Artificial Intelligence and Learning Computers

Artificial Intelligence & Learning Computers Presented by: S. DEEPAKKUMAR Abstract The term artificial intelligence is used to describe a property of machines or programs: the intelligence that the system demonstrates. Among the traits that researchers hope machines will exhibit are reasoning, knowledge, planning, learning, communication, perception and the ability to move and manipulate objects. Constructing robots that perform intelligent tasks has always been a highly motivating factor for the science and technology of information processing.Unlike philosophy and psychology, which are also concerned with intelligence, AI strives to build intelligent entities such as robots as well as understand them. Although no one can predict the future in detail, it is clear that computers with human-level intelligence (or better) would have a huge impact on our everyday lives and on the future course of civilization Neural Networks have been proposed as an alternative to Symbolic Artificial In telligence in constructing intelligent systems. They are motivated by computation in the brain.Small Threshold computing elements when put together produce powerful information processing machines. In this paper, we put forth the foundational ideas in artificial intelligence and important concepts in Search Techniques, Knowledge Representation, Language Understanding, Machine Learning, Neural Computing and such other disciplines. Artificial Intelligence Starting from a modest but an over ambitious effort in the late 50’s, AI has grown through its share of joys, disappointments and self-realizations. AI deals in science, which deals with creation of machines, which can think like humans and behave rationally.AI has a goal to automate every machine. AI is a very vast field, which spans:  ·Many application domains like Language Processing, Image Processing, Resource Scheduling, Prediction, Diagnosis etc.  ·Many types of technologies like Heuristic Search, Neural Networks, an d Fuzzy Logic etc.  ·Perspectives like solving complex problems and understanding human cognitive processes.  ·Disciplines like Computer Science, Statistics, Psychology, etc. DEFINITION OF INTELLIGENCE & TURING TEST The Turing Test, proposed by Alan Turing (1950), was designed to provide a satisfactory definition of intelligence.Turing defined intelligent behavior as the ability to achieve human-level performance in all cognitive tasks, sufficient to fool an interrogator. Roughly speaking, the test he proposed is that the computer should be interrogated by a human via a teletype, and passes the test if the interrogator cannot tell if there is a computer or a human at the other end. His theorem (the Church-Turing thesis) states that â€Å"Any effective procedure (or algorithm) can be implemented through a Turing machine. â€Å" Turing machines are abstract mathematical entities that are composed of a tape, a read-write head, and a finite-state machine.The head can either read o r write symbols onto the tape, basically an input-output device. The head can change its position, by either moving left or right. The finite state machine is a memory/central processor that keeps track of which of finitely many states it is currently in. By knowing which state it is currently in, the finite state machine can determine which state to change to next, what symbol to write onto the tape, and which direction the head should move. Requirement of an Artificial Intelligence system No AI system can be called intelligent unless it learns & reasons like a human.Reasoning derives new information from given ones. Areas of Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Representation Importance of knowledge representation was realized during machine translation effort in early 1950’s. Dictionary look up and word replacement was a tedious job. There was ambiguity and ellipsis problem i. e. many words have different meanings. Therefore having a dictionary used for translation was not en ough. One of the major challenges in this field is that a word can have more than one meaning and this can result in ambiguity. E. g. : Consider the following sentence Spirit is strong but flesh is weak.When an AI system was made to convert this sentence into Russian & then back to English, following output was observed. Wine is strong but meat is rotten. Thus we come across two main obstacles. First, it is not easy to take informal knowledge and state it in the formal terms required by logical notation, particularly when the knowledge is less than 100% certain. Second, there is a big difference between being able to solve a problem â€Å"in principle† and doing so in practice. Even problems with just a few dozen facts can exhaust the computational resources of any computer unless it has some guidance as to which reasoning steps to try first.A problem may or may not have a solution. This is why debugging is one of the most challenging jobs faced by programmers today. As the r ule goes, it is impossible to create a program which can predict whether a given program is going to terminate ultimately or not. Development in this part was that algorithms were written using foundational development of vocabulary and dictionary entries. Limitations of the algorithm were found out. Later Formal Systems were developed which contained axioms, rules, theorems and an orderly form of representation was developed. For example, Chess is a formal system.We use rules in our everyday lives and these rules accompany facts. Rules are used to construct an efficient expert system having artificial intelligence. Important components of a Formal System are – Backward Chaining i. e. trying to figure out the content by reading the sentence backward and link each word to another, Explanation Generation i. e. generating an explanation of whatever the system has understood, Inference Engine i. e. submitting an inference or replying to the problem. Reasoning It is to use the sto red information to answer questions and to draw new conclusions.Reasoning means, drawing of conclusion from observations. Reasoning in AI systems work on three principles namely: DEDUCTION: Given 2 events ‘P’ & ‘Q’, if ‘P’ is true then ‘Q’ is also true. E. g. : If it rains, we can’t go for a picnic. INDUCTION: Induction is a process where in , after studying certain facts , we reach to a conclusion. E. g. : Socrates is a man; all men are mortal; therefore Socrates is mortal. ABDUCTION: ‘P’ implies ‘Q’, but ‘Q’ may not always depend on ‘P’. E. g. : If it rains , we can’t go for a picnic. The fact that we are not in a position to go for a picnic does not mean that it is training.There can be other reasons as well. Learning The most important requirement for an AI system is that it should learn from its mistakes. The best way of teaching an AI system is by training & te sting. Training involves teaching of basic principles involved in doing a job. Testing process is the real test of the knowledge acquired by the system wherein we give certain examples & test the intelligence of the system. Examples can be positive or negative. Negative examples are those which are ‘near miss’ of the positive examples. Natural Language Processing (NLP) NLP can be defined as: ? Processing of data in the form of natural language on the computer. I. e. making the computer understand the language a normal human being speaks.  ·It deals with under structured / semi structured data formats and converting them into complete understandable data form. The reasons to process natural language are; Generally – because it is exciting and interesting, Commercially – because of sheer volume of data available online, Technically – because it eases out Computer-Human interaction. NLP helps us in  ·Searching for information in a vast NL (natural language) database. Analysis i. e. extracting structural data from natural language.  ·Generation of structured data.  ·Translation of text from one natural language to other. Example: English to Hindi. Application Spectrum of NLP  ·It provides writing and translational aids.  ·Helps humans to generate Natural Language with proper spelling, grammar, style etc.  ·It allows text mining i. e. information retrieval, search engines text categorization, information extraction.  ·NL interface to database, web software system, and question answer explanation in an expert system.There are four procuring levels in NLP: 1. Lexical – at word level it involves pronunciation errors. 2. Syntactical – at the structure level acquiring knowledge about the grammar and structure of words and sentences. Effective representation and implementation of this allows effective manipulation of language in respect to grammar. This is usually implemented through a parser. 3. Semantic â €“ at the meaning level. 4. Pragmatic – at the context level. Hurdles There are various hurdles in the field of NLP, especially speech processing which result in increase in complexity of the system.We know that, no two people on earth can have similar accent and pronunciations. This difference in style of communicating results in ambiguity. Another major problem in speech processing understands of speech due to word boundary. This can be clearly understood from the following example: I got a plate. / I got up late. Universal Networking Language This is a part of natural language processing. The key feature of a machine having artificial intelligence is its ability to communicate and interact with a human. The only means for communication and interaction is through language.The language being used by the machine should be understood by all humans. Example of such a language is ENGLISH. UNL is an artificially developed language consisting universal word library, universal concepts, universal rules and universal attributes. Necessity of UNL is that a computer needs capability to process knowledge and content recognition. Thus UNL becomes a platform for the computer to communicate and interact. Vision (Visibility Based Robot Path Planning) Consider a moving robot. There are two things, robots have to think and perform while moving from one place to another: . Avoid collision with stationary and moving objects. 2. Find the shortest distance from source to destination. One of the major problems is to find a collision free path amidst obstacles for a robot from its starting position to its destination. To avoid collision two things can be done viz 1) Reduce the object to be moved to a point form. 2) Give the obstacles some extra space. This method is called Mikownski method of path planning. Recognizing the object and matching it with the contents of the image library is another method.It included corresponding matching and depth understanding, edge detec tion using idea of zero crossing and stereo matching for distance estimation. For analysis, it also considers robot as a point body. Second major problem of path planning is to find the shortest path. The robot has to calculate the Euclidean distance between the starting and the ending points. Then it has to form algorithms for computing visibility graphs. These algorithms have certain rules associated with. OJoin lesser number of vertices to reduce complexity. ODivide each object into triangles.OPut a node in each triangle and join all of them. OReduce the unnecessary areas because they might not contribute to the shortest path. OCompute minimum link path and proceed. This problem of deciding shortest path prevails. Robot might be a bulky and a huge object so can’t be realized as a point. Secondly a robot is a mechanical body which can’t turn instantly so it has to follow the procedure of wait-walk-wait-turn-wait-walk—- which is very time-consuming and so not f easible. Therefore shortest distance should have minimum number of turns associated with it.For path planning the robot has to take a snap shot of the area it is going to cover. This snap shot is processed in the above mentioned ways and then the robot moves. But then the view changes with every step taken. So it has to do the calculation at every step it takes which is very time consuming and tedious. Experts decided to make the robot take the snap shot of the viewable distance and decide the path. But this again becomes a problem because the device used for viewing will have certain limitation of distance. Then these experts came to a conclusion that the robot be given a fixed parameter i. . take to take the snap shot of a fixed distance say 10 meters, analyze it and decide the shortest path. Neural-networks Neural networks are computational consisting of simple nodes, called units or processing elements which are linked by weighted connections. A neural network maps input to outp ut data in terms of its own internal connectivity. The term neural network derives from the obvious nervous system analogy of the human brain with processing elements serving as neurons and connection weights equivalent to the variable synaptic strengths.Synapses are connections between neurons – they are not physical connections, but miniscule gaps that allow electric signals to jump across from neuron to neuron. Dendrites carry the signals out to the various synapses, and the cycle repeats. Let us take an example of a neuron: It uses a simple computational technique which can be defined as follows y= 0 if ? Wi Xi ? Where ? is threshold value Wi is weight Xi is input Now this neuron can be trained to perform a particular logical operation like AND. The equivalent neural network simulation for AND function is given on the left and its equation format on the right.Perceptron training convergence theorem Whatever be the initial choice of the weights, the PTA will eventually con verge by finding the correct weight values provided the function being trained is linearly separable. This implies Perceptron Training Algorithm will absorb the threshold with negative weight. ? Wi Xi + (-1) ? ? 0 A B Y 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 W1 + 0 W2 =0 (< ? ) 0 W1 +1 W2 =0 (< ? ) 1 W1 +0 W2 =0 (< ? ) 1 W1 +1 W2 =1 (>? ) 0 W1 + 0 W2 =0 < ? 0 W1 +1 W2 =1 > ? 1 W1 +0 W2 =1 > ? 1 W1 +1 W2 =0 < ?Conclusion AI combined with various techniques in neural networks, fuzzy logic and natural language processing will be able to revolutionize the future of machines and it will transform the mechanical devices helping humans into intelligent rational robots having emotions. Expert systems like Mycin can help doctors in diagnosing patients. AI systems can also help us in making airline enquiries and bookings using speech rather than menus. Unmanned cars moving about in the city would be reality with further advancements in AI systems.Also with the advent of VLSI techniques, FPGA chips are bei ng used in neural networks. The future of AI in making intelligent machines looks incredible but some kind of spiritual understanding will have to be inculcated into the machines so that their decision making is governed by some principles and boundaries. References 1. Department of Computer Science & Engineering – Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay 2. AI – Rich & Knight 3. Principles of AI – N J Nelson 4. Neural Systems for Robotics – Omid Omidvar 5. http://www. elsevier. nl/locate/artint 6. http://library. thinkquest. org/18242/essays. shtml

Indian Independence Movement and Modern India Essay

I am Chandini C Kurup of class IX B standing here to speak to you on this auspicious occasion of Republic Day As we are celebrating the 64th Republic Day of India, we students have some responsibilities to shoulder, and some duties to plunge ourselves. The contribution of students in the struggle for Indian independence and thereafter in the making of modern India can never be negated. From the prehistoric times to the recent years, students in India have played a significant role in shaping the history, culture and demographics of our beloved motherland. Students are not moved by greed, nor touched by the fanaticism and bigotry between brothers and sisters, in religion or otherwise, nor engulfed by the violence that seems to be a standing libel on the world all around. We students are the most pure, the most energetic. And it is the time for us once more to take the oaths and help the nation march forward. Let us take an oath to explore our country in its history, geography, culture and literature as much as we can. It is a pity that we can name several novelists, artists and musicians of England, France, Germany, Russia and many more foreign countries without much thoughts, but need to reach our notebooks and laptops to name even a few of them from our neighboring states. Let us take an oath to understand the immense power of the Indian culture and tradition that have always been the unity in our rich diversity. India was never a nation before the British rule. Our country was forever decided in numerous political pockets, in fact the very concept of a nation is purely Western, yet the concept of a country united through her culture was always there. Only that culture has been the lifeline of India, despite the number of invasions and aggressions on our motherland. If we forget that culture altogether and rush with closed eyes to imitate the West, the end is near. Let us take an oath to do our duties for the country and the environment. If we do all our rough works in the electronic media, we would save lot of papers and trees to make a difference. We can choose not to accept plastic carry bags and request our friends and relatives to follow us. Once in a week, we can offer free tuition to our needy brothers and sisters. Lots of medicines, old books, and old clothes go waste every year; we can donate them to these organizations as well. Our years old shirts that we hate to put on now will bring smiles to many of our friends in need. Morality is the basis and we must not forget that too. We don’t need to be religious and in fact the maker of modern India, Swami Vivekananda, used to hate the manifold rites and customs that make the gap between religions and the common man. But we need to have faith – faith on God, on the essential goodness of man, on the strength and future of our country, and last but not the least, in ourselves. Our nation is made of none but us, and if we can enlighten ourselves we can enlighten the whole nation. We are the future of India, and the way we make ourselves ready for it will decide the fate of the country in the years to come. All good deeds and attempts are mocked by a class of people we must not be afraid nor ashamed of them. All good deeds are achieved through hardships, and we must toil. But all good deeds bring forth a joy to the core of our heart that none can snatch away, and to our last days of lives, that pleasure is going to be our precious possession for sure. Let us respect our country, our nation, our brave soldiers, our Constitution, our national anthem, and our national flag. As we will follow our ways back to home after this ceremony, we might see paper made tricolor flags torn down from ropes and poles and lying on the street dust like garbage; let us spend a few minutes on our way, today at least, to stop and pick them for a better and respectful disposal. The road ahead is a long one, where we have miles to go. With determination and unity we can move forward. On this special occasion, I urge all of you to show the unity and strength and develop the nation where citizens live with peace and mutual understanding.

My recommendations to the board Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My recommendations to the board - Research Paper Example Table of Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. About Coca-Cola Company 4 3. Issue in question 7 4. Recommendations 8 4.1 Career development 8 4.2 Workplace safety 8 4.3 Corporate reputation and organizational culture 8 4.4 Compensation benefits 9 4.5 Mentoring and Termination 9 5. Recommendations for implementation plan 10 6. Conclusions 10 References Appendices I. Equal Opportunities Policy 14 II. Sexual Harassment Policy 15 III. Drug Testing Policy 16 IV. Loan Policy 17 V. Termination Policy 18 1. Introduction: An evaluation of company policies based on changing performance trends will help in identifying existing gaps and taking appropriate actions. An attempt towards this direction will be made to identify existing gaps in organizational policies of the beverage-manufacturing giant, Coca-Cola in the North America region. Based on findings, recommendations to include or modify existing policies will be made keeping in mind obligatory aspects related to regulations and ethics. 2. About Coc a-Cola Company: Coca-Cola, a world-leading manufacturer of about 500 varieties of beverages being sold in more than 200 countries and employing over a million people, was an invention of an American about 125 years ago (Pendergrast, 2000), and PepsiCo that arrived much later has been its archrival competitor since many years. With its expansive growth, Coca-Cola is one of the largest multinational companies in the world, and has thus eventually shifted towards a global philosophy of business management. Coca-Cola has always focused on establishing itself locally and serving its local people; and hence, their management philosophy has been to â€Å"think globally and act locally,† (Anfuso, 1994). Considering the current position of Coca-Cola, management has to put in efforts not only to sustain its competitive position but also protect its reputation by adopting the right strategies, as well as modifying some of the existing strategies. Coca-cola operates its various divisions in six groups namely, north America, the EU, the Pacific Region, the East Europe/Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The corporate HRM at Coca-Cola facilitates the connection between human resources of these regional groups through propagation of common HRM philosophy within the company, and through leadership to manage the business internationally (Ashwathappa & Dash, 2013). From a policy perspective, Coca-cola focuses on translating all its organizational policies into practices and procedures that abide by the national laws and are aligned to local culture. Coca-Cola’s HRM philosophy is translated into different strategies in different regions that suit the necessary regulations, culture, and business requirements. For instance, in North America, Coca-Cola employs skilled personnel irrespective of their ethnic background, which not only helps their business but also abides by the federal laws of employment by following diversity in recruitment and recruiting on the bas is of performance, skills and qualifications (Workplace Rights Policy, n.d). A brief hypothetical account of demographics at Coca-Cola is represented in Table 1 below: Coca-Cola employs a comprehensive HR policy that addresses various HR needs that would be required for it to sustain its co

Global Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Global Marketing - Essay Example Thanks to his established brand, his company managed to establish and maintain a standard marketing mix within which he operated. It is to be noted that the lack of significant competition at the time made him survive. However, with increased competition, variations became distinct, and his approach was no longer appropriate. b. The strategy currently in use by Levi Straus is rather a complex mix, whereby managers have the authority to standardize the marketing mix in respect to their specific local markets. Elements of marketing that Levi Straus changed are decentralizing the marketing responsibility to the local managers. He also introduced new styles for satisfying a variety of style preferences for the customers (Levitt, 1983). c. His new strategy has a high potential for profitability fostering growth of the company. Although the autonomy of managers is at the expense of economies of scale for advertising for instance, consumers’ needs are addressed more efficiently. d. The story shows deep insights on the effects of globalization. The assumption that standardization will result in a perfect market mix has been proved wrong. Rather the customization of styles to suit the customers is preferred. Well, the student shows comprehension of the subject in question. However, it is clear that they miss the point when answering the question of the elements of the marketing mix as used in different nations. A straightforward answer would have been more appropriate in that case. At that, the student fails to identify the most important information as required by the question. The student attempts to hit the bottom line of the questions, but their ways of supporting their notion falls short. Despite sharing deep insights in the questions asked, the student fails to support their arguments in a convincing manner. The result is that, although showing great potential of knowledge in the questions, the student lacks the ability to

Abstract Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Abstract - Article Example The author uses the term â€Å"new public management† to refer to a number of public sector reforms being carried out in a number of developed countries in Europe and North America. Kaboolian (2012) notes that it would be difficult to tell whether the reforms taken in public sector management across countries can be termed as a paradigm shift. He points out that there ought to be a scientific study to ascertain whether the changes can really be termed as a paradigm shift in the true scientific sense. Kaboolian, (1998), notes that most countries are using the market as a model for administrative relationships. He notes that there are three factors that are influencing reforms in public management all across the board. These are transaction cost economies, public choice model and the principal agent-theory. The study notes that, although the amount and the depth of reform being carried out differ from one country to the other, almost all countries carrying out the reforms have similar goals. â€Å"While reform movements are different in depth and scope and success by country they are remarkably similar in goals,† (Kaboolian, 1998, p. 190).The study also found almost all the parties were utilizing similar technologies in carrying out the reform. All management reforms aim to improve the responsiveness of the public service to the needs of the public. Kaboolian (1998) calls for separation between policy making and service delivery. Another article on public management, titled â€Å"Public Management and Government Performance: An International Review† assess the popularity of measuring performance in public management among various governments around the world. In the article Forbes (2005) notes that governments are more interested in performance as opposed to implementation of policy goals. Generally most governments have taken a performance orientation. Countries

Case study 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case study 2 - Essay Example The act of transferring ownership to the remaining tenants is referred as the right of survivorship (Spiers 2008). Joint tenancy is restricted to a maximum of four members who are allowed to own property. In the state of North Carolina, individuals are allowed to form a joint tenancy with a right of survivorship. According to the laws associated with joint tenancy in the state of North Carolina, the title of assets passes on to the other joint members in the case of death. Bank accounts held by the joint tenants can be withdrawn by any of the joint members. In the event that one of the members dies, his or her will has no effect on the joint tenancy. The asset in the joint tenancy may be available to creditors of the other tenants. A trespasser can have ownership to land in the state of North Carolina provided he or she occupied it for a period of time. Nevertheless, adverse possession of land is a doctrine that allows individuals to own land if they had possession of the land for a certain period (Barnett 2011).   Title deeds of adverse possession depend on the different states. The period of time set by North Carolina is 20 years and the adverse possessor is expected to have full claim of the land for the period. An individual may advise Martin legally, that the piece of land obtained by Otis is legally his. Martin should take the matter to court and try battling the matter with Otis. Individuals have the right to keep intruders off their property. In the future Martin should keep off intruders by fencing the property and placing signs that warns trespassers. Legal action will be taken by the individuals who cannot keep away from the property (Barnett, 2011). It is a legal way to keep adverse possessors of the personal property and helps in avoiding adverse possession of an individual property. Martin, as a Christian, should try to know the problems affecting the son of

Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Finance - Assignment Example The founding story shows that its founder had an inspiration from his job in the banking sector where he focused on facilitating the accessibility and establishment of attractive pricing for bank products. The founder knew that changes to improve the services in the banking industry would take long. Therefore, he had to maximize the opportunity that he had to establish a business that could provide financial services at a profit. HelloWallet offered a range of product and services. Overall, they classified them under detailed financial guidance and money management services. While providing these services, the company established a software that could perform aggregation, cloud hosting, email messaging, and billing. The cost of the solutions relied on the subscriber base and the minimization of the capital. However, the significant fixed cost was salaries for its engineers. HelloWallet has established competitors including Mint.com and Yodlee that offered tools for tracking expenditure freely. The existing market opportunity was still sufficient to attract many customers to the company irrespective of the existence of strong competitors. However, the consumer behavior always fluctuated as some clients had difficulty in facing the financial realities. Other customers feared for data security and could not feed their financial data online. The management of the company used the subscription revenue model where they could establish the price points for its services. It used the model to evaluate how the customers view proposed value of its products. Under the leadership of the CEO Matt Fellowes, the company worked to ensure that it acquires customers, generates revenue, thrives and grows as a

A memoir story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A memoir story - Essay Example In all, a topic that should be inspirational is left as disturbing and depressing. Structurally, the first paragraph could be better by placing the first two sentences at the end of the paragraph. Also, all of the activity that took place at the hospital, and probably the church, could have been incorporated into one shorter paragraph and eliminate some of the redundant emotions. As an example, Kate gets introduced twice; once in the opening sentence and again in the body of the paragraph. Paragraphs three and four are both addressing the confusion of being faced with dying. These could be incorporated into one paragraph. The conclusion doesnt address the thesis. The premise of the essay was how life is a gift, but concludes with the writer waiting in heaven for their family to die. There were a number of grammar errors, mainly commas and the use of quotes. The quotes of the priest in paragraph four are used, but it is a statement of what he said, not his actual words. Also, the two sentences that comprise paragraph six should be incorporated into a longer paragraph that expresses a whole idea. In some strange way the day I found out I was going to die was the same day I began to live life to the fullest. It sounds like a hallmark card, I know, but it is the truth. [place at the end of the paragraph] When I left the doctor’s office I could not believe what I had heard. I thought I was going to be okay, I mean I had the hysterectomy, radiation and chemo. I did exactly what the doctors told me to do. He must be wrong; one year is not nearly enough time with the kids. â€Å"I am not going to see my girls graduate, I will not be present at their weddings, I will not have grandchildren,†[should be a period here] these are all the thoughts that were running rampant in my mind. I could feel my heart racing; my breathing was erratic and shallow. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. I felt myself being sucked into a big black hole. Everything around

Dama presented for examination Essay Example for Free

Dama presented for examination Essay A written account of practical work undertaken in year 11 resulting in a piece of drama presented for examination. We started the Christmas term 2001 with group warm-up exercises, before even thinking about what we were going to perform in late November or who we were going to work with. These were fun class activities, used to build up group relationships. We did such things as human noughts and crosses, using nine chairs in a 3 by 3 square with the girls as noughts and the boys as crosses. We played 5 games, resulting in one draw and the boys winning 3 to the girls 1. It was fun and used really to warm us up. We then went on to play two games of winking murder. We all sat round in a circle on chairs with our eyes closed while Mrs. Powles walked round the circle tapping someone on the shoulder, telling that person that they are the murderer. Then its all eyes open and we try to work out who the murderer is. Meanwhile, the murderer is winking discreetly at people, killing them. It was very enjoyable and it helped to build up group relationships. Following that, we were assigned the task of pretending to be a salesperson of some description at a drinks evening. We had to decide what we were selling and how to sell it. Once that was decided, we had to go around the class introducing ourselves to each other and trying to sell our product to them in under 2 minutes. It involved much interaction between us all and helped tremendously to strengthen group relationships. Shortly after, we were asked to write on a piece of paper who we wanted to work with and who we did not want to work with if we thought that we would not produce to the best of our ability if we were with them. Finally, I ended up working with Elise, which was great as I had never worked with her before and we were good friends. She didnt seem to complain either, which was a good sign. Then we spent an entire double lesson going through all of Mrs. Powles plays that she had to decide on one to perform an extract out of for the exam in December. We settled finally on an extract from the play The Norman Conquests by Alan Ayckbourn, as we both decided that we wanted to do a comical piece, but not farcical, so it fitted nicely. After searching through the book for a while, we finally came across a suitable duologue between Norman and Sarah. Norman is a librarian, but this definitely does not define his character at all. He is a womaniser, married to Ruth, attempted to have an affair with her sister Annie who is engaged to Tom, and is now working his charms on his other sister-in-law, Sarah, Elises character, who is married to Reg. Sarah is a more strict, clean, and prim character. However, it is sometimes clear that Sarah is quite jealous of Annie because she is the one that Norman says he wants and she wants to replace Annie in Normans eyes. It does eventually happen, as in the second scene they kiss. The extract immediately appealed to both of us, so we decided to give it a try. The extract we did in November was actually two different dialogues taken from two different points in the play. The first is set in the living room in the house and the second is set in the garden. Immediate difficulties we experienced with the exert were few, but as ever there were some. The biggest problem in my mind at the beginning was how to perform the kissing part of the second scene effectively and without embarrassment. It really needed to look convincing as it is the peak of Sarahs life, experiencing the closest thing she will ever feel to true love. It was essential that this came across in the performance. Then came the blocking of the scenes. First of all we just exchanged ideas and thoughts, coming up with a skeletal plan for how to go about performing both scenes. We discussed things such as how lines should be spoken, facial expressions and other small but significant effects. Afterwards we concentrated mainly on the first scene to get that near-perfect before trying the second scene. Once we had familiarized ourselves with the scene and had fairly certain ideas about what to do, we started to really act it out. Not long after, we did hot-seating as a class in which the person in the hot-seat had to answer their questions as their character. I enjoyed listening to other people answer questions with much thought, as they delved into previously unexplored regions of their character. When my turn came, I found it to be a very interesting experience, being able to answer questions as a different person. I had to capture his frame of mind and be able to answer the questions convincingly as Norman. It really helped me to get to grips with Normans character, behaviour and motivation and also to further my acting ability as Norman. When it was Elises turn, it too helped me to understand her character better than I previously did, which enabled me to respond to her better in the play. Following that, we spent most, if not all, of our time concentrating on the first scene, filling in the gaps and finalising parts of it. Performing it in front of the class also helped a lot as it was open to criticism and any ideas from the class or Mrs. Powles. One idea that really affected what we had rehearsed so far was that at the beginning of the first scene, Sarah storms in and physically removes my feet from the arm of the armchair before she sits on it. We had thought this to be a good idea to convey that Sarah was angry with Norman, which she was. The suggestion was that this was not a bad idea, just that it would be more effective if Sarah came in and stared at my feet distastefully, as if daring me to leave them there. When I then remove them, she brushes the arm with her hand before sitting in the chair. This, we decided, was much better than our original plan as it shows that Sarah is a less physical person, more prim and uptight. Throughout all the extract from then on, the amount of physical interaction Sarah did was kept to a bare minimum. We started needing the script less and less and we started on the second scene a definite sign of all-round progress. I found the second scene much more difficult to do than the first, mainly for two reasons. The first was that I had to act drunk, as prior to this scene, offstage, Norman has been consuming large amounts of wine. The real difficulty with this was that I had to appear drunk by staggering around and slurring my words. The staggering part was okay to act but the slurring was the real problem as I still had to be understood by the audience. With practice and advice form Mrs. Powles, however, this problem was soon overcome. The second problem was the kissing part. We knew this would be difficult when we chose the piece, but we still chose to do it. Once the initial embarrassment of it was overcome, there was still an awkward feeling as Elise was my friend. But this we endured right up to the end. As the exam date drew nearer, we spent our time polishing up the piece and adding finishing touches to it, such as sound effects and music. We spent a lot of time searching through the sound effects for some birdsong to be used at the beginning of the second scene, just to inform the audience that it was set outside. As for music, we originally thought about using When a man loves a woman, but in the end we decided on using Irresistible by the Corrs. For lighting effects, we used straw and golden gels on fresnel spots. With regards to costume, we decided that I would look best in a pair of corduroy trousers with a check shirt. But unfortunately I could not obtain a pair of corduroy trousers, so we settled for a pair of chinos with a leather belt. This, we thought, conveyed Normans character quite well; not trendy or modern, yet laid back and charming. For Sarah, we both decided that Elise would look appropriate in a grey skirt suit, as it would convey Sarahs prim and proper personality. When the final day came, it went very smoothly. Neither of us made any real mistakes and our lines were as perfect as they ever would have been. Overall we were both very pleased with our final performance. And, thankfully the audience did seem to enjoy it as they laughed in all the right places, sometimes a bit more enthusiastically than we both had previously expected, which could have meant only good things.

ICICI Prudential â€Multiple Channel Distribution Essay Example for Free

ICICI Prudential –Multiple Channel Distribution Essay In terms of the future of the Indian insurance industry, what do you think are the measures that can be taken/ have been taken by ICICI Pru to further strengthen its distribution system to meet the competition? Bring out the drawbacks of the existing channels and the need to explore new avenues. Distribution Scenario in the Indian insurance Market The major challenges to insurers and intermediaries in highly competitive Indian insurance market are: 1. To build faith about the company’s insurance services in its customer’s mind  2.  To develop relationship(in terms of credibility) between intermediaries and clients 3. To develop extensive network for providing best service and stay close to the customers Capturing larger segment –Rural India Except ICICI Prudential, all the insurance companies have traditionally tied agents that have been the primary channels for insurance distribution in the Indian market. In case of the public sector insurance companies such as LIC, SBI etc. they have used their branches in almost all parts of the country and have attracted local people to become their agents. While ICICI Pru has used multiple channels such as bancassurance, direct marketing and corporate agents for their insurance distribution and have covered 69 cities and towns in India. By the virtue of these multiple distribution channels, ICICI Pru became leader in Indian insurance sector in short span of time with maximum contribution form bancassurance channel. However, these channels were targeted mostly at urban customers while the 70-80% of the Indian population stays in Rural area. ICICI Pru has tried to cater rural customers by joining hands with BASIX, World vision, Dhan, Shepherd, Uttaranchal Co-operative Marketing Federation, nLog Communiaction, ITC’e eachaupal etc. But, to cover the maximum possible rural market and develop strong rural insurance market at optimum cost for ICICI Pru, according to me India Post is the best intermediary option. India Post is one of the oldest infrastructure developed in India and it would be the best channel to reach Indian rural customers at very low cost. The postman are the best friend and information source to the village people. Hence they are the best fellows to create awareness about the company’s services and to distribute different insurance products. Thus they are the best sales man to build credibility about the company in rural India. Also the postmen have basic education in terms of services, hence the company can train them for their services at a very low cost. Thus the overall cost for reaching rural customer would be lower compare to all other possible options.

Islamic Ethics An Analysis

Islamic Ethics An Analysis This term paper was titled Ethics from Islamic Perspective which is including a morale and akhlaq. This paper was conducted because to give awareness about the important of ethics in Islamic perspective. Suitable with the papers aims whereas to give some of information and knowledge from an Islamic perspective about the ethics which is in moral and akhlaq aspect. The paper is sufficient to give the reader a feel for its potential to encourage further research in the area of resolving ethical issues, specifically for those who are calling for universal ethical theories to avoid moral imperialism. The Islamic perspective of the ethics concept should be refers based on the Holy Quran from the God and Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad. The ethics concept it must be generally and not too bias for others. The findings of this paper, it can be as a discussion, it is because the Islamic Work Ethics has economic as well as moral and akhlaq dimensions. Keyword: Islamic perspective, ethics, Islamic Work Ethics, moral and akhlaq INTRODUCTION This paper was discuss about the ethics concept from the Islamic perspective, so it should be construct an axiom system that faithfully reflects the Islamic view of ethics. The axiom system here is means by a proposition that either not proved or demonstrated but considered undeniable, or subject to a decision, so, the truth is assumed and became the starting point for concluded to the truth to another.This is an essential first step in determining the rules of economic behaviour in an Islamic society. The Islamic view of life processes is uniquenot only for its predominant emphasis on ethical norms, but also because of its being complete. However, to turn it into an operational tool of scientific analysis, an ethical philosophy must be reduced to a set of axioms, which is respect to Islamically valid rules of social and economic behaviour. 1.1 The Concept of Ethics, Moral and Akhlaq The concept of ethics, moral and akhlaq it can be in various point of view from many resources of our readings. Ethical behavior is an order based on a value system of a particular society. More ethics associated with science or philosophy, because it is the standard of good and bad it is human intellect. When compared with the morals, the ethics more theoretical while the moral is the practical. Moral more local or special nature and the ethical is more to general. There is many term that use by philosophers in order to give a meaning of akhlaq. But, we can conclude it, akhlaq is much related with the moral and ethics so much so have a opinion that stated akhlak is mean by moral and ethics. Put simply on that, Akhlaq is refers to the nature habits that owned on each individuals. It is includes behavior or nature owned by natural as feeling irritable, quick to laugh, irritability and so on. Also includes in this definition, a person belonging habits through training, education, discipline and fitness to be a flesh and blood character and good familiarity to someone. In addition, akhlaq is more refers to our natural habits. A while ago, in the western tradition, morals studies has long been exists and spread out before the birth of Islam and it known as ethics or moral knowledge. In aspect of etymology, the term of ethics and moral have a same meaning and also refers to the same field of study. In briefly, moral is derived from the Latin word, meanwhile the word ethics is derived from the Greek word. The both of term are related with the practical activities relating to behavior, customs, lifestyles, ways of thinking, freedom and the tendency of a person in engaging in an activity. On the other hand, the term of akhlaq was presented by the Muslim that based on the al-Quran and al-Sunah. On Islamic perspective, the ethics and moral was different from the point of conception, objectives and resources, it is called as Akhlaq. 1.2 Current related issues Ethics is usually defined by a written code of ethics. In the Middle East not many organizations and professions have written codes of ethics (Mudawanat Alsuluk) and violation is the norm rather than exception (AMAN, 2006). Behaviors that conform to those written codes of ethics are considered ethical and whatever violates the written standards is considered unethical. From that situation, it can be simply, people are not too concern about all this matter, when they talk about ethics, they usually do not remind about the moral and akhlaq. This is because, they are set their mind, the term of ethics just use in the business or information technology such as computer accessibility. As a Muslim, they should also think about that moral and akhlaq. In addition, the new code ethics was create, which is the Islamic Work Ethics (IWE). This philosophy was create to orientation that shapes and influences the involvement and participation of believers in the workplace. It implies that work is a virtue in light of a persons needs, and is a necessity for establishing equilibrium in ones individual and social life (Nasr, 1984). IWE views work as a means to further self-interest economically, socially and psychologically, to sustain social prestige, to advance societal welfare and reaffirm faith. The concept has its origin in the Quran and the sayings and practice of the Prophet Mohammed. METHODOLOGY In completing this term paper, the secondary literatures are used to enable in depth understanding of ethics from the Islamic perspective with the moral and akhlaq concept. The secondary resources which is from readings on a book and the web pages, so the major instrument that has been used is literature review. Based on the reading, this topic has many references in a Malay writing, but there is no problem on that, after read in Malay and understand the content, the term paper writing has been continued. By reviewing the literature, all the information will be paraphrased based on the understanding. The reference to literature review that has been used is article journal about the Islamic ethics that can be obtained from the online journal databases access. Another method applied for finishing this term paper is data collection from the web page and it is just for back up information if there any lack of data collection. Approach that had been used in completing this term paper is understands from the readings and reviewing from the materials obtained and understand it. DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS OF ETHICS FROM ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE: MORAL AND AKHLAQ There are various definitions of ethics, moral and akhlaq. The various definitions are produced from various reading materials, such as book and article journal, so there is many opinions from the philosophers. Ethich from Islamic perspective are more concern to the religion behavior, code and ethics. Islam is supposed to be a complete way of life. A Muslim is bound by Islamic rules and hence is obliged to follow the instructions as prescribed in the Quran and Hadiths. Islam is a religion based upon the surrender to God (Allah). The very name of the religion, al-Islam in Arabic, means submission and peace, for it is in submitting to Gods will that human beings gain peace in their lives in this world and in the hereafter. Islam is considered to be a comprehensive religion and its ethical system is considered to be one of the major ethical systems. Realize about the importance of establishing an ethical system in the all fields, especially at our present time which is witnessing an ever increasing ethical problems, several specialist organizations have prepared codes of ethics to be complied with by members of those organizations. By generally, in Islam, ethics have two dimensions; first ethics toward Allah, the creator. A Muslim has to believe in Allah and has to worship Him. The second is ethics toward others; a Muslim business person has to deal ethically with others by maintaining good treatment and good relationship. This paper is of vital importance because people do not know sometimes what is ethical unless they study ethics. Ethics provide an essential foundation for business transactions (Cherrington and Cherrington, 1995, p. 1). They are essential for organizational effectiveness and are necessary for interpersonal relations. 3.1 Definition and Concept of Ethics Ethics is defined as a branch of philosophy that deals withmoral behavior. Morality refers to whether something is right or wrong, good or bad. Although morality is a complex concept, it can be defined in terms of both means and ends. Means is the process which occurs, while Ends refers to the consequences (Cherrington and Cherrington, 1995, p. 2). Ethics may also be defined as: [. . .] a systematic inquiry into the beliefs we have and the management we make about what is morally right or wrong and morally good or evil. It is an inquiry that attempts to answer the following questions: What kinds of conduct are morally right or wrong? And what things are good and what things are evil? (Cherrington and Cherrington, 1995, p. 2) Ethics is also defined as the code of moral principles that sets standards of good or bad, or right or wrong behavior (Schemerhorn, 2008, p. 32). Ethical behavior is what is accepted as good and right as opposed to bad or wrong in the context of the governing moral code. Islamic ethics is defined as the code of moral principles that are prescribed by the Quran and Sunnah (Hadith or sayings of Prophet Mohammad). Islamic ethics is based on rational methods as well as revelation. Revelation provides the truth which rational methods lead to understanding and appreciation of truth. Hence, Islamic ethics is based on tawheed, or unity principle, which determines the unique relationship between God and man; man and man; and man and his environment (Alhabshi, 1993, p. 83). Within the Islamic culture, the term that is mostly associated with ethics is referred to in the Holy Quran as Khouloq (Beekun, 2004, p. 2). Allah in the Quran has described Prophet Mohammad as a Prophet of good ethics. 3.2 Definition and Concept of Moral According to Peter Baelz (1977), morals and ethics often have the same meaning. However, is very useful if we could distinguish between the both of them, even though we often failed to make such a difference. While the N. Capaldi, E. Kelly and L.E. Navia (1981) stated that. In form of etymology, the English words ethical and moral is exactly same. Because of that, the study of ethics and moral actually just one and it is a same. The moral issues are practical issues, but not all belong to the practical issues in the field of ethics. It is because, moral more specifically examine the good and bad, right wrong and how individual should act in a particular situation. Therefore, moral was refers to disciplines knowledge that investigate the various about the human behavioral. Such as the opinion that written by J.L. Mackie (1971): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦moral and ethics can analyze the once action whether that is right or wrong; it is can provide a clear line of distinction about acts and of an internal disposition, whether good or bad; or at least, be able to develop a knowledge of ethics guidelines that can be adopted to make various moral of judgments. 3.2 Definition and Concept of Akhlaq According to Mohd. Nasir Omar, (2010) on his book, Akhlaq is refers to the nature, habits, customs, familiarity, values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹and lifestyle of the individual or group of individuals. In fact, belief system or religion by a person also often included under the definition of akhlaq by many researchers. It is because of religion greatly influenced the thinking and lifestyle of the individual (Ibn Manzur t.t II: 1244-1248 and Jamil Saliba 1971, I: 49). While according to Ibn Miskawayh (1966), akhlaq is refers to the situation that forms in a human and it is function as a executive power that was directed that individuals by doing all his habits. Many philosopher was agreed with that statement that akhlaq related with the disposition that create in a person (al-nafs/soul) of a human. Spiritual dimension of the situation is very important because it is the cause of all acts done by humans. Therefore, akhlaq is does not refer to the act of good or bad done by a person, but to someone spiritual dimension pressing to do an act, whether good or bad. Akhlaq is located in the interior of humans soul and in the meanwhile, the act are refers to the exterior is made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹from morality. Hence, a good moral will of course realize that good deeds and vice versa. PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC BUSINESS ETHICS According to Hanafy and Salam (1995), classified ethical principles of Islam into six categories, which is: truthfulness, trust, sincerity, brotherhood, science and knowledge and justice. Principles of Islamic Business Ethics Justice Science and knowledge Brotherhood Sincerity Trust Truthfulness In order to get a pleasure from the Almighty, as a Muslim, it is should be followed this six principle of Islamic ethics by doing all the business or activities in their daily life. TRUTHFULNESS: Truthfulness is a basic ethical value of Islam and the meaning of Islam itself is, in a way, the other name of truth. There is no scope for cheating, telling lies, swearing too much, and providing false advertising in the Islamic framework of business. TRUST: Trust is another fundamental ethical principle of Islam and the essence of the trust is the sense of acountability, which is the sense of having to appear before Allah S.W.T and to account for ones action. All the activities were conducted well in no case harm or damage the society or the environment. SINCERITY: Islam attaches great importance to the sincerity of intentions and actions in every walk of life. For example such as ethical code results in more efficiency as well as a high rate of productivity. Sincerity also discourages manipulation or exploitation of others for personal reasons. BROTHERHOOD: Islam declares all human beings are brothers to each other wihout the distinctions of race, colour, tribe, caste and language of an individual or group. Everyone is entitled to an ethically right behavior irrespective of distinctions of caste, creed, race, or territory. SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE: Islam makes it obligatory for Muslims to seek knowledge and obtain excellence in performance. Research and development is highly encouraged in Islam. It such concern about science and knowledge in the Islamic code of ethics has been highly fruitful for Islamic civilisation in the past. JUSTICE: Justice is undoubtedly a prerequisite of business and trade as it encompasses the entire whole series of human life. The whole universe is based on the concept of justice and balance.justice here means that every one should be treated as he or she deserves, without any undue pressure or discrimination. CHALLENGES IN ENCOURAGING ISLAMIC ETHICAL BEHAVIORS AMONG INFORMATION / INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL Muslims unethical behavior is influenced by several factors, such as stage of formal development, personal values and personality, family influence, peer influenceand so on. The challenges in Encouraging Islamic Ethical Behaviors Among Information / Information Technology Personnel CHALLENGES EXPLANATION Stage of moral development The lunatic, the sleeper and the child before puberty not responsible for their behavior. Personal value and personality One who stresses honesty will behave differently from those who do not respect others rights. The locus of control also affects individual ethical behavior (Robbins and Coulter, 2005, p. 112). Family influence The home is the place to start being a good Muslim. Children are likely to be ethical if they see their parents and other members of the family consistently adhere to high standards. In Islam, it is easier for a parent to teach his kids what is right (halal ) and what is wrong (haram) than to teach them rules and principles of good conduct and behavior. Peer influence Children are influenced by actions of their peers with whom they interact. Islam urges people to be very selective of peers as they have very big influence on companions. This coincides with the Arabic proverb Birds of a feather flock together or A person is known by the company he keeps. Life influence Key events like taking part in Alhajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) for example has a positive impact on Individual behavior. As the Quran states: Whoever goes to Hajj comes back from his journey innocent and pure and white as of the day of birth. Situational challenges It is the situation that sometimes makes one behave unethically, as the only way out. For example, a secretary may lie when answering a phone as the only way to turn away a client. She may simply lie by saying that the manager is not in the office while he is in fact in. On many occasions, the researcher has observed many Muslim secretaries quit their jobs simply to avoid being forced to tell such lies. However, lying is acceptable in Islam under three conditions: first, in wars; second, to solve conflicts between people; third, husband lying to his wife or vice versa for the sake of getting closer to each other and saving the marriage, e.g. saying I love you while it is the opposite (Hadith), or you are the most beautiful woman in the world. All this is meant to strengthen the ties between couples. Societal challenges People try to conceal unethical behavior and always justify their actions as being ethical in order to please members of society. In Muslim cultures, society places a heavy pressure on individuals to practice wasta, so a manager may have to deviate from the rules and regulations of the business in order to please a cousin, a friend or a neighbor. On one hand, wasta is considered as ethical and legal, e.g. in solving conflicts, while on the other hand, it can be viewed as illegal and unacceptable when it is used to override established laws and traditions, e.g. in obtaining favors like jobs. In Muslim cultures, a business person is more concerned about what others might think of his decision than what he thinks himself. Table 1: The challenges in Encouraging Islamic Ethical Behaviors Among Information / Information Technology Personnel (Source: Abuznaid, 1990) GUIDELINES TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES IN ENCOURAGING ISLAMIC ETHICAL BEHAVIORS AMONG INFORMATION / INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL In Islam, Allah emphasizes the following ethical guidelines as being outlined in the Holy Quran. These guidelines govern the Islamic code of ethics relating to a persons daily life and business dealings. Muslims are required at all times to behave islamically because Allah himself is watching their practices. In response to these challenges, several guidelines are proposed as follows: Be patient. Islamic business people should not get angry and should not be irritated (Holy Quran, XXV:63) and (Holy Quran, III:134). Be fair and just. A Muslim business person has to be fair and just in all his dealings. He has to be fair with his employees; he has to give fair wages and has to be fair and kind with animals when slaughtering them (Holy Quran, II:278-279). Be humble. Being humble is the opposite of being arrogant. Being humble is a great characteristic of Muslims. Business people should be humble and down to earth (Holy Quran, XXVI:215). Be complacent. Being complacent is another characteristic of a Muslim. Muslim business people should be satisfied with what Allah has allocated them. To Muslims complacency is not the enemy of progress as the West views it. Be generous. Being generous is the opposite of being stingy. Alkareem is in fact one of Allahs magnificent names meaning being generous. Alkaram (generosity) is another characteristic of the Muslim business people. They should be generous in giving money and goods to the needy. Islam urges people to give legal alms or obligatory charity (Az-Zakat). Az-Zakat is an ordinance prescribed by Islamic law. Social responsibility is another important principle in management practices. Sadaqat (donations), not obligatory, are very much urged in the Holy Quran (Holy Quran, LVI:77) and (Holy Quran, XLIV:17,26). Be dignified. A business person in Islam should not indulge in investments that are not Halal. Halal is the opposite of Haram. Halal is ethical while haram is unethical. Examples of haram earnings for a Muslim include trading in alcohol, Be trustful (Al Amaneh). Being trustful means giving rights to others. For example, if you borrow some money from someone, you are supposed to return it at the agreed time at no interest. A good loan with no interest is an example of Islamic financial dealings (Alkird Al hasan) (Holy Quran, XL32) and (Holy Quran, IV:58). Be friendly. Muslims should be friendly and united at all times. No discrimination exists among Muslims, regardless of nationality, gender or color. The only difference between Muslims should be on the basis of piety (Holy Quran, XLIX: 10, 13). Be equitable. Equity is the opposite of injustice. A Muslim manager should be equitable. In Islam people should be treated fairly and with equity. Do not be involved in fraud. A Muslim business person should treat others the same way he himself would like to be treated (Holy Quran, XVI: 90, IV: 58). Do not bribe. The practice of all kinds of bribes is forbidden in Islam (Holy Quran, II: 188). However, there should be differentiation between sadakat (donations), gifts, and bribes. Gifts are encouraged in Islam because they help gain friendship. The prophet encourages the use of gifts saying Give more gifts so you be better liked (Hadith). Bribes on the other hand are unethical. Bribes are used to influence decisions. There are two kinds of bribes: the lubrication bribe and the white mail bribe. The white mail bribe generally involves an elaborate system for concealing the use of large sums of corporate cash. This type of bribe is used to buy influence in high places (Abuznaid, 1990, p. 319). From these key guidelines principles of ethics, we can conclude that Islam is a religion of high-moral standards. Muslim business people are urged in Al Quran and Al Sunnah to follow certain principles and guidelines. (Source: Abuznaid, 2009) CONCLUSION As stated above, the main purpose of this term paper is to discuss the meaning of ethics from an Islamic perspective. The research has defined Islamic management ethics as those guidelines and principles that are prescribed by the Holy Quran and sunnah (hadith). The paper has give explanation on the major determinants of individual ethical behavior in Islam and pinpointed based on the moral and akhlaq. Besides that, the paper has outlined some of the ethical principles which is the principles of Islamic business ethics. This paper has also discussed the challenges in encouraging Islamic ethical behaviors among information / information technology personnel. It further helps non-Muslim people become more aware of management ethics in an Islamic environment by giving them a better understanding of the subject, thus making it easier for them to carry out all the activities in an Islamic culture. However, it must be stated that there is not one united form of applied Islamic teachings am ong different Muslim countries. It is widely known that Middle Eastern countries have become more active in the global market place by applied their ethics. Moreover, this paper has outlined major commonalities between Islam and other religions on the subject of ethics from the Islamic perspective. Although this paper has presented the concept of ethics from Islamic perspective, hope all the Muslim are together applied all the ethics that are based on the al-Quran and al-Sunah to be an excellent humans. Therefore, it is the duty of all researchers interested in this issue to develop this knowledge. May Allah gives guidance in this new endeavour. REFERENCES 8.1 Book Dr Muhammad Sharif Chaundry. (2006). Social and Moral Code of Islam. Batu Caves, Selangor: Masterpiece Publication Sdn. Bhd. Khaliq Ahmad. (2007). Management from Islamic Perspective: Principles and Practices. Kuala Lumpur: International Islamic University Malaysia Press. Mohd Nasir Omar. (2010). Falsafah Akhlak. Bangi, Selangor: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Syed Nawab Haider Naqvi. (1990). Etika dan Ekonomi: Satu Sintesis Islam. Kuala Lumpur: Berita Publishing Sdn. Bhd. 8.2 Article Journal Muhammad Arham. (2010). Islamic Perspective on Marketing. The Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 1 Iss: 2 pp, 149-164. Salam Abdallah. (2010). Islamic Ethics: An Exposotion for Resolving ICT Ethical Dilemmas. The Journal of Information, Communication Ethics in Society, Vol. 8 Iss: 3 pp, 289-301. Samir Ahmad Abuznaid. (2009). Business Ethics in Islam: The Glaring Gap in Practice. The International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management, Vol. 2 Iss: 4 pp, 278-288.

The Classification and Hierarchy of Values Essay -- Philosophy

The Classification and Hierarchy of Values ABSTRACT: I attempt to look into the issue of the ranks of values comprehensively and progressively. Anti-values can be classified into the following six categories by ascending order: (1) the act of destroying the earth-of annihilating humankind and all other living organisms; (2) the act of mass killing of people by initiating a war or committing treason; (3) the act of murdering or causing death to a human being; (4) the act of damaging the body of a human being; (5) the act of greatly harming society; (6) all other crimes not covered by the above. Higher values can be classified into the following five categories in descending rank: (1) absolute values such as absolute truth, absolute goodness, absolute beauty and absolute holiness; (2) the act of contributing to the development and happiness of humankind; (3) the act of contributing to the nation or the state; (4) the act of contributing to the regional society; (5) the act of cultivating oneself and managing one's family well. Generally, people tend to pursue happiness more eagerly than goodness, but because goodness is the higher value than happiness, we ought to pursue goodness more eagerly. In helping people to get the right sense of values and to internalize it, education and enlightenment of citizens based on the guidance of conscience rather than compulsion will be highly effective. 1. Classification of Values I will discuss what kinds of values exist, before talking about their hierarchy. Walter Goodnow Everett classified values into the following eight categories; (1) economic values, (2) bodily values, (3) value of recreation, (4) value of association, (5) character values, (6) aesthetic values, (7) intellectual... ...other crimes not covered by the above. Then, the higher values can be classified into the following five categories by the ranks from the highest one ; (1) absolute values such as absolute truth, absolute goodness, absolute beauty, and absolute holiness, (2) the act of contributing to the development and happiness of the mankind, (3) the act of contributing to the nation or the state, (4) the act of contributing to the regional society, (5) the act of cultivating oneself and managing the family well. Generally speaking, people tend to pursue happiness more eagerly than goodness, but because goodness is the higher value than happiness, we ought to pursue goodness more eagerly. In helping people to get the right sense of values and internalize it, education and enlightenment of citizens based on the guidance of conscience rather than compulsion will be highly effective.

BUSINESS LOYALTY Essay -- essays research papers

Brand Loyalty â€Å" Brand loyalty-that certain something that makes a consumer keep buying over and over again-is an elusive quality. It begins with the consumer’s preference for a product on the basis of objective reasons-the drink is sweeter, the paper towel more absorbent. The brand name is the customer’s guarantee that he/she will get what they expect†(Fisher). As far back as companies go the main question asked when selling their product, how can I get people to purchase my product? This is still a very important issue in the day- to- day operations of any company, but now they are asking a whole new question. In today's fast changing markets, where people are bombarded by advertisements everywhere, people are starting to realize that they don't need to stick with one product for life, and they see that there are many substitutes available. As a result of this new type of market, companies have started to put a large effort towards the development of Brand loyalty. I sha ll explore the topic of Band loyalty and explain its importance in today's business market, and how it motivates a consumer to purchase a given product or service. The phrase Brand loyalty refers to consumers sticking with a brand out of feeling of commitment for that brand. "Consumers attachments to certain brands are so powerful that this loyalty is often considered as a product attribute in and of its self†(Solomon). Solomon’s quote, is showing the attachment that people feel when they purchase a product for a long time, and are still very happy with it, is a huge plus in its self. People enjoy the luxury of not having to scavenge around the supermarket in search of a new product. Brand loyalty is also very attractive to the companies since they enjoy their work being easier, and less costly. It is less expensive and less time consuming to keep old customers, rather than spend money and time advertising towards new ones. "Furthermore, companies with faithful customers tend to be less susceptible to economic down turns or new competitors"(Harrell). There are numerous ways that a company can create Brand loyalty. When the consumers can name the brand for themselves, they are more likely to care about it. To help create that relationship many companies create an entire culture around their brand. By giving the consumer some degree of culture in addition to the product you ar... ...r getting more than a product. It shows that people want to belong to something. For example, the hippies that go to Ben & Jerrys, or people, who go to Starbucks, are getting more than ice cream and coffee. These people are getting an experience that cannot be matched elsewhere. The question is what sounds better if someone asked you what did you do last night? I got coffee at the local coffee shop or I got coffee at Starbucks. When people think of Starbucks they think of the big comfortable chairs and all the people, some even have a fireplace, and newspapers, and board games. Starbucks has created a culture of sitting and drinking coffee and this has become a big big business. This culture is what has made them as successful as they are today. It is as easy as saying if you don't adapt to the times you will not survive in this new market place, so the companies that don't develop Brand loyalty will be at a serious disadvantage. These companies will lose market share, and ultimately pay the price, and that is them going out of business. There is no real excuse for this to happen to any company, considering that there are so many methods, which one can create Brand loyalty.

Expression Through Experience: the Impact of Writers Lives Through Poetry

A. J. Vega Professor Alba English 1317: Introduction to Literature February 13, 2013 Expression Through Experience: The Impact of Writers Lives Through Poetry Poetry comes in various styles, writings, languages, and elements, but it is not just the literature that is different: the poets have their own unique way to write and express themselves through poems. From the 1600s’ to the present, poetry and literature as a whole has changed greatly based on the experiences and events that have taken place in the lives of writers.Like many other people in this world, they have witnessed death, tragedy, heartbreak, and loss of hope, which inspired their writings and changing the world of literature. Because of this, many people can relate to these poems because of similar experiences and can reflect on their perspectives and compare their ideals to the poets that express their thoughts in their work. People like Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, and Matthew Arnold, all unique poets, have made connections to their lives and invested their time into writing poems to express their ideas and feelings to relate to people everywhere.Robert Frost was an American poet during the Naturalism period. This period lasted from the end of the nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. During this period there was brutality of human live and of nature as well (Alba). According to Josh Rahn, â€Å"The dominant theme of Naturalist literature is that persons are fated to whatever station in life their heredity, environment, and social conditions prepare them for. † This implies that people’s lives would be dependent on their own experiences like where and how they lived, who they were and their status in society.Rahn would also relate the Naturalist period to be â€Å"the logical growth of literary Realism† (Rahn). The Naturalist writers of this time did not include religion in their literature, and does not expect the world to change, whether their p erspectives about it are good or bad. At the same time of the Naturalist period, the Progressive Era took place. This is a time where America was starting to be acknowledged as a powerful nation in the world, but internally, the nation was suffering. This was the time leading intoWorld War I and right before the Roaring Twenties and then the Great Depression, which were all unexpected and rapid events occurring right after another. Robert Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874 and moved to the New England area at the age of eleven. Frost married Elinor Miriam White, who was his main inspiration for many of his poetry before her death in 1938 (Academy of American Poets). He was also inspired by British poets during that time like: Edward Thomas, Rupert Brooke, and Robert Graves (Academy of American Poets).Much of Frost’s work that he wrote described the area and landscape of New England, one of which is â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. † The title, â€Å"St opping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† already gives a general idea of what the poem is describing in which the narrator is in the woods while it is snowing. What makes this poem so interesting is its many interpretations, its different perspectives and its eerie setting that is portrayed. As Frost describes the cold, snow-filled evening through intricate imagery (describing the New England winter nights), a question of why the narrator stops in the woods arises.He admired the dark, snowy, woods a lot which would imply that he enjoyed living in the North New England area and that he often looked around and took notice of his surroundings. Also, many would like to interpret the last two lines of the poem, â€Å"And miles to go before I sleep,† in various ways. It is emphasized by its repeated two lines in the last stanza and based on his personal life it could be metaphorical to after losing his wife that he must continue to live. It is hard to tell why Robert Frost wrote t his poem, because of the vagueness of the poem.Maybe it was about Frost visiting an old friend or acquaintance or even a close relative. The mysteriousness about the poem puts the reader in a sort of disequilibrium, to fathom why would someone stop in the woods on a snowy evening. William Shakespeare was a famous British writer and poet during the English Renaissance. This period took place from 1500 to 1660, right after the medieval period, known as the Dark Ages, where a â€Å"rebirth† transformation occurred (Alba). People had a thirst for learning, reading literature, and rt; many of the things were man centered, rather than being focused on God, taking a shift from religion to the ideas on humanity (Alba). Also, advances in medicine and the discovery of the human circulatory system came about (Alba). One of the most important things that came about during the English Renaissance was the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg (Rahn). Through the pri nting press, literature was made very accessible to people, and encouraged reading and learning and an increase of different ideas to spread.As Rahn describes that it â€Å"maximized printing efficiency in a way that changed the world of arts, letters, and ideas forever. † It was timely and expensive to rewrite copies of different literature, which made it hard for people to get a hold of and read, but now that it was accessible, everyone felt encouraged to start reading, especially the fascinating works of Shakespeare. William Shakespeare was known for both his poems and his other literature and also known as a â€Å"word smith,† where he would make up words derived from different languages, to further describe something that was happening in any of his works (Alba).Shakespeare composed his sonnets between 1553 and 1601, and published in 1609, which consisted of 154 different sonnets written in Shakespearean (Academy of American Poets). The Shakespearean writing techn ique is written with three quatrains and a couplet, making it a fourteen line poem, called a sonnet (Alba). All the sonnets fell into two groups: sonnets 1 to 126 were written for â€Å"a beloved friend, a handsome and noble young man,† and 127 to 152 were addressed â€Å"to a malignant but fascinating ‘Dark Lady,’ whom the poet loves in spite of himself† (Academy of American Poets).This is interesting and yet mysterious, as Josh Rahn explains that, â€Å"very few details of the playwright’s life are known today. † What is known about Shakespeare is that he married Ann Hathaway at the age of eighteen and had two daughters (Academy of American Poets). One of the sonnets Shakespeare wrote, Sonnet 116 talks about what true love is in the eyes of Shakespeare. Since this is the one-hundredth and sixteenth sonnet, this poem was addressed to one of his beloved relatives.Maybe Shakespeare was a mentor to his relative and was trying to describe what l ove is to him or her and trying to encourage the relative to not give up on the power of love because it could be mistaken for something else. In the first stanza, Shakespeare first lets the reader know what love is not before he continues to what love is. He describes love to not be a marriage of two people, and change or fall when things happen. He continues on his second stanza where Shakespeare describes that, â€Å"It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempest and is never shaken† (Shakespeare).The â€Å"ever-fixed mark† that Shakespeare describes is the North Star, the only star in the sky that never moves when traveling; it was a great way for navigation, especially for naval exploration (Alba). During this time, naval exploration began, in which the Americas were discovered and Britain had the greatest navy at the time (Alba). Compared to the North Star, love is never changed and will always be there and will be the â€Å"star to ever wandering bark† (S hakespeare). He also capitalizes the word â€Å"time† in this case, also personifying it to provide emphasis and power to the word. Love’s not Time’s fool† simply relates to the fact that love is forever and that is not controlled by time and does not diminish over time. His last two lines of his sonnet portray his confidence in his own intellectual thoughts and ideas on love. If he was not right, then he never did write, which is not true at all. The Victorian Era (named after Queen Victoria in England) lasted from 1832 to 1901, ending immediately the death of the Queen (Alba). During that time, â€Å"Nearly every institution of society was shaken by rapid and unpredictable change† (Rahn).All of Europe’s nations economies increased and accelerated, the steam engine technology grew, leading to an increase in factory production, and a large income of wealth started the rise of the â€Å"middle class,† according to Josh Rahn on his writi ngs of the Victorian Era. Apart from the positive progress scientifically and economically, there were negatives that affected the demographic of Europe at that time. People were looking towards science and leaving their faith and religion (Alba).The theories of evolution and natural selection, according to Rahn, â€Å"brought humanity down to the level of an animal, and seemingly reduced the meaning of life to a bloody struggle for survival. † They had no need for a God in their lives and relied on their strength and wisdom alone. This led to both an increase in optimism and hope for the future, yet also for others, the downfall of human society and the loss of hope in the world. Matthew Arnold, who lived during the Victorian Era was the son of a clergyman and had religion in his whole life (Alba).He studied at Oxford University and eventually became a professor of poetry at Oxford through his â€Å"reputation as a poet† (Academy of American Poets). One of the things that Arnold struggled with in his writing was that his poetry reflected his problems with psychological isolation (Academy of American Poets). Although he was the son of a minister, he often had trouble with his own faith and â€Å"sought to establish the essential truth of Christianity† (Academy of American Poets).One of the most well known things that Matthew Arnold was known for was his critical essays which â€Å"established criticism as an art form, and has influenced almost every major English critic,† making him undoubtably encouraging with his writings (Academy of American Poets). During this era, he felt encouraged to write, â€Å"Dover Beach. † Dover Beach, located in England, is a vacation spot and a place for romantics with white cliffs that are made of salt with smooth, round rocks and pebbles that replace regular sand that would normally be on the beach (Alba).There are two perspectives as to why Matthew Arnold wrote this poem: that he was talking to a loved one to try to find something to hold on to while the world is dark and seemingly falling apart, or that he is trying to seduce a woman. Since he struggled with various problems in his personal life and the changes that had been occurring in Europe, he must have been trying to find something positive in his life to escape from the real world and focus on the present time. Arnold proclaims in his last stanza of his poem, â€Å"let us be true to one another!For the world, which seems to lie before us like a land of dreams, so various, so beautiful, so new, hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light† to try to keep an optimistic point of view in the darkness of everything around him (Arnold). The way that Arnold uses metaphors to compare the sea to the faith that used to be strong and shake the rocks back and forth now dies in the encompassment of the earthly things that darken the hopes and dreams and people with its â€Å"melancholy, long, withdrawing roar† (Arnold).Matthew Arnold was not trying to use crafty words to seduce a woman into bed with him, he was begging for a light of hope to beacon from this Dover Beach that seems to have lost its own light through the struggles, doubts and despair of others. Through these different poets and writers, people can get a clearer understanding of what it meant to live in various time periods, and the struggles and achievements that they went through and relate it to their poems and writings.Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, and Matthew Arnold affected the literary world through their writings and influenced others to express their lives through the art of poetry and other literature. As their works continue to live on, people will continue to be influenced by both their lives and poetry and hopefully shape their perception on life based on both their individual experiences, and the experiences expressed through these writers. Works Cited Academy of American Poets, 1997-2013. Web. 09 Feb. 201 3. Alba, Brandy. â€Å"Dover Beach† Lecture. Concordia University Texas. 30 Jan. 013. Lecture. Alba, Brandy. â€Å"Sonnet 116† Lecture. Concordia University Texas. 25 Jan. 2013. Lecture. Alba, Brandy. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† Lecture. Concordia University Texas. 01 Feb. 2013. Lecture. Arnold, Matthew. â€Å"Dover Beach†. The Victorian Web, 2002. Web. 10 Feb. 2013 Frost, Robert. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening†. The Random House Book of Poetry,1983. Poetry Foundation 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. Rahn, Josh. The Literature Network. Jalic Inc. , 2011. Web. 09 Feb. 2013. Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Sonnet 116†. Amanda Mabillard, 1999-2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2013.

Police and Criminal Justice

In the United States today, the average citizen is unaware of the corruption that goes on in our Criminal Justice System. Law enforcement and Police Officers are abusing their power. If this goes unnoticed it could grow larger and cause bigger problems in our country. The United States Criminal Justice System is one of the best in the whole world. In other countries there is little or no policing. Police officers in the US are well-trained and it is hard to reach their position without a strong education.A huge quality of a perfect Police Officer is a perfect control of temper because a quiet determined manner has more effect than violent action. But everyone isn't perfect and there are Police Officers out there that abuse their power and create a dangerous environment for the people around them. During the 1960's Police Brutality was at an all time high. Police were being biased and attacked those that they did not like because they had the power to do so. On March 3, 1991 when Rodn ey King and his friend Bryant Allen were driving in Los Angeles, they refused to stop for an officer trying to pull them over.Instead they increased their speed and when the Police finally stopped the car they viciously beat King for a period of two minutes. He was left with 11 skull fractures, brain damage, and kidney damage. The police officers did not realize though that their actions were being videotaped. They were eventually tried and found not guilty by an all white jury. This set off 6 days of rioting and the case prompted an era of reform. In the book, â€Å"Essentials of Criminal Justice† written by Larry Siegel, it notes some of the things done by Police Departments to make sure that Policemen are not abusing their power.These include, â€Å"increasing the intelligence standards on the Police Force, officers to be given mental exams to weed out officers that are mentally unfit for the job, and oral boards, which are sitting down with Police Chiefs and answering qu estions about the Job†. Although all these precautions are set to limit or diminish abusive power, it is still a problem that needs to be dealt with. According to Diane Wetendorf, who wrote a book on Abusing Power in Law enforcement she states that, â€Å"Society grants members of law enforcement enormous power over citizens to enable the police to keep the peace and to preserve social rder.They are granted a great deal of freedom to use their Judgment regarding which laws to enforce, when and against whom. This wide range of options and authority can lead to the abuse of their power. Some police officers come to see themselves not as simply enforcers of the law, but as the law itself. † Police that abuse their power look at things from a Personal view rather than a professional view. Police Brutality exists in many forms including False Arrest, Intimidation, Racial Profiling, Sexual Abuse and Surveillance abuse.This exists because officers are not rotecting and serving , they are rather going after those that they do not like. In other Countries, Police Departments are corrupt and work with Politicians to create a world run by the Police and Politics. In alt â€Å"H the Sky', a book written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn, the police are very corrupt and it causes mayhem in their country. The police in India are tied into Politics and Criminals. The police work with the leaders of prostitution businesses, called brothels. The police take bribes from the leaders and look the other way when something wrong is happening.In Half the Sky stories are told about the corruption within the Police Forces. When people come running to the police about a rape or something bad that had been done to them, the police usually side with the criminals and nothing is done about the crime. In India the average person doesn't have a say at all. If they are convicted of a crime they did not do they cannot go to court and have a trial like we do. They are sent right to Jail without being questioned. Police work with High power criminals and run most of the big prostitution businesses.This is what the US ould lead to if Policemen that abuse their power are not stopped. On November 7, 2013, I conducted an interview with Alice Perry about corruption in Law Enforcement. Alice Perry is a Criminal Justice Professor at Westfield State University and has a huge background in Law Enforcement. She has prosecuted many Police Officers in the US that have abused their power. She has convicted officers for stealing drugs from the evidence room, and also an officer that was selling drugs in state prison. She also told me a story about the police abusing their power in Etowah County, Alabama.According to a blog on the American Civil Liberties Union's website, it states that â€Å"About once a month, a marked sheriffs car shows up, unannounced and after dark, outside a family's home in Alabama. Uniformed officers walk to the family's door, in plain sight of every neighbor. They knock and demand to be let in. If the family refuses, the police threaten them with arrest. Once inside, the officers search the family's home – all without ever obtaining a warrant. † When one member of the family was a child he was convicted of a sexual offense and had to register as a sex ffender.The policeman had no right to search the house randomly without a warrant, and caused unwanted attention and embarrassment to the family. This is police abuse of power and must be stopped or it may happen to families throughout the country. Perry also explained to me that it is crucial for policing to be honest and law-abiding because they have so much power and could cause harm to civilians. They must perform the Job as if they are always being videotaped. I brought up the Half the Sky book and the issues there and asked if she thought that law enforcement layed a big role on why people live such a harsh life there.She replied, â€Å"Absolutely. Ty ranny exists in those countries. If you're afraid of the police you won't say anything or report crimes because you're afraid of being thrown in Jail. In M ©xico 45% of prosecutors and Judges are on cartels payroll. Around 50% of police officers are on the same payroll. The cartels and Politician's have a relationship together and this creates a lawless environment. † We must not let the Police become power driven and turn into corrupt officers like the Police in India. There is a way to stop this. We must ecome aware of Police Brutality and Abusive power and act on it.State, Federal, and Local Authorities should ensure that abuses including torture, brutality, and other excessive force by Police officers should not be tolerated and the Officers should be held accountable for their actions and be brought to Justice. Police Officers are using excessive force and are not getting in trouble at all. The victims are not speaking up and this could cause the abusive Police Officers to think that they can't be stopped and they will continue doing so. Another solution to all of this is to introduce training rograms designed to minimize the risk of unnecessary force.These training programs should include gender issues and sensitivity to minority groups. This would help steer a lot of Police Officers from being Abusive toward minority groups and become less biased. Other training programs should include ethics and integrity training. We can help out by making the community aware of the issue, whether it's by having guest speakers, showing videos, or having meetings and explaining the issue. If we don't take action then our Law Enforcement could become as corrupt as other countries police forces.

The Gambia

For my first location I will be investigating the Gambia. I have chosen the Gambia because it's not a very large country and there's plenty of information available for it. The Gambia is mainly a winter sun destination this means that most visitors go there when it's cold here but hot there in the months of November to February. It's a long haul destination with a 6-hour flight and is Africa's smallest country only 30miles wide and 300miles long and is known as the ‘smiling cost'. The Gambia is very popular because it's a bird watchers paradise with tropical birds never seen before and also because everyone speaks English also it has famous museums to learn more about the slave trade like ‘Roots'. Majority of the population is Muslim. Development of tourism in the Gambia The Tourism in Gambia started some 40 yrs ago, when Gambia got its independence from British rule in 1965 and has increased every year from than. The development of hotels has had a definite increase with statistics recording around 660 tourist in 1965, than a very big increase from 1975 with over 25, 000 and the latest records show an even larger increase with 112,986 tourists in 1998/99. This is a very large number of tourists considering that the population is only 1,367,124 (approx). The main increase is due to the all inclusive hotels were guest pay one price up front for all their food, drink and entertainment in the hotel. The all inclusive hotels have been a problem because tourist do not bother to leave the hotel and see the natural beauty and meet the local people which means they do not benefit from the tourist because they cant sell the souvenirs or other things and the tourist miss out because they do not get to explore the beauty of the country and try local cuisines which also means that local restaurants loose out. Another problem is that not all of the money stays in the country because usually the hotels are foreign owned and the money reaches the mother company and this is when leakages occur. There are a few advantages due to the hotels which are that many local people get jobs in the hotels which means less unemployment and also the contribute to the local economy due to government taxes. The government did try to close the all inclusive hotels down because of all the problems they were causing but because of this tourist stopped coming all together so they had to bring them back again. The impacts of tourism on the physical environment Tourism in the Gambia has had both positive and negative impacts. The infrastructure of the country has a big part in the environment, the negative sides of the infrastructure are that building work such as hotels and restaurants mean that large amounts of land has to be cleared to make room for all the facilities which mean that the natural rainforest have to be cut down which also may mean the loss of habitat. There is a great deal of soil erosion and footpath erosion on frequently visited destinations, which in the future could cause problems. The positive sides are that with the new hotels and restaurants for the tourist they need to make basic things like clean running water, electricity and a sewage system, which will also benefit the local people. Another advantage is that greater awareness on the interests in the landscape and vegetation is being taken, also there is a greater need for preservation of ancient monument. The impact of tourism on the local community Majority of the Gambia is Muslim who have very strict food, drink and dress regulations. Tourist especially from European countries who know little about the belief may behave in an inappropriate manner while visiting there. Women lay topless on the beaches and men walk around half naked around the market area, this causes conflict between the tourist and local people because the locals were bought up to learn that those things are wrong. An example is if tourist walk around holding hands it would upset the local community because they think that there children mite start to think its okay to do this. Because of the tourist the crime rate usually goes up because of tourist getting drunk causing disturbance, women getting raped and more drug related crimes go up and this could also mean that the local people think this is the correct way to behave, this is known as the demonstration affect this causes great conflict between generations because the new generation may think that there religion is old and out of date and change their traditional morals and general behaviour. Also traditional ways of cooking will be changed because most tourist want fast food so local restaurants will have to change there ways of cooking and also music and arts will be changed because of foreigners wanting TV's and radio's. English words will replace the local language. All this means that the local communities will loose there traditional way of life and will have to change to survive. It can also be argued that all of these problems are not all due to the impacts of tourism because in the modern world you have TV were the local's can see the lifestyle of foreigners and will try to copy it, reading magazines and also because of the people travelling to other countries all adds up to the changes.