Hinduism Paper Essay

With over 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third largest religion today. Only Christianity and Islam have more. The major difference between them though, is that Hinduism did not spread like the other two religions. Out of the 900 million followers that the Hindu religion has, only 20 million are located outside of India. The religion barely spread outside of India, mainly because of how the Hindu religion is followed and how its culture is. Hinduism has a very rich history, and during the seventeenth and eighteenth century the religion went through some big changes that changed India and the countries around them. Hinduism started in around 3000 BC but unlike other religions, which had one certain founder, or someone who generally started the religion, the Hindu religion grew slowly out of beliefs, cultures and practices of ancient Indo-Aryan tribes. In the article â€Å"Enjoying Religions: When Did Hinduism Begin?† Buddha tells us that Hinduism took centuries to actually become a true religion. Hindus believe in reincarnation, that every living thing has a soul, and that after death each soul gets born again into a different body. Karma plays a huge role in Hinduism, where if you live a life of good, you move onto a better form of life, and if you live a life of evil, you move down to a lower form of life. Hindus believe that you keep coming back to life to live on earth over and over again, and over many lifetimes you can escape this cycle and join Brahman. This is pretty far apart from Christianity and Islam, where you only live once and then either go to heaven or hell according to how you lived your life. Another difference between Hinduism and other religions is that they don’t have a central book like the Bible or the Quran. Instead they have sacred texts, and together they make a book called Vedas. The caste system played and continues to play a major role in India. Hinduism is not just a religion, but also a way of life, which affects everyday life of the average Indian. From marriage to friendship and from what you can eat to how you should sleep. In Hindu culture you can only be married to someone who is in the same caste as you are. Hinduism has played a huge role in shaping the history of southern Asia. The Pre-Modern Period of Hinduism, which was around the years 1500-1757, was a time where different cultures were starting to get involved in India and the Hindu religion. Mainly Islam. Professor Gavin Flood tells us in his article, â€Å"The History of Islam† that the Islam forces started in the North, and by the beginning of the seventeenth century Mughal power was brought into effect and in the article â€Å"The Mughal Empire – Akbar† they really give an inside look at the life and reign of Akbar. Akbar, who was one of the greatest leaders of the Mughal Empire and in Indian history, was very tolerant to religion. In fact, he actually married a Hindu princess. Akbar allowed the Hindus to practice freely. However, his great grandson, Aurangzeb, who ruled from 1618 to 1707, restricted Hindu practice and destroyed many Hindu temples. He was the last of the Mughal Emperors. Although under his rule the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, he was also the reason for the empires fall. The British Period, which starts at 1757 and goes all the way to 1947, started with Robert Clive’s victory at the Battle of Plassey, which ended the Mughal Empire and the rise of British supremacy in India. Before the Indian Rebellion in 1857, India was divided into many small and unstable kingdoms, until the entire country fell into British rule. In the beginning of British rule they were very lenient on religious tolerance, and allow the Indians to practice their Hindu religion. Slowly over time, Christian missionaries started going to India trying to convent the Indians. Shortly after, British scholars started going to India and started to try to westernize the local population. Some tried to make the Hindu religion more modern and western, and created Neo-Hinduism, as it says in the article by Brian Smith, â€Å"Hinduism†. Hinduism has come a long way in history. Most people would say the Hinduism is still just as pure as it started, even with foreign invasions like the Mughals with Islam, and the British with Christianity. Although they’ve tried, foreign missionaries could not convert the Hindus to either Islam or Christianity. Until today Hinduism is still mostly practiced in India and very little outside of there. Even though Hinduism is a religion mostly practiced in only one part of the globe, it is still the third largest religion in the world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/history/history_1.shtml http://religiondilama.blogspot.com/2009/04/when-did-hinduism-begin.html http://library.thinkquest.org/C006203/cgi-bin/stories.cgi?article=akbar§ion=history/mughals/emperors&frame=parent http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Hinduism.aspx

One word essay: Harmony Essay

Confucius once said â€Å"Let the states of equilibrium and Harmony exist in perfection, and a happy order will prevail throughout heaven and earth, and all things will be nourished and flourish.† Harmony is defined as the state of being in agreement or concord. Singapore is a bustling metropolis and a multi-racial society, where people of different ethnic groups co-exist and lived harmoniously. Singapore has thrived rapidly because of our openness to international trade flow, knowledge and cultures, all of which have brought us opportunities and progress. As Singapore moves towards a more diverse landscape, it is important that Singaporeans continue to embrace diversity and live in harmony. Singapore is also a cosmopolitan city , just like many other dynamic cities of the world. Singaporeans also need to go beyond understanding the main races to respecting all people regardless of race, language or religion, who live and work in Singapore – for the harmony, prosperity and progress of the nation. The nation’s turbulent and tumultuous history is a coherent testimony to the significance of racial harmony. The day commemorates the communal riots that broke out on 21 July 1964 between Malays and Chinese during a Muslim procession celebrating the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, which led to 36 dead and 590 injured. That is why we make it a point to commemorate Racial Harmony Day every year on 21 July. George Washington once said â€Å"Cultivate peace and harmony with all.† More importantly, throughout the year, we must strive to better understand the multifarious myriad of cultures and practices, and form strong friendships across the communities. These relationships that bind us as a nation will help us in difficult and dark times. Disharmony will also lead to schism , enmity and discord such as in Sri Lanka or Northern Ireland which kindles hostility. As Albert Einstein once said, â€Å"Harmony cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.† Singaporeans have to continue to build strong bonds in our community — bonds of friendship and understanding — to meet the challenges of the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous global environment one faces today. Racial harmony is vital for peace, progress and prosperity in this multi-racial Nation. Through Racial Harmony Day,  Singaporeans can strengthen religious harmony through mutual tolerance and understanding. Singaporeans in turn will recognise the secular nature of our State, promote cohesion within our society and respect each other’s freedom of religion. As a nation, Singaporeans can then grow our common space while respecting diversity, foster interreligious communications, and thereby ensure that religion will not be abused to create conflict and disharmony in Singapore. Imperative is this celebration, as Singaporeans can assimilate and learn cultures and traditions of other races. This is paramount in avoiding misunderstandings and conflicts of different races and make our country a democratic society. So, what does the government do to promote racial harmony in our multi-ethnic society? Besides food tasting, games, homestays and the practice of donning ethnic costumes, a few key activities have been introduced to the Racial Harmony Day celebrations over the years. The practice of wearing orange ribbons – the colour symbolising racial harmony and intolerance towards racism – first began in 2001, when the Singapore History Museum (now known as the National Museum of Singapore) introduced it in a school. In addition, since 2008, OnePeople.sg has organised the Orange Ribbon Celebrations, a signature month-long event held every July, to commemorate racial harmony on a national level. The Government has also established Inter-Racial Confidence Circles (IRCC) and Harmony Circles in all our 84 constituencies to reach out to all Singaporeans in order to strengthen understanding and a shared sense of responsibility among Singaporeans of all races and religions. The IRCCs create opportunities for Singaporeans to explore and appreciate their differences and develop bonds among different ethnic and religious communities. They organise visits to the houses of worship of different religions. This fosters greater religious harmony between the different religious and ethnic groups. This can promote racial harmony in our society. In addition, more than 80 % of Singaporeans live in HDB flats. Living in multi-racial housing estates is a step towards forging a bond between the different racial groups in our society. As the various communities are brought closer together and share common facilities in the housing estates, it allows them to interact with and understand one another better. Living together in multi-racial housing  estates may also increase the likelihood of friction between different races. Hence, residents have to learn to live in harmony with one another.  Furthermore, government encourage schools to organise a range of cross-cultural activities for students during Racial Harmony Day, which may extend to become a weeklong event. Some of these activities include dressing up in ethnic costumes, sampling ethnic food and playing traditional games. Students also revisit the 1964 communal riots in different ways such as skits, talks and oral history accounts. Moreover, The National Heritage Board and its various museums took part in the Racial Harmony Day celebrations in 2001. Activities organised by the National Heritage Board included an exhibition at the National Archives titled â€Å"Living History: Tracing Our Customs and Traditions† and another exhibition at the Singapore Philatelic Museum, which explored Singapore’s ethnic cultures through stamps and postcards. We should not take our Singapore’s harmony for granted and should continue to flourish as a nation, regardless of our differences. Sallust, a roman historian, once said â€Å"Harmony makes small things grow. Lack of it makes great things decay.†

American With Disabilities Act

American With Disabilities Act One of the most asked questions about service dogs and the access they have, is about school. Schools are considered public spaces—while some states are very clear on this making statement like â€Å"educational facilities public or privately funded†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ; other states are more general about â€Å"public spaces†.The federal law supersedes all state laws and does require access for these canine tools—however this is not an invitations for schools to have countless dogs dumped on them. There are some guidelines.The ADA (American With Disabilities Act) secures access for all tools being used by a person who has a disability so that those tools can help that person to expand their independence. The ADA is clear that the facilities must allow for the tools to enter and have appropriate access to the environment but, that the facility ( often the school) is not responsible for the tool.This means the school cannot be asked or required to provide an aid, teacher or other staff member to oversee the dog and child during the school day. If the child is capable of being fully responsible for the dog in public (this is most often shown through the taking of a Public Access Test given by the training organization—see www.ADIonline.org for a sample test) then the child/dog team should be allowed full access in school. When a child is able to pass this test without the help of a parent or caregiver, the child has full access to malls, stores, and even school.Schools should allow for reasonable accommodations for the child / canine team by having outdoor trash receptacles near the accessible area the child will use for the dog’s bathroom needs and possibly adjusting chai rs in the classroom to allow for the space needed by the dog. Providing a person to attend the dog for the child is not expected or required of the school.Schools should be aware that fears and allergies are addressed by the ADA as not valid reasons for refusing a service dog. They should also be aware that while they may request information on the dogs they cannot require it—such as rabies certifications. Often parents and students are willing to provide this information to help the school be more secure in supporting the needs of the student but they do this out of a desire to work with the school—a request is often met with success where a requirement will be met with hostility and often defiance.Parents need to remember this is a tool to help their child not a battle of wills. As a parent many people ask the school for too much. The school is there for many children not just one. They have valid concerns and questions that need to be answered in a respectful way—offer to have someone come to the school for a meeting or assembly to address these questions. Remember not to ask for more than reasonable accommodations for your child.On average children are in their early teens before they can test successfully and independently on a public access test. There may be some children outside this range, but between 12—14 is when most children will attempt the test on th eir own. Until then children are facilitated. (see our info on Facilitation for more details) In short this is like having a drivers permit for a car; you may operate the car in public when you have an approved supervisor—the same holds true for the dog. Schools should be aware that during this time the dog must be allowed in the school when the dog is working with the child under the supervision of the parent, such as at an after school activity like a basketball game or art show. Again, outdoor trash receptacles will be helpful if provided by the school.

The Importance of Mentorships for Career Advancement Essay

The Importance of Mentorships for Career Advancement - Essay Example A positively-framed gender bias is that women cannot be managers because they are also homemakers, which means that they cannot provide the needed time and dedication to demanding management work (Foster). These biases are serious issues because they can become sources of gender/sex discrimination that will impede women’s potential for promotion and professional development. Two problems with lack of mentoring are non-promotion and poor social networks, both of which can be important in promotion decisions and individual professional development. Many executives are still men, so they have accumulated crucial knowledge and skills in doing their jobs. They are essential mentors to women who aspire to reach their positions someday. If these male executives do not want to mentor young women, they are denying the latter the chance to be groomed for executive positions, thereby contributing to gender discrimination and gender wage gap. In addition, male executives already have professional and non-professional social networks that may directly or indirectly contribute to the professional development and promotion of subordinates. Women who do not have access to male mentorship may lose access to these networks too, which can be essential in the politics of promotion and processes of individual professional development. Hence, male executives should not have biases against mentoring young women, in order to prevent gender discrimination and to increase women’s number in their ranks. "Despite the increasing participation of women in advanced education and managerial and professional ranks, they are still under-represented at the top levels of management and in expatriate assignments".   Why do you believe this is the case?   Please explain.

Article Summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Summary - Article Example In addition, authors contend in the case where a study involves large-group design there is a need to apply multifaceted approach by taking average (Miller, Besser & Vigna, 2011). This is to aggregate all findings from other researches with the intention of obtaining exact results, which is extremely hard if one utilizes one method approach. Aggregation also includes taking data of diverse and numerous subjects with the intention of producing a group mean (Miller, Besser & Vigna, 2011). Contrary to single case researchers, whose intention encompasses addressing only external validity of a study; multifaceted approach normally takes in a wide varied of replication to exhibit all essential facts. This is evident in Miller, Besser & Vigna (2011) study that extends over a period of five years. Hence, allowing a large study examined in a single and small scope though its approach is multifaceted besides having replication of numerous researches and subjects (Miller, Besser & Vigna, 2011). In this article, the author contends adopting of mixed methods approach plays a significant role in advancing beyond unclear hypothesis; hence ensure effective understanding of the highlighted aspects in a given study. This is especially in studies that involve innovation whose relaying of ideas entails to win the acceptance of the users (Wu, 2012). Wu utilized a mixed method in his research mainly because this mode of research ensures the researcher learn issues from a wider a scope. Mixed method approach utilizes both qualitative and quantitative methods of research, which in the end enables Wu effectively, evaluate all aspects concerning the subject of research (Wu 2012). According to Wu, mixed method enables a research to shift from unclear state of data or study to usefulness† and â€Å"ease of use†, which is essential in understanding varied aspects

E-Business. Classification, Development And Implications Of E-Business Essay

E-Business. Classification, Development And Implications Of E-Business On Modern Organizations - Essay Example The global information infrastructure served as the foundation for new methods of personal interaction, communication, transaction and this has tremendously changed the way people did business. From the mid 1990s, global networking platform grew rapidly until 2000 and has started showing major signs of success stories of many multinational companies by 2003 (Schneider, 2011, p. 4). Within just few years after the mid 1990s, the internet-based business has become a larger part of the total economy. Electronic Business, generally termed as E-business, is one of the most important aspects to emerge from the internet. E-business is more than another way to sustain and improve the traditional business practices. Most of the researchers highlighted the revolutionary aspects of e-business adoption and its positive impacts on human life whereas some others suggested that e-business is a kind of disruptive innovation as it radically changes the traditional way of carrying out business. E-marketing, E-banking, E-learning, E-government etc are other major breakthrough developed with the use of internet technology. This paper provides detailed answers to the questions what is E-business and how does it matter to an organization. Based on relevant literatures, this paper examines the theoretical perspectives of e-business and describes its general impacts to a business organization. This paper will focus on the field of e-marketing and examines how e-marketing is influencing today’ s business and marketing arenas. E-business The terms E-commerce and E-business are often used interchangeably, but they are distinct concepts. E-commerce is a term used to describe the process of transacting business over the internet, but E-business involves the fundamental reengineering of the business model in to the internet-based networked enterprise. More specifically, ecommerce is narrower in the sense that it refers only to the buying and selling of goods or services by using internet technology, whereas E-business accounts for all business activities, including both internal and external, that are conducted online. E-business describes the information system and application using the internet to support and carry out business processes. As Bartels (2000) noted, to be very specific about the difference, E-business includes E-commerce, but also covers organization’s internal activities such as manufacturing, inventory management, financing, human resource management, knowledge management etc. With E-business, companies can link its internal and external activities very effectively to work more closely with different stakeholders such as suppliers, partners, and customers etc to satisfy customers’ needs. Grefen (2010) strongly argued that primarily three criteria are to be met to call a combination of business activities and information technology e-business. These three criteria are: 1- The business activities must be core activities. The activities must be directly related to the reason of the existence of the business. 2- The use of information techn

Reflective blog Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Reflective blog - Article Example The main question that comes into people’s mind is what bars them from studying search languages. In most cases, anxiety plays a big role in creating the fear that they cannot learn in search environments. By definition, anxiety refers to the subjective feelings of nervousness, apprehension, tension as well as worries that are associated with the stimulation of the automatic nervous system (Worde 9). When anxiety is restricted to situation of language learning then it falls into the categories of precise anxiety reactions. According to psychologists, they use specific anxiety reactions to distinguish those individuals who are anxious in numerous situations from the ones who feel anxious only in precise circumstances. Therefore, the consequences and symptoms of foreign language anxiety need to become readily identifiable to individuals who are concerned with teaching and language learning. Impacts of anxiety on learning language Anxiety plays crucial roles in the learning of a foreign a language. As a result, these roles create some impacts on either the learner or the instructor. The following are some of the effects of anxiety on the learning of a language: i) Second language studies For several years, researchers have researched on the prospect of anxiety-provoking on the study of foreign language. ... Many current studies try to find out the effects that anxiety has on learning a foreign language, nevertheless there has been some divided opinions on these efforts by researchers. Even though the pertinent researchers have been different in the techniques used, they can be characterized normally by the comparison of self-reports of student’s anxiety with the ratings on their foreign language proficiency. This is accomplished through international measure or discrete skills task such as the final course grade. ii) Clinical experience The psycho-physiological symptoms, behavioral responses, and subjective feelings of anxious foreign languages are generally the same compared to any other specific anxiety. They experience the uneasiness worry even the dread ones. They have difficulty in their concentration thus they sweat, have palpitations and become very forgetful. They normally show the behavior of avoidance for instance postponing homework and missing classes. The clinical ex perience with students studying foreign language in universities as well as Learning Skill Centers also recommends numerous discrete problems that results from anxiety and shows poignantly on how the problems can also interfere with the process of language learning. Basically, counselors establish that the anxiety centers base their ideologies on the two primary roles needed students learning foreign languages. These requirements include speaking and listening. The complexity involved in speaking language is perhaps the most cited concern of students learning foreign language. How anxiety is manifested in children Anxiety is manifested in children in the following ways: i) Physical: this is one technique in which anxiety is manifested in children. Some of the common physical symptoms

Explaining governmental organizational structure Essay - 1

Explaining governmental organizational structure - Essay Example   unlike others, which speak for a single type of activity, it represents the men and women in the state’s government aviation agencies, who serve the public interests.  It comprises of highly qualified professionals in the aviation industry who collaborate with the federal government in the improvement and preservation of the safest and most efficient aviation system in the world. Others group include Aviation Advocacy Group, which advocates for the welfare of the air travelers. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is in charge of codifying principles as well methods of air navigation, internationally. It promotes the planning and growth of global air transport to ascertain safe and systematic growth (The Federal Transit Association, 2012). The Agricultural Aviation Association, for instance, Aerial Agricultural Association encourages agricultural industry based on pilots, staffs, and operators and the search for the best practices in the industry. Airline Groups and Associations works as watchdogs of the industry and provides advice to passengers on their rights and education materials that are published, for instance, Airline Public Relations Organization, AIRETS, and Air Transport Users Council. Airport Groups and Associations comprise of the airport management professionals (The Federal Transit Association, 2012). It was formed to compare operating performances and determine the best practices for the industry. The Airship and Ballooning Group and Association promote all matters relating to airships in magazines, books, and papers. It encourages research work on the airship. Flight Attendance Group comprises of flight attendants and retirees who come together to promote best practices of flight attendance and support charitable organizations. Gliding organizations promote the design and construction of sailplanes, which improves performance and safety (The Federal Transit Association, 2012). Medical Organizations help the air medical

Rolling Over the Native Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Rolling Over the Native Culture - Essay Example From this paper it is clear  being able to hunt and make war are only two aspects that any culture faces in their day to day life. Art was an area that had a proud European tradition and it was also celebrated by the Indian tribes of North America. However, there were vast differences in the intent of the art and its use. European art was, for the most part, reserved for the elite. Music was seldom heard outside of aristocratic circles or in formal settings. It had little if any relevance to the average European and performances were routinely commissioned by the wealthy. However, Native American music was offered at tribal ceremonies and was a part of their traditional activities. This was due in part because of the difference in the instrumentation involved. While Europeans used complex and highly engineered instruments and compositions, Natives would use simpler forms.  This discussion highlights that the visual arts also had stark differences. Once again, the Europeans looked on art as the property of the elite. Works were commissioned and the practice and appreciation for art was left to those considered worthy. The subject matter generally had no real relationship to the average man. Often the works would become the property of a church or monarch. Here they were kept from view for many that resided in the countryside, or were that barred due to status.  The Natives, in contrast, had a rich tradition in art with a more meaningful use.  ... This gave the Indians the ability not only to hunt, but also to garner respect from their neighboring tribes. In fact, the Montana Historical Society Museum has over 1000 firearms from this period, one of which is Sitting Bull's 1866 Henry repeating rifle ("Museum Collections"). This is evidence of the high desire for European weapon technology and its great importance to both sides. Another important item that was provided by the Europeans was the horse. The Spanish introduced the horse to North America in the 16th century. The horse was a superior tool for the Native Americans as it provided them with much greater mobility, allowing the Indians to travel greater distances and expand their territory. It provided them with a more effective way to pursue their prey on a hunt and greatly increased their opportunity for survival. Horses were also desirable in waging war. The horses brought from Europe would serve the mounted cavalries of the U.S. Army as they pushed the Indians westward. The repeating rifle and the horse, though often misused, were indeed icons of European superiority. The Arts Being able to hunt and make war are only two aspects that any culture faces in their day to day life. Art was an area that had a proud European tradition and it was also celebrated by the Indian tribes of North America. However, there were vast differences in the intent of the art and its use. European art was, for the most part, reserved for the elite. Music was seldom heard outside of aristocratic circles or in formal settings. It had little if any relevance to the average European and performances were routinely commissioned by the wealthy. However, Native American music was offered at tribal ceremonies and was a part of their traditional

Problems Identified By The Narasimham Committee Essay Example for Free

Problems Identified By The Narasimham Committee Essay 1. Directed Investment Programme : The committee objected to the system of maintaining high liquid assets by commercial banks in the form of cash, gold and unencumbered government securities. It is also known as the statutory liquidity Ratio (SLR). In those days, in India, the SLR was as high as 38.5 percent. According to the M. Narasimhams Committee it was one of the reasons for the poor profitability of banks. Similarly, the Cash Reserve Ratio- (CRR) was as high as 15 percent. Taken together, banks needed to maintain 53. 5 percent of their resources idle with the RBI. 2. Directed Credit Programme : Since nationalization the government has encouraged the lending to agriculture and small-scale industries at a confessional rate of interest. It is known as the directed credit programme. The committee opined that these sectors have matured and thus do not need such financial support. This directed credit programme was successful from the governments point of view but it affected commercial banks in a bad manner. Basically it deteriorated the quality of loan, resulted in a shift from the security oriented loan to purpose oriented. Banks were given a huge target of priority sector lending, etc. ultimately leading to profit erosion of banks. 3. Interest Rate Structure : The committee found that the interest rate structure and rate of interest in India are highly regulated and controlled by the government. They also found that government used bank funds at a cheap rate under the SLR. At the same time the government advocated the philosophy of subsidized lending to certain sectors. The committee felt that there was no need for interest subsidy. It made banks handicapped in terms of building main strength and expanding credit supply. 4. Additional Suggestions : Committee also suggested that the determination of interest rate should be on grounds of market forces. It further suggested minimizing the slabs of interest. Along with these major problem areas M. Narasimhams Committee also found various inconsistencies regarding the banking system in India. In order to remove them and make it more vibrant and efficient, it has given the following recommendations. Narasimham Committee Report I 1991 The Narsimham Committee was set up in order to study the problems of the Indian financial system and to suggest some recommendations for improvement in the efficiency and productivity of the financial institution. The committee has given the following major recommendations:- 1. Reduction in the SLR and CRR : The committee recommended the reduction of the higher proportion of the Statutory Liquidity Ratio SLR and the Cash Reserve Ratio CRR. Both of these ratios were very high at that time. The SLR then was 38.5% and CRR was 15%. This high amount of SLR and CRR meant locking the bank resources for government uses. It was hindrance in the productivity of the bank thus the committee recommended their gradual reduction. SLR was recommended to reduce from 38.5% to 25% and CRR from 15% to 3 to 5%. 2. Phasing out Directed Credit Programme : In India, since nationalization, directed credit programmes were adopted by the government. The committee recommended phasing out of this programme. This programme compelled banks to earmark then financial resources for the needy and poor sectors at confessional rates of interest. It was reducing the profitability of banks and thus the committee recommended the sto pping of this programme. 3. Interest Rate Determination : The committee felt that the interest rates in India are regulated and controlled by the authorities. The determination of the interest rate should be on the grounds of market forces such as the demand for and the supply of fund. Hence the committee recommended eliminating government controls on interest rate and phasing out the concessional interest rates for the priority sector. 4. Structural Reorganizations of the Banking sector : The committee recommended that the actual numbers of public sector banks need to be reduced. Three to four big banks including SBI should be developed as international banks. Eight to Ten Banks having nationwide presence should concentrate on the national and universal banking services. Local banks should concentrate on region specific banking. Regarding the RRBs (Regional Rural Banks), it recommended that they should focus on agriculture and rural financing. They recommended that the government should assure that henceforth there wont be any nationalization and private and foreign banks should be allowed liberal entry in India. 5. Establishment of the ARF Tribunal : The proportion of bad debts and Non-performing asset (NPA) of the public sector Banks and Development Financial Institute was very alarming in those days. The committee recommended the establishment of an Asset Reconstruction Fund (ARF). This fund will take over the proportion of the bad and doubtful debts from the banks and financial institutes. It would help banks to get rid of bad debts. 6. Removal of Dual control : Those days banks were under the dual control of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Banking Division of the Ministry of Finance (Government of India). The committee recommended the stepping of this system. It considered and recommended that the RBI should be the only main agency to regulate banking in India. 7. Banking Autonomy : The committee recommended that the public sector banks should be free and autonomous. In order to pursue competitiveness and efficiency, banks must enjoy autonomy so that they can reform the work culture and banking technology upgradation will thus be easy. Some of these recommendations were later accepted by the Government of India and became banking reforms. Narasimham Committee Report II 1998 In 1998 the government appointed yet another committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Narsimham. It is better known as the Banking Sector Committee. It was told to review the banking reform progress and design a programme for further strengthening the financial system of India. The committee focused on various areas such as capital adequacy, bank mergers, bank legislation, etc. It submitted its report to the Government in April 1998 with the following recommendations. 1. Strengthening Banks in India : The committee considered the stronger banking system in the context of the Current Account Convertibility CAC. It thought that Indian banks must be capable of handling problems regarding domestic liquidity and exchange rate management in the light of CAC. Thus, it recommended the merger of strong banks which will have multiplier effect on the industry. 2. Narrow Banking : Those days many public sector banks were facing a problem of the Non-performing assets (NPAs). Some of them had NPAs were as high as 20 percent of their assets. Thus for successful rehabilitation of these banks it recommended Narrow Banking Concept where weak banks will be allowed to place their funds only in short term and risk free assets. 3. Capital Adequacy Ratio: In order to improve the inherent strength of the Indian banking system the committee recommended that the Government should raise the prescribed capital adequacy norms. This will further improve their absorption capacity also. Currently the capital adequacy ration for Indian banks is at 9 percent. 4. Bank ownership : As it had earlier mentioned the freedom for banks in its working and bank autonomy, it felt that the government control over the banks in the form of management and ownership and bank autonomy does not go hand in hand and thus it recommended a review of functions of boards and enabled them to adopt professional corporate strategy. 5. Review of banking laws : The committee considered that there was an urgent need for reviewing and amending main laws governing Indian Banking Industry like RBI Act, Banking Regulation Act, State Bank of India Act, Bank Nationalisation Act, etc. This upgradation will bring them in line with the present needs of the banking sector in India. Apart from these major recommendations, the committee has also recommended faster computerization, technology upgradation, training of staff, depoliticizing of banks, professionalism in banking, reviewing bank recruitment, etc. Evaluation of Narsimham Committee Reports The Committee was first set up in 1991 under the chairmanship of Mr. M. Narasimham who was 13th governor of RBI. Only a few of its recommendations became banking reforms of India and others were not at all considered. Because of this a second committee was again set up in 1998. As far as recommendations regarding bank restructuring, management freedom, strengthening the regulation are concerned, the RBI has to play a major role. If the major recommendations of this committee are accepted, it will prove to be fruitful in making Indian banks more profitable and efficient.

Evaluate Kodaks Position In Traditional Photography Media Essay

Evaluate Kodaks Position In Traditional Photography Media Essay In 1880, George Eastman invented the first camera which uses a dry-plate formula and also a machine to make these plates (Gavetti et al, 2005). George established Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. The dry plate technology was later replaced by film rolls named as Kodak. In 1888, Kodak Company introduced the camera with the tag line, You press the button we do the rest'(Gavetti et al, 2005). The main goals of company to be successful were to mass produce at low cost, worldwide distribution, aggressive advertising, customers need oriented and continuous RD. In the article Kodak and the digital revolution by G. Gavetti, R. Henderson and S. Georgi, Eastman quoted that, Nothing is more important than the value of our name and the quality it stands for. We must make quality our fighting argument. Kodak used the razor blade model for the business and sold out cameras at cheaper price, while the cost of film and developing was higher. Kodak developed color films in 1921 and was first introduced for consumers in 1963. By the end of 1967, Kodak holds 90% of film making and 85% of camera sales (Gavetti et al, 2005). In 1981, Sony Corporation introduced the first digital camera named Mavica. Kodak had this technology before Sony launched it, but they were afraid of cannibalization of the silver halide technology. Fuji Film came in to market with a 400 speed color film and low cost photographic papers. It was the official sponsor of Olympics 1984. By the end of 1993, Fuji acquired 21% of worldwide market (Gavetti et al, 2005). In 1993, Kodak hired Fisher as the new CEO of the Company. Fisher changed the razor blade business model to network and consumables model. Fisher tried to change the way of thinking at Kodak Company but it did not worked. Later, Fisher was replaced by Former General Manager of Kodak Canada, Daniel Carp. Carp resumed with the same business model. Kodak now excelled in cameras, online services and image printing at kiosk or inkjet printers. Evaluate Kodaks position in traditional photography. Why has the company historically been so successful? In 1885, Eastman established Kodak with the aim of producing a user friendly product. The slogan did the thing of marketing for the company, i.e. You click the button we do the rest.'(Gavetti et al, 2005). The company was very successful and there were literary no competitors to them. Kodak believed in quality and customer need satisfaction. Kodaks marketing strategy kept the customers away from switching to other cheaper brands. The razor blade model helped the company to fetch profits from films and image processing. The introduction of color imaging lagged the competitors far behind. To conclude, during 1970s, Kodak was very successful because of continuous innovation, customer satisfaction and aggressive marketing. This allowed Kodak to setup a standard barrier for other companies to enter the market. Compare traditional and digital imaging. What are the main structural differences? How have value creation and appropriation changed in digital relative to traditional photography. Traditional imaging used silver halide technology while digital imaging used electronic image sensors. Both these technologies are different from the technological point and also in structure and organization of company. In the traditional imaging, films were the only means of storage and Kodak had mastered in that field. While in the digital technology, as the barriers can be easily overcome, there were many new entrants in the market like Fuji and Sony. Digital imaging led to a fast change in the market. The prices fall drastically and customers now need more complementary resources. This new technology was more based on horizontal structure of the company rather than vertical. This led to a complete change in the organization of the company. Companies developed the habit of first mover policy for a particular segment of supply chain. Customers were provided with different complementary resource and continuous improvement in the technology created appropriate value for the company. Thus, digital imaging has led to segmentation of customers based on prices, quality of images, user friendliness and type of storage. Each company should focus on a particular segment and try to maximize its appropriation and thereby the profit margins. Evaluate Kodaks response to Sonys introduction of Mavica in 1981. Kodak used the Razor Blade model in the business of cameras and image processing. They sold cameras at cheaper price and obtained high profits for films and image processing. Kodak earned its profits from film and not from cameras. This model was successful for Kodak and they earned $1 billion in 1962 and captured 85% of the USA camera market(Gavetti et al, 2005). Kodak was recognized for its quality and people preferred Kodak over low cost other brands. In 1981, Sony introduced Mavica, a filmless camera. It stored images in a floppy disk and these images can be seen directly on TV sets. Kodak was afraid of cannibalism of its silver halide technology. The profit margin of silver halide technology was at least 50% more compared to digital imaging. So Kodak decided to continue with the traditional photography. Later Kodak was threatened by the digital photography and so they decided to diversify their business in fields like pharmaceutics, clinical diagnostics and mass storage. This led Kodak away from its core business of photography. Kodak also invested in the digital imaging technology but majority of business was still focused on film photography. Kodaks response to Sonys introduction of Mavica was inappropriate. Kodak management was very much engaged in the traditional photography that they ignored the threat of digital imaging. According to Porters five forces, 1) Rivals like Fuji and Sony were increasing market share by introducing cheap and differentiated products from Kodak. Rivalry is the biggest threat to any company. 2) Other substitutes like mobile phones with camera and camcorders were introduced by other companies. 3) Consumers were moving towards digital cameras were they can save money on printing. Instead of continuing with the traditional photography and looking for higher profits, Kodak should have moved on with new technologies to gain an edge over rivals as they were already holding a large amount of market share. Fisherss Attempt to transform Kodak. In 1993, Kodak replaced Whitmore by hiring George Fisher. Fisher was former CEO of Motorola. Fisher misjudged Kodak as an imaging company and not a film making company. Fisher wanted Kodak to focus on imaging rather than diversified business. Fisher closed most of the diversified business like pharmaceuticals and chemical industry. Fisher helped Kodak to reduce the cost of production by developing joint ventures in China. Fisher also tried to re organize the company and rethink how to expand Kodaks market. Fisher wanted Kodak to make profits in hardware like Motorola and so he developed costly digital cameras which were unsuccessful due to high competition. Fisher had worked in an environment where people argue with each other and make the decision more effective. While Kodak was the company where people were trained to take orders from top management and never argue about it. Thus fishers attempt to make Kodak like Motorola has failed as Kodak is not a hardware company but a service company. Moreover, employees of Kodak were not accustomed to argue with the top management in making decisions. Kodaks current position in Digital imaging. Initially when Kodak entered the market in 1888, their business model was razor blade model. They started selling cameras at cheaper price and earned profits from films and image development. During the era of traditional photography, Kodak earned huge profits from making films and chemicals for image development. After the development of 1st digital camera by Sony in 1981, the market for traditional film photography started shrinking. Kodak took long time before they entered in the digital imaging market. Thats the reason they came down to position 3 in the industry behind Fuji and Nikon (plunkett). Today, Kodaks business is divided in 3 major segments namely, Graphic communication group (GCG), consumer digital imaging group (CDG) and film, photofinishing and entertainment group (FPEG). Sales of 2009 have decreased compared to 2008 due to economic slowdown. Over 2008, Kodaks 2009 GCG sales decreased by 18%, CDG by 15% and FPEG by 25%. Position of Kodak, had they adopted digital imaging strategy in 80s and 90s. The digital imaging era began in 1981, when Sony launched the 1st filmless camera to the market. During this period, Kodak ignored the change in the market and kept on going with the traditional imaging. The company was looking for profits and forgot to consider the future trends. During 1980s, Whitmore tried to diversify the company to various unrelated business. If they had not invested in all those industries and invested in digital imaging, the scenario would be completely different. Kodaks view of digital imaging in 1980s as photo CD was also a disaster. They spend millions of dollars in developing this project and finally end up distributing to the wrong segment of customers. Fishers idea of concentrating on core business was good, and he paid off debts by selling the unrelated business. But he failed to restructure the company as digital imaging company. His idea of Kodak as hardware Company was a blunder as Kodak was good at services rather than hardware production. All this events led Kodak away from the core profitable business of imaging. It allowed rival industries to get ahead in terms of sales and market share. Fuji is making out profits by developing large number of minilabs across the world.