Violence in America Essay examples - 660 Words

Violence in America America is a violent nation. Many people think that America is full of freedom and democracy. Do these people actually see what happens in America? Do they see the violence in schools, the crime in our society? Most likely, no, these people have loosely seen our society, the violence and the frauds that plague Americas history as well as the present. The short essay Violence in America demonstrates all violence in this country. Teddy Bears show how the public feels about guns and how they are used. In the Teddy Bears poster, guns are displayed as objects that are not regulated by laws. The toys are tested for hazardous parts, sharp edges, and anything else that would harm†¦show more content†¦In the early 1800s, when many immigrants came over from other countries, violence against the natives increased dramatically. America being the young nation it was could not deal with the violence in the nation. The author states Justice often meant frontier justice, in which groups of the local citizenry took the law into their own hands: hanging horse thieves, or riding undesirables out of town were among the ways early criminal sentencing was handled (Moser, Watters p 481). Following the Civil War, many whites started organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, Bald Knobbers, and the White Cappers. These organizations mainly targeted guiltless blacks, and on occasion, other minorities. Lynching was commonly used to kill the blacks. About 3,209 blacks fell victims of these hate crimes during the years 1889 to 1918 by these organizations. Many minorities that worked at the factories, as well as the majorities, started many riots, boycotts and other forms of strikes to accomplish the goals they set out to achieve. Often the government would react violently to these people with brutality. Cities and jobs are not the only place where violence occurs. Homes and schools are no longer safe places to be. An increasing number of students are bringing weapons to schools so they can feel safe, or they plan to use them for ill purposes.Show MoreRelatedViolence in America: The Representation of Violence in the Media505 Words   |  2 PagesIn America, violence has always been an integral part of national culture. Crime and bloodshed, euphemized through use of â€Å"action† (this has a source) plots, are glorified both on and off screen. The more disturbing the act of violence, the more enthralled the public seems. The most prolific of crimes, those committed by infamous serial killers, inspire the most attention. As said by Jeff Lindsay, creator of the book series that inspired the wildly-popular television program, Dexter, â€Å"We’re sickenedRead MoreGun Violence And Its Effects On America1743 Words   |  7 PagesFor many decades, gun violence has taken the lives of many; friends, family, artist, presidents, and even law enforcement. These tragic losses are a result of rapid, furious reactions from people who don t stop and think, is this truly worth their life?†. Fortunately, some of these killers were put behind bars and loved ones were able to find justice but justice could never replace the life of someone. Gun violence is dividing America and the majority of those at risk are innocent. How many moreRead MoreEssay about Violence in America2573 Words   |  11 PagesViolence in America Beginning with the urban drug wars and the Rodney King riot all the way up the spectacular lynchings in Texas and Wyoming, and now the mass murder/terrorist strike by teenagers in their own high school, the 90s is a decade made numb by civil disorder. In between came the incidents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and Waco, Texas, involving dubious law enforcement assaults on separatists, which led to the terrorist bombing at Oklahoma City — the single worst terrorist act in AmericanRead MoreThe Problem of Gun Violence in America603 Words   |  2 Pages Gun violence is a big problem in America which needs to be fixed, enacting more laws that restrict usage and ownership of firearms is not the answer, doing so will only create more violence and deaths, American crime rates are lower when compared to other countries when the debates started, the crime rate sky rocketed making people buy more guns and ammunition. Between the years 2000 and 2010, 335,609 people died by injuries from firearms. With more guns on the streets, this puts a greater riskRead MoreMedia Violence and the Decline of America1786 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"Corporate greed is the beating heart of America!† (Law Order) There is an insatiable hunger that strikes every commercial business. It is an unquenchable desire for more money. Who wants more money? Most corporations do not have to think more than once about this question. They already know the answer. Their only mission is to increase the amount of money they make in one way or another, and to discover effective ways to acquire even more of this coveted resource. Businesses exist for moneyRead More Decreasing Violence in America Essay6606 Words   |  27 PagesDecreasing Violence in America Today in St. Paul two people were murdered. It has been reported that the two were fighting with a third party about a phone call that was made. The suspect is in custody and the case is under investigation,† a reporter in the ten o’clock news reports. â€Å"Spouse and child abuse are on the rise. This year alone over ‘6 million men, women, and children were victims of severe physical attacks from their spouses or parents’(article 16)*,† another reporter reports.Read MoreThe Impact Of Gun Violence On America1905 Words   |  8 PagesJosh Olorunsaiye Ms. Middlebrooks Honors 10 Literature 5 March 2016 Gun Violence in America Gun Violence is a major problem in the United States, it leads to a lot of deaths every day. The area of focus is the United States of America. More controls need to be put on guns to make America a safer nation. More than 30,000 people are killed each year in this country due to guns. There are some questions that haven’t been answered like, Amendments that need to be made to reduce the availability of gunsRead More Domestic Violence in America Essay3058 Words   |  13 PagesUnited States is a large-scale and complex social and health problem. The home is the most violent setting in America today (Lay, 1994). Sadly enough, the majority of people who are murdered are not likely killed by a stranger during a hold-up or similar crime but are killed by someone they know. Not surprisingly, the Center for Disease Control and prevention has identified interpersonal violence as a major public health problem (Velson-Friedrich, 1994). Current estimates suggest that three to four mil lionRead MoreTeenagers in America and Dating Violence536 Words   |  2 PagesTeenagers in America are becoming more attuned to the social structures around them, like gender, social class, sexual orientation, and other aspects of life. With this social attunement comes uncertainty, the natural response to a new situation is fear and the next link in the chain is to hate what we fear. To change this response in all people the way we raise our children will have to change. The world is changing faster than ever before, the rearing of our children affects how theyRead More The Effects of Television Violence on America Essay1478 Words   |  6 Pages America has the highest crime rate in the world. Along with that crime rate is also the very high violence rate. Why is violence becoming and everyday event in our society? When you flip on the television and tune into the news, the highlight of every show is somehow directly related or connected to violence. We see it every evening and perhaps say Oh my gosh and then forget all about it two minutes later. Or perhaps we dont even make any comments at all, just a simple grunt or â€Å"Oh

Life After Reasons for Research Proposal

Life After Reasons for Research Proposal The Ultimate Reasons for Research Proposal Trick Since the ratings of your proposal often count on the simplicity of locating the information regarding your request, you have to be obvious and direct. For instance, a participant might believe the system is providing recommendations based on her prior selections when an individual in another room is truly providing them. Even more bad research was created especially to give support for a current solution. Whenever your prior knowledge is limited, it's important to become up-to-speed quickly. Your proposal is going to be a variation on this simple theme. To start with, you should understand that introduction section is merely a concise demonstration of your future academic or scientific work. The previous page of your research proposal ought to be the bibliography. The very first sentence of the very first paragraph should be what the proposal is all about. Facts, Fiction and Reaso ns for Research Proposal The straightforward reason given is that the guidelines weren't followed. Whatever way you choose, make certain it matches both the audience and the story you're attempting to tell. Folks may have agreed with your campaign since they truly feel the widespread notion a high BMI is just the results of folks failing to take responsibility for their weight. Restate the purpose and the chief purpose of your project and don't be scared to be optimistic about your future outcomes. The collective target of the School's research endeavor is to enhance the public's health in america and around the world. 1 thing that we must focus on research is that the core of the research isn't on statistics, but the thinking behind the research. Mindfulness techniques are incorporated in employee health offerings, along with leadership training. Set the boundaries of your proposed research to be able to present a crystal clear focus. When you're writing your research pap er's introduction, you ought to be building it around a particular outline that supplies a general review of the paper. In contrast to the dissertation, you've got to use your research work to show your viewpoint. A dissertation is a procedure to get a degree. Another big dissertation vs thesis difference is that in the event that you have completed a thesis writing, then you'll get a greater degree. The Reasons for Research Proposal Chronicles A research proposal is a written document which is often utilized to acquire support for an undertaking. The secret to successful research is to realize the underlying methodologies, to select the appropriate tool for an undertaking. Your research has to be verifiable. Explain how you intend to begin conducting your research. Clearly recognize the important sources you mean to use and explain how they are going to promote your analysis of the topic. Some of the greatest research paper introduction samples incorporate primary resour ces supporting the argument or research of the issue. It is recommended to look for the one which has a superior reputation and offers high-quality papers at inexpensive rates. Census researchers engage in challenging and satisfying work in a full selection of fields with the purpose of improving the standard and efficiency of Census Bureau censuses, surveys, and data solutions. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Reasons for Research Proposal Thus, let's take a peek at what a research proposal is. While working on your research questions it's important you have to attempt to realize that the research questions could be of wonderful importance only as long as you find it possible to work at your very best. There are three main explanations for why research proposals may fail to get approved the very first time they are submitted. For example, it explains how you will finish your project and includes all the activities that will take place. A History of Reasons for Research Pr oposal Refuted Testing is a rather important portion of learning what works before jumping into the industry world. Market research is a vital componentwhen you're launching an item, attempt to boost your present service, or whenever you're just seeking to be a step ahead of the competition. The objective is to find honest responses from people since they encounter every day circumstances. So essentially, you will be writing your proposal and receiving the research stage of your writing process from the way! So as to be qualified for future work and get closer to a level, it's beneficial to produce a concerted effort now. The purpose here is to set your project within the bigger whole of what's currently being explored, while demonstrating to your readers your work is original and advanced. Reasons for Research Proposal Help! While you're able to comprehend the concept of research questions it's also fundamental it's also essential you have to try your level best to work o n it whether you like its significance or not. Each assumption can get testable through a qualitative research program. You should guarantee that you're including a hypothesis. It's hackable, which aids you prove your first hypothesis.

Who is to Blame for the Death of Eva Smith Essay Example For Students

Who is to Blame for the Death of Eva Smith Essay An Inspector Calls, by J.B. Priestly, tells the story (in a form of a play), of a young girl, Eva Smith. Who, has a chain of unfortunate luck brought on by one family, results in her death. The story in more depth tells us, the audience, to think about others, and the way we treat them. And the responsibilities we should take upon ourselves for our actions. In addition, how we can look down on others. With the warning that without thinking of others, and maybe acting too much on impulse, you could do more harm than you once intended. In my essay, I will try to examine who actually was to blame for the death of Eva Smith. The story begins when the mysterious Inspector Goole calls on the Birlings. Once the inspector explains about Eva, the story shatters the foundations of the family and makes us question, individually, their conscience. It is important to remember that no member of the family is legally responsible for Evas death, it simply a moral responsibility. Arthur Birling was the first to be questioned under the inspector. Arthur was Evas employer. However, after a dispute about low wages, in which Eva was the leader of the protest, she was fired due to Arthurs disapproval of this out burst. Arthur seemed put-out and annoyed that the inspector dared to question him. I consider this uncalled-for and officious. Ive half a mind to report you. However, all Arthur cared about was the fact that the families reputation or status would be frowned upon if word got out of this incident. Most important to Arthur was the chance of knighthood would escape from his grip, if word got out. In addition, we can see that our full would blame almost anyone Instead of himself. Youre the one I blame for this. (This was said to Eric Birling). If we were all responsible for everything that happened to everybody wed had anything to do with it be awkward. Here we see again Arthur trying to escape from the blame. Rather than facing up to the consequences of what happened when he fired Eva Smith. Sybil Birling is the wife of Arthur Birling; she too like the rest of the family was questioned by the inspector. Sybil is the head of an organisation, which helps distressed women by providing them with financial aid an accommodation. Sybil took a disliking to Eva Smith, after Eva lied, saying her name was Birling. Sybil refused to grant Eva any help. Sybil is reluctant show feelings, or to get herself too involved. And she has her own way of cooperating with the Inspector; it is as if to say I have nothing to be ashamed of. Unlike the other three, I did nothing I am ashamed of or that will not bear investigation.. I did my duty. Sybil Seems like she grew up have high standards. As well as that, everyone is lower than she is, and he or she does not have the right to contradict her. I told him quite plainly that I thought I had done no more than my duty. She is extremely posh-We can tell by the way she speaks and acts to others, as well as proud and smug. I was the only one who didnt give in to him. Shelia Birling was responsible for getting Eva fired. Shelia placed it in placed a complaint after Eva had sniggered at her as she tried on a garment. Shelia It is more emotional when confronted by the inspector as well as when the others are confronted. We see Shelias Character changes from a selfish little spoiled child to a more moral figure. These girls arent cheap labour- theyre people. Moreover, when the guilt really sets in we can see the turning point. If shed been some miserable plain little creature, I dont suppose Id have done it.. I couldnt be sorry for. .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 , .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .postImageUrl , .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 , .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155:hover , .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155:visited , .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155:active { border:0!important; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155:active , .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155 .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u906516a1af75b67530ed7dfb18f01155:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Blood Brothers written by Willy Russell EssayWith these feelings of guilt, she dumps Gerald. This yet again is an act on impulse and could suggest to us, the audience, that she will find it hard to change her ways and stop acting on impulse. And is almost not her fault for acting on impulse, as that is the way she has been bought up. Shelia is very weary about the inspector. However, at the same time she wants to be involved with the investigations to see who is to blame, and if they are learning from their mistakes. Shelia is probably the most sympathetic member of the group we see how she constantly feel sorry for Eva. Eric Birling is the son off Sybil and Arthur Birling. Known to Eric as Daisy Renton, they had a casual affair. They neither loved one another. I wasnt in love with her or anything- but I liked her-She was pretty and a good sport. It was purely a sexual relationship. Unexpectedly she fell pregnant with his child. Eric stole money from his fathers business, where Eva had once worked, to keep her going. I was in a hell of a state about it. Eric seems to be very nervous when talking to the inspector. He relies on drink to see him through as he confesses. By this, we can see how guilty he feels. Moreover, how he knows he did something wrong. We can see as he confesses and with an outburst at Sybil, how he regrets You lot maybe letting yourselves out nicely, but I cant. Nor can mother. We did her in alright. Like his sister treating Eva the way he did. Not only does he has to confess and demonstrate his guilt and regret but has to face up with the fact that he stole money from his father. Eric, unlike the others, does seem quite rude by the way that he speaks to his family at the dinner table. He also seems to drink a lot, even before he confesses it is as if it is constantly playing on his mind. Gerald Croft is the prosperous charming young man, whom is going to marry Shelia Birling. Gerald met Eva at a bar. They had an affair while he was meant to be courting with Shelia. Eva accepts the relationship has to end. Eva had admitted to Gerald that he had made her happier than anything else had before. I didnt feel about her as she felt about me. Gerald remains calm all the way through the inspectors interrogation. Gerald is the one who figures out that they had been fooled by the inspector. The family accepts Gerald. He is well loved. In addition, is like the son they always wanted, instead of Eric who they see as irresponsible. In conclusion I think it is unfair to put the blame on specific person for the death of Eva Smith. After all there is no legal blame only moral blame. For this I think you can not even blame the whole family or even one person from the family, it is society that the blame should be placed upon. In those times (when the story is set) it was quite normal to treat people the way the Birlings individually treated Eva. It is also interesting to see how the younger members of the family (e.g. Eric and Shelia) are willing to admit to the selfish ways they treated Eva. But more importantly how the younger members, of the family, are willing to learn from their mistakes and therefore change. While the older members of the family remain stubborn and unwilling to admit how poorly they treated Eva, and therefore how they will never change and learn from their mistakes. This is because the older members of the family are set in their ways. .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e , .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .postImageUrl , .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e , .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e:hover , .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e:visited , .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e:active { border:0!important; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e:active , .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u88b4ebb77a904f3c748ca3e9a8e9627e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Character Analysis of Sheila in An Inspector Calls EssayI think when we look at Eva and the Birlings, specifically; they were to blame for her death. This is because the entire incidents caused by the Birlings did cause a strong chain which built up to the death of Eva. With out the first incident of which Arthur Birling fired Eva no other incidents would have happened. It was almost like fait bought each event on, one after the other. So specifically I think the Birlings were to blame for Evas death. But it was the affect of society on the Birlings and on Eva as that is the way different classes were allowed to treat one another. Eva was obviously affected by her unfortunate luck which just so happened to be bought on by one particular family. This unfortunate luck, I think, did drive Eva to suicide. Therefore the moral blame should be placed upon the Birlings but more so on society.

Market Entry Strategies Essay Example Essay Example

Market Entry Strategies Essay Example Paper Market Entry Strategies Essay Introduction Market Entry Strategies Sam C. Okoroafo – Modes of Entering Foreign Markets Okoroafo produced an article detailing a four step strategic model that firms should take into account when deciding modes of entering foreign markets. The model consists of four steps: 1. Determine the feasible modes of operation (MOO) There are many modes of operation suggested by many different researchers; however, â€Å"Some countries may prohibit use of some MOOs for reasons related to achieving their economic objectives†. This is supported by the suggestion of barriers to entry or threat of new entrants outlined in Porter’s Five Forces model. This is a factor that should be seriously considered by any firm producing alcoholic beverages as there are more likely to be legislation against the trade of such products. However, Australia has a bilateral agreement with the EU which suggests that importing wine into the Australian market should not be hindered by any laws or legislation su ch as tax or refusing entry into the market. 2. Arrange modes of operation in a continuum The identified modes of operation â€Å"need to be arranged in a continuum of increasing risk and commitment† Okoroafo suggests that the firm needs to start with the mode of entry that is the least risky and requires the last commitment. 3. Choose a mode of operation substitution pattern There are two substitution patterns outlined in Okoroafo’s model the incremental approach or the non incremental approach. The incremental approach â€Å"can be used in markets where environmental factors and host government laws are favourable†. This would be the case for the European firm. Market Entry Strategies Essay Body Paragraphs The non-incremental approach is â€Å"when the firm analyses environmental factors and it may see imposition of mandated countertrade as prohibiting it from exporting to that market†. If this was the case the firm would have to use firm specific factors to decide their mode of entry. 4. Choose a mode of entry Okoroafo suggested that â€Å"it is necessary to distinguish two types of variables† variables which are used to evaluate substitution of all modes â€Å"universal entry factors† or factors which influence specific entry modes, for example â€Å"Export-specific factors† and â€Å"licensing-specific factors†. As the European firm wants to import wine it is likely that they will need to consider licensing specific factors in great detail. Methods of Entry Exporting Exporting could be considered as one of the easiest method of entering the market. The advantages to the firm of only exporting their products is that it has relatively low financial r isk and low set up costs, however it should be considered as to whether the product would be cheaper to manufacture and distribute abroad due to the high costs of shipping such a heavy product as bottles of wine over to Australia from Europe. It is likely that the company will want to use a local agent to sell their product as they will have local knowledge of the market and business contacts in Australia. However this could be disadvantageous to the European firm because it is a possibility that they could lose their brand recognition and authenticity that comes with European wine. Licensing, franchising and subcontracting Advantages of licensing, franchising and subcontracting are that that it is also relatively low cost, similarly to exporting. There is also more control over the operation and distribution of the product, the firm can decide where and how their product is going to be retailed. In franchises, the franchisee also shares the risk of failure with the original firm, a nd they have a direct interest into the success of the brand. This is also coupled with their local knowledge and drive to expand their business. However, licensing and franchising would mean that the European firm has less contact with their consumers than they would have if they were only exporting the products, this also means that they lose direct control of operations, such as quality control and standards. Although franchises means that the risk is shared, it also means that the profits are shared so the European firm would not see as much return on their product sales as they would have hoped. However, this method of market entry may be considered as the European firm will be new to the Australian market and will need some help in establishing their products and brand. Joint ventures When setting up joint ventures and alliances, there is a detailed formal agreement which outlines who is involved in the business, who owns the assets, the management and control of the business, and termination of the venture. This means that there is shared risk, shared knowledge and expertise and ultimately a competitive advantage if two firms are in partnership with each other. However this might mean that the competition is reduced and therefore Porter’s National Diamond framework that suggests that rivalry and competition strengthens a business’ national advantage is weaker. Strategic Alliances, mergers and Acquisitions A strategic alliance is defined in International business 5th edition (Rugman and Collinson) as â€Å"a business relationship in which two or more companies work together to achieve a collective advantage† The benefits of developing a strategic alliance for the European firm would be that they would be able to acquire knowledge of new markets and technology, develop closer links with their suppliers and customers and to reduce the pressure of competing with large competitors who are already established in the Australian market. If the European firm was to consider a strategic alliance it is assumed that it would be with another Australian firm, however, they could identify another European firm who has been successful in the Australian market. Both of these options would have their advantages and disadvantages, if the European firm teamed up with another European firm then they would be able to combine their authenticity of European wine and use that as a unique selling point to the Australians. However, if the European firm was to team up with an Australian firm they would be able to learn more about the Australian culture and market demands. Strategic Alliances have been criticised by a number of researchers who suggest that most alliances tend to fail or disintegrate over time; Ellis, (1996) noted that 60% of all alliances eventually fail. This is supported by research from Segil (1998), â€Å"the rate of alliance success is diminishing. Whereas KPMG (1999) suggested that up to â€Å"83% of mergers and a cquisitions were unsuccessful in producing business benefit for shareholders. These statistics need to be carefully considered before deciding whether or not to develop a strategic alliance with another firm. A merger is defined as â€Å"two organisations who agree to join together and pool their assets in a new business entity†. Whereas an acquisition is defined as the â€Å"joining of two unequal partners† Porter’s Acquisition Strategy (1987) suggests three factors that should be considered before embarking on an acquisition. The attractiveness, where ideally firms should have above average profits in their industry or industry segment. This would make the European firm attractive for an acquisition as they are a global business offering their products around the world; therefore it is assumed that they are reasonably successful in their home country already. The cost of entry is another factor that Porter said firms should take into account before embarking o n an acquisition. This includes the direct costs and indirect costs such as management time and integration costs. This is likely to be more costly for the European firm as they will inevitably have to relocate part, if not the entirety of their business into another country. The third factor that should be taken into consideration is the competitive advantage. This takes into account synergy, where the resources are more effectively exploited by the merged businesses. Although there is significant evidence to suggest that partnerships with other firms such as strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions are likely to fail there are ways to increase the chance of success, as adapted from Payne (1987), Shelton (1988) and Sirower (1997). These measures include, evaluating the target firm’s competitive position, their culture for compatibility, ensure key resources can be retained after the merger, ensure a realistic price is paid for the target’s stock and plan the post merger process carefully. These measures are to ensure that if a merger does not succeed, the firm is still likely to be successful within the market, regardless of whether they are partnered with another firm. Issues in Cross Border Mergers Issues that have to be taken into consideration before a firm from a different region or country merges with another firm are, the role of the government, advisors and their costs, national culture and business ethics, geography, strategic shareholdings, experience and global corporations. Barriers to Entry Levy Payments â€Å"Federal legislation requires the payment of levies by wine producers and exporters to help fund the activities of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation. Trade agreements â€Å"The Agreement between Australia and the European Community on Trade in Wine signed in Brussels on 1 December 2008 is a formal international agreement that regulates the trade in wine between Australia and the European Community. † â€Å"The ultimate multi-lateral agreement is that involving all 148 members of the WTO. This organisation has been very effective in reducing tariff barriers around the world and also has developed a range of agreements relating to intellectual property, technical barriers to trade and quarantine restrictions. Foreign investment review agencies Australia has a foreign investment review agency that reviews applications for foreign direct investment and approves or disapproves the projects according to whether they benefit the local economy. This can be assessed by considering factors such as local employment, local sourcing of components, transfer of technology and the degree of local ownership (International Business 5th edition) We will write a custom essay sample on Market Entry Strategies Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Market Entry Strategies Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Market Entry Strategies Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Getting to grips with using that and which - Emphasis

Getting to grips with using that and which Getting to grips with using that and which That and which can sometimes be used interchangeably. But it’s not always correct to do so. The general rule is: use ‘that’ to define and use ‘which’ to inform or add information. Defining These are the spending cuts that the Board agreed. Here, the spending cuts in question are defined and limited to being the ones agreed to by the Board (as opposed to any others that might be enforced). It is actually not wrong to substitute ‘which’ here in British English, although American English would probably only use ‘that’. Informing The spending cuts, which the Board decided, have been very effective. Here, ‘which’ introduces additional information – the people behind the spending cuts. The main point is that all the cuts being discussed here have been effective; and, incidentally, they were (all) decided by the Board. Note the two commas necessary when using ‘which’ this way: the additional information within them could be removed and still leave a full sentence. Only ‘which’ can be used for this purpose. It’s incorrect to use ‘that’ when introducing extra information. Punctuating Although it is not wrong to use ‘which’ in place of ‘that’ to define or limit something, you have to be careful how you punctuate around it. There has been very positive customer feedback on the new desserts which are made with dark chocolate. With no comma before it, this ‘which’ is being used to define and limit the desserts which had good feedback as the ones made with dark chocolate. There are probably other flavours of dessert, but the response to those may have been less upbeat. There has been very positive customer feedback on the new desserts, which are made with dark chocolate. With a comma before it, this ‘which’ is being used to inform (the second comma has been replaced with a full stop). The part of the sentence after the comma is additional information about the first part. This means that all the new desserts had positive feedback and, by the way, they are all made with dark chocolate. As you can see, altering punctuation even slightly can change the meaning of your sentence and could result in you accidentally misleading your reader. Would you like more help with grammar? Have a look at our Essential grammar and punctuation training.

3 Secrets That Will Maximize Your SEO Success With Lydia Gilberston

3 Secrets That Will Maximize Your SEO Success With Lydia Gilberston Search engine optimization, or SEO, gets a lot of attention. While everyone knows it’s important, not everyone knows how to do it. You can get a lot of surface-level advice on SEO, but today we’re going to dig a little deeper by talking to a true expert in the field. Lydia Gilbertson is from Distilled in Seattle, Washington, She has a lot of knowledge and experience working with large clients where organic rankings are important to the bottom line. We’re going to talk about how to write content with SEO in mind, how to structure a sitemap, and some ideas for increasing site speed. Some of the highlights of the show include: What Lydia does at Distilled and what types of problems she helps solve. Searcher intent: What it is and why it’s important for SEO. Where marketers should start if they want to optimize their current content. What sitemaps are and why they’re important, as well as where many sitemaps go wrong. The importance of site speed for SEO and why it matters. Lydia also shares her best tips for improving site speed. Lydia’s top advice for increasing your organic search rankings. Powered by PodcastMotor Actionable Content Marketing powered by By AMP055: 3 Secrets That Will Maximize Your SEO Success With Lydia Gilbertson From Distilled 00:00/00:00 1x 100 > Download file Subscribe on iTunes Leave Review Share Links: Distilled Screaming Frog Page Speed Insights If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Lydia: â€Å"A good portion of [getting into the searcher’s mind] is just basic empathy towards trying to put yourself in the user’s situation.† â€Å"A good way to keep your sitemap organized is to just remember that it’s there.† â€Å"Optimize your website for just being a good user-friendly website. It’s generally the most important thing that you could focus on.†

Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Research Project - Essay Example ’s tangible resources, such as cash reserves and information technologies, managers utilize marketing promotions as an intangible resource that either makes a firm attractive to existing or prospective customers. Marketing promotions consist of efforts to communicate the total value of a service or a product for customers with the intention of increasing sales through these communications (Kotler and Keller 2009). Marketing promotions consist of advertising and publicity to achieve the objective of properly positioning a firm against competition, increasing sales, building a corporate identity and generally increase customer demand (Solomon, et al. 2006). For some managers, the problem faced in achieving competitive advantage is that their respective firms produce and distribute products that are comparable to competition. Such products have homogenous features and benefits to competitive offerings, hence when attempting to communicate product value, it becomes increasingly difficult to build incentive with customers to select one firm’s products over that of competitors. As a result, managers exploit the marketing function in operations as a means of differentiating a product from that of comparable competitor products. Differentiation is a strategic effort to create a distinguished identity for a product which makes a product appear more interesting and desirable for a company’s most sought-after customer target segments (Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson 2014). Nandan (2005) asserts that in today’s competitive business environment, it is becoming more simplistic for competing firms to imitate and reproduce the features and benefits of a competitor’s product. With the ability of a firm to procure similar production technologies whilst also building a competent research and development team, companies that once offered unique products for consumers are being threatened with a shortened product life cycle as a result of replicated competing products being

The Ethical Dilemmas Associated to Black Friday Directed at Wal-Mart Case Study

The Ethical Dilemmas Associated to Black Friday Directed at Wal-Mart - Case Study Example Every community and town where Wal-Mart is started has absorbed many workers consequently creating employment opportunities (Shaffer, 2007). Wal-mart has regulated the prices of its products by ensuring the customers purchase goods at low and fair prices, which will influence them to come back and shop at Wal-mart. Basis of Ethical Conflict By offering low prices to customers than the other retail shops, this has made customers not to shop from other retail shops apart from Wal-mart. It because of this that numerous retail shops have collapsed financially and closed down (Shaffer, 2007). Wal-mart has employed many people, which is a convenient way of creating employment, but they pay their employees poorly. Employees at Wal-mart receive salary below the standards of any USA citizens. Many workers are paid peanuts that they even have difficulties in sustaining and meeting all their basic needs. Half of the employees at Wal-mart have not enrolled in the health benefit plans, and many o f them depend on the health benefit plan of their parents. This has resulted to the oppression of the other citizens since they have to pay large sums of taxes in order to compensate for wal-mart workers. This is because many of Wal-mart workers are not able to pay for the health benefit plans. ... The company has hired many public relations experts to polish the allegations made by many activists and politicians. It has also hired many FBI and CIA retired officials to monitor the workers who are against the company. A reasonable sum of money, which has been used to polish the company’s name, can be used to increase the salary of the workers and enroll them in health benefit plans. Countless improvements have taken place at an instance while there are economic problems to the American economy. The lowering of prices is something that has been used to by many competitors, and this does not hinder them from selling their goods normally. This is the main reason that Wal-mart has come up with new strategies of offering large amounts of discounts to people who purchase heavily at their retail shop. It is because of this reason that Wal-mart should stop afflicting their employees but increase their salaries as well as enroll them in future health care plans. What Impacts Did L egal Pressures Have On The Situation? Many legal pressures do not find Wal-mart to be oppressing the employees because Wal-mart gives the government a substantial amount of revenues. On the other hand, the legal channels find Wal-mart to be assistive since they have created numerous employment opportunities globally (Shaffer, 2007). The other issues that the government find Wal-mart to be assistive, is how they have reduced their prices drastically to ensure that their goods are affordable to the average paid employees. The legal channels suggest that there is no way Wal-mart is oppressing its employees, yet it is offering low prices to its citizens for them to afford their products. Now and then, citizens praise Wal-mart because most of the goods they need

Food and Industry Essay Example for Free

Food and Industry Essay Political This can have two extreme effects on threat of new entrants. If the government brings out higher restaurant license cost and increased taxes and/or implements strict health and safety regulations along with more documentation procedures, this will increase the barriers to entry. However, if the government does the opposite by decreasing license cost and taxes or has a lenient approach to health and safety procedures, the threat of new entrants will be high. Economic. Due to the rising income disparity and the adverse economic conditions, the number of unemployed is increasing due to which the labor cost will decrease, and the up-class restaurants will be more in demand as the rich are getting richer. Thus, the threat of entrants is high because of increased profit margins in such ventures. In case of improvement in the economy, more people could afford to go out to restaurants which give more opportunities for new restaurants to come up. Social. The current social trend is in favor of eating out especially at expensive restaurants, thereby, increasing their demand and also owning such eat-outs is now very socially appealing thus, increasing the threat of new entrants. Technological The rise in innovative technology has made management of restaurants very easy and the new sophisticated software now enable restaurants to run with less number of employees, thereby, reducing the labor cost. Thus, this factor increases the threat of new entrants. |B |Bargaining Power of Buyers |Yes |~ |No | | | |(+) | |(–) | | |Are there a large number of buyers relative to the number of firms in the business? |[pic] | | | | |Do you have a large number of customers, each with relatively small purchases? |[pic] | | | | |Does the customer face any significant costs in switching suppliers? | | |[pic] | | |Does the buyer need a lot of important information? | | |[pic] | | |Is the buyer aware of the need for additional information? | | |[pic] | | |Is there anything that prevents your customer from taking your function in-house? |[pic] | | | | |Your customers are not highly sensitive to price. |[pic] | | | | |Your product is unique to some degree or has accepted branding. |[pic] | | | | |Your customers’ businesses are profitable. | |[pic] | | | |You provide incentives to the decision makers. | | |[pic] | Interpretation The bargaining power of buyer is low in the industry firstly because their product is a commodity item and consumers have no choice but to continue consumption, as it is also a form of entertainment in our country. This makes the industry more attractive and profitable and the PEST forces such as increasing population is an appealing opportunity, however, the economic situation of the country brings along adverse effects on the industry. Nandos should therefore, bank on the rising income disparity. PEST forces that affect Bargaining Power of Buyers Political This political factor has no direct affect on the bargaining power of buyers. Economic The increasing population reduces the power of buyers. Even though the adverse economic situation of Pakistan is reducing the consumer base, it is still not making much impact on the bargaining power of buyers. Social The trend is moving towards eating at restaurants, which is increasing the base of consumers, thus, reducing their bargaining power. Technological The advancement in technology makes it possible for the buyer to gather all the information quickly and make informed decisions. Thus, this is increasing the bargaining power of buyers. |C |Threat of Substitutes |Yes |~ |No | | | |(+) | |(–) | | |Substitutes have performance limitations that do not completely offset their lowest price. Or, |[pic] | | | | |their performance is not justified by their higher price. | | | | | |The customer will incur costs in switching to a substitute. | | |[pic] | | |Your customer has no real substitute. |[pic] | | | | |Your customer is not likely to substitute. | |[pic] | | Interpretation The threat of substitutes is medium to low, as this industry does not have any real substitutes, because restaurants offer unique experiences along with their basic product i. e. food items. In Pakistan, eating out is a form of entertainment and people generally like going to specific restaurants and cafes because of their splendid experience in the past including ambience and food. Nandos should therefore concentrate their efforts on upgrading their restaurant ambience and the taste offered by them. PEST forces that affect Threat of Substitutes There aren’t many substitutes of the restaurant industry. However, decrease in the purchasing power of the people could lessen their visits to the restaurants thereby increasing the threat of substitutes. If better substitutes are provided to people such as more variety in the ready-to-cook foods could increase the threat of substitutes. |D |Bargaining Power of Suppliers |Yes |~ |No | | | |(+) | |(–) | | |My inputs (materials, labor, supplies, services, etc. ) are standard rather than unique or | | |[pic] | | |differentiated | | | | | |I can switch between suppliers quickly and cheaply. | | |[pic] | | |My suppliers would find it difficult to enter my business or my customers would find it difficult | | |[pic] | | |to perform my function in-house. | | | | | |I can substitute inputs readily. | | |[pic] | | |I have many potential suppliers. | | |[pic] | | |My business is important to my suppliers. |[pic] | | | | |My cost of purchases has no significant influence on my overall costs. | | |[pic] | Interpretation Bargaining power of suppliers is high because the inputs are not easily substituted, keeping in mind only those companies in the industries that are rather cautious about their inputs as poor quality inputs can cause them a hefty amount of business. Also, the inputs are usually of a perishable nature, thus, stock-ups are not possible, that is why reliability of suppliers is very important. Therefore, these companies usually have one or two major supplier of main inputs, who can provide good quality inputs in a timely manner. This is an unattractive aspect of this industry, that’s why; Nandos should integrate backward by probably farming their chicken, in order to eliminate this power of suppliers. PEST forces that affect Bargaining Power of Suppliers Political. If the government grants subsidies to other chicken suppliers so that they are able to produce at the same level and with same quality as KnN, then the supplier power will reduce. If the government establishes quality standards for using hygienic meat products, the supplier power would go very high since there is only one major chicken supplier. Economic The current economic situation of the country will reduce large scale companies such as KnN; thus, the supplier power will increase. Also our poultry industry is â€Å"going down†. This will further increase the power of suppliers. Social. This factor will not affect the input of food industry. Technological Technology has made it possible to manage the poultry industry, thus enabling more suppliers to come in. therefore, the power of suppliers will reduce. |E |Determinants of Rivalry among existing competition |Yes |~ |No | | | |(+) | |(–) | | |The industry is growing rapidly. |[pic] | | | | |The industry is not cyclical with intermittent overcapacity. | | |[pic] | | |The fixed costs of the business are a relatively low portion of total costs. | | |[pic] | | |There are significant product differences and brand identities between the competitors. |[pic] | | | | |The competitors are diversified rather than specialized. |[pic] | | | | |It would not be hard to get out of this business because there are no specialized skills and |[pic] | | | | |facilities or long-term contract commitments, etc. | | | | | |My customers would incur significant costs in switching to a competitor. | | |[pic] | | |My product is complex and requires a detailed understanding on the part of my customer. | | |[pic] | | |My competitors are all of approximately the same size as I am. | | |[pic] | Interpretation. The rivalry amongst the existing firms is moderate to high as each tries to outdo the other by offering cost-effective deals to the consumers especially during Ramadan. With the increasing rate with which these eat-outs are opening, the market share for each of them is deteriorating. Thus, each is rigorously competing against the rest. In such situation, it is usually the restaurants with small operations such as Nandos that suffer. Nandos should therefore, try to combat this issue by increasing their operation via market penetration or market development. PEST forces that affect Rivalry among existing competition. Political If the government grants subsidies to local competitors to match the international chains, the rivalry will increase. Economic The fake economic growth has increased the availability of funds; therefore the competitors can match international chains now. Thus, the rivalry will increase. Social This factor will not affect the input of the Restaurant Industry. Technological Technology has made it possible for competitors to affectively reduce cost, thereby, enabling to match each other and copy the others competitive advantage. This will increase the rivalry between competitors. | |Overall Industry Rating |Favorable |Moderate |Un-favorable |Implications | | |Threat of new entrants |3 |2 |7 | | | | | | | |Threat of new entrants is high | | | | | | |Unfavorable | | |Bargaining power of buyers |5 |1 |4 | | | | | | | |Bargaining power of buyers is Low | | | | | | |Favorable | | |Threat of substitutes |2 |1 |1 | | | | | | | |Threat of substitutes is Medium to Low | | | | | | |Somewhat Favorable | | |Bargaining power of suppliers |1 |0 |6 | | | | | | | |Bargaining power of suppliers is high | | | | | | |Unfavorable | | |Intensity of rivalry among competitors |4 |0 |5 | | | | |. | | |Intensity or rivalry is Moderately High | | | | | | |Unfavorable | | |Total |15 |4 |23 |Reasonably Unattractive | Interpretation Overall, it is an unfavorable industry as the major cities of Pakistan are swamped with many restaurants and cafes. Nevertheless, the industry position can be exploited to ones advantage, if strategically smart decisions are taken. For Nandos, the recommendations include: †¢ Constantly innovate and bring in more competitive advantage that are unmatchable, in order to reduce the threat of new entrants. †¢ Backward integration to reduce the power of suppliers. †¢ More effective differentiation to reduce the rivalry between Nandos and competitors. 1 Overall Macro-Environmental Pest Factors Political Factors: The political factors that mainly affect Nandos concern how the government relates to health issues concerning food items being served or brings out new regulations regarding the restaurant business. For Instance: when Bird Flu occurred in Pakistan, if the government would have asked for ban on chicken items or some strict regulations on the chicken items being served, then it would have highly affected Nandos as well. Government regulations regarding franchises or international chain of restaurants would affect Nandos in relations to itself or in dealing with its competitors. Economic Factors: Pakistan is a developing country and the majority of the population has low purchasing power. Nandos caters to that niche of the Pakistani society that has a relatively higher purchasing power than the majority of the nation. Any economic instability or economic recession would decrease the power of a lot of consumers, decreasing the niche segment that Nandos caters to. Thus economic power does affect Nandos as people tend to spend less on eating out at relatively expensive places when they have a tighter budget. If the economy develops and more people have the purchasing power, then more people would be able to visit restaurants like Nandos. Social Factors: The trend of eating out has been carrying on in Pakistan since a very longtime. Pakistani people have always loved eating out. It is even the main source of entertainment in Pakistan. Earlier on families would go and eat out, but since the past few years, this trend increased even further in teenagers, young adults and with corporate people. Nowadays, if we visit any restaurant such as Nandos, we get to see a diverse crowd that includes teenagers, families, couples and even corporate businessmen. Thus eating out is becoming an increasingly important social trend which works positively for places like Nandos. Technological Factors: The restaurant business works well where the management handles the service well. To be quicker and more efficient in processing and then serving the orders, restaurants need to have better technology. To keep records of day-to-business, better technology is essentially important. Cooking also requires better equipments to work faster and better. Nandos has the essential equipment to make all of its flame-grilled items which even works towards providing healthier items by not making deep-fried products. 2 Key Driving Forces Affecting the Industry †¢ The Internet and new E-Commerce opportunities The Internet can revolutionize the entire restaurant industry by including the aspects of ordering food online. In this way consumers could be provided with more convenience and be more informed about the menus. †¢ Increasing globalization of the industry Global chains of restaurants such as fast food joints like KFC and Mc Donald’s have existed since a very long time now. The aspect of a global chain leaves a positive impression on the minds of the people since they tend to believe that the product is of quality and hygiene. More and more restaurants are following this trend and opening up their chains in Pakistan. This does affect the restaurant industry on a whole. Nandos is also globally widespread but it hasn’t penetrated much in Pakistan as yet. †¢ Product Innovation Those restaurants that have had a unique menu or recipe have been able create a strong place in the industry. People have always wanted variety in Pakistan. Any new element or uniqueness in a restaurant’s menu could give it a competitive edge in the market. Nandos has banked on this opportunity by introducing an entirely new concept adopted from South Africa. †¢ Technological Change Advances in technology can dramatically transform the restaurant industry. Technological developments can competitively produce significant changes in the distribution channel and logistics and reduce the costs in the value chain. †¢ Entry or Exit of major firms Exit of major firms in the restaurant industry can lead to changes in market shares of all the companies that compete with such firms. Entry is relatively easy and keeps on leading to increased competition in this industry. †¢ Changes in cost and efficiency Decrease in cost can lead to significant changes in the profit margin of the business. However increasing costs can prove to be detrimental to the businesses in the industry. †¢ Regulatory influences and government policy changes Regulatory influences or policy changes such as increased quality and hygiene standards can drive up costs of firms but would lead to better and safer food items. †¢ Changing societal concerns, attitudes and lifestyles Emerging social issues and changing attitudes and lifestyles can be powerful driving forces of industry change. The trend of eating out has been increasing consistently in Pakistan giving more opportunities for new companies to come with more and more variety for the public. 3 External Factor Evaluation (EFE) |Key External Factors |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | | | | | | |Opportunities | | | | |Market Potential growing market for fast casual |0. 17 |2 |0. 34 | |Peoples need for variety in the food and entertainmnt sector |0. 10 |3 |0. 3 | |Rising Demand for Home delivery and Takeout |0. 08 |3 |0. 24 | |E-commerce |0. 02 |1 |0. 02 | |Peoples preference for red meat |0. 06 |1 |0. 06 | |Peoples attraction towards promotional offers |0. 08 |2 |0. 16 | |Increasing trends for business/corporate lunches and dinners |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | | | | | | |Threats | | | | |Economic Problems in the country |0. 09 |2 |0. 18 | |Bird Flu Threat |0. 03 |3 |0. 09 | |Political Problems in the country |0. 02 |2 |0. 04 | |Growing market for cafes in Pakistan |0. 06 |2 |0. 12 | |Availability of nandos table sauces in the market |0. 03 |2 |0. 06 | |Only one chicken supplier (KnNs) |0. 08 |2 |0. 16 | |Huge variety of Restaurants, fastfood places |0. 12 |2 |0. 24 | |Changing tastes of people |0. 01 |2 |0. 02 | | | | | | |Total |1. 00 | |2. 18 | Analysis: Nandos, Pakistan’s total weighted score is rather disappointing considering their global background. Currently their total weighted score of 2. 18 is about 20% less than the industry average of 2. 5. They are not exploiting the opportunities in the food industry to their advantage neither are they combating the threats well. The most major opportunity staring them in the face is the rising market potential which has the highest weighted score of 0. 34, as the trend in Pakistan is moving towards fast-casuals. To handle this opportunity they must open up new outlets to cater to the untapped vicinities. Another opportunity that has a high score of 0. 3 is the peoples need for variety. The strategy for such an opportunity would be to add varieties like fancy beverages (e. g. cocktails and mocktails), sea-food and meat in their menu (available at Nandos outlets in other countries of the world). Of the threats, that needs their immediate attention is the rate with which new restaurants that â€Å"Pop-up†. To counter this Nandos must concentrate on increasing its efforts on rightly implementing their Focused Differentiation Strategy. They should further enhance their brand image to capture more loyal customers. Another threat which has a relatively high weighted score is the economic problems of Pakistan; the way this can be overcome is by establishing subsidiaries under another name. The third biggest threat with a weighted score of 0. 16 is that they have only one reliable supplier; they can definitely counter this via backward integration that would include farming their own chicken. Company and Competitor Analysis 1 Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) |Key Success factors | |NANDO’S |BBQ Tonite |Roasters |GunSmoke | | |Weight |Rating |Weighted Score | | | | | | |Strengths | | | | |Product their Peri-Peri recipe |0. 20 |4 |0. 8 | |Strong brand personality |0. 07 |3 |0. 21 | |Ambience at the restaurant |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |Customer Loyalty |0. 02 |3 |0. 06 | |Marketing efforts towards the consumer base |0. 05 |3 |0. 15 | |Strong Supplier/Distribution system |0. 10 |4 |0. 4 | |Products have essential ingredients for a health life |0. 01 |2 |0. 02 | |Strong Background from Africa present till today |0. 01 |3 |0. 03 | |Selling Experience |0. 04 |4 |0. 16 | |Strong food concept |0. 02 |3 |0. 06 | |Strong Globalize Strategy adaptive to culture |0. 06 |4 |0. 24 | |Creative and unique Menu |0. 02 |4 |0. 08 | | | | | | |Weaknesses | | | | |Low Marketing Budget |0. 08 |2 |0. 16 | |Stagnant Growth Not penetrated |0. 15 |2 |0. 3 | |Communication system within dept- not strong |0. 04 |2 |0. 08 | |Weak Technological system in the Administration Department |0. 04 |1 |0. 04 | |No Beverage Variety |0. 04 |2 |0. 08 | |Total |1. 00 | |3. 02 | Analysis: The total weighted score of 3. 02 is 20. 8% more than the average industry weighted score. The reason for such a phenomenal score is their PERI PERI recipe which is their main strength with the highest weight. Basting, marinating and table sauces are usually the most important ingredients and they are definitely quiet effectively banking on this strength. Their delicious basting and marinating sauces still remain a mystery to the rest of the world. Along with this, they are handling all their strengths really well with the exception of their healthy ingredients, which they are handling in an average way, although, it has a low weight considering the psyche of Pakistanis, they can definitely improve their score by communicating the nutritional values of their ingredients. On the other hand, they are very poorly countering their weakness. Their main weakness is their stagnant growth with the highest weight and with only a sore of 2. There is no evidence, that they are willing to do anything about it as their outlets are still missing in the major cities of Pakistan, like Islamabad. They should definitely improve their growth rate and try to improve their marketing budget. This will definitely enhance their total weighted score. The strategies to improve the growth rate would include market development and product development via establishing more outlets and increasing the variety in their menu, respectively. Strategic Analysis and Recommendations 1 Generic Strategy [pic] Although, Nandos Pakistan claims to be following a Focused Differentiation Strategy, they haven’t really implemented it that well. Nandos Pakistan caters to that Niche market which requires a different taste and value and is prepared to pay the price for it. Their focus is entirely on the Upper Middle and Upper-Upper class. The strategies implemented by Nandos have not exactly catered specifically to this focused differentiation strategy. The company needs to make effort in targeting and communicating their real value to its specific set of consumers. Another contradiction in this strategy is that there is no outlet in Islamabad, Pakistan, where mostly the rich and the influential reside. Now is the time to really bank on the rising income disparity in the economy via increasing their prices. This will also attract more customers from upper-middle/high class, as it is quiet socially appealing for them to dine at expensive places. Nevertheless, Nandos offers only chicken items; this is in line with their current strategy. They should really check their strategic approach or correct their focus. Nandos should stick to its focused differentiation strategy. The following strategies have recommended for improving their strategic position: †¢ Increase their prices to capture a larger share of their current target market. †¢ Open up outlet in the major cities of Pakistan like Islamabad and Faisalabad. †¢ Effectively communicate their niche marketing strategy to their target audience to further emphasize what their brand actually stands for. †¢ Add value by offering an outstanding service which is unforgettable and unmatchable. ‘Nando’s is devoted to providing its customers appetite for life, who love to laugh and live to eat. At Nandos we believe in our flame-grilled Peri-Peri Chicken, we believe its the best in the world. We aim to be the most successful grilled food restaurant in the world at delivering the best customer experience in markets we serve and to do so, Nando’s will meet its customer expectations through highest quality food prepared with leading technology and by hiring and retaining personnel with exceptional capabilities. We believe in offering quality and value to our customers and grow in such a way that creates profitability and value for shareholders and structure the society in such a way so as to improve the quality of life of the whole community. Our distinctive competence is our open style of informal restaurants, through the wonderful saying Mi Casa so casa My home is your home. ’ ‘Our vision is to be the first choice in grilled food restaurant business around the globe. ’ HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOW Customer Home Delivery Dine-in Take-Away Kitchen Restaurant/Retail Outlet Store Warehouse in Pakistan Fries from McKainz Ketchup from Knorr Chicken from KnN’s Peri-Peri Sauces from South Africa.

Sustainability :: Personal Narrative Writing

Sustainability is an issue that everyone should be concerned about. If the planet Earth is going to exist, as we know it, everyone should wake up and do their part to help achieve a greater level of sustainability. In my English 101 class we learned about the issue of sustainability. Many different topics were discussed and researched throughout the course of the semester. Overall, I think that the sustainability project has been a learning and enlightening experience for everyone in this class. Many more things can be done next semester, since the groundwork has been laid to continue this project for time to come. One of my personal goals for the project was to learn as much as I could about the sustainability issue facing us. I did this by participating in all of the projects that were done throughout the semester. The main project that occurred during the semester was the personal sustainability goals that we each set for ourselves. While doing the actions that we pledged to do, we learned different things about sustainability that we never knew before. One of the things that I learned was that, at Clemson, it is hard for students who want to recycle to be able to recycle. There are not the necessary facilities nearby our student housing to place our recyclables. I also learned that some actions that should be done to be sustainable are hard to do in the society that we live in. One of these activities that we do is the needless driving that Americans do in general. Since we live in a moving society, it is sometimes hard to do. An easy thing that everyone can do is to recycle s ome of his or her wastes. This can be done for most people at little or no extra effort than just throwing your trash away. Some of the planning that I did helped the students in other classes and even my own. During one part of the semester, we researched different ideas for the horticulture class students to implement in the schoolyard project that they were involved with. Others used my ideas and research in my class on their personal sustainability papers, university sustainability papers, and even their own personal goals to being sustainable.

Honor Killings of Women Essay

The question of gender equality has always been one of the most acute in the present day world. In the western world a number of countries are promoting equal rights between men and women. The United Kingdom and the United States have always been known as the countries that gave birth to the suffragette movement, feminist movements and the struggle for female equality has always been one of the most discussed themes in the UK and the USA. It is not surprising that such a significant event as the suffragette movement and other equality organizations provided a he impact on the development of social, political and legal spheres of the United Kingdom: For years the United Kingdom had championed gender equality in public policy, in democratic institutions and through extensive anti-discrimination laws, but erasing disparity between the sexes was an unfinished project that the country’s officials were striving to complete through legislative reform and stronger women’s empowerment policies and programming, a parliamentary Under-Secretary and Minister for the East of England told the Women’s Anti-Discrimination Committee today (Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 2008) . But the threatening signals have appeared already in the Western Countries. The Immigrants find possible for honor killings even it is prohibited by the laws of the country they are living in and it significantly bothers the governmental and international human rights organizations, which assist struggle of women equality. It is not surprising such a significant event as the struggle for equal rights for women (and it should be noted that it is lasting for more than hundred years already) has significantly impacted the social life in the western world and such breaking news have become a real shock for those who participate in gender struggle. There are a number of investigators who provided numerous researches dealing with the question of equality in the Muslim countries as well as in the Western Ones. The burning question which is examined within this essay is honor killings. The problem area is why the civilized countries such as the United States are involved in the Affairs with the countries, which have such Barbarian laws and even observe this among the immigrants, who dwell in the US. Honor Killings in the Western and Islamic Countries: the Reasons, Prevention and Perspectives On February 12, 2009, Muzzammil Hassan informed police that he had beheaded his wife. Hassan had immigrated to the United States 30 years ago and, after a successful banking career, had founded Bridges TV, a Muslim-interest network which aims, according to its website, â€Å"to foster a greater understanding among many cultures and diverse populations. â€Å" Erie County District Attorney Frank A.  Sedita III told The Buffalo News that â€Å"this is the worst form of domestic violence possible,† and Khalid Qazi, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York, told the New York Post that Islam forbids such domestic violence. While Muslim advocacy organizations argue that honor killings are a misnomer stigmatizing Muslims for what is simply domestic violence, a problem that has nothing to do with religion, Phyllis Chesler, who just completed a study of more than 50 instances of North American honor killings, says the evidence suggests otherwise (Phyllis Chesler, 2009). It goes without saying that honor killing was a real shock for the both societies Christian and Muslim. The person, who could hardly be expected to violate anyone’s human rights, suddenly killed his wife. It is essential that it significantly undermining of confidence of the Muslim society in the eyes of the neighbors as it is not just domestic violence as it was reported by the Erie County District Attorney, but it is severe crime, which ought to be punished. It is natural that the society would be eager to learn what the reasons for such actions as honor killing are and how this could be explained, by the researches. The cultural background of the honor killings is obvious and it roots go deeply into the Muslim perception and understanding of female nature, their rights and patriarchate, which is observed in the Muslim Countries. It is a well known fact that the Muslim countries have very significant problems with the gender equality and women are not allowed even to wear the clothes they would like to, the punishment for this could be the one and only â€Å"death. Families that kill for honor will threaten girls and women if they refuse to cover their hair, their faces, or their bodies or act as their family’s domestic servant; wear makeup or Western clothing; choose friends from another religion; date; seek to obtain an advanced education; refuse an arranged marriage; seek a divorce from a violent husband; marry against their parents’ wishes; or behave in ways that are considered too independent, which might mean anything from driving a car to spending time or living away from home or family (Phyllis Chesler, 2009). The religious and ethnic prejudice does not let young people to reveal and express them. There were noticed a number of cases, when children, mostly young girls, were killed by their parents (even mothers assisted the fathers) in killing young girls, who did not want to follow the religious dogmas of Islamic culture. Unfortunately some adults do not want to understand that contemporary life goes far beyond the religi on dictates and it is essential that children want to be alike their classmates, do not wear hijab, use make up and other. The same time the parents should be also understood as they want to keep traditions as cultural as well as religious to preserve their ethnic and cultural identity. These honor killing have already become a part of their life for thousand years and they consider that westernizing is a kind of disgrace, which could be cured only by a kill. It is like some kind of ritual. The same time it does not excuse their intention to violate the human rights and kill those who do not want some have viewed honor killings as a logical extension of traditional Islamic gender practices, the natural consequence of system that enforces sex-segregation through veiling and female seclusion and harshly punishes violations of these boundaries. Others have argued that honor killings are the antithesis of Islamic morality. This latter view is essentially correct from the perspective of Qur’an, prophetic traditions (hadith), and Islamic legal thought, as a careful analysis of the relevant texts shows (Kecia Ali, 2003) It is not very hard to define whether the Islamists have a right to kill, the answer is undoubtedly no human rights are still the same for every individual: the nationality, the race, the religious beliefs. In the Muslim countries the situation is worse than in the western ones as the honor killings is majority authoritarian countries is allowed legally. Women in the Muslim Countries are living under the threat of constant death if they would bring shame on the family: Women in Pakistan live in fear. They face death by shooting, burning or killing with axes if they are deemed to have brought shame on the family. They are killed for supposed illicit’ relationships, for marrying men of their choice, for divorcing abusive husbands. They are even murdered by their kin if they are raped as they are thereby deemed to have brought shame on their family. The truth of the suspicion does not matter â€Å"merely the allegation is enough to bring dishonor on the family and therefore justifies the slaying (Amnesty International, 1999) and Pakistan is not the single country, where women live under the total oppression of men. The religious dogmas grew significantly and alongside with religious dogmas there have appeared a number of social dogmas, which does not allow women to get equal education with men, to drive cars and visit public places alone. It is a well known fact that women in Saudi Arabia do not actually participate in business and legislation prohibits a number of activities for women. We should not also forget about the fact that Saudi Arabia is a Monarchy, and Islamist country, where religion provides a significant impact on cultural and social life of people, women as well: Saudi Arabia follows a strict form of Islamic law that does not allow women self-guardianship, mandating a male guardian for women of all ages. A woman cannot travel, appear in court, marry or work without permission from a male guardian, sometimes her own son (Faiza Saleh Ambah, 2008). The female activists consider that life in the countries like Saudi Arabia could be defined as the sexual slavery. It is not surprising that men are using their power to force women doing something and oppress them in different ways. Describing relations between men and women in Islamic countries there should be noted that the women are not protected legally and could be killed according to the current legal implications of Saudi Arabia: Honor killings are justified under Islam in some Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia. For example, tenth-grade textbooks teach Saudi children that it is permissible to kill adulterers. In April 2008, a girl was killed by her father for talking to a boy on Facebook, an online social networking website. A leading Saudi cleric, Sheikh Ali al-Maliki, was outraged that girls had access to such websites where they could post pictures of themselves and otherwise â€Å"behave badly,† but showed no concern over the girl actually killed (Supna Zaidi, 2008). We see that there is no even a slight hint of equality observed within the Islamic world, the foreign activists struggle for the gender equality and it is considered that they succeeded in some areas, especially in the educational on. But the same time the legal implications that let honor killings still exist. Honor killing occurred in Islamic and non-Islamic countries and the poor statistic illustrate the number of victims of religious dogmas. According to the data provided by the United Nations Organizations every year there are up to 5,000 people killed due the honor killings reasons. Should the United States become involved in the affairs of other countries, particularly pertaining to human rights, when they include that country’s traditions, philosophies of religious practices?

Project on Comparison of Public and Private Sector Banking

Genesis The banking sector has been undergoing a complex, but comprehensive phase of  restructuring since 1991, with a view to make it sound, efficient, and at the same time it isforging its links firmly with the real sector for promotion of savings, investment and  growth. Although a complete turnaround in banking sector performance is not expected till thecompletion of reforms, signs of improvement are visible in some indicators under theCAMELS framework. Under this bank is required to enhance capital adequacy, strengthenasset quality, improve management, increase earnings and reduce sensitivity to variousfinancial risks.The almost simultaneous nature of these developments makes it difficult todisentangle the positive impact of reform measures. In 1994, the RBI established the Board of Financial Supervision, which operates as a unit of  the RBI. The entire supervisory mechanism was realigned to suit the changing needs of astrong and stable financial system. The supervisory ju risdiction of the BFS was slowlyextended to the entire financial system barring the capital market institutions and theinsurance sector. Its mandate is to strengthen supervision of the financial system byintegrating oversight of the activities of financial services firms.The BFS has alsoestablished a sub-committee to routinely examine auditing practices, quality, and coverage. In 1995, RBI had set up a working group under the chairmanship of Shri S. Padmanabhan toreview the banking supervision system. The Committee gave certain recommendations and  based on such suggestions a rating system for domestic and foreign banks based on theinternational CAMELS model combining financial management and sensitivity to marketrisks element was introduced for the inspection cycle commencing from July 1998.Itrecommended that the banks should be rated on a five point scale (A to E) based on the linesof international CAMELS rating model. CAMELS rating model measures the relativesoundness of a bank . bj ectives of the Pro j ect Study ?To study the Financial Performance of the b anks.? y To study the strength of using CAMELS framework as a tool of Performanceevaluation for Commercial banks y To describe the CAMELS model of ranking banking institutions, so as to analyze  the  performance of various bank. R ationaleIn the recent years the financial system especially the banks have undergone numerouschanges in the form of reforms, regulations & norms. The attempt here is to see how variousratios have been used and interpreted to reveal a bank ¶s performance and how this particular  model encompasses a wide range of parameters making it a widely used and accepted modelin today ¶s scenario. Data Collection y Primary Data : Primary data was collected  from the Banks ¶ balance sheets and profitand loss statements. y Secondary Data : Secondary data on the subject was collected from ICFAI journals,Banks ¶ annual reports and RBIM ethodologyAs long as the methodology is co ncerned, we have made use of a framework calledCAMELS FRAMEWORK. There are so many models of evaluating the performance of the  banks, but I have chosen the CAMELS Model for this purpose. I have gone through several  books, journals and websites and found it the best model because it measures the  performance of the banks from each parameter i. e. Capital, Assets, Management, Earnings,Liquidity and Sensitivity to  Market risks. CAMELS evaluate banks on  the following six parameters : -? Capital Adequacy (CRAR)? Asset Quality (GNPA)? Management Soundness (MGNT)?Earnings & profitability (ROA)? Liquidity (LQD)? Sensitivity to Market  Risks (? ) websitDuring an on-site bank exam, supervisors gather private information, such as details on  problem loans, with which to evaluate a bank's financial condition and to monitor itscompliance with laws and regulatory policies. A key product of such an exam is asupervisory rating of the bank's overall condition, commonly referred to as a CAMELSrating. The acronym â€Å"CAMEL† refers to the five components of a bank's condition that areassessed : Capital adequacy, Asset quality, Management, Earnings, and Liquidity.A sixthcomponent, a bank's Sensitivity to market risk was added in 1997; hence the acronym waschanged to CAMELSAMELS is basically a ratio-based model for evaluating the performance of banks. Variousratios forming this model are explained below : Capital base of financial institutions facilitates depositors in forming their risk perceptionabout the institutions. Also, it is the key parameter for financial managers to maintainadequate levels of capitalization. The most widely used indicator of capital adequacy iscapital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRWA).According to Bank Supervision RegulationCommittee (The Basle Committee) of Bank for International Settlements, a minimum 9  percent CRWA is required. Thus, it is useful to track capital-adequacy ratios that take intoaccount the most important financial risks? foreign exchange, credit, and interest raterisks? by assigning risk weightings to the institution ¶s assets. A sound capital basestrengthens confidence of depositors. This ratio is used to protect depositors and promote thestability and efficiency of financial systems around the world. Capital R isk Adequacy R atio:CRAR is a ratio of Capital Fund to Risk Weighted Assets. Reserve Bank of India prescribesBanks to maintain a minimum Capital to risk-weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9 % withregard to credit risk, market risk and operational risk on an ongoing basis, as against 8 %  prescribed in Basel documents. Component-wise Capital Adequacy of ScheduledCommercial Banks (As at end- M arch) Capital to R isk W eighted Assets R atio- Bank Group-wise Total capital includes tier-I capital and Tier-II capital. Tier-I capital includes paid up equitycapital, free reserves, intangible assets etc.Tier-II capital includes long term unsecuredloans, loss reserves, hybrid debt ca pital instruments etc. The higher the CRAR, the stronger  is considered a bank, as  it ensures high safety against bankruptcy. Asset quality determines the robustness of financial institutions against loss of value in theassets. The deteriorating value of assets, being prime source of banking problems, directly  pour into other areas, as losses are eventually written off against capital, which ultimately  jeopardizes the earning capacity of the institution. With this backdrop, the asset quality isgauged n relation to the level and severity of non-performing assets, adequacy of  Ã‚  provisions, recoveries, distribution of assets etc. Popular indicators include non-performingloans to advances, loan default to total advances, and recoveries to loan default ratios. One of the indicators for asset quality is the ratio of non-performing loans to total loans(GNPA). The gross non-performing loans to gross advances ratio is more indicative of thequality of credit decisions made by bankers. Higher GNPA is indicative of poor creditdecision-making. N PA: N on-Performing Assets:Advances are classified into performing and non-performing advances (NPAs) as per RBIguidelines. NPAs are further classified into sub-standard, doubtful and loss assets based onthe criteria stipulated by RBI. An asset, including a leased asset, becomes non-performingwhen it ceases to  generate income for the Bank. An NPA is a loan or an advance where : 1. Interest and/or installment of principal remains overdue for a period of more than 90days in respect of a term loan;2. The account remains â€Å"out-of-order† in respect of an Overdraft or Cash Credit(OD/CC);3.The bill remains overdue for  a period of more than  90 days in case of bills purchasedand discounted;4. A loan granted for short duration crops will be treated as an NPA if the installmentsof principal or interest thereon remain overdue  for two crop seasons; and5. A loan granted for long duration crops will be treat ed as an NPA if the installmentsof principal or interest thereon remain overdue  for one crop season. The Bank classifies an account as an NPA only if the interest imposed during any quarter isnot fully repaid within 90 days from the end of the relevant quarter. This is a key to thestability of the banking sector.There should be no hesitation in stating that Indian bankshave done a remarkable job in containment of non-performing loans (NPL) considering theoverhang issues and overall difficult environment. For 2008, the net NPL ratio for the Indianscheduled commercial banks at 2. 9 per cent is ample testimony to the impressive efforts  being made by our banking system. In fact, recovery management is also linked to the  banks ¶ interest margins. The cost and recovery management supported by enabling legalframework hold the key to future health and competitiveness of the Indian banks.No doubt,improving recovery-management in India is an area requiring expeditious and effective actions in legal, institutional and judicial processes. Management of financial institution is generally evaluated in terms of capital adequacy,asset quality, earnings and profitability, liquidity and risk sensitivity ratings. In addition,  performance evaluation includes compliance with set norms, ability to plan and react tochanging circumstances, technical competence, leadership and administrative ability. Ineffect, management rating is just an amalgam of performance in the above-mentioned areas.Sound management is one of the most important factors behind financial institutions ¶Ã‚  performance. Indicators of quality of management, however, are primarily applicable toindividual institutions, and cannot be easily aggregated across the sector. Furthermore, giventhe qualitative nature of management, it is difficult to judge its soundness just by looking atfinancial accounts of the banks. Nevertheless, total expenditure to total income and operating expense to total expense helps in gauging the management quality of the banking institutions.Sound management is key to  bank performance but is difficult to measure. It is primarily a qualitative factor applicable toindividual institutions. Several indicators, however, can jointly serve? as, for instance,efficiency measures do-as an indicator of management  soundness. The ratio of non-interest expenditures to total assets (MGNT) can be one of the measures toassess the working of the management. . This variable, which includes a variety of expenses,such as payroll, workers compensation and training investment, reflects the management  policy stance. E fficiencyR atios demonstrate how efficiently the company uses its assets and howefficiently the company manages its operations. Indicates the relationship between assets and revenue. ? Companies with low profit margins tend to have high asset turnover, those with high  profit margins have low asset turnover – it indicates pricing strategy. ? This rati o is more useful for growth companies to check if in fact they are growingrevenue in proportion to sales. Asset Turnover Analysis: This ratio is useful to determine the amount of sales that are generated from each rupee of  assets.As noted above, companies with low profit margins tend to have high asset turnover,those with high profit margins have low asset turnover. Earnings and profitability, the prime source of increase in capital base, is examined withregards to interest rate policies and adequacy of provisioning. In addition, it also helps tosupport present and future operations of the institutions. The single best indicator used togauge earning is the Return on Assets (ROA), which is net income after taxes to total assetratio. Strong earnings and profitability profile of banks reflects the ability to support present andfuture operations.More specifically, this determines the capacity to  absorb losses, finance itsexpansion, pay dividends to its shareholders, and build up a n adequate level of capital. Being front line of defense against erosion of capital base from losses, the need for highearnings and profitability can hardly be overemphasized. Although different indicators areused to serve the purpose, the best and most widely used indicator is Return on Assets(ROA). However, for in-depth analysis, another indicator Net Interest Margins (NIM) is alsoused. Chronically unprofitable financial institutions risk insolvency.Compared with mostother indicators, trends in profitability can be more difficult to interpret-for instance,unusually high profitability can reflect excessive risk taking. R O A- R eturn on Assets: An indicator of how  profitable a company is relative to its total assets. ROA gives an  idea asto how efficient management is at using its assets to generate earnings. Calculated bydividing a company's annual earnings by its total assets, ROA is displayed as a percentage. Sometimes this is referred to as â€Å"return on investment†. ROA tells what earnings were generated from invested capital (assets).ROA for publiccompanies can vary substantially and will be highly dependent on the industry. This is why when using ROA as a comparative measure, it is best to compare it against a company's  previous ROA numbers or the  ROA of a similar company. The assets of the company are comprised of both debt and equity. Both of these types of  financing are used to fund the operations of the company. The ROA figure gives investorsan idea of how effectively the company is converting the money it has to invest into netincome. The higher the ROA number, the better, because the company is earning moremoney on less investment.For example, if one company has a net income of $1 million andtotal assets of $5 million, its ROA is 20%; however, if another company earns the sameamount but has total assets of $10 million, it has an ROA of 10%. Based on this example,the first company is better at converting its investment into profit. When you really think  about it, management's most important job is to make wise choices in allocating itsresources. Anybody can make a profit by throwing a ton of money at a problem, but veryfew managers excel at  making large profits with little investment. R eturn on Assets and R eturn on E quity of SCBs- Bank Group-wiseAn adequate liquidity position refers to a situation, where institution can obtain sufficientfunds, either by increasing liabilities or by converting its assets quickly at a reasonable cost. It is, therefore, generally assessed in terms of overall assets and liability management, asmismatching gives rise to liquidity risk. Efficient fund management refers to a situationwhere a spread between rate sensitive assets (RSA) and rate sensitive liabilities (RSL) ismaintained. The most commonly used tool to evaluate interest rate exposure is the Gap  between RSA and RSL,  while liquidity is gauged by liquid to total asset ratio.Initially solvent financial institutions may be driven toward closure by poor management of  short-term liquidity. Indicators should cover funding sources and capture large maturitymismatches. The term liquidity is used in various ways, all relating to availability of, accessto, or convertibility into cash. ? An institution is said to have liquidity if it can easily meet its needs for cash either  Ã‚  because it has cash on  hand or can otherwise raise or borrow cash. ? A market is said to be liquid if the instruments it trades can easily be bought or soldin quantity with little impact on market prices. ?An asset is said to be liquid if the  market for that asset is liquid. The common theme in all three contexts is cash. A corporation is liquid if it has ready accessto cash. A market is liquid if participants can easily convert positions into cash? or  conversely. An asset is liquid if it can easily be converted to cash. The liquidity of aninstitution depends on : y the institution's short-term need for cash; y cash on hand; y available lines of credit; y the liquidity of the  institution's assets; y The institution's reputation in the marketplace? how willing will counterparty is totransact trades with or lend to the  institution?The liquidity of a market is often measured as the size of its bid-ask spread, but this is animperfect metric at best. More generally, Kyle (1985) identifies three components of marketliquidity : ? Tightness is the bid-ask spread; ? Depth is the volume of transactions necessary to  move prices; ? Resiliency is the speed with which prices return to equilibrium following a largetrade. Examples of assets that tend to be liquid include foreign exchange; stocks traded in theStock Exchange or recently issued Treasury bonds. Assets that are often illiquid includelimited partnerships, thinly traded bonds or real estate.Cash maintained by the banks and balances with central bank, to total asset ratio (LQD) isan indicator of bank's liquidity. In general, banks with a larger volume of liquid assets are  perceived safe, since these assets would allow  banks to meet unexpected  withdrawals. Credit deposit ratio is a tool used to study the liquidity position of the bank. It is calculated  by dividing the cash held in different forms by total deposit. A high ratio shows that there ismore amounts of liquid cash with the bank to met its clients cash withdrawals. It refers to the risk that changes  in market conditions could adversely impact earnings and/or  capital.Market Risk encompasses exposures associated with changes in interest rates, foreignexchange rates, commodity prices, equity prices, etc. While all of these items are important,the primary risk in most banks is interest rate risk (IRR), which will be the focus of thismodule. The diversified nature of bank operations makes them vulnerable to various kindsof financial risks. Sensitivity analysis reflects institution ¶s exposure to interest rate risk,foreign exchange volatility and equity price risks (these risks are summed in market risk). Risk sensitivity is mostly evaluated in terms of management ¶s ability to monitor and controlmarket risk.Banks are increasingly involved in diversified operations, all of which are subject to marketrisk, particularly in the setting of interest rates and the carrying out of foreign exchangetransactions. In countries that allow banks to make trades in stock markets or commodityexchanges, there is also a  need to monitor indicators of equity and commodity price risk. Sensitivity to Market Risk is a recent addition to the ratings parameters and reflects thedegree to which changes in interest rates, exchange rates, commodity prices and equity  prices can affect earnings and  hence the bank ¶s capital. It  is measured by Beta (? . 1. ? ;1, depicts that changes in the firm are less than the changes in the market. LessSensitive2. ? =1, depicts that there is equivalent change in the firm with the changes i n themarket Equally Sensitive. 3. ? ;1, depicts that changes in the firm are more than the changes in the market. Highly Sensitive. The Bank The word bank means an organization where people and business can invest or borrowmoney; change it to foreign currency etc. According to Halsbury ? A Banker is an individual,Partnership or Corporation whose sole pre-dominant business is banking, that is the receiptof money on current or deposit ccount, and the payment of cheque drawn and the collectionof cheque paid in by a customer.  ¶Ã‚ ¶ The O rigin and Use of Banks The Word  µBank ¶ is derived from the Italian word  µBanko ¶ signifying a bench, which waserected in the market-place, where it was customary to exchange money. The Lombard Jewswere the first to practice this exchange business, the first bench having been established inItaly A. D. 808. Some authorities assert that the Lombard merchants commenced the  business of money-dealing, employing bills of exchange as remittance s, about the beginningof the thirteenth century.About the middle of the twelfth century it became evident, as the advantage of coinedmoney was gradually acknowledged, that there must be some controlling power, somecorporation which would undertake to keep the coins that were to bear the royal stamp up toa certain standard of value; as, independently of the  µsweating ¶ which invention may place tothe credit of the ingenuity of the Lombard merchants- all coins will, by wear or abrasion,  become thinner, and consequently less valuable; and it is of the last importance, not only for  the credit of a country, but for the easier regulation of commercial transactions, that themetallic currency be kept as nearly as possible up to the legal standard. Much unnecessarytrouble and annoyance has been caused formerly by negligence in this respect. The gradualmerging of the business of a goldsmith into a bank appears to have been the way in which  banking, as we now understand the term, was introduced into England; and it was not untillong after the establishment of banks in other countries-for state purposes, the regulation of  the coinage, etc. that any large or similar institution was introduced into England.It is onlywithin the last twenty years that printed cheques have  been in use in that establishment. Firstcommercial bank was Bank of Venice which was established in 1157  in Italy. Banking sector, the world over, is known for the adoption of multidimensional strategiesfrom time to time with varying degrees of success. Banks are very important for the smoothfunctioning of financial markets as they serve as repositories of vital financial informationand can potentially alleviate the problems created by information asymmetries. From acentral bank ¶s perspective, such high-quality disclosures help the early detection of  Ã‚  problems faced by banks in the market and reduce the severity of market disruptions.Consequently, the RBI as part and parcel of the financial sector deregulation, attempted toenhance the transparency of the annual reports of Indian banks by, among other things,introducing stricter income recognition and asset classification rules, enhancing the capitaladequacy norms, and by requiring a number of additional disclosures sought by investors tomake better cash flow and risk assessments. [Source : RBI Website] BAS EL – II ACC O R D Bank capital framework sponsored by the world's central banks designed to promoteuniformity, make regulatory capital more risk sensitive, and promote enhanced risk  management among large, internationally active banking organizations. The InternationalCapital Accord, as it is called, will be fully effective by January 2008 for banks active ininternational markets. Other banks can choose to â€Å"opt in,† or they can continue to follow theminimum capital guidelines in the original Basel Accord, finalized in 1988.The revisedaccord (Basel II) completely overhauls the 1988 Basel Accord and is based on threemutually supporting concepts, or  Ã¢â‚¬Å"pillars,† of capital adequacy. The first of these pillars is anexplicitly defined regulatory capital requirement, a minimum capital-to-asset ratio equal toat least 8% of risk-weighted assets. Second, bank supervisory agencies, such as theComptroller of the Currency, have authority to adjust capital levels for individual banksabove the 9% minimum when necessary. The third supporting pillar calls upon marketdiscipline to supplement reviews by banking agencies. Basel II is the second of the Basel Accords, which are recommendations on banking lawsand regulations issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.The purpose of  Basel II, which was initially published in June 2004, is to create an international standardthat banking regulators can use when creating regulations about how much capital banksneed to put aside to guard against the types of financial and operational risks banks face. Advocat es of Basel II believe that such an international standard can help protect theinternational financial system from the types of problems that might arise should a major  Ã‚  bank or a  series of banks collapse. In practice, Basel II attempts to accomplish this by settingup rigorous risk and capital management requirements designed to ensure that a bank holdscapital reserves appropriate to the risk the bank exposes itself to through its lending andinvestment practices. [Source : RBI Website] The final version aims at: 1.Ensuring that capital allocation is more risk sensitive;2. Separating operational risk from credit risk, and quantifying both;3. Attempting to align economic and regulatory capital more closely to reduce thescope for regulatory arbitrage. While the final accord has largely addressed the regulatory arbitrage issue, there are stillareas where regulatory capital requirements will diverge from the economic. Basel II has largely left unchanged the question of how to ac tually define bank capital,which diverges from accounting equity in important respects. The Basel I definition, asmodified up to the present, remains in place. The Accord in operation Basel II uses a â€Å"three pillars† concept y inimum capital requirements (addressing risk), y supervisory review and y market discipline  ± to promote greater stability in the financial system. The Basel I accord dealt with only parts of each of these pillars. For example : with respectto the first Basel II pillar, only one risk, credit risk, was dealt with in a simple manner whilemarket risk was an afterthought; operational risk was not  dealt with at all. The First Pillar The first pillar deals with maintenance of regulatory capital calculated for three major  components of risk that a bank faces : credit risk, operational risk and market risk. Other  risks are not considered fully quantifiable at this stage.The credit risk component can be calculated in three different ways of varyi ng degree of  sophistication, namely standardized approach, Foundation IRB and Advanced IRB. IRBstands for â€Å"Internal Rating-Based Approach†. For operational risk, there are three different approaches – basic indicator approach,standardized approach and advanced measurement approach. For market risk the preferredapproach is VaR (value at  risk). As the Basel II recommendations are phased in by the banking industry it will move fromstandardized requirements to more refined and specific requirements that have beendeveloped for each risk category by each individual bank. The upside for banks that dodevelop their own bespoke risk measurement systems is that they will be rewarded with  potentially lower risk capital requirements.In future there will be closer links between theconcepts of economic profit and regulatory capital. Credit Risk can be calculated by using one of three approaches : 1. Standardized Approach2. Foundation IRB (Internal Ratings Based) Approac h3. Advanced IRB ApproachThe standardized approach sets out specific risk weights for certain types of credit risk. Thestandard risk weight categories are used under Basel 1 and are 0% for short termgovernment bonds, 20% for exposures to OECD Banks, 50% for residential mortgages and 100% weighting on commercial loans. A new 150% rating comes in for borrowers with poor  credit ratings. The minimum capital requirement (the percentage of risk weighted assets to  be held as capital) has remains at  8%.For those Banks that decide to adopt the standardized ratings approach they will be forced torely on the ratings generated by external agencies. Certain Banks are developing the IRBapproach as a result. The Second Pillar The second pillar deals with the regulatory response to the first pillar, giving regulatorsmuch improved ‘tools' over those available to them under Basel I. It also provides aframework for dealing with all the other risks a bank may face, such as systemic risk,   pension risk, concentration risk, strategic risk, reputation risk, liquidity risk and legal risk,which the accord combines under the title of residual risk. It gives banks a power to reviewtheir risk management  system. The Third Pillar The third pillar greatly increases the disclosures that the bank must make.This is designedto allow the market to have a better picture of the overall risk position of the bank and toallow the counterparties of the bank to price and deal appropriately. The new Basel Accordhas its foundation on three mutually reinforcing pillars that allow banks and bank  supervisors to evaluate properly the various risks that banks face and realign regulatorycapital more closely with underlying risks. The first pillar is compatible with the credit risk,market risk and operational risk. The regulatory capital will be focused on these three risks. The second pillar gives the bank responsibility to exercise the best ways to manage the risk  specific to that ba nk. Concurrently, it also casts responsibility on the supervisors to reviewand validate banks ¶ risk measurement models.The third pillar on market discipline is usedto leverage the influence that other market players can bring. This is aimed at improving thetransparency in banks and  improves reporting. State Bank of India is the largest banking and financial services company in India, by almostevery parameter – revenues, profits, assets, market capitalization, etc. The bank traces itsancestry to British India, through the Imperial Bank of India, to the founding in 1806 of theBank of Calcutta, making it the oldest commercial bank in the Indian Subcontinent. TheGovernment of India nationalized the Imperial Bank of India in 1955, with the ReserveBank of India taking a 60% stake, and renamed it the State Bank of India.In 2008, theGovernment took over the  stake held by the Reserve Bank of India. SBI provides a range of banking products through its vast network of branches in India andoverseas, including products aimed at NRIs. The State Bank Group, with over 16,000  branches, has the largest banking branch network in India. With an asset base of $260 billionand $195 billion in deposits, it is a regional banking behemoth. It has a market share amongIndian commercial banks of about 20% in deposits and advances, and SBI accounts for  almost one-fifth of the nation's loans. The total assets of the Bank increased by 9. 23% fromRs. 9,64,432. 08 crores at the end of March 2009 to Rs. 10,53,413. 3 crores as at end March2010. The Bank ¶s aggregate liabilities (excluding capital and reserves) rose by 8. 93% fromRs. 9,06,484. 38 crores on 31st March 2009 to Rs. 9,87,464. 53 crores on 31st March 2010. K ey performance I ndicators [Source : Annual Report, 2009-10]SBI has tried to reduce over-staffing by computerizing operations and â€Å"golden handshake†schemes that led to a flight of its best and brightest managers. These managers took theretiremen t allowances and then went on to become senior managers in new private sector ICICI Bank (formerly Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) is a major  Ã‚  banking and financial services organization in India.It is the 4th largest bank in India andthe largest private sector bank in India by market capitalization. The bank also has a network  of 1,700+ branches (as on 31 March 2010) and about 4,721 ATMs in India and presence in19 countries, as well as some 24 million customers (at the end of July 2007). ICICI Bank isalso the largest issuer of credit cards in India. ICICI Bank's shares are listed on the stock  exchanges at Kolkata and Vadodara, Mumbai and the National Stock Exchange of IndiaLimited; its ADRs trade on the New  York Stock Exchange (NYSE). [Source : Annual Report, 2009-10]The Bank is expanding in overseas markets and has the largest international balance sheetamong Indian banks.ICICI Bank now has wholly-owned subsidiaries, branches andrepresentative s offices in 19 countries, including an offshore unit in Mumbai. This includeswholly owned subsidiaries in Canada, Russia and the UK (the subsidiary through which theHi SAVE savings brand is operated), offshore banking units in Bahrain and Singapore, anadvisory branch in Dubai, branches in Belgium, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, andrepresentative offices in Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Thailand,the United Arab Emirates and USA. Overseas, the Bank is targeting the NRI (Non- ResidentIndian) population in particular. History HDFC Bank was incorporated in the year of 1994 by Housing Development FinanceCorporation Limited (HDFC), India's premier housing finance company.It was among thefirst companies to receive an ‘in principle' approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) toset up a bank in the private sector. The Bank commenced its operations as a ScheduledCommercial Bank in January 1995 with the help of RBI's liberalization policies. In a milestone transactio n in the Indian banking industry, Times Bank Limited (promoted byBennett, Coleman & Co. / Times Group) was merged with HDFC Bank Ltd. , in 2000. Thiswas the first merger of two private banks in India. As per the scheme of amalgamationapproved by the shareholders of both banks and the Reserve Bank of India, shareholders of  Times Bank received 1  share of HDFC Bank for every 5. 75  shares of Times Bank. In 2008 HDFC Bank acquired Centurion Bank of Pun j a b aking its total branches to morethan 1,000. The amalgamated bank emerged with a strong deposit base of around Rs. 1,22,000 crore and net advances of around Rs. 89,000 crore. The balance sheet size of thecombined entity is over Rs. 1,63,000 crore. The amalgamation added significant value toHDFC Bank in terms of increased branch network, geographic reach, and customer base,and a bigger pool of skilled manpower   Capital Adequacy [Source : Annual Report, 2009-10] The Industrial Development Bank of India Limited commonly known by its acronym IDBIis one of India's leading public sector banks and 4th largest Bank in overall ratings. RBIcategorized IDBI as an â€Å"other public sector bank†.It was established in 1964 by an Act of  Parliament to provide credit and other facilities for the development of the fledgling Indianindustry. It is currently 10th largest development bank in the world in terms of reach with1210 ATMs, 720 branches and 486 centers. Some of the institutions built by IDBI are the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), the  National Securities Depository Services Ltd (NSDL), the Stock Holding Corporation of  India (SHCIL), the Credit Analysis ; Research Ltd, the Export-Import Bank of India (EximBank), the Small Industries Development bank of India(SIDBI), the EntrepreneurshipDevelopment Institute of India, and IDBI BANK, which today is owned by the IndianGovernment, though for a brief period it was a private scheduled bank.The IndustrialDevelopment Bank of India (IDBI) was est ablished on July 1, 1964 under an Act of  Parliament as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India. In 16 February 1976,the ownership of IDBI was transferred to the Government of India and it was made the  principal financial institution for coordinating the activities of institutions engaged infinancing, promoting and developing industry in the country. Although Governmentshareholding in the Bank came down below 100% following IDBI ¶s public issue in July1995, the former continues to  be the major shareholder (current shareholding : 52. 3%). During the four decades of its existence, IDBI has been instrumental not only in establishinga well-developed, diversified and efficient ndustrial and institutional structure but alsoadding a qualitative dimension to the process of industrial development in the country. IDBIhas played a pioneering role in fulfilling its mission of promoting industrial growth throughfinancing of medium and long-term projects, in consonance wi th national plans and  priorities. Over the years, IDBI has enlarged its basket of products and services, coveringalmost the entire spectrum of industrial activities, including manufacturing and services. IDBI provides financial assistance, both in rupee and foreign currencies, for green-field  projects as also for expansion, modernization and diversification purposes.In the wake of  financial sector reforms unveiled by the government since 1992, IDBI evolved an array of  fund and fee-based services with a view to providing an integrated solution to meet theentire demand of financial and corporate advisory requirements of its clients Axis Bank, formally UTI Bank, is a financial services firm that had begun operations in1994, after the Government of India allowed new private banks to be established. The Bank  was promoted jointly by the Administrator of the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of  India (UTI-I), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), General Insura nce CorporationLtd. , National Insurance Company Ltd. The New India Assurance Company, The OrientalInsurance Corporation and United India Insurance Company UTI-I holds a special positionin the Indian capital markets and has promoted many leading financial institutions in thecountry. The bank changed its name to Axis Bank in April 2007 to avoid confusion withother unrelated entities with similar name. After the Retirement of Mr. P. J. Nayak, Shikha Sharma was named as the bank's managingdirector and CEO on 20 April 2009. As on the year ended March 31, 2009 the Bank had atotal income of Rs 13,745. 04 crore (US$ 2. 93 billion) and a net profit of Rs. 1,812. 93 crore(US$ 386. 15 million). On February 24, 2010, Axis Bank announced the launch of ‘AXISCALL ; PAY on atom', a unique mobile payments solution using Axis Bank debit cards.Axis Bank is the first bank in the country to provide a secure debit card-based paymentservice over IVR. Axis Bank is one of the Big Four Banks of India, along with ICICI Bank,State Bank of India and HDFC Bank Branch Network At the end of March 2009, the Bank  has a very wide network of more than 835 branch offices and Extension Counters. Totalnumber of ATMs went up to 3595. The Bank has loans now (as of June 2007) account for asmuch as 70 per cent of the bank ¶s total loan book of Rs 2,00,000 crore. In the case of AxisBank, retail loans have declined from 30 per cent of the total loan book of Rs 25,800 crorein June 2006 to around 23 per cent of loan book of Rs. 41,280 crore (as of June 2007).Evenover a longer period,  while the overall asset growth for  Axis Bank has been quite high and has matched that of the other banks, retail exposuresgrew at a slower pace. The bank, though, appears to have insulated such pressures. Interestmargins, while they have declined from the 3. 15 per cent seen in 2003-04, are still hoveringclose to the 3 per cent mark. Axis Bank, formally UTI Bank, is a financial services firm that had begun op erations in1994, after the Government of India allowed new private banks to be established. The Bank  was promoted jointly by the Administrator of the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of  India (UTI-I), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), General Insurance CorporationLtd. , National Insurance Company Ltd. The New India Assurance Company, The OrientalInsurance Corporation and United India Insurance Company UTI-I holds a special positionin the Indian capital markets and has promoted many leading financial institutions in thecountry. The bank changed its name to Axis Bank in April 2007 to avoid confusion withother unrelated entities with similar name. After the Retirement of Mr. P. J. Nayak, Shikha Sharma was named as the bank's managingdirector and CEO on 20 April 2009. As on the year ended March 31, 2009 the Bank had atotal income of Rs 13,745. 04 crore (US$ 2. 93 billion) and a net profit of Rs. 1,812. 93 crore(US$ 386. 15 million). On February 24, 2010, Axis Bank announced the launch of ‘AXISCALL & PAY on atom', a unique mobile payments solution using Axis Bank debit cards.Axis Bank is the first bank in the country to provide a secure debit card-based paymentservice over IVR. Axis Bank is one of the Big Four Banks of India, along with ICICI Bank,State Bank of India and HDFC Bank Branch Network At the end of March 2009, the Bank  has a very wide network of more than 835 branch offices and Extension Counters. Totalnumber of ATMs went up to 3595. The Bank has loans now (as of June 2007) account for asmuch as 70 per cent of the bank ¶s total loan book of Rs 2,00,000 crore. In the case of AxisBank, retail loans have declined from 30 per cent of the total loan book of Rs 25,800 crorein June 2006 to around 23 per cent of loan book of Rs. 41,280 crore (as of June 2007).Evenover a longer period,  while the overall asset growth for  Axis Bank has been quite high and has matched that of the other banks, retail exposuresgrew at a slower pa ce. The bank, though, appears to have insulated such pressures. Interestmargins, while they have declined from the 3. 15 per cent seen in 2003-04, are still hoveringclose to the 3 per cent mark. Reserve Bank of India prescribes Banks to maintain a minimum Capital to risk weightedAssets Ratio (CRAR) of 9 percent with regard to credit risk, market risk and operational risk  on an ongoing basis, as against 8 percent prescribed in Basel Documents. Capital adequacyratio of the ICICI Bank was well above the industry average of 13. 97% t. CAR of HDFC  bank is below the ratio of ICICI bank.HDFC Bank ¶s total Capital Adequacy stood at15. 26% as of March 31, 2010. The Bank adopted the Basel 2 framework as of March 31,2009 and the CAR computed as per Basel 2 guidelines stands higher against the regulatoryminimum of 9. 0%. HDFC CAR is gradually increased over the last 5 year and the capital adequacy ratio of  Axis bank is the increasing by every 2 year. SBI has maintained its CAR around in the rangeof 11 % to 14 %. But IDBI should reconsider their business as its CAR is falling YOY (year  on year). Higher the ratio the banks are in a comfortable position to absorb losses. So ICICIand HDFC are the strong one to absorb their loses. Gross N PA:Gross NPAs are the sum total of all loan assets that are classified as NPAs as per RBIguidelines as on Balance Sheet date. Gross NPA reflects the quality of the loans made by  banks. It consists of all the non standard  assets like as substandard, doubtful, and loss assets. It can be calculated  with the help of following ratio : SBI maintained its GNPA to 3% which is very good sign of performances as SBI is thelargest lender in INDIA. HDFC ¶s GNPA is quite good as it is low with compared to ICICIand SBI but in 2008-09 GNPA rises. The reason may be economic crises. AXIS bank haslowest GNPA which shown its management ability. ICICI has the highest GNPA in bankingindustry and rising YOY (year on  year). N et N PA:Net NPAs are those type of NPAs in which the bank has deducted the provision regarding  NPAs. Net NPA shows the actual burden of banks. Since in India, bank balance sheetscontain a huge amount of NPAs and the process of recovery and write off of loans is verytime consuming, the provisions the banks have to make against the NPAs according to thecentral bank guidelines, are quite significant. That is why the difference between gross andnet NPA is quite high. It can be calculated by following : AXIS Bank has least Net NPA and ICICI has highest NNPA among group. HDFC shown itsmanagement quality as it maintained its NNPA YOY (year on year). SBI has to keep NNPA  below. IDBI has successful to control NNPA YOY.