Internship Report on Customer Satisfaction on the Services of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited Essay

Part-1 Introduction 1.1 Background of the report: The internship is a dynamic approach for practical knowledge gathered at this study. My effort was for practical job experience through internship for business communication skills as well as banking sectors. As a student of BBA for the requirement of the internship program, I was assigned to The MBL for my practical orientation. This report is done as partial requirement of the 3 months internship program for the BBA students of Department of Marketing, Bangladesh University of Business and Technology. The internship work is done on a bank, namely Mercantile Bank Limited (MBL). The students were asked to prepare reports on their assigned jobs after the completion of the Internship in the respective organizations. The topic of the report is â€Å"Customer Satisfaction on the services of MBL.† 1.2 Significance of the Report: The economy of our country has a lot left to be desired and there are lots of scopes for massive improvement. In an economy like this, banking sector can play a vital role to improve the overall social-economic conditions. As our country is an under develop country, the banks play the role of an intermediary and can mobilize the excess fund of surplus sectors to provide necessary finance, to those sectors, which are needed to promote the sound development of the country. The banks provide different types of services to its counter parts, like general banking services or finance or investing which results transaction of currency. To do this they also need capital, assets and other factors which effects directly in the bank performance. This report will help to understand the customer satisfaction on the services of MBL. As a result, we can have a clear idea about customer satisfaction on the Services of MBL. 1.3 Scope of the Report: MBL is always trying to improve their customer service in every sector, but in today’s competitive business world, banks need to give additional concentration to the client’s requirements, in order to stay at the top. Therefore, besides dealing with the general attributes of Different Services, I have been trying to put more concentration on the customer benefits and other customer related facilities in this report while I have been doing my internship. 1.4 Objectives of the Report: 1.4.1 Broad Objective: The broad objective of this report is to identify the customer satisfaction on the services of MBL. 1.4.2 Specific Objectives: * To find out the different services of MBL that is offered to its clients. * To identify the 7p’s analysis of MBL. * To identify the weakness, problems, opportunity of MBL. * To identify the level of customer satisfaction. * To explore the opportunities and competitive advantages that has been ignored by MBL. 1.5 Methodology: 1.5.1 Types of Research: It is both exploratory & descriptive research in nature. 1.5.2 Sources of Data: I have collected data from the two sources, one is primary source and another is secondary source. 1.5.2.1 Primary Sources: * Conversation and questioning with the different clients by questionnaire survey. * Observing the total environment. * Employee of foreign exchange, credit & others. 1.5.2.2 Secondary Sources: Secondary Data Which data is already published that’s called Secondary data or Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Secondary data are very much important for conduct an efficient study and to have faithful result. 1.5.3 Data Collection Procedure: 1.5.3.1 Primary Data: The primary data collection process includes: * Questioner survey 1.5.3.2 Secondary Data: * Brochures of MBL. * Annual report of MBL. * Official website. * www.google.com 1.5.4 Questionnaire Design: This is a well structure type of questionnaire and used for conducting customer satisfaction survey and acquire primary data. Here average time was 20 minute for every respondent. There are 20 questions on the questioner. Question type was close ended. 1.5.5 Sampling Plan: 1.5.5.1 Target Population: All clients of MBL Gulshan branch in Dhaka city. 1.5.5.2 Sampling Element: Individual clients of MBL . 1.5.5.3 Sampling Frame: No well structured sample frame was found. 1.5.5.4 Sampling Procedure: Non probability convenience sampling procedure is used. 1.5.5.5 Sample Size: I have taken 50 customers as my sample. 1.5.6 Data analysis and reporting: Quantitative and qualitative data collected and analyzed according to acceptable standards of practice. Different tables and graphs were used to make the data meaningful. 1.6 Limitations: * Lack of customer co-operation. * Lack of adequate knowledge about any other financial institutions. * It was very difficult to collect all data, which is very essential. * Due to time limitation many aspects could not be discussed in the present study because Banking is a vast subject. * Lack of experiences on Banking. * Every organization has their own secrecy that is not revealed to others. Despite the limitation, I have tried my best to prepare the report. If you find any mistake please consider it cordially. Part -2 Overview of the company 2.1 Company Background: Mercantile Bank Limited was incorporated in Bangladesh as a public limited company under the Bank Company Act, 1991, on May 20, 1999. After obtaining license from Bangladesh Bank to carry on banking business, the bank commenced its operation on June 2, 1999 with an authorized capital of Tk 800 million divided into 8 million ordinary shares of Tk 100 each. On 31 December 2001, its paid up capital was Tk 596.5 million Mercantile Bank Limited went for public issue of shares on October 21, 2003. There are 30 sponsors involved in creating Mercantile Bank Limited. During this short span of time the MBL has been successful to make a position as a progressive and dynamic financial institution in the country. The MBL has been widely acclaimed by the business community, from small entrepreneurs to large traders and industrial conglomerates, including the top rated corporate borrowers for forwarding-looking business outlook and innovative financing solutions. Thus within this very short period of time it has been able to create an image for itself and has earned significant reputation in the country’s Banking Sector as a bank with vision. The Bank has made significant contribution to the growth of Readymade Garments sectors by handling huge amount of export Letters of Credit. Recently it has 75 Branches with 1,668 efficient employees. 2.2 Vision: To be the best Banking service provider in Bangladesh at a reasonable cost & giving more services & facilities to the small ,medium ,large sectors to improve the socio economic condition in Bangladesh. 2.3 Mission: To meet the challenges of 21th century & to meet the expected future result, MBL offering many attractive services to the customer .they increased the FDR rate from 12.5 to 13.33 to collect more deposit from customers & to increase the saving tendency of the clients.MBL recently introduced Super Benefit Deposit Scheme (SBDS) & Education Planning Deposit Scheme (EPDS) they are long term special saving scheme through which customer can get benefits up to 10 or 15 years. 2.4 Objectives: * To achieve positive Economic Value Added (EVA) each year. * To be market leader in product innovation. * To be one of the top three Financial Institutions in Bangladesh in terms of cost efficiency. * To be one of the top five Financial Institutions in Bangladesh in terms of market share in all significant market segments we serve. * To achieve 20% return on shareholders’ equity or more, on average. 2.5 Core Values: * For the customer Providing with caring services by being innovative in the development of new banking product and services * For the shareholder Maximizing wealth of the bank * For the employer Respecting worth and dignity of individual employees devoting their energies for the progress of the bank * For the community Strengthening the corporate values and taking environment and social risks and reward into account. 2.6 Board of Directors: * Chairman Md. Abdul Jalil, M.P * Vice Chairman  Morshed Alam Mohd. Selim * Director  M. S. Ahsan Alhaj Akram Hossain (Humayun) Md. Anwarul Haque Dr. Toufi que Rahman Chowdhury Golam Faruk Ahmed Engr. Mohd. Monsuruzzaman Bilkis Begum Md. Tabibul Huq A. S. M. Feroz Alam A. K. M. Shaheed Reza Md. Nasiruddin Choudhury Md. Shahabuddin Alam Syed Muhammed Abbdul Mannan, M.P Alhaj Mosharref Hossain Israt Jahan M. A. Khan Belal Dr. Matiur Rahman, M.P * Managing Director & CEO A.K.M. Shahidul Haque 2.7 Operational network organ gram: Chairman| Managing Director| Deputy Managing Director| Executive Vice President| Senior Vice President| Vice President| Sr. Assistant Vice President| Assistant Vice President| First Assistant Vice President| Senior Executive Officer| Executive Officer| Senior Officer| Officer| Junior Officer| 2.8 Deposit Services: * Monthly Saving Scheme (MSS) Monthly Saving Scheme is one of the most popular deposit products in different communities that introduced to attract small savers for building up their habit of savings and thereby build up a healthy capital base for the economy. The monthly installments are in various sizes and one can adopt the schemes for a period of 03 years, 05 years, 08 years or 10 years. * Monthly Benefit Deposit Scheme Under this scheme, depositor will get a certain sum of money in each month proportion to his/her deposit during the entire tenure. Benefit starts right from the first month of opening an account under this scheme and continues up to five years. On maturity, the principal amount is paid back. Objectives of this scheme are to help the retired persons for investing their retirement benefits, Create investment opportunities for Non-Resident Bangladeshi. The Minimum deposited amount is BDT 50,000 or its multiples and the tenure is five (05) years. * Double Benefit Deposit Scheme (DBDS) The main attraction of DBDS is that, the deposited amount will be double in tenure of 5.6years. Minimum deposited amount should be BDT 10,000 or its multiples. In case of premature encashment interest will be paid on Saving A/C Rate. Loan may be granted up to maximum 80% of the deposited amount, but minimum principle amount must be BDT 20,000. * Quarterly Benefit Deposit Scheme The ‘Quarterly Benefit Deposit Scheme’ will be maintained for a period of 3 (three) years and the minimum amount of deposit is BDT 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) or its multiples. Interest will be paid on quarterly basis. Benefits start right from the first quarter of opening the scheme. On maturity, principal amount will be paid back. Savings account is needed to maintain this scheme. * 1.5 Time Benefit Deposit Scheme Under this scheme, deposited amount reserved for 4.25 years (or 51 months) and the minimum amount of deposit is BDT 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) or its multiples. After 4.25 years maturity, 1.5 times of the deposited amount will be paid back to the account holder. * Advance Benefit Deposit Scheme Under Advance Benefit Deposit Scheme, one can deposit a certain amount of money for two years. The depositor will receive the benefit on yearly basis. The benefit amount of first year will be received in advance at the time of deposit. On maturity, the depositor will get back the principal amount with the benefit amount of second year. That means Interest is paid in two Phases, first phase paid initially and second phase paid after maturity. Loan may be granted up to maximum 70% of deposit. 2.9 Loan Services: * Consumer Credit Scheme Consumer’s Credit Scheme is one of the popular areas of collateral-free finance of the Bank. People with limited income can avail of credit facility to buy household goods including computer and other consumer durables. * Lease Finance This scheme has been designed to assist and encourage the genuine and capable entrepreneurs and professionals for acquiring capital machineries, medical equipments, computers, vehicle and other items. Flexibility and easier term and conditions of this scheme have attracted the potential entrepreneurs to acquire equipments of production and services and repay gradually from earnings on the basis of ‘Pay as you earn’ * SME Loan Scheme Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Loan Scheme has been introduced to provide financial assistance to new or experienced entrepreneurs to invest in small and medium scale industries with a comparatively low rate of interest as the same is assisted by the Bangladesh Bank wither financing facilities. * Personal Loan Scheme Personal Loan Scheme has been introduced to extend credit facilities to cater the needs of low and middle-income group for any purpose. Government and semi government officials, employees of autonomous bodies, banks and other financial organizations, multinational Companies, reputed private organizations and teachers of recognized public and private schools, colleges and Universities are eligible for this loan. * Car Loan Scheme Car Loan Scheme has been introduced to enable middle-income people to purchase Cars/SUVs/Jeeps. Government and semi-government officials, employees of autonomous bodies, banks and other financial organizations, multinational companies, reputed private organizations, teachers of recognized public and private universities and businessmen are eligible for this loan. * Home Loan Scheme To meet the growing need of housing for middle and lower-middle income people, MBL has introduced Home Loan Scheme. * Overseas Employment Loan Scheme Overseas Employment Loan Scheme is designed to facilitate the Bangladeshi youths seeking employment aboard but unable to meet the expenses to reach the workplace from their own sources. The ultimate objectives of the scheme are to promote skilled / semi-skilled manpower to different countries across the world as well as to provide support to Government Policy considering priority of this sector. By availing loan under this scheme, the active youths of middle and lower middle class can get overseas employment. 2.10 Marketing Mix: (1)Product: MBL now offering various kind of deposit screams for the customers with retail Banking, corporate finance, asset, equity brokerage and security. (2) Price: Price means value that a customer has to pay to take any service.MBL take’s a charge from the deposited account & charge interest on lone. (3)Place: Recently MBL has 75 Branches all over Bangladesh & they are opening new branches for improving their customer services. (4) Promotion: MBL use TV, print media to communicate with the customers. (5)People: MBL has 1668 efficient employee to provide their services & many sells representatives on the field. (6) Process: Process means, the procedure mechanisms and flow of the activity by which the service is delivered. They always try to provide services as early as possible. (7) Physical Evidence: Physical environment means, the environment in which the service is delivered .MBL established their branches in all important places & they provide their service’s in a comfortable & friendly environment for their customer. 2.11 SWOT analysis: * Strengths: * Strong customer relationship or customer loyalty. * More than 70 branches with 1668 efficient employee. * Excellent Service quality. * Strong Management team. * Reasonable interest rate. * Weaknesses: * Delay in service delivery. * Long Account opening process. * Introducer require in opening current account. * Low promotional activity. * Opportunities: * Technological advantage. * Mobile banking. * Offering new deposit scheme. * SME banking. * Threats * Political changes. * Technological improvement. * Increasing number of banks. * High government rule & fixed interest rate by Bangladesh bank. 2.12 Corporate Profile: Name: Mercantile Bank Limited Established: May 20, 1999 Head office: 61, Dilkusha Commercial Area Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh PABX: 9559333, 9553892 Key People: Md. Abdul Jalil, M.P Industry: Finance (Bank) Services: retail banking, corporate finance, Finance, asset, equity brokerage and security. Branches: 75 Employees: 1668 Profit: 3,004.17 million (2011) Website: www.mblbd.com Part-3 Theoretical Aspects Marketing Theory: * Marketing: The process by which companies create value for the customer & build strong relationship with them in order to capture from customer in return. * Marketing Management: Marketing Management is a business discipline which focuses on the particular application of marketing techniques & the management of firms marketing resource & activity. * Marketing Research: The systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data relevant to a specific marketing situation facing an organization. * Target Market: A set of buyers sharing common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve. * Market Segment: A group of consumers who respond in a similar way to a given set of marketing efforts. * Market Positioning: A clear, distinctive and desirable place of a product relative to competing products in the mind of target consumers or Create a positive image on customers mind. * Market: Market is a system, procedure for exchanging goods & service where two parties agree to sell or buy any product or service in a particular value or price. * Market Offering: Some combination of products, services, information, or experiences offered to a market to satisfy a need or want. * Product Concept: The idea that consumers will favor products that offers the most quality, performance, and features. * Production Concept: The idea that consumers will favor products if that are available and highly affordable. * Selling Concept: The idea that consumers will not buy enough of the firm’s products unless it undertakes a large scale selling and promotion effort. * Marketing Concept: The marketing concept that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfaction better than competitors do. * Societal Marketing Concept: Maybe a company ought to make good marketing decisions by considering consumers want, the company’s requirements, consumers’ long-run interests and society’s long-run interests. * Service: Any activity or benefit that one party can offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. * Customer Satisfaction: Dependent on the products perceived performance relative to buyer’s expectations or the extent to which a product’s perceived performance matches a buyer’s expectations. * 7p’s in Detail: FIG: 1 * Products: The product is the most important aspect of the marketing mix. Products have both tangible and intangible benefits. Tangible benefits include benefits, which can be measured such as the top speed of a car. Intangible benefits are benefits that cannot be measured such as the enjoyment the customer will get from the product. It is important that the product is changed as necessary to bring it up to date and prevent it from being overtaken by competitors. The term â€Å"product† refers to tangible, physical products as well as services. Here are some examples of the product decisions to be made: * Variety * Quality * Design * Features * Brand name * Packaging * Services * Sizes * Warranties * Returns * Price: It is very important that the correct price is charged for a product. If the price is too high consumers will avoid the product as they will believe it to be too expensive yet if the product is priced too low they may believe that there is something wrong with the product for it to be so cheap. Also if the company charges too low a price, it may not cover its costs. There are many different pricing strategies that companies can use to decide on a price for their product including market and psychological pricing methods. Some examples of pricing decisions to be made include: * Pricing strategy (Skim, penetration, etc.) * Suggested retail price * Volume discounts and wholesale pricing * Cash and early payment discounts/ bonus * Seasonal pricing * Bundling * Price flexibility * Price discrimination. * Place: The place is where you can expect to find your customer and consequently, where the sale is realized. Knowing this place, you have to look for a distribution channel in order to reach your customer. * Distribution channels * Market coverage (inclusive, selective, or exclusive distribution) * Specific channel members * Inventory management * Intermediaries * Distribution centers * Order processing * Transactions * Reverse logistics * Promotion: In the context of the marketing mix, promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication of information about the product with the goal of generating a positive customer response. Marketing communication decisions include: * Promotional strategy (push, pull, etc.) * Advertising * Personal selling & sales force * Sales promotions * Public relations & publicity * Marketing communications budget However, the strategies for the four P’s require some modifications when applied to services. For example, traditionally promotion is thought of as involving decisions related to sales, advertising, sales promotions and publicity. In services these factors are also important, but because services are produced and consumed simultaneously, service delivery people are involved in real-time promotion of the service even if their jobs are typically defined in terms of the operational function they perform. * People: All human action that plays a part in reference and information services delivery namely the librating personnel. * Process: Process means, the procedure mechanisms and flow of the activity by which the service is delivered. * Physical Evidence: Physical environment means, the environment in which the service is delivered & firm & customer interact, & any tangible components that facilitate performance or communication of the service. * SWOT analysis: FIG:2 * Strengths: * What advantages does your organization have? * What do you do better than anyone else? * What unique or lowest-cost resources can you draw upon that others can’t? * What do people in your market see as your strengths? * What factors mean that you â€Å"get the sale†? * What is your organization’s Unique Selling Proposition? * Weaknesses: * What could you improve? * What should you avoid? * What are people in your market likely to see as weaknesses? * What factors lose you sales? * Opportunities: * What good opportunities can you spot? * What interesting trends are you aware of? * Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale. * Changes in government policy related to your field. * Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes. * Local events. * Threats: * What obstacles do you face? * What are your competitors doing? * Are quality standards or specifications for your job, products or services changing? * Is changing technology threatening your position? * Do you have bad debt or cash-flow problems? * Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your business? Gaps Model of Service Quality: FIG: 3 1. Customer gap: Difference between customer expectations & perceptions. 2. Provider gap 1: Not knowing what the customer wants or expect. 3. Provider gap 2: Not selecting the right service design and standards. 4. Provider gap 3: Not delivering to service designs & standard. 5. Provider gap 4: Not matching performance with promises. Part-4 Analysis and Findings Questionnaire Survey Analysis: In every survey, it is essential to analyze the survey results and follow the findings as a guideline of development of the project. The survey reports are shown below with graphical representation in percentage basis. (1) What type of account you maintain with this bank? FIG: 4 From the graph, it is seen that 23 of the respondents are MSS holder, 10 of the respondents have FDR, 13 of the respondents have current account and 4 have the other account. Here most of the respondents have Monthly saving scheme (MSS) Here bank should give importance on other accounts. (2) Why you choose mercantile bank? Or reason of choosing this Bank? FIG: 5 From the graph, it is seen that the 11 respondents choose this bank for the number of branches of the bank, 15 for location of the bank, 3 for reputation of the bank, 16 for service of the bank, 5 for personal relationship. Here most of the respondents choose this bank because of the service and location of the bank. (3) What are the services of this bank you usually use? FIG: 6 From the graph, we found that the 20 respondents use MSS of this bank, 3 uses LC of the bank, 9 uses current account of the bank, 7 uses FDR of the bank, 7 uses Card & 4 uses locker service of the bank. Here most of the respondents use MSS and current account services of the bank. (4) Are you satisfied with the service charges of the bank? FIG: 7 From the graph, we can see that the 25 respondents said moderate, 14 respondents said service charges are high, and 11 respondents said the service charges are low from some other banks. (5) Are you satisfied with the account opening procedure? FIG: 8 From the graph, we can see that the 23 respondents are satisfied with the account opening procedure, 12 are very satisfied and 15 are dissatisfied. Here most of the customers are satisfied with the account opening procedure. (6) Are you a debit card holder of this Bank? FIG: 9 From the graph, it is seen that the 14 respondents are card holder and 36 respondents are not. Here the respondents who have account in the bank they can apply for the card. (7) Do you think the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient? FIG: 10 From the graph, it is seen that the 76% respondents think that the numbers of ATM booths are not enough and available, 24% respondents think that the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient. So, most of the respondents are not satisfied with the number of ATM booths. (8) Do you think MBL takes longer time to issue a card? FIG: 11 From the graph, we can see that 20 respondents think they don’t take longer time to issue a card, 20 respondents think they take a longer time & 10 respondents think they take a very long time. (9) Are you satisfied about ATM services? FIG: 12 From the graph, it is seen that the 17 of the respondents are satisfied with the ATM services, 20 respondents are dissatisfied, and 13 respondents are in moderate position. Here most of the respondents are dissatisfied with the ATM services. (10) Are you satisfied with the branch location? FIG: 13 From the graph, we can see that 18 respondents are satisfied, 14 respondents are dissatisfied, and 18 respondents are in moderate position. (11) Where do you first know about this bank? FIG: 14 From the graph, 0 respondents know from TV, 20% respondents know from news paper, 36% respondents know from bill board & representatives, 44% respondents know from friends & family. (12) Are you satisfied with the different interest rates that are offered by MBL? FIG: 15 From the graph, we can see that 36% respondents are satisfied with the interest rates, 50% respondents are in moderate position & 14% respondents are dissatisfied with the interest rates. (13) Are you satisfied with the different promotional campaign of MBL? FIG: 16 From the graph, we can see 0 respondents are highly satisfied ,3 are satisfied, 26 are in neutral position,12 are dissatisfied ,9 are highly dissatisfy about the promotional activities of MBL. (14) Do you think the employees are highly efficient? FIG: 17 From the graph, we can see that 5 respondents are highly satisfied on the work of employees of MBL.15 respondents are satisfied & 26 respondents are in neutral position & 4 respondents are dissatisfy. As a result more or less all respondents are satisfied for the employees. (15) Do you think the process of taking loan is very easy? FIG: 18 From the graph ,we found that 0% respondents are highly satisfied with the lone processing ,28% respondents are satisfy with it, 24% respondents are in neutral position ,48% are dissatisfy on the lone taking process. Part-5 Major Findings Major Findings: Mercantile Bank Ltd actively participate in the growth and expansion of the national economy by providing various kind of services. While analyzing the policies and procedures & analyzing the customer satisfaction of the Bank the following areas were mostly viewable. * Most of the respondents have MSS account. * Most of the respondents choose this bank because of the branch location & services of the bank. * Most of the respondents come to this bank for the MSS, FDR & savings accounts. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the MBL charges. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the account opening procedure of the bank ,but respondents had to face some difficulties to open current account because it require introducer who already have current account on MBL. * Most of the respondents don’t use card of this bank. * Most of the respondents are not satisfied with the number of ATM booths. * Most of the respondents are not satisfied with the system of issuing a card. * Most of the respondents are not satisfy with the ATM services. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the branch location. * Most of the respondents know about the bank from friends & family. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the MBL interest rate. * Most of the respondents are not satisfied with the promotional actives of the bank. * Most the respondents are satisfied with the MBL employee’s attitude and behavior because they can expertly solve the banking problem. * Most of the respondents think the loan processing system is not easy & high interest rate on personal loan. Part-6 Recommendation Recommendation: MBL has an efficient and excellent management team and performing with a great expertise and care. The limitations can be overcome by some measures to make the performance outstanding. I have some suggestions for The MBL according to my observations out of my survey on 50 customers. Those are given below: * The bank should offer more facilities on other account to attract more customers. * The bank should build a strong image on market through covering new area. * The bank should provide more attractive features & plan to attract more customers. * Customers are satisfied with MBL charges, so the bank should attract large number of customer through using this low cost strategy. * The customers are satisfied with the account opening procedure of the bank. But the bank should introduce an easier process to open current account. * The bank should provide more facilities in the ATM cards. * They should increase the number of ATM booth because the Customers are not satisfied with the number of it. * The bank should give more importance on the system of issuing a card as early as possible. * The bank should give more concentration on the ATM services because the customers are not satisfied with it. * The bank should find new important area to make new branches & search opportunity for the bank. * The bank should increase their advertisements. * The bank’s customer are happy with the interest rate, through this advantage the bank should attract more customers. * The bank should increase the promotional actives on TV, print media & radio. * The bank has many efficient employees an efficient employee can attract the customers, so the bank should give more importance on that. * The bank should introduce an easier process for giving lone. Part-7 Conclusion Conclusion: Mercantile Bank Limited is a strong and effective player in the financial system. It is a solid, forward-looking, modern local bank with a record of sound performance. It is a new generation bank. It is committed to provide high quality financial services /products to contribute to the growth of GDP of the industrialization, boosting up export, creating employment opportunity for the educated youth, rising standard of living of limited income group and overall sustainable socio-economic development of the country. The bank has the vision to be the best Private Commercial Bank in Bangladesh in terms of efficiency, capital adequacy, asset quality, sound management etc. it is now one of the top most profitable commercial bank. As concluding remark the bank is able to attain a leading role with the 13 years success story but to remain in Strong position among new generation banks, the bank must face new challenges. The bank must make a positive attempt to be more outward looking in their goals and aware of what is happening. They must also emphasize on the domestic scenario more closely and analyze any certain trends and strategies of their competitors. The bank must accept any failures and think of them as an objective to pursue future goals instead of blaming such failures on other factors and in this way the Bank will be able to keep on playing its important roles in our economy. Part-8 Bibliography Bibliography: * Annual Report (2009) of Mercantile Bank Limited. * Annual Report (2011) of Mercantile Bank Limited. * Circular of Mercantile Bank Limited. * Interview with the Credit section of employees Mercantile Bank Limited, Gulshan, Branch. * Interview with SME and retail banking section of Mercantile Bank Limited, Gulshan Branch. Books reference * Principles of Marketing- 12th Edition- Philip Kotler. * Marketing Management- 13th Edition- Philip Kotler. * Service Marketing- 4th Edition- Zeithamal & Bitner . Internet reference * www.google.com * www.wikpedia.com * www.yahoo.com * www.answer.com * www.mblbd.com Part-9 Annexure Raw Table: 1. What type of account you maintain with the bank? * MSS 23 * FDR 10 * Current 13 * Others 4 2. Why you choose mercantile bank? * Branch number of the bank 11 * Location of the bank 15 * Reputation of the bank 3 * Service of the bank 16 * Personal relationship 5 3. What are the services of this bank you usually use? * MSS 20 * LC 3 * Current Account 9 * FDR 7 * Card 7 * Locker 4 4. Are you satisfied with the service charges of the bank? * Very high 0 * High 14 * Moderate 25 * Low 11 * Very low 0 05. Are you satisfied with the account opening procedure? * Good 23 * Very good 12 * Poor 15 * Very poor 0 06. Are you a debit card holder of this Bank? * Yes 14 * No 36 07. Do you think the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient? * Agree 12 * disagree 38 08. Do you think MBL takes longer time to issue a card? * Disagree 20 * Strongly Disagree 0 * Agree 20 * Strongly agree 10 * 9. Are you satisfied about ATM services? * Satisfy 7 * Dissatisfy 20 * Moderate 13 10. Are you satisfied with the branch location? * Yes 18 * No 14 * Moderate 18 11. Where do you first know about this bank? * TV 0 * News Papers 10 * Bill-board & sells representatives 18 * Friends & Family 22 (Likert scale) No.| Question:| Highly Satisfy| Satisfy| Neutral| Disagree| Highly Disagree| 12.| Are you satisfied with the Services offered by the MBL?| 0| 20| 21| 9| 0| 13.| Are you satisfied with the different charges & interest rates that are offered by MBL?| 0| 18| 25| 7| 0| 14.| Do you think the numbers of branches are satisfactory compare to other Banks?| 0| 20| 23| 7| 0| 15.| Are you satisfied with the different promotional campaign of MBL?| 0| 3| 26| 12| 9| 16.| Do you think the employees are highly efficient?| 5| 15| 26| 4| 0| 17.| Do you think the process of taking loan is very easy?| 0| 14| 12| 24| 0| 18.| Are you satisfied with the total working process of the MBL?| 0| 11| 30| 9| 0| 19.| Do you think MBL provides a very good after sales services in ATM sector?| 0| 9| 20| 13| 8| 20.| Do you think MBL take longer time to open LC?| 0| 20| 16| 14| 0| Questionnaire: Dear respondent, ————————————————- I’m a student of BBA program studying in Bangladesh University of Business & Technology (BUBT). I was assigned to prepare a report on â€Å"customer satisfaction of the Services of Mercantile Bank LTD† which is a partial fulfillment of my internship program. As a result, some information would be needed from you. It is assured that all the information will keep confidential and solely use in this report only. Name:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Sex: a) Male b) Female Occupation:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Express your opinion by giving (√) marks. You may choose more than one option where necessary. 01. What type of account you maintain with the bank? A) MSS C) FDR B) Current D) Others 02. Why you choose mercantile bank? A) Branch number of the bank C) Location of the bank B) Reputation of the bank D) Service of the bank E) Personal relationship 03. What are the services of this bank you usually use? A) MSS B) LC C) Current Account D) FDR E) Card F) Locker 04. Are you satisfied with the service charges of the bank? A) Very high C) Good B) High D) Poor E) Very poor 05. Are you satisfied with the account opening procedure? A) Good B) Very good C) Poor D) Very poor 06. Are you a debit card holder of this Bank? A) Yes B) No 07. Do you think the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient? A) Agree B) Disagree 08. Do you think MBL takes longer time to issue a card? A) Disagree C) Strongly Disagree B) Agree D) strongly agree 09. Are you satisfied about ATM services? A) Satisfy c) Dissatisfy B) Moderate 10. Are you satisfied with the branch location? A) Yes B) No C) Moderate 11. Where do you first know about this bank? A) TV B) News Papers C) Bill-board & sells representatives D) Friends & Family Please put tick (√) on appropriate place. Statement| Highly Satisfy | Satisfy| Neutral| Disagree | Highly Disagree| 12. Are you satisfied with the Services offered by the MBL?| | | | | | 13. Are you satisfied with the different charges & interest rates that are offered by MBL?| | | | | | 14. Do you think the numbers of branches are satisfactory?| | | | | | 15. Are you satisfied with the different promotional campaign of MBL? | | | | | | 16. Do you think the employees are highly efficient?| | | | | | 17. Do you think the process of taking loan is very easy?| | | | | | 18. Are you satisfied with the total working process of the MBL?| | | | | | 19. Do you think MBL provides a very good after sales services in ATM sector?| | | | | | 20. Do you think MBL take longer time to open LC?| | | | | | THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND COORDINATION. Surveyor Signature:†¦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‚¬ ¦ Date:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Contact No:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

Pest Analysis of Primark Stores Ltd

Organisations And Environment PEST Analysis On Primark Stores Ltd Contents Introduction 1 Economic Factors 1-2 Technological Factors 2-3 Social Factors 3-4 Political Factors 4 Conclusion 5 Bibliography 5-6 Introduction This report will look at the macro environmental factors affecting Primark which operates in the high-street retail clothing sector. Primark offers chic clothing on the cheap through a number of department stores throughout the UK & Ireland, Holland and Spain. With its main target market being fashion-conscious under-35-year-olds, it is the second largest clothing retailer in the UK. The business environment is ever-changing, and it is crucial that all organisations analyse the environmental factors accurately to allow them to adapt to changes that may arise. If the environment is not analysed correctly, or if not enough attention is paid to observing environmental changes then the organisation could miss vital opportunities and fall under massive threat. This report will focus on a PEST analysis; a PEST analysis is a detailed environmental analysis that allows organisations to implement strategies that will respond to all environmental factors that they are faced with. A PEST analysis consists of four factors; Political, Economic, Social, and Technological. Primark, like all organisations will have to deal with all these environmental factors in some way. This report will now go into detail considering how each of these factors affect the high-street retail clothing sector, in particular Primark, and how they have or could respond to such issues. Economic Factors The biggest economic factor that has affected Primark in recent times, as with most businesses is the recession. This will definitely hinder Primark’s performance, as the recession means that their potential consumers will have less disposable income, and therefore will be less likely to spend vast amounts of money on clothes. However as Primark is certainly at the cheaper end of the high-street retail clothing sector it has a much more inelastic income elasticity of demand than some of its clothing competitors; meaning that it could have a huge advantage over some of its higher priced competition. This is because consumers will have less money to spend. But fashion-conscious women will still want to look good; and with Primark offering chic clothing for cheaper prices, many of these women may see Primark as an attractive option for their clothing purchases. The second economic factor to be talked about is the price of fuel. In the summer of 2008, the price of oil reached $147 a barrel (the highest it has ever been). Primark will have noticed huge increases in their transportation costs when the price of oil was this high. Primark relies very heavily on transportation as it has only two distribution centres, one being located in Leicestershire, UK and the other being located in Naas, Holland. As it distributes to all over the UK & Ireland, Holland, and Spain it will experience heavy fuel costs, and heavy shipping costs. Therefore, the high price of oil will increase costs and cut into Primark’s profit margins. Unless it decides to pass the cost onto the consumer, in which case it would experience a decrease in sales. Another important economic factor to look at is the lowering of interest rates by the Bank of England. ‘The interest rates have been cut five times since October at which point they were 5%, and now they stand at just 0. 5%. ’ (Monk, 2009) The extremely low interest rates will mean that most mortgage owners will be paying a lot less money back on their mortgage. This will result in them having a lot more disposable income, and could mean that they will have a lot more money to spend on clothes, and Primark could see sales increase. On the other hand; some of these mortgage owners may already have been Primark customers as they previously had a lower disposable income. Now they have more money to spend, they may take their custom to higher priced, higher quality clothing retailers. Technological Factors The first technological factor to be considered is the Penneys gift card. Penneys is the trading name of Primark in the Republic of Ireland. The gift card is only available in Ireland at this current time, but Primark may wish to introduce it into its Primark stores at a later date. The gift card was made available from 3rd November 2008, and gives the user the chance to put a minimum of â‚ ¬5 and a maximum of â‚ ¬200 onto the card. To add to this each card has a unique 19 digit number; with this number the gift card holder can check their current balance on the Primark website, without even needing to go to the store. With the knowledge that a gift card holder can check their balance online, one would assume that they must have an integrated computer system with these gift cards. This will give Primark the necessary information to see: which products are bought most frequently, when they are bought, a gift card holder’s average spend, amongst other things. Meaning that the gift card could be used as a useful tool for marketing purposes. This report has already mentioned the fact that Primark uses a website, which is also a technological factor. Primark’s website gives information on the company profile; including background, its ethical policy, and its upcoming stores. The fact that it shows upcoming stores could be seen as a good promotional tool. For example, currently on the website it shows that Primark plans to open a store in Bremen, Germany. This is promoting to German customers who have visited Primark stores before and have been waiting for one to open in Germany. Furthermore the website includes a store locator, giving potential customers the chance to locate the nearest store to them. This means that consumers can know the places they need to go if they want to find Primark stores. A major factor that could cause Primark to lose a lot of potential customers is the lack of online shopping available on their website. One of its biggest competitors, the Arcadia group which encompasses such stores as Topshop, Topman, Burton etc does have online shopping available on its website. In 2006 it was suspected that UK online shoppers were expected to reach 24. 9m in 2010. This is a huge amount of potential customers that Primark could be missing out on. Primark’s target market is under-35-year-olds; these are the people who use the internet most regularly. This could lead to Primark losing market share to the Arcadia group, and Tesco who also provide cheap clothing online. Social Factors The biggest social factor that affects Primark is the current fashion trends that potential customers are looking for. ‘Value clothing is now at the heart of British shopping. Two in five adults are now admitting that they buy their basics at â€Å"value† shops. (Smithers, 2008). This is saying that clothing consumers are now looking to buy cheaper alternative outfits. With this now being the social fashion trend of the UK market, Primark has a big advantage over other high-street clothing retailers. ‘In 2007 Primark was nicknamed Pri-Marni in the style pr ess for emulating fashion spin-offs, and overtook Asda as the UK’s most popular value clothing retailer. ’ (Smithers, 2008). Primark has responded to young women wanting highly fashionable clothing for cheaper prices by producing designer copies made with cheaper fabric. This is has led to massive sales, and shows an intelligent response to this social factor. Primark has recognised that to be viewed highly in society in modern times, means that the organisation must act ethically. This is shown by their ethical strategy on their website. ‘The challenges in the global garments supply chain require the collaboration of many different types of organisations to ensure that the gains from trade are spread. ’ (Primark, 2008). This quote taken directly from their ethical strategy tries to show that they are looking for all the workers that produce their products to be paid and treated properly. However, in January 2009 the BBC found that some of Primark’s manufacturers were acting in an extremely unethical manner. ‘TNS Knitwear Ltd is one of Primark’s biggest UK suppliers of knitwear. The minimum-wage is ? 5. 3 an hour, however an undercover BBC reporter applying for a job at TNS Knitwear was told she would be working for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for ? 3. 50 an hour. What is more, there was no heating and a broken toilet meant that both sexes had to use the same bathroom. ’ (Dhariwal, 2009). Stories such as these showing Primark’s manufacturers acting in hugely unethical ways could dramatically lower society’s opinion of Primark; leading to a large cut in Primark sales. Another social factor that Primark looks to implement on is the growing trend of organisations needing to be more environmentally friendly in order to succeed in current business climates. For the majority of purchases at Primark, the customer is given a brown paper bag instead of a plastic bag. Primark plastic bags are used only for heavy items with which the paper bag handles would rip. As paper bags are more bio-degradable, they are much more environmentally friendly. This gives Primark an image that shows they care about the environment, and improves their overall image socially. Political Factors This report has already covered the fact that TNS Knitwear Ltd (one of Primark’s suppliers) did not pay the minimum wage of ? 5. 73 per hour. Due to the minimum wage act, this is breaking the law. Failure to abide by the law could result in a ? 5,000 fine. Furthermore it was found that TNS Knitwear Ltd was also employing asylum seekers who were working illegally in the country. ‘Employers who take on illegal workers can face fines up to ? 10,000 per person under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act. ’ (Dhariwal, 2009). Even if it is not Primark itself that is committing such acts, it should always research its potential suppliers’ records to ensure that they are not involved in criminal activities either. This is not just unlawful, meaning it is a political factor, but is also unethical and so a social factor. In December 2008, the Government reduced the Value added tax on products from 17. 5% to 15%. This meant that Primark’s products looked 2. 5% cheaper, and could easily have led to higher sales as a result. To add to this, if it had made it known to customers that it was passing the V. A. T. reductions onto the consumer, it could be seen as a clever promotion tool, to encourage more potential customers to purchase its products. Conclusion The fact that Primark has become the UK’s most popular value clothing retailer would indicate that Primark is very aware of its trading environment. A sound knowledge of its trading environment can lead to such success. However there are a few factors which this report uncovers, in which Primark is perhaps failing to respond to correctly. To summarise the environmental analysis, this conclusion will discuss the factors which Primark responds well to and the factors it responds to less well. Primark’s most probable biggest concern will be the social factors affecting it. This is down to the fact that fashion relies almost entirely on social opinion. If customers do not like the products Primark offers, they will not buy them, and Primark will fail as a business. Primark’s sales in 2008 prove them to be the UK’s most popular value clothing retailer. In today’s society women want designer-like clothing for next-to-nothing prices. Primark has responded to this, and delivered with great success. On the other hand Primark has failed to respond to its suppliers’ criminal activities; giving the company an unethical view in society. If Primark can act quickly and find suppliers who act ethically, then it may not experience a big decrease in social opinion and continue with high sales. Unfortunately for Primark, ethical suppliers may not be able to produce the clothing for such low cost; and this could cut into Primark’s profits. Today’s current economic climate is not ideal for any organisation; recession meaning that consumers have far less disposable income. However, clothing is a necessity and Primark offers the cheaper end of high-street clothing. This might mean that Primark will not suffer a great deal compared to competing high-street clothing retailers. Furthermore if it can keep providing demand to its suppliers then they should survive the recession too. The company’s website is a great information tool; giving customers insight about the organisation, and giving them the chance to locate current and future stores. This can be seen as a good response to technological factors. However, with the growing trend in online shopping, and the company’s current choice not to sell its products online, could mean it loses large amounts of market share to competitors who currently provide such services. The poorest response to an environmental factor is Primark’s response to political factors. Its failure to discover that its suppliers were involved in criminal activities is very poor indeed. This is something the company will need to take into greater consideration in the future. Bibliography Dhariwal, N. 2009) Primark Linked to UK Sweatshops [Internet], BBC News. Available from: [Accessed 7 April 2009] M2 Presswire. (2006) TelecityRedbus: Online retailing is only half the story when it comes to UK internet activity; 35% i ncrease in UK internet shopping sales since July 2005; Online shoppers are expected to reach 24. 9m in 2010[1]; Figures from TelecityRedbus demonstrate the UK's growing dependence on a wide variety of online services, including government services, banking, travel and bill paying as well as a range of entertainment services [Internet], M2 Presswire. Available from ;www. lexisnexis. om; [Accessed on 7 April 2009] Monk, D. (2009) Low interest rates cost Notts councils ? 7. 6m; While mortgage payers are celebrating the lowest interest rates in the history of the Bank of England, Notts councils will lose ? 7. 6m on their savings next year. Nottingham Evening Post, 17 February, p. 10. Primark Stores Ltd. (2009) Primark [Internet]. Available from: ;http://www. primark. co. uk; [Accessed 7 April 2009]. Smithers, R. (2008) National: Fashion: Ethical concerns left at home as demand for cheap clothes surges: Primark and Asda lead way in reaching out to masses keen to wear latest designs. The Guardian (London), 30 January, p. 9.

Peace order in country Essay

There are three types of peace orders: Interim peace orders. If you wish to file for a peace order but the district court clerk’s office is closed, you can file for an interim order by going to the nearest District Court commissioner. If the commissioner believes that you have been abused by the person you are filing against and that the abuser is likely to abuse you again in the future, s/he may issue an interim peace order.* An interim peace order goes into effect once the respondent is served by a law enforcement officer.*1 The interim peace order lasts until a judge holds a temporary peace order hearing or until the end of the second business day that the court clerk’s office is open after the interim peace order is issued, whichever comes sooner. If the court is closed on the day on which the interim peace order is due to expire, the interim peace order will be effective until the next day on which the court is open, at which time the court shall hold a temporary peace order hearing.*2 The interim peace order has to include the date for the temporary peace order hearing, and a tentative date for the final peace order hearing.*3 Note: Even if you are denied an interim peace order, you can still apply for a temporary or final peace order.*4 Temporary peace orders. When you go to court during normal court hours to file for a final peace order, you can ask for a temporary peace order, which can be issued the same day. If the judge believes that you have been abused by the person you are filing against and that the abuser is likely to abuse you again in the future, s/he may issue a temporary peace order. This order can be issued with or without the abuser present.*5 The order is effective when it is served.*6 The temporary order is in effect for up to 7 days after service of the order unless the court is closed on the day on which the temporary peace order is due to expire. In that case, the temporary peace order shall be effective until the second day on which the court is open, by which time the court should hold a final peace order hearing. However, the judge may extend the temporary order to allow for service of the order or for another good reason, but not to more than 30 days.*7 Note: If the respondent is at the hearing, the judge may go ahead and hold a hearing for a final peace order instead of a temporary one if you and the respondent agree to this.*8 Final peace orders. The respondent has the opportunity to be present at the final peace order hearing. If the judge believes that you have been abused by the person you are filing against and that the abuser is likely to abuse you again in the future, s/he may issue a final peace order, which can last for up to 6 months.*9 As of October 2011, peace orders can be extended.*10 See Can I modify, cancel or extend my peace order? for more information.

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Fate of Freewill - Essay Example The text explores a variety of themes, including fate vs. free will, as well as religious concerns related to Anglo-Saxon belief and Christian ideology. This essay examines these themes and argues that they demonstrate Beowulf is a text that embraces free will most firmly. Fate and free both play prominent roles in Beowulf. Ostensibly, the poem embraces the notion of fate. In these regards, the poet indicates that God controls the characters’ actions. The poem states, â€Å"Fate goes ever as fate must† (31). This statement refers to the notion of fate as dictating the lives and actions of the main characters. While the epic poem ostensibly embraces fate, in other instances, it seems to adopt an epistemological outlook that indicates the characters are responsible for their actions. One considers that the poem states, â€Å"And a young prince must be prudent like that, giving freely while his father lives so that afterwards in age when fighting starts steadfast companions will stand by him and hold the line. Behavior that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere† (20-25). This statement considers the nature of behavior in warrior society. The emphasis on behavior is a clear embracement of the notion of human fr ee will. Ultimately, both fate and free will are exemplified in the poem. Beowulf also explores Anglo-Saxon and Christian religious ideology. The contrasting position of religious ideology and Anglo-Saxon belief in the story seems to indicate that the text most comprehensively embraces free will. Christian ideology is a prominent part of the text, as God is viewed as overseeing the action in the story. Additionally, the importance of being humble is viewed as deriving from Christian ideology. In this way, Christian ideology is woven into the very fabric of the text. In addition to these elements, however, Anglo-Saxon elements are considered that at times are not

Knight Guys Finish Last Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Knight Guys Finish Last - Essay Example The fourth wall consisted of thick, iron bars. Beyond was a hallway leading to a dark staircase. This contained the weak light source; a torch in an iron sconce, high on the wall. People panic due to shock and Tess began to feel a little hysterical herself, as she paced the cell, trying to make sense of the situation. She turned to find Daniel, opening his arms to console her, and she lost control. It was hours until they were discovered by a man wearing a chain tunic, old dented armour, and a rusty short-sword at his waist and he hurried up the stairs upon spotting them, returning soon after with another man, who possessed the haughty mannerisms of the high-born. "I am Count William the Third," he paused as if expecting applause. Receiving none, he continued, "Deegan here was most distressed to find a group of persons, occupying a cell in my dungeon which was empty. Obviously, the mystery is how they came to be here. Deegan believes that you are a group of sorcerers, though I must disagree. Why would a sorcerer transport himself into a dungeon I think you must have displeased a sorcerer, who transported you into my dungeon, expecting me to dispense justice, which I will do unless one of you can defeat my champion in the tourney on the morrow." And with that, he walked away. The next morning found Tess and her friends clamped in chains and escorted to a large ... Receiving none, he continued, "Deegan here was most distressed to find a group of persons, occupying a cell in my dungeon which was empty. Obviously, the mystery is how they came to be here. Deegan believes that you are a group of sorcerers, though I must disagree. Why would a sorcerer transport himself into a dungeon I think you must have displeased a sorcerer, who transported you into my dungeon, expecting me to dispense justice, which I will do unless one of you can defeat my champion in the tourney on the morrow." And with that, he walked away. The next morning found Tess and her friends clamped in chains and escorted to a large stadium. After the jousting, sword fighting, and jesters, Count William stood up from amongst his many attendants. He called for one of the prisoners to face his champion in a battle of blades. "I volunteer," said Daniel. The guards went forward and after unchaining Daniel, he led him past the group stopping in front of Tess. "I've never been brave enough to tell you this," he began softly, "but I suppose certain death makes heroes of us all. Ever since the first time I met you, I've been hopelessly in love with you." Then he continued on his way. Tess tried to call out to him, but the words caught in her throat as they led him into the centre of the stadium, handed him a sword and shield, and left him alone. The crowd roared as a dark figure stepped from the opposite entrance. Everything about him was menacing; the way he walked spoke of sinister grace. He approached Daniel as a lion stalking a doe. Wasting no time, the champion crouched and drove his blade towards Daniel's throat. It never found its destination as Daniel moved impossibly fast, spinning on the ball of his foot and heaving the other foot into the champion's ribs. With a

Do not rock the boat! Essay Example for Free

Do not rock the boat! Essay Everybody has there own prospective on what a best friend is, from someone that makes them laugh, to simply somebody that just listens to their problems. In my eyes a best friend is a real friend, someone you can count on, someone that is always there for you when you need them the most. And that makes them a best friend in my book. Trying to find one is a different story. I have had my fair share of bad friendships they had me fooled that they were always there for me when all they had were bad intentions. At that point I had given up on the idea that there was someone in this world that I can trust, somebody that I can be myself around. Was I asking for too much? That all changed on September 11, 2010 at Kearny high school, in Ms. Cooks first period English class. It was quite a small room so it was very noticeable when someone walked thru those blue doors into the crowded room. One by one, I studied each new fresh faces walking into the class.Each facial expression sharing a nervous, curios, but exiting look. About twenty minutes after the late bell rang (that girl was always late to everything) a dark skinned, Indian looking, Mexican about 6’2 in height walked into the classroom. Her long wavy jet-black hair caught my attention first, then her bright brown oval eyes, thick bone structure, and her big bright blue Jansport backpack she was caring in her right hand. I have not seen a backpack that large since fifth grade and for a second, I thought we where back in Elementary school. To make my description about her more clear she looked like a thicker and taller version of Pocahontas. One of the Disney princesses I grew up watching as a little kid. Her name is Jocelyn Guzman-Diaz, a corny, full of life, girl that just moved from Oregon to San Diego, California to get closer to her father. Spring Break weekend of 2010, at Camp Managuay was the coldest weekend I ever had to endure. Cold rainy days, tree roaring nights, the smell of burning oak roasting in the fire pits, the feel of the ash against your face, and the sound embrassing of all the JROTC cadets tan combat boots crunching the crisp frozen grass to wake up to every morning, in our Camo uniforms. As cold and unpleasant as that sounds, that weekend was the best weekend I have ever had with my best  friend. With tons of and tummy hurting laughter moments we had along the way. Jocelyn and I got selected to go to camp Managuay, a woodsy campsite located about two hours away from Mesa college with our JROTC instructors and about eighty or so cadets. We arrived in a whale looking tour bus. It dropped us off in front of a huge dark green pine tree with blue tent sacks sped out on the dirt. We would stay up till one, two, even three in the morning laying in our cold hard tent cracking jokes knowing we would have to wake up at six o’ clock in the morning. I remember this specific moment where the instructors marched us down to the Managuay Lake to go canoeing. The wide, open enchanting lake felt as if I was in wonderland. We all took turns grabbing a bright yellow banana looking canoe. One by one canoes started plopping in the freezing water. Jocelyn is the most careless person in the world when it comes to following instructions and the first rule she breaks is DO NOT ROCK THE BOAT! She is in her boat singing and swaying her long wavy hair back and fourth. Then all of a sudden she swayed too far to the left and her met the water and the canoe met her head. I broke down In laughter. The more I looked at her the harder I laughed. It felt like I was going have a giggle attack! That moment had our trip. We forgot all about those cold, wintery, nights and the dirty, rough, uneven, tent floors. I chose to write about this day because despite the harsh conditions that we were faced with we made the best of it and had fun with it. We did not care how people were looking at us or how strange they thought we were because we were having the best time.

Benefits of Training Employees in an Organization

Benefits of Training Employees in an Organization The aim of this paper is to identify all there is to know about training, the impact it has on both firms and employees and then, the reason why, although it is beneficial provision to business growth, still some organisations and individuals are not willing to accept the idea of investing in training and development. In order to come to that claim, it is necessary to mention first the cost-effectiveness of training and development, by which methods it can be reinsured, and the involvement of training in an organisations prosperity and even more, when it has to do with the integration in a international market. To begin properly, it should be noticed that training at any level and in whatever form this can take, could have only positive aspect. Considering that, training means investing in people to enable them perform better and to empower them to make the best use of their natural abilities (Armstrong, 1996; 2003). Through the practice of a range of activities, it is believed that learning is an important clue here, as a means for developing a high performance culture and achieving businesss competitive advantage (Pieper, 1990, Salaman, 1992, Tyson, 1996). This appear clearly from the below definitions of training. According to Heevy and Noon (2001), training is the process of changing the skills, attitudes, and knowledge of employees with the purpose of improving their level of competence. It is a planned process, usually involving a series of stages where incremental improvements can be identified. It takes two main focus 1) on the job training whereby an employee observing the tasks, being guided through them by experts, and then practising them. 2) Off the job training whereby an employee is instructed away from the place of work, either in a training room on the premises or at a separate location. This training is more often theory based and might even take the form of self learning packages (Heevy and Noon, 2001). Furthermore, as Manpower Services Commission defined training in 1981, it is the following: A planned process to modify attitude, knowledge or skill behavior through learning experience to achieve effective performance in an activity or range of activities. Its purpose, in the w ork situation, is to develop the abilities of the individual and to satisfy the current and future manpower needs of the organization. Seeing the definition of the training from the perspective of education as Smith put it: Development refers to the growth of realization of a persons ability, through conscious or unconscious education, where education is activities which aim at developing the knowledge, skills, moral values and understanding required in all aspects of life, rather than a knowledge and skill relating to only a limited field of activity (Smith, 1992). Besides the definition of training, the mention of the potential benefits for both employees and firms and from which methods these are derived, is essential in order to understand why training is so important for the business (Lonr, 1990, Murray, 2007). It is worthwhile to point that it cannot be any development without the training procedure. As it has already been mentioned, training aims to develop employees competences and to improve their performance but also, to reduce the learning time needed for employees starting in a new job on appointment, transfer or promotion and to ensure that they will become fully competent as quickly and economically as possible (J. Swart et al, 2005). When a training programme being used effectively, then the benefits for employees are numerous and are illustrated on firms performance. It also helps to manage changes and provide to employees the knowledge and skills they need to adjust with new situations and work demands, as well as to adopt new t echnologies and methods, to be innovative (Armstrong, 2003). In that way, employees motivation is increased and the same goes to efficiencies in processes resulting in firms financial gain while employees turnover is being reduced. Highly trained workforce provides higher levels of service to customers which enhance companys image (Mullins, 2007). The cost-effectiveness of training is a vital element because it can help the line manager to establish credibility, to reveal the value of the training by achieving both operational savings and increases in firms revenue; then, enforce the organization to look training more as an investment and less as a dispensable cost of operation. By training their employees, companies maximize the potential of this investment (Campbell, 1995). In order to improve the skills of its human resource, an organization can either train its existing employees or recruit pre-skilled labor forces that have been trained elsewhere (Booth, 1998; Jameson, 2000). The importance of investment in training and development is matter of whether a firm is treating its employees as a resource or as a cost (Tysson, 1996; Long, 1990; Jackson, 1989; Jameson, 2000). By exploiting the meaning of each word that consists Human Resource Management; human implies the workforce, resource implies investment, management implies development (Sisson, 1989). It is demonstrated that the consideration of human asset as investment for the firm through strategic development can maximize its potential, and the training is the tool that can provide it. So, companies with unwillingness to consider employees as investment, can simply be called not HRM practicing. In adverse, companies reluctant to invest in their human resources, rely on a short-term human asset, which, mainly, is low skilled training, less loyalty to its work and easy replaceable due to the lower cost of loss for the firm (Harzing, 1995; Jameson, 2000; Mullins, 2007). Most managers recognize the vital role that continuous learning plays in todays marketplace in order to maximize companys competitive advantage (Harzing, 1995; Gordon, 1991). However, some managers are reluctant to invest in their employees and train them. The reasons why is happening are variable. The market from its own, in which each company is doing business, deduct any potential training (Booth, 1994; Graven, 1998). More specific, the market is divided to the primary labour market, where jobs tend to be supplied by large, highly profitable firms with high capital to labour ratio and high productivity. Here, production is usually large scale with high investment in technology with more opportunities for training. The secondary labour market includes small firms with low capital to labour ratio, low productivity and small scale production. In these firms, wage and skill levels tend to be low, employment is unstable and training opportunities are usually limited. Significantly, small businesses experience problems in providing training for both owner-managers and workers. (Curran et al., 1996) Reasons for not providing such training are that companies do not believe in the effectiveness of training and they do not consider it as a big component for a better performance. Hence, when profits are under pressure or other developments are on stake, the most common reaction is to cut training fund. Also, recruiting skilled labor is more economical than practicing training and development policies. But they neglect that teamwork, employees initiatives, people talents are all part of the financial model and when these figures are maximized the same goes with the business economic growth (Bentley, 1991; Campell, 1995) Traditional styles of management based on authoritarian, non-participatory tenets of employees and managers who have grown up in a system like this, is unlikely to be ready to abandon familiar tried and trusted methods and be welcomed to a better trained, self reliant and questioning human force (Sisson, 1989). Some of them claim that there is limited time for the practice of training program. Indeed, a training program to be effective needs a lot of both employers and employees time and commitment, it also may take all employees job-life to be efficient. Job conditions change constantly in the business environment, so the continuous learning is required but nobody has the state or the emotional strength to be in a training position all the time. In that point, there are two categories that can be distinguished (Armstrong, 2003; Murray, 2007; Currie, 1997). Employers that do not believe in the importance of the process and employees that do not find interest to be trained, specifically if they have obtained a high image in the firm and they are known for their distinctive qualifications. Contrary to that, some employees want to develop their skills and knowledge whereby they will contribute to their companys success (Keep, 1989). They want training but their managers do not want to be confronted by this task, they are unwillingness to try, and simply they avoid it. From the perspective of the length of a training program, which could take weeks, months or even the entire career of the employees it can be a major expense especially for firms with traditionally high turnover. Besides, the common belief that is the responsibility of the school system to train people to be workers and is the workers responsibility to learn how to do a job so they can get hired is another reason why employers not practice their manpower (Collin, 2003). Government regulations, insurance coverages, and common sense dictate relevant training that should be given to every employee. Still, few employers do not find it significant to train their human force (Collin, 2003; Noon, 2001). A discouragement of not training is, also, the gap that arises when trainees are transferred from the training course to a job, to apply their knowledge and skills in practice. As long as they are in a training centre, they are sheltered from the realities of the rough and tumble workplace. For managers and team leaders, the problem of transferring from learning situation to the real conditions may be even more difficult because most of management training tends to deal with relatively abstract concepts like motivation and leadership, and the connection between what is being learned in the class room and what is really happening in work, may not always be apparent. That is why the training must always be compatible to employees needs (Armstrong, 2003, Noon, 2001). Another reason of not practicing training can be regarded the difficulty in measuring the effectiveness of a training program. Measuring cost of training needs a lot of efforts from the senior manager because apart from training results are also other interacting variables such as administrative costs, relocation, course design and material costs that have to be taken into account. Therefore are different methods that can be used from the manager in order to derive an acceptable figure for the effectiveness of training course. Those methods vary from sector and companys size. Hence manager has to have the ability to choose the one, which fit to the business needs. Any failure to the accounting of training-cost can mislead to wrong results, to an ineffective training proposal and that will discourage the company to practice training (Murley, 2007; Belcour, 1995t; Gordon, 1991). Moreover, it can be said that firms are not invested in training because of the flexible working environment. They claim that investing in people can be a boomerang for their business competitive advantage, as it is likely employees will leave the company and transfer their knowledge into competitors firm. Despite the likelihood of this event, employers have to understand that the key for organizations success is the human factor. By investing in human asset training, they invest in employees commitment to the firm and more as the firm invests in the development of their skills (Armstrong, 2003; Craven 1994; Hall, 1991). It cannot be ignored the providence of the HRDF, a levy reimbursement scheme establishing in 1992. Under HRDF, employers pay a payroll contribution of one percent and are eligible to claim a portion of allowable training expenditures up to the limit of their total levy for any given year. The reimbursement rates vary by sector and type of training. Empirical analysis showed that firms least likely to claim from HRDF are small firms and firms providing no training or only informal training. Important factors that employers cite as inhibiting their training: the limited resources available for it, the use of mature technology with low skill requirements, the adequacy of skills provided by schools, and the availability of skilled workers who can be hired from other firms (Tan and Gill, 1998). Generally, levy schemes have led to an increase in quantity of training. In some countries levy schemes have had some impact on increasing training. A common feature of schemes in which training has increased has been the fact that an effective system is in place for administering the levy both for levy collection as well as administration of grants. On the other hand, there were very complicated rules governing training requirements for the levy and the criteria for approval, dissuade employers from investing in it (Edwards, 1997). Firms which may have otherwise invested more in training, tend to reduce their effort to the level required by law in order to receive the minimum rebate or tax credit. There is also some evidence which suggests that if firms are reluctant to train, they organize training which is not relevant to their needs in order to qualify for the rebate or tax credit. Additionally, smaller firms may be less likely to train their workers as they feel that costs are significant and the training which is provided may not be relevant to their needs. Even if training is provided, the bureaucracy involved in persuing reimbursements dissuades firms from submitting claims for reimbursements. (Herschbach, 1993). Concluding, this paper attempted to define the reasons why there are organizations that are reluctant to see their manpower as an important asset in business success and so invest on them and train them. Now, the interplay between the benefits that are derived from any form of training and the cost-effectiveness of training for the firms is seemed to be more clear. In general, companies which operate in the increasingly competitive international market were forced to attach training and development as equal to the vital acknowledgement that the training needs are more like an investment rather than a cost and that, partly due the cultural diversity that the international integration occurs and partly because of the rapid economic and technological growth. All these also reflect the companies outlook on how important is the quality of those they recruit, because a companys image is as good as is its personnel and it is vital to select and train the best. (Upton, 1987) Unfortunately, i n many cases this process is considered by many managers as meaningless, too time consuming, a bureaucratic exercise only, or even as something that intervene to their departments work. For some organizations, the maintenance and the wellbeing of the equipment and machinery seems more important than to make an effort to the wellbeing and development of their own employees (Sun, 2001). But as it has been already highlighted, the key for success, even profit, for any firm at any size is its human asset and to invest in them infer to business future (Hall, 1991, Armstrong, 2003).

Snap Shot of a Dog Essay -- English Literature Essays

Snap Shot of a Dog James Thurber is a famous and popular American writer and artist. His humorous prose and drawing are never gay because the enthusiasm is dampened by melancholy. His fantastic characters are mostly animals whose balance of life is distorted and disturbed by a malignant fate. ‘Snap Shot of a Dog’ is taken from THE THURBER CARNIVAL which contains his most impressive work. Many of his writings and drawings deal with dogs. He understands them and he has the gist of being able to communicate his understanding to the reader. This piece is typical of Thurber. It is both humorous and serious as his writings usually are. The story flows along easily and smoothly and the reader has the impression that the writer is talking to him. The writer looks upon the dog sympathetically and at times affectionately. Rex was the name of the author’s pet dog. He was no doubt a dog of his own type who was fond of adventures. This account is as such written objectively. The dog has been dead long ago. The memory of the dog is still fresh in the mind of writer when he wrote this story. Rex was a bull terrier. He has a strong built. Indeed he was a beauty. The writer and his two brothers loved it dearly. He was a faithful dog and carried out all the orders of his maters. There was nothing impossible in his world. The writer describes certain qualities of his pet. Though he was strong and pugnacious yet he never started the fight. He had a gentle nature. He never bit anybo...

roman empire and mondern day europe Essay -- essays research papers

Part I Figure 3.3 on page 67 illustrate the influence of the Roman Empire in relation to road construction and transportation and the similarities of those early systems with modern day Europe. A great deal of events has occurred between the time periods of the two maps. The first major road system was established by the Roman Empire from 300 BC and onwards, mainly for economic, military, and administrative reasons. The road system relied on solid road engineering methods, including the laying of foundations and the construction of bridges. This was also linked with the establishment of pan-continental trading routes like the Silk Road that linked Europe and Asia by 100 BC. After the fall of the Roman Empire after the 5th century, integrated road transportation fell out of favor as most roads were locally constructed and maintained. Due to the lack of maintenance of many road segments, land transport became a very dangerous activity. It wasn’t until the creation of modern nation-stat es in the 17th century that national road transportation systems were formally established. Through central government efforts the French built their Royal Roads system spanning 24,000 km, over which a public transport service of stage-coaches carrying passengers and mail was created. The British built a 32,000 km system of turnpikes where tolls have to be paid for the use of a road. It was mostly a private sector effort. 1794 introduced the beginning of modern road transportation with the first ...

My Unforgetable Trip to California

My Unforgettable Trip to California Mirna El Hadi American Intercontinental University English 106 Dr. Rebecca Coleman January 12, 2013 â€Å"My Unforgettable Trip to California† This past April, my friend and I took a five-day trip to California, where we visited San Francisco and the Napa Valley wine country. We flew out on a Friday morning and stayed in the Golden State until Wednesday afternoon. During our visit, we saw quite a bit of gorgeous scenery, ate some scrumptious food, and drank some tasty wine. All in all, it was a fun, relaxing, and memorable vacation.But the reason the getaway was truly memorable is because I lucky to spend such an amazing time where I got to enjoy an awesome weather visit some unforgettable places, and best of all, try new kinds of food, which is my favorite. â€Å"Cool Weather for a Vacation Pleasure† When it comes to San Francisco’s weather, all I can say is â€Å"Gorgeous. † I mean that many great aspects of our vacati on that were beyond our control just happened to go in our favor. In San Francisco, for instance, the weather was absolutely beautiful, with sunshine, very few clouds, and mild temperatures.The city has a reputation for being foggy, chilly, and windy, so we were fortunate to experience the lovely weather while we were there. In addition, my friend and I went to Pier 51, which is â€Å"home† to some sea lions during certain times of the year. Though there are many times throughout the year that the sea lions are not present, we visited when there were literally hundreds of them on and around platforms just off the pier. â€Å"Food Sensation on a Happy Vacation† Our trip to San Francisco was lucky for reasons other than weather and seasonal factors.During our first night in the city, we had no idea where to have dinner. So we sought the advice of our hotel concierge knowing fully well that he might direct us to an establishment of nominal quality simply because he was tr ying to promote it (this had happened to me on more than one occasion). However, the restaurant he chose for us was perfect. The decoration, service, and cuisine were beyond excellence. The prices were much more reasonable than I would have guessed! Our restaurant-related luck continued the following day during our walking tour of the Chinatown area.When our hunger overtook us suddenly, we ducked into the nearest establishment for lunch. Given our lucky streak, we should not have been surprised that it served the tastiest Chinese food we had ever come across. After lunch, we found a small fortune cookie factory in Chinatown which made the Oriental treats by hand. When I opened my cookie to see the message inside, I read, â€Å"Fortune smiles upon you always. † â€Å"Leaving Traces at Happy Places† Similarly, fortune continued to smile on us when we drove up to the Napa Valley region on Sunday afternoon.We attempted to secure a last-minute reservation at the famed Greys tone restaurant, which is operated by the Culinary Institute of America. As it turns out, there was a last-minute cancellation, and we were able to dine at one of the finest upscale eateries on the West Coast. For our driving winery tour on Monday, the weather again cooperated by giving us sunny skies and mild temperatures. It was the perfect backdrop for the miles of beautiful vineyards, rolling hills, and mountains which we saw, and I was able to take dozens of excellent photographs.However, the weather changed on Tuesday, turning cloudy and showering the area with a constant drizzle. But even that was lucky for us – since we had booked two seats on the Napa Valley Wine Train. We sampled food, drank wine, and chatted with winemakers without having to navigate the stormy weather in our car! â€Å"My Lucky Trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley† Shortly after my friend and I returned home, I realized that I had just enjoyed the best vacation of my life, and I may never take one that will be nicer.This realization stirred mixed emotions in me. I certainly felt fortunate that all of the uncontrollable factors aligned in such a way that made my trip extra special. But I also recognized that if I ever returned to that part of California, my trip might not be quite as fun. What I will always have, however, are the memories of my wonderful trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley. In fact, I have begun referring to it as my â€Å"Reverse Murphy’s Law† trip because everything that could go right did.Outline Title: My Unforgettable Trip to California Thesis: Weather, Places I visited, and Food sensation. I. Introduction: A. San Francisco’s Vacation II. Cool Weather for a Vacation Pleasure A. Weather conditions in San Francisco III. Food sensation on a happy vacation A. Food choices and new food experiences in San Francisco IV. Leaving traces at happy places A. Places we visited and the challenges we faced V. Conclusion A. Summarizes all the listed ideas and talks about memories and feelings