Supporting families and carers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Supporting families and carers - Essay Example Lizzie’s level of commitment is however more compared to that of her siblings as most of the time she is taking care of her sick mum. As a result of this, she gradually becomes socially isolated. This paper is a discussion of social isolation in relation to supporting families and carers. This is the state in which an individual experiences a need for increased level of association with others, but is not able to make contact with them (Larsen and Lubkin, 2009). Because human beings are social in nature, they have a need for social interaction. Interacting with others and spending time with them offers a person a sense of belonging, thereby making life meaningful to them. The need for social support is an aspect that is firmly connected to social isolation. According to Larsen and Lubkin (2009, p. 88), social support is the â€Å"social context or environment that facilitates the survival of human beings by offering social, emotional, and material support needed and received by an individual†. As mentioned earlier, life becomes meaningful through interaction and spending time with others, being able to enjoy common activities such as sports and going out with peers, having a clear mind as well as feeling free and being free among other things. In the case of Lizzie and her siblings, enjoying such things has been made impossible by their mother’s illness. Being a young carer, Lizzie seems particularly affected as she is even unable to concentrate in class as portrayed in the short film. When she gets back home from school and finds her mother’s cup of tea exactly where they left it with her siblings, she can’t help but worry and rush upstairs fearing the worst. Lizzie and her siblings live very different lives compared to their peers. While their peers are able to get early to school and begin classes in time, Lizzie and her two siblings are always late. This doesn’t happen on a few occasions, rather it happens every

Macbeth’s Gender Role Reversal Essay Example for Free

Macbeth’s Gender Role Reversal Essay William Shakespeare’s tragedy â€Å"Macbeth† completely challenges the idea of traditional gender roles and social norms during the renaissance period. The male characters have many feminine traits while the female characters have many more masculine and manlier traits. This was going entirely against the stereotypical outlook of the roles you’re supposed to play as your gender during that time of history. During the renaissance period women were only expected to clean, cook, and to have babies. Men on the other hand were typically expected to work hard and to provide for the home. Socially women didn’t have power or respect and men were the ones who were supposed to be brave and tough at the best of times and the worst of times. That idea is challenged many times throughout Macbeth as their are several examples where Lady Macbeth remains strong while Macbeth crumbles and becomes weak. The play consistently challenges the society norms of gender roles. It’s obvious the Macbeth’s don’t serve as your stereotypical husband and wife. Right away throughout the first couple of acts, Shakespeare introduces Lady Macbeth’s character as an assertive and dominant woman that makes the decisions over her husband Macbeth. Lady Macbeth really makes it apparent that she wears the pants in there relationship. For example, in scene 1 act 5 when Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth King Duncan is coming and he seems to be very hesitant on how he will handle the King’s presence. Lady Macbeth takes charge and asserts her dominance by saying, â€Å"He that’s coming/ Must be provided for, and you shall put/ This night’s great business into my dispatch† (scene 1 act 5 64-66).In traditional society, if the king is coming to your house, it would be very unusual for the lady of the house to be in charge of handling the appearance by the king. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth also exchange roles in the way they handle their emotions and the way they handle the guilt. For instance, when it comes to the thought of murder and death, Lady Macbeth shows no mercy, and when King Duncan was murdered, she remained unphased by the act. This is apparent when she deals with Macbeth leaving the gory daggers at the site of the murder, â€Å"Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead/ Are but as pictures; ‘tis the eye of childhood/ That fears a painted devil.†(scene 2 act 2 56-58). Macbeth is portrayed as emotionally unstable and soft as he is afraid to even go back into the room where the murder took place, â€Å"I’ll go no more/ I am afraid to think what I have done†(scene 2 act 2 54-55). This interaction between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth really shows the unusual roles one another play in their relationship because, in a situation where someone is murdered or there is a serious crime, women aren’t usually t he ones who are brave and strong-minded about it, men are. As the play goes on, Lady Macbeth begins to lose her fierce and intimidating persona as Macbeth becomes the more assertive and dominant one. Lady Macbeth starts losing her edge when it becomes less difficult to get Macbeth to follow through with his murderous acts. Anytime Macbeth thinks you’re interfering with his kinship, he’ll have no problem taking you down and getting you out of his way. Macbeth no longer needs Lady Macbeth to persuade him. This is very apparent when he shows no mercy planning the murder of Banquo, â€Å"There’s comfort yet, they are assailable/ Then be thou jocund: ere the bat hath flown/ His cloistered flight, ere to black Hecate’s summons/ The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums/ Hath rung night’s yawning peal, there shall be done/ A deed of dreadful note† (scene 3 act 2 40-44). A completely different Macbeth we see out of this quote, no longer hesitant and no longer appearing to be affected by guilt. Now that Macbeth is this individual who is ready and eager to kill, Lady Macbeth begins to show the side of her that wasn’t present at the beginning of the play, â€Å"Come on. Gentle my lord/ Sleek o’er your rugged looks, be bright and jovial/ Among your guests tonight† (act 3 scene 2 26-28). Lady Macbeth expresses emotion and traits of care, unlike any other time. The play Macbeth features many different gender reversals throughout the entire play. Shakespeare really tests the normality of having women be the assertive and dominant one in a marriage while having the man be kind of timid and soft. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s gender reversals distinctively show the extreme traits one another possess and it gives an opposite perspective than what we are used to. Whatever goes up always must come down, and when Lady Macbeth and Macbeth begin to form into traditional gender roles, that becomes the start of their decline.

Portuguese Immigration to Canada Essay -- Immigration

The Portuguese immigrated to Canada around the 19th century. It all started in the year 1953, when a group of Portuguese pioneers immigrated to Canada (Moura, 2003). Once the first couple of Portuguese pioneers crossed the ocean to immigrate into Canada, others followed and sort of started a wave. However, in 1957 a volcano erupted, known as the Capelinhos, which end up making Portuguese families and pioneers move to North America (Morrison & James, 2009), because the living conditions had changed. Many Portuguese people immigrated to Canada in order to make a better living, looking for a job for them to survive and to not serve the war. This paper will discuss the Portuguese minority ethnic group in Canada, and to take a further look into details. It will discuss the Portuguese arrival into Canada, and the statistical characteristics of the Portuguese population in Canada. It will also mention the number of Portuguese that there are, where they settled when they first arrived into C anada, problems they encountered in regard to prejudice and lastly converse about whether or not they had any presence in the criminal justice system. Portuguese came to Canada for numerous of reasons. The first reason is for political factors such as the increase of fascism in Portugal. Secondly, for the economical factors such as â€Å"relocating for work such as whaling and fishing, and later farming, textile, and leather factory work† (Morrison & James, 2009). The intriguing aspect about Portuguese families immigrating to Canada is that most of the husbands immigrated firstly into Canada before their wives. The reason being why they immigrated to Canada before their wives was to help start a life in Canada for their own family. Towards the 1950’s and 1... ...tated that the Portuguese ethnicity students have definitely increased (Higgs, 1990). This comes to conclude that even though Portuguese people had a hard time when they first got to Canada, stuff have definitely changed now a days as they are living the life they imagined they would once they would leave Portugal. Works Cited Fagundes, F. (2007). Charles Reis Felix's "Through a Portagee Gate": Lives Parceled Out in Stories. Melus, 32(2), 151-163. Higgs, D. (1990). Portuguese migration in global perspective. Toronto: Multicultural History Society of Ontario. Morrison, M., & James, S. (2009). Portuguese Immigrant Families: The Impact of Acculturation. Family Process, 48(1), 151-166. doi:10.1111/j.1545-5300.2009.01273.x Moura, M. d., & Soares, I. (2003). Pionniers: l'avant-garde de l'immigration portuguaise : Canada 1953. MontreÃÅ' al: M. de Almeida Moura.

Mobile Banking

Introduction Many banks have established presence on the Internet and many others are in the process of doing so. Using telecommunication systems and networks, a bank can reach out to customers and provide them with not only general information about its services but also the opportunity of performing interactive banking transactions. In electronic banking, bank customers can request information and carry out most banking services (e. g. balance reporting, inter-account transfers, and bill payment) via a telecommunication network without the need to go at the bank’s branch offices.Electronic banking comprises all electronic channels customers use to access their accounts, including the Internet and recently mobile phones (WAP- Wireless Application protocol, SMS- Short Message Service, SIM Toolkit, PDAs-Personal Digital Assistants). The cell phone handset can be used as a terminal in much the same way as an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine). Currently, almost everyone in the devel oped countries carries a mobile phone.So, customers can access their bank accounts through the bank’s website using not only a computer but also mobile devices. M-banking is not only another channel for banking services, but there is the possibility for becoming the primary channel. What is Mobile Banking? Mobile banking is a Banking process without bank branch, which provides financial services to unbanked communities efficiently and at affordable cost. To provide banking and financial services through mobile technology device by mobile phone is called Mobile banking.Mobile banking (also known as M-Banking, mbanking, SMS Banking) is a term used for performing balance checks, account transactions, payments, credit applications and other banking transactions through a mobile device such as a mobile phone or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). The earliest mobile banking services were offered over SMS. With the introduction of the first primitive smart phones with WAP support ena bling the use of the mobile web in 1999, the first European banks started to offer mobile banking on this platform to their customers. A mobile banking conceptual model Mobile Banking refers to provision and availment of banking- and financial services with the help of mobile telecommunication devices. The scope of offered services may include facilities to conduct bank and stock market transactions, to administer accounts and to access customized information†. According to this model Mobile Banking can be said to consist of three inter-related concepts: * Mobile Accounting * Mobile Brokerage * Mobile Financial Information Services Most services in the categories designated Accounting and Brokerage are transaction-based.The non-transaction-based services of an informational nature are however essential for conducting transactions – for instance, balance inquiries might be needed before committing a money remittance. The accounting and brokerage services are therefore of fered invariably in combination with information services. Information services, on the other hand, may be offered as an independent module. Trends in mobile banking The advent of the Internet has enabled new ways to conduct banking business, resulting in the creation of new institutions, such as online banks, online brokers and wealth managers.Such institutions still account for a tiny percentage of the industry. Over the last few years, the mobile and wireless market has been one of the fastest growing markets in the world and it is still growing at a rapid pace. According to the GSM Association and Ovum, the number of mobile subscribers exceeded 2 billion in September 2005, and now (2009) exceeds 2. 5 billion (of which more than 2 billion are GSM). According to a study by financial consultancy Celent, 35% of online banking households will be using mobile banking by 2010, up from less than 1% today.Upwards of 70% of bank center call volume is projected to come from mobile phones. Mobile banking will eventually allow users to make payments at the physical point of sale. â€Å"Mobile contactless payments† will make up 10% of the contactless market by 2010. Another study from 2010 by Berg Insight forecasts that the number of mobile banking users in the US will grow from 12 million in 2009 to 86 million in 2015. The same study also predicts that the European market will grow from 7 million mobile banking users in 2009 to 115 million users in 2015.Many believe that mobile users have just started to fully utilize the data capabilities in their mobile phones. In Asian countries like India, China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Philippines, where mobile infrastructure is comparatively better than the fixed-line infrastructure, and in European countries, where mobile phone penetration is very high (at least 80% of consumers use a mobile phone), mobile banking is likely to appeal even more. Mobile banking business models A wide spectrum of Mobile/branchless banking models is evolving.However, no matter what business model, if mobile banking is being used to attract low-income populations in often rural locations, the business model will depend on banking agents, retail or postal outlets that process financial transactions on behalf telcos or banks. The banking agent is an important part of the mobile banking business model since customer care, service quality, and cash management will depend on them. Many telcos will work through their local airtime resellers. However, banks in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and other markets use pharmacies, bakeries, etc.These models differ primarily on the question that who will establish the relationship (account opening, deposit taking, lending etc. ) to the end customer, the Bank or the Non-Bank/Telecommunication Company (Telco). Another difference lies in the nature of agency agreement between bank and the Non-Bank. Models of branchless banking can be classified into three broad categories – Bank Focused , Bank-Led and Nonbank-Led. Bank-focused model The bank-focused model emerges when a traditional bank uses non-traditional low-cost delivery channels to provide banking services to its existing customers.Examples range from use of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) to internet banking or mobile phone banking to provide certain limited banking services to banks’ customers. This model is additive in nature and may be seen as a modest extension of conventional branch-based banking. Bank-led model The bank-led model offers a distinct alternative to conventional branch-based banking in that customer conducts financial transactions at a whole range of retail agents (or through mobile phone) instead of at bank branches or through bank employees.This model promises the potential to substantially increase the financial services outreach by using a different delivery channel (retailers/ mobile phones), a different trade partner (telco/chain store) having experience and target market dist inct from traditional banks, and may be significantly cheaper than the bank-based alternatives. The bank-led model may be implemented by either using correspondent arrangements or by creating a JV between Bank and Telco/non-bank Non-bank-led model The non-bank-led model is where a bank has a limited role in the day-to-day account management.Typically its role in this model is limited to safe-keeping of funds. Account management functions are conducted by a non-bank (e. g. Telco) who has direct contact with individual customers. Mobile banking services Mobile banking can offer services such as the following: Account information * Mini-statements and checking of account history * Alerts on account activity or passing of set thresholds * Monitoring of term deposits * Access to loan statements * Access to card statements * Mutual funds / equity statements * Insurance policy management Pension plan management * Status on cheque, stop payment on cheque * Ordering cheque books * Balance ch ecking in the account * Recent transactions * Due date of payment (functionality for stop, change and deleting of payments) * PIN provision, Change of PIN and reminder over the Internet * Blocking of (lost, stolen) cards Payments, deposits, withdrawals, and transfers * Domestic and international fund transfers * Micro-payment handling * Mobile recharging * Commercial payment processing * Bill payment processing * Peer to Peer payments Withdrawal at banking agent * Deposit at banking agent A specific sequence of SMS messages will enable the system to verify if the client has sufficient funds in his or her wallet and authorize a deposit or withdrawal transaction at the agent. When depositing money, the merchant receives cash and the system credits the client's bank account or mobile wallet. In the same way the client can also withdraw money at the merchant: through exchanging SMS to provide authorization, the merchant hands the client cash and debits the merchant's account.Kenya's M-P ESA mobile banking service, for example, allows customers of the mobile phone operator Safaricom to hold cash balances which are recorded on their SIM cards. Cash may be deposited or withdrawn from M-PESA accounts at Safaricom retail outlets located throughout the country, and may be transferred electronically from person to person as well as used to pay bills to companies. One of the most innovative applications of mobile banking technology is Zidisha, a US-based nonprofit microlending platform that allows residents of developing countries to raise small business loans from web users worldwide.Zidisha uses mobile banking for loan disbursements and repayments, transferring funds from lenders in the United States to the borrowers in rural Africa using nothing but the internet and mobile phones. Investments * Portfolio management services * Real-time stock quotes * Personalized alerts and notifications on security prices Support * Status of requests for credit, including mortgage appr oval, and insurance coverage * Check (cheque) book and card requests * Exchange of data messages and email, including complaint submission and tracking * ATM location.Content services * General information such as weather updates, news * Loyalty-related offers * Location-based services Based on a survey conducted by Forrester, mobile banking will be attractive mainly to the younger, more â€Å"tech-savvy† customer segment. A third of mobile phone users say that they may consider performing some kind of financial transaction through their mobile phone. But most of the users are interested in performing basic transactions such as querying for account balance and making bill payment. Benefits of Mobile Banking * Real time on-line banking Available anytime, anywhere throughout the country * It is convenient, affordable and secure * It is much more effective in developing savings habits * It will make access to banking and advanced payment transactions at affordable cost * It is m uch safer, specify and safeguard against fraudulent transactions. Process of Mobile Banking: The concept is different from SMS Banking which was discussed previously. The architecture is based on the specific requirement that the facility is provided through GRPS, GSM, CDMA, EDGE, 3G and CSD enabled mobile phones.With Mobile banking, the following services can be availed of, but is not restricted to, * Viewing A/C statement * Viewing Cheque Status * Stopping Cheque Payment * Cheque Book Request * Fixed Deposit Enquiry * Bill Payment * Shopping/ Purchasing items The services can be provided to customers directly by the bank or through a 3rd party vendor; and explanations for both are followed. Architecture 1: When the bank provides the service directly to the customer The setup will have a web server, application server and the database at the ank’s premises. We shall call this the mobile banking server for ease of understanding. The application will ensure what services are t o be provided to the customer. Based on the banking services provided to the customer, the security of the infrastructure has to be built in. The database can be the same as the Core banking database, having another table for mobile banking users. The customer uses his/her mobile phones to transact through the mobile network.The Mobile banking server in turn talks to the Core banking systems of the bank for user authentication, processing transactions, authorization, etc. Architecture 2: When banks outsource this facility to 3rd party vendors This is the more popular architecture as Banks can quickly roll out their mobile banking solutions by connecting to a 3rd party. This is also the architecture with more security issues as interconnection with a 3rd party is involved. In this architecture, the mobile banking servers are located at the 3rd party vendor’s data centre.These servers will talk to the Core Banking servers of the bank through a secured channel (dedicated or shar ed link) for authentication, authorization and transaction processing. Pre requisites to using this facility The customer has to first register with the Bank for using Mobile banking facility by linking the user’s mobile number with the account number. Application functionality The mobile banking facility can be provided to mobile phone users through a client or a web based access. Using the client or web browser, the necessary security features are to be built.Customer performs banking transactions based the services like check account balance, fund transfer, bill payment, shopping, etc provided by the bank. User requesting a transaction * The user selects the service he wants to perform like check account balance, bill payment, etc. * The mobile banking server asks for re-authentication for critical transactions. a) Re-authentication with the mobile banking sever ensures that critical transactions are verified and mapped to the user. b) The re-authentication can be estricte d with the vendor only; the user need not authenticate with the bank every time a transaction is performed. Again this depends on the role played by the vendor. * User re-enters the credentials. * Server authenticates the mobile user and forwards the data to the bank on how to process the mobile user’s service request. For e. g. , checking the account balance service, the mobile banking server will contact the bank’s server on how to process the request. Bank processing the transaction * The bank server will ask for details required to service the user request. Taking the above example, the bank will ask for cheque number and this is forwarded by the mobile banking server to the end user. * The end user enters the details and sends it to the mobile banking server. * The server again asks for authentication. Once authenticated, the mobile banking server will forward the cheque number to the bank’s server. * This can be an optional check based on the criticality o f the service requested. For e. g. , if the bank provides fund transfer service, then it may be a good idea to again check for the user’s credentials.Again this is purely based on the criticality of the service provided * The bank’s server will check the status of the cheque and provide the details to the mobile user via the mobile banking server. Finally, this is just an example to show how the application should process requests from the mobile user. Based on the services provided by the bank, the security of the application can be built-in. For e. g. , if the application allows fund transfer or bill payment, then the required security threats should be identified and mitigated.Future functionalities in mobile banking Based on the ‘International Review of Business Research Papers' from World business Institute, Australia, following are the key functional trends possible in world of Mobile Banking. With the advent of technology and increasing use of smartphone a nd tablet based devices, the use of Mobile Banking functionality would enable customer connect across entire customer life cycle much comprehensively than before. With this scenario, current mobile banking objectives of say building relationships, reducing cost, chieving new revenue stream will transform to enable new objectives targeting higher level goals such as building brand of the banking organization. Emerging technology and functionalities would enable to create new ways of lead generation, prospecting as well as developing deep customer relationship and mobile banking world would achieve superior customer experience with bi-directional communications. Illustration of objective based functionality enrichment In Mobile Banking * Communication enrichment: – Video Interaction with agents, advisors. Pervasive Transactions capabilities: – Comprehensive â€Å"Mobile wallet† * Customer Education: – â€Å"Test drive† for demos of banking services * Connect with new customer segment: – Connect with Gen Y – Gen Z using games and social network ambushed to surrogate bank’s offerings * Content monetization: – Micro level revenue themes such as music, e-book download * Vertical positioning: – Positioning offerings over mobile banking specific industries * Horizontal positioning: – Positioning offerings over mobile banking across all the industries * Personalization of corporate banking services: – Personalization experience for multiple roles and hierarchies in corporate banking as against the vanilla based segment based enhancements in the current context. * Build Brand: – Built the bank’s brand while enhancing the â€Å"Mobile real estate†. Challenges for a mobile banking solution Key challenges in developing a sophisticated mobile banking application are: Handset operability There are a large number of different mobile phone devices and it is a big challenge for banks to offer mobile banking solution on any type of device. Some of these devices support Java ME and others support SIM Application Toolkit, a WAP browser, or only SMS.Initial interoperability issues however have been localized, with countries like India using portals like R-World to enable the limitations of low end java based phones, while focus on areas such as South Africa have defaulted to the USSD as a basis of communication achievable with any phone. The desire for interoperability is largely dependent on the banks themselves, where installed applications (Java based or native) provide better security, are easier to use and allow development of more complex capabilities similar to those of internet banking while SMS can provide the basics but becomes difficult to operate with more complex transactions. There is a myth that there is a challenge of interoperability between mobile banking applications due to perceived lack of common technology standards for mobile banking .In practice it is too early in the service lifecycle for interoperability to be addressed within an individual country, as very few countries have more than one mobile banking service provider. In practice, banking interfaces are well defined and money movements between banks follow the IS0-8583 standard. As mobile banking matures, money movements between service providers will naturally adopt the same standards as in the banking world. On January 2009, Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Banking Sub-Committee, chaired by Cell Trust and VeriSign Inc. , published the Mobile Banking Overview for financial institutions in which it discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Mobile Channel Platforms such as Short Message Services (SMS), Mobile Web, Mobile Client Applications, SMS with Mobile Web and Secure SMS. SecuritySecurity of financial transactions, being executed from some remote location and transmission of financial information over the air, are the most complicated challenges that need to be addressed jointly by mobile application developers, wireless network service providers and the banks' IT departments. The following aspects need to be addressed to offer a secure infrastructure for financial transaction over wireless network: 1. Physical part of the hand-held device. If the bank is offering smart-card based security, the physical security of the device is more important. 2. Security of any thick-client application running on the device. In case the device is stolen, the hacker should require at least an ID/Password to access the application. 3. Authentication of the device with service provider before initiating a transaction. This would ensure that unauthorized devices are not connected to perform financial transactions. 4.User ID / Password authentication of bank’s customer. 5. Encryption of the data being transmitted over the air. 6. Encryption of the data that will be stored in device for later / off-line analysis by the customer. One-tim e password (OTPs) are the latest tool used by financial and banking service providers in the fight against cyber fraud. Instead of relying on traditional memorized passwords, OTPs are requested by consumers each time they want to perform transactions using the online or mobile banking interface. When the request is received the password is sent to the consumer’s phone via SMS. The password is expired once it has been used or once its scheduled life-cycle has expired.Because of the concerns made explicit above, it is extremely important that SMS gateway providers can provide a decent quality of service for banks and financial institutions in regards to SMS services. Therefore, the provision of service level agreements (SLAs) is a requirement for this industry; it is necessary to give the bank customer delivery guarantees of all messages, as well as measurements on the speed of delivery, throughput, etc. SLAs give the service parameters in which a messaging solution is guarante ed to perform. Scalability and reliability Another challenge for the CIOs and CTOs of the banks is to scale-up the mobile banking infrastructure to handle exponential growth of the customer base.With mobile banking, the customer may be sitting in any part of the world (true anytime, anywhere banking) and hence banks need to ensure that the systems are up and running in a true 24 x 7 fashion. As customers will find mobile banking more and more useful, their expectations from the solution will increase. Banks unable to meet the performance and reliability expectations may lose customer confidence. There are systems such as Mobile Transaction Platform which allow quick and secure mobile enabling of various banking services. Recently in India there has been a phenomenal growth in the use of Mobile Banking applications, with leading banks adopting Mobile Transaction Platform and the Central Bank publishing guidelines for mobile banking operations. Application distributionDue to the natur e of the connectivity between bank and its customers, it would be impractical to expect customers to regularly visit banks or connect to a web site for regular upgrade of their mobile banking application. It will be expected that the mobile application itself check the upgrades and updates and download necessary patches (so called â€Å"Over the Air† updates). However, there could be many issues to implement this approach such as upgrade / synchronization of other dependent components. Personalization It would be expected from the mobile application to support personalization such as: * Preferred Language * Date / Time format * Amount format Default transactions * Standard Beneficiary list * Alerts Mobile banking in the world Mobile banking is used in many parts of the world with little or no infrastructure, especially remote and rural areas. This aspect of mobile commerce is also popular in countries where most of their population is unbanked. In most of these places, banks can only be found in big cities, and customers have to travel hundreds of miles to the nearest bank. By 2012, it is estimated that there will be 1. 7 billion people with a mobile phone but not a bank account and as many as 364 million unbanked people could be reached by agent-networked banking through mobile phones.In Iran, banks such as Parsian, Tejarat, Mellat, Saderat, Sepah, Edbi, and Bankmelli offer the service. Banco Industrial provides the service in Guatemala. Citizens of Mexico can access mobile banking with Omnilife, Bancomer and MPower Venture. Kenya's Safaricom (part of the Vodafone Group) has the M-Pesa Service, which is mainly used to transfer limited amounts of money, but increasingly used to pay utility bills as well. In 2009, Zain launched their own mobile money transfer business, known as ZAP, in Kenya and other African countries. In Somalia, the many telecom companies provide mobile banking, the most prominent being Hormuud Telecom and its ZAAD service.Telenor Pak istan has also launched a mobile banking solution, in coordination with Taameer Bank, under the label Easy Paisa, which was begun in Q4 2009. Eko India Financial Services, the business correspondent of State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank, provides bank accounts, deposit, withdrawal and remittance services, micro-insurance, and micro-finance facilities to its customers (nearly 80% of whom are migrants or the unbanked section of the population) through mobile banking. In a year of 2010, mobile banking users soared over 100 percent in Kenya, China, Brazil and USA with 200 percent, 150 percent, 110 percent and 100 percent respectively. Mobile Banking in Bangladesh Starting: Mobile banking is a new technology in Bangladesh which started from 31st March 2011.Dutch Bangla Bank Limited pioneered in mobile banking services in Bangladesh. Most people heard about it but not have a clear idea. According to my survey almost 94% people heard about mobile banking and 6% haven’t heard a bout mobile banking. Interest to use: Many people heard about mobile banking. But they yet have not felt that they should use it as they are happy to use traditional banking system. Some people feel interest to use it. About 55% people feel they should use it and 45% people haven’t feel to use mobile banking according to the survey. Takes time by mobile banking than traditional banking: Mobile banking is real time on-line banking.As it is on-line banking it takes less time than traditional banking. It will make access to banking and advanced payment, transactions at affordable cost People have not to wait by standing in a long line which is happen in traditional banking system. But some people think it takes higher time and some people think it takes same time as traditional banking. According to the research only 5% people think it takes higher time, 34% people think it takes the same time and 61% people think it takes lower time than traditional banking system. Time saving: Mobile banking is available anytime, anywhere throughout the country. So it can save one’s time. But all people not think the same.About 70% respondents think that mobile banking can save their time, where as 30% think it cannot save time. Cost: It is convenient, affordable and it is much more effective in developing savings habits, it will make access to banking and advanced payment transactions at affordable cost. All people know that its cost is not higher than traditional banking. Around 56% respondents say its cost is lower, 20% say same and 24% say it is affordable than traditional banking. . A positive aspect of mobile phones is that mobile networks can reach remote areas at low cost. Trust worthy: It is much safer and safeguard against fraudulent transactions. One can trust mobile banking as traditional banking system.It has secured pin code which is known by the user, and also has a check digit without it no one can deposit money. But in Bangladesh traditional branc h-based banking remains the most widely adopted method of conducting banking transaction. The poor often have greater familiarity and trust with mobile phone companies than formal banking institutions. Furthermore a mobile handset can easily be adapted to handle banking transactions. But it is not commonly known by all. From the survey it is found that 63% respondents think mobile banking is trust worthy and 37% respondents feel it is not trust worthy. Use: It is much more effective in developing savings habits. Its using system is also easy. Anyone can use it.Poor people are often not considered viable customers by the formal financial sector as their transaction sizes are small, and many live in remote areas beyond the reach of banks branch networks. Informal banking services such as microfinance and village savings and loan associations remain limited in their reach. So, mobile banking system develops to bring poor people into banking system. 83% respondents face or heard no prob lem to use mobile banking. But 17% respondents heard or face problems to use it like-sometimes transaction do not reach at time, cannot operate it easily as traditional banking, not trust worthy. Prospect of mobile banking in Bangladesh:Mobile Banking is a Banking process without bank branch which provides financial services to unbaked communities efficiently and at affordable cost. The aim of the service is to bring more people under the umbrella of banking service. Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman inaugurated the service through -Journal of Arts, Science ; Commerce  ¦ E-ISSN 2229-4686  ¦ ISSN 2231-4172 International Refereed Research Journal  ¦ www.. researchersworlld.. com  ¦ Vol. – III, Issue –1,Jan. 2012 [54] deposit and withdrawal of money from two banking outlets in the city. Government thinks it has a great prospect as it is a new technology in digital Bangladesh.But in Bangladesh many people think traditionally, because they cannot think it has any facility to use mobile banking. 69% people feel mobile banking has prospect in Bangladesh whereas 31% think it has no prospect in Bangladesh as many people will not feel interest or have belief on mobile banking. Suggestion to other to use the: 55% feel interest to use mobile banking but most people do not want to give suggestion to other to use it. As it is a new method of banking people haven’t 100% faith on it. So, people don’t want to take any risk by giving suggestion to use it. 68% respondents say they do not want to give suggestion and 32% respondents say they want to give suggestion to use mobile banking. Make life easier:Mobile banking is real time on-line banking, available anytime, anywhere throughout the country, it is convenient, affordable and secure, it is much more effective in developing savings habits, it will make access to banking and advanced payment transactions at affordable cost, it is much safer, speedy and safeguard against fraudulent tra nsactions. All of the characteristics of mobile banking make life easier. But 43% respondents feel it will not make life easier as it may not be trust worthy, but 57% respondents feel the facility which mobile banking give will make life easier. Security: In mobile banking a confidential pin code is used by the user. PIN ensures security of money and protects fraudulent transactions. So mobile banking is fully secured. It also believed by 70% respondents, but about 30% respondents say it is not secured as they cannot fully trust on online banking than traditional banking system.Speedy process: One benefit of mobile banking is a very speedy process. Transaction can be done anytime anywhere quickly in less time. So 100% people believe that it is a speedy process. Class of people: Mobile banking started with the idea to bring the poor under the umbrella of banking sector especially rural poor as there are not much bank facilities, also there savings is low so they feel shy to go to ban k. But according to my survey 38% respondents feel upper class, 21% respondents feel middle class people can use mobile banking. But 41% respondents say mobile banking can be used by all class of people. Problems encounted in collecting data:The researcher had to face the following problems in collecting data from the respondents: i. Generally most of the respondents have not enough idea about mobile banking. So it was very difficult to collect actual data. Because the information of the respondents was supplied from their idea. ii. Most of the respondents were not fully use mobile banking which caused another problem to data collection to the researcher. iii. Sometimes respondent could not answer to questions accurately and to the point. iv. The respondents were usually remaining busy with their work. So, the researcher had to visit some of them even at the work place and researcher sometimes had to pay more time to meet the respondents. v.Most of the respondents did not feel comfo rtable to answer questions. So researcher had to pay more time to gain their confidence. The banks that provides mobile banking, sms banking in Bangladesh: * Dutch-Bangla Bank Ltd. * BRAC Bank Ltd. * Premier Bank Ltd. * Bank Asia Ltd. * HSBC * Dhaka Bank Ltd. * Standard Chartered Bank Ltd. * Mutual Trust Bank Ltd. * Trust Bank Ltd. * One Bank Ltd. * EXIM Bank Ltd. * IFIC Bank Ltd. * First Security Bank Ltd. * City Bank Ltd. * Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd. * Mercantile Bank Limited. Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited (DBBL) has for the first time introduced its mobile banking service, expanding the banking service from cities to remote areas.Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman inaugurated the service in July, 2011 by depositing Tk 2,000 and withdrawing Tk 1,500 through Banglalink and Citycell mobile networks in Motijheel area. Bangladesh Bank has already allowed 10 banks to initiate mobile banking. Of them DBBL kicked off first. â€Å"Mobile banking is an alternative to the traditional banki ng through which banking service can be reached at the doorsteps of the deprived section of the society,† the central bank governor said at an inaugural press briefing at Hotel Purbani. Atiur Rahman said through mobile banking various banking services including depositing and withdrawing money, payment of utility bills and reaching remittance to the recipient would be possible.By going to the DBBL-approved Citycell and Banglalink agents throughout the country, the subscribers can open an account provided they show the necessary papers and pay a fee of Tk 10. To use the banking service, subscribers must own a cell phone from any provider. The bank gives subscribers a four-digit PIN. By using the PIN, subscribers can use a number of banking services, including depositing and withdrawing money, while maintaining account security. Customers may hand over cash to agents in the bank's network, and agents can coordinate the transaction from their mobile phones, helping account holder s securely complete banking tasks using their PINs.Customers can deposit or withdraw money up to five times per day, up to Tk 5,000 per day. One percent of the transaction account or Tk 5, whichever is greater, will be deducted as a cash-in charge. The charge for cash-out is 2 percent of the transaction amount or Tk 10, whichever is greater. There are no fees for registration, salary or remittance disbursement services. Mobile Banking at BRAC Bank The service will enable millions of banked and unbanked people to deposit, withdraw and transfer money through mobile phones. bKash, a joint venture between BRAC Bank and US-based Money in Motion, will provide mobile banking with a fully encrypted VISA technology platform for transactions through mobile phones.Any mobile user can register and open up a bKash account and then do transactions through their mobile phones in easy, convenient and reliable way. â€Å"bKash will fundamentally change the way people now do transactions, as all tra nsactions will be possible through mobile phones in future,† said Syed Mahbubur Rahman, managing director of the bank. â€Å"Customers will not need to come to the bank; rather the bank will go to them,† he said at a press conference in Dhaka on the occasion of its 10th founding anniversary. The bank said a bKash account will act as a digital mobile wallet and anybody can take the service. â€Å"Your mobile phone will become your wallet.Customers can get financial services through phones, even by the handset that costs the lowest,† Rahman said. Under a partnership with UNDP and Local Government Division, bKash is rolling out mobile banking in 4,501 union parishads in the country. It has already signed a deal with a leading mobile operator and is in talks with others to enable all mobile users — currently around 7. 5 crore — to have individual digital wallets, said Mamdudur Rashid, deputy managing director of the bank. Recently some Bangladeshi banki ng companies and mobile network provider companies have launched mobile banking in Bangladesh. A new door of technology is opening in Bangladesh.Now people of Bangladesh can use their mobile phone as a bank account with balance transfer, payment, money upload and many more facilities at a low cost . I will give you some useful info about these services: * BKash Limited is a joint venture between BRAC Bank Ltd. , Bangladesh, and Money in Motion LLC, USA. Ensuring access to a broader range of financial services for the people of Bangladesh is the ultimate objective of bKash. It has a special focus to serve the low income people of the country and promote sustainable micro-savings to achieve broader financial inclusion by providing financial services that are convenient, affordable and reliable. * bKash is working both as an extension of BRAC Bank and as a full-scale mobile phone-based payment switch.This will highly benefit the country as 83% of the population lives under $2 a day and access to finance can help in improving their economic situation. Less than 15% of Bangladeshis are connected to the formal financial system whereas 44% of total populations are having mobile phones. Providing financial services using this mean can make the service more accessible and cost effective for the vast population of Bangladesh. How to open an account: 01. Go to any of your nearby bKash agent along with- a. Your mobile phone with active Robi number b. A copy of your Photo ID (National ID/Passport/Driving License/Other valid Photo ID) c. 2 copies of Passport size photographs 02. Upon successful registration you need to activate your wallet in following manner- Kash authorized agent will help you throughout the process and confirm registration. You will also receive a confirmation SMS in your mobile. Conclusion: Some policy Implications, Mohammad Mizanur Raman,(www. ampublisher. com) Mobile Phone Banking offers the potential to extend low cost virtual bank accounts to a larg e number of currently un-banked individuals worldwide. Change is being driven by falling costs of mobile phones including airtime, by competition and by the ability of electronic banking solutions to offer customers an enhanced range of services at a very low cost. Text-a-payment (TAP) builds upon the familiarity and comfort that people around the world have with sending text messages via their mobile phone.Instead of traveling to the bank to make their loan payment, clients can -Journal of Arts, Science & Commerce now text their loan payment directly to the bank; saving them both travel time and money. This is also beneficial for the bank, since they can increase their outreach to rural areas while reducing their costs. (Catching the Technology Wave: Mobile Phone Banking and Text-a-Payment in the Philippines, John Owens, Anna Bantug Herrera,www. bwtp. org) M-Banking technology has become one of the most familiar banking features throughout the world. Nowadays millions of inhabitant s of Bangladesh are within a network through mobile network coverage.But in the commercial sectors like banking, m-Commerce technology has not been adopted broadly yet. In context of Bangladesh where almost 95% of geographical areas including Chittagong Hill tract region is under cellular coverage and having sufficiency in Internet infrastructure in remote regions, m-Banking via mobile phones can be the right choice for the promising banking sector. Considering m-Commerce and m-Banking perspective in Bangladesh, a Push Pull services offering SMS (Short Messaging Service) based m-Banking system has been proposed which is able to provide several essential banking services only by sending SMS to bank server from any remote location. They are Broadcast, Scheduling, Event, and Enquiry and m- Commerce services.Fifteen push pull services underlying these categories are implemented in this proposed system which are most desired to customers. The proposed system not only brings banking trans action in hand’s grip but also makes it easier, robust and flexible with highest security. Moreover, modified data failover algorithm handles unexpected SMS server failure with any congestion or service request loss. At last, after evaluating each module of our proposed system a satisfactory accuracy rate 94. 95% has been obtained. Abstract The main objective of the study is to find out the problem and prospect of mobile banking in Bangladesh. For this research primary data were used. This study adopts with descriptive in nature.Total respondents were 120 within that 61 % respondents think it saves time than traditional banking, the highest number of respondents use mobile banking for ‘Air-time top-up’ service, that is 21%, out of 120 respondents 56% replied it is less costlier than traditional banking, 100% respondents did agree that it is speedy, and 38% respondents are upper class. Although this concept is new in Bangladesh but its potentiality is high. From t his research, other researchers and policy makers will get an insight about the problems and prospects of mobile banking in Bangladesh. Keywords: Problem, prospect, Mobile banking. References: * Dhaka Bank Ltd. , Banani branch. * Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd, Banani branch. * BRAC Bank Ltd, Banani branch. * www. thedailystar. net * Wikipedia * www. enterpriseinnovation. net * www. wikipedi www. marketresearch. com * www. bwtp. org * www. ampublisher. com * www. scribd. com/doc/54509127/28/MOBILE-BANKING-IN-BANGLADESH * www. researchersworld. com/vol3/Paper_05. pdf * bankinfobd. com/banks * www. dhakabankltd. com/ * www. bracbank. com/platinum_card. php * www. businessnewsbd. com/index. php? option=com_content&task=view&id=3619&Itemid=88 * www. dutchbanglabank. com/electronic_banking/PDF/MobileBankingBrochureEnglish. pdf Index: WAP – Wireless Application protocol SMS – Short Message Service PDA – Personal Digital Assistants ATM – Automatic Teller Machine M-bankin g – Mobile Banking Telco – Telecommunication Company Mobile Banking The Future of Mobile Banking by Rob Berger in Banking * Photo: BankSimple INTRODUCTION Communication is the exchange of information and feeling or ideas, which allow the majority of people to get the news of all sides. In addition, we are used the communication every day to let people know what we are doing or thinking even feeling which people are received that by voice, picture or chat. Moreover, communication technologies have made it simple to communicate to friends in the other side of the world by calling them using mobile phone, e-mailing them and writing in our web pages using social networks, such as Face book, Twitter or Messenger.Additionally, many other recourses are used by the majority of people to keep in touch with the world, which they can watch television or listen to the radio especially when they go to work. Therefore, communication technologies are considered one of the most important elements in our lives and that is why this essay is going to define the advanta ges and disadvantages of communications technology in terms of our health, education and relationships. This essay will elucidate firstly, the advantages and disadvantages of communications technology in health.Secondly, the advantages and disadvantages in education. Thirdly, the advantages and disadvantages in relationships. Finally, what scope should people be bothered about our grandchildren’s world if these technologies still run on to develops in the future? Mobile banking apps make banking and managing finances more convenient and less time consuming. They also reduce the need for working with loads upon loads of paper, like all those forms you need to fill out in brick-and-mortar banks.The most common activities performed by mobile banking app users include scanning and depositing checks, monitoring account balances and, for some, managing travel or hotel bookings. Many banks also offer online banking options for those who want an easier way to control their cash flow, pay their bills, and locate ATM stations. Some even allow person-to-person payments Mobile banking apps have actually been around for years. The first bank to ever offer their clients the convenience of doing banking-related activities on their mobile phones was Wells Fargo.Today, according to a research firm in Boston, more than 6,500 financial institutions in the US have developed mobile banking services for people who want to keep track of their finances on the go. Since more and more people rely on their smartphones (at least 70% of Americans who own smartphones use banking apps), app development is expected to increase even more. Developers will continue to come up with more innovative ideas for mobile banking. These apps will slowly change the course of regular banking. Just last January, a new kind of bank was introduced to the public.GoBank, created by prepaid reloader Green Dot, is a mobile banking app of a different kind. Unlike existing apps, GoBank is not connected to a ny brick-and-mortar bank. It is a â€Å"stand alone† app; a mobile bank in the real sense of the word. In other words, if you want to make a deposit or check your account balance, you will need to open the app on your phone. GoBank is the answer to the appeal of people who are practically glued to their mobile phones even when walking down busy streets. It can perform all basic bank functions, like paying bills and depositing checks.This development is not surprising. Developers often try to outdo each other in producing an app – or apps – that can easily catch the consumers’ fancy; especially consumers who use mobile banking every day of their lives. In the coming months and years, more apps like GoBank will be spotlighted in the market, and people will continue to want more. At this point, though, developers should also work on coming up with better security features for mobile banking. Security is the main reason why a good number of smartphone users d o not yet use mobile banking facilities on their device.So before anything else, this should be prioritized. Mobile Deposits Already available with many banks, users can deposit a check by taking a picture of it with their smartphone. I’ve used the feature now with Capital One 360 and absolutely love it. Called mobile remote deposit capture (RDC), my daughter uses this feature to deposit her paychecks into her Money account with Capital One 260. And I use it to deposit the occasional checks we receive. It’s a snap (pun intended). While not all banks offer this feature, yet, they will. Mobile Bill PayAs the person who pays all the bills in my family, this feature is really exciting. Imagine taking a paper bill you receive in the mail and paying it by taking a picture of it. Similar to RDC, Mobile Photo Bill Pay is on the way. U. S. Bank is already testing this functionality. There’s a hidden benefit to mobile bill pay–it will make switching banks easier. R ather than having to re-enter all your payee information and automatic payments, you can just snap a picture of each of your bills. Security The security risks of mobile banking are minimal.Mobile banking apps do not work with third party programs, as they deal directly with you and the bank they are linked to. Your banking privacy is not compromised or shared with anyone else. In addition, banks also require their mobile clients to provide the right username and password before performing any kind of transaction. Since apps are becoming more and more complicated and technologically advanced, however, security measures will need to keep pace. Leading the example is Wells Fargo, which is already working on using voice and speech recognition for carrying out banking transactions.This is an interesting development because it offers not only convenience, but also added security. Smartphone as Your Wallet Eventually, we’ll pull out our Smartphone to pay for things rather than our wallet. This is already a reality to a limited extent. Individual retailers like Starbucks offer apps that allow you to pay for products. And Google Wallet has made some progress. But overall we are still a long way from cutting up our cash and plastic. Rob Berger. The Future of Mobile Banking. March 10, 2013.

Unit 206 Business Admin

Learner statement unit 206 Outcome 1 Enterprise rent a car (ERAC) operates within the automotive and retail industries. Our mission is to fulfil the automotive and commercial truck rental, leasing, car sales and related needs of our customers and, in doing so, exceed their expectations for service, quality and value. We will strive to earn our customers' long-term loyalty by working to deliver more than promised, being honest and fair and â€Å"going the extra mile† to provide exceptional personalized service that creates a pleasing business experience.We must motivate our employees to provide exceptional service to our customers by supporting their development, providing opportunities for personal growth and fairly compensating them for their successes and achievements. We believe it is critical to our success to promote managers from within who will serve as examples of success for others to follow.Although it is our goal to be the best and not necessarily the biggest or the most profitable, our success at satisfying customers and motivating employees will bring growth and long-term profitability. Within the automotive and rental sector, ERAC offers high service levels and reliability and offers certain perks that other companies do not such as â€Å"we will pick you up† Reviewing damage claims and assigning collection strategiesNegotiating with individuals, insurance companies, corporate customers and credit card companies  Ã‚   Maintaining accounts of collections  and incoming payments on claim files Producing professional written communication including tasks such as writing, editing and proofreading correspondence and brief reports   Interpreting loss data in conjunction with debtor feedback in order to establish settlement needs  and parameters Interpreting loss data in conjunction with debtor feedback in order to establish if claim is valid and/or if the claim needs to be closed Determining what claims must be worked in order to ob tain payment Interpreting recovery efforts to determine if a claim must be referred to a third party vendor for additional collection efforts. The role is essential to the organisation as all vehicles are â€Å"self-insured† so all losses come straight from the company for any damages. If I was unsure of any policy or procedure relating to my role, I would initially consult he policy on the intranet. I would then query with my coordinator, supervisor or manager and if needs be, HR department. Outcome 2 ; 3 People working together to achieve common goals needs proper coordination so that the assigned or delegated tasks are done smoothly and effectively.In an organization, there has to be leaders as well as the supervisors and those who implement the plans – the people founding the main work force or employees who needs to realize their own tasks and assignments so that they can perform accordingly. By working together you can achieve positive results because you work to gether to achieve a common goal quickly and effectively. By explaining and agreeing to work goals you emphasise how important the work is and also how important he individual’s role is. This also ensures everyone is working off the same timescale and the same standard. Team members can support each other by helping with workloads, emails and administrative duties. You can support other teams by encouraging them and appreciating their efforts. They can also share tasks, e. g. incoming phone calls.The purpose of agreeing quality measures within a team ensures everyone is working on the same time scale and to the same quality level, this means that work is consistent and creates a happier work environment as well as more professional image. All information should be communicated between the other people in the team as again this ensures everyone has the same knowledge base and feel happier with the tasks they have been set and why. The communication can take place verbally, face to face or in team meetings, via email or via memo’s. Outcome 4 By recognising the strengths in others you can pool abilities within the team so as to finish work to a high standard quickly and effectively. If one person excels at a certain task, they will complete it correctly and quickly and freeing up other team members to work on different objectives for the team.Diversity within a team offers different levels of expertise and viewpoints. Having diversity allows tasks and problems to be approached from many different angles. A project carried out by a divers team will raise clarity and levels of arguments to ensure that all ideas are thoroughly considered. By respecting your individual team mates you create a better working environment which is conductive to happier employees who work more efficiently. Outcome 5 The types of problems and disagreements that may occur within a team include * Dishonesty * Difference of opinion * Disagreement over workloads * Incompetence * Disagreements over personal issues such as annual leave, workloads, lunches etc. Disagreements over the way to work effectively The best way to resolve problems or disagreements is to compromise and be as flexible as possible. Problems can be resolved by the management assigning roles for different members or sitting down with employees and talking the issues out. If this fails then grievance procedures should be followed. Outcome 6 Constructive feedback helps organisations improve and help employees work more efficiently. By giving constructive feedback you can help ensure that you are making work processes more effective and positive. When receiving feedback you can recognise any mistakes that you may not have spotted.Feedback enables you to reflect on your work as an individual and as a team as if delivered constructively will improve morale and productivity. Getting feedback is a suitable way to receive information that will help make a workplace more efficient. It helps individ uals realise how members of your team and possibly other departments like or don’t like about how you work, this will allow you to either continue in the same fashion, confident that you are doing a satisfactory job or make adjustments to hopefully improve your performance. Likewise feedback to a team will show where they could improve and by discussing the issues this will enable the team as a whole to implement new ideas and working methods to improve effectiveness and productivity.

Free Essays on Alcohol Abuse

In reference to alcohol abuse among students, the theory that â€Å"the crux of the problem is the behavior of the drinker, not the quantity of alcohol consumed† is a valid one. The actions taken by drunken students are the fault of society’s denial of our students’ alcohol abuse and our inaction to resolve the issue. Our students need to develop a sense of personal responsibility, and our government along with our schools need to help our students develop it. How can we blame our students for the actions they chose to make in a situation that we never taught them to deal with or handle? We, as a whole, must recognize students’ alcohol abuse as a serious problem in our society, accept that it is our fault due to our denial of the issue, and begin to teach our students, at a young, how to deal with those kinds of issues, situations, and problems. â€Å"More than 1,400 college students die each year in alcohol-related incidents; mostly from falls, drowning and automobile accidents†(Binge Drinking). Obviously, the ‘Just Say No’ Campaign is failing. It seems as though we are telling our kids to just say no because we don’t want to make an effort to explain the harmful effects and consequences of consuming alcohol. Furthermore, we are ignoring the fact that one day they will be Castro 2 drinking and we must prepare them to deal with the situations they may face. If our students had been taught at an early age to avoid high altitudes, deep waters, and driving vehicles after consuming alcohol, the number of alcohol-related deaths would significantly decrease; however, this growing problem is not being dealt with in an effective way. Americans must recognize and accept alcohol abuse among students as a serious problem before anything can be done to correct the situation. In addition, students must also recognize and acknowledge their abuse of alcohol. Our students need to develop a sense of personal responsibility... Free Essays on Alcohol Abuse Free Essays on Alcohol Abuse In reference to alcohol abuse among students, the theory that â€Å"the crux of the problem is the behavior of the drinker, not the quantity of alcohol consumed† is a valid one. The actions taken by drunken students are the fault of society’s denial of our students’ alcohol abuse and our inaction to resolve the issue. Our students need to develop a sense of personal responsibility, and our government along with our schools need to help our students develop it. How can we blame our students for the actions they chose to make in a situation that we never taught them to deal with or handle? We, as a whole, must recognize students’ alcohol abuse as a serious problem in our society, accept that it is our fault due to our denial of the issue, and begin to teach our students, at a young, how to deal with those kinds of issues, situations, and problems. â€Å"More than 1,400 college students die each year in alcohol-related incidents; mostly from falls, drowning and automobile accidents†(Binge Drinking). Obviously, the ‘Just Say No’ Campaign is failing. It seems as though we are telling our kids to just say no because we don’t want to make an effort to explain the harmful effects and consequences of consuming alcohol. Furthermore, we are ignoring the fact that one day they will be Castro 2 drinking and we must prepare them to deal with the situations they may face. If our students had been taught at an early age to avoid high altitudes, deep waters, and driving vehicles after consuming alcohol, the number of alcohol-related deaths would significantly decrease; however, this growing problem is not being dealt with in an effective way. Americans must recognize and accept alcohol abuse among students as a serious problem before anything can be done to correct the situation. In addition, students must also recognize and acknowledge their abuse of alcohol. Our students need to develop a sense of personal responsibility...

5 Field Trip Ideas for Elementary School

5 Field Trip Ideas for Elementary School Field trips are a wonderful way for children to connect what they are learning in class to the outside world. For instance, if you are teaching your students about dinosaurs, the best way to wrap up the unit is to bring the class on a field trip to your local dinosaur exhibit at the museum. This way they can get a hands-on view of everything they learned and help them connect what they learned to what they are seeing at the exhibit. Here are 5 fun and exciting educational field trip ideas for your elementary school class. Post Office A field trip to your local Post Office is a great way for students to compare the history of the postal service with the technology they use today. Students will leave the Post Office with a better understanding of how the mail connects everyone in the world. Pick Your Own Farms A unique field trip idea is to take students on a trip to pick their own fruits and vegetables. Children will be exposed to agricultural topics and experience nature and how food grows. A hands-on trip to your local farm is the perfect way to end your nutrition unit. Bank What child isnt fascinated with money? If you want to see your students participate in class and really be engaged, then take them on a field trip to your local bank. Children are always asking, Why do I have to learn math? and When I am really going to use these math skills? Well, a trip to the bank will show your students how the math skills they are learning in school can be applied to everyday life when they grow up. Bank tellers can show students how to write a personal check and withdrawal slips, and how to open a bank account and use a debit card. The information they learn on this trip will help them realize how important paying attention in math really is. A fun idea beforehand is to teach students about PayPal and how with technology today you can send money online. Grocery Store With the child obesity rate as high as it is today, the local grocery store is a great place for a field trip. There are a variety of topics that can be focused on at the grocery store, like nutrition, math, health and wellness, and home economics. Children can learn about healthy food choices and go on a food scavenger hunt. They can study measurements and, on the day of the trip,  buy appropriate ingredients for a specific recipe you give them. They can learn how to budget their money, group foods into food groups, and learn important life skills. Amusement Park How is a field trip to an amusement park educational? Students can determine the speed of roller-coasters or see behind the scenes of how a stage show works. Students can learn about the animals in the on-site zoo, or see how the actors transform into characters. A field trip to an amusement park can take some of the concepts students are learning in school into a real-world experience. Additional Field Trip Ideas Worth Considering Here are a few more field trip ideas that are worth thinking about it. Any of the following ideas would make for a perfect field trip with your students: Water parkBakerySkating RinkLocal HospitalMoviesCollegeTV StationNewspaperAquariumZooBotanical GardensTrain RideSoup KitchenLocal FestivalNursing HomeLocal MonumentFarmers MarketMuseumA Virtual Field Trip

Maintaining a Tree Through the Next Decade

Maintaining a Tree Through the Next Decade Specimen trees in the landscape need consistent care over time to ensure their continued health, proper conditions for growth and to prevent hazardous conditions that threaten surrounding property. Here is a tree care schedule developed by the United States Forest Service for a tree owners use and listed according to tree care type. Watering the Tree The key to newly planted tree survival is providing adequate water. Although the first 3 years are most critical, a trees watering needs should be maintained for life. Initially, a newly planted tree needs to be properly watered with an adequate amount to pack the soil, to remove root-drying air and to moisten the root ball. On adequately draining soils, 5 gallons of initial water should be enough. Fast draining soils may need more frequent watering than a slow draining soil. Year 1 - 3: It is most critical to provide adequate water during the annual growing season, between late spring and autumn.Year 4 and after: You can relax a bit on tree watering in later years but water may be needed during long periods of drought. Mulching the Tree Mulching a newly planted tree ensures that moisture is available to roots over time and reduces grass competition. A good mulch (organic materials like leaves, bark, needles and fine wood chips) should ring the tree base (over the critical root zone) but never touch the tree. No fertilizer is necessary when quality composted mulch is used. Year 1 - 3: Maintain the mulch level with no more than 4 inches of material over the roots (the wider the better) but not touching the tree.Year 4 and after: A tree appreciates a good mulch so it is appropriate to maintain adequate mulch levels annually during spring. Avoid using nitrogen fertilizers - use complete fertilizers only after a soil test. Staking the Tree Not all newly planted trees need staking to remain standing straight. Stake only if the root ball is unstable or the tree trunk is bending. Use only loosely tied, wide straps and limit the number of straps to a minimum for support. Year 1 - 3: Use tree stakes only when needed. Many tree owners automatically stake every tree not knowing that it is often unnecessary. Check all stakes and straps during spring and autumn for loose fit and alter to prevent trunk damage. All straps should be removed after the first or second year.Year 4 and after: Do not stake older trees. Cleaning the Root Collar Roots that encircle the trunk at the root collar can cause tree health and safety problems. A trees root collar is its transition zone between stem and root at the ground line. Proper planting depth can go a long way toward keeping the root collar clean and free of encircling roots. Remember that piling soil or mulch against the root collar encourages strangler roots. Year 1 - 3: Proper planting and mulching will go a long way toward solving most root collar problems. The first several years of growth after planting is when tree collar problems develop, so keep the collar exposed by removing soil and mulch. Overfertilization can speed up the process and make the condition worse.Year 4 and after: Revisit and check the root collar every 4 years. Use a hand trowel to loosen and remove the soil around the base of the tree until the first set of roots is uncovered. Inspecting Tree Health Checking a trees health may not only be subjective for a novice but determining the health of a tree is complicated and should be done by an expert. Still, there are things you can do that will alert you to tree health problems. Ask yourself these questions when inspecting a tree: Is the current years growth much less than in past years growth? Although fast growth does not necessarily mean good health, a dramatic reduction in growth rate may be an indication of poor health.Are there dead limbs, odd colors on leaves and bark or a patchy crown? These tree symptoms can be the first indicators that a tree is unhealthy and should be inspected in detail. Remember that planting a healthy tree from the beginning is the best way to assure its future health. Pruning the Tree When pruning a newly planted tree, only prune critical branches and no others! Critical branches are those that are either dead or broken. You can also remove multiple leaders to leave only one central stem. It may be best to postpone pruning to avoid transplanting shock due to loss of leaves. Year 1 - 3: Prune only critical branches or to eliminate extra leaders in the trees first year. You will have plenty of time to form your tree so only prune lightly in Year 2 or 3.Year 4 and after: Prune your tree for form and function every three years. As a rule of thumb, prune fruit trees every 1-3 years, prune deciduous shade trees every 5 years and evergreens only as needed.

Irans Refusal to Release Iranian Americans Essay

Irans Refusal to Release Iranian Americans - Essay Example It involved the detention of dual citizenship holders, Haleh Esfandiari, Kian Tajbakhsh, Ali Shakeri and Parnaz Azima. This paper will recount the issues involved in this detention and the charges levied against these four Iranian-Americans based on newspaper accounts. It will also detail the reaction of US President George Bush and the rebuttals of Iranian officials. The purpose of this investigation is to determine if the detention is actually an Iranian act of terrorism against the US. According to news reports, the detention of the first of the Iranian-Americans occurred in May 8, 2007 when Haleh Esfandiari was incarcerated in Evin Prison, followed by the arrest of Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh on May 11, 2007, who was also remanded to the same facility. Two other Iranian-Americans were also charged, after having been prevented from leaving Iran for an undisclosed period of time. Ali Shakeri, on his way to Europe, was detained on May 8 as well while Parnaz Azima was prevented from leaving Iran when authorities confiscated her passport in January 2007. A brief description of the four detainees follows. "Haleh Esfandiari is the director for the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, in Washington". ("Haleh Esfandiari") She is an expert on Middle Eastern women's issues and democratic development as well as contemporary Iranian politics. She has published numerous papers on the contemporary issues concerning Iran, focusing on the plight of Iranian women. She has a doctorate degree from the University of Vienna and is the recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Grant. She has been prevented from leaving Iran since December 2006 when her luggage and passport were stolen while on her way out of Iran to the airport. ("Haleh Esfandiari") As a social scientist, Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh has published two books, received his Master's degree from University College in London and his doctoral degree from Columbia University. "He is also associated with the Open Society Institute, a non-profit organization promoting public health, humanitarian relief, culture, and local government". ("KIAN TAJBAKHSH, PhD"). Dr. Tajbakhsh worked with the Iranian government on issues of public health in rebuilding communities in the aftermath of the Bam earthquake ("KIAN TAJBAKHSH, PhD"). Ali Shakeri is an Iranian-American businessman connected with Global Estate Funding from Irvine, California who graduated from the University of Texas. He served in the University of California's Center for Citizen Peacebuilding as part of the Community Advisory Board. He is also an active member of the Ettehade Jomhourikhahan-e Iran (EJI) which is working for a democratic and secular republic Iran. Parnaz Azima is a journalist for US government-funded Radio Farda. Not much is available on the career of Parnaz Azima, but Radio Farda has long been a thorn on the side of Iran. A joint project of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA), it is a 24/7 radio service broadcasting news about Iran as well as popular Persian and Western music. The radio station's website, in which users can red and interact, had been blocked from access by the

Alarm Systems Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alarm Systems Paper - Essay Example 87) Fay, on the other hand, defines an alarm system as â€Å"tools that make security incident response possible†. (2007, p. 258) Due to its critical nature in safeguarding the resources of the organization, this paper is written with twofold objectives: (1) to present the mechanics on how the alarm system works and (2) to present the rationale for using different types of alarm systems. Alarms are either electrical or mechanical devices. In its simplest form, an alarm system is nothing but one or more sensors connected to some sort of siren. The very simplest alarm would have a switch on the door, window, vent, or skylights and it would be wired so that if someone opened the any of the areas specified, the siren would start wailing. You could implement this alarm with a switch, a couple of pieces of wire and a siren. However, this does not end here. An alarm system would only be effective with appropriate monitoring. Four methods of monitoring are noted by Morris (2007, p. 87), to wit: local monitoring, central station monitoring, direct fire or police monitoring and propriety monitoring. Depending on an organization’s resources and requirements, the appropriate method of monitoring is applied. Finally, an operator is required to interface with the alarm system. The operator sets, resets and responds immediately to the alarm system. Morris (2007) averred that â€Å"a basic alarm system is divided into three layers: perimeter protection, area protection, and spot protection. Perimeter protection is the first line of defense to detect a potential intruder. Alarm sensors on the perimeter are typically Area protection, on the other hand, is utilized to protect the interior premises of an organization. Accordingly, â€Å"these devices provide coverage whether or not the perimeter is penetrated and are especially useful in detecting the

Eggsactly LTD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Eggsactly LTD - Essay Example It has two departments viz. the sales department and the production department. Present scenario included the fact that the market had continued with the original enthusiasm exhibited in this machine and continued to demand more and more of such machines. However despite such a robust demand the company was not as profitable as expected due to certain cost considerations. There are two complimentary approaches to improve the profitability of the concern. One is to increase the funds position of the concern by inviting new capital into the company. This would automatically result in expansion of the production base of the company and hopefully, result in the spreading of most fixed costs on a higher production base thus improving the profits. Second approach is to follow careful budgeting process in the concern covering all of its operations. In fact budgeting process has been missing entirely at the concern with reported mismatches in sales forecast and resultant carrying over of the finished goods' inventories. Ideally the concern would benefit the most if the two approaches are taken in tandem as following second approach would not only help control the fixed costs but also the variable costs would be streamlined. In addition, the budgeting system proposed is likely to be responsibility linked budgeting system in which each executive would be assigned the key budgeted figures and be accountable and responsible for variations if significant. Sales Function Merely an over enthusiastic top executive is no guarantee to a successful sales function. This enthusiasm is, in part, attributable to the fact that the product to be sold is a successful product idea in its present form and features and is well accepted by the market and there is not much need to take up conscious advertising and media campaign. Due to this fact, while it is conceded that normal marketing strategy can be reduced to selling function in case of Eggsactly Ltd; even the vanilla sales function needs to be planned carefully and tied up with the production department. This can come through an integrated budgeting system where in the sales budget is linked and integrated with the production budget. The Sales manager would be accountable for key budgeted figures in the sales budget. The Sales Manager can, in turn, pass down, the accountability down the line to his sales executives, who may be assigned this accountability according to distribution of sales targets to them. A s part of individual initiatives the Sales Manager must look into the aspect of high turnover in his department. Some staff retention incentives can be introduced which are linked with sales targets and accountability which would help reduce the high turnover of the staff in Sales department. After this entire budgeting process must be reckoned in all its possibilities for Eggsactly Ltd and end in he choice of the best alternative which suits contextual realities of the concern. Budgeting Process Budgets are drawn to assist in clarifying and attaining business objectives. These objectives can be varied but can be commonly listed as minimizing costs/controlling expenditures, increasing revenues, gaining a higher market share, improving spread/margins (through increased sales), etc. Therefore, a statement of identified objectives becomes important at the commencement of

Group Project Final Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group Project Final Report - Essay Example After a certain time period, the evaluation can be carried out to find out if the investment is turning out as planned. The assumptions that can be applied the fact that the bond’s rate of return will remain constant and will be paid in time. The other assumption is that there will be no external factors that will adversely affect the running of a company. The reevaluation of assumptions can be done based on factors that affect the rate of return of bonds. The assumptions cannot be accurate because there are many external factors that largely affect rate of return. The things that did not work to our favor include the inflation rates. The inflation rates are dependent on a number of factors that cannot be controlled by a single individual. In reallocating, the investor can consider taking up investments that are in independent industries to ensure that profits are reaped even in the case of economic

How service delivery can be improved through better project management Dissertation

How service delivery can be improved through better project management - Dissertation Example It gives people opportunity to share their experiences which can be assessed for further modifications in service delivery system. Through project management, the available resources can be used effectively by team members sharing their knowledge and innovative ideas (Project management course). The accessibility of project management team to the current information enables them to identify the existing problems and demands of the customers. This up-to-date knowledge would facilitate them to assess the success of the service delivery. The quality of service delivery depends on the extent to which the customer needs are satisfied; hence the better management with leadership skills can organise the process of service delivery in a better way (123eng.com). There may be times when a better-quality product fails to sustain in the market due to poor service delivery. Thus it is very necessary that the service delivery has to be managed by a well-organized and efficient management. Communic ation is one of the key factors that determine the success of service delivery.

Group Project Final Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group Project Final Report - Essay Example After a certain time period, the evaluation can be carried out to find out if the investment is turning out as planned. The assumptions that can be applied the fact that the bond’s rate of return will remain constant and will be paid in time. The other assumption is that there will be no external factors that will adversely affect the running of a company. The reevaluation of assumptions can be done based on factors that affect the rate of return of bonds. The assumptions cannot be accurate because there are many external factors that largely affect rate of return. The things that did not work to our favor include the inflation rates. The inflation rates are dependent on a number of factors that cannot be controlled by a single individual. In reallocating, the investor can consider taking up investments that are in independent industries to ensure that profits are reaped even in the case of economic

Apple Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Apple - Essay Example These software and hardware systems have long provided success with regard to the company’s profitability. Moreover, while the company’s programmers, engineers, designers, and other personnel represent key resources, Apple Inc.’s capability to exploit these personnel’s abilities to develop hardware and software ecosystems encompasses the firm’s key ability. On an individual level, the resources represent only a temporary fraction of the firm’s competitive advantage. However, the combination of all the personnel’s abilities creates the firm’s sustainable competitive advantage. The establishment of Apple stores also provided the company with significant resources for physical presence since the stores act as sales locations, as well as means of advertisement. The stores allow the company to monitor and control brand image within the market. In order to maintain its current, strategic position, and enhance its success in the coming years, Apple Inc. should establish highly innovative software and hardware to augment its current resources. In addition, the company should also endeavor to employ personnel with Jobs’ passion for excellence (Lashinsky 58). Such personnel should not only form the company’s strategic planning department, but all departments in the entire company. Situational Analysis The company has a rather intriguing mission statement that not only provides focus to the company in terms of its business operations and processes. The company’s website provides a list of its products rather than a conventional mission statement. The company’s official mission statement states that it designs Macs, the best personal computers globally, alongside OS X, iLife, iWork, and other professional software. Apple directs the digital music revolution through its iTunes online store and iPods. However, popular beliefs hold that Apple Inc. got its conventional mission statement from on e of Steve Jobs’ quotes during the 1980s. Jobs’ quote can be summarized as follows: â€Å"Man is the developer of change in the world. As such, man should be above all systems and structures, and not secondary to them† (Lutchen 72). While various sources consider all these statements as the true mission statement, the company ends most of its press releases through a statement that bears a resemblance to traditional mission statements. The company ends its press releases with the statement, â€Å"Apple commits to the provision of the best personal computing experience to educators, students, customers, and creative professional across the globe through its innovative software, hardware, and Internet offerings.† The company’s mission statement provides a sense of direction, which is sufficiently flexible to the changing market situations. The company’s motivation to continue providing the best hardware, software and Internet offerings, means that it will develop technologies to adapt according to market situations. The industry has many successful competitors that pose a challenge to Apple Inc. However, the company’s strategy allows the firm to remain successful. Apple’s main competitive advantage lies in its broad array of products, especially its software, hardware, and Internet solutions (Cruikshank 81). The company’s immense resources such as personnel provide the backing for the company’s policies and strategies. This means that the company requires dedicated personnel to help it put

Biomechanical Principles In Basketball Essay Example for Free

Biomechanical Principles In Basketball Essay Basketball is a very competitive and popular sport in our society today. The NBA playoffs are going on right now and it has proved to be a very physical and intense post season. This sport takes an extreme amount of talent, coordination, and athletic ability to become a champion. There are a few biomechanical principles that are present during the game of basketball that help these athletes become great. The first biomechanical principle that is present in basketball is Newton’s Second Law of Motion. This law deal deals with acceleration in the sport. The law states, â€Å"The change in motion of an object is proportional to the force impressed; and is made in the direction of the straight line in which the force is impressed†. Newton’s Second Law is applied to the dunking aspect of basketball. When a player is about to dunk the basketball a certain amount of force must be produced to jump. Also a certain amount of acceleration must be produced to send the player upwards towards the rim. If this does not happen then the player is going to not be able to dunk the basketball. The weight of the athlete also plays a big role in this action as well. A player who is heavier is going to have a harder time jumping as high as a player with less mass. The next biomechanical principle I found that deals with basketball is another Newton law. Newton’s First Law deals with the law of inertia. This law is applied when a player is attempting a pass to his or her teammate. Newton’s First Law states that an object will stay in motion unless acted upon by another force. When a player is passing the ball to their teammate, the ball will stay in a straight line of motion unless a member of the opposing team attempts to steal the ball from its destination. Lastly frictional force is another biomechanical principle that I found present in the game of basketball. The friction between the athlete’s shoes and floor must be very high. Static friction is used when the player wants to push off from the floor to make an athletic move. The type of shoes that the athlete wears is also going to play a huge role in how affective the players’ moves are. Frictional for occurs when the player pushes down and backward on the floor. It is the force that acts forwards on the player and backwards on the floor. If it was not for frictional forces the athlete would not be able to start or stop his or her motion. In conclusion I found this biomechanical breakdown to be very interesting. Now that I have taken this course I look at sports from a greater biomechanical perspective. I feel that taking this course will really pay off as I become a professional in the field. Being able to break down sports into such a perspective is a great attribute to have as a future professional.

Cases Against Mercer Canyons Inc

Cases Against Mercer Canyons Inc ABOUT THE COMPANY Mercer Canyons Inc. is a private company and operates as an agricultural firm. Located in Washington, the Firm provides carrot growing services to customers and has vineyards. Mercer Canyons also offers potatoes, grass seed, corn, garlic and organic products. CASES AGAINST COMPANY Mercer Canyons, Inc.s has been filed with breach of contract regarding recruitment and hiring of laborers in March 2014. There are two instances in which company has been filed cases against. These are: Ruiz Torres v. Mercer Canyons, Inc. filed in March 2014 Perez v. Mercer Canyons Inc. filed in January 2016 First will look at the Ruiz Torres issue which is regarding the Disclosure of Information and Underpayment of Jobs. RUIZ TORRES V. MERCER CANYON THE H-2A CLEARANCE ORDER Mercer Canyon undertook the H-2A temporary worker program which provides the domestic employers to hire workers from foreign country in order to fill their temporary agricultural jobs. For an employer to hire workers under this program, it first needs to submit a proposal clearance order to the State Workforce Agency (in Washington State, the Employment Security Department (ESD)), for review. Once the clearance order is accepted by the Workforce Agency, the employer needs to file an application for H-2A certification. An employers petition can only be approved if there are no sufficient local workers available. H-2A regulations asks employers to follow the duty, abide by the regulations and hire available local employees first. Mercer Canyon hired WAFLA to advise regarding the regulations of H-2A program. WAFLA- WA Farm Labor Association is a seasonal employers Premier HR association. WAFLA did all the procedures on behalf of Mercer Canyon. The clearance order was accepted and the company could employee the workers from March 24, 2013 to September 1, 2013 at $12.00 per hour. WAFLA assured that Mercer would comply with the regulations of the H-2A program (CIRCUIT, 2016). DISCUSSING THE BREACH There were 44 positions available under the H-2A program. Mercer hired only 22 domestic workers under the H-2A program. Among these, few were hired through WorkSource. WorkSource is and organization providing job referrals. Among the remaining 22 positions, Mercer hired only 19 foreign workers. These 19 workers arrived on May 2, 2013. Ruiz and Amador, the residents of Yakima Country applied to the company for work before the start date of the clearance order. They were qualified U.S. workers and were eligible for work under clearance order. These workers filed a suit in 2014 against Mercer Canyon, alleging that the company did not disclose the information regarding availability of higher- paying vineyard jobs under the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program and thereby misleading the local farm workers. Also, alleging that the company underpaid the domestic workers who were hired. On March 19, 2013, Amador went to Mercer Canyons offices and was informed by the Mercer employee that no work was available and he was never informed about the vineyard laborer jobs availability under the H-2A clearance order. Amadors claim was right because Mercer hired 19 foreign workers even though local workers were available for the job (casetext, n.d.). Ruiz Torres worked as a vineyard laborer at Mercer Canyons in 2012. He came back to the company to work again in 2013 as a vineyard laborer pursuant to the H-2A clearance order that paid $12 per hour. In his case, the company did not solicit his return as a vineyard laborer pursuant under H-2A clearance order and paid $9.88 per hour (casetext, n.d.). Judge Bastian certified an Inaccurate Information class and an Equal Pay subclass on April 8, 2015. The Inaccurate Information class, numbering approximately 600 individuals, includes the following members: All domestic migrant and seasonal farm workers who: 1) were employed as vineyard workers by Mercer Canyons in 2012; 2) sought employment at Mercer Canyons in 2013 between February 4 and June 15, 2013; or 3) performed vineyard work at Mercer Canyons between March 24 and September 15, 2013, and were not referred by WorkSource. Within this class, Plaintiffs identified an Equal Pay subclass, of approximately 200 individuals. This subclass is comprised of the following members: All domestic and seasonal farm workers who performed vineyard work between March 24 and September 15, 2013 for Mercer Canyons, were paid less than $12 per hour, and were not referred by WorkSource. The laborers were hired under the deceived workers class of certification which included following criteria: Workers who were employed by the company on 2012 Workers who sought employment at the company in 2013 before 50% of the Clearance Order Period elapsed Workers who were hired at the company in 2013 prior to 50% of the Clearance Order Period and were not referred by WorkSource This workers complaint fell under the violation of provisions of three Acts: Violating the Agricultural Workers Protection Act (AWPA) Violating the Washingtons Consumer Protection Act (CPA) Washington Wage Law Under Agriculture Workers Protection Act, section 1831 relates to seasonal agriculture workers and section 1831 relates to migrant agriculture workers. These sections state that: ÂÂ  No farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, or agricultural association shall knowingly provide false or misleading information to any seasonal agricultural worker concerning the terms, conditions, or existence of agricultural employment MERCER CANYONS TAKE Mercer Canyons appealed the decision on several grounds, including that several members of the class might not have been adversely affected because they would have not been hired or they may have not been seeking other non-vineyard positions at the time. Columbia Legal Services Attorney Lori Isley said that this case is about an employer taking advantage of the workers working in farm and who have contributed to the company and the community. He added that if the employer wants to benefit by hiring workers from forign labor market, employer has to abide by the rules (Federal Court Grants Class Action Status for Farm Workers Against Mercer Canyons for Unfair Deceptive Practices | Columbia Legal Services, 2015). HOW TO SOLVE Considering the issue, two questions are believed to provide the solution of the litigations: (1) Whether Mercer Canyons had a policy or practice to withhold information pertaining to H-2A jobs from job-seekers and current employees (2) Whether such withholding constituted providing false or misleading information concerning the existence of, or terms and conditions of, jobs . . . under the AWPA and CPA (CIRCUIT, 2016) Along with this a common question of Liability arises on the part of Mercer Canyon in the matter of disclosing the information on existence and pay-rate of the work under H-2A order. The individualized damages inquiries are common in the real-world scenario, especially in wage-and-hour disputes, and usually do not defeat certification. The laborers in this case had claimed the total amount of damage i.e. damaged caused to all class of laborers, rather than the individual calculations. Thus, mercer was made liable to the damages caused. Mercer had failed to keep the adequate records on accounting of each employees. It is a drawback for the company because company cannot show proof in the court. And the workers took the advantage of claiming an aggregate sum of money in the compensation. HOW DID MERCER SOLVE THE ISSUE The case was first taken at the district court where the court certified an Inaccurate Information class and an Equal Pay subclass, corresponding to plaintiffs claims. Then the case was taken to the federal court, where federal court agreed with the decision of the district court. Thus, despite of efforts by Mercer Canyons to prove themselves, they lost in February 2017 and decided to compensate $545,000 to the workers. A negligence on the part of the company lead it to pay a huge amount. WHAT NEXT CAN THEY DO TO BUID THE CONFIDENCE The company made a big mistake of not keeping the accounting records, the first thing the company needs to start with is to start maintaining the records of people and pay. Maintaining records helps and serves as a proof in cases like this Company needs to start abiding by the regulations of H-2A clearance order. And hence, hire the local employees first and pay proper wages. To ensure the confidence of the workers and other parties, company needs to have a proper communication among the parties regarding the issue. Explaining each party on what went wrong and what are the measures taken by the company to resolve the issue and make sure that such things does not arise in the future call of business. Company needs to keep one supervisor to keep a track of workers working on wage-pay. The supervisor can ensure on the workers satisfaction and can hear their problems. This would help the company solve any workers issue outside the court without getting into the companys reputation. PEREZ V MERCER CANYON On January 28, 2016, few plaintiffs filed a complaint against Mercer Canyon with respect to Mercers recruitment. These plaintiffs claim that Mercer Canyon asked them to appear for the interview. After the interview, they were asked to wait until they call for the start date and the rug test. Because of this the plaintiffs did not look for other job opportunities because they felt that their job at Mercer was approved. After a month, Mercer informed them that they are not selected for the job. Similar cases happened with few of the plaintiffs. Another plaintiff got selected after the interview and was waiting for the drug test. But then Mercer informed her that she is not hired because she left specific skills. Mercer in a way breached the contract by improper communication. The proceedings of this issue are yet to start. Mercer in this case does not abide by Good faith and Fair Dealings Standards. Mercer also excluded a class of people from being considered for an employment and thus engaged itself in Employment discrimination. Mercer Canyon should start gathering proper documents on its recruitment procedures to show proof in the court. It should also start gathering evidences and records. The company can also set the deal outside the court by making a negotiation with the plaintiffs. Both the cases look like one another in a way of miscommunication or employment discrimination. Because two cases are registered with the similar complaint, Mercer should focus on its communication to the employees and other parties. It needs to hire good staff members who are responsible for the proper flow of information among the company and to outside members. Company needs high concentration in managing the present or potential workers. REFERENCES (2015, April 09). Retrieved from Federal Court Grants Class Action Status for Farm Workers Against Mercer Canyons for Unfair Deceptive Practices | Columbia Legal Services: http://www.columbialegal.org/Farmworker-Class-Action-Granted-Against-Mercer-Canyons casetext. (n.d.). Retrieved from casetext: https://casetext.com/case/perez-v-mercer-canyons-inc CIRCUIT, U. S. (2016). RUIZ TORRES V. MERCER CANYONS. Washington.