and in the magazines; covering, reporting, and breaking down current events in sports culture. However what happens in between all that is far more important. To be a top-notch reporter I must eat, sleep, and live sports. That means when I am not in the studio or office reporting, I must watch all the major games, and keep up to date with all the happenings in sports in order to have one’s own detailed and unique opinion on all major plots, and subplots. In general; I must be up to speed with all things sports. As a sports reporter, I will work year round in many locations, at all hours of the day and night. To start my career, I will work from my home during the day, as I try to create a reputation as an esteemed reporter. Early in my career I will only travel to cover live events when I feel necessary, and when I can afford the expense of travel. Since the trips will be on my own dollar, it is unlikely that I will make many trips outside local, or regional games. When I take my talents the next level, I will spend all my time, year round, in Bristol, Connecticut, at the ESPN studios. There, I will spend a lot of time behind the scenes in the office, working at night producing, and writing as I wait for my shot at fame. As I begin to get roles in front of the camera, I will start at night during less desirable hours as I work to gain experience at the next level. As I excel, I will be promoted and constantly shifted to more prime or desirable hours, in order to increase my exposure. Eventually, I will be working for the five o’clock prime time SportsCenter; only then will I gain the opportunities for major travel. As a senior member of the reporting crew I will travel to major sporting events to give a detailed report as a primary source. Sports media has revolutionized today’s world of sports. Reporting has come from a rare talent, to a trainable skill. Elite reporters who put in the time and effort, are in turn, paid well and given opportunities to live out their dreams as sports fans. I plan on living my dream as a sports fan and cover sports all around the world while putting my own mark on sporting culture.

I will post all of information in word Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

I will post all of information in word - Essay Example For instance, when systems from Wells Fargo require information from those at Wachovia, they have to form new links between the business end and control end of the two information systems. After these links are formed, the integration process moves to the maturity stage where new links are formed between the same ends of the two information systems. Increased expansion as expected with the merger leads to formation of cross-links between the units present in both organizations (Frankel 76). With the merger between the two organizations in this case, integration of IS was necessitated in order to manage the chaos that would follow with communication hitches and revenue loss from redundant links. When Wells Fargo merged with Wachovia, they came across various challenges and difficulties in the integration of their information systems. One of these difficulties had to do with the making it financially viable to integrate the two systems. For example, Wells Fargo and Wachovia needed the capability to take advantage of those opportunities that would result from IS integration within the merged organization (Frankel 78). In addition the two organizations may have lacked the ability to deal with the issues that come from the integration of the information systems. For instance, the satisfaction of the new organization’s end users with the integrated IS and the entire process of systems integration could be a hurdle. Lack of proper communication about the integration process’ capabilities and its importance to the success of the merger may precipitate resistance from the workers of the organization that adopts the other’s system. Eventually, this could cause depressed effectiveness and efficiency in leveraging the resources at hand during the period of integration (Frankel 78). Wells Fargo and Wachovia may also have found it challenging to improve the capabilities of their previous information systems after the merger. Because the goal of the merge r was to improve the entire new organization’s processes, the IS integration would also have to improve its capabilities (Frankel 79). Difficulties that could affect the new organization include the enhancement of their competitive advantage, as well as the enhancement of their business strategies. Organizational planning and IS integration could also prove to be a challenge because it is important for the new organization to achieve its financial targets. Information system integration across departments within the new organization in order to increase their access to data and information may also be difficult since they have ingrained models of system operations. The ability of the merged company to keep staff who are competent in the new system, as well as recruit new ones, will also be challenging. The identification of the best fit technology and its assimilation will also be difficult (Frankel 79). However, there are also benefits to the merger of information systems be tween the two organizations. First, because the two are organizations of similar size, the IS integration will be much easier compared to if they had different capabilities (Frankel 81). However, because of their disparate images, protocols, websites, systems, and hardware, it was essential to integrate their systems. One reason that this is important is so that they can attain the benefits they expect from the merger. For this to happen, the standardizing systems, technology architecture, and application systems have to be rationalized. Insufficient data and

Case study report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case study report - Essay Example Demands from the society surpass the educational requirements. The society relies on the services on higher educational institutions to develop future generations of responsible persons. Minus the services of higher educational institutions, the society would be filled with persons with low professional and social portfolios (Brown & Katz, 2009). For this reason, governments have put in place strategies that make the access of the services of higher education much easier. Over the years, the ease of access of higher educational have been made easier. These can be analyzed in terms of the number of higher educational institutions created and the reduced prices of servicing the institutions for educational purposes. In the United Kingdom, the situation is the same. The number of educational institutions in the U.K has increased significantly to cater for the rising demand (Howell, 2012). Additionally, the institutions have made it easier for the public to access the services. Governmen t and educational bodies have also played a major role in creating a more accessible higher education sector. There have been measures in the United Kingdom that have ensured that higher educational institutions quote reasonable prices as fees (Andy, Jon & Robert, 2010). II. Thesis This paper will analyze the major changes, opportunities and difficulties faced by higher education institutions. The paper will also highlight major barriers that limit change in these institutions. Additionally, the paper will provide change management tips that should be embraced by university leaders in order to ensure smooth transitions of changes. For this paper the main focus will be made in regards to the changes experienced by the Higher education Institutions in the United Kingdom. The major change in the U.K. is the mandatory requirement by the institutions to reduce their charges on the tuition fees. III. The case From September, 2012 universities across the United Kingdom are allowed to raise their tuition fees up to ?9,000 annually. This change was protested by many educational bodies and stakeholder but at the gain of higher educational institutions. However, after the creation of these changes challenges started to arise on how this change could be managed. This is because students would aim to go to schools with the cheapest offering. In an argument by Levin (2012) the high demand on education limits the way in which institutions price their tuition fees. The author further points out that tuition fees in the United Kingdom would be fluctuated differently in each institution in order to maintain the competitiveness in the market (Levin, 2012). Additionally, due to the high fees the government will offer bursaries to students. For this reason, institution with the lowest fee quoted will be required to expand to cater for students who could not afford expensive institution. Institutions would also be required to quote cheaper tuition fees in order to capture the atten tion of the government in enabling them to acquire students benefiting from bursaries. Many institutions are now aiming at expanding their institutions by putting place mechanisms that would please both the government and the student population. However, other institution in the United Kingdom remain reluctant to quote cheaper

Complexity Theory Dominates The Narrative In Strategy Today Essay

Complexity Theory Dominates The Narrative In Strategy Today - Essay Example Thus, it is clear that organisations cannot carry on with preset strategies, and instead has to keep tab of all the happenings in its external environment and accordingly come up with strategies and reorient its organizational processes. This form of strategic management, where the organisation will keep on initiating new strategies according to its external environment, only comes under the Complexity theory. This theory views organisation mainly as part of a collection of structures, in which the organization could share some or maximum properties with other composite and adaptive environmental systems or structures. As the organisations share properties with these environmental systems, they will be able to adapt to that environment, reorient its strategies accordingly and emerge successful. So, this paper will critically discuss the strategic management view that Complexity theory dominates the narrative in strategy today, by first providing the background of the Complexity theor y. Then, the paper will analyse with case examples how the theory is practiced in an organization and how the strategist or leader or manager will play a role in that practice. The paper will also provide counter perspectives, before drawing to a conclusion. When the Complexity theory is viewed from an overall perspective, or when one focuses on the science of complexity, it emerges that it is the study of an evolving and adapting order in an otherwise orderly systems. That is, certain action is carried out, or naturally carries out in a specific order, without changing of set patterns, for example, flocking and large scale migration of birds. However, even that set pattern have to be changed according to the constantly changing environment. So, the key is, the actions has to be operated at the vicinity of ‘edge’, without deeply getting involved in preset practices. That is, one has to be fully prepared for any changes that might occur in their action path, and so they should operate in that path of ‘prepared’ or ‘ready to adapt’ state. According to McElory (2000), the systems that operate in the vicinity of the edge or even chaos mainly exhibits strong bursts of creativity, thereby coming up with i nnovative behaviours and new patterns. These new patterns which enhances the ability of a system to â€Å"adapt successfully to its environment are stabilized and repeated† while those that performs below expectations and leads to failures â€Å"are rejected in favor of radically new ones, almost as if a cosmic game of trial-and-error were being played.† (McElory 2000, p.196). Many concepts of the Complexity theory got originated and were researched at the Sante Fe Institute, located in New Mexico, USA. The institute was found in 1984 by George A. Cowan as an independent research centre, where scientists from different disciplines including maths, physics, biology, information technology, psychology, physiology, etc, etc with their computing expertise, conducted â€Å"interdisciplinary work on the behaviour of complex adaptive systems†, coming up with various postulations of the Complexity theory. (Rosenhead 2008). The basic concept that resulted from this resea rch under the Complexity theory is that, any collection of components as well as systems will evolve as well as organize itself, on the basis of changes in its external environment. The application of this concept in the field of business started

Analysis of Microfinance Lending and Credit Assessment Methodology

Analysis of Microfinance Lending and Credit Assessment Methodology Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) core activities are driven by a social mission through provision of full range of banking needs to poor people for productive purposes, thereby contributing to the developmentl objective of poverty reduction. MFIs products and services includes micro-credit, micro-savings, micro-insurance and also remittances. Microcredit program is providing financial capital to the poor household in order to engage them in income generating activities for alleviating poverty mostly to finance small businesses agricultural loans. Typically this type of lending is not secured by any collateral but granted based on the clients ability to generate the necessary financial means for repayment based on his or her business activities. Most of the terms and conditions for microcredit loans are flexible and easy to understand. However, there is no standard lending and credit assessment methodology employed by MFIs. We are motivated to explore and document this research gap. 1.2 The Innovation and Development of Microfinance Industry in Malaysia The provision of microcredit is nothing new in Malaysia. Poverty eradication programs involve provision of credit at subsidised rate to the poor has been around since 1970s after formation of the New Economic Policy (NEP) that was instituted in 1970. The earlier micro credit program was mainly carried out by credit unions, co-operatives, specialised credit institutions and NGOs. The provision of small financing designated mostly to finance micro enterprises, agriculture sector for poverty reduction and to improve income of the Bumiputera. The legislation for microfinance regulation in Malaysia includes, Moneylender Act 2002, Banking and Financial Institution Act 1989, Development Financial Institution Act 2002, and Cooperatives Societies Act 1993, (Zakiah, 2004). The Microfinance business models are based on mass market, cooperatives, monoline and distributor network (BNM, 2010). Majlis Amamah Rakyat (MARA), a council of trust to the Bumiputera and Credit Guarantee Corporation (CGC) are some of the pioneers to introduce micro credit to micro enterprises. The rural credit institutions comprising of Agriculture Bank of Malaysia (Agrobank), Farmers Organization Authority (LLP), Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) and other agro-based Co-operative Societies provide micro credit for the agriculture sectors. There are also a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that engage in micro credit provision (Kasim and Jayasooria, 1993). These include Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), Yayasan Usaha Maju (YUM) and Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC) in Sabah, Koperasi Kredit Rakyat (KKR) in Selangor. Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (TEKUN) is a government agency micro credit provider. While, Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM), a cooperatives institution providing Islamic microcre dit program based on al-rahnu concept in Malaysia. Prior to 2003, Commercial banks involvement in microfinance program are just limited to extending lines of credit to AIM, and as a mediator for schemes such as the loan fund for hawkers and petty traders operated by the Credit Guarantee Corporation (CGC). In May 2003, the government launched a Micro Credit Scheme, particularly stimulating agricultural production activities as well as expanding small and medium enterprise activities. Two banking institutions namely Agrobank and Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), and AIM have been given the responsibility to carry out the scheme. The scheme is collateral free, and borrowers are eligible for a maximum loan of up to RM20,000 with interest rates charged at 4% per annum on reducing balance. The government acknowledged that development of the microfinance industry is crucial in promoting greater financial inclusion, given that almost 80 percent of the SMEs in Malaysia are micro enterprises (BNM, 2006). Thus, in August 2006, the National SME Development Council (NSDC) approved a comprehensive microfinance institutional framework proposed by BNM, comprising banking institutions, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and credit cooperatives to develop a sustainable microfinance industry. This commercially-driven microfinance industry will complement the existing Government-sponsored microfinance programmes. This is important to ensure that micro enterprises have adequate and continuous access to financing. Following this initiative, 10 local banks are now offering microfinance products providing a channel for micro enterprises to obtain financing from the formal financial systems. BSN was mandated to provide microfinance, while Bank Rakyat would provide microfinance to members of cooperatives and Agrobank would continue to provide microfinance to micro enterprises in the agriculture and agro-based sector. Banking institutions with their extensive nationwide network of branches would ensure wider outreach of microfinance. In addition, BNM proposed the establishment of the Malaysia Cooperative Societies Commission to strengthen the role of credit cooperatives in providing credit to micro enterprises. The new comprehensive microfinance indusry framework in Malaysia is as isllustrated in Table 1 below. Table 1: The Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Malaysia Non-Bank MFIs Bank MFIs Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) Yayasan Usaha Maju (YUM) Koperasi Kredit Rakyat (KKR) Kooperasi Kredit Pekerja (KKP) Partners in Enterprise Malaysia (PiEM) Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (TEKUN) Council of Trust to Bumiputera (MARA) Malaysian Building Society Berhad (MBSB) Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC) Agrobank Bhd (AgroBank) Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Bhd (Bank Rakyat) Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) Alliance Bank Bhd (Alliance Bank) AMBank Bhd (AM Bank) CIMB Bank Bhd (CIMB) EONCAP Islamic Bank Bhd (EON Bank) Public Bank Bhd (PBB) United Overseas Bank Bhd (UOB) Credit Guarantee Corporation Bhd (CGC) Source: adapted from Jasman et. al., (2010) These financial institutions have adopted different business models and strategies that leverage on the institutional strengths and niches to supports the credit needs of micro enterprises. A number of financial institutions have adopted a mass market model whereby the financial institution provides micro credit products through its existing branch network. Others, like Bank Rakyat, have adopted a cooperative model which provides microfi nance to its members. Some have employed the distributor network model, which leverages on the distributive capabilities of strategic business partners. Another is the monoline model with a dedicated microfinance operation, formed with its own distinct branding and processes designed to uniquely appeal to micro enterprises. Table 2 : Comparative Analysis of Non-Bank Microcredit Programs in Malaysia Category Non-Government Organization (NGOs) Government Agency Coopeatives Institution AIM YUM TEKUN MARA SCC YaPEIM Target Group Low income community Bumiputra micro entrepreneurs Bumiputra mincro entrepreneurs Agroculture based entrepreneurs Pretty traders Gold financing Programe Name Ikhtiar Microcredit General 1 2 and Group Fund Loan Tekun Microcredit Business Financing Community Loan Scheme Al-Rahnu Micro Credit Age Limit 18 years above Women 18 to 55 years 18 60 years 21 60 years Loan Amount Min : Nil Max : RM20,000 Min : RM100 Max : RM20,000 Min : Nil Max : RM50,000 Min : 1,000 Max : RM10,000 Min : 1,000 Max : RM10,000 Up to RM25,000 Loan Period 6 months to 3 years 6 months to 5 years 6 months to 5 years Up to 4 years Up to 3 years Processing Period 21 days N/a 35 days 11 days N/a Repayment Period Weekly Daily, Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Interest Rate / Charge 10%p.a 4% 11%p.a 5% 6%p.a 1.25%p.m 10%p.a 0.1% 0.75% Program Supports Insurance Business Training Business Training, Compulsory Deposits Business training Compulsory savings Advisory Business Matching loan scheme for group of 5 or 6 individuals. Source : UNDP(2008), and Respective Institutions websites. Note : No published data available for KKR, KKP and PiEM microfiance program details. Table 3 : Comparative Analysis of Banks Financial Institutions Microcredit Programs in Malaysia Category Banking Instititions (BIs) Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) Institution ABB AMBank CIMB EONCAPi PBB UOB CGC Agrobank BSN Bank Rakyat Program Name Personal Financing AmMikro Cash Express Personal Financing PB Micro Finance EasiCash DAGS Modal Usahawan 1 BSN Teman Niaga Mikro-i Target Group Micro enterprises Micro enterprises Micro enterprises Micro enterprises Micro enterprises Micro enterprises SMEs Micro enterprises Micro enterprises Micro enterprises Age Limit 25 60 years 18 60 years 21 60 years Retired civil servants 25 60 years 21 55 years 21 60 years 21 60 years 18 65 years Loan Amount RM2,000 RM50,000 RM3,000 RM50,000 RM3,000 RM50,000 RM5,000 RM50,000 RM3,000 RM50,000 RM5,000 RM50,000 RM50,000 RM3.0M RM1,000 RM50,000 RM5,000 RM50,000 RM1,000 RM50,000 Loan Period 6 months 5 years 1 5 years 6 months 5 years 3 15 years 1 5 years 2 5 years 3 months 5 years 1 5 years 1 months 5 years Processing Period 2 days 5 days 2 days 5 days 6 days 7 days 4 days 6 days 10 days Repayment Period Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Interest Rate / Charge 5.05%p.a 2.5%p.m 2% 3%p.m 2% 3%p.m 0.9%p.m 0.5% 3.5%p.a 4%p.a 4%p.a 4%p.a Source : Comparative table on microfinanc product features (BNM, 2010) and Respective Insritutions website 1.3 Problem Statements: Research issues in Microcredit Lending combines the science of obtaining and analysing the facts of a loan request and the art of making judgements about that information, the feasibility of the business, and the credibility of the borrower. Experienced lenders focus on the key business issues quickly, determine what information is needed, and then make prompt decisions based on that information. Developing sound credit judgement takes time and experience; development lending to small businesses by the book is difficult and rarely results in a quality loan portfolio. There is no formula for determining creditworthiness. The loan officer must assemble and evaluate information and then determine what the entire picture looks like. Traditional bank lenders refer to the Four Cs of lending: Credit, Capacity, Collateral, and Character. Development lending uses the same rigorous credit assessment principles, but applies them to situations in which the lender must rely on borrower character and cash flow from the business. The loan application and the first meeting with the borrower are the first screen of whether a business is a potential candidate for microcredit. Beginning with the first meeting, the lender must evaluate the quality of the business deal, the fit with the borrowers experience and capacity, and whether the financing amount and structure is appropriate. 1.4 Research Questions/Objectives The questions/objectives of this study are: RQ1: To investigate the microcredit lending methodology of commercial-driven and government funded MFIs RQ2: To investigate the credit assessment methodology of commercial-driven and government funded MFIs RQ3: Is there any different between lending and credit assessment methodology of commercial-driven and government funded MFIs? 1.5 Significance of this study This paper aim to understand, comparatively analyze and document the MFIs lending and credit application assessment methodology of both the commercial-driven and government-funded MFIs microcredit program. This study will contribute to enrich the existing literature related to microcredit and microenterprises financing with specific reference to Malaysia environment. 1.6 Limitations Survey involving only selected active MFIs based in west Malaysia. This paper only focused on microcredit lending and credit assessment methodology for micro enterprises only. 1.7 Organization of Report This paper is organized into four parts, after the introduction, part two contains the literature review related to microfinance lending and credit assessment methodology for micro enterprises. Part three describing data collection and analysis methodology and the last part contains concluding remarks and recommendations. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Review of Microfinance Delivery Methodologies (REFINE) The Review of Rural Finance Innovations in Asia-Pacific Region have identified and documented the microfinance methodologies used in Asia. These methodologies include: Grameen Bank; Association for Social Advancement (ASA); SHG Linkage Banking ; Unit Desas (Village Banks) of the Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI); and Mixed model and mixed method (Source:xxx) Grameen Bank model The Grameen model is the most popular and widely replicated model in Asia. It consistently achieves outreach both in depth and magnitude and high repayment rates (98 per cent). The early replicators as early as 1989 were India, Malaysia and the Philippines; others include China and Indonesia. The model focuses on: poor peoples access to credit, with women as a priority; small loans repaid in weekly instalments; eligibility for higher loan amount for succeeding loans; loans for income-generating activities; financing activities chosen by borrowers themselves; and forming solidarity groups. Over time, the replicators modified the model to suit local contexts. ASA model ASA is another model from Bangladesh. In the 1990s, ASA gained recognition for achieving a repayment rate of 99 per cent. In Asia, the model has been replicated in India, Indonesia and the Philippines. While loan products are the same as with the Grameen model, the difference is that it does not impose the group co-liability. The model also requires that the borrowers form groups of 25 to 30 members. The model uses a unique standardized branch approach which enables cost savings and efficiency in service delivery the branch has no need for additional personnel for cashier and accountant, enabling it to fully cover costs even after 9 to12 months. SHG Linkage Banking model The SHG Linkage Banking model is an outcome of the Regional Linkage Banking Programme which is an initiative supported by APRACA and Deutsche Gesellschaft fà ¼r Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) in the early 1990s. Using this model, NABARD of India achieved the largest scale and outreach in the countries supported by this programme. The approach is linking SHGs with banking institutions for loan and deposit services. Most SHGs are formed by NGOs or government agencies with financial support from NABARD. One difference between this model and the Grameen and ASA models is that before obtaining their first loan, the members of SHGs are required to mobilize savings first. They usually start at a 1:1 or 2:1 loan- to-savings ratio, increasing to 4:1 in succeeding loan cycles. Bank loans are wholesaled to SHGs, which in turn lend to individual members following terms and policies set by the SHGs themselves. The SHG is the dominant microfinance methodology in India (Sinha, 2003). Unit Desas model Unit Desas are village banks of the Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI). The bank provides loans for any income-generating activity: from 3 to 24 months for working capital and 36 months for investment capital. The reported repayment rate is 99 per cent. Charging market interest rates enabled the unit banks to be profitable and operationally self-sustainable units. Mixed model and mixed method As a result of cross-dissemination of various methodologies and experimentation by microfinance institutions, there is an emerging trend of adopting a mixed model and a mixed method. The former combines features of two or more models under one approach. The latter uses different methodologies for different client segments. For example, in the Philippines, microfinance institutions use an approach called GraSa which identifies clients and forms groups using the Grameen model while removing the co-liability requirement, which is a feature of the ASA model. Overall, the common thread among the best practices is the shift from mere credit to providing broader and sustainable financial services. While there are variations, there is an increasing emphasis on attaining a sustainable fund base, cost recovery of invested funds and efficient and responsive financial services to rural clients. 2.2 Traditional Approach of Creditworthiness Assessment for Small Borrowers An important role of credit markets is to screen borrowers and allocate credit efficiently based on their creditworthiness. Traditionally, banks have played a dominant role in doing so. One of the reasons posited for this has been that banks have the financial expertise to effectively intermediate capital (Diamond, 1994). The theoretical and empirical literature has argued that banks do very little screening for small borrowers and rely excessively on collateral. In addition, recent theoretical literature has also highlighted that the screening role may be better performed by markets with many participants, as opposed to banks (Boot and Thakor, 1997). Alternative peer-to-peer credit markets have recently started gaining popularity in lending to smaller borrowers such as individuals and small firms, both in developed and developing economies (Rajkamal I., et. al., 2009) While prior research has provided substantial evidence of elevated default risk among lower-income, minority, and less creditworthy borrowers (see, for example, Avery et al., 1996, Deng, Quigley, and Van Order, 1996, Berkovec et al., 1998, Pennington-Cross and Nichols, 2000), recent studies also suggest offsets to those risks via the slower prepayment speeds of targeted borrower groups (see, for example, Kelly, 1995, Van Order and Zorn, 2002, Archer, Ling, and McGill, 2002). Table 1: Summary of Criteria considered important by Bankers in Assessing Small Business Borrower Loan Applications Assessment Criteria Author(s)/Year Country Owners Personal Charatcteristics Business Ability (Fertuck, 1982) Honesty (Fertuck, 1982) Trading Experience (Deakins Hussain, 1994; Fletcher, 1995) Managerial Experience (Jones, 1982; Memon, 1984) Credit History (Jones, 1982; Memon, 1984) Quality of Management (Rosli, 1995) Malaysia Leverage and Security Position Gearing (Deakins Hussain, 1994; Fletcher, 1995; Berry, Grant and Jarvis, 2001; Binks and Ennew, 1996) Collateral (Ulrich Arlow, 1981) Guarantee (Deakins Hussain, 1994; Fletcher, 1995) Risk of Default (Rosli, 1995) Malaysia Owners and Business Financials Initial Capial (Jones, 1982; Memon, 1984) Financial Strengths (Fertuck, 1982) Bank Lending Policies Bank Policy (Berger and Udell, 2002) Relationship (Berger and Udell, 2002) Summary Table 2: Negative Factors Resulting in Rejection of Small Business Loans Application Assessment Criteria Author(s)/Year Country Owners Personal Charatcteristics Lack of Competecnce (Buttner Rosen, 1992; Desmond, 1991) Lack of Management Skills (Buttner Rosen, 1992) Lack of Entrepreneurial Skills Experience (Buttner Rosen, 1992; Desmond, 1991) Owners and Business Financials Poor Cash Flows (Struck Glassman, 1983) Poor Earnings Records (Fertuck, 1982) Insufficient Turnover (Read, 1998) Poor Credit Ratings Leverage Positions Poor Collateral (Fertuck, 1982) Insufficient Owners Equity (Struck Glassman, 1983) Past Due in Credit (Struck Glassman, 1983) Excessive Loan Requests (Desmond, 1991) Gearing too high (Desmond, 1991) Business Plans Insufficient Market Research (Buttner Rosen, 1992) Incomplete Business Plans (Buttner Rosen, 1992) Other Factors Bad Timing (Buttner Rosen, 1992) Summary 2.3 Innovation in Small Business Lending: The Art and Science of Microcredit The history of microcredit program can be traced back since 18th century where Credit Coperatives and charities provided small entrepreneurs in Europe (Hollis et. al., 1998). According to Hollis et. Al., a notable microcredit program in europe includes a fund created by Jonathan Swift, a novelist and the Irish Reproductive Loan Fund Institution. In developing economies, it is argued that among others absence of access to credit is presumed to be the cause for the failure of the poor to come out of poverty. Meeting the gap between demand and supply of credit in the formal financial institutions frontier has been challenging (Von Pischke, 1991). In fact, the gap is not aroused merely because of shortage of loan-able fund to the poor rather it arise because it is costly for the formal financial institutions to lend to the poor. Lending to the poor involves high transaction cost and risks associated with information asymmetries and moral hazards (Stiglitz and Weiss, 1981). Nevertheless, in several developing economies governments have intervened, through introduction of microfinance institutions to minimize the gap then allow the poor access credits through provision of so called microcredit. Microcredit is defined simply as small-scale credit, most typically for less-advantaged individuals. In practice, microcredit is most frequently used to refer to credit provided specifically for the purpose of starting a small business and there is other microcredit products catering for other consumption needs of poor individual. The various forms of micro-credit systems have proven successful in delivering credit to the poor and ensuring high rate of repayment when compared to the formal channels. Because micro-credit systems have been effective in reaching the poor, many developing countries have set up special financial institutions that either directly provide credit to SHGs and the facilitating NGOs or help refinance commercial and cooperative banks that provide the credit. These national micro-finance institutions are in turn funded by international agencies as well as the national government (source xxxx) Microfinance Lending Methodology Micro-lending methodology in practice is appearently different to mainstream banking. The distinguish characteristics are as follows; (i) non traditional creditworthiness assessment criteria; (ii) non traditional collateral accepted; (iii) loan officers are not necessarily bankers; (iv) credit is provided along with business support services. Other distinguishing features between them are as tabulated below; Table 3: Comparison of Micro-finance and Formal Banking Lending to Micro Enterprises Characteristics Microfinance Formal Banking Size of loan Small/tiny size of credit Medium/large credit Duration of loan Short duration Medium and long Thrift Emphasis on thrift as well as loans Focus on loan only Screening and Monitoring Group formation and informal methods Formal Procedures Enforcement of Repayments Stepped or sequential loans, Peer pressure and weekly repayments Collateral and legal pressured for repayments Nature of Organization Social organizational form Commercial organization form Motivation Self-help motivated Profit motivated Outreach Access to poor without collateral (all members) Access limited Lending Method Cash-flows based lending Asset-based lending Analysis Field visits Desk Analysis Credit Administration Flexible and personalized Standardized Source: Adapted with midification fromxxx 2.3.2 Microfinance Loan Assessment and Credit Analysis Methodology An important function of credit markets is to screen borrowers and allocate credit efficiently based on borrowers creditworthiness (Iyer, et. al., 2009). The credit analysis is defined as a process of establishing the current creditworthiness of loan applicants and forecasting the trends in its development. Top priority goals and stages in the bank credit analysis are determined. (Feschijan, 2008). The analysis of the creditworthiness involves preliminary study of the factors and prerequisites which can affect adversely the duly repayment of the credit. When analyzing creditworthiness, along with the required prerequisites for creditworthiness it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive study of the factors that determine it. It is believed that creditworthiness depends on several major factors: the borrowers efficiency, his reputation, his capacity for profit making, the value of his assets, the state of the economic situation, his profitability, etc. In order to conduct a thorough study of the above mentioned, it is necessary to use a number of indicators for the credit analysis (Feschijan, 2008). Table 3: Empirical Evidence of Microcredit Repayment Determinants Determinant factors Author(s)/Year Country Regular monitoring, audits, high repayment frequency, having group savings deposits Deininger and Liu (2009) India Close monitoring and close relationshp with borrowers Roslan et. Al. (2007) Malaysia Threats of sanctions, borrower incur less transactions costs Bhatt and Tang (2002) USA Gender of the borrower, type of business activity, amount of loan, repayment period and trainning Rosalan and M. Zaini (2009) Malaysia Joint liability, dinamic and progressive lending, Peer monitoring, social ties and social connections, self-selection, income shocks, social sanction and cooperation, loan size, infrastructure and local economic environment, group rules and regulations, group size, age of the group, assistance offered by bank, gender, local culture, group homogeneity, role of group leader Bakshi (2008) N/a (literature review) Group gender decomposition (group with more females) Anthony and Horne (2003) USA RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Data Specification and Collection Method Target Respondents Target respondents will comprises of the following selected microfinance institutions (MFIs) which constitutes both the non-bank MFIs and bank-MFIs; Category Non-Bank MFIs Bank-MFIs Organization MARA YUM AIM TEKUN SCC BSN Agro Bank Bank Rakyat Target Respondents Credit Manager/Officer Credit Manager/Officer Credit Manager/Officer Credit Manager/Officer Credit Manager/Officer Credit Manager/Officer Credit Manager/Officer Credit Manager/Officer No. of Respondents 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 Total respondents = 320 A personally administrated survey was employed in this study. Target respondents were comprises of credit managers and officers of the above selected MFIs in west Malaysia. Questionnaire Design Table 3.1: The Structured Questionnaire Design Section Category Remarks Section A Respondent Profile This section is designed to cater information on respondents demographic profile. Section B Lending Methodology This section concentrates on profiling the lending methodology of MFIs Section C Credit Assessment This section is designed to explore microcredit assessment criteria employed by MFIs Data Analysis Methods Descriptive Statistics Analysis Descriptive statistics analysis used to explore the characteristics of the respondents. Factor Analysis Factor analysis use to analyse and determine the significant important factors for microlenders in analysing microenterprises loan applications. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) ANOVA is used to established statistical significant of differences of lending and credit assessment methodologies between commercially-driven and government-funded MFIs. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS Descriptive Statistics Analysis Respondent demographic factors Factor Analysis RQ1: To investigate the microcredit lending methodology of commercial-driven and government funded MFIs RQ2: To investigate the credit assessment methodology of commercial-driven and government funded MFIs

Medical Technology Essay

One of the most recently trending topics is how efficient the use of technology is. Many people suggest that today’s technology can potentially bring downfalls to this generation’s youth by addicting them into depending on it. What these people are forgetting to ask themselves is, â€Å"What benefits could today’s technology potentially bring? † Multiple correct answers to this question in a view that affects my life are well-explained in â€Å"Google Glass’s Efficient Applications in the ER† from Technology News on kgw. com. The article examines the effectiveness of Google’s newest invention, Google Glass, from a medical point of view. Since Google Glass has proven to be helpful in the emergency room, this concept affects my life due to my set-in-stone plan to pursue a career in the medical field. Google Glass’s â€Å"apps† help provide better patient care, which also explains to technology oppositionists just how efficient the use of technology is. The apps that Google Glass is suited with are composed of hands-free features. These features include taking pictures and recording video. In addition, you are able to share these pictures and videos via message or even live-stream. To send a message to a recipient, all the user needs to do is speak to Glass. Glass even allows you to search the internet for whatever is on your mind. The new technology even allows its user to translate foreign words and phrases into your own language. Lastly, and least importantly, another key feature of this new technology is its GPS navigational system. All of these hands-free features that Google Glass provides can be used in more than just a practical way (â€Å"Google†). When doctors give care to their patients, their care could possibly be relying on technology that assists the doctor. In some cases, this technology could be something as little as a stethoscope. Other times, the technology that doctors rely on could be something huge and complex, such as a computer. Either way, it is clear that a doctor’s use of technology is for better and more efficient patient care. With that in mind, Google Glass’s hands-free features show potential to implement Glass as a new, global, medical technology. Each feature that Glass is equipped with (beside the handy GPS navigational system) can be proven to assist doctors, allowing them to care for patients more freely (â€Å"Google†). Google Glass’s ability to take pictures and record videos, along with being able to share these pictures and videos, serves a purpose to medical workers by making their job more informational. For example, a first-responder in an emergency situation can capture what is happening during the scene. The first-responder’s visual description comes with its own visual display. When relayed to further patient care such as doctors or surgeons, this kind of information can be crucial to the patient’s survival. This information helps doctors prepare for treatment and know what to expect. The first-responder’s use of Google Glass informs the further patient care, educating them in a way (â€Å"Google†). Speaking of education, Glass’s ability to share and live-stream its pictures and videos can be used in an educational aspect. Descriptive pictures of medical content can be sent to an instructional doctor’s class, allowing his or her students to maximize the information received. Medical teachings, such as surgery, basic life support, extractions, extrications, etc. can be recorded and shared between pupils to be reviewed, re-watched, studied, etc (â€Å"Google†). This use of Glass can be applied to get a better understanding of how to master medical treatments. Mastering these techniques entitles you as a credible physician with credible experience. Most questions today are no longer answered by taking the time to find a credible source with a credible answer. The people who have these questions resort to searching the internet for a quick answer instead. In order to comply with these people, Google Glass has implemented its search engine into its features. To a doctor, this implement is useful by being able to find quick answers to simple questions while caring for a patient. For example, the doctor may ask Glass, â€Å"What allergic reactions can occur by latex? † in order to answer a patient’s question regarding his or her allergies. A hands-free search engine can also be used to bring up nearby hospitals, pharmacies, fire stations, etc. Glass’s ability to do this saves valuable time that could be used to save lives (â€Å"Google†). Glass’s last notable feature that applies in the emergency room is the ability to translate foreign words or phrases into the user’s own language. This can prove to be helpful in situations where the patient has a heavy accent, does not speak your language very well, or does not speak your language at all. In addition to translating foreign language into your own desired language, you can do the inverse. In order to make the patient feel more at home, more relaxed, and more cared for, doctors could now translate what they have to say into the foreign language the patient uses. Doing this would increase the number of doctors globally, since finding doctors who speak specific languages would be a thing of the past (â€Å"Google†). As a student who sees his future in the medical field, this article is of great importance to me. Seeing what applications are used in the emergency room increases my knowledge on the topic and gives me a better idea of what to expect in the future. I believe that technology plays a major role in the medical field, but I also believe that technology plays a major role in life in general. Google Glass’s features that are not meant for any specific area of use are practical. The use of these features and the outcomes they bring depend on how efficient you believe technology really is. So rather than bashing this new-coming technology as a curse on our youth, we should start to see it as a prosperous opportunity to serve a greater purpose in life.

Culture and Personality

Personality: Boas and Benedict According to Franz Boas, pioneer of Psychological Anthropology or the study of the relationship between culture and personality, personality is obtained thru culture and not biology. His theory called Cultural Relativism gives a comprehensive understanding of the underlying relationship between culture and personality. Boas’ student Ruth Benedict expounded the research on the effect of culture to personality through studying cultural various patterns and themes.Although she admitted that the global cultural diffusion has made the cultural patterns of civilized societies are difficult to trace, primitive societies located at the remote areas have preserved their shared personalities through their values, beliefs and rituals. When Benedict wrote her book Patterns of Culture, she mentioned her comparison of the cultural patterns of two different northern American Indian groups as well as an Indian group located off-coast of Papua New Guinea.In her s tudy, she found out that although they are from similar genetic collection, these groups have significant differences in their respective value systems. For instance, one tribe’s idea of a â€Å"good man† differentiates to that of another. Her book, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture, included a detailed description of Japanese belief and value system as well as a hypothesis on the reason behind the actions of the Japanese during World War II. PERSONALITY: MARGARET MEAD Arguably, Margaret Mead was one of the leading anthropologists of the 20th century.Being a student of Boas, Mead extended the school’s knowledge in culture and personality as she focused from the American culture to the whole Western World. She travelled to Samoa and she found out that the societies there have uniform value systems, and thus, they share common personality traits. In the culture of Samoan tribes, it was noted that until individuals reach the age of 15- 1 6, when they are to be subjected to marital rituals, they do not have significant roles in terms of social life. In fact, children are ignored by their parents and the rest of the society until after they reach puberty.Girls are taught to see boys as their enemies. The effect of this portion of the Samoan culture is that children tend to be either aggressive to gain attention, or passive due to the lack of affection and love from their significant others. SEX? DIFFERENCES AND PERSONALITY Evolution and genetics are believed to have brought about differences in personality traits as determined by the biological sex of a person. As explained by the Theory of Sexual Selection, males compete to attract females, so men are more likely to be aggressive and competitive than women.However, nowadays we may see that more and more women become aggressive in competing against other women for a man. Our culture greatly contributes to the development of our beliefs and values. For this reason, bot h cultural psychologists and social anthropologists believe that culture affects one’s personality. In addition, gender differences also influence the personality traits a person possesses. Read more: Does culture affect our personality? – Individual Traits and Culture.

Benefits of Attending Churches for International Students

Benefits of Attending Churches for International Students Executive summary This proposal is aimed at raising the awareness of international students about the benefits of attending churches.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Benefits of Attending Churches for International Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This proposal includes several elements: the design of brochures and leaflets about the churches in California; distribution of these leaflets; evaluation of students’ experiences and attitude toward churches. The proposed program can assist learners who struggle with culture shock and alienation from others. People, who will be involved in this project, should have qualifications in several areas such as management, design, and social research. The budget of this project will be $ 2000. There are several important outcomes: ability of international students to adapt to a different environment; their resistance to culture shock; the increased awareness of educators and social workers about the problems that international students have to struggle with. This project can be supported by various public organizations, but the most important role can be played by California Association of Student Councils. This agency can support a great number of international students. These are the main aspects that should not be overlooked. Introduction This proposal is aimed at increasing student’s awareness about the benefits of joining local churches that are located in California. In particular, it is necessary to design and distribute brochures that contain the following information: names and addresses of local churches; the time when one can attend these churches; the benefits of joining such organization. This initiative has several rationales. First, it should be noted that international students face such a problem as culture shock. This issue can be attributed to various factors such as lack of knowledge about culture, languag e barriers, or inability to see one’s relatives (Arthur 26; Burnapp 43).Advertising Looking for proposal on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, these learners establish close contacts only with people who share their language or culture. As a result, after several years of study they know very little about the host country, and they cannot integrate themselves in the community. One can say that this problem will become even more important in the future because the number of international students will only increase (International Student Trends unpaged). In turn, by joining local churches, these people can develop their communicative skills and learn more about various aspects of foreign culture (Montgomery 100). This approach has already benefited learners from other countries. It will be easier for them to integrate themselves into the society. The following section will include the description of the project, its budgetary requirements, and timelines. On the whole, the successful implementation of this initiative can positively affect the lives of many international students whose experiences can be impaired by culture shock and alienation. Description of the project The significance of the proposal Overall, this project can affect a great number of stakeholders. One should take into account that in 2011 there were 96,535 international students in California (International Student Trends unpaged). Moreover, this number is likely to increase in the future. One can say that the success of this project can positively affect academic performance of students (Andrade and Evans 50). Finally, these people can eventually learn more about the country in which they live. These are the main issues that should be considered. This initiative can be supported by California Association of Student Councils.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on Bene fits of Attending Churches for International Students specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main steps This project will consist of several stages. At first, it is necessary to design a brochure which contains relevant information about local churches. It is vital to focus on those churches located in the most populous districts of California. In other words, international students should be able to find these organizations as soon as possible. Furthermore, these leaflets should clearly explain the benefits of joining churches. These are the main requirements that should be met during the stage of design. Apart from that, it is necessary to distribute leaflets and brochures in those areas in which there are many universities and colleges that international students can attend. This approach can significantly simplify the work of volunteers who should be involved in this project. This is one of the issues should be considered. Finally, it is i mportant to conduct a follow-up evaluation of those international students who chose to join one of local churches. This assessment should be related to the following aspects: the wellbeing of students; their perception of foreign culture and country; their attitude toward the church. Furthermore, in the course of the interview, one should also find out how many of students decided to attend churches and how much time they spend there. This assessment is important for determining whether this initiative is effective. These are the main elements of this proposal. On the whole, this proposal can be of great use to many people, especially those ones who help international students adapt to a new cultural and linguistic environment. These people will not be alienated from local community, and this is the main outcome of this proposal.Advertising Looking for proposal on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is one of the main aspects that be identified. Moreover, this project can be completed by people who have expertise in various areas. One can say that this project can have significant implications for many educational organizations in California. Qualification and experience As a person, who majors in economics, I am able to manage the implementation of this strategy, especially its costs. Moreover, I can coordinate the efforts of other people, who will be involved in this project. In this case, one can speak about volunteers who will design and distribute the brochures to students. I have already worked on various group assignments, and I had to act as the team leader. Apart from that, I know many international students, and I am familiar with their experiences. Additionally, I know what kind of difficulties these people face, especially when they have to leave in different environment. Yet, one has to admit that this initiative can be successfully implemented provided that I am assisted by people, who have skills in areas that are not related to economics. Much attention should be paid to such fields as design and psychology. The first group of external consultants will be engaged in the design of the brochure about local churches. Secondly, this project should involve individuals, who are skilled in social research because they need to survey those international students who decided to attend the churches. These are the main requirements that should not be overlooked. Timeline The tasks identified in this proposal can be successfully implemented in the course of four months. In particular, one can single out the following stages: Approximately thirty days will be needed to design and publish the brochures and leaflets. At this point, it will be essential to attract the attention of international students and explain why local churches can be of great use to them. This is why one should spend a sufficient amount of time on this assignment. Furthermore , it is necessary to spend at least two days on the distribution of these materials to students. The main task of volunteers is to explain what kind of information will be presented in brochures and leaflets. Finally, it is important to mention the follow-up survey which is aimed at determining whether any people, who received the brochure, decided to join one of local churches. This task should be carried out after the distribution of the brochures.This assessment can show whether the attendance of local churches can change the attitude of international students. This is why this step should not be overlooked. Budget Overall, this initiative should be viewed as a pilot project. It is necessary to distribute approximately 100 brochures and leaflets. Each brochure will cost approximately $ 10. In turn, the total cost of publishing these materials will be $ 1000. Furthermore, it is necessary to spend costs on the additional interview of international students. This assignment will re quire additional $ 2000. Therefore, this budget should be at least $ 3000. This proposal can be sponsored by California Association of Student Councils. In this way, this public organization can significantly assist many learners attending local colleges and universities. Conclusion The tasks indentified in this paper are aimed at increasing the awareness of international students about churches in California. By joining these organizations, these people can overcome culture shock, develop communicative skills, and establish contacts with the representatives of other cultures. Overall, this project can bring improvements into the experiences of international students who are frequently isolated from other people. They will be able to overcome both cultural and linguistic barriers that prevent them from integrating into the society. By supporting this proposal, California Association of Student Councils cam help a great number of foreign learners. Provided that this initiative proves to be successful, it can be implemented in other parts of the country. Andrade, Maureen, and Norman Evans. International Students: Strengthening a  Critical Resource, New York: RL Education, 2009. Print. Arthur, Nancy. Counseling international students: clients from around the world, New York: Springer, 2004. Print. Burnapp, Dave. Getting Ahead as an International Student, Boston: McGraw-Hill International, 2009. Print. International Student Trends. 2012. Web. Montgomery, Catherine. Understanding the International Student Experience, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print.

History of the Intelligence Community

History of the Intelligence Community The United States Intelligence Community (IC) is believed to have been brought into existence by the challenges of intensification and expansion of the Cold War between 1950 and 1960. However, several factors such as the need to gather, produce and disseminate intelligence information as well as support for military’s special activities led to the formation of intelligence bodies in the early 20th century.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on History of the Intelligence Community specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is worth to point out that the US intelligence began with the formation of the republic. The latter was widely used in the late 19th century by General George Washington’s spy rings and agents through a secret correspondence. It also gathered and analyzed intelligence information on the movement of British forces. T he early 20th century saw the establishment of the Justice Department o f Bureau of investigations in 1908 that later expanded to domestic intelligence (Finley 1995, 310). Nonetheless, it lacked the capability to provide foreign intelligence that was critical for supporting military operations and shaping policies. Brown and Rudman (1996, 118) observe that when the First World War began, the US government had realized poor coordination of its intelligence system. The German and British intelligence units were so sophisticated that the US had to rely on the intelligence of the latter to declare war against Germany. The authors note that due to the gap â€Å"the first U.S. signal intelligence agency was formed within the Army†¦ and the agency was charged with decoding military communications and providing codes for use by the U.S. military† (Brown and Rudman 1996, 216). This was later made a State Department after the First World War. It worked with other intelligence bodies (such as the Justice Department Bureau of Investigation).  There wa s growing aspiration by the US government to gather more intelligence on events that were taking place before the beginning of the Second World War. Hence, President Franklin Roosevelt used Human Intelligence to gather information regarding the activities of the Italian dictator Mussolini and the developments in Britain. By 1942, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) were formed â€Å"to coordinate and develop methods of subterfuge and covert warfare† (Brown and Rudman 1996, 29). The former was significant in providing intelligence capacity required to support the US fighters.Advertising Looking for critical writing on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Cuban missile crisis and the Iraq War on WMDs share vast similarities and differences. It is worth noting that just before the onset of the war against Iraq in 2003, the agenda for the conflict went beyo nd Iraq’s possession of WMDs (Finley 1995, 192). The former Washington deputy Pentagon chief Paul Wolfowitz outlined that President George Bush’s team had agreed to address the problem holistically. The main agenda would be to dislodge President Saddam Hussein from power because he was alleged to be a direct actor in the manufacture of WMDs. In addition, Saddam Hussein acted as a clear platform for supporting terrorism across the globe (Finley 1995, 197). The war on Iraq was further justified through intensive demand to liberate the Iraqi people. Therefore, Operation Iraq Freedom was carried out by a combined force of the US and UK troops without the consent of the United Nations (Krizan 1999, 65). Hence, the aftermath of the war was not put into consideration at all. It is also crucial to mention that â€Å"the intelligence agencies knew so little about Iraq’s nuclear plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Finley 1995, 329). The latter was apparently a major setback in the inte lligence gathering system of the US authorities. References Brown, Harold, and Warren Rudman. 1996. Preparing for the 21st Century: An Appraisal of U.S. Intelligence. West Port: Greenwood Publishing Group. Finley, James. 1995. U.S. Army Military Intelligence History: A Sourcebook. New York: U.S. Army Intelligence Center. Krizan, Lisa. 1999. Intelligence essentials for everyone. Washington DC: Books for Business.