Case Study: Clams about Gay Marriage Essay

This case study focuses on the gay marriages in different states. In Massachusetts the State Supreme court had a ruling that the state constitution did not agree with same-sex marriages. The only way they could grant licenses was if the legislative acted to give same-sex marriages. After this ruling in Massachusetts; in San Francisco, California the mayor ruled that they could not deny same-sex marriages. Many same-sex couples began to apply for marriage licenses and got the marriage license. The gay marriages started to attract the media and many television cameras. Soon after the California State Supreme Court said that the San Francisco mayor had exceeded his power and they told the city to stop issuing these state marriage licenses to gay couples. Courts in other states followed the Massachusetts ruling not allowing same-sex marriages. It then began to report that other foreign countries were allowing same-sex marriages to become legal. This started controversy in the United States because people in America think of marriage in a very sensitive way and that commitment it between two people who love each other. Advocates of gay marriage wanted to know why when two people are in love that they couldn’t be married. This began to raise issues for gay marriage not being legalized. Advocates were speaking out that it not only is about the commitment between the two people but also about the legal rights that the couples would obtain. The gay couples wanted the rights that a couple of a married man and women would get. They wanted to be able to get the medical rights and property rights of other normal married couples. Advocates also argued that they have their freedom also and they have the right to be in love with whomever they choose to be in love with. They just wanted the same equality as everyone else. In others terms they stated that same-sex marriage was wrong and it shouldn’t be allowed in the state. The argument then began again about marriage should be between one man and one woman. They also began to state that children that come from a household of a man and woman being married benefited them. They believed that if same-sex marriage became legal there would become a downfall in society. It wasn’t about the rights and freedom of same-sex couples but the image that America was to hold and how society is taught that one man and one woman should be married. In elections later in 2004 and 2006 conservative politicians wanted to have a same-sex marriage amendment to forbid it. The arguments for and against gay marriage became more and more heated as the years went on. As votes were shown most people wanted civil union laws. When the vote for same-sex marriage came about only a minority was for it. Gay and lesbian couples began to arrange ceremonies that were not legal unless legally allowed in the state. To this day debates, arguments, and court cases still go on about the fight for gay marriage. Questions 1. What grounds, warrants, and conclusions do advocates for gay marriage and their opponents use? The advocates say that besides two people being in love and making a commitment but that same-sex couples should have the freedom to love whomever they choose have the rights as any other one man and one woman married couple were to have. The opponents believe that for reasons for society and to keep the image and to not cause a downfall in America that only a man and woman should be legally married. 2. How did claims favor of gay marriage evolve from those of the earliest advocates to the more recent campaigns after the ruling by the Massachusetts state supreme court? I believe that the Massachusetts ruling was part of the start that caused the claims to start and from all of this evolved the more recent campaigns and the issues coming from gay marriage. 3. How did opponents to gay marriage change their counterclaims to respond to new arguments by advocates of gay rights? The opponents changed their counterclaims because they had to be able to have an argument back to the new responses of the gay rights advocates.

Do Men and Women Communicate Differently? Essay

Often times, men and women experience misunderstandings because of communication problems. People have long since studied the differences in communication of men and women. There have been arguments that men and women communicate similarly and that the difference lies somewhere else than their genders. This difference is not tackled in this paper as the author believes that there are significant differences in how men and women communicate with other people. This is evidenced through the research of relevant literature, which are cited to give support to the author’s position. The literature showed the numerous differences of men and women and their communication styles. In the end, the author was able to prove his position but also stated that the differences in communication are not limited to gender issues but also to one’s individuality. Psychology – Do Men and Women Communicate Differently? Communication is an essential part of people’s everyday lives. â€Å"The easiest way to think of communication is through its common meaning in several languages: as transportation, or a means of getting a message from one point to another† (Eadie, 2009, p. 4). Read more:  Different reasons people communicate  essay It is used to relay what one wants to impart to another person through the use of words (verbal) or body language (non-verbal) (Thompson, 2002, pp. 3-5). Without these forms of communication, people would have a hard time expressing themselves. In addition, people communicate in different ways because of their backgrounds. More specifically, men and women communicate differently. â€Å"Gender has a significant impact on the way people communicate. Starting at an early age, men and women learn different communication styles. Communicative behaviors that are considered acceptable for little boys are frequently frowned upon for little girls† (Solovic, 2003, p. 43). This shows that gender does not only mean differences in the anatomical features of men and women but also in the way they express themselves. At an early age, most girls are taught by their parents to be soft-spoken and act lady-like. On the other hand, boys are trained to be more aggressive and to say what is on their minds. Still, girls are allowed to show their emotions while boys are supposed to act manly at all times. These things that are taught at home, or even acquired through popular media and the society, influence how men and women think and act, which are carried on into their adult lives. Women like to build relationships and connections when they communicate. They like to relate their own experiences to connect to others. This is probably because they want to hear confirmation and support from their audiences, which is typical in their nature. This is apparent in support groups and clubs that are more frequented and participated by women. Women like to share their feelings, especially to close friends, even if it means revealing too much about themselves or becoming too vulnerable in front of others. This is how their bonds are formed and this is when they feel that they can trust the other person. It is also apparent that women tend to be more calm even when in anger or distress making sure that they keep their composure at all times. Women are known to communicate through the power of listening. They know exactly when to say something and when to start listening. This is probably because they believe that communication is not always about talking and that there are times when it is best to listen to the other person than to say something. Women are also more touchy believing that this is a way of showing their support and care to the other person. However, women are also known to be very indirect, especially when communicating with the opposite sex. They do not say what is exactly on their mind and expect men to understand them and know what they want. This is not advisable since it would promote misunderstanding and conflicts may arise because men might get the wrong ideas, which can aggravate the situation even more. On the contrary, men are more slow when it comes to responding to others and this is probably because they want to be clear and accurate with what they are saying. However, they tend to be more boastful when it comes to presenting themselves to others. They do not like to appear as weak and vulnerable. They tend to brag and put their best foot forward even when in the company of their close friends. Still, even with all these loud talking, men are more quiet and reserved when they are occupied about something. They tend to keep things to themselves and solve their conflicts on their own. They do not believe in touching or being too close to a person because this would show their vulnerable side, which is not manly for them. Men also tend to respond by asking disconcerting questions or by asking details that are not relevant to the topic at hand, which is in contrast to how women respond, which is by giving supportive feedback and responses that would facilitate the speaker to elaborate more on what he or she is saying. â€Å"Thus, women use more conversational strategies aimed at eliciting disclosure and reducing conflict and enhancing solidarity. Men, on the other hand, are ostensibly more concerned with clarity, comprehensibility, and economy† (Unger, 2004, p. 246). Personal Comments: I believe that men and women communicate very differently as evidenced by the points stated above. Cultural differences and different backgrounds, as well as difference in agendas make each gender to react and communicate differently. Admittedly, there are exceptions to the evidence at hand. There are women who do not believe in touching the other person just to show that they care. There are also those who talk and talk because they feel that this is they can support the other person. In addition, there are men who tend to be more vocal about what they are feeling. Some prefer human touch because this will make them feel better and more special. However, these people are only a small percentage compared to the general population who act in behaviors such as those presented above. Men and women cannot communicate or act similarly because of their upbringing, as well as their individualities. It is not surprising, therefore, that there are numerous self-help books in the market that tackle the issue regarding communication problems and strategies of men and women. Still, I do not believe in making generalizations. People should not base their impressions and actions from a person’s gender. This is because, as mentioned above, there are always exceptions to the rule. People should communicate the best way they know how without hurting the other person or stepping on others’ shoes. It is also best to express one’s thoughts in a clear manner so that there are no misunderstandings and conflicts in the future. If unsure about something, it is always better to ask than to react in a wrong way, which can make any situation worse. References Eadie, W. F. (2009). 21st Century Communication: A Reference Handbook. California: Sage. Solovic, S. W. (2003). The Girls’ Guide to Power and Success. New York: AMACOM. Thompson, S. (2002). Communicate in the Workplace. Australia: Software Publications. Unger, R. K. (2004). Handbook of the Psychology of Women and Gender. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

The Effects Of A Greek Default On The Uk Economy Dissertation

The Effects Of A Greek Default On The Uk Economy - Dissertation Example With the passage of time, the issue of the sovereign debt crisis has been getting worse. There are several European Union countries who have taken loans in order to survive in these circumstances and strive to make their overall economic condition better. According to the researchers and analysts out of all these countries, Greece has the worst situation and there is high possibility that the country will default and will not be able to repay the loans. The implications of this possible Greek default will not only be on the respective country but also on the other countries in the European Union. It is important to acknowledge here that the increasing globalisation and changing global practices have resulted in generating more integrated and related economies. For this reason, no country can avoid the influence of the economic issued being faced by any other country or economy. Through international trade and other cross country connections the distances among the economies of the world. There has been increasing convergence in the economies and as a result all activities are directly related and inter connected. This connection and relation among the world economies have resulted in the events of Great Depression and the recent economic downturn. 1.2. Background to the Research Study: Researchers, analysts, and economists have been conducting several research studies in order to evaluate and explore the impact of one economy on other related economies. The events like Great Depression have forced the researchers and economists to think about the reasons behind the global imp act of default of one economy. Economists and theorists have provided different theories in this regard, and the most important reason behind this is the integration of the economies. It is not possible for any country to survive in isolation in this global world. After the recent economic recession, the analysts are considerate about the potential recession European Union countries are heading towards. Several countries in the region of European Union are facing the issues related to the relatively lower growth rate and ongoing debt problems. According to the analysts, the main reason behind this is the austerity plan and policies implemented by the Greece. The Greece is all set to default, as according to Moses (2011), there are around 98 percent chances that Greece will default owing to the worsening debt conditions in the European Union region. Different European countries, including Germany, United Kingdom, France, etc, are taking considerable preventive measures in order to av oid and reduce the impact of the Greek default on their economies. All of this results in calling for formulating effective and efficient strategies on the national level to avoid another worse recession. For this purpose, it is important to first identify and explore the reasons behind the potential Greek default and its implications on the other related countries. Secondly, it is important to acknowledge that the Greek default will directly influence the trade and bond market of other European countries also. Along with this it will also affect the exchange rate and value of Euro. 1.3. Rationale of the Research Study: The research study has been undertaken by the researcher in order to identify the causes behind the worsening economic and debt condition of Greek and to explore its impact on other European Union countries specifically United Kingdom. United Kingdom has direct trade relations with Greece, and if Greece is unable to repay the loans this will results in exposing the b anks in UK to the issues of the financial system in Greece. As, the banks and financial institutions in UK will have to write off assets because of the repayment failure on part of the Greece, and this in turn will influence the short term profits. Apart from this there are also several other negative implications associated with the default of Greece. It is important to understand the relationship between the fiscal policy and the country

The Impact of Organizational Ethics on Employee Relations Research Proposal

The Impact of Organizational Ethics on Employee Relations - Research Proposal Example This paper illustrates that the perspective on employer-employee relations has in the past decades undergone a radical transformation This has been contributed by the ever-increasing competition in the business world and organizations increased competitive advantage. The study of the impact of organizational ethics on employee relations is important because an organization survives because of relationships between employers, employees, and other stakeholders. The biggest concern is what would happen if organizational ethics is not practiced, and the possible effect of this. Firstly, according to Goleman, it is necessary to note that workforce in any given organization is essential for the achievement of the organization. In fact, the weak the workforce is, the weak the organization is. Therefore, it can be argued that application of ethics in an organization can affect the employees negatively or positively depend on how it’s applied. In essence, Jurkiewicz and Giacalone noted that when there are unethical acts or conduct within the organization, especially instigated by management to the employees, the implication of this is translated to the customer and other employees, and which may have adverse effects to the performance of the whole organization. The local government system is not exceptional. In regard to the local government system, the system is considered to play a key role in issues pertaining public service ethics. The concern here is what would happen if there no codes of conducts to which, for example, elected councilors are expected to conform. Just like in any other organization, the focus of local government, in this case, is not only about corruption, but rather the misconduct, hospitality, relationship with other officers and any other behavior that would bring any member of the local government into disrepute.

Housing Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Housing Prices - Essay Example As it takes time for new housing to be constructed (in case of no overbuilding left from previous periods and thus existing housing stock being insufficient to meet the newly increasing demand) the supply cannot react fast to the demand shocks and thus increased prices will stay for some time until the supply is sufficient. Increased prices motivate construction firms to increase their output levels dramatically as the profit margins to be received from housing due to these high prices are expected to be high. That is why the real estate market is prone to known "hog cycles" or "herd behavior"2 where the construction companies overestimate the market demand and thus are myopic and construct too much supply. Other theories claim that actions of constructors to thoughtfully produce more than can consumed over short span of time are rational acts and are based on their trying to take advantage of economies of scale in production and thus economize on each unit of housing to be produced. Also, it is not irrational to have expectations of the economic upswing to be followed by some structural economic changes which will further lead to economic development or increase in the total population of the region due to this better economic conditions of living. Economic development is cyclical and the influence of the factor that lead to economic upturn has its' term. After the factor is not in power any longer, the economy starts stabilizing with real purchasing power not growing any longer. This is usually the time when the majority of the new housing supply comes on the market and it will be absorbed slowly with the prices dropping and vacancies occurring. The downward pressure on the market will sustain until the next economic upturn or until all the overbuilt housing supply is consumed. The biggest problem is that very often construction firm being overoptimistic about the housing or in general real estate prices develop land by using borrowed money. Once they bring on the market their product, the cycle is already in another stage which makes difficult for companies to generate enough income to pay back their loans. The highest risk of overproduction exists in real estate segments where the construction terms are the longest, demand is most uncertain and construction is irreversible. That is why some developers try to eliminate the risk and deliver to the market not niched products but ordinary housing. This further aggravates the crisis as the stock becomes not varied and overproduction is especially significant within some segments of the market. The similar situation was observed during famous real estate which lead to banking crisis in Sweden in 1991 and was also considered a global real estate crisis with numerous international investors being in the market. The theory behind the occurrence of International housing cycles is the interrelationship of overall economic development in the different global regions and due to this increased interrelationship between economies investors find

Traditional Therapy resetting itself to Spiritual Therapy in the Essay

Traditional Therapy resetting itself to Spiritual Therapy in the present - Essay Example Professionals find ways to deal with these pains and emerge stronger. (Rogers, Cynthia : 2004) The challenges faced by psychotherapists from work and personal life can enrich their professional lives as every case opens a new window of learning, which enables experienced psychotherapists to apply their skills laterally enlarging the scope of their professional expertise being sought in diverse fields. During the course of their work, psycho therapists come across a large number of traumatic cases such as depression, pre and post divorce trauma, a suicide, bad debt or personal bereavement. Every individual has a unique personality, emotional and mental make up which dictates his response to a situation. Each case is thus exclusive in circumstances, construct and the result. A psychologist has to study each case in great detail and apply past experience with caution in respect to its relevance and develop prescriptions which can provide succor to a person on the verge of despair. At ti mes there may be a tendency for the personal and the professional to be mixed us as a therapist may see images of the patient being reflected in his personal life. (Rogers Carl : 1951). Thus each case offers a new window of learning to a perceptive psychotherapist, enlarging his vistas.

'Britain's 6 million carers are on the verge of winning unprecedented Coursework

'Britain's 6 million carers are on the verge of winning unprecedented rights following a European court opinion that would p - Coursework Example Nevertheless, in examining the law regarding employment, carers and flexible working schedules, it becomes clear that UK does value carers, therefore a law forbidding just this kind of discrimination and harassment is probably just around the corner. This paper will explain the different areas of the law that are relevant to the issue of harassment and discrimination regarding carers, including broad employment law principles, carer law and flexible working law. Relevant portions of employment law Miss C. has an argument that she was harassed out of a job because she took time off to care for her severely disabled son. Harassment is unwanted conduct that â€Å"has the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the person†1However, the Employment Equality Acts makes a distinction – harassment is unwanted conduct related to any of the discriminatory grounds. ... Fair reasons for dismissal, according to the Employment Rights Act 1996 are dismissals that â€Å"a) relates to the capability or qualifications of the employee for performing work of the kind which he was employed by the employer to do; b) relates to the conduct of the employee; ba) is retirement of the employee; c) is that the employee was redundant, or d) is that the employee could not continue to work in the position which he held without contravention (either on his part or on that of his employer) of a duty or restriction imposed by or made under an enactment.†4 In reviewing these reasons for a fair dismissal, the process of taking time off to care for a disabled dependent, such as a child or a parent, does not fit well into any of the categories. Taking time off does not have any bearing on the capabilities or qualifications of the employee performing the work that the employee does, does not relate to the employee’s conduct, nor does it mean that the employee co uld not continue to work in the position held without contravention or a duty or a restriction. Therefore, under the Employment Rights Act 1996  § 98(2), firing an individual for caring for a dependent would not be considered one of the categories for fair dismissal. If Miss C is considered to be unfairly dismissed, she may bring suit under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, which states that if there is an unfair dismissal, â€Å"the employee shall be entitled to redress consisting of whichever of the following the rights commissioner, the Tribunal or the Circuit Court, as the case may be, considers appropriate having regard to all the circumstances.†5 The Act then goes on to say that the employee is entitled to re-instatement or

Why We Must Tell Lies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why We Must Tell Lies - Essay Example Caught in a forbidden act, a two-year-old will quickly try to don a look of absolute innocence all while denying the alleged wrongdoing. Lying in children this young makes one wonder if lying is part of the human genetic code. The fact is, children probably are taught to lie by their first teachers- their parents. Brian Martin claims that parents carefully teach children how to lie and just as often lie to them (29). In teaching their children to lie, parents are preparing them to deal with the world. Once children set off for school, they must know how to lie effectively to teachers and classmates. Children who do not become good liars will not develop good interpersonal skills, and they will probably not become highly effective people. Every child needs to know how to explain the missing homework assignment and how to get along with playmates. Well-told lies are the most expedient means to these ends. In the adult world, the most successful people are those who are proficient liars. Businesses would cease to function if proprietors always told the truth.

Roof Rain Water Harvesting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Roof Rain Water Harvesting - Essay Example They are also considered as a decentralized water supply units where ground water resource is becoming very scarce and the cost of the replacement of various components in the municipal supply systems are becoming very high. The entire system of rainwater harvesting starts with a siphonic roof drainage unit which could drain the water from the roof to an onsite storage tank. This water is filtered and is used for various applications either indoor or outdoor as discussed earlier. In addition to savings in the water costs it would also help to obtain the building permits very easily due to the importance given in the renewable energy systems. The car park area is a very limited space and hence the rational method would be sufficient to compute the runoff into the storm sewers. As the carpark could be expected to be covered the area of the drainage basin shall be taken as the roof area. And the volume of the water available shall be computed as the area of the car park roof multiplied by the depth of rainfall. This quantity is emptied into the storm drains placed on the ground using conveyer pipes whose cross section is decided based on the intensity of rainfall. The intensity values would be helpful to understand how quicker the rainfall reaches the roof. Thus the discharge from the roof is computed using rational formula by substituting appropriate values for intensity of rainfall, time of concentration and coefficient of runoff. Major components of rainwater harvesting unit. Irrespective of the type of rainwater harvesting unit the important components that are attached to a typical roof top units are as follows: Figure 1 Layout of rainwater harvesting system (CRIACC, 2008) (i) Collection systems: The collection region consists of various arrangements installed to collect water from the catchments. In the case of roof top unit, the catchment is referred to the roof top available for harvesting the rain water. The systems to convey water to the storage starts from the catchments. Thus the conveyance systems consists of series of gutters and down pipes that are necessary to direct the water from the roof top catchment to the desired location of storage. (ii) Vessels for storage: The tanks or holding vessel of estimated volume shall be provided for storing the water collected during the rains. The water in the storage units would be left unused until the time of lean season. (iii) Roof wash system: A small portion of initial part of the rains is diverted using cisterns for cleaning purpose and also to remove the debris. Thus volume of water of about 20 gallons is often used for this purpose which often improves the water quality. (iv) The water delivery system: This consists of series of network of pipes and other arrangements that are installed for proper delivery of water. If the water need to be lifted to higher elevation then separate pumps need to be installed to lift the water to higher elevation. Some time, if the water is used for irrigation purpose, then suitable arrangements need to be installed to facilitate the process. (v) Filtration: The process of removing any suspended debris or fine dust from the water referred as the filtration. For most of the situations the filtration unit

3.Meads Coming of Age in Samoa is often read as an attempt to Essay

3.Meads Coming of Age in Samoa is often read as an attempt to popularize anthropology, but to what extent did it also extend and develop it - Essay Example It is evident that Mead’s success in anthropology research depended on a firm foundation laid by Boaz on the discipline. She managed to extend Boaz’s ambition of making anthropology universal by sharing information she gained through books and doing extensive research on Boas pioneered disciplines such as cultural anthropology, nature versus nurture issues, emotional turbulence and biological development and adolescent issues. Boas maintained a viewpoint that human nature and the actions people portray emanate from civilization constraints. To ascertain his theory, Boas instructed Mead to establish if the poignant stress and turmoil that American adolescents in Samoa undergo had cultural or biological influence. Mead researched on Boas hypothesis by working as an ethnographer in American Samoa (Margaret, n.d., p. 54). In response, Mead launched an investigation in the Island of Samoa living among the society members and fulfilling all their cultural requirements as she compiled results on adolescents’ girls’ behaviors within Samoa. Mead recorded an analysis of her results in book â€Å"Coming of Age in Samoa†, published in 1928. In her study results, Mead established that youth concerns were neither constraining nor stressful among Samoan teenagers and adults. She carried out the research to from twenty-five teenage women in three villages of Samoa. Her comments indicated that the perceived time and stress, which adolescents’ experience, are because of cultural restraints. Mead’s comments supported the view that young people from different social and cultural arrangements within Samoa were free from caused stress characters that are characteristic of adolescence stage of development. Stress-free adolescence was because of total casualness or lack of concern towards youth issues. Adolescence stress was limited to and experienced by royal families such as chief’s wives and daughters. On the contrary, ordinary girls from

Effect Fast Food Essay Example for Free

Effect Fast Food Essay Fast foods have become a common trend amongst many individuals. Most people would always say they dont have time hence opt for fast foods. With the advancement of modern technology these foods are made in way that leaves questions unanswered. Despite research showing organic food such as meat and poultry serve better nutritious supplements, most people tend to rely on fast foods such as vanilla and, barbecue more so in U. S. A. (Alexander, 22). There are some negative aspects pegged to modern food production techniques in the society. Modern food production techniques are costly hence it is not convenient for poor farmers since it involves scientific knowledge. In spite of its prevalence for about in 13year in U. S. A. the debate about fast foods has taken centre stage in todays discussion. This paper tries to stipulate the effects of fast foods that are exhibited in our contemporary society. Firstly, Modern methods also make use of machinery which is not available to every farmer in the world hence, it leaves the poor farmers out as they cannot afford the equipments required and, it also involves heavy investment especially when breeding certain crops for the sake of improving their nutritive values. In the process, various elements are introduced into them. It also builds the view in people that, only modern produced foods are good for consumption hence, the foods produced using conventional methods are, viewed to be of lesser value. Traditional farmers are therefore left out with their own produce making them to suffer economically (Schlosser, 112). It also observed that, foods produced using modern productions are also costly. However, the big question is why most people rush for them? Similarly, there is great fear in the world that genetically modified foods have immense negative health Impacts on peoples health. Consequently, modern food production is now focusing on safety of foods consumed by customers by introducing new techniques and, state of the art processing methods have been discovered to ensure that valuable nutrients are preserved. There is an immense focus on safety in foods being evident in the area of quality standards and safety. Safety requirements are of global significance along the whole food production line, from harvest of raw materials to storage of processed foods in homes (Wilk, 77). The key concern therefore is suppressing the growth of unwanted organisms that may spoil food. These actions have effects on the health of the society since; they eliminate the chances of food poisoning. Similarly, modern food production methods are also more focused on meeting specific dietary needs for the society. With the increased knowledge on the importance of various nutrients, diets can also be developed to meet specific need as numerous plant ingredients have already been shown to be beneficial in disease prevention. With the increasing knowledge on the importance of various nutrients, diets can be developed to meet specific needs. There is a wide range of food designed to suit the nutritional requirements of various groups such as the old, expectant or breast-feeding mothers, infants, young children and sportspersons. Such foods are characterized by a balanced composition of energy suppliers in the form of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. In addition, they have cocktails of vitamins and minerals composed according to the current state of scientific knowledge. For many elderly, they have an advantage that, the same foods may provide a balanced diet and, a sufficient supply of vitamins. Also, essential amino acids and minerals are provided without changing long standing habits. Application of modern food production methods has also proved to increase the levels of output in farms. Modern methods lead to high turnout of food production. There are several reasons for the causes of negative impacts of modern food production in the contemporary society. It is evident that, due to the high knowledge required in the production, only a few companies will be able to pool the resources and expertise to carry out the studies and production (Brown, 68). Some of these companies are unscrupulous and, will charge so much on their products since there are less competitors in the market hence, being a burden to the society as they are compelled to pay more. Also, there are other researchers who only claim to have improved a certain food in form of its nutritive value yet, it is not just to get easy money. The consumers are not aware of that hence, they end up buying the products not knowing they have been conned. In addition, lack of regulation by governments is another cause of negative impact on the health. This is because, some food producing companies will not carry out enough studies while genetically modifying some foods hence, may end up being lethal to the societys health. However, modern foods have had numerous positive impacts. With the advancement of scientific knowledge in plants and genetic engineering, it is possible to introduce even produce allergen free plants which are safe for the society. Genetic engineering is used to produce allergens in amounts sufficient for scientific analysis. The main aim is to produce varieties which have no predominant allergens and thus accommodate even hypersensitive consumers. Also with sophisticated technological efforts, it is possible to meet safety standards while maintaining organoleptic quality. Unwanted micro-organisms in foods need moisture, neutral pH values, low salt and sugar concentration and moderate temperatures to grow. This has called for measures to be undertaken to prevent the growth of these micro-organisms even after mild processing conditions, e. g various combinations of heat and acid treatments. The use of technology on the addition of antimicrobials, magnetic field pulses or computer aided design of equipment that is easily cleaned. As heating can destroy sensitive food ingredients, e.g. vitamins, modern pulse heat treatment involves very brief heating interspersed with cooling phases. Another way to combat microbial growth is water extraction, like industrial microwave drying of fruits or spray-drying of milk. Microwave drying offers the advantage of relatively low temperatures combined with the reduction of pre-existing moisture levels resulting in preserving valuable nutrients and flavors. Nowadays, food diagnostic methods are also being employed to determine the condition of foods by checking the temperatures, acid content, presence of certain metabolic products or, the quantity and type of micro organisms in a sample of safety controls. Besides conventional practices such as physiochemical characterizations, state-of-the-art molecular genetics methods are also widely used to identify spoilage bacteria. New tests based on molecular genetics can also be used to investigate a foods origin. Modern food production methods also act positively by improving the helpful micro organisms which contribute both to flavor and preservation of food stuffs. Low earnings among the people in the society, has led to permeation of fast foods because, low earning people mostly would prefer to purchase the fast foods rather than other foods so as to be able to pay bills. It is evident that, fast foods may at times cost lesser as compared to other healthy foods. Also, the society is not concerned in what they eat but are ready to consume the fast foods not withstanding their effects to their health (Meeks, 122). The fast food industry is experiencing a tremendous growth and success due to the changing lifestyle in the society whereby, people are no longer doing strenuous jobs so they end up preferring fast foods. It is also evident that fast foods are cheaper compared to other foods so people are inclined to buy them due to current economic situations. In conclusion, the society nowadays is a working one where people have no time to prepare food hence; they prefer to walk into fast food outlets and purchase rather than spending time cooking. The society is also experiencing changed eating habits and, people are not too much concerned with their health thus they buy fast foods. There is also a growing demand in fast foods mostly linked to the increasing population growth and also advertisements. Fast foods are also addictive and hence once one is used to them it is hard to leave.

Input Stage Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix Marketing Essay

Input Stage Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix Marketing Essay Key Strategic Factors Weights Ratings Weighted Scores Strengths Brand  Image 0.08 4 0.32 Growing  Sales 0.03 3 0.24 Market  Share 0.05 3 0.15 Distribution Channel 0.08 4 0.32 Product  Quality 0.07 3 0.21 Capacity 0.08 4 0.32 Innovation 0.04 3 0.12 Customer  Oriented 0.02 3 0.06 Qualified Work force 0.01 3 0.03 RD 0.05 4 0.20 Business without Interest 0.02 3 0.06 Exporting 0.06 4 0.09 Weaknesses Local  Company 0.05 1 0.05 Centralized Decisions 0.09 2 0.18 No Sales on Credit 0.06 2 0.12 High  Price 0.05 2 0.10 Uncertain  Economic Political Conditions 0.03 1 0.03 Market  Demand 0.05 2 0.1 Striker  Terms And Conditions 0.03 1 0.03 Promotion 0.05 2 0.1 Total 1 2.83 COMPETITIVE PROFILE MATRIX  (CPM) Critical Success Factors Weight Rating Score Rating Score Rating Score Research   Development 0.08 3 0.24 3 0.24 4 0.32 Advertisement 0.09 3 0.24 4 0.36 3 0.27 Financial  Position 0.09 3 0.27 3 0.27 3 0.27 Market  Share 0.07 2 0.14 4 0.28 3 0.21 Product  Quality 0.08 3 0.24 3 0.24 3 0.24 Price  Competitiveness 0.11 3 0.33 3 0.24 2 0.22 Management 0.10 3 0.30 4 0.40 3 0.30 Global  Expansion 0.08 3 0.24 4 0.32 3 0.24 Customer service 0.06 3 0.18 3 0.18 2 0.12 Network 0.09 3 0.27 4 0.36 3 0.27 Production  Capacity 0.07 2 0.14 3 0.21 4 0.28 Alliances 0.08 3 0.24 4 0.32 3 0.24 Total 1.0 2.76 3.51 2.98 EFE MATRIX AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY OF PAKISTAN KEY EXTERNAL FACTORS WEIGHT RATING WEIGHTED OPPORTUNITIES tax exemption 0.07 2 0.14 energy incentives 0.08 2 0.16 water flow system 0.04 1 0.04 agricultural loans 0.06 3 0.18 surplus production of wheat 0.05 3 0.15 surplus production of rice 0.06 2 0.12 availability of natural resources 0.07 1 0.07 labour incentives 0.09 1 0.09 economies of scale 0.01 1 0.01 high demand of necessities 0.04 1 0.04 THREATS The conversion of arable land into non-agricultural uses 0.10 4 0.40 Water logging and salinity 0.09 2 0.18 Land erosion scenarios are the most disastrous of the present day crisis. 0.08 1 0.08 Land is fixed 0.04 3 0.12 Increasing population 0.01 1 0.01 Political system 0.03 2 0.06 Proposed new tax system 0.03 3 0.09 feudalism 0.02 1 0.02 Instability of economy 0.01 2 0.02 Low literacy rate 0.02 2 0.04 TOTAL: 1.00 2.75 REASONS: The IFE MATRIX for AFL is given above. Note that the strength for the company is Research and Development, Pakistan based and having a highest production capacity so got 4 rating. The major weaknesses are Price competitiveness customer service and planning for the future state of the AFL. The total weighted score of2. 76 indicate this large milk Production Company is above average in its overall internal strength. But its very close to average limit as well. So it really needs to improve its weaknesses and build its strength MATCHNG STAGE OF ENGRO FOODS LIMITED SWOT MATRIX STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES OF EFL STRENGTHS: Olpers is a  brand of  EFL. This means that consumers can relate their former image of EFL to Olpers.Engro is a well established brand name in Fertilizer, IT  and infrastructure business. The  brand is well known so customers will automatically have a  brand association with Olpers and see it as a premium quality product. ENGRO  is world renowned so it can easily attract foreign investors in backing it against other competitors such as Nestle. EFL can easily afford research and development costs for Olpers have in order to introduce new products. It can also distribute the brand through better channels because of its long term relationship with distributors in the agriculture sector. Engro has  been interacting with the farmers for fertilizers and has gained quite a good reputation over the years. It has led to a strong bond and long term relationship with the farmers who are willing to supply milk to the company.This is an added advantage and strength for the company because it will never  be short of milk production. The farmers also wont have to look elsewhere to sell their milk. EFL  only, has the third-generation  UHT  milk plant in the country. EFL  plant is the only plant in Pakistan that uses  Bactofuge technology to virtually eliminate  bacteria and ensure premium quality and hygiene. Other strengths of EFL are: Worldwide fame of  Engro. Efficient milk collection system. keeping high quality standards. Integrated distribution and warehousing facilities. Successful related diversification. Generic  brand name of  Olpers Large market share of  Engro innovative and chemicals. Having  Good reputation in the market  by strong  brand name i.e. Engro Industrial strengths for EFL are: Worldwide fame of  Engro. Efficient milk collection system. Keeping high quality standards. Integrated distribution and ware housing facilities. Generic  brand name of  Olpers large market share of  Engro innovative and chemicals. Having  Good reputation in the market by strong brand name i.e. Engro Strong  RD WEAKNESSES: Olwell ad which is  based on  Western life style,  EFL  brand management showed a man who put off his clothes  remain just in his undergarments, or half nude lady in a cat walk or men admiring the figures of a lady in mix  gender health club. In this ad they are creating associations with the brand through the stripes, which is a highlight of Olwell packaging. Half naked people have been shown with tattoos of the same stripes in order to show that they are loyal consumers of Olwell.  Also, the talent, situations and locations connects well with the ad to give Olwell a premium positioning. The brilliant marketing people at EFL failed to analyze is that the market they are targeted the ad on, is Pakistan, where practicing Muslims reside, who have strong religious beliefs. When making the ad, the brand managers were focused on, making an ad that should give the brand the most premium look and feel amongst the target consumers but on the other hand they were least bothered about the ethics, religious beliefs and cultural values. The company has not owned the color red like Nestle has a green  Milkpak;  Haleeb  has a  blue carton etc. This may create problems because when a consumer enters a grocery shop, then he/she might have problems in recalling the brand because there is no color association attached to Olpers .The company may need to find a suitable color in which to focus its upcoming marketing strategies. EFL  is not having its own dairy farms; it largely collects loose milk from farmers   gwalas through its 40  milk collection centers, which sometimes is of low quality and impure because they add vegetable oil to milk to get higher prices. EFL  is dependent upon  Tetra  Pak for the packaging of its entire dairy products. Tetra  Pak is the only option available to Olpers for packaging because it is having monopoly in the packaging sector in Pakistan. Due to this reason, TetraPak can charge them higher and it could increase the production costs. EFLs  34  out of  40 milk-collection centers are located in  Punjab, where as its only milk processing facility is situated near Sukkur(Sindh). It increases the milk collection  distribution costs; and also increases the chances of milk getting spoiled because of increased traveling time. It has  been more than a year now, when  EFL  launched its first dairy product,  Olpers  Milk on March  20,  2006. But  EFL ¶s  brand portfolio still consists of  just  3  products i.e. Olpers  Milk, Olwell  Milk and  Olpers  Cream. Whereas its competitors like Nestle and  Haleeb Foods have a much diversified line of dairy products. Industrial strengths of EFL are: Unable to compete in price sensitive segment of  UHT  milk market. Under  -utilization of the capacity. Unable to fulfill the demand of local powder milk market. Not yet ISO  certified. THREATS Our agricultural land is facing many threats and some of the major threats are: The conversion of arable land into non-agricultural uses Water logging and salinity Land erosion scenarios are the most disastrous of the present day crisis. The total land area of Pakistan is nearly 197 million acres, while the population growth rate is increasing annually. As our total land area is fixed, which cannot be increased, therefore, with rapidly expanding population pressure on it, it is also increasing quickly. As a result, our current and potential agricultural land is reducing and shrinking tremendously. It has been estimated that throughout the country, everyday approximately 500 acres (1 acre = 4,840 square yards) of farmland is taken out of agriculture by the expansion of settlements, roads, factories and many other non-agricultural activities. It is also predicted that if this trend continues then after every decade approximately a million acre or more of crop land would be taken out of agriculture in our country. Arable land is a basic and major resource for the production of human food. But it seems that the expansion of human population and human activities are reducing the availability of land, suitable for food production at an alarming rate. Expanding population demands more food on one side and devours agricultural land on the other side, which is a matter of great concern for everyone. Out of total land area, 80 million hectares, 21 million hectares is cultivable. Of the total cropped areas 16.2 million hectares (77%) is irrigated and 6.01 million hectares is rain-fed. The annual rainfall in Pakistan varies from less than 100 mm in Sindh to more than 750 mm in the foothills and northern mountains. About 60% of this rainfall occurs during monsoon. In spite of a number of drainage and salinity, menace control schemes being undertaken, the salinity and water logging problems positively persist and each year 40,000 hectares of irrigated land is lost to water logging and salinity. On the one hand, the nation needs more food to fulfill the demands of its increasing population while on the other hand, each year the cultivable commanded area (CCA) is decreasing due to this twin menace. Pakistan is quite outstanding country in the world with regard to its well-knit irrigation system which covers from upper parts of the country, down to the mouth of Indus in the south. Irrigated areas (nearly 16.0 million hectares) are generally limited to the Indus plain and river Indus and its tributaries are the main source of irrigation water of this 12.09 million hectares are canal irrigated 3.35 million hectares by tube wells and another 0.6 million hectares by other sources. Of the total area under irrigated agriculture, about 9.6 million hectares is arid, 3.8 million semi-arid and the remaining area is characterized by sub-humid. No doubt, irrigation system has increased agricultural production but on the other hand has created threats of salinity and water logging. The political system of Pakistan is not stable and the corruption in Pakistan also affects the agriculture sector. Government legal obligations have always been a threat for the running of agriculture industry. Inputs rates are increasing day by day, that means less and expensive seeds, pesticides and fertilizers. The trend of feudalism has been in our country for a long time, creating a lot of mismanagement in the federal and provincial level for the running of economy. Because of this the firms in the agricultural industry of Pakistan has been greatly affected. OPPORTUNITIES There is an opportunity for the economic growth to benefit more people only if the country rises: Enhancing Agricultural productivity Improves its system of general education to help millions of small farmers, those are decided to leave the agricultural industries because of poor productivity. Encourages labour incentives in agricultural industry. Improve economic condition in Pakistan by promoting the farmers and maintaining the system for improving agricultural methods. Clean energy and Climate Legislation Will Help: Pakistani Farmers need energy to grow crops and raise livestock, and to transport products to consumers. Farmers have been hurt by recent spikes in diesel and natural gas prices, and by jumps in the costs of inputs like fertilizer. As a result, there are serious concerns across the agricultural sector about the impacts of clean energy and climate legislation on production costs. There are more rooms for chemical industry (for more pesticides and fertilizer). There are three key factors affecting energy prices that will help farmers handle a small increase in both the short and the long term. First, farmers that take advantage of energy and climate bill incentives can quickly see big cost savings from even small improvements in energy efficiency. Farmers can take advantage of the legislations renewable energy incentives to reduce dependence on fossil fuel sand their volatile prices. The legislation will help stop speculation in energy markets, which will help stabilize fossil fuel prices. Increased Energy Efficiency Will Save Farmers Money, Energy and climate legislation will help farmers increase their energy efficiency, reducing their dependence on foreign oil and other fossil fuels. Technology has been advancing rapidly and use of new technology changes such as more efficient farm equipment and farming practice changes such as no-till agriculture. The Pakistan agricultural community is well positioned to benefit from passage of clean climate legislation. Farmers can protect themselves from cost increases through improved on-farm energy management and efficiency and develop new revenue streams through expanded markets for renewable energy. This will help our farmers continue to provide the food we all depend on. SWOT MATRIX FOR ENGRO FOODS. Strengths Weaknesses Worldwide fame of Engro. Unable to compete in price sensitive segment of UHT milk market. Efficient milk collection system. Under-utilization of the capacity. Keeping high quality standards. Unable to fulfill the demand of local powder milk market. Integrated distribution and warehousing facilities. Not yet ISO certified Generic brand name of Olpers Large market share of Engro innovative and chemicals. Having Good reputation in the marketby strongbrand name i.e. Engro Strong RD Opportunities SO Strategies WO Strategies Improving Economy Increase production of quality milk to cater the unsatisfied demand(S2,O2,O8) Population growth rate. As per the increase demand of the milk they should fulfill the demand as EFL have the ability to expand.(W3,O8). High urbanization rate. They should go in the product line of powdered milk. (S8,O2,O5) High literacy rate. They should make strong distribution system to cater to avail the full benefit of the growing market.(W3,O2 ) Flexible government policies They should increase their exports. for food industry. Have significant growth opportunities . May merge with other global businesses to eliminate competitors. They should cater the wide range of unsatisfied demandby improving their distribution networks(S4,O8)) Having Capable of expanding into other markets of the world They should adopt affective marketing strategies for the promotion of their product.(W2,O1) Threats ST Strategies WT Strategies High inflation rate. Invest more on the dairy product line as there is still a large chunk of the market which require modernization ( S6,T5) Low purchasing power. The co-ordination between different departments of EFL should be improved it will lessen the bureaucratic cost and increase the efficiency of the company. Decrease in GDP growth rate .Introduce new technology for assurance and better productivity (S4,T7) Increasing interest rates Decreasing investment Engro must get the ISO certification as to beat their competitors( W4,T8). Recessionary period in business cycle Competition with Nestle Competition with Nestle, Engro Foods and the new entrants Engro foods is currently facing increase in SalesTax SPACE MATRIX FOR ENGRO FOODS LIMITED SPACE matrix is a management tool used to analyze a company. It is used to determine what type of a strategy a company should undertake. Strategic Position Action Evaluation matrix or short a SPACE matrix is a strategic management tool that focuses on strategy formulation especially as related to the competitive position of an organization. SPACE matrix can be used as a basis for other analyses, such as the SWOT analysis, BCG matrix model, industry analysis, or assessing strategic alternatives (IE matrix). The SPACE matrix calculates the importance of each of these dimensions and places them on a Cartesian graph with X and Y coordinates. The following are a few model technical assumptions: By definition, the CA and IS values in the SPACE matrix are plotted on the X axis. -CA values can range from -1to -6. IS values can take +1to +6? -The FS and ES dimensions of the model are plotted on the Y axis. ES values can be between -1 and -6. FS values range from +1to +6 Conservative Aggressive FS 6 5 suggested strategy type 4 (3, 2.75) 3 2 1 CS 1 2 3 4 5 6 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 IS -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 Defensive ES Competitive Result: This particular  SPACE matrix  tells us that our company should pursue an  aggressive strategy. Our company has a strong competitive position it the market with rapid growth. It needs to use its internal strengths to develop a market penetration and market development strategy. This can include product development, integration with other companies, acquisition of competitors, and so on. BCG FOR EFL Relative market share in industry High Medium Low 1.0 0.5 0.0 ENGRO FOODS stars ? cash cows dogsHigh 10 Industry Sales Growth Medium 0 Rate Low -10 INTERNAL EXTERNAL (IE) MATRIX FOR ENGRO FOODS LIMMITED: The  Internal-External (IE)  matrix  is another strategic management tool used to analyze working conditions and strategic position of a business. The Internal External Matrix  or short IE matrix  is based on an analysis of internal and external business factors which are combined into one suggestive model. The  IE matrix  is a continuation of the  EFE matrix and  IFE matrix models. Strong =3.00 to 3.99 Average=2.00 to 2.99 Weak =1.00 to 1.99 Grow I And II Build III Hold IV ENGRO FOODS And V Maintain VI Harvest VII And VIII Harvest IX High=3.0 to 3.99 Medium = 2.0 to 2.99 Low= 1.0 to 1.99 1. Score from the  EFE matrix  =2.75-  this score is plotted on the y-  axis 2. Score from the IFE  matrix  =2.83-  plotted on the x-axis As blue lines indicate RESULT: This  IE matrix for  Engro  Foods tells us that our company should  hold and maintain  its position. The company should pursue strategies focused on increasing market penetration and product development. GRAND STRATEGY MATRIX FOR EFL: REPAID MARKET GROWTH RATE Quadrant I I Quadrant I ENGRO FOODS Weak competitive strong competitive Position Position Quadrant III Quadrant IV Slow market growth rate RESULTS: The grand strategic  Matrix for  EFL  is show that it lies in the first quadrant which recommend that for EFL  continued concentration on the current Market(market penetration and market development)and products(product development)is an appropriate strategy. DECISION STAGE QUANTITATIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING MATRIX OR A QSPM The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix or a QSPM approach attempts to objectively select the best strategy using input from other management techniques and some easy computation. In other words, the QSPM method uses inputs from stage1 analyses, matches them with results from stage2 analyses, and then decides objectively among alternative strategies. Stage 1 strategic management tools The first step in the overall strategic management analysis is used to identify key strategic factor. this can be done using, for example, the EFE matrix and IFE matrix. Stage 2 strategic management tools After we identify and analyze key strategic factors as inputs for QSPM, we can formulate the type of the strategy we would like to pursue.this can be done using the stage2 strategic management tools, for example the SWOT analysis(or TOWS ),SPACE matrix analysis, BCG matrix model, or the IE matrix model Stage 3 strategic management tools The stage 1 strategic management methods provided us with key strategic factors. Based on their analysis, we formulated possible strategies in stage2. Now, the task is to compare in QSPM alternative strategies and decide which one is the most suitable for our goals. The stage 2 strategic tools provide the needed information for setting up the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix QSPM. The QSPM method allows us to evaluate alternative strategies objectively. Conceptually, the QSPM in stage 3 determines the relative attractiveness of various strategies based on the extent to which key external and internal critical success factors are capitalized upon or improved.The relative attractiveness of each strategy is computed by determining the cumulative impact of each external and internal critical success factor QSPM of Engro Foods Based on strategies in the (IFE, EFE) and (BCG, SPACE, IE), company executives determined that Engro foods needs to pursue an aggressive strategy aimed at development of new products and further penetration of the market. They also identified that this strategy can be executed in two ways. One strategy is acquiring a competing company. The other Strategy is to expand internally. (Attractiveness Score: 1 = not acceptable; 2 = possibly acceptable; 3 =probably acceptable; 4 = most acceptable; 0 = not relevant Doing some easy calculations in the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix QSPM, we came to a conclusion that Expansion internally is a better option. This is given by the Sum Total Attractiveness Score figure. The expansion strategy yields higher score than the acquiring of competing company.The acquisition strategy has a score of 2. 75 in the QSPM shown above whereas the internal expansion strategy has a smaller score of 2. 78

Functions of Investment Banks

Functions of Investment Banks A Critical Discussion of the Major Functions  Performed by Investment Banks. Glossary (Jump to) Abstract   Chapter 1 –The Major Functions of Investment Banks   Summary Bills of Exchange   Corporate Finance Investment Management   Chapter 2 – Conclusions and Recommendations Bibliography Abstract Investment banks evolved as a result of lucrative merchant centers located in the north of Italy, Belgium as well as Holland from the 17th through 19th centuries. During that period Europe’s most influential merchant families moved to the United Kingdom as it was becoming the merchant and banking center of the region. Said list included the Barings, Rothchilds, and Warburg families and their interests (Kuhn, Robert. 1990)[1]. Developments in the United States resulted in that country becoming the center of financial activity in the late 20th century and saw the rise of JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs Merrill Lynch and Morgan Staley joining the ranks of the older investment powers (Carosso, 1970)[2]. Investment banking represents a broad spectrum of financial services that are dispensed by various specialists in conjunction with global investment banks. The services performed by these institutions includes (Lott, 2001)[3]: Underwriting, Distribution, The maintenance of markets in bonds, shares and securities issued by public entities and businesses, as well as Other services In contrast to the services provided by commercial banks, where the principle functions are to accept deposits and make loans to consumers and business on a short-term basis, investment banks engage in four important functions (Lott, 2001)[4]: Assist in the arrangement for the provision of funds to corporations and governments through underwriting as well as distributing new securities issues, Maintenance of markets for securities through the trading and execution of orders for secondary market transactions, Administer advice with respect to the purchase, sale and issuance of securities as well as other financial areas, The creation and management of varied investment vehicles. In addition to the foregoing, investment banks also perform a number of other important transactions and functions that are the subject of discussion in this paper. Chapter 1 –The Major Functions of Investment Banks 1.1 Summary Investment banking consists of a broad array of financial transactions. Some of the more familiar are (Lott, 2001)[5]: Underwriting, Syndication, Corporate Demand Capital Tenders and, Investment banking functions It is this last area that shall for the basis for examination. Bills of Exchange (Williamson, 1988)[6] These are independent instruments of debt that carry the signature of the customer (debtor). In summary, it is an order that directs a specific sum is to be paid to a specific individual. This instrument safeguards that a bill is accepted so that control is not lost of the item(s) involved. A ‘bill of exchange’ contains a stated date of payment that must be concluded on that date irrespective of any disputes concerning the item named. There are legal measures to prevent payment, termed ‘non-honoring’, which are subject to differing rules depending upon the country involved. Corporate Finance (Williamson, 1988)[7] This aspect of investment banking represents a specific finance area that deals with corporate financial decisions as well as the tools and analysis formulas and processes utilized to arrive at these decisions. It is divided into ‘short-term’ and ‘long-term’ techniques and decisions whereby the objective is to enhance corporate value through ensuring the ‘return on capital’ is more than the ‘cost of capital’. The equation rests on a conservative application of risks. Corporate finance is related to managerial finance, although the latter is larger in scope as it entails financial techniques that are possible in all business forms, whether they are corporate or non-corporate. IPO’s (efmoody, 2005)[8] Termed ‘Initial Public Offerings’, IPO’s represent the beginning of a publicly listed company and as such those investors whom are in position at this stage are poised to reap almost immediate gains if the stock rises on opening day. Similarly, these same investors stand to lose money if the opening price drops substantially. During the last few years the offering prices have tended to average out as being overpriced. This is borne out by the fact that the closing price, on average, the day of opening generated an annual return of just 2%. In terms of profitability, IPO’s generate large fees for the participating firms and represent the most profitable underwriting area. Fees generally average seven percent (7%). After the various splits between managing underwriters, brokerage firms, law firms and staff the profit hovers in the 34% through 40% range. This service is a cornerstone in aiding firms to float securities needed to expand or underwrite operations and as such represents one of the more important functions performed by investment banks. Rights Issues (Constantinides et al, 2002)[9] These are equity issues whereby shareholders of record have the right to purchase new shares that have a fixed exercise price. Mergers Acquisitions (Allen et al, 2000)[10] Investment banks act in the capacity as advisors in merger and acquisition deals. In working with both the target(s) of acquisition as well as the acquirer(s), investment banks provide their information expertise to help arrive at the ‘reservation price’. They also calculate the potential for gains and the risks in the transaction. And while investment banks have a vested interest in these deals, their pragmatism is an effective counter weight in maintaining a balance between undervaluing and overvaluing. Operating under banking regulations, investment banks represent a sort of intermediary that engenders public trust in the legitimacy of the transaction and is a part of a system that represent checks and balances over these types of transactions. Commercial banks might have potential conflicts of interest in these types of deals, so even while they have recently taken on this role, the majority of these transactions are still funneled through investment banks. Investment Management (Williamson, 1988)[11] As the term implies, investment management is also known as portfolio management as well as money management. It is a segment of investment analysis that examines the management of money relating to securities purchases as well as their sale. High Net Worth Individuals (Williamson, 1988)[12] Investment banking services for individuals of high net worth has been a long standing feature for an elite group whose banking investment needs exceed the capabilities of commercial banks and traditional specialists. The complex variable regarding the client’s return targets and relative degrees of risk along with long as well as short-term requirements represent specialized analysis. The resources of an investment bank are suited to meet the demanding requirements of these types of individuals as well as confidentiality. The extremely sophisticated variables comprising recommendations and placement in various instruments are crafted to fit an approved plan of action. Because high net worth individuals have access to their own channels of information, the demands of these types of clients in terms of sophistication requires the resources of a specialized institution. Corporations (Williamson, 1988)[13] The investment management of corporations entails handling a number of asset management areas. As is the case with high net worth individuals, it entails an extensive analysis of the goals and objectives desired as well as the cash availability requirements for specific periods of time. The preceding represents a valuable service as a result of the high level contacts and access to specialized information, opportunities and rates of return with moderate risk that investment banks can avail themselves of. Pension Funds (Williamson, 1988)[14] These funds represent extremely large sums that require placement in investment avenues that contain high degrees of safety as well as meeting return rates in established parameters. The important nature of these retirement funds requires an institution to pay close attention to risk avoidance as well as any potential changes and shifts in the market that could potentially affect the money in the Fund. Mutual Funds (Williamson, 1988)[15] In terms of mutual funds, there are literally hundreds of fund types to select from as a result of the classifications within this group. One particular type of fund which investment banks have an advantage over commercial banks is in hedge funds. These types of funds are unregulated and usually governed by unconventional strategies. Hedge funds trade in equities, money markets and bonds and offer yields as well as risks that exceed traditional long stock and bond methodologies. The secretive nature of these funds and the fact that they cater to institutions, corporations and high net worth individuals only is within the purview of investment banks. The mutual fund classifications contains a number of differing types, these are as follows: Objective Oriented Growth This type is structured so that it appreciates in value over time by investing principally in the common stock of companies that have shown or are showing a high growth potential. Income These are structured to generate dividends on a regular basis as the priority, with growth in value as the secondary selection criteria. Balanced These funds are a balance between growth and income funds thereby providing investors with dividend payouts while the fund appreciates in value as a result of the growth in the corporations selected. Market Oriented Specialized Through limiting holdings in one industry sector these ‘sector growth’ funds place their emphasis on one industry classification. The preceding entails risks if that classification or segments of that classification perform poorly. The reverse is also true if the sector experiences growth. Bond Funds These tend to be conservative investments, principally in debt securities, with the objective of providing income while preserving capital. The focus is similar to Income Funds, which is the payment of dividends. Municipal These types of bonds can be either short or long term and represent state and or local government issuances. Corporate These funds are composed of bond issuances by corporations and are guaranteed by companies to pay out both interest as well as principle. Zero-coupon These are bonds that are sold to investors at a discount and payout only on the maturity of the face value. Because the investor purchased these at a discount, the face value represents the gain. International These are composed of the debt securities of corporations and governments located in other nations. As some countries pay higher rates, the gains can be interesting depending upon currency fluctuations and conversion rates. Convertible Securities These funds invest in securities (debt) that permit conversion of their bonds into stock. The objective is the preservation of capital yielding growth and income. Money Market Money market funds invest in the short-term obligations, debt, of both governments and corporations and are structured by and large to permit smaller investors to participate for amounts starting at approximately $500, depending upon the fund. Without the fund, direct participation requires increments of $10,000. The pooled sums are then invested and managed. Multifunds This type of fund invests in the performance of other types of mutual funds. All Weather These are designed to weather all types of business and economic phases. Emerging Growth These types of mutual funds invest in companies with high growth potential. Precious Metals As the name indicates, these are funds that take positions in various types of valuable metals. Green A newer category within this classification, Green Funds select growth companies that have a record of being responsive on environmental issues and adhere to policies within that arena. Chapter 2 – Conclusions Investment banks serve a valuable purpose in financial and business markets through their handling of public offerings (IPO’s) and private placements. These functions help corporations with their liquidity requirements and the issuance of securities. As investment banks can sell stock in an IPO as well as secondary offering and private placements they represent a centralized location that is able to fill the needs of corporations, governmental entities and high net worth individuals. The decades, and in some cases centuries of participation in high level finance has resulted in connections within finance arenas whereby investment banks maintain ties and associations at participation levels that are beyond commercial banks. In addition, this sector represents the top of the talent pool in finance, thus the intelligence factor exceeds the personnel employed in commercial banking. Because investment banks are primarily paid on a success basis, their commitment to the deals is higher and so are the monetary rewards. Typically, the compensation in the industry ranges 50 through 60% of profits paid out to partners and employees. Investment banking executives, analysts, junior bankers and junior partners generally earn twice their commercial bank counterparts as their jobs entail making money for the firm as well as performance reviews for themselves. The high pressure and performance nature of these positions means only the brightest in their fields work in this sector, thus the reason for investment banks receiving the biggest and the best of deals in all of the service function areas mentioned above. The preceding emphasis on profits, earnings, fees and performance might seem like a focus on greed, however it is geared to bring out the best, through competition among firms, which benefits investors, the general public and the economies of the countries in which these firms operate. Bibliography Allen, Linda, Jagtiani, Julapa, Sauders, Anthony. The Role of Bank Advisors in Mergers and Acquisitions. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Supervision and Regulation. Carosso, Vincent. 1970. Investment Banking in America, A History. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. ISBN: 0674465741 Constantinides, George, Harris, Milton, Stulz, Rene. 2002. Investment Banking and Securities Issuance. Handbook of the Economics of Finance. ISBN: 0444513639 efmoody.com. 2005. IPO’s. http://www.efmoody.com/investments/ipos.html Kuhn, Robert. 1990. The Library of Investment Banking. Dow-Jones Irwin, Homewood, IL. ISBN: 1556232993 Lott, Tom. 2001. Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking. Vault. ISBN: 1581311338 Williamson, Peter. 1988. The Investment Banking Handbook. John Wiley Sons. ISBN: 0471815624 1 Footnotes [1] Kuhn, Robert. 1990. The Library of Investment Banking. Dow-Jones Irwin, Homewood, IL. ISBN: 1556232993 [2] Carosso, Vincent. 1970. Investment Banking in America, A History. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. ISBN: 0674465741 [3] Lott, Tom. 2001. Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking. Vault. ISBN: 1581311338 [4] Ibid [5] Lott, Tom. 2001. Vault Career Guide to Investment Banking. Vault. ISBN: 1581311338 [6] Williamson, Peter. 1988. The Investment Banking Handbook. John Wiley Sons. ISBN: 0471815624 [7] Ibid [8] efmoody.com. 2005. IPO’s. http://www.efmoody.com/investments/ipos.html [9] Constantinides, George, Harris, Milton, Stulz, Rene. 2002. Investment Banking and Securities Issuance. Handbook of the Economics of Finance. ISBN: 0444513639 [10] Allen, Linda, Jagtiani, Julapa, Sauders, Anthony. The Role of Bank Advisors in Mergers and Acquisitions. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Supervision and Regulation. [11] Williamson, Peter. 1988. The Investment Banking Handbook. John Wiley Sons. ISBN: 0471815624 [12] Ibid [13] Ibid [14] Williamson, Peter. 1988. The Investment Banking Handbook. John Wiley Sons. ISBN: 0471815624 [15] Ibid

Comparing Journey of the Magi by Eliot and Pygmalion by Shaw Essays

T. S. Eliot’s poem ‘Journey of the Magi’ is rich in content, imagery, symbolism and above all Biblical References. The poem throws some powerful questions to all the readers and seeks answers from them. This poem is very deep and hard to understand at the very first reading. Its charm lies in its complexity and ambiguity. Here the poet talks about journey of three wise men from East and their struggle. Their journey starts at a very tough time of the atmosphere – â€Å"the worst time of the year† and that makes the task altogether more difficult. The very first step proved hard and unbearable for them. They know from the beginning that the journey is too long and will be tough to accomplish. The very weather was sharp and it was bone chilling, â€Å"very dead of winter†. On the other hand, in ‘Pygmalion’ G. B. Shaw speaks something very similar. In the preface itself he makes his purpose very clear and tells that as a phonetician one can change the life of a layman. The reformation of the inner soul is possible if proper and systematic training could be provided to the countrymen. A planned rigorous linguistic training can bring a sea-change in the character of the person. He tells that English language can uplift the status of the person in the society. In the first act he introduces a Notetaker who is interested in noting down the speech of different class of people in the throng. The Notetaker feels that these people are not correct users of English language and in a way they are insulting the whole country. He is aware of all the hurdles in making them fluent speakers but as a humanitarian he never looses his hope. Hoping against hope he lives in the expectation that one day the change will come. The Flower Girl is also someone wh o ... ...ns or Pickering. She realizes her own strengths and power and decides to opt for Freddy. In a way like a powerful woman she makes her mind to support Freddy life long. Finally the poem takes so many references from Bible and it revolves around the events in Bible. On the other hand the play is based on a Greek Myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. But unlike the Myth here the heroine of the play rejects her trainer – creator – sculptor , Prof. Henry Higgins and leads her own destiny. In the poem – ‘Journey of the Magi’ the transformation is well decided and not induced but in the play – ‘Pygmalion’ the transformation comes from someone else. Eliza wants to end up as a Lady in a Flower Shop and that is why she takes lessons from Higgins. In poem the magi are not satisfied with the change and same way in the play also Eliza is not satisfied with the transformation.

Modern Industrial Economy :: essays research papers

The Modern Industrial Economy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the beginning of the eighteenth century, Europe was in dire need of a transformation. One that would change their style of life, not only for the well being of the countries, but for the people as well. This transformation could mean the development of nations into world powers. This need was fulfilled by one word, industrialization. Perhaps the biggest change in history was the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. This was not only carrying economic changes, but social changes as well. This extensive mechanization from home manufacturing to large-scale factory production was without doubt, the largest conversion for labor fabrication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let’s take a look at some necessities for a country to industrialize. First of all, raw materials would be needed in whatever industry you would want to develop. Without a source of power or materials, the product would not be able to be produced at a large factory. Surplus of food is another necessity for industrialization. Without this extensive food supply, laborers would not be fed properly which could result in catastrophic losses. Another major element in the development of industry is entrepreneurs. Since Britain had a sizable middle-class with entrepreneur ideas, they seemed to fit more and more into this equation. Labor Force is also a large contributor to this cause. With an ability of laborers to leave their homes and go into factories, people started realizing the positive effects of big business. One distinct feature that was possessed by Britain was wealth. At the time, Great Britain was one of the wealthiest nations and could afford to dump l arge sums of money into buildings and export. Finally, one of the last things that were needed that could limit all the other elements is the possession of a government that was open to new ideas. If people in a nation could not get their government to back the ideas, they would have nothing. It was up to the entrepreneurs to convince the government officials that money could be made and power could be established.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But why did Britain industrialize first? In the beginning of the 18th century, these qualities were not that noticeable. Actually, the Netherlands and France were just as wealthy at the time, had equally skilled populations, and had just as powerful of an empire. The French government truly was seen as more quick to respond, especially in the area of transportation and communication.

The Nature of Logic and Perception Essay -- Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome. It is used to describe thinking that is purposeful, reasoned and goal directed - the kind of thinking involved in solving problems, formulating inferences, calculating likelihood’s, and making decisions when the thinker is using skills that are thoughtful and effective for the particular context and type of thinking task. Thus, critical thinking involves: following evidence where it leads; considering all possibilities; relying on reason rather than emotion; being precise; considering a variety of possible viewpoints and explanations; weighing the effects of motives and biases; being concerned more with finding the truth than with being right; not rejecting unpopular views out of hand; being aware of one's own prejudices and biases, and not allowing them to sway one's judgment. The purpose of critical thinking is, therefore, to achieve understanding, evaluate viewpoints, and solve problems. Since all three areas involve the asking of questions, we can say that critical thinking is the questioning or inquiry we engage in when we seek to understand, evaluate, or resolve. Critical thinking includes the ability to respond to material by distinguishing between facts and opinions or personal feelings, judgments and inferences, inductive and deductive arguments, and the objective and subjective. It also includes the ability to generate questions, constru...

“The Metamorphosis” Expressionism

Expressionism An expressionist piece of literature portrays a vision of the real world through the author’s point of view. â€Å"The Metamorphosis† is an excellent example of expressionism. It shows Franz Kafka’s honest interpretation of the world. His endless fears from his life can be seen in â€Å"The Metamorphosis†. Two fears of Frank Kafka’s that keep re-appearing in â€Å"The Metamorphosis† are displacement in society and strained relationships with society. After Gregor’s metamorphosis he also is no longer a part of his human society and can no longer preserve his relationships with his family.Gregor’s metamorphosis symbolizes Frank Kafka’s every nightmare and hardship in life. Franz Kafka was born in a Jewish family in Prague in 1833. He wasn’t a part of the Jewish community whole heartedly nor was he a part of the German community wholeheartedly. He was out of place in society much like the main character, Gregor in â€Å"The Metamorphosis†. Gregor was an insect in a human world. Everything about him differed from a human’s. He went from a young and capable man one night to an â€Å"old dung beetle† (42). he next morning. A man can never be part of society if he doesn’t know how to fit in. How was Gregor to fit in as an insect? It’s impossible. Some might argue looks aren’t everything one can be an important figure in society and make an impact just through the power of speech. But Gregor couldn’t even do that. To everything that Gregor wished to say the response he received in return was â€Å"Did you understand even a single word? † (18). Neither Franz Kafka or Gregor were able to truly fit in their society.Another key component in Franz Kafka’s life was his strained relationship with his father. This is evident in Gregor’s life as well. The novelette does not tell the reader information on Gregor’s relati onship with his father before the metamorphosis. But from the astonishment of Gregor in response to his father’s actions and words the reader can conclude that his behavior towards Gregor was not always like this. No matter what Gregor did â€Å"his father was in no mood for such niceties† (37). This portrays Franz Kafka’s failure in ever making his father proud of him.Franz Kafka was the eldest yet he could not carry the pride of the family. Gregor has carried his family’s burden for a long time. In fact â€Å"he was hot all over with shame and sorrow† (30) when he thought of his family having to make a living for themselves. He had always been the provider. However he was never appreciated, yet another message of Franz Kafka. No one appreciated him in his lifetime. Therefore his character was never appreciated. They were both stepped on as if they were no more significant than an insect.

Network Key Terms Essay

The Internet- The global network formed by interconnecting most of the networks on the planet, with each home and company network connecting to an Internet service provider (ISP), which in turn connects to other ISPs. Internet edge- The part of the Internet between an ISP and the ISP customer, whether the customer is a company or organization with a large private TCP/IP network, or whether the customer is a single individual. point of presence- A term used by service providers, particularly for WAN or Internet service providers instead of traditional telcos, that refers to the building where the provider keeps its equipment. Access links that connect the customer device to the WAN service physically connect into the POP. Internet core- The part of the Internet created through network links between ISPs that creates the ability of the ISPs to send IP packets to the customers of the ISPs that connect to the core. Internet access- A broad term for the many technologies that can be used to connect to an ISP so that the device or network can send packets between itself and the ISP. analog modem- A device at the customer and ISP end of an analog circuit, created when one modem calls the phone number of the other modem, with the two modems sending data using the analog circuit. DSL- Digital subscriber line. A type of Internet access service in which the data flows over the local loop cable from the home to the telco central office, where a DSLAM uses FDM technology to split out the data and send it to a router, and split out the voice frequencies and send them to a traditional voice switch. cable Internet- A term referring to Internet access services provided by a cable company, using many components, including a cable modem, coaxial cable, and a CMTS at the cable company head end. default route- In a router, a concept in which the router has a special route, the default route, so that when a rout er tries to route a packet, but the packet’s destination does not match any other route, the router routes the packet based on the default route. host name- A name made up of alphabetic, numeric, and some special characters, used to identify a specific IP host. Host names that follow the convention for domain names in the DNS system use a hierarchical design, with periods  separating parts of the name. Domain Name System- The name of both a protocol and the system of actual DNS servers that exist in the world. In practice, DNS provides a way for the world to distribute the list of matching host name/IP address pair information, letting each company maintain its own naming information, but allowing the entire world to discover the IP address used by a particular host name, dynamically, using DNS protocols, so that any client can refer to a destination by name and send IP packets to that host. Subdomain- With DNS naming terminology, this term refers to a part of a host name (or domain name).That smaller part can be the part that a company registers through IANA or some authorized agency to identify all hosts inside that company. IPv4 address exhaustion- A term referring to the very real problem in the worldwide Internet, which first presented itself in the late 1980s, in which the world appeared to be running out of the available IPv4 address space. classless interdomain routing (CIDR)- One of the short-term solutions to the IPv4 address exhaustion problem that actually helped solve the problem for a much longer time frame.CIDR allows more flexibility in how many addresses IANA assigns to a company, and it helps reduce Internet routing table sizes through route aggregation. Network Address Translation (NAT)- One of the short-term solutions to the IPv4 address exhaustion problem that actually helped solve the problem for a much longer time frame. NAT reduces the number of public IP addresses needed by one ISP customer by using one public IP address for the traffic from many real client hosts. Acronyms: BGP- Border Gateway Protocol CATV- Cable TV CIDR- Classes Interdomain Routing CMTS- Cable Modem Terminating System DSL- Digital Subscriber Line DSLAM- DSL Access Multiplexer FTTC- Fiber to the Curb HFC- Hybrid Fiber Coaxial IANA- Internet Assigned Numbers Authority IPS- Intrusion Prevention Systems ISP- Internet Service Provider NAT- Network Address Translation POP- Point of Presence RIR- Regional Internet Registries RJ-11- Registered Jack 11 SOHO- Small Office/Home Office

Feasibility Study of a New Hotel in Moscow Essay

You have been contacted by the Chief Executive Officer (C. E. O. ) of the company to conduct some research into the opportmoduleies for hotel expansion in the developing nations of the world. The new C. E. O. believes that global expansion must be furthered. However, the C. E. O. wishes to update their knowledge of the differing nature of regional operations. They wish to reassess the characteristics of the regions with regards to potential investment. The C. E. O wants information from the different regions in order to: * Analyse & evaluate the profile of the hotel industry in a chosen region. * Compare & contrast the differences and similarities in the management of hotel operations in that region. * To gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that each region presents to the international hospitality operator. * To assess the relative merits of expanding in one district compared to another in that region. The C. E. O. ants you to â€Å"Evaluate the opportmoduleies for success for (any type of) hospitality expansion and assess the pitfalls that a potential investor should be aware of before entering the market of your choice. † The C. E. O. expects you to construct a report that demonstrates evidence of research, the use of academic theory and commentary of your findings. The report should outline the region you are investigating and highlight the salient issues that should be considered when developing in this region. You must prepare a strategy for development given the evidence you have provided and the argument you have constructed. There should be evidence of research and an extensive reference list to highlight the research you have undertaken when constructing this report. You must also prepare a verbal presentation based on the salient points of your report findings and attempt to recommend strategic options open to the C. E. O. Region chosen Russia Moscow Building a restaurant

Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Essay

Abstract According to the World Health Organisation an estimated 200 million people globally are affected by serious mental health problems, however, research evidence indicates that only around one-third of those experiencing mental health difficulties actually seek treatment. A number of psycho-social and demographic factors have been found to explain variation in attitudes towards, and intentions to, seek psychological help. This study sought to examine the association between attitudes towards seeking mental health services and intentions to engage in psychological counselling. The sample for the current study consisted of 331 active and retired members of the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. It was predicted that psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, and indifference to stigma would all positively predict intentions to participate in psychological counselling, after controlling for age, gender and personality factors. The results showed that Finish Abstract Introduction According to the World Health Organisation an estimated 200 million people globally are affected by serious mental health problems (Mollica, 2000). Available data, however, suggests that only around one-third of those experiencing mental health difficulties actually make treatment contact (Kessler et al., 2009). This is of concern not only because of the deleterious impact on individual’s lives, but also because of the associated economic and societal costs of untreated mental health problems (Kessler et al., 2009). A number of psycho-social and demographic factors have been found to explain variation in attitudes towards, and intentions to, seek psychological help (e.g., Bartels, 2003; Segal, Coolidge, Mincic, & O’Riley, 2005; Vogel, Wester, Wei, & Boysen, 2005). How favourable and effective one believes psychological counselling to be, one’s own belief in their capacity to engage in counselling, and perceptions of subsequent social rejection  following counse lling attendance, have been identified as particularly influential (e.g., Hyland, McLaughlin, Boduszek, & Prentice, 2012; Vogel & Wester, 2003). Research also suggests that females may be significantly more likely than males to hold favourable attitudes towards utilising mental health services (e.g., Chandra & Minkovitz 2006; Raunic & Xenos, 2008), although some studies have shown that males and females do not differ in their attitudes or intentions towards the utilisation of mental health services (e.g., Kelly & Achter, 1995; Vogel & Wester, 2003). Additionally, personality factors have been suggested to impact upon individuals’ help-seeking attitudes and intentions. Jagdeo, Cox, Stein, and Sareen (2009) found that antisocial personality disorder was associated with greater negative attitudes towards help-seeking using data from the US National Comorbidity Survey (NCS) (n = 5877) and the Ontario Health Survey (OHS) (n = 6902). Given the disparity between mental health service needs and service utilization a more comprehensive understanding of the factors involved in counselling-seeking behaviour is required. The Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS; Mackenzie, Knox, Gekoski, & Macaulay, 2004) is a 24-item scale designed to assess the attitudinal factors that influence the seeking of mental health services. This scale was developed based upon Fisher and Turner’s (1970) Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale. The scale was developed with a clear theoretical foundation, and its increasing use in research (James & Buttle, 2008; Loya, Reddy, & Hinshaw, 2010; Mackenzie, Gekoski, & Knox, 2006; Mojaverian, Hashimoto, & Kim, 2012; Floersch et al., 2009). The IASMHS initially included 41-items, however the results an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using maximum likelihood estimation among a sample of 208 adult volunteers (Mackenzie et al., 2004) reduced the number of items in the scale to 24. Results indicated that the 24-item scale could be explained in terms of three correlated factors, which accounted for 43% of variance: (a) Psychological Openness (the degree to which an individual is open to acknowledging the presence of a psychological problem and to seek professional care for such a problem), (b) Help-Seeking Propensity (one’s willingness and perceived ability to seek help for psychological problems), and (c) Indifference to Stigma (how concerned an individual would feel were significant others to discover that they were receiving psychological care).  Internal consistency coefficients for the IASMHS subscales were reported to be good with Cronbach’s alphas of .82 (psychological openness), .76 (help-seeking propensity), and .79 (indifference to stigma). Factor correlations were moderate with r values ranging from .37 to .47. In the same paper, using an independent sample of 293 undergraduate university students and employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) techniques, Mackenzie and colleagues (2004) reported that they replicated the three-factor solution indicated by the EFA. Model fit was acceptable and factor correlations ranged from r = .26 to .43. The current study aims to assess the degree to which intentions to participate in psychological counselling can be predicted by attitudes towards seeking mental health services. Specifically, it was predicted that psychological openness, help-seeking propensity, and indifference to stigma would all positively predict intentions to participate in psychological counselling, after controlling for age, gender and personality factors. Method Participants The sample for the current study consisted of 331 (Males: n = 202; Females: n = 129) active and retired members of the national police force of the Republic of Ireland. Of the officers recruited, 302 (91%) were currently serving members of the Irish police force, while 29 (9%) were retired. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 77 years, with an average age of 28.41 years (SD = 8.63). Just under half the sample of officers were stationed in rural areas (45%, n = 149), 41% were stationed in suburban areas (n = 136), and 14% were stationed in urban areas (n = 46). The majority of officers who participated in this study were recent entrants into the police service with 63% of respondents indicating that they had been serving for two years or less (n = 209). Approximately half were married (48%, n = 159), while the remaining participants either resided with parents (27%, n = 89), lived with other family members (3%, n = 10), or lived alone (22%, n = 73). Procedure The majority of study participants were recruited during a training seminar (n = 259), while the remaining officers were recruited via formal written requests (n = 72). Appropriate authorization was granted from the relevant  officials to carry out the study. In total, 532 members were approached to complete the research questionnaire, and 365 volunteered their participation (68%). However due to overwhelming missing data in 34 returned surveys only 331 responses were retained for the final analysis (62%). Participants were required to complete an anonymous self-report, paper-and-pencil questionnaire booklet which included an instruction sheet and a consent form attached to the front of the booklet. Participants were assured about confidentiality and informed that their participation was voluntary. Completed questionnaires were returned by the participants to their superior officer in sealed envelopes, and were subsequently returned to the principal investigator. Measures The Inventory of Attitudes toward Seeking Mental Health Services (IASMHS: Mackenzie et al., 2004) is a 24-item scale designed to measure an individual’s attitudes towards seeking mental health services. The IASMHS was developed in order to measure three factors labeled (a) Psychological openness, (b) Help-seeking propensity, and (c) Indifference to stigma. Psychological openness reflects the degree to which an individual is open to acknowledging the presence of a psychological problem and to seek professional care for such a problem. Help-seeking propensity reflects one’s willingness and perceived ability to seek help for psychological problems. Indifference to stigma refers to how concerned an individual would feel if significant others were to discover that they were receiving psychological care. Each factor is proposed to be measured via 8 items and each item is measured using a five point Likert-scale ranging from 0 (â€Å"disagree†) to 4 (â€Å"agree† ). Intentions to Participate in Psychological Counselling: Intentions were measured as part of a larger questionnaire designed to measure the various constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991). This questionnaire was constructed according to the guidelines set forth by Ajzen (1991, 2002). The questionnaire was based upon a fictitious scenario which included the four elements of time, context, action, and target, as proposed by Ajzen and Fishbein (1977). The scenario describes an event that took place six weeks previously in which an individual witnesses a severe road  traffic accident. In the intervening six weeks this individual begins to experience significant personality changes. The individual is reported to now experience prolonged periods of extreme sadness, lack of energy, distressing thoughts related to the traumatic event, reduced interest in normally pleasurable activities, severe panic attacks while outside, and refusal to leave the house even for work. A friend of this individual attends a G.P. about the matter and the G.P. recommends that the described person should attend a professional psychologist for counselling within the next week. An appointment is thus made for next week. Participants in this study are asked to place themselves in the position of this fictitious person and to complete the questions that follow (see Appendix A for the full vignette). Behavioural intentions were measured via three items (Cronbach’s alpha = .77). 1. How likely is it that you would intend to go along to see a professional psychologist for counseling within the next week if you were in Terry’s position? 2. You will try to participate in counseling with a professional psychologist within the next week. 3. You have decided to participate in counseling with a professional psychologist within the next week. Each item was measured along a seven point Likert scale ranging from 1 (extremely unlikely) to 7 (extremely likely) and the scores on the three questions were summed. Higher scores on this scale indicate stronger intentions to engage in counselling.