Awareness and Adoption of E Banking in Pakistan

Abstract: This study aims to understand customers’ perception towards adoption and awareness of electronic banking in Pakistan. The outcomes would help the policy makers to develop effective strategies for future outlook of electronic banking in a country. The results suggest that banks’ customers in Pakistan perceive electronic banking as a tool for minimizing inconvenience, minimizing risk of carrying cash and time saving. Customers further believe that electronic banking increases chances of government access to public data, increases chances of fraud and data losses. It reduces cost and save our precious time. There are also some limitations of e-banking as it requires skills to operate it and passwords can be hacked. This research paper discussed that people of Pakistan are well aware of electronic banking but they are not satisfied with the services provided by the bank and they also feel risk in that service that’s why they trust more on employees. It contains different demographics and their association with research questions. The results conclude that various customers segments do not differ in opinions towards benefits and risks associated with e-banking. This paper also includes recommendations in which it describes that what strategies the banks should choose to increase the satisfaction of customers Keywords: electronic banking; e-banking; customers’ perception; adoption; Pakistan, e-banking in Pakistan, e-banking, SMS banking, ATM I. INTRODUCTION The developments taking place in information and communication technology are increasing competition in financial institutions worldwide. Development of electronic distribution channels in financial industry has completely transformed the traditional bank–customer relationship in recent years. It has reduced personal contacts between the service providers and the customers (Barnes and Howlett, 1998). The scenario is further changed with increased competition among banks and non-bank financial institutions (Zineldin, 1996). Thus an enhanced understanding of why some people adopt one distributional channel and others do not, alongside an identification of the factors that may influence this decision is vital to investigate (Patricio, 2003). Thus, the deployment of advanced technologies is essential to achieve a competitive edge. In the world of banking, the development of information technology has an enormous effect on development of more flexible payments methods and more-user friendly banking services. Recently, the banking industry was highly affected by the technology evolution that transformed the way banks deliver their services, using technologies such as automated teller machines, phones, the Internet, credit cards, and electronic cash. In line with global trends, electronic banking in Pakistan has been undergoing many changes. Electronic banking is a term for the process by which a customer may perform banking transactions electronically without visiting a brick-and-mortar institution. Electronic banking refers to systems that enable bank customers to access accounts and general information on bank products and services through a personal computer (PC) or other intelligent device. There are many benefits of e-banking as it provides easy way to monitor an account, we can shop, pay bills, buy items at auction, and transfer money from anywhere at any time, it reduces costs, it saves time, and vice versa. Objectives This study focuses on awareness and adoption of electronic banking in Pakistan. Our objectives of this research were to: 1. Check awareness of electronic banking in Pakistan. 2. Check why people are not aware of electronic banking. 3. Know if the people are aware of electronic banking then to how much extent. 4. Check whether banks of Pakistan are providing electronic banking or not. 5. To find the critical attributes that customers expect important while using electronic banking. 6. To find the key variables that affect customers’ evaluations towards risk associated with electronic banking. 7. To understand the relationship between demographic characteristics of customers and their perceptions towards electronic banking. 8. To present results and implications which are insightful to researchers and banks interested in electronic banking. This research is important because it tells bankers that how much people in Pakistan are aware of and adopt the electronic banking and to how much extend. It also tells them to improve their e-banking services in Pakistan. Electronic banking in Pakistan State-owned banks dominated the Pakistani financial market before 1990. The government introduced economic liberalization policies in 1991 when two smaller banks, Muslim Commercial Bank and Allied Bank were privatized. Since then, the government continuously advocated the privatization of existing state-owned enterprises and encouraged the private and foreign banks to setup their businesses in the country. Recent acquisition of locally owned Union Bank by Standard Chartered Bank indicates foreign interest in domestic financial market. According to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) annual report (2005), there were 35 commercial banks, including 16 private banks (with 797 branches), 11 foreign banks (with 82 branches), 4 privatized banks (with 4,141 branches) and 4 public banks (with 1,543 branches), respectively. Electronic banking is an innovation in the series of technological wonders. Automated teller machine (ATM), telephone banking, internet banking, credit cards and debit cards, etc. have emerged as effective delivery channels for traditional banking products. In Pakistan, foreign banks took a lead by introducing ATM and credit cards in mid-1990s followed by domestic banks in late 1990s. Annual Report of SBP (2003, p. 110) explained this delay in electronic banking largely by regulatory hurdles, higher startup costs, an ongoing banking sectors reforms and lack of technical skills. The government also introduced Electronic Transaction Ordinance in 2002. This ordinance provides legal recognition to digital signatures and documentation. Thus reducing the risks associated with the use of electronic medium of business. At present, almost all commercial banks in Pakistan have setup their ATM networks, issuing debit and credit cards and have joined one of the two operating ATM Switch Networks. According to Kolachi (2006) Pakistani banks provide the following online banking services and products. 1. Enquiry, account statement enquiry, account balance enquiry, check statement enquiry, fixed deposit enquiry 2. Payment, funds transfer, credit card payments, direct payments, utility bills payments 3. Request, checkbook request, stop payment request, demand draft request, new fixed deposit request 4. Download, customer profile, statement download, other information and guidelines downloads. 4 Literature review Consumers’ perceptions towards adoption of electronic banking have attracted many researchers in recent years. Thornton and White (2001) who compared seven distribution electronic channels available for banks in US concluded that customers’ orientation such as convenience, service, technology change, knowledge about computing and availability of internet affected the usage of different channels. According to Hagel and Hewlin (1997) the Internet banking became very attractive to customers and lots of banks because the technology is being accepted by them and they can now understand and have information about the complex products. Nowadays banks are also facing a lot of competition and need a high market share and provide better services to its customers so that they can attract the new customers and old customers do not try to leave them. Howcroft et al. 2002) found that the most important factors that have encouraged consumers to use online banking are lower fees followed by reducing paper work and human error which subsequently minimize the human disputes (Kiang et al. , 2000). Byers and Lederer, (2001 ) concluded that it was changing consumer attitudes rather than bank cost structures that determines the changes in distribution channels; they added that virtual banks can only be profitable when the segment that prefers electronic media is approximately twice the size of th e segment preferring street banks. Decrease in percentage of customers visiting banks with an increase in alternative channels of distribution will also minimize the queues in branches (Thornton and White, 2001). Internet banking increases power of the customers to make price comparison across suppliers quickly and easily, which subsequently pushes the price and margins downwards (Devlin, 1995). Although, electronic banking provides many opportunities for the banks, it is also the case that the current banking services provided through Internet are limited due to security concerns, complexity and technological problems (Sathye, 1999: Mols, 1999). Risks associated to electronic banking Although internet provides many opportunities for banks but it is the case that current banking services through internet are limited due to security concerns, complexity and technological problems (Mols, 1999; Sathye, 1999). Hewer and Howcroft (1999) referred the term trust to measure a risk. While, Suganthi et al. (2001) viewed risk in context of security concerns and risk in context of trust in one’s bank. Finally, a number of studies also found trust and perceived risks have a significant positive influence on ommitment (Bhattacherjee, 2002; Mukherjee and Nath, 2003) and ultimately leads towards overall satisfaction (Rexha et al. , 2003). Reputation of a service provider is another important factor affecting trust. Doney and Cannon (1997) defined reputation as the extent to which customers believe a supplier or service provider is honest and concern about its customers. Tyler and Stanley (1999) argued that banks can build close and lo ng-lasting relationship with customers only if trust, commitment, honesty and cooperation are developed between them. Nancy et al. 2001) study found that customers’ complaint about computer logon time which are usually longer than making a telephone call. Further, the respondents felt that they have to check and recheck the forms filled online, as they are worried about making mistakes. Frequent slow response time and delay of service delivery causes customers to be unsure about the completion of a transaction (Jun and Cai, 2001). Min and Galle (1999) found crashes in operating systems and disruption of information access as common factors related to unwillingness to use internet channels for commerce. Liao and Cheung (2002) found that individual expectations regarding accuracy, security, transaction speed, user friendliness, user involvement and convenience are the most important attributes in the perceived usefulness of internet-based e-retail banking. Confidentiality of consumer data is another important concern in adoption of online banking (Gerrad and Cunningham, 2003). Customers fear about someone’s unlimited access to personal financial information. White and Nteli (2004) focused on why the internet usage has not been increased in UK as compared to internet usage for banking purposes? Results found that the customers still have concerns about the security and safety aspects of the internet. Lack of internet accessibility and a provision of documentary evidence for all transactions are found important hurdles in the development of electronic banking in Thailand (Jaruwachirathanakul and Fink, 2005). Laforet and Li (2005) found that habit of carrying cash, less accessibility of internet and documentary proof of financial transaction as important hurdles in adoption, in case of China. Lack of specific laws to govern internet banking is another important concern for users. It covers issues such as unfair and deceptive trade practice by supplier, unauthorized access by hackers. Larpsiri et al. (2002) argued that it is not clear whether electronic documents and records are acceptable as sufficient evidence of transactions. Another issue is the jurisdiction of the courts and dispute resolution procedures in case of using internet for commercial purpose. Dispute can arise from many issues. For instance, websites is not branch of the bank. It is difficult for the court to define location of branch and decide whether they have jurisdiction (Rotchanakitumnuai and Speece, 2003). Other risks associated to electronic banking are job losses, lack of opportunities to socialize and development of lazy society were mentioned by (Black et al. , 2001). Demographic factors Gender alone is not a significant factor, affecting adoption of technology in general (Gefen and Straub, 1997). However, Kolodinsk et al. (2004) found that married couples are more likely to adopt the new technology than either single males or females. Research has also linked age and adoption of technology, as young people are more likely to adopt technology (Lee et al. , 2002). Maturity in population in terms of knowledge, confidence and comfort in computer usage also increase influence towards online banking (Karjaluoto et al. , 2002). Increase in income and education have found positive effects on adoption (Lockett and Littler, 1997; Sarel and Marmorstein, 2003). Mattilia et al. (2003) indicated that young, educated and wealthy consumers are most likely to adopt internet banking in Finland. Mature customers prefer personal service and a printed receipt of their transactions. Mature customers also perceive internet banking to be more costly than paying bills over the counter. Methodology The study was conducted in Lahore city which is the second largest city of Pakistan and represents almost 20% of all branches network. Branches for survey were selected on convenience basis but after the permission of respective branch managers. Survey covered both residential and commercial areas. In this research data is conducted by using questionnaire as a data collection instrument, in which questions were asked starting from their command on computer and internet usage, following with the awareness of electronic banking and its types, about the benefits of e-banking and then some questions regarding their bank services and the security provide by these banks. The questionnaire includes close-ended questions and they were on liker scale of utilizing a five point categorical. IV. EMPIRICAL RESULTS There is â€Å"table † which shows gender wise association with research questions No. Question| Gender| | Total| P – values| | | | Male| Female| | | | | | | | | | | 1| Aware of electronic banking| 196| 200| 396| 0. 011| | 2| Your bank provides electronic banking facility| 190| 195| 385| 0. 000| | | | | | | | | 3| Aware of SMS banking| 196| 195| 391| 0. 036| | | | | | | | | 4| Aware of INTERNET banking| 189| 198| 387| 0. 010| | | | | | | | | 5| Aware of ATM card usag e| 193| 198| 391| 0. 054| | | | | | | | | 6| Aware of PHONE banking| 193| 199| 392| 0. 272| | | | | | | | | 7| Satisfied with the E-banking services provided by| | | | | | | bank| 192| 198| 390| 0. 08| | | | | | | | | 8| Satisfied with the security of E-banking provide by| | | | | | | bank| 191| 195| 386| 0. 068| | | | | | | | | 9| Want to use e-banking facilities in future| 194| 197| 391| 0. 000| | | | | | | | | Table shows the different questions and their association with gender. First question is about awareness of electronic banking. Total respondents who answered this question were 396 in which 196 were male respondents and 200 were female respondents. Its result shows that awareness of electronic banking is dependent on gender. Next question was answered by 385 total respondents from which the amount of male and female were 190 and 195 respectively. Its results show that providing e-banking services by banks were highly dependent on gender. Third one is about awareness of SMS banking which was answered by 196 male and 195 female respondents. Its result shows that awareness of SMS banking is also dependent on gender. Now the next question is about Internet banking awareness which was answered by 189 male respondents and 198 female respondents and its result shows that awareness of internet banking is dependent on gender. Next question is about awareness of ATM card usage. Total 391 respondents answered that question from which the amount of male and female were 193 and 198 respectively. It results shows that awareness of ATM card usage is not dependent on gender. Now there is a question about Phone banking awareness so total 392 respondents answered that question from which 193 were male and 199 were female and its result shows that phone banking awareness is not dependent on gender. Now the seventh question was asked by respondents about their satisfaction about e-banking services providing by their banks and total 390 answered that question and its result shows that satisfaction about e-banking services providing by banks is depends on gender. Now there is second last question which was answered by 191 male and 195 female respondents and its result shows that satisfaction about security of e- banking providing by banks is not depends on gender. Last question is about the using e-banking service in future and its results are highly dependent on gender. | | Aware of electronic banking| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | strongly| | | | | | | | | disagree| disagree| neutral| agree| strongly agree| Total| | Gender| Male| 13| 28| 46| 64| 45| 196| | | | | | | | | | | | Female| 31| 32| 53| 57| 27| 200| | Total| | 44| 60| 99| 121| 72| 396| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Now there is a table which shows the description of the question, â€Å"Aware of electronic banking †. It shows the amount of respondents from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The highest figures of people are agreed about awareness of e-banking. In male respondents 64 were agree which is 33% of total male respondents. Likewise, in female respondents 57 were agreeing about it which is 29% of total females. | | | High| | | Post| | | | No. | Question| Primary| School| Secondary| Graduate| Graduate| Frequency| P-values| | 1| Aware of electronic banking| 8| 7| 10| 195| 164| 384| 0. 000| | | | | | | | | | | | 2| Use debit or credit cards for| | | | | | | | | | online transactions| 8| 6| 8| 191| 163| 376| 0. 008| | | | | | | | | | | | 3| Aware of ATM card usage| 8| 7| 10| 193| 163| 381| 0. 030| | | | | | | | | | | | | Aware of PHONE banking| 8| 7| 10| 194| 161| 380| 0. 155| | | | | | | | | | | | 5| Feel risk about hacking of| | | | | | | | | | passwords| 8| 7| 10| 192| 161| 378| 0. 555| | | | | | | | | | | | 6| Satisfied with the E-banking| | | | | | | | | | services provide by bank| 8| 7| 9| 191| 163| 378| 0. 269| | | | | | | | | | | | | More trust on the bank| | | | | | | | | 7| employees with communication| | | | | | | | | | tha n E-banking| 8| 7| 10| 191| 163| 379| 0. 680| | 8| Want to use e-banking facilities| | | | | | | | | | in future| 8| 7| 9| 192| 163| 379| 0. 69| | | | | | | | | | | | In this table there is a demographic of education whose relationship with research questions is given in above table. No. | | | | | | | | | Age| | | | | | | | Question| | | Below| 20 -| 30 -| 40 -| 50 -| Above| Frequency| P-values| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19| 29| 39| | 49| 59| 60| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1| Have full command on computer| | 91| 241| 30| | 16| 10| 3| 391| 0. 034| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2| Involved in banking transactions| | 91| 239| 30| | 14| 14| 3| 391| 0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Awareness of usefulness of| | | | | | | | | | | | | electronic banking| | | | 91| 238| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 392| 0. 004| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4| Your Banks provides online technical| | | | | | | | | | | | assistance or 24 helpline| | 88| 240| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 391| 0. 002| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5| Use debit or credit cards for online| | | | | | | | | | | | transactions| | | | 90| 237| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 390| 0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6| Aware of INTERNET banking| | 91| 238| 29| | 14| 14| 3| 389| 0. 443| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Aware of PHONE banking| | 91| 240| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 394| 0. 105| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 8| It provides| easy| way| to monitor| a| | | | | | | | | | | | account| | | | | 91| 242| 30| | 16| 14| 3| 396| 0. 019| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9| Feel risk about hacking of passwords| 91| 239| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 392| 0. 089| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10| Have easy access to ATM machine| | 88| 240| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 390| 0| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11| Satisfied| with| the| E-banking| | | | | | | | | | | | services provide by bank| | 90| 240| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 392| 0. 47| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12| Satisfied| with| the| security| of| | | | | | | | | | | | E-banking provide by bank| | 89| 239| 28| | 16| 13| 3| 388 | 0. 004| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13| More trust on the bank employees| | | | | | | | | | | | with communication than E-banking| 90| 241| 30| | 16| 13| 3| 393| 0. 036| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Above table shows the relationship of research questions with age. In first question it is asked about command on computer. This question was answered by total 391 respondents from which from which 91 respondents had age less than 19.

5 Sentences with Problematic Parallelism in Lists

5 Sentences with Problematic Parallelism in Lists 5 Sentences with Problematic Parallelism in Lists 5 Sentences with Problematic Parallelism in Lists By Mark Nichol It’s too bad you can’t eat grammatical errors or use them to fill your gas tank, because they’re a cheap, endlessly renewable resource. Here’s a five-course meal of sentences with troublesome structure, starting with dessert. 1. â€Å"The writer will sit, eat, and interview the subject.† It seems more logical for the writer to interview the subject after being seated but before eating him or her, but whatever. If the intended meaning of the statement is that the writer will dine with the subject rather than cannibalistically consume him or her, however, the sentence should be revised as follows: â€Å"The writer will sit and eat with, and interview, the subject.† Better yet, for a smoother flow to the sentence, introduce a pronoun: â€Å"The writer will sit and eat with the subject and interview him [or her].† 2. â€Å"The committee consists of the executive directors of the Bay Area Toll Authority, California Transportation Commission, and California Department of Transportation.† Normally, items in a list can share an article (â€Å"the birds, bees, flowers, and trees†), or each can have its own (â€Å"the birds, the bees, the flowers, and the trees†), but when the list items are proper nouns, it’s best to assign an article to each one so that it doesn’t appear that the entities after the first one are erroneously referred to without an article: â€Å"The committee consists of the executive directors of the Bay Area Toll Authority, the California Transportation Commission, and the California Department of Transportation.† 3. â€Å"His contribution to the interior design of the home is his impressive antique musical instruments and modern art collection.† The statement implies that the collection consists of antique musical instruments and modern art, but technically, the reference should be to two distinct collections, described in the plural form and with each description preceded by its own plural pronoun: â€Å"His contributions to the interior design of the home are his impressive antique musical instruments and his modern art collection.† Alternatively, the sentence could be revised as follows, with the collections referred to as a single contribution or a pair of contributions: â€Å"His contribution(s) to the interior design of the home is (or are) his impressive collections of antique musical instruments and modern art.† 4. â€Å"The organization promotes sustainable landscaping practices, green building-construction methods and products, and minimizing pesticide use in the home.† The inconsistency of syntax here is that the first two items are modified with adjectives, while the third is described as an action. Change the verb in the final item to an adjective: â€Å"The organization promotes sustainable landscaping practices, green building-construction methods and products, and minimal pesticide use in the home.† Alternatively, introduce verbs into each of the other items: â€Å"The organization promotes employing sustainable landscaping practices, utilizing green building-construction methods and products, and minimizing pesticide use in the home.† 5. â€Å"Here come the summer movies- the usual formulaic action flicks, dumb comedies, and sequels.† This sentence is not wrong, but the rhythm is off because the first two items are preceded by adjectives but the final element is a bare noun. Introduce an adjective before that item for parallel structure: â€Å"Here come the summer movies- the usual formulaic action flicks, dumb comedies, and weak sequels.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†One Fell SwoopApostrophe with Plural Possessive Nouns

A Beginners Guide to the Neolithic Period

A Beginner's Guide to the Neolithic Period The Neolithic period as a notion is based on an idea from the 19th century, when John Lubbock split Christian Thomsens Stone Age into the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) and New Stone Age (Neolithic). In 1865, Lubbock distinguished the Neolithic as when polished or ground stone tools were first used but since Lubbocks day, the definition of Neolithic is a package of characteristics: groundstone tools, rectangular buildings, pottery, people living in settled villages and, most importantly, the production of food by developing a working relationship with animals and plants called domestication. Theories In archaeological history, there have been many different theories about how and why agriculture was invented and then adopted by others: the Oasis Theory, the Hilly Flanks Theory, and the Marginal Area or Periphery Theory are only the most well-known. In retrospect, it does seem odd that after two million years of hunting and gathering, people would suddenly start producing their own food. Some scholars even debate whether farming- a labor-intensive task which requires the active support of a community- was really a positive choice for hunter-gatherers. The remarkable changes that agriculture brought to people are what some scholars call the Neolithic Revolution. Most archaeologists today have abandoned the idea of one single overarching theory for the invention and cultural adoption of farming, because studies have shown that circumstances and processes varied from place to place. Some groups willingly embraced the stability of animal and plant tending while others fought to maintain their hunter-gatherer lifestyle for hundreds of years. Where The Neolithic, if you define it as the independent invention of agriculture, can be identified in several different places. The main hubs of plant and animal domestication are considered to include the Fertile Crescent and the adjacent hilly flanks of the Taurus and Zagros mountains; the Yellow and Yangtze river valleys of northern China; and central America, including parts of northern South America. Plants and animals domesticated in these heartlands were adopted by other peoples in adjacent regions, traded across continents, or brought to those people by migrations. However, there is increasing evidence that hunter-gatherer horticulture led to independent domestication of plants in other locations, such as Eastern North America. The Earliest Farmers The earliest domestications, animal and plant (that we know of), occurred some 12,000 years ago in southwest Asia and the Near East in the Fertile Crescent of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the lower slopes of the Zagros and Taurus mountains adjacent to the Fertile Crescent. Sources and Further Information Bogucki P. 2008. EUROPE | Neolithic. In: Pearsall, DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 1175-1187.Hayden B. 1990. Nimrods, piscators, pluckers, and planters: The emergence of food production. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 9(1):31-69.Lee G-A, Crawford GW, Liu L, and Chen X. 2007. Plants and people from the Early Neolithic to Shang periods in North China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104(3):1087-1092.Pearsall DM. 2008. Plant domestication. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. London: Elsevier Inc. p 1822-1842.Richard S. 2008. ASIA, WEST | Archaeology of the Near East: The Levant. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 834-848.Wenming Y. 2004. The Cradle of Eastern Civilization. pp. 49-75 in Chinese Archaeology in the Twentieth Century: New Perspectives on Chinas Past, Volume 1. Xiaoneng Yang, editor. Yale University Press, New Haven.Zeder MA. 2008. Domestication and e arly agriculture in the Mediterranean Basin: Origins, diffusion, and impact. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(33):11597-11604. Zeder MA. 2012. The Broad Spectrum Revolution at 40: Resource diversity, intensification, and an alternative to optimal foraging explanations. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 31(3):241-264.Zeder MA. 2015. Core questions in domestication research. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(11):3191-3198.Zeder MA, Emshwiller E, Smith BD, and Bradley DG. 2006. Documenting domestication: the intersection of genetics and archaeology. Trends in Genetics 22(3):139-155.

What kinds of Social control does religion has on an individual Essay

What kinds of Social control does religion has on an individual - Essay Example Death is the fate of all men but the choice of where to spend eternity; either in heaven or hell is left to every individual and the fear of eternal death in hell leads to some social characters exibited by those who practice religion. Religion is an asset to the society which has a great impact and control on the individuals who practice true religion. The practice of religion either fable or geniune helps in governing a society in different aspects. Organization in the setting of democracy or a government by the use of religion in taking an oath of office. While in the rule of law religion plays a vital role in witnessing by swearing by his or her belief. People that practice religion are less likely to be caught up in societal ills such as, crime, addiction, alcohol, drug abuse, suicide, and other bad vices. Religion bring social stability mixed the norms and beliefs from religious beliefs. Patrick(1996), shines more light to the issue of religion on the social status of an individual health thereby promoting longevity, improving the chances of recovery from any sickness, and reduces the probability of being infected by deadly diseases. One of the such deadly diseases is AIDS which is primarily transmitted via sexual intercourse, this is highly prevented not by protection of practicing safe sex but by total abstainance. Total abstainance is mainly practiced by those who have religion and this is one of the many impacts of religion in the society. â€Å"The absence of self-esteem weakens the personality and put the person at greater risk for crimel, addiction and other social maladies.† The absence of self-esteem renders an individual empty, thereby giving room for depression. Depression alone leads to many societal ills which all started from a crippled pesonality. Another point by Patrick is â€Å"†¦ the practice of religion has a significant

Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study - Assignment Example According to stock market analyst, P&G will boost Tambrands infrastructure to capture the wider market in developing countries. It would have been very difficult for Tambrands to launch a worldwide marketing program without merging with P&G. The deal signed benefited both parties; P&G was put back in the tampon business while Tambrands was now marketing its products on an international platform (Yomiko Ono,1997). This deal meant a new dawn for the Tambrands Company. P&G had induced a global marketing infrastructure and better distribution capabilities that brought worldwide growth of Tampax tampon up to speed to meet the out bursting market in developing countries. The goal put in place by Tambrands of its universal marketing strategy was to â€Å"market to each cluster in a similar way.† This was because while scheduling for growth and development into a global market, Tambrands categorized the world into three clusters, in accordance with how resistant women are using tampons and not in accordance with their locations. In the first cluster, majority of women already use tampons and possibly feel they know all they need to know about the product. In the second cluster 2, approximately half of the women population in this category use tampons. There have been concerns regarding the loss of virginity when using tampons and they are often viewed as peculiar products that block the menstrual flow. In the third cluster, which is the most puzzling, there is the virginity issue and the order subject where Tambrands must articulate how to use a tampon without making them feel uncomfortable. Tambrands objective for its universal marketing plan was to â€Å"advertise to each cluster in a similar way†. This is because by categorizing based on resistance as a substitute for location, Tambrands is also trying to create a more consistent brand for its Tampax tampons. The advertising

Sexual Harassment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sexual Harassment - Essay Example These activities can interfere with a workers production or performance of their duties as they may avoid an area that they have duties in if it is an area where they are being harassed. Under the law, co-workers and supervisors are treated differently and have different liabilities. Federal law also holds the employer responsible for the actions of the supervisor in regards to sexual harassment (Pastor, 2007, p.292). However, in regards to coworkers, the employer is only held responsible if they are negligent, such as knowing about the harassment and failing to stop it (Pastor, 2007, p.292). The federal law that protects workers from sexual harassment is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Sexual harassment, 2008). In addition, states may have additional laws that can apply. They are usually modeled after the federal law but often vary in the amount and types of damages that can be awarded in a civil suit (Do states have their own laws, 2009). There are several avenues that a person can pursue if they are being sexually harassed. A worker who is the victim of sexual harassment is encouraged to first report it to their employer or human resources department, and "use any employer complaint mechanism or grievance system available" (Sexual harassment, 2008). The worker may additionally contact their union or file a suit in state or federal court. However, they must " the first file a formal sexual harassment complaint with the federal EEOC and/or your state’s fair employment agency" (Know your rights, 2009).

Postmodernism in Amélie (2001)

Postmodernism in Amà ©lie (2001) With reference to key theories studied on the module and one of the films from the given list, critically analyse the image system of the film, and the ways in which supports to convey specific meanings. You must comment on the way in which the narrative, meaning and mood are supported by the formal elements, and draw connections with the relevant historical, cultural and genre contexts. My essay will argue that the image system of Amà ©lie (2001) and the post-modern style adapted by Jean Pierre Jeunet, was one of the key aspects which lead to the film’s huge success worldwide. I intend to explore how the levels of realism and formal elements within the film, develop the narrative and mood, with reference to historical developments in French film and critical viewpoints. To clarify, when I say foreign film, I am referencing the films which are foreign to Hollywood and the other predominant production companies in western culture. The film Le fabuleux destin dAmà ©lie Poulain was highly successful not only in France, but around the world, with a Domestic Total Gross of $33,225,499. It was also nominated for five academy awards including Best Foreign Film (Box Office Mojo). The film has a very distinct â€Å"look† derived from its image system and form, which has become part of French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s auteuristic style. He has been described by Eisenreich (2004) as â€Å"the national filmmaker who develops the richest visual world, combined with a technical mastery and artistic sense†. There are many critical essays and reviews written on the stem of Amà ©lie’s success in the mainstream film industry, many putting it down to the feel-good nature of the narrative, others suggesting it was the unique cinematography and mise en scene. Elizabeth Ezra (2008) states that Jean Pierre Jeunet, as an auteur, has a highly postmodern style. I am inclined to agree with this point, as Amà ©lie is such a stylised film that the viewer is rarely emerged completely in the film. The audience is always aware that they are in fact watching a carefully structured and composed piece of work. According to Braudy and Cohen (1999) postmodern cinema is a deliberate mixing of different genres and film styles, pastiche and exposing the nature of a constructed text. As filmmakers, such as Jean Pierre Jeunet, are becoming increasingly aware of their audience’s active role in viewing their films, they have begun to use the conventions of postmodern cinema to their advantage. An example of a postmodern device often used in Amà ©lie is â€Å"breaking the fourth wall† where the character directly addresses the viewer. Amà ©lie looks directly at the camera in many close-up shots. These shots are carefully composed and use a wide lens, creating more depth in the frame. This also distorts her already elfish face, emphasizing her large eyes with an expression that includes the audience in whatever joke or feeling she is experiencing. This technique is an easy way for Jeunet to emphasise her role in the narrative and engage the audience so that she is a sympathetic character to the viewer. As well as the distinct postmodern style, Jeunet seems to take inspiration from older film techniques. In Rà ©mi Fournier Lanzoni’s book French Cinema: From its Beginnings to the Present (2002) it is noted that the locations and characters in Amà ©lie are highly reminiscent of Poetic Realism films, a movement of French cinema in the 1930s that combined â€Å"naturalism and lyrical stylization† (Lanzoni 2002). The majority of the film was shot on location in the centre of Paris; however, unattractive aspects such as graffiti and rubbish bins were digitally removed in post-production. Using this technique meant that even the real modern Paris resembled the poetic-realist sets of the 30s. In my opinion, this approach makes the film feel removed from any particular timeframe, as if it is an ecosystem unaffected by the concerns of the wider world. This also means that it is strongly juxtaposed with the gritty realism of social dramas set in Paris made at a similar time, su ch as Mathieu Kassovitz’s â€Å"La Haine† (1995). Steinberg (2001) argues that this makes Amà ©lie seem highly unrealistic, saying â€Å"Jeunet’s Paris is a thoroughly sanitised version of the real thing; clean, free from honking cars, tourists, foreigners and other complications. Even the beggars are happy in such an idyllic Paris† Adding to the slightly surreal version of Paris created by Jeunet is the bold colour palette, the most dominant colours being red and green, often complemented by yellow. These colours create a very warm and positive tone to the film, as they seem to emulate old footage and perhaps evoke a nostalgic response from the viewer. This again distances the film from modern day, despite the use of modern day technology. The colour red could also be recognised as a motif in the film, as it is present in almost every scene; Amà ©lie’s clothes, the garden gnome’s hat, the flowers and tables in the cafe as well as many other objects. Jeunet also uses black and white when providing flashbacks, such as Bretodeau’s memories conjured by the treasure Amà ©lie leaves him. This may have been done simply so that it would fit with the archive footage of the Tour de France; however I believe that it also provides a contrast with the bright bold colours in the rest of the film. Stanley Cavell proposed that in cinema, often, black and white represents reality whereas bright colour portrays fantasy (Cavell 1979). In Amà ©lie, the narrative is focused on the main character; therefore the abnormal colours used could be seen as representative of her highly imaginative and playful outlook on life. This also suggests that the reality which the viewer is witnessing may perhaps be entirely constructed from Amà ©lie’s imagination. Ben-Shaul (2007) explains that some films attempt to make their simulacrum so believable that it is â€Å"invisible†, so that the characters and situation are the primary focus for the viewer. Others use an obvious range of cinematic techniques to replicate a certain type of reality the filmmaker wants the audience to experience. As previously mentioned, the mise en scene of Amà ©lie seems to be a product of Amà ©lie’s imagination; this means that the film becomes somewhat hyper-realistic. Baudrillard’s theory of â€Å"Hyperreality† (1994) describes when a film blends both reality and fantasy together so seamlessly that it is hard to tell what is real and what is not. I think that this is an essential theory to consider when understanding Amà ©lie, as some parts of the film which might be taken literally, may perhaps be figments of her imagination. However, many aspects of the film show very obvious uses of CGI, such as the imaginary crocodile that Amà ©lie plays with as a child. There are many comical moments in the film, for instance Amà ©lie quite literally breaking down into tears after not plucking up the courage to speak to Nino. There are also more serious uses of special effects, which are very noticeable, yet more subtle, for example Amà ©lie’s daydream of Nino sneaking up behind her in the kitchen. This sequence uses a split screen which resembles a thought bubble, showing Nino approaching Amà ©lie’s back whilst larger section of the frame shows Amà ©lie’s reactions from the front view. The use of these techniques, especially the animation, contribute to the film’s novelty factor, surprising and exciting the audience. If his use of CGI tells us anything about Jeunet’s auteur style, it is that he is not concerned with absolute realism. He enjoys the artifice of film and extends it as far as he can, integrating the fanciful with the actual while avoiding â€Å"cheesiness†. Equally important in creating Jeunet’s uncompromised auteuristic style is the wide range of shots, angles, and editing techniques. Vanderschelden (2007) notes that many of the camera techniques used throughout the film are â€Å"playful†¦reinforcing the light-hearted, cartoon-like tone†. I agree strongly with this statement, as the film is rich with interesting and unusual camera angles and pans, which perfectly reflect the characters portrayed. Montage sequences are liberally used in Amà ©lie, and are a key element to the style of the film. The whole opening of the film appears to be montage, the very fast paced shots of Amà ©lie’s childhood, from conception, to birth, to being five years old, to being fully grown up. According to Eisenstein’s Montage theory, the juxtaposition of opposites or similarities allows the filmmaker to shape the mind and emotions of the viewer. I feel that Jeunet chose to show Amà ©lie growing up at such a roaring pace, juxtaposing her childhood years and adult years, to show the audience how much she has changed and how much she has stayed the same. This device not only adds a â€Å"quirky humour† to the film, but it also introduces the fast paced and frantic tone of the film, allowing the viewer to gain a lot of ‘pointless’ information in a very short amount of time. The use of sped up footage is used throughout the film, accompanied by loud sound effects to keep the pace of the film up. The pacing up also works to create a surreal and quirky feel to the film. An example of this is when Amà ©lie cuts up the letters in a blur of speed. I found this added a little cartoon-like element to the film, as well as allowing the viewer to understand what it happening. Other examples of this in the film are the sped-up linking shots between Amà ©lie visiting the various Bedoteaux (not Betodeau), again accompanied by racing car noise sound effects. Another technique Jeunet uses in Amà ©lie is the use of a handheld camera. An example of this is in the fast paced scene where Amà ©lie takes the blind man by the arm and tells him what she sees. The handheld camera adds to the spontaneity of the scene, as it follows Amà ©lie’s sudden decision to help people. The scene is over very quickly, leaving the blind man stood appreciating what has just happened, and the handheld camera turns into a crane shot which swoops above, highlighting the significance of that moment. Often in films such as Mathieu Kassovitz’s â€Å"La Haine† (1995) the handheld camera is a technique which adds realism and makes the film seem much more dramatic. I feel that in Amà ©lie, the opposite effect is achieved, as the handheld camera is not used extensively, and is only used in times of excitement and joy, such as the final scene of Nino and Amà ©lie riding on the moped in a fairytale-like ending. Instead of adding realism, the handhel d camera conforms to Jeunet’s unique style, and adds to the surrealism of the film. Jeunet successfully uses a lot of panning and tracking, adding also to the fast pace established by the other techniques. For long periods of the film there is constant fluid movement, with the camera circling characters or swooping over scenes. The audience is often placed in an observing position, with the camera standing at a distance to the action. We are used to this convention in film but we are also used to being invited to get close into the action when it is appropriate, for instance if there is an important conversation. There are some occasions in Amà ©lie where we expect to be closer in to the action than we are, for example in the closed cafe, when Amà ©lie suggests to Georgette that Joseph likes her, we are positioned in a corner behind the stacked chairs, as if suggesting that we are eavesdropping on the conversation. This adds an air of secrecy and mystery in the film. An extension of this is when we see the action through a window, or an actual physical barrier, such as the conversation between Amà ©lie and Nino in the cafe where they talk through the glass screen. And removing the audience even further, binoculars and video cameras are used by the characters in the film in some scenes, lending an air of voyeurism to their, and consequently our, role. In addition, the film appears to be shot as a picture. Many of the scenes are framed; each looked pretty as a postcard and reflected her status of an observer. Scenes framed as pictures.