Comparing Updikes A&P and Joyces Araby Essay -- comparison compare c

Comparing Updike's A & P and Joyce's Araby  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Updike's A & P and James Joyce's Araby share many of the same literary traits. The primary focus of the two stories revolves around a young man who is compelled to decipher the difference between cruel reality and the fantasies of romance that play in his head. That the man does, indeed, discover the difference is what sets him off into emotional collapse. One of the main similarities between the two stories is the fact that the main character, who is also the protagonist, has built up incredible, yet unrealistic, expectations of women, having focused upon one in particular towards which he places all his unrequited affection. The expectation these men hold when finally "face to face with their object of worship" (Wells, 1993, p. 127) is what sends the final and crushing blow of reality: The rejection they suffer is far too great for them to bear. Updike is famous for taking other author's works and twisting them so that they reflect a more contemporary flavor. While the story remains the same, the climate is singular only to Updike. This is the reason why there are similarities as well as deviations from Joyce's original piece. Plot, theme and detail are three of the most resembling aspects of the two stories over all other literary components; characteristic of both writers' works, each rendition offers its own unique perspective upon the young man's romantic infatuation. Not only are descriptive phrases shared by both stories, but parallels occur with each ending, as well (Doloff 113). What is even more telling of Updike's imitation of Joyce's Araby is the fact that the A & P title is hauntingly close in pronunciation to the original story's title. T... ...rallels, including the ending self-revelation and climax" (Doloff 255). Works Cited Coulthard, A.R. "Joyce's 'Araby'.," The Explicator, vol. 52, (1994) : Winter, pp.97(3). Doloff, Steven. "Aspects of Milton's 'Paradise Lost' in James Joyce's 'Araby'.," James Joyce Quarterly, vol. 33, (1995) : Fall, pp. 113(3). Doloff, Steven. "Rousseau and the confessions of 'Araby'.," James Joyce Quarterly, vol.33, (1996) : Winter, pp. 255(4). Joyce, James. Dubliners. (New York : Penguin, 1967). Norris, Margot. "Blind streets and seeing houses: Araby's dim glass revisited.," Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 32, (1995) : Summer, pp. 309(10). Updike, John. "A & P." Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories. (New York : Knopf, 1962). Wells, Walter. "John Updike's 'A & P': a return visit to Araby.," Studies in Short Fiction, vol. 30, (1993) : Spring, pp. 127(7).

Brain research and full day kindergarten

Education is an important aspect of the human life and society. Today, it is quite noticeable how the society has institutionalized education and the educational system. Today, individuals start schooling as early as four or five years of age. The common entry point for schooling is kindergarten. All around the world, many parents send their children to schools for kindergarten, with many different expectations, but mostly in the belief that this is a solid starting point that can help the child be ready for the next step in his or her education.Over the years, kindergarten has become increasingly important, especially during the time when researchers have found out the connection on dendrite growth and academic stimulation. This made them believe that if individuals are submitted to academic stimulation in the earliest time possible, this can impact significantly his mental faculty and capacity. Brain development has been responsible for the new perspective and approach to kindergar ten leading the change and shift from half day to full day.However, it appears that in analysis, even with the merit of this model hypothetically, unanimous approval and appreciation for this scheme is still to be achieved considering how sectors of the society are reacting differently and in varied fashion regarding this issue. This is an important aspect of discussion and exploration regarding full day kindergarten scheme and the brain development premise. History Kindergarten Kindergarten came to America from Germany, the term meaning children's garden.Friedrich Froebel and Margethe Meyer Schurz are two of the leading personalities who began the practice of kindergarten (Persky, Golubchick, 1991, p. 263). As the name implies, it refers to a system and a place wherein children are brought together and is being prepared for formal schooling. Kindergarten, as a form of preparatory stage, at first, was focused on making children possess sufficient social skills to allow them to inter act correctly with other individuals during formal schooling.Kindergarten education prepares them by teaching basic things which they will need in formal schooling and will serve as foundation of what they will learn and how they will learn in formal schooling. Kindergarten eventually spread all around the world. Educators working in kindergarten follow learning models as well as educational theories that make the kindergarten experience useful and constructive for the child. Kindergarten originally was just a half day session, with educators thinking that half a day is enough schooling for individuals this age (Persky, Golubchick, 1991, p.263). This was changed when scientists put forward the discovery involving the brain and its development (Eden, 2008, p. 214). During this stage and age, the role of intervention and the resulting conclusion that if this was the case, then it is important that the child is correctly and sufficiently prepared, therefore the shift from half day to a ll-day or full day or whole day kindergarten scheme. Half day to full day kindergartenFrom purely being half-day sessions, changes and developments and new perspectives regarding kindergarten education surfaced and resulted in the change from half day to all-day or whole day sessions. There were two important factors that led to the shift from half day to whole day or all-day kindergarten – the scientific basis and the practical basis. No one knows for sure which came first. Is the practical need for all-day kindergarten inspired researchers to look at any possible scientific credence this option might possess?Or was it the other way around and was a case of scientific intuition among professionals leading to the discovery of the scientific basis for all day kindergarten? This, in turn, made parents realize that besides the scientific basis, this option also has practical significance for them and the children that support and popularity for all-day kindergarten grew especial ly across America, as well as in other parts of the world. Regardless of this chicken-and-egg condition, it is nonetheless important to discuss both aspects affecting the creation of and the shaping of all-day kindergarten as it is known to day.a. Scientific basis – The main artery of the shift from half day to all day or whole day kindergarten is based on the discovery on the brain, in particular, the development that is happening in the brain when it is being subjected to academic stimulation at an early age. Professionals who were involved in this scientific study explain that dendrites grew when under academic stimulation. Dendrites are found in the brain. They are important in the learning ability and processes of the human beings. Their development is important in the mental faculty of an individual.In layman's terms, the growth and branching out of dendrites indicate active mental practices and exercises which in turn allows for improved processes of the mental faculty or thinking. Professionals as well as neuroscientists have already connected the growth and branching out of dendrites when under academic stimulation. This is proof that when the brain is exposed to academic stimulation or learning process especially in the early formative years, the physiological make up of the individual, particularly the brain develops and adjusts depending on what it is being subjected to.Therefore the child’s mind is subjected to longer academic stimulation that can be an important factor for mental growth and capability in the future. This is the main premise of the scientific basis of the full day kindergarten scheme. Professionals argue that it is important that â€Å"we must look at our children's entry point into education (Miller, Gore, 2007, p. 140). † â€Å"New research into brain development demonstrates that the first three years of a child's life are extremely critical for her emotional and intellectual growth (Miller, Gore, 2007, p. 140)† which necessitated the need for â€Å"all day kindergarten programs (Miller, Gore, 2007, p.140). † People involved in it – Educators, psychologists, neuroscientists and different professionals have been involved in the studies leading to this particular discovery and in the creation of a new perspective in kindergarten. â€Å"Today's early childhood educators recognize children as active learners, not jugs waiting to be filled or blank slates waiting to be written upon (Handelman, Auerbach 2000, p. 4). † Individuals like David Sousa as well as many other professionals came forward in support of this new notion regarding brain development and the need for a whole day kindergarten schedule and the merits of this kind of scheme.Professionals explain that it is understandable why such discovery was only made today because of many important considerations, one of which is the ethical as well as technological considerations on the ability of the human to understand the brain. In the past and without the technology for non-invasive and ethical brain study procedures, scientists are left with the one and only option available for them – to study brains from dead people. This option left them with very limited areas of research and study, and no prospect at all at studying the human brain while it is still alive and in motion.However, because of the current technology and scientific processes and abilities available to scientists today, the brain is now accessible for exploration in such a way that it is not unethical, immoral and non-invasive. This led the scientists to what they recently discovered about dendrite activity and its connection with academic stimulation. b. Practical basis – Besides the scientific basis, there is also the practical basis that was used by parents and educators in approving the full day scheme.This has something to do with the current family and parent socio-economic and socio-cultural condit ions. Economy has made it a necessity for both parents to work at the same time. This allows the parents money to send their children to good schools which they hope can look after their children while they are at work. Parents believe that full day kindergarten is like hitting two birds with one stone. First, their child is exposed to extended periods of studying and education and has limited time for other things that are harmful to the child in the long run like watching television, for example.At the same time, parents are more assured of their child's safety and well being since they are at school, attended by teachers who are trained to handle children. While this does not fully eliminate the use of nanny or a household helper, parents believe that besides the children, parents are also benefited in particular, specific ways through this scheme (Lerner, Jacobs, Wertlieb, 2003, p. 202). â€Å"Full day kindergarten was introduced to speak to the needs of the growing number of w orking parents who wanted their children to be looked after for the whole day (Lerner, Jacobs, Wertlieb, 2003, p. 202). † Full day kindergarten todayToday, many schools all around the United States, as well as in many other different countries that feature kindergarten in their school and education system, use the all-day or whole day kindergarten scheme. It adheres to the idea presented by scientists, psychologists and educators who believe that exposing children to longer educational experiences at school can help improve the mind and improve the capacity of the individual for learning and mental processes in the future. The full day kindergarten scheme has attracted many supporters who called for the institutionalization of full day kindergarten schemes.Organizations, groups and institutions, such as the Education Commission of the States or simply the ECS (Neal, 2006, p. 117), support the full day kindergarten. The shift from half day to all-day or whole day kindergarten s ession is not just merely an extension of time, nor was it a quantum leap in the learning experience for the kindergarten. Part of the change in session was the realization that teaching style, educational approach and learning perspectives should also change. It should focus more on the newfound consciousness regarding the learning ability of a child and the importance of maximizing it in the earliest possible time.Because of this, kindergarten changed. From focusing in learning through play in the past, the learning structure of kindergarten became more oriented in structured academic learning. This means that part of the learning experience included learning languages and mathematics as well as other things like color and shape cognition and identification, memorization skills, interpersonal skills, play, even good morals and conduct and religion in other kindergarten schools and institutions (Persky, Golubchick, 1991, p.263). â€Å"These early kindergarten programs focused on t he basic concept that child's play was significant and that when it was intelligently directed gave impetus to cognitive development (Persky, Golubchick, 1991, p. 263). † From this point, the perspective changed and focused more on academic learning. This move towards change was hinged on the scientific discovery regarding the brain of the child and how in that stage the brain should begin the experience of being harnessed.When the individual grows up and matures, he or she will possess the mental capacity for competitive and capable learning and is suitable for more advanced learning in the future. Today's full day kindergarten, despite its admirable background and history, is nonetheless facing many different problems as well as criticisms. Professionals involved in this field undertake many different studies to be able to find answers to these problems and to address the different criticisms hurled at the practice of full-day kindergarten.a. Studies regarding all day kinder garten – Authors like Cryan (1992) and Elicker and Mathur (1997) provide the people with materials they can read and refer to when considering full day kindergarten scheme and their opinion about it (Cryan, 1992, p. 187; Elicker and Marthur 1997, p. 459). These authors as well as many other authors have come up with results of studies, research and analysis tackling this matter both in books as well as in peer reviewed journals.Psychologists and educators appear to have undertaken intensive study and research efforts regarding the different aspects of all-day kindergarten so that they can discover new information regarding this practice that can help in determining what new course of action to take with regards to the full-day kindergarten scheme. There are currently numerous published works as well as books and even internet articles about the results of studies and research efforts focused on full day kindergarten. In general, the content of these materials stand in two pol ar regions.There are those that attest to the positive impact of this scheme; while on the other hand, there are those who present criticisms as well as new areas of investigation which they believe is important. These realms that they identified remain unexplored. This means that full day kindergarten scheme cannot be considered to be fully ideal and suitable, not until all areas of inquiry and possible sources of problem are identified, studied and resolved. b. Criticisms and problems – The full day kindergarten scheme was not without criticisms as well as its own set of problems.Parents are one of the most important groups that can strengthen or derail the progress and practice of full day kindergarten. They also became sources of important criticisms and arguments regarding full day kindergarten scheme. One of the most basic areas of standoff resulting to criticisms of this scheme is the resulting tug of war between parents who want two different things for their children – those who want to keep kindergarten at half day while those who wanted schools to shift to whole day or full day kindergarten (Lerner, Jacobs, Wertlieb, 2003, p. 202).â€Å"The introduction of full day kindergarten more than a decade ago has brought to a head an ongoing controversy between parents who want half day program and those who want the full day program (Lerner, Jacobs, Wertlieb, 2003, p. 202). † Some parents point out that despite what scientific research claims as the ideal learning time and opportunity, a child is presented and should be exposed to at that age. Parents argue and reason that scientific research, on the other hand, has not fully answered the query regarding the effect to the children of being removed from their biological parents for that long period of time.They still could not explain the effects as well as possible problems that can arise when children are constantly under the care of someone they do not know and does not know the child , even with the fact that they are certified professional and capable educators (Lerner, Jacobs, Wertlieb, 2003, p. 202). â€Å"Parents†¦ look at kindergarten in the traditional way and regard full day away from home as too much time for a 5-year old to spend in the care of a non parental adult (Lerner, Jacobs, Wertlieb, 2003, p.202). † There are also those who pointed out that full day kindergarten does not automatically mean dramatic change in learning and development. The main supporting ideas for the establishment of this kind of approach to kindergarten education is about the scientific claims on improved and increased brain development via academic stimulation. Part of the equation (and an important part) is curriculum, teaching styles and methods as well as other equally important factors like teacher competency, environment.Eden (2008) pointed out in a book that â€Å"providing a full day program for four year olds, for example, has much merit, but not if what i s provided is simply watered-down first-grade curriculum (Eden, 2008, p. 214). † Conclusion The work of the forerunners of the concept of kindergarten has come a long way. Today, it is something that appears to have evolved significantly over time, with many different important changes. This includes the change happening during the 90s – the shift from half day to full day kindergarten school time.Like many complex issues in the society, the debate over which between half day and full day kindergarten scheme is better. There is also a debate if full day kindergarten schedule by itself and outside of comparison is ideal for children and their welfare is a topic that is not easily answerable by a yes or a no. There are many gray areas and dark areas that are yet to be discovered and explored so that more answers are available for people to use in this particular decision and position.Nonetheless, the brain development and its connection to education in early childhood is an important breakthrough that can impact education for years. As for kindergarten, the newfound scientific perspective has made it clear that even the humble and previously seemingly non-bearing educational experience which is kindergarten appears to be, after all, something that holds a significant importance in the mental development of the individual. This is something that professionals should look on and design carefully in the future, for the benefit of the child above anyone else.References Cryan, J. (1992). Success outcomes of full day kindergarten: More positive behavior and increased achievement in the years after. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2, 187-203. Eden, S. T. (2008). Play Works: Helping Children Learn Through Play. Indiana: Author House. Elicker, J. and Mathur, S. (1997). What do they do all they? Comprehensive evaluation of a full-day kindergarten. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 4, 459-480. Handelman, M. S. and Auerbach, J. J. (2000). Jewish Every Day : The Complete Handbook for Early Childhood Teachers.Colorado: Behrman House, Inc. Lerner, R. M. , Jacobs, F. and Wertlieb, D. (2003). Handbook of applied developmental science: promoting positive child, adolescent, and family development through research, policies, and programs, Volume 1. California: SAGE. Miller, J. and Gore, A. (2007). The Compassionate Community: Ten Values to Unite America. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Neal, R. G. (2006). The Deserved Collapse of Public Schools. Indiana: Author House. Persky, B. and Goubchick, L. , H. (1991). Early Childhood education. Maryland: University Press of America.

Computer Crime Essay Essay

Computer crime is an ongoing issue that we continuously see, and a major problem with this is that most people do not realize the harm that computer crime can cause. Computer crime is also a niche that continues to grow. This is based on the fact that there are many different perceptions about what computer crime is, and the harmful effects it can have. Because there is a gap between traditional views of what cyber crime is and the actual realities of these crimes, it is a criminal offense that will continue to happen. A major issue within this industry is the fact that citizens, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and the government don’t put cyber crime at the top of their list of dangerous crimes is because the actual act of computer crime is not in itself viewed as being dangerous. This is a traditional view of computer crime, and the book goes on to explain that, â€Å"many [stereotypical] computer criminals are non-threatening, socially challenged individuals, and 36.3% of officers believe that investigation of computer crime interferes with their ability to concentrate on ‘traditional’ crimes† (Britz, 7). Because police tend to not look too seriously at these crimes, the general public will form their own, similar opinions on the matter. This gives people an inaccurate belief about the effects of cyber crime. In fact, computer crime can and many times is violent today. One area of computer crime that has become particularly dangerous, especially for younger generations is cyber bullying. In recent years, we have seen more and more suicides related to cyber bullying then ever before. An example of this can be seen in the case of the United States v. Lori Drew. Lori was an older woman who pretended to be a teenaged boy and began to talk and soon after started an online relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The girl eventually began to fall for the fake 16-year-old boy that Lori Drew created. After a series of conversations, their â€Å"relationship† ended with a message from Drew telling the girl that nobody actually liked her and she should instead kill herself. Unfortunately, the 14-year-old girl, being highly impressionable and because of her feelings for this fake teenage boy, took the advice and ended up killing herself. A big issue we have seen with lawmakers imposing laws to prevent cyber crime is that, it is  such an advanced form of crime that many times it is unclear if there was an actual crime committed and if so where/when it happened. In past situations, â€Å"legislative bodies and judicial authorities have been slow to respond† (Britz, 5). This slow response allows for those committing crimes in cyber space to avoid punishment and lets these criminals continue their illegal operations. Another problem within this criminal sector is the gray area between, â€Å"someone who accesses information without authorization and someone who is actually committing an act in cyberspace meant to harm someone or destroy property† (Webster). Another traditional view when it comes to cyber crime that is probably the most commonly thought, is that â€Å"it would never happen to me†. The average American does not think that they could be a computer criminal’s targets. These people believe that because they aren’t millionaires and instead an average income American, cyber criminals won’t go after them. This unfortunately is not the case, and because these people aren’t taking the proper steps to protect themselves, they are becoming easier to target. In 2004, 54 million Americans were subject to email attacks by â€Å"phishers† looking to steal financial information from people. Roughly 4% of these 54 million people gave away their financials including credit card numbers, addresses, phone numbers, etc—that is almost 1.7 million people! In the year 2003, 1.2 billion dollars were generated in cyber attacks on average Americans. But computer criminals are not just using this phishing approach to steal information and money. They are practicing using key logging and spyware to steal passwords and other private information that can allow these people to go unnoticed while spending your money. Despite the fact that we see more and more security be put in place to avoid these issues, it continues to happen because so many people in our society believe it will not happen to them. But what is instead happening, is more of these average people are being targeted because they are essentially making it easier for these criminals to steal their personal information. While these criminals certainly could steal more money from millionaires, going after these more average Americans is easier and safer (Wilson). With how technology dependent our society has become, we see more and more  hacking crimes today. There even exist groups out there that have members from all over the world that collectively hack different websites. For example, Anonymous is probably the most well known hacking collective in the world. Parmy Olson’s book We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World, she discusses the history of the group and the attacks that they have done. This group would like us to believe that they are an activist group that seeks freedom for all people, but has hacked financial institutions such as PayPal, MasterCard and Visa. They want us to believe that they are freedom fighters and simply believe in an unregulated Internet, but they tend to go after websites and companies that simply disagree with their message. It is kind of a double-edged sword, because while they are preaching about freedom of speech, they then in turn go after people who disagree with their message. Olson even discusses the fact that the group went after her because of the books she was writing about this organization. People are definitely becoming more aware of the dangers of computer crime, many Americans still do not see the detrimental effects that cyber crime can have on society. These people that are blinded by traditional views of computer crime, have become the target of attacks. Their lack of preparations have allowed cyber criminals to go after them and gain money through their computer skills. Works Cited Britz, M. T. (2013). Computer Forensics and Cyber Crime and Introduction (3rd ed., Vol. 3). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Olson, Parmy. We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency. New York: Little, Brown and Company, . â€Å"United States v. Lori Drew.† (Feb. 2008): California . 2 Jul. 2012. news.findlaw.com/wp/docs/cyberlaw/usdrew51508ind.pdf. Webster, S. C. (2013, June 20). Lawmakers Propose Cyber Crime Reforms. Retrieved from Raw Story website: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/20/lawmakers-propose-cyber-crime-reforms-inspired-by-aaron-swartz/ Wilson, T. (n.d.). How Phishing Works. Retrieved June 30, 2013, from How Stuff Works website: http://www.howstuffworks.com/phishing.htm

Impact of mobile and internet banking Essay

Abstract Financial institutions have been in the process of significant transformation. The force behind the transformation of these institutions is innovation in information technology. Information and communication technology is at the Centre of this global change curve of mobile and internet banking in Kenya. Rapid development of information technology has made banking tasks more efficient and cheaper. This study sought to  determine the impact of mobile and internet-banking on performance of financial institutions in Kenya where the survey was conducted on financial institutions in Nairobi. The study also sought to identify the extent of use of mobile and internet banking in financial institutions. The study investigated 30 financial institutions. The study found that the most prevalent internet banking service is balance inquiry while the least is online bill payment. Cash withdrawal was the most commonly used mobile banking service whereas purchasing commodities was the least commonly used. CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION. Background of the study Mobile banking is an innovation that has progressively rendered itself in pervasive ways cutting across several financial institutions and other sectors of the economy. During the 21st century mobile banking advanced from providing mere text messaging services to that of pseudo internet banking where customers could not only view their balances and set up multiple types of alerts but also transact activities such as fund transfers, redeem loyalty coupons, deposit cheques via the mobile phone and instruct payroll based transactions (Vaidya 2011). The world has also become increasingly addicted to doing business in the cyber space, across the internet and World Wide Web. Internet commerce in its own respect has expanded in various innovative forms of money, and based on digital data issued by private market actors, has in one way or another substituted for state sanctioned bank notes and checking accounts as customary means of payments (Cohen 2001). Technology has greatly advanced playing a major role in improving the standards of service delivery in the financial institution sector. Days are long gone when customers would queue in the banking halls waiting to pay their utility bills, school fees or any other financial transactions. They can now do this at their convenience by using their ATM cards or over the internet from the comfort of their homes. Additionally due to the tremendous growth of the mobile phone industry most financial institutions have ventured into the untapped opportunity and have partnered with mobile phone network providers to offer banking services to their clients. ATM  banking is one of the earliest and widely adopted retail e-banking services in Kenya (Nyangosi et al. 2009). However according to an annual report by Central Bank of Kenya its adoption and usage has been surpassed by mobile banking in the last few years (CBK 2008). The suggested reason for this is that many low income earners now have access to mobile phones. A positive aspect of mobile phones is that mobile networks are available in remote areas at a low cost. The poor often have greater familiarity and trust in mobile phone companies than with normal financial institutions. Banking In general terms, banking is the business activity of accepting and safeguarding money owned by other individuals and entities and then lending out this money in order to earn a profit. The Banking Act of Kenya defines banking to mean the accepting from members of the public of money on deposit repayable on demand or at the expiry of a fixed period or after notice, the accepting from members of the public of money on current account and payment and acceptance of checks and the employing of money held on deposit or on current account or any part of it by lending, investment or in any other manner for the account and the risk of the person so employing the money. Currently Kenya has 43 licensed commercial banks of these, 31 are locally owned and 12 are foreign owned. Citibank, Habib Bank, standard chartered and Barclays Bank are among the foreign-owned financial institutions in Kenya. The government of Kenya has a substantial stake in three of Kenya’s commercial banks. The remaining local commercial banks are largely family owned. Commercial banks in Kenya accept deposits from individuals and make a profit by using the deposits to offer loans to businesses at high interest rates. These banks are regulated by the Central Bank Act and the Companies’ Act, which stipulates the activities they should be engaged in, the rules on publishing of financial statements, minimum capital requirements as well as reserve requirements. Examples of new innovations in the Kenyan banks include adoption of ATMs, smart cards, internet and mobile banking as discussed below. Mobile banking Mobile banking (m-banking) refers to provision and availment of banking and  financial services through the help of mobile telecommunication devices. The scope of offered services may include facilities to conduct bank and stock market transactions, administer accounts and to access customized information. Mobile networks in Kenya offer m-money services in the name of M-pesa by Safaricom, Orange money by Orange, Yu-cash by Essar, and Airtel money by Airtel. Currently the mobile money market size is about 15 million users transferring Kshs. 2 billion daily, of these over 14 million are Mpesa customers. M-money providers have partnered with commercial banks such as Equity Bank, I&M Bank, and Kenya Commercial Bank, Barclays and Co-operative to offer mobile based financial products that aim to reach the unbanked. Internet banking Internet banking (e-banking) is the use of internet and telecommunication networks to deliver a wide range of value added products and services to bank customers (Steven, 2002) through the use of a system that allows individuals to perform banking activities at home or from their offices or over the internet. Some online banks are traditional banks which also offer online banking, while others are online only and have no physical presence. Online banking through traditional banks enables customers to perform all routine transactions, such as account transfers, balance inquiries, bill payments, and stop-payment requests, and some even offer online loan applications. Customers can access account information at any time, day or night, and this can be done from anywhere. Internet banking has improved banking efficiency in rendering services to customers. Financial institutions in Kenya cannot ignore information systems since they play an important role in their operations because custome rs are conscious of technological advancements and demand higher quality services. Problem Statement A fundamental assumption of most recent research in operations improvement and operations learning has been that technological innovation has a direct bearing on performance improvement (Upton and Kim, 1999). Strategic management in financial institutions demand that they should have effective systems in place to counter unpredictable events that can sustain their operations while minimizing the risks involved through  technological innovations. Only financial institutions that are able to adapt to their changing environment and adopt new ideas and business methods have guaranteed survival. Some of the forces of change which have impacted the performance of financial institutions mainly include technological advancements such as use of mobile phones and the internet. Since the beginning of e-banking Kenyan financial institutions have witnessed many changes. Customers now have access to fast, efficient and convenient banking services. Most financial institutions in Kenya are investing large sums on money in information and communication technology (ICT). However while the rapid development of ICT has made some banking tasks more efficient and cheaper, technological advancements have their fair share of problems; for example they take a large share of bank resources, plastic card fraud particularly on lost and stolen cards and counterfeit card fraud. Thus there is a need to manage costs and risks associated with internet banking. It is crucial that internet banking innovations be made through sound analysis of risks and costs associated to avoid harm on banks performance. Bank performance is directly dependent on efficiency and effectiveness of internet banking and on the other hand tight controls in standards to prevent losses associated with internet banking. In order not to impair on their prosperity, financial institutions need to strike a balance between tight controls and standards in efficiency of internet banking. This is only possible if the effects of internet banking on financial institutions and its customers are well analyzed and understood. Mobile money has emerged as a strong competition to financial institutions in Kenya. Initially cellular phones were developed to improve communication from the earlier primitive forms of communications such as smoke and drums. Financial institutions introduced ICT as an improvement to the banking channels. This has thus enabled bank customers’ access information relating to their accounts, (Tiwari, Buse and Herstatt, 2007.). In this regard mobile phone service providers have taken mobile money services deeper into the financial sector by offering a range of financial services through their networks. The CBK and the Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) have allowed service providers to offer mobile money services as there appears to be no reprieve as competition in the mobile money business is still heating up with entry of new money transfer systems which now allow transactions across all mobile  telephone service providers like M-pesa. Objectives of the study. The study objectives are: To establish the impact of mobile and internet banking on the performance of financial institutions in Kenya. To establish the extent of use of mobile and internet banking in financial institutions in Kenya. Significance of the study The study will be crucial to emerging financial institutions as it will provide answers to the factors against the implementation of internet banking in Kenya, prove of the success and growth associated with the implementation of internet banking and highlight the areas of banking operations that can be enhanced via internet banking. It is equally significant for bank executives and indeed the policy makers of the banks and financial institutions to be aware of internet banking as a product of internet commerce with a view to making strategic decisions. The study is also expected to give an insight on the state of mobile money services as a competition to the commercial banks in Kenya and the factors that have greatly influenced its growth. Players in the financial institution sector and telecommunications industry will find the study useful as they can use the findings to strategize on how they can mutually benefit from this development. Finally, our study adds to the existing literature, and is a valuable tool for students, academicians, institutions, corporate managers and individuals who want to learn more about mobile and internet banking. Limitations of the study In undertaking this study a number of challenges were faced. There was bureaucracy in getting approval to respond to questionnaires with most institutions insisting that permission be sought from the Chief Executive Officer or Human Resource Manager. This led to delays in obtaining the required responses for data analysis in time. Some customers were unwilling to divulge information and seemed to not have time to fill in the questionnaires. CHAPTER TWO. Literature Review. This chapter seeks to explore in depth the concept of internet and mobile banking through a review of the various theories as well as empirical studies. Theoretical framework Theory of information production and contemporary banking theory Diamond (1984) suggested that economic agents may find it worthwhile to produce information about possible investment opportunities if this information is not free; for instance surplus units could incur substantial search costs if they were to seek out borrowers directly. There would be duplication of information production costs if there were no banks as surplus units would incur considerable expenses in seeking out the relevant information before they commit funds to a borrower. Banks enjoy economies of scale and have expertise in processing information related to deficit units (borrowers). They may obtain information upon first contact with borrowers but in real sense it’s more likely to be learned over time through repeated dealings with the borrower. As they develop this information they develop a credit rating and become experts in processing information. As a result they have an information advantage and depositors are willing to place funds with a bank knowing that this will be directed to the appropriate borrowers without the former having to incur information costs. Bhattacharya and Thakor (1993) contemporary banking theory suggests that banks, together with other financial intermediaries are essential in the allocation of capital in the economy. This theory is centered on information asymmetry, an assumption that â€Å"different economic agents possess different pieces of information on relevant economic variables, in that agents will use this information for their own profit† (Freixas and Rochet 1988). Asymmetric information leads to adverse selection and moral hazard problems. Asymmetric information problem that occurs before the transaction occurs and is related to the lack of information about the lenders charact eristics, is known as adverse selection. Moral hazard takes place after the transaction occurs and is related with incentives by the lenders to behave opportunistically. Innovation diffusion theory Mahajan and Peterson (1985) defined an innovation as any idea, object or practice that is perceived as new by members of the social system and defined the diffusion of innovation as the process by which the innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of social systems. Diffusion of innovation theory attempts to explain and describe the mechanisms of how new inventions in this case internet and mobile banking is adopted and becomes successful Clarke (1995). Sevcik (2004) stated that not all innovations are adopted even if they are good it may take a long time for an innovation to be adopted. He further stated that resistance to change may be a hindrance to diffusion of innovation although it might not stop the innovation it will slow it down. Rogers (1995) identified five critical attributes that greatly influence the rate of adoption. These include relative advantage,compatibility,complexity,triability and observability.According to Rogers, the rate of adoption of new innovations will depend on how an organization perceives its relative advantage, compatibility, triability,observability and complexity.If an organization in Kenya observes the benefits of mobile and internet banking they will adopt these innovations given other factors such as the availability of the required tools. Adoption of such innovations will be faster in organizations that have internet access and information technology departments than in organizations without. Empirical studies Internet banking Recent literature has a narrow focus and ignores internet banking almost entirely; it equates internet money with the substitution of currency with internet gadget. For instance Freedman (2000) suggests that internet banking and internet money consists of three devices; access devices, stored value cards, and network money. Internet banking is simply the access to new devices and is therefore ignored. Internet money is the sum of stored value (smart cards) and network money (value stored on computer hard drives). Santomero and Seater (1996), Prinz (1999) and Shy and Tarkka (2002) present models that identify conditions under which alternative payments substitute for currency. Most of these models indicate that there is at least a  possibility for internet substitutes for currency to emerge and flourish on a wide scale depending on the characteristics of the various technology and those of the potential users. Friedman (1999), intimated that internet banking presents the possibility that an entire alternative payment system not under the control of the Central Bank may arise. Today computers make it at least possible to bypass the payment system altogether, instead using direct bilateral clearing and settlement (Friedman, 1999). Trends in mobile and internet banking in Kenya With the emerging wave of information driven economy, the banking industry in Kenya has inevitably found itself unable to resist technological indulgence. This has led to a boom in development of mobile banking laying down a strong base for low cost banking, and growth of mobile phone use in rural Kenya. Standard Chartered in 2009 launched its mobile banking in seven markets in Africa. In the Kenyan market it offers a number of services on a unique, user-friendly platform called Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) and is only available on GSM carrier networks which enable customers to access banking in real time, anywhere in the world, through their mobile phones. The platform is a convenient menu-driven application that is not dependent on specific customer handsets and does not need to be downloaded. Barclays bank’s m-banking platform is known as ‘hello money’. It allows customers to carry their bank in their mobile and access banking services anytime/anywhere on the move. Unlike other players in the sector this is all for free. Co-operative bank pioneered mobile banking way back in 2004 by enabling customers to access their accounts and transact using their mobile phones. It offers services such as balance enquiries, mini-statements, SMS alerts on credit and debit transactions to an account, pay utility bills and funds transfer. Equity bank on the other hand has its own m-banking platform known as Eazzy 24/7 offering services similar to those of co-operative bank. Telephone and PC banking is a facility that enables customers, via telephone calls, find out about their position with their bankers by merely dialing the telephone numbers given to them by the banks. In addition, the computers on the phone would require special codes given to the customers as a mea ns of identification of authentic users before they can receive any information they requested for. Telephone and PC banking brings the bank to the doorstep  of the customer, it does not require the customer to leave his premises. The card system is a unique internet payment type. Smart cards are plastic devices with embedded integrated circuit being used for settlement of financial obligations. Depending on the sophistication, it can be used as a Credit Card, Debit Card and ATM cards. The cards are internetally loaded with cash value and can be carried around like cash and store information on a microchip. The microchip contains a â€Å"purse† in which value is held internetally. In addition, it also contains security programs which protect transactions between one card user and the other. It can also be transferred directly to a retailer, merchant or any other outlet to pay for goods and services, and like cash, transactions between individuals without the need for banks or any other third parties. Also, the system does not require central clearing, it is valued immediat ely. CHAPTER THREE. Research Methodology A research methodology guides the researcher in collecting, analyzing and interpreting observed facts (Bless and Achola, 1988). This chapter introduces the logical framework to be followed in the process of conducting the study. It is divided into: research design, population and sample, data collection and data analysis. Research Design According to McMillan and Schumacher (2001) a research design is a plan for selecting subjects, research sites and data collection procedures to answer the research questions. It is the conceptual framework within which research is conducted and constitutes the blueprint for the collection of data and the analysis thereof of the collected data Based on the purpose of the study and the type of data involved, descriptive and qualitative research designs were used. The goal was to provide a clear understanding of mobile and internet banking and its usage in financial institutions and therefore conclude on the impact it has had on their performance. Qualitative data was collected from the managers, subordinate staff as well as from customers of the financial institutions. Population and Sample. Cooper and Emory (1995) define population as the total collection of elements about which the researcher wishes to make some inferences. An element is the subject on which the measurement is being taken and is the unit of the study. The population of interest in this study consisted of 61 financial institutions operating in Kenya of which only 30 responded. The managers, employees and customers were targeted as the key respondents. There was a need to sample the population because not all the population elements use mobile and internet banking. The study therefore used stratified sampling. This is the process of dividing members of the population into homogeneous subgroups before sampling. The strata should be mutually exclusive: every element in the population must be assigned to only one stratum. Financial institutions were classified according to microfinance institutions, SACCOS and commercial banks where 2 microfinance institutions, 11 SACCOS and 17 commercial banks were sampled . Data Collection. Primary sources were used in data collection. Open and close-ended questionnaires were administered to target respondents. In total two questionnaires were delivered: one to managers and employees and another to customers. They purposed to find out information regarding the level of usage of mobile and internet banking, demographics of the customers, services offered and used, level of satisfaction, impact on performance, opportunities for growth and challenges faced through the use of mobile and internet banking. This instrument allowed for cost and time savings for the respondents as well as the researchers. Data Analysis According to Bryman and Bell (2003) data analysis refers to a technique used to make inferences from data collected by means of a systematic and objective identification of specific characteristics. Once data is collected it has to be edited to verify to the completeness of data, coded in order to assign numbers or symbols to the various answers for effective categorization/classification, entered in order to convert the information gathered to a medium for viewing and manipulation (e.g. excel or statistical  package for social sciences SSPS) and finally displayed through the use of frequency tables and charts. Collected data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Qualitative data regarding customer level satisfaction, challenges faced demographics and services provided and used were analyzed using content analysis to measure the semantic contents of the message. Qualitative data was analyzed using statistical data analysis. The data was tabulated in pie-cha rts, tables and graphs for easier understanding and presentation. Data Analysis and Interpretation This section presents the data analysis, findings and discussion of the study in line with the research objectives of the study, the study’s research objective was to establish the impact of mobile and internet banking on financial performance of financial institutions in Kenya. To achieve the objective the research raised a number specific objective; to establish the extent of use of mobile banking and the extent of use of internet banking in financial institutions in Kenya. Data analysis The response rate of the questionnaires from the three types of institutions under study was fairly high, out of the 98 questionnaires sent to the respondents, 64 questionnaires both from customers and managers/employees were returned for analysis. To enhance the quality of the data obtained structured questions were used whereby the respondents were asked to give various indicators on mobile and internet banking. Various data were collected to satisfy this study in accordance with the methodology. The software that was used for the following analysis was Microsoft excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Summary The study revealed that among the financial institutions surveyed, commercial banks had the highest usage of internet banking at 43.3%, SACCOs had the second highest usage of internet banking whereas none of the microfinance institutions used internet banking.Amongst all the financial institutions surveyed commercial banks had the highest usage of mobile banking, SACCOs the second highest whereas MFIs had the least usage of mobile banking even though all of them used mobile banking. Of the services provided by financial institutions via internet banking the service that customers used most was online balance inquiry (40%) whereas the least used service was online bill payment (3.3%). According to the financial institutions the customer turn out level was high (63.3%) as a result of the use of internet banking. 66.7% of the respondents indicated that internet banking had a positive impact on performance whereas only 6.7% indicated that it had not impacted on performance of the financi al institutions Conclusion The study was able to achieve the set objectives; to explore the impact of mobile and internet banking on performance of financial institutions, as well as the extent of use of mobile and internet banking, by surveying a representative sample of financial institutions within Nairobi. The study found that commercial banks had the highest rate of usage of internet  banking among the financial institutions sampled. SACCOS are slowly adopting internet banking, while micro finance institutions have not yet adopted internet banking. The study revealed that the most prevalent internet banking services were seeking product rate information and the use of online credit cards. Since its introduction in mid-2005, the adoption of internet banking has been slow due to impaired unavailability of infrastructure and lack of supportive legislation for internet banking (Nyangosi et al 2009). However the adoption of internet banking has enhanced performance of the banking industry due to increased efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. The study found that mobile banking faces various challenges among them being, system delays by the mobile money transfer service providers, slow processing of transactions especially during the weekends, high transactions costs, limit on the amount of money that can be withdrawn in a day and fraud. These challenges can be solved through regular maintenance of mobile money transfer systems which will help in managing the systems’ capacity and in turn address the problem of transaction delays and improve customer service through speedy support and lower user charges. Suggestions for further study The study focused on the impact of internet and mobile banking on financial performance of financial institutions in Kenya while its evident its rampant growth impacts on the overall economy as well. Therefore, a study should be conducted to investigate the impact of mobile and internet banking on the economy.The study found that mobile banking has been adopted at a faster rate than internet banking therefore a study needs to be conducted to investigate why this is the case. References: Berestien, A. (1998), Monetary Policy Implications of Digital Money, Kyklos, Vol. 51. Bhattacharya, S. and A. Thakor (1993), ‘’Contemporary Banking Theory,’’ Journal of Financial Intermediation 3, 2-50. Bilderbeek, R (Dir.) (1994): ‘’Case studies in innovative and knowledge- intensive business services.’’ TNO Report. STB/94/041. Research project for the EC DG XIII, print EIMS Programme. Bryman and Bell (2003), is the resource-based ‘view’ a useful perspective for strategic management research?, The Academy of Management Review, 26(1), 22-40 Central Bank of Kenya. (2008) Bank Supervision Report. Nairobi: Central Bank of Kenya Central Bank of Kenya. (2009) Bank Supervision Report. Nairobi: Central Bank of Kenya Central Bank of Kenya. (2010) Annual Report. Nairobi: Central Bank of Kenya Cooper, D and Emory, C. (1995) Business Research Methods. Chicago. Irwin Diamond, D. and P. Dybvig (1983) ‘’ Bank runs, deposit insurance and liquidity,’’ Journal of Political Economics 91,pp.401-419 ECB (1999) ‘’ Payments Systems in the European Union’’: Addendum incorporating 1997figures (Blue Book), January. Freedman, C. (2000), Monetary Policy Implementation: Past, Present and Future-‘’Will Electronic Money Lead to the Eventual Demise of Central Banking?’’ International Finance, Vol.3, No.2, pp. 211-227 Freixas, X. and J.C. Rochet (1998), Microeconomics of banking, MIT Press. Friedman, B, (1999), the Future of Monetary Policy: The Central Bank as an Army with Only a Signal Corps?InternationalFinance, Vol.2, No.3, pp.321-338. Goodhart, E. (2000). Can Central Banking Survive the IT Revolution? InternationalFinance, Vol. 3, No.2.pp.189-209. Juniper Research, (2009). Mobile Banking Strategies: Applications, Opportunities and Markets 2010-2015. Kariuki, N. (2005), Six Puzzles in Electronic Money and Banking IMF Working Paper, IMF Institute. Vol. 19. February. Mcmillan & Schumaker (2001); Non-enforceable implementation of enterprise mobilization: and exploratory study of the critical success factors, Industrial Management & Data Systems, 105 (6), 786-814. Prinz, A. (1999), Money in, the Real and the Virtual World; E-Money, C-Money, and the Demand for CB-Money, Netnomics, Vol.1, pp.11-35. Santomero, A.M, and Seater J.J, (1986). Alternative Monies and the demand for Media of Exchange, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol.28, pp. 942-960. Steven A. (2002), Information Systems: The Information of E-Business, New Jersey: Natalie Anderson, pp.11-36 Tarkka, J.(2002), The Market for Electronic Cash Cards, Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Vol.34, pp.299-314.

Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of labour process Outline - 1

Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of labour process theory for our understanding of the impact of information and communication technologies in the workplace - Outline Example In this regard, the workers will lack an opportunity to develop and build on their talents. It is important to note that the adoption of LPT leads to the compromised output to the work done. The affinity of the machines to making mistakes is higher than that of human skills. LPT limits the aspects of innovation in that discoveries are hard to be deduced by the use of machines as opposed to the use of skilled work force (Price & McConney, 2012). Conversely, LPT fosters management control in that by using the ICT, the management system of the organization enables the management of the organization network and monitors all transactions done by the respective employees. LPT enables the use of various softwares such as the use of the Transaction processing systems among others. Data mining and cloud computing enables the activities of the organization to be managed from one central point. This is beneficial to the organization in that it is able to monitor the trend and performance of its employees (Downard 2009). Price, A, Mansfield, C, & McConney, A 2012, Considering ‘teacher resilience’ from critical discourse and labour process theory perspectives, British Journal Of Sociology Of Education, 33, 1, pp. 81-95. Pushenko, SL 2013, Risk-management and its integration to the system of labor safety management. (Russian), Vestnik Volgogradskogo Gosudarstvennogo Arhitekturno-Stroitelnogo Universiteta. Seriya: Stroitelstvo I Arhitektura, 34, 53, pp.

Challenges facing consumers in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Challenges facing consumers in the UK - Essay Example Consumers in the UK are often faced with a number of challenges.The challenges are due to a rise in energy prices,rise in housing,horse meat scandal,and unhealthy competition.Competition is the essence of life but more often,in competition,the market would always want to take advantage of consumers lest the consumers be protected from exploitation This is why competition laws are instituted. Competition laws are about applying the law to ensure that there is an healthy competition between companies without interference with each other’s rights (Whish, & Bailey, 2012). The competition laws are also healthy because they protect the customer or consumers from harmful behaviors of ill mannered companies (Monti, 2007). Competition laws are fields of interests because they aid in creating a wide variety of choices for consumers that it widens consumers’ options, it encourages efficiency and enterprise, and it also helps in the reduction of prices and improvement of quality. H ousing is a major setback to the citizens of UK. The value of houses is high for the common citizens. However, there are individuals and companies that have come up to set houses for rentals. These have created competition that is bringing competition. Competition helps in pushing for low prices that make goods and services accessible to all. This ensures that virtually everybody can get access to good housing thus an improvement in peoples’ livelihood (Cseres, 2005). ... For companies to get good market share, they have to ensure that their products are of good quality. This is the one of the ways that a business can gain competitive advantage over their competitors. In this respect, better quality of goods and services could mean that companies would bring products that can last longer or serve their customers in a better way (Kokkoris, & Lianos, 2010). This could also mean better after-sale services, and a general friendly customer service. This would mean that customers are treated with respect and it also mean that customers are treated as ends in themselves but not as mere means of getting profits. Oil companies have been facing a number of challenges further transferring their costs and challenges to the final consumers. Putting competition laws into perspective also ensures that companies offer more choices to the market (Agnew, 1985). This means that companies would come with different options and different unique products which can meet the needs of their target market in an efficient way than the rest of the offers available in the market. Companies strive to meet these demands to command the market while offering better services with reasonable balanced prices (Zimmer, 2012). In order to maintain such standards as to deliver varied choices, a company has to be innovative so as to remain relevant to time and choices (Jones, & Sufrin, 2007). Innovation implies that companies constantly produce better products, their designs have to be improved, and products services and business techniques have to be appealing to the consumers (Henning-Bodewig, 2006). Better competition also helps in training business to remain relevant to the global economy and competitions.

Worlds Environmental Problems and their Solving Essay - 5

Worlds Environmental Problems and their Solving - Essay Example This means the earth’s 7 billion stakeholders are those that will not literally pay for the resources that are extracted and sold to us, we will also pay for the economic hardships that are the result of this environmental exploitation. On the other hand, the companies who provide these products are benefiting themselves; oftentimes without even thinking of the damages they left have behind. It is obvious, however, that individuals are always looking to increase their income no matter the external costs. As such, this greed is one of the only reason that keeps companies and individuals from destroying the environment we share. Yet, blame alone is not sufficient to solve this problem. Instead, standing and defeating these companies by ignoring their products is the best thing to help the environment. So, the consumers themselves can stop the environmental destruction by voting with their pocketbook. However, two questions should be asked to consumers all over the world as a means of effecting this goal. The first question is: â€Å"Is being fascinated by a particular industry worth the environmental toll that is incurred†? Likewise, the second question is: â€Å"Would you live with the unrealistic food products that are not organic†? According to the documentary we saw in class, it became clear and apparent that many food producers were overfishing. This problem was so endemic that some of these companies agreed to catch as many fishes as possible is resulting in the near extinction of some species of fish. This destruction of the ecosystem is especially important; due in part to the fact that removing even one species can have unimaginable repercussions on the remainder of biological life on the planet.