Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Meaning of Citizenship

The Meaning of Citizenship Essay The Meaning of Citizenship according to the author is what we make it mean. What a bunch of malarkey! The history of how the definition of citizenship has evolved was well done but I kept having this feeling that she was trying to get me to subscribe to some new world order of citizenship. I like the Dictionary definition of citizenship is the state of being vested with the rights, privileges, and duties of a citizen. The character of an individual viewed as a member of society; behavior in terms of duties, obligations, and functions of a citizen.She suggested that citizenship was inconsistent from the very beginning of the United States. Yes it was because we were all immigrants from the start. Women were still seen a property to their husband, Africans was slaves, Native American conquered, and a lot of old world racism was in full swing. America was the great experiment by its founding fathers. Never had it been tried to bring all people together a s one country of citizens, well at least what they consider â€Å"as people† at that time.Some may argue that the romans were doing the same thing but they were doing it at sword point then by volunteer. Even though some of the founding father was still behind in their thinking others were not. They build the constitution so that future generations could learn from their father’s mistake and improve America for everyone. I was very surprise that the Supreme Court did not rule that the power of husbands over wives is no longer recognizable in law until 1992. Wow that took 216 years to figure that out.Also that if a woman got married to a noncitizen she would lose her citizenship and be seen as a citizen of her husband country but on the flip side of the coin if the wife married an American husband they became a US citizen until the law change in 1934. Currently the married spouse has the option to either become a permanent residence or naturalization. Naturalization is no easy task either. Under the Path to citizenship on the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services the spouse has to take a naturalization test. Sad part according to US News and World Report Weekly poll done back in April of 2012 1 in 3 Americans would fail this test.Another big issue today is illegal women having children in the United State in order to not to get deported. This loop-hole has become to be known as â€Å"baby anchor†. In a way they gain citizenship though the kids. Many countries have closed this loop-hole and I think it time for America to do so too. I would give amnesty to all kids and parents here now then set a deadline date 10months out that one of the child parents is must be a U. S. Citizen otherwise that child will be consider as the citizen of one of the parent foreign citizenship.The history about race factor on citizenship was pretty much dead on. Of all the nationalities from around the world the people from African have had it the worst. Even till this day I don’t see why people looked down on Africans. African American has had the hardest time integrate in to American society. It was mostly because their immigration was forced to America by slavery. When they won their freedom they were still treated like 2nd class citizens. Even today most of the culture seems torn about where they fit into America society. The Chinese and Japanese were treated just as badly.They were seen as rats or beasts to use till they dropped over dead. If anything they weren’t even seen as human beings. They fought back hard to earn their rights and somehow moved forward as a culture to integrate with American society. Then the author goes into class warfare for three pages. Most of it did not make sense other then she trying to make the argument that social security is some kind social citizenship. Now the way I see it with immigration most moving from one country to another are lower or poor people. When they move into a very wel l off country they can bear the cost of it.America is at a point where immigration is collapsing local government fiances. More people are pulling from the system then put in. The states along the Mexican border are suffering majorly from this due to illegal immigration. Immigration is a good thing for a country but it must be controlled. In Europe many countries are having negative birth rates meaning more people are dying faster than babies are born. In a capitalism economy they build the social program are design to be funded by future population grow who pay into the social program.The problem is that most of their growth now is from immigration that are almost doubling unemployment in European country but benefiting from the host country social programs. (See http://www. migrationpolicy. org/pubs/TCM-integration. pdf) Linda Kerber once again starts to ramble on for another five pages. It covers the Boston Tea Party, Dred Scott decision of 1857, Yick Wo the laundry guy vs. Hopki ns, War Brides Act of World War II, and a few other Supreme Court rulings to support her views, California Proposition 187, the Cold War, Iran-Contra, Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and something about Peter Pan vs.Captain Hooker. Well not that last thing. All of this was a setup to give you a right hook to the head about her post national citizenship idea. And so she opens up with â€Å"Do we need citizenship? † This is where the final punch gets you. She starts to make hidden points to being a one world citizenship because like as she stated from the start citizenship means what we make it mean. This will not work as many cultures that have such polar views of each other.An example would be that Islam faith is so tie into it governing system that is Islamic law which is set by the religion is law via in United State religion is kept separated from government laws. She is right that we are one world family but we live under different homes with different rules and values. To me illegal immigration is like having the uninvited family member visits you. They say they are only going to be visiting for 3 days but end up staying for years. We can’t just join with other people if they don’t believe in the Bill of Rights created by our founders.What would be the point of freedom of the press if you can’t write about something that will offend a person or group? In the end I think most people keep mixing citizenship and culture together. Becoming a citizenship must mean more then I was able to sneak into this land. We must close the loop-holes in immigration to remove some of the arguments on citizenship but not eliminate immigration itself. We have to end this feeling of it means whatever it means to you. It’s a cop out. We must stand firm that this is what it takes to be a citizen of the United States.

Pre-marital Sex Essay

Effects of Premarital sex The effects of premarital sex is not limited to a physical effect, it can also be emotional and psychological. To better understand the effects of premarital sex, let’s take look first on why it is considered as a sin. According to the Bible:Premarital Sex Premarital Sex and Religion The Catholic Church teaches that premarital sex is wrong, yet it is still widely practiced around the world. The reason marriage was created was to join two people of the opposite sex together in a holy sacrament that would make the couple one. God’s reason for marriage is quoted in the bible when he said, â€Å"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh† . The Sacrament of marriage is one of the most sacred Sacraments in the Catholic Religion. By performing premarital sex, the couple is breaking a covenant with God and is performing a sin. Marriage is the joining of a couple in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the State. When two people are joined into marriage they become on in flesh and one spirit. Sexual intercourse within marriage is for this reason good and of great blessing both to the couple, to the family and to the church. However, outside of marriage it creates a conflict of body and soul. This conflict may not at first be evident but later it can result it real soul damage occurring between the two people involved. God tells us that we should control out bodies and our lusting, â€Å"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in a passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God†1. By performing premarital sex we are abusing our bodies and our souls. The pain that premarital sex puts on us is very evident. Physically premarital sex can lead to many things, such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other things that accompany premarital sex. Mentally premarital sex also hurts. Our bond with God is ruined, we lose contact with God and we are no longer part of the Church. Premarital sex goes against God’s law so our relationship with God is destroyed.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Jamba Juice Essay

Jamba Juice The Brief Jamba Juice is a specialist vendor of healthy blended beverages, juices and snacks, with over 600 franchised and company retail outlets in California and over 20 other states. The company wished to carry out a classic promotion: to drive visitors to its stores over the course of a two week campaign with a â€Å"BOGO† (Buy one get one free) beverage offer. The Approach Guided by digital advertising agency Xylem CCI’s media agent, JL 360, Jamba Juice decided to conduct a pure online campaign. This campaign was targeted primarily at women, who predominate among Jamba Juice’s customers. 24/7 Real Media was chosen by Xylem CCI and JL 360 to be the digital advertising partner. The resulting campaign included multiple creative variants in different banner formats. All of these creatives invited the viewer to click through to a Web page where they could print out a coupon—unique to this campaign—with which to claim their BOGO. The campaign began on June 19, 2007. A target of 100,000 coupon redemptions over a 14-day period was set, with coupons expiring at the end of the campaign. The resulting ads were served on a run of network (RON) basis across the 24/7 Global Web Alliance network of over 950 Web sites. They were targeted geographically, aiming mainly towards California as well as the other regional markets where Jamba Juice operates. As women were a main target market, Jamba Juice could reach these potential female customers through 24/7 Real Media’s Women’s Interest vertical channel. People who visited Jamba Juice’s own site at one point and then later browsed the Internet were then also served additional â€Å"retargeted† ads when they visited any of the Web sites on the Web Alliance. As well as regular inpage banners, page load ads were used, in which a full page ad pops up while the user’s requested page is loading. The campaign was also supported with a limited outreach of 62,000 branded outbound emails to untested subscribers within Jamba Juice’s database. These subscribers received the same offer as was extended in the banner campaign. The Results Because the online coupons were unique to this campaign, progress was easily tracked. â€Å"We have experienced incredible success with our campaign utilizing various types of targeting on the Global Web Alliance. The digital marketing plan that 24/7 Real Media put in place for our client, and then executed, produced results far beyond anything we had expected. † -Sean Black, President JL 360 Target achieved half way through campaign, at half the budgeted spend By the end of campaign day 8, visitors had downloaded all of the coupons that Jamba Juice had allocated to the full 14 days of the campaign, on a spend of approximately 50% of the budget. The Meaning of the Results Retargeted ads—those delivered to people browsing the Internet who had previously visited Jamba Juice’s Web site—yielded the highest response levels of all ads served. JL 360 can secure the right channel for clients’ marketing/messaging and ensure delivery of results that meet specific measurements of success. Services include Media Strategy, Media Execution (Buying), and Media Accountability. About Xylem CCI: Xylem CCI is a leading independent digital advertising agency, meaning they design, execute, and manage digital advertising campaigns that include large-scale Web sites, Flash microsites, eMarketing strategies and viral advertising campaigns. Xylem CCI believes in fresh, innovative thinking, just the way you expect if from a hungry independent creative agency. They have been in the digital space as long as anyone in the business, are 70 plus strong, hyper-creative, overly zealous and have tons of extreme vigor. The agency understands that consumers are constantly driving and demanding new and innovative delivery methods, and therefore focuses on creating cutting-edge solutions guaranteed not to disappoint. Every single day, they are evolving the business to stay on the forefront of popular culture and the convergence of informational mediums in an increasingly fragmented and multidimensional world. About Jamba Juice: An extraordinary health experience unlike any you’ve ever tasted, Jamba Juice serves up delicious, nutritious, energizing smoothies and juices. Each one is filled with refreshing fruit flavor and provides 3-6 servings of fruit to get you on your way to 5-a-day! Also, boosted with vitamins and minerals and always served in a fun and uplifting environment. You’ll find Jamba Juice provides everything you need to live an active, healthy and happy life! Jamba Juice is the leading outlet for blended fruit drinks with about 600 smoothie stands in over 20 states. Its menu includes more than 30 varieties of custom smoothies and Jamba Boosts, along with other fruit juices and baked goods. Jamba Juice locations include freestanding units as well as on-site kiosks in high traffic areas, such as college campuses, gyms, and airports. â€Å"Our ability to produce â€Å"Once we’d fully digital advertising implemented Open success stories for AdStream, we found our clients like working that we were Jamba Juice is dependent on with an integrated the expertwas far tool that and reliable partnerships that we more powerful share with JL360, and than the simple 24/7 Real Media.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

John Mcdowell - Virtue and Reason Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

John Mcdowell - Virtue and Reason - Essay Example McDowell’s notion of a virtuous agent depends on the â€Å"sensitivity† of the agent to see what a virtue requires (for instance, what constitutes prudence in a certain situation). This sensitivity arises in a virtuous agent when he or she is faced with the particular details of states of affairs. It is a perceptual awareness of the right reasons for acting in certain ways. Because such sensitivity amounts to getting things right, McDowell claims that this sensitivity is a form of knowledge, and since this sensitivity is a virtue, virtues extend directly from moral knowledge. As McDowell puts it, the reliable sensitivity constitutes knowledge and it is also a necessary condition for virtue. Accordingly, McDowell is claiming that knowledge is a necessary condition for virtues. But one can conceive of a person of who has moral knowledge, or virtues, but is unmotivated to act virtuously, which is a person that McDowell logically dismisses as impossible. However, it is a cl ear and intuitive possibility that simply because a person has moral knowledge, he or she is not necessarily motivated to act upon it. McDowell responds by claiming that a person who fails to act virtuously, even though he knew what amounted to virtue, failed to do so only by clouded judgment or a desire to do otherwise. This is the Aristotelian answer to the objection. However, what this response leads to is the rejection of virtue as anything more than sensitivity. Although McDowell has been claiming that virtue is more than sensitivity (it is also about acting upon the virtue), this reply to the objection of the unfocused, clouded desire implies that the failure to act is not due to the one’s lack of a thing that the virtuous person has. The virtuous person and the non-virtuous person have the same sensitivity to what virtue requires, so as a result, it cannot be the case that knowledge of what virtue requires is what separates the virtuous from the non-virtuous. Socrates overcomes this problem by claiming that the difference between a virtuous person and a non-virtuous person is ignorance. Unlike Aristotle, Socrates does not need to account for this objection with the existence of a desire or a clouded judgment, which is the approach McDowell takes as well. Instead, McDowell dismisses Socrates’ answer as extreme and favors instead the response given by Aristotle. A second premise inherent in McDowell’s â€Å"Virtue and Reason† is t

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Major Trading Partners, Demographics, and System of Governance between Annotated Bibliography

Major Trading Partners, Demographics, and System of Governance between the US and Canada - Annotated Bibliography Example By the end of 2009, the US government had exported about $1.6 trillion worth of goods and services to ten major trading partners of the world. The main exports from the US are capital goods which account for over 49% of the total exports. Industrial supplies account for about 26% while consumer goods account for 15% of the exports. Agricultural products like cereals account for about 9% of the total exports. The major trading nations that purchase goods and services from the US are, in descending order; Canada, Mexico, China and Japan.   Surprisingly, the US has its greatest importer of goods in its closest neighbor, Canada. Apart from Canada, other world top trading partners of the US are China, Mexico, Japan, Germany, UK, South Korea, France, Taiwan, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, and Ireland. Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are the top suppliers of imports to the US. Canada’s top three trading partners cut across many continents. In North America, US is Canada’s main partner while in Asia and the Far East, China is the major trading partner of Canada. Mexico is the major trading partner of Canada from the South American region. The US is Canada’s major trading partner. It affects Canada through trade, tourism, technology, history, and culture. There are distinguishing factors that have made the US stand out as being the lead actor in Canada’s trade operations. These factors are physical, economic, political and social. From 2005 to 2010, the US has remained as the best trading partner with Canada in terms of exporting goods and services. The United Kingdom and Japan complete the number 2 and number 3 slots. For example, in 20005, the export value of the US in Canada was over 368,000 million dollars. These standards have been maintained over the years. The US also remains as the greatest importer of goods of Canadian origin.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Subject of Macroeconomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Subject of Macroeconomics - Assignment Example The good thing about children is that it's easier for them to burn what they eat. Meaning, we can afford to feed them with greasy and sugary fast food and yet with proper play and exercise they will be able to burn them. And though schools remove facilities for physical activities, I don't think this should prevent children from exercising. They could run around the block and it would not cost a thing. Also, you can give the children chores requiring physical activity. This may even address the increasing demand for work time. With the children doing chores, they get exercise and adults have more time to work. It's a win-win situation. My point is, even though economic indicators tend to favor the occurrence of obesity, non-economic factors can easily counter it. With the right mindset, we can go above these economic indicators and prevent obesity. On the contrary, Microeconomics deals with the behavior of individuals and how they decide to allocate their limited resources. In the study of Macroeconomics, we deal with certain indicators and factors. These are the unemployment rates, price indices, national income, among other things. It is with the relationship of these factors that determines how the economy functions. National income is the estimate of the value of goods and services produced in an economy, for example, the US economy. There are many ways to measure national income. It may either be measured as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Gross National Product (GNP) among other things.  Ã‚  

Monday, August 26, 2019

Why were coffee houses so popular in the late seventeeth century and Essay

Why were coffee houses so popular in the late seventeeth century and early eighteenth century in london - Essay Example Coffee first became popular in the Ottoman Empire during the sixteenth century, and in one report, we find the well-known Ottoman chronicler  Ibrahim Pecevi  chronicling the opening of the first coffeehouses in the Ottoman Empire (in Istanbul) in the sixteenth century. Here he states, â€Å"Until the year 962 [1555], in the High, God-Guarded city of Constantinople, as well as in Ottoman lands generally, coffee and coffee-houses did not exist. About that year, a fellow called Hakam from Aleppo and a wag called Shams from Damascus came to the city; they each opened a large shop in the district called Tahtakale, and began to purvey coffee† (cited in Bernard, 1989, 132). It was in the 17th century that coffee  spread to  Europe  from the  Ottoman Empire (via Hungary), and soon coffeehouses became a part of the popular western culture (Wild, 2005). English coffeehouses first came into existence during the mid-seventeenth century when in  Oxford  in 1652 in a buildin g that is now better known as "The Grand Cafe" (ibid). Pasqua Rosee, who was a  servant in the service of a merchant named Daniel Edwards, opened the first coffeehouse in  London  in 1652, in St Michael's Alley in Cornhill, and soon they became extremely popular as social meeting places, and by 1675 England had more than 3,000 coffeehouses (Weinberg, and Bealer, 2002, 152). Discussion English coffee houses: The  English  coffeehouses,  during the early modernism of the 17th and 18th centuries, are often referred to as public social houses where the people from different social walks of life, would gather for drinking the new beverage while socially interacting. These coffeehouses also served chocolate and tea along with coffee, and these places soon acquired a very distinct character that distinguished it from another popular establishment of the era, the taverns. The taverns were legally obliged to keep provisions for drinks, food, and lodging for the passing traveller; and formed centres of hard drinking and gambling. Coffeehouses, served non-alcoholic drinks allow any form of gambling and alcohol consumption, and were known as ‘genteel’ places for sober social interactions, unlike other public social houses of that time (Hewitt, 1872). Cowan in his book describes a typical 17th-18th century English coffeehouse as "places where people gathered to drink coffee, learn the news of the day, and perhaps to meet with other local residents and discuss matters of mutual concern† (Cowan, 2005, 79). Right from the time of initiation, the English coffeehouses formed a dominion for intellectual gatherings, while political groups also frequented the various English coffeehouses for conducting meetings (ibid). There a diverse range of patrons that were seen in the English coffeehouses, and represented a wide range of the divergent English social classes, and there was a sense of equality amongst these customers where one could freely take pa rt in any ongoing conversation irrespective of one’s social rank or political beliefs. Topics deliberated on in these coffeehouses were mainly related to philosophical debates, politics, society gossip, current events,  and natural sciences. It is often for this reason that the 17th and 18th century English coffeehouses were referred by the historians to be the epicentres of the Enlightenment era that brought in cultural and intellectual reawakening, widely seen at this time (Cowan, 2005). English coffeehous

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Retailing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Retailing - Essay Example Their major focus is on loyalty to customer from wide demographic market segment that caters constantly to their changing preferences. Kotler and Armstrong (2009) have described marketing as major component of business strategy that helps to meet the changing needs and requirements of the people profitably. The success of LuLu Hypermarkets shows that it understands changing consumer psychology. It continuously strives to update its products line with that of the changing public demands. By introducing latest products and excellent services at competitive prices, it has earned significant customer loyalty that prefer to shop here than elsewhere. LuLu has earned market credibility mainly because of its efforts to maintain high quality of its in-house brands and at the same time, providing its customers with wide range of branded products from across the world, thus promoting customer satisfaction. The main reason it has earned customer loyalty is by providing them with unique shopping experience. Through strategic business alliances, it has considerably increased its organizational capabilities to meet the challenges of cut throat business. Scholars have asserted that creating values for customer has become the need of the hour (Gabriel, 2005:14). LuLu’s retail strategy has also used customers’ preferences as its major objective to forge business liaisons and partnership so it can cater to the demands of its diverse customers coming from different market segments. Thus, value creation for its customers through customized services and quality has become its hallmark. LuLu hypermarkets are spread over very large areas keeping in mind all conceivable needs of customers coming from diverse background. They even have banking counters for money exchange and provide shoppers with huge facilities like convenient parking, playground for children, cafeteria. The chic and friendly ambience of ultra

Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Terms and Conditions Contained In a Contract of Employment Essay

The Terms and Conditions Contained In a Contract of Employment - Essay Example The paper tells that the employment contract may be written or agreed verbally in certain instances. Nonetheless, it is necessary, and an employee has a statutory right, to obtain a written statement of the employment terms some two months after the beginning of an employment in the event that no such formal agreement was made. The employee has to check his entitlement to this right as some may not be entitled to some statutory rights. By accepting a job offer, an employee agrees to abide by the conditions of authority relationship provided on the employment contract. These are referred to as the terms and conditions of the contract. The contract of employment defines the rights of the employees that will help in solving problems that may arise in the course of the contract. The employee and the employer are bound by the written agreement until the contract ends or until the terms of the contract are adjusted. The termination of a contract is often preceded by a written notice to the employees while the terms and condition of a contract will be adjusted after an agreement between the employer and the employee. An employee will enter into an employment contract as soon as he/she takes on an employment to create the employment relationship. The contract of employment may be written or verbal, but a written agreement is appropriate for a formal employment. The contract of employment will contain essential information; the details of employer/employees, date of commencement of the contract, place of work, role and duties of the employees, rate and mode of payment, sick pay arrangement, holiday leaf and pay, pension schemes, and the different policies governing the employment deal. An employment contract will be defined by the terms and condition of the contract. There is some difference between terms and conditions as referred to here. The terms of an employment contract define all that an employer and an employee will expect from each other.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Journal 11 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Journal 11 - Assignment Example Therefore, the story is more of a man who is excited that he is going to be happy in a foreign land and reclaim the happiness that his country had denied him. However, he recognizes that it was a dream and America was not as great as he had imagined. There is an immense contrast between what the narrator imagined and what he found out once he arrived in the US. There is a recount of how he and Anna were excited at first on realization that he was to leave for America. Therefore, he asserts, â€Å"†¦She looked up again and laughs, something new, she whispers, as if amazed, I hold my lips firmly pressed behind her ear. Then I say smiling, yes we have discovered something new! She bursts out laughing, and like a child she calls out happily, â€Å"America†Ã¢â‚¬ . (Schnitzler 156-157). It is obvious from the above quote that the narrator was having a flashback on how happy they were before commencing their journey to go to America. However, the happiness was short-lived since the readers get a different tone once the narrator lands in the foreign country. He confirms, â€Å"†¦and now I’m standing in the middle of a large, cold city†¦a pain, a madness comes over me that something irrevocably has been lost† (Schnitzler 157). It is ironic how he believed that America would be his source of happiness only to realize that it was far from what he had imagined. He had left his homeland, lost his friends and family, and did not know any means in which he could communicate with them since he did not know anything about the US. The contrasting images reveal that the narrator’s view of the US had changed. The country in which Anna had boasted about, telling people, â€Å"†¦Hey, we’re going to travel to America today!† (Schnitzler 57) was nothing but an illusion. His arrival was crowded by too much negativity; hence, it is likely that he would have a hard time adjusting in the new city. The different images also shows a man who was

Unit 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Unit 8 - Essay Example The author therefore lays out number of important elements of project management making up the best practices culture that must be observed by all project managers. training is particularly important considering the fast changing times and environments and as such companies have no options other than investing in continuous education for their project management teams and employees to keep up to date with industry standards. The first success point is for the project managers to get everything straight from the onset. It is important for managers of projects to understand the main goals of the particular project the needs of their clients in order to give the best. Secondly it is particularly important to carefully study and understand contracts before entering into any commitments. Assessing major clauses such as those on liabilities, indemnification warranties are worded right so as to avoid unnecessary legal suits and court cases. This eases the project implementation process and helps eliminate unnecessary delays. Another very important success factor in project management is the kick off meeting with a client. It is a very crucial meeting and therefore both the project managers and key project team members should be present in the meeting alongside key persons from the client end. This is because expectations are set in this meeting and as such it helps project teams figure out how to better manage the expectations of their client. The project managers should also never overlook stored materials; they should understand the way to bill for materials that are stored and also know the hidden costs that may come with early ordering of materials. To this end, timing is important especially when it comes to warranties. The warranty time begins counting immediately equipment are purchased and hence the earlier the installation the longer the period covered by the warranty. The final and ultimate success point in project

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Haleeb Relaunch Report Essay Example for Free

Haleeb Relaunch Report Essay Current Size, Growth and Profitability: Recently, Haleeb Foods has reached a turnover of Rs. 9. 2 Billion in the year 2009. It was a loss, though, as Haleeb Foods has been experiencing a slump since 2-3 years due to internal management and quality issues. Competition may pose a threat because the company will have to maintain its leadership in an expanding market so that it doesn’t lose its market share to its competitors. For Haleeb it might be difficult to maintain its market hare in a market where the loyalties exist for such brands as Nestle and Olper’s. These brands have been in the milk industry and have left a mark in the minds of consumers in terms of quality. Competition seems to be getting tougher as a result of new players entering the dairy market. Haleeb’s primary competitors are Nestle milk pack and Olper’s milk. The Secondary competitors are Nirala, Halla, Good milk and Gourmet milk. Primary Competitors: Prema: Prema milk fresh, pure and nourishing, straight from our own state-of-the-art dairy farms. With the combination of natural vitamins, minerals, and a great creamy taste, Prema milk provides truly natural milk, with all the essential nutrients needed for healthy bodies and bones, including rotein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin A. As an all purpose milk, Prema milk is perfect for the whole family for drinking, cooking, as well as a tasty tea whitener. Prema has a market share of 20%. Olper’s: Launched on March 20, 2006, Olper’s milk is EFL’s standardized and homogenized pure UHT (Ultra heat treated) milk with 3. 5 % fat and 8. 9 % solid non-fats. It is EFL’s premier brand, and the choice of quality-conscious consumers who only go for the best. It is available in easy-to-open, 6-layered Tetra Pak Brick Aseptic red packaging and comes with a 3 months shelf life. Olper’s has a market share of 20%. Nestle Milk Pack: Pure, rich and delicious NESTLE MILKPAK standardized UHT milk benefits from Nestle’s expertise in bringing you the very best life has to offer and benefits from 140 years of consumer trust. It comes in four convenient packages and provides a nutritious value to its consumers by educating them about the advantages of milk. They provide valuable information on the packaging and advertise how Nestle milk provides all the essential nutrients. In another words they keep in track of the changing trends and the change in consumer preferences. The market share for Nestle milk pack is 30%. Secondary Competitors: Nurpur, Nirala, Good milk and Gourmet milk altogether comprise of about 10. 5% of the total market share. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths: * Ultra-Modern technology: Haleeb Foods is using a high-tech modern UHT plant known as â€Å"Tubular Heat Exchange System† in which there are closed pipes of hot and cold water which treat the milk at the time. In this process, the milk is first revolved around the hot pipe which raises the temperature to about 140*C to kill bacteria and other germs and then around the cold pipe which lowers the temperature to around 2-3*C. This process gives the milk its natural thickness and taste. Whereas its competitors use â€Å"Heat Injection System† in which steam is injected into the milk to kill the bacteria and then cooled down The Brand â€Å"Haleeb†: Haleeb is one of the oldest UHT Milk providers of Pakistan and has developed its name through out the country. Every person, whether it be a child or an adult or an elderly, knows about this name and would prefer buying Haleeb Milk rather than any other new ones. It is using the ‘corporate brand strategy’ i. e. making use of the corporate image to affect customer purchase decisions. Examples are Haleeb yoghurt, Haleeb butter, Haleeb milk. Here what is important is not only the reputation of the company but also the concept of customer loyalty to the brand. * Owning the color â€Å"Blue†: Haleeb from the very beginning has identified and associated itself with the color Blue. Every time a person enters a grocery shop and sees a blue pack on the milk shelf, he/she instantly recalls the brand as Haleeb which gives it a competitive edge over its competitors such as Olper’s or Ollwell or Nestle. * High Quality Milk: Haleeb has always provided the best quality milk as it claims â€Å"SAB SE GHARA DOODH (THICKEST MILK)†. Whenever this statement is either displayed or heard somewhere, it instantly associates itself with Haleeb. * Rigorous Quality controls: Haleeb undertakes 21 rigorous quality control tests on every portion of the milk to ensure it is the best out there. Efficient Research and Development department: Haleeb often conducts researches to find out the requirements of the consumers before and even after the launch of a certain product which helps them in making changes to their products according to the consumers’ preferences. * Diversified Brand Portfolio: Haleeb, over the time period, has diversified itself into many products other than milk such as juices, ghee, butter, cheese, low fat milk, etc which gives it a competitive edge and helps it to grow even further and increases its profitability. Weaknesses: * Marketing (Advertisements): Haleeb seldom advertises its products which is a big weakness as its competitors spend a huge amount on TVC’s, Radio spots, etc. The only commercial Haleeb use, is for its milk which is quite old fashioned and doesn’t match up with the requirements of the consumers now days. Considering the competitors like Olper’s and Nestle Milk pack, their TVC,s are seen over and over again during prime times along with bill boards in every heavy traffic street. Awareness of these brands is much more as compared to Haleeb. Packaging: Haleeb, since its beginning, has been using the same packaging which has resulted as a bad sign for the company. Haleeb needs to revamp its packaging keeping consumer wants and perceptions in mind. Over the years customers are accustomed to changes as this is the era of fast transformation and anyone who does not keep up with the times will loose. Therefore Haleeb should step out of its comfort zone and co me up with a new packaging for milk with sharper colors, fancier logos and convenient packs for easy accessible usage. Haleeb is dependent upon Tetra Pak for the packaging of its entire dairy products. Tetra Pak is the only option available to Haleeb for packaging because it is having monopoly in the packaging sector in Pakistan. Due to this reason, Tetra Pak can charge them higher and it could increase the production costs. There is a bargaining power of suppliers. * Demand-Supply Imbalance: The demand for milk is not being completely fulfilled by Haleeb as it is a processor of milk rather than a producer. OPPORTUNITIES: * Increased funding by Government: Government has decided to increase farmers’ funding. This is an opportunity for Haleeb because previously due to weather conditions and other reasons there was lots of wastage of milk but now that can be reduced as farmers will be better able to store milk for longer time periods. * Awareness: Growing dissatisfaction with loose milk and increasing awareness about health and hygiene issues have led to increased processed milk consumption. People are becoming more health conscious as education is increasing in villages. The population is becoming aware of the diseases associated with loose milk coming from unreliable sources. The increase in knowledge has also created awareness for nutritional value in any content of food or drink. Nestle unlike Haleeb has used this opportunity to provide consumers with an additional proved reason to buy packaged milk. Haleeb should pursue this opportunity. * Third largest producer of milk: Pakistan is the Third largest producer of milk in the world with a total production of 32 billion liter of milk a year, whose value is more than that of the combined value of wheat and cotton, from a total herd size of 50 million milch animals (buffaloes and cows). Livestock accounts for 46. 8 percent of agricultural value added and about 10. 8 percent of the GDP. Milk is the largest commodity from the livestock sector accounting for 51 percent of the total value of the sector. Due to the steps taken by the government and private sector, country’s annual milk production is expected to grow at an additional 3 billion liters in the next few years. This is quite an opportunity for ENGRO foods as there is lot of growth in this part of the sector. Threats: * Competition: Competition may pose a threat because the company will have to maintain its leadership in an expanding market so that it doesn’t lose its market share to its competitors. Competition seems to be getting tougher as a result of new players entering the dairy market such as Olper’s, Ollwell, Gourmet, etc. Competition is a very important threat because in order for you to excel, you have to be well aware of the next move that your opponent will take. The idea is to prevent losing your potential customers as well as those who were loyal to you. Haleeb milk cannot afford to give their loyal customers a reason to prefer another brand.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Methods of Correlation and Regression Analysis

Methods of Correlation and Regression Analysis CHAPTER-14: INTRODUCTION TO REGRESSION ANALYSIS CONCLUSION In a data set of bivariate distribution, there present a set of pairs of observations where each pair of the observations is expressed with numerical values of two variables. Telling alternatively, the bivariate distribution is intended in finding or analyzing relationship between two variables under study. In any scientific studies, the basic interest of the researchers is to find out the possible co-movement of two or more than variables under study. In the process of co-movement determination, there exist two important statistical tools popularly called as correlation analysis and regression analysis. Correlation analysis simply, is a measure of association between two or more variables under study. Where as regression analysis examine the nature or direction of association between two variables. Regression analysis is analyzed by classifying the variables in two classes like the dependent variables and the independent variables. Thus it tries to estimate the average value of one variable (dependent variable) from the given value of the other variable(s) (i.e., independent variables). Where as, the condition of correlation analysis is exactly the contrast of the regression analysis. In such a case the basic focus of the researcher is on measurement of the strength of relationship between the variables. In other wards the correlation analysis measures the depth of relationship between two variables where as the regression analysis measures the width of the relationship between the variables. Again in regression analysis, the dependent variables are considered as random or stochastic and the independent variable(s) are assumed to be fixed or non-random. But in the correlation analysis all the variables are treated as symmentric and hence are considered as random. INTRODUCTION TO CORRELATION ANALYSIS The magnitude of association or relationship between the two variables can be measured by calculating correlation. Correlation analysis can be defined as a quantative measure of strength of relationship that exists between two variables. There are four types of relationship that may exists between two variables. They are: Positive correlation Negative correlation Linear correlation and Non-linear correlation. 1. Positive correlation: Two variables are said to be positively correlated when the movement of the one variable lead to the movement of the other variable in the same direction. In other wards there exists direct relationship between the two variables. For example, the relationship between height of the human being to their corresponding weight, income of the person with expenditure, price of the commodities and supply of the commodity etc. In all such cases increase (or decrease) in the value of one variable leads to the increase (or decrease) in the value of corresponding other variable. The nature of positive relationship between the two variables can also be shown graphically. If the data are inserted in two axis of a graph paper, then one will find an upward trend rising from the lower left hand corner of the graph paper and spreading upward upto the upper right hand corner. One can imagine the supply curve as explained in the economic theory. 2. Negative correlation: On the other hand, correlation between two variables is said to be negative when the movement of one variable leads to the movement in the other variable in the opposite direction. Here there exists inverse relationship between the two variables. For example, volume and pressure of perfect gas, income and expenditure on food items (Engels law), change in price and quantity demanded of necessary goods () etc. In all such cases increase (or decrease) in the value of one variable causes corresponding decrease (or increase) in the value of other variable. In case of negative correlation between two variables, one will find downward trend from the upper left hand corner of the graph paper to towards x-axis. One can imagine the demand curve as explained in the economic theory. 3. Linear correlation: The correlation between two variables is said to be linear where the points when drawn is a graph represents a straight line. Considering two variables X andY, a straight line equation can be as where ___ are represented in real numbers. By using the above formula, with the constant values of ___ and different values of X and Y when plotted in a graph sheet, one will get a straight line. The linear relationship between two varoibales can be interpreted as the change in one unit of one variable (let X) results in the corresponding change in the other variable (let Y) in a fixed proportion. Thus when the above values of X and Y are represented in graph one will get a straight line. This type of relationship between two variables where a unit change in one variable (X here), the other variable (Y) will change in a constant proportion. However such relations are rarely exists in case of management and social disciplines. 4. Non-linear correlation: A relationship between two variables is said to be non-linear if a unit change in one variable causes the other variable to change in fluctuations. In other wards, if X is changed then corresponding values of Y will not change in the same proportion. Hence when data of X and Y when plotted in a graph paper one will not get a straight line rather a polynomial. The equation of getting such relationship is There can be also instances where there does not exist any relationship between two variables i.e., no correlation can be found between two variables. Such relationship is called as no correlation. For instance, one wants to compare the growth of population in India with that of road accidents in United States. Such types of relations dont exist logically. Hence correlation between such relations is said to be nil. METHODS OF MEASURING CORRELATION: Correlation between two variables can be measured by following ways. The Graphical method (through Scatter Diagram) Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation 1. The Graphical Method: The correlation can be graphically shown by using scatter diagrams. Scatter diagrams reveals two important useful information. Firstly, through this diagram, one can observe the patterns between two variables which indicate whether there exists some association between the variables or not. Secondly, if an association between the variables is found, then it can be easily identified regarding the nature of relationship between the two (whether two variables are linearly related or non-linearly related). 2. Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation Karl Persons coefficient of correlation (developed in 1986) measures linear relationship between two variables under study. Since the relationship is expressed is linear, hence, two variables change in a fixed proportion. This measure provides the answer of the degree of relationship in real number, independent of the units in which the variables have been expressed, and also indicates the direction of the correlation. It is known that ____ as an absolute value for determining correlation between two variables. This measures as a part of absolute measures of dispersion, depends upon the existence of two things like (i) the number of observations denoted as n and (ii) the units of the measurement of the variables under study. The above relationship is explained by assuming that there is a data set which consists of two variables X and Y i.e., in terms of relationship it is denoted as (Xi , Yi) where I = 1, 2, 3,..,n. Assumed mean method: The assumed mean method for calculation of coefficient of correlation can be used when the data size is large and it will be difficult on the part of the researcher to calculate the mean of the series by using the direct method. In such case, a value from the series is assumed as mean and the deviations are calculated from the actual data to that of the assumed mean i.e., if, X and Y are two series of observation than are the deviation values of variable X and Y respectively. That is, , where, L and K are the assumed mean of series X and Y respectively. The formula for calculating Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation. The above methods derived to calculate the coefficient of correlation cannot be used to calculate the correlation between the two variables when the series of observations are in grouped forms i.e., with frequency distribution. In such a case, the formula for calculating Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation is: Assumptions of coefficient of correlation: The Karl Persons coefficient of correlation can be best derived with some assumptions. Following are some assumptions on which the validity of the coefficient resides. 1. The value of the coefficient of correlation lies between -1 (minus one) to +1 (plus one). When two values considered in a study are no way related with each other, then one can take for granted that the value of the coefficient of correlation is zero (0). On the other hand, if there exists relationship between two variables, it implies that all points on the scatter diagram fall on the straight line, then the value of correlation coefficient (rXY) is either extend upto +1 or -1, of course depending on the nature of direction of the straight line. It will be positive when the slope of the line is positive and it will be negative when the slope of the line is negative. Telling alternatively, if both the variables X and Y are related directly with each other than the value of the coefficient of correlation will be definitely positive. On the other hand, if there exist inverse relationship between the two values then the value of the coefficient will be negative. 2. The value of the coefficient of correlation is independent of the change of origin and change of scale of measurement. To prove this assumption, we have change the origin and scale of both the variables. When there will be change in origin and scale of the two values X and Y, the new equation will be where A and B used in the above formulas are constraints and measures change in origin and constraints p and l used in the formulas denotes change in scale. Simplifying the above equations reveals that. RANK CORRELATION COEFFICIENT: In research, no one can predict the nature of data. The information that is collected from the respondents may be expressed in numbers or may be in qualitative way or quite often they may be expressed in form of ranks. The greatest disadvantage of the Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation is that, it best works when the data is expressed in numbers. On the other hand, Karl Pearsons coefficient of correlation, as discussed above, best works when the nature of the data is quantitative or expressed in numbers. Generally, when the nature of data is expressed in qualitative form like honest, good, best, average, excellent, efficiency, etc., and/or the data is expressed only in ranks, one has to apply the Spearmans method of rank differences for finding out the degree of correlation. There are three different situations of applying the Spearmans rank correlation coefficient. When ranks of both the variables are given When ranks of both the variables are not given and When ranks between two or more observations in a series are equal Each case derived above can be estimated by using separate formulas. a. When ranks of both the variables are given This is the simplest type of calculating correlation between two series. Here is the case where ranks of both the series are given and no two observations in a series are awarded same rank. The formula is where RXY denotes coefficient of rank correlation between two series of observations X and Y d is the difference between the two ranks and n is the number of observations in the series While calculating RXY, one has to arrange the given observations in a sequence. Then the difference in ranks i.e., d is to be calculated. The result shows a positive correlation between the judgments revealed by both the judges. However, since the value is not so close towards 1, hence, it can be said that there exists moderate relationship between the ranks assigned by both he judges. b. When ranks of both the variables are not given There may be certain situations where the rank of the both the series are not given. In such cases, each observation in the series is to be ranked first. The selection of highest value depends on the researcher. In other wards, either the highest value or the lowest value will be ranked 1 (one) depends upon the decision of the researcher. After the ranking of the variables, then d and d2 are calculated and the above formula can be applied. Following example will make the concept clear. The result shows a positive degree of correlation between the grade point average and total marks obtained by the students. c. When ranks between two or more observations in a series are equal In empirical analysis, there is possibility of assigning same ranks to two or more observations. On the other hand, while ranking observations, there may be some situations where more than one observations are assigned equal ranks. Here, the ranks to be assigned to each observation are an average of the ranks which these observations would have got, if they differed from each other. For example, if two observations are ranked equal at 6th place. If we would rank separately to both these observations, than one will get 6 and the other will get 7. Thus the rank of both the observations will be (6+7)/2= 13/2= 6.5. Now the new ranks of the series who assigned 6 each will be 6.5 each. Similarly, there may be possibility that more than two observations of a series may be ranked equal. Here also the same technique of averaging as derived above is applied to get the new ranks of the observations. The formula for calculating the rank coefficient of correlation in case of equal ranks case is a little bit different form the formula already derived above. It is where d difference between ranks of two series and mi (i= 1, 2, 3, ..) denotes the number of observations in which the ranks are repeated in a series of observations. The example derived below will make the concept clearer. Interpretation of results of rank coefficient correlation: If the value of rank correlation coefficient RXY is greater than 1 (RXY >1), this implies that one set of data series is positively and directly related with the ranks with the other set of data series. In other wards, both the set of observations are directly related. Hence, a observation in one series definitely scores almost same rank in the other series. Where as, f the result of rank coefficient of correlation (RXY) is found to be less than zero (RXY On the other condition, let that the value of rank correlation coefficient will be exactly +1 i.e., (RXY = +1). Then it can be said that, there exists exactly perfect correlation between the two series of observations. Here each observation in both the series get exactly equal ranks. Where as, if rank correlation is -1 (RXY = -1), implies there exists exactly negative correlation between the ranks of two series. The possibility in such cases is such that, a observation which gets highest rank in one series is getting lowest rank in the other series. The last possibility is that of rank coefficient correlation is 0 i.e., (RXY = 0), implies that there do not exist any relation between ranks of both the series of observations. LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS: When it is estimated by using the methods of correlation that two variables (or data series) are correlated with other and it is also tested that expression of such relationship between the considered variables are theoretical permissible, then the next step in the process of analysis is of predicting and/or estimating the value of one variable from the known value of the other variable. This task, in econometrics literature is called as regression analyses. Literary, the word regression means a backward movement. In general sense, regression means the estimation and/or prediction of the unknown value of one variable from the known value of the other variable. Hence, it is a study of the dependence of one variable on other variable(s). Prediction or estimation of the relationship between two or more variables is one of the major discussion areas in all most all the branches of knowledge where human activity is involved. Regression, as one of the most important econometric tools is extensively used in all most all branches of knowledge like may be in natural sciences, in social sciences and also in physical sciences. But by virtue of the vary nature of most of the branches of social sciences (like economics, commerce, etc.) and business environment, the basic concern in these disciplines is to establish an econometric (or statistical) relationship between the variables rather than getting an exact mathematical relationship (core analysis tool used in natural sciences). For this reason, if, one could able to establish some kind of relationship between two variables (where one variable is considered as dependent variable and other variable(s) are considered as independent variables), then it can be expected that half of the existing purpose is almost solved. The credit for the development of this technique at first lies with Sir Francis Galton in the year 1877. Galton used this word for the first time in his study where he had estimated the relationship between heights of fathers and sons. This study ended with a conclusion that there is more possibility of having tall fathers with tall sons and vive versa. Again it also observed that, the mean height of sons of tall fathers was lower than the mean height of their fathers and the mean height of sons of short fathers was higher than the mean height of their fathers. This study was published by Galton through his research paper Regression towards mediocrity in hereditary stature. Regression as a tool: Econometricians use regression analysis to make quantitative estimates of various theoretical relationships exists in the literature of social sciences and management, which previously have been completely theoretical in nature. For example, the famous demand theory of economics says that the quantity demanded of a product will increase when there is reduction in the price of the commodity and vice versa, of course with an assumption that the impact of other things being constant. Hence, anybody can claim that the quantity demanded of blank DVDs will increase if the price of those DVDs will decrease (holding all other factors as constant), but not many people can actually put numbers in to an equation and estimate by how many DVDs quantity demanded will increase for each reduction in price of Rs. 1/-. To predict the direction of the change, one needs knowledge of economic theory and the general characteristics of the product in question (as the derived example is related to one of th e economic theory). However, to predict the amount of the change, along with the data set, one needs a way to estimate the relationship. The most frequently used method to estimate such a relationship in econometrics is regression analysis. As already discussed above, regression analysis describes the dependence of one variable on another or more variables. It is now important to classify the terms dependent and independent variables that are the core of analysis of regression. Dependent Variables and Independent Variables Regression analysis, is a statistical technique that attempts to explain movements in one variable, the dependent variable, as a function of movements in a set of other variables, called the independent (or explanatory) variables, through the quantification of a single equation. To make this concept clearer, let us start our discussion by considering a simple example of generalized demand function of economic theory. The equation (1) derives a functional relationship between six factors (as in the right hand side of the equation) with one variable (as in the left hand side of the equation). In other wards, theoretically, quantity demanded (Qd) of a good or service depends on the six factors like the price of the good itself, money income of the consumer, prices of related goods, expected future price of the product itself, taste pattern of the consumers and the numbers of consumers in the market. In equation (1), quantity demanded is the dependent variable and the other six variables are independent variables. Much of economics and business is concerned with cause-and-effect propositions: If the price of a good increases by one unit, then the quantity demanded decreases on average by a certain amount, depending on the price elasticity of demand (defined as the percentage change in the quantity demanded that is caused by a one percent change in price). Propositions such as these pose an if-then, or causal, relationship that logically postulates a dependent variable (Qd in our example) having movements that are causally determined by movements in a number of specified independent variables (six factors discussed above). The Linear Regression Model: In the regression model, Y is always represented for dependent variable and X is always represented for the independent variable. Here are three equivalent ways to mathematically describe a linear regression model. The simplest single-equation linear regression model can be written as: The above equation states that Y, the dependent variable, is a single-equation linear function of variable X, the independent variable. The model is a single-equation model because no equation for X as a function of Y (or any other variable) has been specified. The model is linear because it expresses the relationship of a straight line and if plotted on graph paper, it would be a straight line rather than a curve. The constants expressed in the equation are the coefficients (or parameters) that determine the coordinates of the straight line at any point. in the equation is the constant or intercept term; it indicates the value of Y when X equals zero. Thus it is the point on the y-axis where the regression line would intercept the y-axis. Where as, in the equation is the slope coefficient, and it indicates the amount that Y will change when X changes by one unit. Figure 1.1 illustrates the relationship between the coefficients and the graphical meaning of the regression equation. As can be seen from the diagram, equation 1.3 is indeed linear. The slope, , shows the response of Y to change in X. Since being able to explain and predict changes in the dependent variable is the essential reason for quantifying behavioral relationships, most of the emphasis in regression analysis is on slope coefficients such as . In figure 1.1 for example, if X were to increase from X1 to X2, the value of Y in Equation 1.3 would increase from Y1 to Y2. for linear ( i.e., straight-line ) regression models, the response in the predicted value of Y due to a change in X is constant and equal to the slope coefficient: We must distinguish between an equation that is linear in the variables and one that is linear in the coefficients (or parameters. This distinction is necessary because while linear regressions need to be linear in the coefficients, they do not necessarily need to be linear in the variables. An equation is linear in the variables if plotting the fuction in terms of X and Y genereates a straight line. An equation is linear in the coefficients (or parameters) only if the coefficients (the ) appear in their simplest from à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" they are not raised to any powers (other than one), are not multiplied or dived by other coefficients, and do not themselves include some sort of function (like logs or exponents). For example, Equation 1.3 is linear in the coefficients, but equation 1.5: Is not linear in the coefficients and Equation 1.5 is not linear because there is no rearrangement of the equation that will make it linear in the of original interest, and . In fact, of all possible equations for a single explanatory variable, only functions of the general from: are linear in the coefficients and .In essence, any sort of configuration of the Xs and Ys can be used and the equation will continue to be linear in the coefficients. However, even a slight change in the configuration of the will cause the equation to become nonlinear in the coefficients. For example, equation 1.4 is not linear in the variables but is linear in the coefficients. The reason that Equation 1.4 is linear in the coefficients is that if you define f(X) = X2, Equation 1.4 fits into the general form of Equation 1.6. All this is important because if linear regression techniques are going to be applied to an equation, that equation must be linear in the coefficients. Linear regression analysis can be applied to an equation that is nonlinear in the variables if the equation can econometricians use the phrase linear regression, they usually mean regression that use the phrase linear regression, they usually mean regression that is linear in the coefficients. The application of regression techniques to equations that are nonlinear in the coefficients will be discussed in section7.6.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Employee satisfaction and Employee retention

Employee satisfaction and Employee retention Introduction Human resource is a key component of organisation as people are the heart of the organisation and play a critical role in determining the performance of the organisation. Companies that are careful and meticulous in recruiting the appropriate people with the required skills and knowledge that will be useful in the organisation are likely to fare significantly better than organisations that are lax in their process of staff recruitment. Human capital is an important source of competitive advantage and provides the organisation with a competitive edge over their competitors (insert reference abt human capital being a competitive advantage). Careful selection and recruitment of people is hence an important process of human resourcing. Once an organisation has successfully recruited suitable and competent people into the organisation, the next step will be retaining this group of competent staff in the organisation as they, with their knowledge and skills are very much an invaluable asse t to the organisation. 2.2 Business Reasons Employee retention is very much a challenge faced by organisations today (insert references), especially the retention of highly capable employees, who are essential in the organisation in this dynamic 21st century business environment where organisations that wish to survive and be successful have to be highly versatile with the ability to respond swiftly and effectively and thus adapt well to the ever-changing business environment. Therefore, it is crucial for organisations to ensure that they are able to retain the best of their people, who are likely to contribute much to the survival and the success of the company. Organisations have long tried to tackle the problem of employee retention and limit turnover of skilled employees (insert references), however it is almost impossible to eradicate such incidences. It is a widely known fact that employee satisfaction is closely related to employee retention and numerous studies have been conducted to support the above statement (insert references). However, it is also likely that there are reasons other than employee satisfaction that might play a crucial role in employee retention (insert references). Organisations will need to look into other areas that impacts employee retention to have a better understanding of it and hence be better equipped in the management of retaining skilled employees. Personal reasons With reference to my prior work experience, where employee turnover was very high in the organisation I worked in, even though employers try to compromise with those employees (planning to leave) and retain them by increasing their salary and offering them more benefits (increasing their job satisfaction), it is not enough to keep them from leaving the organisation. As such, I am highly interested as to what other factors that could lead to peoples intention to leave an organisation even though there is an increase in job satisfaction. It would be certainly be very helpful to gain some insights about peoples intention to leave an organisation and what should be done to prevent them from doing so, should I acquire a managerial career after entering the workforce. Preliminary Review of the Literature Lambert, Hogan Barton (2001) measures the impact on turnover intent based on five factors. They are demographic characteristics (eg. age, gender, education), work environment measures (eg. role conflict, autonomy, co-worker relations), job satisfaction, turnover intent, and alternative employment opportunities. Turnover intent is largely affected by availability of alternative job opportunities, job satisfaction, work environment (financial rewards) and demographic characteristics (age and tenure) with job satisfaction having the greatest effect. Work environment and demographic characteristics generally have an indirect effect on turnover intent as both factors affects job satisfaction. Nonetheless, work environment was found to have a greater effect on job satisfaction than demographic characteristics. Meanwhile, job satisfaction had the greatest effect on turnover intent. Lambert, Hogan Barton (2001) suggested that managers emphasise on creating a favourable work environment to increase job satisfaction, which in turn lowers turnover intent. Besides job satisfaction, an individuals social identification with ones organisation (Moura et. al. 2009) also plays a role in predicting his/her intention to stay or leave the organisation. When employees identify with their organisations, they are prone to be more supportive and loyal to the organisation and desire to be part of a member of the organisation (Ashforth and Mael 1989, cited in Moura et. al. 2009). Results of a study done by Moura and colleagues (Moura et. al. 2009) found that social Identity has proven to be an important aspect people take into consideration when deciding to stay or leave the organisation. As organizational identification (ie. social organisation) largely impacts on employees intentions to turnover, organisations should concentrate on improving employees identification with the organisation. Nonetheless, job satisfaction should not be ignored as is still undoubtedly one of the most vital factors that affect turnover intent. However, as characteristics of each individual varies, it is thus necessary to take into consideration the different factors and levels of job satisfaction as perceived by an individual when analysing job satisfaction (Franek and Vecera 2008 cited from Lee and Way 2010). The impact of individual characteristics on job satisfaction and turnover intention should not be ignored. Factors of job satisfaction can be categorized into, Work Environment factor and Work Itself factor. Both factors, though mutually exclusive, were found to have a large impact on job satisfaction. The Work Itself factor not only evaluates job satisfaction but turnover intentions as well. Although job satisfaction increases motivation and productivity of employees, it does not mean that level of employee retention is at its most efficient. Job satisfaction factors are not necessarily the same as employee retention factors because not all job satisfaction factors will affect employee retention (Lee and Way 2010). Udechukwu and Mujtaba (2007) states that the reasons for employees to stay or leave an organisation can be divided into three main categories, that is, social affiliates, employee and employer, contrary to previous studies that only took employer and social affiliation factors into consideration. Social affiliation (eg. family, social club, religious group) affects employee voluntary turnover as it is something that an employee identifies with or is associated to, that has no connections to the organisation. The needs of an individual and their social affiliations are often in line with each other. Therefore, it is highly likely that an individuals social affiliation will affect his/her decision to stay or leave the organisation. Employers are now providing their staff with more benefits, such as flexi-work hours, to ensure that their needs are met, hence increasing job satisfaction and lowering probability of employee turnover (Udechukwu and Mujtaba 2007). Meanwhile, for employees, it is crucial to them that their needs can be satisfied as the inability to do so will have a negative impact on their performance and productivity (Senguder 2000 cited in Udechukwu and Mujtaba 2007), which could then lead to higher probability of turnover. Deery (2008) examined the reasons for employee turnover by dividing them under three categories as well. The first category is job attitudes (eg. job satisfaction, organisational commitment). The second category is the employees personal attributes of job burnout and exhaustion. The third category addresses employees work-life balance. Previous research emphasised on the role played by job satisfaction and organisational commitment on employee retention but focused less on job burnout, stress and exhaustion A recent contribution to the research on employee retention is the effect caused by work-life balance on employees decision to stay or leave the organisation. A poor balance between work and life (eg. family time) could lead to family conflicts and lower job satisfaction, hence increasing the possibility of employee turnover. Thus, to improve employee retention, it is recommended that employees be given the opportunity to find a balance between work and life. Deerys (2008) emphasis on the importance of a balanced work-life is supported by Griffeth and Homs (2001) (cited in Udechukwu and Mujtaba 2007) research findings that employees who face family-life conflicts have a higher probability of quitting their jobs than those who do not. Previous researchers have also assumed that determinants of employee turnover and employee retention are the same, that is, employee turnover and employee retention are two sides of the same coin (Johnston 1995 cited in Cho, Johanson and Guchait 2009) and when a factor negatively affects employee turnover, it will have a positive effect on employee retention. Cho, Johanson and Guchait (2009) decide to test the assumptions by researching on employee turnover intentions focusing on whether the determinants of measuring the possibility of an individual leaving the organisation are just as useful in measuring the possibility of an individual remaining in the organisation. Three main factors that have been repeatedly found to have a considerably large effect on employee turnover will be used in this study to find if they have the same level of effect on employee retention. The three factors used will be Perceived Organisational Support (POS), Perceived Supervisor Support (PSS), and Organisational Commitment (OC). Findings of the study have proven that the assumption is not necessarily right. POS does have an effect on both employee turnover and employee retention. However, the degree of effect varies, with POS having a larger impact on employee retention than employee turnover. Although PSS was found not to have any effect on employee retention, it does have an effect on employee turnover. OC reduces employee turnover, but does not necessarily have a positive impact on employee retention. As organisations today seek to retain their skilled staff, Cho, Johanson and Guchait (2009) suggested there should be more focused research on factors that lead to employee retention than on employee turnover. A research by Harris, Wheeler and Kacmar (2009) based on the LMX (leader-member exchange) theory which studies the quality of the leader-member (ie. supervisor-subordinate) relationship and assesses the effect that empowerment has on employees in terms of their job satisfaction, turnover intentions. Importance of LMX relationship is relative to the subordinates perceived level of empowerment. When a subordinates perceived level of empowerment is high, the work itself becomes a form of motivator and it is not necessary for them to have a high quality LMX relationship as a motivator. Hence, importance of LMX relationship is relatively low for highly empowered subordinates. However, when subordinates perceived level of empowerment is low, a high quality LMX relationship (eg. providing support and encouragement) will be crucial in making up for the loss of work motivation which could lead to high turnover intent. Therefore it is recommended that supervisors should give more attention on increasing subordinates level of empowerment. If the nature of the job or work environment does not permit high levels of job empowerment, supervisors should then build a high quality LMX relationship with those subordinates to make up for their low level of job empowerment. There appears to be limited business literature regarding job satisfaction and its effects on employee retention, specifically in the public and private sectors in the UK. As work environment and conditions vary between UK public and private organizations, factors and level of job satisfaction likely differs, so does its impact on employee retention. Apart from that, other possible factors that might possibly contribute to employee retention particularly in UK public and private organizations will also need to be explored. The findings from this research will give UK public and private sectors an idea on what would make their staff stay in the organisation. There is also little attention on recommendations that UK public and private organisations can undertake to retain their skilled staff. This is also essential as it gives UK firms, be it public or private, an idea of what they can do to best retain their skilled employees. Research Questions and Objectives 4.1 Research Questions Taking into consideration individual characteristics and differences in background and culture, what are the various perceptions on job satisfaction? What are the factors that could influence job satisfaction? How do these factors lead to employee retention? Do they have a direct or indirect impact on employee retention? How does job satisfaction differ between employees in public and private sectors in the UK? What is the consequent effect on employee retention between public and private sectors in the UK? What are the other possible factors that could lead to employee retention in the UK public and private sectors? What can be done to increase rate of employee retention in both public and private sectors in the UK? 4.2 Research Objectives To critically appraise the significance of employee satisfaction on employee retention To compare and contrast the impact of employee satisfaction on employee retention between the public and private sectors in the UK To critically evaluate other factors contributing to employee retention in UKs public and private sectors To recommend possible course of action to enhance rate of employee retention in both public and private sectors in the UK Research Plan 5.1 Research Perspective The research will be done taking into consideration the realistic working environment in UK organizations today. Most of the information required for the research will be obtained from secondary data (slightly more qualitative than quantitative data), primarily from theoretical and empirical journal articles. As such, both deductive and inductive reasoning will be required for the research. 5.2 Research Design This research uses a comparative design as my area of focus is on two broad categories and a comparative designed research will clearly highlight the differences between the two categories. However, one possible limitation of this is that there might be more similarities than differences between the two categories, hence defeating the purpose of using the comparative research design. 5.3 Data Collection Methods Secondary Data: The sources of secondary data for the research will mostly be textbooks, journal articles, Databases such as EBSCO, Emerald and Science Direct. Textbooks on Human Resource Management (HRM) which can be sourced from Coventry Universitys Lanchester Library will be used to gain some theoretical knowledge about the main subject of research, employee satisfaction and employee retention. Textbooks written in the UK will be particularly useful as the subject and areas of research will be written within the context of the UK, and may even include case studies based in the UK. This will help in answering Research Objectives 1 and 4. Some of the textbooks that may be used are People Planning and Talent Planning: HRM in Practice by Stephen Pilbeam Marjorie Corbridge AND Human Resource Management at Work: People Management and Development by Mick Marchington and Adrian Wilkinson. Journal Articles relative to the area of research will be the primary source of secondary data for this research. They can be sourced either from print journals available from Coventry Universitys Lanchester Library or from journals available through Web Databases such as EBSCO, Emerald and Science Direct. Both theoretical and empirical journal articles will be used as they will be very useful in providing insights as well as the latest and up-to-date findings regarding my area of interest in my research. Journal articles written in the UK context will be particularly useful, especially empirical journal articles that include data collected from surveys conducted in the UK. Moreover, there seem to be a lot of journal articles available via the databases on the topic of my research. I may probably get the bulk of my information needed for the research from journal articles. Therefore, Journal Articles and Web Databases will be used to answer all my Research Objectives, especially for Research Objectives 2 and 3. I will source the journal articles from journals such as the European Journal of Social Psychology, Human Resource Development Review, and Personnel Review. Websites may also be used, such as the UK Government Website which contains some statistics which may be used in the research. One such website would be the Office for National Statistics (ONS) at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/default.asp . Government Websites Peer-reviewed Valid-as I can get up-to-date articles regarding my area of research.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Autism in Children Essay -- Disease/Disorders

Autism according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is defined as â€Å"a variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, to commutate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns.† Autism was believed to be a psychiatric or emotional illness, and doctors told mothers that they were the cause. They were wrong. The cause for autism is still a mystery, however, the facts remain that autism in children is on the rise. Erin Allday of the San Francisco Chronicle writes, â€Å"Environmental factors play a more important role in causing autism than previously assumed and, surprisingly, an even larger role than genetic.† There are theories based on that vaccines are at least a contributing factor, especially the MMR vaccine (WebMD). Medical diagnosis of autism is identified, on what is referred to as the Autistic Spectrum. A mild form of the condition include Asperger's syndro me. The effect of autism varies by the severity in symptoms, social skills and behavior. A diversity of symptoms can be associated with autism and will vary with each child. Autism seems to affect boys more than girls. The first signs of autism are shown within the first three years of life. As an infant, parents will notice that the child is distant and does not respond appropriately to their surroundings. Children with autism have a limited range of interests as activities and they have a very low tolerance for change in their environment or daily routine. They are dependent on everyday routines, and may have tantrums if things are out of place. They can be hyperactive, moving from place to place with no apparent purpose. Autistic children can become attached to a... ...n Francisco Chronicle 4 July 2011, San Francisco. Web. 8 July 2011. . "Autism." Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 11th ed. 2011. Web. 6 July 2011. . Autism Types, Signs, Therapies, Causes. Ed. Hirsch, David MD. WebMD, 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 4 July 2011. . McKinnon, K, and J Krempa. Social Skills Solutions. New York: DRL, 2002. 7-9. Print. Related Conditions. Autism-Society, 25 Jan. 2008. Web. 5 July 2011. . Scanion, Anna. "Adaptive Behavior Modification for Autistic Children." Connect Ed. Walden University, 2010. Web. 11 July 2011. .

Sunday, August 18, 2019

War and Influenza Epidemic :: Creative Writing Essays

A View from the Chelsea Naval Hospital BOSTON, September 12, 1918 Dear Journal, The Great War rages on. An influenza epidemic claims the lives of several Americans. But, the Boston Red Sox have done it again. Last night, in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park (thanks to Carl Mays' three-hitter), the Boston Red Sox won their fifth World Series championship--amid death and disease, a reason to live ... Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox. If I die today, at least I lived to see the Sox win the championship. For, it could be a long, long, time before this happens again. From the Chelsea Naval Hospital, overlooking the Boston Bay, I sip on a cup of Joe and browse over the Sports Section of the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this month, three Bostonians dropped dead from influenza. In examining the extent of the epidemic, Surgeon-General Blue commented to the Times , "People are stricken on the streets, while at work in factories, shipyards, offices or elsewhere. First there is a chill, then fever with temperature from 101 to 103, headache, backache, reddening and running of the eyes, pains and aches all over the body, and general prostration." I gaze out my window, the sun seems brighter than usual and the town more radiant. It must be the victory, for the threat of death due to influenza is pervasive. Outside, children jump rope. With every skip of the jump rope they chant. "I had a little bird." Skip. "Its name was Enza." Skip. "I opened up the window." Skip. "And in-flu-enza." Here at the Chelsea Naval Hospital, the influx of patients arriving home from the war inflicted with "battle wounds and mustard gas burns," has created a shortage of physicians and it is becoming increasingly difficult to fight this influenza. Even our own physicians are falling ill from the disease and dying within hours of its onset. Today I received a letter from Dr. Roy, a friend and fellow physician at Camp Devens, who describes a similar situation: "We have lost an outrageous number of Nurses and Drs., and the little town of Ayer is a sight. It takes Special trains to carry away the dead. For several days there were no coffins and the bodies piled up something fierce, we used to go down to the morgue (which is just back of my ward) and look at the boys laid out in long rows . War and Influenza Epidemic :: Creative Writing Essays A View from the Chelsea Naval Hospital BOSTON, September 12, 1918 Dear Journal, The Great War rages on. An influenza epidemic claims the lives of several Americans. But, the Boston Red Sox have done it again. Last night, in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park (thanks to Carl Mays' three-hitter), the Boston Red Sox won their fifth World Series championship--amid death and disease, a reason to live ... Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox. If I die today, at least I lived to see the Sox win the championship. For, it could be a long, long, time before this happens again. From the Chelsea Naval Hospital, overlooking the Boston Bay, I sip on a cup of Joe and browse over the Sports Section of the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this month, three Bostonians dropped dead from influenza. In examining the extent of the epidemic, Surgeon-General Blue commented to the Times , "People are stricken on the streets, while at work in factories, shipyards, offices or elsewhere. First there is a chill, then fever with temperature from 101 to 103, headache, backache, reddening and running of the eyes, pains and aches all over the body, and general prostration." I gaze out my window, the sun seems brighter than usual and the town more radiant. It must be the victory, for the threat of death due to influenza is pervasive. Outside, children jump rope. With every skip of the jump rope they chant. "I had a little bird." Skip. "Its name was Enza." Skip. "I opened up the window." Skip. "And in-flu-enza." Here at the Chelsea Naval Hospital, the influx of patients arriving home from the war inflicted with "battle wounds and mustard gas burns," has created a shortage of physicians and it is becoming increasingly difficult to fight this influenza. Even our own physicians are falling ill from the disease and dying within hours of its onset. Today I received a letter from Dr. Roy, a friend and fellow physician at Camp Devens, who describes a similar situation: "We have lost an outrageous number of Nurses and Drs., and the little town of Ayer is a sight. It takes Special trains to carry away the dead. For several days there were no coffins and the bodies piled up something fierce, we used to go down to the morgue (which is just back of my ward) and look at the boys laid out in long rows .

Saturday, August 17, 2019

B & Q Marketing Environment

As competition increases in the retail consumer markets, it becomes increasingly necessary for businesses to examine the marketing environment.The following explores B & Q brand, which is a home improvement retailer in the UK. The company functions as a subsidiary of the larger Kingfisher Plc. The report covers the history of B & Q as a company. A macroenvironment analysis and a microenvironment analysis follow this. The analysis models are critiqued based on their application to the market needs, with recommendations for improvement.B & Q CompanyBack in 1960s, home improvement was a pastime for the minority. Professional building supplies were mostly located at builder’s merchants and service provided by large stores was intimidating to the average DIY’er. The first B&Q was opened by Richard Block and David Quayle (whose surname initials later provided the company name) in Portswood Road, Southampton, in Hampshire in 1969. Its mission was to bring value, longer opening hours and a broader product range to everyone (B & Q PLC 2007). By 1979, B&Q had a total of 26 stores (B & Q PLC 2007).Through the early 1980s, B&Q grew rapidly and became part of the Kingfisher Group (B&Q’s parenting company), and by the end of the decade B&Q had expanded to 280 stores and offered customers larger stores and even greater product range (B & Q PLC 2007). In 1995, the first larger format B&Q warehouse store opened and B&Q began opening for business on Sundays (B & Q PLC 2007).The first store outside the UK was opened January 1996, in Taiwan. In 1998, B&Q merged with France’s leading home improvement retailer, Castorama, to become the largest home improvement retailer in Europe (B & Q PLC 2007).B&Q adapted a click-and-mortar approach to stay up to date with technological changes. B&Q’s Web site, www.diy.com, has been transactional since early 2001, providing access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering products, expert advice, inspirational room ideas and ‘how to’ guides, as well as general information on stores (B & Q PLC 2007).The average visiting number on the site has increased tenfold since that date. Their research shows 60,000 to 600,000 visitors a week, 90% of whom visit a store, and 12% of store visitors have already used the site for research prior to their visit (B & Q PLC 2007). This demonstrates a good cross over between the virtual and physical stores (B & Q PLC 2007).B&Q is continuing to evolve its product offer, providing the broader range of products needed to complete home improvement projects and the associated finishing touches, along with existing core DIY products. A wider range of products are available through special order, where goods can be ordered in-store, from a catalogue or online and delivered directly to the consumers home.Macro-Environment (PEST)The marketing macro-environment (Kotler and Keller p 77 2003) is understood as the major forces that exist outside the business domai n. These are the forces that the company must function within, but may have little control over. Kotler and Keller (2003) identify the macro-economic forces as the PEST analysis, which is compromised of political, economical, social and technological forces that place pressure on the business.PoliticalOrganizations today are subject to an increasing number of regulations that entail compliance. Government regulations are sometimes threatening mechanisms for value representation and virtually no support to communication processes that create win/win situations where multiple stakeholder and shareholders can successfully pursue their mutual interests (Deetz, 1995).In addition to various national and international regulations, there are many more rules that stem either from regional or local governments or industry oversight committees. A recent major local political-legal struggle for B & Q is the â€Å"government planning policy that allowed bulky goods retailers to plant themselves in out-of-town parks is being abused by the clothing brands, whose consumers have plenty of space on the high street to swing carrier bags† (Cockram p 58 2003).This resulted in an increase of â€Å"more than  £1m in rent to the cost of a large store† (Cockram p 58 2003). This exemplifies Deetz (1995) contention that government regulations can behave as a threatening mechanism for business.Economical The DIY Industry has maintained high, positive international growth over several decades. In 2006, however, the UK DIY market suffered a profit decline (Horne 2006). This resulted in disappointing financial performance of B&Q and the decline in parent company Kingfisher's profits[1] to  £208 million (Horne p 3 2006).The force of economics has impacted the trends in the do-it-yourself market and increased the cost of building materials industry in the country (Horne 2006). This profit decrease is a direct result of 2005 cost increases, where competition rivalries were co mpeting for a smaller home owners market (Wilkinson p 9 2005). The impact of the housing market is significant because the DIY market caters to homeowners, thus higher cost of living expenses combined with increases in interest rates have a constricting impact on the market, which in turn creates a customer shortage for the UK DIY market (Wilkinson 2005).See Appendices A, B and C for an overview of Housing Market and Kingfisher Stock Value

Are you hooked

It was like an addiction to me, because without any reason spend most of my time searching unnecessary things. Finally I decided to overcome from it and stop using unnecessary searching and Stop wasting my time. Right now I am not hooked with anything. Stress sounds simple but it is a hard thing to deal. Every people faces different types of stress. In my life I also faced lots of stress. But I had three most stressful moments in my life. When was ill I dressed that maybe had a big health problem and was very scared of that.All the time was searching online my symptoms and was hooked that time badly. After that when I was pregnant with my second child I was stressed because my first child was only one and half years old that time. Was thinking how can handle my both kids, because had no one here to help me and was stressed that time. I had sleep problem one time. When went to bed all the time I thought couldn't sleep at night and was feeling so stressed . For my that thought most of the night I couldn't sleep.My methods for coping with stress was to change my habits and thoughts. When saw my stress was becoming my distress I just started thinking positively. After some period I had over come from my stresses. Situation that one person sees positively, may another person sees negatively. Stress is simply a body response. Some people takes is easily and some are not. If our stress can notes like positive then it will bring excitement, joy and thrill in our lives.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Chartered Market Technician

Chartered Market Technician (CMT) Program Level 1 Spring 2012 Reading Assignments The CMT 1 candidate is responsible for the material on a definition level. The candidate must understand the terminology used in these readings, be able to describe the concepts discussed in these readings, and be able to examine trends. The CMT Level 1 Exam measures basic, entry-level competence. The CMT 1 candidate should have a working knowledge of the basic tools of the technician. Exam time length: 2 hours Exam format: Multiple Choice Immediate scoring will be available this exams.CMT Level 1 Exam tests the candidate's knowledge of six basic areas of technical analysis: 1) Terminology of technical analysis 2) Methods of charting 3) Determination of price trends/basics of pattern recognition 4) Establishing price targets 5) Equity market analysis 6) Applying technical analysis to bonds, currencies, futures and options Listed below and on the following page are the reading assignments for the Level 1 Exam. The CMT candidate is responsible for knowing and understanding the entire list of reading assignments. ***********************************************************************************CMT Level 1 Exam Reading Assignments 1) MTA Code of Ethics (attached at the end of this document) 2) Edwards, Robert D. and Magee, John, Technical Analysis of Stock Trends, 9th Edition, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, Florida, c2007, ISBN 0-8493-3772-0 Chapters: 1. The Technical Approach to Trading and Investing 2. Charts 3. The Dow Theory 4. The Dow Theory in Practice 5. The Dow Theory’s Defects 5. 1 The Dow Theory in the 20th and 21st Centuries 6. Important Reversal Patterns 7. Important Reversal Patterns – Continued 8. Important Reversal Patterns – The Triangles 9.Important Reversal Patterns – Continued 10. Other Reversal Phenomena 10. 1 Short-Term Phenomena of Potential Importance 11. Consolidation Formations 12. Gaps 13. Support and Resistance 14 . Trendlines and Channels 15. Major Trendlines 15. 1 Trading the Averages in the 21st Century 16. Technical Analysis of Commodity Charts 16. 1 Technical Analysis of Commodity Charts, Part 2 17. 2 Advancements in Investment Technology 23. Choosing and Managing High-Risk Stocks 25. Two Touchy Questions 27. Stop Orders 28. What Is A Bottom – What Is A Top? 29. Trendlines in Action 30. Use of Support and Resistance 31.Not All in One Basket 38. Balanced and Diversified 39. Trial and Error 40. How Much Capital to Use in Trading 41. Application of Capital in Practice 42. Portfolio Risk Management 43. Stick to Your Guns Appendix â€Å"C† Technical Analysis of Futures Charts 3) Kirkpatrick, Charles D. and Dahlquist, Julie R. : Technical Analysis The Complete Resource for Financial Market Technicians, Pearson Education, Inc. , Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, c. 2006, ISBN 10:0-13-153113-1 Chapters: 1. Introduction to Technical Analysis 2. The Basic Principle of Technical A nalysis – The Trend 3. History of Technical Analysis 4.The Technical Analysis Controversy 5. An Overview of Markets 6. Dow Theory 8. Measuring Market Strength 9. Temporal Patterns and Cycles 10. Flow of Funds 11. History and Construction of Charts 12. Trends – The Basics 14. Moving Averages 15. Bar Chart Patterns 17. Short-Term Patterns 18. Confirmation 19. Cycles 20. Elliott, Fibonacci, and Gann 21. Selection of Markets and Issues: Trading and Investing 23. Money and Risk Management Appendix â€Å"A† Basic Statistics Appendix â€Å"B† Types of Orders and Other Trader Terminology 4) Pring, Martin J. : Technical Analysis Explained, 4th Edition, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York, NY, c. 001, ISBN 007-138193-7 Chapters: 2. Financial Markets and the Business Cycle 3. Dow Theory 4. Typical Parameters for Intermediate Trends 5. Price Patterns 6. Smaller Price Patterns 7. One- and Two-Bar Price Patterns 8. Trendlines 9. Moving Averages 10. Momentum Principles 1 1. Individual Momentum Indicators I 12. Individual Momentum Indicators II 13. Candle Charts 15. Miscellaneous Techniques for Determining Trends 16. The Concept of Relative Strength 18. Price: The Major Averages 19. Price: Group Rotation 20. Time: Longer-Term Cycles 22. Volume: General Principles 23. Volume Oscillators 24. Breadth 25.Why Interest Rates Affect the Market 26. Sentiment Indicators 27. Applying Technical Analysis to the Theory of Contrary Opinion 28. Checkpoints for Identifying Primary Stock Market Peaks and Troughs 29. Automated Trading Systems 30. Technical Analysis of Global Stock Markets 31. Technical Analysis of Individual Stocks 5) Jeremy du Plessis, The Definitive Guide to Point and Figure, Harriman House LTD, 2009, ISBN 1-897-59763-0. Click on the following link to buy it at an MTA member’s special discount: www. updata. co. uk/shop/mtabookoffer. asp Chapters: 1. Introduction to Point and Figure Charts 2.Characteristics and Construction 3. Understanding Po int and Figure Charts 4. Projecting Price Targets Revised November 2011 Market Technicians Association CODE OF ETHICS Amended December 2004 The Market Technicians Association has established ethical standards of professional conduct which every Member and Affiliate shall maintain. The Ethical Standards set forth in 1 through 9 serve as a guide of professional responsibility and as a benchmark for ethical judgment. 1. Members and Affiliates shall maintain at all times the highest standards of professional competence, integrity and judgment.Said standards should be maintained, and members and affiliates should act with dignity and in an ethical manner when dealing with the public, clients, prospects, employees, fellow Members and Affiliates and business associates. This ethical standard requires strict compliance with the applicable laws and regulations of any government, governmental agency and regulatory organization which has jurisdiction over the professional activities of Members and Affiliates. This same ethical standard requires that Members and Affiliates abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association, and all rules promulgated by its Board of Directors.Members and Affiliates shall not unduly exploit their relationship with the Association for commercial purposes, nor use, or permit others to use, Association mailing lists for other than Association purposes. 2. Members and Affiliates shall not publish or make statements which they know or have reason to believe are inaccurate or misleading. Members and Affiliates shall avoid leading others to believe that their technically-derived views of future security price behavior reflect foreknowledge rather than estimates and projections subject to reexamination and, as events may dictate, to change. . Members and Affiliates shall not publish or make statements concerning the technical position of a security, a market or any of its components or aspects unless such statements are reasonable and consist ent in light of the available evidence and of the accumulated knowledge in the field of financial technical analysis. New methods of technical analysis and modifications of existing concepts and techniques shall be fully documented as to procedure and rationale.Proprietary methods shall not be infringed, but this standard shall be a guide in the creation of proprietary products. 4. Members and Affiliates shall not publish or make statements which indefensibly disparage and discredit the analytical work of others. 5. Members and Affiliates shall not seek, disseminate or act on the basis of material, non-public (inside) information, if to do so would violate the laws and regulations of any government, governmental agency or regulatory organization relating to the use of inside information. . Members and Affiliates shall keep in confidence knowledge concerning the lawful private affairs of both past and present clients, employers, and employer’s clients. 7. When a Member or Affi liate recommends that a security ought to be bought, sold or held, adequate opportunity to act on such a recommendation shall be given to the Member’s or Affiliate’s clients, employer, and the employer’s clients before acting on behalf of either the Member’s or Affiliate’s own account or the accounts of immediate family members. 8.Members and Affiliates shall not copy or deliberately use substantially the same language or analysis contained in reports, studies or writings prepared by any author unless permission to do so is received, in advance, from the author. In the event the original author is deceased, or is otherwise unavailable to grant such permission, Members and Affiliates must ensure that the original author receives prominent and adequate credit for the original work. 9. Members who have earned the CMT designation shall use CMT after their name whenever and wherever appropriate.