Comparison & Contrast Essay Essay

Christianity and Confucianism are two religions. Although they are not the same in the aspect of their gods, popularity level and roots, they do have similarities, such as their name, derivation and age. The names Christianity and Confucianism both start with a C. However, we can dive deeper into that. Christianity, the name, was born out of the word Christ, part of the name / title Jesus Christ, an important figure to Christianity and its beginning. According to the religion, Jesus was a real person who was a messenger from God. Confucianism has Confucious in it. Confucious was also a real man (philosopher) that had created Confucianism. Both of these religions are not very modern. Some religions, such as Baha’i or Caodaism, came from the 19th and 20th centuries. Christianity and Confucianism, on the other hand, were created around the time of 500 BCE and 33 CE, respectively. Although there is an approximate 500 year gap between their creation dates, Christianity and Confucianism are both old religions. Also, Christianity and Confucianism are both monotheistic religions. In Christianity, followers believe in God, a figure who oversaw everything. Confucianists believe in Ti’en, or heaven. On the contrary, Christianity and Confucianism have their differences, too. Christianity is a religion followed in many parts of the world, including North America, Europe and Asia. Confucianism, though, is mostly used in Asia, or Oriental Asia to be more specific (China, Vietnam, etc). Catholicism has been widely spread, and it has, evidently, been done successfully. Confucianism has remained practised in the same region, and minimally practised outside of Asia. Furthermore, Christianity is the most widely-followed religion in the world, with over 2 billion followers, whereas Confucianism has around 6. 2 million. The difference is huge, with around 325 times more Christians than Confucianists. Another contrast between Christianity and Confucianism is their roots. Even though they were both old religions, as mentioned before, the countries that they were created in were different. Christianity was founded in Israel, more specifically Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus (just south of Jerusalem). Confucianism was founded in China by Confucious, who resided in the province of Lu in China. Despite having different gods, numbers of followers and roots, Christianity and Confucianism are similar in their name, derivation and age. They are both interesting religions, and although they do not have the same number of religionists, Christianity and Confucianism are important parts of many people’s lives.

Prerequisites of a good business plan Essay

               A business plan is essential for a new business; it gives an insight to opportunities, weaknesses, threats and possibilities. This thesis developed a business plan for an ethnic brand restaurant â€Å"The Indian village†. The first part of this thesis developed a method of analyzing important elements of launching a new business. The empirical part of thesis focused on how to turn a project idea into a project plan. The research part included the examination of activity in the area of Pakistani/Indian restaurant businesses mainly based in Helsinki and Stockholm. Interviews were conducted to investigate the existing successful business strategies; this study also introduced some personal ideas of innovations.                Finnish market has a great demand for exotic food. People are always eager to try something different. The food business is firstly considered a relatively smaller investment as compared to big businesses but it is also commonly viewed as being able to become successful and move forward depending on good strategy and market research. So in some ways the food business seems like a good investment. As generally viewed, before starting a new business, one must understand and be aware of conditions and the society he wants to operate within.                   Being in Finland has allowed me to understand the conditions, demands and existence of different businesses. In order to explore the area of interest, which is the food business, required me to dine in different places. This has surely helped to observe various techniques of running such businesses.               Planning of a restaurant specializing in Indian/Pakistani cuisine urged me to develop a new business strategy of such an establishment. I tried to find the relevance of this business idea with the scientific business theory of how to start a new business. The start-up situation and the basic elements for any new business at the beginning are somewhat the same, but finding a relevant business theory for starting a new business especially in Indian/Pakistani restaurant was a challenge. Developing a business plan for a restaurant in a highly competitive environment can be difficult, but a solid plan of action can help figure it out. Working hard for a new business is good but hard work alone is not enough to attract customers. This is why a solid business plan is needed. 1.1 Background                  The selection of this specific concept was inspired by a friend’s success in new business ventures. He developed a business strategy and then started working on it empirically. It boosted my motivation and personal interest in developing a small business. One driving force is my creativity which has always enticed for satisfaction by owning a business. The background behind this selection is driven by the rapid growth of ethnic food brands, and a broad interest in exotic tastes. Another fact is a widespread belief that many ethnic cuisines are somehow healthier. Successful business can be attributed with giving oneself a high self esteem 1.2 Aims and Objectives                A new business is a big job and it is necessary to have something that can help to manage the business. A business plan can act as a management tool that can help to focus on where we are and where we want to be in the future. Chances to go without a business plan, may not be so pleasant in the end. A business plan helps to guide all stages of business towards success. A widespread belief is that many ethnic cuisines are somehow healthier. This thesis has two objectives: 1) An effort to create a powerful brand attribute to today’s health-conscious customer market. 2) The second purpose behind this plan is an ambition, to be successful and to create a secure financial resource. The current situation with job opportunities does not seem so promising to me. In that case owning a successful business can be a good alternative. This strategy appeals to the development of an exotic restaurant across culture. The food business particularly sparked the interest because these days there are a variety of restaurants with numerous offers.                   Many of them show no concern with providing food according to health standards. Being overweight is an illness which millions face each day. Some natural facts about our body cannot be changed but one way to change being overweight is starting to eat healthy food. I want to place customer convenience and comfort as the top priority. This plan is different and purely genuine, because I want to help people understand how to select healthy diets, and help changing their behavior towards nutritionally-positive food. A sensible food choice can make a huge difference to the quantity, the quality of calories, and sodium and fat consumed in a diet. So this business plan is a noble effort towards the well being of the human race and the creation of a healthy food culture, whereby people are aware of what they eat and how food can be consumed to affect their lives in a positive manner. Conceptual research †¢Analysis of existing Business Strategies through benchmarking method Empirical research †¢Critical Investigation of assumptions against facts. †¢Interviews and Surveys †¢Using the knowledge in own business plan Related experiences and views 1.3 Development process                   The research process of this thesis consists of mainly three stages. The three stages are: first, second and third. All three stages are different yet combined with each other; the first stage emphasized the importance of having a business plan; with the help of conceptual research method of scientific theory. The conceptual part of this thesis is based on McDonald (2007), and Mellor (2009). The review of these business theories helped to take thorough, careful and comprehensive look at the most important facets of starting a new business, including the contexts in which they operate. It also enhanced the understanding to spot future trouble areas, and to identify opportunities. The synthesis of these strategies is depicted in figure 2 below. Capitalization on a bright idea the knowledge of existing business network Looking at your strategy Your abilities and skills. The conceptual part of research process. In the second stage of research process, qualit ative research method was used for data collection. A good business plan depends on understanding the customer needs. Therefore a business unit should be able to define the strategies which make restaurant, a place where people want to come and eat. The market research helped to narrow down elements like personal behaviours, stories, and organizational functioning of business. This research method also contributed to understanding the nature of different businesses. Benchmarking strategy of some selected restaurants emphasized on some important elements like location, arrangements, staff, food quality, related experiences with food business, skills, knowledge of facts, and experience of customers. It enhanced the understanding about some existing business units, and the way people perceive a particular food business. In the last phase quantitative research method was used with a questionnaire analysis. This research produced numerical data collected from fifty people including some customers from different restaurants. Research methods helped to get precise measurements which were helpful to compare different trends.                   The empirical part of research process Definition of the last stage which includes, the information gathered through questionnaires and personal analysis. This information helped to measure the customer expectations and the stereotypes attached to some existing business units. Market analysis      Market planningBusiness goals and mission statementSWOT analysisRisk factorsProfilingCost strategiesLeadership strategies   The model of business plan                This chapter contains conceptual theory and strategic planning of the business plan. The business plan has mainly three purposes. First, it serves to develop a strategy and communicate it to the level of management. Second it serves as the justification of resources and budget. Third, it provides and instrument for monitoring ongoing progress and making corrections during the plans implementation. Figure 4 below depicts the key elements for a new business.                The essential elements of the approach to market plans as presented by McDonald (2007) 2.1 Market analysis            Market analysis helps to understand the competition in the market and prepares a strategy to position a new business in relation to its competitors. Without a proper analysis too often market strategies are set at too high level which leads to poor outcome. Market analysis helps selecting market segments, which helps providing products and service according to the customer expectation and demand. It provides an analysis of existing organizations, primary competitors, and key strategies to do it better and at a lower cost that customers prefer. Competitor product analysis helps to price the products, and defines the need if modern equipments are needed. Customer loyalty can be won by offering them consistent and reliable services. An entrepreneur measures his potential to introduce a broad range of product/services to keep existing customer groups attracted. New customers groups can be targeted by the additional categories provided. 2.1.1 Market Planning                Market planning is establishing an operational strategy to position a new business in the market. Market research determines the strategies that help to attract customers for new products. It helps to discover the attractions a new business can offer that others cannot. An entrepreneur can use its competitor’s business knowledge in own terms by conducting a market research. It is good to know the difference between own performance and others. All new businesses should develop some survival strategies for its operational ability during a start-up process where margins are narrow. In other words finding ways to do it better than others are doing. The observation of social behaviour, competitor’s strengths, weaknesses, and leadership and business skills helps to identify opportunities of growth. The questions below provide an insight to the market planning process especially at a start-up level. Customers: Who are my customers? How can I understand their needs and ensure their satisfaction? Competitors: How can I have an advantage over my competitor, or how I am going to do things differently? Company: At the start how can the company’s operate for its own survival and ensure its future strength? Before starting any new business, customer’s needs and business goals should be clearly determined. Customer knowledge is based on learning about their cultural norms, emotions, needs, feelings, wants, values and attitudes. It is worthwhile to know the customer’s point of view by looking at one’s own business strategy. 2.2 Business goals and mission statement               It is important to develop an understanding of products according to their profitability. A clear understanding of the profit generated by different products/services will help the both future services and products. Making a strategy is deciding how to best position the organization within its competitive environment in order to achieve profitability. The business unit should strive to arrange its objectives hieratically, from the most to the least important. A business unit should set realistic goals. The level should arise from opportunities and strengths, not from wishful thinking. A business unit must have strategic analysis of important elements. Strategic analysis is focusing down layer by layer to develop a clear understanding of market. It is referred to onion skin. Each layer must be peeled off and analyzed to examine its health before the core strategic business (SBU) is approached. EProfitability Market share Growth True business goals Business goals can be seen in these three categories. Profitability in a new business ensures growth and market share. Profitability refers to the potential of a venture to be financially successful. This may be assessed before entering into a new business or it may be used to analyze a venture. Although it may be found that one set of factors is not likely to be successful or has not been successful, it may not be necessary to abandon the venture. It may be feasible to change operational factors such as pricing or costs. 2.3 Swot analysis                   Starting a new business is a complex process and that is why it is necessary to view the overall strategies in SBUs. Unless these SBUs are identified any planning will be generic and bland. Strategic planning must focus on each SBU to identify the actions and goals. A swot analysis is the process that enables a company to assess the present state of a business. Swot Analysis †¢Strengths †¢Weaknesses †¢Opportunities †¢Threats               Through market analysis, a clear segmentation of market, seeks to avoid a bland and unfocused approach to the market. A clear definition of the specific competitors and an understanding is needed to develop a customer group. SWOT is basically abbreviated from four words: strength, weaknesses opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis should be conducted for each of the key product or market segments should be presented briefly and in an interesting way.                Customers cannot know about a new business unless they hear about it. Creating a brand image through advertising and promotional activities is very helpful. Figure 6 below describes the elements of Swot analysis. 2.4 Risk factors             A balanced evaluation of risk is very important. A leader has to be aware of these risks, threats and harmful elements which may affect the business. The knowledge of these risk factors helps a leader to prepare a prevention strategy. Mainly there are two types of risk factors. An entrepreneur is challenged by these factors which are Internal and external. They both are equally important and depend on each other. Internal factors are to be dealt with initially, but external factors can be learned with time by gaining market experience. 2.4.1 External                They are outside the influence of management, for example performance of the national economy, stability of the industry, competitor pricing, and Interest rates. The manager should know the parts of the environment to monitor, if the business is to achieve its goals. A business has to monitor key environment forces like demographic/economic, technological, political/legal and social/cultural, and environment factors like customers, competitors, and distribution channels. The manager should set up a market intelligent system to track trends and important developments. For each trend and development, management needs to identify the implied opportunities and threats. A major purpose of environment scanning is to discern new opportunities. Opportunities can be listed and classified according to their attractiveness and the success probability. Figure 7 below depicts some external risks. Political EU legislation, inspection priorities, changing patterns of employment, flexible workforce Economic 1. Interest rates changes 2. Cost of waste disposal 3. Need to cut waste 4. Insurance premiums 5. Tax incentives Social 1. Customer demands 2. Customer expectations 3. Growth in consumer awareness 4. Greater use of media 5. Competitors Technological 1. Improved equipment 2. Better guardian 3. Substitution of materials 4. Improved data collection 5. Licensing authorities                   The risk factors and external risks, Risk management 10 principles by Jayne (2002) Internal some major internal risk factors are pricing, level of variables costs, and level of fixed costs, which are directly influenced by management. A wrong market analysis and, wrong cost strategy may lead business to jeopardy. It is important to know the demand of products, and how flexible one’s costs are (variable costs and fixed costs). Customers will definitely consider the relative cost of one’s competitors and prefer the best priced products and services available. Clear understanding of business objectives, through a proper planning, and a commitment will lead a business to success. Each business needs to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses periodically. Each factor should be rated as whether it is a major strength, a minor strength, a neutral factor, a minor weakness, or a major weakness. Figure 8 below depicts the internal risk factors a compa ny might face. Ethics and beliefs Culture of industry Presure of finances Change in processesBetter utilization of resourcesSickness and absence cost             Figure 8: The risk factors and the internal risks, Risk management 10 principles by Jayne (2002) Internal risk factors may develop a significant business risk for an investor. Some internal risks are mentioned in the figure 8 above, which can be noticed and corrected to improve the internal performance. 2.5 Profiling                  Customers face a growing range of choices in the products and service these days. They are making their choice on the basis of their perception of quality, service, and value. Companies need to understand the determinants of customer value, and satisfaction.             Customers are satisfied when their expectations are met and delighted when their expectations are exceeded. Satisfied customers remain loyal longer, buy more, are less price sensitive, and talk favorably about the company. Profiling is a useful tool to create customer satisfaction. 2.5.1 Financial profiling                A manager should be well informed about the financial position and expenditures. The leader has to know if the finances and the financial information are relevant and accurate according to the market standards. The budget has to be well prepared and accurate, for future operational strategies. Before progressing any further, all necessary financing has to be assured. Initial goal is to establish a list of expenditures on a paper, for all the required financing and then to measure one’s own capacity and strength in accordance. 2.5.2 Product profiling                  The most basic marketing tool is product, which stands for the company’s tangible offer to the market, including the product quality, design, features, and branding. Market penetration requires a good product presentation. The observation of competitor product is very important. The manager has to review the unique strengths of their own product against competitor’s, and has to know the market segment in which products serve the best. It is good to develop a product profile paper for each product. The product profile analyzes your products in terms of the concepts such as, the list of features a product offers to its customers and the benefits for a company in terms of profit. 2.5.3 Customer profiling                   The main goal of customer profiling is to categorize the traits and characteristics of customers. This process helps to identify the reasons customers purchase products from one’s company and not from the competitors. Customer profiling does not mean to know each customer individually, but just to know the primary characteristics of good and bad customers. Strategic thinking about customer profiling can help business and lead it to a profitable territory. A company has to observe its customers who are sales and profit contributors, and customers who have profitable growth potential for the future. 1. Care and concern: the customer wants to feel that the organization, its employees and its operational system are devoted to solving his problems. 2. Spontaneity: contact employees demonstrate a willingness and readiness to actively approach customers and take care of their problems. 3. Problem solving: contact employees are skilled in taking care of their duties and perform according to standards. Moreover the rest of the organization including operational support employees and operational support systems are also trained and designed to give good service. 4. Recovery: if anything goes wrong, or something unexpected happens, there is someone who is prepared to make a special effort to handle the situation, Grà ¶nroos (2000) 2.5.4 Competitor profiling                  This analysis relies on a sound understanding of customer perspectives and competitor performance. The competitor’s profile should be seen from a customer perspective by using the SBUs. In market analysis, we can define different market segments and customer groups that can be targeted. Measuring competitor’s performance and gaining clarity of own performance against competitors is useful. The aim to gain a competitor profile relies in knowing their strengths and weaknesses. This produces a source of competitive advantage. This strategy can help to create differentiation. 2.6 Cost strategy                   †Pricing is an area with a tremendous potential for increasing profitability, but unfortunately, if managed badly, it can quickly bring a business to its knees. Pricing is both art and science† (Meldrum 2007). A new business may require delivering a relevant quality product or a service possibly at the lowest cost, and to develop a cost difference over the primary competitors for making it more attractive for new customers. Standardization of products is also an important part. Cost strategy also considers the cultural facts for product pricing. A question between either providing a differentiation approach to match the customer needs with good quality, and gain competitive advantage, or having low cost to gain profit margin and increase product volume that often leads to practice a mixed approach. The company has to decide what it wants to accomplish with a particular product. If the company has selected its target market and marketing posit ion, then pricing will be straight forward. Figure 9 below depicts the nature of competitive advantage, McDonald (2007). 2.6.1 Low cost products                     Several circumstances might lead a firm to cut its price. One circumstance is if a company needs additional business and cannot generate it through increased sales efforts, product improvement or other measures. A company might face a price war, as competitors try to hold on to their market share. New business wants to ensure its customer group which it is the lowest cost producer with the best quality. This way one can win a greater volume of business through lower prices than competitors, and continue to be profitable. Prices also influence customer perceptions. In some markets high prices are seen as overcharging or taking advantage of customer. In other markets competitor with lower prices may have advantage, but a lower price can also damage the competitive position or the brand image. Brand image is associated with prices. 2.6.2 High costs products                     Some products whose prices tend to remain constantly high or fixed, it is necessary to know the real demand of those products to set a fixed cost. Increasing number of companies’ base their price on the product’s perceived value. They see the buyer’s perception of value not the seller’s cost, as the key to pricing. A company develops a product concept for a particular target market with a planned quality and price. Then management estimates the volume, which hopes to sell at this price. The estimates set the demand capacity, investment and the unit cost. Management then figures out whether the product will yield a satisfactory profit at the planned price. If it does the company goes ahead with product development otherwise, the company drops the idea. A business without the lack of a real understanding of the profit generated by different activities and products without data and strategy becomes less logical and relies jus t on intuition and luck. 2.7 Leadership strategies                     A new business at an early stage is generally considered fragile; where a leader and staff members are both new to each other, further it is not necessary that a good entrepreneur is also a good leader. In the beginning phase of management a leader might find it hard to understand his employees, so setting some guidelines might help the staff and the leader. The true leadership is like a big wise head which can direct an organization towards success. A strategic leadership can define the direction of an organization. A true leadership recognizes long-term and short-term goals and its objectives. It is also necessary for a leader to determine priorities, to direct team activities by using his inspirational leadership. According to Cameron (2008) a new leadership should have following strategies. (1) A focus on positively deviant performance, or successful performance that dramatically exceeds the norm in a positive direction; (2) An affirmative bias or an orientation toward, for example, strengths rather than weaknesses, optimism rather than pessimism, supportive rather than critical communication. (3) A focus on virtuousness and eudemonism, or on the best of the human condition and that which beings consider to be inherently good.                  A leadership is responsible for other people and their performance. Responsibility and authority are defined as operating environment. The core concept of leadership is responsibility of other people and for the results they achieve in their work. A leadership should take actions based on ethicality, shared beliefs and value connected to the basic mission of an organization. The most important characteristic of excellent leadership is the creation and strengthening of a positive development attitude. Without a positive attitude there will be no permanent learning results. Figure 10 below describes the main characteristics of excellent leadership behaviour. Professional skills Inspirational motivation . See the big picture . Clear and challenging goals . Is fully dedicated and enthusiastic . Knows how to encourage and reward . Uses humor . Tries to see the positive side Own example Individualized Consideration . Is genuinely interested in people . Knows how to listen . Is easily approachable . Takes care of the followers . Is present and enjoys being with people . Knows the followers . Accepts that people are different Building trust and confidence . OBjectivity and fairness . Honestly . Is true to his word and promises . Can make decisions . Acts in consistent fashion . Bears his responsibility in all situations Intellectual stimulation . Delegates responsibility . Gives room and freedom of action . Does not leave anyone alone, acts as a sparring partner . Two-way feed back . Does not always have to agree . Encourages others to generate ideas . Admits his own mistakes 3.1 Starting a new business in Finland                   The world economy has undergone a radical transformation in the last two decades. Geographical and cultural distances have shrunk significantly with the advent of jet airplanes, fax machines, and internet linkups. This shrinkage of distance has permitted companies to widen substantially their geographical markets as well as their supplier sources. Over the past few decades, Finland has become an entrepreneur-friendly country. It is apparent that this change will continue into the future since the opportunity for entrepreneurship has improved tremendously. Society, in Finland, gives successful entrepreneurs a high status. Finnish market has a great potential for new businesses, but still there are few who will take the risk. According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry Finland (2007) the task force set up has investigated the opportunities and methods to promote immigrant entrepreneurship. It is funded by the entrepreneurship policy programme. The task force’s mandate is linked to the Government’s new immigration policy programme and the endorsement of work-based immigration. The main purpose of the task force was to come up with measures to promote growth and opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurship. According to Boston Consulting Group, (4-2009) Scandinavia is considered amongst the most innovative regions of the world, while Denmark and Norway ranked impressive. This survey also ranked Japan as the most innovative country in the world. Nevertheless, according to this report, Finland and Sweden ranked in the top ten innovative countries. When it comes to the general perception of how difficult it is to start a small business, attitudes of Europeans and Americans are approximately similar. Most of them think that it is somewhat too difficult to start a business. 3.2 The analysis of current food culture                  Kouvola despite being a small city and relatively less populated than the bigger cities, has a variety of food providers. Mainly, there are two types of restaurants, fast food and full meal. Fast food, in general appears to be more popular among the younger generation; unfortunately, most fast foods contain too many calories, salt, and cholesterol to be ingested daily or even once a week. Eating at fast food restaurants has increased and is linked to today’s obesity. According to health specialists, children between the ages of 7-12 should consume approximately 2200 calories per day, while adults should consume approximately 2000 calories per day, although exercise levels and current weight can affect these numbers.                     The total of a single meal at a fast food restaurant could comprise almost a full day’s caloric intake. To observe the current food culture, it was necessary to record the number of calories and fat in different types of food, to make a list and to show the difference. Figure 11 below depicts the amount of calories and grams of fat packed in fast food: 3.2.1 Pakistani/Indian food culture                   Djanhal and Halliday (2007), describe the history of Subcontinent as one of the oldest civilizations of the world, which has always had lots of diversity mainly because it has been occupied by so many different nations and religions. These nations ruled India for decades, mainly the Mughals and the Great Britain. India embraced all the different and cultural influences, and religious practices. Ceremonies of local traditions have made a contribution towards the evolution of cuisine and kept adding a rich taste to the food.                  Another major influence in this development of Pak/Indian cookery was the establishment of the Mughal Empire starting in 1526. Arabic background of Mughals added lamb, beef, chicken and fish to the cuisine. The opulent tastes exhibited by such emperors as Hymayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb in art, architecture, music, dance, and jeweler was also extended to food. A style of cookery called Mughali’ evolved in Mughal court and even today it is very popular in Lahore/Pakistan as well as worldwide. Some widely known survivor recipes of court cookery are, for example, chicken tandoor a dish in which chicken is cooked at low temperatures in special ovens called â€Å" tandoor†, and murg musalam’ in which the whole chickens are roasted with special spices and ingredients. Shahi tukra, a dessert of sliced bread, milk, cream, sugar and saffron, is another left-over from the days of the Mughals. 3.2.2 A brief look at cookery in Pakistan                  Djanhal and Halliday describe Pakistani cookery, as full of regional character, with each of the four provinces offering special dishes. â€Å"It is difficult to decide which of the almost endless catalogue of dishes from the subcontinent can be identified as specifically†Pakistani† (Djanhal and Halliday 2007) In Punjab, Mughlai cuisine uses tandoor (ovens). In Baluchistan, cooks use the Saji method of barbecuing whole lambs and stick bread in a deep pit. From the older times, use of spices, herbs, seeds, flavorings and seasonings have helped cooks transform rather ordinary foods into an exotic cuisine.                   Some of the most commonly used spices in Pakistan today are chili powder, turmeric, garlic, paprika, black pepper, red pepper, cumin seed, bay leaf, coriander, cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon saffron mace, nutmeg, poppy seeds, aniseed, almonds, pistachios, and yogurt. They are used in a wide range of pickles, chutneys, preserves, and sauces, together with curries of all descriptions and special recipes of meat, seafood, and vegetables, which gives Pakistani cooking much of its distinctive character. 3.3 Survey of two existing ethnic restaurants                Market research in this part included some interviews and surveys. It is good to know what is going on around helped the idea of establishing own business and to review the relative and essential elements. The empirical research part of this research contains surveys of two restaurants Namaskar, Helsinki, Finland Äkta Indisk & Pakistan mat in Stockholm (old city), Sweden Both of these restaurants are owned by immigrants. The main purpose of the survey was to know â€Å"how the owners got into this business† and observing their business strategies and study what they encountered while establishing their businesses. 3.3.1 Äkta Indisk & Pakistan Mat, Stockholm Sweden               Indian and Pakistani restaurant in the old city, Stockholm According to the owner of Äkta Indisk & Pakistan (2010) they have a satisfactory number of customers. Their regular customer list contains a large number of immigrants living in Sweden, including tourists and Swedish people. The owner as an immigrant, preferred to have his own business, it gave him self-esteem and less use of a foreign language. He is happy to help his compatriots in a foreign culture by giving them a job, and to participate in creating a good food culture. For a new business, being an immigrant and especially the start-up process was difficult at first but gradually it progressed. An ethnic-based brand is strength, according to the owner. He also has some regular Swedish customers that mean he has succeeded to develop a good taste across culture. The Standardization of food and menu. The restaurant menu is suitable for both vegetarian/non-vegetarian customers.                   Chili is used reasonably in the most dishes but they also have hot chili dishes depending on customer requirements. The menu in figure 13 below depicts the standardization of food. Menu at Ätka Indisk & Pakistansk Mat, Stockholm Sweden Restaurant’s arrangements and atmosphere                The owner is fond of eastern culture so he made the arrangements in accordance.                Figure 14 below shows the statue at the entrance of the restaurant, holding an Indian flag. Welcoming statue at the entrance of Ätka Indisk & Pakistan Mat Secondly the name of the restaurant consists of both Pakistan and India. Karachi is a coastal city in Pakistan, Because India and Pakistan used to be one big country before the partition, there are similarities regarding food and culture. A cultural arrangement of musical instruments. These instruments made the restaurant look more atmospheric and gave a glimpse to the golden history of music, art and food. 3.3.2 Namaskaar Indian Express, Helsinki                  Ã¢â‚¬Å"NAMASKAAR† Indian Express, Helsinki Namaskaar restaurant is located in Helsinki. The owner is a Pakistani. He has been living in Finland for more than ten years and owns two restaurants in Helsinki. On my visit I ordered different dishes to observe the menu and taste the difference. The menu contained vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, some different sort of jams, spicy pickles and cultural drinks. It was lunch time and the restaurant was full of customers so there was no room. I had to stand in a queue and wait for the turn. After the meal, I requested an interview and when the owner got to know about my links from Pakistan and Lahore, he became excited and it sparked his interest to know the opinion about his restaurant, food and the arrangements. About starting a new business across culture he told, that when he came to Finland the biggest challenge was the language, he could not communicate with people properly and he felt so helpless. H e had an inspiration from one of his family members for food business. He wanted to try it across culture, and he wanted to be successful within his limited language skills and education. He had to hire some staff from Pakistan, (mostly his family members) and some other employees that he found in Finland. He said Helsinki has become more multicultural and people are keen on having exotic food. He has many regular Finnish customers and tourists and also some Asian customers. He has never advertised his restaurant in any newspaper or magazines but according to him the best advertisement for food business is a good taste and a good quality which brings his customers back. Location is also very important to him; he would not like to move his restaurant to a new place. He said with time he has gained a reputation and has developed a taste of food, and even the tourists in Helsinki come again to his restaurants whenever they get an opportunity to come back. He is very pleased with the pr ogress of his business that three years ago he launched another branch also in Helsinki.                Figure 17 below shows the menu of Namaskaar restaurant. According to me the food was a bit too spicy, but the owner lets his customers choose a slightly spicy food. He has an idea about the standardization of food. He has reduced spices in the food but he would not like to turn a spicy dish into a sweet dish that it loses the original traditional taste, However, I was expecting it to be less spicy or perhaps bland so I was surprised that customers still liked it. The owner is very happy to promote his culture through traditional food across culture and has gained self esteem through a successful business. He has built a reality on his dreams, which was all based on a vision which he has made true as the result of his strenuous efforts. About the future challenges he thinks, there is a rich food culture in Helsinki and a tough competition, for there are many Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Spanish, Italian, and all kinds of international restaurants, so the quality has to be maintained perpetually to meet the customer’s expectations. 3.4 The questionnaire analysis                     The last part of this paper is based on a quantitative-research method. The method of research was conducted by using a questionnaire to determine people’s behavior towards Pakistani/Indian food. The research was based on measurable data gathered through benchmarking strategy. Different customers were interviewed at Pakistani/Indian restaurants to ascertain their opinions. This research proved to be a source of much useful information, that I could use it for my own restaurant project. The aim of research was an evaluation of people’s attitude towards the opening of this new restaurant. These questions were selected to evaluate the new venture, and to know people’s inclination towards the food.                  I developed a questionnaire and interviewed 50 people altogether. 1) Have you ever been to any Pakistani/Indian restaurant? The first question included respondents from Kymenlaakson area mainly Kouvola and Kotka, 64% of the respondents which is 33 people said that they have never visited any Pakistani or Indian restaurant. 17 respondents said that they have visited some Indian restaurants while visiting bigger cities like Helsinki, Lahti or Oulu. 46 respondents said they would love to try and they are interested in tasting it at least once, only 4 respondents are not very interested. Figure 18 below depicts the customer’s tendency towards Pak/Indian restaurants. Have you ever been to a Pakistani/Indian restaurant 2) What did you observe while you were there? The second question includes respondents who have experienced these restaurants and some customers were on the spot having a meal. Getting different opinions was worthwhile in improving own concept. According to 15% respondents, Indian and Pakistani restaurants are not very formal. They should serve in a formal way. 45% respondents consider it a non-vegetarian food. If they go to an Indian restaurant, they are not so sure about having the meat on the menu because Hindus are vegetarians and worship cows as one of their gods, and some Hindus do not even like to eat eggs, so people are not sure about the menu. About Pakistani restaurants 20% respondents think Muslims do not eat pork so it is maybe not wise to order a pork dish, because it may annoy them. Some respondents had an opinion that every restaurant has a different menu, so it is up to customers to choose. Y values in figure 19 below depict the customer tendency towards Pak/Indian food. The analysis of customer tendency towards Pakistani and Indian food. 3) What attracts you to select particularly an Indian Restaurant?                  40% of the respondents consider Indian/Pakistani food healthy and they like the use of herbs and spices, 15% of the interviewees said that every restaurant has a different menu so they are interested in trying it at least once. 25% of the respondents like cultural decorations and the history. It is interesting for them to observe a different taste in a different cultural surrounding. 8% of the respondents are just concerned about food quality and arrangements and not brands. Figure 20 below depicts some customer attractions towards Pak/Indian restaurants. 4) Would you like to have an Indian restaurant in your area?                   There is no Indian restaurant in Kymenlaakson area so 75% of the respondents are excited about having an Indian restaurant because they get a chance to visit some Indian restaurants only when they are in Helsinki or Lahti. 15% of respondents are satisfied with the existing number of ethnic restaurants in Kymenlaakson. 10% of the interviewees were not so keen on eastern food since they consider it fatty. Figure 21 below shows the customer attitude towards a new restaurant in Kymenlaakson area. Would you like to have an Indian restaurant in your area? 5) What are your customer expectations regarding a new Indian restaurant?                   As can be seen in figure 22 below 38% of the respondents look forward to spicy food with a good vegetarian and a non-vegetarian menu. They also appreciate a good cultural environment. 15% of the Interviewees are concerned about courtesy and friendliness of staff and expect a good customer service. Nearly 26% of the interviewees are concerned about the price difference and would prefer a low price with a good food quality. 20% of the respondents look forward to a good buffet meal for a reasonable price. Figure 22 below shows the customers’ expectations.The customer expectations the above analysis draws a conclusion that there is certainly a room for Indian village restaurant. People would like to try different food, they seem curious about new taste and cultural atmosphere of a restaurant. There are some stereotypes associated with previous experiences, but there is always a way to do things better. I also learned that today; few customers are sati sfied with just getting something to eat. Rather, they have come to expect higher levels of dining experience. Finding ways to create the right kind of dining experience to match the customer expectations is a growing challenge for every operator. Good food is not the only thing customers are looking for today. When they go for lunch they want a break from their work environment. They want to purchase and consume their meals in a place that offers a sense of life and excitement. To have satisfied customers, an entrepreneur must meet customer expectations. This requires being aware of customer expectations, without this knowledge, it will be difficult or impossible to meet and exceed the expectations. If expectations are not met, the customer will perceive the performance as inadequate and actions as insufficient. The questionnaire analysis was based on five important questions to know customer’s basic expectations but later additional questions can be added to the list to dea l with particular issues depending on the product, service, company and situation. Summary and conclusions                   This paper consists of three stages of starting a new business. All three stages are different but combined with each other; the first stage emphasized the importance of having a business plan; with the help of scientific theory. I, the author got to know that before we embark upon a new venture of starting a new business, it is wise to measure the health of the vision. The right vision will make the business plan alive and a reality. The first stage of this paper is about giving this vision a right direction, the form and the clarity according to the scientific theory. In the first part I learned that the right business strategy and tactics are important to make the vision come true. Different department develop the additional strategies, tactics, and systems to achieve their results and, ultimately the strategic objective of the company. I figured that vision alone is not enough for starting a business; there are basic factors which need to be observed before launching a new product.                     The second stage was implemented by benchmarking method. I did some surveys and interviews to observe the basic departments of successful businesses like pricing, location, products and promotion. I analyzed the related additional strategies which boost businesses and the importance of basic strategies. The questionnaire analysis helped to understand the opportunities and the possibilities. I got to know the customer expectations and the social behavior towards this project. It was good to measure these possibilities, keeping in mind the customer expectations.                  The third stage was implemented by scientific theory for Indian village restaurant, and described the basic elements of the concept. I analyzed the possibilities of market penetration, through the mission statement and goals, and discussed how the plan is so unique and genuine which so far no one is practicing. I also analyzed different elements like the standardization of food, the opportunities, strengths and weaknesses and defined the toolkit. I researched the ideas to create a good image, and how a good environment can participate in giving customers a sense of fulfillment and joy. This process needed a parallel study plan. First of all I had to analyze the scientific theory for starting a new business, and then to observe different ethnic restaurants and their environment food and location.                   Paper supervisor provided his guidance, and instructions towards making it more progressive and professional. Writing this paper has also enhanced my personal and professional skills; I learned to examine the health of issues more scientifically and more professionally, I further would like to implement my business plan in practice and will try to put the best foot forward with the restaurant business. During research I dined in many good ethnic restaurants and figured that entrepreneurs base their food business on satisfying products which return a profit. I gained new knowledge and learned that many people may take food business as an easy task, and would not go through conventional scientific theories of starting up a new business, yet many of these entrepreneurs are fruitful and learn by experience but in that case chances of success are surely at risk. The scientific theory for entrepreneurship was really helpful to widen the understanding that even when entrepreneurs start a new business regardless of a proper scientific theory, it still applies for them.                  I reach the following conclusions; firstly it is very important to have a business plan in order to understand the target market and the future of a business. A traditional business plan simply does not provide the results one deires . Every business strategy is different. A business plan based on a vision, enthusiasm and a purpose, requires a proper market research and planning. The success in the end relies on a good market research and a planning theory. Secondly by the analysis of current business trends in Finland I am positive about the progress of food business. I have seen different ethnic brand restaurants doing a successful job. This definitely sparks the interest and gives all the hopes and chances for survival to a new business. Thirdly many food providers show no concern with providing food according to the health standards, so this business plan is noble share towards the well being of human race. References Boston Consulting Group 2009. Annual report. Cameron Kim 2008. Positive Leadership: Strategies for Extraordinary Performance. City: Berrett-Koehler Publishing Limited. Dhanjal Beryl, Halliday Tony 2007. Insight Guides Pakistan, 3rd edition. City: Apa Publication GmbH & Co Publishing Limited. Fisher Alan, Chick Anne, Bifulco Antonia, Mellor Noah, & Mellor Robert 2009. Entrepreneurship for everyone, a student text book. London: Sage Publishing Limited. Grà ¶nroos Christian 2000. Service Management and Marketing: Customer Management in Service Competition, 3rd edition. John Wiley &Sons Publishing Limited. Immonen Jorman, Olander Ilkka 2007. The Ministry of Trade and Industry: Task Force for Promoting Immigrant Entrepreneurship. City: Edita Publishing Limited. Jeynes Jacqueline, 2002. Risk Management 10 Principles. City: Butterworth-Heinemann Publishing Limited. McDonald Malcolm 2007. Market plans: How to prepare them, how to use them, 6th edition. City: Elsevier Publishing Limited. Meldrum Mike, McDonald Malcolm 2007. Marketing in a Nutshell: Key concepts for non specialists. City: Butterworth-Heinemann Publishing Limited. Nissinen Vesa 2006: Deep Leadership. Talentu Publishing Limited. Source document

High school dropouts: proposal Essay

This research seeks to answer the question of the influence that dropping out of high school has on a person’s tendency toward crime. Studies have shown that most persons who do not have a high school diploma are at an economic disadvantage compared to those who have finished high school. It has also been shown that many prisons have a high concentration of members who have not finished high school. This study will take questions to a group of inmates at a local prison as well as a group of high school students in the same area. It will use questionnaires that contain items which attempt to probe issues concerning the criminal exposure of inmates during and after high school as well as that of current high school students. The results will be analyzed and correlated using graphs and charts in order to shed light on the influence that the lack of a high school diploma has on criminal activity. Introduction Several reasons have been cited by researchers to explain why students decide to drop out of high school. One of these reasons is a lack of adequate early-childhood preparation (Reynolds et al. , 2001). Children who receive inadequate educational preparation in the early stages of their lives often find it difficult to grasp the concepts being taught at the high school levels. These children might also not have had proper exposure to the types of behaviors and study habits necessary for success in high school. These, and other problems associated with them, often lead to an inability to cope with the demands of the educational environment (2001). Lack of adequate financial support also plays a part in causing students to drop out of school (Ingrum, 2006; Reynolds et al., 2001). It is often the case that students are unable to access the materials necessary for success in school due to lack of funds. Furthermore, poverty often drives students to seek jobs (or even less honorable ways of earning money) before their high school education officially ends. This often has also to do with a lack of appropriate emotional and family support, which often ebbs when finances are low. Furthermore, some parents of these students have hardly attained high school diplomas themselves and are therefore incapable of assisting these children with assignments (Sum et al., 2003). Finally a lack of intellectual aptitude, which manifests in the form of learning disabilities, has been cited as having a significant part to play in prompting students to drop out of school (Ingrum, 2006). Schools are largely accommodating to those persons of average intelligence who have little or no endogenous difficulties learning. These students often find it particularly difficult to perform even the fundamental functions of education, such as reading and simple arithmetic. Many who do drop out are disadvantaged compared to their counterparts who possess diplomas. These people are more likely to be unemployed, as employers for substantial and adequately paying jobs generally seek high school graduates. These persons are also more likely to be underemployed, as it is often difficult to find full time positions that seek to employ persons who have not completed high school. Because of these previously mentioned effects, high school dropouts are also more likely to be on welfare, and it has also been demonstrated that these persons are more likely to be incarcerated (Lochner & Moretti, 2003). Many programs exist that center on the rehabilitation of dropouts because such persons are considered more likely to be desperate. The reality of being marginalized when it comes to eligibility for adequately paying jobs often drives persons toward feelings of low self worth and even toward such extreme measures as crime (Lochner & Moretti, 2003). It is often the case that persons who fall into this desperate category are those who have mental or physical challenges and who need the help of these programs (Ingrum, 2006). However, a large proportion of them are considered more likely to have emotional/behavioral problems, and it is quite often members of this group of dropouts that show up in prison populations (Lochner & Moretti, 2003). Such persons are considered a drain on the government for several reasons, one of which is lost revenue from taxes. Persons who have no high school diploma are usually able to command lower wages or salaries than those who have graduated. This lower wage translates to a lower portion of income tax payable to the government. Furthermore, these persons are often also on welfare, and the cost of these programs to the government increase with each person that benefits from it. The cost of prison programs is also significant to the government. Since, therefore, it is considered that the prison population contains a higher concentration of dropouts than the general population (Lochner & Moretti, 2003), it might be seen that high school dropouts contribute more on average to the drain on the government due to prison programs than do members of the general population. Hypothesis Lack of education as demonstrated by dropping out of high-school leads to an increased likelihood of criminal arrests in young people. Methodology: variables and instrumentation The main instrument that will be used in this study is the questionnaire. This will be administered to 130 prison inmates from (NAME OF PRISON) in (NAME OF CITY & STATE) and 130 students of a high school in the same neighborhood. The questionnaire given to the inmates will consist of approximately 25-30 items that will deal with the level of high school education attained and arrests suffered by the inmate. The participants will be given choices regarding their schooling, ranging from below eighth grade level (< 8) to below twelfth grade level (< 12). They will also be given a chance to indicate whether high school diplomas were received by the time they reached 18 years of age or after 18 years. The questionnaire will also contain items that deal with the inmates’ criminal history. Items will attempt to elicit information concerning the number of arrests participants have experienced. It will also distinguish between number of arrests and number of convictions. Participants will also provide information regarding the number of juvenile arrests and convictions they have had, as well as the length of the sentence(s) which they currently serve and/or have served in the past. The questionnaires for the students will include items concerning the students’ career goals, role models, access to homework help, and the difficulty of specific core classes or skills (Mathematics, English, and Reading). They will be asked to give their GPA’s. The students will also be asked questions about those they know who have dropped out of school. They will be asked how many of their friends or acquaintances dropped out in the different grades—ninth to twelfth, and ask to rate the degree to which these dropouts’ behaviors might be considered deviant. The students will also be asked whether they ever considered dropping out of school and whether they think they would. Finally, they will be asked questions concerning their exposure to weapons and people who commit crimes. The responses to the questions for both groups will all be presented on a Likert scale ranging from â€Å"strongly agree† to â€Å"strongly disagree. † Interviews will also be sought with two or three of these inmates. The possibility of conducting an interview via the internet (instant messaging or voice programs) or via phone will be investigated. The interview questions will be more open ended, but will tend toward eliciting information concerning the inmates’ views on how they consider their lack of a high school diploma to have influenced their current situation. No interviews will be sought with the students.

Importance of China And India On Projections of Future Energy Needs Research Paper

Importance of China And India On Projections of Future Energy Needs - Research Paper Example This report stresses that the rapid population growth, industrial growth and changing life styles may increase the energy requirements of India further than forecasted. For example, mobile phone and automobile usages in India has increased a lot in the last two decades. It is difficult to see a family without a vehicle in the urban areas now. Even in rural areas many people using motor bikes for their travelling needs. Same way mobile phones are a house hold entity now. In fact most of the people in urban areas have their own cell phones. Thus the energy requirements in India are rapidly growing because of the changing life styles or advancements in life standards. This paper makes a conclusion that China and India are the two major countries in the world at present which are developing more rapidly than any other countries in the world. The huge energy crisis in the world at present is because of the immense developments in these heavily populated countries. The GDP growths of these two countries are one among the top five countries in the world whereas population wise they are the number one and two. China is currently developing more solar energy equipments whereas India is more focussed on developing nuclear energy sources in order to meet their future energy requirements. In short, India and China have significant role in increasing the global energy demand and it is necessary fro them to develop renewable energy sources further.

Labour movement in Ireland up to 1914 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Labour movement in Ireland up to 1914 - Essay Example riod beginning in 1873, an attempt was made to organize agricultural labor unions and consequently a number of unions were established but they faced opposition from the political parties and dissolved by the end of the century (Cunningham, 1995). The next step was for the skilled craft workers to establish trade councils in major urban cities. Trade Councils were set up in Belfast, Cork and Dublin in the late 1800’s. In 1894, â€Å"Irish Trade Union Congress† was founded being the first of its kind. According to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (2010), the main aim of the congress back then was to give skilled labourers a more collective and organized platform from which they could voice their concerns. However, during that period the congress was far from what was needed for the confederation of Ireland. It was modelled on industrial organization following the example of the British and it did not truly represent a leadership platform for the unions (Connor, 1992). In the mean time politics of the country was taking a new turn. The socialist movement was gaining momentum and it had a noticeable impact on the way trade unions were being organized. Small socialists groups began to emerge in the 1870’s. James Connolly’s Irish Republican Socialist Party (1984) had major implications for the future of labour in Ireland (Cunningham, 1995, p.92-96). James Connolly recognized that national liberation was in fact a crucial aspect of the larger socialist struggle; therefore he worked on the task of liberating Ireland from British rule and simultaneously advocated socialist principles for the liberation and betterment of workers. Most of the pro-union southern Irish workers greatly followed and supported the nationalist and socialist parties however the pro-union northern Irish workers generally tended to follow those parties who showed strong links to â€Å"Catholic† or â€Å"Protestant† religious ideologies with somewhat lab ourist elements in their agenda and so

Digital weaving Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Digital weaving - Research Paper Example cess to information and the speed in which information today spreads to the rest of the world t has further enhanced the growth and development use of digital weaving. The computerized jacquard looms as well as the thread controller no. 2 (TC2) have been in use by different designers in creating weave pieces. Lia Cook and Catherine Amidei happen to be among the few fiber designers to show case their extra-ordinary art pieces to the world and reveal the role the computers play in the world of art today. Lia Cook is amongst the greatest fiber artists of the world and widely known for her remarkable contributions to the fiber art of the world. Having been a Professor of Art in one of the United States colleges in California-California College of Arts since 1976, she has gained a lot experience and useful in the fiber art production. The beauty of her work and her true talent has touched the hearts of many. Cook uses the digital Jacquard loom to create complex; very detailed and large-scale pieces of work of photos she had previously taken or old photos from her childhood (Weiss 10). In this regard, Cook weaves an image by use of the digital jacquard loom and makes it a monumental work that distinct itself from painting, weaving, photography or even the computer technology (Weiss 10-13). When one views Cook’s work from a distance, the images that is in black and white colors is clear and one can possibly identify the image and give a face to it since it looks like a real photog raph but when one is close enough to the image; ‘nose-to-nose’, the clarity of the image disappears and one notices that it is just a weaving and not the real photograph. Recently, Cook did integrate the use of ‘fiber tracks’ in her current fiber work. This is integration of neuroscience in art. It has been branded the art-neuroscience collaboration. Over the past few years, Cook has worked closely with a number of scientists to develop a brain-scanning machine that would reveal the

The PLAN International Organization Activities Essay

The PLAN International Organization Activities - Essay Example The main strategy of the organization concerns rooting out of poverty in societies it works in the same. The organization has an independent working system whereby it does not rely on religious, governmental or political affiliation. The vision of PLAN regards attainment of a world whereby every child acquires his/her full potential and the society recognizes the dignity of its people. The organization has three fundamental missions. The articulation of the three missions pertains to enhancing the quality of life of children that are under depravity. This method unifies people across cultures and adds meaning to respective lives in three ways. To begin with, children and their respective communities should attain basic needs and enhance their abilities for participation and drawing benefits from their societies (PLAN, 2012). Additionally, PLAN organization aims to enhance relationships across people of various cultures and countries. This relates to its network of different communiti es. Additionally, the organization aims to promote children’s rights. The PLAN organization commits towards promoting children’s rights and pulling children out of poverty through eight core areas. To begin with, the organization commits to education. In this sense, it helps young people and children attain the knowledge and skills that are suitable for realizing full potential. The PLAN organization notes that education is a critical force of breaking the cycle of poverty. In this perspective, the organization trains educators on methods of child-friendly learning. It also helps in construction and rehabilitation in educational institutions. Every child possesses the entitlement of education. However, various obstacles bar children from accessing the same. The main obstacle of education pertains to high costs. Children also face the exclusion of language and cultural barriers. In addition, geographical remoteness and cases of special needs bar children from accessing education. The organization works by striving to clear these obstacles. It is recognizable that the PLAN organization works towards ensuring quality education. However, this begins from the attainment of basic education (PLAN, 2012). The PLAN’s educational strategy operates around three missions. The first mission regards helping in the attainment of a safe and child-friendly environment. Besides, it aims at enhancing the skills of teachers. Lastly, it has a goal of creating gender-sensitive education and culturally relevant educational environments (PLAN, 2012). The organization commits towards reaching children who have never been to school. In addition, it aims at reaching children who have dropped out of school. It is vital to note that the organization strives to enable girls to have access to quality education. In terms of health, the organization notes the recognition that every child has the entitlement towards a healthy start in life. The organization, especially, ac hieves the same by training professionals and communities in early childcare practices and general health care. The organization has a two-way focus. To begin with, it has the focus of preventing childhood illnesses. These diseases should be capable of prevention. This includes childhood illnesses such as malaria, malnutrition, and diarrhea. At the community level, the organization achieves its purpose by immunization, hygiene and child nutrition.  

Course Evaluation Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Course Evaluation Paper - Essay Example During the course, most students identified with the outcomes. I expected to learn the various aspects of family dynamics, which exist in the society regardless of race, social class, or religion, and I did. I expected to learn the theories involved and to be able to learn various solutions to family problems. I was able to relate to some factors that influence family dynamics that apply to my real life. The factors I learnt include the effect of parent’s relationships on the family, aspects of strictness and lenience among parents, personalities, single parenthood, size of family and culture, and beliefs in the family. The course reflected issues that exist in many families in the world, and was able to broaden my knowledge and thinking about family life. I expected the course to highlight the various positive and negative issues that exist in the family and the impact they have on psychological health of family members. Some of the positive family attributes highlighted incl ude success of children linked to good parenting practices, good parent’s relationships and good family values. Peace in the family always relates to good personalities in children and older family members among others. The negative attributes highlighted in the course include the effect of single parenthood on children, violence in the family most likely led to the fall of the family to factors such as divorce, and divorce affected children even in their adulthood. The lecturer was able to teach in the most practical way, making everyone to participate in asking and answering questions, making the course even more enjoyable. She always asked practical questions that apply in real life, used pictures and videos to teach and expected every student to relate to some issues raised during the course of study. This made the course very exciting and easy to learn. The outcomes had a great impact and were specific to the target population, which in this case were classroom students. The course highlighted many issues, which exist in different families. I related to some of the factors that I have experienced in my own family. Most students were able to relate and connect to most of the issues explained in the course. In some instances the mentioned examples and scenarios rekindled bad memories among some students and caused emotional grieve. These included students coming from a family that experienced violence in the past, drug abuse, families affected by issues such as unemployment, extramarital affairs, and divorce. Some students on the other hand connected well with their well-structured families, which had good values, proper parenting practices, and wealth among others. In either way most students lamented that, they learnt a lot from the course and expected to improve their lives in one way or another. The outcomes were measurable with the timeframe. The lecturer managed to teach various levels of family dynamics within the expected timeframe, and in th e most systematic way. The mentioned outcomes on the students always revealed in each classroom session, and with time, the students had developed a sense of connection with the lecturer and would freely express their views and experiences without fear. The objectives and the outcomes related well in this course and at the end, the lecturer manage

Theater Preserving Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theater Preserving Culture - Essay Example Theater supplies learners with skills that are creative, easily influenced and that easily fit changes and developments that enable them to express themselves, critically examine the world around them and actively engage in the different aspects of human existence (UNESCO p. 5) as audiences compare observations to real life situations. The concepts presented through the theater in a way, when placed side by side with the culture that is currently observed, can result to the creation of new morals and laws that can establish improvements in the practices of certain groups of people. The presentation of cultures on the stage offers enlightening information about peoples, explain what they do, why they do this or that, and in effect, making people aware of the existence of such and such culture. As the world now learns to embrace diversity, there is also a sense coming that cultural differences should be accepted as well. In fact, different cultures seem to spice up the lives of other cultures as they are presented, because in some ways, cultures are observed to be related with each other. This then leads to an even more interesting study of the origin of nations, tribes, clans and families which points to the centuries-old mystery of the origin of man. As cultures are expressed through the theater, people not only learn about them but through the artistic view of the audiences, some relevant improvements may come from them. The artistic abilities of viewers can be activated or improved through the replay of cultures in the stage.

Proposal for my project Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For my project - Thesis Proposal Example Therefore, there is need to understand the implications of social media in marketing in order to make the right interventions that will result to a return on investment. There has been exponential growth in the use of social media by people of all ages. However, some age groups are more active in social media than others are. This has created a huge online traffic that can easily be targeted by businesses in need of selling their brands (Chou et al., 2009). While interpersonal communication has been tremendous through the social media, there is also a big opportunity for businesses to develop strategies that target different groups of people in order to market their products and services. Being a side activity by the social networks, social media marketing is relatively cheaper compared to other advertising strategies. Marketing through the social media serves as a better method of communicating to the customers since it happens at their own convenience. Social media has been applauded for its capability for brand positioning, hence attracting the potential customers. According to the social media marketing report of 2013, marketers have recognized exposure and increased traffic as top two benefits (Stelzner, 2013). There are a myriad of challenges that are encountered by marketers in an attempt to reach the market through the social media. Firstly, the followers in a social media platform are not necessarily customers, therefore there is need to convert them into customers. Another issue that comes up is the creation of online content that is capable of attracting the attention of the potential customers. The diversity in the social networks also presents difficulties in reaching to the customers. A marketer would like to use all the available networks so as to reach as many people as possible. However, this is cumbersome and tedious. A number of things can be done through

Illegal Immigration's Destructive Impact on the Economy of the United Research Paper

Illegal Immigration's Destructive Impact on the Economy of the United States of America - Research Paper Example This essay discusses that much debate has raged over immigration policies in the United States. In the past, the United States had reached out with open arms to immigrants coming from distant shores who want to make this country their home. As a result of this, we have seen America become a melting pot of cultures, offering its embrace to the poor and downtrodden. In many instances, however, the picture was far from pretty. The famous book â€Å"The Jungle†, written by Upton Sinclair, was seen by many as a shocking expose into the sordid world of the meatpacking industry and the abysmal working conditions of the meatpackers, who were composed mainly of immigrants desperate for livelihood opportunities in what for them was a completely new frontier. Few saw it for what it was meant to be: a compelling saga of the poverty hopelessness, and crime that attended the lives of the working class immigrants of America from the period spanning the end of the Civil War to the beginning o f the First World War. Unfortunately, that story takes place even today, as illegal immigrants find themselves caught in a life of poverty, dependence and crime. There are plenty of illegal immigrants in the United States, many of whom are from nearby Hispanic countries, most notably Mexico. It has been found that when the purchasing power of the dollar increases in Mexico, illegal immigration increases, suggesting that illegal immigration is brought on by economic reasons.... We refer to those who engage in drug trafficking, in human trafficking, in illegal possession of firearms, in petty crimes. The big debate therefore is what to do with these illegal immigrants. Do we send them to our jails and thus spend taxpayer’s money for their care and upkeep, or do we institute deportation proceedings and send them back to their home countries? This paper will argue that illegal immigrants who have been arrested, charged criminally and found guilty by our criminal justice system should be subjected to deportation proceedings rather than be imprisoned in domestic jails. I will argue first on the resources aspect, and will discuss how keeping them in our jails drains this country of much-needed resources especially during a time of recession. Second, I will argue on the social-economic aspect, and look into how keeping them in domestic jails can possibly worsen the crime problem, because it will still allow them to operate criminal cells here in the country . In turn, this is a problem for the economy because it encourages the black market and the criminal enterprises and syndicates that render markets imperfect. Then, I will also argue how the immigration problem is unduly clogging the dockets of the courts, making it difficult for judges and prosecutors to focus on crimes such as robbery and murder, and thus leaving communities unsafe and vulnerable and affecting local economic activity. Finally, I will argue that on the political- economic aspect, it is only deportation that can send a strong, zero-tolerance message against illegal immigration – of particular importance at a time when illegal immigration is siphoning off much-needed jobs from the local population, and is draining the nation’s coffers by using up

Psychological Effects of Alcoholism Essay Example for Free

Psychological Effects of Alcoholism Essay Alcohol is a well known substance that has been present ever since. It provides a variety of functions for different people from the earliest times until today. In the past, alcoholic beverages were served not only as thirst quencher; it also played a significant role in the aspect of religion (Watson). Alcohol connotes pleasure and sociability through the enhancement of the quality of life. Most alcoholic beverages are well represented in wine, beer, and spirits. They have been accounted for numerous positive and negative effects upon consumption (Watson). While alcohol has been proven to be beneficial if taken moderately, its misuse may lead to alcoholism. Alcoholism is one of the prevailing social problems of today. Alcoholism is noted to be a chronic disease wherein the body becomes dependent on alcohol. It is characterized with alcohol obsession, and the person with alcoholism is unable to control the amount of alcohol being taken. Alcoholism can cause serious problems and may affect a persons relationship, health, finances, and work (â€Å"Alcoholism†). The physical effects of alcoholism are evidently well recorded. It is a general knowledge that the abuse of alcohol may lead to serious problems, most especially the abrupt deterioration of human health and its detrimental impact on the internal organs. Thus, most people often associate the impact of alcoholism on the physical health. However, what is less considered are its psychological effects that are much more damaging and equally painful to the physical effects that the alcoholic person is aware of (Briggs). It was found out that alcohol consumption and mental health are closely affiliated in numerous ways. Based from the summary presented by the institute of alcohol studies, â€Å"mental health problems can result [in] excessive drinking, but that problem drinking can lead to mental health problems† (Tolevanen et al. qtd. in Cattan and Tilford 142). Aside from this, it was suggested that external factors are major contributors to mental health and alcohol problems. These external factors include genes, social and family environment, psychological and culture influence, the perception about the impact of alcohol, and the level of acceptance for alcohol consumption (Tolevanen et al. td. in Cattan and Tilford 142) Moreover, the influence of the expectancies of alcohol greatly affects how people drink. Take for example the young and middle-aged adults. Since the said group of people has a positive perception on the effects of alcohol consumption, they tend to consume more alcohol. It was concluded that people who use alcohol consumption as a coping strategy perceive the effects of alcohol to be positive, and that alcohol reduces the repercussions of factors that induce stress (Satre and Knight qtd. n Cattan and Tilford 142). Hence, although there were evidences that alcohol consumption may have positive psychological effects, it is still apparent that the negative impact of alcohol on human psychology overshadows its positive effects. Depression, Anxiety, and Suicide Since alcoholic beverages are depressants, by the time they begin circulating within an individuals system, they decrease the activity carried out by the nervous system to the brain (Naq). Thus, it was noted that depression may be the cause or aftermath of alcoholism. Some studies suggest that the effects of alcohol have two phases, the initial of which is that it produces a feeling of euphoria which is then generated to depression by the time the alcohol level in the blood has gone down (Institute of Alcohol Studies [IAS] 6). It was also stated that, when an individual consumes an amount of alcohol that is more than the bodys capacity, it would result in stress. In the spur of the moment, a series of psychological manifestations of stress can be observed through anxiety. Certain conditions, such as restlessness, nightmares, and overwhelming fear, are some of the anxieties felt or experienced by an alcoholic (Naq). Dependence in alcohol also results in heightened emotions. Most alcoholics are in a high risk of depression and anxiety, creating a strong link between suicide and alcoholism (IAS 6). Aggression and Violence Many researchers have proven the link between alcoholism and aggression. It was believed that the excessive consumption of alcohol does not only promote aggressive behaviors, but it may also lead to victimization. Alcohol disrupts the normal functions of the brain. Thus, alcohol encourages aggressive behavior and violence. Violence is within the category of aggression, which is characterized by behaviors that are often threatening and hostile. The percentages of alcohol related violence are alerting, and the figures are still raised in the upper limits (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). According to Bancroft, the consumption of alcohol allows offenders to act on what they desire (47). Because of this, offenders become more insulting and intimidating. Most often than not, perpetrators deny the activity and use alcohol as an excuse. Courts sometimes condone perpetrators who blame the committed crime to drinking problems (Bancroft 48). Obsession Alcoholics are identified as intense and obsessed people (Zimberg 4). Once a person becomes dependent to alcohol, obsession with drinking is the likely result. For an alcoholic, there is no difference between a large and small amount of alcohol. Because of alcohol dependence, a person loses interest with other activities except to get the next drink (Naq). Memory loss  An alcoholic is more likely to experience periods where one cannot remember a thing, otherwise known as ‘blackouts’. It is important to take into consideration that alcohol abuse may result in memory loss, which in turn, may be psychologically damaging and self destructive at great levels (Briggs). Apart from this, the dependence in alcohol has a great association with brain damage and cognitive impairment which may lead to an advance stage known as alcoholic dementia. When such advance case of memory loss is combined with amnesia, the intellectual function of the brain is then lost (IAS 16). Socio-Psychological Effects of Alcoholism The socio-psychological effects of alcoholism may be short term or long term. One of the most prominent short term socio psychological effects of alcoholism is ‘disinhibition’. This is well manifested when an individual lacks self regulation and control which leads to numerous anti-social behaviors. Furthermore, alcohol has the capability to repress a persons ability to respond to emotions and decrease inhibitions which, in the end, may cause the alcoholic to exhibit risky behaviors (Curtin et al. qtd. in â€Å"Short-term and Longer-term Effects†). Disinhibition also may result in activities that greatly affect the society such as crime and violence. For instance, in Australia, where alcohol is deeply embedded in the culture, out of 70% of crimes committed, 41% were done under the influence of alcohol (National Health and Medical Research qtd. in â€Å"Short-term and Longer-term Effects†). Long term socio-psychological impact of alcoholism is apparent in a family. Alcoholism is recognized as a â€Å"family disease. † In a family, the alcoholic may be a father, mother, teenager, and other close relative. Alcohol dependence of one member of the family may lead to family disruption and may put the whole family at risk that may last for a very long time. In a recent study done by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services and SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration) National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, the numbers of American adults who have been vulnerable to alcoholism reached up to seventy six million (Parsons). Most family problems are blamed to alcoholism (Parsons). Family members take on different characteristics as a way of adapting to the situation. In the case of the family’s child or children, various attitudes may be noticed: (1) Family hero is a way by which a child acts on the responsibilities, exhibiting obsessive perfectionism and doing things that are â€Å"too good to be true;† (2) Scapegoat, wherein misbehavior and delinquency is a form of escape to the situation; (3) Lost child is characterized with passiveness and isolation from others to withdraw from the situation; and (4) Mascot, by making fun of the situation through comic relief (Donatelle and Davis qtd. n â€Å"Short-term and Longer-term Effects†). In the case of the spouse of the alcoholic, the spouse has to take on the status of both parents. This may cause the spouse to develop feelings of hatred, self-pity, and anti-social behavior. The spouse is also likely to become extremely exhausted, leading to physical and mental illness. Moreover, the non-alcoholic parent has the tendency to neglect the children (Berger qtd. in Parsons). The effects of alcoholism are not limited to the physical aspect. It is evident that it has adverse psychological effects that do not only affect the alcoholic individual, but extend to the society where the alcoholic belongs. Furthermore, based from the results that were framed from the study, it is suggested that comprehensive analysis on the psychological effect of alcoholism according to gender should be done so as to give further justification on the subject.

Quality Assurance Of Teaching Education Essay

Quality Assurance Of Teaching Education Essay The divisions of rules that exist in the university curriculum-making authority are distributed as follows. Curriculum design is done by a team at the program-level in which courses design is in draft form. Then, as a draft of curriculum it should be approved by the department and faculty academic senate before it finally passed by the chancellor as formal curriculum for each program. This arrangement is suitable with the hierarchy of stakeholders of the institution within the university. It defines that the Faculty is organizing stakeholders and or academic activities in specific disciplines and can consist of one program or several program of study. Department is the organization of academic resources for the development of science, education and implementation of academic, professional and or profession, in part or one branch of science, technology, art and culture. The Program is the integrated study plan as guidance and academic education or profession conducted on the basis of a curriculum and aimed so that learners can master the knowledge, skills and attitudes in accordance with curriculum objectives. Based on this definition, the program is the stakeholder which takes main responsibility of curriculum design and evaluation. As will be elaborated below, the process of curriculum development involves many parties in which the program holds main duty that is initial design and determining course structure jointly with the department. Curriculum Design The formulation process of the curriculum at the program level is carried through several steps: (i) define the graduate profile, (ii) define their competences, (iii) map and translate the learning process that needed for achieving these competences in the course design, (iv) arrange the courses in suitable order and reasonable time study, (iv) synchronization of the course design with related programs. This duty is carried by the curriculum design team at the program level in which consist of: Head of the program Group of lecturers who represent each of specialization area Academic staff of the department Historically, the curriculum design has been evoluted following the rule set by directorate of higher education, Ministry of Education. It had involved three curriculums, namely curriculum 2007, curriculum 2009 and the current/undertaking revision: competence-based curriculum. Shortly, current undergoing  changes in  the curriculum  is a shift from  the target  mastery of science  and technology  into  the  emphasis on  the education process  that refers to the  context of culture  and  human  development  in a comprehensive,  global  /  universal. The target now is to produce  graduates who are  cultured  and able to  play a role  in the international world.  This is known  as a  competency-based  curriculum. The curriculum development is started by formulation of descriptive profile of the graduate. Referring to the current rule, as stated in the Chancellor decree No.897/SK/R/UI/2009 in article 2 about the objective of the program, it is stated: To generate economic undergraduate economics courses that have the ability and skills analysis of both micro and macro economics to meet the needs of analysis and research in government institutions, research institutes, banking and capital markets. According to this definition, the graduates are those who should master ability and skill as junior economist. In order to achieve this profile of competence, the entire representative of lecturers of each are/courses was involved to design the appropriate course structure. Internal course area meeting In this meeting each courses area design three important documents: GBPP(Garis-garis Besar Program Pengajaran), SAP(Satuan Acara Perkuliahan) and the syllabus. In the new term GBPP and SAP are recognized as BRP(Buku Rancangan Pengajaran) and BPKM(Buku Pedoman Kerja Mahasiswa). During the last revision this process have been conducted for . (isi tanggal rapat koordinasi internal tiap konsentrasi dan matakuliah wajib). Within the program, the area is a group of specialization in economics area. The following is the lists of area and lecturers responsible for each area. Monetary economics: Prof. xxx, Dr. xxxx International economics: Prof. xxx, Dr. xxxx Industrial organization: Prof. xxx, Dr. xxxx Public economics: Prof. xxx, Dr. xxxx Human resource and labor economics: Prof. xxx, Dr. xxxx Environmental and natural resource economics: Prof. xxx, Dr. xxxx Regional economics: Prof. xxx, Dr. xxxx Work meeting (Rapat Kerja) In order to create a good coherence and mapping of each course with the graduate profile, jointly work meeting were carried. For the last curriculum revision this meeting conducted on (Raker Bandung). The result of these process is summarized in the following tables. Table 1 Sequence of Courses of Economic Undergraduate Program (EUP) Based on Curriculum 2009 Table 1 Sequence of Courses of Economic Undergraduate Program (EUP) based on KBK The detail of the connection between each courses and competence aimed from each course is in the Appendix. Users Involvement In the curriculum development, jointly with the department, the program  also  involves users as the  important stakeholders. One of the example is during the develpment of 2009 curriculum, a focus group discussion with stakeholders were conducted on December 10, 2008. To accommodate the various type of organization of workplace for graduates, the meeting invited participants from Ministry of Finance and National Planning Agency who represented government institution, NC Sekuritas, Mandiri Sekuritas, Bahana TCW Investment MGT, Danareksa Persero, and PT Pefindo as private instituion representatives, participant from the Bank Indonesia (Central Bank), and LPEM FEUI and LD FEUI as research institution representative. From this session, there were valuable inputs as a based to revised the competence profile in order to be suitable with the users need. For example is the focus on the mastering quantitative software, loyalty, English proficiency and writing skills. As the result, wit hin the compulsory 144 unit of courses now students are required to participate more on the quantitative laboratory session, minimum of 15 unit English-based course, and the academic writing course. Students Involvement In addition, the students  involvement in the course development also considered as important as other stakeholders. Especially, the students are the main party of the curriculum implemetation. For this reason, the program also conducted several meeting with each of students bagde, e.g. meeting December 19, 2011. In this meeting there are some feebacks including the continuous improvement of writing skills which then be accomodated in the KBK curriculum design. The Curriculum Dissemination and Implementation After the curriculum is finalized as formal document of the university, the faculty has been disseminating the curriculum for all stakeholders, mainly it targets students and lecturers. This was done by two handbook: Buku Panduan Akademik and Buku Katalog Mata Ajar. In addition, the program also uses program website to inform lecturer and students about the curriculum. Figure 1 The Website Course and curriculum evaluation The role of UPMA and BPMA Specifically, the university manage teaching and learning process by the role of quality assurance body BPMA(Badan Penjaminan Mutu Akademik) at university level and UPMA(Unit Penjamin Mutu Akademik) at faculty level. Curriculum implementation then will be monitored and audited by these units. The cycle of curriculum monitoring started by formulation of quality standard then followed by monitoring, internal evaluation and finally the development and enhancement of the curriculum. In addition to the role of internal evaluation, the implementation of the curriculum is also influenced by external evaluation such as national accreditation (BAN PT) and AUN itself. Figure 2 Cycle of Curriculum Quality Assurance In Handbook of Quality Standard published by university, within the quality standard, it is stated that the curriculum component should meet the criteria of: mention explicitly the graduates competence, list of learning materials, appropriate grouping of courses, has three main documents of BRP, BPKM and syllabus, and exhibit well connection between courses to meet the required competence as the learning objectives. In addition to this indicator it also should show indicator of the availability of course reference in the library, delivery method, time study allowed and the spread of workload and student evaluation system. The cycle is summarized in the following figure. detail of audit process Once the audit by quality assurance bodies was carried, and at the same time it is the period of curriculum evaluation, the faculty will appoint a team to review and develop new curriculum. Historically we have two consecutive revision, in 2007 and 2009. detail of the 2007 and 2009 revision KPTS/449/D/2006: Prosedur Pengembangan dan Perubahan Kurikulum KPTS/29/D/2008: Pembentukan Panitia Pengembangan Kurikulum FEUI Student evaluation The monitoring from student point of view to academic progress is carried over following processes: EDOM EDOM(Evaluasi Dosen oleh Mahasiswa) is one of the formal intrument to monitor teaching process within university. This system is implemented based on the Chancellor decree number (isi SK rektor tentang EDOM). While the name of the system suggests that the evaluation is mainly on the performance of the lecturers, the evaluation components are not limited to individual lecturers evaluation but also teaching and learning in various aspects. Evaluation aspects in EDOM includes: Course content delivery of course by the lecturer Class management Course assessment Course content: evaluating the availability of course syllabus, information of references, textbooks and other leaning resources, as well as relevance of assignments with the course objectives. Delivery of course by the lecturer: evaluating the delivery methods (including the implementation of active learning methods, discussion methods), relevance of course materials with the syllabus, consistency among lectures within teaching team, encouragement by the lecturer Class management: evaluating the punctuality of sessions, learning atmosphere, the use of supporting facilities, lecturers attitudes towards feedback and support for students with problems. Course assessment: evaluating the relevance of examination and assignment with the course contents, feedback and discussion on the results of assignments and examination. Analysis based on EDOM Pros: ? Cons: it is not completely reflect student opinion rather than obligatory fill in to see their course grade Academic Councelling (Bimbingan akademik) In addition to feedback from EDOM, the program evaluates the curriculum based on the feedback from students during the consultation with the academic supervisor. This is a non-structured feedback from student that ocasionally gives valuable input, epecially related to course assesment and course management. Evidence