Monday, September 30, 2019

How Do Hindus View Suffering? Essay

Hinduism is an ancient religion and is a mixture of several different faiths. The religion includes the beliefs of the early inhabitants together with the beliefs of others from around the last three thousand years. Due to the diversities in the religion, it may seem that a number of Hindus may appear to be followers of a different religion – this is not so. The differing of beliefs can be seen in the view of suffering. It is one of the most vital concepts in Hindu philosophy. Suffering is â€Å"to undergo or be subjected to pain.†1 Pain does not just mean physical torture. It could mean anything from struggling to make ends meet, to being mentally unstable. Suffering may be internal, like physical pain, or external, resulting from the environment around. The three major religions that is Christianity, Judaism, Islam (known as the religions of the book) have their own teaching on what it means to suffer. The idea of suffering in the Christian tradition is particularly c onventional. The Old Testament book of Job depicts a righteous man who loses everything that he has, and in turn has inflicted upon him diseases. The view of suffering is found in the characters Zophar, Bildad, Eliphaz, who believe that the main reason Job is suffering in such a gruesome way is because of his actions. Job may have appeared to be a righteous man on the outside, but beneath, Job could have been a man whose heart was not fully pure, and therefore was being punished by God. Here the conventional Christian attitude is that suffering is a result of ones own actions. In The New Testament the belief is that suffering may not have been brought upon by the individual but by their parents or others around them. In Hinduism the attitude towards suffering is varied. An overall approach can be found in the four noble truths. Even though it is from the religion of the Buddhist, I feel that it can be applied to any religion that has to discuss the issue of suffering. The four noble truths are: – suffering exists. – there is a cause of suffering. – suffering can be stopped. – there is a way, the nob le eight-fold path. It is from this statement that I will base this assignment. It does not take much for one to realise what the world today is full of. Around us there is strife, consistent bloodshed, poverty, and millions of people in prolonged torment. â€Å"The universe is a chain of killing and being killed, of devouring and of being devoured. The whole (world) is just food and the eater of food.†2 When one stops to reflect on the situation, it is obvious that suffering in the world does exists – it is inevitable, the reason being , it is due to man and his greed. Suffering in the Hindu world can be seen within the caste system. In the Hindu tradition, its members are divide into for groups or castes. First is the Brahmans. They are considered to be the priestly or intellectual caste. Second are the Kshatriyas. They are referred to as the warrior and ruling caste. Third are the Vaisya. They are known as the commercial and agricultural caste. Fourth are the Sudras. They are understood to be the caste who labour. Suffering may not be experienced by the first three castes, but is experienced in the remaining caste. Such suffering includes not only physical and mental suffering, but, † legal, social, and religious disabilities.†3 The Hindus attitude towards the caste system, is that it represents the life a person lived in the past. This then leads us to discuss the belief in Karma (this will be discussed below). So whatever caste a person is born into, whether it be the priestly or even the labourers, it is no one else’s fault but the individuals. If one finds themselves within the lower castes they then know that the former life lived was not worthy, and so now faces the consequences, together with being given the chance to change. â€Å"It emphatically lays down that an individual’s rise or fall is the social scale in the next life depends entirely on the good or bad deeds which he performs in the present life.† 4 On this point the majority of all Hindus agree that suffering is inescapable in this world. When considering the first noble truth it is here that we find differing theories. One view is suffering can be seen as an illusion. â€Å"Like all empirical phenomena, like empirical existence itself, suffering is an illusion, a mirage.†5 Such a belief is accepted by the Upanishads. Suffering depicted in the scripture is not a real experience, it is unreal. It is unreal in the sense that although the physical body is affected the inner self is not. â€Å"The body may suffer but that the self which pervades it is not affected.†6 Suffering is seen then by the scripture as an illusion, it is not an actual experience. Then again it must be impossible to say that something is not there if one can actual feel and respond to it. The Upanishads realise that once a person is born into the world, they are automatically placed in an environment in which evil and suffering exists. Therefore because of all the influences surrounding them, the body will then gradually take on the forms of the world. Man becomes corrupt as he focuses on looking out for himself. The god Brahman is to be connected with the idea of suffering as an illusion. Everything that happens within this world is said to be the manifestation of Brahman. â€Å"I am the body, his mental attitude. I am the Brahman.†7 Man is not the owner of his body, everything from his outer being to the inner being is that of Brahman. If Brahman is then the controller of a person from the inward out, then whatever problems an individual is faced with should not really affect them. This is because it is the owner of the body, not them that has to deal with the problem, but Brahman. If one looks at the relationship between the Hindu and Brahman, it is possible to understand why suffering should be seen as an illusion, because really the person being affected is Brahman. The individual may feel that it is them that has to cope with the misfortunes that come to them. If they accept the fact that it is Brahman who is overseer of the body then there is no need to be aggrieved. On the other hand if they do not recognise that fact then of cause the suffering they are experiencing will be as â€Å"real as do the objects of the world.†8 â€Å"Suffering therefore, is only a problem so long as it appears to be a final and inescapable truth. But when it is realised that the self is not bound forever to the transient world of suffering, but rather that it is Brahman, then suffering can no longer occur.†9 If one was then to ask a Hindu the question ‘does suffering exist?’ the answer most likely to be heard is no – suffering is only a ‘fragment of the imagination.’ Just as there were varying views on whether suffering exists or not, there is also differing views as to what causes suffering. Like all other religions, some Hindus believe that the cause of suffering is the result of one’s actions known as karma. The Hindus attitude towards suffering is to be found in the doctrine of karma. If one can understand this doctrine clearly, then so to, the theme of suffering can be clearly understood. The doctrine basically states that every action of an individual will no doubt produce some results whether it be good or bad. The consequences of the actions will determine the life of an individual. For the individual to experience the results of his actions, another life experience is needed – hence the doctrine of reincarnation. The two doctrines can not be separated, it is impossible to talk of one without the other. In Christianity this doctrine is known as retribution. The actions committed in the past life can be depicted in the life t he individual leads in the next. â€Å"His past acts, for instance, determine the kind of body which he assumes, the family, society, and position in which he may be born.†10 For example if the actions of a past life was moral, then the following life would be a life of satisfaction. If on the other hand the actions were unjust, then, the individual would encounter a new life of hardship. Every action that an individual performs has a direct result or even a consequence. â€Å"An individual’s present position and suffering are a consequence of his own actions.†11 The basis for such a view is held in the Hindu belief in reincarnation. After death the soul is reborn in another form of life. The aim of reincarnation is to enable the individual to reach perfection so that they can be one with God. Such a cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth is known as samsara. If providing the past life of an individual was good then their soul would then automatically be with the Divine. If on the other hand the past life was bad then a chance is given to the individual to make up for the bad deeds done in their last life. Death then is viewed by the Hindus as something which is to be looked forward to – it is a step towards a new life in which one is given the chance to change. If one’s present life is full of nothing but suffering then in the next, life will be a vast improvement. Suffering in one life may then lead to an improved life. Suffering is then brought upon a person if they have done something in their life that has been corrupt. If one is to go around doing bad deeds, then the bad deeds will eventually take its toll on them, hence the suffering. Another cause for suffering is due to ones lack of faith and lack of devotion to the Divine. â€Å"The cause of the problem of suffering focuses on three characteristic fallings in the human condition, namely greed (labha), ignorance (avidya), and indifference (pramada).†12 The individual loses sight of the relationship held between Brahman, and instead possesses the desire for the tangible things of the world. It is as soon as the individual follows their mind and not their heart, does the experience of suffering take place. â€Å"Suffering arises only when one attaches himself to limited or transient objects as though they are permanent.†13 If one keeps their eyes focused on the Divine then everything will be more than satisfactory, but on the other hand if the eyes stray then the consequence will ultimately be suffering. Together with Christianity, Hindus view suffering in a positive note, that is, suffering can help strengthen the individual in their faith. In their time of need one would turn to the divine to find comfort and reassurance that everything wi ll be right in the end. Suffering is then seen as an experience that reinforce one’s faith. Another advantage of suffering is that it maybe an indication of better things to come in life. An individual can not expect to pass through life without having to come across difficulties, life would be ‘boring’ so to speak. Suffering in one’s life may lead to a better life in the next and so suffering should be appreciated. â€Å"Suffering is an experience, a part of the universe of being. It may be beneficial particularly if it is the foundation of better things.†14 There is a way out of suffering. Suffering is an experience which can easily be removed. â€Å"The Hindu view is that suffering is inevitable in this world and that the only way to deal with it is in fact to reject the world and seek release from it.†15 The solutions to suffering can be found in the doctrine of moksha. It is the doctrine where on can seek either liberation or release from the world fraught with corruption. The first way in which release can be brought about is by devoting oneself wholly to Brahman. This involves not only prayer but worship. Time needs to be taken out to focus on the almighty. Another way is through the way of action. This again brings to remembrance the doctrine of karma. By doing good deed the self becomes pure. By doing bad deeds then the self becomes corrupt. The final solution is said to be through yoga. It is through this physical exercise does one become united with Brahman. As discussed previously, one of the causes for suffering was due to man’s indulgence towards the material substances of the world. So if man disregards his lust for the world, then suffering itself will not be experienced. Man needs to be completely detached from the substances of the world and instead need to attach himself to the divine in order to prevent the occurrence of suffering. An additional way to solve the problem is if one is to take suffering as an illusion. â€Å"The way to alleviate suffering is precisely to realise indeed that it is nothing, at most it is a mere manifestation.†16 To conclude suffering in the religion is viewed in many terms. In my personal view suffering is part of life. Life would not be life if there was no such thing as suffering. I am not saying that suffering is nothing of importance, it is, when one is brought into a world surrounded by suffering, it becomes part of life, one has to learn to cope with it. In order to apprehend the concept in detail, one has to have an in-depth understanding of the various doctrines discussed above. It can be argued whether suffering exists or not, but what is clear is whatever the decision there is a way in which to prevent suffering. Essentially it is committing the mind body and soul to God. By doing this then the life being lived will no doubt be free from distress. Bibliography -Benjamin Walker, â€Å"Hindu World†, London vol. 2, 1968. -John Brockington, â€Å"Hinduism and Christianity†, Macmillan, 1992 -Arun Shourie, â€Å"Hinduism: Essence and Consequence†, Vikas New Delhi, 1970 -A.L Herman, â€Å"A Brief Introduction to Hinduism†, Oxford 1991 -J Bowker, â€Å"Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World†, London, 1975 -Richard Lannoy, â€Å"The Speaking Tree†, Oxford, 1971 -K.W Morgan, â€Å"The Religions of the Hindu World†, New York Press, 1954 -K.N Tiwari, â€Å"Suffering: Indian Perspectives†, Motilal Barnarsidass Delhi, 1986 1 Concise Oxford Dictionary 2 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 200 3 The Religions of the Hindus page 145 4 The Religions of the Hindus page 147-148 5 Hinduism: Essence and Consequence page 153 6 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 216 7 Hinduism: Essence and Consequence page 154 8 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 216 9 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 214 10 The Religions of the Hindus page 128 11 Hinduism and Christianity page 119 12 A Brief Introduction to Hinduism page 31 13 Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 214 14Problems of Suffering in Religions of the World page 207 15 Hinduism and Christianity page 133 16 Hinduism: Essence and Consequence page 153

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Criminal Law Foundations Essay

The United States Constitution has been amended since its origination. These amendments are meant to help our Nation adjust to the ever changing times. Our Bill of Rights is contended in the first ten amendments. The Bill of Rights is instilled into our constitution to protect the citizens of the United States from unfair and unjust treatment by their own government. Our government is protected and enforced through local police departments and our Bill of Rights gives certain freedoms to the citizens and suspect of the police prior to and during prosecution by the criminal justice system. From arrest to sentencing, the Bill of Rights protects us. This paper will specifically discuss the fourth, fifth, and sixth amendments of the Bill of Rights and how they pertain to both juvenile and adult court proceedings. The Bill of Rights also governs the government by placing limits to the extent of their reach, or power, and how that power is used against its own citizens. The Bill of Rights, or ten amendments, took adoption into our Constitution in 1789 by the efforts of James Madison. Fourth Amendment Our Fourth Amendment guarantees protection from unreasonable or unlawful search and seizure. This particular amendment is a component of the Bill of Rights that gives citizens the right to secure their persons, belongings and homes; each of which are protected under the Fourth Amendment from any unreasonable or unlawful search and seizure. The bill strongly states that this right shall never be violated as well no warrants shall be issued, unless there is a probable cause, which has approval by an oath of affirmation and the description of the place under inspection, the affected person or the possessions to be seized. In both juvenile and adult courts, the constitutional safeguard is applied (Emanuel 2009). Both juvenile and  adults are afforded this right by our Constitution to be free from harassment that is not been approved by the law with stated warrants specifying the desire and description of objects to be seized. If this right is violated in any way it is most likely the v iolator would face criminal charges or consequences due to their actions for denying citizens their Fourth Amendment right. Fifth Amendment Our Fifth Amendment discusses due process, self-incrimination, double jeopardy and eminent domain. Consider this Amendment as a safeguard stating no person shall be under pressure to answer for any crime, unless he or she is under the indictment of a grand jury (Abadinsky, 2008). The only exception to the Fifth Amendment would be the cases involving any military or militia presently servicing or during war times. Our Fifth Amendment also states; No person shall be put in jeopardy of limb or life twice. No one shall be put under pressure to testify against himself. No one shall face depletion of liberty, life or property, unless the same has approval by the law. No private property shall be in for public use, unless the owner gets due compensation. This is the so called Miranda bill. In adult and juvenile courts, persons have the right to stay silent and not to plead guilty of any offence. No one is free to make the suspect reveal anything, unless in front of a jury and within the pro tection of a counsel. The juveniles are immature and may not know their rights. Owing to this law the minors have constitutional protection from any illegal exploitation (Hartley & Rabe, 2008). Sixth Amendment Our sixth amendment discusses the right of trial by jury, the rights of the accused, the right to a speedy trial, the right to an attorney, and the right to a public trial. The Sixth Amendment states that any subject suspected of criminal activity resulting in prosecution will have the absolute right to a speedy trial by public and of a jury of their peers (Abadinsky, 2008). All subjects or suspects shall be informed of the charges against him/her regarding any arrest of criminal activity, witnesses are also available to testify for and against the accused according to the Sixth Amendment and the accused will be given witnesses prior to jury trial,  this right is afforded to citizens under the Sixth Amendment of our Constitution. The suspect will have the right to have his/her own witness as well as a presentation of defense by his/her attorney in order to conflict with prosecutor evidence given against him/her. Our constitution affords the right to be given a fair, speedy and public trial in both juvenile and adult criminal court proceedings. Not only do they have the right to a fair, speedy, and public trial; but they are afforded the right to legal representation for any offense brought to the criminal justice system. This ensures the rights of the accused to place defense upon any mistaken identities or statements of the facts regarding the crime in which they have been charged. The right to a speedy trial gives the accused the ability to precede with his/her normal life without undergoing a long drawn out process of the court system inflicting undue influence on their lives. Delay of justice may bring a lot of frustrations to the accused, thus, the speedy and public trial is a great variant (Wilkerson 1973). Impacts of the Safeguards on day to day Operations in the Court All of the Amendments that have been added to our Constitution have guaranteed a well needed transformation of our criminal justice system. The Amendments allow the citizens of the United States to be informed of their rights. By doing so a better understanding is gained between the relationship of our government and our citizenship accordingly, thus harmonizing the relationship between government and citizenship bringing a sense of understanding and relief for individuals. Having the right to an attorney gives the accused an equal stance in the courtroom to defend against an accusation of criminal activity with a fair and just trial. This ensures that the citizens of the United States involved with criminal activity or accused of criminal activity have proper representation and rebuilds trust that the government cannot abuse their power against them (Champion, 2010). Imagine a juvenile without these rights, they would h ave no way to argue their innocence without legal knowledge, thus falling to the will of the government. The hiring of an attorney can come through private methods or be available through the state with no charge, at any rate, ensuring counsel for defense. The inclusion of the Miranda warnings protects all accused of criminal activity from self-incrimination due to pressure or undue  influence. Law enforcement adjusts their tactics by moderating their power to gather information through unwarranted measures, deceit, and playing subjects against each other is a common method to gain a voluntary confession. With the Miranda warnings, subjects can have the right to remain silent and refrain from stating incriminating statements against themselves (Abadinsky, 2008). They are afforded an attorney who can guide them with legal knowledge the extent of the statements they should make. This protects the accused from unfair and illegal questioning in interrogation from unwarranted authority figures. The right to a fair and speedy trial allows justice to come at a reasonable pace, delivering a sense of comfort to the accused by eliminating long drawn out trials that may play on their ability to remain a sane in normal life experiences. Delaying the justice system is often expensive and comes with stress that plays into the accused everyday lives thus, creating more chaos than is due for the circumstance. Our Constitutional rights ensure fair treatment and the rights of citizens to know their course of action is readily available. The safeguards against unlawful search and seizure ensures citizens their dignity and privacy is not disregarded and their lives are protected affording a sense of stability and comfort against the force of the Nation’s government (Hartley & Rabe, 2008). This changes the view of law enforcement and the communities they serve and opens the door for acceptance of their position and an understanding of the job they are doing through community actions and other theoretical methods of law enforcement. Conclusion Thus the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments of the Bill of Rights are in place to secure the rights of the citizens of the United States. Following these Amendments can afford our Nation the right to boast of fairness and justice being served without conflicting with personal rights giving our government an admirable placement regarding the criminal justice process. It is the hope of our Constitution, and the Amendments that every citizen of the United States is educated to their rights and utilizes the Constitution to protect themselves from unfair treatment and prevents the government from exerting their brute force to bully a conviction of an innocent citizen, or placing improper sentencing on a guilty party. All these laws and rights are a product of the people for the people and therefore should work in  favor of the people, with all do influence of the government it is nice to know they are governed as well. References Hartley, R. D., & Rabe, G. A. (2008). Criminal Courts: Structures, Process, and Issues (2nd ed.). : Prentice Hall Inc.. Champion, D. J. (2010). The Juvenile Justice System: Delinquency, Processing, and the Law (6th ed.). : Prentice Hall Inc.. Abadinsky, H. (2008). Law and Justice: An Introduction to the American Legal System (6th ed.). : Prentice Hall Inc..

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Information security authentication program for Moonshine Mining Essay

Moonshine mining deals with the mining business related to diamond, sapphire, gold etc. Moonshine mining maintains all its intellectual properties and other important documents in 3 internal servers in Perth head office. This information is very confidential to the moon shining. This information should be available only to the internal moon shining employees and other authorized personnel’s. Moonshine has identified the potential risk for the information assets through the risk assessment procedure. To overcome these risks, proper authentication and other security procedures must be implemented in the organization. Each and every method has its own disadvantages and advantages, the proper investigation and study must be performed to choose the best fit method for the organization. Introduction Computer security must be an integral part of the organization. Computer Security is the protection afforded to an automated information system in order to attain the applicable objectives of preserving the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information system resources. Through the selection and application of appropriate safeguards, security helps the organization’s mission by protecting its physical and financial resources, reputation, legal position, employees, and other tangible and intangible assets (NIST 2006). Many organizations are spending millions of dollars in computer security. Computer security policies and goals should be inline with the organization mission and policies. Computer security should be very cost effective. Specialized teams must be formed in the organization for monitoring and controlling the computer security policies and procedures. Basic Security policies should be followed in Moonshine Company Computer security policies must be accessible by everyone in the organization. Each and every single personnel in the organization is responsible for implementing and maintaining the computer security. User support must be provided for solving various problems related to computer security. Help desks are needed to be created for this type of support. Additional support can be any helpline and online chat. Software support should be available in the organization. Various restrictions are needed to be imposed on the usage of several kind of software in the organization. Licensed and authenticated software are recommended for trouble free working environment. Backup plan should be implemented and followed carefully for restoration if disaster or unrecoverable errors caused. Media should be properly maintained and periodic assessments are to be needed. Login information should be kept secret and several log records are to be assed for detecting unauthorized user access. Basic security features like firewall, antivirus software are to be made ready in the system. Integrity checks and other checks are to be performed frequently. Documentation and maintenance are the important activities needed to be done regarding computer security. Authentication Authentication is very important for maintaining the computer security. Each and every personnel must be authenticated for accessing the information resources. There are many types of authentication methods. It can be broadly classified into two categories, Biometric authentication and Non Biometric authentication. The authentication must be implemented with the proper security algorithm to avoid intrusions. Many authentication schemes are developed over the years. Several hashing and other schemes are combined to make the better authentication protocol. Privacy through Biometric Authentication It is based on identifying the person based on their personal and behavioral traits. There are several biometric authentication methods like finger print recognition, face recognition, iris recognition. Some the distinct advantages of biometric method are users need not required to remember password/codes, permanent characteristics and ease of use. Finger print authentication: Finger print authentication is the basic biometric authentication method. The patterns available on ridges and valleys of person’s finger are unique for every individual (Harris D. 2000). Several algorithms are available in the market to uniquely identify the persons based on the patterns. The finger print authentication can be implemented in moon mining company with a very small amount of investment. The cost of installing devices and other software required for finger print authentication would be very minimal when compared to other biometric authentication methods. When compared to non biometric methods the database size would be litter larger for biometrics methods. Since the numbers of users in the moon mining company is very less the biometrics method can be easily implemented without any trouble. Finger print authentication method is not very much suitable for moon shine mining company because in the mining company the person works with lot of dusts and smoke. Some readers might not recognize the dirty and dusted hands. Since it is a mining company persons may have some cuts in their hand so the readers may not work properly in those situations. Most of the time users might wear gloves in their hand, they might feel uneasy to remove for each and every time for the authentication. Face recognition Face recognition is another basic biometric authentication method. In this method, the persons face is captured using camera or infrared waves and it is authenticated with the existing database. The spatial geometry in the face is analyzed to uniquely identify the face. The face can be easily recognizes with change of facial expressions or change of hair style etc. The advantages of face recognition it is the contact free process. The database should be maintained with facial information of the users. The change in the face is very minimal. The moon mining company can prefer this method of authentication. The cost of implementation is also not so high. Some of the disadvantages include detecting the face mask and low light environment (Vijayan 2009). Since it is a mining company it would operate in low light areas, so proper methods must be chosen to avoid low light environment problems. People from some ethnic groups and nationalities won’t expose the face to outer world. In those situations the face recognition it is not possible to implement. Iris Recognition Iris recognition is one of the latest methods of biometric authentication. The colored area that surrounds pupil is used for the identification of the persons (Daouk 2006). Every people have unique color pattern. It is also a non contact method of authentication. The cost of implementation is little high when compared to other methods. It is very fast and robust. The latest iris technologies are very powerful in recognizing the patterns even though they are covered with the contact lenses and glasses. Iris based authentication is recommended if the moon mining company wants high end solution for the biometric authentication and ready for little high investment. Digital Signatures A digital signature is an automated method of verifying our usual handwritten signatures. The various features like speed, pressure, nodes etc are verified for authentication. This method is based on behavioral aspect of the person. It is simple method for authentication. It has many disadvantages like it can be imitated by others easily; signature is tending to change slowly by time. It’s not so safe to go with this type of authentication method. Privacy through Non Biometric Authentication The non biometric method for authentication is very common in the organization. It is simple and easy to implement. No extra infrastructure is required to implement these authentication methods. It is very cost effective method. RFID Authentication method The privacy can be provided by ensuring the proper authentication mechanism in practice. Several authentication protocols are used in existence systems. The authentication will be performed in the readers and authentication parameters and value are stored in the RFID tags. The RFID readers would be available in each and every computers of the moon shining company. One of the common practices is store common password in all the RFID tags to be used. Whenever the tag is read if the password matches the other processing is done else the tag would be neglected. Another method for authentication is to assign store all the RFID tags unique number in database, when the tag is detected the number is cross checked with the database for authentication. Despite the numerous benefits of RFID systems, it has few pitfalls and some common problems. The main security threat in the RFID system is the privacy security breaches. All the information is stored in the RFID tags. The RFID tags can also be read by others who have the RFID readers. The data can be read and modified in the tags by any one using the RFID readers (Moscatiell 2007). The RFID systems may be collapsed if several RFID tags are processed together. The RFID tags can communicate only to one RFID reader at instance. If two RFID readers are accessing a single tag, there may be a junk or collapse in the system. Other Radio signal interference can violate some of the properties of the RFID systems. Some other security threats also exist for the RFID systems. Device Based Authentication: In this device based authentication, some special secure devices are used to generate the passcodes. These passcodes are verified for authorizing the persons. One of the famous devices is RSA based secureId device. It uses public key encryption for generating the passcode. Each and every user will have a small hand held device to generate the passcodes. These passcode are verified using the security algorithms for authentication. This method of authentication is also suggested for moon mining company. Conclusion All the organization should follow the tight computer security principles and policies. The basic security features must be installed in each and every computer system in the organization. All the users must be educated about the computer security principles and various threat regarding. The company can also go for the third parties for implementation and maintenance of computer security in the organization. This would help the organization to have the better security. Dedicated teams must be available for performing and monitoring all the computer security activities. The organization will be in trouble if the computer security practices are not followed in the organization.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Love. Spare Time Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Love. Spare Time - Case Study Example Furthermore, many businesses have been seen to make cost leadership their strategy, business such as Wal-Mart adhere to cost leadership in order to differentiate and maintain their competitive advantage, but Mark does not want to opt for that option either. The fact that no other retailer within a five-mile radius offers the brands being offered by Mark is an edge Mark has over the other retailers if the quality of the brands being offered by him is perceived to be superior by his customers. Even then it is just a matter of time till the growing trend of e-commerce engulfs this point of differentiation of Spare Time Equipment. The facts stated above show that as of now, Spare Time Equipment does not have a sustainable competitive advantage and customers do not come to an outlet just to make friends and build relationships. One thing which Mark has been doing right is to try and differentiate himself on the basis of the service Spare Time Equipment provides over other retailers, the tagline â€Å"We do it right the first time† is attention grabbing and has a feel of excellence in business. As mentioned above, most of Mark’s experience has been in the services sector; therefore differentiating on the basis of providing good service seems very apt and achievable. However, in order for people to avail the services at Spare Time Equipment it is essential for people to first buy the product for which Mark needs to become more flexible. Some amount of consumer promotion to introduce the product with the customers would do more good to Mark than harm. Promotions of limited time discount offers could be run on the radio spots and print ads which Mark has previously used to create awareness about Spare Time Equipment. This would help increase customer traffic at Spare Time Equipment and then it wo uld be up to the sales staff to seal the deal. If Mark does not want to reduce the price of his

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Creating a table of contents Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Creating a table of contents - Assignment Example The law is applicable to employers with 20 or more employees including state and local governments. ADEA was amended by Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 (OWBPA) to prohibit employers from depriving the older workers from benefits (EEOC, n.d.). The cost of providing benefits to older workers was greater than the cost of providing the same benefits to younger workers. This works as a disincentive to employers to hire older workers. It has however been permitted that an employer can reduce the benefits based on age as long as the cost of providing the benefits is the same as the cost of providing the benefit to the younger workers. There has been a sharp increase in the number of age-discrimination complaints filed with the EEOC and has been largely attributed to the weak economy and an aging workforce. Today there are more older employees to discriminate against and more economic incentives to do so (Puri, 2003). According to EEOC age discrimination claims were up by 29% in 2008 which is almost double the increase in age discrimination claims (Ghilaarducci, 2009). When it comes to cutting costs, older workers are the targets of layoffs. When companies are forced to reorganize, the older workers are perceived as incapable of keeping up with new technologies. The employers get the support of the law and hence use business strategies as a cover to purge older workers (Puri, 2003). However, an aging workforce can be invaluable asset and organizations using age discrimination as a measure of cost savings are actually spending more than what they would in retaining older employees. The organizations have a perception that older workers do not and cannot perform as well as the younger workers and they cannot or will not change to the market requirements (Cappelli, 2009). It is just a belief that the older workers cannot perform as well as the younger workers. Older workers cannot adapt to change, are not tech savvy and cannot keep with the changing

Distinguish between accounts that are presented in the income Essay

Distinguish between accounts that are presented in the income statement and balance sheet - Essay Example The accounts used in income statement representation or preparation are, revenue, expenses, losses and profit accounts while those that are used in the preparation of balance sheet are assets, liabilities and owners equity accounts. Good example of liabilities and equity accounts are taxes, notes, loans, payroll accounts and many more. It is easier to represent this two difference balance sheet and income statement accounts through a chart of accounts, this is a list of all the accounts that are used to record financial transactions (Berezin, 2005). Current assets this are the materials or goods that one have in an organization or business that are disposable for certain returns within a short period of time , majorly they are the stock of the business and they controls the inflow of cash into the business through a short time. While current liabilities are the debt that ones have to other people or the current debt of the business this is control by the creditors account. To relates the two there is a ratio that is used known as the current ratio this differentiate the two by dividing each other and an increase in current asset through a reduction in current liabilities shows that the business is doing fine, but an increase in current liabilities through a decrease in current asset proof that the business is under duress and something should be done to reduce that short. This is the dependency between the two, ones increase leads to the other decrease. To relate the two through balance creation or changes is an increase in cur rent asset leads to a reduction in current liabilities through payments; thus, reducing the debt or creditors balance while increasing the asset balance in the business (Fields, 2011). Considerations of current asset and liabilities are one of the fundamentals of a business; the relationship between the two is what keeps the business alive and kicking. The two are mainly related to payment terms and inventory policies. This is

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Forum 5 criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Forum 5 criminology - Essay Example definition:- there is lack of a central repository for data on the actual number of corporate crimes in the state and all the federal courts of the United states. Secondly, the only source of data in the United States sentencing commission, this does not accurately reflect the problem as it only collects data on corporations that have been convicted of federal offenses ("White-Collar and Corporate Crime." Criminology & Public Policy 1.1 (2008). It leaves out the other firms who may be the actual offenders or committers of corporate crime. The other problem comes when it comes to the definition, this term is not a concisely defined term, and this leads to additional difficulty when it comes to the determination as to what types of behaviors would fall under the category of corporate criminal offenses. The problem of defining corporate law has happened over the years. This is because of the dynamic evolution that this form of crime takes. Corporate criminal laws take five forms ranging from the consideration of separate legality, followed by review of criminal cases by courts. Thirdly, we have the growth of the regulatory agencies and law to influence them, the next is the joining of forces is the corporations and the government to fight it and lastly a call for reform because of the rampancy of these crimes (HASNAS 2005). To curb these problems start by the clear identification of the problems. This is because a problem normally arise with the sanctions of the corporate crimes where if the guidelines significantly increase the sanctions, the substantial reductions in fines is allowed in the case with the evidence of an organizational due diligence. Another solution for corporate crimes is derived from the â€Å"Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002† which is characterized by mandated auditor independence and increased penalties for securities fraud and this makes corporate heads refrain from fraud of any form of their companies (Keane 1993). The acts has helped but with a

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Business plan of a gym in Saudi Arabia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Business plan of a gym in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Saudi Arabia is a developing nation and provides a huge prospect for new business. Though political unrest and men women segregation is a area of concern but the commitment of the government towards new reforms shows a ray of hope. The country is very eager in welcoming foreign investment, which is good news for the investors. Though the new gym may face competition from the existing businesses but it can overcome that obstacle by providing updated equipments and better customer service. To attract more and more customer it can provide some lucrative introductory offer and some combo offers too. Member should be given higher privileges. Customer’s feedbacks are to be taken regularly and should work on them. In the initial years the company should look more towards attraction and retention of customer and less towards profit. The market of Saudi Arabia was analyzed on the basis of the secondary data. A thorough research was done by consulting various journals, books, newspaper and various governmental and nongovernmental websites to have an in-depth knowledge. These sources have helped to track the possible customer segment and analyze the competitors present in the market. An in-depth study of the political, economical, social, technological, legal and environmental framework of the nation was done to get a clear picture of the nation.... Legal requirement for starting a business: The legal formalities to be done for starting the business 6. General requirement: Overall requirement of the business 7. Operational Plan: the day to day operations are highlighted 8. Financial aspect: The financial projection of the gym 9. Conclusion: Some recommendation for the new business and its future prospects. Introduction Saudi Arabia is a huge country, well known for its arid deserts and various high lands covering of an area of about 2.15 million km. The overall climatic condition is dry and hot with scarce rainfall but some of the south- western and western coastal areas experiences heavy rainfall. Saudi Arabia serves as the world largest reserve for petroleum and exporter as well. Most of its wealth comes from the industrial sector. Oil and petroleum mining contributes about 51% of the GDP whereas service sector contributes about 43% and about 5% is contributed by the agriculture1. Obesity is an area of concern for the whole wo rld. It is affecting all the levels of society and is coined with the name as Global Epidemic. In recent years high rate of child obesity is observed in the developed countries as well as in developing countries2. Obesity among children and adolescents has become a public health problem for the Eastern Mediterranean region. With rapid changes in nutrition and urbanization in the recent times, Saudi Arabia has estimated about â€Å"26.6% and 10.6% of the adolescents aged 13-18 years are overweight or obese† respectively3. Furthermore the serial cross- sectional assessment carried out in Saudi children and adolescents on Body Mass Index (BMI) or percentage of fat in the body has confirmed a rising trend in obesity. Overweight along with obesity among adults especially among 30-60 years is

Monday, September 23, 2019

Risk Management Issues in the UK Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Risk Management Issues in the UK - Term Paper Example It is expected that major retailers will also experience a decrease in the market value of stocks. In order to strengthen its position in the market, British Airways launches its new airline subsidiary which would fly between the United States and Europe naming it Open Skies. Together with this development is the implementation of more flexible employment conditions relative to the current system. This includes the recruitment of new cabin crews for the airline in the United States. BA also adds that "there would be no link between the new airline and the seniority list for the existing BA mainline pilots." This decision brews protest from the Balpa which is the company's powerful union of pilots. This article highlights the operational risk which is currently faced by BA. The airline is currently facing the threat of incurring losses because of its internal problems with the staff. If the company pushes through its new system of recruitment, there is a huge possibility that Balpa will protest thus, hurting and even paralyzing the operation of the airline. Today, Financial Times reports another bad news for the UK retailing sec... bad news for the UK retailing sector: "Sterling dropped to a record low against the euro and its weakest level in six months against the dollar on Wednesday" (Garnham 2008). This depreciation of the sterling is another blow for UK retailers who convert their sales from sterling to euro. Another sad news is that because of the economic climate, it is expected that sterling will slide further in the coming months. This article both shows and discusses the effects of exchange rate risk. Because the foreign exchange rate in the market is subject to market conditions, the economic condition, as well as other factors, can largely contribute to the appreciation and depreciation of currencies which directly impacts the operations of the business organization. In the news, it is noted that the depreciation of sterling adversely affects Marks and Spencer which reveals a 2.2% decline in like for like sales during the last quarter.     

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Concepts And Definitions Of Disability Essay Example for Free

Concepts And Definitions Of Disability Essay The contemporary conception of disability proposed in the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) views disability as an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. Disability is the interaction between individuals with a health condition (e.g. cerebral palsy, Down syndrome or depression) and personal and environmental factors (e.g. negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation, or limited social supports). Long ago there was great confusion over the meaning of terms such as impairment, handicap, or disability. Then, in 1980, the WHO provided great service by offering a clear way of thinking about it all in a little book called International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps. All these terms refer to the consequences of disease, but consider the consequences at different levels. The disease produces some form of pathology, and then the individual may become aware of this: they experience symptoms. Later, the performance or behaviour of the person may be affected, and because of this the person may suffer consequences such as being unable to work. In this general scenario, Impairment was defined as any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function. Impairment is a deviation from normal organ function; it may be visible or invisible (screening tests generally seek to identify impairments). Disability was defined as any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. Impairment does not necessarily lead to a disability, for the impairment may be corrected. I am, for example, wearing eye glasses, but do not perceive that any disability arises from my impaired vision. A disability refers to the function of the individual (rather than of an organ, as with impairment). In turn, Handicap was defined as a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from impairment or a disability that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal (depending on age, sex, and social and cultural factors) for that individual. Handicap considers the persons participation in their social context. For example, if there is a wheel-chair access ramp at work, a disabled person may not be handicapped in coming to work there. Here are some examples: Impairment Speech production; Disability Speaking clearly enough to be understood; Handicap Communication I Hearing; D Understanding; H Communication I Vision; D Seeing; H Orientation I Motor control, balance, joint stiffness; D Dressing, feeding, walking; H Independence, mobility I Affective, cognitive limitations; D Behaving, interacting, supporting; H Social interaction, reasonableness Here is a diagram that suggests possible parallels between the impairment, disability handicap triad, and the disease, illness and sickness triad. (The squiggly arrows are intended to indicate a rough correspondence) Patients do not come to their physicians to find out what ICD code they have, they come to get help for what is bothering them. A Positive Perspective? Quality of Life and the International Classification of Function The focus on disability takes a somewhat negative approach to health, perhaps not unreasonable since doctors are supposed to cure diseases. But starting in the 1980s clinicians began to set goals to achieve when the disease could not be cured, beyong merely controlling symptoms. The notion of Quality of Life gained prominence as a way to emphasize a positive perspective on health health as a capacity to function and to live, even if the patient has a chronic condition. A central aim of care was to enhance the quality of the patients function, and hence their ability to life as normal a life as possible, even if the disorder could not be cured. This notion was a further extension of handicap, covering maintenance of normal function, but adding psychological well-being and, if possible, positive feelings of engagement. Measurements of quality of life extend the disability focus beyond the ability to perform activities of daily living to include a broad range of functioning (work, home, play) and also the persons feelings of satisfaction and well-being. This is necessarily a qualitative and subjective concept, judged by the patient in terms of the extent to which they are able to do the things they wish to do. In this medical context, quality of life is distinct from wealth or possessions, and to amke this clear you may see the term health-related quality of life. Reflecting these evolving ideas, the WHO revised its  Impairment, Disability and Handicap triad in 2001, re-naming it the International Classification of Function (ICF). This classification system provides codes for the complete range of functional states; codes cover body structures and functions, impairments, activities and participation in society. The ICF also considers contextual factors that may influence activity levels, so function is viewed as an interaction between health conditions (a disease or injury) and the context in which the person lives (both physical environment and cultural norms relevant to the disease). It establishes a common language for describing functional states that can be used in comparing across diseases and countries. The ICF therefore uses positive language, so that activity and participation replace disability and handicap. The ICF is described on the WHO web site. Impairment, Disability and Handicap Sheena L. Carter, Ph.D. The words â€Å"impairment,† â€Å"disability,† and â€Å"handicap,† are often used interchangeably. They have very different meanings, however. The differences in meaning are important for understanding the effects of neurological injury on development. The most commonly cited definitions are those provided by the World Health Organization (1980) in The International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps: Impairment: any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function. Disability: any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. Handicap: a disadvantage for a given individual that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal As traditionally used, impairment refers to a problem with a structure or  organ of the body; disability is a functional limitation with regard to a particular activity; and handicap refers to a disadvantage in filling a role in life relative to a peer group. Examples to illustrate the differences among the terms impairment, disability, and handicap. 1. CP example: David is a 4-yr.-old who has a form of cerebral palsy (CP) called spastic diplegia. Davids CP causes his legs to be stiff, tight, and difficult to move. He cannot stand or walk. Impairment: The inability to move the legs easily at the joints and inability to bear weight on the feet is an impairment. Without orthotics and surgery to release abnormally contracted muscles, Davids level of impairment may increase as imbalanced muscle contraction over a period of time can cause hip dislocation and deformed bone growth. No treatment may be currently available to lessen Davids impairment. Disability: Davids inability to walk is a disability. His level of disability can be improved with physical therapy and special equipment. For example, if he learns to use a walker, with braces, his level of disability will improve considerably. Handicap: Davids cerebral palsy is handicapping to the extent that it prevents him from fulfilling a normal role at home, in preschool, and in the community. His level of handicap has been only very mild in the early years as he has been well-supported to be able to play with other children, interact normally with family members and participate fully in family and community activities. As he gets older, his handicap will increase where certain sports and physical activities are considered normal activities for children of the same age. He has little handicap in his preschool classroom, though he needs some assistance to move about the classroom and from one activity to another outside the classroom. Appropriate services and equipment can reduce the extent to which cerebral palsy prevents David from fulfilling a normal role in the home, school and community as he grows. 2. LD example: Cindy is an 8-year-old who has extreme difficulty with reading (severe dyslexia). She has good vision and hearing and scores well on tests of intelligence. She went to an excellent preschool and several different special reading programs have been tried since early in kindergarten. Impairment: While no brain injury or malformation has been identified, some impairment is presumed to exist in how Cindys brain puts together visual and auditory information. The impairment may be inability to associate sounds with symbols, for example. Disability: In Cindys case, the inability to read is a disability. The disability can probably be improved by trying different teaching methods and using those that seem most effective with Cindy. If the impairment can be explained, it may be possible to dramatically improve the disability by using a method of teaching that does not require skills that are impaired (That is, if the difficulty involves learning sounds for letters, a sight-reading approach can improve her level of disability). Handicap: Cindy already experiences a handicap as compared with other children in her class at school, and she may fail third grade. Her condition will become more handicapping as she gets older if an effective approach is not found to improve her reading or to teach her to compensate for her reading difficulties. Even if the level of disability stays severe (that is, she never learns to read well), this will be less handicapping if she learns to tape lectures and read books on audiotapes. Using such approaches, even in elementary school, can prevent her reading disability from interfering with her progress in other academic areas (increasing her handicap). Gale Encyclopedia of Education: History of Special Education Top Home Library History, Politics Society Education Encyclopedia Special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. Claiming lineage to such persons as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775 1838), the physician who tamed the wild boy of Aveyron, and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866 1936), the teacher who worked miracles with Helen Keller, special educators teach those students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs, making education available to students who otherwise would have limited access to education. In 2001, special education in the United States was serving over five million students. Although federally mandated special education is relatively new in the United States, students with disabilities have been present in every era and in every society. Historical records have consistently documented the most severe disabilities those that transcend task and setting. Itards description of the wild boy of Aveyron documents a variety of behaviors consistent with both mental retardation and behavioral disorders. Nineteenth-century reports of deviant behavior describe conditions that could easily be interpreted as severe mental retardation, autism, or schizophrenia. Milder forms of disability became apparent only after the advent of universal public education. When literacy became a goal for all children, teachers began observing disabilities specific to task and setting that is, less severe disabilities. After decades of research and legislation, special education now provides services to students with varying degrees and forms of disabilities, including mental retardation, emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, speech-language (communication) disabilities, impaired hearing and deafness, low vision and blindness, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, and severe and multiple disabilities. Development of the Field of Special Education At its inception in the early nineteenth century, leaders of social change set out to cure many ills of society. Physicians and clergy, including Itard, Edouard O. Seguin (1812 1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801 1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787 1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. A rich  literature describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s: They were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise. During much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. Advocates of these institutions argued that environmental conditions such as urban poverty and vices induced behavioral problems. Reformers such as Dorothea Dix (1802 1887) prevailed upon state governments to provide funds for bigger and mo re specialized institutions. These facilities focused more on a particular disability, such as mental retardation, then known as feeble-mindedness or idiocy; mental illness, then labeled insanity or madness; sensory impairment such as deafness or blindness; and behavioral disorders such as criminality and juvenile delinquency. Children who were judged to be delinquent or aggressive, but not insane, were sent to houses ofrefuge or reform schools, whereas children and adults judged to be mad were admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Dix and her followers believed that institutionalization of individuals with disabilities would end their abuse (confinement without treatment in jails and poorhouses) and provide effective treatment. Moral treatment was the dominant approach of the early nineteenth century in psychiatric hospitals, the aim being cure. Moral treatment employed methods analogous to todays occupational therapy, systematic instruction, and positive reinforcement. Evidence suggests this approach was humane and effective in some cases, but the treatment was generally abandoned by the late nineteenth century, due largely to the failure of moral therapists to train others in their techniques and the rise of the belief that mental illness was always a result of brain disease. By the end of the nineteenth c entury, pessimism about cure and emphasis on physiological causes led to a change in orientation that would later bring about the warehouse-like institutions that have become a symbol for abuse and neglect of societys most vulnerable citizens. The practice of moral treatment was replaced by the belief that most disabilities were incurable. This led to keeping individuals with disabilities ininstitutions both for their own protection and for the betterment of society. Although the transformation took many years, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of institutions had increased so  dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation was no longer possible. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation. Many special education professionals became critics of institutions. Howe, one of the first to argue for in stitutions for people with disabilities, began advocating placing out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization. At the close of the nineteenth century, state governments established juvenile courts and social welfare programs, including foster homes, for children and adolescents. The child study movement became prominent in the early twentieth century. Using the approach pioneered by G. Stanley Hall (1844 1924; considered the founder of child psychology), researchers attempted to study child development scientifically in relation to education and in so doing established a place for psychology within public schools. In 1931, the Bradley Home, the first psychiatric hospital for children in the United States, was established in East Providence, Rhode Island. The treatment offered in this hospital, as well as most of the other hospitals of the early twentieth century, was psychodynamic. Psychodynamic ideas fanned interest in the diagnosis and classification of disabili ties. In 1951 the first institution for research on exceptional children opened at the University of Illinois and began what was to become the newest focus of the field of special education: the slow learner and, eventually, what we know today as learning disability. The Development of Special Education in Institutions and Schools Although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victors behavior through education. Modern special education practices can be traced to Itard, and his work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. In 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. By the middle of the nineteenth century, special educational programs were being provided in many asylums. Education was a prominent part of moral therapy. By the close of the nineteenth century, special classes within regular public schools had been launched in major cities. These special classes were initially established for immigrant students who were  not proficient in English and stude nts who had mild mental retardation or behavioral disorders. Descriptions of these children included terms such as steamer children, backward, truant, and incorrigible. Procedures for identifying defectives were included in the Worlds Fair of 1904. By the 1920s special classes for students judged unsuitable for regular classes had become common in major cities. In 1840 Rhode Island passed a law mandating compulsory education for children, but not all states had compulsory education until 1918. With compulsory schooling and the swelling tide of anti-institution sentiment in the twentieth century, many children with disabilities were moved out of institutional settings and into public schools. However, by the mid-twentieth century children with disabilities were still often excluded from public schools and kept at home if not institutionalized. In order to respond to the new population of students with special needs entering schools, school officials created still more special classes in public schools. The number of special classes and compleme ntary support services (assistance given to teachers in managing behavior and learning problems) increased dramatically after World War II. During the early 1900s there was also an increased attention to mental health and a consequent interest in establishing child guidance clinics. By 1930 child guidance clinics and counseling services were relatively common features of major cities, and by 1950 special education had become an identifiable part of urban public education in nearly every school district. By 1960 special educators were instructing their students in a continuum of settings that included hospital schools for those with the most severe disabilities, specialized day schools for students with severe disabilities who were able to live at home, and special classes in regular public schools for students whose disabilities could be managed in small groups. During this period special educators also began to take on the role of consultant, assisting other teachers in instructing students with disabilities. Thus, by 1970 the field of special education was offering a variety of educational placements to students with varying disabilities and needs; however, public schools were not yet required to educate all students regardless of their disabilities. During the middle decades of the twentieth century, instruction of children with disabilities often was based on process training which involves attempts to improve childrens academic  performance by teaching them cognitive or motor processes, such as perceptualmotor skills, visual memory, auditory memory, or auditory-vocal processing. These are ancient ideas that found twentieth-century proponents. Process training enthusiasts taught children various perceptual skills (e.g., identifying different sounds or objects by touch) or perceptual motor skills (e.g., balancing) with the notion that fluency in these skills would generalize to reading, writing, arithmetic, and other basic academic tasks. After many years of research, however, such training was shown not to be effective in improving academic skills. Many of these same ideas were recycled in the late twentieth century as learning styles, multiple intelligences, and other notions that the underlying process of learning varies with gender, ethnicity, or other physiological differences. None of these theories has found much support in reliable research, although direct instruction, mnemonic (memory) devices, and a few other instructional strategies have been supported reliably by research. The History of Legislation in Special Education Although many contend that special education was born with the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) in 1975, it is clear that special educators were beginning to respond to the needs of children with disabilities in public schools nearly a century earlier. It is also clear that EAHCA did not spring from a vacuum. This landmark law naturally evolved from events in both special education and the larger society and came about in large part due to the work of grass roots organizations composed of both parents and professionals. These groups dated back to the 1870s, when the American Association of Instructors of the Blind and the American Association on Mental Deficiency (the latter is now the American Association on Mental Retardation) were formed. In 1922 the Council for Exceptional Children, now the major professional organization of special educators, was organized. In the 1930s and 1940s parent groups began to band together on a national level. These groups worked to make changes in their own communities and, consequently, set the stage for changes on a national level. Two of the most influential parent advocacy groups were the National Association for Retarded Citizens (now ARC/USA), organized in 1950, and the Association for Children with Learning Disabilities, organized in 1963. Throughout the first  half of the twentieth century, advocacy groups were securing local ordinances that would protect and serve individuals with disabilities in their communities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. By mid-century all states had legislation providing for education of students with disabilities. However, legislation was still noncompulsory. In the late 1950s federal money was allocated for educating children with disabilities and for the training of special educators. Thus the federal government became formally involved in research and in training special education professionals, but limited its involvement to these functions until the 1970s. In 1971, this support was reinforced and extended to the state level when the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (PARC) filed a class action suit against their Commonwealth. This suit, resolved by consent agreement, specified that all children age six through twenty-one were to be provided free public education in the least restrictive alternative (LRA, which would later become the least restrictive environment [LRE] clause in EAHCA). In 1973 the Rehabilitation Act prohibited discriminatory practices in programs receiving federal financial assistance but imposed no affirmative obligations with respect to special education. In 1975 the legal action begun under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations resulted in EAHCA, which was signed into law by President Gerald Ford. EAHCA reached full implementation in 1977 and required school districts to provide free and appropriate education to all of their students with disabilities. In return for federal funding, each state was to ensure that students with disabilities received non-discriminatory testing, evaluation, and placement; the right to due process; education in the least restrictive environment; and a fre e and appropriate education. The centerpiece of this public law (known since 1990 as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA) was, and is, a free appropriate public education (FAPE). To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Under EAHCA, students with identified disabilities were to receive FAPE and an IEP that included relevant instructional goals and objectives, specifications as to length of school year, determination of the most appropriate educational placement, and descriptions of criteria to be used  in evaluation and measurement. The IEP was designed to ensure that all students with disabilities received educational programs specific to their unique needs. Thus, the education of students with disabilities became federally controlled. In the 1982 case of Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs and ruled that special education services need only provide some educational benefit to students public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities. In so doing the Supreme Court further defined what was meant by a free and appropriate education. In 1990 EAHCA was amended to include a change to person-first language, replacing the term handicapped student with student with disabilities. The 1990 amendments also added new classification categories for students with autism and traumatic brain injury and transition plans within IEPs for students age fourteen or older. In 1997, IDEA was reauthorized under President Clinton and amended to require the inclusion of students with disabilities in statewide and districtwide assessments, measurable IEP goals and objectives, and functional behavioral assessment and behavior intervention plans for students with emotional or behavioral needs. Because IDEA is amended and reauthorized every few years, it is impossible to predict the future of this law. It is possible that it will be repealed or altered dramatically by a future Congress. The special education story, both past and future, can be written in many different ways.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Critically Analyse The Social Penetration Theory Psychology Essay

Critically Analyse The Social Penetration Theory Psychology Essay Social penetration theory was first proposed by Altman and Taylor in 1973. There after it was further developed by Altman. This theory is a general approach to interpersonal attraction that looks at the development of an interpersonal relationship from acquaintanceship to close friendship as a gradual and systematic process. It also looks at how friendship moves from peripheral and superficial levels of exchange to intimate friends (Green 219). The growth of relationship is influenced by three main factors namely; situational factors, personality and cost. Therefore, when future and actual outcomes are favorable, penetration develops to more intimate areas. Social penetration theory describes the growth of personal relationships as rooted in the self disclosure. The theory explains that the increase in intimacy in relationship is as a result of individuals sharing increasingly information about themselves with each other. When people meet for the first time, they tend to share information which is general and impersonal thus limiting the range of the topics they discuss. As these people learn about each other and time passes the depth of their disclosure increases thus revealing personal information. The breadth of disclosure increases and the individuals are able to discuss a range of topics. The authors of this theory suggest that the growth of a relationship continues if the regards that each partner gets are greater that the costs they believe they incur. Social penetration theory depends mostly on the positive association between disclosure and the degree to which partners are emotionally committed in their relationship. Thus partners who freely disclose more information to each other have greater relational satisfaction and stability. More so, there is a linear relationship between intimacy and disclosure. For example partners experience dialectical tensions between being open and closed on what they discuss with each other. The social penetration theory holds one important assumption that mutual profit from the partners interaction acts as a vehicle to the level of exchange and grows over time in a given relationship (Nicotera 103). The theory is mostly concerned with information exchange though it also makes use of expression of positive and negative effect in mutual activities as other forms of exchange. Situational influence, personality and rewards are factors which help in promoting social penetration process which is retarding. Also, the intensity and extent of self disclosure act as operation measure of social penetration. Self disclosure measure is used in measuring personality traits that affect disclosure thus providing intimate information about a person. Situational factors are mostly concerned with the ability to enter or get out of a relationship freely. It is also concerned with the level of such relationship to another person (Altman and Arnold 345). Relationships are perceived to develop symmetrically. Interpersonal exchanges develop from superficial to non-intimate area to deeper degrees of selves of the interacting people. In this case, individual therefore evaluate the balance of rewards and costs of the past and present exchanges. This evaluation is used as a basis of forecasting the cost and reward implication for future exchanges which may be made. Social penetration theory is different from other exchange theories because it brings forward the issue of the self and also gives special attention to the issue of self disclosure. Social penetration is achieved through disclosure which shows the real self in providing the proper context for the facilitation of disclosure (Nicotera 103. Research using the theory Longitudinal studies have been carried out in attempt to investigate the functions of the social penetration theory. The study revealed that there was a pattern of reciprocal exchange over time as well as an equity norm which is related to the intimacy level of the disclosure. The study also revealed that short patterns were part of the larger fluctuations. Considerable evidence indicates that through out young adulthood and adolescence, self disclosure is an important factor in of formation of friend ship and its maintenance. This is because self disclosure increases both in depth and breadth as relationships develops. Therefore, the growing intimate formation shows the mechanism through which formation of relationship is done as well as a reflection of the level of closeness. Several studies using strangers show that individuals who engage in intimate disclosure are more liked than those individuals who restrict disclosure to topics which are not intimate. Consistent with social penetration theory, this explains that people are getting attracted to other people who are free to disclose their personal information. This is because such disclosure signs cause the desire for closeness. However in the early stages of a relationship, disclosures of intimate information can act as a hindrance to the development of a relationship (Green 219). Cases of disliking have been witnessed where a stranger disclose his intimate information. There is some indication that within a single conversation, personal information revealed later in the relationship is received better than a persons information revealed earlier. Meill and Duck conducted a study which shows that the studies on strangers generalize friendship formation in the real world. These researchers asked some college students how they would collect information about a probable friend, how they would decide to pursue the relationship and modulate the rate of development. Students gave a report that friendship formation process operate in interactions with probable friends until a decision is made on whether to continue with the relationship or not. Many studies on friendship formation support many of the propositions of by Altman and Taylor. For example, the research on the college students was consistent with the social penetration theory (Littlejohn 121). College student roommates who developed the closest friendships reported to have exchanged more information and more intimate information across all categories. Self disclosure is a process through which friendship is initiated and also it is through it that people try to maintain their relationship. Studies have shown that young adults deliberately use intimate disclosure as a way of sustaining their relationship. A research by Rosenfeld and Kendrick supports the social penetration theory. The research indicates that the most common reasons that young adults had for disclosing their personal information to friends were friendship enhancement and maintenance. The study shows that friends can be differentiated from non-friends in terms of both the quality and quantity of their disclosure (Husain 78). Very close friends not only disclose more of their personal information than strangers, but they also disclose more intimate information. The research also indicates that best friends are more likely to receive highly personal disclosures than none intimate friends. There is more superficial and casual disclosure among friends than intimate discl osure. Young adults exchange the most personal information but on the other hand friends only exchange moderate personal information. Critique of social penetration theory Altman and Taylor came up with social penetration theory in an attempt to explain peoples relationships. The degree of self disclosure has a major task in the grown of relationship. Their theory is very direct and simple thus making it possible for one to understand. In addition, in this theory the authors have used many aspects which can relate to the real world. The social penetration theory outlines what people go through when forming a relationship. This is clearly shown by the authors when they said that people will continue or discontinue with a relationship depending on the costs and rewards involved. In this theory it is very easy to predict what will happen in future. This is because if the costs involved in information exchange are more that the rewards received, then the individuals or partners will end the relationship (Littlejohn 121). On the other hand, if the rewards involved in information exchange are more than the cost involved, then the partners will continue with the relationship. In addition this theory is very easy to understand. This is because it only has four hypothesis and three variables involved. Altman and Taylor based their theory of social penetration theory on cost and reward. This indicates that people first evaluate a relationship on the basis of the rewards and costs involved and then decide whether to continue or not (Husain 78). This is not true because one should not be in relationship just because of the benefits expected. Relationship should therefore be evaluated on many other factors but not only on gains and costs. The authors try to suggest that people will always form a relationship if they are guaranteed that there are some benefits to be earned from it. Most people are selfless and will form a relationship regardless of whether there are costs to be incurred or benefits to be earned from it. Altman and Taylor associate people who are engaged to a communication process to onions. The authors state that when people meet for the first time, they hide their information just like the onion layers (Green 219). As people continue to meet, they share their personal information and thus shed off the layers making it easy to understand one another. The layers of self disclosure have different levels of depth and breadth and this can be reached through the topics shared and the nature of information in these topics. Social penetration theory shows the status of a person is changed from public to private. Therefore, a person at some time may disclose more personal information than other times. A person may still not share any personal information with a private person if the person is not pleasing at all. This therefore indicates that according to the social penetration theory, it is not guaranteed that a relationship will develop positively from time to time (Altman and Arnold 345). The social penetration theory gives a possibility of differentiation between the different types and forms of the relationships by providing the notions of personality breadth and personality depth. The theory also gives a description of the different phases involved in a relationship. The relationships development is explained by the dimensions of the social penetration process (Littlejohn 121). A social relationship develops through interactions that let the relationship entities discover new elements of the counterparts personality. The personality element that get shared among the relationship parties are structured into two dimensions. These dimensions include personality breadth and personality depth. The breadth of personality has two further dimensions which include the categories and the frequencies of interactions. The frequency states the number of interactions within such a category. On the other hand, the depth of the personality represents a layering element within the entitys personality. The outer layers of the personality have more elements. According to the social penetration theory, the inner layers are more personal and fewer where the central characteristics of ones personality are found. The disclosure of elements of higher personality depth gets more difficult with further advancements as these inner elements are better protected and a disclosure can be associated with risk.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Study of Organized Retail in Rural Indian Markets

Study of Organized Retail in Rural Indian Markets Shubham Kumar Retailing accounts for around 10% of the Indian GDP and the Indian retail market is estimated to be worth around US $600 billion in 2015 and to reach US$1.3 trillion by 2020. It is also one of the fastest in the world in terms of growth and already consists of 1.2 billion people. In order to understand the standing of organized retailing in the rural Indian markets, one must first understand what is meant by organized retailing itself. 1.1 Organized Retailing   Ã‚   With more than 15 million owner manned mom-and-pop stores, India is often called a nation of shopkeepers. This is referred to as unorganized retailing and it refers to the traditional formats of low-cost retailing such as the local corner shops, owner manned general stores, paan/beedi shops, convenience stores, hand carts and pavement vendors, etc. On the other hand, organized retailing refers to trading activities undertaken by licensed retailers who are registered for sales tax, income tax, etc. These include the publicly traded supermarkets, corporate-backed hypermarkets and retail chains, and also the privately owned large retail businesses. The face of retailing in India was changed by the emergence of organized retail formats along with a shift in the Indian consumers attitude. The above figure shows the evolution of the Indian retail market. However, organized retailing in the Indian markets has mostly been in the urban regions and the overall Organized Retail Penetration (ORP) is low at 8% (in 2015) showing that a lot of potential still exists. 1.2 Organized Retailing in Rural Indian Markets The unorganized retailers hold advantages such as being personal, strong relationships, serving as points of news, offering credit and helping the people in difficult times. Further, they understand the local requirements and offer low prices as they have low overheads. By 2012, urban Indian markets was where 85% of the organized retailing took place in India. However, with a lot of foreign players entering, limited and expensive desirable real estate and foreign investment restrictions have pushed the Indias retail market closer to maturity. The rural Indian market on the other hand, consists of 833,087,662 people (68.84% of total) living in around 6,40,867 villages. Development of the rural market began after the Green Revolution when the demand for farm inputs like hybrids seeds and fertilisers began rising. Yet only a small part of the vast rural market remains covered by organized retailers such as DCM Shrirams Hariyali, HULs Project Shakti and ITCs e-Choupal. The following figure shows the evolution of the different retailing formats in the rural markets: Organized retailing offers certain advantages such as operating in a large scale with multiple outlets, being highly efficient and hold high bargaining power over suppliers due to their volume purchases. In addition to these advantages, following are some drivers which are fueling organized retailing in the rural markets: 2.1 Scope This study looks at various secondary sources of information regarding the major players involved in organized retailing in the rural Indian markets. An analysis of their marketing mix along with their strategies is done and the opportunities and challenges for retailing in these markets are identified. Following are the organized retailing entities covered as a part of this study: Warana Bazar Godrej Aadhaar ITC e-Choupal Caupal Sagar HUL Shakti DSCL Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar 2.2 Major Organized Retailers in Rural India Due to its vast potential and growth, the rural Indian market has been successful in attracting many large corporate houses and come up with innovative means to cater to their needs. Some of these firms include international players such as HUL, ITC, Gilette etc. While some of these initiatives were successful, some were not able to gain enough traction. 2.2.1 Warana Bazar Warana Bazar (WB) was founded in the year 1976 and started operating in 1978 in Warana, Maharashtra. It operates as a consumer co-operative store and has become immensely successful. By 2015, WB had 2 large departmental stores, 55 branches and 3 franchisees in 101 villages spread across Kolhapur and Sangli in Maharashtra in addition to being present in Goa and Karnataka. The yearly turnover reached à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¹132 crores with a daily turnover of more than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¹35 lakhs powered by only 610 employees and 24,000 members. The stores provided 30,000 different types of goods across 24 sections. They also eliminated the middlemen by purchasing 70% of the goods directly from the manufacturers or from authorized stockists and agents. The goods were priced cheaper than anywhere else, suggesting an everyday low pricing policy. In addition to this, innovative ideas have proven to be crucial in the success of WB. They educated the customers about spurious goods and in addition to this, it felicitates the mothers around Warananagar who give birth to a girl child in order to help improve the sex ratio. Vilasrao. A training center coined Tatyasaheb Kore Consumers Cooperative Training Centre was also established in 1996 to gain access to trained salesmen. 2.2.2 Godrej-Future Group: Aadhaar Stores Godrej Aadhaar (GA), the agri services cum retail initiative of Godrej Agrovet Ltd., a subsidiary of Godrej Industries Ltd., came into operation in December 2003 by opening a center at Manchar, Pune in Maharashtra. Initially, the Aadhaar stores were owned and operated by Godrej Agrovet itself. After a joint venture with the Future Group in 2008, some company-owned outlets were closed and expanded through franchisees. By 2012, it entered the cash-and-carry business selling to wholesalers and Aadhaar outlets. By 2013, there were 45 Aadhaar outlets in Punjab and Gujarat. Image 1: An Aadhar store in Punjab Initially, 1/3rd of the overall sales of Aadhar outlets came from farm inputs, while the rest came equally from apparel, consumer durables and consumer goods. Since then, the share of farm inputs has decreased and presently, more than 90% of the sales came from groceries and consumer goods. Rekhi says. The new strategies have yielded results, and Aadhaar was looking to break even. 2.2.3 ITC Ltd.: e-Choupal Choupal Saagar ITC Ltd. Launched e-Choupal and later Choupal Saagar as a part of the e-Choupal initiative. E-choupals are small kiosks across the agricultural regions of India having computers and internet access and run by a Sanchalak (trained fanner). These kiosks enabled the local farmers to obtain information on wholesale prices, good farming practices, and to place orders for agricultural inputs. In 2004, Indias biggest cigarette maker, ITC, opened its first rural hypermarket Choupal Saagar. By 2007, it had 24 such outlets in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and by 2013, 21 of these were earning profits. Though it plans to have 100 such store, ITC has not expanded further yet. Choupal Saagar, is essentially a hub with collection and storage facilities and a unique rural hypermarket offering multiple services all in one place. Choupal Saagars also include farmer facilitation centers with services such as sourcing, training, soil testing, health clinic, cafeteria, banking, investment services, fuel station etc. Image 2: A typical Choupal Sagar store. Before launching Choupal Saagar, ITC first had to developed the market. This was done by using the its e-Choupal linkages to buy agricultural produce from farmers helping them increase their productivity and incomes by removing the middlemen and empowering them. After this, Choupal Saagar stores were launched to sell a variety of products and services including farm inputs, consumer goods and consumer durables, apparel and fuel. These stores were located near the stock points of ITCs e-Choupals, ensuring that there existed 1 Choupal Sagar around 25-30 e-Choupals. The farmers could come in, sell their produce, receive cash and then spend it to buy other products at the same place. Thus, the sustainability of this model was ensured. ITC then took this model a step further by introducing Choupal Fresh in 2006 in Hyderabad. The Choupal Fresh would complete the supply chain which begins at the e-Choupals by offering the urban consumers fresh fruits, vegetables and other farm products. 2.2.4 HUL: Project Shakti Project Shakti was started to reach the massive under-served rural Indian markets which could not be economically and effectively reached through traditional methods. In these remote villages, HUL identified underprivileged women and trained them to become Shakti Entrepreneurs (SEs) i.e. distributors of HUL products in villages, in the process enabling them to earn a sustainable income through this business. Initially, the women were trained to be entrepreneurs and were called Shakti ammas, and in the later stages, this was augmented by the addition of Shaktimaan or the male members who helped in the distribution of the HUL products and further increased the income. Considerable resources are invested by HUL to train the villagers to become entrepreneurs, thus, besides being a sales, distribution and communication initiative, Shakti also serves as a micro-enterprise initiative improving the standards of life and providing employment opportunities. HUL is benefitted as the project helps enhance HULs direct rural reach and enables better communication of HULs brands effectively in media-dark regions. In 2001, Project Shakti started from 17 SEs in a single state and by 2008, it had grown to more than 45,000 SEs. Additional projects associated with Project Shakti are Shakti Day, i-Shakti Unit and Shakti Vani Programme. 2.2.5 DSCL: Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd (DSCL) Hariyali stores were started in 2002 selling farm products, groceries and household goods. In 6 years, it operated 300 stores in India and became the largest rural retail chain. Each Hariyali Kisaan Bazaar operated in an area of 20 kms., catering to agricultural land of about 50,000-70,000 acres touching approx. 15,000 farmers. The value proposition was that of Unnati Ghar Sansaar and Gaon providing valuable technical assistance, soil water testing services, retailing agricultural inputs, facilitating the farmers with credit and providing a platform to the farmers to sell their produce, crop finance, transfer information on weather, price of the products based on demand and supply, all under one roof. It had collaborations with the likes of Tata Agrico, Bajaj Allianz Life, Apollo Pharmacy, Eicher Motors and HDFC Bank. However, the rural market presents a lot of challenges for organized retailing and not all players have been able to succeed in this venture. Revenues kept on increasing at a good rate but the business was not able to earn a profit which caused DSCL to reevaluate its strategy. First, it slowed down expansion and later it shut down some stores and finally after 10 years of trying, it exited the business. Presently, it sells only petroleum products sourced from Bharat Petroleum at 37 locations in the countryside dropping the revenues but also limiting the losses. An ex-employee of said that the outlet didnt offer any discounts and, unlike local grocery stores, didnt sell on credit which might be the main reasons behind its collapse. Image 3: A closed Hariyali store in Haryanas Ladwa village. 3.1 Challenges for Organized Retailing in Rural Indian Markets Typical problems of retailing in rural markets: Low disposable incomes Illiteracy and low awareness Higher overhead costs Fluctuating demand that depends on the monsoon Diverse buying habits Difficulty in competing with mom-and-pop stores 3.2 Distribution and Logistics Models The typical distribution models and hub and spoke model do not always succeed in the rural markets and are very expensive to implement. Taking the example of HUL, taking its huge product portfolio to the remotest of villages was a big challenge. However, the company realized that the conventional hub-and-spoke distribution model which it used to great effect in both urban and semi-urban markets would turn out to be very expensive when penetrating the smaller scattered villages. Hence, it came up with Project Shakti and created local entrepreneurs using self-help groups. This developmental approach made sure that even the remotest of villages could be reached and the market developed without a large investment in the distribution infrastructure. On the other hand, Haryali Kisaan Bazaar was not successful as it could not implement such cost-effective and innovative distribution models, therefore failing to keep its costs low and earn a profit. The sustainability of organized retailing in the rural markets depends upon the ability of the firms to come up with innovative distribution and logistics models such as using public distribution stores, distribution vans, non-government organizations etc. Yet another example can be taken of ITCs Choupal Sagar which used technology to reduce its costs as well as empower the farmers by enabling them to get better deals for their produce. 3.3 Ensuring Sustainability through Market Development In order to generate sales in the remote rural markets, they must be first developed so that the consumers have the required knowledge to find value from the product and the disposable income to be able to afford the product. Organized retail however, does not help in increasing the rural incomes but only meets the consumption requirements. This makes the business models unsustainable. In order to sustain, the organized retailers must simultaneously work to develop these markets by implementing innovative ideas. Looking at ITC, it did not straight away establish the Choupal Sagar stores, instead ITC focused on developing linkages through its e-Choupal program first. It developed a strong network to buy agricultural products from farmers and improve productivity, helping raise their incomes and in the process, reduce its procurement costs. It was after establishing the e-Choupals and a certain level of trust with the rural markets that ITC went on to launch the Choupal Sagar stores which sold a variety of products and services to these rural markets. HULs Project Shakti also ensured sustainability by ensuring the development of the markets through self-help groups called the Shakti Markets. Similarly, Warana Bazar being a consumer co-operative store also helped in the development of the rural markets. Due to a lack of substantial developmental efforts, organized retailers such as the Hariyali Kisaan Bazar and Aadhar Stores have run into trouble, unable to make profits and sustain the business. While the Hariyali Kisaan Bazar have been reduced to selling fuel products, Aadhar Stores have had to shut down a lot of stores and recreate its product mix. Franchises are an attractive way of expanding organized retail stores as local franchisees are better at maintaining customer relationships as they understand the local consumption patterns better. References Equbal, D. S. (2012, January). Organized Retailing in India: Challenges and Opportunities. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 02(01), 281-291. Govt. of India. (2011). Rural Urban Distribution of Population. Census of India 2011. Haidar, P. (2015, July). Modern Rural Marketing Network. Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development, XXV(01), 91-102. India Brand Equity Foundation. (2017). Retail Industry in India. Jain, V. (2016, August). Challenges for Organized Retailing in India. International Journal of Research in Commerce Management, 07(08), 45-46. Poonam Talwar, S. S. (2011, July Dec.). Retailing Prospects in Rural Market. International Journal of Computer Science and Communication, 02(02), 527-529. Surajit Dey, D. S. (2012, Nov. Dec.). Organized Retail in the Rural Markets in India. IOSR Journal of Business and Management (IOSR-JBM), 06(01), 16-25.