The Civil War Of America - 1816 Words

Over the years America has gained the reputation of being the â€Å"land of the free and the home of the brave.† But how did america become acquainted with these titles? America gained its reputation from undergoing several wars and social discrepancies. It is very ironic though that America can be seen as the land of the free when the early citizens of the country thrived off the enslavement of an entire race of people. One major war that questioned the idea of freedom and enslavement, was the civil war. This war took place during the 19th century and was a fight over different moral beliefs between the northern states and the southern states. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president, seven southern states decided to secede from the union†¦show more content†¦Based off this definition of liberty, it is weird to think that Americans would believe in the enslavement and oppression of a group of people simply because they were a different race. Slavery in America has been justified by using a different definition of liberty. In early American history, John Locke believed that â€Å"all mankind†¦being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.† Americans who believed in slavery followed Locke’s definition of liberty and claimed africans as property instead of human beings. The views of the south played a major role in shaping the lives of black people living in America. The economic enrichment that slavery brought to many southern states goes back to the early 17th century; when the first slaves arrived in the colony of Jamestown, Virginia. Initially slavery was just to help push the southern economy forward. Though the mistreatment of the slaves started to become more popular and the longer slavery stayed prominent, the less humane they became in the eyes of the white southerners. When the question of equal rights for all came into play, the south decided to follow John Locke’s words: â€Å"all mankind†¦being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions.† Thus slave owners defined their slaves as property instead of people. Now that the south has a

Pad 500 Week 3 Dq - 958 Words

PAD 500 WEEK 3 DQ To Purchase this tutorial visit following link http://wiseamerican.us/product/pad-500-week-3-dq/ Contact us at: SUPPORT@WISEAMERICAN.US PAD 500 WEEK 3 DQ â€Å"Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation† Please respond to the following. Note: Online students, please respond to two (2) of the following three (3) bulleted items. †¢ Evaluate the importance of each major step in policy analysis as it relates to political choice. Next, debate if one would consider any of these steps more important than another. Provide a rationale to support your answer. †¢ Consider Luther Gullick’s views on the division of work. Discuss the overall manner in which the division of work that Gullick espouses impacts the size of public†¦show more content†¦Provide two to three (2-3) examples of such an impact—or lack thereof—in order to support your response. †¢ From the e-Activity, select two to three (2-3) aspects of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) 2014-2018 strategic plan that would mostly likely be difficult to implement, and analyze the main reasons why the aspects in question would make implementation such a challenge. Next, suggest one (1) method that a policy analyst could use in order to implement the strategic plan overall. Provide a rationale to support your answer. PAD 500 WEEK 3 DQ â€Å"Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation† Please respond to the following. Note: Online students, please respond to two (2) of the following three (3) bulleted items. †¢ Evaluate the importance of each major step in policy analysis as it relates to political choice. Next, debate if one would consider any of these steps more important than another. Provide a rationale to support your answer. †¢ Consider Luther Gullick’s views on the division of work. Discuss the overall manner in which the division of work that Gullick espouses impacts the size of public administration. Provide two to three (2-3) examples of such an impact—or lack thereof—in order to support your response. †¢ From the e-Activity, select two to three (2-3) aspects of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) 2014-2018 strategic plan that would mostlyShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"Case Study and Scope of Enterprise Resource Planning (Erp)9096 Words   |  37 Pages| 2. | OBJECTIVE OF STUDY OF PROJECT | 01/04/11 | | 3. | RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | 04/04/11 | | 4. | ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION | 05/04/11 | | 5. | CONCLUSION | 07/04/11 | | 6. | RECOMMENDATIONS | 11/04/11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | CONTENTS SR. No. | CHAPTERS | PAGE No. | 1 | INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT | 7 | 2 | HCL COMPANY PROFILE | 9-32 | 3 | PRODUCT PROFILE | 34-50 | 4 | REVIEW OF LITERATURE | Read MoreCoffee and Crisis Management Team21317 Words   |  86 PagesInformation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦........42 Crisis Team Contact Information†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...........43 Part II .......................................................................................................................................46 3 Purpose of Starbucks Crisis Management Plan The purpose of the Starbucks Crisis Management Plan is to provide clear and concise guidance to our partners and organization, in the event of a crisis, to respond and recover from disasters or other unplannedRead MoreInnovators Dna84615 Words   |  339 PagesI E W P R E S S BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 100092 00 i-vi r1 rr.qxp 5/13/11 6:52 PM Page iv Copyright 2011 Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of theRead MoreMonte Carlo Simulation218872 Words   |  876 Pagesparts. The ï ¬ rst part, Chapters 1–3, develops fundamentals of Monte Carlo methods. Chapter 1 summarizes the theoretical foundations of derivatives pricing and Monte Carlo. It explains the principles by which a pricing problem can be formulated as an integration problem to which Monte Carlo is then applicable. Chapter 2 discusses random number generation and methods for sampling from nonuniform distributions, tools fundamental to every application of Monte Carlo. Chapter 3 provides an overview of some

Iga Marketing Plan free essay sample

Execute Summary The purpose for this document is to describe, and provide a framework for an optimized marketing plan for IGA Australia entering into Chinese market in the period May 2010 to May 2013. The report offers a structure for developing, implementing and controlling IGA China marketing program for the international IGA brand, in order to achieve focal objectives as followed in this plan. The Competitive Analysis points out the fact that the Retail Industry is dominated by 3 major competitors including Wal-Mart, Trust Mart and Carrefour in China. The SWOT Analysis included, helps develop the following Marketing Objectives: First year in May 2010-May 2011, aim at $100,000 sales income Achieve 2012 sales target (3-7% increase from 2011 sales results) Increase market share by 5% Increase brand preference by 3% 6000 customers to visit Community IGA per month in each location Reach 60 customers traffic in IGA X-press per day; achieve 5% increase in sales every season Establish a loyalty program and acquire 3,000 new members per month in each city The plan also states that the target market for aged 25-40 elite workforce who rofessionally employed and pursuit high quality lifestyle, living in economic booming cities in China. We will write a custom essay sample on Iga Marketing Plan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The plan also lists the marketing objectives which help achieve effective outcomes. These result in developing communication activities which include Advertising, Sales promotion, Digital marketing, Events and Public relations. Finally, it is mentioned that through Internal reporting, Survey, Website Visitor Trackers, Market Research, and Retail Measurement Reports, the Monitoring and Evaluation can be conducted. 1. Introduction IGA organization is owned by Metcash in Australia, a South African-based retailer and wholesaler. The company supplies groceries, promotional materials and other things to a large number of locally owned Australian supermarkets, and a few smaller chains. IGA has three distribution channels: IGA Supa, GA, and IGA X-press, which remained strong in the face of growing chain competition. IGA has mature and strong distributions to invest into a new country. 2. Segmentation IGA operates as a retailer successfully in USA, Canada, and Australia. Chinese market is considered as a new opportunity to expand its realm in Asia countries. Unique culture and different customer behaviors in China will be emphasized in differentiating target market. Different from home countries strategies, some new attempts will apply in Chinese market. 2. 1 Competitive analysis Supermarket Industry in China is dominated a few players with concentrated market share. Source: Euromonitor Report- Supermarkets China June 2009 As the chart illustrated, there are many strong foreign retailers have tapped into Chinese market, such as Wal-Mart, Trust Mart, Carrefour, Metro, and Tesco. In particular

Writing and Evaluation Essay free essay sample

Brainstorm possible topics to evaluate by making a list. For example, you might make a list of movies, films, books or policies to evaluate. Decide on a topic and then further your brainstorming with an expanded list of details about the topic. Draft a thesis statement. The thesis details the overall purpose of the evaluation essay and sets up the angle for your judgment. In evaluation essays, the thesis should argue the value or lack of value of your particular topic based on the criteria you will later establish. Define your subject. Provide background information about your topic or subject before you begin evaluating.For example, when evaluating a book, provide a brief summary of the plot and its characters to set up the context of the evaluation for the reader. Choose the appropriate criteria. In order to evaluate a topic or attempt to pass judgment, writers need to detail criteria in which the topic will be evaluated. We will write a custom essay sample on Writing and Evaluation Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example, if you are evaluating a movie, the criteria might be national cinematography affiliation, plot, action, realistic characters or visual effects. Critique the criteria. When drafting evaluation essays, the body of your essay should address the effectiveness or ineffective qualities of each set of criteria.Provide examples to support your judgment of each criteria and argue In accordance with your thesis. Self-Evaluation Essay Guidelines: Describe how the learning objectives were accomplished and the steps used to complete objectives. For objectives you did not meet, state why not. What did you learn from the failure to meet objectives? For objectives you did not meet, state why not. What did you learn from the failure to meet objectives? If you feel evaluation essay is not your cup of coffee, Fastnesses. Co. UK can deal with it effectively and efficiently, being the leading online academic writing services provider.

Historical Development of Continental Philosophys Existentialism and Phenomenology

Historical Development of Continental Philosophys Existentialism and Phenomenology Free Online Research Papers To describe the historical development of Continental philosophy’s existentialism and phenomenology as a response to Hegelian idealism one must first define Hegelian idealism. Hegel thought that â€Å"†¦what is most real- the Absolute- is thought thinking of itself.†(Moore-Bruder, 2005 P. 143) He also thought that it was not an independent group of ideas, but that all the ideas were interconnected. He would propose a thesis, then an antithesis, and together they would form the synthesis. Meaning the thesis and antithesis were the foundation for the synthesis, which would become a new thesis and antithesis forming a new synthesis until the synthesis reached the apex. Hegel thought the highest triad was the â€Å"synthesis of ‘Idea’ and ‘Nature’ in ‘Spirit’.†(Moore-Bruder, 2005 P. 145) Idea meaning self conscious thought, Nature meaning the external expression of Idea, and Spirit meaning thought recognizing itself as both thought and as object. Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard, the first major existential philosopher, disagreed with Hegel. He thought that individuals and their will and needs impacted their decision-making process. He thought despair was the result of an individual having to make ethical and religious choices alone, and that the only relief one could be granted was that from a belief and trust in a higher power or God even if it went against the universal norms. Friedrich Nietzsche also disagreed with Hegel’s idealism and all similar rationales. He thought man, as a whole, was irrational and would do what they were told, without question, like a herd of animals. He thought the rare Superman was able to overcome the slave mentality and have thoughts of his own. The Superman was able to create his own values rather than looking toward God as their source of values. The existential movement was not only embraced by philosophers but by artists and writers as well. Albert Camus believed that many people lived their entire life in a sort of haze. Our two basic needs, the need for clarity and the need for social warmth and contact, usually go unmet because we go about our lives fulfilling what we perceive as important needs instead of what actually are. Jean-Paul Sartre believed that there was no God, and that thought had four basic philosophical implications. He believed that you are what you make of yourself, that there is no reason for existing, that our choices are made of our own free will, and that we all establish our own values. He believed that by making choices about one’s life and future we give meaning to our lives and that how we act is a true vision into what kind of person you are. Edmund Husserl’s work is the starting point for what is now known as phenomenology. Phenomenology states that one should look at the objects that are actually present and not concern oneself with the second world that metaphysics presents such as Plato’s forms. Martin Heidegger thought that humans had forgotten about Being, the ultimate source, because of human made logic. He believed that â€Å"†¦it is both arrogant and destructive to assume that humans are the masters of nature or to follow Protagoras’s dictum that man is the measure of all things.†(Moore-Bruder, 2005 P. 175) He thought that speech was a useless flood of words without any true meaning. Emmanuel Levinas believed that humans could not study Being and try to explain beings, he thought beings had to study themselves first in order to explain Being. He thought that one’s primary responsibility is for the Other and it is more important than their responsibility to themselves and to the world. He thought that true freedom is only attained by obedience to God and His commandments. The historical development of Continental philosophy’s existentialism and phenomenology as a response to Hegelian idealism has basically been on of disagreement. Philosophers seem to disagree with most of Hegel’s ideas. There is also some disagreement among the existentialists and phenomenolists both within their own categories and between the two. Most of Continental philosophy’s ideas are based on ideas that were previously stated. References Moore-Bruder: Philosophy: The Power of Ideas (6th ed.). The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2005 Research Papers on Historical Development of Continental Philosophy’s Existentialism and PhenomenologyCapital PunishmentAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalQuebec and CanadaGenetic EngineeringBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Journal Topics for Self Understanding

Journal Topics for Self Understanding The following journal topics all are geared to help students learn a little more about themselves as they grow in self-understanding. In addition to the topics listed below, associative writing, the writing of thoughts as fast as they come to mind without worrying about sentence structure or punctuation, may be particularly helpful when a student is troubled or experiencing writers block. When I need time for myself...If I could live anywhereI really miss...I never expected...An unusual day in my lifeFor my birthday Id like...The worst gift I ever got...I daydream most about...I really wish....Something few people realize about meI wish I werent so...One of my best points is...One of my most important goals is...I dream that one day...My hardest class isWhat makes me feel proud isIm glad Im alive whenSome little things I often forget to enjoyAssociative Writing: Associative writing, also called free writing, requires that the student writes his or her thoughts as fast as they come to mind with no attention to sentence structure or punctuation. The technique may be particularly helpful when a student is troubled or suffering from writers block. Although I like to teach students how and when to use associative writing, I prefer that they do it outside of class and not as an English assignment.

Environmental Ethics. response 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Environmental Ethics. response 1 - Essay Example The contract between humans and animals is rudimentary. This is because humans are the grantors of animals’ rights, where they choose on what they feed, their medication, and even caring for their needs. In the case of livestock, humans determine what they feed and choose mates for the animals for purposes of robust breeds. Animal rights are perceived to be acquired by virtue of birth. The rules of nature, however, do not give animals the sense of granting other animals their rights. The complex structures relating to equality, put in place by humans does not resemble any structures relating to animal rights. This proves that animals are not able to honor the necessary basic contract for the existence of their rights. Animals have quite an impact on the lives of human beings. Despite the sympathy and care that humans show to animals, the animals have rights that are enforceable by law. Although the animals cannot comprehend the laws, they may be disastrous for the humans. The welfare of animals should be put into consideration to ensure that the quality of life is achieved by both humans and

An Issue Pertaining to Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

An Issue Pertaining to Business Ethics - Essay Example Recent reports have shown that over 10 million men and women in England drink above the recommended guidelines. This obviously means that it will in all possible ways affect their body and mind in a negative way. The guidelines set to drinking have been set by the careful and thorough study of the intake of alcohol and those set limits are not meant to be crossed. These individuals in their practical life, therefore, perform lesser than their capability. It affects their performance, behavior, mental and stress level. They get tired easily and therefore are unable to work for even average work hours. It also causes a greater rate of absenteeism amongst individuals and a company cannot properly function with these conditions. Absent employees and the ones present not working at their best is something an organization should worry about. â€Å"By the principle of utility is meant that principle which approves or disapproves of every action whatsoever according to the tendency it appears to have to augment or diminish the happiness of the party whose interest is in question† (Bentham, 1789). An individual’s actions inside the organization that he is working in, that directly affect the organization need to be paid attention and controlled. It’s for the benefit of everyone that every particular individual behaves in the most appropriate of ways, ways that are ethical. The health profession, in particular, primary care physicians, has long been encouraged to guide their patients’ drinking behavior (ICAP, 2002). Alcoholic behaviors of individuals is an important issue and require urgent attention, reports suggest that around 200,000 people go to work with a hangover. Alcohol also directly affects individuals work behavior. It is reported to promote rude behavior, non-serious attitude and in some cases violent behavior as well.  Ã‚  

How to Write a Great Statement of Purpose Essay Example for Free

How to Write a Great Statement of Purpose Essay Statement of Purpose Growing up in an educated family was a great motivation to find my position in life and establish my own dreams. During my high school education, I started searching for undergraduate programs that matched my personality and interests. After a long journey of searching, I decided to study a major that focuses mainly on health science in order to help people to stay safe and healthy. When I imaged how a small pill can switch people’s lives from hell to heaven, it motivated me to learn more about scientific processes to facilitate these transformations. Once I received my Pharm-D degree from Taif University, I determined to obtain a Master’s degree in the U.S in Pharmacoeconomics, Health Care Outcomes and Clinical Services. I discovered my specific academic passion when I was a senior pharmacy student, during my hospital rotations besides my graduation project. I worked with Professor Abubaker, who is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice division at Taif University, on a project titled â€Å"Self-Medication with Antibiotics: A population-based survey in Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.† This project had a great effect on my desire to continue studying pharmacy in graduate school because it showed me that many patients have low awareness of the effects of using wrong or unspecified dose of medication, especially in antibiotics due to either low awareness or social impacts. This matched my experience in five rotations of hospitals and college training as a senior pharmacy student. One of the important rotations to me was when I worked with physicians in a walk-in Ambulatory clinic. I interacted face to face with the patients and observed their treatment plans to raise awareness or make changes . In addition to my internship, I participated in many events during my college years. One of the important participation to me was when I participated in DUPHAT Conference 2015 in Dubai as a conference delegate and student poster presenter of a group graduation project. The concepts of hard work and the commitment to what I am doing and aiming for were reinforced in me by these extracurricular activities. I chose to apply to your program because it offers a highly unique Health Outcomes and Pharmacy Practice program. This program hits two birds with one stone for me. It focuses academically on providing the knowledge and analytical skills, which are necessary to demonstrate the pharmaceutical and healthcare products, to help to improve the health system in order to provide more accurate treatments for patients as well as to reduce health care cost and use budgets appropriately. The other interest of this program is providing six fellowship experiences in areas of specialization. My passion for studying this subject has grown due to the scarcity of specialists and experts in my country. I have researched the faculty of your program to find matches with my interests. I am interested in working with Dr. Linda L. Norton, or with Dr. Veronica T. Bandy, because of their research interests and both of them have experience in teaching Nonprescription therapy and self-care courses, which is the same topic of my graduation project. Also, I am interested in working with Dr. Yvonne Mai, because she has a degree in Pharmacoeconomics, Health Care Outcomes and Clinical Services Fellowship, which is the same as my specialized program. I have looked at all the faculty backgrounds and interests, and Dr. Mai is the only one who has this degree. I believe we can collaborate to take health care and clinical services to a new level in my country due to our same interest field and passions. After I obtain a master’s degree, I will return home to work in one of Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry Hospitals as a part of my full scholarship agreement. After that, I plan to continue my journey in higher education to transfer my passion to young pharmacy students to improve the health outcomes and pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia.

The Plague Essay -- essays research papers

The Plague   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The rats did it! Rats, almost single handedly, killed off about a third of the European population throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. Its effects on western civilization still lasts today, but for the people who lived during the plagues wish indeed that they did not. Society was depressed, the economy was struggling, food was scarce, and all of Europe was in battle. Who would want to live in these dramatic conditions? No one, and not for centuries to come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Plague, also known as the Black Death, or the Bubonic Plague, which struck in 1346, and again in 1361-62, ravaged all of Europe to the extent of bringing gruesome death to millions people of the Middle Ages. It was a combination of bubonic, septicemia, and pneumonic plague strains that started in the east and worked it’s way west, but never left its native home. One of the things that made the plague one of the worst was that there were outbreaks almost every ten years but still restricted to Europe. It is thought that one third to one half of the population in Europe could have possibly died due to the plague with some towns of a death rate of up to 30 or 40 percent. Very few that were infected with the plague actually survived more than one month after receiving the disease. The Black Death was an incredible event that effected everyone on a physical level, emotional level, or both. The Black Death was more terrible, and killed more people than any war in history. The plague was so horrible and terrifying that people said it made all other disasters in the Middle Ages seem like a walk in the park when compared it to the Black Death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The infested rat, called the black ship rat, was carried in the baggage of merchants on board ships traveling all over the Mediterranean. They didn't know it, but It was the people that actually spread the disease across the land. The plague spread in a great arc across Europe, starting in the east in the Mediterranean Sea, and ending up in Germany. It is incredible that the plague hit Europe several times, but still no one understood neither the causes nor the treatments of the epidemic.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Black Death was one of the largest epidemics ever recorded, it did not have many visible symptoms. The actual symptoms varied i... ...e seen along with the cathedrals started in the 12th and 13th centuries and never finished because of the plague.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The effects on the future were not as bad as the effects the 14th century people experienced. After the plague had set in on Europe and took its toll the people began to stop writing and in turn stop reading. The citizens became illiterate and showed no real interest in the arts. The European population steadily declined after 1350 for the next century. In 1351, it was calculated that the total number of dead in Europe was approximately twenty-four million people. That is a great decrease considering that there was an estimated seventy-five million people living in Europe before the Black Death struck.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Plague certainly had one of the greatest effects on the world in all areas, and was also one of the greatest displays of human suffering ever. The Plague caused the people of western civilization to lose family, food, society, and basic fundamentals of living. It seems that bad or depressing situations give us a grasp on what is really important in our daily lives, and that is what we all need.

Single Mothers and Higher Education

Every day in America another woman becomes a mother. In an average year 4,248,000 women in the United States become mothers (Ventura, 2012). â€Å"One out of every three American children is born to a single mother† (Single Mothers 2006). With divorces still at 856,000 a year (Amato, 2010) thousands of children are suffering from single parent families. Divorce is not only hard on children but also women. Most women do not have higher educations before the divorce and this causes financial hardships. Due to this hardship women return to college in hopes to seek a higher education and be able to provide better for their children. The review of literature not only demonstrated the amount of stress one goes through but also the financial burdens they are faced with during this time. Literature came to show although the difficulties during these times were rough, but the outcomes were beneficial. Single Mothers and Higher Education If being a single mother is not hard enough, being a single mother going towards a higher education is even harder. Every day, women in America go back to school in hopes to achieve a higher education. Single mothers face many challenges when it comes to pursuing a college degree. These single mothers are not only working they are also care for their children and trying to achieve a higher education. In reports from 2011 37% of mothers were single parents (Postal 2013). Not only are these mother struggling these children of single mothers are also struggling. They are born into poverty and have a higher chance of becoming teen parents along with higher rates of drop outs during high school years. Higher educations for these moms are one way they can help their kids beat the odds. When being born into a single mother household yours odds are stacked against you. Right out of the gate you are â€Å"more likely to live in poverty and have poor development outcomes† (Postal, 2013). â€Å"Completion of an undergraduate degree is one way single mothers can mitigate the risk that they and their children will live in straitened circumstances† (Synnott, 2010). These challenges make it hard for single mothers to continue to push forward and some of them never see the end of the light where as others are able to finish and able to provide a life that would of never been possible without a higher education. Over the last four decades the rate of marriages have went down and the divorce rates have risen causing a large amount of single mothers to be left in this world to fend for not only themselves but also their children (McLanahan & Casper, 1995). Reports back in 1999 showed that over 20% of families are being raised by single mothers (Capser & Bryson, 1998). The struggles that one faces in a single parent family are larger than those who come from dual families. Single parents struggle with not only poverty but also have poor support systems. In 2000, 25% of single-mother and 12% of single-father families lived in poverty, compared with 5% of married-couple families with children† (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 2001). The average income for a single mother in 2011 Census was $23,000 (U. S. Bureau of the Census, 2011). With an income like this they are barely able to make ends meet and most of them are on some form of public assistance. Poverty is not the only issue when coming fr om single parent families adequate support is also a big issues. A lot of these children struggle in school due to lack of food, shelter or help at home. Although the government has put programs into place to help families who struggle with poverty these programs are just a temporary fix and when these women do get jobs they are barely able to make ends meet. Women who can get jobs have a hard time finding someone to watch their children. Most single moms don’t even make enough to cover a child care provider in order to make it to work. The quality of childcare is also at stake when you can only offer a small amount of compensation for their services. So more and more women are forced to stay at home and live off the government until they are able to achieve a better education, or they are forced to work more than one job in order to make it. More and more women now days are the sole provider for their households. Without a good job they suffer tremendously that is why higher educations are so important now days. In order to obtain a higher education there is a cost and a lot of single mothers cannot afford that cost. Single mothers fear they can’t keep their household up and pay tuition too. Money is one of the most common problems many single mothers orry about. The government has seen this time and time again and they have discovered that women do not go back to school because of lack of funds and they have built programs catered to single mothers so they can achieve a better education. Since the government has been able to fund programs to help pay for higher education they are able to help these women make it through t he system and come out on top. Not only has the government set aside special funds for single parents they have also put out scholarships and some colleges offer discounted tuition rates. In a recent report from Action Project out of New York City they found â€Å"over half of workers make less than $10 an hour, over 70% don’t get health insurance through their job, only 17% have a regular schedule, and just 25% have used a paid sick day. It may be little wonder, then, that single mothers earn less than half of what households with a married couple bring in – $32,597 compared to $71,830† (Walton 2012). Single mothers on average are making only ten dollars an hour they don’t even bring home enough money to cover their bills then they have to pay childcare which takes up half their checks (Walton 2012). Walton found that for an infant in childcare center it could cost as much as $20,200 a year in New York City (Walton 2012). Mind you these women are only making $32,597 a month that does not leave them much to live on during the year (Walton 2012). This is why it is very important for women to have a good solid education so they can make more than ten dollars an hour and can provide a better life for their family. Women who do go forward and get a higher education even if it’s just an Associate degree are better off financially. On average women who graduate with two-year degrees are earning an average salary of $34,960, and some earn significantly more (O’Shaughnessy, 2012). With a 4 year degree they can start off in the low 40’s (O’Shaughnessy, 2012). In the long run 4 year degrees tend to pay off the best for single mothers not only do they make more but better opportunities. Although there are some two year degrees can pay out too. A lot of degree’s in the medical field like nursing start to pay out after you have a 2 year degree but once you hit the 4 year degree your salary can increase tremendously (O’Shaughnessy 2012). Getting an education gives you a chance to move forward in life it also gives you opportunities that you would not have before. Now day’s jobs seek only those with a degree whereas before you could get into places without it now they demand it. Although it’s still possible to make a good living without a degree you are better off in the economy today to get one. Over the years more and more programs have been put out there to help aid single mothers. These programs promote education and show them their dream can become a reality. When a single mother who makes $22,000 a year looks at college and sees one class cost anywhere from 400-1200 a class they don’t think it will ever be possible (Walton 2012). Many programs have been put into place though to help them through this rough patch in life and help them achieve their goals. San Joaquin Delta College has a grant in place called the Cal Grant this grant covers as much as 50 percent of your cost for school† (Parrish, 2013). In order to receive this grant you must have a certain GPA. Another one of their programs they have which helps pay for tuition makes you be involved in the community programs to be eligible. Another great program that college also has is miracle mile association which helps single mothers though college with private donations. Another great program that was started at this college by a student who received the miracle mile was the Dome of Hope. Gwendolyn Primous was a student who got the grant and got inspiration to help others achieve the same goal of getting a higher education. Gwendolyn Primous stated: â€Å"I want to help people,† she said. I want to help them with their education and provide mobile tutoring. I want to help prepare people for work and break the cycles of habitual unemployment and working the system† (Parrish, 2013). It’s because of people like her who have been in the shoes and walked the life of poverty that understand the importance of these programs and the need to have them in place. Another great grant that has been offered to students who have overcome social and economic obstacles to obtain a higher education is the CONNTAC inc scholarship (Helen. 009). It provided students with 10,000 dollars to obtain a higher education. This program sees the obstacles one faces in order to get where they are and they want to help make the path easier by helping financially. A program called the Jeremiah Program has been put into place to allow single parents to achieve a higher education and fight the poverty they have been living in. This program was developed in 1998 with the philosophy â€Å"that mothers who succeed can life entire families out of poverty† (Quinton 2013). They have living quarters for these women to live in during their education and the women who start out there make no more than ten bucks and hour but after graduation they are making almost twenty dollars an hour. It’s amazing what this program does for these women. This program not only gives them an education, but a better life for their children and family. There are many other grants out there for single mothers people just have to look and have to want to do all the paperwork to get them. Another well-known program is Pell-Grants. These are based on your income and do not have to be paid back. The max Pell-grant is 5500 a year, although this is not enough to pay for college it can sure help along the way and cut down on the amount you have to pay† (Parrish, 2013). Last would be government subsidized and un-subsidized loans these are loans that are not based on your credit and can help you pay for your books, tuition and college related expenses. The key though is they do have to be paid back and the interest on these loans does add up. There are several ways to pay for college and many financial advisors out there to help you achieve the goal you just have to want to do it. These forms of loans can add up fast and when you have to repay them after college you can find yourself in a bit of a bind with the interest rates. It’s good to have these as a backup but grants and scholarships are always a better route to go. As post-secondary education is not always the easiest to achieve it is something that once you earn it no one can take it away. Zahn found in his studies in 2004 that those who go forth to get a 4 year degree improve the economic status for single mothers (Zahn 2004). Due to the amount of single mothers more and more studies have been done to show the importance of higher educations. With the advanced career more jobs will be offered to you. If you have a degree you are more likely to be chosen for an interview than someone who just has a high school diploma. The employer looks at those candidates as someone with specific expertise in that field. When it comes between degree or no degree employers see the candidate as someone who is goal orientated and someone who will succeed because degrees are not just handed out. By obtaining the higher education you will be looked at in new ways and have a better chance at a better job. Statistics just another word for a set of numbers people fall into on a daily basis. The U. S. Census Bureau found that women are becoming the lead breadwinners for their families (U. S. Census 2011). Of these female readwinners two thirds are single mothers (Rampell 2013). â€Å"The single mom statistics which was carried out in the United States reveal that there are almost 13. 7 million single parents as of November 2009. These single parents are responsible for providing for around 21. 8 million children. Out of this figure an estimated 26% are of age 21† (U. S Census Bureau of 2009. ) With these numbers being so high it covers a large percent of our population. Single mothers are hardworking i ndividuals that if given the right opportunities can go far in life. With all the new programs they have out to help single mothers go to college and achieve a higher education it’s sad more people don’t jump on the band wagon and stick to it. A lot of people find excuses and I feel they truly don’t want to better their lives. Out of 12. 2 million single parent families in 2012, more than 80% were headed by single mothers (US Census Bureau, 2009). With single mother hood on the rise its our job to open their eyes and see the benefits of achieving a higher education and the opportunities that will be available if they are to achieve this goal. There are many ways we can help single mothers walk across that stage and reach that ultimate goal. Donations are always a great way to get there. Most the time single moms don’t go back to school because funds are tight and they can’t afford to take care of children and get an education. With donations to programs like miracle mile association women are able to go back to school and get that education they deserve and their children are able to have a more financially stable house hold. It’s never easy no matter what age you go back to school but just knowing your cost are taken care of is a huge burden lifted so you can focus more on the education and less on the how am I going to pay for it. Another great way we can help is to make people more aware of these programs because a lot of people don’t know they exist. Spread the word and let people know that this goal can be achieved in these little steps. Also being a support network for someone who has gone back to school can be a big help too because it is scary and it is hard to get back into the swing of things, but with help it is possible.

From reading the selected pre-1914 Essay

The Return of the Native (pg 414 – 447) near end of novel From reading the above, what do you learn of Hardy’s use of vivid description, dramatic incident and reference to Nineteenth century customs and traditions? Which of the three pieces was your favourite and why? From reading the two extracts and the story, I can see that the main difference in the book is how life is in the book compared to our modern 21st century. People in the 19th century depended very heavily on agriculture and farming especially in ‘Wessex’, where nearly all of Hardy’s novels were set. Wages for agricultural labourers were the lowest in the country in Dorset, averaging out at the equivalent of 37p a week in 1840. Magic and superstition was rife in the 19th century, and many people believedin dark powers. Every village in Wessex was supposed to have their own witch. Magic play a big role in two of the stories which I am studying, ‘The Withered Arm’, and ‘The Return of the Native’. People who committed crimes in the 19th century were severely punished. Poachers were transported to Australia to do ‘hard labour’, night burglary was punishable by death. Hangings were still very popular in the 19th century and any hanging was an excuse for a ‘holiday’. Class systems in the 19th century were very rigid – not many people succeeded in moving up to a higher class, but Thomas Hardy was one of the few people who managed to do this. Thomas Hardy uses vivid description in all of his novels and short stories, including the novels which I am studying, in particular ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’. At the beginning of the chapter, we have an almost cinematic view, as if a camera is zooming in on the three travellers, describing them from afar at first, then in more detail as we begin to see them from closer up. We can almost feel the tension between the two adults, when Hardy says: â€Å"What was really peculiar†¦ was the perfect silence they preserved. † In ‘The Withered Arm’, Hardy uses vivid description very effectively when description Rhoda Brook’s vision. He uses words such as: â€Å"†¦ Peered cruelly† and â€Å"†¦ shockingy distorted† to imply that Gertrude is mocking her for being cast aside and then Gertrude taking her place as Farmer Lodge’s wife. This vivid description is also linked to dramatic incident as it is a key chapter in the story, and Hardy uses adjectives to describe Rhoda’s ‘dream’, it makes us feel as though we are actually there, watching this distorted version of Gertrude attacking Rhoda, so Hardy’s descriptions are very effective in this chapter of the book. Also, at the beginning of the story, we learn a lot from the dairy workers in the farm, who gossip. They gossip about Farmer Lodge’s new wife and they try to guess how old Farmer Lodge is, all the while ignoring Rhoda Brook, Farmer Lodge’s ex-wife. In ‘The Return of the Native’, when the superstitious Susan creates a ‘voodoo’ doll resembling Eustacia, Hardy’s use of vivid description is effective when Susan thrusts pins in the doll, and then puts it in the firem murmuring the Lord’s Prayer backwards – which was a proceed which called for help against an enemy. Magic played a key part in this story; Susan believed that Eustacia was making her son ill, because at the exact moment that he said he was feeling unwell, Eustacia’s dark shadow crossed the light from her house, but this was just a coincidence. Also, in ‘The Return of the Native’, when Eustacia falls into the pool of water near weir, Hardy uses pathetic fallacy, which is when events in the natural world mirror what is going on in the human world. In this case, Eustacia is very depressed and unhappy, so the weather is atrochiously stormy, raining and windy. Because, it has rained so much, the pool has created a whirlpool, and Eustacia falls in. To describe the scene more effectively, Hardy uses metaphors such as: ‘Boiling cauldron’, referring to the whirpool, the current, and emphasising the amount of water in the pool. Hardy’s use of dramatic incident in all three of his stories manage to shape the whole story, especially in ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’. In think amin the dramatic incident in the extract is when Michael Henchard sells his wife at auction when he becomes drunk. The day after, Michael realises how stupid he has been and vows never to touch another drop of alcohol for however many years as his age. I think this is very effective because the day after Michael sells his wife and baby, he realises that alcohol changed him into something he doesn’t want to be. In ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge’, when Hardy uses dramatic incident, we learn that Hardy builds up suspension before the dramatic climax. When Michael Henchard is trying to sell his wife and baby at auction, nobody will bid the price that he is looking for, then just as Michael is going to withdraw: â€Å"‘Yes. ‘ said a voice from the doorway. ‘ The man in the doorway was in fact, a sailor. He bought Michael’s wife for five guineas, and she left, leaving us with the impression that she is glad that she has got away from her husband at last. Hardy uses lots of dialect to show exactly how Michael Henchard feels about his current state of affairs: â€Å"The woman is no good to me. Who will have her? † When Michael is trying to sell his wife, Hardy describes Michael’s distaste for her effectively, and when he finally does sell her, even the rough country people in the tent are surprised that he let his wife and child go without a second glance. In ‘The Withered Arm’, I think there are two main dramatic incidents: Rhoda Brook’s ‘dream’, and Gertrude’s turning of her blood, when she sees that the young man who has been hanged is, in fact, Rhoda’s son. When Rhoda has a dream that Gertrude visits her to mock her, Gertrude looks ugly and old. Hardy used use of vivid description works effectively in making us understand that Gertrude has come to mock her because Rhoda has been replaced by her in Farmer Lodge’s affections. Hardy’s use of verbs work well in this incident, using words such as ‘thrust’, ‘swung’, and ‘peered cruelly’ to create a feeling of hate between Rhoda and the figure come to visit her at night. The other dramatic incident in ‘The Withered Arm’ is when Gertrude travels to get her arm cured by holding her arm against a newly hanged man’s neck, who is in fact Rhoda’s son. Hardy’s use of dialect again gives and extra depth to the story, when Rhoda walks in when Gertrude’s blood is in the process of being ‘turned’: â€Å"This is the meaning of what Satan showed me in the vision! † Rhoda shouts. Hardy’s use of the word ‘Satan’, emphasizes the hatred Rhoda has for Gertrude and perhaps jealousy, for ‘stealing’ her husband – although Gertrude’s character is kind and gentle. In ‘The Return of the Native’, the main dramatic incident is when Eustacia falls into the whirlpool and Clym Yeobright and Wildeve try to save her, but fail. Three bodies are pulled out, and only one, Clym, survives. Referring again to pathetic fallacy, the weather is awful when Eustacia falls into the ‘boiling cauldron’. The slow realisation that Wildeve was actually holding on to Clym when Diggory Venn was seemingly just pulling Clym out creates images of horror. My favourite story is ‘The Withered Arm’, because I like Hardy’s use of magic in Rhoda’s vision, how Gertrude’s arm became deformed because of this. Gertrude obviously has no idea how this happened. Hardy’s use of vivid description in the book is very effective throughout, but especially in Rhoda’s vision. Rhoda is obsessed with the idea of Farmer Lodge being with another woman, and sends her son to look at Gertrude and report back to her. When he says that Gertrude is shorter that Rhoda, she seems pleased and smug about herself. I like the way how Hardy has interlinked everything, e. g. Rhoda’s son’s father is Farmer Lodge, the young man who was hanged was Rhoda’s son. I think it is a very clever story, and at the end, Gertrude dies at the fright of seeing Rhoda’s son dead, lying limp in the coffin. I think that the story shows that Rhoda is perhaps so obsessed about Farmer Lodge and Gertrude it is almost unhealthy, and because of this, maybe this is why she had the vision in the first place. I learn that Gertrude is forgiving, even though when she went to see Conjuror Trendle and he created the concoction of egg white and water, Rhoda’s image formed. Gertrude was surprised, but she doesn’t question it because she had no idea that Rhoda had anything to do with her arm.

15 Words That Will Make You Sound Smarter

15 Words That Will Make You Sound Smarter Do you remember how exciting it was when you learned to say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Didn’t you feel smart? Just because youre older, doesnt mean acronyms and emojis should be your main form of communication. After all, if you want to be successful in life, you have to make an unforgettable first impression. Why Word Choice Is Important Having a strong vocabulary allows you to communicate in a thoughtful and intelligent way. Whether youre trying to land a job, impress your 3rd-period teacher, or nail a scholarship interview, your ability to choose your words carefully will help you stand out. But here’s something to consider: overusing complex language can turn people off, so it’s best to test out a few new words at a time and see what kind of reaction you get. Chances are, you’ve seen (or maybe even used) a few of these words. And while there are hundreds of words that can make you sound smarter, some are definitely more fun (and easier) than others to use. So, the next time youre toe-to-toe with your AP English teacher, ditch the toady act and impress her with a few of these scintillating words instead. Words to Add to Your Vocabulary Accolade: a mark of acknowledgement; an honor.Even though he received numerous accolades at the senior awards night, Ben is still one of the most humble people I know.Acquiesce: to go along with something without protest, even if you dont really want to.My grandma loves the ballet and bought tickets for us to go. I really wanted to watch the basketball game, but her sweet smile eventually caused me to acquiesce.Bamboozle: conceal one’s true motives; to cheat or deceive another person.I got bamboozled by my buddy to buy him a pair of new shoes even though his mom picked up a pair yesterday.Camaraderie: trust existing between friends who spend time together; a spirit of familiarity.There was a sense of camaraderie among the soccer team after they spent two weeks together at a wilderness camp.Conundrum: a difficult problem.Looks like you have  a bit of conundrum, but thats what happens when you cheat on a test and the teacher finds out.Idyllic: peaceful, happy, pleasing.The out door classroom at our school is in an idyllic location because you can see the mountain range and several acres of forest from every open window. Impeccable: faultless or without defect; incapable of wrongdoing.Have you ever had that one teacher who won’t accept any work unless it’s impeccable? There’s no way my essays are ever going to be that perfect.Perfunctory: something done without much care or attention.You did a perfunctory job including descriptive words in this essay. Next time, I expect you to show more interest in what you are writing.Ruminate: to think about something thoroughly and in great detail.People who struggle with anxiety tend to ruminate and fixate on their thoughts. Tempestuous: identified by explosive conditions.My older brother’s tempestuous relationship with our mom has led to very little communication between the two of them.Tenuous: very weak or slight and likely to change.We’re not sure if our boating store is going to survive this harsh winter season. Your employment will remain a bit tenuous until we know the total number of sales from this month.Vacillate: to go back and forth between two points, waver between different opinions, or to be indecisive.When I ask my sister where she’s going to college, she vacillates between her two favorite schools; but I know she will eventually make the best decision for her. Vitriolic: harsh or corrosive in tone.The student body election turned into an argument reaching vitriolic levels. The two candidates ended their speeches by shouting harmful words at each other.Wheelhouse: a metaphor for an individuals area of comfort or expertise.I need you to cover this story about the construction at our school, even though it’s not in your wheelhouse. Zealous: displaying or feeling energetic support for a person, cause, etc.My neighbor has been a zealous supporter of animal rights for as long as I’ve known her. Source Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Air Definition in Science

Air Definition in Science The term air refers to gas, but exactly which gas depends on the context in which the term is used. Learn about the modern definition of air in scientific disciplines and the earlier definition of the term. Modern Air Definition Air is the general name for the mixture of gases that makes up the Earths atmosphere. On the Earth, this gas is primarily nitrogen (78 percent), with oxygen (21 percent), water vapor (variable), argon (0.9 percent), carbon dioxide (0.04 percent), and many trace gases. Pure air has no discernible scent and no color. Air typically contains dust, pollen, and spores. Other contaminants are referred to as air pollution. On another planet (e.g., Mars), the air would have a different composition. There is no air in space. Older Air Definition Air is also an early chemical term for a type of gas. Many individual airs made up the air we breathe. Vital air was later determined to be oxygen, phlogisticated air became nitrogen. An alchemist might refer to any gas released by a chemical reaction as its air.

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Political science - Essay Example Chief of staff identifies the leader of an intricate institution or body of individuals who is the coordinator of the endorsing or supporting staff. Chief of staff offers a buffer between the executive’s direct reporting team and the chief executive. The chief of staff has the duty to advice and confidante the chief executive. The roles of the chief of staff depend on the people involved and the actual position. Filibuster or talking out a bill can be defined as any obstructive techniques utilized to prevent a measure from being brought on the floor of the house for vote. The most familiar form of filibuster takes place when a senator tries to delay a vote on a crucial bill by extending the debate or discussion on the measure. The main intention of a filibuster is delaying or killing legislation from approval. Due to the fact, the senate carries out its activities based on unanimous consent; one person can establish a delay by opposing to the request. In some scenarios, such as considering resolution on the day the legislation is brought from the House, the delay could last the whole day. Since the delay is a legislative day, the majority of members can address it by adjourning the session. A bill refers to a proposed law under deliberation by lawmakers or legislatures. In order for a bill to become a policy or law, it must be passed by the lawmakers and consented by the executive. A bill is introduced in the House by the executive where the legislatures meet and discusses the requirement of the executive. They debate the authenticity of the bill and reach a consensus. In case, the legislatures disapprove it, it does not qualify to be a law but once they approve it, the executive signs it into law. Veto power is the power given to nations such as France, Russia, United States of America, Britain and China by the United Nation to unilaterally stop or endorse an official

On the Economy and Family Crises Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

On the Economy and Family Crises - Essay Example Focus on the concrete social life proves that actual social institutions are characterized by a crisscross of numerous normative systems. For instance, the Federal Reserve’s response to economic inflation has a wide spread impact on other institutions such as the social institutions i.e. it can affect the process of acquiring mortgages for various households. Political decisions emanating from political institutions affect the salary level of the American workers. The relationships between the stakeholders can be exemplified through focus on central governments and corporations. The decentralized government reduces control of the organizations’ actions that in turn impacts on the welfare of workers. The corporations’ main goal is the generation of profit while the government purposes to improve the welfare of workers. This makes the constitutional requirements and corporate goals to conflict. The regulatory measures on business activities will be bent to the corp oration favor in case they win the conflict. This will have complex negative repercussions on the societal welfare. However, if the government wins the conflict, the society will benefit because the corporations will be forced to adopt measures that favor the public welfare even if they do not promote business. Maintenance of a sustainable system of public assistance and entitlements requires cooperation and participation of all stakeholders to ensure that the individual needs of all stakeholders are satisfactorily addressed. According to the short articles by William P. O'Hare and Paula Mergenhagen for American Demographics, Who are the poor in America and what do they do with their money? Document any departures you make from their assertions. Poverty is a product of the imbalance between income levels and expenditure; with expenditure always superseding the income Spending is compulsory to all people because they have to satisfy their needs. The main characteristic of poor people in America is that they work in low paying jobs. Most poor people in America inhabit rented homes located in insecure and underdeveloped neighborhoods. Most of them are underinsured; making them wait until the health conditions allow them to be liable for insurance consideration for the costly access to medical facilities. Poor people in America belong to three categories; working poor, retired people and students. The working poor spend their income on used cars and clothing. Retired people draw on their savings to meet their living expenses. They spend most of this money in personal care and health care. College students spend their meager income, mostly derived from their parents, on entertainment and clothing. Generally, most poor people spend most of their income on rent and food. Most of the working poor adults in the society have not graduated from school, with the majority of them possessing only a high school degree. Those who receive social assistance in the form of food or financial resources are categorized as poor. Most poor people spend more than they earn because necessity, rather than impulse determines the expenditure level. The minimum wage level households spend less compared to well-off households although they spend higher that the average shares on most products. Devoting large chunks of budget on basic

How managemnet team cam have agood fight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How managemnet team cam have agood fight - Essay Example From this perspective it was argued that from these disagreements comes a better range of opinions which as necessary to effectively operate in todays business environment. However, this conflict often becomes unproductive and it is the task of managers to keep the healthy disagreements from evolving into dysfunctional conflict. The paper highlighted that in the past, a case study was conducted on top management teams in technology based companies. Conflict was not really observed in four of the twelve companies and of the remaining companies four had effectively managed to avoid interpersonal conflict and the other four had been unsuccessful in this endeavour. The authors of the study had identified that the successful companies (That we able to separate substantive issues from interpersonal issues) had exemplified six tactics which were that they worked with more information and debated on the basis of facts, they developed multiple alternatives, they shared commonly agreed upon goals, they maintained a balanced power structure, and they were able to resolve issues without having to force consensus. As such the focus of the paper was based on delineating the strengths of these aforementioned characteristics. In regards to basing discussion on current, factual information, it is a common belief that generating more information and working with too much data is likely to increase the likelihood of conflict by providing more issues for debate. However the opposite generally held true insofar as having good data encourages people to focus on issues and not personalities. Several examples were given to highlight how this tactic held true but for a contrary argument it was postulated by the authors that in scenarios where there is a absence of quality information people tend to argue over issues of opinion (Which is a foundation to interpersonal conflict). By avoiding scenarios where management is forced

Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory

Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Islamic banks considered as an active player in the world economies over two decades ago (Ahmed S., 2009). The principles accounting upon which Islamic banking is based have been universally accepted for centuries rather than decades. The fundamental principle of Islamic financial institutions is the prohibition of Riba (interest). It is manifest that Islamic accounting theory were practiced mainly in the Islamic country throughout the middle ages, development trade and business activities. In order to understand what services that Islamic banks offer, it is essential to maintain an acceptable level of information of the basis behind it. It has been argued that the Islamic banks have not introduced any new services since their first existence in the 1970s, in fact they have tried to comply with the rules of the Islamic religion specified for these types of actions. High requests to assess Muslim customers perception and attitude toward Islamic bank services. Islamic banks understand that its paramount important to measure the degree of its customers awareness as well as to improve services. The financial institution follows the rules that Holy Quran and hadith have set to guide the Muslims in their financial matters. The Islamic financial system employs the idea of participation in the project, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis (Ahmed, S., 2009). 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM During the last three decades, Islamic finance institutions have been rising significantly, both nationally and internationally (Ahmed, S., 2009; Iqbal Abbas, 2007). These firms were recognized in the emerging market of the Middle East to meet the order of investors and borrowers who are motivated by income maximization derived from the Islamic law (Sharia). Islamic finance institutions offer an extensive range of Islamic financial innovations from the simple agreement of profit-sharing agreement (Mudaraba) that is parallel to time deposit in conservative banks, to issue Islamic bonds (Sukuk) and derivatives. In gulf countries, the state of Kuwait banking industry considered on of the leaders in Islamic financial market. The growth of Islamic finance institutions in Kuwait has attracted some of the conventional financial firms (e.g., NBK IFIH, and Citibank) to add the service of Islamic windows to their clients. In spite of the advantages that are fixed in Islamic finance system and management, Islamic finance institutions encounter numerous primary challenges to the prospect of being recognized internationally. The challenges exist in local as well as global markets. On of these challenges is to assess the degree of awareness in Islamic accounting theories. In their study, Gerrard and Cunningham (1997) reported that Muslim respondents, though aware of basic conditions in Islam, were almost wholly ignorant of the sense of specific Islamic financial conditions like Mudaraba, Musharaka and Ijara. As result, many Islamic financial providers seek to assess the level of social awareness of their tools that incorporate with Sharia. The understanding of customer degree of awareness are paramount important to determine firms endowment to promote Islamic accounting theories. Bankers also seek to explore the reasons behind dealing with Islamic banks to better understand and improve services provided. Another challenge that faces Islamic financial institutions is that, as service provided they have to understand customers perceptions and attitude toward the services provided to better understand customers need, want, and improve their services. With no understanding to customer perceptions and attitude Islamic banks may have no means to better develop their services and improve customer satisfaction and compete in the local as well as the international market. The current study seeks to assess the level of customers awareness of Islamic accounting theories and to explore their perceptions and attitude toward these tools that incorporate with Sharia. 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Islamic financing is an important area of contemporary academic and policy interest. Opposing views in the area are analyzed in the light of empirical evidence. Measuring the degree of customer awareness toward Islamic accounting theory and their perception and attitude toward Islamic tools will shape the future of Islamic financing. The current study attempts to reveals the degree of customers awareness toward Islamic and efforts bestows to improve their awareness in order to assist Islamic financial institution to determine the efforts needed to raise this awareness and improve their attitude and perceptions. Another objective of this study is to explore customers perceptive and perception toward Islamic transactions thus Islamic financial institutions can better understand their customers and improve services provided. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Islamic banks provide many financial services and are competing heavily in the Middle East with conventional banks. Customers nowadays go for Islamic bank loans for buying home, cars and even business setup, as the conditions are very clear and there are no rising interest piling up. To overcome the fierce competition, Islamic bank need to bestow efforts in rising the degree of awareness toward Islamic accounting and finical tools and improve customers perception and attitude. The study is of general theoretical importance as well as of particular practical significance for policy makers who intend to conform their existing financial systems to Islamic rules. Furthermore, at the practical level, the study aims to assist Islamic bank manager in providing empirically evidence how of Kuwaiti customers aware toward Islamic accounting theory and Islamic financial services. The study also provide framework for bank managers in measuring customers perception and attitude toward Islamic services and their usage of various products and services offered. At the theoretical level, the current study aims to develop the literature of Islamic accounting theory and explain how these theories are to be implemented in the Islamic financial institution who adapts Sharia. 1.5 THE SETTING OF THE STUDY In the Gulf Co-operation Council there are growing number of Islamic banks are also taking steps towards greater clearness and stronger authority structures. The state of Kuwait for example, has been taking a number of steps to reinforce its local Sharia-obedient institutions, including slowly moving in the direction of a latest regulatory framework for sukuk. In conversations with OBG, manufacturing insiders explained that due to a lack of suitable legal mechanisms, Islamic finance companies are not allowed to issue sukuk in Kuwait, which forces Kuwaiti companies to work through other markets, such as Bahrain. Given the massive increase in sukuk issuance worldwide, pegged at nearly $17 billion (in the Gulf alone, the growth rate since 2001 has been nearly 45%), Kuwaits financiers are keenly aware of the need for proper rules regulating sukuk. Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz Al Sabah, the governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), said earlier of 2008 that regulations are wanted, saying that the CBK is keen to provide a legal system to regulate Islamic investment tools such as the issuance of sukuk, especially in light of growing demand. We are optimistic a solution will soon be found. In state of Kuwait, the Islamic financial sector and its sharia-compliant companies are the increasingly global. Kuwait Finance house Bank (KFH), as an example, in addition to its Turkey, Malaysia and Bahrain ventures, newly established a subsidiary with a pair of Chinese firms to discover real estate investments in the Chongqing region of a middle China. In a more high-profile move, Investment Dar, one of Kuwaits biggest Islamic investment companies, recently funded a takeover of British luxury carmaker Aston Martin to the tune of $925 million. To achieve the purpose of the current study, the study focuses on a specific Islamic bank that located in the state of Kuwait. KFH has usually been one of the main engines behind the growth of Kuwaits sharia-acquiescent financial market; however, its enlargement and development indicates a growing maturity in Kuwaits sharia-compliant services zone, established by the push toward the regulation of Islamic bonds (sukuk) and the emergence of ever-stronger Islamic investment firms. KFH was the first Islamic bank in Kuwait and one of the pioneers toward adapting of Islamic accounting and financial theory in the gulf region. Beside the convenience, the research believe that exploring the degree of Islamic accounting theories of this bank may reveals highly reliable evidence of generalizing the finding in the state of Kuwait. KFH considered the main Islamic bank in Kuwait and the second-main bank of any kind in the country. Also to the huge injection of capital, KFH lately unveiled plans to set up its own subsidiary in Amman. The expansion of Islamic banks operations at home and overseas underlines the growing development of Kuwaits Islamic financial sector. Thus the study believe that investigating the customers awareness of Islamic banks toward Islamic accounting theory are justified and understanding their perception and attitude toward KFH is paramount important in attempting to improve service quality of Islamic firms. 1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study is concerns with Islamic banking that located in the state of Kuwait as its difficult to include all Islamic banks related to resource limitation and time restriction. The study also does not analyze all Islamic accounting theory as it is very vast subject to control, rather than focusing on basic Islamic accounting theory that adopted by Islamic financial institutions and banks. Other limitation could be found related to: Sample size: The sample size for the bank customer is very large. Therefore, the collection of customer feedback will be costly in term of time and money. The study aims to attain around (150) survey for the purpose of analysis, which may considered one of the study limitation. Data collection: It may be difficult to distribute and collect all data and forms since the study is targeting to collect feedback from the entire bank customers. 1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS The current study includes many Islamic terms and concepts that will be stated as in Arabic meaning, some of these concepts are: Halal: The actions or items that Muslims can have access to. Haram: The actions or items that Muslims are banned from Riba: What is known in the west as the interest. Maysir: It means Games of chance such as lottery, gambling and it is usually referred to as Haram. Takaful: It is a form of insurance in the Islamic religion which will be explained in the essay. Gharar: Deception, hazard, speculation, uncertainty, risk (literally, peril or hazard) Mudaraba: Is a trustee financing contract, where one party, the financier, entrusts funds to the other party, the entrepreneur, for undertaking an activity Mushakara: It is an equity participation contract, whereby two or more partners contribute with funds to carry out an investment Muqarada: Loan Participation Qard Hassan: It is a benevolent loan (interest free) Sharia: It is Islamic religious law derived from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah 1.8 THESIS STRUCTURE The current study includes five chapters: chapter one described the background of this study, and consisted of the introduction, objectives and significance of the research. Chapter two reviewed the literatures on Islamic banking and theories. Chapter three explained the research methodology. The data analysis techniques and research findings were demonstrated and discussions in chapter four. Finally, chapter five exhibited conclusions and future recommendation. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Its necessary to explore the literature of Islamic accounting theory in details in this chapter. This chapter attempts to review previous literatures on the topic of Islamic Accounting Theory and provides recent finding related to the degree of awareness of customers toward Islamic financial services. This chapter attempts provide recent study and articles about Islamic accounting theory that explain the nature of Islamic banks system. Previous literatures and studies have revealed that the first recent research in Islamic banking filed was conducted in Egypt under cover, without projecting an Islamic picture, for fear of being seen as a demonstration of Islamic fundamentalism, which was abhorrence to the political government (Siddiqi l988). These studies remain until l967 where nine Islamic banks open in the country (Ready l98l). These banks was neither charging nor paying interest, investing mainly by participating in trade and industry, directly or in partnership with others, and shared the profits with their depositors (Siddiqi l988). For that reason, Islamic banks functioned basically as saving-investment firms rather than as commercial banks that based on charging interests. The Nasir Social Bank, established in Egypt in l97l, was declared an interest-free commercial bank, although its charter did not refer to Islam or Shariah (Islamic law). Islamic banks appeared on the earth scene as dynamic players over the past two decades. Nevertheless, a lot of the values that based on Islamic banking usually accepted all over the world, for centuries more willingly than decades. The essential principle of Islamic banking is the ban of Riba (interest), while the essential occupant of Islamic banking the prohibition of riba, a word that encompasses not only the perception of usury, but also that of interest has rarely been recognized as appropriate beyond the Islamic world, a lot of its guiding values have. The majority of these values are rooted in simple ethics and general sense, which form the bases of numerous religions, including Islam. Interest or â€Å"Usury† was forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, whereas Shakespeare and many other writers, mainly those writing in the 19th century, have attacked the barbarity of the carry out. Much of the ethics championed by Victorian writers such as Dickens ranging from the fair division of wealth through to mans elementary right to work is obviously present in contemporary Islamic society. Although the western media oftenrecommend that Islamic banking in its current form is a recent occurrence, in fact, the essential practices and principles date back to the early part of the seventh century. (Islamic Finance: A Euromoney Publication, 1997) It is obvious that Islamic finance was accomplished predominantly in the Muslim world during the Middle Ages, encouragement trade and business behavior. In Spain and the Mediterranean and Baltic States, Islamic trades became vital middlemen for trading actions. It is claimed that several concepts, techniques, and tools of Islamic finance were later adopted by European financiers and businessmen. As Islamic finance is intertwined within its religion, the basis of the religion affects the finance in two important ways: Islam aims at building a socio-economic order based on justice and considers economic activity as a means to an end and not an end in itself. It enjoins Muslims to harness natural resources, which are a trust from Allah SWT, for carrying out rightful activities; but abhors exploitation and man-made inequalities of income and wealth (Al-Harran, 1993). Islam is extremely concerned with the problem of financial growth, but treats this as an significant part of a wider problem, that of total human progress. The crucial function of Islam is to lead human growth on right lines and in the right direction. Islamic principle deals with all sides of economic development in the framework of total human development (Al-Harran, 1993). The reinforcement of Islamic banking coincided with the world-wide festivity of the advent of the 15th Century of Islamic calendar (Hijra) in 1976. At the same time financial assets of Muslims mostly those of the oil producing countries, expected a boost due to validation of the oil prices, which had up till now been under the power of foreign oil Corporations. These proceedings led Muslims to struggle to model their lives in agreement with the principles and philosophy of Islam (Abbas Valadkhani, 2004). Islam not only prohibits trade in interest but also in liquor, pork, gambling, pornography and anything else, which the Shariah (Islamic Law) deems Haram (unlawful). Islamic banking is an tool for the progress of an Islamic financial order. Some of the salient features of this order may be summed up as: Islam urges individuals to seek their economic well-being. Islam presents a clear difference between what is Halal (lawful) and what is haram (forbidden) in pursuit of such economic activity. In broad terms, Islam forbids all forms of economic activity, which are morally or socially injurious. This God rule can be considered as a way to systemize the citizens. Islam makes it obligatory on people to spend their wealth judiciously and not to hoard it, keep it idle or to squander it while acknowledging them their right to ownership of wealth legitimately acquired. This can be compared with the communism principles that look for the welfare of the whole members of the society. While allowing an individual to retain any extra capital, Islam look for reducing the edge of the extra for the well-being of the society as a whole, especially the poor and underprivileged sections of society by contribution in the procedure of Zakat. It is the way the Islamic government intervenes to ensure that poor people can have a formal financial source. While making payment for the ways of human nature and yet not yielding to the penalty of its worst propensities, Islam seeks to stop the amassing of wealth in a few hands to the damage of society as a whole, by its laws of inheritance. Viewed as a total, the financial system, which visualized by Islam aims at social justice without inhibiting people project beyond the point where it becomes not only jointly harmful but also individually self-destructive. The Islamic economic system employs the perception of contribution in the enterprise, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis. This by no means implies that investments with economic institutions are necessarily tentative. This can be barred by careful investment strategy, diversification of risk and sensible management by Islamic economic institutions. This system supports people to invest their money in those financial institutions to exploit their utilities by making profits under the guidelines of the Shariah. The concept of profit-and-loss sharing, as a basis of financial transactions is a progressive one as it distinguishes good performance from the bad and minimize the players in the market to be the people who know how to invest and when they inter the market to catch the goal. The main goals of an Islamic Banking and Financial system are to: Implement the value system of the Quran and the Sunnah (tradition or practice of Prophet MuhammadSAW) in the realm of the Muslim socio-economic system. Ibn Taymiyahr.a. (n.d.), a distinguished scholar of Islam, explicates this as follows: â€Å"In muamalat (business transactions) all activities are permissible unless forbidden by revelation (Quran) or the practice of Prophet Muhammad SAW†. The examples of prohibited business activities would include dealing in gambling, liquor, pork etc. The financial contracts of Islamic banks need to be clearly documented, equitable and avoid the elements of Riba, Gharar and Maysir as explained in the following section. Foster the growth of the economy of Muslim nations by developing financial markets, institutions and instruments. A well-developed capital market, with efficient institutions offering diverse financial facilities, can reduce the overall cost of capital. It can enhance social welfare by facilitating the acceptance of projects whose; present value of all relevant cash in-flows (benefits) after tax is greater than the present value of all cash out-flows (cost) of the project; or the expected internal rate of return is greater than a minimum threshold rate (or cost of capital). Furthermore, these necessary conditions should also be satisfied for each party financing the project to alleviate agency effects. This entails economic development, which is promoted in Islam, as Prophet Muhammad SAW exhorted Muslims to undertake business ventures (tijarah) as described in the following hadith Nuaym ibn Abd Al-Rahman has quoted the (narration). ProphetSAW as saying: â€Å"Nine tenths of earnings (Rizq) is in bai (business ventures), and tenth in cattle†. This was reported by Ibrahim Al-Harbi (Al-Iraqi, 1992) and by Said ibn Mansur (Al-Suyuti, 1990). Dampen the shocks of extreme economic output by promoting risk-sharing instruments whose payoffs are strictly contingent on the profitability of a firm or project at a micro level. Financial facilities with fixed costs can severely strain the resources of borrowers during a slowdown, which lead to bankruptcies and structural impairment of the economy. The gist of Islamic financial securitization is summarized by the following well-known hadith quoted by Kahf and Khan (1992), â€Å"Al-kharaj bi al daman.† This implies that entitlement of return from assets vests in the one bearing the risk of it. 2.1 CONVENTIONAL BANKING The main job for most of non-Muslim or conventional banks is preserved money and valuables and give loans, credit, and imbursement services, for example checking accounts, money orders, and cashiers checks. These banks furthermore may propose investment and insurance products, which they were once banned from selling. As a diversity of models for collaboration and integration amongst finance industries have appeared, some of the conventional distinctions among banks, insurance companies, and securities firms have reduced. Regardless of these changes, banks continue to preserve and carry out their main role—allowing deposits and lending funds from these deposits. There are several kinds of banks, which vary in the number of services they offer and the customers they serve. Although some of the distinctions among these kinds of banks have tapering as they begin to enlarge the vary of products and services they propose, there are still key distinctive behaviors. Commercial banks, which control this industry, provide a full variety of services for customers, enterprise, and governments. These banks come in a broad range of sizes, from large international banks to local and community banks. International banks are involved in global lending and foreign cash trading, additionally to the more typical banking services. However, a lot of commercial banks have also extended to present online banking, and some previously Internet-only banks are opting to release branches. Savings banks and savings and loan associations, occasionally called thrift institutions, are the second biggest group of depository institutions. They were first recognized as community-based firms to finance mortgages for people to purchase homes and still cater mostly to the savings and lending requirements of individuals. Credit unions are another type of depository institution. Most credit unions are created by people with a familiar bond, for instance those who work for the similar company or be a member of the same labor union or church. Members pond their savings and, when they require money, they may borrow from the credit union, frequently at a minor interest rate than that demanded by other financial institutions. Federal preserve banks are Government agencies that achieve numerous financial services for the Government. Their chief tasks are to control the banking industry and to aid implement our Nations financial policy so our economy can run more proficiently by directing the Nations money provide—the total amount of money in the country, including cash and bank deposits. Interest on loans is the main source of income for most banks, making their diverse lending departments critical to their achievement. The commercial lending department loans money to companies to start or enlarge a business or to buy inventory and capital tools. The customer lending department handles student loans, credit cards, and loans for home developments, debt consolidation, and automobile purchases. Finally, the mortgage lending department loans money to individuals and businesses to buy real estate. The money to loan comes mainly from deposits in checking and reserving accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and other deposit accounts that clients and businesses arrangement with the bank. These deposits often make interest for the owner, and accounts that offer checking supply an easy technique for creation payments safely without using cash. Technology is having a main impact on the banking industry. such as, many usual bank services that once needed a teller, for example making a withdrawal or deposit, are now existing through ATMs that let people to right of entry their accounts 24 hours a day. In addition, direct deposit permits companies and governments to electronically transfer payments into different accounts. Also, debit cards, which may also apply as ATM cards, immediately deduct money from an account when the card is swiped across a machine at a stores cash register. Electronic banking by phone or computer permits consumers to pay invoices and shift money from one account to another. Through these channels, bank customers can too admission information such as account balances and statement history. Some banks have started offering online account aggregation, which makes accessible in one place detailed and up-to date information on a clients accounts held at diverse institutions. Progressions in technology have also led to upgrading in the ways in which banks process information. Use of check imaging, which lets banks to store photographed checks on the computer, is one such example that has been applied by some banks. Other kinds of technology have deeply impacted the lending side of banking. such as, the availability and increasing use of credit scoring software lets loans to be accepted in minutes, rather than days, making lending departments more competent. Other basic changes are taking place in the industry as banks vary their services to become more competitive. A lot of banks at the present offer their clients financial planning and asset management services, as well as brokerage and insurance services, frequently throughout a subsidiary or third party. Others are starting to offer investment banking services that assist companies and governments increase money during the issuance of stocks and bonds, also usually during a subsidiary. As banks reply to deregulation and as competition in this sector raises, the nature of the banking industry will continue to undertake considerable change. 2.2 COMPETITIVENESS OF THE ISLAMIC BANKING INDUSTRY The crucial feature of Islamic banking is that it is interest-free. Although it is frequently claimed that there is more to Islamic banking, for example contributions towards a more fair distribution of income and wealth, and improved equity contribution in the economy (Chapra l982), it nevertheless obtains its specific rationale from the fact that there is no place for the institution of interest in the Islamic order. Islam forbids Muslims from taking or giving interest (riba) in spite of of the reason for which such loans are made and despite of the rates at which interest is exciting. To be certain, there have been efforts to differentiate between usury and interest and between loans for consumption and for production. It has also been argued that riba refers to usury accomplished by minor money-lenders and not to interest charged by contemporary banks and that no riba is occupied when interest is compulsory on productive loans, but these arguments have not won approval. Apart from a few disagreeing opinions, he general agreement among Muslim scholars obviously is that there is no variation between riba and interest. In what follows, these two terms are used interchangeably. The forbidden of riba is mentioned in four different revelations in the Quran. The first revelation highlights that interest removes wealth of Gods blessings. The second revelation condemns it, placing interest in combination with illegal appropriation of property belonging to others. The third revelation enjoins Muslims to keep on clear of interest for the sake of their own welfare. The fourth revelation set up a clear difference between interest and trade, influencing Muslims to take only the principal sum and to forgo even this sum if the borrower is not capable to repay. It is further declared in the Quran that those who ignored the forbidden of interest are at war with God and His Prophet. The forbidden of interest is furthermore cited in no unsure terms in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet). The Prophet warned not only those who take interest but also those who offer interest and those who record or witness the operation, saying that they are all similar in guilt. It may be mentioned in passing that similar prohibition are to be found in the pre-Quranic scriptures, although the People of the Book, as the Quran refers to them, had chosen to rationalize them. It is remarkable that Islam has successfully warded off various subsequent rationalization efforts aimed at legitimizing the institution of interest. Some scholars relays on economic reasons to explain the reasons on why interest is prohibited in Islam. scholars argued that interest is a pre- determined cost of production, which avoid full employment (Khan l968; Ahmad n.d.; Mannan l970). In the same tone, it has been challenged that international monetary crises are largely due to the institution of interest (Khan, n.d), and that trade cycles are in no small measure attributable to the phenomenon of interest (Ahmad l952; Suud n.d.). None of these studies, however, has really succeeded in creating a causal link between interest, on the one hand, and employment and trade cycles, on the other. Others, anxious to maintain the Islamic position on interest, have argued that interest is not very effective as a monetary policy instrument even in capitalist economies and have questioned the efficiency of the rate of interest as a determinant of saving and investment (Ariff l982). A general line running through all these negotiations is the exploitative character of the institution of interest, although some have pointed out that profit (which is legalized in Islam) can also be exploitative. One response to this is that one must differentiate between profit and profiteering, and Islam has prohibited the latter as well. It began as a theological dream, but Islamic banking has become a practical reality across the Middle East. The question now is, how far will Sharia boards and western regulators let it spread? (Josh Martin, Middle East, Jun2005 Issue 357, p50, 6p) The Islamic prohibition on interest does not imply that capital is costless in an Islamic system. Islam realizes that money is a factor of production however; it does not permit the factor to pre-determined claim on the productive surplus in the form of interest. This has leaded to the question as to what will then substitute the interest rate mechanism in an Islamic framework. There have been propositions that profit sharing can be a viable alternative (Ka Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory Customer Awareness Toward Islamic Accounting Theory CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Islamic banks considered as an active player in the world economies over two decades ago (Ahmed S., 2009). The principles accounting upon which Islamic banking is based have been universally accepted for centuries rather than decades. The fundamental principle of Islamic financial institutions is the prohibition of Riba (interest). It is manifest that Islamic accounting theory were practiced mainly in the Islamic country throughout the middle ages, development trade and business activities. In order to understand what services that Islamic banks offer, it is essential to maintain an acceptable level of information of the basis behind it. It has been argued that the Islamic banks have not introduced any new services since their first existence in the 1970s, in fact they have tried to comply with the rules of the Islamic religion specified for these types of actions. High requests to assess Muslim customers perception and attitude toward Islamic bank services. Islamic banks understand that its paramount important to measure the degree of its customers awareness as well as to improve services. The financial institution follows the rules that Holy Quran and hadith have set to guide the Muslims in their financial matters. The Islamic financial system employs the idea of participation in the project, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis (Ahmed, S., 2009). 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM During the last three decades, Islamic finance institutions have been rising significantly, both nationally and internationally (Ahmed, S., 2009; Iqbal Abbas, 2007). These firms were recognized in the emerging market of the Middle East to meet the order of investors and borrowers who are motivated by income maximization derived from the Islamic law (Sharia). Islamic finance institutions offer an extensive range of Islamic financial innovations from the simple agreement of profit-sharing agreement (Mudaraba) that is parallel to time deposit in conservative banks, to issue Islamic bonds (Sukuk) and derivatives. In gulf countries, the state of Kuwait banking industry considered on of the leaders in Islamic financial market. The growth of Islamic finance institutions in Kuwait has attracted some of the conventional financial firms (e.g., NBK IFIH, and Citibank) to add the service of Islamic windows to their clients. In spite of the advantages that are fixed in Islamic finance system and management, Islamic finance institutions encounter numerous primary challenges to the prospect of being recognized internationally. The challenges exist in local as well as global markets. On of these challenges is to assess the degree of awareness in Islamic accounting theories. In their study, Gerrard and Cunningham (1997) reported that Muslim respondents, though aware of basic conditions in Islam, were almost wholly ignorant of the sense of specific Islamic financial conditions like Mudaraba, Musharaka and Ijara. As result, many Islamic financial providers seek to assess the level of social awareness of their tools that incorporate with Sharia. The understanding of customer degree of awareness are paramount important to determine firms endowment to promote Islamic accounting theories. Bankers also seek to explore the reasons behind dealing with Islamic banks to better understand and improve services provided. Another challenge that faces Islamic financial institutions is that, as service provided they have to understand customers perceptions and attitude toward the services provided to better understand customers need, want, and improve their services. With no understanding to customer perceptions and attitude Islamic banks may have no means to better develop their services and improve customer satisfaction and compete in the local as well as the international market. The current study seeks to assess the level of customers awareness of Islamic accounting theories and to explore their perceptions and attitude toward these tools that incorporate with Sharia. 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Islamic financing is an important area of contemporary academic and policy interest. Opposing views in the area are analyzed in the light of empirical evidence. Measuring the degree of customer awareness toward Islamic accounting theory and their perception and attitude toward Islamic tools will shape the future of Islamic financing. The current study attempts to reveals the degree of customers awareness toward Islamic and efforts bestows to improve their awareness in order to assist Islamic financial institution to determine the efforts needed to raise this awareness and improve their attitude and perceptions. Another objective of this study is to explore customers perceptive and perception toward Islamic transactions thus Islamic financial institutions can better understand their customers and improve services provided. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Islamic banks provide many financial services and are competing heavily in the Middle East with conventional banks. Customers nowadays go for Islamic bank loans for buying home, cars and even business setup, as the conditions are very clear and there are no rising interest piling up. To overcome the fierce competition, Islamic bank need to bestow efforts in rising the degree of awareness toward Islamic accounting and finical tools and improve customers perception and attitude. The study is of general theoretical importance as well as of particular practical significance for policy makers who intend to conform their existing financial systems to Islamic rules. Furthermore, at the practical level, the study aims to assist Islamic bank manager in providing empirically evidence how of Kuwaiti customers aware toward Islamic accounting theory and Islamic financial services. The study also provide framework for bank managers in measuring customers perception and attitude toward Islamic services and their usage of various products and services offered. At the theoretical level, the current study aims to develop the literature of Islamic accounting theory and explain how these theories are to be implemented in the Islamic financial institution who adapts Sharia. 1.5 THE SETTING OF THE STUDY In the Gulf Co-operation Council there are growing number of Islamic banks are also taking steps towards greater clearness and stronger authority structures. The state of Kuwait for example, has been taking a number of steps to reinforce its local Sharia-obedient institutions, including slowly moving in the direction of a latest regulatory framework for sukuk. In conversations with OBG, manufacturing insiders explained that due to a lack of suitable legal mechanisms, Islamic finance companies are not allowed to issue sukuk in Kuwait, which forces Kuwaiti companies to work through other markets, such as Bahrain. Given the massive increase in sukuk issuance worldwide, pegged at nearly $17 billion (in the Gulf alone, the growth rate since 2001 has been nearly 45%), Kuwaits financiers are keenly aware of the need for proper rules regulating sukuk. Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz Al Sabah, the governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), said earlier of 2008 that regulations are wanted, saying that the CBK is keen to provide a legal system to regulate Islamic investment tools such as the issuance of sukuk, especially in light of growing demand. We are optimistic a solution will soon be found. In state of Kuwait, the Islamic financial sector and its sharia-compliant companies are the increasingly global. Kuwait Finance house Bank (KFH), as an example, in addition to its Turkey, Malaysia and Bahrain ventures, newly established a subsidiary with a pair of Chinese firms to discover real estate investments in the Chongqing region of a middle China. In a more high-profile move, Investment Dar, one of Kuwaits biggest Islamic investment companies, recently funded a takeover of British luxury carmaker Aston Martin to the tune of $925 million. To achieve the purpose of the current study, the study focuses on a specific Islamic bank that located in the state of Kuwait. KFH has usually been one of the main engines behind the growth of Kuwaits sharia-acquiescent financial market; however, its enlargement and development indicates a growing maturity in Kuwaits sharia-compliant services zone, established by the push toward the regulation of Islamic bonds (sukuk) and the emergence of ever-stronger Islamic investment firms. KFH was the first Islamic bank in Kuwait and one of the pioneers toward adapting of Islamic accounting and financial theory in the gulf region. Beside the convenience, the research believe that exploring the degree of Islamic accounting theories of this bank may reveals highly reliable evidence of generalizing the finding in the state of Kuwait. KFH considered the main Islamic bank in Kuwait and the second-main bank of any kind in the country. Also to the huge injection of capital, KFH lately unveiled plans to set up its own subsidiary in Amman. The expansion of Islamic banks operations at home and overseas underlines the growing development of Kuwaits Islamic financial sector. Thus the study believe that investigating the customers awareness of Islamic banks toward Islamic accounting theory are justified and understanding their perception and attitude toward KFH is paramount important in attempting to improve service quality of Islamic firms. 1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study is concerns with Islamic banking that located in the state of Kuwait as its difficult to include all Islamic banks related to resource limitation and time restriction. The study also does not analyze all Islamic accounting theory as it is very vast subject to control, rather than focusing on basic Islamic accounting theory that adopted by Islamic financial institutions and banks. Other limitation could be found related to: Sample size: The sample size for the bank customer is very large. Therefore, the collection of customer feedback will be costly in term of time and money. The study aims to attain around (150) survey for the purpose of analysis, which may considered one of the study limitation. Data collection: It may be difficult to distribute and collect all data and forms since the study is targeting to collect feedback from the entire bank customers. 1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS The current study includes many Islamic terms and concepts that will be stated as in Arabic meaning, some of these concepts are: Halal: The actions or items that Muslims can have access to. Haram: The actions or items that Muslims are banned from Riba: What is known in the west as the interest. Maysir: It means Games of chance such as lottery, gambling and it is usually referred to as Haram. Takaful: It is a form of insurance in the Islamic religion which will be explained in the essay. Gharar: Deception, hazard, speculation, uncertainty, risk (literally, peril or hazard) Mudaraba: Is a trustee financing contract, where one party, the financier, entrusts funds to the other party, the entrepreneur, for undertaking an activity Mushakara: It is an equity participation contract, whereby two or more partners contribute with funds to carry out an investment Muqarada: Loan Participation Qard Hassan: It is a benevolent loan (interest free) Sharia: It is Islamic religious law derived from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah 1.8 THESIS STRUCTURE The current study includes five chapters: chapter one described the background of this study, and consisted of the introduction, objectives and significance of the research. Chapter two reviewed the literatures on Islamic banking and theories. Chapter three explained the research methodology. The data analysis techniques and research findings were demonstrated and discussions in chapter four. Finally, chapter five exhibited conclusions and future recommendation. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Its necessary to explore the literature of Islamic accounting theory in details in this chapter. This chapter attempts to review previous literatures on the topic of Islamic Accounting Theory and provides recent finding related to the degree of awareness of customers toward Islamic financial services. This chapter attempts provide recent study and articles about Islamic accounting theory that explain the nature of Islamic banks system. Previous literatures and studies have revealed that the first recent research in Islamic banking filed was conducted in Egypt under cover, without projecting an Islamic picture, for fear of being seen as a demonstration of Islamic fundamentalism, which was abhorrence to the political government (Siddiqi l988). These studies remain until l967 where nine Islamic banks open in the country (Ready l98l). These banks was neither charging nor paying interest, investing mainly by participating in trade and industry, directly or in partnership with others, and shared the profits with their depositors (Siddiqi l988). For that reason, Islamic banks functioned basically as saving-investment firms rather than as commercial banks that based on charging interests. The Nasir Social Bank, established in Egypt in l97l, was declared an interest-free commercial bank, although its charter did not refer to Islam or Shariah (Islamic law). Islamic banks appeared on the earth scene as dynamic players over the past two decades. Nevertheless, a lot of the values that based on Islamic banking usually accepted all over the world, for centuries more willingly than decades. The essential principle of Islamic banking is the ban of Riba (interest), while the essential occupant of Islamic banking the prohibition of riba, a word that encompasses not only the perception of usury, but also that of interest has rarely been recognized as appropriate beyond the Islamic world, a lot of its guiding values have. The majority of these values are rooted in simple ethics and general sense, which form the bases of numerous religions, including Islam. Interest or â€Å"Usury† was forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, whereas Shakespeare and many other writers, mainly those writing in the 19th century, have attacked the barbarity of the carry out. Much of the ethics championed by Victorian writers such as Dickens ranging from the fair division of wealth through to mans elementary right to work is obviously present in contemporary Islamic society. Although the western media oftenrecommend that Islamic banking in its current form is a recent occurrence, in fact, the essential practices and principles date back to the early part of the seventh century. (Islamic Finance: A Euromoney Publication, 1997) It is obvious that Islamic finance was accomplished predominantly in the Muslim world during the Middle Ages, encouragement trade and business behavior. In Spain and the Mediterranean and Baltic States, Islamic trades became vital middlemen for trading actions. It is claimed that several concepts, techniques, and tools of Islamic finance were later adopted by European financiers and businessmen. As Islamic finance is intertwined within its religion, the basis of the religion affects the finance in two important ways: Islam aims at building a socio-economic order based on justice and considers economic activity as a means to an end and not an end in itself. It enjoins Muslims to harness natural resources, which are a trust from Allah SWT, for carrying out rightful activities; but abhors exploitation and man-made inequalities of income and wealth (Al-Harran, 1993). Islam is extremely concerned with the problem of financial growth, but treats this as an significant part of a wider problem, that of total human progress. The crucial function of Islam is to lead human growth on right lines and in the right direction. Islamic principle deals with all sides of economic development in the framework of total human development (Al-Harran, 1993). The reinforcement of Islamic banking coincided with the world-wide festivity of the advent of the 15th Century of Islamic calendar (Hijra) in 1976. At the same time financial assets of Muslims mostly those of the oil producing countries, expected a boost due to validation of the oil prices, which had up till now been under the power of foreign oil Corporations. These proceedings led Muslims to struggle to model their lives in agreement with the principles and philosophy of Islam (Abbas Valadkhani, 2004). Islam not only prohibits trade in interest but also in liquor, pork, gambling, pornography and anything else, which the Shariah (Islamic Law) deems Haram (unlawful). Islamic banking is an tool for the progress of an Islamic financial order. Some of the salient features of this order may be summed up as: Islam urges individuals to seek their economic well-being. Islam presents a clear difference between what is Halal (lawful) and what is haram (forbidden) in pursuit of such economic activity. In broad terms, Islam forbids all forms of economic activity, which are morally or socially injurious. This God rule can be considered as a way to systemize the citizens. Islam makes it obligatory on people to spend their wealth judiciously and not to hoard it, keep it idle or to squander it while acknowledging them their right to ownership of wealth legitimately acquired. This can be compared with the communism principles that look for the welfare of the whole members of the society. While allowing an individual to retain any extra capital, Islam look for reducing the edge of the extra for the well-being of the society as a whole, especially the poor and underprivileged sections of society by contribution in the procedure of Zakat. It is the way the Islamic government intervenes to ensure that poor people can have a formal financial source. While making payment for the ways of human nature and yet not yielding to the penalty of its worst propensities, Islam seeks to stop the amassing of wealth in a few hands to the damage of society as a whole, by its laws of inheritance. Viewed as a total, the financial system, which visualized by Islam aims at social justice without inhibiting people project beyond the point where it becomes not only jointly harmful but also individually self-destructive. The Islamic economic system employs the perception of contribution in the enterprise, utilizing the funds at threat on a profit-and- loss-distribution basis. This by no means implies that investments with economic institutions are necessarily tentative. This can be barred by careful investment strategy, diversification of risk and sensible management by Islamic economic institutions. This system supports people to invest their money in those financial institutions to exploit their utilities by making profits under the guidelines of the Shariah. The concept of profit-and-loss sharing, as a basis of financial transactions is a progressive one as it distinguishes good performance from the bad and minimize the players in the market to be the people who know how to invest and when they inter the market to catch the goal. The main goals of an Islamic Banking and Financial system are to: Implement the value system of the Quran and the Sunnah (tradition or practice of Prophet MuhammadSAW) in the realm of the Muslim socio-economic system. Ibn Taymiyahr.a. (n.d.), a distinguished scholar of Islam, explicates this as follows: â€Å"In muamalat (business transactions) all activities are permissible unless forbidden by revelation (Quran) or the practice of Prophet Muhammad SAW†. The examples of prohibited business activities would include dealing in gambling, liquor, pork etc. The financial contracts of Islamic banks need to be clearly documented, equitable and avoid the elements of Riba, Gharar and Maysir as explained in the following section. Foster the growth of the economy of Muslim nations by developing financial markets, institutions and instruments. A well-developed capital market, with efficient institutions offering diverse financial facilities, can reduce the overall cost of capital. It can enhance social welfare by facilitating the acceptance of projects whose; present value of all relevant cash in-flows (benefits) after tax is greater than the present value of all cash out-flows (cost) of the project; or the expected internal rate of return is greater than a minimum threshold rate (or cost of capital). Furthermore, these necessary conditions should also be satisfied for each party financing the project to alleviate agency effects. This entails economic development, which is promoted in Islam, as Prophet Muhammad SAW exhorted Muslims to undertake business ventures (tijarah) as described in the following hadith Nuaym ibn Abd Al-Rahman has quoted the (narration). ProphetSAW as saying: â€Å"Nine tenths of earnings (Rizq) is in bai (business ventures), and tenth in cattle†. This was reported by Ibrahim Al-Harbi (Al-Iraqi, 1992) and by Said ibn Mansur (Al-Suyuti, 1990). Dampen the shocks of extreme economic output by promoting risk-sharing instruments whose payoffs are strictly contingent on the profitability of a firm or project at a micro level. Financial facilities with fixed costs can severely strain the resources of borrowers during a slowdown, which lead to bankruptcies and structural impairment of the economy. The gist of Islamic financial securitization is summarized by the following well-known hadith quoted by Kahf and Khan (1992), â€Å"Al-kharaj bi al daman.† This implies that entitlement of return from assets vests in the one bearing the risk of it. 2.1 CONVENTIONAL BANKING The main job for most of non-Muslim or conventional banks is preserved money and valuables and give loans, credit, and imbursement services, for example checking accounts, money orders, and cashiers checks. These banks furthermore may propose investment and insurance products, which they were once banned from selling. As a diversity of models for collaboration and integration amongst finance industries have appeared, some of the conventional distinctions among banks, insurance companies, and securities firms have reduced. Regardless of these changes, banks continue to preserve and carry out their main role—allowing deposits and lending funds from these deposits. There are several kinds of banks, which vary in the number of services they offer and the customers they serve. Although some of the distinctions among these kinds of banks have tapering as they begin to enlarge the vary of products and services they propose, there are still key distinctive behaviors. Commercial banks, which control this industry, provide a full variety of services for customers, enterprise, and governments. These banks come in a broad range of sizes, from large international banks to local and community banks. International banks are involved in global lending and foreign cash trading, additionally to the more typical banking services. However, a lot of commercial banks have also extended to present online banking, and some previously Internet-only banks are opting to release branches. Savings banks and savings and loan associations, occasionally called thrift institutions, are the second biggest group of depository institutions. They were first recognized as community-based firms to finance mortgages for people to purchase homes and still cater mostly to the savings and lending requirements of individuals. Credit unions are another type of depository institution. Most credit unions are created by people with a familiar bond, for instance those who work for the similar company or be a member of the same labor union or church. Members pond their savings and, when they require money, they may borrow from the credit union, frequently at a minor interest rate than that demanded by other financial institutions. Federal preserve banks are Government agencies that achieve numerous financial services for the Government. Their chief tasks are to control the banking industry and to aid implement our Nations financial policy so our economy can run more proficiently by directing the Nations money provide—the total amount of money in the country, including cash and bank deposits. Interest on loans is the main source of income for most banks, making their diverse lending departments critical to their achievement. The commercial lending department loans money to companies to start or enlarge a business or to buy inventory and capital tools. The customer lending department handles student loans, credit cards, and loans for home developments, debt consolidation, and automobile purchases. Finally, the mortgage lending department loans money to individuals and businesses to buy real estate. The money to loan comes mainly from deposits in checking and reserving accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and other deposit accounts that clients and businesses arrangement with the bank. These deposits often make interest for the owner, and accounts that offer checking supply an easy technique for creation payments safely without using cash. Technology is having a main impact on the banking industry. such as, many usual bank services that once needed a teller, for example making a withdrawal or deposit, are now existing through ATMs that let people to right of entry their accounts 24 hours a day. In addition, direct deposit permits companies and governments to electronically transfer payments into different accounts. Also, debit cards, which may also apply as ATM cards, immediately deduct money from an account when the card is swiped across a machine at a stores cash register. Electronic banking by phone or computer permits consumers to pay invoices and shift money from one account to another. Through these channels, bank customers can too admission information such as account balances and statement history. Some banks have started offering online account aggregation, which makes accessible in one place detailed and up-to date information on a clients accounts held at diverse institutions. Progressions in technology have also led to upgrading in the ways in which banks process information. Use of check imaging, which lets banks to store photographed checks on the computer, is one such example that has been applied by some banks. Other kinds of technology have deeply impacted the lending side of banking. such as, the availability and increasing use of credit scoring software lets loans to be accepted in minutes, rather than days, making lending departments more competent. Other basic changes are taking place in the industry as banks vary their services to become more competitive. A lot of banks at the present offer their clients financial planning and asset management services, as well as brokerage and insurance services, frequently throughout a subsidiary or third party. Others are starting to offer investment banking services that assist companies and governments increase money during the issuance of stocks and bonds, also usually during a subsidiary. As banks reply to deregulation and as competition in this sector raises, the nature of the banking industry will continue to undertake considerable change. 2.2 COMPETITIVENESS OF THE ISLAMIC BANKING INDUSTRY The crucial feature of Islamic banking is that it is interest-free. Although it is frequently claimed that there is more to Islamic banking, for example contributions towards a more fair distribution of income and wealth, and improved equity contribution in the economy (Chapra l982), it nevertheless obtains its specific rationale from the fact that there is no place for the institution of interest in the Islamic order. Islam forbids Muslims from taking or giving interest (riba) in spite of of the reason for which such loans are made and despite of the rates at which interest is exciting. To be certain, there have been efforts to differentiate between usury and interest and between loans for consumption and for production. It has also been argued that riba refers to usury accomplished by minor money-lenders and not to interest charged by contemporary banks and that no riba is occupied when interest is compulsory on productive loans, but these arguments have not won approval. Apart from a few disagreeing opinions, he general agreement among Muslim scholars obviously is that there is no variation between riba and interest. In what follows, these two terms are used interchangeably. The forbidden of riba is mentioned in four different revelations in the Quran. The first revelation highlights that interest removes wealth of Gods blessings. The second revelation condemns it, placing interest in combination with illegal appropriation of property belonging to others. The third revelation enjoins Muslims to keep on clear of interest for the sake of their own welfare. The fourth revelation set up a clear difference between interest and trade, influencing Muslims to take only the principal sum and to forgo even this sum if the borrower is not capable to repay. It is further declared in the Quran that those who ignored the forbidden of interest are at war with God and His Prophet. The forbidden of interest is furthermore cited in no unsure terms in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet). The Prophet warned not only those who take interest but also those who offer interest and those who record or witness the operation, saying that they are all similar in guilt. It may be mentioned in passing that similar prohibition are to be found in the pre-Quranic scriptures, although the People of the Book, as the Quran refers to them, had chosen to rationalize them. It is remarkable that Islam has successfully warded off various subsequent rationalization efforts aimed at legitimizing the institution of interest. Some scholars relays on economic reasons to explain the reasons on why interest is prohibited in Islam. scholars argued that interest is a pre- determined cost of production, which avoid full employment (Khan l968; Ahmad n.d.; Mannan l970). In the same tone, it has been challenged that international monetary crises are largely due to the institution of interest (Khan, n.d), and that trade cycles are in no small measure attributable to the phenomenon of interest (Ahmad l952; Suud n.d.). None of these studies, however, has really succeeded in creating a causal link between interest, on the one hand, and employment and trade cycles, on the other. Others, anxious to maintain the Islamic position on interest, have argued that interest is not very effective as a monetary policy instrument even in capitalist economies and have questioned the efficiency of the rate of interest as a determinant of saving and investment (Ariff l982). A general line running through all these negotiations is the exploitative character of the institution of interest, although some have pointed out that profit (which is legalized in Islam) can also be exploitative. One response to this is that one must differentiate between profit and profiteering, and Islam has prohibited the latter as well. It began as a theological dream, but Islamic banking has become a practical reality across the Middle East. The question now is, how far will Sharia boards and western regulators let it spread? (Josh Martin, Middle East, Jun2005 Issue 357, p50, 6p) The Islamic prohibition on interest does not imply that capital is costless in an Islamic system. Islam realizes that money is a factor of production however; it does not permit the factor to pre-determined claim on the productive surplus in the form of interest. This has leaded to the question as to what will then substitute the interest rate mechanism in an Islamic framework. There have been propositions that profit sharing can be a viable alternative (Ka