Financial Management. Evaluation of a company Coursework

Financial Management. Evaluation of a company - Coursework Example Rights issue by the companies refers to a corporate invitation to the existing shareholders of the company to buy additional new shares of the company. Cash-strapped companies generally turn to rights issue for raising finance from market for investments in business activates. The companies grant shareholders chance to buy new shares at a discount rate than current market of share on a pre mentioned future date. Investment banks do this activity for business for some percentage of banking percentage on total amount of issued fund. By issuing share, the companies give opportunity to the shareholders to increase their financial exposure by purchasing companies’ stocks at a discounted price. Investment banks conduct the necessary legal activities to issue new shares on behalf of the companies by taking banking fees. The can trade the issued rights on market in similar way they trade ordinary shares through stock exchange until the new shares are bought back by the companies. Theo retically, some traditional and efficient methods are used to evaluate capital investment in domestic as well as emerging foreign markets by businesses. But, capital investment is highly risk associated strategic business activity and the company needs to focus beyond the traditional methods of evaluating capital investments like net present value, internal rate of return, payback period etc. Emerging financial businesses like investment banking and financial research companies offers flawless capital investment solutions to many leading multinational organizations and they follow several advanced methodologies for evaluating proposed capital investment practices by the MNCs especially in emerging markets. The main objective to use beyond the traditional methods is to reduce future risk i.e. these methods helps to identify the maximum extent of risk possibilities and provide alternative solution to reduce the possible risk in substantial extent. One of the efficient methodologies fo r evaluating capital investment is Salomon-Smith-Barney Model. This methodology is widespread and efficient method used by leading investment banks to evaluate capital investments especially in the emerging markets for reducing risk of investment. This is one of the most recent developed methodologies for international capital investment and it was developed in 2002 by Zenner and Akaydin for leading US investment bank Salomon Smith Barney (Anson, 2011, p.488). This model is risk adjusted and modified extension of G-CAPM approach of capital valuation. In this methodology, different global factors and are considered with a high importance and regional factors are recommended as useless due to market inefficiency. This model mainly focuses on how risk possible risk can be identified in maximum extent and how it can be minimized. As this methodology is modified extension of G-CAPM approach, therefore, it has focused on key shortcomings of the approach. Having a main objective to reduce risk of foreign investment especially in emerging economy perspective, this methodology has focused on a key fact that emerging markets are not totally harbor specific and integrated restraint and complications which can justify a risk premium. The developer of this methodology added an idiosyncratic risk premium into the G-CAPM approach and extended that approach in a new form with high capability of risk indication and reduction. This methodology has

Human relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human relations - Essay Example A strike (or industrial action less than a full stoppage of work) will be in breach of the contract of employment for two reasons. Firstly, the striker is failing to perform the contractual obligations to work and to obey lawful instructions. Secondly, by seeking to 2 cause disruption to the employer’s business, the striker is breaching the â€Å"implied term to serve the employer faithfully within the requirements of the contract†.It is to be noted that the taking of strike action is a breach of the employee’s contract of employment, even where all the obligations imposed on the trade unions by Part V of The Trade Union and Labor Relations (consolidation) Act 1992 have been fulfilled. Not only is a strike in breach of the worker’s contract of employment, we find that the breach is far reaching as we see in Secretary of State v. Aslef ICR 19, the inevitable breach of the duty of faithful services, that virtually all other forms of industrial action will br each the contract of employment, or refusing to carryout some aspects only of contractual duties. Such as in work slow downs. Further in Miles v. Wakefield MDC [1989] ICR 368 at 389, Lord Templeman states: â€Å"Any form of industrial action by a worker is a breach of contract which entitles an employer at common law to dismiss the worker. Also we find in Wiluszynski v. Tower Hamlets IBC [1989] IRLR 259, that in the event of an industrial action, the employer can also refuse to pay wages. Further in NCB v. Galley WLR 16, we find in the event of industrial action the employer can sue for damages. ... (Gibson LJ) It is to be noted that the taking of strike action is a breach of the employee's contract of employment, even where all the obligations imposed on the trade unions by Part V of The Trade Union and Labor Relations (consolidation) Act 1992 have beenfulfilled. Not only is a strike in breach of the worker's contract of employment, we find that the breach is far reaching as we see in Secretary of State v. Aslef (N0.2) [1979] ICR 19, the inevitable breach of the duty of faithful services, that virtually all other forms of industrial action will breach the contract of employment, or refusing to carryout some aspects only of contractual duties. Such as in work slow downs. Further in Miles v. Wakefield MDC [1989] ICR 368 at 389, Lord Templeman states: "Any form of industrial action by a worker is a breach of contract which entitles an employer at common law to dismiss the worker. Also we find in Wiluszynski v. Tower Hamlets IBC [1989] IRLR 259, that in the event of an industrial action, the employer can also refuse to pay wages. Further in NCB v. Galley [1958] WLR 16, we find in the event of industrial action the employer can sue for damages.Under current law in the UK, recognition is a matter of fact and not a legal status. There is no legal means by which the worker or the union can compel the employer to reach an agreement, and, in particular, no right on the part of the worker or the union to compel the employer to submit to arbitration. The employer can seek emergency interlocutory relief. This procedure does not

Compare And Contrast Federalism Under Fdr Politics Essay

Compare And Contrast Federalism Under Fdr Politics Essay Federalism, a political system which is aimed on establishing a strong central government -which in return is constitutionally mandated to share equal powers with its local and state governments. It sounds straight and simple but some of American historys most enduring and complicated issues have resulted because of this political concept. Before the passage of the US constitution -there were people at one side of the political confederacy the pro-nationals, demanding a strong national government as the key answer for bringing America on its feet after its independence from the British while there were some, pro-states- who believed in investing all the powers in the states as the only solution. The American constitution -later adopted by the founders of the country is a blend of these both sides embedded with federalism. Even, after this historical political settlement -there have been US leaders previously and now- who tend to favor and accordingly set their governments policies e ither being a pro-national or pro-state. For the purpose of this essay, I will be comparing and contrasting federalism under the administration of specific US presidents -FDR, Nixon, Clinton and Bush. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) came into power during the worst economic crisis-the great depression-in the American history. He expanded the governments power not just on central level but at municipal, state and local level as well -in order to better handle the loss caused by the great depression. His philosophy was no matter how big a government might get -it should have involvement and be responsible for its citizens .Its purpose should be to serve the common man on the street. His government was fundamentally dedicated on creating a political system which is largely focused on the welfare and care of its people; to help them out and pull the country out of this economic mess -where banks, stocks and all other major government financial institutions had collapsed. He formulated a program calling it the New Deal which involved on large scale federal-state cooperation in funding and power sharing. He initiated the welfare system, social insurance for the poor, elderly and the une mployed. According to FDR, the only way for the recovery would be if both the central and state governments worked together in joint effort-sharing equal powers. Through this transfer and shuffling of power, he established a system of dual federalism. He is the spearhead of many federal and state run programs that are running in the country today-directly affecting the lives of the millions living in here. I personally feel he was the first one to truly practice federalism in its essence- in his every day policy making and administration while being in power. When republican president Nixon took office, like many of his successors before and after him-had his own judgment about the division and assigning powers from the high level -national authority to the lower state or local agencies. He adopted a stricter managerial approach in the effort of making the overall governmental system more efficient and competent. He felt that the central government had been encumbered with unnecessary load of power and policy implementation which on the other hand could be carried out much more efficiently at the local government level. He based his administration on a pro-state approach-directing money and power from the central federal government and into the hands of smaller locally and state run agencies. He did this by mandating grants-in-aid into block grants -a devolution- by transferring power from the central side and giving much authority and money to the smaller state run governments. He believed that such a pro-state federalism will serve the community better as the state and local agencies have the easy access and better understanding to reach the areas in need. Bill Clinton like Nixon had main aim of making the federalist government more competent in nature but had a watchful approach towards granting more power to states. He was well aware of the importance of states having its self-sufficiency and powers but not at the cost of putting the central government at a vulnerable position. He viewed states as laboratories for implementing and experimenting policies passed by the national government. Although, throughout his reign, Clinton mandated strategies that gave more power to states- but ultimately favored devolution targeted towards making the national government stable and strong in nature. Unlike Nixon, Clinton was not in favor of smaller state run federalism. George Bush like Clinton shared a similar background before becoming the president. Both were governors but Bush era differed from Clintons in the way Bush adopted, shifted and granted powers to the states. Bush was an ardent advocate of small pro-state federalist government. Bush reversed Clintons proposed policies in regards to making states accountable and liable to the national government- in the matters such as setting national standards and rules for environmental guidelines. Bush made it harder for the central government to overrule and interfere in states decisions .He favored rule implementation by the states and less interference of the central government in the matters of the local government. The debate over federalism and the choice of being a pro-state or pro-national is an age old argument for our country. Our presidents- past and present may had differences in political opinion and formulated different policies geared towards handing more power to either states or national level but all shared the same admiration and regard for the government. They all agreed on the vitality and influence of government in a nation. American Federalism- the main idea seeded by the founders of this great nation -is yet to play many roles and touch our lives in many ways in the years to come.

Comparing the Treatment of Women in Hedda Gabbler, A Dolls House and G

Women as Victims in Hedda Gabbler, A Doll's House and Ghosts      Ã‚   In Ibsen's plays - Hedda Gabbler, A Doll's House and Ghosts - the female protagonists of Hedda Gabler, Nora and Mrs. Alving demonstrate how social expectations and restrictions of women impacts the life every woman on a very personal level.      Conservative social and religious leaders imposed women's restricted social roles.   Women had to be married; there was not another socially acceptable option.   After marriage they had to stay with their families and fulfill their social and moral duty regardless of their personal feelings or how their husbands treated them.   Ibsen presents his characters Hedda, Nora and Helene as victims of the patriarchal system of family and marriage that was supported by the church and society in general.   In these plays, Ibsen did not present marriage as a blissful state of love and mutual respect; in the case of Hedda and Mrs. Alving the main objective of marriage was to maintain a socially acceptable image.   In Nora's case her husband was constantly concern about what people might think about their family.   In each play there is an emphasis on the effort of the women to maintain the appearance of happy marriage regardless of how pitiful the actual circumstances might be.   E ventually, each woman becomes aware of her plight and takes a drastic measure to liberate herself - regardless of the personal costs.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although Hedda's personality is much stronger than that of Nora and Mrs. Alving, she also is victimized by the prevailing social norms.   Hedda's fate results from her unconscious decision to be like her father.   Hedda is a woman with masculine view of the world.   Her hobby is to shoot guns which is an... ... Sensational Heroines in Mid-Victorian Society." Thesis. Brigham Young U, 1990. Fjelde, Rolf.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henrik Ibsen: The Complete Major Prose Plays. 1st. ed. Toronto: McGraw-Hill   Reyerson Ltd. 1978 Hemmer, Bjorn. "The dramatist Henrik Ibsen." http://odin.dep.no/ud/nornytt/ibsen.html Ibsen, Henrik. Four Major Plays: A Doll's House, Ghosts, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Ibsen, Henrik.   Hedda Gabler.   New York:   Dover, 1990. Lyons, Charles R. Hedda Gabler, Role and World. 1990. Twayne's Masterwork Studies 62. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Mazer, Cary M. "Hedda Gabler." http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/hedda.html. Salomà ©, Lou. Ibsen's Heroines. Ed. and trans. Siegfried Mandel. Redding Ridge: Black Swan, 1985. Worthen, W.B. Anthology of Drama. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company 1993         

Political Justice: Plato and Aristotle Essay

Plato and Aristotle had different ideas of politics and political justice. In The Republic, Plato creates the ideal city, which is needed to guarantee justice. He aims to create a peaceful united city that will lead to the greater good of the community and individuals. Unlike Plato who imagines the ideal city, Aristotle looks at actual cities in The Politics. He doesn’t want to create the ideal city; he aims to improve the existing city. While their ideas about politics and justice were different, they both strived to find a better way of life for society and hoped to achieve political justice. In order to define justice, Socrates attempts to create an ideal city, one that is healthy and just. Socrates begins by â€Å"investigating what justice looks like in the cities† in order to â€Å"go on to consider it in individuals† (Plato, 45). He believes that it is through speech that one will see the way in which both justice and injustice come into being. Socrates argues that people come together as partners and form cities based on mutual needs because â€Å"each [person] isn’t self-sufficient but is in need of much†: food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities (Plato, 46). It is in the need that the men have of one another in a healthy city that justice can be found (Plato, 49). In the Republic, Plato argues that justice is social, structural, and peaceful. He also believes that people function best doing one thing well. According to Socrates, people naturally differ in nature; â€Å"different men are apt for the accomplishment of different jobs† (Plato, 46). Socrates argues for specialization by saying, â€Å"one man, one art† (Plato, 47). He argues that this concept of specialization is the only way to make certain that each job is done well. Socrates goes on to divide the city into three distinct classes: producers, warriors, and rulers. Socrates believes a just city requires a division of labor in order to guarantee the stability of the city and provide the common good for the citizens. He states that, â€Å"each thing becomes more plentiful, finer, and easier, when one man, exempt from other tasks, does one thing according to nature† (Plato, 47). A strict division of labor is the only way to construct a just city, in which few laws are required. Socrates uses the analogy of the healthy city to describe how â€Å"justice and injustice naturally grow in cities† (Plato, 49). A healthy city becomes an unhealthy, â€Å"feverish† city when people become driven by desire and want more than the mere necessities of a healthy city. Some people will not be satisfied with the mere necessities; thus, relishes will be added. When people desire more and more luxuries, the city must be made bigger again and again because the healthy one is no longer adequate (Plato, 50). As the city grows, more land is required in order to be sufficient. At some point, one must â€Å"cut off a piece of [their] neighbors’ land† (Plato, 50). Socrates argues that encroachment will ultimately lead to war. He goes on to state that because of thisß inevitable war, the city will require Guardians. According to Socrates, the Guardians of the state must have a very spirited soul be very well trained (Plato, 52). He goes on to argue that a good Guardian must be â€Å"a philosopher in nature, spirited, swift, and strong† (Plato, 53). They must never turn against the city and must know whom to do violence to. Therefore, â€Å"[the Guardians] must be gentle to their own and cruel to enemies† (Plato, 52). To ensure that they will never turn against the city, Socrates believes that they must be educated morally â€Å"in speech† through the stories of the Gods and heroes (Plato, 54). Socrates argues that the tales should be supervised and modified if need be, in order to instill the idea that Gods can do no wrong. Only the stories that display bravery and dispel the fear of death should be taught to the Guardians. As a citizen, a Guardian must defend their city, make war together against any enemy of the city, and fight vigilantly for one another. While Plato believed that cities and state came into being because of mutual needs and social contracts, Aristotle thought otherwise. Aristotle views the polis, or city, as a political association or partnership. Aristotle opens The Politics by saying, â€Å"every city is some sort of partnership†, which â€Å"is constituted for the sake of some good.† According to Aristotle, the city must seek to achieve â€Å"the most authoritative good of all† (Aristotle, 35). He defines villages as collections of families. These different villages come together to create a good combination of both public and private life. This is a sharp criticism of the argument Plato makes in The Republic.  Aristotle goes on to argue that a city naturally â€Å"arises from [the union of] several villages† (Aristotle, 36). In saying this, he argues that a city exists by nature (Aristotle, 37). A city forms for the purpose of living well and directs itself toward the common good. One of Aristotle’s defining arguments is that â€Å"man is by nature a political animal† (Aristotle, 37). What Aristotle is arguing is that apart from the city there is no possible way for man to achieve the good life. Aristotle claims that what makes man different from other animals are that â€Å"man alone has speech† (Aristotle, 37). It is speech that makes possible the deliberation of politics and allows man to come up with the highest authoritative good. According to Aristotle, â€Å"speech serves to reveal the advantageous and the harmful, and hence also the just and the unjust† (Aristotle, 37). In Aristotle’s city, it is speech and deliberation that justice can be found. Aristotle believes that the law developed through deliberation is â€Å"a guarantor of just things† (Aristotle, 98). In order to define what he believes to be a citizen, Aristotle first argues things that do not imply citizenship: honorary citizenship, inhabiting a place, sharing in matters of justice, children, and the elderly (Aristotle, 86). He defines citizenship as â€Å"sharing in decision and in office† (Aristotle, 87). According to Aristotle, a citizen is one who takes part in the decisions that are being made. In Aristotle’s city, the citizen is â€Å"whoever is entitled to participate† (Aristotle, 87). To him, the most important aspect of citizenship is that they are the foundation upon which the city is built. He believes that citizens have a share in the regime and should take part in administrating justice. In general, â€Å"a citizen is defined as a person from parents who are both citizens† (Aristotle, 88). Aristotle believes that as constitutions change, citizenship changes as well. Thus, there is different criterion for being a good citizen and being a good man. According to Aristotle, a good citizen upholds and respects the constitution. He claims, â€Å"a good citizen should know and have the capacity both to be ruled and to rule† (Aristotle, 92). In the Republic, Socrates gives three waves that he believes are necessary to  achieve justice in an unhealthy city. The first wave states that there should be equality among men and women of the Guardian class. He writes that men and women of the Guardian class are to share â€Å"everything in common† (Plato, 130). This wave not only deals with equality, it also deals with merit. Despite the fact that men are typically stronger than women, women should be nurtured in the same way as men and educated in the same things. Even though it may seem â€Å"shameful and ridiculous†, women are to be trained in gymnastics together with men (Plato, 130). After establishing the need for equality among men and women, Socrates moves on to the second wave. The second wave, Socrates argues, is that women and children need to be held in common. He believes that â€Å"women are to belong to men in common† and that â€Å"no woman can live privately with any man† (Plato, 136). Socrates is trying to rid the unhealthy city of private life because he believes that justice is social. The Guardians must live as one single family in order to reduce factional conflict. In order for the Guardians to live as one single family, Socrates argues that not only are men and women to be held in common, their children are to be held in common as well. â€Å"A parent will neither know his own offspring, nor a child his parent† (Plato, 136). The goal of this is to, again, rid them of the jealousies and rivalries that accompany private families. Socrates believes that this will make certain greater social equality and increase the unity among the Guardian class. Because the Guardians share everything in common, there will no longer be any concept of private ownership. Thus, there will be harmony and unity within the city. The third, and final, wave Socrates discuses details who it is that he believes should rule in a just city. The third and final wave that Socrates believes is necessary for justice is that philosophers must be the rulers. After making this argument, Glaucon demands that Socrates defines what he means as a philosopher. Socrates believes that â€Å"the philosopher is a desirer of wisdom, not of one part and not another, but of all of it† (Plato, 155). The philosopher is a lover of wisdom and total knowledge. Because of this, Socrates argues that philosophers are the only people capable of having knowledge of everything all together; they are open-minded and constantly curious. To further his  argument about the philosopher, Socrates states that the philosopher is a lover of the truth; he has knowledge of what is real instead of simply believing in appearances. The first proposal that Socrates makes in The Republic makes sense to me. There should be equality among men and women, but they do not need to share everything is common. There needs to be a balance of both public and private life. It would not make sense to rid society of private life entirely. The second proposal that Socrates makes does not make much sense at all; it would not work if we wanted to enact a similar system in today’s society. It is not logical to think that children would be better people and that society would be a better place if children were taken from their mothers at birth and raised by wet nurses. People need the bond of a private family, it is from family that children learn to love and be loved. The philosophers-as-rulers proposal that Socrates discusses makes sense but it seems extremely unrealistic. A philosopher is the last person that would want to rule a city. Overall, these proposals would every facet of a city. The proposals that he makes are intended to be extreme and ironic. Plato is trying to push his readers in absurd directions in order to establish that justice will never be found. The healthy city in Plato’s The Republic gives the best definition of justice. The whole intention of creating this ideal city is to define what justice is. Essentially, in his ideal city, there is no injustice. Because Plato uses his ideal state to show how justice and injustice naturally arise in cities, it is much easier to grasp what justice is and how it comes into being. Because Plato creates the perfect government, he is able to give a clear definition of what justice is. Aristotle’s definition of distributive justice: giving equal things to equal people and unequal things to unequal people can be confusing. While the healthy city may give the best definition of justice, it does not provide the best model for politics. Though it may not be ideal, Aristotle’s ideal city provides the best model for politics. In Aristotle’s view politics is only a means to an end; that end being the maximum happiness of its citizens. Unlike Plato, who places the burden of  ruling solely in the Guardian class, Aristotle believes that everyone should take turn ruling and being ruled (Aristotle, 219). Aristotle argues that the purpose of politics and that city is to promote the good life for its people. He believes that the citizens of a state should agree about what is right and wrong, just and unjust. Plato believes that philosophers are the only people capable of knowing the truth. Aristotle gives a better argument that everyone is capable of knowing the truth. He believes that politics is responsible for educating men in what is right and wrong. Just as Aristotle argues, written law should have greater authority than the rulers. Thus, leading to justice. Both Plato and Aristotle make good arguments about political justice even though the two do not completely agree. By creating an ideal city, Plato clearly defines what justice is. On the other hand, by looking at existing cities, Aristotle gives a good model for politics. While their ideas about politics and justice were different, they both strived to find a better way of life for society and hoped to achieve political justice. Bibliography Aristotle, The Politics. Translated with an introduction by Carnes Lord. (Chicago, 1984). Plato (380 B.C.). Republic, translated by G. M. A. Grube, 2 nd ed., revised by C. D. C. Reeve, Indianapolis: Hackett (1992).

African American vs. Caucasian Americans Essay

At first glance some people might consider this paper to be on the racial side, however it was all written by observations made. There are many differences between African Americans and Caucasians, some people don’t see the differences because of ignorance . You must read the paper with an open mind and take none of this to heart. African American and Caucasians function differently in public surroundings. When you see a young African American you usually see them in groups of four of more. However, when one of them gets into a disagreement five to ten more show up in their defense. They are a very close knit group of individuals. I have also noticed that when you see a young African American walking around they are usually singing, talking very loud or running around. Also when they are in groups they are very loud and take over the area that they occupy. On the other hand when you see Caucasians they are rarely in groups of three or more. To top it off when someone in one of their groups gets in trouble the rest of the group is nowhere to be found. Most times when you see young Caucasian people in a group they are for the most part within a normal speaking level. These two groups tend to act differently in the public due to their cultural differences. There are a number of differences between the churches of African Americans and Caucasians. At most typical African American churches there are no true sermons. The African American churches tend to do more entertaining rather than teaching. They also do a great deal of singing and dancing involved in there praising of God. They emphasize fellowship in their churches especially after church when they all gather and close the celebration with a meal together. However at a typical Caucasian church there are a few differences. To start it off when you first walk in you get a program detailing what will be happening through the service. They tend to structure the whole service around a sermon or story. The service every week is very predictable as to what will happen. The Caucasian churches are more there to teach the ways of the lord as they have interpreted it. Although not all the African American and Caucasian churches are along this line a majority of the main stream ones are.

The Role of Chief Justice of the United States

The Role of Chief Justice of the United States Often incorrectly called the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the chief justice of the United States is the nation’s highest-ranking judicial official, and speaking for the judicial branch of the federal government, and serving as the chief administrative officer for the federal courts. In this capacity, the chief justice heads the Judicial Conference of the United States, the chief administrative body of the U.S. federal courts,  and appoints the director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. A Chief Justices Main Duties As primary duties, the chief justice presides over oral arguments before the Supreme Court and sets the agenda for the courts meetings. Of course, the chief justice presides over the Supreme Court, which includes eight other members called associate justices. The chief justices vote carries the same weight as those of the associate justices, though the role does require duties that the associate justices dont perform. As such, the chief justice is traditionally paid more than the associate justices. The 2018 annual salary of the chief justice set by Congress, is $267,000, slightly higher than the $255,300 salary of the associate justices. When voting with the majority in a case decided by the Supreme Court, the chief justice may choose to write the Courts opinion  or to assign the task to one of the associate justices. History of the Chief Justice Role The office of chief justice is not explicitly established in the U.S. Constitution. While Article I, Section 3, Clause 6 of the Constitution refers to a chief justice as presiding over Senate trials of presidential impeachment.  Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution, which establishes the Supreme Court itself, refers to all members of the Court simply as â€Å"judges.† The distinct titles of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States were created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. In 1866, Associate Justice Salmon P. Chase, who had been by to the Court by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864, convinced Congress to change the official title Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to the current Chief Justice of the United States. Chase reasoned that the new title better acknowledged the position’s duties within the judicial branch not directly related to the Supreme Court’s deliberations. In 1888, Chief Justice of the United States Melville Fuller became the first person to actually hold the modern title. Since 1789, 15 different presidents have made a total of 22 official nominations to either the original or the modern chief justice position. Since the Constitution mandates only that there must be a chief justice, the practice of appointment by the president with the consent of the Senate has been based solely on tradition. The Constitution does not specifically prohibit the use of other methods, as long as the chief justice is selected from among the other sitting justices. Like all federal judges, the chief justice is nominated by the president of the United States and must be confirmed by the Senate. The term-in-office of the chief justice is set by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution, which states that all federal judges shall hold their offices during good behavior, meaning that chief justices serve for life, unless they die, resign, or are removed from office through the impeachment process. Presiding Over Impeachments and Inaugurations The chief justice sits as the judge in  impeachments  of the president of the United States,  including when the vice  president of the United States  is the acting president. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presided over the Senate trial of President  Andrew Johnson  in 1868, and Chief Justice  William H. Rehnquist  presided over the trial of President William Clinton in 1999. While its thought the chief justice must swear in ​presidents at inaugurations, this is a purely traditional role. According to law, any federal or state judge is empowered to administer oaths of office, and even a notary public can perform the duty, as was the case when Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as president in 1923. Procedure and Reporting and Inaugurations In day-to-day proceedings, the chief justice enters the courtroom first and casts the first vote when the justices deliberate, and also presides over closed-door conferences of the court in which votes are cast on pending appeals and cases heard in oral argument. Outside the courtroom, the chief justice writes an annual report to Congress about the state of the federal court system and appoints other federal judges to serve on various administrative and judicial panels. The chief justice also serves as chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution  and sits on the boards of the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum.

Night Elie Wiesel essays

Night Elie Wiesel essays Elie Wiesel is basically the only main character. The book never really says his age, but I would guess he was about 16 or 17. He changes tremendously throughout the book. At first he is strong and has tons of faith in God. But as the story goes on, he loses most of his faith, and really doesnt care about anyone but himself. This book was about what the Holocaust did. People all over the world were devastated by this horrible occurrence. One example of the heinous acts of the Germans that stands out occurs at the end of the war, when Elie and the rest of the camp of Buna is being forced to transfer to Gleiwitz. This is a long, and tiring journey for all who are involved. The weather is painfully cold, and snow fell heavily; the distance is greater than most people today will even dream of walking. The huge mass of people is often forced to run, and if one collapses, is injured, or simply can no longer bear the pain, they are shot or trampled on without pity. An image that secures itself in Elie's memory is that of Rabbi Eliahou's son's leaving the Rabbi for dead. The father and son are running together when the father begins to grow tired. As the Rabbi falls farther and farther behind his son runs on, pretending not to see what is happening to his father. This causes Elie to think of what he woul! d do if his father ever became as weak as the Rabbi. He decided that he would never leave his father, even if staying with him would be mean death. There were many climaxes in this story, but I will only name a few. Elie's faith in God, is strong at the onset of the novel, but grows weaker as it goes on. When Elie's father politely asks the SS Officer where the laboratories are, the officer did not reply but instead he delivered a blow to his head and sent him to the floor. Elie watches the entire thing but doesn't even blink. He realizes that nothing can save him from the ph ...

Analysing Constructivism In International Relations Theory Politics Essay

Analysing Constructivism In International Relations Theory Politics Essay With its opposite position to mainstream International Relations (IR) theorists’, rationalist or positivist (neo-realism and neo-liberalism), explanations to international politics, constructivism could be perceived as the development of group of critical theories that contested the way in which IR should search for knowledge in 1980s, the period Yosuf Lapid (1989) describes as â€Å"the Third Debate†. Although scholars who subsume to constructivist idea acknowledged this point, they argue that constructivist ideas toward IR are not exactly the same with its predecessor. The like such as Ted Hof (1998) and Christian Reus-Smit (2001) point out that constructivism is focus on the way in decoding the international social phenomenon through empirical analysis as well as normative approach. It also emphasize on the role of identity in determining agent’s behaviour and the mutually constituted between agents and structures. These concepts are not fit in to the mindset of critical theories, which tend to employ different aspects of social exchanges as a unit of study in trying to understand the nature of international politics. Having asserted that constructivism is neither rationalism nor critical theories, this essay aims to explore the uniqueness of the particular theory and its prominence in IR in the globalization stage, where the explanatory power of, the dominant, realism seems to be less tenable. This essay is divided into three parts: firstly, exploring premised concept of constructivism; secondly, giving empirical observation regarding the North-South relations through constructivist view; lastly, wrap up the study and assess the promise of the theory as one of the key approaches in the field of IR. What is constructivism? The rise of constructivism after the end of the Cold War not only contest the limited account of rationalism, both neo-realism and neo-liberalism, in explaining the changing order in global politics but also, at the s ame time, put forward critical theories beyond its territory by subsuming to the normative and empirical analysis. Rationalists, both neo-realists and neo-liberalists, share the same premise toward the structure of IR and how states response to it. As a result of Lakotos’ theory construction model and microeconomic theory, they have a common view that states are self-interested and rational agent within the anarchic international system, states perceive IR as a venue for maximizing their interests, thus, the way states act is subject to the power they get from the distribution of material power within the system, this also lead to hierarchy in IR (Reus-Smit, 2001). On the other hand, critical theories which might not pay much attention on the structure of IR, they are more interested in meta-theoretical debate which rationalism. They oppose the epistemology and ontology that are postulated by rationalism, which lead to their rejection of using normative or universalist approa ch in studying the discipline. This part of essay is going to differentiate premise ideas of constructivism with the other two branches of thought. Ted Hof (1998) highlights that the key premised concept of constructivism is an intersubjective set of meanings, a shared meaning in a society, which can be in a form of social norms or social practices. According to Hof (ibid), intersubjective set of meanings plays a vital role in formulating, another important focus of constructivism, state’s identity. Social norms are the foundations that influence state’s behaviour and that behaviour creates interactions with others who, through the reproduction process, will recognize this behaviour as state’s identity. Whereas realism emphasizes on distribution of material capabilities in the anarchic system of IR, constructivism views that normative structures are of importance as well as material capabilities. As having asserted by Reus-Smit (2001), normative structures are t he thought to shape the social identity of political actor. The norms that determine actors’ identity can go in parallel between International practices and internal elements. Having focused on how normative structures shape actor’s identity, constructivism provides an account for the development of interests as well as actor’s perception toward others. According to Alexander Wendt, the prominent constructivist scholar, â€Å"identity is the basis of interests† (1992: quoted in Reus-Smit, ibid), constructivist scholars hold that by having examined the connection between identity and interests, it is possible to provide room for understanding why each actor sometimes views the same situation differently.

Technology discuss about ( IGES) & (X3D) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Technology discuss about ( IGES) & (X3D) - Essay Example The researcher compared the results between IGES and Web-Based 3D XML format after carrying the observations. This study collected secondary data was collected prior to the study to analyze and compare with findings of research already conducted in this field. 3D XML is a lightweight XML-based standard. It uses NURBS to represent graphic objects such as freeform surfaces and tessellating polygons. XML schema also includes product geometry, structure, and graphical display properties (3D XML 2008). Enables authors and designers to convey 3D information from various systems using a simpler and more direct syntax than straight VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language (An Approach to Accessing Product Data across System and Software Revisions, 2007) The IGES format is a neutral data format used to transfer the design to a dissimilar system. IGES is a commonly used for data interchange of 2D and 3D CAD model. It is also used to illustrate simple figures of CAD or "drawing" applications. IGES files include parameters of the IGES object such as; its version number, model size, and encoded elements. In March 1994, The IGES Project committee approved the registration of the format as a MIME data type. The above discussion highlights the existence of more advantages than disadvantages when comparing 3D XML to other formats. It also highlights the more advantages than disadvantages of IGES’s. This is mainly because of its comprehensive coverage and user friendly features such as its simple control strategies. It is concluded that advantages of IGES outweighs its

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Research Paper

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - Research Paper Example The paper "Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego" discovers San Diego's Museum of Contemporary, MCASD. The mixed media rendition of Alexis Smith entitled Men Seldom Make Passes at Girls Who Wear Glasses 1985 was interesting as it depicted Marilyn Monroe wearing collaged glasses of various images.The paintings were done in oil, acrylic, or mixed acrylic and oil. Some paintings were very simple, like one that was rendered by Kelly Ellsworth entitled Red Blue Green which was basically a painting of these colors in simple geometric patterns. As compared with Sandow Birk’s Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld Presenting His Plan for the Invasion of Iraq painting in acrylic and oil done in 2007 which was more intricate with life like depiction of real people looking at a large banner with imprinted mission accomplished on it. Another awe inspiring art piece was the bronze sculpture of Nathan Mabry, Process Art (Dead Men Don't Make Sculpture) created in 2008 and appears outside the mu seum. It is a depiction of the famous artwork, The Thinker, made more contemporary in style and image. The sculpture of the face was kind of eerie but is effective in soliciting interest from viewers. The light emitting diode installation by Erwin Redl was very contemporary in visual design and using both two and three dimensional perspectives in style. In green background color, the artwork stands out and initiates curiosity from the viewing public. Glenn Kaino’s Untitled (Reverse Inverse Ninja Law) created in 2006.

The wealth and poverty of nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The wealth and poverty of nations - Essay Example Other people in the world should try to understand how the expansionists Europeans have grown very rich. He also stated that relative poverty today is the result of failure on the part of political, religious and mercantile elites to pass the tests of maintaining and regaining independence from and assimilating the technologies demonstrated by the people from Europe (DeLong, 1998). Landes demonstrated that Europe was the center and basis of economic development. He also pointed out that the reason why Eurasian civilizations had an edge in technological advancement over non-Eurasian is the climate. According to Landes, it is impossible for human beings to live in any numbers in â€Å"temperate† climates before the invention of fire, housing, tanning, but that once the technological capability to live where it snows has been gained, the "temperate" climates allowed a higher material standard of living (DeLong, 1998). I am not really convinced about this argument that Landes had presented. Though, I can say that climate can be one of the factors affecting the developments of an economy, it need not be of great impact as what Landes had pointed out. In our world today, a lot of counties gifted with rich natural resources and great climate are suffering from great economic issues and belonged to the less developed countries.

Economics, Consumerism and the Environment Essay

Economics, Consumerism and the Environment - Essay Example It is typically measured in tons of CO2 equivalent. (Kyoto Protocol) Many companies can create the carbon offset by introducing the renewable energy such as installation of solar energy system, small hydroelectric projects, geothermal and biomass energies etc. Moreover there are carbon sequestration projects that destroy the carbon dioxide. (David Suzuki Foundation) Especially for large corporations promoting consumerism like Wal-Mart, Kyoto protocol can be an effective scanner to check their accomplishment of their responsibilities towards safe guarding the environment. In this age of consumerism the conservation of energy through efficient usage and the minimization of energy wastage can be most influential measures to ensure sustainable development. The Wal-Mart Supermarkets, Stores, SAM CLUBS and Neighborhood Markets have set example of utilization of daylight through skylights to restrict energy consumption that saves 250 million kilowatt of energy every day. Besides that Wal-Mart system has adopted other measures such as the efficient process of heating and cooling, the white roof system of interior lighting and retrofit program to prove how the energy can be efficiently utilized to restrict energy-demand. (Wal-Mart) However the management of Wal-Mart should keep it in mind that a long way has to be still made to provide a perfect eco friendly operational environment. Efficient energy use, on one hand saves energy and on the other protects the environment. CFL consumes less energy than conventional tube, while providing per unit more luminance; Wal-Mart might reorient the internal lighting system through CFL. Furthermore Air conditioner and refrigerators emits harmful Chlorofluorocarbon, so it might try to ration their use. (New York State: Department of Environmental Conservation) Keeping, the air condition’s temperature at a moderate level results in less consumption of energy and less emission of CFC. Wal-Mart might

Gender and Ethnic Minority Exclusion within Construction Dissertation

Gender and Ethnic Minority Exclusion within Construction - Dissertation Example The women contribute about 49% to the labor force of the United Kingdom. But they constitute just 9% to the entire  labor force employed in the construction industry. The part by part figures of this small number of women participating in the construction industry reveal some further facts. A tenth of all these women working in the construction industry is in design and management and a hundredth works as a tradesperson. A vast majority, about 84% work in the secretariat of the construction companies. The other fractions are 2% as sole traders and 4% as micro-enterprises. (Where Have All the Women Gone? n.d) The data shows that majority of the women employed in the construction industry work from office (Byrne, Clarke, & Meer, 2005). Similar is the case for racial discrimination. In the USA in 1991 only 32700 Afro-American people worked in the construction industry out of the total 4.7 million people employed. 1n 1977 out of the total revenue of $73.87 churned out by the constructi on industry, the black construction firms accounted for a mere $758 million. Studies carried out in Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and elsewhere have confirmed the existence of wide racial discrimination in the construction industry. (A Croson to Bear, 1992) There has been increased participation of the ethnically minor groups and women in the entire labor force. This can be accounted to the fact that there has been an increase in consciousness regarding this and policy, changes to encourage their participation. The European Union has undertaken a policy to overcome this segregation of the labor market. However, the representation of the aforementioned groups in the skilled construction group has been dismal. More or less in every part of Europe, this discrimination exists irrespective of the nature or structure of the construction industry. The incidence of such discrimination can be experienced in the deregulated industry Italy and Spain as well as the regulated and training oriented industries of England and Denmark.

Captivate and Jing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Captivate and Jing - Essay Example In the dialog box that opens, click on â€Å"From MS PowerPoint† and select the presentation needed. A dialog box appears before the selected presentation is imported. This is shown on right. You can select individual slides, resolution, and the manner in which the slideshow will advance once imported into Captivate. After making your selections, click OK button. At this point the entire presentation is available inside the Captivate interface. Double clicking on any slide opens it in the â€Å"Editing† view which looks like the figure below. Press the â€Å"Edit† button to open the editing interface of PowerPoint from inside Captivate to make changes. Personal voice can be added to slides in two ways. Firstly, users can select a slide and record their voice directly into it while the project is open. Secondly, it is possible to import a pre-recorded audio file containing personal voice recorded separately at another system or at another time. A dialog box displaying options for voice recording will open. One can record over the current slide, select slide by slide number, or record for the entire presentation. Audio buttons allow begin, end, and pause in recording. Once recording is complete, it can be played back and edited as well. Additionally, user can change the target slide for recording during the recording process itself. Once recording is complete, click the Stop button in audio buttons set, and click OK to save the recording. To import a pre-recorded audio file, click F6 or the â€Å"Import to slide†¦Ã¢â‚¬  menu item. An open file dialog box will appear and the specific file required can be selected. These file would then appear in the audio section of the selected slide. Adobe Captivate can read out slide notes using the built in synthesized computer voices. To activate text to speech, open the slide in edit mode. Click on the green dot under â€Å"Text to speech† column just above

Gender and Ethnic Minority Exclusion within Construction Dissertation

Gender and Ethnic Minority Exclusion within Construction - Dissertation Example The women contribute about 49% to the labor force of the United Kingdom. But they constitute just 9% to the entire  labor force employed in the construction industry. The part by part figures of this small number of women participating in the construction industry reveal some further facts. A tenth of all these women working in the construction industry is in design and management and a hundredth works as a tradesperson. A vast majority, about 84% work in the secretariat of the construction companies. The other fractions are 2% as sole traders and 4% as micro-enterprises. (Where Have All the Women Gone? n.d) The data shows that majority of the women employed in the construction industry work from office (Byrne, Clarke, & Meer, 2005). Similar is the case for racial discrimination. In the USA in 1991 only 32700 Afro-American people worked in the construction industry out of the total 4.7 million people employed. 1n 1977 out of the total revenue of $73.87 churned out by the constructi on industry, the black construction firms accounted for a mere $758 million. Studies carried out in Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and elsewhere have confirmed the existence of wide racial discrimination in the construction industry. (A Croson to Bear, 1992) There has been increased participation of the ethnically minor groups and women in the entire labor force. This can be accounted to the fact that there has been an increase in consciousness regarding this and policy, changes to encourage their participation. The European Union has undertaken a policy to overcome this segregation of the labor market. However, the representation of the aforementioned groups in the skilled construction group has been dismal. More or less in every part of Europe, this discrimination exists irrespective of the nature or structure of the construction industry. The incidence of such discrimination can be experienced in the deregulated industry Italy and Spain as well as the regulated and training oriented industries of England and Denmark.

Strategic Analysis for Nintendo Co. Ltd. Essay Example for Free

Strategic Analysis for Nintendo Co. Ltd. Essay Executive Summary Nintendo Co. Ltd. is a longstanding member of the home entertainment software industry that has embarked on a mission to offer the highest quality products and services while treating their customers with attention, consideration and respect. Nintendo’s strategy thus far has been to take advantage of their video game development capabilities; nearly 60% of games sold by Nintendo are self developed. The innovative capabilities derived from various gaming platforms have allowed Nintendo to capitalize off of a series of attachment control devices. The biggest strength that Nintendo has is a strong brand name along with high returns. A well established brand name gives Nintendo an edge over its competitors. Nintendo is the only company that has managed to capitalize on both hardware and software components. The biggest opportunity for Nintendo is to incorporate themselves into the online gaming market due to short product life cycles. Nintendo maintains their competitive advantage through superior game and character development, for which it often owns the legal rights. In a technical comparison of the Wii against its major competitors, it is substantially outperformed in speed processing, memory, storage, networking, video output and multimedia output. If Nintendo wishes to maintain a competitive advantage, the niche market must be penetrated while maintaining the integrity of the Nintendo brand image. Nintendo Black would become a subsidiary company of Nintendo Co. Ltd. that will operate with a mission to specialize in advanced technological specifications to consoles that will compete with Microsoft and Sony. If the proper measures are taken then Nintendo has the opportunity to continue to position itself as an alternative to the gaming experience while increasing the level of competition for its rival companies with its subsidiary company. Mission and Strategic Development Nintendo Co. Ltd. is a longstanding member of the home entertainment software industry that has embarked on a mission to offer the highest quality products and services while treating their customers with attention, consideration and respect (Nintendo, 2009). In doing so, Nintendo Co. Ltd.  has developed a strategy that has allowed them to offer a unique gaming experience which appeals to a larger consumer base, while maintaining competitive affordable prices. Unlike its competitors, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has earned consumer confidence in its industry through an established brand name known for inventing the video game console. Competitors such as Sony and Microsoft have entered the industry after finding success in the electronic hardware and software industries respectively. Despite opportunities for entry into the industry, Nintendo Co. Ltd. is the only company that has managed to capitalize on both hardware and software components. This is due in part to a strategy that focuses on the purchase of inexpensive components rather than making them in-house (Schoenberger, 2008). Sony’s Playstation 3 retails for $300, which is less than the actual cost, thus causing Sony to lose money on each console sale. Nintendo however is able to offer the Wii Console for $260 and has managed to earn a $6 profit on each unit sold (Schoenberger, 2008). In comparison, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is sold at cost, equal to that of the Playstation 3 at $300 per unit (Schoenberger, 2008). Aside from earning revenues from the sale of hardware systems, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has also found a way to compete with the pricing of games. The average cost for a Wii game is $50 compared to $60 for games by each of Nintendo’s competitors (Schoenberger, 2008). The competition is able to afford losses on their consoles by earning revenues in the form of licensing fees from third-party developers (Schoenberger, 2008). Nintendo’s strategy thus far has been to take advantage of their video game development capabilities that were first introduced alongside their first Game Wat ch system in 1980. Nearly 60% of games sold by Nintendo Co. Ltd. are self developed in comparison to 30% for Microsoft and 15% for Sony (Schoenberger, 2008). While this has resulted in fewer titles released, a competitive advantage is maintained by creating franchise characters and game titles that are exclusively created for their products. As a result, the three top selling games for the Wii system are â€Å"Wii Play,† â€Å"Super Smash Brothers Brawl† and â€Å"Super Mario Galaxy,† each of which is available exclusively for the Wii console (Schoenberger, 2008). By maintaining the control of development, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has been able to produce these games without deadline constraints, ensuring the highest quality game play which allows the company to live up to its mission requirements. Current worldwide sales figures as  of November 14, 2009 list the Wii as having sold over 56.5 million units while the Xbox 360 is a distant second at 33 million units sold and Playstation 3 with only 26.5 million (VGChartz, 2009). During 2006, Nintendo Co. Ltd. recorded net income of $840 million, just before the release of the Wii system (Annual, 2006). As of 2008, that figure has increased to $2.5 billion, a nearly 300% increase in two years (Annual, 2008). Alongside the Wii, Nintendo Co. Ltd. also maintains an advantage in handheld systems with the Nintendo DS. Sony has unsuccessfully attempted to penetrate the market with the PSP handheld system, however sales have only reached 52.8 million in comparison to the 114 million units sold by the DS and upgraded DSi systems (VGChartz, 2009). According to their 2008 annual report, the Wii had sold 148 million games for the system while the DS had sold 369 million titles (Annual, 2008). The DS has proved to be yet another competitive advantage for Nintendo Co. Ltd. as the software sales in 2006 were at 60 million, which is a 515% increase in just two years (VGChartz, 2009). Much of Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s success may also be attributed to the differentiation of their product lines. While the DS faces little competition, the Wii’s internal capabilities were considered inferior to existing consoles upon its inception (Schoenberger, 2008). Microsoft and Sony marketed systems based on technological superiority while the Wii is the first system to focus solely on interactive game play. Motion sensor technology allows for physical movement by the consumers to control the games in which they play. The innovative capabilities derived from various game platforms have allowed Nintendo Co. Ltd. to capitalize off of a series of attachment control devices. Sales of these devices have been packaged together with games to provoke interest additional purchases of games compatible to the attachments. In an attempt to counter the unsuspected success of the Wii, motion sensor attachments are planned to be released by competitors. Microsoft is expected to release Project Natal, which performs a full body scan for remote free game play, while Sony will release a motion controller; both expected to hit the market in 2010 (Whitney, 2009). Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Cammie Dunaway, is not worried, suggesting â€Å"what people are doing with the remote and what’s happening on the screen isn’t something that people have to wait for or is just being talked about in a PowerPoint presentation. But  it’s something that’s in stores today and that people are already enjoying (Whitney, 2009). Wii sales are expected to continue to be strong, though 2009 has experienced a dramatic decline in sales a year after the most successful sales figures in Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s history (Whitney, 2009). SWOT Strengths The biggest strength that Nintendo has is a strong brand name, along with high returns, debt free status, and strong marketing techniques. Having such a strong brand name, Nintendo has become the most dominant company in the video game industry. Nintendo has been around since 1889 and developed their first home video game machine in 1977 and ever since has been known for their electronic gaming devices (Annual, 2008). As for high returns, the Nintendo DS alone has made a huge profit for them selling 70.6 million hardware units and 369.6 million software units as of March 2008 (Annual, 2008). Also, Nintendo is one of the few gaming consoles that have a debt free status unlike Microsoft who can’t seem to earn any profit due to high costs. Nintendo has thought outside of the box with their latest marketing strategy of targeting markets other than the traditional â€Å"gamer†. They have marketed their newest console, the Wii, to everyone as a family console, with games varying from healthy exercise to interactive sports. They have also found a way to simplify gaming by making it as easy as point and click. One example of this is the Mario-Kart game that is played using a steering wheel. Additionally, games that require extra attachments like the crossbow for the Legend of Zelda requires customers to spend more money, earning Nintendo supplementary profits (IBISWorld, 2009). Weaknesses Nintendo’s weaknesses are the dependence on contract manufacturers, having low earnings per share in addition to the lack of games produced for Nintendo consoles. Even though Nintendo Co. Ltd. makes their own games and trademark characters; for instance Mario and company, they still rely on manufacturers such as Electronic Arts, Acti-Vision and others for games that more experienced consumers would prefer to play. Despite an attempt to simplify gaming, this convenience may have negative repercussions for the experienced consumer market. Recent game developments attempt to be as  realistic as possible, thus the graphics on the Nintendo systems are not as sophisticated and are lacking in comparison to that of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 with 1080p resolution that reads high-definition graphics. Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s competitors also offer technologies not found on the Wii such as HDMI outputs or Blue-Ray DVD (Video, 2007). Opportunities The biggest opportunity for Nintendo is to incorporate the online gaming market. Most of the new games are designed for multiplayer gaming through server networks. Nintendo benefits from the interactive gaming business and these benefits can continue to grow. When the first video game consoles started to emerge, many people thought it was a short-term fad. However, fast-forward two decades and it has become more than just a trend. Adolescents who played 25 years ago have yet to grow out of the gaming trend and today’s youths have taken on next-generation consoles with even greater passion than their parents did as children. Growth has remained unexpectedly high for over two decades, including above 10% per year in 2009, despite the national recession (Annual, 2008). Today the video game industry, including development, production and retailing, is worth over $44 billion, with over 40 million consoles sold in the US in 2008 alone (IBISWorld, 2009). Video games and consoles are among the highest demand predominantly during the holiday season due to price cuts and the convenience of gift giving. Another opportunity for Nintendo is the fact that it remains the leading console maker, giving the company a better opportunity to improve upon itself. In October, Nintendo Co. Ltd. sold 506,900 units of the Wii system in the United States. The second best selling console was Sonys Playstation 3 having sold 320,600 units (Taub, 2009). Threats Nintendo’s threats include short product life cycles, and online gaming. The main threat to Nintendo Co. Ltd. is the software/games limited lifespan. Most games take about 48-60 hours to complete and more people have time to sit at home and play video games rather than recreational spending. Online gaming allows people to connect and play with other people as long as they own the same game and same console in each house. Due to the limitations of the internal hardware of the Wii, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has a severe  disadvantage in a network that provides inadequate performance in relation to competing system networks (Thurrott, 2007). Strategic Competitive Advantage and Major Problems The first word that comes to mind with Nintendo is games. Microsoft and Sony do not have that advantage. Nintendo has been a household name since its first electronic game release in 1977 and is considered to be the oldest company in this market. It is one of the largest console manufacturers in the world, and a leader in the handheld console market. The company has released five generations of consoles over the past 20 years. A well established brand name gives the company an edge over its competitors (Nintendo Co., 2009). In recent years, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has achieved strong growth in its operating results. In FY2008, revenues increased by 73% over FY2007 reaching JPY1,672,423 million (approximately $14,683.9 million) owing to the launch of Nintendo DS Lite and Wii, and their related software (Nintendo Co., 2009). In the Gaming Industry, Games/Software account for 67.6% of sales while Consoles account for 18%. Games are an inevitable focus of the industry (IBISWorld, 2009). Wii users are expected to buy the most games this year, 220 million, compared with 120 million PS3 games and 125 million Xbox 360 games. 62% of games sold by Nintendo Co. Ltd. are their own titles in comparison to 30% for Microsoft and 15% for Sony (Top, 2006). The top three Wii games are all made by Nintendo Co. Ltd., thus maintaining a higher gross margin on game software than competitors at 65%. Also, Nintendo Co. Ltd. is able to price their games lower than competitors at approximately $50 per game versus $60 (Schoenberger, 2009). Nintendo Co. Ltd. maintains their competitive advantage through superior game and character development, for which it often owns the legal rights. Nintendo Co. Ltd. has leveraged its legacy characters to maintain a viable competitive position in the market (Harmsen, 2009). The new Wii Fit exercise game is targeting women and older people concentrating on â€Å"adding value for the late adopter,† said Nintendo of America’s President, Reggie Fils-Aime. â€Å"This has given us the unparalleled ability to bring in new consumers, especially females† (Taub, 2009). The Wii Fit software alone has sold more than 20 million copies as of September 2009, and cost the consumer $90 to purchase. Half of the retail price results in profit for Nintendo Co. Ltd.  because the company developed both the console and the game, avoiding software licensing fees. Manufacturing of the balance board, an accessory that is included with the Wii Fit software, costs the company roughly $19 each, while the software averages $1 (Crews, 2009). Retailers typically buy the software games for 80% of the retail price, thus earning them $18 per game sold. Marketing of the software costs an average of $5 per unit, while research development is roughly $2. A $45 profit goes directly to Nintendo Co. Ltd for each Wii Fit game sold (Crews, 2009). Unlike its competitors, Nintendo Co. Ltd. has figured out a way to profit from its console sales. For every Wii sold, Nintendo nets $6. Microsoft just breaks even while Sony actually loses money on each console sale (Sherwood, 2008). As of November 14, 2009 the Wii is being reported as having sold over 56.5 million consoles. That equals to $339 million in profit for Nintendo Co. Ltd. based only on console unit sales. Nintendo Co. Ltd. relies on third-party manufacturers to produce key components or assemble finished products in order to keep costs low. Nintendo Co. Ltd. could have difficulty procuring key components or manufacturing its products in the event one or more of these third-party businesses fail or are unable to provide necessary components on a timely basis. Shortages of key components may cause margin decline due to higher costs, lack of products, and quality control issues (Annual, 2008). The interactive entertainment software market is characterized by short product life cycles and frequent introductions of new products (Nintendo Co., 2009). Since the Wii console has unique features such as the motion sensor remote, it makes the software difficult to translate into other systems. Developers that wish to create games for the Wii need a dedicated Wii team to code the Nintendo Co. Ltd. software so that it may be compatible with the Wii console (Schoenberger, 2009). For that reason, the Wii has fewer games available than its competitors. As a result, Nintendo may be forced to create a new console that adds the cutting-edge graphics the Wii lacks, analysts say (Edwards, 2009). Strategic Recommendations Nintendo Co. Ltd. has found success in implementing a family oriented strategy that generates consumer interests of multiple generations, genders  and cultures by creating a user friendly platform with a minimal learning curve to ensure an enjoyable gaming experience. In order to meet the high expectations that Nintendo Co. Ltd. has set for itself, the products developed are limited in their ability to adapt to the niche markets that competitive companies have catered to. In a technical comparison of the Wii against its major competitors, it is substantially outperformed in speed processing, memory, storage, networking, video output and multimedia output (Thurrott, 2007). In order to maintain an advantage in low cost pricing, the Wii is forced to neglect these features causing tech conscious consumers to invest in competing consoles. Lacking the capabilities to process more popular teenage and adult games that have been released on other supporting formats, Nintendo Co. Ltd. is res tricted in their ability to garner interest in their products from this niche market without altering not only their system specifications, but the family brand image that has established their success. If Nintendo Co. Ltd. wishes to maintain a competitive advantage, the niche market must be penetrated while maintaining the integrity of the Nintendo brand image. As these are two conflicting interests, it is recommended that Nintendo Co. Ltd. create a new subsidiary company that continues in the traditional spirit of Nintendo’s penchant for quality, while integrating the non-traditional components that cater to the niche market. Nintendo Black would become a subsidiary company of Nintendo Co. Ltd. that will operate with a mission to specialize in advanced technological specifications to consoles that will compete with Microsoft and Sony. The emergence of this company will allow for more flexibility from restrictions that limit Nintendo in competing for a mature consumer base. Nintendo Black will use the internal knowledge garnered throughout years of experience to continue developing games in-house, but will break away from the traditional franchise characters of the Nintendo universe. A number of opportunities arise to develop a series of successful franchise games that will appeal to the mature consumer that may continue to build upon the exclusivity of Nintendo produced games. This will also allow for a stronger focus on third-party developers to license games for distribution on Nintendo Black consoles that require advanced system specifications generating revenues that are currently unavailable to Nintendo and the Wii system. By embarking on a saturation of third-party game releases as the  Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 have done, Nintendo Black has the opportunity to cut into the game sale profits of its competition. In order to develop interest in a new system that is similar to the competition, the inaugural console release should provide online downloads for videogames that are released in stores. Though the Wii has downloadable content, none of the three competing systems offer full downloads of newly released titles. By offering this option, costs may be reduced from packaging, while ensuring the on demand availability of products anytime. A major concern regarding the exclusivity of Nintendo Co. Ltd. franchise characters and related games is that consumers in the niche market may have interest in purchasing a game, but not the console. By making Wii games compatible to the Nintendo Black console release, niche consumers would be free to purchase Wii games that would have otherwise been disregarded, thus increasing game sales for Wii and subsequent console releases by Nintendo Co. Ltd. Justification of Strategy Nintendo Co. Ltd. lists only 7 M-rated games available for the DS system and is in consideration of releasing another from one of the most popular M-rated franchises in Grand Theft Auto (Graft, 2009). The controversy surrounding the release of this game for the Nintendo system alludes to the desire to break into a market that could potentially jeopardize the Nintendo Co. Ltd. mission. In 2008, Nintendo Co. Ltd. recorded $2.5 billion in net income, despite spending $103 million on research and development in 2006 when the Wii was released (Annual, 2008), (Davison, 2008). The fiscal resources available to develop a product that expands upon existing models should be financially plausible. Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s current profitability is based on a family oriented consumer market that neither Microsoft nor Sony have attempted to endeavor; however if either company were inclined to expand an existing strategy to include a line of family concentrated product lines, it would attempt to differentiate itself into both markets which neither of its competitors has yet to achieve. As the intensity of competition increases, it is in the best interest of Nintendo Co. Ltd. to become the first to break ground in penetrating both consumer markets. A Nintendo Subsidiary should not affect the current profitability of Nintendo Co. Ltd. with the exception of an increase in sales for a select number of  Wii games released that appeal to a mass audience. It is possible that the Wii may sell fewer consoles due to the advanced capabilities of the upgraded console release, but there is a greater opportunity to convert niche market users to become Nintendo users due to the availability of not only third-party games released on all consoles, but the franchise games sold exclusively for Nintendo consoles. As the companies operate with two distinctly different missions, the Nintendo Co. Ltd. brand should maintain its profitability as the initial strategy will not be altered, while the Nintendo Black subsidiary has the opportunity to become profitable by taking more risks with its system capabilities and game play modes. These risks have the potential to unveil a number of concepts that Nintendo Co. Ltd. may have not felt comfortable implementing on its signature consoles, thus providing input as to which successful features may be utilized and expanded upon for all future gaming platforms. The assumption that the new subsidiary will attract new consumers lies in the convenience created by the initial console release. Nintendo will now be capable of offering games that not only require more advanced processing, but games that are too mature to be released by the parent company. If a consumer can buy a Nintendo system that offers the same games and capabilities as an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 at a similar cost, but also offers Nintendo exclusive games, then it adds to the consumer benefit creating interest in the Nintendo product. Additionally, with limited marketing it is possible for Nintendo Black products to differentiate themselves from those of the parent company. This supplementary convenience provides additional consumer confidence for the initial family oriented market by indicating that any games released by Nintendo Co. Ltd. are suitable for children or else they would be released under the Nintendo Black product line. This will alleviate any concern for parents that are unfamiliar with newly released games as to the content involved. Nintendo Co. Ltd. spent $370 million on research and development in 2007 and is expected to release the next installment of the Wii in 2011 (Davison, 2008). This would be ample time to develop a subsidiary company that will focus on research and development throughout 2010 with plans for a console release in 2013. After nearly two years, the sales for the Wii console have begun to decline and if this trend continues in the future, in 2013 the subsidiary console may be released without damaging initial sales  for the parent company release (Satariano, 2009). As a result, the Nintendo Black consoles my act as a buffer for additional sales during a down time while Nintendo Co. Ltd. begins development on yet another generation console. Fall-out and Summary The recommendations suggested create several risks that may have negative repercussions to Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s existing operations. Creating a subsidiary company would require an increase in personnel costs as each company would be required to operate separately. As a result, a new headquarters may need to be purchased in order to house accounting, finance and marketing departments as well as research and development. However, without a release for several years, the company would earn no income and may generate a number of tax benefits. Nintendo Co. Ltd. initially planned on creating a more advanced system that would be comparable to that of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. However, as the General Manager of Research and Development, Genyo Takeda, suggests â€Å"During development, we came to realize the sheer inefficiency of this path when we compared the hardships and costs of development against any new experiences that might be had by our customers.† (Iwata, 2009) With both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 generating no profits from sales, it is likely that in order to create a competing system, Nintendo Black may be forced to accept a similar position (Schoenberger, 2008). What may help Nintendo Black avoid this scenario is a continued focus on purchasing inexpensive parts rather than making them in-house (Schoenberger, 2008). Though the price range for a new niche market console may be higher than that of the Wii, it will still be competitive for the market that it is attempting to pursue. Creating a subsidiary company with a strategy to develop more adult games may have an effect on the parent company that maintains a strong focus on a family friendly experience. There is an unknown risk involved with regard to consumer response of a new line that could be damaging to the mission of the parent company. A marketing plan must be developed that distinguishes the two companies and their products. It must reassure the target market that they will receive the gaming experience they look for in competing consoles, while also ensuring that Nintendo Co. Ltd. will be unaffected and continue with their family friendly mission. It is advised that staple characters of  the Nintendo universe are not used to market the product lines of Nintendo Black, but rather focus on the development of new characters with the possibility of introducing the staple characters as unlockable content. If the proper measures are taken then Nintendo Co. Ltd. has the opportunity to continue to position itself as an alternative to the gaming experience while increasing the level of competition for its rival companies with its subsidiary company. This will make it more difficult for rivals to compete for their own target market and force them to shift focus away from competing with Nintendo Co. Ltd.’s motion c apture product line.

Exploratory research

Exploratory research Exploratory Exploratory research is usually carried out when problem is not well identified or it has not been visibly defined as yet, or its real scale is as yet unclear. It allows the research person to collect the information as much as possible relating to a specific problem. Exploratory research helps conclude the best research design, data collection methodtechnique and selectionchoice of subjects, and sometimes it even concludesconcluderesults that the problem does not existbe present. Exploratory research is quite informalcasual, when it relying on secondary researches such as reviewing available literature, data, or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions with consumerscustomers, employees, management or competitorscompetitoropponents, and more formal approaches through in-depthin depth interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies or pilot studies (Yin, 1994). Explanatory This is a research type in which the primary goalobjective is to understand the naturetemperament or mechanisms of the relationship between the independent and dependent variable. This approach is used when its is necessary to show that one variable causescauses or determines concludes the value of other variable. This research is good to use when there is no clearunambiguous apprehension about what model that should be used and what qualities and relations that is importantsignificant (Zikmund, 1994). Descriptive Descriptive research is used to obtainget information concerning the currentpresent status of the phenomena to describeexplain what exists with respect to variables or conditions in a situationstate. Descriptive research is used when the objectivegoal is to provide a systematic description defination that is as factual and accurateexact as possible or when the problem is well structuredordered and there is no intentionobjective to investigatestudy cause/effect relation. It provideprovidess you the number of occurrencestimes something occurshappens, or frequency, lends leads itself to statistical calculationscalculationcomputation such as determining calculating the average number of occurrences or central tendencies (Yin, 1994). One of its major limitationsrestrictions is that it can not help determineconclude what causes a specific occurrence, behavior, or motivation or occurrence. We can say thatIn other words, it cannot establishcreate a causal research relationship betweenamong variables. My research purpose and research question reveal that this study is mainlyfor the most part exploratory. It is exploratory because the data has been collected through questionnaires and unstructured interviews and questionnaires to explore the issues that influence Pakistani community intentions to adopt Internet banking services. Research Approach There are two basic types of research approaches, qualitative and quantitative. In the quantitative approach, resultsoutcomes are based on numbers and statistics and numbers that are presented in figures, whereas in the qualitative approach where focus lies on describing an eventoccurrence with the use of words. Although this research on adoption of Internet banking services adoption in Pakistan is not very extensive as compared to discussiondebate of the benefits, most of the concepts in this study have been occasionallyrarely examined before, but mostlygenerally in the western context. Only a littleslight research covers usually Singapore, Hong Kong or China, which are very developed economies and not representativeenvoys of all Asian countries. Thusso to gain deeper understanding of the issues in the Pakistani context, this research is conducted as a qualitative study to explore the perception of internet banking in Pakistani community. The Usinge of this approach provides richer and forensic detailsparticulars for exploring viewpoints in the early stage of research. Hence the aimintend is not to make any simplification, but instead establishset up a closer contact with the objectives of priorpreceding research, which intendhave it in mind to provide us a deeper understanding of the participants attitudes and perceptions. Finally my intentionobjective with this research is to describe, and explore, and find complete and detailed information about the issues of Internet banking adoption in Pakistan, so quantitative qualitative approach is the most suitable method for my research. Research Strategy Research strategy is a generalbroad plan which shows that in which wayhow this research will go on, and how researcher person will answers the questions that has been set by the person conducting the researcher. It will containhave clear objectives, derived from research question that specify the source from which researcher person intendbe going to to collect data and consider the constraintsconstraintlimitations that research peopleers will inevitably have such as access to data like , time, location and money, ethical issues (saunders, 2000). Qualitative research can be conductedconductcarried out using severalquite a few strategies including: case study, experiments, surveys, histories, and analysis of archival information (Yin, 1994). Following are the short descriptionexplanation of above five research strategies: Case Study Case study refers to the collection and presentation of detailedthorough information about a particularspecific participant or small group of participants. A case study is a written descriptionexplanation of a problem or situation and typicallynormally examines the interplay of all variables in order tofor providinge ass complete an understanding of an event or situation as possible. Case study is preferredideal when the researcher has littleslight control over the events, and when there is a contemporaryup to date focus within a real life context. The purposerationale of a case study is to place participants in the role of decision- makers, asking them to distinguishdifferentiate relevant from unimportant facts, to identify central alternatives among severalnumerous issues competing for attention, and to formulateprepare strategies and policy recommendations (Yin, 1994). Experiments The experimental method involves manipulating one variable to determinedecide if changes in one variable causeground changes in another variable. This method reliesdepends on controlled methods, random assignment, and the manipulation of variables to test a hypothesis. This strategy is used when the researcher person need to comparecontrast two variables and examine their cause and effect relationships (Malhorta, 1996). Survey Its a research technique in which information is collectinged by interviews with a largehuge number of respondents using a pre-designed questionnaire (Zikmund, 1994). This research technique has three important characteristics: Purpose: The purpose of survey research is to generate quantitative descriptions of some characteristics of the population in study. Survey analysis may be mainly related either with associations between variables or with projecting results descriptively to a pre-defined population (Yin, 1994). Basically Survey research is a quantitative approach, calling for standardized information about and/or from the subjects being studied. The subjects under study might be individuals, groups, organizations or communities; they also might be projects, applications, or systems. Procedure: The most important way of collecting information is by raising people structured and predefined questions. Answers of questions given by people, which might refer to themselves or some other unit of analysis, comprises the data to be analyzed (Yin, 1994). Analyses: Information is usually collected about only a portion of the population under study, but information is collected in such a way as to be able to take a broad view the whole population. Usually, the sample is huge enough to allow broad statistical analyses. History This method is deals with the past, and is in used when none of the relevantconcerning persons are alive to interview or report (Yin, 1994). This method is specificallyspecially used to describe the content, structure and function of the data which collected for the research. Analysis of Archival Information The purpose of this techniquemethod is to describeexplain the incidence or prevalencepervasiveness of a phenomenon (Zikmund, 1994). The use of the archival information is difficult when this topic is coming research area. The following table displaysdisplaydemonstrates the conditions that need to be addressed when determiningshaping on a strategy. Most importantsignificantconsiderable condition for selecting research strategy is to identifycategorize the type of research question being asked. Based on the research question what that I set for this research, I have chosen to follow case study and survey research strategy, because this research is not dependentreliant on a single critical, extreme, uniqueexclusive or revelatory case. Sample Selection Sampling is a survey- based research where researcher persons needs to analyze the sample about a population toin order to answer the research questions or meetmeetsfulfill meet the research objectives (Saunders, 2000). Once the problem has been carefullyvigilantly defined, the researcher person needs to establishset up the sample that will outlinesketch out the investigation to be carried out. It is necessary for researcher person to clearly define the target population from whom the specific sample will be taken. Sampling is importantsignificant if budget cost and time constraints preventstops research from surveying the entire population. Sample gives higher level of accuracy and fast accurate result. Occasionally, the whole population will be adequatelysufficiently small, and the research person can take account of the entire population in the study. This kind of research is named a census study since data is collected on each member of the population . Generally, the population is quite large for the research person to attempt to survey the entire of its members. A small, but vigilantly chosen sample can be used to symbolize the population. The sample represents all of the characteristics of the population from which it is taken out. Sampling technique can be classified into two types (Saunders, 2000): Probability Sampling Non-Probability Sampling Probability sampling While using In probability sampling, the sample is selectedion is done in such a way that each every unit of the population has a known probability of getting selected.within the population has a known chance of being selected. It is this conceptperception of known chance that allows permits for the statistical projection of characteristics features based on the sample tof the population (Saunders, 2000). The benefit of probability sampling is that sampling error can be intended. Sampling error is the amount to which a sample might be different from the population Probability method includes. Random sampling Systematic sampling Stratified sampling Non-Probability Sampling While using In non- probability sampling, the selection of the sample is selected done in such a way that the chancepossibility of being selected offor each unit withinin the population is unknown. In deedfact, the selectionprocess of choosing of the subjects is random or subjective, since the researcher person relies on his/her experience, gut feeling and judgment. As a resultConsequently, there are no statistical techniquestechniqueprocedures that allowpermit for the measurement of sampling error, and the amount to which the sample variesdiffers from the population remains unknown and therefore it is not appropriatesuitable to project the sample characteristicsdistinctiveness to the population (Saunders, 2000). Non-probability includes: Convenience sampling Judgment sampling Quota sampling Snowball sampling Convenience sampling Convenience sampling is used in investigative research where the research person is concerned in getting a low-priced approximation of the reality. As the name shows, the sample is chosen because they are convenient. This non-probability technique is time and again used during preliminary research times to get a gross approximation of the results, without increasing the cost or time required to choose a random sample (Saunders, 2000). Judgment sampling Judgment sampling is a common non-probability technique. The research people choose the sample depending on judgmental approach. This is generally an addition of convenience sampling. For example, a research person may make a decision to draw the complete sample from one representative city, albeit the population comprises all cities. When using this method, the research person must be in no doubt that the selected sample is accurately representative of the whole population (Saunders, 2000). Quota sampling Quota sampling is the non-probability the same of stratified sampling. Like stratified sampling, the research people first recognizes the stratums and their magnitude as they are symbolized in the population. Then convenience or judgment sampling is used to choose the necessary quantity of subjects from every stratum. This diverges from stratified sampling, where all of the stratums are filled by random sampling (Saunders, 2000). Snowball sampling Snowball sampling is a special non-probability technique used when the preferred sample attribute is exceptional. It may be extremely difficult or unaffordable to find respondents in these situations. Snowball sampling depends on referrals from starting subjects to produce additional subjects. Whereas this technique can noticeably reduce the research costs, it comes at the cost of bringing in bias because this method by itself decreases the likelihood that the sample will symbolize a good cross-section from the population (Saunders, 2000). Sampling in qualitative research involves two actions; (Miles and Huberman 1994): Setting of boundaries: To define aspects of cases that we can study and connecting it directly to the research question. Creation of frame: to help us uncover, confirm, or qualify the basic process or constructs that strengthen our study Non-probability (convenience) sampling has been chosen for this research because we have targeted the Pakistani community which is dealing with the banks. Sampling procedure Sampling The process of sampling involves using large number of items or parts of subsets of population to make conclusion regarding the whole population. The purpose of sampling is to estimate some unknown characteristics of population. Population Population is any complete set of group of object. Like people, stores, students, industries etc. Sampling frame A sampling frame is the listing of the elements from which the actual sample will draw. Keeping the research in view we will draw the sampling frame as under. Population is the people of Pakistan having bank accounts, we narrow down our study only to Punjab province Sampling frame will be the major cities of Punjab like Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, and Sahiwal. Keeping in view the time and cost available for the research we have narrowed down the research only to four major cities of Punjab. Data Collection Methods As data collection method is highly influenced by the methodology, which is chosen (Saunders and Thornhill, 2000), questionnaire are used to collect the empirical data for this research in order to identify the issues that affect the adoption of Internet banking services in Pakistan. As this researchs main concern is examining the issues that have influence on the adoption process of Internet banking in Pakistan, the questionnaire are designed based on the requirements for adopting such a service Questionnaire The questionnaire consists of three pages and twenty questions (Appendix A). It has different type of questions including open end question, close ended questions and multiple questions. It was designed to capture all the segments of community which uses the banking services. Validity and Reliability In order to reduce the possibility of getting incorrect answers, attention needs to be paid to validity and reliability (Saunders et al., 2003). Validity Validity is concerned with whether the findings are really about what they appear to be about (Saunders et al., 2003). Validity defined as the degree to which data compilation method or methods correctly measure what they were anticipated to measure (Saunders et al., 2003). Yin (1994) stateys in these words, no singlesolo source has a completeabsolute advantage over all of the all others (P.85). The different sourcessources of different types are highly complementary, and as many sources as possible should be used for a good case study should use as many sources as possible. The usage of various sources of evidence can increases the validity of scientific studyThe validity of a scientific study increases by using various sources of evidence (Yin, 1994). The following steps were taken to ensure the validity of this research: The needed data was collected in the format of a structured questionnaire that had been designed based on the literature related to adoption of innovation. The questionnaires were pre-tested. A pilot test was conducted with the questionnaire. Reliability According to Saunders et al. (2003), reliability refers to the extent to which data collection method or methods will produce consistent results, analogous observations would be made or results reached by other research persons or there is clearness in how sense was made from the unprocessed data. Reliability can be assed by the following three questions: Will the measure yield the same results on other occasions? Will other observers reach similar observation? Is there precision in the method how sense was made from the unprocessed data? The role of reliability is to minimize the errors and biases in a study (Yin (1994). This means that reliability is to demonstrate that the operations of the study, such as the data collection procedures, can be repeated with the same result. Saunders et al. (2003) asserts that there may be four threats to reliability. The first of these is subject of participant error, which means that a questionnaire may generate a different result at different times of the week. The second threat to reliability is subject or participant bias, which is when interviewees may have been saying what they thought their bosses, wanted them to say. Third, there may have been observer error that different interviewer may approach the questions in different ways. Finally, there may have been observer bias, which means that there may have been different approaches to interpreting the replies. The work with this thesis started with a considerable literature study. The literature I came across (mainly articles) was from several authors and often had Internet banking and adoption of e-banking topics, which meant that I covered the area of Internet banking surroundings. This would suggest that bias, form reading only one author and reading only about one topic, be held at a minimum level. Widersheim-Paul and Eriksson (1997) describe some other erroneous belief that is to be avoided in order to attain high reliability. One of these is measuring error, which in turn consists of respondent errors, gauging errors and errors that are effect of interplay between the interviewer and the respondent. As I used a questionnaire, this latter error was avoided in advance. The respondent errors are such errors that are due to the fact that respondents sometimes are unable or unwilling to provide truthful answers. In order to minimize effects of this kind of errors, I found it necessary to be careful about the language and the wording. Furthermore, the use of wording in the questionnaire was of major concern to avoid ambiguous or emotional charged formulations. The chosen wording and language was simple, direct and as far as possible without technical terms. The gauging errors arise when a questionnaire entails erroneously formulated question, wrong order of question etceteras (Widersheim-Paul and Eriksson, 1997). The order of the questions was also subject to analysis and it was found to be suitable to have a disposition where the initial questioning concerned facts that the respondents easily could give an answer to. Numbers of different steps were taken to ensure the reliability of the study: Case studies were used during the data collection. The same type of questions were asked from companys respondent in order to increase the reliability Since the generalization is not the purpose of the study, multiple cases have been used to increase the degree to which the findings can be the same. It might be possible to get the same result on the findings to a larger number of similar cases. The theories that have been selected for the study were clearly described and research questions have been formulated based on the previous theory. Data has been collected based on the research model that was drawn from the discussed theories. The objective is to make sure that if another investigator will follow the same procedures and used the same case study objects, the same conclusions would be made. Study A pilot test of the questionnaire was carried out. All the test respondents filled in the questionnaire and their opinions how they felt about filling in the questionnaire. The test was followed by many revisions, before it was sent to respondents. After refining some questions and items within the questions, the second pilot study was run and asked respondents to check for the wording, coverage, relevancy of the items listed within the questions. Finally, at this stage little modifications were needed and finally, the well-improved questionnaire was developed. By using these tools (reliability, validity and pilot study) I can further analyze the data that the respondents provided me in a more accurate way. Data Analysis Data analysis can be defined as consistingconsistent of three concurrent flowsflowstreams of activity: data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing/verification (p.10) by Miles Huberman (1994). Data reduction should not be considered thought to be separate from analysis, but a part portion of it. Data reduction stage of the analysis helps the researcher to make the data sorted, sharpen, sorted, focused, organized and discarded, and organized in order to be able to draw and verify conclusion (ibid.). The data reduction stage of the analysis helps the researcher to make the data sharp, sorted, focused, discarded, and organized in order to be able to draw and verify conclusions. The data display is a way to organize and compress the reduced data so that it will make it easier to draw conclusions. This phase is useful when the researcher studies more than one case, a so-called multiple case. In the conclusion drawing and verification the researcher notes regularities, patterns, explanations, possible configurations, casual flows and propositions. Data analysis involves examining, categorizing, tabulating or otherwise recombining the collected data (Yin, 1994). Every investigation should have a general analytical strategy in order to determine what to analyze and why. Two general strategies are suggested. The researcher can either follow the theoretical propositions that led to the case study or develop a descriptive framework to organize the case study. Within these strategies, there are four different techniques for analyzing the collected data. The first is pattern matching, which means to compare an empirical based pattern with a predictable one. The second technique is explanation building, which refers to a kind of pattern matching where the goal is to analyze the case study data by building an explanation about the case. The third is time-series analysis that refers to repeated measures of the dependent variable/variables in order to look at changes over time. The last technique is to use program logic models, which is a combination of pattern-matching and time-series analysis where the analysis specifies a complex chain of patterns over time. Data analysis of this thesis is based on the three steps defined by Miles Huberman (1994) i.e., data reduction, data display and conclusion. After completing the data collection I have organized the data for every case study based on the issues that has been selected from research model according to the research question and literature review. Within-case analysis I compared the findings of each case based on my research question and issues that selected from research model. Furthermore, I conducted a cross-case analysis to compare the different case study in order to find the resemblance and variation between the cases.