Role Of The National Bank And Its Intervention Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2925 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? In Georgia, as in the worlds most ancient civilized countries, the monetary-credit relations, the existence of different credit facilities and banks have a very long history. Different types of credit institutions, such as credit unions appeared in the VIth century BC in ancient Georgian kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia. These institutions were the precursor of todays banking system. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Role Of The National Bank And Its Intervention Finance Essay" essay for you Create order This process permanently continued and further accelerated, and in the 8th century, wide variety of credit organizations banks in todays term already existed giving credits with or without the basis of collaterals. In the XI-XIII centuries, Georgia was involved in the world trade, after which the credit unions were more developing, however, after the second half of XIII century Georgian territory became the fighting arena, while it continuously had invaders from different countries.1 Therefore any kind of materials or historical sources on credit facilities is no longer available. After that period the financial-banking system in Georgia was gradually developing and refining. But in this paper we will mainly consider todays banking system and its role in the countrys economy starting from the period of Georgias independence. After declaring its independence, the financial system of Georgia has experienced significant changes. The financial infrastructure designed the following t ransformation: The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) has been created; the national currency Georgian Lari (GEL) has been issued; the commercial banks have been certified. Except banking system, the financial system includes other financial institutions. In 2010 in Georgia 19 Commercial banks operated, from which 16 are operating with the foreign capital participation. As for non-banking depository institutions, there are 49 microfinance organizations (MFO), 18 credit unions; 1,624 exchange bureaus; 24 money remittance service providers; 16 insurance companies; 6 pension funds and 1 stock exchange.0 Among these financial institutions most profitable and important for financial sector is the banking system, which is reflected with the mobilization of the finances and their formation into investment sources by means of the banking institutions. According to this, banking system plays an important role in increasing the pace of Georgian economy. The banks operate in accordance with moder n market model in every respect. An active involvement of the Georgian banks helps the small and medium sized business development in the country. Georgia have done lost of success in developing its financial sector during last years after its independence, however external factors have hampered countrys development to some extent recently, which reflected on Georgias economy and consequently on its financial sector. Nowadays, positive changes are being implemented which gives us the possibility to presume, that the financial system will further develop and promote countys economic development. The Institutional Reforms in the Banking Sector The transformation of Georgias financial system was going on the background of heavy economic and political crisis. During 1991-1994, the production capacity dropped dramatically by 70 percent, which caused a serious financial crisis, suspension of traditional foreign economic links, weak requirements for licensing and, moreover hyperinflation increased instability of banking system. Extremely low required initial capital and the absence of regulation norms from the national bank facilitated the process of the creation of new private banks. From 1989 to 1993, number of commercial banks functioning in the country increased from 20 to 228 (See Table 3 for details), but because of a weak financial base biggest part of them faced financial difficulties, consequently volume of deposits dropped to zero; they couldnt provide high-quality services to their customers. Because of the lack of credit recourses, commercial banks began to compete in attracting money amounts from the population i n return for huge interest rates. Interest rates reached 25-30 percent per month. Unfortunately, such promises were beyond reasonable. After a year, already in 1995, such promises gave deplorable results these banks became bankrupts.3 The tendency of opening commercial banks easily and providing credits from the national bank was finally stopped by the introduction of a new regulation and strict requirements for commercial banks. As a result, in 1996, a two-tier banking system has been developed. The national bank became the upper level of the banking system. All other banks, being under private ownership, constituted the lower tier. The National Bank of Georgia was formed as a classic central bank. The central bank supported Georgian banking system to become larger and secured. In 1998, in order to improve the banks equity liquidity, the requirements for the charter capital were made stricter. The national bank introduced minimal charter capital with the amount of 5 million GEL . Later it increased up to 12 million GEL. This policy led to the reduction of number of commercial banks and in 2009, only 20 commercial banks were functioning out of 228 (Mosiashvili, 2009). Table 3. Number of registered commercial banks /end of the year/ 1993 2001 2002 2003 2004 2009 2010 Number of Banks Total 228 29 27 25 21 20 19 Number of Bank Branches _ 206 199 201 162 159 119 Nowadays, 17 of the existing commercial banks are national (private owned) and 2 are branch establishments of Turkish and Azerbaijan Banks. All in all, 16 out of the 19 commercial banks were founded under the participation of foreign financial institutions such as HSBS, Commerzbank and Societe Generale and others. From 1997, the banking system of Georgia grew significantly rapidly. The banking sector compared to other sectors was annually developing at a preceding rate. During 1997-2004, financial intermediation, as one of the types of economic activities, grew almost 8.7 times in real terms, while the GDP only grew 1.6 times. Despite the fact, that banking sectors share itself is rather small, it offers its clients almost all kinds of banking services currently available in the developed countries. Role of Banks in Developing the Economy As we already mentioned, nineteen commercial banks operated in 2010, from which 17 are resident banks and two as branches of a foreign bank. The total number of service centers and branches of the commercial banks in Georgia equals 632, or 26 units less compared to the previous year (probably because of the cost minimization policies). The share of commercial banks with foreign capital participation equals 89 percent in total assets and 88.3 percent in equity capital. 78.7 percent of paid-in capital represents investments, a two percentage point increase in annual terms. The Georgian banking sector received investments in the total amount of 58.14 million GEL in terms of flows between June 2009 and June 2010. The total assets of the banking system comprised 9.215 million GEL at the end of Q2 2010, which in 19.2 percent more compared to 2009. As for the rations of total banking assets and loans with respect to GDP, these parameters were subject to certain fluctuations in the acco unting period. At present, the assets-to-GDP ratio equals 48.7 percent, being 6 percent more compared to previous 2009 year. The loans-to-GDP ratio in 2010 stood at 30.3 percent, posting an insignificant change in annual terms. Commercial banks credits to economy Deposits Share of Households in Deposits (%) Total in national currency in foreign currency 2003 785923 618852 85863 532989 60.3 2004 964917 895940 230104 665836 50.5 2005 1730466 1174896 333611 841285 54.7 2006 2704384 1859075 565143 1293932 50.2 2007 4632048 2863060 984903 1878157 45.1 2008 6059598 3221187 778560 2442627 50.9 2009 5253905 3427324 91002 2517322 52.7 Source: NBG Deposits The deposits in commercial banks showed a mild increase by 6.4 percent in 2009 compared to 2008, which can be explained by a high growth rate (16.9 percent) of deposits in national currency. Their share in total deposit volume increased significantly by 2.3 percent and comprised 26.5 percent compared to 2008. Hence, the deposit dollarization coefficient decreased from 75.8 percent to 73.5 percent. In 2008, an upward trend in foreign currency denominated deposits continued, although the growth rate was much lower by 5.5 times that of the deposits in national currency. The increase in the deposits in foreign currency was mainly achieved due to the rise in term-deposits by 14.2 percent, while current account deposits decreased by 19.9 percent. It should be noted, that the interest rates on deposits tended to decrease: the respective interest rates on deposits in lari and foreign currency decreased from 11.4 and 10.2 percent in June 2009 to 10.7 and 9.3 percent at the end of the year, and 9.5 and 8.0 percent at the end of June 2010. Compared to 2009, the overall share of deposits increased by 45.3 percent in 2010; Loans The amount of loans issued by commercial banks significantly decreased in 2008 (by 13.3 percent). 95 percent of these loans accounted for term loans, according to which 3 percent and 1.4 percent accounted for overdue loans and accrued interest. In 2009, 59.8 percent of credits to the national economy issued by commercial banks both in national and foreign currencies went to different sectors of the economy, while 40.2 percent went to households. Source: NBG The structure of credit to the economy experienced significant changes in 2008: the share of industry has increased by 2.3 percent. At the same time slightly increased healthcare and transport and communications share (0.5 and 0.3 percent). In contrast, notable decrease was seen in the share of trade (1.3 percent). And last but not least, the shares of real estate transactions and construction experienced a decrease as well by 0.9 percent and 0.6 percent. In 2009, fewer amounts were channeled towards crediting of sectors o f the economy as compared to a year before mainly because of the decrease in loans to trade and construction by 12.8 and 14.9 percent. In 2008, the average annual interest rate on loans of commercial banks comprised 18.6 percent; then in 2009 it increased by 0.7 percent and in 2010 decreased again by 1.4 percent and comprised 18.1 percent. The total assets of commercial banking sector showed a moderate decrease by 6.5 percent falling to GEL 5,185 million in 2009 due mainly to a notable drop in loans to the entrepreneurial sector and households because of higher credit risks. The decrease in total liabilities, on the other hand, was caused by a sharp decline in borrowings by commercial banks. However, starting from January 2010 a permanent uptrend has been manifested showing signs of economic recovery. As for June 2010, the volume of loans equals GEL 5,737 million. In particular, the loans to legal entities grew by 10.9 percent year-on-year, while loans to individuals increase d only slightly at 0.6 percent. Overall, the real growth of the credit portfolio of the banking sector equaled 3.1 percent in the accounting period. Strong growth of loans in the first half of 2010 should be noted with the real growth amounted to 8.43 percent during that period. In 2010, 42.5 percent of the interest income of the banking sector came from loans to individuals, and 55 percent from loans to legal entities. If we compare the interest expenses, the net interest margin equaled 14.7 percent for households and 12.1 percent for legal entities. General Trends in System Development During last ten years, Georgian economy was growing quite successfully. The major factor of economic growth was a correct macroeconomic policy which along with economic liberalization envisaged the establishment of European market regulations. In such conditions, the banking sector has achieved very good indicators, particularly in loans and consumer deposits; growth prospects are also very important. After all of the above-mentioned circumstances significantly increased financial interests of international organizations through the Georgian banking system. Today, as a result, many foreign and international financial institutions are making investments in Georgia. They are as follows: EBRD, IFC, Kreditanstalt fà ¼r Wiederaufbau (KfW), JSC Procreditbank, German Komerzbank, German Investments and Development Company (DEG), Russian ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¾Vneshtorbank and many more. Growth of foreign capital in Georgian banking system significantly increased the availability of new resources and new banking products, and at the same time was an important contributor of introducing modern management principles. Participation of foreign financial institutions in Georgian banking system is also reflected by allocation of credit lines, which started from 1996 and consisted three main directions: Structural strengthening of banks; Support of small and medium sized businesses (SME); Mortgage market development. In this direction leads EBRD and its capacity of credit line to Georgian banks is growing annually. Only in 2001-2005, the amount of credit line increased from GEL 32 to 50 million and was distributed to six commercial banks. Recently, on July 2010, the EBRD has approved a financing USD 50 million package for the Bank of Georgia consisting of three transactions: USD 20 million for Medium-Sized Co-Financing Facility (MCFF) with full recourse to the company; USD 20 million credit line for Small and Medium Enterprise Lending (SME) and USD 1 0 million credit line for Energy Efficiency.7 Bank of Georgia is the leading bank in Georgia with a market share of 33 percent of total assets on the London Stock Exchange. The second largest share of credit line has IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, which is also growing its credit lines annually. In the same period, the amount of loans for three commercial banks increased from GEL 8 million to GEL 31 million. Also should be mentioned the fact, that it declared of lending USD 20 million to Bank Republic, Societe Generale Group for financing small and medium sized enterprises. SME in Georgia represent one of the most important segments for economic growth as well as employment. It consists of lots of sectors such as small retailer shops, traders from agriculture and many more. SME business has high potential and the most interesting field to develop is manufacturing, in order to be able to produce products, to be exported and development of export is crucial for the country in order to capture inflow of foreign currency.8 It is also noteworthy to mention German DEG and KfW with their modest share. KfW is very actively involved in financing the land market development project and establishment of technical support in deposit insurance system, which will have a great importance on the future development of banking sector. As for the current situation, in 2010, after activating the processes of consolidation and concentration, the following major groups have been firmly established: Large Banks (6) with the 87 percent assets of the overall banking sector (each bank consists of more than 5 percent total assets of the banking system); Medium sized banks are represented with three commercial banks, each of them owns from 1 to 5 percent of overall banking assets (total group includes 7 percent of total assets); Small banking group includes 10 banks (each owns less than 1 and together 6 percent of the overall banking assets). The quantitative and qualitative growth rates in Georgian banks were challenged by strong financial conditions of large banks, which caused stability of the banking system. The main competition was held among these strong banks and they become the pioneers of implementing new products and services. Operating Licensed Commercial Banks in Georgia Bank Date of Licensing Licensing Number Current Number of Branches JSC Bank Republic 04.02.1992 N5 46 JSC TaoPrivatBank (Former JSC kavkasioni, JCS Tao Bank, JCS First Commercial Bank 25.02.1992 N10 40 JSC TBC Bank 20.01.1993 N85 35 JSC Bank of Georgia 15.12.1994 N86 138 JCS Liberty Bank (Former Peoples bank, JCS Agro-industrial Bank) 10.02.1993 N96 72 JCS Basisbank 11.04.1993 N173 18 JSC VTB Bank Georgia (Former JSC United Georgian Bank) 07.05.1995 N226-a 15 JCS Cartu Bank 09.01.1997 N229 9 JSC Procredit Bank (Former JSC Microfinance Bank of Georgia) 13.05.1999 N233 55 JSC BTA Bank (Former JSC BTA Silk Road Bank, JSC Silk Road) 13.03.2001 N238 7 JSC Investbank 29.09.2003 N241 3 JSC The International Bank of Azerbaijan-Georgia 07.02.2007 N0110242 1 T.C. JSC Ziraat Bank A.S. Tbilisi Branch 31.03.1998 N231-1 1 Open JSC Transcaucasus Development Bank Tbilisi Branch 02.12.1999 N234-1 1 JSC HSBC Bank-Georgia 30.07.2007 N000226 1 JSC Progress Bank 31.12.2007 N0110244 2 JSC KOR Standard Bank 25.01.2008 N01100245 14 JSC Halyk Bank Georgia 29.01.2008 N0110246 1 JSC Bank Constanta 03.07.2008 Decree N130 issued by the Head of FSA 17 From these commercial banks the leading banks can be considered Bank of Georgia, TBC Bank, Bank Republic and Procredit Bank. This is mainly due to the amount of loan portfolio, with the share of deposits, with a good service and international recognition (with respect to other banks). For example, Fitch Ratings, a global credit rating agency, has improved TBC Banks rating and assigned B+ category. Growth of TBC Banks rating is a very positive event since the difficult economic and political processes in Georgia during 2008-2009 had a negative effect on the countrys economy, including banking sector. Experts of Fitch Ratings claim that growth of TBC Banks rating along with the stab le and dynamic development of the bank has been conditioned by a large scale investment in TBC Bank in the first half of 2009 as well as by the changes that took place in the structure of shareholders. Moodys Investors Service has upgraded by two notches to B1 from B3 the long-term foreign currency deposit rating TBC Bank. At the same time, Moodys has the banks D bank financial strength rating (BFSR), which maps to a Ba3 baseline credit assessment (SCA), and has changed its outlook to stable. Similarly, the banks Ba3 long-term global local currency (GLC) deposit rating was confirmed with a stable outlook. Raising USD 161 million from leading international institutions such as EBRD, enterpreneual development bank of the Netherlands FMO, JP Morgan and Ashmore was banks major achievement in 2009. TBC Banks performance in the SME segment is improving annually. At the same time, the Banks structure and approaches are being developed in order to increase the quality service. Th e TBC bank main financial data for 2010 can be characterized as follows: net profit of GEL 43 million was achieved; Bank evaluated another successful year from its 18 year history. According to the banks information, loan portfolio was increased by 33 percent (GEL 369 million), deposits increased by 38 percent (GEL 370 million) and total assets by 30 percent (GEL 522 million). From the beginning of 2010, taking into account countrys improvement, TBC Bank has reinforced its credit policy and softened the terms of lending. It introduced several social projects, implemented a new service as well as expanded its branch networks and so on.9 Banks market share in total assets is 20.8 percent; market share in loans 21.6 percent and market share in deposits accounts for 24.9 percent. Abbreviations IFC International Financial Corporation KfW Kreditanstalt fà ¼r Wiederaufbau SME Small and Medium sized business BFSR Bank Financial Strength Rating GLC Global Local Currency 0 National Statistics of Georgia: www.geostat.ge 1 see www.cac-biodiversity.org for details. 2 Kartl-Kakheti Kingdom in Georgia dont exist anymore. Instead they represent two regions of Georgia: Kartli and Kakheti. 7 See www.ebrd.com 3 According to expert estimation, total amount accumulated in these companies and banks, fluctuated between 25 million and 50 million USD, composed 20-35 percent of a state budget in 1995. 4 Mwenda (2006), pp. 31-32. 8 see www.finchannel.com 9 see www.economy.ge

Persuasive Essay On Fast Food - 1001 Words

Why We Choose Ever walked into any cafeteria and seen fried chicken, french fries, burgers and all sorts of fast foods? Where you ever tempted to buy these type of foods? This temptation happens to anyone, even children. Did you think what these types of foods can do to the health of a person, especially younger children. We already have fast foods being served in schools. There are things we can do to change that. The government should make stricter laws regulating the food that is served in schools because most schools serve unhealthy foods. It will help decrease child obesity. They can start at a young age and get a better understanding of what they are eating. In the movie Fed Up, the schools cafeterias barely served†¦show more content†¦Of course children are going to go for the food that is unhealthy because it taste better. Eating healthy at a young age will prevent obesity. According to the movie Fed Up â€Å" over 95% of all americans will be overweight or obese in two decades†. The cause of obesity is from the food products that are in the stores today. The movie Fed Up also states â€Å" there are 6,000 food products in america, 80% of them contain sugar†. If the government do not control what the industries are putting in the food the industries will keep doing what they are doing. Unhealthy foods are being sold in schools and it seems to me that the schools dont seem to care what they eat. If schools keep serving unhealthy food, the children will keep choosing food that is unhealthy because it tastes better and it is right in front of them. If they keep it up they will start to gain weight and it will be hard for them to lose it. The movie Fed Up shows how most children go for unhealthy food, and they cant help it. So later on they end up having trouble losing weight even after being active. Most of industries are targeting children at a young age so they can keep it up in adulthood. Eric Schlosser writer of â€Å"Why the Fr ies Taste Good† in Holly Bauer’s book Food Matters states â€Å"childhood memories of Happy Meal can translate into frequent adult visits to McDonalds† (23). The industries want to create a happy environment for the kids to have them eatShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Fast Food961 Words   |  4 PagesWould you like to cut years off your life for just a dollar more? This is the question fast food companies should be asking as we line up out their doors and pile up in their double drive thru lanes. 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His perspective on the topic is feltRead MoreDonT Blame The Eater By David Zinczenko1049 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Dont Blame The Eater,† written by David Zinczenko evokes readers the crucial impact that fast food restaurants have in todays nations youth causing them to be over weight and have type 2ndiabetes. Throughout Zinczenkos argument he makes the reader view the consumer as a victim yet on the other hand, what he is trying to persuade us to believe by using logos,pathos,and ethos in his argument is that the food industry is the one making the nations youth to increase obesity. The capacity of impressiveRead MoreArgumentative Essays About Obesity1560 Words   |  7 Pagesthemselves to get that far into bad health(obesity)? (might be more of a Psychology question though..) 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Irregular Warfare Free Essays

Army is beginning to shape itself for complex irregular warfare. The new Army vision calls for a â€Å"campaign-quality Army- that incorporates both Joint and expeditionary capabilities. This includes the capacity not only to conduct decibels combat operations, but also to sustain operations indefinitely, as well as to adapt Itself to the unexpected and unpredictable, As Army Chief of Staff General Shoemaker puts It, â€Å"The Army preeminent challenge Is to reconcile expeditionary agility and responsiveness with the staying power, durability, and adaptability to carry a conflict to a victorious conclusion no matter what form it eventually takes. We will write a custom essay sample on Irregular Warfare or any similar topic only for you Order Now This vision is oriented on the more asymmetric adversaries targeted in the war on terror. General Shoemaker focuses on the undetectable and â€Å"morally unconstrained† adversaries who are opposed to the United States and its allies. The Army professes to recognize that its enemies will seek asymmetric approaches that provide shelter in those environments and methods for which we are least prepared. Overcoming this adversary requires the adoption off mindset that Is both expeditionary and Joint. This approach accepts uncertainty about location, the high probability of an austere environment, and the need to fight Immediately upon arrival. It moves the Army from Its current disposition toward predictable enemies to an understanding that the new enemies are elusive and will have to be engaged in the far corners of the world. Appropriately, the individual soldier is the centerpiece for the Army transformation. The Army’s pending transformation gives primacy to the warrior ethos, training, and education of â€Å"the ultimate combination of sensor and shooter,† the individual soldier. Its education programs will focus on teaching soldiers how, rather than what, to think, since defeating adaptive enemies requires the Army to outthinking the enemy. The vision statement aptly notes the need for greater agility and versatility, which it says will be gained by emphasizing modularity at the brigade level and combined arms at the lower levels. 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act and the related Initiative to establish U. S. Special Operations Command (COM). 38 Embedded wealth the congressional legislation was the express expectation that the services achieve a higher order of mint cooperation. Additionally, Congress mandated a particular service-like† status for Special Forces to preclude longstanding prejudices against the elite, unconventional, and secretive component of America’s arsenal. Congress’s insights in this regard have paid significant dividends in the past few years. Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) revealed a remarkable renaissance in operational capability. Small teams of agile warriors quickly established relationships with the leadership of Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance and ably applied America’s firepower against the Taliban. Subsequently, numerous examples of valor and Improvisation on the fly in Iraq and elsewhere are testimony to the need for and utility of Special Forces. In a world of anarchy, the masters of chaos† provide sophisticated and discriminate means. 39 The Department of Defense has recognized the Importance of this unique arm In the war on terror and assigned COM with a lead role In combating transnational terrorist networks. Coma’s end strength has been increased since 1 ,405 members in IFFY, to nearly 53,000 personnel. 40 Army special forces, SEAL teams, and aviation support have albeit increased. During the troubles in Northern Ireland, the arrival of British troops in 1969 was at first welcomed by Roman Catholics. But the army’s heavy-handed methods, such as large cordon-and-search operations and the shooting of 13 civilians on Bloody Sunday in 1972, pushed many Catholics into the arms of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Historically, counterinsurgency campaigns have almost always failed. This is especially so when the counterinsurgency are foreign troops fighting on the insurgents’ territory. How to cite Irregular Warfare, Papers

Malaria 2 Essay Example For Students

Malaria 2 Essay ABSTRACTIn this paper I will discuss the topics of malaria disease. I willdiscuss the symptoms of malaria, the preventions of malaria, and thetreatment of malaria. In my conclusion I will sum up all the informationand who ever reads my paper will have a good understanding of this diseaseand the knowledge that if they ever come across this in their life timethey will be able to handle it will especially if they are going to be anurse. Most people in America dont know much about this disease but itsgood to know because our country has lots of people coming from all overthe world and as nurses we have to give care to these people and we shouldhave understanding about other disease that may not be so common in Americabut is around the world. One day it might be common in this country as wellby people bring it to this country so we should know about this serious andfatal disease. And then when you are infected by the virus you have to gettreated within the next 2 months but doesnt mean th at you will be showingsigns of the virusMalaria 3There are 2.1 million people living in malaria areas of the world andthat 270 million people develop new malaria infections every year (Hoffman,1991). Malaria is one of the planets deadliest disease and one of theleading causes of sickness in poor developing countries. Malaria is aserious, sometimes fetal disease caused by a parasite. There are four typesof malaria that infect people: Plasmodium Falciparum, P. Vivax, P. Ovale,and P. Malaria. Because of this disease I will tell about all the symptoms,preventions, and the treatment to better inform you. Malaria affects mostly children and pregnant women. Malaria affectschildren mostly under five years of age. Every minute malaria kills threechildren a day (Rabinovich, 2002). Pregnant women with malaria are mostlikely to develop anemia and with severe anemia there is a high risk tomaternal death. Infants born with mothers with malaria are more likely tohave low birth weight, which is the single greatest risk factor for deathduring the first months of life. As nurses we are to tell anyone who isgoing to a different country especially one that is infected with malariathat they have to take all the precautions to prevent malaria. If they aretaking children, planning to have children, or they are already pregnantyou as nurses have to provide all the information to them to prevent therisk of them or their children from any harm. The first thing I wanted to talk about was the symptoms of malaria. When you are infected with malaria disease you may not even know you wereinfected. Most people get symptoms beginning ten days to four weeks afterinfected. They can feel ill early as eight days or up to a year later. Thistype of malaria P. Vivax, P. Ovale can rest in theMalaria 4liver for several months up to four years after infection and later invadered blood cells causing sickness. Symptoms of malaria include fever, flulike illness, shaking chills, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting,and bloody diarrhea. Malaria can also cause jaundice because of the loss ofred blood cells. If you have Plasmodium Falciparum you can have kidneyfailure, seizures, mental confusion, coma, and death. As nurses if apatient comes in with these symptoms you can just say its flu becausemalaria can seem like you have flu but you dont. You have to ask them ifthey have been to any different country lately especially one with malaria. .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 , .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .postImageUrl , .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 , .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2:hover , .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2:visited , .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2:active { border:0!important; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2:active , .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2 .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2d8b1b41a376c7b14c27f1b741e2e2e2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: This is retarded EssayThere have been a lot of deaths that could have been prevented if only thenurses and doctors had determined it wasnt a flu but malaria and treatedit properly. I second thing wanted to talk about are the preventions of malaria. Malaria occurs mostly at night when the insects come out to feed. You haveto wear long sleeve shirts and long pants and make sure you arent wearingdark color clothing. You also have to make sure you have insect repellenton when skin is exposed. When sleeping at night make sure to sleep underinsect repellant nets to prevent infection. The treatment of malaria includes several drugs. ChloroquineMefloquine is effective against all four human malaria (Hoffman, 1991). Malaria prevention is difficult and likely to change during the comingyears. None

How far does your reading of The Merchants Prologue and Tale lead you to agree Essay Example

How far does your reading of The Merchants Prologue and Tale lead you to agree Paper The Tale is essentially farcical, enriched by a satirical character study of Januarie, with miniatures of May and Damyan, (T. W. Craik) this is the stance of some critics regarding Chaucers presentation of Januarie. They argue that Chaucer dwells on him and therefore exhibits his character by dramatic means as oppose to a brief summary, this constant attention towards Januarie develops the character in full satirical detail, so that his downfall is morally satisfying and at the same time richly comic. Chaucer articulately integrates the coarse satire of the fabliaux, much enjoyed by Chaucers gentil audience, which was often crammed with extended jokes or tricks, often bawdy and full of sexual connotations, but it also employs a remarkable range of narrative methods. The effect of this is to widen its satirical attack and give a serious resonance to the entertainment. The building up of Januaires character as a worthy knight who lived in greet prosperitee and his profligate history, hints at the fact that the noble, rich knight will suffer a fall thus becoming a tragic figure, as was standard in the fabliaux. From the opening of the tale; Chaucer subtly blends the numerous ironies, disparities and unrealistic reasoning to depict Januaries sense of self-delusion but the greater amusement lies in the fact that he remains oblivious to the numerous hints, suggesting that he is blind even before he looses his sight. We will write a custom essay sample on How far does your reading of The Merchants Prologue and Tale lead you to agree specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How far does your reading of The Merchants Prologue and Tale lead you to agree specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How far does your reading of The Merchants Prologue and Tale lead you to agree specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer By allowing Januaire to speak for himself, Chaucer is almost allowing him to ridicule himself, through his we are lead to believe that he is in fact a figure of fun. Januarie puts forth numerous arguments, to justify his motives of marriage, which equate to that in this world no oother lyf is worth a bene; for wedlock is so esy and so clene, that in this world it is a paradis, here we see he is deluding himself in order to gain the pleasures, his inconsistent justification of marriage amuse the audience. The old mans illusions, however are not his alone. The praise of marriage in the first part of the tale represents what is commonly said in its favour, the generalisation is obtained by putting this speech in the mouth of the narrator and not Januarie. The mockery, though clearly present, is still subdued. As we dwell deeper into Januaries thoughts the comic elements exceed the audiences expectations. The most cutting satire of the Merchants Tale is reserved for the notion that in wedlock a man may do no sinne with his wyf ne hurte himsleven with his owene knyf, the double-edged irony of this line looks forth to him being cuckolded. There is humour in the account of the nuptial chamber, having seen the Januaries desires grow throughout he wedding feast as he anticipates his impotent lust in action, is both repulsive and amusing, especially since he sees himself as the great lover and compares himself to Paris yet ironically he requires aphrodisiacs to laboureth till dawn. The happiness of Januarie at this point prepares us for his misfortunes later. The introduction of the garden as his special preserve for love, used in the summer for his sexual activity. Irony returns when Januarie seems to express genuine love for his wife, the passage is a parody of the Song of Solomon, and is the most beautiful and poetic lines within the tale, with references being made to the voice of a turtledove and columbine. Interestingly Chaucer increases the readers sympathy for January by allowing him to express his love for her during the moment that she is most ruthless. The irony is enriched by his reference to her as trewe deere wyf. When in actual fact she is inviting Damyan into the garden with somewhat equally eloquent gestures. Januaries strict precautions to ensure that his is the only key to the garden and his confidence that they are alone within the walled garden create a farcical atmosphere of what is to come. The ultimate farcical irony is when May leads Januarie to believe that she carves he pears and she must have them as a woman in her plit implying pregnancy. January is of course enraptured that an heir may be in the offing and laments the absence of a servant who could climb the tree for May, and ironically is happy to assist her into her lovers arms. He is to embrace the tree, whilst she climbs on his back. She is treading on him physically and metaphorically into Damyans arms, this is visually very strong as it is a sign of dominance or even victory. No matter how coarse and perverted Januaries character has seemed, at this point inevitably, the audience are sympathetic towards the cuckolded husband. As a farce this is perfect, but once Januaires sight has been restored May once again confidently answers him, which seems to satisfy Januarie. the credulous Januarie is left, full of the joys of prospective fatherhood, now a distinct possibility thanks to Damyan, and he is now as much the victim of his illusions as he was at the beginning. Januaries character is amusing in itself and offers Chaucer opportunities of showing it off, putting the reader in good humour as well as giving the necessary facts. The Merchants tale picks up strands from the previous tales. It continues the theme of war between the sexes but the merchants stance sides with neither, his tale backs neither the husband nor the wife but shows each abusing the other for his or her pleasure rejecting the idealistic concept of love in marriage.

buy custom Case Report on National Australia Bank (NAB) essay

buy custom Case Report on National Australia Bank (NAB) essay Introduction Analyzing case study Australian Banks in Asia, it is necessary to say that Australian business begins to integrate into Chinese market. National Australia Bank (NAB) is one of the most active players in the Chinese market. However, the main challenge of NAB is management issue that is connected with cultural differences between Australian and Chinese markets. Cultural differences between markets concern many banks at the present time; therefore, it is important to regard this management issue. Management issue is a problem that prevents the company from the development and growth in the market. Management issues can be connected with strategic renewal, structure, governance, communication, culture, and leadership, especially when it concerns international market. Cultural differences between markets should be studied due to globalization of business and its integration into international market. This report will reveal peculiarities of NAB operating in the Chinese markets and recommend the ways of solving the management issues concerning cultural differences. The report aims to prove that the cultural difference is the main barrier that prevents NAB from successful integration into Chinese market. The main purpose of this report is to identify management issue and evaluate development and strategies of NAB in the Chinese banking market. Issue Identification For NAB, the Chinese market appears to be challenging since there are numerous regulatory limitations as well as cultural differences in many areas. The Chinese market has tough conditions for all kinds of business and thus, even such successful Australian bank as NAB requires additional investment to employ Chinese human resources and attract Chinese customers. Understanding cultural differences is a must for global business. Indeed, NAB runs business in other nations such as China, Britain, or the USA as it is a wonderful opportunity to get large profits and win the respective market (Staniuline, 2009). From the case study, it is evident that cultural implications have an impact on reception and longevity of a new brand regardless of bank's services, experience, and size. Anothe management issue is that NAB cannot operate in Chinese market of other domestic banks and impose its values. It means that NAB should save its cultural identity and be respectful to Chinese traditions of business. International business practices require knowledge of cultural differences to avoid misunderstanding and conflicts. Besides, it is important for NAB to be tolerant of Chinese management styles to gain new opportunities and agreement (Raspin, 2007). Critical Discussion The case study shows that cultural differences can be both driving and restraining force while operating in the global business community such as China. However, it has been argued that the management issues of NAB are connected with differences between Australian and Chinese values. Hofstede's theory of organizational culture is applicable in this particular case and it helps to show the differences between Australian and Chinese markets. The argument centered on whether Hofstede's theory of organizational culture may solve the problem of cultural differences between Chinese and Australian markets (Alvesson, 2002). Power distance concerns social inequality including the issues of race and gender. In countries with high power distance, subordinates have high dependency to superiors and don't disagree with superiors directly (Khastar, 2011, 321). In Australia, power distance is not so evident and thus, social inequalities and discrimination are not typical for NAB. The huge Chinese market is attractive, but its culture is a major issue for NAB. China has high power distance. Uncertainty avoidance is another factor that defines organizational culture. It develops good corporate strategy and strategic leadership (Brooks, 1997). Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) is high in both China and Australia. In cultures with high UAI, people try to be structured, and behave what they are expected and want to know that will happen in the future (Khastar, 2011, 321). This cultural aspect proves that NAB has all opportunities of being successful in Chinese market. Another cultural difference between Chinese and Australian banking markets concerns individualism and collectivism. IIndividualism versus collectivism is regarded with the degree of people feeling belonged to a group and the identity of relations between group and people (Khastar, 2011, 321). Chinese culture is collective, while Australian culture is individual. It is a crucial gap between them. Masculinity versus femininity is another cultural barrier for Australian bank in Chinese market. In Australian society, both women and men share the same set of values and have equal rights. On the other hand, China is a masculine society, where men have more rights than women, and the latter are treated with injustice. NAB can provide equal rights for men and women, and this will help to improve customers responsiveness. The strength of NAB is that it is not afraid of cultural differences with China and it does not look for easy ways such as European and American banking markets. Hofstede's theory of organizational culture is not always ideal and relevant. It does not presuppose the variety of human societies. It is necessary to take into consideration that within a Chinese society, there can be other cultural groups that also have their peculiarities. The limitation of Hofstede's theory of organizational culture is that it does not consider different cross-cultural behavioral patterns. It is evident that this theory does not help to solve the main management issue of NAB. In China, NAB has the problems employing local managers in order to double the amount of branches (Rasmussen and Wangel, 2006). On the contrary, it is evident that Hofstede's theory of organizational culture is still relevant because cultural issues remain unsolved. Moreover, globalization of domestic organization is a must for its transfer on the international level, and Hofstede's theory shows the obstacles that it should remove in order to operate in the international environment (Raspin, 2003). Moreover, it has been determined that in modern international market, banks are ready to implement cultural management to avoid disagreement and conflicts with their customers. It is argued that Hofstede's theory of organizational culture is still applicable in current business world because globalization and internationalization are the two driving forces that destroy boundaries between cultures (Schermerhorn, 2013). Buy custom Case Report on National Australia Bank (NAB) essay

The Basic Differences between the Tradition Term of Group Work and the Essay

The Basic Differences between the Tradition Term of Group Work and the Ideas behind Cooperative Learning Groups - Essay Example The Basic Differences between the Tradition Term of Group Work and the Ideas behind Cooperative Learning Groups Apart from the use of a part (small groups) of a whole, cooperative learning strategies differ fundamentally from traditional group work in a number of ways. Group work does not guarantee the full participation and mutual engagement of students in a group and, by extension, the whole class. The abilities and interests of students in a class are naturally not the same. Some may be very fast in picking while others are slow. Some may be weak in particular aspect of a subject and good in others. A relatively intelligent student in group may find it easy to accomplish group task and as such find the work interesting. A weaker student may not be that lucky and may have to coast along with his group members. There is no good reward that motivates the weak to double up. The group may be awarded points regardless of individual participation and growth. The group may earn recognition even if the weaker students perform woefully or if the gifted only carry along the weaker. The growth of indiv idual students is therefore not recognized as a contributor to group success. Conversely, cooperative learning strategies ensure active participation of all students using a reward structure that makes individual members to invest in each other’s learning. The reward structure is motivational. A group in cooperative learning strategy may earn points when there is comparative improvement of each member of the group.

Intermed Statistics for Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intermed Statistics for Business - Essay Example The results of the analysis were used in analyzing if strategy and planning are important in undertaking business. Analysis In the process of analysing the 73 small sized companies, we made use of the criteria of business planning. The 73 companies were divided into three different distinct groups and data analyzed from this point of view. For instance, categorized under Index 1, were companies which had plans of up to 15 years while index 2 were for companies which had short terms plans of 1 year and below and finally index 3 categorized companies which had no plans at all (Hays, 2007). The analysis report is outlined below: Revenue Revenue of the 73 small companies was measured with the main comparison being the average revenue growth for a period of five years. Index 1: From the analysis of revenues of companies which had short-term strategic plans, the average revenues of 11 companies out of 73 under this category stood at 78.64%. Index 2: From the analysis of revenues of compani es which had short-term strategic plans, the average revenues of 27 companies out of 73 under this category stood at 22.74%. Index 3: From the analysis of revenues of companies which had no strategic plans, the average revenues of 35 companies out of 73 under this category stood at 37.29%. ... Analysis of the income is analyzed below: Index 1: Companies categorized here had an average income growth of 42.73% in the past five years. Index 2: Companies which had short terms plans on the other hand recorded a 27.07% increase in income over the last five years. Index 3: Companies which had no plans at all on the other hand recorded a 19.4% increase in income in the last five years. The analysis of income shows that the mean income of all the 73 companies stood at around 25.76% growth in the last five years (Hays, 2007). Therefore, we can conclude that companies with short and long term plans performed beyond the expected growth rate as shown by figure 2 in the appendix. Book The book value is used to show the average book value growth over a period of five years as analyzed below: Index 1: Average growth for companies falling under this category stood at around 69.18%. Index 2: The percentage growth rate for companies in this category stood at 41.41% over a five year period. I ndex 3: The growth rate of companies in this category stood at 11.11% over a period of five years. The analysis of the book value growth show that companies with long term plans had the capability to tremendously growth their book balances over a long term. This is compared to companies with short terms plans who posted impressive results by surpassing the mean growth rate of 31.07%. Companies with no plans had a low book value growth rate compared to other companies (Healey, 2011). This is exhibited by figure 3 in the appendix. Comp This variable was used to measure the average cash compensation awarded to CEO for the 73 companies over the period of the last five years. The analysis of compensation

SLP - RECRUITMENT 401HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SLP - RECRUITMENT 401HRM - Essay Example CCGB is accountable for promoting and evolving original and prevailing trademarks. Reputable in West London and hiring 130 people, it manages over 20 brands in the Great Britain. On the other hand, CCE produces and dispenses soft drinks for The Coca-Cola Corporation and other additional brand owners. It hires approximately 4,500 people in the Great Britain and has a total of six industrial locations across the republic. The Coca-Cola Corporation employs the use of the following administration style: consultative democratic. This is a management style where the executives permit the workers to create ideas that are then sent to the directors who then consult their team to make the ultimate resolution. This corporation prefers to use this style since the resultant decision is from all the employees and management team. Consequently, the outcome is that it assists in motivating employees as they are conscious that they have a say in the corporation to some degree. The shortcomings of this style, is that the procedure is very time consuming and power will be necessary during the whole process. Management at Coca-Cola Company emphasizes on the procurement and preservation of exceedingly skilful and well-informed workers so that it can uphold its top place in the marketplace. It provides such environments of service and measures that permit all workers to progress a logic of harmony with the corporation and to carry out their responsibilities in the most enthusiastic and operative methods. It also provides for the sanctuary of service to the employees so that they may not be preoccupied by the reservations of their prospect. These goals, policies, guidelines, and curriculums are pre- specified by the firm, which leads the administration and unions in taking decisions. Also, they are in harmony with the administration’s aims, goals, policies, guidelines and its and internal and exterior settings. Job analysis is the process for

Relationship Between Religiosity And Prejudice Psychology Essay

Relationship Between Religiosity And Prejudice Psychology Essay The literature on the relationship between religiosity and prejudice has shown inconsistent findings. We argue that it is necessary to distinguish between different types of religiosity and that the relationship with prejudice is mediated by different values. Results of two studies conducted in Italy showed that identified religiosity and introjected religiosity predict different levels of prejudice towards Muslim immigrants. Moreover, the negative relationship between identified religiosity and prejudice was mediated by prosocial values, whereas valuing conformity mediated the positive relationship between introjected religiosity and prejudice. In sum, results showed that it is possible to better understand the relationship between religiosity and prejudice by disentangling the different ways of being religious. Keywords: religious identity, religious internalization, values, prejudice Religiosity and Prejudice: Different Patterns for Two Types of Religious Internalization Are religious people more tolerant? The question about the relationship between religiosity and prejudice always elicited opposite answers. From one side, one would expect that religious people are more accepting of minority out-groups, basing on the idea that most religions teach love for others (see Hunsberger Jackson, 2005). From the other side, not all people describing themselves as religious have positive out-group attitudes; on the contrary, this relationship often goes in the opposite direction, with more religious people being more prejudiced (see the review by Batson, Schoenrade, Ventis, 1993). It is now evident that, in order to approach these conflicting answers, it is necessary to differentiate between the different ways of being religious (see also Leak Finken, 2011), and to investigate which people, among religious people, are more tolerant and which are not. The most common distinction is between an intrinsic and an extrinsic religious orientation (Allport and Ross, 1967): according to these distinction, intrinsic religiosity is connected with low prejudice whereas extrinsic religiosity is related to relatively high levels of prejudice. However, empirical research investigating the link between religiosity and prejudice has not clearly supported these connections and, therefore, this distinction does not seem to offer a clear understanding of the inconsistent link between religiosity and prejudice (Hunsberger Jackson, 2005). Another attempt to analyze the relationship between religiosity and prejudice has been to identify intervening variables. Indeed, scholars identified other constructs than can influence the positive or negative effects of religiosity on prejudice. Research showed that differences in prejudice can be explained by considering the mediating role of, for example, political ideology and right-wing authoritarianism (e.g., Rowatt et al., 2009), religious fundamentalism (e.g., Altemeyer Hunsberger, 1992), and sense of meaning (Hunsberger Jackson, 2005). The aim of the present research is to make a further contribution to the understanding of the relationship between religiosity and prejudice, by analyzing two forms of religious internalization and by examining value endorsement as a mediating variable. In particular, we focus on the distinction between what is called indentified regulated religiosity and introjected regulated religiosity (Ryan, Rigby, King, 1993). In addition, we consider the role of the endorsement of prosocial values and conformity values as mediators in the relationship between religiosity and prejudice. The findings of two studies that examine the attitude towards Muslim immigrants of young adults in Italy will be presented. Religious Identification and Introjection Research on religiosity and prejudice has used Allport and Ross (1967) distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic religious orientation (see Batson, Schoenrade, Ventis, 1993). Recently, some scholars questioned the usefulness of this distinction (e.g., Cohen, Hall, Koenig, Meador, 2005; Flere Lavric, 2007) and revised it (Neyrinck, Lens, Vansteenkiste, Soenens, 2010) by using theories of human motivation such as self-determination theory (Deci Ryan, 1985; Ryan Deci, 2000). An alternative distinction has been offered by research in the field of self-determination theory, which proposed a specific conceptualization of the different ways in which religious values are endorsed and religious behavior regulated. Beliefs can be endorsed in a superficial and conditional way depending on circumstances and social pressures (heteronomy), or in a personal and independent way (autonomy) (Ryan Deci, 2000). Within this framework, two types of religiosity emerged that vary in their relative autonomy: introjected regulation and identified regulation (Ryan, Rigby and King, 1993). The former represents religious beliefs and behaviors that are predominantly based on social pressures and the approval of others. The latter represents adoption of beliefs as personal convictions and the enactment of religious behaviors that are personally chosen and valued (Ryan et al., 1993). Introjected and identified internalization of religion appear to be differently associated to psychological outcomes with the latter having positive and the former negative effects on mental health, psychological adjustment, and self-esteem (Ryan et al., 1993). Whereas the psychological implications of both types of religiosity have been examined, little is known about their social implications. In particular, the relation between types of religious internalization and prejudice has not been investigated. In this study we propose that identified internalization may be related to lower prejudice towards Muslim immigrants, which in the Italian context is a significant and generally negatively evaluated minority out-group (Strabac Listhaug, 2008). In fact, individuals who are deeply identified with their religion can be expected to privately endorse religious principles of prosociality and tolerance, if they feel that their religion values prosociality and tolerance. Accordingly, they should display relatively positive out-group attitudes. In contrast, individuals who mainly introject their religiosity do not privately endorse such values but rather seek approval from significant and generalized others, as they feel that to be religious is to be like the majority of people. In view of the wide-spread negative attitudes towards Muslim immigrants in Italy they, therefore, can be expected to be more prejudiced towards Muslim immigrants. Thus, our prediction is that identified religious people will show significant lower levels of prejudice towards Muslim immigrants than introjected religious people. Religiosity and Values Research on religiosity and prejudice has tried to shed light on the reasons why religious people are less or more prejudiced by examining mediating variables (e.g., Rowatt et al., 2009). In the present paper, we consider values as possible mediators between religiosity and prejudice. Thus, we assume that the different values associated with the different ways of being religious can influence the relationship between religiosity and prejudice. Research investigating the relationship between religiosity and values can be broadly divided into two types. A first group of studies focuses on the relationship between religiosity and conformism. For example, a meta-analysis by Saroglou, Delpierre and Dernelle (2003), including 21 samples from15 different countries, examined the link between religiosity and Schwartzs (1992) model of human values. The analysis showed that religiosity is mainly associated with valuing the maintenance and adoption of social and cultural rules and conventions. A second group of studies highlights the association between religiosity and prosocial values. For example, in his review Regnerus (2003) found that religious adolescents are more likely to be involved in prosocial behaviours than non religious peers. Furthermore, Hardy and Carlo (2005) showed that prosocial values partially mediate the relationship between religiosity and prosocial behaviors. These studies indicate that religiosity is associated with valuing conformity as well as prosociality and these two sets of values are likely to play a different role in intergroup attitudes. In general, the prosocial value of concern for the welfare of others tends to lead to accepting and positive behavior (Hardy Carlo, 2005), whereas valuing conformity and respect for tradition tends to lead to discrimination of non-traditional out-groups, including immigrant groups in Italy (Sniderman, Peri, de Figueiredo, Piazza, 2002). We expected conformity values to be most strongly connected with introjected religiosity because this type of religious belief is predominantly based on approval of others. In contrast, prosocial values were expected to be connected with identified religiosity. In turn, the conformity and prosocial values were expected to be independently associated with prejudice. Thus, the second prediction of the current research is that higher identified religiosity is asso ciated with lower levels of prejudice because of the endorsement of prosocial values, whereas higher introjected religiosity is associated with higher levels of prejudice because of the endorsement of conformity values. The Present Study In the present study, we tested the relationship between religious internalization and anti-Muslim prejudice, and the potential mediational role of prosocial and conformity values. We predicted two paths: identified religious people should endorse in a greater way the religious principles of prosociality and tolerance, thus, we expected a path from identified religiosity to less prejudice, via the endorsement of prosocial values Because of the other-based-approval of introjected religiosity and because those who prize conformity will tend to yield to social pressure and have more negative attitudes toward immigrant groups (Sniderman et al., 2002), we expected the endorsement of conformity to mediate the relationship between introjected religiosity and prejudice. Method Participants. Participants were 164 Italian young adults, self-identified as Catholics, of age between 17 and 30 (M = 21.68, SD = 3.20), with 64.2 % females. Procedure. Participants were contacted by a member of the research team in schools and religious associations. They were asked to fill in an online questionnaire and participation was voluntary. Participants who completed the questionnaire had the chance to take part in a prize draw. All respondents signed an informed consent form before completing the questionnaire. Measures. Respondents completed the questionnaire in Italian. All the measure included were translated into Italian with a back-translation procedure, as recommended by the guidelines of the International Test Commission (Hambleton, 1994). The Christian Religious Internalization Scale (Ryan et al, 1993) was developed for research with a Christian population and measures the reasons why a person engages in religious behavior. There are two reliable and validated subscales, Introjected Religiosity and Identified Religiosity (response scale: 1, not at all true, 7, very true). Two example items for the introjected religiosity subscale (five items) are: an important reason why I attend church is because one is supposed to go to church, when I turn to God, I most often do it because I would feel guilty if I didnt. Example items for the identified religiosity subscale (six items) are: when I turn to God, I most often do it because I find it satisfying to me, an important reason why I attend church is that by going to church I learn new things. In the present sample Cronbachs alpha showed acceptable values (introjected religiosity ÃŽÂ ± = .70; identified religiosity ÃŽÂ ± = .86). Prosocial values were measured with five items adapted from Flanagan, Cusmille, Gill, and Gallay (2007). The scale prompt is the question When you think about your life and your future, how important isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Subsequently, participants are asked to respond to five items (5-point scale): to do something in order to build a better society, helping those who are less fortunate, to make a contribution to your country, etc. (ÃŽÂ ± = .82) Prejudice towards Muslims. Following Verkuyten and Yildiz (2010) we focused on the acceptance of Muslim immigrants expressing their religious identity in Italy. Using five items, participants were asked to indicate their agreement (7-point scale) with Muslims expressive rights. Two examples are: to show and express their religion in public life, to wear a headscarf. The scores were recoded so that a higher score means less acceptance of Muslims rights and, thus, more prejudice (ÃŽÂ ± = .87). Conformity. Following Snidermans et al. (2002) research in Italy, participants were asked to rate their agreement (7-point scale) with four statement about conformity values. Two example items are: one should distrust those who act differently from most people; rules are there for people to follow, not to try to change (ÃŽÂ ± = .71). Results and Discussion Constructs were modeled as single-indicator observed variables, by calculating the mean score of the scale items. We conducted a series of path analyses with prejudice towards Muslims as the dependent variable, using the software Amos 16. Means, standard deviations and intercorrelations among the variables are displayed in Table 1. The mean for identified religiosity is higher than for introjected religiosity (t = 21.22, p. Table 1. Means, Standard Deviations and Correlations. Variables 1 2 3 4 5 1. Identification 2. Introjection .36** 3. Prosocial values .44** .12 4. Conformity .06 .18* -.01 5. Muslim prejudice -.07 -.05 -.27** .35** Mean 4.67 2.51 4.03 3.08 3.67 SD 1.17 0.94 .73 1.18 1.60 *p We first tested a model in which introjection, identification, prosocial values and conformity values were independent predictors of prejudice towards Muslims. Fit indices for this model were not acceptable (à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ² (5) = 34.321, p. We then tested a full mediation model, whereby the influence of introjection and identification on anti-Muslim prejudice was carried respectively by the endorsement of prosocial and conformity values. The model showed a good fit with the data (à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ² (5) = 2.341, p. > .05; NFI= .97; CFI= 1.00; RMSEA= .00, 90% confidence interval: .00- .07) and accounted for 20.0 % of variance in prejudice towards Muslims. Significant parameters from this model are shown in Figure 1. We then calculated the indirect effects on the basis of Preacher and Hayes (2008) bootstrapping method. There was a significant indirect effect from identified religiosity via prosocial values on anti-Muslim prejudice (the standardized indirect effect was estimated as -.12; this value lies between the estimated 95 % confidence interval, -.03 to -.22). There was also a significant indirect effect from introjected religiosity via conformity to prejudice towards Muslims (ÃŽÂ ² = .06, 95% confidence interval: .01 to .12). To further examine our mediational hypotheses we tested an alternative model in which the endorsement of prosocial and conformity values predicted the outcome measure indirectly through identified and introjected religiosity, respectively. The fit indexes for this model were not acceptable (à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ ² (6) = 52.763, p. .44** Prosocial values Identification -.28** -.12* Prejudice towards Muslims .36** .06* .36** .18* Introjection Conformity Figure 1. Results of the path analysis showing the empirical mediation of prosocial values and valuing conformity. Solid lines represent direct effects and dashed lines represent indirect effects. Numbers are standardized regression weights. **p In sum, the findings confirm the prediction of the independent associations of identified and introjected religiosity with prejudice. Besides, they also confirm the mediational hypotheses about the role of values endorsement. In particular, there appeared to be two pathways: one from identified religiosity via the endorsement of prosocial values to lower prejudice towards Muslims, and the other from introjected religiosity to valuing conformity to higher prejudice. General Discussion The research aimed to test the prediction that different forms of religious internalization are independently associated with prejudice, and that these associations are mediated by the endorsement of different types of values. Thus, we selected a religious sample in order to shed light on the different ways of being religious. Results showed that higher identified religiosity was related to stronger acceptance of Muslims rights (i.e. lower prejudice) and that this was connected to the endorsement of prosocial values. Conformity values which accounted for the indirect relationship between introjected religiosity and prejudice. A first interesting finding is that religious identification and religious introjection were independently and in contrasting ways related to prejudice. They emerged as two dimensions of religiosity that are indirectly associated with prejudice, one with a positive sign and the other one with a negative sign. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a clear pattern emerge. Therefore, this conceptualization of religiosity could be a useful model that is able to overcome some of the problems with Allport and Ross (1967) distinction, that was not systematically and consistently related to prejudice (see Hunsberger Jackson, 2005). A second finding is that, in agreement with research on values and religiosity (Saroglou et al., 2003), we found a relationship between religiosity and conformity and with the endorsement of prosocial values. Additionally, we were able to identify which form of religious internalization predicts the association with which set of values. Prosocial values were clearly connected with identified religiosity, whereas valuing conformity was associated with introjected religiosity. A third result that contributes to the literature relates to self-determination theory (Ryan et al., 1993). The findings enrich Ryan et al. (1993) conceptualization because they empirically show that the difference between identified and introjected religiosity not only has consequences for individual well-being but also for value endorsement and thereby for prejudice. In fact, the different ways of being religious are strongly associated to different values and this lead to opposite outcomes. Conclusion In the present study, we aimed at investigating the relation between different types of religious internalization and different levels of prejudice. The study indeed presents some limitations, first because of the correlational nature of data and second because of the composition of the sample. In fact, participants are of young age and all live in Italy, making it difficult to generalize the findings to other countries, maybe where religiosity has a different distribution among the population. Similarly, we need to examine other targets of prejudice (e.g., Jews, homosexuals) before reaching general conclusions. Nevertheless, we think that some interesting directions for future research a can be drawn from these findings. A first one refers to the internalization of religion: identified internalization turned out to be a form of religiosity that has the potential to encourage prosocial orientations and out-group tolerance. Thus, it would be interesting, for future research, to look at the factors that promote identified religiosity among religious groups and families (e.g., Assor, Cohen-Malayev, Kaplan, Friedman, 2005). A second suggestion is that future research should investigate other determinants of individual differences in religiosity and try to identify the different ways of being religious with their specific consequences (Pargament, 2002): for example, it is possible that not only identified and introjected internalization have effects on prejudice, but also religious practices and participation in religious organizations and groups(e.g., prayer, church attendance, volunteering, et c.). To sum up, our research add to the investigation of religiosity and prejudice by showing that two forms of religious internalization have independent and contrasting associations with prejudice, and that these associations are accounted by the endorsement of different values. This means that religiosity can both promote and hinder positive intergroup relations, depending on the way religion is internalized and the related values that are endorsed. This seems to indicate that more research is needed about the different ways of being religious and the mediational mechanisms that intervene in the religiosity-prejudice link.

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Remember the time when Michael Jordan hit the game winning shot, with Byron Russel from Utah in is face, to win his six NBA title? Remember all the times that Joe Montana and Jerry Rice connected for touchdowns? Remember the time when Mark McGuire hit his sixty-second home run to break the old record? All of these sporting events are part of the mosaic that is the American society. The media bombarded American viewers with dazzling athletic feats and heroism. But has the media gone too far in making these sport figures seem larger than life? Could it be that the media has corrupted the spirit and integrity of the once proud and traditional games?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the pre-television era sports were filled with hard work, loyalty, and self-determination but as times changed people began looking for instant gratification. It is easy to see this happening in the much watched and listened to game of baseball. Thus the fans preferred the towering home runs of Babe Ruth rather than the hard work style of base hits, base stealing, sacrifices and hit-and-run plays personified by Ty Cobb. American heroes were no longer lone businessmen or statesmen, but more often the stars of movies and sports. Young boys now dreamed of becoming athletic heroes rather than the Captains of Industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The incredible influence television has had on sports is clearly stated in the scholarly essay In Its Own Image: How Television Has Transformed Sports by Benjamin Rader. This scholarly essay is a well-written piece of work that takes a look at how much of an effect television really has on sports.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benjamin Rader states as his thesis â€Å"Television has essentially trivialized the experience of spectator sports. With its enormous power to magnify and distort images, to reach every hamlet in the nation with events from anywhere in the world, and to pour millions of additional dollars into sports, television-usually with the enthusiastic assistance of the sports moguls themselves-has sacrificed much of the unique drama of sports to the requirements of entertainment. To seize and hold the attention of viewers and thus maximize revenues, the authenticity of the sporting experience has been contaminated with a plethora of external intrusions. To capitalize upon the public’s love of sports, television-again with the aid of sports promoters-has swamped viewers with too many seasons, too many games, too many teams, and too many big plays. Such a flood of sensations has diluted the poignancy and potency of the sporting experience.