Character Cannot Be Developed in Ease and Quiet Critical Lens Essay

Critical Lens Essay Helen Keller once said â€Å"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through the experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. In other words what this quotation means is what individuals go through in life makes them what they are. Individuals have to go through good and bad to learn love and strength. Two examples that support the validity of this quotation are Night by Elie Wiesel and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.In Night by Elie Wiesel, the protagonist, Eliezer, is taken to Birkenau during World War Two with his father and is separated from the rest of his family. When seeing such horrific conditions in the concentration camp, Eliezer starts to lose faith in God and in himself, yet as his character builds, he starts to mature as time went on. Eliezer’s experiences educate individuals that life in not always far; some individuals lose faith and give u p yet some, like Eliezer, gain strength from their experiences and build up their character.In The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the protagonist, Esperanza, lives on Mango Street with her family and struggles with events where she is faced with adult responsibilities and maturity. In the vignette â€Å"Red Clowns†, she is taken advantage of and experiences an act of nature where she is transformed into a woman. Esperanza shows that overcoming catastrophes make you a stronger person. With such experiences comes strength and maturity.In both Night by Elie Wiesel and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the protagonists, Esperanza and Eliezer are faced with events that make them stronger and better people. They are two examples of individuals that support the validity of the quote that Helen Keller once said â€Å"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through the experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved†. Even when the going gets tough, individuals learn love and strength which allows them to obtain victory and build character and achieve their dreams.

Position of Women in India

â€Å"Savitri fought with the God of Death (Yama) and succeeded in getting her husband back to life. Can you find any instance in the scriptures or history where a husband was prepared to do sacrifice for his wife? If the wife is dead, he is ready to have a second marriage. Such unfair things are happening in the world in respect of women. † -: Sathya Sai (Volume 31, Chapter 14 ‘Glory Of Womanhood') When we look at the Hindu mythology we see that women are supposed to be treated as Goddesses. One of the most popular festivals of Hindus is the ‘Navratra’ in which Hindus worship Goddess Durga (the worrier goddess), Goddess Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth and prosperity) and Goddess Saraswati (the goddess of Knowledge and Arts). On the last day of this festival, the daughters of the house are worshiped. But still in India we see that our society has grown so favorable towards the males. Hindu’s, even after referring to the daughters as Devi (goddess), expect a widow to jump on the pyre of the husband, a practice known as Sati. Dowry is still date given (even after being criminalized) to the groom at the time of marriage. The Gender imbalance can be traced down to Manusmriti in 200 B. C. which lays down the duties of a woman. â€Å"In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent. † . The Manusmriti were used as a model for the framing of the Dharmashastra, which later became the local laws. Thus we can see the position of women in India today is because of century old traditions and customs. Even though the Constitution of India promotes gender equality through the notion of Equality and secularism providing a framework to treat all its citizens equal and commands that no discrimination should be made on the bases of one’s gender , gender discrimination still exists due to the presence of various personal laws. In recent years, India has witnessed many reforms for example the abolishment of sati and criminalizing sex determination. The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (HSA) amends and codifies the law relating to intestate succession among Hindus and aims to lay down a uniform law of uccession whereby attempt has been made to ensure equality of inheritance rights between sons and daughters. It applies to all Hindus including Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs’ . The section 6 of the act is as follows: ‘Devolution of interest of coparcenary property. – When a male Hindu dies after the commencement of this Act, having at the time of his death an interest in a Mitakshara coparcenary property, his interest in the property shall devolve by survivorship upon the surviving members of the coparcenary and not in accordance with this Act. Provided that, if the deceased had left him surviving a female relative specified in class 1 of the Schedule or a male relative specified in that class who claims through such female relative, the interest of the deceased in the Mitakshara coparcenary property shall devolve by testamentary or intestate succession, as the case may be, under this Act and not by survivorship. Explanation 1. For the purposes of this section, the interest of a Hindu Mitakshara coparcener shall be deemed to be the share in the property that would have been allotted to him if a partition of the property had taken place immediately before his death, irrespective of whether he was entitled to claim partition or not. Explanation 2. – Nothing contained in the proviso to this section shall be construed as enabling a person who has separated himself from the coparcenary before the death of the deceased or any of his heirs to claim on intestacy a share in the interest referred to therein. For example, F (th e farther who had an interest in the coparcenary property) has two sons A & B (who are also the members of the coparcenary) and a daughter D. In such a case on the death of A, D will get only 1/3 share from the share of A in the coparcenary property. While the sons A and B will get 1/3 +1/9 each. But this act remained under controversy as the laws of inheritance gave preference only class I heirs in a joint Hindu family. This included only the male members and excluded women. Due to this women of the family could not inherit the family ancestral property. But even before the amendment took place, in states like Maharashtra, and Karnataka, women were given equal rights. Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 For a very long time female members of the family were not considered a coparcener. The family property was divided only amongst the male members of the family. But then thanks to the feminist movements in India, the law commission of India submitted its 174th report in the year 2000: â€Å"Property Rights of Women: Proposed Reform under the Hindu Law†. In this report it was suggested that female members of the family should be included under the list of coparcenary thus giving them the right to inherit property. As a result of this report and other feminist movements, the Hindu Succession Act was amended and the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 came into force from 9th September 2005 ‘section 6 (l). Devolution of interest in coparcenary property. 1) On and from the commencement of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, in a Joint Hindu family governed by the Mitakshara law, the daughter of a coparcener shall,– (a) by birth become a coparcener in her own right the same manner as the son ; (b) have the same rights in the coparcenary property as she would have had if she had been a son; (c) be subject to the same liabilities in respect of the said coparcenary property as that of a son, and any reference to a Hindu Mitakshara coparcener shall be deemed to include a reference to a daughter of a coparcener: Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall affect or invalidate any disposition or alienation including any partition or testamentary disposition of property which had taken place before the 20th day of December, 2004. 2) Any property to which a female Hindu becomes entitled by virtue of subsection (1) shall be held by her with the incidents of coparcenary ownership and shall be regarded, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or any other law for the time being in force in, as property capable of being disposed of by her by testamentary disposition. (3) Where a Hindu dies after the commencement of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, his interest in the property of a Joint Hindu family governed by the Mitakshara law, shall devolve by testamentary or intestate succession, as the case may be, under this Act and not by survivorship, and the coparcenary property shall be deemed to have been divided as if a partition had taken place and,- a) the daughter is allotted the same share as is allotted to a son (b) the share of the pre-deceased son or a pre-deceased daughter, as they would have got had they been alive at the time of partition, shall be allotted to the surviving child of such pre-deceased son or of such pre-deceased daughter; and (c) the share of the pre-deceased child of a pre-deceased son or of a predeceased daughter, as such child would have got had he or she been alive at the time of the partition, shall be allotted to the child of such pre-deceased child of the pre-deceased so or a pre-deceased daughter, as the case may be. Explanation. — For the purposes of this sub-section, the interest of a Hindu Mitakshara coparcener shall be deemed to be the share in the property that would have been allotted to him if a partition of the property had taken place immediately before his death, irrespective of whether he was entitled to claim partition or not. 4) After the commencement of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, no court shall recognize any right to proceed against a son, grandson or great-grandson for the recovery of any debt due from his father, grandfather or great-grandfather solely on the ground of the pious obligation under the Hindu law, of such son, grandson or great-grandson to discharge any such debt: Provided that in the case of any debt contracted before the commencement of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, nothing contained in this sub-section shall affect– (a) the right of any creditor to proceed against the son, grandson or great-grandson, as the case may be; or (b) any alienation made in respect of or in satisfaction of, any such debt, and any such right or alienation shall be enforceable under the rule of pious obligation in the same manner and to the same extent as it would have been enforceable as if the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 had not been enacted. Explanation. For the purposes of clause (a), the expression â€Å"son†, â€Å"grandson† or â€Å"great-grandson† shall be deemed to refer to the son, grandson or great-grandson, as the case may be, who was born or adopted prior to the commencement of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005. 5) Nothing contained in this section shall apply to a partition, which has been effected before the 20th day of December 2004. Explanation- For the purposes of this section â€Å"partition† means any partition made by execution of a deed of partition duly registered under the Registration Act, 1908 or partition affected by a decree of a court’ The main objective of this act was to include women in the category of coparcenaries so that even the female members could inherit property under any circumstances which could lead to a situation of where the family property is being divided amongst its members . The author submits that this amendment gave women the right they deserv ed and which had been denied from the very beginning. This amendment also opposes Section 23 of the original act, suggesting omission of the same as it does not permit any female heir to ask for a partition. In the earlier act only a male heir could chose to have a partition. The amendment on the other hand does not interfere with the special rights of those who are members of Hindu coparcenary except to provide rules and certain other regulations for division of interest of a deceased male. The Author also submits that the anomalies which still persist are because of the retention of the core essence of the Mitakshara joint property system. The system believed that making daughter coparceners would affect the share of other Class I female heirs like the deceased’s widow and mother. This would be because the coparcenary’s share would in fact come from the Class I female heirs. Another problem is the fact that coparcenary remains a primary entitlement of the males in the house. By this system the male heir is put before the female heir as this legal set up provides that the male heirs should inherit an additional independent share over and above what they inherit with the female heirs. In the case of a ‘Hindu female dying without a will; her property divides first to her husband’s heirs, then to husband's father's heirs and finally only to mother's heirs; more or less this property of a Hindu female is well kept and maintained within her husband’s hold. ’ .

Harm of Nuclear Weapon

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon – the United States has a moral responsibility to act. Good morning respected judges teachers and my dear friends I here today to speak on the topic dangers of nuclear weapons We all know that the effect of the nuclear explosion in hiroshima and Nagasaki can be felt even today the survivors tell us that no one should ever undergo what they have been through a nuclear explosion creates a living hell where the living envy the dead. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter; a modern thermonuclear weapon weighing little more than a thousand kilograms can produce an explosion comparable to the detonation of more than a billion kilograms of conventional high explosive. [1] Thus, even single small nuclear devices no larger than traditional bombs can devastate an entire city by blast, fire and radiation. Nuclear weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction, and their use and control has been a major focus of international relations policy since their debut. In the history of warfare, only two nuclear weapons have been detonated offensively, both near the end of World War II. The first was detonated on the morning of 6 August 1945, when the United States dropped a uranium gun-type device code-named â€Å"Little Boy† on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The second was detonated three days later when the United States dropped a plutonium implosion-type device code-named â€Å"Fat Man† on the city of Nagasaki, Japan. These bombings resulted in the immediate deaths of an estimated 80,000 people (mostly civilians) from injuries sustained from the explosion. When factoring in deaths from long-term effects of ionizing radiation and acute radiation sickness, the total death toll is estimated at 120,000. The use of these weapons remains controversial. Since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, nuclear weapons have been detonated on over two thousand occasions for testing purposes and demonstration purposes. A few states have possessed such weapons or are suspected of seeking them. The only countries known to have detonated nuclear weapons—and that acknowledge possessing such weapons—are (chronologically) the United States, the Soviet Union (succeeded as a nuclear power by Russia), the United Kingdom, France, the People's Republic of China, India, Pakistan, and North Korea. Israel is also widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, though it does not acknowledge having them. [2]

Australian Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Australian Economy - Essay Example The prediction was that the central bank of Australia would be forced to bring into play an expansionary monetary policy that would have rates of interest lowered to 2.5% from 4.25% so as to trigger growth. (Foley, 2009) Just before looking at this policy, it is of essence to explain vividly what a monetary policy entails. The situation in the world since year 2008 has been very serious and many economies including North America and Europe experienced a major economic downturn. Generally, the whole world was experiencing one of the most serious economic recessions. Australia as an economy has been said by most economic analysts to have defied this downturn. However, it has been affected as well by this situation, to mention the least. Governments, through their central banks, use both monetary policies and fiscal policies to control the stability and growth of the aggregate economy. This study is about both of these economic policies and more particularly in the context of the Austra lian economy. The study will first tackle each of these policies in general to create an understanding of the same before narrowing down to the Australian situation. Monetary policy will be the first to handle before going on to the fiscal policy. Monetary policies are usually about two major categories. These are expansionary and contractionary monetary policies. An expansionary policy is generally an open-market buying while a contractinary policy is about an open-market sale. An expansionary policy involves lowering of rates of interest while a contractionary policy escalates interest rates. Increased interest rates (contractionary policy) mean that borrowing from banks will be more expensive and thus, there will be minimal borrowing, which reduces currency supply in a given economy. A reduction in interest rates (expansionary policy) means that borrowing from banks will be easier due to the low rates of interest. Thus, this increases currency supply in the economy. Graphs can be utilised to illustrate what has been explained earlier concerning monetary policies. This is as shown below; Figure 1: Monetary policies illustrated in graphs Interest rates S0 S1 Interest rates S1 S0 D D Bank Reserves Bank Reserves Expansionary policy Contractionary policy As shown by the arrows, an expansionary policy involves a lowering of the rates of interest and thus, a rise in the supply of currency while a contractionary policy does exactly the opposite. S0 shows the original currency supply while S1 is the new supply. D is the demand curve for currency. (Baumol and Blinder, 2010 pp270, 271) Despite the criticism by the International Monetary Fund, that Australia was using a bad approach (in year 2010) to the inflation levels by using a monetary policy that was based in inflation targeting, the Reserve Bank of Australia continued using this approach. At this point in time, the bank was applying a contarctionary policy. The Reserve Bank usually targets a range of inflation o f around 2-3% while making these decisions of the monetary policy. It was to utilize the rates of interest so as to slower the overheating of the Australian economy. In 2010, the inflation target ranged between 1-2%. In order to control the condition of the recession effects, the Reserve Bank was applying a

Mergers Don't Always Lead to Culture Clashes Paper Essay

Mergers Don't Always Lead to Culture Clashes Paper - Essay Example People thought the two cultures would clash but it was successful. Q1. What ways were the cultures of BANK of America and NMBA incompatible? In the year 2005, Bank of America acquired MBA at a cost of 35 billion dollar (More, 2006). MBNA’s employers had accustomed their employees to high salaries packages. Their headquarters were an example of luxury at its best. They had private jets and yachts, and enjoyed a company golf course. They had adopted a formal mode of dressing and it was strictly suit and tie. Bank of America on the other hand, paid its employees’ salaries that were in line with the market figures. They had a casual approach towards their mode of dressing. They also preferred simplicity of premises in terms of the architecture. The differences between the cultures of the two companies were based on the social interactions. MBNA accuses its counterparts of being bureaucratic and BOA terms the MBNA directors as being arrogant. The companies approach to the co rporate image is the bottom line of the differences. Q2. Why do you think their cultures seem to mesh and rather than clash? The two companies were quite compatible. Their different approaches were put together and each adopted the other company’s culture. They both compromised on their stands. The two corporate cultures meshed due to the fact that their differences were only prevalent on the corporate image. The differences lay on issues that could be dealt with easily. The adjustment of the two companies to the new corporate culture did not need time or negative financial complications for the company. For example, the issue of salaries was handled by adopting the market figures; thus, the MBNA staff had to suffer from pay cuts. The golf course and private jets were disposed, but one private jet was retained. The issue of dressing was handled with adopting MBNA official setting for the public relation department. BOA’s casual approach was adopted for the other depart ments. Each company policies were evaluated and the best solution was used. Q3. Do you think culture is important to the success of a merger/acquisition? According to Deal and Kennedy (2008), dealing with the corporate culture when merging two companies is very important. It is essential due to the fact that it will determine the success of the new company. The corporate culture of a company contributes to the profitability of accompany to some extent. It is therefore, important to ensure that you incorporate both cultures and blend them in a way that the profit attributed to the two companies corporate culture will be retained. The accomplishment of the acquisition will depend on the way the two companies deal with the different corporate cultures. The other reason as to why it is important to ensure the success of merging is to achieve the best value of the new company. The deal value should not be eroded with the new merger. It is crucial that the new company’s corporate c ulture is not undermined or lacks consideration. The new employees should feel comfortable in the new working environment for the best results to be achieved. The new corporate culture should be accepted by the employees freely. Q4. How much of the smooth transition if any, do you think comes from both companies glossing over real differences in an effort to make the merger work? Both companies’ ability to compromise was the factor that contributed to the smooth acquisition of the two compan

Matrixes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Matrixes - Essay Example SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. SWOT analysis is a tool used for auditing the organization and its environment (Marketingteacher.com, 2011.) It is a very popular and useful tool for developing strategic management decision because it is simple and easy to use. In SWOT, strengths and weaknesses are considered as internal factors while opportunities and threats are external. This also gives the reason why SWOT analysis is sometimes called the Internal-External analysis (Mindtools.com, 2011). This is done with the help of the SWOT matrix where in the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the organization are considered. By looking at the strengths of the organization, the possible areas for comparison with the competitors maybe discovered and this will also present the weaknesses that the organization possesses. Useful opportunities may come from looking at the strengths and trying to eliminate the weaknesses of the organization. Threats are the external factors that serve as obstacles that organization may face. SWOT analysis may help the organization in its strategic management decisions as it uncover opportunities where it is well placed to exploit and by understanding the weaknesses, threats can be managed and eliminated.

Importance of Building a Brand for Kellogg Essay

Importance of Building a Brand for Kellogg - Essay Example In the Kellogg’s Case Study, an extensive evaluation of the brand building Kellogg is carried out. It deals with the question whether Kellogg is able to sustain its product lifecycle which is of great significance. Whilst building a brand for a product, it is equally important to consider whether it is possible to capture the market and profitability. For this, it is necessary to implement appropriate major strategic matters related to marketing. Kellogg’s All Bran Brand has been a leading brand in the fiber sector of the cereal market for a long period of time. Kellogg, a leading company in the global market, produces cereal products and other food items like snacks, pastries, cookies etc. One of the main features of Kellogg’s products is that the company offers goods marked for taste and quality. Among its number of brands, All-Bran brand of Kellogg Company holds a considerable position in the market avenues. This is mainly for the reason that the brand offers more nutritious products than the other brands. An effective implementation of both financing and marketing sectors is decisive for this brand building of All-Bran banner. In addition to this, it also requires consumer perception of the changes made by Kellogg Company. The brand image of Kellogg’s All-Bran is outstanding as compared to other high fiber brands made by Kellogg. So, in order to attain an overall development of all brands, Kellogg gas decided to merge all other brands with the master brand of Kellogg Company. As we take in to account the running style of the Kellogg Company, we find that it is necessary to evaluate the product life cycle of All-Bran product in order to improve its existing strategic plans. Effective implementation of marketing strategies is essential in the accomplishment of goals set by the entity. The success of any product and its marketing is highly related to its brand image. â€Å"Consumers very often do not use explicit, concrete, rational factors to evaluate products, and thus their motivation to purchase is not always easy to articulate.†Ã‚  

Individual Privacy vs. National Security Research Paper

Individual Privacy vs. National Security - Research Paper Example The importance of individual privacy vs. national security has attracted the interest of researchers from various academic fields. This is a broad research topic that requires to be narrowed down for it to become a manageable research topic (Sole, 2010). Narrowing down the topic to a manageable level was carried out in the first phase of the project. The second phase of the research involved discovering or finding relevant sources of information for the research topic. By an analysis of the research problem, the scope of the research project was established. The analysis of the problem established that the recent terrorist threats have contributed to the debate of personal privacy vs. national security. These findings led to the claim that national security could only be realized with limited flow of information. The research project aimed at establishing whether the proposed antiterrorism measures will compromise individual privacy. This paper therefore, analyzes how enhancing natio nal security has compromised individual privacy. The paper follows directly from the previous work on individual privacy vs. national security. Fighting terrorists are the responsibility of the federal government; however, the government has responsibilities towards its people. For the government to achieve an appropriate balance between the two responsibilities, it needs to consider their long-term implications. The federal government also needs to establish which issue is of considerable importance to the country. The assessment phase of the project proved that invasion of people’s privacy concerned the people more than issue of national security. This did not imply that people were ignorant on the security concerns in the country and about the recent terrorist threats. People have direct interests in individual privacy as compared to their interest on matters of national security. Unlike matters of national security, invasion of personal privacy has direct impacts on the p eople. During the assessment phase of the research project, it was established that the federal government considered national security more valuable than people’s privacy. This implies that the government lacked concerns over long-term implication of invading personal privacy in expense of fighting terrorism. According to the openness, privacy, and national security debate bulletin, the government needs to reconsider its actions (Hardin, 2003). It was established that the government took extreme measures to fight terrorism after the September 11, 2001 attacks. The government, therefore, needed to reconsider its actions by enhancing people’s privacy despite the immediate needs to fight terrorism. This is because the measures taken by the government to fights terrorism had more negativity and less positive impacts. The measure taken by the government was also unrealistic since terrorism cannot be eliminated overnight. The people are more beneficial to the country than n ational security. This is because national security is meant to improve people’s livelihood and, therefore the government should enhance national security according to the interests of the people. Personal privacy is of interest to the people and, therefore invasion of personal privacy should be of interest to the federal government. The American government has a duty to the people as well as the country. The government also has international objectives that the country must achieve. The position

Second Language Acquisition Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6500 words

Second Language Acquisition - Case Study Example Contemporary attitudes towards English learning in Cyprus is divided into two - the early Cypriots who were educated during the reign of British rule acknowledged English as a tool to enhance their culture, knowledge and relationships with other countries, and those who in this era consider English to access resources around the world. The new generation of English learners hold a more positive attitude toward second language acquisition (SLA) and consider it as a tool to 'globalisation'. Cypriot learners of new generation are positive to grasp English language (EL) concepts while at the same time many teachers have noticed that they have fear of public speaking, however once they get over their fears; they will enjoy engaging in public debates since learners are well aware of the skills they are developing in context of SLA. SLA research suggests that a majority of English non-native speakers in Greek Cyprus are teaching English depending upon their Cypriot language backgrounds, level of education and training, teaching methods, aspirations and career prospects, and the status of English in Cyprus. Many linguists believe that an ideal teacher of English language is a native speaker, since native speakers of a language have a better command of fluent, idiomatically correct language forms, are more knowledgeable about the cultural connotations of a language, and are the intermediaries of the acceptability of any given samples of the language. Such a native speaker fallacy pointed out a number of weaknesses and contradictions when the features attributed to native speakers of a language, and it was discovered that native language features can be instilled through teacher training. The general nature of our research will highlight various communicative language teaching methods in context with SLA but would not be limited to what linguistic researchers view SLA as the process of combining the structural components into their preexisting mental structures. In fact it would be better to say that our research would seek means beyond traditional approaches learning SLA. The specific goals of research would follow a perspective varying from finding the most convenient theory of facilitating the integration of new systemic knowledge to discovering an ideal learner based linguistic system with the help of problem identification. Throughout each chapter we would be discussing various learning methods of SLA in context to the new changes and what made the initial learning methods to be criticised. Chapter 1 highlights the significance of grammar and translation while highlighting on further advancement of methods discussed in previous chapter. Chapter 2 would proceed the learning methods while at the same time mentioning theories of language acquisition in the light of its pros and cons. Chapter 3 discusses the significance of silence language learning techniques while chapter 4 discusses how new methods of language acquisition to teachers have brought challenges to the preexisting teaching methods. Learning or teaching a second language allows the learner to build a more comprehensive model of second language learning and this is done by creating a set of principles that are easily applied in the environment of classroom interaction practices. However in the case of Cypriot learners, it would be wrong to say that Greek Cypriot language would be helpful in communicating, it would not provide the learners with a new

The skeletal system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The skeletal system - Essay Example The joints that connect a bone to another bone, a bone to a cartilage or a cartilage with another cartilage are important components of the skeletal system as they are responsible for the mobility of the human body (Skeletal system, n.d). A new born infant usually possess around 230 bones while a fully grown adult will approximately have about 206 bones. The human skeleton is divided into two major components namely the axial and appendicular skeleton. The axial portion comprises about 80 bones which include those in the skull, vertebral column and thoracic cage which comprise the axis of the body. The appendicular portion has about 126 bones, attached to the axial skeleton, which include the different appendages within the body and includes the shoulder girdle, skeletal portions of the upper and lower limb and the pelvic girdle (Skeletal system, n.d; Kulkarni, n.d; Anatomy of the bone, n.d). The human body consists of 5 types of bones which are classified based on their shape and function. These include the long bones whose length is greater than their width such as the limb bones, the short bones with approximately equal length and width include the carpals and tarsals, the flat bones which are attached to muscles s uch as the breast bone mainly protect body organs, the bones of the vertebral and mandibles are irregular in shape and the sesamoid bones which are small and present in the joints such as the knee cap provide protection to the tendons (Kulkarni, n.d; Types of bone, n.d; Anatomy of the bone, n.d).

Sales Developing and Merchandising Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sales Developing and Merchandising - Assignment Example s of the product, external sales development techniques, the tools and techniques of internal sales promotion and merchandising and role played by the staff in ensuring the success of the hotel. The hotel under consideration is called the APA Hotels & Resorts. As a point of departure, the APA Hotels & Resorts are headquartered in Japan. This hotel has a slogan that assures the clients top quality products and services. The hotel endeavours to attain non-nonsense frugality. A long side the normal services that are offered at a cost, the hotel offers a free breakfast. The rates are affordable. They range form 5500-14000JPY. The hotel has over 76 properties well spread across various nations. The hotel offers a wide range of accommodation facilities, which range from a single executive room for one person to double executive suite for two people. Consider the following cost of various classes of accommodation. In essence, the nature of products and services offered form a fundamental basis in which the organization creates its market niche. The larger the market niches the more the revenues. Essentially, in the hotel and & hospitality industry, the competition among the primary players depends on the quality of the products and the nature in which they are presented to the clients (JONES & LOCKWOOD, 2004). Giving more insight on the manner of product presentation in the modern business milieu has taken a technological dimension, which has seen numerous organizations embrace internet marketing and distribution. In the hotel industry, the hotels and resorts use internet application in creating channels, which help in the overall management of the organization (ANDREWS, 2009). The aspect of product differentiation is attributed to this context where the organizations such as the APA Hotel and Resort use the best procedures and superior raw materials to produce unique products. It is imperati ve to note that product differentiation helps APA Hotels & Resorts to identify

Childhood Obesity in School Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity in School Essay Childhood obesity is a problem in the United States. It affects a child’s life tremendously. Childhood obesity in school is an important subject for one to learn about. People who have children or plan on having children need to know the risks that are involved in this disorder. Childhood obesity is a serious problem for children but it can be worse in schools. School life is hard enough for a child to adjust; it is even harder for a child to deal with school and obesity at the same time. There are many aspects to how childhood obesity affects children in schools: it affects their learning abilities, it affects their social skills and their psychological well-being, and it also affects their health. Childhood obesity is when a child has an excessive amount of body fat in relationship to lean body mass. Childhood obesity is sometimes a genetic disorder and sometimes an environmental situation issue. By genetics it means it can be given to the child by anyone in their family lineage. By environmental situation issues it means it is based on the foods a child eats, whether they exercise regularly, or by the habits they learn. Mass media also is a consideration in child obesity as advertisements can affect how a child wants to eat. Fast food companies attract many children just in their advertisements alone. The internet also affects children and they get to use the internet at school. They see advertisements online or play games online that make them not want to be active in everyday life. There are so many aspects to a child’s life that can lead to obesity and most of it starts at home but then overflows into the academic life of a child. Children who are obese tend to have more health issues and the health concerns can affect their everyday school life. The regularity of childhood obesity is a public health concern. Childhood obesity is connected to a variety of detrimental health conditions including diabetes, metabolic  syndrome, and heart disease (Freedman, Diets, Srinivasan, and Berenson, 1999). The more health issues a child has the more it affects school life. Children with health concerns from obesity end up missing a number of days for being sick and that puts them behind in their school work. The time away from school leads to missed assignments and also less socialization time with peers. Children who are obese tend to be sleepy and not be able to pay attention during classroom lectures. Overweight children also can have serious health issues now and as well in adult years; such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, bone and joint issues, and even sleep disorders which can affect every day routine (John, H., 2011). The problem of obesity is not contained than it will â€Å"surpass tobacco as the leading cause of death† (Bhattacharya 2004, p.1). Childhood obesity affects children with their learning abilities in the classroom. Occasionally how a child is affected educationally by childhood obesity is not as obvious as the health concerns that arise from the obesity. Children who are obese tend to have low self-esteem and do not participate as well in class discussions. As new clinical practice guidelines are being developed to address childhood obesity, the reduction of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem associated with being overweight should also be considered in developing the guidelines (Cornette, 2008). It has not really been studied accurately or in excess but one would wonder if obesity would affect the brain because of lack of blood flow or just lack of healthiness. If the brain is hindered in any way then learning is definitely impacted. Obese children have a hard time with the affects obesity has on their social skills and their psychological well-being. Being bullied is something that is a common occurrence with obese children. Obese children have a hard time socializing due to being picked on. They also get labeled with titles that sometimes do not fit them just because of their appearance: lazy, slouch, unattractive, and mean. Sometimes they actually get labeled as the bully because of their size when actually they are not. Obesity in children is also associated with an elevated risk of various psychosocial problems. Children who suffer from obesity are more likely to have behavioral problems  and emotional disturbances (Stradmeijer, Bosch, Koops, and Seidell, 2000). Obesity limits students’ ability to excel in social and psychological problems, such as being bullied and low self-esteem. Obese children that are bullied can be very emotional or very quiet and hold everything in and that can lead to other problems as well. Results from a small-scale study of 106 obese children, between the ages of 5 and 18, revealed that obese students were often subject to teasing and ostracism, and that they reported having trouble keeping up with their peers, both physically and academically the emotional and social stress from being obese can be very hard on a child (Browman, Darcia Harris, 2003). Both as a parent or a student, all should understand the emotional and physical impacts that can cause great danger to an overweight child. Children with an inactive lifestyle, large at birth, with high-risk family health behaviors, and from a family with low income or low education attainment, were more likely to be obese. Findings suggest that interventions targeting family and supporting people to implement lifestyle changes are promising to prevent childhood obesity (Brophy, Cooksey, Gravenor, Mistry, Thomas, Lyons Williams, 2009). In addition, efforts appear to be focused on reducing weight, a small amount attention is directed to the psycho-socio-emotional effect that being overweight have on children. Studies are important because they show that childhood obesity is not only associated with health risk but also with problems in social interactions and relationships (Janssen, Craig, Boyce Pickett, 2003). Children that are obese also have a hard time doing some of the activities in school. When interviewing two teachers at Tennessee Ridge Elementary School and asking them about the effects of childhood obesity in their classrooms both had somewhat of the same answer. â€Å"Obese children have a harder time playing most of the physical activities I have planned that involve them getting up and down a lot† (Moore, 2012). As well as Mrs. Tomlinson (2012) stated that â€Å"children who are overweight seem to have a hard time getting up and down during our rug times and seem to have difficulty sitting in the crisscross position for more than a few minutes†. These students end up feeling like they are left out or feeling different than other children. They are also less likely to be able to keep up with  the other children on the playground. This is where one runs into the situation of being picked last on the playground or just simply being left out. This leads to a lot of the other complications obese children face in schools. There are many ways that the school system tries to help children stay fit and not have to battle obesity. One of the ways the schools try to help is by serving healthy lunches and snacks. They have also taken vending machines out of schools as much as possible. Also the schools try to ensure every child gets plenty of physical activity time and recess time. Teachers add activities that involve moving and being active in their curriculums; such as allowing children to sit on exercise balls while doing desk work and doing learning drills with physical activities. Exercising actually makes children less stressed and makes them focused on learning. â€Å"Young children who exercise at school perform better in concentration tests, researchers have said after a study on pupils in Aberdeen† (Williams, 2010). Being active and watching what a child eats can significantly help children it also teaches them good habits that will benefit them later on in life as well. Another way children learn is by example and teachers can set an example for children as well as their parents can. For example, teachers are not allowed to carry soda cans around they have to put it in different containers if they are drinking soda at school. Even with the schools being involved it is important for parents to do the same at home. Most schools and communities offer health programs and exercise classes for parents and children. Children are at school as much as they are at home and so in order to help children with obesity it needs to be a joint effort. Obesity is a serious situation and in children it is more serious. Obesity can affect a child a lot more than an adult because of all the social and emotional situations that arise that obese children are not ready to handle. Sometimes children cannot handle situations as well as adults can. The effects of childhood obesity can be very overwhelming to a child especially in the school environment. It is important for people to be aware of the effects of obesity in children and in the school system. Having obesity affect so much of a child’s school life can also interfere with their  future. Obesity harmfully impacting academics should make parents, educators, and policy makers alike have an even greater incentive to curb the threat of obesity in this country. References Bhattacharya, S. (2004). Obesity to Surpass Tobacco as Top U.S. Killer. Retrieved fromwww.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4763. Boyce, W., PhD, Craig, W., PhD, Janssen, I., PhD, Pickett, W., PhD (2003). Associations between overweight and obesity with bullying behaviors in school-aged children. PEDIATRICS , 113(1187), Retrieved from: pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/113/5/1187.full.html Brophy, S., Cooksey, R., Gravenor, M., Mistry, R., Thomas, N., Lyons, R., Williams, R.(2009). Risk factors for childhood obesity at age 5: Analysis of the millennium Cohortstudy. BMC Public Health, 9(467), doi: 10.1 186/1471-2458-9-467 Browman, Darcia Harris, 2003. Child Obesity Hurts Emotional Health, Study Says. Education Week: Vol 22, Issue 32, p. 9. Cornette, R. (2008). The emotional impact of obesity on children. Worldviews on EvidenceBased Nursing, 5(3), 136-141. doi: 1545-1021/08 Freedman, D. S., Dietz, W. H., Srinivasan, S. R., Berenson, G. S. (1999). The relation ofobese to cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents: The BogalusaHeart Study. Pediatrics, 103, 1175-1182. John, H. (2011, 3 12). Retrieved from http://www.nsba.org/Board-Leadership/SchoolHealth/obesity-and-schools Moore, S. (2012, Decemeber, 01). Interview by B.A. Self [Personal Interview]. What effects do you see childhood obesity having in your classroom? Stradmeijer, M., Bosch, J., Koops, W., Seidell, J. (2000). Family functioning and psychosocial adjustment in obese youngsters. International Journal of Eating Disorders,27, 110-114. Tomlinson, J. (2012, November, 29). Interview by B.A. Self [Personal Interview]. What effects do you see childhood obesity having in your classroom? Williams, J. (2010, April 19). Bbc world news. Retrieved from ht tp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8629867.stm

Child Observation And Development

Child Observation And Development Observation skills are one of the most important skills for social workers to have. Social work involves imposing on peoples lives. Developing the ability to manage anxieties this creates, is essential, ensuring the child remains the focus within complex situations (Trowell and Miles 2004). Child development theories provide guidance on age-related changes in behaviours, thoughts, feelings, and social relationships (Bee and Boyd 2010). Social workers need knowledge of child development, to make an informed assessment whether a child is developing within the spectrum of normal or if they are a child in need. The observation model was an adjusted version of the Tavistock Model for studying infants. The original model observes a baby, an hour a week for the first one or two years of life, within the family home (Fawcett 2009). The observer does not take notes, as it allows them to notice all behaviours, movements and expressions of the child. Everything is recorded in detail after the observation. This can lead to forgetting some information within the write up. This model encourages the observer to avoid making judgements about the childs behaviour and development until after the observation and to reflect on each observation (Fawcett 2009 and Quitak 2004). The emphasis on reflection is strength of this model. It allows the observer to understand and separate their emotions and from the childs emotions (Trowell and Miles 2004). This skill is essential for social workers to make informed assessment of the child. Unlike the Tavistock Model, I completed five, one hour observations, in a nursery for three and four year olds. I did not take notes until observations 4 and 5, where I noted Sallys language for accuracy. I completed detailed write ups straight after each observation and then took time to reflect upon my emotions and thoughts and Sallys development. The nursery was part of a primary school, run by the local authority. The building was separate to the rest of the primary school. Its situated in a relatively affluent, middle class area, reflected in lower levels of free school meals compared to the general population. The nursery is open five days a week and the parent decides the days and times their child attends. Children can attend 8.30am to 11.30am, 12.30 to 3.30pm or all day from 8.30 to 3.30pm. Each session has between 15-20 children attending and the nursery has a total of forty children registered. The two teachers have degrees in early years education. They work part-time, one on Monday and Tuesday and the other Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. There is a nursery manager and a nursery assistant working full-time and a volunteer supporting two days a week. The nursery manager supports children within the classroom and appears to have equal status to other staff. The nursery is governed by Ofsted. The last report in October 2009 awarded the nursery a level of good. The report stated the overall effectiveness, outcomes, quality of provision and management of the Early Years Foundation stage was good. The staff make home visits to all children before starting nursery, to introduce themselves to the parent and child. The nursery is well equipped for young children. There is a large outside playing area, with plenty of age appropriate toys, including plastic climbing frames, slides, bikes and drawing areas. There are windows all the way around the nursery making it light and airy, and the walls are covered with educational material and childrens work. String hangs across the nursery where childrens work is attached. One end of classroom is the free play area with bean bags, childrens sofas, books laid out and an interactive white board, which the children can use. The other end is for the children sit together as a class. There is a role-play area, containing a childs kitchen, and a water tub with toys in. There are four tables in the nursery one set up for painting and art, one for writing and the other two with different activities everyday on. There are two computers each with educational games opened on them. When the weather is dry children are encouraged to play outside. All the children wear school uniform, navy jumper/cardigan, black trousers or skirt and a white t-shirt. I observed a Muslim, British-Pakistani girl called Sally. She is aged 3 years and 5 months. She attends the nursery five days a week from 8.30am-3.30pm. She is slightly shorter than the average height, has long black hair, with big brown eyes. Her parents are married and her mum works at a local high school teaching I.T. She has an older sister and two cousins attending the primary school. She has been attending day care since about a year old, but began this nursery in September 2012. I chose this nursery because it was a five minute walk from my house. It took a few weeks to contact the nursery manager because they were attending home visits. After speaking with this nursery manager she recommended Sally because she had normal development, attended the nursery regularly and thought her parents would be happy to give consent. I gave the nursery the information from the UEA and the consent letter for Sallys mother to sign, which was returned, signed to me. I did not speak directly to Sallys parents and was not introduced to Sally or the class. When I arrived at the observation I took a seat and started observing, which felt uncomfortable. In future observations, I would ask to be introduced to the class as someone watching how children grow, so I am not a stranger in the room. Sally was aware I was watching her but was unaware who and why I was doing this, which may be confusing for Sally. In future, I would speak to Sally, on my last observation to explain who I was and why I had been watching her. My observations took place 01/10/2012, 12/10/2012, 9/11/2012, 24/11/2012 and 27/11/2012. Originally I organised my observations for Friday mornings between 9-10am. I planned this, so I could compare Sallys development to limit other factors influencing her behaviour, such as tiredness at the end of the day. My first observation was scheduled for 28/09/2012; however, Sally was off sick. I decided to observe Monday 01/10/2012 between 9-10am, because I was at university the following Friday. I had arranged an observation for 26/10/2012 but this was Eid and Sally was off school and the following week was half term. This created the large gap between the second and third observation. I completed my final observation on a Tuesday afternoon, 2.30-3.30pm, because it allowed me to observe Sally being collected by her aunt. Although the observations did not occur evenly spread, I was able to observe the difference in Sally with the different teachers. Observations one and five were completed with one teacher, two three and four the other. I chose observation three to analyse because provides a general overview of all areas of Sallys development. Observation in full 23/11/2012 Child observation 9.00-10.00am Three teachers and 17 children present When I arrived Sally was sitting in the back of the classroom being read a story by a volunteer helper. She was looking at the book at she was read to and listening to it. This lasted for around 2-3 minutes until the teacher rung the bell. Sally got up and put her fingers in the air and started to move her fingers back and forth (all the class do this to show attention is on the teacher). The teacher announced it was time for the good morning song and all the children needed to be seated on the carpet area. Sally moved over towards the carpeted area. She stopped at the Playdough table and began to make small round shapes with the Playdough and out them into paper cake holders. She was cutting the Playdough with a plastic spatula, to break the Playdough up into smaller sizes to fit in the cake holders. There were other children at the table doing the same thing as Sally was there. The teacher said everyone should be sitting on the carpet; Sally looked up and then looked down again to carry on what she was doing. As she noticed the other children leaving she left. She and another boy were the last two to leave the table. Sally sat down on the carpet and pulled her trousers up to her knees and crossed her legs, putting her hands in her lap. She sat swaying for a short period of time side to side gently bumping into the boy sitting next to her, while he done the same towards her, smiling at each other. The teacher went round and said hello to all the children, Sally replied hello loudly with a wave towards the teacher. Sally looked over at me after she said hello and then quickly looked away. The teacher began singing the good morning song, Sally did not sing along except for a few words. The teacher then said she had got the song wrong and Sally, along with all other children began to laugh. Sallys face was animated with a large smile across her face. She had got up on her knees and was kneeling, rocking back and forth. The song began again and Sally sung along. She said Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday too. When she said the too she said this a little bit loud with her facial features becoming more prominent. Her lips pointed out further as she said too. Sally counted one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven as the days of the week were counted. Sally was sat rocking on her knees as she sung to the song. As the song finished a nursery assistant touched Sallys arm to indicate to sit back on the carpet and move backwards a bit. Sally responded to this and sat back down on the carpet with her legs crossed an arms tucked in her lap. Sally pulled up her socks. She pulled them so they were up as far as they could go, she then continued to tug at them, appearing to try make them go higher up her leg. She did this for both legs. She then began to press the bottom of her shoe as this made the lights in the sole flash red. The teacher told the class they would be doing a Christmas play and they would be getting dressed up and singing. The children were asked to stand up in a circle to practice some nursery rhymes. The class sung humpty dumpty. Sally knew all the words to this and sung along. She temporarily held the childs hand next to her. Sally followed actions of the class to fall down when humpty dumpty had a great fall, then got up after the teacher said they didnt need to fall down. Sally put her hands out in front of her with clenched fists and began to pretend to ride a horse, when the rhyme said all the kings horses. Sally was smiling while she was saying the rhyme. The class then sung Hey Diddle Diddle. Sally smiled during this rhyme but did not say too many words. She was looking around at other children, many of the other children did not say as much as the teacher did to this rhyme. The class was asked to sit back down and the teacher would pick the children sitting well to choose activities to play with. Sally sat with her legs crossed and her arms between her legs, so she ended up sitting on her hands, and she was rocking back and forth. Sally was chosen to pick an activity. Sally went over to the Playdough table and along with another 5 children began to make shapes with the Playdough. My view was blocked by the other children and could not see what shapes she was making but saw her interacting with other children. Sally looked at me a few times while she was playing with her Playdough, but showed no expression on her face as she looked at me. I smiled at her and then looked away around the classroom. Sally did not smile back when I smile at her. Sally then moved over towards the back area where the teacher had gone. She sat down in the back corner on the childrens sofa with a book. She looked through the book quickly looking at each page quickly before turning the page. She sat there for a few minutes doing this, another girl came and sat next to her and looked at the book. My view was partly blocked by the children in front of her dancing. Another girl went over and stood in front of her, they exchanged words. I could not hear what was being said because of the children in front of her. Sally moved over to the table and began to look at the nursery rhyme sheets which were lying on the table. She looked at each one and then moved onto the next sheet. The teacher came over and said to Sally do you want me to read one to you? Which one would you like? Sally replied that one and pointed to a blue sheet. The teacher began to read this. The teacher was then distracted by another child and left after reading the rhyme. Sally got up and moved slightly away from the chair she was sitting on. Sally got up and began to dance alongside the teacher to a train song. The song has a video which is shown on the interactive white board. Sally was put her hands out in front of her slightly bent and made them go round in circles, like a trains wheels. The teacher said I like your dancing Sally, have you been practicing? Sally looked up and smiled at the teacher and carried on dancing. She began to become more animated in her moves, moving around the carpet with her arms going up and down. Sally said my foot and the teacher looked down and said sorry Sally, are you ok? Sally continued to dance to the song. The next song was a song about stars and Sally moved her arms out the side and her spread her legs (like a star) and then began jumping up and down. Sally danced for the whole song. She then danced to the football song, and pretended to kick a football with her leg. The teacher said Sally come here and Sally went over towards the teacher. She stood next to her and she explained the order for the children to choose the song on the interactive whiteboard. Joanne would be before Sally. The teacher told another child this and as she said and then Joanne, Sally said and then meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and then me. Smiling and looking in the direction of the teacher. As the song finished she said out loud your turn! To the child who was next to choose the song. A boy went up to Sally as she was dancing and she showed her a toy butterfly. Sally looked at him and smiled and said thats not mine. She briefly took it off him and looked at it and then handed it back to the boy. The boy walked away and as he did another boy came up to Sally and started to push her. Sallys face went from smiling to frowning. The boy stopped as they both got closer to the bookcase, and sally moved away from him, still frowning. The teacher said are you pushing sally Harry? As Sally saw the teacher approach her bottom lip dropped and started to wobble, Sally walked towards the teacher and looked up towards her. She made a few sounds like she would begin to cry. This quickly stopped as the teacher spoke to the boy, Sally now had her back to me but I could see she was rubbing her face as the teacher spoke to Harry. The boy apologised to Sally after the teacher had asked him to sorry Sally. The teacher moved away to a different area of the classroom, Sally followed her. I could not hear what was said, but appeared to ask the teacher a question and tell her a short story. The teacher knelt down to Sallys height and listened and responded to her. The teacher asked Sally whether she wanted to paint a picture for her mum or to do some writing. Sally said writing Mrs (teachers name). Sally followed the teacher to the writing table. She stood at the table for a few seconds then looked at the drawing table. She walked over to get an apron and stood beside the table. She looked at the girl standing next to her, who had just sat on the chair in front of her and then stood up. She went to sit on the chair, but then got up again. They both stood next to the chair. Sally stood looking at the table and the other children sitting at it, clutching her apron. The teacher said to another child the shape was a diamond, Sally said diamond as she stood there. The teacher replied yes. Sally began to draw a shape in the air with her fingers. She made the shape of a diamond. She moved her arm down and outwards, then down and inwards. She then moved her arm back up. The teacher said yes thats a diamond shape. The teacher said to Sally you have to wait until theres a space for you to do ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.oh there is a space now James has just finished. Sally walked over to the teacher and looked at her. I could see if she asked for her help to put the apron on. The teacher said I want to see if you can put your apron on, can you do it? The teacher then showed Sally how to put her apron on, putting it over her head and arms through the wholes. Sally sat down at the table and picked up different sponge shapes to print them onto the paper. She printed the amount of shapes she wanted on the paper and then put the sponges back; each sponge had different colour paint. She put each sponge in the correct pot it had come from. She said to another girl can I put that back? she was standing up leaning across the table with her arm pushed out, trying to put the sponge back in the correct pot, which the girl was holding. The girl handed the pot to her. After she had finished her painting she took her paper over to the teacher and stood next to her, showing her. The teacher said lets have a look at your painting, thats lovely. Can you name the shapes for me? sally pointed to each shape saying diamond at the diamond shapes, circles at the circles and squares at the squares. Sally got stuck on one diamond shape as she had printed it in a different direction to the others. The teacher said thats a diamond as well; look if we turn the page you can see its a diamond. She tried to walk behind the teachers chair, between a small gap and a set of drawers. The teacher said what do you say..excuse me please. Sally replied excuse me please. The teacher moved her chair and the stack of drawers and Sally walked through the gap. Sally came and sat next to me at the table I was sitting at, where the teacher was also sitting. Sally was kneeling on the chair. The teacher was talking to another child about the hedgehogs they had previously made. Sally lent across the table and said I did one, I did one. She began to feel the clay hedgehogs she had made previously. They had uncooked spaghetti sticking out of the for the hedgehogs spikes. As she touched them she said ow ow. She turned to look at me and said I just touched a hedgehog holding her hand out in front of her, to show me her hand. I replied are you ok She smiled and turned away. She then turned back to me and said whats your name? I smiled and said Lisa. She turned away again. Sally asked the teacher wheres my hedgehog à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I dont want to touch the spikes She had small whiteboards in front of her to write on. She was using her fingers to clear the pen which had been left on it. A nursery helper came over with some tissue for her to use to wipe it off. She looked over to the girl sitting on the other side of the teacher. The teacher was holding a laminated name card with Sarah written on it. Is that how you spell Sarah? Sally asked the teacher. The teacher said yes its similar to your name sss, s for Sally. Sally asked the teacher wheres my name? The teacher found Sallys name out of the stack of name cards and showed her, her name. Sally was still leaning forward towards the table and had not sat back properly on her seat. Her bum was on the front edge of the chair and she was leaning forward, towards the table. The teacher told her she was worried she would fall off her chair and onto the floor and pulled her seat closer to the table. Sally told the teacher you just, just pushed me! the teacher responded saying she meant to push the chair in. Are you ok? Sally said yes and the teacher said sorry. Sally said she was trying to write all the names of the children in the nursery. She was saying James, John, Ellie, Rob drawing small black circles, about three or four in row, resembling a word. The teacher asked her if she was writing the names of all the children in the class. Sally said she was as. Sally wrote a letter resembling a P and the teacher said if you draw a line down from there (pointing to where the circle of the p meets the line down) you can create an R. R for Rob Sally looked at the teacher and asked her how do you spell my name on the board? The teacher wrote Sally on the white board and said can you copy and write your name? Sally used the black whiteboard to attempt to write her name. Sally was writing small black blobs and circles which appeared to be drawing instead of writing. Sally was concentrated and focused on attempting to write her name. She said rub my name out and no one can see; Sally was rubbing the board with her hand to remove the marker pen. The teacher said to her good thing can start again. Observation ended Analysis of one observation Cognitive development Piaget suggested children have an active part in developing knowledge and understanding (Bee and Boyd 2010). He suggests cognitive development progresses through stages, relating to changes in brain structure and intelligence. The stages are sensori-motor stage (0-2 years), pre-operational stage (2-7years), concrete operational stage (7-12years) and formal operational stage (12+ years) (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). Sally is 3.5 years, therefore at the preoperational stage of development. During this stage children develop symbolic thought, the ability to think of one thing but representation it in a different form, enabling language development and imaginative play (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). The preoperational child has egocentric thinking, focusing only on their view and believing everyone has the same view. They struggle to understand conservation small changes in appearance do not change the object or its quantity (Bee and Boyd 2006). However, Vygotsky suggested Piaget did not acknowledge the impact the social environment has on cognitive development. Vygotsky believed social interaction is vital for cognitive development, he believed children maximise their potential working with more capable others (Schaffer 2004). Vygotsky described the zone of proximal development (ZPD), the difference between the childs knowledge and, with support, what they are capable of learning. A more capable person offers guidance and support, to the child during the task. Demonstrating how to complete a task and giving feedback on whats right or wrong. The guidance provided a level above the childs current level of understanding, but not above what they are capable of learning, its within their ZPD. This guidance is called scaffolding (Schaffer 2004). These are examples, demonstrate Sallys preoperational stage of cognitive development, this is expected for Sallys age. Sally demonstrates symbolic thought through her use of language and through her actions. Sally sung Humpty Dumpty, clenching her fists and began pretend to ride a horse. Sallys ability to use symbolic thought was shown through her action of pretending to ride a horse her thought was represented in her actions. This was also shown when Sallys dancing to a football song. She pretended to kick a football with her leg. Showing Sallys ability to hold the thought of a pretend ball and express kicking it in actions. Sally had difficulty understanding conservation. After painting she struggled to name a diamond because it was a different position. The teacher said, Thats a diamond as well; look if we turn the page you can see its a diamond. This shows Sally struggling to understand shape remains unchanged even if its position on the paper is different. Scaffolding examples are shown between Sally and the teacher. Sally wrote a letter resembling a P, the teacher said if you draw a line down from there (pointing to where the circle of the p meets the line down) you can create an R. R for Rob. Before this Sally attempted to write the names of children in the class, one called Rob. This was within Sallys ZPD because she had created a P; the teacher recognised this and guided her to write an R, from the P. Sally asked how do you spell my name on the board? The teacher wrote Sally on the white board and asked can you copy and write your name? Sally attempted to copy this. This demonstrates the teacher giving examples and guidance to complete an action. Language development Social Learning Theory (SLT) suggests language is learnt through imitation and reinforcement (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). Skinner suggested children imitate adults speech, developing language. Noises resembling words are reinforced, and therefore repeated, overtime developing into words. Children use adults for guidance on what sounds and words to make, correct meaningful words are responded to positively, incorrect words are corrected, until speech becomes adult like (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). This is supported by children having higher language abilities when spoken to more often and developing the same language and accent as adults they spend time with (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). However language is learnt to quickly for this to fully explain language development (Passer and Smith 2003). Chomsky argues language has an innate, biological basis. The Language Acquisition Device (LAD) allows language to be learnt (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). LAD identifies regularities in language, tests new words against these, either accepting or rejecting them (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). Children appear to develop language through the same stages, understanding certain grammar before others, making similar errors in production and comprehension at each stage (Whitaker 2010) supporting LAD theory. Sheridan (2008) suggests certain speech patterns are evident at ages three and four. At three children ask lots of wh questions (what, when, why), identify objects by function, count up to ten (learnt by repetition) and listen to stories, wanting favourites repeated. At four children know nursery rhymes, use understandable, grammatically correct speech, begin counting objects and can count up to twenty (Sheridan 2008). SLT is evidenced when Sally needs to walk past the teacher. The teacher said what do you sayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦excuse me please. Sally replied excuse me please. Sally imitated the teachers words; this was reinforced by the teacher letting Sally past. Shes learnt saying this, means other people move out of her way. As Sheridan (2008) suggested for three years, Sally listened whilst being read to, She was looking at the book as she was read to and listening to it. This lasted for around 2-3 minutes until interrupted. In addition Sally counted one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven. Sally sung nursery rhymes, Humpty Dumpty, and Hey Diddle, Diddle and used complex, grammatically correct sentences; Is that how you spell Sarah? and how do you spell my name on the board? Suggesting Sallys language is slightly above whats expected for her age, showing signs of a four year old level (Sheridan 2008). Teachers at the nursery commented her language is above what they would expect for her age. Sallys language development being slightly above expectations could relate to attending a high quality nursery, since an early age. The National Institute of Child and Human Development (NICHD) Early Child Care Research Network (2000) suggested high quality day care is associated with better cognitive and language development although quantity of time in day care had neither positive nor negative effects on these developmental areas. Language development was measured on parental feedback, not standardized testing. Possibly biasing results, parents may not want to think their child is underachieving so exaggerate ability. Social development and play Piaget suggested childrens play goes through stages. Constructive play is the first to be achieved (before 2 years), pretend play (2-3 years), socio-dramatic play (3-5 years) and rule governed play (by 5 or 6 years) (Bee and Boyd 2006). Sally is at the socio-dramatic stage of play. Two or more children take roles to act in a pretend scenario. Dunn and Cutting (1999) found children who pretend play with friends, maintain friendlier play for longer. This helped children develop Theory of Mind understanding others thoughts and feelings. Socio-dramatic play is evidenced in later observations. Parten (1932) suggested different types of play, solitary independent play (alone), parallel play (alongside each other, little interaction), occurs between 2.5 and 3.5 years, associative play (activities completed with others, without organization or direction) occurs between 3.5 and 4.5 years and cooperative or organised supplementary play (organised activities, aiming towards a goal). Evidence is discussed in the next section. Theres limited evidence of Sally playing in this observation. She displays associative play at the table, playing with Playdough and interacting with five other children. Play is not organised, they are completing similar activities without a specific goal. Howes, Phillips and Whitebook (1992) suggest lower quality care can result in children wandering, not being involved in social activities or play with peers and teachers. This can have a negative impact on childrens social and cognitive development. However higher quality care with developmentally appropriate activities, encourage children to socialise and interact with teachers and peers have more socially competent children. Moral development Kohlberg refined Piagets theory of moral development, suggesting three levels of development, each containing two stages (Kohlberg and Hersh 1977). Preconventional Level is level one, containing stage one The punishment and obedience orientation and stage two The Individualism, instrumental purpose and exchange. Level two is Conventional Level, containing stage three Mutual interpersonal expectations, relationships and interpersonal conformity and stage four Social system and conscience. Level three is Postconventional or Principled Level, containing stage five The social-contract orientation and stage six the universal ethical principle orientation (Kohlberg and Hersh 1977). Kohlberg suggested people move up through stages, but few reach the Postconventional level. People understand reasoning one stage above theirs but struggle understanding above this. Being in a social group is important to learn what is morally right and wrong (Kohlberg and Hersh 1977). Therefore children i n day care have the opportunity to learn from others about right and wrong. Children below nine are usually at the Preconventional level, including Sally. Reasoning and judgements are based on what authority says is right or wrong (Bee and Boyd 2010), for Sally this is teachers or parents. Right or wrong is understood as whats punished, children follow rules to avoid punishment. Stage two; rules are followed when in their immediate interest. Good, is what has pleasant results (Bee and Boyd 2010). Kohlberg suggests, despite gender or culture moral development happens this way (Passer and Smith 2003). Although, Sally is British-Pakistani she will progress through these stages. Kohlberg is criticised for having a male bias theory and basing his theory on clinical research using scenarios, not based on real life (Smith, Cowie and Blades 2005). Sally displays moral development resembling stage one. Shes well behaved, following rules during the observation. The class have been told when the bell rings, stop, put their hands up and look at the teacher. When the bell rung Sally go

Consumer’s Perception of Risk of Online Transactions

Consumer’s Perception of Risk of Online Transactions Abstract The purpose of this research is to investigate whether a consumers perception of risk in transacting on the internet (Perceived Risk) would have an influence on their trust of a banks e-banking website (Specific Trust) and their willingness to use e-banking. Data were collected from a survey and a usable sample of 202 was obtained. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was used to test the model. The results showed that Perceived Risk has a direct influence on a consumers willingness to use e-banking and Specific Trust has a positive moderating influence on the relationship between Perceived Risk and a consumers willingness to use e-banking. Consumers who have low perceived risk of transacting on the internet are generally more willing to use e-banking. Their willingness to use e-banking was also shown to be more pronounced in cases where the consumer also trust their banks e-banking website. These findings are of particular relevance to banks. It highlights that a consumers wil lingness to use e-banking primarily depends on their perception of risk in transacting on the internet; trust of the specific e-banking website was secondary. This suggests the need for banks to not only employ mechanisms to build trust for their specific e-banking website, but that banks should first take measures to educate their customers and manage general consumer perceptions of the risks of transacting on the internet. Keywords: Trust, Perceived Risk, Internet, E-banking Adoption. Introduction In recent years, the advancement in technological developments in information technology has lead to the evolution of e-banking in the banking industry. The evolution of e-banking has fundamentally transformed the way banks traditionally conduct their businesses and the ways consumers perform their banking activities (Eriksson et al., 2008; Sayar and Wolfe, 2007). Today e-banking has experienced phenomenal growth and has become one of the main avenues for banks to deliver their products and services (Amato-McCoy, 2005). E-banking reaps benefits for both banks and its customers. From the banks perspective, e-banking has enabled banks to lower operational costs through the reduction of physical facilities and staffing resources required, reduced waiting times in branches resulting in potential increase in sales performance and a larger global reach (Sarel and Mamorstein, 2003). From the customers perspective, e-banking allows customers to perform a wide range of banking transactions electronically via the banks website anytime and anywhere (Grabner-Kraeuter and Faullant, 2008). In addition, customers no longer are confined to the opening hours of banks, travel and waiting times are no longer necessary, and access of information regarding banking services are now easily available (Hamlet, 2000). However the success of e-banking isnt without its problems. Firstly the adoption of e-banking has not kept pace with that of internet usage (White and Nteli, 2004). This gap is attributed to the lack of trust among bank customers, particularly among internet users age 65 and older (Ilett, 2005; Perumal and Shanmugam, 2005). Secondly, customers still prefer face to face interaction (Asher, 1999) due to reasons such as fear of the online environment and lack of trust in the internet. Recent literature on e-banking showed that the formation of trust can help reduce the impact of key inhibiting factors such as fears about using the online service among non-eÂÂ ­banking customers (Vatanasombut et al., 2008). Moreover, even with the increased usage of e-banking in recent years, banks are faced with a conundrum whilst e-banking does have its benefits of convenience and cost savings; the ease at which e-banking allows for switching back to traditional ways of banking consequently reduces long term customer commitment (Sarel and Mamorstein, 2003). The commitment-trust theory of Morgan and Hunt (1994) proposes that trust leads to commitment in relationships, and so, if trust is built amongst existing customers, over time they will become committed to the e-banking service, reducing the chances of customers jumping ship (Mukherjee and Nath, 2003; Vatanasombut et al., 2008). Evident in past literature is the fact that risk plays a role in the formation of trust (Chen and Dhillon, 2003; Pavlou, 2003), but what is not evident is the relationship risk has with trust especially in regards to the perceived risk consumers have in transacting on the internet. Past research studies into the area of risk found that it is not objective risk, but perceived risk which matter in the formation of trust (Bauer, 1960 as citied in BÃ ¼ttner and GÃ ¶ritz, 2008; Garbarino and Strahilevitz, 2004). A recent research study found that, perceived risk is directly related to an individuals adoption of e-banking with many past research studies showing that intention to use e-banking is often times affected by fears of theft or fraud (Gerrard et al., 2006). The relationship between perceived risk and trust is an underdeveloped area in the literature. Past work in the area of trust and perceived risk has not yet managed to fully determine the exact relationship which risk has on trust, as whilst risk is necessary for the formation of trust, it is not an antecedent of trust (Chen and Dhillon, 2003). Moreover, trust has been shown in the past to effect perceptions of risk, as well as having mediating effects through risk (Pavlou, 2003). Hence the purpose of this research is to investigate whether a customers perception of risk in the internet would have moderating effects on trust and a customers willingness to use e-banking. As noted by BÃ ¼ttner and GÃ ¶ritz, (2008), there is a lack of empirical studies in this area. Moreover by understanding the nature of risk and trust, banks can ascertain the steps necessary on their part to ensure that the trust which they have built in their services will indeed influence customers adoption and commitment to e-banking. Literature Review Trust in E-banking Trust is essential in situations where risk, uncertainty and interdependence exist (Mayer et al., 1995), and the online environment certainly encapsulates these factors. In an online environment, there is no direct physical contact between buyer and seller. This spatial distance means that consumers cannot use the physical cues, such as observing the sales staff or the physical office/store space, in order to judge trustworthiness (Reichheld and Schefter, 2000). Due to the global nature of the internet, consumers and e-retailers often face spatial and temporal separation as a result transactions carried out online often do not involve a simultaneous transaction of goods (or services) and money (Grabner-Kraeuter, 2002). This delay in time means that consumers can become increasingly uncertain whether the other party will actually perform their side of the transaction. Another reason for the increased need for trust in the online contexts is consumers fear for the sa fety of their personal information due to hackers or other harmful possibilities (Hoffman et al., 1999; Yoon, 2002). Apart from the necessities of trust in order to get consumers to purchase online as per the theory of reasoned action (Azjen and Fishbein, 1980), trust is also important for businesses to grow and maintain profitability, as per the commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing by Morgan and Hunt (1994). Past research studies have identified that one of the benefits of trust are committed customers (Casalo et al., 2007; Morgan and Hunt 1994). Loyal repeat customers are highly beneficial to organizations, as it is much cheaper to retain customers than it is to find and attract new customers (Reichheld and Schefter, 2000). In the online arena where substitutes are readily available, the benefits to businesses of having committed customers are plenty, hence the amount of research into the area (e.g. Casalo et al., 2007; Jarvenpaa et al., 2000; Vatanasombut et al., 2008). Numerous research studies have been conducted to identify what factors drive or inhibit the adoption of e-banking by consumers (Gerrard et al., 2006; Hernandez and Mazzon, 2007; Lichtenstein and Williamson, 2006; Sayar and Wolfe, 2007). It has been identified that the lack of trust was one of the main reasons why consumers are still reluctant to conduct their financial transactions online (Flavian et al., 2006; Luarn and Lin, 2005; Mukherjee and Nath, 2003; Rotchanakitumnuai and Speece, 2003). In order for e-banking to be a viable medium of service delivery, banks today must try to narrow the trust gap due to the higher degree of uncertainty and risk in an online environment compared to traditional settings. Research studies conducted examining the role of trust in e-banking (e.g. Vatanasombut et al., 2008; Casalo et al., 2007; Lichtenstein and Williamson, 2006; Rexha et al., 2003; Suh and Han, 2002), found that trust plays a key role in the adoption and continued use of e-banking. Furthermore, it was found that trust not only affects the intent to use e-banking (Liu and Wu, 2007; Suh and Han 2002), but trust in e-banking has also been found to be an antecedent to commitment in e-banking (Vatanasombut et al., 2008; Kassim and Abdulla, 2006), and is therefore useful to reduce the perceived risk that consumers feel is present in an online environment (Pavlou 2002). Perceived Risk and Trust Perceived risk is depicted as a concept that is complex, multifaceted and dynamic (Zhao et al., 2008, p.506). Perceived risk is defined as a consumers perceptions of the uncertainty and the possible undesirable consequences of buying a product or service (Littler and Melanthiou, 2006). In the online context, past research studies suggest the inclusion of perceived risk due to its importance in influencing online consumer behavior (Cunningham et al., 2005; Pavlou, 2003; Salam et al., 2003; Schlosser et al., 2006) and more so in the area of e-banking (Cunningham et al., 2005). As mentioned earlier, perceived risk is important in the formation of trust (Bauer, 1960 as cited in BÃ ¼ttner and GÃ ¶ritz, 2008; Garbarino and Strahilevitz, 2004). The body of the knowledge on trust has identified that risk is the element which gives rise to the need for trust when engaging in an activity which means that if there were no perceptions of risk, trust would not be necessary to engage in an activity, as actions could be taken with complete certainty (Yousafzai, 2003; Chen and Dhillon; 2003). There are two different types of risk that have been identified in relation to trust risks associated with a partner and risks associated with a type of transaction (BÃ ¼ttner and GÃ ¶ritz, 2008). Risks associated with a partner in general are perceptions that a particular interaction partner in a transaction will not perform their end of the bargain, and are formed from perceptions of the attributes of that interaction partner this type of risk should be inversely related to trust of that partner (Jarvenpaa et al., 2000). Essentially, the higher the trust one has in a partner, the less perceived risk in dealing with that partner. However, risk associated with a type of transaction has a different association with trust. The more risky a type of transaction is perceived to be, the more trust is required in order to engage in an interaction with that partner (Mayer et al., 1995). The relationship between risk and trust is a complex one, whilst risk is necessary to the creation of trust, it is not an antecedent to trust which means the presence of risk does not automatically equate to the formation of trust (Pavlou, 2002). According to Mayer et al. (1995, p.711) It is unclear whether risk is an antecedent to trust, or is an outcome of trust. Clearly, a gap of knowledge exists in this area, and further research is required so as to determine the relationship which risk has with trust, especially in the context of e-banking. However the area that interests the authors of this research is the work by Pavlou (2002) which found that the effect of trust on transaction intention could be moderated through perceived risk. This is a relationship which was originally proposed by Mayer et al. (1995), who postulated that the level of trust needed to engage in a risk taking behavior is influenced by the perception of risk inherent in that behavior. Pavlous (2002) work also called for future research so as to examine the complex interrelationships among trust, perceived risk and behavioral intention to reach definite conclusions. (Pavlou, 2002, p.125). This research aims to answer that call by testing perceived risk in the internet as a moderator in the relationship between a consumers trust in a banks e-banking website and the consumers willingness to use e-banking. Theoretical Framework The investigation of the role of trust in the use of e-banking necessitates the examination of two key theories the theory of reasoned action by Azjen and Fishbein (1980) and the commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing by Morgan and Hunt (1994). The theory of reasoned action states that a persons behavior is determined by their behavioral intent, which is in turn shaped by attitude and subjective norms (Azjen and Fishbein, 1980). Increased trust means that when a persons attitudes towards a particular behavior (in this case, using e-banking) are positive, it will likely increase a persons intent to perform that behavior. This has been supported by research in both the e-retailing context (Jarvenpaa et al., 2000), and also in the e-banking context (Liu et al., 2005), where trust has been shown to lead to a purchase intention. Further, Morgan and Hunt (1994) purports that by building trust over time, customers become committed to the relationship built, and will subsequently reciprocate with continued business. Past research in this area have extended the applicability of this commitment-trust relationship to the e-banking context (Casalo et al., 2007; Mukherjee and Nath, 2007; Vatanasombut et al., 2008). This gives rise to the first hypothesis for this research which forms the basic relationship between a consumers trust in a banks e-banking website (Specific Trust) and the consumers willingness to use e-banking. H1: Specific trust in e-banking has a direct effect on willingness to use e-banking Perceived risk is defined in this research as a consumers perceptions of risk in transactions using the internet, and is hypothesized to have a moderating role in the relationship between specific trust and the willingness to use e-banking. As mentioned previously in the literature review, there is little empirical research on the moderating effect of risk in the e-banking context. Work by Pavlou (2002) found that the effect of trust on transaction intention could be moderated by perceived risk, but called for further research in this area to confirm the complex interrelationships between these three constructs. Therefore, the authors of this research proposed the second hypothesis as: H2: Perceived risk has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between specific trust and willingness to use e-banking. Methodology To test the model, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken using an instrument containing 15 items. The 15 items used were established scales adapted from Doney and Canon (1995), Chow and Holden (1997), Jarvenpaa et al. (2000), Suh and Han (2002), Kim and Ahn (2006) and Verhagen et al. (2006) measuring specific trust, willingness to use and perceived risk. Great care was taken when adapting the scales to ensure that the original concepts being measured by the scale had theoretical congruence and relevance to this study. Each item is measured on a 7-point Likert scale with 0 denoting the low end and 6 the high end. The questionnaire was then preÂÂ ­tested on a non-probability sample of university staff. Refinements were made to the questionnaire based on feedback from the pre-test. All items in the final instrument were then reviewed by marketing academics for content validity. Measures The scale used to measure perceived risk was adapted from a number of scales which have similar theoretical congruence with the definition of risk perception in the theoretical framework. A few of the items in the scale used was sourced from Verhagen et al. (2006), which measured intermediary risk and was defined as the belief of a probability of suffering a loss due to the inability of the intermediary to provide sufficient protection against fraudulent and/or opportunistic sellers (p.545) which is similar to the definition of the perception of risk on the internet. In that, the consumers belief in a possibility of loss or harm as a result of the medium internet is being measured. The nature of the internet is such that, there is insufficient protection to consumers from fraudulent and/or opportunistic people, and so the use of items from Verhagen et al.s (2006) scale on intermediary risk was appropriate. Other items in the scale were sourced from the work of Jarvenpaa et al. (2000 ), Kim and Ahn (2006), and Chow and Holden (1997), which measured concepts such as risk perception and web-shopping risk, all of which was similar to the concept of perceived risk being operationalised. Minimal alterations were made to the items due the similarity of the concepts being measured. Whilst it would have been ideal to operationalise the construct of perceived risk in the internet with a singular scale, but there is a lack of scales in this area (Verhagen et al., 2006), therefore the use of a composite scale was necessary. To measure specific trust in e-banking, items from work of Doney and Canon (1995), Suh and Han (2002) and Jarvenpaa et al. (2000) were adapted. These items were chosen due to their semantics and wording. Items directly relating to interpersonal trust including the service of e-banking, and a belief in the benefits and trustworthiness of e-banking were used as part of the scale. Lastly, in measuring the willingness to use e-banking, items that measure at titudes and intentions towards using e-banking were chosen. Items in the scale were sourced from scales published by Verhagen et al. (2006), Pavlou (2003), and Kim and Ahn (2006). Demographic data were also collected for the purpose of classification and determining the generalisability of the results. Sample and Data Collection Representativeness, reliability of results as well as time and resource restraints were considered in determining the sample. The final sample was a non-probability sample of administrative and academic staff in ten departments across the five faculties of a large Australian university. University staff was chosen, as they were deemed to be more educated and informed about a range of issues. Therefore it is concluded that university staff would likely have a higher chance of responding to the survey, with more accuracy and honesty in their replies. Surveys were distributed physically and via online. Data collection took place over two weeks. A total of 218 returned questionnaires were yielded of which 202 passed manipulation checks and were usable. The response rate was 34.8%. Results Adoption of Internet and E-banking Descriptive analysis was used and a bar chart (Figure 2) was constructed to compare the year of adoption of the internet and the year of adoption of e-banking. In relation to internet adoption, the results showed that there was a slow growth in the adoption of internet prior to 1995. The rate of adoption increased significantly in the years 1995 to 2000 and dropped significantly after. As for the adoption of e-banking, the results showed that there was no apparent usage of e-banking till the late 1990s and after which the adoption of e-banking rose reaching its peak in 2006. Figure 2 illustrates how the adoption of e-banking has not kept up with the pace of internet usage this is consistent with the previous finding of White and Nteli (2004). Furthermore results also showed that there were still a significant number of people who have not adopted e-banking. Demographic variables were examined across the three constructs of specific trust, perceived risk and the willingness to use. The results in Table 1 showed that there were significant differences between gender and specific trust (sig. value 0.010, t-value 2.588) and perceived risk (sig. value 0.029, t-value 2.206) constructs. The means scores showed that males have higher specific trust (5.2748) and higher perceived risk (4.2916) as compared to females towards e-banking and the internet. For age, the results showed a significant difference between age and willingness to use (sig. level 0.017, f-value 4.161). The difference was found between respondents of age groups 29 and under, and 50 and above. The means scores showed that respondents who were age 29 and below (mean 5.603) were more willing to use e-banking as opposed to respondents who were 50 and above (mean -4.8571). For qualification, significant differences were present in the perceived risk (sig. level 0.020, f-value 4.991) and willingness to use (sig. level 0.030, f-value 4.932) constructs. In regards to perceived risk, the difference was found between respondents who have completed secondary school and respondents who have a post-graduate qualification. The means scores showed that respondents who had a post-graduate qualification (4.4355) have a higher perceived risk compared to those who had completed secondary school (3.4006). In relation to willingness to use, significant differences were found between three groups of respondents those who had a trade qualification/diploma, a tertiary degree and a post-graduate qualification. The means scores showed that respondents who had a post-graduate qualification has a higher willingness to use e-banking (5.6871) compared to those who had a trade qualification/diploma (4.5259) and those who had a tertiary degree (5.5925). Finally for income, significant differences were found between the different income groups in the perceived risk (sig. level 0.049, f-value 2.249) and willingness to use (sig. level 0.003, f-value 3.788) constructs. The two groups of respondents with income levels of $15,001 -$ 30,000 and $70,001 -$90,000 were found to be significantly different in the perceived risk construct. The means scores of the two groups showed that respondents with an income level of $70,001 $90,000 had a higher perceived risk (4.6057) compared to respondents with an income level of $15,001 $ 30,000. In relation to willingness to use, significant difference was found between two groups $30,001 $50,000 and $50,001 $70,000. A comparison of the means scores showed that respondents who had an income level of $50,001 $70,000 (5.8625) were more willing to use e-banking compared to those who had an income level of $30,001 $50,000 (4.6513). Model Testing In order to validate the measures of each construct, exploratory factor analysis was conducted using principal components extraction with varimax rotation. The items in each factor were then tested for scale reliability using standard Cronbach alpha indices. As the items for both perceived risk and specific trust in e-banking were used together as a single scale in the survey instrument, factor analysis was ran on them both, to ensure that the two different factors were still valid. To check for the appropriateness of the data for factor analysis, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartletts Test of Sphericity was examined. Results showed that the KMO statistic for the data set was 0.885 and the Bartlett test showed that non-zero correlations exist at the 0.000 significance level. This indicates that the data is appropriate for factor analysis. The results of the factor analysis showed that two factors were indeed present, however, one of the items from the scale measuring specific trust in e-banking Compared with other forms of banking, e-banking would be more risky had moved to the factor measuring perceived risk (see Table 2 , item marked with asterisk). A reliability analysis was conducted on this adjusted factor; a Cronbach alpha ind ex of .926 was obtained. The factor loading of the item, whilst not very high at .651 was much higher than the items alternate factor loading which was .253. The item content was examined, and was found to also be applicable to the context of perceived risk due to the items wording which could be interpreted as a higher perception of risk in the medium of the Internet in comparison to other mediums. Given all these results, it was decided that the adjusted factor would be used as is in the analysis. Items measuring the construct of willingness to use e-banking were also analysis to ensure that it was indeed a singular factor (Table 3). The results showed that the KMO statistic for the data set was 0.873 and the Bartlett test showed that non-zero correlations exist at the 0.000 significance level. This indicates that the data is appropriate for factor analysis. The results revealed a uniÂÂ ­dimensional structure, and corroborated that all five items in the scale loaded onto one factor. The factor loadings of each item were high, indicating strong relevance of each item within the scale. When in combination with the high Cronbach alpha of .957, the results of the analysis show that this factor is a highly useful measure. Regression Analysis To test the relationship between the constructs of specific trust, perceived risk and willingness to use e-banking, hierarchical moderated regression was conducted. This method was proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986) to examine moderating effects. In conducting hierarchical moderated regression analysis, a series of regressions were performed. The first regression (Model 1) involved regressing the dependent variable (DV) on the independent variable (IV); the second regression (Model 2) involved regressing the DV on the IV and the moderator; and the final regression (Model 3) regressing the DV on the IV, the moderator, and a cross-product of the DV and the moderator. The three regression models were tested for explanatory power, and yielded R-squared values of 0.396, 0.454, and 0.508 respectively (see Table 4). Results of the R-squared comparisons showed that Model 3, which included specific trust, perceived risk, and the cross product of specific trust and perceived risk, had significantly improved R-squared values from Model 1 and Model 2. The analysis yielded results quite different to what was hypothesized. Besides Model 1 where specific trust was the only IV in the regression, specific trust was shown not to have a direct influence on the DV of willingness to use e-banking. Rather, perceived risk was shown to have a direct influence on the DV of willingness to use e-banking in Models 2 and 3. Model 3, which had the greatest R-squared value, suggests that it is not specific trust that influences a consumers willingness to use e-banking, but rather perceived risk. The regression coefficients from Model 3 (see Table 5) showed that perceived ris k had a significant negative impact on willingness to use e-banking (p = 0.000, Beta = -1.179, t = -5.588). Specific trust in e-banking instead was found to have a positive moderating influence on the relationship between perceived risk and willingness to use e-banking (p = 0.000, Beta = 0.759, t = 4.386). The results derived from the regression analysis thus do not support the two hypotheses H1 and H2. It appears that the roles of the independent variable and the moderator have swapped. Figure 3 shows the amended model reflecting these new roles, where the independent variable of perceived risk is shown having a primary role with a direct influence on a consumers willingness to use e-banking and specific trust in the banks e-banking website having a secondary role as a moderator. Discussion and Implications Adoption of Internet and E-banking The results showed that there was no apparent usage of e-banking till the late 1990s. This was firstly attributed to the late adoption of e-banking facilities by the four major banks in Australia. It was only at the end of 1997 when e-banking facilities were provided by the banks in Australia (Sathye, 1999). Secondly, a report by the Australia Bureau of Statistics (1999) stated that the use of internet by adults to pay bills and transfer funds were only approximately 2 per cent during that time. These findings deserve attention, as Australians were considered to be technology savvy being at the forefront of United States as the worlds third highest users of electronic point of transfer (Eftpos) in the 1990s (Macfarlane, 1997). However there were other reasons for the late adoption of e-banking in Australia. These reasons include the lack of knowledge of service availability, the internet website being not user friendly, and security concerns (Sathye, 1999). In the last decade, banks have addressed these problems through the use of effective marketing strategies, education and adopting innovative technology in security measures and information technology. It has proven to be effective as the latest statistics showed that approximately 40% of the internet users in Australia have adopted e-banking (comScore, 2008). This proportion however is still relatively low, and concurs with the results of past research such as White and Nteli (2004), Lichtenstein and Williamson (2006), and the current research showing that the adoption of e-banking has not kept up with the pace of internet usage. This is despite figures for internet access quadrupling from 16% to 67% in the last decade from 1998 to 2007/08 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008). Demographics and Specific Trust, Perceived Risk and the Willingness to Use Constructs Results showed that respondents who are aged 29 and below, earning an income level of $50,001 $70,000 and with post graduate qualifications were more willing to use e-banking. This finding is congruent with the findings of past studies that claimed that consumers who are well educated and with higher incomes are more willing to engage e-banking services (Kolodinsky et al., 2000; Gartner, 2003). Furthermore results of this study concur with past research studies on the unwillingness to use e-banking by the older/elderly generation (Ilett, 2005; Perumal and Shanmugam, 2005). Further examination of the results showed that respondents who are unwilling to use e-banking have a trade qualification/diploma and are earning an income of $30,001 $50,000. In relation to the perceived risk constructs, males who have a post graduate qualification and earning $70,001 -$90,000 have higher perceived risk. This finding is rather surprising as it does not concur with previous studies which found females to have a higher perceived risk. Females were found to be more concerned on the level of risk in technology (Lichtenstein and Williamson, 2006), more anxious with privacy protection and ethical standards (Shergill and Li, 2005) and have greater fears in new technologies such as the internet (Morahan-Martin, 2000) compared to males. Further examination of the results showed that respondents who have a lower perceived risk are females, earning an income of $15,001-$30,000 and have completed secondary school. Results from this research showed that males have higher specific trust than females regardless of income, age and qualification. Drawing from the findings of the perceived risk construct, an interesting discovery was made males have higher perceived risk as well as higher specific trust compared to the females. The authors of this study propose that a possible reason for this may be explained by a higher level of involvement in banking services in males. This should be con