Ecotourism in Ecuador

On behalf on the Quichua nation organisation I have been asked to write a report on whether ecotourism is the way forward for countries such as Ecuador. The Quichua people are a native group who live in Napo. In this report I will look at whether Commercial tourism or ecotourism would be best for Napo. Commercial tourism is the traditional tourism that the western world knows. Ecotourism is a way of travelling while improving the welfare of the local people. Ecuador is a republic in north-western South America. It has an area of 272,045 sq km which is roughly the same as the United Kingdom. Ecuador has a pollution of 11 million with a growth rate of 3% per year. It has a diverse population composed of people of European, Native American and African descent. The main language spoken is Spanish but many Indian languages are also spoken. Most Native Americans in Ecuador have become converts to the Roman Catholic faith. Agriculture dominated the economy of Ecuador until the 1970s, when the discovery of petroleum deposits brought added income to the nation. The influx of cash resulted in price increases for many goods and because Ecuador had a limited manufacturing base, people spent the new oil money on goods imported from abroad, therefore increasing Ecuador's foreign debt. Ecuador is a developing and poverty stricken country. There is only one nurse per 2,320 patients which does not help the child mortality rate at 82 deaths per 1000 births. Only 44% of the rural population have access to safe drinking water and the GNP is $1000. Ecuador would benefit from attracting tourists because it would bring money into the country, improving the quality of life. As Ecuador is an LEDC (Less Economically Developed Country), tourism may be its last option and a quick way of bringing money into the country. Commercial Tourism LEDCs promote tourism because it is a very large source of money. LEDCs that do not have any other sources of money coming into the country can turn to tourism for a reliable and steady income unlike farming and other sources which are unreliable. Tourism brings much needed money into the country to help with clean water, electricity, health care, schooling and housing. Tourism creates direct employment at hotels, bars and shops and it creates indirect employment, for example the local farmers growing produce for nearby hotels. Local people would be able to produce and sell their souvenirs to tourists opening up the souvenir trade. Local unskilled people would be trained to work in hotels, and as tour guides. Commercial tourism creates many more jobs than ecotourism due to the number of facilities and hotels and because of this unemployment in the region would be very low. Tourism encourages overseas investment into airports and roads, improving transport systems. This would then encourage more tourists to come to that country. The profit and improvements made from tourism would stop migration of people from the country as there would be many jobs available and an incentive to stay. Tourism can have very positive effects on a country while at the same time ruining the culture, traditions and lives of native people. The sight of hotels and planes can spoil the appearance of the once untouched surroundings creating air and noise pollution. Usually only between 10 and 20% of all profits made stays in the country. As most hotels are foreign owned and most tourists spend their money in the hotels all of the profits go out of the country. As the tourism industry is seasonal, people may not be earning an income for some parts of the year. As the hotels are foreign owned most of the high paid jobs for example ‘manager' would be filled by foreign people. The money earned by these people would not stay in the country. Local craft industries would be destroyed due to the need for mass produced cheap souvenirs unlike their hand made quality pieces. Foreign companies may seize the souvenir monopoly by selling very cheap mass produced goods. Again this profit would be leaving the country. The farming economy is damaged as land is sold off to developers to build hotels. The hotels would prefer to buy food from overseas as the food grown in Ecuador would not meet the demands of European style foods for the tourists. All the new facilities, for example, airports and other transport services would not benefit the native people as they could not afford to use them. The borrowed money from overseas would increase the country's national debt which would not help the overall economy. Tourists expect unlimited water supplies into hotels and attractions. Their supply is ten times greater than the local people's demand. This could cause water shortages for local people's domestic and farmland use. If farmers do not have enough water to grow their crops, they could lose their entire harvest for the year which can have devastating effects. Local cultures and traditions can be destroyed by the new problems that are only due to tourism for example crime, prostitution and drugs. This is because they have never before had any contact from the western world. Tourists do not have any respect for the local people's customs and beliefs by walking into mosques and temples inappropriately dressed. The building of hotels, airports and other facilities means local people lose their homes, land and traditional means of livelihood. For example fishermen are no longer able to fish, because overseas companies have closed off parts of the beach and sea to only allow their hotel customers to use it. There can also be many risks in commercial tourism. Commercial tourism can be greatly affected by political events such as terrorism. Tourism trends can change. Places where tourists used to go can become unwanted travel destinations, leaving many people unemployed. People are unemployed, as businesses have failed as there are not any customers. This can have a great effect on a country's economic structure. The people who would be in favour of this type of tourism would be overseas companies who want to invest in LEDCs. The land in LEDCs is very cheap so it would not cost companies that much to build hotels. These companies could then discriminate employees by paying them a very low wage and charging tourists a lot to stay in them. They also know that there is a large willing workforce to use and would be able to take advantage of this. Overseas tour operators would prefer commercial tourism as it attracts many more tourists. Tour operators would make more money from selling commercial holidays rather than eco holidays. Local businesses would also like commercial tourism as it brings more customers, along with good transport links such as, roads, trains and airports. This also opens up the rest of the world to businesses who want to export goods internationally. Local farmers may also be in favour of commercial tourism as it opens up a large market to sell their produce. The people who would be opposed to this tourism would be local native people who would not want airports, roads and other facilities to ruin their culture and natural way of life. Commercial tourism creates a lot of jobs, but most of the profits go out of the country to large companies who own the hotels and other facilities. Their natural ways of life would be taken away by the invasion of foreign cultures and traditions. Local people who sell souvenirs would not like commercial tourism as this would bring in mass produced cheap souvenirs crushing the local people's businesses. Foreign companies would have more money to set up shops unlike local people attracting more customers. A lot of the money earned from commercial tourism would leave the country for large foreign companies and does not benefit everyone. People's cultures and traditions are ruined, and with that their jobs and lives. Below are some quotes from people who have been employed and disrupted by commercial tourism. â€Å"Commercial tourism has been in Napo for a long time but it's benefited only the tour companies and not us. It also brought crime into the area† â€Å"Commercial guides brought tourists to our villages and paid us hardly anything, not even enough for a bus fare to Tena. The tourists walked around our villages, into houses, and took photos without asking† â€Å"We want to continue existing according to our own culture and alongside our natural mother, the jungle† Ecotourism Ecotourism is a responsible type of travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people Ecotourism is a way of travelling while improving the welfare of the local people. This means that in ecotourism areas, there are not any hotels or airports that ruin the landscape. People stay in the same facilities as the local people. This means there is not air or noise pollution. All the income made by this type of tourism stays in the country with the local people helping towards schooling, clean water and healthcare. No money leaves the country to go to large overseas companies. Local craft industries can grow as there are not any large companies mass producing cheap souvenirs. People will pay for the time and effort that a local person has put into making that souvenir. No land is taken over for development of hotels and airports so farmland is not lost. No food is imported from abroad as all the food eaten by the tourists is locally grown. Ecotourism costs a lot less than commercial tourism so it does not increase national debt. Local cultures and traditions are not destroyed as local people are allowed to carry on living normally. The type of people going on eco holidays are not the same people who go on commercial holidays. This means that in eco areas, they will not get any drug abuse, prostitution or crime. The people who go on eco holidays respect the local people's ways of life, try and help the local people and will not try and get in their way. Farmers and people do not lose their land or houses to ecotourism or their traditional way of life as there are not any large companies taking over parts of land or beaches for foreign use only. The local people let tourists into their way of life instead of adapting to foreign ways. Also the local people and the environment is respected and cared for in ecotourism unlike commercial tourism. The disadvantages of ecotourism are that a lot less money is made from ecotourism than commercial tourism. As a lot less people go on eco holidays the countries get less money, but all the money is going straight to the local people instead of out of the country. Ecotourism does not create as much employment as commercial tourism as it is not on a large scale. It is based around the local people and not always for the tourist's benefit. Due to this there are not any attractions or many facilities which in commercial tourism would create a lot of jobs. The people who would be in favour for ecotourism are the Quichua people in Napo who would not want commercial tourism in their area. Here is a quote from the Quichua people about ecotourism: â€Å"Our way of life, traditions and culture are being preserved. Some people who left our village to find work are now returning to work in ecotourism. Our community is becoming stronger† They would not want commercial tourism as the hotels, airports, roads and other facilities would spoil the natural environment and ruin their cultures and natural ways of life. They would prefer ecotourism which would invite tourists into the area, generating money for the country without spoiling the natural environment or disturbing their native way of life. The Quichua people earn a living from making souvenirs and farming. With commercial tourism, their farmland would be taken away and their souvenir industries ruined. All the money created would stay in the country and be used directly to improve their way of life. Below are some quotes from people who have been employed and benefited from ecotourism. â€Å"We work as guides and decide who we invite to our village. We grow food and make handicraft to sell to the tourists† â€Å"The profits we earn from ecotourism are invested to improve our community, by building schools and a health centre for our children† â€Å"Now we can make a living preserving the forest and not destroying it† The people who would not be in favour of ecotourism are companies and businesses in Napo and Ecuador. Companies and businesses in Napo would prefer commercial tourism as it brings in more customers. Ecotourism has a lot less tourists entering the country which would not benefit them. Commercial tourism also brings good transport links such as airports, roads and trains unlike ecotourism. These transport links would create international customers, expanding the business and recovering Ecuador's debt. Ecotourism limits companies expanding by the low number of tourists and transport links. Local hunters and loggers in Napo may also be against ecotourism. This is because ecotourism enforces many rules on local people, preventing any more destruction of the rainforest. Hunters and loggers could be out of work and find it very hard to earn a living as they are unskilled in others areas of employment. Conclusion I have looked at Commercial Tourism and Ecotourism for possible tourism solutions in Napo on behalf of the Quichua people. Both have advantages and disadvantages but in my opinion the most important factors are preserving the Quichua culture and traditions, keeping the Quichua people happy. The advantages of ecotourism are, it protects the people's traditions and native ways of life, it helps the local people instead of using them, it creates money directly for the native people and is a more respective and friendly type of tourism. Although there are some advantages to Commercial tourism such as more customers, more money and more overseas investment, these things can sometimes be a disadvantage to the native people. Overall I would choose ecotourism for the Napo region as this type of tourism fills the needs of the Quichua people. I would also choose this type of tourism for LEDCs similar to Ecuador.

Marketing and Product Development

The question in the case is whether Kim should spend the fresh (2nd round) VC financing in Marketing and scale up the business or should focus the resources on fine tuning the existing product. Our recommendation is that the company should allocate around 70% of $4mn in marketing spend and 30% in product development and fine tuning the existing one.This recommendation is primarily based on the fact that the company should maximize the first mover advantage and develop barriers to entry by reducing the cost of goods sold with the help of economies of scale and ventually reducing the sales price so as to be competitive and not let others to enter the space. This is mainly because the business model is very easily replicable and thus create the risk of being thrown out of business in the long run.Moreover, the product development and fine tuning is largely replicable irrespective of the number of customers and each customer could be segmented based on the 4 bins Kim and Nolan came up wi th. With reference to the spend, the company should focus on Email marketing, Sophisticated social media, developing sophisticated search echanics, promoting the deals websites advertising and also advertising through blogs.However, it is worthwhile a mention that though emails and network affiliates program involves huge spends, they are directly proportional to the amount of business the firm does or the customer acquisition. The company may run the risk of: 1. Exposing the activities and products in addition to the business model by scaling up the marketing spends and bringing unprecedented levels of transparency to customers along with the firms competitors and potential competitors 2. Exponentially increase the customer retention and acquisition costs by developing ultiple layers of acquisition costs 3.May negatively affect the performance and reputation of the firm if the customers have complaints about the product However the firm may mitigate these risks by: 1. Acquiring max imum amount of market share and create growth in the market size. Thus, creating barrier to entry as a result of low selling price and variety of product match. This is mainly because the idea is substantially untapped and the product is simultaneously acceptable. The firm must target to tap as much market as possible before any new or existing player takes it over. Marketing and Product Development The question in the case is whether Kim should spend the fresh (2nd round) VC financing in Marketing and scale up the business or should focus the resources on fine tuning the existing product. Our recommendation is that the company should allocate around 70% of $4mn in marketing spend and 30% in product development and fine tuning the existing one. This recommendation is primarily based on the fact that the company should maximize the first mover advantage and develop barriers to entry by reducing the cost of goods sold with the help of economies of scale and eventually reducing the sales price so as to be competitive and not let others to enter the space.This is mainly because the business model is very easily replicable and thus create the risk of being thrown out of business in the long run. Moreover, the product development and fine tuning is largely replicable irrespective of the number of customers and each customer could be segmented based on the 4 bins Kim and Nolan came up with. With reference to the spend, the company should focus on Email marketing, Sophisticated social media, developing sophisticated search mechanics, promoting the deals websites advertising and also advertising through blogs.However, it is worthwhile a mention that though emails and network affiliates program involves huge spends, they are directly proportional to the amount of business the firm does or the customer acquisition. The company may run the risk of:1.Exposing the activities and products in addition to the business model by scaling up the marketing spends and bringing unprecedented levels of transparency to customers along with the firms competitors and potential competitors2.Exponentially increase the customer retention and acquisition costs by developing multiple layers of acquisition costs3.May negatively affect the performance and reputation of the firm if the customers have complaints about the product However the firm may mitigate these risks by:1.Acquiring maximu m amount of market share and create growth in the market size. Thus, creating barrier to entry as a result of low selling price and variety of product match. This is mainly because the idea is substantially untapped and the product is simultaneously acceptable. The firm must target to tap as much market as possible before any new or existing player takes it over.2.The increasing customer retention and acquisition costs could also  be countered by lowing the COGS as a result of economies of scale and effecting the retention by further lowering the selling price without affecting the margins much.3.Negative reputation due to customer complaints could be countered with the help of product development and fine tuning the existing products and ideas based on customer needs and value system. This could be done by implementing the CRM with the help of 30% of the additional funds raised in the 2nd round.

The Itnerarium Pereginorum et Gesta Regis Ricardis (The Chronicle of Research Paper

The Itnerarium Pereginorum et Gesta Regis Ricardis (The Chronicle of the Third Crusade) - Research Paper Example The paper is also meant to inform the readers of the figures that were behind the crusade and how each of them contributed to the struggle of rescuing and maintaining the ruler-ship of Jerusalem. The genre with which this work is written is kind of a narrative with blends the illustrations and examples that vividly make the reader grasp every element of the author’s thought. The text is elaborate and the evidences given are backed by references from other works thus authenticating it beyond doubts. The text though seems to be biased towards its analysis and projection of the opponent, the Muslim, who is the occupant of Jerusalem. Their leader Saladin is portrayed as a bad person yet to some extent the things that he did were much similar to those that Richard of England did. Richard is defended in the text for his deeds and he is showered with praises all through the text. Firstly, Richard is portrayed as a leader and a warrior who is a schemer with great intelligence. He thin ks ahead of time and he takes due consideration of his subject. During the initial stages of the third crusade, he knew and he had a feeling that it was very possible to conquer Jerusalem, but it needed more than that1. In his wisdom, there was a possibility of the win but maintaining the city after the conquest would pose a great challenge for him. This is because the soldiers and the crusaders would have loved to go back home to their people who had missed them. As the King, he had the authority of forcing the soldiers to take guard of the city but instead, his understanding stood open and in that consideration, he laid further strategies of laying the attack without offending his people both at home and in the battlefield. In the effect of this, Richard upon the in-depth analysis and understanding of the situation. He came to the realization that the dual combination of the Saladin’s powerful control of Egypt and Syria permitted him to in effect take control and surround t he crusaders. Because of his deep concern for others and the loyalty that he enjoyed, he had the stamina of power and humor of love that made him a powerful man in the crusade. He had the audacity to face danger and even in the farce face of defeat, he lost no hope and with resilience, he often snatches victory from the hand of defeat. This made his people believe in him. It is a natural thing that people would always follow the leader who assures them victory even in the face of confusion. His strategies were clear and even when there was uncertainty in the direction to follow, he promised victory by offering clear formula and methods of war and attacks2. Richard is further portrayed to have human attitude. He is empathetic and never had he wanted to put people to death. This is a thought which is quite paradoxical. When he was faced with conflicting situations, he had no choice but to slay a number of people. At the time, he wanted to make advances to the south, he was faced with a situation. He had two options; to set the war prisoners free or to leave a section of his soldiers in the guard or to kill them. As a rational thinker and a competent soldier, leaving a section of his soldier to take captive the prisoners would weaken his force.

Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin - Essay Example At first, having a baby made the couple happy, and the husband even more tender. However, after a few months, the once loving Armand became cold and distant, due to the baby being born with a very dark skin. Armand accused Desiree of not being white, since their child was not white (Chopin 206). No matter how much Desiree pleaded, her husband thought of her as a slave, which made her feel even worse and depressed. She went back home to her mother, and the last blow was when her husband did not even turn around to say goodbye. Months later, just when Armand was burning the remnants of his married life, including her letters and clothes, he stumbled upon the knife-hitting truth: a letter from his mother to his father revealed that it was actually him, who has the blood of a slave race, concluding the story of how his son came to look like one. During the time the story was written, it can be deduced that there were already interracial marriages between the blacks and the whites. However, it was still being frowned upon by the society, which made some relationships fall apart, like in the story of Desiree and Armand. Even though Desiree has hands whiter than Armand’s, she was still presumed to be a descendant of slaves, since she was the one who bore his child (Chopin 206). Because people were not fully aware of this, many people would marry and would be surprised to have a dark-skinned baby. This proved to be the measure of Armand’s love for Desiree, and sending her away would not give him any redemption after learning that it was he, not her who has the blood of slaves (Chopin 208). A reason why Armand was never told of his true identity by his parents was in order for him to be able to live at peace with himself. It can be seen in this narrative that aside from the prejudice blacks and their descendants re ceive from the whites, there is also the

Women and Economics in Colonial and Post Revolution America Essay

Women and Economics in Colonial and Post Revolution America - Essay Example She discusses among many other topics: motherhood, sex, domestic duties, the role of women as educators, feminine inclinations, women's relationships with men and the existence of women as human beings. I believe that human beings have in their nature a primal instinct for survival and that women have relied on men for their livelihood for so long that this human instinct has become blunted. This view is supported in Gilman's work where her writings point to a belief that women are now more feminine than they are human 1 By Gilman's definitions, women had a primarily "feminine" role to play in colonial America. In early southern colonies, females were heavily outnumbered by men but the hardships of life ensured that all inhabitants had to earn their living regardless of gender. Women attended domestic duties like sewing and cooking and men devoted more time to productivity in the fields but regardless of job descriptions, all were kept busy in they strife of making a living. With a rise in European conflict and the spread of these disputes to America, a new population of widows emerged who were previously dependent on their husbands for the livelihood of their families 2 These women gradually integrated themselves into the urban workforce; a move that was encouraged by authorities to decrease the number of widows and orphans dependent on charity.3 The revolutionary age brought change in the attitudes of women. Prior to the American revolution, migrant families to America had brought with them ideals about a "woman's place" and perceptions of "femininity" from the bases of their European origins. However, as the political environment changed and people in general became more outspoken, there evolved a greater tolerance to opinionated women. Women began to hold meetings in their homes involving both men and women where they criticized political and religious figures and discussed everything from economics to medicine. 4 The American Revolution was not simply a military conflict between American colonies and the British Empire; there was a strong cultural and economic resistance in America. Americans became more reluctant to rely on British produced goods and this started an industrial economy for women. Because of this boycott of British products, women became responsible for producing most of their families clothing at home in addition to other consumables like candles and soap 5 6. To continue to support their families and produce food for the army, women also took to the fields and assumed an important role in agriculture 5. If a family owned a business like an inn or a printing press, women often assumed these entrepreneurial roles while their husbands were away 7. This allowed women to demonstrate levels of competency and success at opportunities that were denied to them in the past. Women launched a full scale assault to cement their place in the American workforce. In the past, women who wer e forced to work were careful not make their activities too obvious. There remained traditions in society that a woman's place was in her home; her private sphere. However, during the revolution, as the demand for women in the workplace grew, women became more prepared to advertise their products and services 8. Women were not only participating in docile duties. Women sometimes traveled with

Diversity in Law Enforcement Annotated Bibliography

Diversity in Law Enforcement - Annotated Bibliography Example people belonging to different races and working in law enforcement agencies and to identify the various strategies that are being used by these agencies in order to attract as well as hire individuals belonging to different races in law enforcement agencies. The researchers identified that there is a lack of communication between the recruiters of law enforcement agencies and institutions that belong to racial minorities and they even identified that lower level of information is being supplied to racial minority communities and their institutions. The research article titled â€Å"Gay men in the police: identity disclosure and management issues† was authored by Rumens et al. and published during the period of 2012 (Rumens, 2012). The purpose of this research article was to focus on the research conducted to identify the ways individuals belonging to the LGBT groups were managed when they disclosed that they were gay or lesbian. The researchers identified that police officers who belonged to the LGBT group did not face difficulties in disclosing their sexual orientation and were looking for ways to disclose this information. The research even states that disclosed identities can be managed well in organizations that follow an open culture. The researchers conclude that it is quite difficult for gay police officers to integrate in an organization where masculinity is valued and empowered. Sadler, M. S., Correll, J., Park, B., & Judd, C. M. (June 01, 2012). The World Is Not Black and White: Racial Bias in the Decision to Shoot in a Multiethnic Context.  Journal of Social Issues,  68,  2, 286-313. The research titled â€Å"The World Is Not Black and White: Racial Bias in the Decision to Shoot in a Multiethnic Context: was authored by Sadler et al (Sadler, 2012). The purpose of this research was to identify the racial biasness that is experienced by police officers while they make the decision of shooting or not shooting possible offenders. The researchers identified

The Higher Education Crisis by Nicholas Carr Article - 1

The Higher Education Crisis by Nicholas Carr - Article Example Carr is making the argument that the rise of the MOOC and its substantial international demand has opportunities for improving the quality of education for students around the world. Why is this? When the author compares the online courses available through paid tuition, he suggests that it has become a rather homogenous and boring model consisting of videotaped lectures, thus providing little innovation in the learning process. Hence, Carr describes several case studies in which reputable instructors, such as Sebastian Thrun, a robotics teacher from Stanford, are launching free online courses to expand higher education to the less advantaged. While it was expected that a free artificial intelligence class online would receive interest from, potentially, 10,000 students, in reality, the class received over 160,000 interested learners. This massive interest from adult learners prompted Thrun to partner with two other robotics experts to launch a new start-up online learning company, U dacity, in order to attempt to revamp the online educational process and improve its quality. As Carr attempted to illustrate that educational quality had been depleted in recent years, the concept of inspired start-up learning centers allows innovative educators to create new online learning models that are aligned with unique concepts and instructional materials. Laura Pappano of the New York Times describes some of the business model of Udacity, the online company started by Thrun where selecting the appropriate instructors involves a very discriminating set of criteria. Offered a representative of Udacity, â€Å"We reject about 98 percent of faculty who want to teach with us† (Pappano 4). This tends to support Carr’s notion in â€Å"The Crisis in Higher Education† as the MOOC concept seems to break the restrictions associated with university and college bureaucracy and liberates instructors from using a standardized online teaching curriculum and, instead, d eveloping more relevant and pioneering instructional tools and lessons for the MOOC teaching model. The concept of Udacity is that even though instructors might be renowned in their field, they are not always the best educators to provide a quality educational experience. With a more stringent set of criteria for hiring educators in the MOOC, this new concept in learning (enhanced with no-fee learning) could significantly outperform traditional campus-based learning and the for-fee online class experience.  Ã‚  

Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Children - Essay Example The question now arises that ‘what leads the children to divert from the society’s well treaded path?’ Is it because of the dramatically changing world? Or is because of the free media showing what ever it wants? Children have impressionable minds. From an early age they observe and remember what goes on around them. Sounds and pictures are the two main senses that mould the character of the child from an early stage. Of course the parents and the environment also mould the child’s character, but pictures in television and music are the main contributors to the development of a child in these modern times. [3] The Language The language used for most children targeted channels is getting more and more open. The cartoons like Johnny Bravo among others create that urge among children to attempt or copy the same styles irrespective to which society they belong to. Kid’s drama series show either love or violence which the children are apt to imitate in one form or the other. [2] The article ‘childish thongs’ that appeared in the guardian on Monday March 31st 2003 is also highlighting the points mentioned above. The language in the article is very strict and has a tone of anger complaining about the plight of children as a result of unchecked companies that propagate sex appeal in their products. The article does not blame the children for wearing garments that increase their sex appeal since children are immature and do not understand what they are getting involved in. [1] The Media The ideas about a certain thing are bred in to children from a variety of sources such as TV and movies. Children at their young ages watch and hear the pictures and sounds of the glamorous world which attracts them to follow the lead. This is the magic of the media. Showing explicit or obscene images on TV loosens the devil out of a child's heart and makes the child act in certain manners unacceptable to the society. [4] Music and TV artists like Britney Spears appearing in music videos wearing minimum clothing allowed on TV only appeals to the audience. The viewers world over go wild as the men drool over the sex-appeal involved while the women enact Britney Spears in order to get the same attention from the men. The children watching the video think dressing that way would get them rich and famous and get the desired attention. However these dreams are not always pretty in the real life. The increasing rape cases, sexual harassment and child pornography are some of the results of this trend towards wearing minimum clothes. [1] The role of the media in reaching to this trend is almost 100%. The cultures of one side of the world are shown on the other side, meaning that cultural clashes are bound to occur. Media is free to show whatever they want or tell whatever they want to and when ever there is a ban them, the media come up in arms cursing the government for not giving them media-freedom. Being the leaders of tomorrow, children getting involved in devilish acts can mark our world heading for chaos. Sanity must prevail within media channels to encourage dignity and self respect in children rather than propagating dangerous deeds against the boundaries of the society. [4] The media must aim to show images, documentaries or videos that give a meaning or a moral that the children can learn. Through articles like these, the parents of the children can be given a heads-up warning that their children involved in

Dr Zhivago And Political Ideologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Dr Zhivago And Political Ideologies - Essay Example The movie encompasses the entire situation by concentrating upon the activities and condition of general public, which had witnessed tremendous changes in social, financial and cultural scenario of their country. The revolution had actually been organized against the prevailing social discrimination, injustices and inequalities in the Tsarist imperialist Russian political structure, which had given birth to the exploitation of haves-not or suppressed classes at the hands of haves or elite stratum. â€Å"For centuries, autocratic and repressive czarist regimes ruled the country and most of the population lived under severe economic and social conditions. Consequently, movements for overthrowing the oppressive government were staged at different times by students, workers, peasants, and members of the nobility.† (emayzine.com) Somehow, failure of these efforts added to popular discontent with the government’s corruption and inefficiency. In 1917 these events resulted in t he fall of the czarist government and the establishment of the Bolshevik Party, which would bestow respectable place upon workers and peasants, according to the expectations of the people. Anarchy, Chaos and Revolution: Though the revolution had brought the glad tidings regarding the implementation of the noble principles of social justice and equality, in the aftermath of the fall of age-old Tsarist imperialism, yet it failed to exhibit freedom and justice according to the high hopes established by the Russian subjects. Consequently, civil war broke out in the country, between the pro-Tsar White Army, liberals, reactionaries and land owners on the one hand, and the farmers, peasants, students, revolutionists and Bolshevik Red Army led by the Leninist-socialists on the other, turning the country into a sorry state of affairs. The movie successfully draws out the turmoil, anarchy and disturbance the people underwent at the outbreak of civil war, which laid indelible impact on the pol itical and social scenario of the country. Additionally, the civil war created unrest and chaos by destabilizing the economic activities of the masses. Thus, the movie under-analysis accurately reflects the entire socio-cultural scenario of the Soviet Russia during and after the war, which ended in the success of the Red Army and imposition of Socialist doctrine in its true spirit subsequently. The movie also throws light on the negative aspects of socialism, which had not been taken into consideration before the establishment of very first socialist governmental system in any part of the globe. The movie reveals the affects of revolution and civil war on the socioeconomic condition of the general public, the position of whom appears to become more and more miserable and pathetic because of the social evils and curses including corruption, nepotism, favoritism, embezzlement of public treasure and misuse of power, adopted by the socialists in the prestigious name of revolution. The e ntire social establishment brought uncertainty and insecurity, and thus paved the way towards the restlessness and disorder in the everyday life of the Russian people at large. The writer looks ridiculing over the u-turn taken by the Bolsheviks as soon as they are at the helm of the government. The film shows how the Bolshevik leaders and workers used to support individual freedom

HRM Case study (giving HR advice) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HRM Case study (giving HR advice) - Essay Example Elements of organizational structure Specialization Managers need to decide how much work is to be done by each employee. Less degree of specialization would mean one worker handling many tasks at a time. This works with small organizations. But with a large organization, tasks need to be divided into chunks and each chunk should be handled by the designated worker. This improves productivity which also gives total control on the task (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010). Departmentalization Forming departments as per different functions is a logical way to do things in a large organization. It is a practical solution in which two different functions cannot hinder each other as they have been separated by their respective departments (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010). Authority An important issue arising is of who is going to take how much authority in his hands. None of the organizations are completely centralized or decentralized. Managers must consider the experience and personality of the s ubordinates when deciding for the management style and strategy of the organization (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010). Span of control First and foremost, organizational structure of an organization should be determined. This will determine the nature of responsibilities and authority on each member of the organization. ... A narrow span of control would have fewer people to report directly to the manager. This would add more layers to management and hence communication would be slow between lower employees and top managers. A wide span of control would have more subordinates to report directly to the manager. There is a good flow of communication between its lower level employees and top managers. Few layers are involved in the structure (Thomas, 2011). It has been researched that a small span of management with a taller organization structure would be more expensive to run because of greater number of managers. It would also show communication problems. A wider span of control would is more recommended and proves to be useful in most environments. The reason is more employees report to managers directly which would increase employees’ motivation, morale and productivity (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010). Coordination of activities Even if there is departmentalization and specialization, there shoul d be coordination between its activities. Problems arise when there is lack of coordination of activities. There should be a link between the functions of two departments (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010). A Functional Organization Mr. John Brown needs to make his hotel a functional organization. A functional organization organizes itself along functional lines, with departments being grouped according to their specific functions. Each department is further sub-divided into further small departments. For instance, if there is Rooms Department in a hotel, it is further subdivided into other smaller departments such as laundry department. This way, specific tasks are performed by employees in a specific pattern and there are fewer chances of errors. A functional organization

AIDS and Needles Essay Example for Free

AIDS and Needles Essay Becton Dickinson, one of the largest manufacturers of medical supplies, dominates the US market in disposable syringes and needles. In 2005, a nurse, Maryann Rockwood (a fictional name), used a Becton Dickinson 5cc syringe and needle to draw blood from a patient known to be infected with HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus). Ms. Rockwood worked in a clinic that served AIDS patients, and she drew blood from these patients several times a day. After drawing the blood on this particular day, she transferred the HIV-contaminated blood to a sterile test tube by sticking the needle through the rubber stopper of the test tube, which she was holding with her other hand. She accidentally pricked her finger with the contaminated needle. She is now HIV positive. A few years earlier, in 2000, Becton Dickinson had acquired exclusive rights to a patent for a new syringe that had a moveable protective sleeve around it. The plastic tube around the syringe could slide down to safely cover the needle. The Becton Dickinson 5cc syringe used by Maryann Rockwood in 2005, however, did not yet have such a protective guard built into it. The AIDS epidemic has posed peculiarly acute dilemmas for health workers, including doctors and nurses. Doctors performing surgery on AIDS patients can easily prick their fingers with a scalpel, needle, sharp instrument, or even bone fragment and can become infected with the virus. The greatest risk is to nurses, who, after routinely removing an intravenous system, drawing blood, or delivering an injection to an AIDS patient, can easily stick themselves with the needle they were using. Needlestick injuries occur frequently in large hospitals and account for about 80 percent of reported occupational exposures to HIV among health care workers. It was conservatively estimated in 2005 that about 64 health care workers were then being infected with HIV each year as a result of needlestick injuries. Although the fear of HIV had heightened concerns over needlestick injuries, HIV was not the only risk posed by needlestick injuries. Hepatitis B can also be contracted through an accidental needlestick. In 2000, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) estimated, on the basis of hospital reports, that each year at least 12,000 health care workers are exposed to blood contaminated with the Hepatitis B virus, and of these 250 die as a  consequence. Due to underreporting, however, the actual numbers may be higher. In addition to Hepatitis B, needlestick injuries can also transmit numerous other viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections, as well as toxic drugs or other agents that are delivered through a syringe and needle. The total statistics on needlestick injuries in 2005 are disturbing, although the exact incidence of contamination is unclear. It was estimated that each year, in the United States alone, between 800,000 and 1 million needlestick injuries occurred in hospitals of these, between 60,000 and 300,000 resulted in Hepatitis B infection. By one estimate, the risk of contracting HIV from a known contaminated needle could be as high as 1 in 1000, and the risk of contracting Hepatitis B, a serious and often life-threatening condition, could be as high as 1 in 6. These estimates would imply that as many as 600 to 1000 health care workers were at risk of contracting HIV and as many as 100,000 were at risk of contracting Hepatitis B. Several agencies stepped in to set guidelines for nurses, including the American Nursing Association, the CDC, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FAD), who all developed such guidelines. The most comprehensive guidelines were issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), who on December 6, 2001, required hospitals and other employers of health workers to (a) make sharps containers (safe needle containers) accessible to workers, (b) prohibit the practice of recapping needles by holding the cap in one hand and inserting the needle with  the other, and (c) provide information and training on needlestick prevention to employees.  The usefulness of these guidelines was controversial. Nurses work in high-stress emergency situations requiring quick action, and they are often pressed for time both because of the large number of patients they must care for and the highly variable needs and demands of these patients. In s uch workplace environments, it is difficult to adhere to the guidelines recommended by the agencies. For example, a high-risk source of needle sticks is the technique of replacing the cap on a needle (after it has been  used) by holding the cap in one hand and inserting the needle into the cap with the other hand. OSHA guidelines specifically warned against this two-handed technique of recapping and instead required that the cap be placed on a stable surface and the nurse use a one-handed spearing technique to replace the cap. (Note that recapping the needles in this more time consuming way presented no risk of needlestick injury to the user). As noted above however, nurses are often pressed for time (and are keenly aware of the added danger of walking around with an uncapped needles) and tend to take the ‘two-handed recapping shortcut’ when no suitable surface is readily available for the safer one-handed capping technique. This fact is known to Hospital administrators, who regularly warn against such practices, and offer ongoing training and retraining opportunities to their nursing staff. Several analysts suggested that the peculiar features of the nurses work environment made it unlikely that needlesticks would be prevented through mere guidelines alone: The problem was not the worker, but the design of the needle and syringe. Experts on needlestick injuries argued that, rather than trying to teach health care workers to use a hazardous device safely, the focus should be on the hazardous product design and that a whole new array of devices in which safety is an integral part of the design was required. Regulators also urged manufacturers to provide the health care worker with devices in which safety was built into the design. The risks of contracting life-threatening diseases by the use of needles and syringes in health care settings had been well documented since the early 1980s. Well over half of all the needles and syringes used by U.S. health care workers since 1980 were being manufactured by Becton Dickinson. Despite the emerging crisis, however, Becton Dickinson decided not to modify its syringes, although it did include in each box of needled syringes an insert warning of the danger of needlesticks and of the dangers of two-handed recapping. On December 23, 2000, the U.S. Patent office issued patent number 4,631,057 to Charles B. Mitchell for a syringe with a tube surrounding the body of the syringe that could be pulled down to cover and protect the needle on the syringe. At the time, at least four other patents for needle-shielding devices existed. As Mitchell noted in his patent application, those devices all suffered from serious drawbacks. One of them  would not lock the protective cover over the exposed needle, one was extremely complex, another was much longer than a standard syringe and difficult to use, and a fourth was designed primarily for use on animals. It was Mitchells assessment that his invention was the only effective, easily usable, and easily manufactured device capable of protecting users from needlesticks, particularly in emergency periods or other times of high stress. Unlike other syringe designs, Mitchells was shaped and sized like a standard syringe so nurses already familiar with standard syringe design would have no difficulty adapting to it. Shortly after Mitchell patented his syringe, Becton Dickinson purchased from him an exclusive license to manufacture it. A few months later, Becton Dickinson began field tests of early models of the syringe using a 3cc model. Nurses and hospital personnel were enthusiastic when shown the product. However, they warned that if the company priced the product too high, hospitals, with pressures on their budgets rising, could not buy the safety syringes. With concerns about HIV rising fast, the company decided to market the product. In 2001, with the field tests completed, Becton Dickinson had to decide which syringes would be marketed with the protective sleeves. Sleeves could be put on all of the major syringe sizes, including 1cc, 3cc, 5cc, and 10cc syringes. However, the company decided to market only a 3cc version of the protective sleeve. The 3cc syringes account for about half of all syringes used, although the larger sizes-5cc and 10cc syringes-are preferred by nurses when drawing blood. This 3cc syringe was marketed in 2002 under the trademarked name Safety-Lok Syringe. It was promoted as a device that virtually eliminates needlesticks. The 3cc safety syringe with the protective sleeve was sold in 2001 to hospitals and doctors offices for between 50 and 75 cents. By 2003, the company had dropped the price to 26 cents per unit. At the time, a regular syringe without any protective device was priced at 8 cents per unit and cost 4 cents to make. Information about the cost of manufacturing the new safety sy ringe is unavailable but is estimated at between 13 and 20 cents each. The difference between the price  of a standard syringe and the price of the safety syringe was an obstacle for customers. To switch to the new safety syringe would increase the hospitals costs for 3cc syringes by a factor of three. An equally important impediment to adoption was the fact that the syringe was available in only one 3cc size, and it was perceived to be of limited application. Hospitals are reluctant to adopt and adapt to a product that is not available for the whole range of applications the hospital must confront. In particular, hospitals often needed the larger 5cc and 10cc sizes to draw blood, and Becton Dickinson had not made these available with a sleeve. For 5 years, Becton Dickinson manufactured only 3cc safety syringes. During that period, Becton Dickinson did not license its new safety syringe technology to another manufacturer that might have produced a full range of syringe sizes. Most hospitals and clinics, including the medical facility where Maryann Rockwood worked at drawing blood from many patients with Hepatitis B or HIV, did not stock the Becton Dickinson safety syringe. Most nurses in the United States continued to use unprotected syringes. Maryann Rockwood sued Becton Dickinson, alleging that, because it alone had an exclusive right to Mitchells patented design, the company had a duty to provide the safety syringe in all its sizes, and that by withholding other sizes from the market it had contributed to her injury. The case was settled out of court.

Subcultural Theories of Youth Culture

Subcultural Theories of Youth Culture Subcultural theories of youth culture owe much to the pioneering work of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) during the 1970s and early 1980s. The CCCS make use of the term subculture from US sociologists at Chicago University, and applied it to visually distinctive post-World War II British working class youth cultures, such as teddy boys, mods, and skinheads. Sociologists today employ three primary theoretical perspectives: the functionalist perspective, the Marxist perspective and the post-modernist perspective. These perspectives offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explaining how society influences people, and vice versa. Each perspective uniquely conceptualises society, social forces, and human behaviour. FUNCTIONALISM Functionalism is the oldest, and still the dominant, theoretical perspective in sociology and many other social sciences. According to the functionalist perspective each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to societys functioning as a whole. Functionalists see society as having a structure, with key institutions performing vital functions, and roles directing people in how to behave. They identify the functions of each part of the structure. For example, the state, or the government, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. This means that the family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families. In the process, the children become law-abiding, taxpaying citizens, who in turn support the state. If the process succeeds the parts of society produce order, stability and productivity. On the other hand, if th e process does not go well, the parts of society then must adapt to recapture a new order, stability, and productivity. For example, as we are presently experiencing, during a financial recession with its high rates of unemployment and inflation, profit and salary reduction, social programs are trimmed or cut. Families tighten their budgets while employers offer fewer business programs, and a new social order, stability and productivity occur. Functionalists believe that society is held together by social consensus, or cohesion, in which society members agree upon, and work together to achieve, what is best for society as a whole. Emile Durkheim suggested that social consensus takes one of two forms: Mechanical Solidarity: This is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in a society maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types of work. Mechanical solidarity most commonly occurs in traditional, simple societies such as those in which everyone herds cattle or farms. Amish society exemplifies mechanical solidarity. Organic Solidarity: This is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in a society are interdependent, but hold to varying values and beliefs and engage in varying types of work. Organic solidarity most commonly occurs in industrialised, complex societies such as those in large American cities like New York in the 2000s. Leading functionalists include Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons. Robert Merton (1910), who was a functionalist as well, developed his theory of deviance which is derived from Durkheims idea of anomie. It is central in explaining how internal changes can occur in a system. For Merton, anomie means a discontinuity between cultural goals and that accepted methods available for reaching them. Merton (1968) has proposed a number of important distinctions to avoid potential weaknesses and clarify ambiguities in the basic functionalist perspective. First, he distinguishes between manifest and latent functions. Manifest functions are recognised, intentional and obvious, while latent functions are unrecognised, unintentional, and thus not obvious. Merton used the example of the Hopi rain dance to show that sometimes an individuals understanding of their motive for an action may not fully explain why that action continues to be performed. Sometimes actions fulfil a function of which the acto r is unaware, and this is the latent function of an action. Second, he distinguishes between consequences which are positively functional for a society, those which are dysfunctional for the society, and those which neither. Third, he also distinguishes between levels of society, that is, the specific social units for which regularised patterns of behaviour are functional or dysfunctional. Finally, he maintains that the particular social structures which satisfy functional needs of society are not indispensable, but that structural alternatives may exist which can also satisfy the same functional needs. Merton expanded on the idea that anomie is the alienation of the self from society due to conflicting norms and interests by describing five different types of actions that occur when personal goals and legitimate means come into conflict with each other. Conformity is the typical successful hardworking person who both accepts the goals of the society and has the means for obtaining those goals. This is an example of non-anomie. Innovation refers to the pursuit of culturally approved goals by disapproved, including illegal means, in other words, they must use innovation in order to achieve cultural goals. (Example: Drug dealer who sells drugs to support a family.) Ritualism refers to excessively rigid conformity to approved goals and means, even to the neglect of the actual results; inefficient bureaucrats who adhere rigidly to the rules are the classic example of ritualism. The person who ignores and rejects the means and the goals of the society is said to be retreating from society. (For example a drug addict who has stopped caring about the social goals and chooses a drug induced reality in favour of the socially accepted lifestyle.) Finally, there is a fifth type of adaptation which is that of rebellion which refers to the rejection of approved goals and means in favor of new ones. Functionalism has received criticism as it has a conservative bias. Critics claim that the perspective justifies the status quo and complacency on the part of societys members. Functionalism does not encourage people to take an active role in changing their social environment, even when such change may benefit them. Instead, functionalism sees active social change as undesirable because the various parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise. MARXIST NEW-SUBCULTURAL THEORY Marx argues that societies result from humans getting together to produce food. The forces of production shape social relationships. In Marxist theory, class is the most important social group in the capitalist society and the mayor social configurations are class cultures. The classes are organised depending on the mode of production that determine a concrete set of relations of production: the capitalists (bourgeoisie) and the workers (proletariat). These classes are all the time in conflict and negotiation because one of them is dominant and the other is subordinate. This conflict perspective originated primarily out of Karl Marxs writings on class struggles and it presents society in a different light than do the functionalist perspective. While the latter perspective focus on the positive aspects of society that contribute to its stability, the conflict perspective focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society. Unlike functionalists who defend the status quo, avoid social change, and believe people cooperate to effect social order, conflict theorists challenge the status quo, encourage social change (even when this means social revolution), and believe rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the weak. As we can see, most societies are based upon exploitation of some groups by others. Those who own the means of production, such as factories, land, raw material or capital, exploit those who work for them, who lack the means to produce things themselves. Thus, capitalists accumulate profits and get ri cher and richer. Eventually workers will come to realise that they are being exoploited and will overthrow capitalism and create a communist society. In communism the means of production will be communally owened, so there will be no ruling class, no exploitation and much less inequality than in capitalism. Today, conflict theorists find social conflict between any groups in which potential for inequality exists, such as, racial, gender, religious, political, economic and so on. These theorists note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and agendas, causing them to compete against one another. This constant competition between groups forms the basis for the ever-changing nature of society. Critics of the conflict perspective point to its extremely negative view of society. The theorys ultimately central problems are: it has difficulty explaining the more orderly and stable elements of social life, it neglects or downplays the cultural and symbolic aspects of social life because it emphasises on economics and class, conflict theorists tend to assume the power differences lead to conflict but differences do not necessarily provoke conflict. POST MODERNISM Post modernist perspectives have developed since the 1980s. Some versions see important changes taking place in society, while other versions question the ability of conventional sociology to produce worthwhile theories of society. Some postmodernists argue that social behaviour is no longer shaped by factors such as class, gender, ethnicity and different types of socialisation. It is now simply a question of lifestyle choice. Finally, Post-Structuralism and Postmodernism, perspectives developed on the French intellectual scene, have had considerable influence on American sociologists in recent years (as well as on scholars in many other fields, especially literary studies). Derived from (but largely rejecting) both the Marxist tradition and the works of anthropologist Claude LÃ ©vi-Strausswho developed a structuralist theory of culturethese theoretical schools seek to account for the apparent disintegration of modern culture over the past several decades. Among the traditions major figures, such as Jacques Derrida and Jean Baudrillard, perhaps the best known is Michel Foucault, a historian and philosopher. Tracing the historical changes in societal attitudes toward punishment, mental illness, and sexuality, among other topics, he argued that knowledge and power have become inextricably entwined. Foucault stressed the disciplinary nature of power, and argued that (social) scientific discourse as one such discipline may itself need to be questioned. Sociologists in this tradition seek not only to study the world differently, but to make the production of sociological knowledge, and thus our own situatedness within structures of knowledge and power, part of the study. American sociologists influenced by this tradition sometimes call their work Discourse Analysis or Cultural Studies.

Successful Maybank Strategy In Market Marketing Essay

Successful Maybank Strategy In Market Marketing Essay Strategy is a high level plan of an organization to achieve their goals which means that it shows what the organization wants to achieve and how the organization achieve their goals. In other word, strategy is a comprehensive plan that sets long term direction and guides resources allocation to accomplish an organizations objectives. (LoPresti, 2009) Strategy involve the purpose of the organization, the goals and objectives of the organization and the plans and methods to achieve the organizations goals and objectives which we normally knows as vision, mission, objective, and tactics.(Anon) Vision and Mission Vision can be define as what the organization wants to be. Furthermore, it is a long term view which concentrates on the future. Mission explains why the business exists, and how it achieve its vision. In additional, mission supposed to be easily to understand by their staff, and customers. Defining organizations vision and mission can leading to its success. In additional, most of the successful and profitable companies are proudly to display and live theirs. (MCEACHRAN, 2011) Objective Objective is the heart of a business. It give a clear indication of where the business is heading and what it is striving to achieve. (Pierrepont, 2012) In other words, objectives monitor the progress and keep the company focus on goals. The objective of organization should be measurable, realistic and achievable based on the actual capabilities of the business. Besides that, objective should contain a specific time deadline and refer to a specific outcome to be effective. (E.Hamilton, 2001) Tactic Tactic is the planned and ad hoc activities meant to deal with the demands of the moment, and to move from one milestone to other in pursuit of the overall goal(s) (WebFinance, Inc., 2013) In other words, tactic is something the organization willing to change to meet the local conditions. This means that tactics is a short term method which set by line management and taken to accomplish strategy. (Riley, 2012) Strategy is seemed like a managements game plan which to running the business by strengthening the firms competitive position, satisfying the customers and achieving performance targets. Besides that, Strategy is also about to satisfying the needs of stakeholders, to blending of internal resources and the direction in which the organization is going. With the existence of strategy, the organization can determine the basic long term goals and the objective of the organization. Besides that, the organization also can determine the method or action to allocation of resources necessary to achieve the goals. Strategy is concerned with deciding what business an organization should be in, where it wants to be and how it is going to get there. (Riley, 2012) 4.0 The Successful of Maybank Strategy in Market The pressure on banks in this region is tremendous. To attract consumers requires more than just innovative products. Products can be copied, and pricing can be reduced by aggressive competitors. We must also look at the timing and the way we communicate with our customers. Building a valued relationship by identifying and understanding their needs is the best way to attract and retain customers. (Teradata, 2011) said by Mohd. Fadzil Bin Ismail, the head of Customer Relationship Management for Maybank. Maybank executives realize that the banking syatem nowadays had become a relationship-driven business in worldwide. Essentially, banking product are viewed as commodities, and the price can be reduced by aggressive competitors. However, the relationship between the bank and its customer can act as a key to success. Thus, Maybank had shifted its competitive strategy from concentrating on the product selling to focus on building the customer relationships. The goal of Maybank was to increase their understanding of customer and improve each customers experience during the interactions with Maybank, and thereby increasing the customers retention, loyalty and profitability. To achieve this goal, Maybank had launched a new Analytical Customer Relationship Management (aCRM) project in 2007. The goal of Analytical Customer Relationship Management was to help Maybank to better understanding their customers by communicating with them at the right time and using the right channel. Customer Relationships Management (CRM) is treated as a core function. We have invested in an Analytical Customer Relationship Management (aCRM) system which enables us to go beyond meeting customers current expectations, allowing us to anticipate their future needs in a proactive manner (Maybank, 2012) The Analytical Customer Relationship Management has driving their business growth and increasing the customer satisfaction. With this strategy, Maybank had increased the marketing campaign success rate by ten times. Lead generation times were slashed from weeks to hours, new campaign time to market was cut from weeks to days, and the average conversion rate jumped from a low of 0.3% to an average of 8% and a high of 30%. From the commencement of the project in August 2007 until late 2009, Maybank gained RM 3.0 billion (USD 961 million) in new sales (Maybank, 2010) In July 2010, Maybank has reframed its vision and mission to accelerate its transformation journey. The new vision of Maybank is to become a leading regional financial services provider by 2015 while and the new mission is to humanise the financial services from the heart of Asean. (Ang, 2010) To achieve this goal, the ability to offer a superior value proposition to customers is necessary and this is not a small challenge especially in the hyper competitive banking market. 6.0 Solutions In recent years, Maybank make strategic changes designed to enhance the consumer experience to improve their relationship with customers. Thus, Maybank had introduced a lot of product which designed to enhance the financial well-being of its customers. Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) programme A process that automate the generation of bills to third parties such as customers or business, and thhereby providing a comprehensive bill payment service to customers. (Maybank, 2011) Foreign Currency Mudharabah-i (FCM-i) account The first short-term Islamic foreign currency term deposit account in Malaysia which based on the principle of Mudharabah (the concept of profit sharing between bank and its customer).

Eddie Vedder Is A Vampire :: essays research papers

Eddie Vedder Is A Vampire Although at first he may seem to be just your average angst ridden lead man for a popular rock and roll band, Eddie Vedder, the vocalist and lyricist for Pearl Jam, may very well be a vampire. Although it is impossible to tell, everything points to his being an immortal. An in depth analysis of his lyrics shows that Pearl Jam's second album, â€Å"Versus†, has been used by Vedder as sounding boards for the complex emotions and change of perspective that come with one's transition to vampirism. Other lyricists have used vampiric images before - for instance Sting, in Moon Over Bourbon Street, which was written in first person - but Vedder is unique in that his lyrics evolve over time as being indicative of his vampiric state. Either he has become a vampire, he believes himself to be a vampire, or he is leading a fictional double life, from which he draws inspiration for his lyrics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What exactly is a vampire? Numerous myths, folk tales, and works of fiction exist on the matter of what makes up a vampire, but if they do exist, vampires have been incredibly careful to conceal their presence from most people (supposedly following a law known as the Masquerade), and very little is known about them definitively. However, some basic facts are common to most sources. These are: vampires drink blood, vampires live forever if not killed, and vampires undergo grievous bodily harm if exposed to sunlight; this normally kills them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many other things about vampires, such as their aversion to garlic, their superhuman abilities, and their prohibition on entering abodes unless invited, are mentioned in some sources and not others, and so it is unclear as to how much of this applies to real vampires, and how much is pure myth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eddie's vampiric tendencies became apparent in the lyrics to â€Å"Versus†, Pearl Jam's second album. Pearl Jam's first album, â€Å"Ten†, contains no real evidence of vampirism, and his lyric writing style is subtly different from that in â€Å"Versus†. In â€Å"Ten†, the lyrics are often in ballad form, generally relating tales of normal people. The songs Jeremy, Alive, Deep, and Black were all number one hits in the U.S. from â€Å"Ten†. Eddie was not writing about himself in these songs, and was only assuming personas for the narrative, a standard device for composers of fiction of any kind. Thus, the lyrics were simply Eddie's view of the world around him, incorporating characters and situations which he could relate to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eddie's lyric writing style had change considerably in the second album, â€Å"Versus†.

Coleridges Kubla Khan and the Process of Creativity Essay -- Coleridg

Coleridge's Kubla Khan and the Process of Creativity Coleridge's " Kubla Khan" is an extremely enchanting poem which is based around the 'stately pleasure dome' of the emperor, Kubla Khan. Although the poem is set around this pleasure dome, it can be noticed that the poem had profound depth to it. If one is able to understand the hidden symbols and meanings within the poem, it becomes clear that Coleridge's " Kubloa Khan" does not simply describe a pleasure dome, it is also a prolonged metaphore for the process of creativity. From the immediate start of the poem, the reader finds themselves subjected to interprete these hidden symbols. ' In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure dome decree; Where Alph, the sacred river ran' Although this passage seems straight forward, it contains the essential first three symbols of which the entire poem is based upon. ' Xanadu' symbolises the poet's mind, as Xanadu like the mind is the site where all the forecoming events take place. Kubla Khan actually exsisted in real life as the sole ruler of an Asian empire and had an extreme amount of power. This is why perhaps, Coleridge chose Kubla Khan to represent the poet, ( himself). This would not have been an extraordinary choice for Coleridge to make, as he belonged to a group of poets called the Romantics who believed that they could see things clearer and feel emotions and experiences more intensely than other people. Kubla Khan's power over his empire of Xanadu would therefore represent the poet's power and control over his mind. The sacred river, 'Alph' symbolises the poet's imagination. This symbol is exceptionally significant as the poem follows the path of the flowing river and therefore enables the read... ...d off by inspiration. The process is amazingly powerful and both mentally and physically tiring and it's results, like the pleasure dome of Xanadu are remarkable. Coleridge uses many clever techniques such as alliteration, methaphores, onamatapeia, comparisons and hidden symbols to emphasise the impact and intensity of the process of creativity. Coleridge also structures his poem to suit the style of his poem. The first stanza, gives an insight in to what it to come and what can be acheived by the process of creativity and acts as a sort of introduction for the process. The second stanza is extremely detailed and lively and shows the actual process of creativity. The third stanza almost defends Coleridge's work and ends the poem with the message that no-one could ever understand let alone feel the Coleridge's experiences in the way that he can and does.

Leadership Essay -- Leader essays research papers

Everyone has probably played the game â€Å"Follow the Leader† back in elementary school. It is a game where the leader stands in front of the line. He or she can say or do anything, and her followers (standing in a straight line behind her) must repeat exactly the same thing he or she does or says. Whoever was picked to be the leader must have loved the experience because one had the freedom to do whatever they please, while others followed miserably or happily depending on what the leader is saying or doing. However, if one was the follower, one would wait anxiously to be the next chosen leader. At the same time, one must somehow express his or her self in a fashion that will make them stand out from the rest of the students. Whether he or she is perfectly imitating the leader or behaving really respectfully of others. Nonetheless, who determines who should be the leader? What kind of characteristics must a leader possessed? What makes a great leader (Robbins, 2005)? Is the re only one kind leadership? These questions will be answered as you continue to read on. In addition, you will come across case studies, real life experiences, and my own observation on how leaders in my work setting exhibit leadership behavior and how followers respond to it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership is the capability to influence a person or a group to achieve many goals (Robbins, 2005). To elaborate, leadership is a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task, or objectives and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent by applying their leadership attributes such as values, ethics, knowledge, skills, and belief (Clark, 2000). Most importantly, not all leaders happen to be managers, and not all managers are leaders (Robbins, 2005). Even though one is positioned as a manager or a supervisor (he has the power to accomplish certain tasks within the organization) it does not necessarily mean he is a leader unless he makes people want to achieve high goals and objectives. He has the authority to tell his subordinates to do the task and they will do it just to complete it but is not interested in achieving higher goals. However, â€Å"leaders can emerge from within a group as well as being formally appointed [manager]† (Robbins, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is great leadership? According to the trait theories, some personality traits may lead pe... ... be technically proficient; one must know his job and the duties of his employees. A leader should always look for new ways to guild your organization to new heights. And if it does not work, re-evaluate, take corrective action and move on to the next challenge. However, do not look for someone to blame. A good leader is not an authoritarian leader. A good leader sets good examples (employees should also see and hear what they are expected to do) and work as a team. A good leader always look out for the well being of their people and always keep them informed. (Clark, 1999). Leadership is like an ART! REFERENCE Ballentine, k., George, A., and Hamburg, D. (1999). Preventing deadly conflict: the critical role of leadership. Archieves of General Psychiatry; 56, 971-976. Clark, D. (2000). Big dog’s leadership page-concept of leadership. Retrieved on December 02, 2004 from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html. In Brief; do women make better leaders? (2004). Harvard Mental Health Letter, pNA. Pree, M.D (1992). Leadership jazz. New York: A Dell Trade Paperback. Robbins, S. (2005). Essentials of organizational behavior. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Deontological Ethics and Emanuel Kant Essay

Describe Kant’s theory of Duty as the basis of morality (33 marks). Emanuel Kant was a German Philosopher who lived in the late 18th century and was arguably one of the greatest thinkers of all time. He came up with a guide to morals in direct opposition to teontological or consequential theories. Many people use his ethics as a guide to living a moral life, but what exactly is Kant’s ethics? How did he believe we should face moral problems and how can we apply it in our every day lives? Instead of situation based theories his theory was deontological ethics. This is a very absolute and objective form of ethics, which has been worked out using a rational thinking process. Kant believed that an ethical theory should be universalisable to be morally correct. This means it must be able to be applied to everyone all over the world regardless of situations or circumstances. Kant believed for this to be possible it must contain something that was ‘unconditionally and universally good’. This must me something that is ‘intrinsically good’ which is good in itself, the highest good ‘without qualification’. This thing that determines the moral worth of our actions cannot be instrumentally good, something that only becomes good pending the results of the action or like some things such as happiness, which are possible of making a situation morally worse. Kant believed that there was only one thing that is the right thing for us to do in any situation to make us morally correct. He said that ‘a morally good man is a man of good will’. Kant said that it was ‘impossible to conceive anything in the world as good without qualification, except good will’. For something to be of good will, it is not dependent on the goodness of what it effects or accomplishes. If it were, then it could not be considered to be of unconditional value and intrinsic goodness for it would become a ‘means to an end not an end in itself’. This leads us to therefore conclude that the consequences of any moral action are irrelevant. Kant describes the most important thing as being ‘not what the act accomplishes but the motive behind the act’ (Moral Problems – M Palmer). However we may ask what exactly is the right motive to have? Kant simply states that ‘ a good wills only motive is to act for the sake of duty’. For an act to be universally, intrinsically good in itself, it must not be done because of its consequences, nor from self-interest, fear or as a means to an end, rather only because it is our soul duty to do it. We should always act for duties sake simply because it is the right thing to do. We need to be very clear as to what this specifically entails. Kant is saying that we can not do a moral act because of self-interest. This is understandable because if we are doing it merely because we get something good out of it i.e. a reward or a good name then we are not doing it because we simply know it is the right thing to do. However we also need to be aware that this also includes the idea that we can not do a moral act because it comes naturally to us. We cannot do it because we derive pleasure or enjoyment from doing something we know is right or because we will feel good about ourselves if we help other people. This is because we are doing it indirectly for self-pleasure and this again is wrong, it does not include the presence of good will. Even if duty does coincides with what we naturally do, it does not make the act intrinsically good because we are doing it for another reason besides doing it because we know it is our duty to do so. The fact that we happen to be doing what duty prescribes is just luck. It is wrong because the moment anything that duty says we should do becomes something we no longer enjoy, we won’t do it. We cannot be for example honest as long as it pleases us to do so. Kant therefore concludes that ‘this will fails to be good will, just as if they had acted from self-interest. So far Kant has told us that a morally good person is a ‘man of good will’ and that a man of good will is one that follows where his duty lies. This is done for the very reason that it is the right thing to do and we have a responsibility to do it. It does not come from self-interest, calculating consequences, looking at specific circumstances or from pleasure out of doing something for someone else. However we still need to know ‘where our duty lies’ and what it is exactly that we are supposed to do to become man of good will who does what duty foretells him to do. We can be sure however that because it is a deontological argument, that we have an absolute principle to follow that does not look at consequences of particular actions or changes in certain situations. It is absolute and definite and we can be sure that there are no exceptions to the rule. We also know that it has to be universably applicable ‘to everyone irrespective of their situation’ (M Palmer – Moral Problems). It therefore must contain something that all humans have in common so we can all know where our duty lies in different situations and Kant believed that this was Reason or rationality. He said that humans are rational beings, we are all capable of resolving problems using reason. We all have an innate intellectual power that we are born with which we can use to work out rationally where our duty lies. Kant believed that it was unacceptable to look at consequences of a particular action and then decide if we should do it or not because there is not enough evidence for us to make a proper decision from. Rather we need to look at the actual experience of moral obligation and this is the feeling of what we think we ‘ought to do’. Following what our duty prescribes involves the idea that what we feel we ‘ought’ to do is what is right. We should all have a feeling of moral obligation; we all know the good and right thing to do so therefore we should do it. Therefore our duty becomes to obey our rational thinking which prescribes what the morally correct thing we ought to do is. However, we still have not established what the ‘supreme principle of morality is’. This one rule that we all must follow as a means to our rational thinking is something which Kant calls the categorical imperative. By imperative we mean something that tells us what actions would be good in the form of a command, usually using the words ‘I ought’. A categorical imperative therefore is an act that is solely good in itself or intrinsically good. The act is done because of the very ‘nature’ of the act itself and not to achieve something else as a means to it. It is done only ‘for its own sake’ and is free from ulterior beneficial motives. On the other hand we have hypothetical imperatives as an opposite. These acts are done because of a desire to achieve something else. For example if I exercise more I will become fitter. It tells us what acts are good as a means to something else. Palmer uses the example of telling the truth to illustrate the difference between the two. A categorical imperative would be ‘tell the truth’ because it is good in itself and always is the right thing to do. The hypothetical imperative would be ‘if you want to be trusted, tell the truth’ because we are gaining something for ourselves by doing the right thing i.e. we are trusted. Once we know the distinctive feature of the principle of morality, we can analyse it more deeply so we can specifically know exactly what it is that defines a moral act as being good. Kant said that a morally good act had intrinsic value. This is where something is good and valuable in itself. The very nature of them makes them valuable regardless of anything else. For example Kant believed that Humans were of intrinsic value and therefore should be treated as an ‘end in themselves’. The opposite to this is therefore is instrumental valuable which is when something is good only because of what it can achieve and therefore is treated as a ‘means to an end’. Kant said this is not how we should treat other human’s i.e. to use them to gain something for ourselves. He is saying that all humans should be treated equally and the same, we should treat everyone as we would treat ourselves. So for example, racism would always be wrong in the eyes of Kant. This links to the Christian idea of the Golden rule to ‘love thy neighbour as thyself’ which Jesus, the ultimate example of human goodness, instructed his people to follow. The final and key feature that Kant placed emphasis on when concerning the categorical imperative was the acts ability to be universalisable. A key quote he used was ‘ I ought never to act in such a way that I can also will that my maxim should become a universal law’. By this he is implying a method we can use to see exactly what laws are good because they have ‘moral worth’. Kant stated that if the law can be applied to everyone in the world without being contradicted then it is good. For example we can universalise the maxim ‘do not murder’ to all of society regardless of any situation without there being contradictions. By contradiction, Kant means one of two things, Contradiction in the Will or Nature. If we cannot universalise an act because of either one of these contradictions then we must conclude that it is morally wrong. By contradiction in the law of nature, Kant is referring to rules that cannot be applied because they are ‘straightforwardly self contradictory’ – (M Palmer – Moral Problems). The maxim or rule can not be applied universally because it contradicts the laws of nature meaning it physically is impossible to do. For example the maxim ‘never speak until you are spoken to first’ is not possible to keep because if everyone applied it then no one would talk at all because we would always be waiting to be spoken to. From this we can see that following this maxim would not be the good thing to do. The Contradiction in the will is not when something contridicts itself, rather a maxim that the person involved ‘could not possibly want to see universalised’ (Palmer). We may find that if it was applied universally we could be in the situation where we would not want everyone to apply it because it would help us if they didn’t. For example the maxim ‘do not give money to the poor’ because we may find ourselves one day, through no fault of our own, poor and homeless and then we would want people to give money to us to help us survive. Kant gave one simple rule to following universalisabiltiy and this was ‘ Act only on a maxim through which you can at the same time will that it be a universal law’. With this he prescribed a formula which we can all follow to see if a maxim is universalisable. Before acting we have to ask what rule we would be following if we carried out this act and this is the maxim. Then we are to ask ourselves if it was possible and would we would be willing for it to be followed by everyone at all times in all places. If it cannot then it is a contradiction in either the law of nature or in the will. Then quite simply, if it can be universalised do it, if not then don’t. In conclusion we can see that to follow Kants deontological ethics we must ‘act solely in accordance to duty and for the sake of duty only’ (Palmer – Moral Problems). It has been a very popular theory, which many people follow, sometimes without being aware of it. However we do need to ask is it of practical use in out lives today? Can we honestly say that it is useful, practical and realistic when making moral decisions? In my next section I shall be looking at these questions in a little more depth to see if we can logically come up with an answer.

Divorce, the Cause and Effect

The divorce rate in America is at an all time high with approximately 41% of the first time marriages and 60% of second marriages ending in a divorce, which I am a statistic of both. Two major causes that lead to a rise of divorce rates is lack of communication and financial problems; the overall effect of a divorce is a person’s general happiness. One of the primary reasons why people cannot stay married is a lack of communication. Communication is a vital element in a marriage couples need to discuss their problems with one another. If a couple does not discuss how they feel, their spouse will never understand what they are feeling. Open communication will allow each other to know the situation he/she does not like, so that maybe they will be more considerate of the others feelings, and will adjust to accommodate the other spouse. We should also listen to what our spouse is trying to tell us; sometimes we hear, but we do not listen. For example, if we find ourselves arguing over the same topic over and over again, that means one of us was not listening. Communication is a vital key to a successful marriage and without communication; the marriage is doom to fail. I can personally attest to this. I have been married three times, the first was a cause other than communication, but the second was defiantly due to the lack of communication and one not being able to accept what the other one was saying. The second cause of divorce is financial problems. Sometimes when there is financial hardships due to the loss of a job, economy, or illness, a spouse will lose control oppose to keeping their composure and supporting a loved one. Just because you spouse got laid off from work does not mean that everything is going to crumble. This is the time a spouse should be supportive of the other spouse in a new job search. If the financial problems are due to over spending and living beyond one’s means, then the two spouses shall sit down and discuss their spending habits and ways to correct the problem. Effects of a divorce can be general happiness. Some people after a divorce can be severely depressed because they feel they have lost everything. People realize the places and things they used to do were as a couple. A person feels isolated and alone at a married friends house, a person especially females no longer feel the financial stability, and security. Some people need a companion all the time; so the loneliness leads to depression and they cannot cope without having someone with them, leading to medication or alcohol to try to overcome the depression. In conclusion, I believe that if a couple communicates with each other and will support one another financially through difficult times they will have a successful marriage. If a person has a successful marriage, then they should be a happier person. The divorce rate would be lower if people would sit down and take the time to realize what they want and what their spouse wants. Before a couple gets married they need to learn to communicate and be financially supportive of each other, then that is when a couple knows that they are ready for marriage.

Translation of Narendranath Mitra’s Short Story

HEROINE Director Animesh Chaudhury came to Chitpur to sign a contract with Malati Mallik. He got an excellent opportunity to make his own film. Earlier Animesh was an assistant director. The producer, Boikuntha Poddar was a miser person. He gave only eighty-five thousands and demanded for a good movie. It was a challenge for Animesh. He had to face this, as he was a new filmmaker. However, he knew that he has to spend near of about one lakh. He needed to work hard to keep ahead. He did almost all the works by his own presence. From the initial stage he ran here and there, he gave hard time in almost every part of the work.Malati was not so famous in acting, yet she had to play a minor character. The role was short that was the reason she was given that role. She had to play the role of a wife of a worthless husband, a mother of a hungry boy etc. But, Animesh did not get Malati, even after the evening at her home. The servant Khantamoni said, â€Å"She has gone outside with Babu*. Sh ould I say something to her? † Animesh gave a name card to her with pale face. That whole evening was spoilt. Vinoy Chakroborty, lived at Joy Mitra Street, was an old friend of Animesh.Animesh used to visit his house frequently. His wife Labonno, offered him tea, coffee, including other delicious food. Animesh also gave them tickets of some new movies. He did not go there for a long time, as he was quite busy with his new direction and after returning from Malati’s house, he decided to go there to make himself free from these burdens for the moment. At least he would enjoy their company. He entered in a narrow gali*, where Vinoy lived in an old broken house. He was poor; he did not get any good job though he bore a good qualification.Animesh enjoyed their company, as they were very simple. He could feel a simple generous affection from them, which he did not get from that miserable city. Some loud arguments were going on inside the house. It was stopped by the sounds of knock at the door. Vinoy came, â€Å"Who is it? † Animesh called him by his name then Vinoy could recognize him. He opened the door and asked him to come in. But Animesh did not get that warm welcome which he usually got. He entered in the room. After entering into the room, he found nothing organized. Everything was misplaced.The shirt was tasting the dust on the floor, some paddy corn made the floor golden, the broken mirror on the floor was reflecting lights here and there etc. Labonno was silent and sad. Animesh got everything from the situation. A few minutes back the tornedo of anger came and ruined the decoration of the room. Vinod gave a stool to sit. Animesh said, â€Å"I think I have disturbed you. It was in climax, I can guess all these from the unorganized situation of the room. Vinoy offered cigarette, both of them lit the cigarette. â€Å"I am fed up with my life. I was not aware of such problematic situations of family life. Feature Article –  The Plane of the Sleeping Beauty AnalysisWhich couple does not have sons or daughter? Whose son or daughter dose not suffers from disease? A father always does his best. I also did, but I have limitation,†- Vinoy said with a sad voice. Labonno was silent but listening to the words she shouted, â€Å"My son would have died due to typhoid. None thought that he will be alive. † She pulled that little boy before Animesh and said in sad tone, â€Å"Look at my little son. Does he look like a normal boy? He can not walk properly, even he does not get proper energy in his left leg. I went to doctor, he advised to fed him well.If he is feed well he will be recovered soon. That is why I asked him to bring Oval tine. But I did not know that a father can behave like this with an unfortunate son’s mother. † At the meantime, the boy started crying. Perhaps he felt pain in his leg. Labonno took him in her lap and said, â€Å"My sona* †¦ D o not cry†¦ Your uncle will condemn you. Do you know your uncle is a good photographer. He will take your photos. Animesh, you have to take a good photo of my Bintu. Labonno smiled. That unexpected smile attracted Animesh. She was fair, tall and possessed a sharp nose.She bore a different kind of sweetness in her face. She was nearly twenty-four. Moreover, her body was much more attractive than her face. Poverty could not loot her attractive beauty. Animesh was gazing at her and by observing this Labonno lowered her face and asked, â€Å"You have totally forgotten us. Why not, after all you have become a busy director. † â€Å"Nothing like that baudi*†-He answered with a smile. â€Å"It is not fare Vinoy. You should take care of Bintu. Why did not you bring Oval tine for him? †-He asked Vinoy. â€Å"Why did not you bring! It was not only Oval tine but the other commodities also.You know, it is the last week of this month. I get only seventy rupees per mont h. I am not careless father but I can not. †- Vinoy answered with tempted voice. Few seconds everything was silence but suddenly Vinoy strangely laughed and said, â€Å"If she wish more to take care of her son, she could have got son from a rich man, not from a clerk. † â€Å"Listen to his vulgar words†-Labonno said. Animesh snubbed at him, â€Å"Do not speak rubbish! Where did you learn such vulgar words? †Vinoy remained silent. Animesh was looking at him with compassion. He was not more than thirty but he was looking like a man of forty. Have you managed any part time job? †-Animesh curiously asked. The answer came in negative. Labonno took out two cups, sugar and tealeaves from the selves and went out through the back door. The little boy hobbled towards the mother. Vinoy calmly said, â€Å"You have become director now, if you can give me any short role. † Animesh laughed at him and said, â€Å"You want a role! You can not even speak prope rly before any unknown person and you want to act. Then I have to give you the role of a dead soldier. † Animesh looked at him after his mockery and said, â€Å"How will you slay the slain?A dead is always dead in real life and reel life. † Labonno entered with a cup of tea and said, â€Å"Now I think he is quarreling with you. He has become so grumbled in these days that he can not think anything but quarreling. † Taking the cup from Labonno, Animesh answered, â€Å"Actually he wants to act on screen. He would not be able to perform so but if you try, you can. I am sure about it. Do you wish baudi? † Labonno laughed and said, â€Å"Is it so? Then definitely I wish, after all you are the doirector. † â€Å"I am not joking. I am serious Vinoy. If you agree then I can give a short role to her. -Animesh. Animesh explained everything regarding the need of that character. Vinoy was laughing. What was wrong with that? In those days zamindar* women are al so showing their interest in this profession. It was a very short role. Labonno had to be given a perfect role; a role of a diseased son. They had to give only four or five shots. She did not even have to speak more. She had to meet with husband only once. Most of the scene would be with an old doctor. Bintu would also act before camera. She would be paid more than three hundred rupees for that short scene. Three hundred!Labonno could not speak for a long time but Vinoy and Labonno were staring at each other. She could pay all the dues which she took earlier for Bintu’s treatment, she could buy healthy food for him, new cloths she would give him also, she would open a bank account for her only son with twenty-five rupees. Labonno would buy new cloths for Vinoy to make him happy. At last, if Vinoy gave permission she would buy a new saree* for her. Although she knew, that Vinoy would buy a new saree for her. â€Å"You are joking. †- Labonno said. Animesh answered, †Å"I am serious baudi if you agree I can manage. †Before leaving the house, he again requested Vinoy to think over it. Vinoy had to take concrete decision before ten’o clock in the morning; otherwise, Animesh would sign a contract with another person. He had already finished half of the movie and rest of it should be finished within forty-five days. He could not delay more. â€Å"Labonno had agreed. †-Vonoy brought the news in the early morning but he requested Animesh to change her name. â€Å"Is it your wish or her? If she becomes famous then you have to regret for it,†Animesh said with a smile. Malati had come to the studio at the middle of the day. She was above thirty.She worn a multi coloured saree, her lips were filled with pink colour, and tried to cover the black shed under the eyes with powder. â€Å"You are late Miss Mallik. I have signed the contract with the other person,† Animesh surprisingly said. Malati also shockingly shouted,  "What! You said me to come before twelve. Please†¦look at your watch. † She showed her wristwatch to Animesh. â€Å"I have appointed a new person today in the morning, I was in a hurry. I have to start shooting from tomorrow morning. Apart from this, I think you are not perfect for this role of a mother Miss Mallik,† Animesh calmly clarifies the things.But Malati tempted and shouted, â€Å"A photographer became a director that is why he is not aware of acting talent. Do not forget your position. I have walked over such irresponsible director throughout my life. One swallow does not make a summer, mind it Animesh. † Malati left the studio and then it seemed that a village got relief from the storm. Vinoy once came to studio with wife and son to show them how things happen. All were very curious about it. There was only one day in between, no time for rehearsal. Bintu was a golden discovered, as the director needed a diseased boy. Fortunately, he got it in rea l.Next day Animesh brought his friend, friend’s wife and son by his own car. Suddenly the director came across with Malati Mallik at the doorsteps of the studio. Animesh asked her the reason behind her sudden appearance in the studio, in a calm voice. â€Å"I have come to meet your new star,† Malati jealously looked at Labonno and said. Malati left the place after taunting him. Labonno asked Animesh, â€Å"Who was this lady? Why was she staring at me like that? † â€Å"She is not an ordinary lady. She could take your position but I†¦ † rest of it he did not express. Animesh had explained everything to producer.If Labonno could play the role then the producer had to pay less money and apart from this it would also be beneficial for promo of the movie, after all a daughter-in-law from respectable family would act on screen with her own son. â€Å"Laxmi* has appeared in my studio. How sweet her face is! Take her to the refreshment room,†The produ cer Boikunthababu* warmly welcomed her. The shot was ready. A lowered middle class family with a diseased son, he diseased son was lying on the old and dirty bed on the floor. Irresponsible father was somewhere enjoying with his friends. The doctor would not start his treatment if he was not paid.Nobody would be there to call the doctor. The mother had to come to son and she had to go to the window to look for someone. She had only sect in her two wrists. There was necklace in son’s neck. He was crying that was why the mother gave him to wear. Would she remove that necklace from that sleepy sick son? Yes†¦ She had to. She stole golden necklace from sona came out from the home at stormy night to call the doctor. All these were the first day’s take. Aimesh made her understand repeatedly. But Labonno could not. Her face reflected wonder but the shot needed extreme sorrow.She was feeling shy as the other person present in the studio was staring at the new actress. At last, Animesh said with irritation, â€Å"Where is the time to be shy? Your son is suffering from disease. Go and sit beside him. † Repeatedly Animesh made her to understand but repeatedly she failed to do that. She could not perform the shot. A strange fear gripped her. She even could not look anybody, not even her diseased son. Animesh took her to the rest room and said, â€Å"You could not baudi. † Labonno lowered her face in repentance. Malati was sitting just beside the producer. She was laughing loudly to see the situation.The producer requested her to act that particular scene. She could not deny the producer’s request, however she demanded thousand rupees for that particular scene. She came back from the makeup room in ten minutes. She harshly asked Animesh, â€Å"Where is your boy Mr. Director? † There was no boy in the studio except Vinoy’s son. He agreed for benevolence. â€Å"Is this your boy? What can I expect from a clumsy director l ike you? How can I be his mother? I would not even touch that boy,† Miss Malati said in a high-pitched nasal voice. However, Malati acted that scene very well. Bintu started to cry but she managed it by giving him toys and paisa.Then she started to take care of that diseased boy. Her acting impressed everyone. She did better than Animesh’s direction. â€Å"Don’t mind Mr. Director, after all I am his present mother. I know better than you that how to take care of a son,†Malati said with a light smile. She beautifully acted that ‘necklace scene’: â€Å"How can I steal this from my own son? † Then she started sobering. Boikuntha also became compassioned to see this scene. That scene would be the best possible wealth of that movie. Everyone had accepted that. â€Å"Where is my check? ,† Malati spread her hands towards the producer.Animesh happily congratulated, â€Å"I am really satisfied with your acting Miss Malati. How could you act such scene so realistically? † â€Å"All this was because of jealousy Mr. Director. Hope you got to know that who is real mother and who is step,† She said looking at Labonno and left that place. Animesh wanted to leave them at their house but both Vinoy and Labonno disagreed by nodding their heads. Animesh inserted ten rupee note into Bintu’s pocket but Labonno did not take that and said his son, â€Å"Pronam* your uncle and return that note little sweet heart*. That is worthless for you. Uncle would give you chocolate later on. â€Å"I am sorry baudi. † â€Å"Why should you sorry Animesh? † Labonno calmly said and left that studio. That movie ran well for four weeks after the release. It meant Animesh was successful in his first attempt. Everyone had congratulated him but only Vinoy did not come. Animesh thought that they were bashful for the last time that was why he came to friend’s house with two tickets. Health was degraded, clothe s were more dirty and old, the room was emptier, and some of the furniture were missing in that room. However, Vinoy happily welcomed, â€Å"Welcome Mr. Director. I thought you have forgotten us. † I came to know you have earned fame in that movie a lot,† Labonno happily said. â€Å"How can you taste the sweetness of the sweet from other experience? Take your tickets, watch that, and say whatever you want to say. You can criticize also,† Giving the tickets Animesh said. Now his eyes on that naked diseased boy, he has become sicker. â€Å"He was not fully recovered baudi? Again any disease†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He could not finish his talk, somebody knocked at the door and a heavy voice was coming in. Vinoy looked at his wife and whispered, â€Å"Shit†¦! Shit†¦! † â€Å"Who†¦? † Animesh asked. Vinoy again whispered, â€Å"House owner, Govinda Pramanik.He has come for the rent. I do not have the money. This month I did not get the full salary . They have cut as I took some earlier. † Then he said to Labonno to said that he was not in the house. Labonno once looked at Animesh. Vinoy said, â€Å"Don’t be shy before him. He is my childhood friend. † â€Å"Why should he believe you? He has listened to your voice,† Labonno said calmly. Vinoy fully covered his body with a gown, laid on the bed, and said, â€Å"Say him that I am seriously ill. † Labonno went out to face that man. An old man entered into the house with Labonno. He would be more than fifty, healthy, and had gray hair. What happened to you, Vinoybabu? Fever†¦? † The old man asked. Labonno said, â€Å"No uncle†¦ He does not care normal disease. But he has vomited twenty five times from the last night. † Govinda babu stepped back and said in wonder, â€Å"Twenty-five times? What are you saying? † Animesh could recognize the effect and a kind of real reflection was floating over Labonno’s face for her husband’s ill situation. Govinda babu said in tense, â€Å"It is a very bad time. You have to take care of him properly bauma*. † â€Å"No relatives are here, crisis of money and above all this problem. He is the only person who earns in the family.I could not find any way that is why I called my uncle. Hope you have heard the name of doctor Madhu. Even he at first got nervous to see him. † Labonno expressed all these with a broken voice. She uncovered Vinoy’s face, called him, and gave the news of Govinda babu’s arrival. â€Å"No†¦No†¦bauma. Do not disturb him. Let him take rest. I thought I would say him about the fare as it is already second month. I should not say today. I sent Binod but he did not get Vinoy. † Govinda babu sadly said. Labonno replied that Vinoy himself would go to him and would pay his fare after his recovering. She also requested not to send Binod.He was schoolchild and he should not waste time. Labonno suddenly said Animesh, â€Å"You know Animesh, Binod is a very good boy. He is calm and quite. Moreover he is an honest boy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Animesh stammered, â€Å"Yeeessss†¦. That is right. † At the time pointing the finger at Animesh, Labonno said, â€Å"He is a great director, Animesh. Vinoy’s childhood friend. He has come to meet with Vinoy after getting the news of his serious illness. After sometimes Govinda babu got up and said, â€Å"I have to leave today but if you please say him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Definitely uncle, when he will be recovered, first of all I will send him to you.Please sit for a moment, let me bring a cup of tea for you,† Labonno said with a smile. But Govinda babu disagreed and left the house. Leaving the gown on the bed Vinoy got up and said Animesh that he was also a good director. Animesh was silent for a long time but now he made himself easy and said, â€Å"Yes, that is true but more credit goes to baudi. She does not need any director. Looking at Labonno he said, â€Å"You are in no portion less than Malati Mallik. Why did you scare that day? † â€Å"Malati also would have scared in my place Animesh. She could not maintain all the things as I maintained.She is the actress of reel life but I am the heroine of real life. † The natural tear came to witness the real situation of real heroine’s life. I do not know who was greater but I can say that for Malati it was a mere profession but to Labonno it was for survival. *** *Babu- A respectable person. *Gali- A narrow path. *Sona- A call from the mother to express affection. *Baudi- Sister-in-law. *Zamindar- Rich and royal. *Saree- A cloth worn by women in India. *Pronam- A sign to show the respect to the elders in Hinduism. *Bauma- A affectionate call for daughter-in-law. ——- By, Eeshan Ali