MayBank Malaysias Largest Bank and Financial Group Essay Example

MayBank: Malaysias Largest Bank and Financial Group Essay 1. 0. INTRODUCTION 1. 1. MAYBANK BERHAD BACKGROUND Maybank is a trade name for Malayan Banking Berhad. Maybank is well known as the largest bank and financial group in Malaysia, with significant banking operations in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. This bank also has large interests in Islamic banking throughout Maybank Islamic Berhad and insurance via its Etiqa subsidiary. As it moves into its six decade, Maybank Group already show it commitment and changes in order to become the financial service leader in Malaysia. From its incorporated on 13th May 1960, Maybank starting its operation on 12th September 1960 at Mansion House, High Street, Kuala Lumpur. At that time, Malayan economy was fully dependant on rubber and tin and Maybank take the chances to be the first wholly bank that owned finance company. It was known as Malayan Finance Corporation and later its change to Maybank Finance. Maybank opened its first overseas branch in Brunei on 28th November 1960 followed by South Bridge Road, Singapore in December 1960. On 12th December 1962, the Hong Kong branch was opened followed by a branch in London on 12th September 1962. Maybank also listed on Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange on February 17 at the same year. On September 1973, Maybank step forward and sets up its investment banking arm known as Aseambanker and was already rename as Maybank Investment Bank in 2009. In 1974, Maybank introduced the Rural Credit Scheme which purposed its services to rural sectors and also to fulfil the government’s objective which want to balance the economic among populance. We will write a custom essay sample on MayBank: Malaysias Largest Bank and Financial Group specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on MayBank: Malaysias Largest Bank and Financial Group specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on MayBank: Malaysias Largest Bank and Financial Group specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As the time passed by, Maybank upgraded its services and come out with the first mobile bus banking services in Johor in 1976 which provided financial services to rural communities. Maybank also introduced Mayban Phoenix Assurance Berhad in 1977 with the bank hold 70 % equity and the remaining 30% is held by British Phoenix assurance and changed its name to Mayban Assurance. In 1978, Maybank become the first Malaysian bank that computerized all the saving and other current account services. Maybank launched its first credit card called Maybank Visa Card in year 1980. Then, around 1983, the foundation stone of Menara Maybank or known as Maybank Headquarter was lay by Malaysian fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Bin Mohamed. Maybank also step forward by opened Balai Seni Maybank and Maybank Numismatic Museum that officially launched by Tan Sri Dato Jaafar Hussein, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. An offshore bank in Labuan International Financial Centre was set up by Maybank to prove their establishment in this sector. After that, in 1992, Maybank formed Maybank Securities. This situation clearly show that Maybank always improving their standard year by year by introducing new services and products. Then,in year 1996, Maybank sell Kwong Yik Bank to Rashid Hussain Berhad Maybank also become the first bank that offer the convenience of ticket less travel for domestic flights on MAS through MASET (MAS Electronic Ticketing) in 1997. Maybank also upgraded its services by introducing Internet Banking services or known as Maybank2u. com that help their customer to use Maybank services at any time and places. In year 2001, Maybank then merged with Pacific Bank Berhad and Phileo Allied Bank berhad which well known as foreign banks. At the same year, Maybank also introduces Dataran Maybank which consists of head office of Mayban Finance, Maybank General Assurance, Mayban Fortis Holding, Mayban Life Assurance, Maybank Securities and last but not least is Maybank Futures. In year 2004, Mayban Finance vested all their entire operation and business into Maybank. Around 2008, Maybank was starting to establish its Islamic Banking Subsidiary known as Maybank Islamic Berhad. Besides that, Maybank also completed the acquisition of 15% in An Binh Bank (Vietnam), 20% of Muslim Commercial Bank of Pakistan and 97. 5% of Bank International Indonesia (BII). In addition, Maybank won for the second year Malaysias Most Valuable Brand (worth RM9. 3 billion), and Deal of the Year Insolvency Restructuring Deal of the Year at the 2008 ALB SE Asia Law Awards. Maybank was founded by Malaysian business tycoon Khoo Teck Puat, who died in 2004. The company was led by President and CEO Amirsham Abdul Aziz for some two decades until March 2008 after which he was appointed Minister in the Prime Ministers Department in-charge of the Economic Planning Unit, a post he held until April 2009. Dato Sri Abdul Wahid Omar was officially appointed as President and CEO of Maybank Group in May 2008. As of June 30, 2010, Maybank boasting group assets worth RM337 billion (US$106 billion), placing it among the top 120 banks worldwide. Malayan Banking is also a listed corporation on Bursa Malaysia. Maybank is well known as the largest bank in Malaysia with 384 domestic branches and 190 international branches and offices. Maybank is largest listed companies on the Malaysian Stock Exchange, Bursa Malaysia, with a market capitalization of over RM54 billion (USD22 billion) as of end-March 2011. In addition, Maybank was ranked at 458th in the Forbes Global 2000 Leading Companies with market cap of USD 20. 8 billion in year 2011. 1. 2. MAYBANK OPERATION Maybank operates consumer banking, business and corporate banking as well as private banking services, through a network of 384 branch offices and more than 2,800 automated teller machines in Malaysia. The company operates 22 branches throughout Singapore providing a full range of banking and financial products and services. Maybank, throu gh Maybank Philippines Incorporated, has 50 branches in the Philippines and also has a banking presence in most of the other Southeast Asian markets, including Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. The bank also operates branches in New York, London, Hong Kong and Bahrain. Beside its commercial banking network, Maybank operates a number of specialized subsidiaries in the insurance, investment banking and assets management, and finance sectors. The groups subsidiaries include Etiqa Insurance Takaful which provides both conventional and Shariah compliant insurance products, and Maybank Investment Bank which is the Groups investment banking division following the acquisition of Maybank Discount and Maybank Securities. Maybank was the first Malaysian bank granted the right to establish a branch office in China.

Free Essays on Black Sabbath

CONTENTS Page: Chapter: 1. I Introduction 1. II History 4. III The bands 5. IV Drugs 6. V Hypes, gimmicks & myths 6. VI Sub genres 7. VII Summary I. INTRODUCTION Being a fan of hard rock, I pondered a while what I should choose as subject for such a big project as this, however I soon realized that choosing something that interested me would greatly increase my chances for achieving the grades I desire for this course. Thus I picked Heavy Metal, probably the musical genre that I love the most. As I love music, find my inspiration in it, relax to it, party to it and so on, I’ve learned to love the music style called Heavy Metal and especially the founders of Metal, Black Sabbath, probably the band that’s changed the ways of music most – including The Beatles, Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones and many more. I guess you’ve already heard of them. Read about them and a few more bands in the chapter named â€Å"The bands†. Writing something about Heavy Metal would be cool, I thought, but it’s also a pretty wide subject and I chose to limit it and concentrate on my favorite metal band, Black Sabbath and thus focus more on the band that I think changed the way of rock like no one else has managed to. But what is heavy metal? It’s like rock, only it’s not as happy. II. HISTORY It all started with Black Sabbath, PERIOD! They were the first heavy metal band and thus, I will focus on their records, however I have not forgot the other bands, be patient. Before we begin, there are some things you need to learn. 1. How to scream and sing. I guess you already know how to do that. 2. How to headbang. Bang your head up and down, your hairstyling should now be ruined if you’re doin’ it right. 3. Throw your hands in the air, do the sing of the devil: Fold in your thumb, index- and ring finger, this imitates the two thorns of the devil. That’s it. Now, let’s get to business. Black Sabbath records... L i... Free Essays on Black Sabbath Free Essays on Black Sabbath CONTENTS Page: Chapter: 1. I Introduction 1. II History 4. III The bands 5. IV Drugs 6. V Hypes, gimmicks & myths 6. VI Sub genres 7. VII Summary I. INTRODUCTION Being a fan of hard rock, I pondered a while what I should choose as subject for such a big project as this, however I soon realized that choosing something that interested me would greatly increase my chances for achieving the grades I desire for this course. Thus I picked Heavy Metal, probably the musical genre that I love the most. As I love music, find my inspiration in it, relax to it, party to it and so on, I’ve learned to love the music style called Heavy Metal and especially the founders of Metal, Black Sabbath, probably the band that’s changed the ways of music most – including The Beatles, Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones and many more. I guess you’ve already heard of them. Read about them and a few more bands in the chapter named â€Å"The bands†. Writing something about Heavy Metal would be cool, I thought, but it’s also a pretty wide subject and I chose to limit it and concentrate on my favorite metal band, Black Sabbath and thus focus more on the band that I think changed the way of rock like no one else has managed to. But what is heavy metal? It’s like rock, only it’s not as happy. II. HISTORY It all started with Black Sabbath, PERIOD! They were the first heavy metal band and thus, I will focus on their records, however I have not forgot the other bands, be patient. Before we begin, there are some things you need to learn. 1. How to scream and sing. I guess you already know how to do that. 2. How to headbang. Bang your head up and down, your hairstyling should now be ruined if you’re doin’ it right. 3. Throw your hands in the air, do the sing of the devil: Fold in your thumb, index- and ring finger, this imitates the two thorns of the devil. That’s it. Now, let’s get to business. Black Sabbath records... L i...

Financial Management Principles (Dell inc.) Essay

Financial Management Principles (Dell inc.) - Essay Example Why had Dell made it to the top spot According to writer Abrhm Lustgarten "Dell's peers see it as brilliantly managed brand - but no innovator in raw computing" (Dell Tops Fortune's List, 2005). Though Dell slightly fell down to the 8th position in the 2006 Fortune magazine's America's Most Admired Companies List (Fortune America's Most Admired Companies 2006), still it leads the computer manufacturers in this prestigious list. Thanks to the exemplary entrepreneurial and leadership trait of Michael Dell, Dell, Inc. has maintained its position as the industry leader in computer manufacturing. In terms of its financial status, as illustrated on Table 1 below, Dell is in good shape. In terms of profitability, the industry leader performs extremely well. Having a return on equity (ROE) of 86.5%, Dell enables its investors to yield $.856 in every dollar they invested on its stocks within a year. Together with 15.5% return on asset (ROA) and gross margin that accounts for 18.2% of the entire revenue, the figures under the Profitability Ratios section of the Financial Ratios of the company (Table 1), exhibits the company's efficient cost management.

Open Source Versus Closed Source Software Essay

Open Source Versus Closed Source Software - Essay Example Currently, there are a huge number of categories of the open source software that include but not limited to the Application Software, Operating Systems, Programming Languages and Server Software. Under each category there are many items / applications, for example, the application software include: Mozilla Firefox – a web browser, OpenOffice – an office suit, Eclipse – an integrated development environment, 7-zip – a file archiver or compressor etc. The operating systems include: the Linux, Android – a mobile OS, FreeBSD etc. The open source computer programming languages include: PHP – a scripting language used to develop websites, Perl, Ruby etc. The open source server software include: Apache – a web server, Joomla – a web content management system etc. Closed Source Software Closed source software also known as proprietary software is computer software which is only available without source code and licensed under limited l egal right as per provided by the copyright owner. The buyer of the propriety software is permitted to use the software having restrictions on modifications, redistribution, update / upgrade or reverse engineering and it is typically owned by a single organization. The vendors usually provide an executable or compiled form of the software application’s source code so that only the central processing unit of the computer can understand the machine language that cannot be converted into the source code. The propriety software is not allowed to redistribute or sharing the software with others, in case anybody else wanted to use the proprietary software it is required to purchase another unique license of the software. In other words, the proprietary software is the property of the owner / developer / publisher that cannot be copied or modified, with an appropriate price and need to comply the license agreement (National Taiwan University, 1991). Like the open source software, th e proprietary software has much more categories of the software include: Operating System, Computer Programming Languages, software applications, public domain software, private software etc. There are several examples including Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Programming languages – ASP.Net etc., Microsoft Office etc. Open vs. Closed Source Software – Advantages and Disadvantages For every advantage there exists disadvantage, therefore, both types of software have there exist advantages as well as disadvantages. Let’s talk about the advantages of both types, the advantages of the open source software include: free of cost, right to modify and redistribute the source code, the technology neutral or the open source software can be used with other software, freedom and flexibility of having multiple vendors, high security, quality, customizability, interoperability and audibility. "Open Source software tends to be free of dependency on related products. Purchasers of ten perceive that the product works best with other products from the same manufacturer. Open Source software offers its users greater freedom to purchase other products, avoiding lock-in to particular manufacturers." (QinetiQ, 2001) There are many disadvantages of the open source software as compared to the closed source software that include but not limited to the less availability of support, updates, less reliability as anyone can change / edit the code and

Sunspots and Sun Storms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Sunspots and Sun Storms - Essay Example Sunspots occur in groups and appear and disappear at certain times. The sun could have hundreds of them sometimes and at other times only have a few. A sunspot can last between one and a hundred days. When they appear as a group, the sunspots can last approximately 50 days. Compared to the average surface temperature of the sun 6000 º Celsius, the sunspots are about 1500 º Celsius and can last from a few hours to a few months. In diameter, the sunspots can be as large as 80,000 km and as they move across the sun’s surface, they expand and contract. They can be explained as regions on the sun with strong magnetic field strengths that appear often in pairs that are aligned in an east to west direction and are thousands of times stronger if compared to the magnetic field of Earth. This implies that the rising magnetic tubes flux that breaks past the sun’s surface form the sunspots. In a simulation of the initial condition shows that there is a horizontal uniform layer of the magnetic field, in a stably stratified fluid, that is subject to a small perturbation. One of the factors that cause sunspots is intense magnetic fields such that sunspots occur in pairs and the magnetic field comes from one and enters into another one. The magnetic fields that are inside the sunspots are 1000 times stronger compared to those surrounding the undisturbed areas. The magnetic layer is unstable due to its buoyant nature, so out of its layers, the magnetic flux can rise. The center of a sunspot, mainly the dark spot is called the umbra; the magnetic fields are highest in this area. The striated area around the umbra, which is less dark, is called the penumbra. As seen from earth, it takes the sunspots 27 days to make a complete rotation, since they rotate with the solar surface. Near the Suns, equator sunspots rotate at a faster rate than those near the solar poles.  Ã‚  

Ms Simulation Reflective Report Marketing Essay

Ms Simulation Reflective Report Marketing Essay Motor vehicle industry is growing industries in the world. Demand for vehicles is so high globally which makes the industry to be innovative and creative to meet the changing needs and wants of the people. Our company was among other StratSim companies formed for the purpose of simulation within the Vehicle manufacturing industries. Our firm was firm D with the vehicles ranging from Economic (Delite), Family (Defy) and Truck (Dusty) for the value seekers, family oriented and singles within the given regions. 2.0 OUR COMPANY MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT As our initial budget, market position and cash flow was similar to other Stratsim firms and therefore our mission is to increase sales and provide the customers with the safety and quality standard vehicles to gain highest returns while at the same time remaining low cost producers in comparison to our competitors. Our vision is to make available the vehicles which our customers require in the best and affordable prices and standards. 3.0 EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ANALYSIS Internal and external analysis is when different factors are analysed from within the firm and around the competitors and industry as a whole to give the precise position of the firm and its performance standards. 3.1 PESTEL Political: As this was a simulation and not the real world firm there were no many implications on political instabilities within the region. In the real world though there are government instabilities which can hinder the operations of the firm such as change in government, introduction of new legislations, Ethical requirements by government etc. Economical: In Period one the economy and gas prices were stable suitable for the greater sales. The industry expenditure was also flat to $1,505 million. In the period 5 the economy grew better than expected which gave rise to the vehicle sales. However crude oil prices had gone high by the end of the period 4. Initially was $3 p/gal and then forecasted to rise to $4.90 by period 6. This was a concern for the coming periods as inflation seemed to be ranging from 2% to 2.5%. Industry marketing expenditure also increased by $ 206 million to $1,977 million and GDP rose to 2.5% by period 5 while initially was 1.0%. Social: Highest class is the family segment with the sales units (000) 4,706 out of which our firm had 12.3% share by period 5 which was a decrease as initial share was 14.3%. The second value seekers who mostly go for economic vehicles to with the total sales 1,327,000 and we hold the share of 10.9% by period 5. And the singles segment was mainly aimed for the trucks and their total sales 1,233,000 out of which we hold 11.9%. Our concerned were the value seekers, families and singles and not segments like high income earners and enterprisers. Technological: In the simulation game the technology was limited to development centres, interior, styling, safety and quality. Cargo space, braking system, reliability and durability of the vehicles are the main technically concentrated areas. In todays vehicle industry aspects such as noise, speed, digital dashboards, stylish folding seats and other features are emphasized. With the simulation the maximum feasible for the development centres was 5 and ours was 2, while interior maximum was 11 and out of which our firm was having 4, styling maximum was 12 and we were rating to 6, safety was 11 and we were rated 5 and quality was maximum 12 out of which we rated 6. Environmental: This was not a major concern though lead free vehicles with minimum noise structure are preferred. Vehicles with good fuel consumption are opted by majority of the customers and therefore help in preserving our environment. Legal: Laws on labour, vehicle manufacturing, registration and many others normally affect the vehicle industries but in the case of simulation this was not a concern though it was believed that the firm is in compliance with all the necessary legal requirements such as safety, quality, ethics etc. PORTERS FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Porter 5 forces are used to determine the intensity of the competition and evaluate the actual position that the firm is holding. Summary of the Five Forces: Bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of customers Threat of substitute Threat of new entrants Competition within/rivalry HIGH 7 firms competing head to head within the industry HIGH As there are 7 firms in total within the industry depending upon the same supplier MODERATE Motor bikes, Bicycles or use of public transport LOW As high investments required, customers buying power and high technological cost HIGH As there are 7 firms within the industry serving the same segments e.g. family, economic and truck Threat of New Entrants: is low due to high investments requirement, high customer buying power and high technological cost incurred to establish and maintain the firm. Though in the simulation the threat is low as the appointed firms are the only ones competing. This leads to growth as managers can concentrate on available competition therefore make more strategic decisions. Threat of Substitutes: this is moderate as due to high traffic jams, pollution and environmental awareness many of the people opt for motor bikes, bicycles or using public transport instead of owning a vehicle. But most of our sales were basing on the family vehicles which means family people would of course still prefer having a convenience means of transport for the whole family and also those who need to carry bulky goods would rather have a truck or spacious vehicle then using the alternatives. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: is high though it is not specified within the simulation but is evident as 7 firms depend on the minimum number of suppliers and therefore this gives the upper hand to the supplier to bargain a good deal out of their buyers. This restricts the managements decision to be cost effective as manufacturing cost is increased with the suppliers bargaining power. Bargaining Power of Buyers: is high as there are 7 firms producing similar vehicles with very less differentiated features if any in the same segments of economy, family and truck therefore giving the buyers more choices to select from before buying the vehicles. This is good in a way management can be innovative to bring out best vehicles to offer to buyers but also restricts on the price bases as customers have the upper hand. Rivalry/competition: is high as there are 7 firms competing head to head to gain higher market share and returns and therefore gives an intensified competition to all the firms. This is healthy to some point as it gives the challenge to managers but it is a threat as when firm fails to provide better and reasonable vehicles compared to the rivals. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT ANALYSIS helps the firm analyse its internal as well as external capabilities. Whereby strengths and weaknesses are internal, opportunity and threats are external. A firm is required to identify its strengths to overcome its weaknesses and capture opportunities and minimise threat. INTERNAL EXTERNAL Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat Ability to manage debts -cash flow management -positive income -Poor cost management -Low capabilities in terms of development centers Growing economy Emerging market 4M Increase Fuel prices Increased inflation Intensive competition Strength: The ability to manage debts and have a slight increase from period 1 to period 5 by $1,125. Our cash flow management was good as we had enough money in circulation and in the firm to carry out operations smoothly unlike other firms who had gone negative in the cash flow. (Appendix 1 2). We are among the 2nd firm that managed to keep their income levels positive unlike others who went negative. (See appendix 3) Weakness: Our main weakness was our cost management. Our sales were increasing by period 5 they reached $15, 54.8 an increase of $550.5 since period 2 but our costs were also increasing and therefore reducing our net income which came to $38.7 in period 5 while it was $ 587.1 in period 2. (Appendix 4) Opportunity: the growing economy and emerging new market 4m as per the research was the opportunity towards the firm. (Appendix 5) All we needed to do was utilize our strength to minimize our weakness and capture this appealing opportunity before our competitors do. Threat: Increasing prices of crude oil and increase in inflation percent is the main concern for the firm. Competition is also fierce from the financial summary of the overall industry we are placed at 2nd last position in terms of value market share which we hold 11.4% of the total market. (Appendix 3) STRATEGIC DECISIONS A strategy is the action plan for of the organisation to achieve organisation goals and gain competitive advantage over the rivals and achieve maximum returns for the stakeholders. BASIC STRATEGY APPLIED: The firm was in a similar situation as its competitors when the simulation started and therefore our first strategy was to increase our technological capabilities in order to differentiate our vehicles from those of the competitors. We also aimed at increasing sales as our mission explains and therefore we increased our budget for product marketing by $2 million initially. As we were not familiar with the outcome, yet we had achieved greatly by increased return on sales from 3.4% to 3.9% and increased return on assets by 6.4% to 8.2%. Later we increased on promotions and advertising as we believed that its the only way to position our product in the mind of the customers in order to increase sales. Later on we decided to upgrade our vehicles according to quality and safety requirements to all of our vehicles but that did not give the kind of returns we were hoping for. We also increased our plant capacity by 300(000s) in order to facilitate better manufacturing. We also increased our inventory as we were running short to the demand; we had also increased awareness in south and west regions where we saw we were lacking back in terms of sales units. We had also increased our relationship with underperforming dealers by increasing their discount from 8% to 9% so that they are motivated to sale more of our vehicles in their perspective regions. We had also increased the budget for the training and developing our dealers to be able to understand our vehicles better so that they can believe in our product and sale more. FUTURE STRATEGY: We still continue to emphasise our future strategies to such that will enable us to increase our sales volume and give us the highest returns. We intend to take advantage of the new market that is identified by the market research (Appendix 5). This will be achieved by being more innovative and customer oriented so that we serve our customers with what they require. We also intend to increase our technological capabilities as technology is dynamic and therefore all efforts will be made to keep up with the changing technology to give our customers the most stylish, safe, spacious and most of all quality vehicles. This would be value for their money. 5.0 EXPERIENCES AND LEARNING The simulation was a great learning experience. It increased my knowledge obtained from academic teachings and gave me ability to use them to the real world scenario. We had planed our team in such a way that one member logs in with his user name and password and feeds the decisions for the period, though the decisions were discussed and come to conclusion by all of the team members this enabled us to divide our work and come up with final decision which boosted our knowledge base to the great extent. The following are among the few of what I had experienced during the simulation exercise: The ability to make decision on various aspects of the business such as marketing, manufacturing, technological etc. How to grow as a firm and sustain the growth with the resources available Learnt how to analyse different internal and external factors affecting the firm and know where our firm stands in the industry (Bench Marking) Monitor inventory turnover period and re-stock when necessary. Experienced the competition and discover ways to overcome. Learned how to forecast future sales, identify opportunities and establish good relationship with dealers. Learned how important marketing and promotion is for the growth of the sales and overall business and also to position our products in the minds of targeted customers. Learnt to be customer oriented and understand their needs and produce according to their requirements. (Segmenting and targeting) Learnt how to manage costs and overall cash flow. Last but not the least the major learning and experience was the team work was essential in any business and decision making. Organising team work and group discussions were among the major experiences of simulation. CONCLUSION In conclusion I can say firm D has performed reasonably well compared to the situation and experience team members had. Though our sales didnt increase to our expectations but yet we had maintained the positive income unlike other firms who had gone negative on cash flows as well as incomes. We could have done better with better decision making in aspects such as new product development to give our customers customised vehicle, more emphasis could have been made to our product upgrade and manufacturing in order to meet the growing demand especially for the family segment as it is the growing in demand vehicle in the industry. All in all it was a good attempt in my view and even better learning experience for all our group members which not only increased our academic knowledge and gave us good real life decision making experience but it also increased our social interactions within the group which in itself is a learning achievement.

Einstein in love :: essays research papers

Einstein in Love: A Scientific Romance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I first heard saw the title of this book, I was immediately intrigued. How could Romance be scientific? It’s one thing to have science involved in romance, or to be a romantic scientist, but as much as I played with the semantics of the title I found myself being curiously sucked into its storyline. The basic premise of this book, as one might expect from the obvious title, is young Albert Einstein’s perspective of love and romance. I suppose that is entirely plausible for even a physicist to fall in love, but, rather than detail all of the gritty mathematics of physics it portrays how even the brightest, most ingenious of us all merely seeks to be normal and loved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book opens with an Eighteen year old Einstein in Zurich pondering love and many other questions. Now at first glance I thought that it might go one of two ways: It’s going to focus on Einstein’s life, or it’s going to focus on his theories. It turns out that Dennis Overbye incorporates all of Einstein’s life, or at least the early part of it, and uses the environment around Einstein as an explanation for why he might have theorized exactly the way that he did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is true that when viewing one’s surroundings one can usually gain a better understanding of a lot of things, particularly if one understands what is going around them. This is true for Einstein, and it was one of the major points that I took with me when I finished reading this book. Though Overbye does make a slight allusion that his love, Mileva Meric, was responsible for most of his theories, the dialogue between the two is somewhat lost, as the portion that would be her accounts on Special Relativity are all in letter form.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel that this novel is relative the seminar on Special Relativity because it portrays the Einstein we know as a young man who seeks out love, and who also desires answers to all of his questions. I feel that it is relevant not just because it is a book about Einstein, rather, because it is a book about a few great ideas: normalcy, love and of course the theory of Special Relativity. Occasionally I did find my mind wondering in the course of reading this book, but that was mainly due to the fact that I had other things running through my mind.

Communication and Professional Skills

Unit 5 Communication and professional skills within child care and education D1/ D2 Select four aspects of professional practice and give reasons why each chosen aspect is essential and who this may affect. There are many aspects of professional practice, these aspects are very important to be followed. Working in partnership with health care and other professionals: working closely with the other professionals in the setting is important for the safety of the children. Communicating about the needs of the children will help us to help the children with their development and help us to keep track of their development’s stage. Also working as a team being consistent about the decisions made will give the children a good role model and routine, otherwise children can get very confuses and lost. Respecting confidentiality policy is very important to keep children safe, passing information to the right person, keeping information safe/locked, using it only when necessary, and aiming to help the child. Information misused can cause a great trouble to the child and the adult; therefore, we practitioners need to make sure all information are kept safe and confidential. Attitudes to work is about being a good role model, it is a big part of educating children, we must always remember that, children will repeat everything that we do or say. As adults and practitioners it is important to be a good role model, children also learn copying us, learn to talk, to posture their selves, to dress up, to eat, to express their selves. Being a good role model is about dressing up appropriately for the job, having a good posture, speaking clear (not swearing, not shouting), respecting the children and the team we work with. Good time keeping and attendance is very important for the smooth running in the setting, also to keep children’s routine and follow the plans for activities. To be on time, it is important to make sure you live home with time enough to be at work on time, if necessary live five minutes earlier. It is better to be earlier than later. D3 – Include examples of how you are developing the knowledge or skills that will improve each selected aspect of professional practice During lunch time children are very likely to hurt their selves, knowing who the first-aider person are and where they are is very useful and helpful, because whenever there is a child with problem I can go straight to them and help the child. I have being learning to observe the children and to communicate with health carers and other professionals, how to posture myself and how to respond to children’s misbehave. There are some children with learning difficulties in my classroom, and to protect them the school has a system, which separates the children by table colours and we know that, there is an specific colour for that special needs table and it is done this way to protect the children from being bullied by other children or abused in any way. It is a way of keeping information about them confidential, while acknowledging their needs. So I have learned different ways of dealing with information and still keeping it confidential. I have being learning how to posture myself around the children and how to respond to them when they misbehave. At this stage I have learned how to listen to them, the importance of PIN No: 10/681015 them listening to me, the use of appropriate language, to look at after my posture when I talk to them. They look at me and they may want to be like me, for that reason it is important that I am a good role model for them, having a good attitude to work. During my work placement I have learned to be a good time keeper, I have improved my time, waking up earlier, going to bed as earlier as possible to get a good rest, to prepare my lunch the night before, to organise what I am earing the night before. Children do notice when we are late and it can affect them, as the other professionals in the setting. There are always ways of making sure we are on time. D4 – Include examples of your effective communication with children and with parents I have helped a child to do her maths exercise, she didn’t want to do it, so I told her that her parents would not be very happy if she didn’t do her work and that she would want to see them happy. She thought for a moment and finished her exercise in two minutes. When communicating with parents I know that I must be respectful, sensitive to their feelings, because some parents may be more difficult to deal with and it is difficult for them to hear that their children is not doing as good as the other children or have some learning difficulties or are special needs children. In the nursery before there was an 18 months little girl, she was really good, helpful, smart, friendly; she was always playing nicely with the other children and smiling. One day on the way out I’ve met her mum and told her that her child was really good and that she was very kind, smart, and helpful. I told her about her development and how good she was; her mum was very happy and was very thankful to me and proud of her daughter. When I communicate with children I get down to their level, look at them in the eyes, listen to them carefully, speak slowly and clear, give them the chance to talk and I am very patient with them. D5 – Provide evidence to show how you maintain confidentiality in work with children and parents The way we maintain confidentiality in the present setting, where I work at the moment, is following the school’s policies and procedures. All the confidential information about the children/ families are kept/ locked in the main office and only authorised persons can have access to it and only if necessary, to help the children. If there is a need to talk to the family or another professional about a child’s problem, it is crucial that the persons involved go to a private room, where they can speak privately, keeping the conversation confidential. All observations that are written about the children must be kept safe/ locked and only shared with parents/ families, supervisors, or health care professionals (if needed). To protect the children, I shall always refer to my supervisor and ask how to proceed if there is any sign of abuse or if I notice any unusual behave about the children. D6 – Provide evidence of ways that you are preparing for employment and finding information about professional development The way I am preparing for employment is developing my skills in child care through out the course, learning and developing my knowledge, also acquiring experience at the work placement. I am working on my Curriculum Vitae, making it presentable, and putting all the information about my experience. I am looking on the internet to find out about agencies and job offers, to find out about settings, salary rate, opportunities. I am doing researches about the settings, the history of the setting, how they work, if it is registered with offstead, to make sure I will be working within a good practice. I am also looking at news papers and magazines. We had an employment agency, specialised in child care, which came to the college to talk to us about the opportunities and offered us to register with them and they will help us to find a job in child care, I will be registering myself with this agency, as they seem to be really good and have good job offers. To increase my career opportunities I am intending to continue my studies in child care, I am looking into studying level 3 in child care, because I know it will help me to enhance my opportunities. D7 – Show an understanding of diversity and inclusive practice An inclusive approach to work with children means that you are able to meet and understand the needs of each child. Every child needs some individual time and attention, and no child should become a favourite within the setting. An inclusive approach involves thinking about the way in which each child feels valued and has a feeling of belonging. You will need to make sure that your interactions with every child are positive and that you consciously think about each child to make sure that they are not left out. † (Cache level 2, Child care and education, Tassoni. P, page 216). When working in partnership with health care and other professionals, to respect diversity and follow inclusive practice it is very important to respect the child and the family’s background; it is very important to be fair and non judgemental and to keep information confidential. If a child has any kind of illness, special needs, suffering any kind of abuse, to protect the child this information must be shared only with the people involved to help the child and nobody else, it is also important to treat the child as much as normal as possible, so the child will not feel left out. In the case of having problematic parents/ families, we need to be very discreet and if needed talk to the parents/families, making sure we go to a private place, where the conversation can be private. It is very important to follow the policies and procedures equally with all children and parents/ families to make sure they feel treated the same and hopefully be able to help them. It is very important to make sure that children with disabilities or learning difficulties are involved in the activities, providing suitable resources for their needs and treating them as equally as possible to the other children. It is important to make sure that settings will provide diverse equipment, materials, to reflect all religions, cultures and backgrounds, to make all children and family feel comfortable when coming to the settings. Another way to show good practice is being a good role model, treating all the other professionals with respect and equally; treating children and families all the same, despite their background, religion, culture, wealth or health. To be a good role model we should not discriminate anyone, children will copy us and hopefully learn to not discriminate anyone. C1- Explain how your developing knowledge or skills in each selected aspect will improve your professional practice I have being learning throughout this course the importance of working in partnership with health care, parents and other professionals. Developing this knowledge helps me to improve my professional practice in communicating well with children, parents and staff, building a good relationship with them based on respect within the setting and professionalism. Having acquired the knowledge about confidentiality, I now understand how to maintain confidentiality and why it is important. I have learned about my setting’s confidentiality policy and I observe the other staff, so I know what to do and I am improving myself more and more. Respecting the policies and following the procedures of the setting make me aware of my responsibilities for protecting children, parents and other team members, improving in this way my professional practice. Learning about been a good role model helps me to be a positive role model around the children, because they will learn from the things I say and do. When they see me being polite, they may want to behave the same way, so this way I will be helping them to learn about manners and being good. Time keeping is very important in every moment of our lives, but when working with children it is essential to be a good time keeper, this way the children’s routine won’t be disturbed. Been on time is also related to be a good role model. B1 – Explain why the examples of communication with children and parents were effective – When I started to do an exercise with the child I wasn’t sure of what to do and I was getting very frustrated because she wouldn’t do it. When I had the idea of talking about her parents been proud of her it made her do the exercises very quick and for that reason I believe my communication was very effective and gave me a result, which was to get the child to do her work. In this case my communication was very effective because I’ve managed to get the child to do her work. I believe that the child’s mother was very pleased to hear how well her child was doing and she felt very positive about her child’s development and also felt that she could count on us at the nursery to share information about her child’s development. For that reason I am confident about the effectiveness of my communication with this mother. In this case It was very ef fective, because I communicated to the child’s mother, giving her information and making her aware of her child’s development. B2 – Explain the importance of maintaining confidentiality when working with children and parents It is very important to maintain confidentiality to protect children and keep them safe and their families. As a practitioner I have the responsibility to keep the information safe/ confidential, it is important to build a trustworthy relationship with the family, it shows that I am respecting the policies and procedures of the setting. It is also important to maintain the rights of the children and the family. Disclosure of confidential information can cause lots of distress to the child, family, myself and other team worker. Confidentiality is important because in the setting we may have access to some personal information related to families, which if disclosed may put the child in danger, causing harm or cause distress to the family. A – Explain the reasons for preparing for employment and for finding information about professional development The way I am preparing for employment is making sure that I am learning as much as I can throughout my course and looking into further development, as in going to level 3 in child care. I am working on my CV, to make it presentable and to give the right information to the employers. I am researching the internet to find out what employers are looking for, to make sure I will have the right answer when going for an interview. It is important to prepare myself, because on this way I will have the right tools to go for an interview and a better chance to get a good/ suitable job. It is important to keep myself informed about new policies or any changes that may happen within the early years foundation guide to make sure I am not staying behind as a professional as it may also affect the children and the setting, where I am working. I want to do level 3 in child care, so it will help me to further develop my skills about child care, giving me the ability to better help children with their development and give my best to them as a professional and also to enhance my job opportunities. Once I am employed I intend to look into other courses as first aid, children’s safeguard, health and safety, aiming to improve and get confidence to deal with any unexpected situation. â€Å"Professional development is the process by which a person maintains the quality and relevance of professional services throughout his/her working life. It has been defined by the Institute for Continuing Professional Development as: ‘The systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and the development of personal qualities necessary for the education of professional and technical duties throughout the practitioner's working life. ‘ It follows that we have an ethical responsibility as professiona to continue our professional development throughout our careers. Professional development is not a product, devised by training providers and academic institutions. It is a mindset, a habit to acquire. Professional development requires self-directed, independent learning. It also demands an active rather than passive approach to learning. It differs from other forms of learning because it requires us to decide that needs to be learned or un-learned, how to learn it, and how to test and assess our learning. † (http://www. materials. ac. uk/guides/developing. asp) A* – Reflect on why it is important to review your communication and professional skills. In my opinion it is important to be a reflective practitioner to be able to offer a good care for children, keeping them safe, giving them suitable resources for their development on this way improving education. A good way to follow this route is to continuously review and evaluate my skills, improving my knowledge, reading, studying, and learning about new challenges and ways of helping children’s development. Reviewing the way I communicate is important to make sure I am giving the right message and listening to others clearly, because if I don’t communicate properly it may cause lots of distress. Consulting other professionals, sharing experience will help us all to improve the quality of the setting and the way children are learning and also help us to improve ourselves. It is important to review my actions, when good, how I made it good and what were the results; if bad, what did I do wrong, how can I improve, always aiming to further develop my skills to benefit children. I am aware of the aspects that I need to improve and I must keep studying to improve this aspects as English and maths and I will further develop this skills to be able to better help children. When setting targets and plans it is important to be realistic about my capacities and knowledge, otherwise I may end up not doing my work properly and getting frustrated, which can seriously affect my work, children and other professionals. Unit 2 Relate to D1/D2 and D3 *Equality and diversity †¢ All children have a need to develop, which is helped by exploring and discovering the people and things around them. †¢ Some children's development may be at risk, for example: o children who are disabled and those with special educational needs o those from socially excluded families, such as the homeless or those who live with a parent who is disabled or has a mental illness o Children from traveler communities, refugees or asylum seekers and those from diverse linguistic backgrounds. All children are entitled to enjoy a full life in conditions which will help them take part in society and develop as an individual, with their own cultural and spiritual beliefs. †¢ Practitioners ensure that their own knowledge about different cultural groups is up-to-date and consider their own attitudes to people who are different from themselves. †¢ All children have an equal right to be listened to and valued in the sett ing. Diversity is the difference between cultures, religion, and background. It is important to look at it in a positive way to help children to understand equality, to avoid discrimination and to allow every child’s development. It is very important that every setting provides a non stereotypical, anti-bias environment, with equipments, material, books, dressing up clothes, food, posters, all from different religions, culture, and color and positively promote diversity. Where, every child can see a bit of their selves, culture and feel welcomed and not discriminated. PIN No: 10/681015 Centre No: 383. 000 Unit 5 Communication and professional skills within child care and education D8 – References and Bibliography Bibliography: Child care and Education Tassoni Penny Heinamman, 2007 Harlow Website: http://www. nidos. org. uk/downloads/Confidentialitypolicy. pdf http://www. materials. ac. uk/guides/developing. asp [pic]

The History of Freedom in America essays

The History of Freedom in America essays Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and J. Hector St. de Crevecoeur each offer a unique perspective about certain truths concerning American rights and responsibilities. Each author offers a promise of what America could and should be. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are two prominent figures from America's recent past that also spoke out in regards to American's rights and responsibilities with the awe-inspiring "I have a Dream" speech and the "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions". The Declaration of Independence is probably the most important document in American history. The Declaration revealed all the monstrous things that the king of England had done to the colonists and all the reasons why the United States had to become its own entity and become free from British rule. Great Britain had been violating the rights of the colonists by imposing taxes, not allowing them to represent themselves in parliament, not allowing them to pass laws and a great many more terrible offenses. All the colonists wanted to do was to live peacefully and prosperously and to be able to govern themselves, but the British king would not allow this to happen. The Declaration of Independence summed up all of these actions to show the king and the government why it was necessary for the colonists to separate from England. The Declaration was also used as a propaganda tool for the American's to state their reasons for rebellion and try to get other colonists to join them in their fight for freedom. Jefferson declares, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." (Jefferson, Paragraph 2) Jefferson's emphasis on the fact that the Declaration represents the will of the people to take actions immediately against the k...

The Social Transformation of American Medicine

The Social Transformation of American Medicine Starr divides the history of medicine into two books in order to emphasize two separate movements in the development of American medicine. The first movement was the rise of professional sovereignty and the second was the transformation of medicine into an industry, with corporations taking a large role. A Sovereign Profession In the first book, Starr begins with a look at the shift from domestic medicine in early America when the family wants the locus of care of the sick to the shift towards the professionalization of medicine in the late 1700s. Not all were accepting, however, as lay healers in the early 1800s saw the medical profession as nothing but privilege and took a hostile stance to it. But then medical schools began to emerge and proliferate during the mid-1800s and medicine was quickly becoming a profession with licensures, codes of conduct, and professional fees. The rise of hospitals and the introduction of telephones and better modes of transportation made physicians accessible and acceptable. In this book, Starr also discusses the consolidation of professional authority and the changing social structure of physicians in the nineteenth century. For instance, before the 1900s, the role of the doctor did not have a clear class position, as there was a lot of inequality. Doctors did not earn much and a physician’s status depended largely on their family’s status. In 1864, however, the first meeting of the American Medical Association was held in which they raised and standardized requirements for medical degrees as well as enacted a code of ethics, giving the medical profession a higher social status. Reform of medical education began around 1870 and continued through the 1800s. Starr also examines the transformation of American hospitals throughout history and how they have become central institutions in medical care. This happened in a series of three phases. First was the formation of voluntary hospitals that were operated by charitable lay boards and public hospitals that were operated by municipalities, counties, and the federal government. Then, beginning in the 1850s, a variety of more â€Å"particularistic† hospitals formed that were primarily religious or ethnic institutions that specialized in certain diseases or categories of patients. Third was the advent and spread of profit-making hospitals, which are operated by physicians and corporations. As the hospital system has evolved and changed, so has the role of the nurse, physician, surgeon, staff, and patient, which Starr also examines. In the final chapters of book one, Starr examines dispensaries and their evolvement over time, the three phases of public health and the rise of new specialty clinics, and the resistance to the corporatization of medicine by doctors. He concludes with a discussion of the five major structural changes in the distribution of power that played a major role in the social transformation of American medicine:1. The emergence of an informal control system in medical practice resulting from the growth of specialization and hospitals.2. Stronger collective organization and authority/the control of labor markets in medical care.3. The profession secured a special dispensation from the burdens of hierarchy of the capitalist enterprise. No â€Å"commercialism† in medicine was tolerated and much of the capital investment required for medical practice was socialized.4. The elimination of countervailing power in medical care.5. The establishment of specific spheres of professional authority. The Struggle for Medical Care The second half of The Social Transformation of American Medicine focuses on the transformation of medicine into an industry and the growing role of corporations and the state in the medical system. Starr begins with a discussion on how social insurance came about, how it evolved into a political issue, and why America lagged behind other countries with regards to health insurance. He then examines how the New Deal and the Depression affected and shaped insurance at the time. The birth of Blue Cross in 1929 and Blue Shield several years later really paved the way for health insurance in America because it reorganized medical care on a prepaid, comprehensive basis. This was the first time that â€Å"group hospitalization† was introduced and provided a practical solution for those who could not afford typical private insurance of the time. Shortly after, health insurance emerged as a benefit received via employment, which reduced the likelihood that only the sick would buy insurance and it reduced the large administrative costs of individually sold policies. Commercial insurance expanded and the character of the industry changed, which Starr discusses. He also examines the key events that formed and shaped the insurance industry, including World War II, politics, and social and political movements (such as the women’s rights movement). Starr’s discussion of the evolution and transformation of the American medical and insurance system ends in the late 1970s. A lot has changed since then, but for a very thorough and well-written look at how medicine has changed throughout history in the United States up until 1980, The Social Transformation of American Medicine is the book to read. This book is the winner of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction, which in my opinion is well deserved. References Starr, P. (1982). The Social Transformation of American Medicine. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Aaa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aaa - Essay Example now evident in our planet with the fiercer storm, frequent floods, warmer weather and other weather related calamities, that cost us lives and properties destroyed, his argument that global warming is already upon us is now accepted as a given fact. Krislov just reiterated the fact that â€Å"decades of climate research show that global warming is happening and human activity is a driving cause†. Gore’s arguments are already common to the modern audience because his arguments are also used by other environmentalist groups and advocates to increase the awareness of the public about climate change. In fact, many academe today include Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth as part of their curriculum to educate students about climate change. So it is no longer an argument for me. Gore’s discussion about the possibility of melting glaciers in Antarctica has already been documented in camera by National Geographic that would cause the atmosphere to warm and thus, presented compelling evidence that it happened and is still happening right before our very eyes. This similar demonstration of melting glacial sheets was also shown in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth except that we thought about it as an exaggeration. The carbon emission that started it all is also given and everybody knows about that already. In fact right now, governments are already conte mplating to make it an official policy with many people thinking that it is already long

The History of Socially Desirable Female Body Types Essay

The History of Socially Desirable Female Body Types - Essay Example Personally, my fixation is for those round ones. They not only resemble the full luminescent moon but overdrive the imagination with pictures of the full frame all its glory. Poets swooned. Cleopatra is reputed to have had the most attractive face - one that launched a thousand ships of war! The desire to be thin is widespread among women. Many starve themselves almost to death in the quest for the thin, graceful frame. However, I am of the view that majority of my fellow males will agree that there is something divine about the layers of flesh and soft skin and their contour that make the female extraordinarily fabulous. (Ximena A Ramirez). To me, the peach and cream skin or the golden color is the most arresting. Not to say that the colored or black fare any worse. Given the right proportion and features, they could be equally magnetizing. Thanks to the herbals, the cosmetics, the Fair and Lovely creams and lotions, they all look scintillating in the light. The female figure has been the object of famous artists, sculptors and architects. The female bust may consist of flesh, blood, muscles and glands. But the rounded shape, the graceful ebb and flow of her movements, create their own impact and envy. Since ancient times, the form of women have been embellished and preserved through art and dances. (Kapila Vatsyayan). Year after year, prized beauties vie for beauty crowns that are there for the best combination of beauty and brains. The present day wonder, Jennifer Lopez's anatomical assets are insured in cool millions! (Stephen Wilson). Conclusion Movie makers and advertisers rake in millions by depicting female silhouettes in countless poses, outfits, angles, coverings, hiding something here and there, and arousing emotions and imaginations. The males may be stronger and more muscular. But in aesthetics and grace, the female body wins the prize, hands down! Sources: Kapila Vatsyayan, A Holistic Eye On Cultural Interface and Synergy, Across the Himalayan Gap, http://ignca.nic.in/ks_41014.htm. Natural Complexion & Body Bars, Alpine Naturals, http://www.alpinenaturals.com/complexionbars.html. Stephen Wilson, Excerpts from Information Arts: Intersections of Art, Science, and Technology, San Francisco State University, http://userwww.sfsu.edu/swilson/papers/wilson.body.infoarts.html. Ximena A Ramirez, Thin is In, An Analysis of Media Endorsed Ideals of Physical Attractiveness and Their Affects on College-Aged Women, A Senior Honor's Thesis, Department of Communication, Boston College, May 2007, http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/communication/meta-elements/pdf/thesis07.ramirez.pdf. Pictures: Complexion, Warm & Fuzzy, http://www.istockphoto.com/imageindex/432/0/432062. Figures, Rock Painting of Female Figures, http://www.srilanka.fr/imagebank/sigiriya/pages/Rock%20Painting%20of%20Female%20Figures.htm. The first crush, Demi Moore, IMDB, The Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4085684224/nm0000193.