Review of the Financial Statements of Merck and Novartis Companies

In module 2 case study I am to do the following understanding financial reports and continue to review the financial statements of Merck and Novartis to learn additional information. The emphasis of this Case is to review the income statement, balance sheet and computation of ratios. Review the financial statements for the companies and answer the following questions for the last reporting year: What components of stockholders' equity does each of the companies disclose?Merck & Company IncThe components of the stockholders equity common stock (authorized and issued), other paid-in capital, retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive loss, and treasury stock. Novartis International Ag. The components of the stockholders equity are share capital, treasury shares, reserves, and non-controlling interest. Do the companies have preferred stock shares outstanding? If so, what special features do these shares contain? Merck & Company Inc. Merck has authorized 20,000,000 shares of pref erred stock in 2012.All preferred stock from the AMI a merger in 1998 is being converted to either cash or shares of Merck stock. Novartis International Ag. Novartis did not report any preferred stock. Do either of the companies report treasury shares? If so, do the companies disclose the reason for reacquiring the shares? Merck & Company Inc. Yes Merck reported treasury shares; they reported the purchase of treasury shares on the balance sheet in the equity section and also on the summary of common stock and treasury stock transactions.In this case no they didn’t disclose any reasons for reacquiring shares other than those from the merger. Novartis International Ag. Yes Novartis reported treasury share; No they did not disclose reasons for reacquiring shares Income Statement. What are the basic and diluted earnings per share for each company? Merck & Company Inc. Basic earnings per common stock $2. 03 Diluted earnings per common stock $2. 00 Novartis International Ag. Basic earnings per common stock $3. 93. Diluted earnings per common stock $3. 89Have the companies reported any discontinued operations? Merck & Company Inc Merck has not reported any discontinued operations Novartis International Ag. Novartis reported no discontinued operations for 2012. Do the companies disclose any stock compensation plans? If so, are they reporting such plans under the fair value or intrinsic value methods? What was the value of compensation expense measured for any outstanding stock option plans? Merck & Company Inc. Yes they are reporting under the fair value method.The value of the compensation expense measured was approximately $72 million to the holders and $4 million Merck common shares issued. Novartis International Ag. Novartis did not disclose any stock compensation plans Financial Ratios Compute the following ratios. Also, interpret and assess each group of ratios for the company. What type of story are the ratios telling the analyst? Profitability ratios: ? Gross profit margin = Gross income/sales. The gross profit margin is a financial ratio which is a measurement of a company's manufacturing and distribution efficiency during the production process.A company uses its gross income to fund such company activities as research and development and marketing, which are important for generating future sales. A prolonged decline in the gross profit margin is a red flag for possible impending negative pressure on sales and, ultimately, earnings. You need to know the trend of the company before you can make an analysis of whether or not the gross profit margin is good or not, in this case Novartis has a better gross profit than Merck. Merck & Company Inc. 8,739/47,267 = . 185 Novartis International Ag. 11,243/56,673 = . 198?Net profit margin = Net income/ sale Net profit is the profit that is generated from all phases of the business, including interest and taxes. This is the â€Å"bottom line† that garners most of the attention in dis cussions of a company’s profitability. The net profit margin (net margin) compares net income to sales. A consistently high net margin is often indicative of a company with one or more competitive advantages. Furthermore, a high net margin provides a company with a cushion during downturns in its business. In this case Novartis has a better net profit margin than Merck.Merck & Company Inc. 6,299/47,267 = . 133 Novartis International Ag. 9,618/56,673 = . 170 ? Return on stockholders' equity = net income/ shareholders equity Return on equity (ROE) is equal to a fiscal year's net income. It measures the rate of return on the ownership interest of the common stock owners and measures a company's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders' equity. Return on equity for most companies certainly should be in the double digits; investors often look for 15% or higher, while return of 20% or more is considered excellent.Neither of these companies is great for their ROE but they are close, Novartis being higher. Merck & Company Inc. 6,299/53,020 = . 119 (12%) Novartis International Ag. 9,618/69,219 = . 139 (14%) Liquidity ratios: ? Current ratio = current assets/current liabilities The current ratio is a financial ratio that measures whether or not a firm has enough resources to pay its debts over the next 12 months. While Merck is able to pay back its debt, Novartis can pay its debt more easily and have a lot left over. Merck & Company Inc 34,857/18,348 = 1. 900.Novartis International Ag:  124,216/30,946 = 4. 013 ? Quick ratio= current assets-inventory/current liabilities Generally, the quick ratio should be 1:1 or higher; however this varies widely by industry. In general, the higher the ratio is, the greater the company's liquidity (i. e. , the better able to meet current obligations using liquid assets). The quick ratio is also known as acid test ratio. Both companies have a quick ratio but Novartis has a better quick ratio than Merck. M erck & Company Inc. 34,857-7,305/18,348 = 1. 501 Novartis International Ag. 124,216-6,744/30,946 = 3. 796?Inventory turnover = COGS/Inventory The inventory turnover is a measure of the number of times inventory is sold or used in a time period such as a year. Merck & Company Inc Inventory not specified on the 10K. Novartis International Ag. 18,756/6,744 = 2. 781. Leverage ratios: ? Debt-to-assets= Total debt/total assets Debt to asset ratio is a financial ratio that indicates the percentage of a company's assets that are provided via debt. Novartis has a lower debt than Merck. Merck & Company Inc. 18,348 + 16,348 = 34,696 34,696/106,132 = . 327Novartis International Ag:  5,945/124,216 = . 048 ? Debt-to-equity= total debt/total shareholders’ equity The debt to equity ratio, usually abbreviated as D/E, is a financial ratio indicating the relative proportion of shareholders' equity and debt used to finance a company's assets. Novartis used fewer loans to finance the companyâ⠂¬â„¢s assets than Merck. Merck & Company Inc. 34,696/536,020 = . 065. Novartis International Ag. 5,945/69,219 = . 086 ? Times-covered ratio= earnings before interest and taxes/ interest Times interest earned (TIE) is a measure of a company's ability to honor its debt payments.The times interest earned ratio is also referred to as the interest coverage ratio. Merck & Company Inc. Only had a consolidated statements of income Novartis International Ag. Only had a consolidated statements of income What type of information do you find in footnotes to the financial statements? Additional information provided in a company's financial statements. Notes to the financial statements report the details and additional information that are left out of the main reporting documents, such as the balance sheet and income statement.This is done mainly for the sake of clarity because these notes can be quite long, and if they were included, they would cloud the data reported in the financial statement s. Do you find the balance sheet, income statement or other measures such as ratios the most informative? Comment on the advantages and disadvantages of using ratios for analysis. I find that the balance sheet and the income statement have the standings of how the company did per quarter but the ratios show comparison of how they did. The ratios are good because you breakdown all the big numbers and just use percentages and analysis what is important.The balance sheets show the breakdown of all the individual accounts consolidated so both are good. A disadvantage of depending on the statements are that they can mislead you indifferent ways, if you only look at the numbers and do not look at the foot notes you may make a bad decision. Bad information can also be given through the statements, although this is illegal people still do it and later on change it or say it was a mistake but you may not catch that. Ratios can also have disadvantages like if they are not computed correctly y ou may have the wrong percentages or you may have nothing to compare them to.

History of Bareilly Essay

The region has, also, acted as a mint for a major part of its history. From archaeological point of view the district of Bareilly is very rich. The extensive remains of Ahichhatra, the Capital town of Northern Panchala have been discovered near Ramnagar village of Aonla Tehsil in the district. It was during the first excavations at Ahichhatra (1940–44) that the painted grey ware, associated with the advent of the Aryans in Ganga Yamuna Valley, was recognised for the first time in the earliest levels of the site. Nearly five thousand coins belonging to periods earlier than that of Guptas have been yielded from Ahichhatra. It has also been one of the richest sites in India from the point of view of the total yield of terracotta. Some of the masterpieces of Indian terracotta art are from Ahichhatra. In fact the classification made of the terracotta human figurines from Ahichhatra on grounds of style and to some extent stratigraphy became a model for determining the stratigraphy of subsequent excavations at other sites in the Ganga Valley. On the basis of the existing material, the archaeology of the region helps us to get an idea of the cultural sequence from the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC up to the 11th c. AD. Some ancient mounds in the district have also been discovered by the Deptt. of Ancient History and culture, Rohilkhand University, at Tihar-Khera (Fatehganj West), Pachaumi, Rahtuia, Kadarganj and Sainthal. [2]

Macroeconomics Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macroeconomics - Article Example It deals with the aggregated indicators such as price indices, GDP, unemployment, inflation, savings, investments, national income etc. It looks at prices of all goods and of all services. In short, it looks at whole economy. Macroeconomics also deal with the exchange rates. The higher will be the exchange rate, the lower will be the international demand due to expensive products. Macroeconomics deals with the critical economy issues such as inflation rate, unemployment rate, recession state etc. Recession is a period of two or more successive quarters of decreasing production. Scarcity of any resource becomes a cause of rise in price while access availability of any resource causes a fall in price of that commodity. Before we discuss U.S inflation, we must know the role of inflation. Inflation is basically an increase in average price level of a country while deflation is totally opposite to inflation. Deflation is the downward decrease in average prices level. Inflation in United States is also due to record oil prices that had increased the petrol price. Inflation is also caused by excessive money creation. Consumer Price Index (CPI), Consumption Expenditures Index (CPI) are tools to keep a check on average prices. One must thoroughly look into the average rise case because rise in the price of any one commodity may also cause a rise in price index. An average rise in the prices of food and beverages, apparel, energy prices, education, transportation, housing etc shows the horrible picture. As Inflation decreases the money value, countries consider it as a key issue. Change in prices of goods and services at domestic level is also measured by GDP deflator. Demand-pull inflation, Cost-push the ory (Supply shock inflation), Money Supply etc are the causes of inflation in a country. Economy of United States is also known for being rich in mineral resources and fertile farm soil. Five large, inland lake flow along with the US border with Canada. That has been a reason of economic growth in the last few years and maintained a high overall GDP rate, a low unemployment rate but in the end of 2007, growth was hit by the troubles in the housing and credit market. Unemployment is also considered as one of the key factor in macroeconomics. Unemployment refers to people who are jobless and are seeking some work. The unemployment rate is obtained by dividing the number of unemployed persons by the number of persons in the labor force. It is mostly expressed in percentage as its value is less than one. It has been suggested that US growth could be cut to nearby 1.5% in 2008. Unemployment is also higher than it was at the end of the last boom in the l990s. The fall in the value of US dollar is also a hot topic nowadays. The Federal Reserve has cut rates in 2008 to control the situation. Investors seem least interested in dollar due to lower interest rates and due to significant trade deficit.

Summarise and Analysis the article option ethnicities Essay

Summarise and Analysis the article option ethnicities - Essay Example Nevertheless, the tendency of the white remaining as â€Å"hyphenated Americans† is very strong and it is present in a number of political as well as social institutions. She describes â€Å"Symbolic ethnicity† of the white ethnic group from later generations as an American phenomenon that is quintessential (Waters 141). Waters further argues that people have retained ethnicity in their lives just because it permits them to bring together the contradicting values of individuality, community and choice in America. In addition to Waters exploring the symbolic ethnicity of the white middle-class from later generations, she addresses what they cost the society. She compares white middle-class with non-white Americans, who do not have many options. These identities are individualistic. However, there is a huge difference between racial identities that are self-imposed or socially enforced and the individualistic symbolic ones (Waters 143). Waters concludes the article by giving the readers invaluable information about the contemporary American life. Young people in colleges and campuses live together, regardless of their background and still respec t and appreciate each other. This is something that most people cannot do. The present discrimination based on race must stop (Waters 144). The assignment is about summarizing the article â€Å"Optional Ethnicities† by Mary Waters. The purpose of the article is to bring out ethnicity as what it really is and how it plays a very big role when it comes to categorizing and treating people, especially focusing on the privileges of a white person. The article does not target a specific audience as Waters wrote the book so that every American who cares to read it gets enlightened about ethnicity. Ethnicity not being a biological phenomenon, but a social one, is the thesis of this

Faculty empowerment and the changing university environment Research Paper

Faculty empowerment and the changing university environment - Research Paper Example Empowerment acts as a lubricant in reducing the workloads or job stresses of the employees with respect to their profession. Globalization and Liberalization has increased the requirement of empowerment because of the diversity of workforce working in the current organizations. Leadership styles are changing day by day in organizations because of the immense changes happening in the business world at present. Many of the traditional management concepts were given way for scientific management principles at present. For example, earlier, most of the organizations encourage autocratic management styles in their workplaces in order to derive maximum out of the employees. Moreover, traditional organizations encouraged only the individual works. However, modern organizations adopt democratic style management in their workplaces and they also encourage team work in their workplaces. Relationship building is accepted as the core of every organizational function at present. Without employee empowerment programs it is difficult for organizations to prepare their employees capable of meeting the present and future challenges. Most of the prominent organizations are working at an international environment at present. For example, most of the prominent universities have diverse instructors and students. For example, in many of the American and British universities, both the students and faculties constitute people from all over the world. Many Indian and Pakistani students and faculties are studying and working in these universities at present. Because of such extreme diversity in such campuses, the needs of the local students and foreign students may clash each other. Even the diverse faculties face difficulties in their profession because of the cultural differences between their country and that of other countries. Empowerment is the only way to prepare the faculties capable of meeting their professional challenges in diverse environment. â€Å"Empowerment is the proce ss of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes† (Empowerment, 2009). It is difficult for a person to achieve the desired targets in his personal and professional life without seeking help from other sources. Moreover, the complexity of the job functions are growing day by day and without proper guidance, it is difficult for the employees to complete their tasks independently. Some employees may have better ideas; however, in order to convert such ideas in to practice, empowerment is required. For example, it is difficult for a professor to excel in his profession if he fails to update his knowledge. A physics professor who is around 50 years old may not have many ideas about the current developments in electronics or computer science. The inventions happening in the electronic world is huge and without empowerment or training, that professor cannot update his knowledge. â€Å"Empowerment is a multi-dimensional social process that helps people gain control over their own lives. It is a process that fosters power in people for use in their own lives, their communities and in their society, by acting on issues they define as important (Page & Czuba, 1999) Empowerment is a general term which is applied in almost all the segments of life activities nowadays. It is now applied as a core concept in education, politics and economic circles. Human often tries to improve the quality of all the life segments. The quality improvement of life is not possible without empowerment. For example, nowadays people talk about quality education. Quality education is possible only if the educational aids

Tissue Engineering (bone) Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tissue Engineering (bone) - Lab Report Example The principle behind tissue engineering is to replace, regenerate, or repair damaged tissue. The common approach falls under the heading â€Å"Tissue Engineering Triad†: insertion of specific cells, the provision of signals that induce the growth of tissue, and the placement of specific cells on or inside certain scaffolds [1]. The regeneration of tissue requires the use of specific cell types for a specific tissue engineering approach. Local environmental factors also have an effect on the success of any tissue engineering approach [2]. Research states that body cells combined with scaffold biomaterials function as templates for regeneration of tissues to direct new tissue growth [3]. Hence, there is the need to understand how they interact at the cellular level. The biomaterials used may be natural or artificial. With the use of artificial materials, it is noted that their engineering is a challenge because materials that totally match the biological and mechanical bone matrix setting are yet to be produced [4]. Thus, natural materials that are intrinsic to the bone have been produced through the use of hydroxyapatite [5]. Their use has been facilitated by nanotechnology. It has been found that nano-hydroxyapatite develop a greater amount of cells, which is important for cell regeneration [6]. There are disparities when it comes to selecting the material that will imitate natural ones in the use of biomaterials [7]. Collagen is one of the main structural proteins found in the extracellular matrix. On the other hand, gelatine is a product of denaturation of collagen through the application of heat and has been widely used as a scaffold material [8]. Research studies indicate that collagen exists in many forms, but gelatine can be produced specifically through the type of collagen used to produce it [9]. On the other hand, collagen has been found to resist various proteases [10]. Thus, particular enzymes for its hydrolysis are needed [11]. Gelatine

Major Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Major Corporation - Essay Example Building the brand to such a high level took Coca Cola many years. It has launched several campaigns aimed at meeting its philanthropic objectives and to uphold its brand name in the business sector. This therefore means that its philanthropic efforts are aimed at achieving its core competencies. Coca cola has several slogans that are aimed at increasing its potency as well as inventiveness in the commerce industry. The Cola Life project that was launched in the year 2000 was primarily aimed at dealing with the problem of aid supplies. This was of course to the beneficiary countries of the company. The countries that were targeted by this inventiveness were those that had circulation points of the corporation but had financial tribulations hence they could not meet the demand for provision of aid to citizens (Publications, 2003, p. 153). The corporation has also launched a program in which it intends to fit aid packages into its containers in order to reach out to the poor people in the planet. The operation is being termed as AidPod. This inventiveness is benevolent and Coca Cola is using the aptitude that it has in its core competencies as a driving feature. The company is also collaborating with a non-governmental organization called Automated External Defibrillator in yet an additional movement that is aimed at enlightening individuals on the HIV pandemic. The two organizations are also collaborating in other initiatives to deal with AIDS and drugs across deprived countries (Publications, 2003, p. 152). Coca Cola is also involved in initiatives in South America to support young boys and girls who want to join sports. The organization has launched numerous sporting arenas that are mainly targeting youthful people who are below ten years to embrace sports. The company is also involved in campaigns that involve availing water to people. The corporation understands the need of hygienic water because it

Managing your identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Managing your identity - Essay Example A single real time identity may act several under different identities over the internet. The presentation of an individual in real time may vary from association with positivism to that of negativism. Social sites are rampant for deceitful identity, for instance. Most internet users express the desire to receive positivism attached to their identity while using the internet. However, some internet users prefer negative identity to positivism for vested reasons. Some internet uses involve professionalism and need high level of identity that displays the reality. Others, on the contrary, require low levels of reality of the internet user. The true characteristics of the internet user are subject to a degree of manipulation, in the later case. The media of preference dictates the personality of an individual while using the internet. Communication media that use semantics of language require low levels of identity. It requires a temporary real time personal identity. For choice of media that require that, personalities should have a vivid identity, including webcams for highly engaging interactions, a nearly true personality is

Extra Hours of Work and Payment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Extra Hours of Work and Payment - Essay Example The payment for extra hours at the organization depends on various factors. The first factor is the type of employment. In this case, non-exempt salary employees receive overtime payment based on the labor laws in the country. The employees are entitled to payment for hours beyond the legal 40 hours per week. On the other hand, the exempt salary employees receive extra hour payment based on their agreement with the human resource department. â€Å"The management should set specific regulations regarding the remuneration of this category of employees in order to avoid conflicts with the law† (Bragg, 2011). Another factor that determines the salary is the type of job given by the company. Trainees at the organization are entitled to payment for the legal working hours. Moreover, they receive allowances depending on the type of assignments provided by the company. Braswell illustrates, â€Å"The salaried employees at the company receive extra hour payments based on the guideline s of their employment contract. However, individuals whose annual salary is above $24, 000 do not receive overtime payment at the organization† (Braswell, 2014).    The extra hours worked by the employees at the bank depends on the amount of work. In this case, individuals can work between 10 to 12 extra hours in a week depending on the amount of assignments they receive from the management. Most individuals find it difficult to determine the exact duration over which they can work per week because of the dynamics of the job.  

Assess the potential value of integrated marketing communications and Essay

Assess the potential value of integrated marketing communications and viral marketing initiatives to Brewdog - Essay Example Therefore, under the given restrained parameters, the strategy satisfied both the customers and the retailers. Today, the technological advancements have brought forth an explosion of information that is easily accessible to public through the internet and other media like television, radio, mobile phones etc. The internet has made it easy for the customers to become aware of the product details including its availability at competitive prices which has precipitated the need to develop a whole new perspective for a new marketing technique. Brewdog, a recent entrant in the field of beer, needs to cater to the system as a whole rather than exclusively to the customer. The company must tap the growing demand from the new market segment that has come up with the advent of new technologies through creative market strategy. The inter-dependence of the various elements within the system with its inherent capacity to complement each other has vast potential to establish a market that is sustainable as well as mutually satisfying. Kotler has defined IMC as ‘the concept under which a company carefully integrates and coordinates its many communications channels to deliver a clear, consistent and compelling messages about the organisation and its products’ (Kotler et al 1999). Even though the customer base is increasing, it is becoming difficult not only to attract more customers but also to retain them. So, one need to add something ‘more’ on the existing products to make it more attractive without compromising much on the price. In fact, the more innovative the product and fancier the promotional techniques, the higher are its chances of capturing market space. Thereby, asserting that brands, advertising, and promotional techniques are very important tools of marketing. Brewdog needs to incorporate these factors in its strategy to not only create but to maintain a sustainable database of committed

Culture And Second Language Learning Essay Example for Free

Culture And Second Language Learning Essay Through the conduction of studies, it has been discovered that learning a second language, particularly in a situation where second language learning is given particular importance, requires an immersion into the lingua and cultural societies of the native speakers of the second language that is to be learned (Wan 44-45). This requirement is extremely important to be followed as the immersion on the societal components of the second language of the native speakers helps the learner to obtain more hands-on learning benefits when trying to acquire second language abilities (Wan 45). Literature Review Although numerous language specialists do conclude that culture and social groups exercise great influence on the acquisition of second language abilities, these specialists are still bound to not realize that the components that involve this situation are interconnected and are not distinct entities from each other (Wan 46). It is crucial to understand that learning a second language involves factors that cannot exist without the existence of other factors (Wan 47). Most recently, it has become a trend to become immersed in the culture of the native speakers of the second language through the use of the internet (Wan 47). Numerous second language learners browse the web in order to get immersed into the native speakers’ culture (Wan 47). Numerous second language learners can definitely learn through the utilization of this method as the web has got a lot of information from around the world to offer to the browsers (Wan 47). Methodology And Data Analysis Result of the surveys participated in by English language learner students: 3 1. Methodology: They have had difficulty forming friendships due to language barriers. Data Analysis: A little over 65 % of these people have had trouble forming friendships with English native speakers in the United States due to language differences. It is often uncomfortable to form a friendship with people whom you often encounter difficulty in conversing with. An interesting conversation turns sour when you have difficulty conversing with someone. The people who face this difficulty with English native speakers often become lonely while living in the United States if they are not able to find friends that share the same language as them. 2. Methodology: They have had difficulty achieving their academic goals than they would have if their instruction at school were conducted in their native language. Data Analysis: Although non-native speakers of English who are proficient in English are the only non-English speaker foreign students who are admitted for formal academic studies at schools in America, English proficient non-native English speakers also still encounter difficulty in their academic studies than they would have if the instruction was conducted in their own language. This is such the case as the mentioned students still are not used to the English language. These students most usually converse with their circle of influence in their native language, hence, this situation causes them to become awkward in utilizing the English language in their academic studies as well. The most objective advice that can be recommended from this situation is for the students to use the English language often even when conversing with non-native English speakers who form their circle of influence. Or, it would be better if these students would be able to find native English speaker friends who would be willing to practice conversing with 4 them in English on a regular basis. It would also be helpful for these students to practice sharpening their English language writing skills through regularly utilizing writing drills. 3. Methodology: Language barriers often make the students feel a longing to go home to their country. Data Analysis: Numerous students who experience difficulty learning English in the United States are usually not able to adjust to their social environment in the country. As a result they often feel that they are social outcasts and feel that they don’t belong in the community. Because of this situation that they may get into, they may become inclined to go back to their home country. 4. Methodology: Language barriers may have the tendency to make the students inculcate a lower self-esteem. Data Analysis: The students feel that they are not smart enough as they are not able to efficiently learn a second language. This dampens their spirits of good self-esteem. 5. Methodology: These students become the targets of discrimination pranks in the United States. Data Analysis: Numerous of these students become the victims of prank jokes just because of their limited English language abilities. They are seen as vulnerable group of people as they create a self-image of being dumb or â€Å"not smart enough† due to their limited English language abilities. 6. Methodology: These students become too dependent on an English proficient relative, family member or friend while in the United States. Data Analysis: This becomes the situation as the students may not even be able to convey simple information to strangers (e. g. , giving orders at a restaurant) due to their limited 5 English language abilities. The mentioned family member, relative or friend may eventually feel that these students are becoming a burden on them as time goes on. 7. Methodology: Numerous students are reluctant to learn English as a second language because they feel that learning it would cause them to somehow exhibit disloyalty to their own language and culture. Data Analysis: It now a common trend that people do somehow paint a picture on other people as being â€Å"colonially influenced† if they try to learn a second language. This causes these second language learners to become self-conscious when trying to learn a second language. If these people become too self-conscious to learn a second language, they may also give up the pursuance of a goal to move to another country and other goals that come with it. 8. Numerous people abandon their culture altogether and adapt the culture of the native speakers of the second language that they are learning. Learning a second language ultimately also causes one to get immersed in the culture in which that language belongs. Therefore, there are times that the culture of the learners gets totally abandoned as these learners try to learn a second language. This situation is sometimes viewed negatively by others. Results Learning a second language definitely has its ups and downs. The learners would just have to weigh in whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages as a basis in making their decision to learn a second language. However, we can definitely see that as long as the teaching of the second language is executed properly, numerous students are able to learn the language efficiently and utilize their second language fluency in worthwhile activities and 6 and professions. Discussions Three questions need to be answered in order for specialists to improve second language teaching and learning (Conference Probes Second Language 1). These questions are the following (Conference Probes Second Language 1): 1. What are the strategies on research that need to be executed in the implementation of second language education in America (Conference Probes Second Language 1)? 2. What are the strategies on research on the execution of second language education in the United States that need to be improvised (Conference Probes Second Language 1)? 3. What are these research strategies that are deemed to be effective (Conference Probes Second Language 1)? Reading, writing and speaking fluency of a second language does not come automatically if one has acquired extensive knowledge on the language usage (Swiderski 4). A culture’s main foundation is the official language that comes with it (Swiderski 6). When one first learns a language, he/she automatically first learns its corresponding culture (Swiderski 6). A language mirrors its corresponding culture (Swiderski 6). However, the language and the culture are not exactly similar in every ways (Swiderski 6). Because when learning a language one learns all about its usage, its interconnected component, culture, is also being learned during the process of learning the language (Swiderski 6). Therefore, language and culture are still 7 Regarded as separate entities (Swiderski 6). We can really see that a language tells about what kind of culture it evolves in (Swiderski 13). For example, a classroom where an English language learning class is held comprises of styles and settings that tells about the culture of the country where the school that houses the classroom is located (Swiderski 13). Significant differences in the way that the English language is used among the native and non-native speakers of English are considerably noticeable (Lucas 59). However, there are some questions that arise from this conclusion (Lucas 73). These questions are the following (Lucas 73): 1. Do the students make requests to their professors directly or indirectly (Lucas 73)? 2. Is politeness evident in the way that the students make the requests (Lucas 73)? Conclusions Charles Hutchison, Lan Quach and Greg Wiggan wrote in their article entitled, â€Å"The Interface of Global Migrations, Local English Language Learning And Identity Transmutations Of The Immigrant Academician,† English language instructors who experience teaching students belonging to different cultures, experience the following culture shock situations: 1. Problems in differences in teaching and learning. 2. Problems in differences in curriculum and assessment. In the article entitled, â€Å"The Interface Of Global Migrations, Local English Language Learning And Identity Transmutations Of The Immigrant 8 Academician,† using the social-constructivist (and cognition) theories as references, instructors of English language classes experience changes in the way they view language through the following ways: 1. They may be forced to conform to the students and their circle of influences’ viewpoints and theories. 2. They may experience communication barriers. Furthermore, the authors state in the article that the English language instructors come to realize who they really are and their vocation objectives due to the following reasons: 1. They shape what types of people their students become and their students’ self-esteem. 2. They struggle in helping their students realize their own identity as a minority in the United States. 9 Works Cited Hutchison, Charles, Quach, Lan Wiggan, Greg. â€Å"The Interface of Global Migrations, Local English Language Learning And Identity Transmutations Of The Immigrant Academician. † Forum On Public Policy: A Journal Of The Oxford Round Table (2006). Lucas, Sigrun. â€Å"Students Writing Emails To Faculty: An Examination Of E-Politeness Among Native And Non-Native Speakers Of English. † Language, Learning Technology 11 (2007): 59, 73. Swiderski, Richard M. Teaching Language, Learning, Culture. Westport: Bergin Garvey, 1993. Wan, Shun. â€Å"Second Language Socialization In A Bilingual Chat Room: Global And Local Considerations. † Language, Learning Technology 8 (2004): 44-47. â€Å"Conference Probes Second Language Research Needs. † Reading Today August 2001.

Growth Of Islamic Fundamentalism In South Asia History Essay

Growth Of Islamic Fundamentalism In South Asia History Essay Islamic fundamentalism is not a new phenomenon. In recent times, it has acquired a militant and jihadi form. It has grown because of the failure of the ruling elite in South Asian countries in nation building and in constructing democratic polities. Successive regimes, both civilian and military, in some of the countries in the region have used Islam as a means to legitimise their rule. As seen in previous chapter that the Islamic fundamentalism has been well entrenched in Pakistans power structure for the last two decades or so, ever since the military rule of General Zia-ul Haq. Pakistan militarys alliance with the Mullahs was formed during this period. The conglomerate of six fundamentalist parties, the Muttahida Majlise Amal (MMA), controls the provincial government in the strategic NWFP, where it has already enforced a kind of Taliban rule. The MMA is also part of the government in Baluchistan. Subsequently Gen. Musharraf strengthened the Mullah-Military alliance. In the subsequent paragraphs we will study the Islamic fundamentalism in various other asian countries and pak role in spreading this fundamenatalism. PART I: ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN AFGHANISTAN Afghanistan and the Rise of Taliban Demography. Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzebkistan and China. Its population approximately stand somewhere between 15 and 20 million people. The overwhelming majority of its population is Muslims, although a significant minority -between 10 and 20 per cent adheres to heterodox Sunni confession. The population is also diverse in both ethnic and linguistic terms. While two Indo- Iranian languages Persian and Pustho- are the ones most widely heard in the country, one also encounters speakers of Turk, Dravidian, Nuristani, and other languages. Afghanistan besides ethnicaly and linguistically, is also divided economically and spatially. Shaping of Fundamentalism Power Struggle the Root Cause. The Afghanistan is in turmoil since 1973. In 1973 Mohammed Daoud khan staged a coup, deposing his cousin king Zahir Shah and appointing himself as president. Daoud captured power with the help of Soviet- trained military officers, who were members of the Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). On 27 Apr 1978, the leftist military officers overthrew Mohammed Daoud Khan in a surprise coup and Noor Mohammed Taraki came to power. Due to internal disputes within the Taraki Camp there was widespread killing of tribal leaders to extend control over them. Thus Amin overthrew and killed Taraki and made overtures to the USA. Russian Intervention. The Russian Intervention in Afghanistan played a crucial role for its subsequent control and a state of anarchy in the region. The reason for russian intervention in Afghanistan were as under:- Iranian Connection. During Oct 1974 The Shah of Iran offered aid worth $ 2 billion to Kabul and also give secure access to Iranian port of Bandar Abbas to the sea via Iran, there by reducing the Soviet leverage as the only alternative route for Afghan overland trade. The increased overtures of iran towards Afghanistan increased Soviet apprehensions. Inclination to USA. The Amin after assuming the power from Taraki made overtures towards USA. This caused Moscow panic and at this stage the Soviets decided to intervene militarily to stabilize the situation, instead the soviets got sucked into the war. Situation after Soviet Withdrawal. After the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. The number of Mujahideen faction who fought their Jihad against Soviet forces and communist regime of Kabul tried to capture the power in Kabul. The Afghan society was highly divided on tribal and ethnolinguistically lines at that time. The mujahideen warlords were also fragmented along these lines. As their communities interests were involved hence a consensus government could not be formed and neither a power sharing agreement could reach between them. The end result was anarchy in Afghanistan. Pakistan, which was a front line state for Americans and western nation for arms supplies to mujahideen during Soviet occupation of Afghanistan had now its own interest in keeping the Afghan disintegrated as it wanted it establish its own puppet government there, so it backed number of mujahideen groups but when they failed to capture the power in Kabul, it started the Taliban movement with Sau di money and US planning and Pakistans manpower. Pakistans Objectives. Pakistan objectives in Afghanistan are two fold. The first was to secure a receptive leader ship in Kabul which would ensure the transformation of Afghanistan into a Pakistan dominated, Pushtun ruled enclave and assist Pakistans goal of wider regional influence, and broader regional political, economic and strategic gains. The other was to enable Pakistan to enmesh the identity of Pakistans and Afghanistan Pushtun into one and settle once and for all the longstanding Afghanistan -Pakistan border dispute in line with Pakistans interests. These considerations assumed greater urgency after the collapse of the Soviet Union, which not only signalled the imminent end of communist rule in Kabul, but also opened up the potentially resource rich Central Asian Republic( CAR). Growth of Taliban Birth of Taliban. It is generally accepted by Afghanistan watchers that the Taliban had its birth in the rugged mountains of the Pak-Afghan border, inside Pakistan territory some time in Aug 1994. By early 1994 it became obvious to the ISI that the Burhanuddin Rabbani regime, not very friendly to Islamabad, was slowly consolidating itself in Kabul. While they were looking for alternative s, Maj Gen (Retd) Naseerullah Babar, the Interior Minister in the second Benazir Bhutto government floated the idea of creating a students militia along with some veterans from the Afghan mujahideen who had fought the Red Army and who had taken shelter in Pakistan. Gen Babar started his search for suitable leaders from around April-May 1994. In the process, he came across a certain Mohammad Umar Mujahid. Later widely known as Mullah Umar. By the end of May 1994 the basic infrastructure for launching the Taliban was in place. Around this time, the meeting with the Jamait Ulema Islam headed by Maulana Fazlur Rahman started bearing fruit in terms of deputing its students for the proposed outfit, which it proposed to call Taliban. Most of the Taliban are the children of the Jihad against Soviet Union. Many were born in Pakistani refugee camps, educated in Pakistani madrassas and learnt their fighting skill from Afghan Mujahideen parties based in Pakistan. Their families continued to live in Pakistan as refugees even after the fall of Kabul to the Mujahideen in 1992. The Taliban the Army of Islamic students -was raised from the madrassas on the Afghan Pakistan border. Sociologically, Pakistan had based this new revolution upon the segment of the fanatical and illiterate village mullahs- the land less and weakest section of Afghan society. They are generally orphans who prefer to live in madrassas for three square meals a day. Pakistani Connection. Many Taliban carry Pakistani identity cards, as they spent years in refuge camps in Pakistan, and thousand voted in the 1997 elections Baluchistan for their favourite Pakistani party- the Jamiat -e Ulema-I Islam. Moreover the Taliban recruited hundreds of Pakistani Islamic fundamentalist students to fight for their causes and were closely linked to Pakistans fundamentalist Islamic parties such as the Jamait -e Uleama Islam led by Maulana Fazular Rahman. Their social history also allowed them to be extremely well connected to many Pakistani state institution, political parties and business groups in what was already an extremely fragmented Pakistani power structure. Thus the Taliban were never beholden to one exclusive Pakistani lobby. ISI Support to Taliban. It is believed that the Taliban Shura and Umer are only a front and the actual thinking and strategy is provide by the former and serving members of the Inter Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) of Pakistan. It wold be difficult to explain otherwise how the students of madrassas, dedicated to religious learning as a way to life almost overnight became warriors. The improvised madrassas in the NWFP and Baluchistan would hardly be in a position to impart any military training, unless they have sound and organized financial and military backing. In any event, over the last two years Lt Gen (Retd.) Hameed Gul, former Chief of the ISI, has emerged as an important spokesperson of the Taliban movement. Large number of former Pakistani military personnel a have been spotted in Taliban camps actively engaged in Taliban activities. PART II: ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN BANGLADESH Brief History Formation of Bangladesh. Bangladesh emerged as a new state in 1971 after a protracted struggle for autonomy, which evolved into a freedom movement against the Punjabi-dominated military bureaucratic establishment of Pakistan. Religion and Constitution. Though the initial Constitution of Bangladesh unambiguously enshrined secularism, which was to be realised by eliminating communalism in all its forms, and the establishment of multi-party democracy as fundamental political values. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had spelt out the meaning of secularism in the context of the Muslim society. He had explained that secularism does not mean absence of religion. The people of Bangladesh would have the right to religion but nobody would be allowed to use religion as a political weapon. Islam in Bangladesh has been based on three types of religious beliefs: modern, orthodox and popular. A majority of the Muslims of Bangladesh practice popular religion that includes faith in pirs, sacred places, Hindu gods and local deities and spirits. The Jamaat-i- Islami had no appeal in the political environment in East Pakistan since 1947. In, the Jamaat-i-Islami had only one member in that part of Pakistan. Bangladeshs Drift Towards Extremism. However, after the military coup dà ©tat of 1975, secularism was replaced by the words Faith in Almighty Allah in the revised constitution. A new era of the relationship with Middle Eastern Muslim countries, brought Wahhabi ideology back home from Arabia and created a social ground and support base for future fundamentalists in the country. In 1988, another military dictator declared Islam the state religion of Bangladesh by amending the Constitution. To create an aura of political legitimacy as well as to win support from the oil-rich Middle Eastern Muslim countries, military regimes rehabilitated and eventually collaborated with Islamic political organizations, some of which were radical and fundamentalist in nature. 43 Both military regimes tried to overcome their legitimacy crises by manipulating the political issue of Islamic identity. In this way, the military regimes not only created the opportunity for the Islamists to be a part of mainst ream politics in Bangladesh, but they also made Islamization an agenda of the state and Islam the de facto state ideology.44Subsequent democratic governments could not overcome the religious ideology created by the military regimes. During the anti-military period of the 1980s, the two major political parties, the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), continued to maintain tactical relationships with fundamentalist political organizations. The party that won the general elections in 1991 and 2001 formed a coalition with fundamentalist political organizations. The two of the militant fundamentalist organizations of this period that shocked the country the most were the HUJIB and the JMB. The mother organization of the HUJIB was located in Pakistan. Fundamentalist Acts in Bangladesh. Between March 6, 1999 and January 27, 2005, militant Islamists killed at least 156 people in Bangladesh. Bombs were thrown mostly at secular cultural gatherings, courthouses, and Sufi shrines. Worst among them were the bomb attacks at Udichi programs (a secularist cultural organization) programs, the Ahmadiyya mosque (a minority Islamic religious sect), Bengali new year celebrations, churches, movie theatres, the Bangladeshi born British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and at the rally of the party of opposition. The bomb attack that shocked the country most was the blast of August 17, 2005, where 459 bombs were exploded in 63 of the 64 districts in the country between 11:00 and 11:30 am. There were also several attacks on secularist NGO (Non-Government Organization) activists and newspapers. Two militant religious fundamentalist organizations, Harkatul Jihad al-Islam Bangladesh (HUJIB), and Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), carried out these a ttacks. These two groups alone exploded hundreds of bombs throughout the country during this period in order to establish an Islamic regime in the country. In addition to these two groups, other militant Islamist organizations, active in this period that were also involved in similar violent and terrorist activities included, Shahadat al-Hikma, Hizbut Tawhid, Bangladesh Islamic Manch, and Hifajate Khatme Nabuwat Andolon. Pakistan Link. The two of the major and active militant fundamentalist organizations of Bangladesh are HUJIB (Harkatul Jihad al-Islam of Bangladesh) and the JMB (Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh). The mother organization of the HUJIB was located in Pakistan. The Pakistani HUJI had first appeared in the early 1980s as a group of supporters of the Afghan resistance against Soviet aggression, known as Jamaatul Ansar (Group of the Helpers). With the support of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), the group renamed itself as Harkatul Jihad al-Islam (The Movement for the Islamic Jihad) in 1988.53 In the 1990s it expanded its operations beyond Afghanistan, especially in support of the struggle of Muslims in non-Muslim countries. Shafiqur Rahman, an Afghan war veteran, founded the Harkatul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh in 1992. The organization officially declared its existence at a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on April 30, 1992. Presently there are approx 27 militant outfits in Indias Northeast that have ties with Bangladesh and its various religio-political groups. The ISI and Bangladeshs DGFI coordinate with ULFA. The influx of migrants from Bangladesh across the border into north-east India and West Bengal certainly poses a threat of Islamic militancy spreading in these regions of India as well. During the rule of the BNP-led four-party alliance between 2001 and 2006, militant Islamic groups such as the HUJIB and JMB received significant material and moral support from Islamists within the alliance. PART III:THE DANGER IN NEPAL Gen. Nepal is a Hindu kingdom but not a Hindu state and religious minorities have lived in the Kingdom without any discrimination. Over the last several years, the Kingdom, however, has been in turmoil. It has been plagued by Maoist insurgency and the struggle for end of monarchy and establishment of Democracy in the Kingdom. Both these major struggle were over by 2006. However the country had to think and work out the settlement before the maoist can be adopted and the new constitution can be enacted for the country. Though the country is pro India and anti Islamic Fundamentalism, but a disturbed situation has been exploited by the anti India countries over the years. The use of Nepal soil by the Islamist for causing disturbance in India have been established time again.The presence of militant Islamists on the India-Nepal border has been causing concern in the contiguous Indian areas. Geographical Realities. It may be noted that India has an open, porous border with Nepal, which is 1,859 km-long. There are almost 20 Indian districts that share the border with 27 Nepalese districts. The open border provides a free field to all kinds of criminal activities, like drug trafficking, smuggling, intelligence activities, fake currency, fugitives, etc. Matter of Concern. What has caused concern is the emergence of numerous madrassas and mosques on both sides of the border. The number of mosques is certainly not justified by the number of Muslims in the area. The madrassas are largely funded from West Asia. These developments too have serious implications for India. The 1999 hijacking of the Indian Airlines plane on a flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi, which ultimately ended with the release of three top Pakistani terrorist leaders, showed that the ISI had set up an active base in Nepal. Some Kashmiri groups belonging to Hizb-ul Mujahideen have been caught in Nepal trying to send money to Islamic separatists in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani presence in Nepal is reflected in the growth of madrassas, increase in Muslim population, floating of fake Indian currency and is helped by an open border and lack of monitoring system. PART IV: ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN SRI LANKAN Origin and Growth of Islamic Fundamentalism. Muslims in Sri Lanka are the descendants of the Arabs, who came about a thousand years ago. The origins of Islamic fundamentalism in the country, however, are recent and can be traced to 1990 when the Sri Lankan ethnic Tamils drove away Muslims from the Eastern region under their control. This forced migration increased Muslim population in the districts to which they had migrated. No effort was made by the government to rehabilitate these uprooted Muslim refugees, who had to live in poverty and misery. Over time, madrassas came up, funded by munificent Arabs. Frequent Sinhala-Muslim communal clashes began to take place. Shariat courts were set up and strict rules imposed on Muslim women in the Eastern areas. The situation in the Muslim areas deteriorated and Muslim- Buddhist clashes became a regular feature. Militant camps were set up in the Eastern areas where volunteers were given arms and weapons training in the jungles and they called themselves jihadis fighting a holy war for protecting themselves. Ironically, the government itself had provided arms to the Muslims in the early 1980s to protect themselves against the LTTE. Also, attempts were made on part of the government to use Islamic militancy as a buffer against the LTTE. The country has been facing the threat of Tamil Eelam. The situation in the Eastern province is a potential bloody cauldron. There have been reports of two Islamic militant bases in Valaichchenai. The formation of an Osama Squad in Batticaloa has also come to notice. All this indicates growth of extremist elements in the community. Pak Involvement. The ISI is keenly interested to collect intelligence about developments in Indian nuclear establishments, many of which are located in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In this background, the appointment by Pakistan two years ago of a former director of the Intelligence Bureau as its High Commissioner in Colombo was not without significance. There has been an increase in the activities of Lashkar-e-Toiba in the Eastern province. PART V: ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM AND INDIA Fundamentalist Parties Post Independence. After independence apart from some minor outfits, there were two main fundamentalist parties in the country, the Jamiat-al Ulema-i-Hind and the Jamaat-t-Islami. The Jamiat-al Ulema, which had opposed the creation of Pakistan till the end, withdrew from Indian politics after the freedom and the framing of the Indian Constitution. While the Jamaat-i-Islami was divided after the emergence of Pakistan in 1947 and some members of the Jamaat, including its founder, Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, migrated to Pakistan, with an aim of creating an Islamic country. While the, members of the Jamaat, who stayed back in India, formed a separate Jamaat in April 1948. The leaders of the Indian Jamaat opposed secularism in all walks of life and decided not to participate in elections, and decided to opt out of the Indian political system. However Jamaat accepted the secularism in 1960s, though with some reservations. The Jamaat members from Jammu Kashmir have not been part of the Indian Jamaat and formed a separate party in the state. Growth of Islamic Fundamentalism in India. India is marred with a plethora of terrorist/ insurgency related problems, terrorism in Punjab, insurgency in its NE, Maoist insurgency in its Central Part, Islamic Fundamentalism in J K and till late LTTE influence in its southern part. However among all these the threat from Islamic fundamentalism by large, poses the most complex and significant threat to India. India comprises of largest Muslim population after Indonesia in south Asia. Islamic fundamentalism in the form of terrorism in India was initially limited to the region of J K, but today it has spread its tentacles to other parts of India too. The series of bombing episodes in Mumabai, Banglore, Hyderabad, Varanasi, the hijacking of Indian airlines, attack on parliament, mumbai 26/11, etc are testimony to the growing influence of Islamic fundamentalism in India. India clearly has become a target of jihad in the age of globalisation. Islamic fundamentalism is against democracy and equal rights for all citizens, irrespective of caste, creed, or gender. Its further growth will disrupt peace and stability in the country and in the entire region. Pakistan Invovement. It was well realised by various pakistani rulers and dictators that subdueing India with military might is near to impossible and a proxy war in the form of Jihad would accrue disproportionate result. Keeping this aspect in mind Gen Jia-ul-Haque implemented this plan during his tenure. This plan of destabilising India, was implemented through the ISI, an intelligence agency whose officer cadre is drawn from Pakistan Army which is considered to be the state Instrument of this policy, Pakistan involvement in creating and fostering religious extremist groups and terror organisations in Kashmir and elsewhere in India is well documented. PART VI: PAK INVOLVEMENT IN GROWTH OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN SOUTH ASIA Through our previous study it ha sbeen amply established that the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan is not only responsible for the present situation in Afghanistan and in Jammu and Kashmir, but it also has far reaching consequences for all countries of the South Asian region. All South Asian countries are pluralistic and face at different levels, internal tensions and conflicts based on caste, religion, ethnicity, language and community, and these distort their national integrity and unity. Religious nationalism has made a great headway not only in Pakistan but also in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It has made Pakistan a haven for Islamic terrorists, including Al Qaida, and it inspires terrorist activity in Kashmir. Some of the features of Islamic extremism in South Asia are: religiously defined national identity, undermining of democracy by promoting majoritarian theory and practice of non-liberal democracy and accentuation of international conflicts on ethno-religious lines, for example, between Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India and Muslim Bangladesh. The fundamentalists aim to turn the Muslim majority states of the region into Islamic states and start jihad in those countries where Muslims are in a minority. There is no accurate information about the exact number of madrassas in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and India. Many of these madrassas disseminate the militant ideology of Islamic fundamentalism and turn out militants. These contribute to the ongoing destabilisation not only in Pakistan but also in other countries of the region. The potential radicalisation of Indian Muslims is also a cause of concern. The Pakistan had the repercussions in other countries of the region. The major Islamic party, the Jamaat-i- Islami of Pakistan, and the Tablighi Jamaat and their militant offshoots has a strong presence in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. There is a wide network of Deobandi and Wahabi madrassas in almost each South Asian country and many of them are being funded by Saudi and Pakistani sources. Pakistan has been sponsoring a militant terrorist campaign in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir for the last two decades. Pakistans official agencies have been active in promoting militant groups in all countries of the region. In India, there has also been a visible increase in the activities of Pakistani-sponsored militant groups, like Lashkar-e Toiba and Jaish-e Muhammad. South Asia is the most complex region of the world in terms of religion, and is inhabited by the followers of all major religions. Islam, after Hinduism, is one of the major religions of South Asia. It has the second lar gest following (29 per cent) after Hinduism (64 per cent). Almost four out of every 10 South Asians are Muslims, and they form the single largest Muslim population in the world. Islam in the region has had to co-exist, ever since its arrival in the Indian subcontinent in the first century of the Islamic calendar, with a bewildering variety of religions and cults. All the countries in the region that emerged after Independence are hence multireligious, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic. India is larger, both in size and population, than all the other countries of the region combined. It has also the largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia. Conclusion Muslims constitute the majority of the population in three of the seven countries in South Asia, i.e., Pakistan, Bangladesh and Maldives, and they are also a significant minority in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. But Muslims of South Asia are not a monolithic community. Even at the height of the Mughal Regional Implications of the Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism in Pakistan rule in India, the Muslims of the region did not constitute a single harmonious community. They are divided in different Islamic sects, subsects and schools of thought. Though a majority of them belong to the Sunni sect, each South Asian country has a substantial number of Shias and other minority sects and schools. Almost every country in the region also faces unresolved ethnic, communal and linguistic tensions that at times lead to major conflicts. The terrorist campaign in Jammu Kashmir- waged mainly by militant Islamic groups sponsored and trained by Pakistans agencies and the disruptive activities of the Islam ic fundamentalist parties within Pakistan, therefore have wider implications and pose a major threat to the region. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan has had serious implications for social and political stability in the region and a highly volatile impact on relations among communities adhering to different faiths. References/End Notes

Relationship between the headmaster and teachers

Relationship between the headmaster and teachers INTRODUCTION The relationship between the Head master and teachers in the school organization has always been the focus of much discussion. The discussion has centered on how the actions and behaviors of the Head master affect the work that teachers do and ultimately the students they instruct. Teachers willingness to persist in their efforts to tech difficult student, to try different strategies, even to participate in innovations has been related to their sense of efficacy (Hoy Woolfork, 1993). Ross (1995) in his research on teachers sense of efficacy demonstrated that teachers who believe they are effective set more challenging goals for themselves and their student, take responsibility for student outcomes, and persist longer when faced with obstacles in teaching students who are having difficulty. Researchers has supported the position that teachers efficacy significantly relates to student achievement (Nemman Rutter Smith, 1989) and teachers receptivity to change. In this work, Ross (199 5) suggests that efforts to improve student learning should include attention to teachers sense of efficacy. Leithwood (1992) provides support to the claim that principals demonstrate strategies and behaviors that can increase teachers efficacy. In his studies, he described Heads leadership behaviors as having a direct affect on innovation and change as well as teacher performance both in class and out of class. Leithwood (1994) defined behaviors such as models behavior, inspires group purpose, provides contingent reward, holds high performance expectations, and provides support as being important to teachers in the school organization. Blasà © and Blasà © (1989) found that Heads who gave constant and immediate feedback fostered among their teachers stronger feeling of efficacy. Teachers effectiveness may also be correlated to background variables such a gender, in-service training, years of experience, and educational level. (Ross, 1995). Edwards (1996) in her study indicated that females responded with stronger sense of efficacy with regard to problems in the classroom than males and that there is no correlation with educational level. Bibson and Brown (1982) found that experienced teachers (more than five years) have a strong sense of efficacy than beginning teachers. Other studies fail to substantiate the findings that years of experience relate to efficacy. There is limiting and conflicting evidence that background variables of gender, years of experience, in-service training and educational level may have moderating effects on teachers efficacy. If teacher efficacy affects teacher performance and student achievement, than it is worth looking at what background variables affect teacher efficacy in order to better understand what we can do in the school organization to make teachers feel more able to do their work. Statement of the problem In Pakistan, at the time of independence, the education system was largely comprised of private and local schools run by district councils and municipal governments. At that time these schools were much independent and much decisions of the school matter were taken by the head and teachers of the schools. It was a system in which the central and provincial ministries of education played only a limited role in the operation of schools (Ahmad and Mirza, 1975). This trend continued till the year 1972. That year marked the nationalization of all private schools with the implementation of Martial law regulation 118 (Government of Punjab, 1982). Under its provisions, the rights, properties and assets of private colleges and schools were taken over by the central and provincial governments without compensation to the owners. The salary scale and conditions of employment for teacher previously in private institutions were brought to par with those in government schools. This situation was a great dismal for the democratic and decentralized school system in Pakistan. Not only Head teachers but teachers also were affected in terms of decision making and authority. The head masters and principals of the schools came under the direct control of ministries of education. Top level officers started to decide the matters related to the admissions, curricula and teacher affairs instead of teachers of the school or the head masters of the school. Due to this centralized situation Head teachers also became rigid and undemocratic which resulted ineffective teachers. Research has supported that teacher is the main actor in the education of a child, therefore he must be well equipped with necessary tools of teaching e.g certification status, experience and necessary teacher training (demographic characteristics), moreover with these things he must be satisfy with his profession, knowledge and skills (Hipp, 1995), This study will examine how the leadership behaviors of Head masters as perceived by teachers at the secondary school level correlate with their efficacy in the Schools of Hyderabad Division. Also, the extent to which this relationship is moderated by the select teacher background variables of gender, years of experience, and educational level will be studied. Research questions In order to guide this study following research questions are developed for investigation in this study: What is the relationship between teachers sense of efficacy, both general and personal, and teachers perceptions of their principals leadership behaviors? Does the level of teachers sense of efficacy, both general and personal, differ with respect to the select background variables of gender, years of teaching experience, and educational level? How do principals foster teachers efficacy in their schools? The significance of Study: The purpose of this study is to better understand how Headmaster affects a teachers sense of efficacy. The decisions a Head makes, activities, and behaviors that describe what he does on a day to day basis will be explored in this study, and an attempt will be made to relate these behaviors with teachers efficacy. This study also examined how background variables of teacher affect their sense of efficacy. The select teacher background variables described in this study are gender, years of teaching experience, in-service training and educational level. . Limitations of the study This study is limited to teachers and principals employed in secondary schools located in Hyderabad Division Therefore, the generalization of the results of this study is limited to Districts with similar socioeconomic characteristics. The credibility and dependability of the data in the qualitative part of the study will be established through taped interviews. Insuring confidentiality of all teachers who will respond to both surveys and the interviews, every effort will be made to have the interviews remain confidential Definitions Leadership behaviors: The principal leadership behaviors used in this study are: fostering vision and goals; holding high expectations; providing intellectual stimulation; providing individualized support, developing collaborative decision-making structure and symbolizing good professional practice. Self efficacy: Self efficacy is a construct originated by Albert Bandura to describe an individuals belief in his or her own capabilities. Teaching efficacy: Teaching efficacy refers to a belief in the power of teaching. Personal efficacy: Personal efficacy refers to ones perceived ability to influence classroom events. Methodology The major focus of this study will be to examine how teachers efficacy is affected by their principals leadership behaviors in 20 Secondary schools of Hyderabad Division. It will also be examined that how variables among teachers such as gender, years of experience, and educational level affect teachers efficacy. The study will be conducted in two phases and will combine both quantitative and qualitative methods of investigation in secondary schools of Hyderabad Division.(With the implementation of Devolution Plan of present Government, the boundaries of Hyderabad Division are changed. As the topic was approved for Hyderabad Division, therefore the same geographical areas are included in this study which were previously included in Hyderabad Division). Population of the study Population of this study is all the secondary school teachers of four districts which were previously included in Hyderabad division i.e. Hyderabad district, Dadu district, Badin district and Thatta district. Sample of the study A sample of ninety five teachers and twenty five Head masters will be drawn for this study from the population of all the twenty schools of four districts. The random sampling will be stratified by dividing the schools in clusters of male and female. Methods and procedures The study will be conducted in two phases. In phase one quantitative data will be collected to address the first two research questions. The instruments will be developed by the researcher according to the local conditions. In the preparation of instruments a number of formats are considered to be evaluated particularly the pattern of Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) by Gibson and Dembo (1948). The data, using instrument will be used to make the quantitative analyses in order to determine the relationships between teachers perceptions of leadership behaviors and teacher efficacy, both general and personal. Data from background information that the teachers completed and the Teacher Efficacy Scale will be analyzed in order to determine the relationship between teacher efficacy and the selected back ground variables of gender, years of teaching experience, and educational level. In addition to check teachers efficacy, student performance of the teacher will also be measured. In phase two a qualitative follow-up study will be conducted to address the research question-How Head masters at the secondary school level can foster teachers sense of efficacy in their schools? In order to address this question, the five schools with the highest aggregated efficacy scores will be selected. At least three teachers will be interviewed at each school. They will be randomly selected from those teachers who will indicate that they are willing to participate in the follow-up study. The questions that will be asked will be designed to give more in-depth information on how Head of schools foster teachers sense of efficacy.

Possibilities for a Better World :: Kurt Vonnegut Cats Cradle Essays

Possibilities for a Better World The picture painted of the world and humanity by Kurt Vonnegut in Cats' Cradle is not a positive one. It is not the utopia that so many of the novel's character's are striving for. It is a ridiculous world where truths are based on lies and the balance of good and evil is a manufactured state. If Vonnegut's attempt is to "poison minds with humanity†¦ to encourage them to make a better world," it is only through showing the reader the follies of man, the foolishness we live with daily, that maybe we can change our outlook and make a "better world." Within the 191 pages of Cat's Cradle Vonnegut manages to slam nearly every mode of life, every motivating factor, every convention of modern man. The strongest attacks are on our ways to knowledge: science and religion. Science is shown as a field led by madmen who do not comprehend the consequences of their research and creations. Religion is shown as being all lies developed to keep man happy. The characters of the novel are not unscathed either. Most are shown as greedy, uncompromising, and unsympathetic. They are led by unknown forces to do bad things, foolish things. Vonnegut "poisons" the reader with these examples of mankind. He examines, with wit and comedy, the selfish and foolish nature of humanity. One can look at the actions of the characters and their actions, along with the consequences of those actions, and draw from it a conclusion about the futility of living. Vonnegut can certainly be seen as a cynic for the image that he gives us of humanity. He takes it one step further, though, by showing us all of the absurdity of our modern lives. He wants us to see that we live by lies. Even the words on the page are lies. There is no truth. And in this way we are not bound to live the life that Vonnegut portrays. There may be a better end for us than there is at the end of Cat's Cradle. Maybe then it is possible for us, all of mankind, to make it a "better world." With Vonnegut's poisonous attacks on all our sacred systems he may be trying to show us that there is a better way to live. I will continue to argue that Cat's Cradle goes beyond satire, and gives us a truly cynical look at the world and humanity.

Controversies Over Technology in Early Childhood Classrooms Essay

Controversies Over Technology in Early Childhood Classrooms The role of technology in early childhood education is a controversial topic to both teachers and parents. The main concerns of both teachers and parents is the potential benefits for young children’s learning and development.. Supporters and non-supporters agree on the importance of young children’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. Supporters feel children should have the opportunity to use the computer as another tool to aide in and encourage their development. Non-supporters agree the computer may be a useful tool for young children but feel many teachers may not be using the computers in the best way to promote a healthy development in the child. They also contend that introducing the computer takes away from important learning experiences such as play and art (NWREL, 2001). School programs are now working on ways to better integrate computers into the classrooms in order to offer the young children the opportunities to develop the necessary skills to grow as students (Gimbert, 2004). The purpose of this research paper is to examine the controversies that surround technology use in early childhood classrooms. Introducing Technology into the Classroom Properly introducing technology into early childhood classrooms is the first and crucial step in producing a new and useful tool for students to use to enhance their learning. Many researchers do not recommend introducing computers to children young than three because they are not developmentally ready ((Haugland, 2000). It is useful to start off introducing a computer to young children in a group setting because it is general information all children need to know. The teacher may begi... ...about the different ways in which young children experience computers in the classroom setting. It included a study done of kindergarteners from about 22,000 different public and private schools and examined they availability of computers to these children. Romeo, G. (2003). Touching the screen: issues related to the use of touch screen technology in early childhood education. British journal of educational technology, 3, 329-339. In this Journal there was a study performed on early childhood students and their reaction to touch screen computers. The results were more negative rather than positive proving that it was more productive to use the mouse and keyboard for young children. Shade, D. (1999). Integrating technology into the early childhood classroom: the case of literacy learning. Information technology in Childhood Education Annual. 1999, 221-254.

Capital Punishment for Women that Have Abortions :: abortion argumentative persuasive argument

Capital Punishment for Women that Have Abortions    Abortion is the worst thing a woman can do against human dignity. It is a crime against life. No woman has the right to kill a new living being. Many countries ban abortion and many institutions fight against it. Abortion is immoral and it should not be legalized.    Abortion is also a threat to the mother's health. A woman can suffer an infection or internal bleeding. She could also become sterilized, the permanent inhability to bear a child. Abortion not only kills the baby but may kill the mother too. During an abortion, despite the use of local anesthesia, 97% of the women report severe pain, and if a more powerful drug is used she could suffer dangerous side effects. Many complications are common after an abortion, like inflammation of the reproductive organs. As well, there is strong evidence that abortion increases the risk of breast cancer. Women that abort increase their chances of getting breast cancer by 50%, and teenagers with no previous pregnancies that abort after the 8th week increase their probability by 800%. Unicef states that 250,000 women die every year because of legal and illegal abortions: 75,000 of them die of self-inflicted abortions; 75,000 die of convulsions; and the other 100,000 die of blood poisoning caused by an infection of the uterus.   Therefore, if abortion is legalized there will be not only more fetal murders but also more mothers will die.    None of the methods women use to abort are completly safe. One of the most common methods used is Suction Aspiration. The doctor uses a special tool to suck the baby into a collection bottle. Great care must be taken to prevent the uterus from being damaged, which would cause hemorrhage. A woman with hemorrhage will need a blood transfusion that could cause her AIDS. Also infection may easily occur if fetal tissue is left behind in the uterus. Another method used for babies as old as twenty four weeks, is the Dilation and Evacuation. Sharp jaws are used to grasp different parts of the unborn baby which are then torn away. The skull of the baby must be crushed to facilitate the procedure. Another technique used by a lot of pregnant women is the RU486.

Film Analysis: The Bird Cage Essay

In the year 1996, Mike Nichols decided to produce and direct the film version of the highly successful 1978 stage play La Cage Aux Follies. Geared towards the western tastes of the American audience, he called the movie The Bird Cage and presented the public with a hilarious yet informative movie about a gay man who fathers a son after an affair with a woman. The film showcases the brilliant talent of Robin Williams as Armand Goldman, father to Val Goldman as portrayed by Dan Futterman. Nathan Lane flawlessly essays the role of Albert Goldman, the â€Å"wife† involved in the homosexual relationship with Armand. Christine Baranski plays Katherine Archer, the biological mother of Val who had a one night stand with the openly gay Armand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie gives us a glimpse into the reality that gay bashing and fear of homosexuals is really an unfounded fear that society insists on propagating rather than understanding that just because a person is homosexual, it does not mean he stops being a real live person. Any homophobic person who views the movie must do so while making the effort to keep an open mind about the topic. The reality is that there is nothing to fear from these people. They, just like any normal person continuously struggles for acceptance and they are normal functioning human beings. They are not an illness, nor a curse from god. Since Val was raised in a homosexual household, he is quite comfortable with his father and â€Å"stepmother† because they function as a family unit. Proving therefore that the dynamics of a family exists regardless of whether the child is raised in a same sex or normal couple household. To Val, there is nothing strange about his family and he is highly confident of his sexuality. His beliefs about how normal his household is get shaken the day he gets engaged to Barbara Keeley ( Calista Flockhart), the daughter of Senator Kevin Keeley, founder of the Coalition for Moral Order, as the name of the organization implies, the good senator would never approve of his daughter marrying a man raised in a homosexual household. In an effort to gain the approval of the senator for their engagement, Val must convince Armand to pretend to be a straight heterosexual for just one night and pretend to be a man with Katherine at his side.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the night progresses and the best laid plans of Val begin to unravel and his secret threatens to become exposed with the arrival of his â€Å"grandmother†, who is really Albert Goldman in drag, Val realizes how unique his confusing family really is and that it does not matter if he was raised by 2 homosexuals. He eventually comes clean and everything works out in the end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Bird Cage is a movie that carries with it a very serious message regarding homophobia and the society that at the time could still be considered intolerant of gay partnerships. Indeed a lot has changed in the past 11 years since this movie was created. At the time the movie was filmed, Director Nichols was setting out to inform the viewing public about the misconceptions and myths about homosexuality by encouraging the homophobic viewer to become more tolerant of the alternative sex while understanding that they too have a place and bring a balance to the world we live in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In an in independent review by James Berardinelli back in 1996, he praised the film for its creativity and humor in dealing with such a delicate topic as a child raised in a same sex family. Something which at the time was only whispered about. Mr. Berardinelli commented that â€Å"The Birdcage rivals A Midwinter’s Tale for the funniest movie released thus far in 1996. In fact, the film is so boisterously entertaining that it’s easy for the unsuspecting viewer not to realize that there’s a message here. The structure of The Birdcage is designed to show us that there isn’t much difference between conservatives and liberals or straight and gay people. Nichols’ picture preaches tolerance and understanding, but neatly camouflages such themes beneath gaudy sets, colorful costumes, and unrestrained humor. The script has a few lulls, and there are times when it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but there are few better ways to spend a chilly winter evening than peering through the bars of The Birdcage.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These days, homosexual relationships have begun to receive a certain amount of tolerance and acceptance by society. Although, society still frowns upon allowing a homosexual or, for that matter, lesbian couple to raise a child in a same sex household fearing that such a set up would confuse the child and encourage the child to follow the lifestyle he was immersed in all his life causing the child to become a homosexual, lesbian, or have a certain type of sexual abnormality about the child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In a normal family, a mother or father is identified by his sexuality. Therefore there is no way to tell who is which in a homosexual family right? Wrong.   When you ask a gay couple who is the mother or father in the situation, they will always have a ready answer. This is because one of them seems to be born with the motherly instinct activated. Although it is believed that a child raised in a homosexual household will never experience the mother/father, husband/wife, mother/father relationships, he will however have exposure to the same through relatives in the family who belong to the standard definition of a family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the movie, Val realizes towards the end that he has 2 mothers who love him very much. One who gave him life, and the other, a man who, just like his mother has only his best interest at heart. Both persons only wanting to see him happy throughout his life. There is no real gender perception in terms of who is the mother or father role because the dynamic that describes either parent is the same, a person who loves and cares for the child and only wants the best for him or her. Why does that kind of relationship work? Parenthood requires one to be selfless and put the interest of the child ahead of your own. It does not matter if the child comes from a normal parent, one parent, or homosexual parent family, the guiding objective of parenting remains the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As evidenced by this movie and actual real life homosexual families, just because one is raised in a homosexual household does not make that person gay. According to the United Families International, there is no truth to the gay gene and therefore it cannot be considered genetic. The organizations explanation goes on to say that â€Å" Homosexuality is not a genetically encoded condition. Contrary to media hype, there is no conclusive or compelling empirical evidence showing any absolute biological, genetic, or hormonal causation for homosexuality. Homosexual activist and molecular biologist Dean Hamer’s study claiming the existence of a homosexual gene has been scientifically discredited. Studies that claim to prove homosexuality is genetic have been purposefully designed from a homosexual advocacy perspective and seek to convince society that homosexuality is innate, psychologically normal, and thus socially desirable. â€Å"   As for the possibility of a genetic disposition towards homosexuality the organization claims that ; â€Å" There may be a possibility of the existence of a genetic predisposition toward homosexuality, which is far different from causation. But even this possibility is far from scientifically proven. Predisposition toward something does not mean that it is inevitable, or that such a predisposition cannot or should not be resisted and overcome.† Comparing the predisposition to homosexuality to alcoholism, it is further stated that â€Å" Some people may have a predisposition to alcoholism, yet we do not affirm their disposition, but rather treat their condition and help them change. Current evidence suggests that environmental, familial, and personal influences contribute significantly to the development of homosexual tendencies. Seventy years of therapeutic counseling and case studies show a remarkable consistency concerning the origins of the homosexual impulse as an uncompleted gender identity seeking after its own sex to replace what was not fully developed in childhood†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As for the social issues a child raised in a homosexual household faces, I will agree with those who say that they face a rougher time in the real world than the children from regular parent households. This is mainly because children are by nature mean and love to tease each other without realizing how it emotionally affects their fellow child. This however should only serve to help strengthen the child’s personality as well as help him to further understand how different his or her own family is from everyone else. But, that does not make him any less of a human being nor should it prevent him or her from enjoying childhood. Val was practically raised in a same sex household and he grew up to become a responsible, caring, and understanding individual. Something that cannot often be said even for children raised in normal parent households.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A child comes to this world as a blank slate. It is the parents of the child who write on that slate and determine what a child’s value system will be based upon. A child learns his values in life by the example and reinforcement of his parents. It is up to the parent to teach their child the value of tolerance and acceptance of something that is deemed different in our society such as homosexuality and the fact there will be a few kids here and there whom he or she may mingle with who comes from such an upbringing. Therefore, how comfortable and confident a child will be about his sexual orientation, as well as how he accepts those of a highly different gender than his or hers solely depends upon how the parents explain the moral value of treating each sex fairly while highlighting the need for tolerance and understanding of such people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To illustrate the point about the value system of a child, one only has to view how well adjusted Val was brought up by both his straight mother, gay father and his partner to see that any value system an adult has in place was developed during his childhood. He was taught the value of tolerance and understanding from the minute he could walk and it made a huge difference in regards to how he accepted people in his life when he became an adult. According to Lois Clark, who compiled the Ohio State University Fact Sheet, communicating with children can help develop their sense of values. Simply put, Ms. Clark indicates that â€Å"When talking to children, it is important to tell them what acceptable behavior is and why it is acceptable. Simply telling a child not to do something does not teach the child anything except he should not do that particular thing. By explaining the reasoning behind the request, the child can learn.† This method of child rearing, wherein the parent will have the opportunity to explain about sexual differences to the child can prove to be a valuable part of a child’s value system in today’s day and age where homosexuality and lesbianism are slowly becoming an accepted part of society. Work Cited Berardinelli, James. (1996). The Bird Cage: A Film Review. Retrieved July 25, 2007 from http://www.reelviews.net/movies/b/birdcage.html Clark, Lois. Topic for Teen Parents. Retrieved July 28, 2007 from http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-Fact/5000/5233.html Dannon Marcello, Imperato Michele, Machlis, Niel, Mike Nichols. Mike Nichols. (1996) The Bird Cage. USA: United Artists. United Families International. (2003). Myth and Reality about Homosexuality–Sexual Orientation Section, Guide to Family Issues. Retrieved July 26, 2007 from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1034938/posts   

McBride Financial Marketing Plan Essay

McBride Financial is a fast growing organization with plans to open a total eight offices located in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South and North Dakota. Services will specialize in providing financial mortgage assistance to first time buyers, retirees, professionals, families and individuals with credit problems. McBride Financial provides customers with informative information without any hidden cost. Breakdown of services and rates are thoroughly explained with every home purchase. Applications are processed within one business day. Marketing Plan The development of McBride Financials marketing plan will require various forms of market research. The three major groups McBride will focus on will be first time buyers, buyers with credit problems, and retires purchasing primary or secondary homes. Market research will be conducted through the collection of surveys, contact methods, marketing intelligence and internal data. Advertising will consist of promotional television, radio, newspaper, and internet ads that appeal to specific marketing groups. Local realtors will be used for advertising purchases as well. Marketing strategies will be developed that establish McBride Financial as the leader in low cost mortgage services. Online Research Most consumers have access to the internet; as a result McBride Financial will conduct online surveys to reach a broad focus group. â€Å"Online research accounts for 8% of all spending on quantitative marketing research, and most industry insiders predict healthy growth† (Armstoring & Kotler, 2005). Cost associated with online research is minimal and will help McBride Financial meet budget demands. The use of online surveys will be implemented to gain a better perspective of consumer needs. Surveys will consist of 25 questions related to home purchasing and financial planning. Surveys will be forward to the marketing department for further analysis and plan development. Media Advertising McBride Financial currently has plans to air a radio ad which informs consumers of the company low cost special financing offers. McBride Financial has included a promotional pamphlet that will be available at airports, store newsstands and realty offices. In addition, an ad has been printed in newspapers nationwide. The development of McBride Financials television ad is currently in the works and will began broadcasting later this month. McBride Financial has joint-ventured with Realtor.com in order to reach our expanding consumer based. â€Å"Realtor.com is the largest real estate database of homes for sale and the official site of the National Association of Realtors; real estate listings, realtors, mortgage rates, home buying help and much more can be accessed through the website†. Financial calculators, investing tips, lender comparison, and many other services can be access through relator.com. Links to McBride Financial can be found under the mortgage lenders link. Internet Marketing Part of the McBride Financials advertising plan will focus on internet advertising through the company’s website. In order to expand marketing efforts, McBride Financial will develop and maintain an interactive website that provides consumers with information regarding the latest rate changes and tax breaks. Internet advertising makes use of banner ads, search engines, email adverting, and paid search terms. â€Å"Internet advertising involves bringing users to a web site or generating traffic; the web site itself may consist primarily of a simple presentation of information about a company, its products and services† (Magee, N.D.) Target Market McBride Financial will focus their lending services toward three major groups. All consumers are encouraged to use McBride Financial as a qualified mortgage lender. First Time Buyers Purchasing a new home can be overwhelming for many first time buyers. McBride Financial service will work closely with first time buyers to ensure customers receive the best available rates and the largest tax breaks. McBride Financial offers services to fit all first time buyer needs: Credit reports, appraisals, home inspections and easy approval can be complete by filling a simple application. Credit Problems McBride Financial offers specialized services for clients with credit problems. McBride Financial offers services for a fixed rate of $1500 dollars. Our rate is significantly lower than our competitors and accommodates consumers with less than perfect credit; preapproval is quick and easy. Retirees Purchasing the perfect vacation home can be made easy due to McBride Financials state of the art property search. Home buyers can quickly lock-in prime rates and feel assured their rates will not change. Advanced information systems ensures the security and privacy of all customers are highly maintained. Conclusion Providing consumers with competitive mortgage lending requires effective advertising and a strategic marketing plan. McBride will meet the demands of consumers by providing the lowest rates available for qualified borrowers. Retirees, first time buyers and clients with credit problems will benefit from McBride Financial services. Marketing strategies will be employed to allow consumers to apply line of credit. McBride will be the leader in lost cost mortgage services.