Personal Development Plan for Pragmatist

Introduction: This study report covering various aspects of personal and professional development of the professional student, who is going to practise all the skills and abilities in the real business world at very next step when student completes professional degree course. This report aims to fulfil the requirement the student to be professional in reality presenting the views of student on the basis of research using books, lecture notes understanding and online study material from various websites. It helps a student how to run the cycle of continuous personal and professional improvement and development to compete the globalisation. It suggest the personal development plan using time logs and carry out certain regular exercise to monitor the progress like filling questionnaire, maintain task diary and records, seeking feedback using 360 degree assessment. Professional and personal development support the body of a career and profession progression like a backbone, enabling the person to stand and touch and maintain the highest position in their working area. It can only ensured by continuous learning and observation process. Learning and observation process makes aware the person about his values, abilities, skills, attitude, learning style and hidden talents and how to use it for excellent performance. Professional and personal development and learning process starts with identifying the personality, position and learning style of the person. I would like to presents the views that how a student can be effective leader or manager acquiring professional skills namely time management, meeting, presentation and stress management. Leader/Manager: Successful professional should be effective leader and effective manager to lead positively to grow the profession and goodwill by competing with global challenges. In every organisation, each level of the hierarchical structure have leaders and managers. Managers and leaders are distinct personality with ultimate goal is to achieve organisational goals. A leader and A manager can be identified as per Waston (1983) and Hollingsworth (1999) suggestions with four distinct styles: A leader is a person who emphasis the right way of work focusing on people, sharing goals with them using their skills, inspire them to innovate and develop new style and skill which supports to achieve own as well as organisational objectives. A manager concentrating on the subordinates, system and composition, administer and manage them by controlling them to achieve the strategic objectives set by the management of the organisation. A manager stress on doing the appropriate task by result oriented strategies and systems. The Autocratic Leader/Manager: He does not value the subordinates’ skills and opinions. He has centralised power to ascertain dilemma, makes decisions and tells it to subordinate to execute task. The Semi-Autocratic Leader/Manger: He is partially autocratic, but seek some reflection from the subordinates who are going to practices it and try to convince to follow his decisions. The Democratic Leader/Manager: He just identifies the problems and seeks suggestions and recommendations from the group and then decide the solution. The Laissey-Faire Leader/Manager: He identifies the problems and set boundary within which decision must be fall and pass it to the performing group and make the correct suitable decision being with them. Democratic and Laissey faire leadership style is preferred in this globalisation and dynamic business world. Professional Skills: Time Management: Time is a money once you spent it you will never get back so right job at right time yields better fruits. Evaluation: Ask following questions to yourself: Have you followed your prioritised to-do list? Have you meet the deadlines? What effects on the final result due to incomplete task? Have you got the full participation colleagues and subordinates as per the job assigned? Do you have any spare time for contingency and further planning? If most of the answers is no, then start finding the gaps and lacking to use time effectively. Gap finds because of not exercising following activities. Acquisition: Habit to prepare and analyse the workload and prioritize it daily and weekly by preparing to-do list categorising the task as must do, should do and would like to do. Therefore, flitting will be less. (appendix 1) Set the deadlines and stick to it to complete the task, which helps him to allocate enough time to other task and be stress free as the task finish along with the spare time to plan further or allocate it to any unfinished task or contingency. Identify the best time and do hard and important task within best time. Divide the job into small discrete part and delegate it to the suitable person with all the necessary guidance and information specifying the rewards. It will motivate the subordinates by participation and decrease the workload and stress level of delegator which saves his time and energy. Conduct meetings for monitoring the progress of work as and when necessary. Avoid procrastination and time wasters which ensures needed attention to the work. Do not spent long time for perfection of the job on the cost of other activities. Maintain proper records by backup and filling, which can be used as vital tool while planning next time. Understanding about the assigned job and take responsibility as per the calibre to complete it within deadlines. It helps him to manage stress and utilize time productively. Running successful Meetings: Evaluation: Ask following questions to yourself: Have you met the goals set? Has meeting was enjoyed by the members and equally participated to express their views? Did all the mentioned agenda discussed and come to the solution? Did the meeting follows the time allocation and rules like quorum? Did the minutes recorded properly? Did you have announced the next meeting date and when members get the former meeting details? If most of the answers is no, then start finding the gaps and lacking to run meeting effectively. Gap finds because of not exercising following activities: Acquisition: Set the purpose, time, date, right place with proper infrastructural and refreshment arrangements with meeting start and end time. Prepare agenda mentioning required items with next meeting date. (appendix 2) Inform members about the purpose and agenda of the meeting well in advance. Allot sufficient time to each agenda including hidden agenda and stick to it. Specify the chair person and ensure the opportunity to express opinions. Be sure about the technology and tools used in meeting Arrange minute recording and procedure to sent to the members of the meeting. Set the disciplinary rules to be followed by members during meeting. Ensure the chair person being unbiased and objective having ability to control and negotiate. This way manager can conduct fruitful meeting which enables the organisation to achieve the objectives. The fruitful meeting will increase the morale and productivity of members saves time and efforts by proper attention to each item. Effective Presentation: Evaluation: Ask following questions to yourself: Have you met the goals set? Did your audience enjoyed and gained knowledge presentation? Did it organised in terms of matter, tools used and time bound? Did your body language and communication style attract the audience? Have you allowed audience to participate? If most of the answers is no, then start finding the gaps and lacking to present attractively. Gap finds because of not exercising following activities: Acquisition: Set the time, date, place, topic of presentation. Identify the audience and its expectations Be prepared and rehearse, support the matter with authentic data Be sure about the tools and facilities required Have confident and friendly body language with smiley face Stick to time and spare time for Q/A from audience For effective presentation, nerve control is vital because it fails the presentation no matter how strong paperwork or other skills you have. Stress Management: Evaluation: Ask following questions to yourself: Have you facing any physical or habitual disorder? Is there any financial or family problem which adversely affect your performance? Are you facing problem to deal with technology and people? Have you adjusted yourself in this working environment? Are you aware about your ability, skills, role and responsibilities? If answer of first 3 question is yes, then identify stressors and try to accept it and be free from it by following ways: Acquisition: Prime necessity is to accept the stress problem Identify the stressors and take steps to reduce it and remove it. Have some refreshment activity like change task, eat food, listen music Some concrete steps which may take long time like redesign the task/role/work environment, encourage subordinate involvement, set flexible employee friendly policy, provide social support and share reward Undergo some psychological exercise as per expert opinion like workshops, seminars Conclusion: Each above mentioned skills are interconnected with each other like, proper time management reduce the stress, increase productivity, Participation of employees in meeting and presentation encourage them to take initiatives with high moral. Personal Skill Audit The further step is how I can apply professional skills discussed in previous section to be very profitable and easy going personality. The application can be done in better and accurate way by findings positive and negative points of his personal qualities and skills. Hence, personal skill audit comes into the picture of personal development. Personal skill audit refers to the findings about the personal skills. It can be done by identifying strengths and weaknesses of the person. For that, which learning style the person have must be identified. To identify the learning style of the person, there is some tools like questionnaire and learning surveys by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford(ARPT), David Kolb(VAK), Carl Jugg and Mybers Briggs(type E/I,S/N,T/F,J/P). The student has followed Learning Style Questionnaire by Peter and Alan(appendix 3), on the basis of that the student identified his learning style ‘Pragmatist’: Strengths: Eager to try out ideas, concepts Realistic, and practical, Likes experiments Strive to meet preset goals Works autonomously Go through available options and assess it Weakness: Task oriented, does not value people Impatient ant centralize power work without any precaution tendency to take over others’ task independent working style do not involve the people Pragmatist can develop by exercising the work where person is: Problem and chances to progress is attached with the job Show the practical techniques to do right thing at a time Take chance to try out theories in practice supported by feedback from expert Showing the experts and models to follow them Equipped with techniques and knowledge useful for job Offer opportunity for progression and experiments Focus on practical matters by suggestions, tips Pragmatist find difficulties to improve his skills, where Job is not related to identified important requirement or not any practical gain Learning is far from real practical issues just theoretical concepts without clear guidance People not getting any point just going round and round Political diplomatic personal bias barriers to put thing into practice No proper reward for outstanding performance Some findings helps me to be effective and role demanding personality like using people by delegating task can manage the time and stress fruitfully. Giving values to the people in organisation can ensure high moral and motivation to work. Forecast the possible results of experiments before acting and use if it is beneficial to the organisation and people who practices it. Autocratic way to manage the people is discouraging, so its better to be a democratic or a member of the performing group. Team approach helps me to overcome from impatient and self centric personality by working in team and respecting human values and ability. Once finds out the lacking and gaps , he can use detective skills to find the ways to fill it. And come up with best suitable method by evaluating each available options to him, as very keen to use techniques, apply it to job to make it easy, speedy and accurate and recognise the use of the advance resources applicable in job. Strive to meet the specified goals and act accordingly is the great strength which differentiate his personality. He learn from the trail and error by experimenting various concepts in practice. To delegate the job to subordinates, he shows his skills of persuading presentation of idea and conduct meeting to convince the subordinate to work on it to meet the targets. Like this way, interconnecting his strengths to overcome his weaknesses he can be prove himself as effective personality at work place or anywhere. Thus, I would like to focus on the team work approach, learn to delegate the task and value others being diversified personality. At the end, knowledgeable, team friendly, stress free, happy, open and flexible, initiative and motivating work approach gives ripe fruits to individual and the organisation. Personal Development Plan: As per the discussion in previous sections, now I am going ahead to develop the own personality development plan. Where learning style identified is key to design personal development plan with the professional skills required to gain from the global challenges. In today’s ever-changing world, to be an effective manager core skills namely effective time management, running successful meetings, making effective presentation and managing stress tactfully is prime necessity. As per the previous discussion, now I am well aware about my strengths and weaknesses as a pragmatist regarding the achievement of organisational and personal objectives to ensure continuous growth. For deep understanding about my learning style and personal traits, i would like to do SWOT analysis of my personal traits. SMART objectives will help me to use the SWOT beneficially in practice. Using SWOT analysis, I analyse my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the personal skills and traits considering four core competent skills discussed in first section. At the end, I present a personal development plan to use, which suggest the practical way to utilize the personal attributes profitably and draw attractive picture of my personality and organisation as a whole. In section two, I have already identified my strengths and weaknesses to put the things into practice and achieve desired result. Strengths and weaknesses are the own internal favourable and unfavourable points which helps the person to rise up. It can only improved by self observation and improvement. The analysis introduce my following strengths and weaknesses: Strengths: Practical and realistic way to solve the problems by evaluating all the possible alternatives Like to experiment different theories and ideas ascertained using detective skills Set the goals and work autonomously to act upon Weaknesses: Being self centric and impatient under values other people and their ability to perform better Strive to do other’s work without taking into account the personal feelings Work independently without seeking participation of others Not arrive at the possible results and like to experiment proves wrong Being a task oriented does not take care of personal feelings Opportunity and Threat are external forces influencing the personality positively as well as negatively. This has connection with internal forces like strengths and weaknesses of the person to attain personal and organisational objectives as well. As a result of this analysis, now, I know my following would be opportunities and threats: Opportunity: Chance to get and test knowledge in business world. Learn by experiments and arrive at the best suitable practical solution to make easy business complexity Less chance of work error as work independently, evaluating PESTAL factor Chance to use advanced technology in practice Chance to undertake other projects and explore gaps to use it profitable as I have time bound working style Drive all the forces to attain preset goals and emerge with distinct personality Less chance to fail in planning due to practical and realistic work practice considering all the available alternatives Threats: Be frustrate and nervous if goals are not attain within time frame due to impatient attribute. As working autonomously sometimes decisions or analysis may prove wrong Diversified market needs and expectation of global business world Emerging business complexity and customer awareness Now, after performing self appraisal, I have a feasible knowledge of my positive and negative points to be an effective administrator or an effective manager to face the global challenges and create my own value in the organisation and business market as well. At this stage, SMART will help me as powerful tool to overcome my weaknesses and turn them into positive force to touch the sky of business world. S-Specific: On the basis of the weaknesses, i arrived at the solution that although I have practical and realistic work approach, sometimes decisions proves wrong and cannot complete the task within time limit set. This can be improved by adapting team working style emphasising on co-ordination and co-operation with and of colleagues and subordinates in the organisation. Therefore, focus on work delegation and team work is necessary to work within deadlines and try to get optimum using all the available resources. M-Measurable: to delegate the job, it is necessary to design proper job description and draw the skills required to perform it by using various techniques like feedback of the colleagues, looking at other company. Set the system and ways to measure the performance of people and the system laid down to achieve the objectives. So, it ensures active participation with clear understanding of job and achievements. A-Achievable: To do the task within time frame the right job should be assigned to a right person,. For that, I have to value the other person’s ability to perform specific job and assigned him that job with required guidelines and data to perform productively. The meeting and effective presentation of the delegated job to each subordinates and colleagues is necessary to achieve the goals. So here comes the presentation and meeting skills to convey the idea and communicate regarding the role they have to play to drive towards the achievements of objectives. So, here I have to concentrate on my interpersonal skills and getting co-operation and co-ordination with colleagues and subordinates to perform time bound duties. R-Relevant: It should be take care that subordinate have no ambiguity relating to his roles and targets to be met as a team member and organisational goals. Therefore, all the efforts must be towards the achievement of organisational objectives. The roles and targets can be communicate by way of successful meeting and effective presentation by the manager. As it saves time, efforts, money of people and organisation as well. T-Time Defined: If all the things are right doing in right way by the right person, it is also necessary that it should be complete within time defined. Because time is money, and to be successful it should be utilize effectively by allocating sufficient time to each an every activity as per its importance to do. Evidence of Monitoring and Feedback: As per the outcome of the SWOT and SMART, I have to follow the diary and records of the subordinates and colleagues achievements and skills to perform better. Other necessary thing is to is maintain and analyse time log until I follow the proper time schedule as prepared. Periodic performance review by 360 degree assessment which aware me about my improvements and necessity to improve. With all this, unbiased regular self assessment using SWOT helps me to ride the cycle of continuous development. Likewise, I can get measurable, achievable, relevant time bound active participation of the specific subordinates. I am following time log daily as well as weekly when i was explained in class lecture and now at the end of this 9th week I found that I am very much nearer to follow the time schedule set weekly. And I followed daily time log and I achieved time frame in working day not in weekends and I am trying to achieve it. I am taking feedback at workplace using 360 degree assessment when I finished one project and before starting new project and from my family members that how I am successful to meet their expectations. Without such monitoring and feedback one cannot have a clear idea about his improvement and progress. This is the vital axes of the progress chart of personal skill development. Review and Conclusion: At the end of the personal development process, I noticed that above discussed matter draw the conclusion that time management, stress management, running meetings and presentations are supportive pillars of the building effective personality and achieve personal and organisational goals. This is the basic necessity of today’s global dynamic business market and learned customers. This report reveals the successful professional career as an effective manger can be ensured by aligning personal objectives with organisation’s objectives. Reference: Pedler Mike, Burgoyne John and Boydell Tom,(2001), A Manger’s Guide to Self Development, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill,ISBN-0-07-709830-7 www. decs. sa. gov. au(Accessed on 27/10/2009) www. nwlink. com (Accessed on 27/10/2009) Appendix 1 Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Questionnaire This questionnaire is designed to find out your preferred learning style(s). Over the years you have probably developed learning â€Å"habits† that help you benefit more from some experiences than from others. Since you are probably unaware of this, this questionnaire will help you pinpoint your learning preferences so that you are in a better position to select learning experiences that suit your style and having a greater understanding of those that suit the style of others. There is no time limit to this questionnaire. It will probably take you 10-15 minutes. The accuracy of the results depends on how honest you can be. There are no right or wrong answers. If you agree more than you disagree with a statement put a tick by it. If you disagree more than you agree put a cross by it. Be sure to mark each item with either a tick or cross. Scoring And Interpreting The Learning Styles Questionnaire The Questionnaire is scored by awarding one point for each ticked item. There are no points for crossed items. Simply indicate on the lists below which items were ticked by circling the appropriate question number. TOTALS *Activist Reflector * Theorist Pragmatist Learning Styles Questionnaire Profile Based on General Norms for 1302 People Learning Styles – General Descriptions Activists Activists involve themselves fully and without bias in new experiences. They enjoy the here and now and are happy to be dominated by immediate experiences. They are open-minded, not skeptical, and this tends to make them enthusiastic about anything new. Their philosophy is: â€Å"I'll try anything once†. They tend to act first and consider the consequences afterwards. Their days are filled with activity. They tackle problems by brainstorming. As soon as the excitement from one activity has died down they are busy looking for the next. They tend to thrive on the challenge of new experiences but are bored with implementation and longer-term consolidation. They are gregarious people constantly involving themselves with others but in doing so; they seek to centre all activities on themselves. Reflectors 90997322447 Reflectors like to stand back to ponder experiences and observe them from many different perspectives. They collect data, both first hand and from others, and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to any conclusion. The thorough collection and analysis of data about experiences and events is what counts so they tend to postpone reaching definitive conclusions for as long as possible. Their philosophy is to be cautious. They are thoughtful people who like to consider all possible angles and implications before making a move. They prefer to take a back seat in meetings and discussions. They enjoy observing other people in action. They listen to others and get the drift of the discussion before making their own points. They tend to adopt a low profile and have a slightly distant, tolerant unruffled air about them. When they act it is part of a wide picture which includes the past as well as the present and others' observations as well as their own. Theorists Theorists adapt and integrate observations into complex but logically sound theories. They think problems through in a vertical, step-by-step logical way. They assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories. They tend to be perfectionists who won't rest easy until things are tidy and fit into a rational scheme. They like to analyse and synthesise. They are keen on basic assumptions, principles, theories models and systems thinking. Their philosophy prizes rationality and logic. â€Å"If it's logical it's good†. Questions they frequently ask are: â€Å"Does it make sense? â€Å"How does this fit with that? † â€Å"What are the basic assumptions? † They tend to be detached, analytical and dedicated to rational objectivity rather than anything subjective or ambiguous. Their approach to problems is consistently logical. This is their â€Å"mental set† and they rigidly reject anything that doesn't fit with it. They prefer to maximise certainty and feel uncomfortable with subjective judgments, lateral thinking and anything flippant. Pragmatists Pragmatists are keen on trying out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice. They positively search out new ideas and take the first opportunity to experiment with applications. They are the sorts of people who return from management courses brimming with new ideas that they want to try out in practice. They like to get on with things and act quickly and confidently on ideas that attract them. They tend to be impatient with ruminating and open-ended discussions. They are essentially practical, down to earth pile who like making practical decisions and solving problems. They respond to problems and opportunities â€Å"as a challenge†. Their philosophy is: â€Å"There is always a better way† and â€Å"if it works it's good†. In descending order of likelihood, the most common combinations are: 1st Reflector/Theorist 2†³d Theorist/ Pragmatist 3rd Reflector/Pragmatist 4th Activist/Pragmatist Appendix 2 Time Log {draw:frame} Activitists (Do) Immerse themselves fully in new experiences Enjoy here and now Open minded, enthusiastic, flexible Act first, consider consequences later Seek to centre activity around themselves http://www. archives. org. uk/careerdevelopment/continuingprofessionaldevelopment/professionaldevelopmentplan. html http://www. thegateway. org/browse/17801 http://www. excellencegateway. org. uk/page. aspx? o=152477

Brand Manager

We keep hearing about managers of different kinds, yet we never really know what a manager's job actually entails. This article will deal with a specific kind of manager – the brand manager. Through this article, we will know a little something more about a brand manager and the brand manager job description in detail. Along with that, we will also foray into the different brand manager duties and some other brand manager responsibilities. Read the following article to know a little something more about the brand manager job description and what career opportunities one might have in that field. Job Description of Brand Manager As the name suggests, the brand manager has to work with a particular brand or several brands. It is a highly challenging job because he has to take the entire responsibility for the success of that product(s), and is therefore, responsible for all related aspects which include planning, buying, selling, marketing, pricing, dispatching and ordering. That is a bird's eye view of what a brand manager job description is, the following paragraphs will list some of the important duties of the brand manager. To begin with, they need to work extensively with the research and development department of the company, and with their help, formulate the best possible way to market the product. †¢ They need to supply the engineers (who are working on developing the product) with the results of the market research and on the basis of which the product will be based. †¢ They also check if the engineers are following the decided path and suggest changes for improvement. †¢ They need to be fully aware of the product at hand. What is the product capable of doing and what will be some of the improvements that might take place in the future. †¢ Once the product is ready, he must gather a core group for testing. The results from these tests will help him to determine whether the product has been able to achieve the desired result or not. †¢ After the product has passed this test, he will have to think of the marketing strategies for the same. What will be the audience, the target group at which the product will be directed etc. The packaging of the product – the best way in which the audience will be able to connect to the product and how the packaging will be able to convey what the product is all about. †¢ The pricing of the product is also an important factor that will need the drawing up of several strategies. The brand manager will work with several other departments to determine this aspect. †¢ Then he will undertake the extensive planning of the techniques and methods by which the product will be launched in the market. †¢ The advertising strategies that will be used. What modes of mass media will be utilized to ensure the success of the product. †¢ The methods of promotion that will be used will also need to be determined by him. †¢ All this will be dependent upon the budget that has been allocated. He has to also make sure that all these techniques employed like the promotions, marketing, advertising costs , all of them fall under the allotted budget and no more. †¢ After the product has been launched, he has to monitor the sales. †¢ Depending on the sales, he needs to change strategies or techniques in marketing, advertising or promotions to lead to maximum success. Read more on marketing strategies. †¢ He has to plan for the future about the course of the product – what will be the future strategies etc. so that continued success is guaranteed. †¢ Bringing about changes in the product from time to time so that it includes whatever the audience wants and is thereby accepted more openly by the audience. †¢ A marketing plan is an official plan of how the company intends to execute its marketing strategies. Learning how to write a marketing plan is very important as it gives the management a good idea of what the marketing department is up to. So this article will explain how to develop a marketing plan along with supplying a marketing plan template. Marketing Plan Developing a marketing plan is tough and requires a good amount of research. A marketing plan starts with market research. The first step is to evaluate what the customers feel about your product, what they like about it, and what changes they would like to see in the product. By communicating with the end users of the product, we understand what they expect of the product, what are their exact needs and how your product can best satisfy that need. Market research also helps you analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your product along with finding out the potential opportunities and threats to your product's present market share. After the market research has been conducted, you will have a fair idea of what the users think about your products and what changes you may need to integrate into your final product offering. Market research will also help you feel the pulse of the market and understand how the customer sees your product and that way, you will be able to make a good marketing strategy for it.

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated in Glucose Transport

Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated in Glucose Transport A role for ataxia telangiectasia mutated in insulin-independent stimulation of glucose transport Abstract Literature reports suggest that ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) can activate the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a protein that can stimulate glucose transport in skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR), an AMPK activator, would increase glucose transport in mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles in an ATM-dependent manner. AICAR-stimulated glucose transport was prevented by the ATM inhibitor KU-55933 and in ATM-deficient (ATM-/-) muscle despite normal stimulation of AMPK phosphorylation. S231 of TBC1D1 matches the sequence motif of ATM substrates, and phosphorylation of this site is known to inhibit TBC1D1 and lead to increased glucose transport. Accordingly, we assessed TBC1D1 phosphorylation and found that AICAR-stimulated phosphorylation of TBC1D1 at S231did not occurin ATM-/- muscle. However, activation of ATM without activation of AMPK was insufficient to increase TBC1D1 phosphorylation.The data suggest that ATM plays a role in AICAR stimulated glucose transport downstream of AMPK. Keywords: AMP-activated protein kinase; ataxia telangiectasia mutated; TBC1D1; AICAR; glucose transport; skeletal muscle Introduction The serine-threonine kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) appears to play a role in glucose homeostasis. For example, recent genome-wide association studies have found that genetic variations near the ATM gene are related to glycemic responses to metformin [1, 2], a commonly-prescribed drug for blood glucose control. While the mechanism for metformin’s effect on blood glucose levels is under debate [3-6], it is known that metformin acutely stimulates glucose transport into skeletal muscle concomitant with activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) [7]. Activation of AMPK is sufficient to stimulate insulin-independent glucose transport into skeletal muscle [8, 9]. Intriguingly, ATM dependence has been reported for activation of AMPK in response to DNA damage or insulin-like growth factor 1 in HeLa cells and fibroblasts, exposure of lung cancer cells to ionizing radiation,exposure of lymphoblaststo H 2 O 2 , or treatment of HeLa cells and mouse embryonic fibroblasts with the adenosine analog AICAR [10-14]. Despite these suggestive data on the role of ATM upstream of AMPK, the potential role of ATM in AMPK-dependent stimulation of glucose transport has not previously been investigated in skeletal muscle, the predominant whole-body storage depot for glucose. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that glucose uptake stimulated by the AMPK activator AICAR would be dependent on ATM in skeletal muscle. Methods Materials Antibodies against TBC1D1, AMPK, phosphorylated AMPKÃŽ ± T172 (P-AMPK), and phosphorylated ATM S1981 (P-ATM) were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology (Beverly, MA, USA). Antibodies aga inst phosphorylated TBC1D1 (P-TBC1D1) S237 (S231 in mouse) were purchased from EMD Millipore Corporation (Billerica, MA, USA). Antibodies against tubulin and ATM were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (St. Louis, MO, USA). Horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibodies were obtained from Pierce Biotechnology (Rockford, IL, USA). The ATM inhibitor KU-55933 was a generous gift from Dr. Graeme Smith (KuDOSPhramaceuticals, Cambridge, UK). The AMPK inhibitor Compound C was provided by Merck & Co., Inc. (Rahway, NJ, USA). Doxorubicin was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. Radiolabeled 2-deoxyglucose and mannitol were purchased from American Radiolabeled Chemicals, Inc. (St. Louis, MO, USA).

Chinese economic developments in the nineteenth century Essay

Chinese economic developments in the nineteenth century - Essay Example The paper will also look at China’s scope in foreign trade and the changing trends occasioned by a variety of trading empires from the west and in particular the period of treaty port which opened up china’s ports to the world. On focus is china’s conflict with a growing west of the 19th century especially England which was confrontational. Another consideration is the crises being experienced then in China due to rebellion and other natural and social issues that opened her market to the west. China in the 19th century Just as the emergence of China in the 21st century has had a drastic effect on the Western economies today, the same can be said, but in reverse, of China two centuries ago when European countries took over as the world economic power houses rendering China as a client state. China’s volume of foreign exchange continued to be low and restricted but later a remarkable increase was witnessed as product from different corners especially Europe and neighboring Far East countries started flowing into the Chinese market (Keller, Li and Shiue 2010, p. 1). Below is a graphical illustration showing China’s foreign trade with the leading economies between 1865 and 1900. Source: Keller, Li and Shiue (2010, P.42). Chinese ports became the conduit by which foreign goods were transited through. During this period China was still prosperous with a great endowment of natural resources; a colossal though contented populace that boasted of a prestigious royal dynasty domestically and overseas (Asia for Educators 2004, p. 1). China’s dynastic empire was the leading economy in the world at the start of 19th century and her Gross Domestic Product (GDP) surpassed the combined GDPs of Western Europe, the North America, Japan and...This essay offers a retrospective comprehensive review of the economic developments in China during the nineteenth century. The paper explores Chinese scope in foreign trade in that period and the ch anging trends, which were occasioned by a variety of trading empires from the west and in particular the period of treaty port which opened up china’s ports to the world. Just as the emergence of China in the twenty first century has had a drastic effect on the Western economies today, the same can be said, but in reverse, of China two centuries ago when European countries took over as the world economic power houses rendering China as a client state. The entry into China by the Europeans and the subsequent forced opening of Chinese port and eventual setting up of treaty ports that favored the West over the Chinese culminated into an influx of a variety of products range and goods as well, as we saw above the smuggling of opium an item that led to the opium wars. This resulted into China increasingly turning to a client state during the period of nineteenth century as imported rate of imported new goods grew yearly Two centuries ago China suffered humiliation from the west when her territory was defiled and their culture trampled upon. From the rich history of China it is evident that though the West forcefully entered China and imposed its agenda selfishly by compelling the Chinese leadership to enter into biased treaties, a thing the Chinese detested, in the long run it is the Chinese who have benefited.

The World Of Vampires Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The World Of Vampires - Essay Example As with all forms of culture, a great deal can be said with regards to society and the mores and norms that this society integrates with regards to the types of popular culture that are exhibited within our current system. As a function of this brief analysis, the author will seek to understand the core complements of the female action star as well as to relate these attributes to present dynamics within current culture and society. It is the hope of this author that such a process will help the means by which seemingly trite, or otherwise simplistic films, speak to broader issues within culture and society. Further, by utilizing these movies as a vehicle to understand feminism, society, and the current culture that we live in, it is the further hope of this author that these two film franchises will be able to shed a degree of light on the means by which feminist concepts are displayed and integrated. The first determinant that can of course be seen with regards to these female acti on stars is the fact that they are almost invariably highly sexualized. In the case of the vampire Selene from the Underworld franchise, the viewer is presented with a dynamically powerful yet conflictingly feminine heroine that displays unbelievable prowess with regards to the use of weaponry, assassination, and coldhearted murder; however, also represents the fragile qualities of stylize womanhood in the fact that she has the capability to love and ultimately becomes a mother. This represents a unique dynamic due to the fact that the highly sexualized nature of the star is of course intended to draw in male audience members to the plot line. Speaking candidly, the plot in and of itself is quite weak (Stein 133). However, due to the fact that an impressively attractive Kate Beckinsale plays the lead role, arrayed in a skintight leather one piece, the degree to which the male audience will integrate with such a film is radically increased. This dynamic becomes even more interesting as the viewer realizes that the empowerment that is displayed within the film is ultimately representation of feminism; i.e. a backlash against traditional male oriented entertainment that features brawny men in explosive action movies. This complex dynamic becomes even more complicated when one realizes that the feminist agenda that is incorporated into these films is necessarily weakened by the fact that the women portrayed as the lead characters must sexualized themselves as a means of integrating the story with the audience. Much the same is true with Mila Jovovich’s main character in the Resident Evil film series. Whereas the character of Selene in the Underworld movies fights against werewolves, Mila Jovovich’s character within the Resident Evil franchise fights against throngs of the undead. However, regardless of the differential and plot lines, the very same approaches followed. Ultimately, Jovovich’s character is represented as a reluctant wife and pro fessional who is dragged into the abyss that the Umbrella Corporation creates with regards to an experiment gone wrong. Following specifically and almost identically the same mechanism whereby Kate Beckinsale’

I Believe In Wisdom Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

I Believe In Wisdom - Personal Statement Example   Albeit the confusion of growing up, nothing interesting coming my way that never caught my attention. More often than not, I kept weighing the benefits that each presented in my life. When it hit me that wisdom played a considerable role in my life, I took its stand. Experiences played their part, significantly to influence this stand. This is the one believe that for a long time now has remained with me, stuck with me, and molds the person I am. In planning for my future, wisdom remains the significant factor that I put into consideration. Like a journey, my strong belief in wisdom took a rather long route. When it finally came, I doubtlessly knew where my beliefs lay; in wisdom. At a tender age, the ability of the Biblical Solomon to solve the big case of the two mothers awed me more than it amused me. The reasoning behind his ruling on the case was beyond any judgmental ruling I have ever heard of. On several occasions, I made comparisons of the ruling of my country’s j udges with the Solomon incidence. My aspirations were never on being a legal counsel, neither lawyer. Yet, my reasoning on the different ways in which I could successfully make my own personal ruling and judgments crowded my head. The difference in my way of thinking and that of legal thinking was simple; mine was not vested in any voluminous works I had learnt, or the various cases that I had read and the decisions reached in law school. Any person can make a mistake, but Solomon did not. People acquire knowledge, but wisdom develops. This made my way of thinking different from the legal school of thought, choosing conscious reasoning and thinking. I had a big thirst for sober decisions. Regrets, I suppose, befall poor planners. I did not want to become one. Every time I was faced with a trying problem, I compared this situation, weighed the chances available and thought of their outcomes. This, as I figured, would help me walk through any compromising situation. When one day my yo unger brother started developing a funny character, I put into test my wisdom. His character took a drastic change, as his school grades took a nosedive. He plummeted from a top performing student to a low ranking student. This attracted the attention of his teachers, while my parents became a worried lot. Even with mentorship, monitoring and guidance, he never seemed to change. Physically, he showed no signs of depression or stress. He was as handsome as always, and did not show any signs of weight loss. What baffled many is that while his character kept changing, his friendship never did; he kept the same friends as before. However, he ate lesser quantity of food, slept excess fully, talked less and stopped playing his favorite game, the PlayStation. Counselors thought he was suffering from stress-related problems, while my parents held a rather weird stand; he either was turning gay or was a drug addict. Perhaps his condition compared to either of these perceptions, even all. For me, this was an opportunity to test my wisdom. Wisdom does not rely on tested evidence, but on a well-reasoned decision.  

Florida National University Research Project - Strategic Management Paper

Florida National University Project - Strategic Management - Research Paper Example It has other of its campuses located in different regions, mostly the second floors of shopping centers, to take into consideration the ease of accessibility of the facilities by the physically challenged (Alonso, 2013). The Florida National University has a mission of contributing to the education of a diverse population, which is made up of a large percentage of Hispanic culture. In doing this, the University seeks to ensure that students are well prepared for gainful employment, through assisting them advance in the careers of their interest, while at the same time ensuring that the requisite skills and knowledge is imparted on the students, to enhance their competitiveness in the world of employment. To achieve this, the University has worked to control the size of the classes, while also providing the necessary facilities that will not only facilitate the attainment of quality education by the students, but also foster advancement in modern technology (Alonso, 2013). In line wit h serving the interest of the society, the Florida National University also offers cultural programs that develop the societal-cultural values of the community. SWOT analysis for Florida National University Strengths Despite having started two decades ago, Florida National University was declared a fully fledged University only early last year. This notwithstanding, there are several strengths that are associated with Florida National University. First, the University has equipped itself with the state of the art facilities, which enables students to undertake their learning in a favorable environment (Alonso, 2013). This does not only serve to support the students in their career development, but also serves to enhance their competitiveness in the world of employment, since they are taught under a modernized technology environment. The University has several vital educational facilities, which include a language lab, a media center, dental lab, an X-ray lab, a computer lab and a me dical lab (Alonso, 2013). These facilities are aimed at facilitating the smooth and effective learning of the students, while also ensuring that they are well equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills that make them competent professionals in the fields of their careers. Another of the strengths of Florida National University is the fact that it specializes in small class teaching (Alonso, 2013). This is vital since it ensures that the students are well attended to by their lecturers, since the lecturer is not overburdened and overwhelmed by the class population. This is a major milestone towards ensuring that the University produces competent graduates, since they have had sufficient assistance from the lecturers during their tenure at the university, and thus are well imparted with the requisite career knowledge and skills. Additionally, the Florida National University has a strength in the fact that it seeks to enrich the society which it serves, through developing cultural p rograms that are aimed at fostering the cultural values of that society (Alonso, 2013). This becomes one of the strengths of the University, since such an initiative reinforces the relationship existing between the institution and the surrounding

Management of Change and Organisational Development Essay

Management of Change and Organisational Development - Essay Example In our discussions, we realized that change means a variation or the altering of the established way of life or how we live and which people in an organization or an entity are accustomed to normally. We also concluded that the change that we required for organizational development could be affected by the internal or external environment in which we functioned and the change occurring in that environment. Change is usually premeditated, natural or imposed upon the persons it is likely to affect. Every person in a particular group is often required to participate in change by waiting till the change occurs naturally or may take necessary steps that are preventive that can strengthen the group. Change may be external whereby it affects the development of a group and may include educational or cultural forces, social and economic forces while internal forces may include composition and policy of those involved, changes in the personnel, attitudes and feelings of those involved and the work involved amongst other factors. McLean 2006 (p25) argues that change theorists such as Lewin argue that if you want to understand properly a system, it is important that the person first seek to change it in one way or the other. Therefore, a person must be part of the system that he is seeking to change in order to attain the best results. In the research by Lewin about management change and organizational development, he has found that every action research initiative is distinct from the other and that in finding the solution to each, each player must be taken to be unique and understanding the culture of the system. Due to changes in organizations either through different phenomena such as technology and globalization, there has been a necessity for change management plans and strategies for their implementation. Therefore, as a group we were forced to effect change management and organizational development in order to keep in line with the need for improvements in the grou p environment and to remain aligned to the external influences of the organization. Organizational Development in the Group Organizational development is an effort aimed at improving the ability of a group or an entity to solve problems and renew itself through an effective management of the culture of the organization while emphasizing the culture of formal work force from the whole team as involved (McKinney and Howard 1998, p.167). It is always in a planned manner, identifies the problems in the group or organization, and develops strategies for solving the problems and improving on them, and seeks to change the system of particular entities as a whole for example the development of teams and strategy for management. In order to achieve organizational development, there must be a strong desire in change from both the change initiator or the change agent and the person whom the change focuses on, which we tried our best to foster in the group by employing different strategies. Due to the changing face or dynamism of the environment in which an entity exists there are efforts made as a response known as organizational development. The factors that caused the need for organizational development in our group included rapid and unexpected changes and the sustained growth of organizations. The other changes that necessitated the need for organizational development are increased diversity and change in managerial behaviour

Philosophical Issues in Business and Management Essay

Philosophical Issues in Business and Management - Essay Example It is essential to present the expression, which can give and explain the principal roots of the strategic management decision making: Thus, the purpose of the given paper is not only to make the taxonomy of the decision making knowledge in strategic management, but to make it simple, understandable and practical for the use in the further similar researches. It is of course possible to develop certain taxonomy in the system of the modern strategic managerial knowledge, but it often difficult or problematic to find the exact borders between various theories, as they often combine common features and share common grounds. Every successful company needs good strategic management and right strategic decision making. The practice must be supported by the corresponding theory and the theory should be prove by practice. That is why it is essential to consider the issue both from the theoretical and practical points of view. The given work will be useful for making the taxonomy of the decision making knowledge in strategic management. It also will help to make this taxonomy simple and comprehensible, so that it may be applied for further investigations. This work has used 16 literary sources, and has chosen various approaches as the basis for taxonomy of the necessary information; it has also made certain suggestions which should be accounted in the further attempts to systematize the notions of the strategic decision-making.  Ã‚   Taxonomy can be defined as a science of classification of any knowledge, and can be applied to any theoretical or practical field of science. Applying taxonomy to the area of strategic decision making has become popular in the recent years, though attempts to systematize the schools of the strategic decision making has been attempted earlier. It was a difficult task to accomplish, as strategic decisions have been described, as being unclear, complex, unpredictable and messy. The first

Helen and Hosea Client Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Helen and Hosea Client Profile - Assignment Example Hosea parents were missionaries in Africa, which was where he was born.   Hosea spent the better part of his childhood and teenage years. He studied in different international schools where he developed a love for sports. He graduated from Africa University in 2001 and went on to work for three years with a Sports organization called â€Å"Cheza† which means â€Å"Play† in the African Swahili dialect where he was paid $ 30,000. He later went to Regent University for his Master's degree, which was fully sponsored by the religious organization that employed his parents. He managed to save $ 10,000 by keeping all his expenses to a bare minimum while at college. He started working as an assistant college coach the month after his graduation earning $70,000 for three years then got promoted and started earning $80,000. He plans to continue working with this club for as long as he can. Hosea has written some books on sporting in Africa, which has brought him quite good reve nue returns. He got 475,000 as net income, which he got after the book sales. He plans to write more books before he retires. Helen originally trained to be a social worker. She worked for the inner city program in Ontario for five years after graduating earning $35,000. The pay was not so good but she liked what she was doing and felt fulfilled. It was while working there that she got involved with her current school that was doing a better job in the inner cities. They offered her a job, which paid better; $55,000 and provided free housing within the school’s grounds. It was during a sports tournament when she met Hosea, and later got married. She decided to further her education by pursuing an online Masters degree in education at Regent University, which confirmed her credentials as a teacher. Helen now earns $73,000 and plans to continue working with the school until retirement. She also just opened up old peoples home in a house she inherited from her maternal grandmother, which has been bringing in $150,000 per year. She had taken out a loan of 300,000 to renovate the property and to hire new staff but she believes she will be able to repay the loan in about three to five years. The house is worth $ 2.5 million, as it is located in the more expensive side of town. Her grandmother had come from old money. Helen though believed in living a modest life.  Ã‚  Ã‚  

International Journal of Accounting and Financial Essay Example for Free

International Journal of Accounting and Financial Essay ABSTRACT The role of Indian mutual fund industry as significant financial service in financial market has really been noteworthy. In fact, the mutual fund industry has emerged as an important segment of financial market of India, especially in channelizing the savings of millions of individuals into the investment in equity and debt instruments. Mutual funds are seemingly the easiest and the least stressful way to invest in the stock market. Quiet a large amount of money has been invested in mutual funds during the past few years. Any investor would like to invest in a reputed Mutual Fund organization. Mutual funds are financial intermediaries concerned with mobilizing savings of those who have surplus and the canalization of these savings in those avenues where there is a demand for funds. These intermediaries employ their resources in such a manner as to provide combined benefits of low risk, steady return, high liquidity and capital appreciation through diversification and expert management. Reforms in the  Indian economic system and the opening up of the economy have been the reasons for the tremendous growth in the Indian capital market. This study analyzes the impact of different demographic variables on the attitude of investors towards mutual funds. Apart from this, it also focuses on the benefits delivered by mutual funds to investors. To this end, 200 respondents of Solapur City, having different demographic profiles were surveyed. The study reveals that the majority of investors have still not formed any attitude towards mutual fund investments. KEYWORDS: Mutual Fund, Investors, Solapur City INTRODUCTION Mutual fund is a pool of money collected from investors and is invested according to certain investment options. A mutual fund is a trust that pools the saving of a no. of investors who share a common financial goal. A mutual fund is created when investors put their money together. It is, therefore, a pool of investor’s fund. The money thus collected is then invested in capital market instruments such as shares, debentures and other securities. The income earned through these investments and the capital appreciations realized are shared by its unit holders in proportion to the no. of units owned by them. The most important characteristics of a fund are that the contributors and the beneficiaries of the fund are the same class of people namely the investors. The term mutual fund means the investors contribute to the pool and also benefit from the pool. The pool of funds held mutually by investors is the mutual fund. A mutual fund business is to invest the funds thus collected according to the wishes of the investors who created the pool. Usually the investor’s appoint professional investment managers create a product and offer it for investment to the investors. This project represents a share in the pool and pre status investment  Pritam P. Kothari Shivganga C. Mindargi  objectives. Thus, a mutual fund is the most suitable investment for a common man as it offers an opportunity to invest in a diversified, professionally managed basket of securities at relatively low cost. EVOLUTION OF INDIAN MUTUAL FUND INDUSTRY The formation of Unit Trust of India marked the evolution of the Indian mutual fund industry in the year 1963. The primary objective at that time was to attract the small investors and it was made possible through the collective efforts of the Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India. The history of mutual fund industry in India can be better understood divided into following phases: Establishment and Growth of Unit Trust of India 1964-87 Unit Trust of India enjoyed complete monopoly when it was established in the year 1963 by an act of Parliament. UTI was set up by the Reserve Bank of India and it continued to operate under the regulatory control of the RBI until the two were de-linked in 1978 and the entire control was transferred in the hands of Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI). UTI launched its first scheme in 1964, named as Unit Scheme 1964 (US-64), which attracted the largest number of investors in any single investment scheme over the years. UTI launched more innovative schemes in 1970s and 80s to suit the needs of different investors. It launched ULIP in 1971, six more schemes between 1981-84, Childrens Gift Growth Fund and India Fund (Indias first offshore fund) in 1986, Mastershare (Inidas first equity diversified scheme) in 1987 and Monthly Income Schemes (offering assured returns) during 1990s. By the end of 1987, UTIs assets under management grew ten times to Rs 6700 crores. Entry of Public Sector Funds 1987-1993 The Indian mutual fund industry witnessed a number of public sector players entering the market in the year 1987. In November 1987, SBI Mutual Fund from the State Bank of India became the first non-UTI mutual fund in India. SBI Mutual Fund was later followed by Canbank Mutual Fund, LIC Mutual Fund, Indian Bank Mutual Fund, Bank of India Mutual Fund, GIC Mutual Fund and PNB Mutual Fund. By 1993, the assets under management of the industry increased seven times to Rs. 47,004 crores. However, UTI remained to be the leader with about 80% market share. 1992-93 UTI Public Sector Total Amount Mobilised 11,057 1,964 13,021 Assets Under Management 38,247 8,757 47,004 Mobilisation as % of Gross Domestic Savings 5.20% 0.90% 6.10% Emergence of Private Secor Funds 1993-96 The permission given to private sector funds including foreign fund management companies (most of them entering through joint ventures with Indian promoters) to enter the mutal fund industry in 1993, provided a wide range of choice to investors and more competition in the industry. Private funds introduced innovative products, investment techniques and investor-servicing technology. By 1994-95, about 11 private sector funds had launched their schemes. Growth and SEBI Regulation 1996-2004 The mutual fund industry witnessed robust growth and stricter regulation from the SEBI after the year 1996. The mobilization of funds and the number of players operating in the industry reached new heights as investors started showing more interest in mutual funds. A Study of Investors Attitude towards Mutual Fund with Special Reference to Inversotrs in Solapur City Investors interests were safeguarded by SEBI and the Government offered tax benefits to the investors in order to encourage them. SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996 was introduced by SEBI that set uniform standards for all mutual funds in India. The Union Budget in 1999 exempted all dividend incomes in the hands of investors from income tax. Various Investor Awareness Programmes were launched during this phase, both by SEBI and AMFI, with an objective to educate investors and make them informed about the mutual fund industry. Growth and Consolidation 2004 Onwards The industry has also witnessed several mergers and acquisitions recently, examples of which are acquisition of schemes of Alliance Mutual Fund by Birla Sun Life, Sun FC Mutual Fund and PNB Mutual Fund by Principal Mutual Fund. Simultaneously, more international mutual fund players have entered India like Fidelity, Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund etc. There were 29 funds as at the end of March 2006. This is a continuing phase of growth of the industry through consolidation and entry of new international and private sector players. Indian mutual fund industry reached Rs 1,50,537 crore by March 2004. It is estimated that by 2010 March-end, the total assets of all scheduled commercial banks should be Rs 40,90,000 crore. The annual composite rate of growth is expected 13.4% during the rest of the decade. In the last 5 years there is an annual growth rate of 9%. According to the current growth rate, by year 2010, Mutual fund  India assets will be double FEATURES THOSE INVESTORS LIKE IN MUTUAL FUND If mutual funds are emerging as the favorite investment vehicle it is because of the many advantages. They have over other forms and avenues of investing parties for the investors who has limited resources available in terms of Capital and ability to carry out detailed reserves and market monitoring. These are the major advantages offered by mutual fund to all investors: Professional Management Mutual Funds provide the services of experienced and skilled professionals, backed by a dedicated investment research team that analyses the performance and prospects of companies and selects suitable investments to achieve the objectives of the scheme. Diversification Mutual Funds invest in a number of companies across a broad cross-section of industries and sectors. This diversification reduces the risk because seldom do all stocks decline at the same time and in the same proportion. You achieve this diversification through a Mutual Fund with far less money than you can do on your own. Convenient Administration Investing in a Mutual Fund reduces paperwork and helps you avoid many problems such as bad deliveries, delayed payments and follow up with brokers and companies. Mutual Funds save your time and make investing easy and convenient. Return Potential Over a medium to long-term, Mutual Funds have the potential to provide a higher return as they invest in a diversified basket of selected securities. Pritam P. Kothari Shivganga C. Mindargi Low Costs Mutual Funds are a relatively less expensive way to invest compared to directly investing in the capital markets because the benefits of scale in brokerage, custodial and other fees translate into lower costs for investors Liquidity In open-end schemes, the investor gets the money back promptly at net asset value related prices from the Mutual Fund. In closed-end schemes, the units can be sold on a stock exchange at the prevailing market price or the investor can avail of the facility of direct repurchase at NAV related prices by the Mutual Fund Transparency You get regular information on the value of your investment in addition to disclosure on the specific investments made by your scheme, the proportion invested in each class of assets and the fund managers investment strategy and outlook Flexibility Through features such as regular investment plans, regular withdrawal plans and dividend reinvestment plans, you can systematically invest or withdraw funds according to your needs and convenience Affordability Investors individually may lack sufficient funds to invest in high-grade stocks. A mutual fund because of its large corpus allows even a small investor to take the benefit of its investment strategy. Well Regulated All Mutual Funds are registered with SEBI and they function within the provisions of strict regulations designed to protect the interests of investors. The operations of Mutual Funds are regularly monitored by SEBI. DISADVANTAGES OF MUTUAL FUNDS Above I have mentioned the various advantages of Mutual Funds but it also suffers from a lot of drawbacks as the market is volatile and it is ever affected by national as well as international factors, these days we can see that crude oil prices in International market has become an important factor  in determining the market movement. Here are some disadvantages as cited by me and by survey: Fluctuating Returns Mutual funds are like many other investments without a guaranteed return: there is always the possibility that the value of your mutual fund will depreciate. Unlike fixed-income products, such as bonds and Treasury bills, mutual funds experience price fluctuations along with the stocks that make up the fund. When deciding on a particular fund to buy, you need to research the risks involved just because a professional manager is looking after the fund, that doesn’t mean the performance will be always good Diversification Although diversification is one of the keys to successful investing, many mutual fund investors tend to over diversify. The idea of diversification is to reduce the risks associated with holding a single security; over diversification (also known as diversification) occurs when investors acquire many funds that are highly related and, as a result, don’t get A Study of Investors Attitude towards Mutual Fund with Special Reference to Inversotrs in Solapur City the risk reducing benefits of diversification. At the other extreme, just because you own mutual funds doesn’t mean you are automatically diversified. For example, a fund that invests only in a particular industry or region is still relatively risky. For example: Sect oral Funds Cash and More Cash As you know already, mutual funds pool money from thousands of investors, so everyday investors are putting money into the fund as well as withdrawing investments. To maintain liquidity and the capacity to accommodate withdrawals, funds typically have to keep a large portion of their portfolios as cash. Having ample cash is great for liquidity, but money  sitting around as cash is not working for you and thus is not very advantageous. Costs Mutual funds provide investors with professional management, but it comes at a cost. Funds will typically have a range of different fees that reduce the overall payout. In mutual funds, the fees are classified into two categories: shareholder fees and annual operating fees. The shareholder fees, in the forms of loads and redemption fees are paid directly by shareholders purchasing or selling the funds. The annual fund operating fees are charged as an annual percentage usually ranging from 1-3%. These fees are assessed to mutual fund investors regardless of the performance of the fund. As you can imagine, in years when the fund doesn’t make money, these fees only magnify losses. Figure 1: Structure of Mutual Fund A mutual is a set up in the form of trust, which has sponsor, trustee, assets management company (AMC) and custodian. Sponsor is the person who acts alone or in combination with another body corporate and establishes a mutual fund. Sponsor must contribute at least 40% of the net worth of the investment managed and meet the eligibility criteria prescribed under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Funds) regulations, 1996. The sponsor is not responsible or liable for any loss or shortfall resulting from the operation of the schemes beyond the initial contribution made by it towards setting up of Mutual Fund. The Mutual Fund is constituted as a trust in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 by the Sponsor. Trustee is usually a company (corporate body) or a board of trustees (body of individuals). The main responsibility of the trustee is to safeguard the interest of the unit holders and also ensure that AMC functions in the interest of investors’ and in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Mutual Fund) Regulations 1996 the provisions of the Trust deed and the offer Document of the respective schemes. The AMC is appointed by the Trustees Pritam P. Kothari Shivganga C. Mindargi as the investment Manager of the Mutual Fund. The AMC is required to be approved by SEBI to act as an asset management company of the Mutual Fund. The AMC if so authorized by the Trust Deed appoints the Registrar and Transfer Agent to agent the mutual fund. The registrar processes the application form, redemption requests and dispatches account statements to the unit holders. The Registrar and Transfer agent also handles communications with investors’ and updates investor records. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Lenard et., al. (2003) empirically investigated investor’s attitudes toward mutual funds. The results indicate that the decision to switch funds within a fund family is affected by investor’s attitude towards risk, current asset allocation, investment losses, investment mix, capital base of the fund age, initial fund performance, investment mix, fund and portfolio diversification. The study reported that these factors are crucial to be considered before switching funds regardless of whether they invest in non-employer plans or in both employer and non-employer plans. Bollen (2006) studied the dynamics of investor fund flows in a sample of socially screened equity mutual funds and compared the relation between annual fund flows lagged performance in SR funds to the same relation in a matched sample of conventional funds. The result revealed that the extra-financial SR attribute serves to dampen the rate at which SR investors trade mutual funds. The study noted that the differences between SR funds and their conventional counterparts are robust over time and persist as funds age. The study found that the preferences of SR investors may be represented by conditional multi-attribute utility function (especially when SR funds deliver positive returns). The study remarked that mutual fund companies can expect SR investors to be more loyal than investors in ordinary funds. Walia and Kiran (2009) studied investor’s risk and return perception towards mutual funds. The study examined investors perception towards risk involved in mutual funds, return from mutual funds in comparison to other financial avenues, transparency and disclosure practices. The study investigated  problems of investors encountered with due to unprofessional services of mutual funds. The study found that majority of individual investors doesn’t consider mutual funds as highly risky investment. In fact on a ranking scale it is considered to be on higher side when compared with other financial avenues. The study also reported that significant relationship of interdependence exists between income level of investors and their perception for investment returns from mutual funds investment. Saini et., al. (2011) analyzed investor’s behavior, investors’ opinion and perception relating to various issues like type of mutual fund scheme, its objective, role of financial advisors / brokers, sources of information, deficiencies in the provision of services, investors’ opinion relating to factors that attract them to invest in mutual and challenges before the Indian mutual fund industry etc. The study found that investors seek for liquidity, simplicity in offer documents, online trading, regular updates through SMS and stringent follow up of provisions laid by AMFI. Singh (2012) conducted an empirical study of Indian investors and observed that most of the respondents do not have much awareness about the various function of mutual funds and they are bit confused regarding investment in mutual funds. The study found that some demographic factors like gender, income and level of education have their significant impact over the attitude towards mutual funds. On the contrary age and occupation have not been found influencing the investor’s attitude. The study noticed that return potential and liquidity have been perceived to be most lucrative benefits of investment in mutual funds and the same are followed by flexibility, transparency and affordability. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Mutual funds have their drawbacks and may not be for everyone. No investment is risk free. If the entire stock market declines in value, the value of mutual fund shares will go down as well, no matter how balanced the portfolio. A Study of Investors Attitude towards Mutual Fund with Special Reference to Inversotrs in Solapur City Investors encounter fewer risks when they invest in mutual funds than when they buy and sell stocks on their own. However, anyone who invests through a mutual fund runs the risk of losing money. All funds charge administrative fees to cover their day-to-day expenses. Some funds also charge sales commissions or â€Å"loads† to compensate brokers, financial consultants, or financial planners. When he invests in a mutual fund, they depend on the fund’s manager to make the right decisions regarding the fund’s portfolio. If the invests in Index Funds, they foregoes management risk, because these funds do not employ managers. Though these are the problems in the investment of mutual funds, in the recent days most of the investors preferred to invest their funds on mutual funds. In this background, the research has made an attempt to study the investors’ preference for mutual funds in Solapur City. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The present study is based upon the results of survey conducted on 200 mutual fund investors. The implications of the study are subject to the limitations of sample size, psychological and emotional characteristics of surveyed population. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This paper provides Future of Mutual Funds industry information as well as awareness level amongst people for Mutual Funds. Also this project report of Mutual Funds gives an outlook to management as to how the mutual funds are performing in the current market situation as a result what may be the future of this industry. This paper on mutual funds is informative the students who want to understand and undertake assignments in the industry. This study also facilitates the general people who can understand the importance and explore the new option for investment in Mutual Funds. Different financial institutions provide services that are both complementary to and competitive with each other. A well built financial system directly contributes to the growth of the country. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This study is descriptive in nature based on survey method. The study aims at finding out the attitude of the investors towards investment in mutual funds in Solapur city. This study was based mainly on primary sources. The primary data was collected from the investors of mutual funds with help of the questionnaire. The secondary data were collected from the books, records and journals. By adopting convenience sampling, 200 respondents were selected for this study. The essential data were collected with the help of questionnaire. The data collected from the period of January 2011 to April 2011. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Figure: 2 Showing Pattern of Investment Pritam P. Kothari Shivganga C. Mindargi From above figure it is clear that 75% investors are invested in open ended schemes where as 15% invested in closed ended schemes in mutual fund. Figure: 3 Reason for Investment in Mutual Fund From above figure it is clear that and 42% investors say that they invested money in mutual fund for tax assumption. 33% investors say that they invested money in mutual fund for higher returns. 16% investors say that they invested money in mutual fund for value creation in fund. 9% investors say that they invested money in mutual fund for other reason. Figure: 4 Showing the Reason of Investors that not Invested Money in Mutual Fund From above figure is clear that 50% investors say that they not interested to invest money in mutual fund. 33% investors say that they have imperfect knowledge in mutual fund, so they are not invested. 8.5% investors say that they invested in govt. bond. 8.5% investors has other reason so they not invested money in mutual fund. Figure: 5 Showing Type of Investment Investors Should be Preferred A Study of Investors Attitude towards Mutual Fund with Special Reference to Inversotrs in Solapur City From above figure it is clear that investors invest money in fixed deposits. 15 25% investors invest money in gold/real estates. 17% investors invest money in mutual fund. 8% investors invest money in bond/debentures. Remaining 17% investors invest money in shares. Figure: 6 Showing Returns Investor get from their Investment From above figure it is clear that 70% investors are gaining 5-15% returns from their investment. 23% are gaining 15-30% returns from their investment. 5% investors are gaining 30-45% returns from their investment. Remaining only 2% investors is gaining above 45% returns from their investment. Figure: 7 Showing Duration of Investment From above it is clear 80% investors are dealing in short term duration whereas 20% investors are dealing in long term duration. Figure: 8 Showing the Investors Experience in Mutual Fund Pritam P. Kothari Shivganga C. Mindargi From above figure it is clear that 73% investors say that they are having bad experience in mutual fund. 12% investors say that they are having good experience in mutual fund. Remaining 15% investors say that their experience is ok. FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS Findings †¢The trend for investment is changing rapidly besides the traditional pattern of investment and people today they are ready to undertake risk and also bear the volatility of changing mutual fund market scenario. †¢This shows that people with Middle Income Group are more attractive this market and are ready to bear the risk. †¢It is observed that 75% investors have invested open ended schemes that they want higher returns on their investment rather than investing in closed ended schemes in mutual fund. †¢It is observed that 42% investors have invested money for tax assumption.33% investors have invested money for higher returns in their investment.16% investors have invested money for value creation in fund. And remaining 9% investors have invested money for other reason. †¢It is observed that 50% investors have not interested to invest money in mutual fund.33% investors have imperfect knowledge so they not invested money in mutual fund.9% investors find govt. securities bond is better that’s way they not invested money in mutual fund. And remaining 8% investors have other reason so they not invested money in mutual fund. †¢It is observed that more businessmen were inclined towards investing in current account. The ladies were inclined to invest their money in Gold and jewelleries. Service class people and retired class people prefer more saving and fixed deposits People with high income. †¢It is observed that 70% investors have invested to getting returns in the range of 5-15% which shows in short span of time they are getting good returns and more than expectations. †¢It is observed that 80% investors have invested in short term duration which indicates the investors have not ready to invest in long term period due to various risks associated with long term duration of investment. †¢On asking how they get knowledge of mutual fund a large number of them attributed to print media. Even banks today follow the role of the investment advisors. Very few get any information from the e-media or Hence, AMCs must increase the awareness about their product through Electronic media (TVs, Cables, Radios etc.) as well as and should not just constrained itself to the print advertisement those who do not read newspaper. SUGGESTIONS Investor’s Point of View The question that entire customer, irrespective of the age group and financial status, think of is- Are mutual funds are a safe option? What makes them safe? The basis of mutual fund industry’s safety is the way the business is defined and regulation of law. Since the mutual fund invests in the capital market instruments, so proper knowledge is essential. Hence the essential requirement is well informed seller and equally informed buyer who  understands and helped them to understand the product (here we can say the capital market and the money market instruments) is the essential preconditions. A Study of Investors Attitude towards Mutual Fund with Special Reference to Inversotrs in Solapur City Being Prudent Investor One Should †¢Ask one’s agent to give details of different schemes and match the appropriate ones. †¢Go to the company records or the fund house regarding any queries if one is not satisfied by the agents. †¢Investors should always keep an eye on the performance of the scheme and other good schemes as well which are available in the market for the closed comparison. †¢Never invest blindly in the investments before going through the fact sheets, annual reports etc. of the company. Since, according to the Guidelines of SEBI The AMCs are bound to disclose all the relevant data that is necessary for the investment purpose of investors. Company’s (Mutual Fund Companies) Point of View  Following measures can be taken by the company for getting higher investments in the mutual fund schemes: †¢Educate the agents or the salesmen properly so that they can take up the queries of the customer effectively. †¢Set up separate customer care divisions where the customers can anytime pose their query, regarding the scheme or the current NAV etc. These customer care units can work out in accordance with the requirements of the customer and facilitates them to choose the scheme that suits their financial status. †¢Conduct seminars or programs about mutual fund where every information about the product is outlined including the risk factor associated with the different classes of assets. †¢Brokers should reduce the brokerage charges for intra day and delivery based so that the investor can save more amounts to generate extra investment for the investor as well as for the Mutual Fund companies. †¢Mutual Fund companies should try to increase the promotion and advertisement strategies for awareness of Mutual fund in solapur city. CONCLUSIONS The mutual fund industry is growing at a tremendous pace. A large number of plans have come up from different financial resources. With the stock markets oaring the investors are attracted towards these schemes. Only a small segment of the investors still in Mutual Funds and the main source  sources of information still are the financial advisors followed by advertisements in different media. The Indian investors generally invest over period of 2-3 years. Also there is a tendency to invest in fixed deposits due to the security attached to it. In order to excel and make mutual funds a success, companies still need to create awareness and understand the psyche of the Indian customer. REFERENCES Agapova, Anna, 2011, „The Role of Money Market Mutual Funds in Mutual Fund Families , Journal of Applied ‟ 1. Finance, Vol. 21, Issue. 1, pp. 87-102. Agarwal, Vikas; Boyson, Nicole M.; Naik, Narayan Y, 2009, „Hedge Funds for Retail Investors? An Examination of Hedged Mutual Funds , Journal of Financial Quantitative Analysis, Vol. 44, Issue 2, pp. 273-305. ‟ 2. 12 Pritam P. Kothari Shivganga C. Mindargi 3. A. Vennila, R. Nandhagopal(2012) â€Å"Investors’ Preference towards Mutual Funds in Coimbatore City European Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 1450-2267 Vol.29 No.1 (2012), pp. 115-125 4. Binod Kumar Singh (2011) â€Å"A Study on Investors’ Attitude towards Mutual Funds as an Investment Option† JOURNAL OF ASIAN BUSINESS STRATEGY, VOL. 1(2): 8-15 5. Badrinath, S.G Gubellini, S, (2011), „On the characteristics and performance of long-short, market-neutral and bear mutual funds , Journal of Banking Finance, Vol. 35 Issue 7, pp.1762-1776. ‟ 6. Dranikoff L, Koller, T. and Schneider, A, â€Å"Divestiture: Strategy’s Missing Link†, Harvard Business Review, May 2002, 80 (5). 7. Dr.Nishi Sharma (2009) â€Å"Indian Inverstors Perception towards mutual funds† Business Management Dynamics Vol.2, No.2, Aug 2012, pp.01-09 8. Gil-Bazo, Javier; Ruiz Verd, Pablo, 2009, „The Relation between Price and Performance in the Mutual Fund Industry , Journal of Finance, Vol. 64, Issue 5, pp. 2153-2183. ‟ 9. Hansen M and Nohria N, â€Å"What’s your Strategy for Managing Knowledge?† Harvard Business Review, MarchApril, 1999, 77 (2).1 10. Journal of Marketing, 32 (October), 65-68, 1968. 11. Rajeswari, T.R., and V.E. RamaMoorthy, 2001, An Empirical Study on Factors Influencing the Mutual Fund Scheme Selection by Retail Investors . Retrieved on May 2010 http://www.utiicm .com/Cmc/PDFs/ ‟ 2001/rajeswari.pdf. 12. Singh, Chander, 2004, „Performance of mutual funds in India – an empirical evidence , ICFAI journal of applied ‟ finance December, pp. 81-98. 13. Subbash C. Jain, â€Å"Marketing Planning and Strategy†, South Western College Publishing, Sixth Edition, 2000. 14. Singh, B. K. and Jha, A.K. 2009, „An empirical study on awareness acceptability of mutual fund , Regional ‟ Student s Conference, ICWAI, pp. 49-55. ‟ 15. Winer, C. Strategic Thinking: An executive Perspective, Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall, 2000

Biogeochemical Cycles Essay Example for Free

Biogeochemical Cycles Essay With environmental rhetoric gaining increasing currency in the contemporary zeitgeist, it is commonly supposed that we have a moral responsibility to protect ecosystems and conserve biodiversity, particularly from the ecologically devastating impacts of a human civilization that depends on industrial systems and the capitalization of natural resources. Simply put, conventional thinking suggests that man must protect the environment from his own destructive tendencies, and that this moral responsibility is maintained as the sole reason why governments should implement protective measures on behalf of ecosystems. However, by maintaining that moral and ethical responsibility as the reason behind conservation and biodiversity protection, we also risk overlooking the pragmatic and intelligent justification that provide strong reasons that can harness substantial political will and societal momentum to the environmental movement: That ecosystems provide a variety of services and resources ranging from pollination to water treatment, beneficial to human and non-human life, at little to no expense. (Schroeder, 2007) As Emily Goodwin maintains in a discussion of the importance of natural capital, â€Å"we need to include a very frank discussion of what we get from the Earth,† with a goal of â€Å"[maintaining] the functions and services they provide, such as flood protection, clean water, and clean air.† (Steffen, Levitt Kuck, 2008) Governments should therefore take the initiative to protect ecosystems, simply because it makes good sense to do so, regardless of whether one feels a moral obligation to the planet or one is committed a sublime ethicality in personal impacts. As Tobis (2007) observes, the drive to live sustainably, to protect natural assets and the compulsion to limit consumption, while viewed by some as a negative responsibility and one that has effectively hindered the momentum of the environmental movement, is also a set of principles that makes economic sense. Measures to protect ecosystems means that governments recognize the economic finitude of natural capital, as well as the economic boons that ecosystems naturally provide. REFERENCES Schroeder, K. (2007, August 12) â€Å"Colonizing Planet Earth.† Worldchanging. Retrieved on December 22, 2008 from: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007092.html Steffen, A; Levitt, J; Kuck, S. (2008, November 28) â€Å"The Future of Public Lands in the United States.† Worldchanging. Retrieved on December 22, 2008 from: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives//009077.html Tobis, M. (2007, April 30) â€Å"My little world (and yours, too).† Grist. Retrieved on December 22, 2008 from: http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/29/195245/792

Dead Poets Society Analysis

Dead Poets Society Analysis The report is a work assigned to deal with the reflection of the movie Dead Poets Society. These couples of pages are based on the organizational culture and different groupings of the boarding school in this movie. Finally evaluate culture of the school and identified group which influence each other and linked to each other. Dead Poets Society presents a representation of an English teacher that is curiously inspiring and at the same time disturbing. This is the story of students as the respected Welton Academy. The plot centers on the influence of Mr. Keating, a young and exciting English and poetry teacher who is determined to teach his students to live life with absolute passion. Mr. Keating was moved his students to a love of poetry and learning that transcends their otherwise structured and controlled academic existence. He perhaps crosses boundaries that probably should not be crossed by someone in a position of authority and respect. This movie is about what happens when these students decide to pursue their own desires and to live life with the passion that Mr. Keating encouraged. Actually it is about what happens when a few idealistic students find themselves confronted against conservative forces that resist all change including the drive for personal self- determination. Source: Carpe Diem; Lessons about Life and Management from Dead Poets Society in the Journal of Management Education, Vol. 16. The organizational style of the boarding school is very traditional, reflecting one of the most significant principles of the school, namely tradition. The idea of the campus along with typical features like the twin-bedded rooms strongly resembles college and therefore hints at where the school finally leads. As a preparatory school, the basic aim is to prepare the pupils for college in the most excellent way. One detail that contributes to this goal is the class size of 16 boys only. The background of the boys is clearly upper class. On the one hand, the school fees demand for an upper class-income. Features like clothes and speech of the boys and their family point to an upper class background. Moreover the culture of the school is closely bound to the student families. Usually, generations and generations of their forefathers have attended the school, which is why the boys automatically have to follow this tradition. The family seems to be obliged to the school both by financial support as well as by sending their sons to the school. Thus, the boys do not have any choice; their career is determined from birth. The school organizational style restricted and directed the behaviors of the boys in one path. Any demonstration of a free thought is strictly prohibited by the school authority. Self-esteem becomes one of the centers of the school. For example Neils low self-esteem reveals itself only in the relationship with Neils father, but leads Neil to his tragic end. On the other hand, Todd, with the help of Professor Keatings, was able to build up his self-esteem. John Keatings wasnt a regular professor: his teaching methods were very different from those of others in the school. The relationship between Todd and professor Keatings is quite interesting because we can see the transformation that Todd went through from being afraid to answer teachers question to being the first one to show his appreciation for Mr. Keatings when doing so could lead to expelling from the school. Considering the facts mentioned above, one can regard the boys as forming a separate society from the school organizational culture, defined by particular principles, location and background. If the emphasis in the definition of class lies on the idea of the same social position, the notion of school as a class of its own can thus be justified. SHEINS LARYERED CONCEPTUALIZATION ON DPS Basic Assumption in the school and Mr. Keatings class The school in the movie is a formally organize settings and all of the student are made to conform to this settings which are classified as tradition, honor, discipline and excellence. This formality is strictly adhered by the authorities of the school and never taking for granted. On the other hand in Mr. Keatings class, it is contrary to the laid settings of the school. He made the student to believe in their self and also walk the path of individualist. Values and Beliefs The values and beliefs in any society is the instrument that shapes individual in that society according to the movie, students are expected to be guided by the beliefs and value of the school. Every Welton students are required to trust the doctrine of the school without any defiant, these have been the normal tradition of the school since its inception. Mr. Keatings in a way did not only help his student with the values and beliefs of the school but he guided his students into an expended awareness of lifes possibilities Artifacts and Creations The school in the movies maintained its old edifice, this kind of depict conformity with the early doctrine of the school. This also explains that even with the dynamic trend in the society, the school authority still cling to the old doctrine of the school. However the style of communication or language exercise by the teachers in the school was more of an authoritative style in which student were not free to challenge or question the authority of their teachers. The dead poets society was formed Mr. Keating in his days at Welton, this group then was against the norms of the school that was why its memory was never to be revisited or talked about in the school. Keatings actually made this clear to his student, when he told them not to say or talked about the dead poets society. It is very interesting to see how John Keating establishes the relationship with his students in classroom and outside the classroom. He is quite open with his students about his attitude towards the world and his ideas about the purposes of life, and other general things, however, at the same time he doesnt reveal his personal life. This is very understandable due to the fact that he is a teacher and his role as a teacher prevents him from getting too personal with his students. Moreover, in our opinion, it was very important to keep this barrier between the professor and his students because otherwise they couldve lost their respect for him as a teacher. At the same time, Keating was eccentric and open enough to make his students be interested in him which helped in getting their attention to poetry. A) The different groups in the movie are as follows; I) Teachers these were responsible for the day to day teaching and providing guidance to the students of welt on academy. Ii) Students These were basically teenage boys aged 15-17 who were going to Welton academy as a preparatory school for college. The school was portrayed as being one of the best for producing intelligent students. Iii) DPS abbreviation for dead poets society, this was a literary club formed by eager students who wanted to draw meanings from what life really is all about by reading and reviewing poetry. The DPS recited poetry in two different contexts, romanticism and realism. iv) Parents/guardians these constituted parents who brought their children to welt on academy preparatory school, hoping to prepare a better future for their kids taking into account the reputation the school had. V) Board of regents/ school administration This was a governing body of the school concerned with all matters regarding the affairs of the students and teachers and the organizational protocols of the school. vi) Affiliates these were other people in the movie whom in one way or another made the boys lives what they are or what they ought to become and accomplish. Example Todds brother who was a lawyer what his parents wanted Todd to look up to, Knoxs crush Christine whom in a way helped Knox build his confidence and the list goes on and onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ vii) Study groups These were studying groups for the students categorized depending on the area of study example Latin, chemistry etc. B) The groups do differ basically in the way they are formed and the purpose from which they were created. Some of them are what are called formal groups while other is informal groups. Starting with the formal groups, these were created by the structure of the organization basing on task needs and were usually involuntary. In this we can include the students themselves, teachers, board of regents/school administration and the parents. The students and the teachers are the key groups in forming the school environment were the actual educating/learning process is takes place. Parents role in all this is to ensure their children get proper education by addressing to their basic needs and wants. Board of regents/ school of administration were there to ensure that the learning process runs smoothly and that the rules and regulations of the school are adhered to by both students and teachers. The informal groups on the other hand were created by the members themselves to cater for particular needs in this case social needs and they were voluntary. In this we can include the dead poets society (DPS) group, affiliates and study groups. The DPS was created by its members led by Neil to try and find true meaning to life and to seize the day making the boys lives extraordinary as inspired by their teacher Mr. Keating. The affiliates existed because in one way or another are what the characters looked up to or tried to associate them with themselves in conquering day to day life challenges as teenage boys. Study groups were formed by the students for the sole purpose of striving to achieve both academically and socially in line with the schools four pillars which were honor, discipline, excellence and tradition. In the movie of Dead Poets Society, we see the culture of the Welton academy had very traditional and reflecting one of the most significant way which was influenced to the student and other social group. However the movie showed that Welton Academy was closely bound to the students families which were usually provided generation to generations of their forefathers had attended the school so that students automatically had to follow their tradition and principle like tradition, honor, discipline and excellence. According to the movie Dead Poets Society, there are some strong groups where culture of the school and those groups are influence each other. Welton Academy was an interdisciplinary foundation where some elements of culture were illustrate to the teachers, students, parents or guardians group, school administration group and affiliates group to symbolic perspective of thinking, established guidelines and structures in their attempts to motivate and inspire each other. At the beginning of the story hallways, dormitories and class room are steadily introduced to the group of students that are at the center of the story. Students group has leadership abilities like Neil, self-confident and about to discover the inspiring power of poetry like Charlie Dalton are individually influences by the teacher group and administration group. Mr. Keating, English literature teacher was explored and motivated some elements of culture and illustrate to the students to desire for charismatic leadershi p, change raises question concerning about literature and real life. In parents group, we see most clearly in the value tight spot faced by Neil Perry and the opposition to his father. Neil and his father relationship were a struggle for control of all disagreements like battles with win-lose outcomes. Neil had wished to be an actor and knew that it would definitely be against his fathers wished. Another linked between parents and students group was Todd and his family. Todds parents had given him the same desk set which he got two following years and that was upsetting him. Instead to administration group, it was encouraging conformity through seduction to the students group. In this movie Students made a group name Dead poets society (DPS) which was insolence and penalize the deviant by the administration. But this group would be continued of some students to take part by all kind of persuade, pressure and negotiate. Neil was a leader in that group activity who praises his accompl ishments and shares personal secrets with others. Moreover, In our view of Dead poets society movie, the dissimilarity of above mention groups like teachers, students, parents, boarding of regents or schools administrators, dead poet society, study groups and also affiliates can be observed in the roles each group plays and we can see they are linked to each other.