Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Leading Global Workforce Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Leading Global Workforce - Assignment Example In an attempt to develop a solution to this, I tried using electronic devices such as smartphone, iPad, and pocket computers. Using a smartphone, an individual can easily write memo notes or set reminders for a particular event so that he would not miss important meetings, functions, or other events. I have been using this strategy to memorize things and manage my time effectively for the last several months. According to Alidina and Marshall (2013, p. 168), it is vital for a person to avoid multi-tasking and stay away from distractive environments. To illustrate, when an individual focuses on different tasks at time, he cannot concentrate properly on any of those tasks. In other words, multitasking may cause one to compromise one’s efficiency. Hence, it is advisable for individuals to concentrate on a single task at a time to improve performance efficiency and gain improved outcomes. Finally, I will strongly recommend people not to put off tasks to a future time/date unless there is a valid reason to do so (Forsyth, 2013,

Monday, October 28, 2019

Victorian England Essay Example for Free

Victorian England Essay On the 7th February 1812 Charles John Huffham Dickens was born to John and Elizabeth Dickens in Portsmouth, England. Charles had the good fortune of been sent to school at aged 9 was short-lived when his father, who was his inspiration for the character Mr. Micawber in David Copperfeild, was sent to jail for bad debt. Charles was sent to work in Warrens blacking factory and endured appalling conditions as well as loneliness and despair. Due to the passing of a wealthy family member 3 years later John Dickens inherited enough money to pay of his debts, so he was released and Charles was sent back to school. This experience was never forgotten and became fictionalised in two of his better-known novels David Copperfield and Great Expectations when Charles went on to become one of the most popular and beloved writers who ever lived. More than just a writer, Dickens used his enormous popularity to attack injustice and strengthen the sympathies of his readers for the poor and the helpless, for orphans and outcast people. He believed that many schools discouraged the development of the childrens imaginations, and during a lecture he gave in 1857 stated schools trained them as little parrots and small calculating machines. In Hard Times Dickens created his characters to reflect his views on education and showed this by the language he used to describe and tell the story. The main literary technique used by Charles Dickens is the use of exaggeration, using powerful language to elaborate reality much of which contains the truth. Dickens exaggerates the names of the characters and the description of the characters and classroom to show you how ridiculous the education system was and how wrong it was in the way of teaching children. The scene was a plain, bare, monotonous vault of a schoolroom Dickens reveals that the school is dull and lifeless; there is no colour in the room or images that could stimulate a Childs mind. The word vault makes us think of a safe, a hard metal prison-like box that we use to lock away items of great importance and beauty. In this case it is the childrens imagination that is been locked away. All imagination, creativity and joy are taken away from the children, leaving them to learn the same monotonous lessons in a cold, blank classroom. Dickens is saying that the classrooms and way of teaching lacks imagination and creativity, things a child will need to expand there mind more than facts will. Dickens emphasizes the word facts to again show how the education system is driving away a Childs imagination. NOW, what I want is, facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life From the very beginning Dickens is establishing with the reader that facts alone are what is been taught to the children. The education system was based upon the learning of facts and nothing else. This is acknowledged by the constant repetition of the word fact in the first chapter, especially in the first paragraph. The repetition is used to emphasize the importance of facts and that nothing else will ever be of any service to the students. Dickens is mocking there believe that a child will need nothing in life but the knowledge of facts.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Why Is Religion Important? Essay -- Why Study Religion?

"Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life." -- Buddha "So I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you." --Jesus Christ Whether you consider yourself a religious person or not, or whether you think religion has played a positive or negative role in history, it is an incontrovertible fact that from the beginning of time, humans have engaged in activities that we now call religion, such as worship, prayer, and rituals marking important life passages. Moreover, religions have always asked fundamental questions, such as: What is the true meaning of life? What happens to us after death? How do we explain human suffering and injustices? The answers different religious traditions give to these important questions are many and varied and often contradictory. But the questions themselves are ones with which humans throughout time have grappled, and probably will continue to grapple with into the indefinite future. Thus, one of the first reasons to study religion is sim...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Effectiveness of Matatu Saccos a Case Study Ofnairobi County

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of the Study The transportation industry sector is comprised of a wide range of service providers covering all modes of transport; air, road, sea and rail. In Kenya, both private and public providers offer transportation to the public.Due to the diversity of the transport sector in Kenya, the infrastructure group; the department of Price Waterhouse Coopers-Kenya that deals with researches on industries and infrastructures, had classified roads as the prime link between all the economic sectors since they account for 80% of Kenya’s total passenger and freight transportation as well as value of output (PWC Kenya 2009). The word matatu is derived from the local kikuyu vernacular word mang’otore matatu which means â€Å"thirty cents† which was the standard charge for every trip made. Chitere. O and Kibua. N, 2004). Majority of Kenyans do not own private cars, thus they use matatus as their mode of transportation. By 2003, the nu mber of matatus operating in both urban and rural areas was estimated at 40,000 and they provided employment to 160,000 people and paid up to Ksh. 1. 09 billion per annum to the government in taxes (Chitere and Kibua, 2004). The origin of matatus in Kenya can be traced back in the late 1950s. After Kenya’s independence in 1963, Africans migrated to Nairobi to search for employment opportunities.Informal settlements began to expand in areas where there was limited transport. These people were too poor to own private vehicles. Recognizing the opportunity for financial gains while providing the much needed service, mini-bus taxis (which were largely owned by middle-income people) began offering transport services from rural areas and informal urban settlement around the city. Due to high demand, the number of matatus increased but was operating illegally until 1973 when the then president (Mzee Jomo Kenyatta) issued a decree officially recognizing matatus as a mode of public tra nsport.This made them to be the main mode of transportation in Nairobi metropolitan up to today, with an estimated number of 15,000 matatus. (Graeff J, 2009). The benefits that are attached to matatus as a mode of transport by various parties include: Owners get income inform of profits, workers such as drivers, conductors and stage workers also get income in form of salaries, passengers get mobility and safety, other road users such as cyclist, motorists and pedestrians also get safety, and institutions such as local authorities get revenue.Despite all this, there is still a struggle for regulatory and economic sphere of influence in the matatu sector (Khayesi. M, 1999). It has been reported that there is insufficient consistent data about matatus. If any, there is limited access to the database and can only be found through SACCOs (Graeff. J, 2009). Since the official recognition of the matatu as a means of transporation in 1973, the sector grew to the extent that the owners forme d a national association to control the operations of the sector and also advocating for their rights and demands.All matatu operators were expected to belong to this association, that is, The Matatu Vehicle Owners Association (MVOA). They had a rule that forced new matatu operators to register with the association in order to be allocated a route of operation. The association attracted the attention of both the Government and political opposition groups who saw the association as an important ally to advance political moves. The association was disbanded by the Government and was accused of having been penetrated by rich individuals who were oppressing the weak members by assigning them to routes that had fewer passengers.The Government then left individual members to operate on any route although it did not end the influence and support that politicians had for the matatu owners and operators (Khayesi. M, 1999). The Government then introduced SACCOs in the matatu sector as one of the reforms strategy that targeted to manage transport systems (Graeff. J, 2009). These SACCOs played an important role in addressing the concerns of the stakeholders and integrating the matatus into a comprehensive system. They are the professional transport firms as they act as the key takeholders. They act as the liaison between the members of the SACCO and the other stakeholders including the Government. They have the ability to unify the industry and strengthen the voice of the stakeholders which is an important incentive. Although SACCOs are important, they compete with each other thus creating a dangerous and stressful environment (Graeff. J, 2009). A Savings And Credit Co-Operative (SACCO) is an association of like-minded people registered under the ministry of cooperatives.It is owned and operated by its members, according to democratic principles, for the purpose of encouraging savings, providing credit facilities and other related financial services (The SACCO bill, 2005) . In Kenya people are eligible to form a SACCO if; they have a similar occupation or profession or are employed by a common employer or within same business district or market area; they have common membership in association or organization including, but not limited to: religious, social, cooperative, labor or educational groups; who reside, worship or work within the same defined community (the SACCO bill, 2005).It extends to any form of industry, not exclusively transport. In the case of matatus, a group will register to become a SACCO identifying itself mainly with the route where it is operating, although many people refer to the SACCOs as route associations (Graeff. J, 2009). 1. 2 Statement of the Problem There have been several benefits that have been accrued to the use of SACCOs as a mode of matatu management in Kenya. They include; creation of employment and additional revenue in form of taxes to the Government (Chitere. O and Kibua.N, 2004), professional management, financ ial support and reduced conflicts to the owners and employment benefits, credit services and employment contracts (Khayesi. M, 1999). The proponents of managing matatus individually argued that, operating matatus individually earns a lot of profits due to reduced costs such as SACCO contributions, the taxes paid to the Government and the salaries paid to the professionals and employees and poor financial management (The Citizen, 2010). There has been an argument that operating matatus on individual basis makes it easy to reach decisions faster than when in SACCOs.This was based on the argument that in the SACCO; there will be a split of decision among the members on different issues concerning the SACCOs thus delaying the decision making process. The financial management in SACCOs can be poor simply because the leaders who manage the finances have no basic knowledge of financial management with the addition of poor working environment and increased political interference (The Citize n, 2010). While the benefits of matatu SACCOs are undisputed, there have been several concerns about its success in terms of financial benefits, handling matatu industry challenges and improving road safety.Investors and other stakeholders need guidance concerning this. This study was used to guide the entrepreneurs interested in the matatu sector on the mode that would bring full benefit to them which took the form of studying the performance of matatu SACCOs, before and after their formation and that of individual management. 1. 3 Objectives of the Study 1. 3. 1 General Objective To assess the effectiveness of SACCOs in the management of matatus in Nairobi 1. 3. 2 Specific Objectives To find out the difference in the financial revenues and costs before and after the formation of matatu SACCOs.To examine the role of matatu SACCOs in handling the challenges facing the transport industry. To find out the level of road accidents before and after the formation of matatu SACCOs. 1. 4 Re search Questions What are the financial benefits that come with SACCOs as a mode of matatu management? How do matatu SACCOs handle the challenges that face the transport industry? Has matatu SACCOs helped in dealing with road safety? 1. 5 Significance of the study Matatu SACCOs operate in environments surrounded by communities who depend on them for jobs, tax revenues and quality services.All stakeholders have interests in the well-being of their SACCO. This SACCOs also operate in environments which are characterized by political interests, markets existence, culture, values, technology, regulations and taxing authorities (Agumba. N, 2008). This study would be of great benefit to the matatu owners as it found out the challenges that matatus and matatu SACCOs face in these environments. This uncertain environment leaves doubt in the stake holders. This study would also benefit the stake holders as it would aid them to make decision in order to improve the services of this industry.Th ere is SACCO leadership for efficiency and probity and that SACCOS are responsible, responsive, accountable, transparent, competitive and sustainable. Through the study, the new entrepreneurs would want to be reassured that; Matatu SACCO enterprises are viable, sustainable and competitive; are held accountable and not left to run amok; are competitively attractive to investments; are responsible corporate citizens and that they comply with legal framework and remain relevant and legitimate in society (Agumba. N, 2008)The majority of matatu owners has reasonable educational and training qualification and occupational experience in fields such as banking, accountancy as well as teaching and is well informed of about the industry. Mostly they have other sources of income and can use credit to improve their vehicles. This shows that the industry still attracts new entrants and entrepreneurs with funds to invest in the industry, they will therefore need some guidance on which form of man agement they should use for their business. 1. 6 Scope of the StudyThis study was conducted to find out the financial gains that matatu owners get when they are operating their business through SACCOs. This covers credit facilities to acquisition and maintenance of the mini-buses, repair costs, level of income and generally the issue of security in order to help the owners acquire loans from the financial institution. The study also covers how productive the SACCOs manage the matatus better than if it was to be managed on individual basis and if there are any savings made if the matatus are managed through SACCOs.This study also found out the benefits that SACCOs give to other stakeholders in the matatu industry, the differences that SACCOs have brought to the welfare of the workers in the matatu industry, the levels SACCOs aid in the reduction of road accidents and how far they aid the road traffic department in bringing order to the roads, the safety that the users (customers) fee l while using the SACCO owned matatus in comparison to the individually run matatus and the challenges that matatu SACCOs face during their operation.This study also covered the transport industry in Kenya, and because of the diversity in the industry, the research will focus on the road transport in Nairobi. This was through finding out how effective the matatu SACCOs have been in the management of the matatu industry. 1. 7 Limitation of the Study For a general conclusion to be reached, this research needs to be conducted within the whole country, but in this case, the study is limited to Nairobi alone. As an addition, there are other factors that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the matatu industry other than the ones that this research has used.The results of this study did not put in to consideration the other variables that affect the functionality of the matatu SACCOs. Usually, it is always difficult to make people reveal the amount they benefit from a given busines s or enterprise. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction The matatu as a means of transport has an array of businesses and individuals who are involved in it. Apart from the regulatory dominance that has been shown, there are economic interests pursued by the owners and operators.The matatu is not just a business for the low-income and the self- employed workers, it is a big time enterprise now involving the affluent in the society (Khayesi. M, 1999). There are cases where one individual owns several matatus. There are also other businesses that are linked to the matatu industry, for example insurance firms, motor vehicle body builders, vehicle assemblers, vehicle importers, garages, petrol stations, driving schools and commercial banks/ money lenders but in this case SACCOs will be our main concern.This means of transport employs drivers, conductors and stage workers. All these people are stakeholders in the matatu industry and therefore they have benefits that they attach to the industry hence a need for effective management of the industry (Khayesi. M, 2002). This chapter explores what other researchers have found on how the stakeholders have gained from managing the matatus on individual basis in comparison with SACCO mode of management. 2. 2 Conceptual Frame Work The management of the matatu industry in Kenya has taken two main forms of management.These are management through SACCOs and managing the matatu business as an individually. This research took the matatu SACCOs as the dependent variable on to which the effectiveness of the industry will be measured through the factors as the independent variables. These are the financial benefits of using SACCOs as a mode of managing the industry. In this case, costs and gains, access to credit and other financial benefits, effectiveness in terms of handling of matatu industry challenges, effectiveness in improving road safety and reducing road accidents.The outcomes of the results can be affected by the i nvolvement of the Government but during this research its effects were kept constant. Figure 1 Conceptual Framework | | |Financial Benefits/Revenues | Independent Variables (Factors) Dependent Variable (Outcomes) | | |Effectiveness Of Matatu SACCOs | | | |Matatu SACCOs | | | Road Accidents | Source: (Researcher, 2012) 2. 3 Theoretical Review According to Aline. J, (2011), the first Kenyan co-operative society, the Lumbwa co-operative society was formed in 1908 by the European farmers with the main objective of purchasing farm inputs at radically reduced prices because of their numbers and on friendly terms to the members who paid in installments or when they harvested and then market collectively market their produce. Lumbwa was replaced in 1930 by the Kenya Farmers Co-Operative to take over the role of farm input supply.After seeing the success of European co-operatives, the smallholder African farmers fought for the formation of their own co-operatives, in which they were allowed to form in the late 1950s and register co-operatives for cash crops like coffee and pyrethrum. Consequently at independence in 1963, there were 1,030 co-operative societies with 655 being active with total membership of 355,000(Aline. J, 2011). Since independence investment in Kenya has empowered and energized by the existence of the co-operative sector where pooling of resources was closely linked to Mzee Kenyatta’s call of Harambee.Presently, matatu SACCOs are dominating the city route in form of route associations (Graeff. J, 2009). In Kenya, SACCOs are co-operatives which are formed by an association of people who come together with a common purpose of pooling together resources for mutual economic and social benefit (Aline. J, 2011). According to Mikwamba. E and Ng’ombe. W (2003), a SACCO is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic and social needs through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise or busi ness.The objectives of forming SACCOs include; organizing and economic interests of its members; promoting thrift among members opportunity for accumulation of savings, loans at fair and reasonable terms; providing opportunities for members to improve their economic and social conditions; and perform the functions that they were formed to (Aline. J, 2011). According to the SACCO society’s regulatory bill, 2005, a SACCO is registered by writing an application to the registrar of SACCO societies who will register the SACCO if it has complied with the provisions of the Act.This research found out if the objectives of forming SACCOs in the matatu industry are being realized by using them in the managing of the matatus in the Nairobi’s transport sector and their effectiveness. 2. 3. 1 The Management and Operation of SACCOs According to Mikwamba. E and Ng’ombe. W (2003), members are the heart of the SACCO and the reason for the SACCO’s existence. The members ar e the owners and the only â€Å"users† of the SACCO and no more persons has the monopoly in a SACCO regardless of one’s share and savings.Usually SACCOs are democratically run and controlled organizations. According to the SACCO society’s regulatory bill, 2005, one thing that is clear is that the affairs of a SACCO are managed and administered by a board of directors elected at annual general meeting. It is this board of directors which will hire a manager and support staff to run the day to day operations of the SACCO. In most cases the manager and the staff hired are qualified and competent people with skills and knowledge of SACCOs (Chitere. O and Kibua.N 2004). According to Mikwamba. E and Ng’ombe. W (2003), a SACCO is a financial business and it has to be managed as such. Its major commodity is the money the members bring in as their savings for the safe keeping, convenience and as a form of investment. The savings earn competitive interest rates. Me mbers who have established their credit worthy can borrow from the SACCO. The interest on loans, investments and the other income is used to cover operational costs as well as paying interest on members' savings.The next surplus is used to pay dividends to the members and the building of SACCO capital reserves. Specific duties and responsibilities in a SACCO are assigned to different committees to ensure smooth running and coordination of SACCO activities. All the committee members are elected from the general membership. According to Chitere. O and Kibua. N, (2004), owners of the matatu are employees and professionals in different fields like, banking, accountancy and teaching and thus they don’t involve themselves in the hand on management of their matatu businesses.This study found out how effective the employees of the SACCOs will be effective in the running of matatus on behalf of their employers and ensuring that they receive the benefits they are entitled to as provide d in their values. 2. 3. 2 Effectiveness of SACCOs SACCOs create the opportunity for people to take responsibility for their own financial organization, these is facilitated through democratic processes. SACCOs pay dividends on shares to their members once the SACCO is established and profitable. Members therefore take pride in owning their own SACCO.SACCOs educate their members on financial matters by teaching prudent handling of money, how to keep track of finances, how to budget and why to keep away from hire purchase and loan sharks, this encourage saving culture for their members. Loans of SACCOs are usually insured thus death of a member the estate will not have to repay the outstanding loans to the SACCO. After deducting all the working expenses from the income, the profit is usually shared among members according to their patronage (South African Reserve bank, 2011). . 3. 3 Effectiveness in Terms of Financial Benefits According to Mudibo. E, (2006), SACCOs have been in exist ence for a long time starting with the Raffeissen movement in Germany in the middle of the 19th century. The movement has since spread to most countries, both developed and developing world and throughout the decades they have been important for small-scale savers and borrowers. This has been embodied in the co-operative and SACCO principles which was summarized as: user-owned financial services.In this case the savers/ borrowers own and govern their institution which provides them with the financial services that they need. This was the fundamental quality of the SACCO since its set-up provides for demand-led services decided by members in a democratic and participatory manner. It is the clients who are the members, as well as the owners themselves, who decide on which type of financial services to benefit them, how these are to be provided and where the external forces cannot take advantage of members need for the services.Not only did SACCOs provide savings facilities from their formation but they also generally applied a holistic approach to the needs of their members. Loans were provided for productive purposes and variety of needs for example for welfare and consumption purposes (Mudibo. E, 2006). This research reflects these financial benefits to the case of matatus, whereby according to Chitere. O and Kibua. N, (2004), the initial capital to invest in matatus is large and hence difficult to rise together with the insurance costs and taxes.The other benefits will be in terms of operating costs like fuel, costs of repair and maintenance which can be reduced when operating in SACCOs (Chitere. O and Kibua. N, 2004). 2. 3. 4 Challenges of Matatu SACCOs Cartels have positioned themselves in the name of SACCOs to take advantage of new operators seeking to join the industry. The high financial requirements demanded from new by established SACCOs have forced some operators to miss out on this business while some operators use fake stickers of unregistered SACCO s (Mwaniki, W 2011).Some SACCOs have invested in other line of businesses and when a new member comes it becomes a challenge. 2. 3. 5 Effective in Terms of Handling Challenges According to Agumba. N, (2008) SACCOs operate in an environment surrounded by communities who depend on them for jobs and tax revenues and customers for quality products and services. All stakeholders have interests in the well-being of their SACCO. These SACCOs also operate in an environment which is characterized by political interests, markets existence, culture, values, technology, regulations and tax authorities.Despite these challenges, SACCO values under the principle based model – voluntary membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education, training and information, cooperation among SACCOs and concern for community are key to enhancing performance in handling challenges within and out of the SACCO (Agumba. N, 2008) According to Chitere. O , (2004), most drivers and conductors do not observe traffic rules and are responsible for many accidents in both rural and urban areas.Other problems include harassment of owners and workers by the police, corruption, government and local authority taxes, lack of control of the industry by the vehicle owners and exploitation by cartels. A larger study was carried out that examined policy, legal and regulatory framework; institutional arrangements; costs and benefits; and the internal capacity of the industry at the local level and their training was weak and conditions of work poor (Chitere. O, 2004). This research found out how effective the matatu SACCOs have been in the handling these challenges. 2. 3. 6 Road Safety in KenyaThere has been a rapid increase in the number of matatus on Kenyan roads from the time they began operating till today. Unfortunately, the industry’s vast growth has been accompanied by increasing road traffic accidents that have threatened the safety of Kenyan passengers. The accidents tripled from 3,578 in 1963 to 10,106 in 1989, and 11785 in 1994 (Chitere. O and Kibua. N, 2004). In these accidents, 2,014 persons were killed, 6,650 were seriously injured and 11,094 had minor injuries. The cause of these accidents are majorly reckless driving, driving non-roadworthy vehicles and poor conditions of the road.Research by Odera, Khayesi and Heda (2003) found that 3,000 people are killed annually on Kenyan roads, which translates to 68 deaths per 1,000 registered vehicles. This is the leading trend in whole world (Chitere. O and Kibua. N 2004). Transport Licensing board (TLB) is supposed to license all PSVs, allocate them routes and regulate their operation timetables. It has been unable to allocate routes and monitor or even ensure PSVs have operation timetables which might be as a result of the board not being conversant with the routes (Chitere. O and Kibua. N 2004).Due to this the Government has tried to put in some measures in t he form of the famous Michuki rules in order to reduce the rate of accidents on roads. These reforms included; Fitting speed governors to all PSV and commercial vehicles to a speed of 80km/hr. Fitting seat belts to all vehicles (both public and private). Issuing of badges and uniforms to all drivers and conductors. Indication of route details for purpose of easy identification. Re-testing drivers after every two years. Displaying of drivers passport photograph together with the identification details.These rules (Michuki rules) proved difficult to maintain owing to the level of expenses attached to it. This research found out how the SACCOs have helped in the reduction of reckless driving through enforcing the reforms that were put in place by the government and also found out how far the SACCOs have gone to reduce accidents in Nairobi. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction This chapter looks at the methodology used to conduct the study. It highlights and expounds on the research methods employed in conducting the research, methods that were used in collecting data, how the data was analyzed and reported. 3. 2 Research DesignResearch design is the plan and structure of investigation so conceived so as to obtain answers to research questions. The plan is the overall program of the research and includes an outline of what the investigator did from writing the hypothesis and their operational implications for the final analysis of data. Cooper and Schnielder (2003) summarize the essentials of research design as an activity and time based plan; always based on the research question; guides the selection of sources and types of information; a framework for specifying the relationship among the study variables and outlines the procedures for every research activity.In conducting this research, descriptive research design was used in collecting the data from respondents. The design was preferred because it was concerned with answering questions such as who , how, what, which, when and how much (Cooper and Schnielder, 2001). A descriptive study was carefully designed to ensure complete description of the situation, making sure that there is minimum bias in the collection of data and to reduce errors in interpreting the data collected. 3. 3 Target PopulationThis research considered all matatus operating in Nairobi County. Those operating on the routes that ferry people to the city were the main target population. This gave the researcher easy access to the workers of the matatus as they were at their respective stages (matatu terminus). In the sample frame, more consideration was awarded to the major matatu SACCOs with offices in Nairobi metropolitan operating large occupancy vehicles. This was efficient and effective in terms of cost and accessibility to the researcher.Table 1 Target population | Route |North of Nairobi (a) |East of Nairobi (b) |South of Nairobi (c) |West of Nairobi (d) |Long | |(Population Size) | | | | |Distances (e ) | |Capacity | | | | | | |(Population Category) | | | | | |High Occupancy | | | | | | | |30 |30 |30 |30 |30 | |Low Occupancy |40 |40 |40 |40 |40 |Source: (Researcher, 2012) 3. 4 Sample Design Majorly stratified and clustered sampling was used to select a sample that will represent the entire population. Stratified sampling was the best procedure as it gave the chance to group the matatus in accordance with their capacity i. e. , high occupancy and low occupancy. In addition, clustered sampling supplemented stratified sampling.This technique helped in accessing all routes (Nairobi County has several routes) which gave a fair ground for the acquisition of different opinions since different routes have different matatu SACCOs that have varying strategies in attaining their goals. This method was the major source of primary data. Table 2 Target sample size Route |North of Nairobi (a) |East of Nairobi (b) |South of Nairobi (c) |West of Nairobi (d) |Long | | |(50%) |(50%) |(50%) |(50%) | Distances (e) (50%)| |Capacity | | | | | | |High Occupancy | | | | | | | |15 |15 |15 |15 |15 | |Low Occupancy |20 |20 |20 |20 |20 | Source: (Researcher, 2012) 3. 5 Data Collection InstrumentsIn this research, the use of both primary and secondary sources of data was adopted. Personal interviews were done through appointments with the managers or phone call interviews in case an appointment failed, questionnaires which were given in a period of one week and then collected by the researcher and direct observation on physical basis were the source of primary data. The use of relevant literature like; Matatu SACCO’s website, business magazines, daily newspapers and government authorities (traffic department) journals available for the public was an ideal source of secondary data. 3. 6 Data Analysis and Presentation The data collected in this study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature.This was for the analysis of data to show the effectiveness of SACCOs in the managemen t of the Matatu Industry. The analysis applied the use of percentages to show the effectiveness of SACCOs. This analysis made it possible to draw appropriate conclusion about the study and pave way for reporting and documenting the study. In order to infer the data that was collected into a form that is understandable to the users of this study, the researcher used tables for quantitative analysis and cross comparison analysis and pie charts that depict the trends and frequency distribution of the research. CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTEREPRETATION 4. 1 IntroductionThe study aimed to establish the effectiveness of SACCOs in the management of the transport industry in Nairobi County. This chapter discusses data analysis and findings of the research. Descriptive analysis was used and represented by the use of tables and pie charts. Qualitative analysis was used to summarize the respondents’ final comments in the questionnaire so as to get a better insight on their opinions on Matatu SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management. 4. 2 Respondents The sample size comprised of 100 respondents drawn from selected Matatu SACCOs. Out of the 25 SACCOs that were given questionnaires, 5 of them gave their feedback. Table 3 Sample and number respondents MATATU SACCO |Sample size |Returned |unreturned |percentage | |MWI Sacco |20 |18 |2 |90% | |Double M |20 |20 |0 |100% | |Super highway 45 Sacco |20 |15 |5 |75% | |City hopper |20 |16 |4 |80% | |KBS |20 |18 |2 |90% | |TOTAL |100 |87 |13 |87% | The research targeted the owners, managers and employees (drivers, conductors and stage workers) of the SACCOs to provide information. Table 4 Type of respondents |SACCO |OWNERS |MANAGERS |WORKERS | |MWI SACCO |5 |5 |8 | |DOUBLE M |2 8 |10 | |SUPER HIGHWAY 45 SACCO |4 |3 |8 | |CITY HOPPER |3 |4 |9 | |KBS |0 |6 |12 | |TOTAL |14 |26 |47 | 4. 3 Findings The financial revenue benefit was indicated by 85% of the respondents saying that there are financial re venues gained by the use of SACCOs as a mode of matatu management and 15% supported individual management and that the financial status before SACCOs were formed was the same as that of individual management which was prominent in the past. Figure 2 Pie chart presentation on increase in financial benefits [pic]When it comes to the reduction of the operational costs, 83% of the respondends accept that there is a significant reduction in the operational costs of the matatu sector. This is attributed to the fact that some SACCOs have their own petrol station thus reducing the costs. On the other side, the remaining 17% don’t see any reduction in the operational costs as there are contrubutions made by the SACCO every morning or evening of the day. Figure 3 Pie chart presentation on the reduction of operation costs [pic] In reference to the level of profitability, 25% of the respondents said that the profitability of the SACCOs was high compared to individual management. 58%, of the respondents said that the profitability of SACCOs is medium but etter than individual management, and 17% retained that the profitability of the SACCOs was low compared to individual management since daily contributions are made by the SACCO which reduces daily production. Figure 4 Pie chart presentation on the level of profitability [pic] To the challenges facing the transport (matatu) sector, majority of the respondents at 50% still maintain that SACCOs have done nothing to manage the challenges. They attribute this to the fact that the SACCOs are just a statutory requirement and not a free will initiative while others state that the challenges facing the transport industry is a responsibility of the government for example, bad roads and that the work of the SACCO is to support them financially not in terms of handling challenges. 2% of the respondents said that the management of the challenges by SACCOs is better than individual management. This is mainly due to the fact that finances are also a challenge and that the services offered by the SACCOs are part of the solution to the challenges. 18% of the respondents are satisfied with the way SACCOs are handling the challenges that face the industry. Figure 5 Pie chart presentation on the level of handling challenges by SACCOs [pic] In response to the level of accidents, 54% of the respondents support that SACCOs have reduced road accidents supported by the fact that they ensure that their drivers maintain road safety while others said that they service their vehicles in order to enhance safety standards. TThe remaining 46% of the respondents said that accidents have not reduced because they are not only caused by public service vehicles alone but others like personal cars, long-distance Lorries, motor cycles, and other users. Figure 6 Pie chart presentation on the level of road accidents [pic] In terms of general effectiveness, 85% of the respondents said that the SACCOs have been effective in the manage ment of transport industry and have brought order in the matatu industry. 13% of the respondents said that matatu SACCOs are not effective in the management of the transport industry. Figure 7 Pie chart presentation on Effectiveness of SACCOs [pic] 4. 4 Qualitative analysisFrom the findings we can see that the introduction of SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management has benefited the owners, workers and other stake holders of the matatu industry with 85% of the respondents supporting that SACCOs have been effective in the management of the transport industry. To the owners, there has been a benefit in terms of accessing credit facilities, sharing of operation costs with other matatu owners and monthly or yearly dividends received from the SACCO with or without operation since 83% of the respondents supported that the SACCOs have reduced operational costs. Drivers also get financial support from the SACCO as a means of self -help.They gain credit facilities from the SACCOs a t an affordable rate as compared to the other financing institutions like banks. The Owners and other stakeholders like the Government also benefit financially in terms of taxes and profitability since 85% of the respondents supported that SACCOs have increased financial benefits and the profitability gained through them are as follows: High-25%, Medium-58% and Low-17% The other beneficiaries of the Matatu SACCOs are passengers, who enjoy safety and quality services and other road users benefit from the relatively good order on the roads and discipline in both conduct and service with 54% of the respondents who have supported that SACCOs have reduced road accidents and have increased road safety.Unfortunately, the SACCOs have not been able to curb certain challenges within the transport sector such as corruption, harassment by the police and reckless driving by their drivers with 50% of the respondents saying that they have not done enough to handle these challenges. CHAPTER FIVE DI SCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. 1 Introduction. This chapter presents the summary of the research based on the analysis of the responses received from the relevant respondents. It is a summary of the main findings of the research and how they relate to the nature of the study. This chapter also includes suggestions for further action and research. 5. 2 Discussion of the Findings Matatu SACCOs have been effective in the management of the transport industry at 85%.This is attributed to the increase in financial revenue benefits at 85%, reduction in the operation costs at 83%, level of profitability being medium at 58% and reduction of road accident at 54%. Despite being unable to manage the challenges facing the industry, SACCOs are still able to manage the challenges of the industry at 32% – better and 18% – best, 50% of the respondents indicated that SACCOs are worst managers of the challenges facing the industry. The passengers indicated that the use of matatu SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management has set standards of service in order to satisfy the customers. Other road users indicated their satisfaction towards the improvement in the level of order and road ethics. In comparison to management by Matatu SACCOs, the effectiveness of management on individual basis stood at 15%.This was indicated by the financial revenue benefits at 15%, reduction of costs at 17%and profitability at 42%. Generally, passengers were dissatisfied with the services offered by the matatus and they saw the industry as a house of insanity and disorder. This was attached to reckless driving and high level of accidents as a result of this. 5. 3 Conclusion With use of Matatu SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management, there is a sign of relief to the stakeholders of the matatu industry. SACCOs give the owners professional service in terms of management. Therefore, the profitability of SACCOs is medium and it gives satisfaction to the owners since they benefit financially from the SACCOS.In the long run, there is anticipation by all stake holders that the problems and challenges facing the industry will be handled through the SACCOs and in turn this will improve the Matatu Sector. 5. 4 Recommendations The challenges facing the SACCOs can be helped by the government. This includes improvement of road networks. This will help reduce the cost of maintaining the vehicles. The Government should put the right structures in the right places in order to reduce the procedures regarding the registration and legislations of the SACCOs. The dealers in the petroleum industry, should try to reduce the cost of fuel. This will be of great benefit to the other stakeholders.To reduce the level of road accidents, that should be taken as a responsibility of everyone who makes the use of the road from motorists to pedestrians. The government should enforce the road safety (the famous Michuki rules) to the latter. To the SACCO man agement, there should be additional training to the staff in areas such as financial management and customer service. The drivers and other workers should be employed on relatively permanent basis for better accountability. 5. 5 Limitations No SACCO accepted to give their financial report. The SACCOs termed the financial reports as private and could not be issued for research. Most of the Matatu SACCOs are new (less than 3 years old) since the government legislated them.Therefore it is difficult to obtain financial information covering the whole period. REFERENCES Agama N, Effectiveness of SACCO governance model (2008) Alien J, The history of the co-operative movement (2011) Chitere O. and Kebab N, Efforts to improve road safety in Kenya; Achievements and limitation of reforms in the mutate industry, (2004) Chitere O, A study of owners, workers and their association and potential for improvement, (2004) Grief J, The organization and future of the mutate industry in Nairobi; Kenya, ( 2009) Gotha N, Matatu experience in Kenya,(2006) Jack W. and Habyriamen. J, Heckle and chide; results of a randomized road safety in Kenya, (2009) Khayesi.M, The struggle for regulatory and economic sphere of influence in the matatu means of transport in Kenya, (1999) Khayesi. M, Struggle for socio-economic niche and control in the matatu industry in Kenya, (2002) Kenya Gazette supplement (no. 98, Acts no. 14) SACCO Societies (2008) Mudibo. E, Integrating financial services in to poverty reduction strategies, (2006) Mwikamba. E and Ng’ombe. W, Know more about SACCOs,(2003) PWC Kenya, Issues facing the transport industry, (2009) Rothschild J. and White J, The co-operative workplace, Cambridge University press, (1986) Riddley-Duff R. Social enterprises as a socially rational business, (2008) SACCO Societies regulatory bill, (2005) Donald R. Cooper and Pamela S. Schindler, Business Research Methods (2003)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Amazon.com – the world’s biggest e-commerce retailer

Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce retailer. They were founded in 1994, being the first online retailer to secure one million customers in 1997. They are based out of Seattle, Washington but have locations in 18 U. S states and 14 international locations. They currently have over 88,000 employees and are still growing. Amazon sells pretty much anything you want on their website, from DVDs and video games to shoes and sports equipment. When Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. com, started Amazon all he was selling was books and now they have their own tablet, called the Kindle, which is a virtual book. Amazon’s mission statement is â€Å"Our vision is to be earth's most customer centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online. † The way that Amazon does their business isn’t rushed, just wanting to earn a profit. Jeff Bezos business plan was a slow-growing business, and he didn’t even turn a profit until 2001, after the â€Å"dot-com boom† of the late 1990s couldn’t even stop then when a lot of other online companies had to file for bankruptcy. But they survived and made 97 million just in the last quartered of 2012. Amazon has a code of business conduct and ethics, with their main statement being â€Å"Amazon. com employees should always act lawfully, ethically, and in the best interests of Amazon. com. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics sets out basic guiding principles. Employees who are unsure whether their conduct or the conduct of their coworkers complies with the Code of Conduct should contact their manager or the Legal Department. † The type of system that they are using is virtue ethics, which is where morals are internal. They are trying to internalize moral behavior, making sure that everyone is aware that they are there to benefit the company and do so in a lawful way. Amazon was built on making their customers happy, and by doing that they need to make sure that all of there employees are performing to the best of their ability, making sure they are making the right decisions for the company. Amazon has strict rules on conflicts of interest, insider trading, harassment, record keeping and many other things. They also give their employees the opportunity’s to submit ideas that they believe will not only better the company, but also the world called the Kaizen program. The Kaizen program is where Amazon employees work together to implement environmental and energy initiatives across all parts of the company. They have done everything from figuring out a new way to package trucks, for less shipments and saving fuel to figuring out how to install lights that are on motion sensors to help reduce energy costs.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Free Essays on Women’s Literary Production As “Intrusion On The Right Of Men”

Women’s Literary Production as â€Å"Intrusion on the Right of Men† In many of the works we have read this semester we see women struggling to break free from a system of social construct. Many of these women use there literary talent to tell their stories of intruding on the rights of men. The women use different styles of writing but are all trying to show there struggle for equality. Some of the women wrote poetry while others used autobiographies and short stories to let the world know about the corrupt system they were working in. We live in a male dominated world where women writers are trying to work with in the system of social construct in order to change the system for future generations. In this paper, I will discuss three literary works we have read this semester and demonstrate how these women are intruding on the rights of men in order to change the system. In the poem â€Å"The Goblin Market† by Christina Rossetti, the idea of the male dominated society is shown in a very creative way. Rossetti uses Goblins to signify sex driven men. The poem begins with the Goblin men tempting Lizzie and Laura to come eat there plump and luscious fruits. These fruits signify the male genitalia that are very tempting to Laura but Lizzie tries everything in her power to keep her sister hidden from the goblin merchant men. The Goblin men come every night trying to take the girls virginity away. Laura undermines Lizzie’s pleas and goes to the merchant men where she sells a lock of her golden hair in order to suck the ripe fruits until her lips are sore. When she returns home she tells Laura about how wonderful the fruits were and how she longs for more. The next day, Laura goes out waiting to hear the merchants call again and Lizzie hears them but Laura never hears the calls again. The Goblin men took her virginity so they were now done with her. As time goes by Laura falls into a deep depression and she will not eat. The pure Li... Free Essays on Women’s Literary Production As â€Å"Intrusion On The Right Of Men† Free Essays on Women’s Literary Production As â€Å"Intrusion On The Right Of Men† Women’s Literary Production as â€Å"Intrusion on the Right of Men† In many of the works we have read this semester we see women struggling to break free from a system of social construct. Many of these women use there literary talent to tell their stories of intruding on the rights of men. The women use different styles of writing but are all trying to show there struggle for equality. Some of the women wrote poetry while others used autobiographies and short stories to let the world know about the corrupt system they were working in. We live in a male dominated world where women writers are trying to work with in the system of social construct in order to change the system for future generations. In this paper, I will discuss three literary works we have read this semester and demonstrate how these women are intruding on the rights of men in order to change the system. In the poem â€Å"The Goblin Market† by Christina Rossetti, the idea of the male dominated society is shown in a very creative way. Rossetti uses Goblins to signify sex driven men. The poem begins with the Goblin men tempting Lizzie and Laura to come eat there plump and luscious fruits. These fruits signify the male genitalia that are very tempting to Laura but Lizzie tries everything in her power to keep her sister hidden from the goblin merchant men. The Goblin men come every night trying to take the girls virginity away. Laura undermines Lizzie’s pleas and goes to the merchant men where she sells a lock of her golden hair in order to suck the ripe fruits until her lips are sore. When she returns home she tells Laura about how wonderful the fruits were and how she longs for more. The next day, Laura goes out waiting to hear the merchants call again and Lizzie hears them but Laura never hears the calls again. The Goblin men took her virginity so they were now done with her. As time goes by Laura falls into a deep depression and she will not eat. The pure Li...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Top 4 Skills That Will Make You Eternally Employable

Top 4 Skills That Will Make You Eternally Employable There seem to be four things that set people apart from their peers throughout the course of their careers. Most job success comes from constant development of yourself as an employee and also as a leader. To help yourself along this path, it’s always a good idea first to assess your strengths and career personality. Once you have a good sense of your strengths, you’ll be able to take on greater responsibility, identify and correct your weaknesses, and take the risks that will help you grow in your life and your career. You’ll be able to work to develop the key traits of courage, authenticity, and humility. You’ll learn to be confident, not arrogant. And you’ll find yourself getting rewarded and recognized for the good work you’re doing.There are four core skills that will make you eternally employable:Executing, or  making things happen. Sure, everyone can have great ideas, but do you have the drive and energy to get it done?Influencing, o r reaching a broader audience for yourself and as a team. Do you have the personal skills to reach out and hype people up in order to make a change or complete a project in the best way possible?Relationship Building, or networking and holding your team together. Companies are looking for people who they don’t have to worry about. Are you good in a group? Do you have the ability to assess who is good at what tasks, and then motivate them to get the job done?Strategic Thinking, or looking to the future and always thinking about possibilities. All companies want to grow. If you want to get hired, it’s up to you to prove you have the ideas and creativity to take the current level and kick it up a notch (or two).These four strength categories cover a wide range of smaller strengths, but can be extremely useful in developing your self in your career. Remember, people can and do succeed with two out of four. But great leaders are strong on all four fronts. Try working to bui ld each category up as often as you can and see what a difference it can make in your life and on the job.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Thanksgivings History and FDRs Involvement

Thanksgiving's History and FDR's Involvement U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had a lot to think about in 1939. The world had been suffering from the Great Depression for a decade and the Second World War had just erupted in Europe. On top of that, the U.S. economy continued to look bleak. So when U.S. retailers begged him to move Thanksgiving up a week to increase the shopping days before Christmas, FDR agreed. He probably considered it a small change; however, when FDR issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation with the new date, there was an uproar throughout the country. The First Thanksgiving As most schoolchildren know, the history of Thanksgiving began when Pilgrims and Native Americans gathered together to celebrate a successful harvest. The first Thanksgiving was held in the fall of 1621, sometime between September 21 and November 11, and was a three-day feast. The Pilgrims were joined by approximately ninety of the local Wampanoag tribe, including Chief Massasoit, in celebration. They ate fowl and deer for certain and most likely also ate berries, fish, clams, plums, and boiled pumpkin. Sporadic Thanksgivings Though the current holiday of Thanksgiving was based on the 1621 feast, it did not immediately become an annual celebration or holiday. Sporadic days of Thanksgiving followed, usually declared locally to give thanks for a specific event such as the end of a drought, victory in a specific battle, or after a harvest. It wasnt until October 1777 that all thirteen colonies celebrated a day of Thanksgiving. The very first national day of Thanksgiving was held in 1789, when President George Washington proclaimed Thursday, November 26 to be a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to especially give thanks for the opportunity to form a new nation and the establishment of a new constitution. Yet even after a national day of Thanksgiving was declared in 1789, Thanksgiving was not an annual celebration. Mother of Thanksgiving We owe the modern concept of Thanksgiving to a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale, editor of Godeys Ladys Book and author of the famous Mary Had a Little Lamb nursery rhyme, spent forty years advocating for a national, annual Thanksgiving holiday. In the years leading up to the Civil War, she saw the holiday as a way to infuse hope and belief in the nation and the Constitution. So, when the United States was torn in half during the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln was searching for a way to bring the nation together, he discussed the matter with Hale. Lincoln Sets Date On October 3, 1863, Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation that declared the last Thursday in November (based on Washingtons date) to be a day of thanksgiving and praise. For the first time, Thanksgiving became a national, annual holiday with a specific date. FDR Changes It For seventy-five years after Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving Proclamation, succeeding presidents honored the tradition and annually issued their own Thanksgiving Proclamation, declaring the last Thursday in November as the day of Thanksgiving. However, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not. In 1939, the last Thursday of November was going to be November 30. Retailers complained to FDR that this only left twenty-four shopping days to Christmas and begged him to push Thanksgiving just one week earlier. It was determined that most people do their Christmas shopping after Thanksgiving and retailers hoped that with an extra week of shopping, people would buy more. So when FDR announced his Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1939, he declared the date of Thanksgiving to be Thursday, November 23, the second-to-last Thursday of the month. Controversy The new date for Thanksgiving caused a lot of confusion. Calendars were now incorrect. Schools who had planned vacations and tests now had to reschedule. Thanksgiving had been a big day for football games, as it is today, so the game schedule had to be examined. Political opponents of FDR and many others questioned the Presidents right to change the holiday and stressed the breaking of precedent and disregard for tradition. Many believed that changing a cherished holiday just to appease businesses was not a sufficient reason for a change. Atlantic Citys mayor derogatorily called November 23 as Franksgiving. Two Thanksgivings in 1939? Before 1939, the President annually announced his Thanksgiving Proclamation and then governors followed the President in officially proclaiming the same day as Thanksgiving for their state. In 1939, however, many governors did not agree with FDRs decision to change the date and thus refused to follow him. The country became split on which Thanksgiving day they should observe. Twenty-three states followed FDRs change and declared Thanksgiving to be November 23. Twenty-three other states disagreed with FDR and kept the traditional date for Thanksgiving, November 30. Two states, Colorado and Texas, decided to honor both dates. This idea of two Thanksgiving days split some families  because not everyone had the same day off work. Did It Work? Though the confusion caused many frustrations across the country, the question remained as to whether the extended holiday shopping season caused people to spend more, thus helping the economy. The answer was no. Businesses reported that the spending was approximately the same, but the distribution of the shopping was changed. For those states who celebrated the earlier Thanksgiving date, the shopping was evenly distributed throughout the season. For those states that kept the traditional date, businesses experienced a bulk of shopping in the last week before Christmas. What Happened to Thanksgiving the Following Year? In 1940, FDR again announced Thanksgiving to be the second-to-last Thursday of the month. This time, thirty-one states followed him with the earlier date and seventeen kept the traditional date. Confusion over two Thanksgivings continued. Congress Fixes It Lincoln had established the Thanksgiving holiday to bring the country together, but the confusion over the date change was tearing it apart. On December 26, 1941, Congress passed a law declaring that Thanksgiving would occur every year on the fourth Thursday of November.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Training and Assessment TAEDEL301A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Training and Assessment TAEDEL301A - Essay Example But within a few days of regular practice, one’s reflexes get tuned in with the whole process and one starts following it automatically. The task of driving can be explained from the perspective of the behaviouristic and cognitive theories. According to behaviourism, the reflexes of the body get conditioned to an action that it performs repetitively; hence in the presence of the stimulus, the body performs the task automatically. According to cognitive principles, with regular practice or repetition of a particular task, the mind adjusts and accommodates the new knowledge with the existing knowledge to form a new knowledge structure. As a result, the knowledge of the task passes from the short term memory to the long term memory and makes the learning permanent. The learner can be provided different types of trouble shooting cases and asked to resolve them. Practising the task in different contexts/situations would reinforce the acquired knowledge/skill. This task should be practised on a regular basis. It would help the learner respond quickly to situations and handle any kind of situation. In case of trouble shooting in customer care, the most effective way to determine learner performance is through customer feedback. The other way of evaluating is through mock test, where peers are acting as customers and the learning participant has to resolve the problems that each one comes up with. This assessment tool is relevant for evaluating the learner’s performance because it helps the instructor to see the learner in action. On the part of the learner, he/she also gets a real feel of doing the task hands-on and also understanding where he/she needs to improve. Learning takes place through adaptations and changes. Without initiating a change in the performance level or capacity of the learner, real learning cannot be facilitated. New knowledge structure

Organizational Change Management, Change, Talk and Sensemaking Annotated Bibliography

Organizational Change Management, Change, Talk and Sensemaking - Annotated Bibliography Example This is a particularly different approach from implementing change in-house because much of the language analysis prepared in this article would not be necessary if everyone involved in the change used common language that is familiar to all within the organization.   Outsiders may use terminology differently, which may be the actual cause of confusion. The analysis provides an example of why clear and concise communication is necessary, particularly during periods of change. If outsiders are brought in, their language should be adjusted to that of the firm, or a list of This article shares the results of a survey taken by the authors, that examines trends in how organizations change. The findings indicate that true organizational change only occurred about 40% of the time. The best results, as high as 80%, are achieved by companies that abide by principles such a strong senior leadership, clear vision of goals and consistent communication of goals. The survey also found that companies that were under pressure to change from external forces usually failed because they tried to have â€Å"troubleshooters† take care of the transformation in secret rather than appealing to the broad base of employees. This article is valuable to research, as it provides a strong argument against secret or covert actions taken to bring about change in an organization. Outsourcing decisions that do not communicate a clear set of goals will not receive a broad base of support within the organization. This will lead to less than desirable results in the change process. Lack of open communication and secretive ventures of this nature can create a great deal of distrust. The research also suggests that change which is expected to bring about improvement within an organization should be proactive, rather than reactive. This means that taking measures to prevent the problem before they occur, being able to anticipate them and having solutions in place if they do occur can help organizations weather storms much more successfully.  

Friday, October 18, 2019

Clustering Stock Market Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Clustering Stock Market Companies - Essay Example It is often seen that business houses in clusters are more successful than those businesses doing identical trade or commercial ventures but are separated from each other, either through geographical distances or other barriers which do not offer their clustering. Not only are clusters more successful in terms of profitability and growth indicators but they are also well-positioned in terms of good management structures and high share value with respect to the companies who are not clustered. It is often found that in many countries the situation of certain similar industries is in close geographical proximity to each other. For instance, computer firms are found in the US in Silicon Valley and Bangalore in India, and they are proliferating exponentially in the recent times. This geographical proximity also gives rise to clustering and has a positive impact on the company's growth since all the members of the cluster would be able to contribute to the economic welfare of the State to which it belongs. The concept of clustering is fundamentally to determine the essential grouping or collation of data, and in the contest of business enterprises could be used to consider important aspects like revenue generation, profit making corporation and the main location aspects of the business. Through this research it is tried to focus upon the important aspects that work in the case of Clustering and how this aspect impacts upon the economy of the country. Clustering could be used for a variety of applications depending upon the desired results or objectives and could help in studying areas of interest like biology, insurance, seismic recordings for earthquakes, World Wide Web (www) where it is necessary to determine the pattern of behaviour in seemingly discrete and unorganized data. For instance in determining census reports, a lot of mass of data from all over the districts are collated and gathered and for arriving at the correct distributional patterns among the vast mass of data and to provide intelligent and coherent analysis and interpretations for the data . This could be done through the use of cluster formation which would distribute the similar data in identical formatting and thus help in achieving the desired ends and conclusions regarding the distribution and behaviour patterns of the data under study. The main determinants of clustering would be therefore in terms of Ability to make valid measurements and coherent analysis Assign attributes to the data based on the findings of clustering Formulating data with the various designs for implementation of decisions Established the least requirement for domain knowledge and determining the inputs that could provide valid outputs measurements and the basis for arriving at logical conclusions It is to be noted that the domain is not concerned with the order of the inputs recording since the processing would be based on similar identification and not other criteria High dimensionality would have to be accorded to the data being researched since this would impinge upon the final results It is also necessary that the data on clustering has high degree of usability in the academic context There are different types of clustering and they could be seen in the contest of Exclusive clusters, overlapping clusters, hierarchical clusters and probable clusters. The Euclidean distance would be the

Structure matters Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Structure matters - Lab Report Example It involved manual pulling of the paper strips to find out the amount of force needed to tear the paper. Some paper strips were soaked with water and the same tensile strength test conducted. It was noted that the dry paper strips require far much force to tear apart than those soaked in water. Among the dry paper strips, the strips with shorter width required much force unlike those with longer widths. The demand placed on pulp industry makes paper and paper board testing an important step in the in the production process of paper before release for use in the wide range of applications. The tensile strength and elongation of the produced paper must meet customer requirement especially those used in printing. The tensile breaking strength of board and paper is usually achieved by measuring the stretch and breaking load of paper strips. The provided sheet of paper was measured and five of 3/8† by 3† strips were made through the use of scissors both from the top left comer of the sheet and the bottom right corner. The strips made from the top corner were kept separate from those made from the bottom right corner. The amount of force required to pull the strips apart were rated form a scale of one to ten with one assigned to the strips that required the least amount of force while ten assigned to strips that required the maximum force. From the firs experiment it was evidenced that pulling the strips cut from the bottom left corner of the sheet required a lot of force to be exerted in order to tear the strip a part. The force needed to get the strips torn was rated 8 out of ten. On the other hand, the strips made from the top of the paper required much less force as compared to the other strips. The force required to get the strips torn was rated 5 out of ten. The strips made from the bottom right corner of the paper had a shorter width of 3/8† with a longer length of 3†.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Gap Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Gap Inc - Case Study Example (About Gap Inc: Social Responsibility Report) Their products are marketed under the brand names of Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Piperlime. The brands are moderately upscale labels that target the fashion conscious consumer. Gap manufactures and markets wearing apparel and accessories and the brands have some overlap in products and target markets. Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, manufacture similar products that are differentiated by luxury, price, and value. Piperlime is an online shoe store that specializes in marketing over 200 brands of fashionable, upscale footwear. All their products are direct marketed online at dedicated brand web sites. In 2007, Gap Inc. test marketed a brand under the name of Forth and Towne. They subsequently closed 19 stores in 10 cities after the brand failed to demonstrate significant potential. (About Gap Inc: 2007 Annual Report) The organizational stakeholders at Gap Inc. are 150,000 employees, shareholders, CEO, Board of Directors, and executive office holders. Gap Inc. is headed by CEO Glenn K Murphy, who has over 20 years of retail experience. He has been at the head of Gap Inc. for less than one year and this is his first experience in the apparel industry. Japan and Europe are directed by presidents John Ermatinger and Stephen Sunnucks.

A Comparison between Gandhi and Albert Camus Research Paper

A Comparison between Gandhi and Albert Camus - Research Paper Example A valid way to understand them would be to consider the effect of their environment upon their thinking and actions. Their respective philosophies are also studied in this essay. Two of their works, â€Å"My experiments with Truth† by Gandhi and â€Å"The Stranger† by Albert Camus are also compared to understand these aspects. These highly attractive figures also had many similarities in their life. Both belonged to the same class of thinkers, the existentialists, Gandhi being accorded the status on being a religious man whose truths are subjective than objective. Both accidentally suffered the violent ends. Their life and significance and present day relevance are only being more understood in the in the recent years. Name Instructor Course Name 9th May 2011 A Comparison between Gandhi and Albert Camus Youth and Upbringing Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known in his country as â€Å"Mahatma† or great soul was the most popular and charismatic leader of the nation in modern times and the most powerful leader responsible for gaining independence for India from the British Empire. He was born on October 2, 1869, at Porbandar, a small town on the western coast of India, which was then one of the many tiny states in Kathiawar where his grandfather and father were prime minister of that small royal state. He was sent to Britain to study law an occasion, which served to broaden his mind greatly. [Gandhi bio source 1] Affectionately called the father of the nation he was a man who led a spotless and model life so correct he was able to say, â€Å"My life is My Message† [Sarvodaya]. He acted as a moral leader who taught that freedom was directly related to a moral life and led by example. He inspired so much awe among the great men of the world that Einstein wrote "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe, that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." [Gandhi Research].In short he was a thinker â €Å"who practiced what he preached†. All his simplicity and social involvement was the result of profound thought and religious idealism. Philosophy As a theoretical philosopher, he may fit in more as a religious person who has attained enlightenment than as an originator of totally new line of philosophical thought. â€Å"This is because Gandhi was not a philosopher trying to make sense of the world around him in abstraction. He was essentially a political actor.† [Dasgupta] Most of Gandhi’s potent ideas, like Ahimsa and Non-violence were not exactly originated by him but were of religious origin. In short, for comparative purposes, he was a man who was able to find meaning in life, which for him was God, which he also called the truth. [SOURCE].One of Gandhi’s motivators was also his feeling of religious guilt being a very morally reflective boy from his childhood. Born in a very traditional family environment he felt sorely from the instance of having been engaged in sexual intercourse with his own wife while his father was on his deathbed .Unfortunately while Gandhi was away his father happened to die. He felt very guilty about this, he constantly tried to become a purer man, and his grace spread to the society about him. [Gandhi Autobiography] He was also highly moved by the beauty of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’[New Testament]. Albert Camus [1913- 1960] was born 7 November 1913 in Mondovi, Algeria, into a working-class family and grew up in poverty. His mother Catherine Helene Sintes was an illiterate cleaning woman of Spanish origin. Lucien Auguste Camus, his father, was an itinerant agricultural laborer He died when Camus was as a one year old of his war wounds in 1914 after the Battle of the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Gap Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Gap Inc - Case Study Example (About Gap Inc: Social Responsibility Report) Their products are marketed under the brand names of Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Piperlime. The brands are moderately upscale labels that target the fashion conscious consumer. Gap manufactures and markets wearing apparel and accessories and the brands have some overlap in products and target markets. Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy, manufacture similar products that are differentiated by luxury, price, and value. Piperlime is an online shoe store that specializes in marketing over 200 brands of fashionable, upscale footwear. All their products are direct marketed online at dedicated brand web sites. In 2007, Gap Inc. test marketed a brand under the name of Forth and Towne. They subsequently closed 19 stores in 10 cities after the brand failed to demonstrate significant potential. (About Gap Inc: 2007 Annual Report) The organizational stakeholders at Gap Inc. are 150,000 employees, shareholders, CEO, Board of Directors, and executive office holders. Gap Inc. is headed by CEO Glenn K Murphy, who has over 20 years of retail experience. He has been at the head of Gap Inc. for less than one year and this is his first experience in the apparel industry. Japan and Europe are directed by presidents John Ermatinger and Stephen Sunnucks.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The impact of graphic design on new media(Graphic Design) Dissertation

The impact of graphic design on new media(Graphic Design) - Dissertation Example The Internet, of course, has played a large part in this. Graphic design is intimately connected with new media – Engholm (2002) states that new media would not have risen to prominence as quickly as it did without graphic design. Therefore, the two concepts are interconnected. Because they are, it is important to discovery how one influences the other. In particular, this study seeks to find out how graphic design influences the consumers of new media. Especially important is the effect upon young people, because they are intimately connected. Young people have virtually always had new media in their lives, and, indeed, they tend to use new media to a profound level. New media is ubiquitous in their lives. To this end, the study focuses upon individuals who are purveyors of new media, yet, by and large, are not experts on graphic arts. They simply â€Å"like what they like.† Graphic arts might be a turnoff if not done correctly. Alternatively, it might be a draw for ot hers, if it is done right. What the study has found is that, with regards to websites, graphic arts are important, but content is more important. With advertisements, it seems to be the opposite of this. Aims and Objective The aim of this project is to show how graphic design and the new media interact. Another aim is to show how young people are influenced by graphic design in their websites and online advertisements. The objective is to tie new media, graphic design and their effects on young people to show graphic designers, advertisers and other purveyors of new media how they can reach the young audience with graphics. New media uses graphic design in a variety of ways. Advertisements, online video games and websites are all ways that graphic design and new media intersect. This study will focus on different ways that graphic design and the Internet intersect, and how graphic design is used on the Internet. This study will examine different online advertisements, web sites and online video game sites to determine how graphic design is used. This study will also examine how young people react to the graphics, and what can be done to make the graphics better.  Abstract The first chapter will give an overview of graphic arts and new media. The second chapter will go more into depth in these concepts. The third chapter will feature the results of the interviews and surveys done on the participants to this study. The fourth chapter will synthesize the findings and provide a road map for what should come next in the area of graphic design, as it relates to new media. The fifth chapter will conclude the paper.  Chapter 1 In this chapter, a road map for the dissertation will be offered. The first part of this chapter will concentrate on the overview of the graphic design and new media, providing a brief history and definition of the two concepts. The second part will give a brief overview of the literature survey. The third part will explain the research de sign, including the limitations of the particular design, as well as a brief overview

Monday, October 14, 2019

Definition aspects of empathy Essay Example for Free

Definition aspects of empathy Essay When empathy is defined cognitively, the construct of sympathy is found to be similar to a traditional measure used for studying the interpersonal sensitivity or perception of a person. This translates to a highly empathic person being skilled at decoding cues related to another’s feelings or behaviour and hence is accurate in predicting another’s feelings or behaviour. This in turn translates to the ability to infer the target individual’s thoughts, feelings and personality characteristics from a variety of verbal and non-verbal cues. Hence this definition and measurement has important applications in areas of processes involving social influences such as teacher-student, physical-patient relationships. Another definition moves beyond the understanding of another person’s emotional state or situation. It emphasises on the vicarious emotional reaction that is occur in the observer as a result of understanding the emotional state of the other individual. Here empathy is a state of emotional arousal that comes from the apprehension or comprehension of another’s affective emotional state. For example, if an individual observes another person who is sad and then feels sad themselves, then the person is experiencing empathy. This can also be translated in case the individual’s emotion is positive and the observer feels similarly positive. Empathy can be experienced over a wide range of emotions. (Randall, et al, 2001) Major Components of Empathy Although there are various definitions for empathy, it is widely accepted that there are three primary components. The components can be listed as follows: (i) an affective response to another person, often involving sharing of the person’s emotional state; (ii) a cognitive capacity to understand and take the perspective of another person; and (iii) regulation of emotion. According to Hoffman, empathy is largely involuntary response to affective emotional cues from the other person. Batson et al (1997) associate empathy with intentional role taking ability which taps into the cognitive resources. These two different aspects of empathy takes into affect depending on how empathy is triggered. Depending on the trigger the behaviour of the observer is automatically mimics the expressions of other, which is the bottom-up processing. Top-down processing happens when the observer uses his or her capacity for imaginative transposing of oneself into the thinking and the feeling of the subject. Both the aspects of empathy are involved differentially depending on the situation. (Decety, et al , 2006) Empathy and Its Use in Health Industry In the recent years, it has been found that empathetic communication enhances the therapeutic effectiveness in a clinician- patient relationship. It also helps in increasing the effectiveness of gathering information in the clinical interviewing process. In medical care, empathy improves the communication and provides several advantages. Some of these advantages are improved health for the patients, better patient compliance, reduction in risk in terms of medical legal aspects, and improved satisfaction among the clinicians. Empathy is the key element that enables better communication. Frederic Platt devised a set of key steps to effective empathy. This includes the following aspects i. Recognising the presence of strong feeling like fear, anger, grief, disappointment and other’s emotions in the clinical settings; ii. Pausing to imagine how the patient might be feeling at a particular point of time; iii. Stating the perception of the feelings of the patient. Examples of such statements are â€Å"I can imagine that must be like.. † or â€Å"It sounds like you are upset about †¦Ã¢â‚¬  iv. Legitimising the feeling of the patient; v. Respecting the patient’s effort to cope with the discomforts and issues; vi. Offering support and partnership for solving the predicaments. This could be expressed in statements such as â€Å"I am committed to work with you to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or Let’s see how we can solve this together. † For other areas such as psychiatrists or mental health personnel, it is important to be aware of the opportunities for empathy when they arise during the interview with the patients. Here it may not be important for empathetic communication as such. The opportunity of empathy arises from the patient’s emotion. This emotion may be directly expressed or implied by the patient. When this emotion is expressed, it provides and opportunity for the physician to respond empathetically. Wendy Levinson studied the frequency of empathy opportunities with over 116 office visits to primary care and surgical physicians. In more than half of the cases, it was found that the patients presented the clues in subtle ways, not overtly. In just 38 percent of the surgical cases and in 21 percent of the primary care cases, the physicians responded to the clues. In other cases, the physicians missed the opportunity for empathy. It is usually possible to find medical clues in the fabric of the discussions about the medical problems. If the physician is busy attending to the biomedical details of diagnosis, then they are likely to miss the opportunity for empathy. Most of the times, the patients are likely to provide the opportunities again, and in some cases multiple times. Once the empathy opportunity is found by the physician, it is essential for the physician to offer a gesture or statement of empathy. The statements of empathy can be categorized into different groups. The key groups are queries, clarifications and responses. Examples of queries can be similar to the questions such as â€Å"can you tell me more about that? †, â€Å"what has this been like for you†, â€Å"how has all of this made you feel? †. Clarifications can have the following forms: â€Å"Let me see if I have got this right.. † â€Å"Tell me more about †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I want to make sure I understood what you have said†. Responses have the following forms: â€Å"Sounds like you are .. † â€Å"I imagine that you must be.. † â€Å"I can understand, that must make you feel †¦Ã¢â‚¬  In most of the cases, the patients express agreement to the statements and confirm the feeling. In case the physician has not understood the patient’s experience exactly, then they can use Hypothesis-Test –Feedback Loop. It allows the patient to clarify their experience and also allows the physician to clarify his or her experience. This allows the physician to reinstate the empathetic statement that was missed in the earlier attempt.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Kemant Minority In Northern Ethiopia Politics Essay

The Kemant Minority In Northern Ethiopia Politics Essay Since the creation of modern state in Ethiopia, in the late 19th century, ethnic minorities have been facing major difficulties to their survival. While unknown number of minorities are believed to have already disappeared, some others considered to be the verge of disappearing  [1]  . Ensuring minority protection is a major political goal for the current ruling government (Kiden, 2008:7). The constitution provides for the creation of political space through recognition and respect for culture, identify and languages of ethnic groups. The state, at least in principle, treats minorities as equal members of the country and respects their rights to preserve their identity as well as their socio- political aspirations. In practice, however, these rights are far from being realized. The Kemant are ethnically, religiously and linguistically distinct people and because of their distinctiveness they have been victims of stigma, exclusion and marginalization. They experienced prejudice and stereotype for centuries (Zelalem, 2000:30). Their claim for recognition and self-governance has spent many years without ultimate response from both the federal and regional governments. At a time when their language, culture and religion, as a result sheer identity, are at the verge of extinction  [2]  , they are not given due attention. This is reflected by the fact that they are not officially recognized yet. Non recognition hinders not only rights enshrined in the constitution but also the enjoyment of internationally recognized rights  [3]  ; it leads to the violation of economic, social and cultural rights and to their ultimate marginalization in the society. The Kemant case proves the truth of the maxim that justice delayed is justice denied. It is paradoxical that the Kemant had been recognized as a distinct people until the 1994 National Census  [4]  . They were in existence when both the federal and the first Regional Constitutions were adopted in 1995. As the 1995 Federal Constitution did not recognized all ethnic groups that existed at the time of its adoption, nor did the 1995 Amhara Region Constitution and the 2001 Revised Constitution recognized nationalities that existed in the region at the time of their adoption. Among such ethnic groups are the Kemant. Certainly, they have been denied their de jure existence while they have ever de facto existed. Against this backdrop, the claims of the Kemant people can be examined from at least two perspectives:(1) assessing domestic laws for the protection/recognition of minorities and how they are adequate to address the multiple problems faced by ethnic minorities; and (2) exploring how the Kemant recognition and self-rule movement is working, the strategies and tactics used, to pursue their goals and why the movement is not yet effective to accomplish their claims. Unfortunately this essay does not cover all these aspects. That would be virtually impossible task involving hundreds of pages. Rather the essay investigates one main question: Why the Kemant minority are unjustly denied of official recognition to exercise their constitutional rights? Relevant legal documents, books, journals, articles and electronic materials are used and qualitatively analysed to address this specific question. The Kemant Minority: Historical- Socio- Legal Context The Kemant are residing in the northern Gondar of Amhara Region; they speak a dialect of Cushitic language and practice Pagan-Hebraic religion. They are considered as the original inhabitants of north central Ethiopia. Living in the area of the historical Kemantland, they have been progressively, then massively Christianised and Amharized in the last century (Gamst, 1969:1). Their language, Kemantney is stigmatized because of their traditional religion. A mechanism adopted by them to adjust the harsh social environment was self-denial (Worku, 2010:2). In 1994 their population was 172,327.19  [5]  . Despite the fact that there might have been discrepancies between the census and the exact population, they had ever been recognized as distinct people. However, the Transitional Government (1991-1995) had not included the Kemant among ethnic groups eligible to establish regional self-government. This law and practice was a prelude to the federal constitution in 1995. Furthermore, in 2007 population census they were not counted as a separate ethnic group. Ethnic groups as small as 298 (Qewama) and 320 (She) were recognized and counted (CSA, 2008: 86-87). Although there is lack of official census at present the population is estimated to be over 900,000. This makes them 12th in population size among Ethiopian ethnic groups (Belay, 2010: 10). Claims for Recognition and Self-rule Since 1991, there has been an effort by individuals belonging to the ethnic group for recognition and self-governance. The movement was primarily against marginalization by the dominant amhara ethnic group and to preserve their identity. However, the 2007 census accelerated the pace of their struggle. In May 2009, Provisional Committee of Kemant Identity and Self-Governance Claims Council was established. They seem to have started organizing themselves in unprecedented way to push ahead their claim based on the constitution and historical facts.  [6]   Their claim is not only a struggle for their right to express and protect their identity, but also for political autonomy of some kind to establish a Zone level administration. It is in line with the constitution which asserts that all ethnic groups have the right to speak and develop their own language, to express and promote their culture and history; they have the right to self-administration within a particular territory and the right to representation at the regional and federal levels of government (FDRE 1995 art 39). In such legal context accordingly, the Awi, Himra, Oromo and Argoba minorities in Amhara region have already enjoyed recognition and representation since 1991. They have established their own self-government within their respective territories. The Kemant, however, do not enjoy self-government, nor are they recognized as distinct people. They are not represented in the Regional Council as well as in the house of federation. They have little or no say at the political level as they are unrepresented or under represented at all levels of government. The above discussion shows some of the historical, social, political and legal contexts in which the claims of the Kemant ethnic minority are emerged. Their main issues are: (1) recognition of their identity; (2) claim to exercise their constitutional rights like other ethnic minorities; (3) representation in both regional and federal governments; and (4) self-administration  [7]  . These issues are interrelated with one another. The right of self-administration of a minority like the Kemnat emanates from its status as such. In the absence of recognition, the group cant claim a right to self-rule at any level. The same holds true representation at the regional and federal levels of government cant be achieved without de jure recognition. The main actors involved in the process of recognition/non-recognition are the Kemant people (local level), the Council for recognition and self-governance (at the regional-local level), Scholars (local -regional level), the Amhara Regional State (regional level), and the federal government (national level). Although I acknowledge the importance of analysing and critically reflecting on these stakeholders, this essay deals with the Amhara regional state in addressing the claims of the Kemant. The Artcle 39 (2) of the revised regional constitution provides that the people of the region has a right to enjoy an effective participation in the system of the federal government in a freer, non-discriminatory, appropriate, fair and equitable representation. At the regional level, nationalities and peoples residing in the region have a right of representation. Accordingly, the regional government is saying that it should prove whether the Kemants quest is in conformity with the requirements enshrined in article 39(7) the regional constitution. However, the people of Kemant are claiming that under this pretext the government is working to delay the quest. In fact, in early 2010 the government established a committee for Kemant case study to determine the population size and the peoples desire for self-rule. However, controversy was raised over the committees neutrality and transparency in the process. The Kemant council was not consulted and nothing was clear about the duty and res ponsibility of the committee. At this time discussions are going on between the government and the council over the procedures to conduct a case study. Why Kemant are denied Recognition? Although understanding the reasons for the denial of their claim for recognition requires a further investigation, taking the over context in to consideration I can argue that it is primarily due to lack of political commitment at all levels of government which delayed their quest for recognition and self-rule. As stated in Belay (2010: 52-54), starting from the time of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia, there has been strong opposition from the government to the claim that there exist distinct people called Kemant. Particularly, those officials in the lower hierarchies have exerted their effort to intimidate those groups who have tried to assert their identity and hindered the claim from being come to the attention of the higher hierarchies of the government. In other words, the political commitment in the region is to assimilate the Kemant into the Amhara ethnicity and culture contrary to the desires of the group. In fact, it is hardly possible to undermine some other interna l factors within the Kemant minority which affected their struggle. Historically, Kemant People, like other Agaw people throughout the region were whom the first to suffer from the identity conversion campaign of the false Solomonic Dynasty until 1974(Zelalm, 2000: 37). This historical fact left these people under strong identity crisis and slows down in a coming back process to their original identity. Even today there are Kemant individuals who labelled themselves as Amhara and struggle against Kemants quest for self-administration  [8]  . Though they may not strong influences up on freedom movement, but they can still create confusion to please their superior political masters. The other problem is the approach that Kemant leaders use to regain the constitutional rights, which proved its dysfunctionality. For the last fifteen years, Kemant Committee leadership has chosen a struggle approach that takes them nowhere. They have very feeble committee that represent the people to regain the denied constitutional rights. This committee is informal that does not have institutional capacity to resist the mischievous reaction of the regional government. Conclusion Therefore, the Kemant has a constitutional right to assert, develop and promote its own culture, religion, language and history as means of preserving its national identity. In other words, state acts, be it regional or federal, which take away this right is unconstitutional. The fact that the majority of the Kemant speak Amharic should not be taken as a ground for denying them recognition and self-governance. Rather, it should be considered as a positive factor tying both the Amhara and the Kemant together while maintaining their distinctions.