An Unexpected Question About You

An Unexpected Question About You An Unexpected Question About You An Unexpected Question About You By Maeve Maddox A peruser has been having a conversation with a companion about which of coming up next is the correct language You was..or You were†¦ The way that this inquiry can be the topic of conversation during a time of free government funded training recommends either that essential standard language isn't being educated adequately in the schools, or that pronouns are going to keep on heading out in their own direction as they have consistently done. Include the siege of ungrammatical mainstream society to the current of ordinary phonetic change, and syntactic assurances as clearly key as you were are raised doubt about. Take, for instance, these verses from a tune sung by Dean Martin and Peggy Lee: (PL) If you were to ask me who the best one I knew was Id state you was (DM) If you were to solicit me who my preferred point from see was Id state you was Any development, heard regularly enough, is going to start to sound right to the speakers who hear it. On account of you, the circumstance is muddied by the way that the pronoun you is utilized with either a particular or a plural precursor. You started as a plural pronoun. Its solitary partner was thou. For social and authentic reasons the structure thou dropped out of English with the outcome that plural you presently accomplishes crafted by particular thou. Its not outlandish to need to put a particular action word with a subject that represents one individual. On account of you, be that as it may, its ungrammatical in standard English. To address the perusers question: You were is the right standard structure. Need to improve your English quickly a day? Get a membership and begin accepting our composing tips and activities every day! Continue learning! Peruse the Grammar classification, check our well known posts, or pick a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With60 Synonyms for â€Å"Trip†How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases

Nelson Mandela’s Values Essay Example for Free

Nelson Mandela’s Values Essay It will be difficult to accept if an individual says â€Å"A man who served twenty seven years in jail, ended up being perhaps the best president our reality has seen†. Well this did really occur and this previous president is as yet living today. Nelson Mandela was conceived on July 18, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa, he was a pioneer of the counter politically-sanctioned racial segregation development during the 1940s. Mandela was imprisoned for a long time for demonstrations of treachery against the South African state, and soon after his discharge from jail he drove a multi-racial gathering unexpectedly in South Africa’s history. By doing this he was chosen as the main dark/fair leader of South Africa. During his time as a president he has been generally viewed as an image of worldwide peacemaking, and he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. His birthday, July 18, has been proclaimed Mandela Day; a worldwide festival of his heritage. Mandela arrived at this achievement and earned the title of a widely acclaimed pioneer with his qualities in initiative, supporting what he had confidence in, that is in popularity based procedure and his solid objection to shamefulness. Nelson Mandela esteemed authority since his initial days, considered by numerous individuals as a progressive head; he sorted out the battle against prejudice and politically-sanctioned racial segregation in South Africa. (Edge). Mandela saw administration at a youthful age while watching his watchman regulating ancestral dynamic social events. Mandela’s gatekeeper tuned in peacefully for a considerable length of time, never voicing his assessment much after everyone’s conclusion was heard. After everybody had spoken, his gatekeeper guided the gathering to arrive at an agreement. Afterward, Mandela utilized this experience to form his authority style (Stengel). As indicated by Stengel, Mandela reviewed the accompanying exercise in regards to administration from when he was a youthful steers herder: When you need to get a crowd to move a specific way, he stated, you remain at the back with a stick. At that point a couple of the more enthusiastic steers move to the front and the remainder of the dairy cattle follow. You are truly directing them from behind. He delayed before saying with a grin, That is the means by which a pioneer ought to accomplish his work. Besides, Mandela’s solid incentive for authority started with him showing his capacity to compose and direct others by assisting with making the Youth League of African National Congress (ANCYL) which sorted out fights, blacklists, petitions, and strikes to end politically-sanctioned racial segregation. Already the African Nation Congress (ACN), ANCYL’s parent association, had appealed to the legislature for quite a long time forâ equality with little achievement. Notwithstanding, with expanded achievement of the development, the administration expanded savagery toward peaceful nonconformists and prohibited the ANC. Mandela and different pioneers in the development needed to conclude how to react. In an unsafe choice, they reasoned that peacefulness would not, at this point be powerful and that the ANC expected to proceed with underground. These activities brought about the detainment of Mandela and numerous ANC pioneers, however this activity assisted with moving others and to set up the nation for change (Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC), and South Africa.).After over twenty years in jail, Mandela concluded the time had come to assume control over issues. He understood that, as a pioneer, the time had come to make an intense stride, and he met with the South African president so as to talk about his discharge and his longing to change the country to a popular government. Mandela was effective, and upon his discharge he was chosen the main popularity based pioneer of South Africa (Brink). Mandela consistently went to bat for what he put stock in; he was never flustered by an adversary. Mandela’s estimation of putting stock in the law based procedure is a model. Despite the fact that many didn't generally concur with this thought, he trusted it was the correct path forward (Johnson). He was from the start ineffective with his interests, this incorporated when he took a stab at during his detainment to have detainees to be tended to all the more deferentially by watches, and furthermore later when he endeavored to have the national democratic age brought down to 14 (Stengel). In any case, gradually he built up his establishment of vote based system and individuals were at last attracted to it (Stengel). All through his fight against politically-sanctioned racial segregation and assisting with carrying majority rules system to South Africa, Mandel a embraced a vote based authority style (Johnson).And as per Johnson â€Å"Democratic pioneers set strategies through gathering conversation and choice, empowering and helping bunch individuals to communicate, mentioning the collaboration of others† and this was actually what Mandela did (Johnson). Mandela’s other key worth that upheld his administration and popularity based style was his solid objection for foul play. Mandela never endured treachery; he accepted that equity was the main way to progress. For example, when Mandela got to Robin Island where he was to be detained, he was advised to run to the jail door. He solidly won't and began a craving hit with different detainees to censure the condition they were living in. This turned out to be in support of them and the conditions improved (Hume). This model features Mandela’s esteem for upbraiding treachery andâ oppression. In any case, Mandela trusted Consensus to be the better dynamic procedure than assemble duty and inspiration in bunch individuals toward bunch targets. Utilizing Consensus implied that equity would be served at its best when settling on a choice and Mandela completely upheld this procedure (Johnson). At last, Nelson Mandela is seen as a progressive head for his capacity to enable and persuade others utilizing his solid respect for accord and the just procedure. His position for advancing equity and harmony has been hailed over the world. He drove South Africa from a racial oppressor nation to being the primary equitable country in Africa. With these qualities Nelson Mandela arrived at a definitive achievement according to everybody. Work refered to Verge, Andre. Nelson Mandela. Time. Time, 13 Apr. 1998. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C988171%2C00.html. Hume, Tim. Computerized Mandela Archive Spreads Message of Social Justice. CNN. Link News Network, 28 Mar. 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/28/world/africa/mandela-online-chronicle/index.html. Johnson, Caleb. â€Å"A Leader’s Nest† New York Times [New York] 1993: Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Nov. 2012. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=Nonesort=RELEVANCEinPS=trueprodId=GVRLuserGroupName=kent208tabID=T003searchId=R5resultListType=RESULT_LISTcontentSegment=searchType=BasicSearchFormcurrentPosition=2contentSet=GALE%7CCX3490200977docId=GALE|CX3490200977docType=GALE. Nelson Mandela, African National Congress (ANC), and South Africa. Cold War Museum. The Cold War Museum, 17 May 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/CNelsonMandelaandSouthAfrica.asp. Stengel, Richard. Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership. Time. Time, 09 July 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821659,00.html.

APA Rules for Attributing Sources

APA Rules for Attributing Sources When you are writing an APA paper,  you will often need to refer to works by other people. This may involve describing research conducted by psychologists, paraphrasing another writer, or including a direct quotation from another work. Proper APA citing demonstrates that you are familiar with the research on your topic, that your sources have been accurately documented and that you own conclusions are backed up by solid evidence. Your in-text citations are just as important as your reference section. APA format establishes a number of clear rules for how to cite works using author information. The specific format of your in-text citations will vary depending upon the source and the number of authors to whom the source is attributed. Citing Your Sources in APA Format All of the sources that you use in your paper should be cited in two ways. First, an in-text citation should be used wherever you refer to another source in the body of your paper. This is often accomplished by including the name of the source’s author and the publication year. The second way that sources should be cited in APA format is to include a reference section at the end of your paper that provides the full reference for any and every source that was cited in the body of your paper. Always remember, if you cited a source in your paper, it must also be included in the reference section. How to Cite Authors In APA Format No Author While most articles, books, and other reference materials will include an author attribution, some sources lack information on authorship. How do you cite these resources in APA format? In-text citations should use a short article title enclosed in parentheses and the date. When article titles are long, simply use the first word or two of the title. Example The study revealed a strong positive correlation between the two variables (Learn APA, 2006). One Author When a book, article or other source lists only one author, simply provide the authors last name followed by the publication date. Examples ...students demonstrated solid understanding of the concepts and information (Jones, 2001).orJones (2001) found that students demonstrated a solid understanding of the concepts and information. Two Authors When a source lists two authors, your in-text citations should provide the last names of both authors and the publication date. Examples ...later studies demonstrated a similar effect (Ross Hudson, 2004).orRoss and Hudson (2004) found a similar effect in later studies. Three to Six Authors Proper APA format for sources with three to six authors requires listing the last names of all authors the first time you cite the source as well as the publication date. Examples ...results indicated a strong positive correlation between the two variables (Robsen, Hutchkins, Ru, Selanis, 1989).orRobsen, Hutchkins, Ru, Selanis (1989) found a strong positive correlation between the two variables. Subsequent citations should list only the last name of the first author along with the publication date. Robsen (1989) demonstrated the effects of... or ..in a study demonstrating these effects (Robsen, et al., 1989). Seven or More Authors Listing the last name of the first author as well as the publication date should cite sources with more than seven authors. Examples ...students demonstrated competence after reading about APA format (Smith et al., 2005).orSmith et al., (2005) found that... Organizations as Authors To create an in-text citation in APA format when the author is an organization or entity, always include the full name of the organization the first time you cite the source in-text. The citation should also include the acronym of the organization if one is available. Subsequent citations can simply list the acronym and the publication date. Examples The American Psychological Association (2000) reported that...or...found that students responded positively (American Psychological Association [APA], 2000).and subsequent citations(APA, 2000). Be sure to check your references and citations using the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. How to Cite Books in APA Format The APA citing format you use for books can vary depending upon the number of authors that are listed. If a book has just one author, simply provide the author’s last name followed by the publication date. In cases where there are more than six authors, the last name and first initial of the first listed author should be used, followed by et al.. Examples ...students demonstrated competence after reading about APA format (Smith et al., 2005).orSmith et al., (2005) found that... APA Citing for Articles in Journals, Magazines, and Other Periodicals When you are citing articles in an academic journal, magazine, newspapers or other periodicals, you should follow the author-date format. APA citing should include the authors last name, followed by the date of publication. Examples ...as Smith and Jones (2005) described...or...the study found a statistically significant relationship between the two variables (Smith Jones, 2005). In some instances, a publication might not have a listed author. Include the short title of the article followed by the date of publication. For example: ...the findings were contradicted previous research on the subject (New Research, 2009). Citing Articles with No Author In cases where no author is listed, include the short title of the article followed by the date of publication. Example ...the findings were consistent with previous research (New Study, 2003). If you use a direct quotation, your APA citing should always include the page number where the source can be found. In cases where you are citing an organization such as the American Psychological Association (APA), spell out the entire name the first time you cite the source. All further citations should use the appropriate acronym. APA Citing for Electronic Sources The exact format you use for APA citing of electronic media depends on the type of source that is used. In many cases, the format will be very similar to that of books or journal articles, but you should also include the URL of the source and the date it was accessed in the reference section.

The Construction Of The Modern World - 2135 Words

The construction of the modern world can be attributed to several factors over the past hundred years. The Industrial Revolution marks a major turning point in our history; almost every aspect of daily life was influenced in some way. There were numerous signs economic and socio-economic changes that exhibited unprecedented and sustained growth by new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes. This sustained growth was attained mostly through the innovation and industrialization of ‘technological’ modernization as it set forth the foundation to the continuation and growth of newer processes. Robert Pool, the author of Beyond Engineering, How society Shapes Technology, examines how society has shaped technology – divergent to†¦show more content†¦But for better or for worse, technology has reached the point of where no individual can understand completely how, say a, petrochemical plant works, and no team of experts can anticipate every possible outcome once a technology is put to world† (Pool, 9). Technology since the industrial revolution has become increasingly complex. The impact during technological growth is unknown culturally even to a scientist. The industrialization era has launched an expansive technological evolution; the diversification and implementation of technology has caused rapid transformation of our societal culture. Two decades ago, you would have had to write a letter to communicate with others who live far away. If you missed an episode of your favorite show, you would have had to wait for reruns; and for updates on the news you would have to pick up a newspaper. These are but a few ways the Internet has changed human experience thus transitioning us to our modern world. It was the introduction of technology in use of the Internet platform during this century that has led to a new mode of human existence. In Lee Siegels, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electric Mob, he writes â€Å"the Internet is possibly the most radical transformation of private and public life in the history of humankind† (Siegel, 40). The development of the industrial revolution with regard to technological changes has led to transform our

Corporate Governance On The Capital Investment Decision - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 13 Words: 4034 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? ABSTRACT This paper investigates the factors that determine the sensitivity of the investment-cash flow relationship. The Q model assumption is used to relate the investment opportunities available to the managers with its liquidity constraints due to asymmetric information and managerial discretion of internally sourced free cash flow. The result purports that there is a positive relationship between the degree of the Investment-Cash flow relationship and Q, found in low or no dividend paying firms. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Corporate Governance On The Capital Investment Decision" essay for you Create order It is evident that the results are in support of Myers Maljuf (Myers Maljuf, 1984) pecking order theory of the investment-cash flow relationship. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES Introduction Overview Through various studies over the years, different scholars and financial analysts have been able to establish a relationship of cash flow on firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment spending. It was significantly proven by (Modigliani Miller, 1958) that a firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial status is irrelevant for real investment decisions in a world of perfect and complete capital markets, after controlling for the cost of capital. In case of managerial discretion, based on (Jensen, 1986) free cash flow theory, firms increase investment (including projects with negative present value) based on the availability of cash flows with incentive of increasing firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ value beyond level of optimal investment. Moreover, an agency costs also appreciate the borrower net worth by charging a premium on the external financing. The discussion above explains that the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment decisions are dependent on the availability of internal funds, as cost advantage over external fund is evident. While choosing an appropriate capital structure, there are certain trade-offs which affects the decision. These trade-offs include tax advantage through acquiring debt against the bankruptcy cost which advocates the use of equity. Keeping this in view, various different models have been supported to explain this corporate capital structure behavior. Pecking Order Theory, initially mitigated by (Donaldson, 1961) describes the financing practice as prioritizing the means of financing, which is necessary for the management to counter against asymmetric information. Either they should generate the funds internally or acquire funds externally through debt rather than equity. Implications to the pecking order theory involves the positive impact of leveraging on the market price, which means, financing through debt sends a positive signal into the market about the firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s future prospects. Furthermore, intermediaries also undermine the role of management as the financial intermediaries such as investment banks function as the insider to the firm. Consequently, keeping an eye on the firms operations and influencing the firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capital financing decision. However, Pecking order theory of (Myers Maljuf, 1984) argues that the firms operating in imperfect or incomplete capital markets where the cost of external capital exceeds that of internal funds, the financial structure may be appropriate to the investment decisions of companies facing uncertain prospects. Gauging the level of corporate investment in any firm is based on the corporate governance; market position of a firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s asset against its book value can be termed as Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q ratio. Identified by (Chung Pruitt, 1994), Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q as proportion of firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ market value to replacement cost of its assets. Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q can be considered an effective tool for determining financial performance as the data can be collected readily from a balance sheet. When calculating Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q ratio, the replacement cost can be determined approximately by the book value of firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s plant and equipment. Approximate q can be replaced with the actual Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q to make the calculations unproblematic and data can be readily available without any discrepancies. Problem Statement To study the impact of corporate governance on the capital investment decision through cash flow and Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q interaction in relation with Capital Investment HypothesEs H0: Firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ cash flow having a significant impact on its capital investment will be linked with high Q values. (FCF Theory) HA: Firms being liquidity constrained due to least payout will have significant investment-cash flow sensitivity, and will be linked with high Q values in the market. (PO Theory) Outline of the study The report contains the contemplation of research data that will study the phenomenon of cash flows and investment discussed earlier in this paragraph. The study categorizes firms according to characteristics (such as dividend payout, size) which will help measure the level of constraints faced by firms. The study will help readers to understand the complexities of Pecking order theory and Free Cash Flows concept with regard to asymmetric information available and corporate governance which influences decision of the firms. To measure the effect that cash flow-financed (internally sourced) capital spending and Q has on firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment, Ordinary Least Square Regression model will be used to estimate the function. To compute the influence on the Investment, instruments used are: (1) Cash Flow, (2) Approximate q, and (3) an interaction of both variables are created. Through studying the parameter estimates of interaction variable, positive influence on investment will support the Pecking Order hypothesis and negative influence will govern the Free Cash Flow hypothesis. The equation hypothesized in the next part is linear. Definitions Pecking Order Theory: (Myers Maljuf, 1984): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A firm is said to follow a pecking order if it prefers internal to external financing and debt to equity if external financing is used.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Free Cash Flow Theory According to (Jensen, 1986), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“free cash flow theory, high cash flow and low debt create agency costs associated with conflicts between manager and share holder over the payout of this free cash, which is the cash left after the firm has invested in all available positive net present value projects.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? Capital Structure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A careful and systematic analysis of how claims against a corporations assets can or should be determined, assessed, and accounted for.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Riahi-Belkaoui, 1999) Capital Investment Decision à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Capital Investment decisions are those decisions that involve current outlay in return for a stream of benefit in future years.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Drury, 2006) Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Tobins q is a measure of investors expectations concerning a firms future profit potential. It is defined as the ratio of the market value of a firm to the replacement cost of its assets.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (Strecker, 2009) Literature Review Vogt (Vogt, 1994) explained the capital spending behavior of companies with respect to change in dividend cash paid, cash flows, sales, and market value of assets. The regression equation models the variables to proportion of fixed assets, and distributes the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ data in segments of Dividend Payout Groups and Asset Groups. Primarily, Dividend Cash has a strong negative impact on capital spending; it explains that in order to finance additional fixed investment firm needs to sock cash by reducing their dividend. Cash flow, Sales, and Q Ratio having a positive coefficient demonstrates that with an increase in future cash flows, the firm will improve its capital spending. A relationship has been developed between the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment decision and the firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s financial status by Cleary (Cleary, 1999), financial status has been studied with respect to the liquidity constraints. The data is classified into groups through a discriminant analysis on basis of dividend payout policy. Groups taken into study have made possible to identify firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ which are more financially constrained more likely to be investment-cash flow sensitive, furthermore, availability of internal sources of funds have a greater impact on firms with high credit worthiness, and vice versa. It has been proposed that the various ownership structures make managerial decision based on the interaction between investment and the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ liquidity constraints. The study conducted by Dedoussis Papadaki (Dedoussis Papadaki, 2010) mentioned that the management can be held separate from its ownership, even on basis of the nationality of the company. On the other hand, it also explained that the relative shareholding of CEO and the controlling shareholders can also be the basis of separation. The sample used in the study was separated and grouped on basis of dividend payout, asset size of the firm, age of the firm, source of control, and kind of ownership. On the given sampling criterion; greater asset size firms, older firms, lower Q (high investment opportunity), and high dividend payout firms showed higher cash flow sensitivity towards investment. Findings support that the Low Q, small, and new firms under the generalized model are facing asymmetric information problems. Indeed these firms are expected a priori to face financing problems that affect the cost of their external financing. On the other hand, low Q, old and low dividend firms are more likely to face managerial discretion problems that result to over-investment. The impact of Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Q is mainly used to determine the investment opportunity of the firm. In this article, marginal Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Q has been taken to evaluate the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment and Research Development expenditures. The asymmetric information (AI) hypothesis proposed that firms provided with a profitable investment-project may not be able to source it through internal cash flows and the high financial cost of borrowing funds externally due to lack of awareness of firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment opportunity in the capital market. On the other hand, agency or managerial discretion (MD) hypothesis constructs the investment-cash flow relationship on the assumption that managers are well qualified in context with proficiency they obtain from managing a huge and fast paced firm and thus exceeding the wealth shareholders beyond their expectations. (Gugler, Mueller, Yurtoglu, 2004) Taking in viewpoint the impact of capital structure on the capital investment decision, firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment demands is the more susceptible towards cost-of-capital or tax-based capital incentive. Whereas, capital structure seems irrelevant as against internal sources of funds can be effectively substituted with sources of funds generated externally. The size of the investment project can be a deterministic factor towards it. Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba (Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba, 1988) explicates that cash flow/investment relationship is more sensitive when taken in reference with firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ dividend behavior. Comparison based on firms having more or less liquidity constraints can be further improved when compared on a division based on the scale of the firms, i.e. young or small firms versus large ones. This way the researchers can address the problem of firms lacking the asymmetric information. Under the impression where capital investments decisions mainly pertains to the capital structure or choosing the appropriate source of investment, Schaller (Schaller, 1993) conducted three different empirical tests to determine that information asymmetries have a huge influence on the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment behavior. Differences among the informational base of investors and creditors was also considered a capital market imperfection. Ownership status and age of the firms has an impact on the cost of equity financing, mature firms pay comparatively less price for it than young firms. Same aspect goes for the firms with concentrated with comparison to dispersed ownership. Borrowing is considered a more rational source for investment-projects. Pledgeable assets generate greater borrowing capacity, which afterwards makes firms invest more in pledgeable assets. As suggested by Almeida Campello (Almeida Campello, 2007), such a phenomenon can be termed as a credit multiplier. In case of financially constrained firms, a multiplier relates to the sensitivity of firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment-cash flow relationship that is reflected as the increase in the tangible assets of the firm. Therefore, it is proposed that with fewer tangible assets firms are more likely to be financially constrained. The sensitivity of investment-cash flow relationship is evidently influenced by the tangibility of a firm, as latter discussed. Managers while making capital investment decision considers externally-sourced funds costlier, therefore, overconfident managers over assessing the profitability of an investment-project invests more when having abundant internal funds to utilize. However, deciding not to source externally in case where they are short of internal funds to generate. There has been an evidence of significant relationship between the managerial discretion and investment-cash flow sensitivity. Equity concentrated firms are more likely to be influenced by overconfident managers, unless compensation tools can be used to reduce the effects of managerial overconfidence. (Malmendier Tate, 2005) Goyal Yamada (Goyal Yamada, 2004) have explained the impact of asset pricing in the stock market against investment-cash flow sensitivity. Overvalued stock prices triggers an increased in investment spending and are cut back when stock are being undervalued, consequently, inflated prices collateral assets attract higher level of external financing. Inflationary pressures primarily determined by the economic monetary policy impacts on the variation of cost on external financing, though it reflects highly on cost of external financing, marginally impacts less on the investment-cash flow sensitivity. It has been observable that less financially constrained firms have significantly higher investment-cash flow sensitivity. Characterizations of firms based on financial constraint can sometimes create confusion. Firms having unusually high cash holdings can either be characterized as unconstrained based on the opportunities it has to invest or constrained based on the assumption that it needs to have a precautionary savings to invest in future investment projects. Therefore, financial constraints cannot be used as an influential determinant for investment-cash flow sensitivity. (Kaplan Zingales, 1997) Hu Schiantrlli (Hu Schiantarelli, 1998) put into picture the effect of general economic factors and various firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ characteristics on the value of the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ net worth. Mainly financial status is the most important determinant for the level of asymmetric information problem that managers face. A strong balance sheet position can reflect good sign of firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ performance which enhances the market value of the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ asset to its stake holders, mainly investors and creditors. Q models assumption also assists in determining the sensitivity of the investment-cash flow relationship, where the indicators determine the investment opportunity and the sources of funds to choose from. Understanding the market influence in proxy of q can also give a clear picture to the movements in the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ investment over a period. Net worth of firms helps manager determine if the sourcing of funds externally is a viable option in contrast to the investment opportunity which underlies. (Hubbard, 1998) Research conducted on the investment-cash flow sensitivity addresses many aspects of the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ financial strength. Further study by Calomiris Hubbard (Calomiris Hubbard, 1995) shows that when firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ tax taken under investigation also reflected a significant influence on the volume of spending on investment-projects. They explored the impact of surtax margin, as a tax experiment, on the cost of internal and external funds. Surtax when levied on undistributed profits, obligate the firms to incur certain cost on the internal funds. This effects the managersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ decision to invest and is also reflected on the investment-cash flow sensitivity against the surtax margin. As a result to evade burden of higher cost on internal funds, firms with high surtax-margin exhibits elevated sensitivity in investment-cash flow relationship. Quan (Quan, 2002) discusses the Pecking Order theory with reference to the Modigliana-Miller proposition that works under the assumption of perfect market. Here it is stated that value of the firm is irrelevant and based on a few limitations the choice of financing can be determined via gauging the strength of the firm. These factors pertain to the imperfect market and influence the managers to make their capital investment decision. Once the assumptions are released the financing structure shows a clear picture. The association between Free Cash Flow theory and Agency theory has always been under the limelight when there is a question of retaining the undistributed profits. FCF Theory taken under consideration gives out an option to the management to hold on to excess cash sacrificing the shareholders opportunity cost. These excess funds can be generated to better internal operational efficiency or at managersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ discrepancy to source its investment-projects. (Wang, 2010) Research Methods The chapter explains the model used in the given research study. The study focuses on analyzing the influence of Cash Flows and Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q on Corporate Investment. The equation represented by a dependent variable as a ratio of capital spending to the beginning net fixed asset (I/K) predicted by independent variables: (1) ratio of cash flow to the beginning gross fixed asset (CF/K), and (2) beginning Tobins q (Q). Method of Data Collection Main source of collecting the required data is from secondary sources. It includes the Balance Sheet Analysis of Joint Stock Company listed in Karachi Stock Exchange provided by State Bank of Pakistan consisting of data of our relevant variables. The data was taken in annual terms to conduct this research. Sampling Technique The Convenience sampling or grab or opportunity sampling would be use in this research. Sample population selected because it is readily available and convenient. Sample Size The sample period taken under study covers 8-years period beginning at the start of 2000 and ending at the close of 2008. The data was taken from a sample of 70 (non-banking and non-financial) companies which are listed on Karachi Stock Exchange and included in KSE-100 index. Research Model Statistical technique Ordinary Least Square Regression technique is used to study the impact of variables included in the study. It helps studies the relationship between a dependent variable and several independent variable. It also assumes the relationship to be linear or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“straight line,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? where the values of predictors lies directly proportional to Criterion variable. SPSS Software is used to develop the regression model and evaluate the influence of predictors on dependent variable. Results Findings and interpretation of results Aggregate Sample: Table : Represents the model summary of regression estimates for the full sample of 69 firms The predictors, i.e. main effects of Cash Flow and Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q and an interaction variable of both combined, included in the model explains 78.5% of Investment (Table 1) shown mentioned as R Square. Least variation in Adjusted R Square suggests that the variable to observation ratio in the given model is sufficient. Casewise diagnostic was also conducted to eliminate the outliers in the data to improve the results. Table : Studies the F-statistics to test whether the model predicts the dependent variable significantly The F-statistics (Table 2) is significant and it determines the regression model with the given predictors can significantly predict the outcomes at a 0.05 significance level. Table : The parameter estimation for full sample of 69 firms with respect to dependent variable, t-statistics is used to test the null hypothesis ÃŽÂ ²1 = ÃŽÂ ²2 = ÃŽÂ ²3 = 0 The coefficient values of all predators included in the test are significant at a 0.05 significant level (Table 3), which shows that they have a strong influence on the investment of the firm. The standard coefficient shows that Cash Flows have a much greater impact on Investment than market value on the firm, which is exemplified through Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q. Dividend Payout groups: Table : Presents the sample statistics for 69 KSE listed (non-banking and non-financial) companies which are included in the KSE-100 index. The three rows distribute the statistics into High, Medium, and Low payout policies. Average dividend-to-income ratios of greater than 0.35, between 0.35 and 0.10, and less than 0.10 define High, Low, and Medium dividend-payout firms, respectively. While studying the dividend-payout groups (Table 4), the descriptive helps to identify characteristics to confirm whether the data being studied has the authenticity and the behavior pattern which commonly related to the groups assigned. The values of Investment, Cash Flow, and Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q associated with the groups are in complete correspondence with the hypothetical occurrence. Firms having a higher (lower) dividend payout have greater (lower) market value, and lower(higher) level of cash flows and investments. Table : Represents the model summary of regression estimates of 69 firms split by High, Medium, and Low dividend-payout policies. The model helps explains 81.9%, 66.7%, and 80% data in High, Medium, and Low dividend-payout firms (Table 5), shown in R Square. Least variation in Adjusted R Square suggests that the number of observations is sufficient with respect to variables in each group separately. Table : Studies the F-statistics to test the null hypothesis of ÃŽÂ ²1, H = ÃŽÂ ²1, M = ÃŽÂ ²1, L The F-statistics (Table 6) in each dividend payout group is significant and it determines that each regression model with the given predictors can significantly predict the outcomes at a 0.05 significance level. Table : Shows the parameter estimation for each payout groups with respect to dependent variable, t-statistics is used to test the null hypothesis ÃŽÂ ²1 = ÃŽÂ ²2 = ÃŽÂ ²3 = 0 The coefficient values of predators in High and Low dividend payout groups are all significant at a 0.05 significant level (Table 7), which shows that they have a strong influence on the investment of the firm. Except for Medium dividend payout group, which has insignificant coefficient values of Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q, showing no impact on the investment. The standard coefficient shows that Cash Flows have a much greater impact on Investment than market value on the firm, which is exemplified through Tobinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s q. Hypothesis Assessment Summary Hypothesis Independent Variables B t Sig. Comments Firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ cash flow having a significant impact on its capital investment will be linked with high Q values. (FCF Theory) Cash Flow ÃÆ'— Q H0: ÃŽÂ ²3 0 ÃŽÂ ²3,H = .135 5.295 .000 Rejected ÃŽÂ ² 3,M = .072 .991 .324 ÃŽÂ ² 3,L = .140 5.482 .000 Firms being liquidity constrained due to least payout will have significant investment-cash flow sensitivity, and will be linked with high Q values in the market. (PO Theory) Cash Flow ÃÆ'— Q HA: ÃŽÂ ²3 0 ÃŽÂ ² 3,H = .135 5.295 .000 Accepted ÃŽÂ ² 3,M = .072 .991 .324 ÃŽÂ ² 3,L = .140 5.482 .000 Dependent Variable: Investment (I/K) Table : Summarizes the results and explains that the hypothesis accepted is directly in correspondence with the aggregate hypothesis. As illustrated (Table 8) capital spending of low payout firms is positively and strongly influenced by the interaction term, consistent with the PO hypothesis, the parameter estimate for the high payout firms are also positive but marginally significant. Conclusion, Discussions, Implications And Future Research Conclusion The results illustrated above demonstrates that the positive relationship between the degree of the Investment-Cash flow relationship and Q represented latter in the aggregate data (Table 3) is concentrated in low or no dividend paying firms. This finding is in further support with the PO hypothesis. Discussions The objective was to study and test the causes of universal relationship between Cash Flow and Investment Spending. Hence, two hypotheses were included in the research to study the source of this relationship: the free cash flow hypothesis (FCF) hypothesis, which works on the assumption that managers prefer investing its free cash flow excessively into investment projects that are not profitable, and the pecking order hypothesis (PO) purports that managers are prone to investment comparatively less than the opportunity provided due asymmetric information-induced liquidity constraint. As advocated in favor of Pecking Order Theory by (Fazzari, Hubbard, Peterson, Blinder, Poterba, 1988) and many others, for groups which consists of small firms with low-dividend payout to fund capital spending, exhibits heavy reliance on cash flow and cash changes. The relationship can be more significantly studied when the impact of larger q value is associated with this group. Evaluating the impact of corporate governance on investment-cash flow relation requires a critical judgment as to how do the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ cash flow and the existing market value influence the investment decision. Financially constraint firms may have a larger impact on liquidity associated matters and managers might take discretion in choosing the right sources to tap. Agency cost may be involved in making such a decision where managers may consider paying dividend as a higher opportunity cost as it reduces the firmsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ free cash flow to exploit new profitable investment projects. Implications and Recommendations In the current market situation where external pressures existing can also be taken into proxy. When managers making a capital investment decision they need to take in view other non-financial aspects that also influences the decisions to a certain extent. Furthermore, financial intermediaries having a certain level of involvement and sharing information sensitive to the market can also be a major factor that might be giving a varying result against Investment. Investing in profitable-investment projects can bring in greater resources to the firm in future and it entails a huge decision burden upon the shoulders of the managers. Shareholders expecting to earn a greater return through investing in them can also be undermined when manager decided to have a low payout policy. Funds generated internally is a possibility where there is a healthy cash flow, but it is also preferable if this free cash is invested into marketable security for allocating the resources into a profitable venture for a time being to make it a positive impression. Future Research In future studies there may be more aspects of cash flow-investment relationship which can be studied for assessing the degree impact it has on this relationship, i.e. sales, debt performance, capital structure, firm size, etc. The research study may also be improved if the observation of firms are increased that will in turn reflect a more clear picture about the relationship in the current scenario.

Women in the Odyssey Free Essays

Women in The Odyssey After following an epic that revolved so completely around men, The Odyssey has quite a lot of female roles. True, the ancient Greeks had a better androgynous balance than other civilizations, and this is reflected very clearly in The Odyssey. Femininity has not only a bigger role in this epic, but it seems as though it is honored with its own unique power. We will write a custom essay sample on Women in the Odyssey or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is shown in characters like Circe and Athena, but also subtextually in the many female weavers throughout the story. Overall, women and feminine power have a very influential role in the plot of the Odyssey. Let us begin with the obvious female powers in the immortal goddesses and nymphs. As far as the Olympian Gods, Athena is by far the most involved, regardless of gender. This is made very clear, for example, we see Telemachus preparing for his journey, â€Å"When they had made fast the running gear all along the black ship, then they set up the mixing bowls, filling them brimful with wine, and poured to the gods immortal and everlasting, but beyond all other gods they poured to Zeus’ gray-eyed daughter. † (2. 430-433) Also, Calypso and Circe play the role of â€Å"Women as Temptress† which greatly hinders Odysseus’ journey. Circe especially has those powerful witch qualities that the uses specifically against the male gender. Luckily, however, she learns compassion for Odysseus and the crew in general. Thus she becomes not only kind but actually a very helpful component in the overall voyage. Calypso needed more convincing about releasing Odysseus, but afterwards she also became somewhat helpful. Other helpful supernatural women appear such as the water nymph, Ino, who saves Odysseus from drowning on his way to the Phaecians. Already we see a huge increase in female importance and their affect on the plot. One of the biggest reflections of ancient Greek culture is the amount of weaving done by the women. However, I think that the images of weaving in the Odyssey have little to do with making a cultural point. In Greek mythology, everyone’s destiny was weaved by the Fates. I think that because of that, weaving has many connections to destiny. This even transfers into the literal sense, from baby blankets to death shrouds. Thus, the women in the epic who are seen weaving are technically weaving the destinies of the characters of the story. Let’s start with Penelope, for her image of weaving is very specific. She weaves by day and â€Å"by night, with torches lit beside her, she would unravel all she’d done. † (2. 106-107) This represents the fact that she keeps her life monotonously the same, and refuses to allow her life/destiny/weaving to progress. We see another very interesting image of weaving with Helen. She is making her yarn, which the preparation work before the actual weaving. To me this means that she was the one who informed the destinies before anything even took place in the Odyssey. Her decisions before and during the Iliad were her major contributions, as she set the stage for the female weavers of the Odyssey. These weavers also include Calypso and Circe, who we have already decided are major parts in the book. There are a few more women in this epic who really deserve to be mentioned. Two of them are Phaecians, Princess Nausicaa and Queen Arete. Nausicaa, inspired by our goddess Athena, really helped Odysseus. In her curiosity and level-headedness, she helped Odysseus return to her palace and find the help and support he needed to return home. Once he arrived there, he met with Arete, and it was she who Odysseus chose to plead hospitality, â€Å"flung his arms around her knees,† (7. 167) instead of her husband (the king). From the moment I read this, I thought that Arete must be a very powerful and respected woman, especially if she has power over decisions like that. Another woman I found very influential was Eurycleia. She practically raised both Odysseus and Telemachus, making that bond/parallel between father and son even clearer. She is also the only person to recognize Odysseus before he meant to reveal himself to her. However, when she saw his unmistakeable scar, she â€Å"let his foot fall, down it dropped in the basin-the bronze clanged, tipping over, tipping water across the floor. † (19. 530-533). This uninherently shows her wisdom and compassion at an old age. Another (somewhat graphic) image of women in the Odyssey is the maidens that were hung across the rope by their faces at the end of the battle. This shows the flipside of feminine power, as these are the women who didn’t advocate for themselves or their masters in the least, but decided to live a lazy life of gluttony and pleasure instead. The last woman I would like to mention is Odysseus’ mother, Anticleia. We only get to see her as a shadow, which is the least powerful state of any woman throughout the epic. However, she still stirs a deep emotional response out of Odysseus, which, in turn, most definitely affects the actions he takes and thus the plot as a hole. Overall, I think that women play a very inspiring role in this epic. The show us time and time again that each of us is powerful enough to help write or own destinies, and to be cooperative components in the lives of others. We see again that compassion trumps hatred, and that being helpful is better than being selfish. Setting someone you love free can not only just turn out for the best, but it also might just be what needs to happen in the fate of their life. How different would the story be if Odysseus wasn’t eventually allowed to leave Aeaea or Ogygia? So in conclusion, the women of the Odyssey show us to be present and compassionate in our lives, because who knows? You may just have a lasting effect on the life of another. How to cite Women in the Odyssey, Papers

Mayan Religion free essay sample

Mayan texts describe religious rituals, astronomy, and divination, and are the most valuable source of information on the ancient civilization. The most famous of these texts is the Popol Vuh (1554-1558), which was written in Quich ©, a highland Maya language, nd translated into Spanish by a priest. It tells the mythology and cosmology of the Post classic Guatemalan Maya, and shows central Mexican influences. Thats why it is the most famous text. Also the Mayan calendar is very important because it consists of a solar year of 365 days. It was divided into 18 months of 20 days each, followed by a five-day time period. There was also a 260-day sacred year (tzolkin), divided into days named by the combination of 13 numbers and 20 names. The Mayan religion can be connected to other religions such as Christianity, there were texts written 1,500 years after Christ. Also, Characteristics of this ruler are that he was born of a virgin, that he promised to return, that he had an association with the planet Venus (the Morning and Evening Star), and that his emblem was the Feathered Serpent (presumably connected to the non-feathered, brazen serpent raised by Moses to heal the Israelites. We will write a custom essay sample on Mayan Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Wirth) During the research I found many interesting facts that described the Mayan religion well and made it much more interesting than other religions I had heard about before. The most interesting facts for me were that Apocalypto the movie was based n ancient Mayan life and all the actors were local indigenous Mayan actors. As well as other interesting facts such as; One of the many intriguing things about the Maya was their ability to build a great civilization in a tropical rainforest climate. Traditionally, ancient peoples had flourished in drier climates, where the centralized management of water resources (through irrigation and other techniques) formed the basis of society. (The Rise and fall of The Mayan Empire) As I researched further into the religion I found more things that made this religion stand out to me. Excavations of Maya sites have unearthed plazas, palaces, temples and pyramids, as well as courts for playing the ball games that were ritually and politically significant to Maya culture. Maya cities were surrounded and supported by a large population of farmers. Though the Maya practiced a primitive type of slash-and-burn agriculture, they also displayed evidence of more advanced farming methods, such as irrigation and terracing. (The Rise and fall of the Mayan Empire) By the late 20th century, researchers had concluded that the climate of the lowlands was in fact quite environmentally diverse. Though foreign invaders were disappointed by the regions relative lack of silver and gold, the Maya took advantage of the areas many natural resources, including limestone (for construction), the volcanic rock obsidian (for tools and weapons) and salt. The environment also held other treasures for the Maya, nobility) and marine shells, which were used as trumpets in ceremonies and warfare. (The Rise and fall of the Mayan Empire) Overall I found this religion to be interesting and there was a lot of good material on how the religion came about as well as how it came to its end.

hitlers rise to power5 essays

hitlers rise to power5 essays On 30th January 1933, Hindenburg received Hitler in audience and appointed him chancellor. It came as a shock to some people but many believed that Hitlers rise to power was inevitable. Some state that Hitler could not have risen to power in any country other than Germany, implying that he was nothing more than a product of German culture. Others say that Hitler rose to power by means of his political genius. And yet still others claim that it was the weak democratic government of the Weimar Republic, and Germanys social and economic scene in the 1930s that made the people restless and ready for a dictator to come to power. There was no single reason for Hitlers rise to power. However the main reasons were that the political and economic chaos of the 1920s and the 1930s joined forces with German culture that enabled Hitler to rise to power. Both play an equal part. Together, both created a unique situation for Hitlers rise. Hitler was in part a product of German culture. German culture at the time stood out as particularly aggressive and racist. The values and ideas found in this cultures history inspired Hitler to do many things that he did and can explain in part why he felt the way he did on certain issues. For example there were talks of the master race in the past history of Germany by the German philosophers, which might have given Hitler his ideas on the Aryan race. Many people believe that German culture is by nature racist, militaristic, and anti-Semitic. Germany was an opportune place for Hitler to come to power. German people, feeling confused by the social and economic chaos of the 1920s an d 1930s could do nothing but gravitate towards someone like Hitler. Hitler had answers for everyones problems. He promised to restore order and greatness. And many people accepted Hitler with open arms. Which was partly due to poor alternatives and due to the fact tha...

Cmo llenar el formulario G-325A para greencard

Cmo llenar el formulario G-325A para greencard Cuando se solicita la tarjeta de residencia  por  matrimonio para el cà ³nyuge extranjero es necesario que cada uno llene una planilla que se conoce como G-325A.   La finalidad de esta planilla (forma) es que el gobierno pueda verificar el historial  de ambos cà ³nyuges, tanto el que pide la tarjeta de residencia, como el extranjero  para el que se solicita. Por este motivo, cada uno de los esposos debe cumplimentar independientemente su propio formulario. Es decir, cuando se envà ­e la documentacià ³n al USCIS hay que incluir en el paquete dos G-325A. Esto aplica tanto a los matrimonios heterosexuales, es decir, entre un hombre y una mujer, como a los matrimonios  homosexuales, entre dos hombres o dos mujeres. Quà © informacià ³n se solicita en la G-325A Escribir el apellido/s donde pone family name Nombre de pila en first name Segundo nombre, si lo hubiera en  middle name Marcar con una x la opcià ³n correcta de sexo. Si se es  varà ³n marcar  male, si si se es  mujer female La fecha de nacimiento (date of birth), empezando por el mes, dà ­a y aà ±o. Por ejemplo, si se nacià ³ el 24 de marzo de 1970 hay que escribir 03/24/1970 Nacionalidad (citizenship/nationality).  Ã‚  No se pide el paà ­s del lugar en el que se nacià ³, sino la nacionalidad actual. Por ejemplo, si el ciudadano americano que pide a su cà ³nyuge tiene tambià ©n otro pasaporte por doble nacionalidad, debe poner siempre USA, no la otra. Nà ºmero de identificacià ³n (file number). En el caso de la persona que solicita a su cà ³nyuge es ciudadano americano  desde su nacimiento contestar None o N/A. Si es ciudadano porque se naturalizà ³, poner su Alien Registration Number, que puede encontrar en el certificado de naturalizacià ³n. Si el que pide es un residente permanente, poner el nà ºmero de ocho o nueve dà ­gitos que comienza con una A y que aparece en su greencard. Si sà ³lo tiene ocho nà ºmeros aà ±adir a la izquierda un cero hasta tener un total de nueve dà ­gitos. En el formulario del extranjero para el que se piden los papeles en la mayorà ­a de los casos la respuesta es None. Pero si en el pasado tuvo un expediente abierto con alguna autoridad migratoria es muy posible que tenga uno. Mira aquà ­ quà © es el Alien Registration Number y cà ³mo encontrarlo. Otros nombres (other names). Por ejemplo, una mujer al casarse puede cambiar su apellido. En este caso,  en otros nombre tiene que poner el suyo de soltera, o incluso el que utilizà ³ en matrimonios anteriores. Esta pregunta se refiere a nombres legales, no a apodos. Ciudad y paà ­s de nacimiento (city and country of birth) Nà ºmero del Seguro Social (U.S. Social Security). El que pide la greencard deber poner el suyo, el cà ³nyuge extranjero, salvo casos muy concretos, no tendr y la respuesta es  None en esa casilla. Si lo tuviera, ponerlo. En family name, donde pone father escribir el apellido del padre y donde pone mother el de la madre. Justo debajo aparece entre parà ©ntesis maiden name. Es para los casos en los que la madre adoptà ³ despuà ©s de casarse el apellido del marido, poner ahà ­ el apellido de soltera. Si, por el contrario, nunca tomà ³ el apellido del marido no ser necesario que escriba nada.   En la casilla siguiente donde pone First name escribir el nombre el padre y de la madre A continuacià ³n escribir la fecha de nacimiento del padre (date of birth) y justo debajo en la misma casilla el de la madre En el cuadrado  siguiente escribir la ciudad y el paà ­s en el que nacieron (city and country of birth) Y, finalmente, en la casilla city and country of residence  escribir el nombre de la ciudad y del paà ­s en el que viven. Si uno  de ellos ha fallecido, escribir deceased. En current husband or wife escribir el nombre del esposo o de la esposa, comenzando con el apellido en la casilla que pone family name. En el caso de que la esposa hay cambiado el nombre al casarse aquà ­ en concreto es necesario escribir su apellido de soltera. En la casilla siguiente donde pone first name  anotar  el nombre de pila del esposo o esposa con la que la persona que llena el formulario est casado/a A continuacià ³n su fecha de nacimiento del otro cà ³nyuge  (date of birth). Es decir, la esposa escribir en su planilla el dà ­a de nacimiento  de su  esposo y el marido en su planilla el de su mujer. La siguiente informacià ³n consiste en escribir la ciudad y el paà ­s en el que nacià ³ el  esposo/a del que llena la planilla (city and country of birth) En date of marriage escribir la fecha en la que se casaron, empezando por el mes, seguido del dà ­a y del aà ±o. Finalmente, en place of marriage poner el lugar de la ceremonia, escribiendo el nombre de la ciudad y el paà ­s. Si se celebrà ³ en otro paà ­s, estos son los requisitos para que el matrimonio celebrado en el extranjero sea vlido. En la siguiente là ­nea hay que escribir esa misma informacià ³n, pero relativa a esposos/as anteriores. Si este es el primer matrimonio simplemente poner N/A en las casillas en las que piden el apellido  del anterior esposo/a (former husband or wife. Family name), el nombre (first name), la fecha de nacimiento (date of birth), el lugar y fecha del matrimonio (date and place of marriage) y fecha y lugar de fin del matrimonio por divorcio, anulacià ³n o viudedad  (date and place of termination of marriage). Si hubo anteriores bodas, llenar esos datos en la casilla que corresponda. A continuacià ³n, en applicant ´s residence last five years, hay que poner los lugares en los que se ha vivido por los à ºltimos cinco aà ±os, en orden cronolà ³gico. Es muy importante comenzar con el actual y en las là ­neas siguientes escribir los anteriores. En street and number poner calle y nà ºmero, en city, el nombre de la ciudad, en province or state la provincia o estado, en country el paà ­s y luego en from hay dos columnas, una en mes y otra en aà ±o. Ahà ­ se pone la fecha de inicio, poniendo en nà ºmeros el mes (month) y el aà ±o (year). A continuacià ³n done pone To, y hay que escribir  hasta cuando se vivià ³ en esa direccià ³n. En la siguiente là ­nea donde pone applicant ´s last adress outside of the United States of more than 1 year, si se trata del cà ³nyuge extranjero que vive en el extranjero y ya ha colocado la informacià ³n en la casilla anterior, entonces escribir N/A. La misma respuesta para el cà ³nyuge que vive en Estados Unidos y no ha vivido en el extranjero en los à ºltimos cinco aà ±os por ms de uno. Si ha vivido, deber enumerar dà ³nde y las fechas. En la siguiente là ­nea, donde pone applicant ´s employment last five years, escribir por orden cronolà ³gico los empleos. Se pide, en primer lugar, el nombre del empleador y su direccià ³n, a continuacià ³n el tipo de trabajo desempeà ±ado (occupation) y finalmente las fechas de empleo. Comenzar siempre por el trabajo actual. En el caso de haber sido estudiante, escribir student y si se ha estado desempleado unemployed. Si nunca se ha trabajado, escribir N/A. En la siguiente là ­nea pregunta por el à ºltimo empleo en el extranjero (last employment abroad). Si se trata de la planilla que est rellenando el cà ³nyuge extranjero que vive en otro paà ­s, responder N/A, porque la respuesta ya est en la là ­nea anterior. Si est contestando el cà ³nyuge que vive en USA, la respuesta tambià ©n ser N/A, a menos que en los à ºltimos cinco aà ±os haya trabajado en otro paà ­s. Si ese es el caso, poner el nombre del empleador y su direccià ³n, el cargo desempeà ±ado y las fechas del trabajo. En la siguiente là ­nea es muy importante prestar atencià ³n. Si se trata de la planilla que est llenando el cà ³nyuge extranjero, entonces deber marcar con una x la casilla que pone status as permanent resident. Por el contrario, en la planilla que llena el cà ³nyuge que es ciudadano, entonces debe marcar other y especificar por escrito in support of spouse ´s I-130. A continuacià ³n, en la misma là ­nea, firmar y poner fecha   Por à ºltimo, en el à ºltimo recuadro justo antes de acabar la hoja escribir el apellido del que rellena la planilla  en family name. En given name, el nombre de pila. En  middle name el segundo nombre, si lo hubiera. Y en Alien Registration Number, Poner lo mismo que se escribià ³ en la parte superior de la planilla donde se preguntà ³ por el file number. A tener en cuenta al llenar la planilla La planilla G-325A, como todas las del USCIS, es gratuita y se puede bajar directamente de internet. No pagues por este tipo de formularios. Si no sabes una fecha exacta, no la inventes. Simplemente en vez de especificar dà ­a, mes y aà ±o escribe simplemente el aà ±o. Si tampoco ests seguro de eso, puedes escribir que no lo sabes poniendo la palabra unknown. Si bien no es recomendable abusar. No saber una o dos fechas puede ser admisible, pero ms puede dar lugar a que el USCIS simplemente no acepte como buena la forma y pida que se vuelva a llenar.   Este tipo de peticiones de familia (para cà ³nyuge) es el ms frecuente. Pero tambià ©n se puede pedir para los hijos. En el caso de ciudadanos, tambià ©n pueden solicitar a padres y hermanos. Si tienes dudas sobre quà © tinta emplear, quà © hacer cuando el espacio provisto en la planilla no es suficiente, etc, lee este artà ­culo sobre cà ³mo llenar las planillas de inmigracià ³n. Las cosas pueden ir mal La peticià ³n de la green card puede ser negada por muchas causas. Antes de comenzar el proceso asesorarse con un abogado particularmente en casos de persona que se quiere pedir que est presente en Estados Unidos en situacià ³n de ilegalidad, ya que no siempre se pueden arreglar los papeles. Tambià ©n asesorarse si est fuera del paà ­s pero tiene pendiente una penalidad por deportacià ³n y/o por estancia ilegal en los Estados Unidos y le aplica el castigo de los 3 o de los 10 aà ±os. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

National Sports Day in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National Sports Day in Qatar - Essay Example This way the students, employees and every person in Qatar have a chance to participate in sporting events and camps organized by the government. On its, introduction in 2012, CAN-Q did not see much use of the facilities meant for sporting. Both the student body and the staff did not turn up for the events and camps. This report is going to look into the reasons as to why people did not attend the events and camps, by conducting a pestle in addition to customer and competitor, analysis. Furthermore, the report will look at market research and problems faced, and how to resolve these problems by research. CAN-Q is among the oldest colleges in Qatar that provide high learning to the local residents since 2002. The college has a staff of over 650 personnel and a student body of 4600 students. The institution has excellent sporting facilities, which range from football, tennis and basketball courts to the fully equipped male and female gyms. There are two male and female swimming pools located in their respective gymnasiums. The pools have lifeguards who work round the clock, shower and locker room facilities, maintained in top condition. The target market for these facilities is the staff and students of CAN-Q. Both the staff and student are constantly encouraged to make use of these facilities to balance work and exercise and to keep fit and fresh to perform their roles even better. The service gets a fair amount of promotion through email, posters, and flyers and even through word of mouth among the students. Moreover, the service is free of charge to all the staff and students in addition to the alumni of CAN-Q. This is the section where one conducts an environmental analysis of the situation surrounding the sports day in CAN-Q. The result of this will bring a better understanding of the pros and cons around the college. The National sports day is a political initiative made by the ruler of Qatar.  

Building a Services Brand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Building a Services Brand - Essay Example Striking a balance between the customer-centered approach and the internal orientation towards the centrality of staff is the key to the development of a service brand. This paper attempts an overview of the available literature on services brand building and then correlates it with the opinions of leading-edge brand consultants. Literature Review: The existing models of brand building, by and large, are biased towards the goods sector with little or no relevance to the services sector. Aaker’s brand identity planning model (Aaker et al. 40), Kapferer’s hexagonal brand identity prism model (Kapferer 182) or Ind’s insistence on organization-wide commitment and employee-centric approach (Ind 24) hardly has any principles that can have useful application in services brand building. However, the four-dimensional brand asset management strategy proposed by Scott M Davis (Shay 438) and the four-step process suggested by Gregory and Sellers focus on a combination of int ernal and external factors and are therefore worth considering in the present discussion. Davis’s model includes the phases of developing a brand vision, determining the brand picture, devising a brand asset management strategy and devising a supporting culture. ... According to de Chernatony, the definition of brand image includes the three components – promise, emotional values and rational values (Schmid 1). Overall, there is a paucity of literature about building services brands and this could be because brand building, by its very nature, is dynamic. Moreover, new services are often included under the existing and established corporate brands. The need to build a corporate brand from scratch rarely arises. As for the question of who must take charge of the task of building services brands, the limitations in the traditional brand manager concept have already become obvious and category managers are replacing brand managers (Batra et al. 25). Considering the multi-faceted role of CEOs and the declining role of marketing departments (Hulbert et al. 55), it certainly is a good idea to have an exclusive executive and a cross-functional team with sole responsibility of brand building. Toffler ventured a little further and advocated user g enerated branding by way of prosumerism (Burmann et al. 75). In all this, the HRM has a crucial role to play as recruiting, training and motivating employees is as important as understanding and fulfilling customer needs (Thomson et al. 819). Kaplan and Norton too endorse the idea of internal / external balance through their ‘balanced scorecard’ (7). Ambler goes to the extent of saying that internal marketing should precede external efforts (113). What the experts say: With respect to developing service brands from scratch, the questions that precisely need to be answered are: (i) Who is involved? (ii) What are the stages that firms go through? and (iii) Which orientation is

The Choice Of Qualitative And Quantitative Psychology Essay

The Choice Of Qualitative And Quantitative Psychology Essay This chapter presents a detailed justification of the research approach used to answer the research questions and achieve the aim and objectives outlined in chapter one. The chapter begins with an overview of social research design. Section xxx discusses the research paradigm as the theoretical research approach. Section xxx discusses the research methodology. Section xxx discusses the methods adopted in this research for data collection. The chapter outlines the sampling techniques, piloting study and analysis techniques. The chapter also illustrates the research validity, reliability, triangulation, ethical consideration and generalizability of the study. Research Design: Research is defined as an in-depth study of a particular issue or phenomenon which the researcher investigates to solve problems related to that issue/phenomenon Marshall, 1997; Brewerton and Millward, 2001; Wilkinson and Birmingham, 2003; Creswell, 2007; Bryman and Bell, 2007). In the social sciences, various researchers present the research overview the theoretical and practical approaches in different ways. The differences in presentation can be clearly identified between the models of Sarantakos (1998); Crotty (2005) and Saunders et al., (2007). These authors agree that social research can be thought of in terms of the theoretical and practical approaches. However, the terminology adopted varies between. For instance, they use different terminology which can be confusing for other researchers. This section explains three different research designs in other to choose the appropriate research design for the study. Sarantakos (1998) identified three levels of research (see Figure xxx). The first level includes the researchers theoretical approach which combines the epistemology and theoretical perspective, which Sarantakos calls the research paradigm. The second and third levels represent the practical approach which contains the research methodology and methods respectively. Figure xxx: Sarantakos social research design, adopted from Sarantakos (1998) Crotty (2005) named four different research levels for the social research (see Figure xxxx). The first two stages comprise the theoretical approach which contains the research epistemology and theoretical perspective. The following two stages comprise the practical approach the research methodology and methods. Based on Crotty (2005), the four levels are interdependent, as the choice of the research epistemology is followed by the choice of theoretical perspective, the choice of study methodology and the choice of specific methods of data collection and analysis. The last two stages methodology and methods of Crotty and Saratakos model are very similar. However, in terms of theoretical approaches, Crotty outlines two levels epistemology and theoretical perspective are merged into one level the research paradigm in Sarantakos model. Figure xxx presents Crotty (2005) research design. Figure xxx: Crotty social research design, adopted from Crotty (2005) Saunders et al., (2007) offer a different model for social research design which they call the research onion. According to this model, there are six levels in social science research. The research levels are philosophies (e.g. interpretivism); approaches (contain either inductive or deductive); strategies (the research methodology); choices (types of research methods); time horizons (cross-sectional or longitudinal) and techniques and procedures (which includes data collection and analysis techniques). In this model, the theoretical approach contains research philosophies and approaches (inductive and deductive). Meanwhile, the practical approach contains the strategies as a methodology and the other three levels contain the research methods. The methods include both data collection methods and data analysis methods. Figure xxx presents the research onion according to Saunders et al., (2007: 132) Figure xxx: Research onion, Saunders et al., (2007: 132) The three research designs have considerable overlaps in their consideration into the theoretical and practical approaches. This research focuses on Sarantakos model, since it reflects more appropriately the research design adopted in this study. The following sections discuss in details this research design. The Research Paradigm: As mentioned early in Sarantakos research design, the first level reflects the theoretical approach and is named the reseach paradigm (Sarantakos, 1998). The paradigm is a particular theme that is used to test and understand social phenomena (Gephart, 1999; Denzin and Lincoln, 2005). Guba and Lincoln (1994) classified social science research into two models; a subjectivist qualitative (constructivist) model and an objectivist quantitative (positivism and post-positivism) model. Guba (1990) explained that there is a third relativist paradigm called pragmatism which combines the subjectivist qualitative model and objectivist quantitative model and its a paradigm on its own. Later, several authors (e.g. Reichardt and Rallis, 1994; Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998; Johnson and Onwuegbuzie, 2004; Pansiri, 2005; Creswell and Clark, 2007) agreed that the paradigm which mixes qualitative and quantitative approaches is pragmatism. Table xxx compares positivism, post-positivism, constructivism wit h pragmatism. Table xxx; Compares different positivism, post-positivism, constructivism with pragmatism (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998: 23) Paradigm Positivsm Post-positivism Pragmatism Constructivism Methods Quantitative Primarily Quantitative Quantitative + Qualitative Qualitative Logic Deductive Primarily deductive Deductive + Inductive Inductive Epistemology Objective point of view. Knower and Known are dualism Modified dualism. Findings probably objectively true Both objective and subjective point of view Subjective point of view. Knower and Known are inseparable. Axiology Inquiry is value-free Inquiry involves values, but they may be controlled Values play a large role in interpreting results Inquiry is value-bound Ontology NaÃÆ' ¯ve realism Critical or transcendental realism Accept external reality. Choose explanations that best produce desired outcomes Relativism Causal Linkages Real causes temporarily precedent or simultaneous with effects There are some lawful, reasonable relationships among social phenomena. These may be known imperfectly. Causes are identifiable in probabilistic sense that changes over time. There may be causal relationships, but we will never be able to pin them down All entities simultaneously shaping each other. Its impossible to distinguish causes from effects Pragmatism: Pragmatism is a term derived from the Greek word pragma meaning action, from which the words practice and practical come (James, 2000). Dewey (1920) explained that pragmatism philosophy discover the meaning of idea that needs to be checked consequently. Therefore, when researcher judges a phenomenon, they must follow its empirical and practical consequences and note its impact on the study population (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998). Moreover, Easterby et al., (2008) explained that, by using pragmatism, researchers have to study individual experiences very well in order to develop an understanding of a particular phenomenon. Moreover, Krauss (2005) explained that the pragmatist paradigm focuses on qualitative versus quantitative data and that to answer research questions, researchers have to mix objective and subjective approaches. Tashakkori and Teddlie (1998) clarified that by using pragmatism, the research logic contains deductive and inductive approaches. Therefore, the pragmatism philosophy rejects the use of particular research philosophies, such as positivism, post-positivism and constructivism. In addition, Tashakkori and Teddlie (1998) explained that pragmatism focuses on both the meaning and the truth of ideas. Truth is what works at the time and it is not based on a dualism between whether reality is independent of the mind or within the mind. Therefore, when judging ideas, pragmatists consider their empirical and practical consequences. Pragmatism is a research philosophy that eliminates the need of making a forced choice regarding the research epistemology between constructivism and positivism (including post-positivism). A pragmatic paradigm dismisses traditional assumptions about the nature of knowledge, truth and the nature of inquiry. Furthermore, for pragmatists, the research question is more important than the research method that is used (Johnson and Onwuegbuzie, 2004). Creswell (2003) explained that the choice of the research paradigm (pragmatism) related mainly to the purpose and nature of the research questions. The pragmatism allowed the researchers to study different interested areas by employing different sources of evidence (methods) that are appropriate and explain the study findings in a positive manner (Tashakkori and Teddlie, 1998 and Creswell, 2003). Therefore, pragmatism is classified as one of the suitable research philosophies in social and management research that investigates beliefs and attitudes using mixed methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches (Creswell, 2003). Reichardt and Rallis (1994) explained that there is much debate about whether pragmatism is in fact a research philosophy because it holds the centre-ground between two well-established social research philosophies. Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004) and Robson (2005) confirmed that pragmatism is no longer a debatable philosophy but has achieved widespread use in social research. To achieve the aim of this research, pragmatism has been chosen as a research philosophy. The next part will discuss the mix between the qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The Choice of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Approach: Discussions have been held by series of researchers in connection with the difference between quantitative and qualitative approaches, including Brewer and Hunter (1989), Silverman (2000), Brewerton and Milward (2001), Holliday (2002), Thomas (2003), Corbetta (2003) and Cooper and Schindler (2005). While quantitative researchers base their accounts on figures and numerical information, according to Gelo et al., (2008), qualitative researchers rely on non-numerical data, for instance words, narrative and feelings. Maanen et al., (1982: 32) introduced a verbal picture to help readers understand the difference between both research types as follows: Quality is the essential character or nature of something; quantity is the amount. Quality is the what; quantity the how much. Qualitative refers to the meaning, the definition or analogy or model or metaphor characterizing something, while quantitative assumes the meaning and refers to a measure of it. Furthermore, Bryman (1996) and Cooper and Schindler (2005) noted that quantitative and qualitative approaches are both valid and researchers can use either. Clarke and Dawson (2000) and Gray (2009) suggested that according to the nature of the research, researchers can mix different approaches, as it hard in deciding the better or more useful approach. Miller and Brewer (2003) confirmed that using a mixed method approach decreases the weaknesses and limitations of the research. Table xxx compare quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods procedures (Creswell, 2003: 19). Table xx: Comparison between quantitative and qualitative research (Source: Creswell, 2003:19) Tend to or Typically Qualitative Approaches Quantitative Approaches Mixed Methods Approaches Use these philosophical assumptions Employ these strategies of inquiry Constructivist/Advocacy /Participatory knowledge claim Phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, case study, and narrative Post-positivist knowledge claim Surveys and experiments Pragmatist knowledge claim Sequential, concurrent, and transformative Employ these methods Open-ended questions, emerging approaches, text or image data Closed-ended questions, predetermined approaches, numeric data Both open-and closed-ended questions, both emerging and predetermined approaches, and both quantitative and qualitative data and analysis Use these practices of research as the researcher Position himself or herself and collects participant meanings. Focuses on a single concept or phenomenon Bring personal values into the study Studies the context or setting of participants. Validates the accuracy of findings Makes interpretations of data Creates an agenda for change or reform Collaborates with the participants Tests or verifies theories or explanation Identifies variables to study Relates variables in questions or hypotheses Uses standard of validity and reliability Observes and measures information numerically Use unbiased approaches Employs statistical procedures Collects both quantitative and qualitative data Develops a rationale for mixing Integrates the data at different stages of inquiry Presents visual pictures of the procedures in the study. Employs the practices of both qualitative and quantitative research. Additionally, there are different ways to implement quantitative and qualitative approaches in one study. Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004) summarized these in Figure xx. This study combines qualitative and quantitative approaches in a sequential and equal way. The study starts with a qualitative approach through the analysis of mobile payment players (banks and mobile operators) documents and websites. This will then be followed by a quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey of potential consumers of mobile payment services. Time order decision Concurrent Sequential Paradigm emphasis decision Equal Status QUAL + QUAN QUAL à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ QUAN QUAN à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ QUAL Dominant Status QUAL + quan QUAN + qual QUAL à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ quan qual à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ QUAN QUAN à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ qual quan à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ QUAL Figure xxx: Mixed methods approach design matrix (the design used in this study is shown in bold). Note. qualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ stands for qualitative, quan stands for quantitative, + stands for concurrent, à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ stands for sequential, capital letters denote high priority or weight, and lower case letters denote lower priority or weight. Source: Johnson and Onwuegbuzie, 2004:22. Notation based on Morse, 1991. The Research Methodology: Crotty (2005: 3) identified the research methodology research process as: the strategy, plan of action, process or design lying behind the choice and use of particular methods and linking the choice and use of methods to the desired outcomes. Furthermore, Crotty (2005) made a clarification of research methodology as a strategy built on it, the data collection methods, and linking between the use of research methods and research outcomes. In addition, Crotty (2005) explained that there are different kinds of research methodology, and researchers should select the most suitable for their research topic. The research methods for this study: Having reviewed series of literatures, several factors led to the choice of methods used for this research. Triangulation methods have been proposed for this research and this will complement each other in order to yield a quality result. According to Tshakkori and Teddlie, (2003), triangulation is one way that involves a combination of data collection to get good results. Although the term triangulation has different meanings, it is associated with using combinations of methods with a strategy of convergent validity being common (Bryman 2004). Kholoud (2009) cites Johnson et al., (2007) who identified four types of triangulation: data triangulation, investigator triangulation, theory triangulation, and methodological triangulation. Kholoud further cites the same authors for defining ways in which quantitative and qualitative methods can be combined. From research on technology acceptance perspective, technology acceptance has a dominant theoretical urge which is positivist in nature. The current research aim is to design a predictive viable model of behaviour intentions of users of technology services (in this case mobile payment). This objective requires the means of a structured, well-defined framework, and definite measurements that could establish relationships between variables, such that inferences could be made from the research study sample to a larger population. Most of these qualities can be addressed by quantitative research methods (Johnson et al., 2007). The stimulus of this study is to test hypotheses which relates to the proposed conceptual framework model as well as different hypothesized relationships previously accepted in technology acceptance context. The conceptual drive of this research is deductive in nature. The research proposes to follow a confirmatory strategy of research that needs empirical analysis (a way of proving or disproving previously assumed hypotheses related to mobile payment acceptance). Despite the fact that this study will be mainly quantitative, qualitative methods will be employed at the initial stages of the study. Structured observations will be employed allowing for in-depth assessment of mobile payment schemes in the country in order to determine those that could be researched. Figure xxx shows the eleven main steps in a quantitative research process. To answer the research question, this study aim to follow the path in the order in which they appear as shown below. However, the steps at times might overlap during the course of the research. Figure xxx: Process of Quantitative Research as outlined by Bryman Bell (2007). In this study, theories and literatures underpinning this study will be advanced to guide the research deductively. Research Designs: The major reason of this research is in testing the hypotheses which could explain the variance in the dependent variables. Such analyses fit a correlation study design as described herein. Correlation Designs: Correlational design measures two or more variables with the eventuality of measuring the dependent variables. It does not manipulate one or more independent variables. The major premise of this research was that if a statistical significant relationship was in existence between the independent and the dependent variables, there would be the possibility of predicting the dependent variable using information available in the other variable. Within quantitative methods, the investigation used correlation research design (see Figure xxx) to determine if there was an existence of some relationship between independent constructs and the dependent constructs of behaviour intention to use mobile payment. Figure xxx: Illustration of the Research Designs according to Mugenda (2008, p. 65) In this kind of scenario, the research study will apply reliability coefficients, multiple correlation coefficients, generalized linear regression model coefficients; and path model coefficients for different study assessments of the collected data. These will be discussed below: a) Reliability analysis will be carried out using Cronbachs Alpha commonly called coefficient for Internal Consistency (IC) and inter-item correlation coefficient. According to De Vellis (1991), reliability is a measure of the degree to which a research instrument would yield the same results after repeated trials. Cronbachs Alpha provides information on the degree to which each item in the construct correlates with at least one other item of the construct. The analysis can estimate the proportion of true score variance that is captured by the indicators by comparing the sum of indicator variances with the variance of the sum scale. Cronbachs statistic was computed as follows: Cronbach = ÃŽÂ ± = number of items * number of items ÃÅ' ¶ 1 Where s ² denotes the variance for the number of individual items; s2 denotes the variance for the sum of all questions or items (which is esoteric and unique, and, therefore, uncorrelated across respondents), then the variance of the sum will be the same as the sum of variances of the individual questions/items. Therefore, coefficient alpha will be equal to zero. If all items are perfectly reliable and measure the same thing (true score), then coefficient alpha is equal to 1. In this investigation, the construct would demonstrate an acceptable level of reliability if the Cronbachs alpha was at least 0.6. b) Multiple correlation coefficients (R ²), will be used to describe the extent to which a dependent variable was explained by a set of independent variables. The statistic was used to measure the predictive power of the model that has been estimated. The value of R ² ranges from 0 to 1, and in this study, neither threshold nor the minimum value is pre-determined but instead the statistic only state the percentage variation in the dependent variables as explained by the independent variables. Symbolically, the (R ²) statistic is defined as follows: R ² = Where observ is the measurement of random variable observ on individual i. The est.observ and est.mean are the predicted measurements and mean values respectively. The mean of measurements for the n individuals is also factored into the calculation in equation 3.1 in order to obtain R ². A complete analysis of the entire model requires an examination of the goodness of fit using R ² and adjusted R-squared. The goodness of fit measures how well the model parameter estimates is able to explain the variations in the dependent factor of the model and reproduce the sample covariance matrix. The adjusted R ² equally measures the goodness of fit as does the R ², but instead, the former statistic takes into account the degrees of freedom (expressed as the number of observations and number of estimated coefficients) as stated in equation 3.2. Thus, Adjusted R ² = 1 c) The Generalized Linear Regression model (GLM) coefficients are weighted coefficients that indicate the magnitude, direction and significance of the possible linear relationship between the independent and dependent variables. The techniques measures both direct and indirect effects of the independent variables on dependent variable respectively. The technique handles the moderating effects in the analysis of linear models. The GLM was appropriate because of its nature of handling fixed factors, covariates and the interaction effects. The model results, will allow a direct comparison of the variance explained from both estimation measures. In the context of this study, it was hypothesized that three factors; performance expectancy, relevancy and social influence (culture) determine behaviour intentions. On the other hand, behaviour intentions together with facilitating conditions (technical support/training) determine usage. It was further postulated that the independent variables in the model were moderated by gender, age, experience and awareness, all of which required an appropriate modelling technique. Thus, the GLM that handled both direct and indirect effects were used in the form of the following equation (Eq. 3.4). Y = X ß + (X * M) ÃŽÂ ¸ + U Where Y is a matrix with multivariate measurements of the response or dependent variables X is a matrix of the block of independent variables; ß is a matrix of parameters to be estimated; U is the vector of the error terms. d) The path model employs the path analysis statistical technique for decomposing correlations into different pieces for interpretation of effect. It allows one to compare the direct effects of variables in a complex system of relationships. The path model measures direct effects or the possible inclination of the independent variables on the dependent variable in the network of variables. The path model only establishes linear relationships between variables and also indicates the predictive power of the model being evaluated. The mathematical relationships between the variables may be expressed as a set of linear equations, called the path model. According to Keeves, (1972) the fundamental principle of the path model that allows the linear equations to be estimated is: rà ¡Ã‚ µÃ‚ ¢ = Æ © p * r Where i and j denote two variables in the network and the index k includes all variables from which paths lead directly to the dependent construct (j), r is the correlation coefficient and p is the path coefficient. Equation 3.5 can be expanded by successive applications of the formula itself to r. In this case, the errors from behaviour intentions and facilitating conditions all point at usage behaviour. Expressed in expanded form can be read directly from the path diagram by using the following direct relationships in this study: BIC = ÃŽÂ ±PEC + ÃŽÂ ±REC + ÃŽÂ ±SOC BUC = ÃŽÂ ±FOC + ÃŽÂ ±BIC EBC = ÃŽÂ ±BUC Where BIC is Behavioural Intention, PEC is performance expectancy, REC is relevance, FOC is facilitating conditions, BUC is usage behaviour and EBC is expected benefits constructs respectively. In this study, a path coefficient with a negative sign implies an inverse relationship between constructs whereas a coefficient with a positive sign implies that there is a direct relationship between two constructs. Survey Designs: There are two types of surveys used when evaluating acceptance and use of technology as discussed in 3.2.1. These are longitudinal surveys and cross-sectional survey. Since mobile payment services being investigated are in their early years of introduction, the best survey method is a cross-sectional. By using cross-sectional survey, the study would be able to predict future usage. i) Cross-sectional survey The study proposes to use a survey approach to collect data that could be a representative of the real phenomena in the population from which the study sample will be drawn. The study will focus on the link between end-users behaviour intentions to use mobile payment services. In IS/IT evaluation studies, cross-sectional survey methods are not new because they have been used by several authors, Gefen et al., (2002), Chau and Hu (2001), Venkatesh and Davis (2000) and Venkatesh and Morris (2000). A cross-sectional survey design will be utilized to gather quantitative data to assess the relationships between the study variables. A cross-sectional study/research involves data collection that covers a one-off time period. Data collection of individual observations can occur at one point in time or may be over a period of days, weeks or months. In the case of the current study, the data collection aim to be for a period of three months. According to Mugenda (2008), Mugenda and Mugenda (2003), this sort of survey helps to establish whether significant associations among variables exist. The additional value of this type of survey is that one can generate testable hypotheses, which the current study aims to do. Cross-sectional designs have three distinctive features: there is no time dimension, only differences between groups are measured rather than changes over time; there is reliance on existing differences rather than change following any intervention and there is no allowance for differences to emerge over time; and grouping individuals in the sample is based on existing differences or according to a category or the independent variable to which they happened to belong rather than random allocation. The researcher was aware of the limitations of this type of investigation, but the research timeframe might not permit the use of a longitudinal study. When data is collected at more than one point in time and then later on, the study is considered longitudinal (Crestwell, 2003). Longitudinal studies are feasible when there is need to describe the pattern and direction of change and stability (De Vaus, 2001). The objective of this study is to understand usage behaviour as a dependent variable that would predict the actual usage of the services in future. The current study will employ cross-sectional survey and college students will be used for this study. Behaviour intention is associated with self-predicted future usage of a new technology. Furthermore, measuring behaviour intention as a predictor of future usage behaviour is also important. The researcher believes that the experience college students will gain in using mobile payment services would impact on their behavioural intentions if they intend to use the service in future. As reported in the conceptual framework section, behaviour intentions as a dependent variable measured in a cross-sectional study can help to identify future usage of mobile payment services. It is because of these reasons that the current study proposes to use a cross-sectional survey method which will be carried out over a period of three months. STUDY POPULATION Methods of Data Collection: This section presents the final research level namely the research methods. Crotty (2005) defined research methods as the techniques used by researchers to collect and analyse the data required to answer the research questions. Moreover, according to Saunders et al., (2007), research methods are the various procedures used to collect data, such as questionnaire, observation and interviews, and to analyse it, e.g. statistical and non-statistical techniques, according to the nature of the research. Since this study is basically quantitative in nature, questionnaires will be used. Furthermore, to determine the research reliability and validity, the researcher will use multiple sources of evidence. The research method to be applied will be in accordance with the research objective. For this study, the practical objective will be to identify the main elements that influence consumer acceptance and use of mobile payment services. This objective will be achieved by designing a comprehensive questionnaire to identify the main factors that impact on consumers behavioural intentions towards the acceptance and use of mobile payment. In this regard, about 1000 questionnaires are proposed to be distributed to college students willing to participate in this research study. Structured Interviews: Researchers prepare themselves in advance by setting up a predetermined list of questions with limited option responses (closed questions). Usually structured interviews are associated with social surveys which aim to interview as wide range of respondents as possible to collect large volumes of data (Bernard, 2000; Denscombe, 2003). Saunders et al., (2007) classified the structured interview as a type of questionnaire which is administered face-to-face. Questionnaire Survey: Based on the proposed research model, the research questionnaire will be designed to identify the main constructs that impact consumer behavioural intentions towards the acceptance and use of mobile payment. Thus, a questionnaire survey method will be applied in this study. Robson (2005) clarified the full benefits of using questionnaires in business research within a survey strategy. Fink (1995:1) identified survey as: A survey is a system for collecting information to describe, compare, or explain knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour. Survey involves setting objectives for information collection, designing research, administering and scoring the instrument, analysing data, and reporting the resul