Women in Islam

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The Islamic faith is a representative of one of the acknowledged and widely spread religions of the world. It is often exploited and misunderstood since it is portrayed as one of the religions that discriminate women though this is not the case. The issue of covering up on women has been immensely discussed by the media and critics to show that women are inferior to men. This lifestyle where the women hide their skins and beauty is always looked upon as being suppression by most communities and the media. (Celeste, 2010). However, according to the Islam religion it is meant to uplift the status of the women offering them protection against harm.  Some verses in the Quran when read in English are misinterpreted as they are depicted to give men the autonomy to use their power to manipulate women whereas this is not so. Such verses are like Sura al – Nisa, 4:34 that is always misinterpreted to mean that men are at liberty to beat their wives (Hamdun, 1995). Some of these teachings have been wrongly interpreted by the media and will need to be redefined and interpreted in a way that favors the Islam religion and women in particular. There is loss of meaning in the interpretation of some verses and scriptures by critics and the media. Otherwise if the media and other tools of communication continue to misinterpret these verses there will be grave consequences. Interpretation of these verses will involve a lot of polishing and patching to favor the Islam religion and Islamic women in particular. The media ought to know that Hijab and Islamic religion does not manipulate or degrade women but rather it uplifts them and protects their chastity and modesty.

2.1 Objective

This paper is meant to bring to limelight some of the interpretations of the media regarding Islam and their women. The media has depicted the Islam women to be inferior to men though this is a fallacy. The paper will address the dressing code of Islam women and how it uplifts them and some verses and their meaning to reveal how the media has misinterpreted them.

3.0  Introduction

Most critics have argued that the female species have an inferior status in the Islamic religion basing on some of the verses that are found in Hadith and Quran. Muslim religion is one of the religions that has uplifted the status of women and protected them from oppression and harm though the media does not think this is so.  The media is a powerful tool that has led most people to believe that the Islamic religion is against the rights of women. The interpretation of Quran is meant to protect women but when interpreted by the media and the critics it reads otherwise.  In fact, Islam religion uplifts women status on the grounds that women are inherently divergent from men and their true position is to be guarded, protected and hidden (Agniveer, 2010).

Some of the verses that have been wrongly misinterpreted are Sura al Nisa, 4:34 ((Laury, 2008, 134-136) that states that women can be beaten incase they are disobedient and hence has led to immense levels of abuse on women.  However this text does not necessarily mean to hit, beat or strike women but rather to separate from their women until they are obedient (Faith freedom, n.d). The Quranic meanings are quite different when interpreted in English (Faith freedom, n.d.).

The Islamic women’s dress code has always been one of the most focused subjects and the most misunderstood and distorted subject by the media. The Quran does instruct that Muslim women to dress modestly. In verse 24:30-31 it asserts that women should make sure that they lower the gaze and should never display their ornaments and beauty. They should draw their ‘khirmar’ over their entire bosom (Shamaghsoudi, 2010).

The major misconceptions of this verse is that by covering up, men hence become guardians of women and this is usually depicted as denial of rights. However, according to Islamic translation, the veiling up according to verse 33:59 is used to protect women from harm, annoyance and for them to be recognized. So, what is so wrong with that? The media and other critics have done more harm that good in depicting the Islamic religion as a source of discrimination. The Islamic women are seen to be inferior with no freedom and this is all thanks to the critics and the media.  The Islamic religion is one of the best religions that have recognized women and uplifted their status with immense morality and ethics but it will take more interpretation and explanation from the Muslim leaders to the media and critics to get this point across.

BENEFITS COMPARISON

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The website http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/static.py?page=benefits.html
provides information about the benefits Google offers to its employees. These benefits include medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, Flex spending account plan (Health spending account, development care account and qualified transportation benefit), employee Assistance Program which includes counseling, legal consultations, financial counseling, child care, referrals and pet care referrals. Other benefit includes life and AD &D insurance, Short Term and Long Term Insurance, Retirement and saving plans which include Google 401(k) plan and 529 college savings plan that help employees with a way to save for post-secondary education. There is also Back-Up Child care adoption assistance, financial planning
classes.

The website http://www.sas.com/corporate/sasfamily/index.html provides information about SAS family members and retirees in the US. The site offers information about comprehensive Employee Assistance Program, adoption services and support as part of Benefits to family members of the SAS family. SAS also offer retirement benefits for eligible employees. These include health care services, recreation facilities and more. It also has extensive facilities aimed at helping its members to be active and lead a healthier life.

ASSA ABLOY which is the company that I work for offers several
benefits to its employees.
Blue Cross Blue Shield plan offers benefits which include hospital benefits, home health care, institutional and professional care, and medical benefits. The information is very important in making a decision whether to join this network i.e. one can calculate cost and benefits associate with this network since it gives information about situation of being in the network and out of the network. It also enables me to know what I might lose in future for not being under
such a network.
Delta Dental provides our dental insurance. They offer information about dentists participating in their network and how to reach them. By utilizing participating dentists, the clients are able to maximize benefits and reduce paper work.
Being part of VSP group enables one to benefit from affordable eyecare plan. These services are offered by VSP to those who have joined ASSA ABLOY group. Such benefits include allowances to the cost of contact lens care and contact lens exam, special programs; contact lens evaluation and supply of replacement lenses. They lay out advantages such as accessing eye care at low cost, wellvision Exam, plenty of eyewear, availability of VSP doctors with flexible schedules to suit the members, and extra discounts associated with joining the group.
ASSA ABLOY offers several paid days off such as holidays, sick days, vacation days as well as I get one paid day off during the month of my birthday. Each employee working for the company less than 10 years gets 2 vacation, the number increases to 3 weeks after the employee works for
15 years, and 4 weeks for anyone who has been working for the company 20 years or longer. Each employee gets total of 12 days off paid holidays, such as Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after, Independence Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, etc. One of my favorite benefits ASSA ABLOY has to offer is tuition reimbursement. Each employee who is interested in pursuing a degree is entitled to tuition reimbursement. The company contributes $2500.00 for undergraduate studies, and $4500.00 for graduate studies per one calendar year. Once a year, the company organizes company outings to local amusement park such as Lake Compounce. It is a day long affair, where the employees can bring their family and friends and enjoy the company of their co-workers.

Analysis:

Benefits from Google and SAS offers comprehensive benefits of what an employee may wish to have. These benefits range from healthcare, financial advises and support, physical fitness activities, child care, pet care, and after employment benefits. However benefits from Google are not accessible to those who do not work for Google. Benefits at ASSA ABLOY group also cover a wide range i.e. health care, vocations, entertainment and career development. It could be better to include child care, pet care, physical fitness and financial care to the benefits offered by ASSA ABLOY group.

Reaction

Benefits offered by Google and SAS family are almost comparable to those offered by ASSA ABLOY group. Benefits offered by ASSA ABLOY are more elaborate and the costs involved are included e.g. dental care monthly and weekly contribution is given. Given such information, one will be able to make an informed decision whether to join the group. It is also interesting that these benefits are offered by different specialized entities such as VSP for eyecare, Delta Dental for dentacare. This will ensure good and assured services when need arises to the members. Additionally ASSA ABLOY offers additional benefits such as vacations and sick days and so on. However, these benefits fail to encompass child care, pet care, and adoption, and physical health benefits which are included in SAS family and Google. These benefits are also very important to employees.  Both, Google and ASSA ABLOY offers benefits which ensure that employees can further their education  ASSA ABLOY also entertain its employees by organizing local amusement park yearly which bring together the ASSA ABLOY big family. Such benefits are not offered by Google and SAS Family.  ASSA ABLOY should include benefits such as child care, pet care, physical fitness and financial care.

SMOKING IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS

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The passing of the laws delves right into the epicenter of a wrong deal gone too far. Perhaps, it elicits the inherent tenets of the principles of utility. In deed, the central concerns that arise from the passing of the law is the extent of utility, if any, that one does derive from smoking in public joints (Frumkin F).  Vividly, the partakers of the extraverted act have very short term utility derived, and perhaps the utility is non-prescribed.  Medics don’t give any merits of smoking to this date.  However, the demerits are abound and insurmountable.

Taking deontology as our key guiding principle, then the entire act of the government permitting even to the lowest level the practice of smoking is utterly wrong and protracted. Within the precepts of religion, whatever harms humanity is unsanctified and should be resisted ultimately. Fervently, the government should, in all ethical aspects, adopt this approach as the guiding principle (Morbidity and mortality weekly reports). Smoking, regardless of the place, the manner and the places beckons evil and should not be condoned.

In all aspects, the passing of the law was long overdue. If costs benefits analysis of smoking vis-à-vis the benefits is to inform our cardinal decisions, the cost of treating ailments resulting from the practice are three times more than the profits reaped from the sale of the products used in smoking. Research equally shows that the cost of the smoked substance is a sixteenth of the treatment costs of the complication emanating from smoking (Morbidity and mortality weekly reports).

The effects of smoking are multifaceted, cutting across both the smokers and non-smokers. Though it is appreciable that the ban on smoking in offices had gone a long way in leveraging the efforts towards the reducing tobacco-related ailments, this move was quite discriminative. Perhaps the rhetoric concern arising from the practice hitherto the passing of the law is whether the workers and non-smokers at the restaurant ever had a right towards this end.

The effective date of the implementation of the law eliminated the discriminatory nature of the current law.  This course will be achieved through the law’s hardliner stance inherently designed to ensure that no exemptions are in the law. This orientation of the law makes the exempted parties practice the evils as though within their precincts, it is a lesser one (Hirusuna D, 2006). Perhaps, in adopting such lopsided policies one has to assume knowledge of any the diffusive nature of cigarette smoke.

The provision, inter alia, providing allowing the private restaurant and bar operators to provide a smoking room, only seeks to perpetrate an evil gone to far. The law demands that the government protects its citizens from any imminent harm (Frumkin F). If the government fails in acting tough on health risk practices, it equate to the abdication of responsibility by the government. Perhaps, once the legislation is effective, the government can introduce taxes that would be paid by those who wish to run such facilities; at best, it should ban tobacco production altogether.

Critics argue that banning the smoking in restaurants and bars affect the revenue of the firms, nonetheless, research does indicate that such legislation has the least effect on the revenue base of the firms (Morbidity and mortality weekly reports). This statistics notwithstanding, the number of pneumococcal diseases is clearly on the increase. This offers due base for the utter ban of smoking.

The views of the restaurant workers on the ban appears shocking particularly given that most of them were not smoking, yet they did not support the ban. Perhaps one would argue that the practice was already eating into them. Or perhaps, the workers feel the ban would lead to retrenchments arising from the low turnover (Hirusuna D, 2006). Whichever way, the government’s central role is protecting lives, through provision of alternative yet hygienic jobs.

The government’s move to pass this cardinal legislation was long over due and timely. Perhaps the impending challenge would be the implementation of the legislation to the letter. Nevertheless, the move marks the right start point.

Climate Change and its Impact on UK Business

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Climate change as well as its effects on economy and business across the entire global world always takes a second place as far as environmental effects are concerned. Though we do need solutions to the numerous environmental problems, it is important that we prepare and we realize the vast impact that climate change may have on businesses as well as the global economy. Climate change can have adverse effects on companies and businesses across the entire world. In order to come into terms with the major changes that the global warming might impact, businesses ought to come into terms with how the weather changes and how accurate the predictions are. This research project will focus on the effects of climate change on the business ofUK. Also it will discuss some of the objectives, weaknesses and strengths that are related to climate change and the effects it has on the business ofUK.

There will be a detailed limelight on how climate change will affect business inUKand what ought to be done to avoid adverse effects on the same. The methods used in this research project will also be discussed and the findings on the same will be discussed. Secondary research methods will be used for this project and a rational conclusion highlighting all the relevant issues that ought to be discussed will also be discussed. There is a great need to have this research project in order to notify the society as well as other relevant groups on ‘the effects of climate change and what ought to be done in order to reduce all known predicament that might result from climate change. Also business people will benefit a lot from this research project who come fromUKas they will be able to predict for the future and come up with strategies that will work in their favor in order not to be greatly affected.

There will also be an analysis on the causes of climate change in order to come up with helpful strategies that will be of help to the people to avoid all the issues that will lead to adverse climate changes.

4.0 Introduction

Though there have been skeptics who have been questioning the facts on climate change, statistics have revealed a lot. Figures that have been gotten in the last forty years have shown an increase in levels of temperature inUK. Businesses will need to cope with the changes in climate. The predicted changes of climate and weather inUKwarmer winters, wetter and hot dry summers and some extreme weather conditions for example storms (Rachel, 2004).  It is also predicted that there will be adverse flooding which will be quite catastrophic as the rainfall continues to be heavy. Industries for example the water industries as well as suppliers of electricity ought to ensure that their entire systems can as well cope with changes that will be registered by rainfall. Flooding will cause problems for example short circuiting that might result in outrage of power thus the electricity and water industries should make sure that their entire systems are quite reliable and safe. Changes in the distribution of rain will also cause problems as far as water storage is concerned.

There will be an adverse effect on how energy is produced. Since there will be scarcity of fossil fuels, there is a great need to find some environmentally friendly methods that will ensure production of energy for example wind, solar, water power and geothermal energy. Since the economy is based and categorized on industries and businesses that depend on the fossil fuels, and the fact that they might be quite scarce in the next twenty or thirty years, there should be a need for a replacement of oil as the effects of global warming will be quite adverse.

Businesses like the insurance industry will be greatly affected by damages by both storm and floods and the onset of dry and hot summers will mean that there will be more cases of subsidence. The insurance companies will suffer from the extreme conditions of the weather and they may end up going bankrupt because of making payments.

The clothing industry will also have to protect itself from loss of profit because of the weather. Whether or not the effects of climate change will be positive or negative, planning for the change of climate is paramount since the effects are already being recognized. Effects of climate change can already be seen in the clothing sector and food sectors. There will be drop of sales as winters become warmer. The construction industry as well as others that their work will be delayed by the adverse weather conditions are no exception and will have to get some ways in which to cope with the animosity of rainfall and other weather events (Rachel, 2004).

The weather has a great impact on the trends of the consumers and mostly when people go for shopping basing on what they will go to buy. Few people might be willing to go out for shopping during the summer period and this will have an adverse effect on the clothing industries.  Businesses will also have to rethink on how to run their working lives on their employees.

The agriculture community will also be affected by weather change. Therefore, it is important that they prepare and recognize that the agriculture demographics might shift and divergent crops might have a divergent sustainability in most parts of the globe. The types of crops that are grown inUKmight also end up changing and there might be an increase of crops that are associated with the warm climates. Rainfall will also be expected though it will fall at divergent intervals of the year. The need of alteration of most lives and the way businesses will be conducted will have a great effect on the government policies in some areas. There will be trendy phenomenon for example people dislocation thus influencing the policies of immigration. There will be higher rates of immigrants coming toUKbecause of the changes in climate. Just like economic and environmental effects, changes in climate will also mean changes in our health.  The warmer world will turn to be a sick world and there might be an emergence of conditions and diseases that are not usually experienced today. There will be a need to design new buildings that are sturdier in order to cope with the storms. Companies and businesses ought to have a rich access to information on weather

It is patent that climate changes will have adverse effects on businesses whether negative or positive and people ought to be prepared. Even if they might not be affected by the environmental factors, they will be indirectly affected by the supply chain, consumer market and transportation. It is therefore imperative that the businesses realize the major need for planning for the climate change and they get access to relevant resources as well as knowledge.

5.0  Literature review

There are various factors that cause changes in climate. For the past 100 years, there have been changes in climate globally. This has been caused by both natural and manmade factors. In the recent past, research reveals that some of the factors that lead to temperature variations are changes in volcanism and irradiance (Thomas, 2000, pp. 270-277).

Abrupt, large and vast climate changes with great effects have occurred in the recent past when the system of the earth was forced on the thresholds. Though climate changes do occur for various reasons, human acts are also causing abrupt and large events (Alley, Marotzke, Nordhaus, Overpeck, et al, 2003, pp. 2005-2010). Certain gases in the air for example carbon dioxide play a very important role when it comes to determining the climate of the earth.  The atmospheric concentrations in the greenhouse are rising because of the activities by people.

Because of the burning fossils and the deforestation of the earth, mankind is continuously amplifying the levels of carbon dioxide. Research has revealed that the current increase of greenhouse gases will end up affecting the climate (John, 1996)). Though there are many uncertainties, the reality is that we can say with great confidence that the dangers of climate changes are grave. If there is no any action that will be done in order to reduce the emissions of the greenhouse, there will be adverse effects on the ecosystem (William, 1991, pp. 904-919).

InUK, there have been numerous debates in businesses and the policy situations that have been focusing on the issue of sustainability and the reduction of emissions of greenhouse. Weather damages inUK, is likely to cause adverse effects in businesses and other sectors. For example the flooding that happened in the year 2007, is meant to send a warning of what we ought to expect in future. Climate change inUKmight result to rise in temperatures making it inconvenient for any farming to take place. However, others will be more localized and specific for example enhanced warming of the city. Once risks are comprehend, it easier to work on them  Some trivial changes in the normal days in the coming decades in UK will have little impacts for most sectors of the market and enhance the tourism and agricultural sector. There will be however long term effects on resilience of infrastructures. Those business people in theUKthat will analyze some their dangers early enough will end up gaining an advantage in the market because they will have an idea on the operations that might be affected and how they will take advantage of the common changes that will be registered. The government ofUKis encouraging all the industries inUKto use minimal energy through using some measures on finance and more so taxation (Nick, 2001, pp. 309-326).

IfUKneglect the need to enhance their energy consumption, the earth’s climate will end up rising thus resulting to levels of the sea rising, reduction in food supply, large numbers will suffer due to amplified stress of water and diseases and the tropical rain forests will end up disappearing because of shortages of water. Though theUK, climate effects programme helps most organizations to adapt to an inevitable climate changes, it is essential to reduce some of the greenhouse emissions because if nothing is done, then effects of climate change will continue to be felt.

The changes in climate will end up affecting health, biodiversity, construction department, demand for services and goods, working practices as well as service delivery (Charles, 2008). The heavy rainfalls, warm temperatures and the rising sea levels will be experienced. It is therefore important for people to realize the impact of climate change and come up with effectual strategies (UK, 2007).

There will be onset of flash flooding inUKand rainfall will intensify. Industries for example the electricity and water need to make sure that their entire systems will cope with changes in climate. The issue of rain distribution will also pose more problems to water storage. For businesses like the insurance industries, the issue of climate change will have both positive as well as negative effects (Gerhard, 2004, pp. 283-293). The increase in floods and storms will mean more cases as far as subsidence is concerned. The insurance company will suffer because of the extreme weather conditions and most of them might end up going bankrupt.

The clothing industry will also be affected by climate change and might end up loosing lots of profits if nothing is done (Subak, Palutikof, Agnew, et al, 2004, pp. 1-26). There will be decrease in sales in of certain clothing when the climate rises. Agriculture will also be highly affected inUK. There will be changes of crops grown. There might be increase of crops in the winter seasons or decrease due to floods. The distribution of rainfall will also have an adverse effect on agriculture. The government policies also will be altered as there will be dislocation and emergence of new migration policies. As migration continues, businesses will also be affected. People’s health will also change and this means the food, water and homes. All this will affect the business either positively or negatively.

There have been various strategies that have been undertaken in order to correct the issue of climate change. Last year there was a vast international conference inCopenhagenwhere the world came together in order to negotiate as well as agree on how to initiate and tackle on the issue of climate change. TheKyotoprotocol will expire in the year 2012 and it’s already in effect. TheUKtransport company and the agricultural companies have been heavily affected by climate change. As immigration increases due to people coming in the country and leaving the transport business have also been affected

6.0  SWOT Analysis

The strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of climate change onUKbusiness will be discussed at length.

6.1Strengths

The main strengths of the research that I have conducted is that most people already know the impact of climate change and have already started looking for strategies that would be of help to them. For example, most insurance industries are already looking for ways to deal with their recent problems without having to loose a lot of profits. Most people have started adjusting considering there have been continuous changes of climate

6.2 Weaknesses

The major weakness that has arose in the research that have been conducted is that there are various documentation on causes of climate change and its effects but strategies to help people avoid climate change are minimal. People ought to be educated on various issues that cause climate change and how manmade factors cause such immense threat. The government also should come up with strategies that will be of help to the society in order to help businesses cope with the climate change.

6.3 Opportunities

There are major opportunities in some of the programs that have been developed by theUKgovernment covering the effects and causes of climate change. With the documentation that is still in existence on climate change, people should not underestimate the concept of climate change but should take it as an advantage to come up with strategies that will be of help to them and measures like strengthening their buildings and infrastructure to prevent damages by floods.

6.4 Threats

The major threat is ignorance in most people. People do not see the seriousness in climate change hence; they have no strategies to help them in future. The other is lack of knowledge. Others are still not aware of some of the manmade factors that cause climate change and for those who know, it is just a few who are taking the right steps.

7.0  Objectives.

The major objectives of undertaking this project are:

  1. To analyze the recent literature that is available on climate change and to reveal on its effectiveness
  2. To educate people on causes of climate change
  3. To make people aware of the adverse effects of climate change on businesses inUK
  4. To reveal some past effects of climate change
  5. To make people aware on some of the strategies they need to undertake in order not to lose profits
  6. To make the government aware on the wanting areas that ought to be revisited in order to prepare the people ofUKand save lives
  7. To give limelight on some of the issues that are yet to be registered and how they ought to be dealt with
  8. To recommend on the strategies that should be used in order to avoid losses.

8.0Hypothesis

  1. Climate change has an impact onUKbusiness
  2. Climate change is directly related to adverse effects on business inUK

9.0 Null Hypothesis

  1. Ho: Climate change has no impact onUKbusiness
  2. There is no relationship between climate change and business inUK

10.0Methodology

The research entailed the use of secondary methods of research that included the internet and books. The independent variable was business in theUKand the independent variable was climate change. Latest scholarly journals and literature was used to analyze the latest literature on climate change and its major impact on businesses inUK. The research method aimed to seek the causes of climate change, the effects it has on businesses in theUK, people’s attitude on the same and strategies as well as recommendations to curb the negative effects that would result from climate changes. Interviews will also be used on three influential companies inUKand analyses will be done on the impact of climate change and some of the strategies that they ought to undertake in order to correct all the catastrophes that will be brought by climate change.

11.0Findings

From the research conducted, it is evident that the hypothesis is true. Climate change has a major effect on business inUK. All sectors including, retail, health, insurance, agriculture, water and other sectors will either be directly or indirectly affected. The effects will be both positive and negative.

From data corrected previously as well as research, it reveals beyond doubt that climate change has great effects and not only toUKbut globally. Therefore it is imperative that people come up with strategies that will be of benefit to curb the negative effects and to reduce damage. Results also showed that various departments are already aware of the ongoing climate change and have started coming up with strategies though others are still adamant.

According to the questionnaires presented to some companies, it revealed that they were already facing the effects of climate change and were already coming up with strategies to help the situation.

12.0Conclusion

It is evident from the research conducted that there are adverse effects of climate change and mostly to people ofUK. Climate change has affected businesses inUKboth positively and negatively. The agricultural, economic, transport, health and other sectors have been increasingly been affected.  Businesses will and are being affected by the climate changes and their needs to be prompt strategies to be undertaken in order to curb this phenomenon. The business people, the government and other sectors need to come with working strategies to reduce the negative effects of climate change.

Psychology- Criminal Behavior

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Whether human behavior is acceptable or not is always driven by how people think as well as what motivates them. The criminal’s psychology addresses some of the thinking processes that do result into deviant acts and what really motivates them. The environmental as well as hereditary factors do play a major role as far as developing a person’s character to go ahead and be a criminal. When people break the law, this is always thought to be actions of deviation from what is usually seen to be accepted in the society. Criminal psychology usually examines the thoughts, motivations and the intentions of the people who defy the legal system habitually. Forensic mental health assessment is usually an evaluation that is performed by the mental professionals who offer crucial as well as scientific data to a decision that is legally based or to the litigants who are involved in crime (Kirk, Geoffrey, David, Eric, Justin & Tiffany, 2003, pp. 329-343). This paper aims at analyzing case scenarios from an e-book, the degree to which the environmental risk factors as well as the correlation of the criminal behavior influences the criminal behavior and finally evaluate on whether or not the offender is a criminal or not.

Most courts today are quite interested in determining the capacity of the defendants in order to attend, reason, concentrate and track all proceedings as well as some salient details. The compensation board, juries and the entire court must first determine whether the plaintiffs have any kind of impairment in their functional cognitive abilities, their memory aptitude or their intellect. Psychologists hence have come up with divergent tests that have been validated to evaluate the psychological wellness of the defendants. There are various procedures that are available which are meant to assess the impairment of the memory. One of them is the Portland Digit Recognition Test (PDRT) (Binder, 2002, pp. 27-41) as well as Test of Memory Malingering (Iverson, Le page, Koehler, Shojania & Bidii, 2007, pp. 532-46).

The PDRT usually requires a prolonged time in order to present effective results but the Test of Memory Malingering is much quicker taking around 5 to 10 minutes (Kirk, Geoffrey & David, 2002). The PDRT is a measure that is quite valid that is used to measure motivation in performing on memory tests that are quite useful in forensic evaluations (Fredric, Stuart & Allen, 1995, pp.124-134).

Recent contributions have focused largely on the major standards of evaluating the competence to be sentenced by analyzing the major need to offer involuntarily the treatment to those who for some major psychotic reasons are not in a position to stand full trial. Competence to being sentenced is the major component or an entire capacity to undergo the legal proceedings beyond fitness. It is the duration between the moment when the entire court process ends and the time a sentence is rendered (Gomez & Arboleda. 2005, pp. 547-9).

The principle of using psychological testing in order to assess the style of response is a vital consideration in Forensic Mental Health Assessment (FMHA). It usually refers to the minimization, exaggeration and accurate reporting of the signs of emotional and mental disorder (Kirk, Geoffrey & David, 2002, pp.85). The assessment as far as FMHA is concerned is crucial due to the incentives that are there in the contexts of forensic as well as the view of the attorneys and judges that the self reported report might be inaccurate. There are four divergent forms of response style (Richard & Michael, 2002, pp. 83-104).  One of them is honest whereby a genuine attempt is usually made accurate. Factual imprecision usually result from misperception and poor comprehension. Malingering is the second form of response which involves exaggeration and fabrication of the physical symptoms.

The defensive is where there is denial consciously and gross reduction of the physical symptoms and finally irrelevant usually comprises of the failure in becoming engaged in the whole evaluation and where the responses do not concur with the questions. The role of some specific styles of response in assessing the treatability of the patients has been widely neglected. Defensiveness and denial are the main obstacles to gaining effectual treatment. The researchers ought to consider some of the theories like Trans- theoretical model when it comes to assessing the major role of denial and defensiveness in determining treatment (Richard, pp. 433). Numerous research queries have emerged on the major connection of dissimulation to responses of the patients in their treatment. Some of the questions in which have been considered is for example the extent in which the dissimulators follow and comply with the treatment as well as the  treatment outcomes for the dissimulators.

The response forms and styles can hence be assessed by using traditional interviews as well as some psychological tests.  In discussing these tests, it is integral to consider the accuracy and consistency of responding that involves over reporting and underreporting. With the respect to accuracy on item endorsement, MMPI-2 comprises of numerous scales that are usually crucial to overendorsement and underreporting of the psychopathological signs. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory or the MMPI is the personality tests for mental health (Rouse, Greene, Butcher, Nicholas & Williams, 2008, pp. 435-42).

The results of most studies that were undertaken by researchers where by participants were offered with comprehensive information regarding the nature of the psychopathology for example schizophrenia showed that MMPI-2 scales are effectual in differentiating between genuine disorders and the simulated disorders. Some research though declares that MMPI-2 is ineffective in distinguishing the two concepts (Robert, 2005, pp. 121.)

In a structured interview of eight primary scales that was developed in order to assess the psychopathology feigning, research using the SIRS revealed that it is effectual when it comes to differentiating between the genuine patients and the feigners (Kirk, et al, 2002, pp.87). Though SIRS is usually limited because of its major inability in detecting a malingerer who reports to have symptoms and then fails in responding to some questions, it is equally important.

In assessing the individual responsive style, it is crucial for forensic practitioners to come up with divergent measures. The use of measures for example structured interviews, psychological tests as well as collateral information offers some additional support regarding the response of individuals.

One of the cases that apply to this principle in a court ordered evaluation context in order for a criminal to be sentenced, involved the evaluation of the cognitive capacity in comprehending the current situation and obtaining a more elaborate representation of the defendant as far as his cognitive functioning was concerned. The evaluator was however skeptical on the accuracy of the entire psychopathological symptoms and therefore speculated that there was a possibility of the malingering of the defendant.

To determine the rate of malingering, some interviews were conducted as well as some psychological testing for example the MMPI2 and SIRS. The defendant was hence administered on some psychological tests that run on three occasions concurrently in order to assess on the responding outcomes.

The results in the first test of SIRS revealed that the defendant was actually misrepresenting herself and was not ill because his responses were like of that person who was intending to feign a mental incapacity. Since the defendant was obviously exaggerating on his psychological symptoms, this is hence grouped in the category of malingering (John, 1917).

The defendant after he was administered on MMPI2 the results showed that he was endorsing some of the items that were reflecting the onset of psychopathology. Based on these results, the evaluator hence concluded to the fact that the defendant was presenting some malingering style of response. This is because all the scales administered on him showed a consistent response of feigning of the mental illness. These results aided a lot in determining the state of mind of the defendant and the evaluator finally concluded to the fact that the defendant was in a position to go ahead with a plea agreement as well as a subsequent sentencing. This is a case revealing how people suffering from mental illness like schizophrenia can exaggerate on their illness in order to have a reduced sentencing. From the above results it is not obvious to allege that the defendant was totally guilty and hence needed no mercy from the court. This is because these tests are liable to be misinterpreted.

In the second case of  a 36 old man who was accused of possessing firearms and therefore convicted of felon, the court show a need for an extensive examination in order to give their opinion on the competency of the defendant to be sentenced (Kirk, et al, 2002, pp. 88). The defendant was informed that there was relationship between the patient and the doctor and hence there was no confidentiality. In an evaluation by theUSmedical Center for the Federal prisoners, the defendant was observed keenly by the correctional and clinical staff. He underwent through some interviews with the evaluators. According to the report he offered on his personal background, it revealed that he was selling illicit drugs in order to get income since he had no any family support. He also revealed that he was arrested like for about 20 times during his adulthood and adolescence because of felony. He also revealed that he was experiencing tremors, nervousness and depression. During all this time he received thioridazine to help him get some sleep. When the medication was discontinued, he showed no any signs of problems and was cooperative. He could care for himself and interacted effectively with the others. He was oriented and alert to time, place, situations and people. His speech was also quite coherent and clear though it was slowly delivered. There was no evidence to reveal that he had any mental disorders since his thinking capacity was coherent, organized and linear.

The defendant was hence administered on some psychological testing on three occasions. The test results revealed that the defendant was trying to present himself as ill and also confused. He however claimed that he was not feigning and therefore he agreed for a repeat of the tests. In his second test, there was no suggestion of feigning. When the tests were readministered, the responses that he gave were irrelevant and quite inconsistent to be interpreted. Measures on motivation as well as effort showed that he got motivated to respond in an incorrect style. Repeat tests administration of the cognitive ability showed that he had low aptitude as far as nonverbal reasoning was concerned, verbal comprehension and word knowledge. Results shows clearly that the defendant in this case had no any mental disorders as he had excellent styles of hygiene and also organization though he had a tendency to feign mental ailment. He also could portray some signs that were unbelievable and unlikely (Kirk, et al, 2002, pp.91).

Though the defendant in the case study was feigning mental ailment, he was doing in a reduced manner in order to get a reduced sentence if at all he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The defendant in this case was guilty on the grounds that he had no any mental disorder and only presented a behavior and personality style which is characterized by antipathy towards the authority as well as violation of the law and social norms. There was no relationship between mental illness and personality style. He was therefore fully aware of all the conditions and terms of the agreement. Basing our reasoning on the results, it is therefore proper to say that the defendant was fully competent to go ahead with the case since there is no revelation of mental disorders which would interfere with such abilities. Therefore basic reasoning shows that the felony acts that he committed was purely in his right conscious any dealings or confusion that he could have had was triggered by the drugs that he took for a long time like marijuana. However, to be more rational there could be a possibility that the entire tests were also biased because of some specific reasons.

There should be a principled approach that is usually specific as far as FHMA is concerned. There a number of set of principles that should be developed in order to enhance on the quality as well as consistency of the forensic assessment. Applications of such rules and principles would help a lot to minimize some of the arbitrariness as far as legal decisions processes are concerned through the promotion of a consistent, thorough, clear and impartial results.

The principled centered theoretical approach to FMHA usually holds a considerable promise in improving the quality of all the forensic practices. The principles will go a long way in supporting some major crucial functions. The first function which is of concern addresses training the mental professionals in practicing and understanding FMHA. This model would offer the trainee with some generalized approach as far as FMHA is concerned that would hence allow development of some expertise in a certain population. Also, in applying the principles, they should have an affirmative impact on theory as well as research development in forensic assessments. The case studies results though to an extent might have been correct; it is also lucid that they might have also had some biasness in the analyzing process.

It is patent that it is quite possible to evaluate some complaints on amnesia through developing recognition test which is individually directed to information in which the patient claims that they do not know. Making a rational assessment on presentation, means going ahead and incorporating some information from testing, history clinical presentation as well as incentives for malingering to form a clear hypothesis on patients. It is quite useful to confront the patients with some valid concerns on the fact that the testing performance usually do not reflect on their aptitude and the results are not always quite clear. In the case study presented, it is evident that we can never trust some results based on first testing and also the conclusive results are also quite biased.

Complication always results in cases where the findings are quite mixed up for example in the cases of malingering that is partial, contradictory response and false imputation. In most scenarios, the patients portray numerous personalities as well as dissociative disorders during the psychological testing thus it is imperative to come up with a rational base on the patients mental aptitude (Armstrong & Loewenstein, 1990, pp. 448-454).

In FMHA, the evaluator should assume an objective role and use higher standards for relevance and accuracy of all the data that is to be collected as well as being used in the assessment process. The evaluator usually takes a divergent role as far as the relationship to patients is concerned and usually acts in the interest of the patient.

 

Political Environment Case

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When the survival of the political class seems threatened both genuinely or falsified, their anger is projected to institutions they deem worthy the reproach. In political asylum, institutions suffer the most, being recipients of unwarranted dismissal. Change, both in policy and management, is inevitable. This dynamism notwithstanding, the political class will always need to be appreciated, involved and consulted. This multifaceted approach to policy development and adoption poses the formative challenge in management. The correctional services are not exempt from this political reproach.

Correctional Services under Political Siege

The central objective of any correctional service institutions is to change the perception of life by the inmates, not torture. The response should be centered on this cardinal correctional service principle. The political class is ordinarily full of contradictions even in matters they well know the guiding principles, except they want to be felt as being in control. The response though, principally designed, should have the political class appreciated.

Formative in responding will be a dire need for an apology. The apology should lay a ground for the explanation and the elaboration of the policy in details to the political class (Peak K. J.  2010). The pros and the cons to either approach to rehabilitation of the inmates should be presented to the political class in way so elaborate yet persuading enough to have the leadership see the essence of the implementation of the correctional policies.

While the political class will seek to have the policies they term retrogressive terminated, the response should seek their opinion on the policies. In seeking their opinion, the political class will feel as part of the process and hence rather than refuting the policies, will propose their probable approaches to the implementation of the policies. Surrender would present a challenge for the prison warders and management. Perhaps the best approach, at the very extreme, would be the review of the implementation approach.

In addition, with the due incorporation of the political class, and the winning of their support, the prospects of continued implementation would be assured. In all aspects, the lack of support and the questioning of the policies thereof, results from the lack of involvement and not the effectiveness of the policies (Peak K. J.  2010). By any standards, the legal advisers of the prison management take into consideration all the legal considerations before the policies are adopted for implementation.

The argument that the room for negotiation with the governor lacks isn’t administratively realistic. Provided the policies are designed with due consideration of humanitarian, legal and political considerations, the room for negotiation is sufficiently accessible. The legal department of the correctional service should prepare a paper on the pros of the policies being implemented and have them presented by the top management, with the director inclusive, to the governor.

Where the governor will see a dire need for review, the trade –off will be the adoption of the governor’s proposals in phases (Peak K. J.  2010). While the policies adopted may be slightly stringent on the inmates, for purpose of constructive prison reforms, the policies will be developed such as can be reforming and not torturous or punitive. However, the crux of the matter in doing this will be winning the will of the political class.

Ideally, the fervent adoption of the systems approach throughout the implementation process of all correctional policies would be incidental in ensuring the restrictions imposed by the political class to not dwell much blow on the efficiency and efficacy of the correctional institutions.

The support of the policies within and without any organization largely determines the effectiveness of the implementation process and the attainment of the policy objectives thereof. To determine the extent of the probable success of the policies, internal evaluation of the systems support and external evaluation of the policy support is tidal. It is from this evaluation that management can enthusiastically defend their policies, based on the popularity amongst the stakeholder (Peak K. J.  2010). In establishing the policy support, both internal and external, data will be collected from the warders on their take about the new correctional policies that have been put in place.

The opinion of the general public on the utility and the effectiveness of the policies adopted will also be sought through interviews and questionnaires. If the opinion shows that both the warders and the general public are in favor of the policies, this statistical data will form a basis for the defense of the policies particularly to the governor.

The opinion of the ex-prisoners on the matter will be of equal validity. If they feel the policies are better in terms of rehabilitation, given the practical orient of this, due leverage will be given to the policies (Peak K. J.  2010). State will always utilize instruments such as the intelligence to determine the practicability and the support of programs, if the research does show that the policies have all the support, the governor’s stand, our defense notwithstanding, will be informed accordingly.

The success of any policies will always be evaluated through a thorough motoring and evaluation process (M&E). In the monitoring process, the administration to the correctional institutions will countercheck the institutional records, both accounting and schedule to ensure that due parameters are lived to and that the deviations from the set targets are minimal or at best, non-existent.

Conclusion

At the designation of the policies, the management sets objectives. To evaluate the success of the implementation process and the attainment of the set objectives, the management will review the extent of attainment of the objectives (Peak K. J.  2010). Where such set targets are ardently reached, the director will have sufficient reason to hang on the policies and sought appropriate approaches for bringing on board the opponents of the policies (Peak K. J.  2010). The life feature of former inmates under this policy regime would just suffice the policy support of the correctional services.

Summarily, it is hard to have the administrative and the political class tore a similar line of working. Nevertheless, where there is empirical proof for the course, the administrators would find it easy-going to convince and bring on board the opponents, the civil and the political class alike.


Health Care Roles in Communication

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Healthcare communication can be affected and perceived in divergent ways. Some of the ways comprise of the roles of the patient, perspectives of the health practitioners, cultural beliefs and views, body language, environmental factors, time restraints, job parameters, levels of burnout and stress and others. What would really happen if the care providers failed to integrate the patient’s cultural, personal and other crucial preferences? Would such a scenario result to the patients refusing to seek services that they need? Would there be a likelihood of an incorrect diagnosis? These issues are already in existence today despite the fact that most health providers are usually proficient in accommodating and acknowledging religious and cultural differences that do relate to health care. In today’s, medical field the medical practitioners do take divergent approaches to bridge the barriers to understanding and communication that do stem from linguistic, cultural, racial as well as ethnic differences. Communication which is usually the acts of both nonverbal and verbal means is not only based on the words that do come from people’s mouth but also the approach to which they are used in. Communication should be based on conquering personal goals that are set by the care providers, friends, patients’ family and the patient. Patients are usually interactors in their hospital visits and their perceptions on coordinated care are usually affected by the communication patterns among the health professionals (Beaudin, Lammers & Pedroja. 1999. pp. 331). Effectual health communication help in raising awareness of the solutions and health risks, offer skills and the motivation that is required and reinforce attitudes. Effective communication between the health provider and the patient goes a long way in determining the outcome as shown in the case study below.

The case scenario

In this case, Vivian had been suffering from some abdominal pains but did not seek for medical attention earlier hence decides to seek for it when she acquires the proper insurance. When she receives the insurance she goes ahead to seek for an appointment with a doctor where she gets into a room which is gray and only holds some few chairs and a note on the wall  that state “ turn off cell phones” and “have a co-pay ready”. When she arrives at the doctor’s office Vivian is anxious in expressing her need for treatment to the assistant but to her disguise she is met by a person who only interrupts her when she is communicating and then another patient is called.  When she goes back to the examining room, she is then met by a doctor who asks her questions in a hurry which are only medically related. The doctor then prescribes some medication and stipulates that she might be having ulcers and instruct her to set an appointment for the ultrasound. The doctor then wakes and when he is almost at the door asks whether Vivian has more questions and she responds that she has none.

Case analysis (key player perspectives)

Caregiver and the medical assistant

It is patent that Vivian was met with the most ineffective poor health communication strategies. The medical assistant did not only use the block technique but made sure that Vivian felt more uneasy. He used a blocking and interruptive style in order to avoid the emotional disclosure of the patient. This acted as the major mishap to her unwillingness in being assertive during the medical examination. The medical assistant acted unprofessional and she was so much in a hurry to get other patients done because of the time constraint factor. She should have used a more concerned and friendly approach in order to make the patient feel at ease. This scenario portrays a recommendable overview of how some factors like blocking and ignoring the patient’s emotional factors result to poor communication.

For example the caregiver in this scenario used closed questions where by the patient was in no any position to give her own account of what exactly she was feeling. The closed questions in this case were enabled thus the primary concern revealing why the patient visited were ignored and the patient was not given any room to express her major concerns and needs. The care giver used physician centered approach and a biomedical model.

The visit comprised of time constraints from the doctor thus there was no any time to note any burn out or distress from the patient. There were no any signs of attentive and reasonable listening skills offered by the doctor thus the patient was left with only one option but to be overwhelmed as her concerns were not given room to be addressed.

The caregiver use of close communication impacted wrongly on the patient and made Vivian uneasy since she had no opportunity to feel at ease and open up on other troubling factors. The caregiver was in a hurry to get done and thus had no time to listen to his patient and get more details on her health issues.

The patient:

The patient was overwhelmed by the whole situation on the grounds she felt uneasy and felt that there was no any room to express her opinions. The room was full of grey colors thus contributing more to her anxiety. The poor communication left no any room to discuss some of her beliefs on medicine or cultural factors that may impact positively to her health. She might have even felt that she was in the wrong place and wasting the caregiver’s time. Such a patient might have problems coming to the hospital for the second time because of the ill treatment. It was quite unethical for the doctor to speculate and tell her she might have been having ulcers with no proper checking. This might have led to her having more stress considering the state that she was already in.

Communication implications

Most health practitioners favor the use of synchronous communication styles even when they are aware that these are ineffective channels of communication. This kind of communication contributes largely to an interruptive environment and increases the potential for some clinical errors. Given the imperativeness of some of the interpersonal communication, it is not usually surprising that failures in communication are a contributor to adverse outcomes. Poor communication in an organized health care can result from overworked health practitioners as well as hiring in experienced practitioners. Fatigue can also be a major reason for medical practitioners to portray poor communication skills (Brown, Dunn, Stewart, et al, 2009, pp. 1595-1602).

Poor communication can also result from poor listening skills. There are other numerous contributors of ineffective communication including the exceeding of the cognitive limits.

The biomedical model and physician centered approach can impede the patient to disclose some of her concerns and problems. A patient centered model of approach can enhance physician and the patient communication. This will help in improving the outcomes, patient satisfaction and compliance. The doctors should practice the biopsychosocial model of approach that entails analyzing the emotions, social factors, behaviors and thoughts of the patient. This will make the patient to feel more at ease. The caregivers should also practice Transcultural theory in order to analyze the cultural beliefs and views of the patients that may have an impact on their health. The caregivers should understand their role in an organized health setting and realize that the cultural beliefs, emotional considerations, values and effective communication are imperative as far as patients are concerned.

Communication resolution

There should be enhancement of more effective open communication. This could have been enhanced by reconstructing the hospital environment in order to allow more room for relaxation. There should have been consideration of more neutral colors instead of grey and may be an inclusion of a scenic view.  There should have been a more comfortable sitting arrangement for the waiting patients so that the patients can be accorded with the right comfort. Each area should have a radio or may be television in order to offer relaxation to the patients and the caregiver or the doctor should have offered a more intellectual approach to the patient showing concern. The health practitioners should use an opened rationale of communication and learn to use facial expressions like attentively looking at the patient’s eyes so that she or he will feel comfortable and cared for. For patients effectual communication can help to raise awareness of the risks in health and solutions as well as offer the skills and motivation that is needed in reducing the health risks. Health communication helps in amplifying the demand for effective health services. The care provider should have used effective communication in order to prevent anxiety and promote health. The medical assistant should have an interactive approach of communication to make the patient to feel more at ease. Issues that do affect the health workplaces do range from grave concerns that affect the physical safety of the workers to those that would enhance efficiency and productivity. The health practitioners should have considered the issue of effectual teamwork as a major prerequisite for the patients. This will help a lot in avoiding overburdening of tasks among the health practitioners as they have an ample time to cater for the patients.

Conclusion

Health care communication is an imperative tool that any organized health setting should focus on. Health care workers should practice transcultural and psychosocial models in their practice and involve open communication as well as interactive communication strategies in order to consider the emotions, values, beliefs and concerns of the patient. This will also help in improving the outcome of the patients.

Negotiations, Bargaining, and Conflict Resolution

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Chiefly power in Samoan village greatly influenced unity among the residents. The chief played a number of roles that fostered this unity. First, chief regularly showed benevolence to the residents in various ways e.g. through preparing a feast where all the residents could come together and enjoy their leader’s generosity. Chief was related to the subjects. This made the residents feel that they were led by one of their own. They reciprocated this by offering maximum support to one another for the achievement of their prosperity. The chief also monitored all bargaining and negotiations involving economic exchanges. The chief played a key role in determining how negotiations and bargaining were carried on. The chief monitoring economic exchanges, demonstrating power of benevolence and being related to people, reinforced a close knit social system of the village life. (Lewicki 2009)

In some leadership situations values of achievement and ascription operate in opposition. Values of ascription will emphasize on religion, believes about gender, social class, social connections and age. Such aspects will greatly determine leadership decisions. However, values of achievement will not consider such aspects. Education, experience and other achievements in life will greatly influence decisions of leadership. Thus, these diverse values will often conflict. E.g. Under values of achievement, a woman who has education and experience to perform certain responsibilities may be given the mandate. However values of ascription may oppose this especially where chauvinism is practiced (Lewicki 2009)

This case for economic and political conflict has a number of implications in the global community.  Rearrangement of some communities and countries by external forces has continued to mess up these communities. Those introducing new rule has not effectively employed good negotiation practices to achieve at good compromise for the benefit of traditional society. Tibet is one of the traditional societies which have continued to suffer politically and economically and socially as the communism rule from China impose its leadership on Tibetans. (Marien 1988)

Privatization of secondary education in Saudi Arabia

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Tracing its core tenets and roots to the 1960’s the practice of privatization has over the years been seen as the best way forwards for the ravaged public sector utilities (Schloss, P. J., Cartwright, G. P., Smith, M. A.; Polka, B. A., 1986). The privatization public secondary education would have the core objective of transforming the present educational orient to serve the needs of the market that are inclusive of being technological and market oriented.

Privatization (Altbach, P. G., Reisberg, L., Rumbley, L E, 2010) is a management approach philosophy that refers to the transfer of the management and ownership of utilities from the public sector to the private sector. The process would be undertaken via the wholesome overhaul or the gradual transfer of the ownership and the management of the utilities (Bangay, C., 2006). In transferring the management of the secondary education from the public sector the implication is that the government would only come in to subsidize the education process through the payment for the services by the teachers and utterly leaving the management to the private proprietor (Lyall, K C., Sell, K R., 2006).

Privatization is very comprehensive yet a continuous and gradual process that calls for due review and the revaluation of the components of the process that need to change hand in the name of new approach to the management of the affairs of the sector (Scott, J., DiMartino, C., 2008). The successful implementation of the strategies of the privatization process eludes the possibility of sectoral atrophy, transforming the sector into dynamic ones that are basically needs and service oriented.

3.2 Definition of Public Education Privatization

In understanding the central tenets of the privatization process the definitions of the central terms is imperative to assist in the development of due and relevant and contextual strategies.

Public: according to Witte, (Witte, J. F., 2004) public education refers to the wider populace that is normally represented and services provided to them by the government through funding of the process and the overall management of the system.

Privatization: Within the context of secondary schooling, the term implies the transfer of the management from the governments mandate to that in which the privates sector makes most of the pertinent decisions related to the management of educational affairs in the secondary level of education (Wilkinson, G.,, 2007). The services offered by the within the secondary level of the education system becomes the sole responsibility of the private sector with the government only taking part in the quality control prospects. In most government, (Uecker, Jeremy E., 2009) the large segment of the delivery of the educations has been largely a preserve of the government (public sector). The process of privatization would be done in phases or as a single phase.

Schooling: Schooling refers to the formal attainment of the requisite knowledge, skills and attitude that are needed in the development of an individual’s capabilities (Lyall, K C., Sell, K R., 2006). The learners are normally put in reserved places that are meant for that purpose and the services provided within that framework. The facilities that are developed are meant for the delivery of such services to a number of persons at a go.

Education: This is the attainment of any positive changes facilitated through the interaction of the learner and the environment or the interaction of the learner with the instructor. Most of the government sponsored education is formal (Bangay, C., 2006). However, it needs to be appreciated that education can be classified into three categories, informal, formal and non formal education. Whatever the categorization, the ultimate goal of education is to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes that are incidental in the development of an individual’s career (Uecker, Jeremy E, 2009). Within the context of this thesis the education referred to is that that would leverage the technological advancement and the market needs.

Privatization of the secondary schooling: This refers to surrender by the government of the management of the secondary level of learning such as can be managed in total by the private sector (Cribb, A., Ball, S., 2005). The surrender would be either partial or in total (Gollust, S E., Jacobson, P D., 2004). Where the privatization is done in total, the entire variables within the system of education would be determined by the private sector mandated with the running of the education at this level.

 

3.2.1 Defining Principles

It can be adduced from the definitions that there would be a number of defining principles for the prospects and the process of privatization (Uecker, Jeremy E. 2009). However the central and core driving principles of the process are inherent in the fact that the process seeks to maximize output, cut down on the marginal costs and satisfy the demands of the consumer (Davidson-Hard, A., Majhanovich, S., 2004).  The inherent pointer is that the expectations of the prospective and the customers should be duly met.

At the centre of the privatization process are three core principles. Focus (Gollust, S E., Jacobson, P D, 2006) on the satisfaction of the client, continued improvement of the service delivery process and the enhancing teamwork for the sake of making effective and efficient the process of content delivery to the learners.

The most important of the teaching learning principles is the student centered nature of learning. Learning ought to be centered at the learners such that the desires of the learner drive the teaching learning process. Besides, the aspect of learner-centeredness has to ensure that the learners pace dictates the speed of content delivery by the teacher (Klees, S J.,A, 2008). Clearly, if the tutor centers the content delivery process on the tenets of the learner-centeredness, attainment of the set objectives is quite inevitable.

Given the technological and the inventions that are inherent within society, the development of teaching learning strategies and models that are very dynamic in their orientation is inevitable (Bangay, C., 2006). The strategies adopted should be those that can comfortably provide room for the continued development and improvements on the presents knowledge, skills and attitudes and the delivery approach thereof (Witte, J. F., 2004).

For the sector to effectively reach its desired standards, it wound be worth the course embracing teamwork within all the stakeholders. The interaction between the various team players does ensure that the targeted objectives are unilaterally and collectively attained via the concerted efforts of the various team players (Klees, S J.,A 2008). This makes the stakeholders to feel as part of the success story and part of the entire process that translates into the overall success.

3.3 Theoretical Underpinnings

            While it is appreciable that privatizations has always been coupled with success stories world over, it is equally appreciable that the policies would have a numbers of underpins (Farnsworth, K., 2006). This underpins would be in terms of both policy implementations and economic underpins. In the change of guard from private orientation to public orientation, it is needs to be taken into consideration formatively that the numerous challenges would be expected forthwith.

The transfer of management from public to public brings with its challenges of managerial restructuring. This restructuring not only comes with insurmountable costs but has a lot of adaptation and teething challenges encountered during the process (Burch, P., Donovan, J., Steinburg, M., 2006). New management approaches have to accompany the entire privatization process, these calls for retraining and reorientation of the staff. This is ultimately an additional cost to the firm or the sector.

The privatization process may also come with cost cutting measures that may not go down well with the community the staff and the suppliers (Bohlmark, A. and Lindahl, M., 2008). This makes the sector get prone to imminent sabotage. Workers may just need to be laid of by the new management. These workers will do anything within their means to make sure that they retain their status in the sector. In the long run, the objectives of the company would be largely sacrificed.

On the side of the government, the privatization and the effects thereof tends to jeopardize in the short run its objectives (Holly, D., 2009). In circumstances in which the workers have to be laid off, the unemployment rates are increased through such restructuring while the aims of the government of the day would be to create more jobs for its populace. Besides the overall GDP arising from individual earning tends to be lowered through this move given that the per capita income would have gone down.

Further, (Holly, D., 2009) leaving the management of such important services to the private sector utterly leads to the exploitation of the populace. World over, government will always year to provide strategic services such as the roads, medical and security considering their role in its prospects (Robelen, Erik W., 2006). The private sector is largely profit oriented and therefore will not take into consideration the diverse economic abilities of the populace. In the final analysis, disparities will be perpetuated as education may end up remaining a preserve of the rich.

While it is equally appreciable that the public sector has been largely successful in its undertakings, the success story has remained true particularly where it is offering services on small scale. However, the delivery of pertinent services on the large scale ends up being largely profit oriented than results oriented (Farnsworth, K., 2006). In entering such commitment, the government has to take extra measuring in ensuring that the public is cushioned from any exploitation and receipt of substandard services.

3.2.1 Total Systems Theory

School management has been largely based on the systems approach to management. Privatization therefore (Davidson-Hard, A., Majhanovich, S., 2004) tends to delineate the education setting from both the community and the stakeholders. It makes the management of the affairs of the school, largely a preserve of the shareholders; who tend to concentrate largely on the profits and leave out the aspirations of the general public.

Total quality management is supposed to be embraced in the running of the affairs of the school. The customer and the services or the goods being delivered to the market are supposed to direct the behavior of the supplier (Chun, L., 2009). The school, as a supplier, should be directed by the desires and the aspiration of the market is expected to play a central role in the nature of the services that are to be supplied. Competition is also a key determinant of the services and the goods made available at the market place. It is therefore imperative that the for quality services to be delivered, the markets have some level of competition (Ball, S. J. 2003). However, if the education sector is left to the private the competition may lead to mischief among the players and hence offering substandard services to the general public.

Within the systems approach to management, the management philosophy is meant to acknowledge that a substantive level of co-dependency amongst the organizations or the sectors, both intra and extra organizational aspects is imperative for the success of any sector. However, privatized systems tend to be closed in nature having them undertake some of its activities secretly; this makes the education remain outside any continuum. Ultimately, the interactions between the stakeholders brought about by the public sector would be locked out if the entire secondary education sector is left in the hands of the private sector.

3.3.2 Overall Privatization Theory

The theory of privatization is based on the fact that the investors in the private sector are largely concerned about profits (Bohlmark, A. and Lindahl, M., 2008). Given this central motive, the private sector will endear to increase its turn over at all costs through the utilization of various means (Klees, S J.,A 2008). In the private investor’s quest to have increased turnover, the investor ends up offering the quality services to the public.

Amongst the means the private sector will apply is the overall increase in the quality offered to the public. Given that the competitor will be insurmountably many, the investor will always yearn to have control of a large segment of the market (Lyall, K C., Sell, K R., 2006). Because the market is service oriented, the best services will always fetch the large share of the market (Ball, S. J. 2003). Provided the pricing is the same and the consumers are rational enough, the quality of the services provided will always drive the consumer towards their opportunity cost.

The private sector has a equally substantive objective of cutting down on its costs. Through the cutting on the costs, the private sector will always invest more through the savings it will have gotten from the cut costs. The investment will not only create more jobs for the populace but increase the overall GDP of any nation (Chun, L., 2009). Ultimately, competitive advantage will always drive the motive of the investors, in the long run, given the specialization nature of the private sector, inventions and invasions are bound to be rife in the private sector. This are pillars in the nation’s quest for technological growth. The private sector will also venture into new strategies for delivery content.

3.4 Summary

This chapter starts by giving a brief overview of the expectations within the education sector. The chapter then looks at the challenges inherent within the education sector and such as can lay the base for the discussion on the probable measures for addressing the challenges.

The chapter looks at the stronghold of privatization as a process seeking to delve into the applicability of this advantages and the best way of having them dully adopted within the public secondary education sector (Daun, H., 2004). While the delivery of such incidental services is seen as treacherous being left in the hands of the public sector, the chapter looks at the inherent merits of the privatization with particular applicability to the secondary education.

The chapter then looks at the theoretical orient of the privatization prospects and the approach of the adoption at the secondary education (Cribb, A., Ball, S., 2005). The chapter wraps up through the review of the privatization theory, and the tenets inherent in the theory that would be incidental in the leveraging of the prospects in the secondary education within the public sector.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

4.1 Introduction

This chapter aims at providing an overview on the methodology used and the research design that was used in the study. The design is restricted to its applicability to the private vis-à-vis the public sector. In exploring the phenomenon on the of the public secondary education and the private sector management strategies, the study looks at the strategies used in the private sector and their feasibility in the public sector (Klees, S J.,A 2008). Or at the very epicenter, the total transfer of the public utilities to the management by the private sector.

The dissertation seeks to identify the differences in the management approaches between the two divergent paradigms and their interchangeable utility (Anne L., 1992). The chapter seeks to address the question on whether the public sector can subscribe to the tenets and paradigms inherent within the private sector.

In the light of this assertion, the comparative poor performance in the public sector is investigated vis-à-vis the private sector. The chapter looks at the possibilities of adapting Total Quality Management strategies within the setting of the public sector and the probabilities of paying dividends (Lyall, K C., Sell, K R., 2006). The chapter seeks to find out whether the strategies used by the privates sector are actually a preserve of the sector parse.

The chapter does an analysis of primary data collected through interviews with workers both in the private sector and the public sector. The chapter subsequently critiques the management paradigms inherent in the public sector as it gives sufficient credit to the private sector as the better alternative for the leveraging of the challenges that are dogging the secondary education sector in therepublicofSaudi Arabia, and perhaps the applicability of the same in other countries.

The paper then looks at the proposal for the implementation of TQM policies that are utilized in the private sector to the public sector (Cribb, A., Ball, S., 2005). The chapter makes proposals for the implementation. These proposals are then defended through the empirical evidence collected from the research.

4.2 Research Background.

4.2.1 Research Hypothesis

In the addressing the gaps that have been identified within the management system of the secondary level in therepublicofSaudi Arabia, this thesis seek to validate the following hypotheses:

H1.      The Private sector strategies for management are quite applicable to the

Public sector.

H2       the breakthrough in the implementation of the private paradigms in the

Public sector is utterly based on the effectiveness of the customization of

The strategies, the models and the tools that are largely utilized by the private sector.

H3      the total quality management tenets can be effectively applied to the public sector and give sufficient returns.

4.2.2 Research Questions

1)      Would the overall transfer of the management mandate of the secondary

Educations to the private sector make the attainment of the educational goals within the sector realizable and maximized?

2)      Is it possible to adopt management tools, paradigms and strategies inherent in the

Private sector to the public sector?

3)      Can total quality management strategies be effectively applied in the education sector with emphasis to the public sector?

4.2.3 Research Objectives

a)      Evaluate the option of privatizing all the secondary education in therepublicofSaudi Arabia

b)      Develop strategies that would be utilized in the process of transferring the management of the secondary education to the private sector from the public sector.

c)      Study the literature on the management of private sector and the public sector and the possibility of importing the policies from the private sector to the public feasibly.

d)     Undertake an analysis of the existing differences between the public and private sector management.

e)      Identify the short falls of the public secondary education with a view of eliminating the shortfall through privatization (Cribb, A., Ball, S., 2005).

f)       To establish the possibilities of the private and public organizational structures and the sectoral differences acting as obstacles towards the implementation of the paradigms, the tools and the strategies to the public sector.

g)      Identify the basis for the poor performance in the public sector vis-à-vis the availability of resources.

h)      To segregate the generic distinctions between the public and private sectors and evaluate whether these differences would contribute to the success of one sector vis-à-vis the success of the other.

i)        To develop suitable paradigms suitable for the implementation in the quest to leverage the performance in the public secondary education.

4.3 Research Design and Research Methodology

Research methodology seeks to reference the procedures and the rules utilized in the evaluation of the claims inherent within the research and the validation of the gathered knowledge. Research design on the other hand seeks to establish the blue print of the research (Carnoy, M., Jacobsen, R., and Mishel, L., 2005). The methodology serves as the academia’s regulatory framework within which the collection and the evaluation of the available knowledge for the shear reason of validating the new information arrived at.

4.4 Qualitative Sampling

Given the vitality of the research, the sample size was very important. On the contrary the research sample was curtailed by the availability of resources for carrying out the research. There was no sufficient and enough time and resources for covering a large sample. This led to the choice of a small sample space of only 32 persons that were accessed through a randomized sampling procedure. However, much as the sample was randomized, it largely remained and was reached a thorough sampling procedure.

For persons were picked at random from the private sector and the public sector for interview to establish their take on the way the public affairs are managed with special reference to the secondary sector education. This was aimed at reducing the bias if any, in the data collected. Besides, this was intended in ensuring that the data collected was across the divide for the prospective beneficiaries of the education policies, strategies and paradigms.

Similarly, given that this was largely qualitative research, statistical significance tended to be ignored. The sample size was significantly kept low. This was meant to ensure that the available resources were adequately used in reaching the intended objectives.

4.5 Qualitative Data Collection

The research did not approach the research with any specified data collection approach. However, the nature of the data that was to be collected informed the decision on the data collection method. However, this notwithstanding the resource availability was the major determinant of the data collection method. Given that the aspect under investigation was a matter of national importance and the information collected was meant to cut across the nation, the research adopted semi-structured interviews send view mail and internet to the respondents.

Interviews were largely used owing to their varied and numerous merits for they lend themselves. The researcher was able to establish the social trend in the responses and the overall attitude in the handling of the matter by the respondents. This assisted the research in enriching the research data.

Interviews were largely meant to clarify research strategies commonly used in the private sector and the public sector. This was done with a view of determining their applicability to the private sector. The research interview was also meant to gauge their effectiveness and their efficiency insofar as management of the pubic affairs was concerned.

The interviews had the least exception for the confidentiality of the information that was offered by the respondents (Rawaf, H S A. 1991). The names of the organization in which the respondents were working were kept as secrets and the policies given forth not provided with any specifications.

4.7 Credibility and Quality of Research Findings

4.7.1 Reliability

The research strategies were coined such as would ensure any other research with similar objectives and with the same research questions would bring forth the same research results as would be inherent within this research.

The reliability of the research has to be upheld if the research has to be of any incidental effect on society (Robelen, E W. 2007). Given the gravity of the issue under investigation, the research’s reliability is inevitable and has to be held in due esteem. The research therefore maintained a high protocol of the research, such as would meet the desires of those who would wish to determine the reliability of the research.

Resultant from this key tenet of the research, it was incumbent on the research to ensure that reliability of the research was held in high esteem (Brown, F., 2002). The advice cited on the reliability was therefore followed to the later.

4.7.2 Validity

The researcher’s validity was measured through the fact that the research’s central objective was to establish the applicability of the private sector paradigms, strategies and tools in the management of the public sector. At the very end, the research sought to establish whether secondary sector education would be left in the hands of the private sector and the implications thereof.

The applicability of the finding to external case also informed the researcher’s decision on the determination of the validity of the research. This construct validity of this research suffices the researcher’s clarion and central objective. This gives the research due leverage and basis for research recommendation for future follow-ups.

  

Chapter 5 Presentation of Results

5.1 Introductions

Having successfully undertaken the research, the findings needed to be presented in a logical and presentable manner. The researcher looked at the ratio of those who supported the management of secondary education via the public sector and the management of secondary education through the private sector.

Through the research process, it was agreeable across the divide that the management of the affairs of the secondary level of education inSaudi Arabiawas wanting and needed an overhaul (Chubb, J. E. and Moe, T. M., 1990). The mode of adoption of the tools and the paradigms within the private sector and their applicability to the public sector was what the research could not ardently establish.

The data was presented on pictograms and pie charts to show the overall support of the paradigm shift from the present system that is dogged by massive poor performance in the secondary level of education inSaudi Arabia.

5.2 Results

            The research provided general consensus that the need for increasing the demand for quality secondary educationSaudi Arabia was rife and wanting. The research showered that whereas the government was making all the efforts towards improving the standards, the management paradigms inherent in the public secondary school sector would not support the sectors overall objectives.

The school management system also needed to be reviewed through the shift from government supervision of the affairs at the secondary level to the private supervision of the implementation of the curriculum at this level (George Y, Mervyn K, Jacques M, 1986). Further the research showed that the largely bureaucratic system contributed to the overall failure of the policies developed in the secondary school setting. Consequently, the adoption of the policies that would reduce the bureaucracy would leverage the achievement of the objectives.

The research established the cost of schooling inSaudi Arabiawas marginally high compared to the returns. Yet an estimated 20% of the Saudi Arabian budget is spent on the education (Chubb, J. E. and Moe, T. M. 1990). The research did establish that though the expenditure in the sector was high the returns were insurmountably low.

The research also adduced that the quality control system within the secondary education sector was low and that the total quality management tenets would be used in the development of tools, strategies and paradigms that would be incidental in ensuring that the quality of education at this level under investigation is boosted.

The accountability system at the secondary level of education was equally found wanting and the research established that the only was the system would be leveraged well would be the ultimate transfer of the management mandate from the public sector to the private sector.

 

CHAPTER 6- DISCUSSION

6.1 Introductions

It is clear from the research that the much of the results that are achieved at the secondary education level is not what is projected by the government. Hence the need to review the education strategies is clearly calling and timely. This research therefore comes in as timely and critical.

Private sector world over has always been the pacesetter in any industry (Anne L. 1992). The sector’s rethinking of the present public secondary education policies is therefore not only a relief for the general public it is also incidental for the attainment of the millennium development goals by therepublicofSaudi Arabia.

6.2 Organizational Preparedness

In effectively adopting these policies, the government has to develop the implementation structure that would ensure the transition is smooth with the least teething problems if any (George Y, Mervyn K, Jacques M). Similarly, the policies adopted should not be such as can increase the costs of schooling for the general public at the secondary level.

The stakeholders should be effectively and efficiently oriented to the new management approach to ensure that they support the implementation process. This will ensure that sabotage prospects are largely minimized. Perhaps it would equally be worth it implementing the policies in phases so that the each stage’s evaluation would precede the implementation of the other.

 

CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION

7.1 Contribution of The Research

The research finds the base for the transfer and the adoption of private sector paradigms to the management of public sector affairs (George Y, Mervyn K, Jacques M). Further, the research develops models that would be incidental in the implementation of the tools, paradigms and the strategies, for the improvement of performance in the public sector.

The research develops short falls within the private sector with the view of checking the challenges once the public sector secondary education is mandated to the private sector. This is intended to reduce any further losses when the management of the secondary education is transferred to the private sector.

7.2 Implication of The Research

7.2.1 Implications for the Public Service Sector

The research acts a pointer for the public sector in Saudi Arabia that it services are wanting and needs to be reviewed and restructured (Brown, F., 2002). Worse still, the research shows that the public sector does not measure to the tasks bestowed upon them. And that this denies the public the expected returns.

Subsequently, the research does imply that for the public to reap maximum from the services offered by the government, the services should be left to the private sector or the services should be delivered through the use of tools, strategies and paradigms commonly used by the private sector.

7.2.2 Implications for Future Research

From within the precincts of the larger topic, the adoption of the private sector paradigms, tools and strategies in schooling would go a long way leveraging the objectives of the education sector (Carnoy, M., Jacobsen, R., and Mishel, L., 2005). Besides, the subsequent transfer of the management to the private sector would not only reduce the disparities in the performance but also bring about uniformity in the teaching learning approaches.

While there is sufficient evidence that the adoption of the policies would not only be complex but expensive, in the long run there is sufficient evidence that with an elaborate implementation cum adoption strategies, the process would be very smooth and without fail (George Y, Mervyn K, Jacques M 1986).

In addition, if the implementation is coupled with well developed total quality management policies, the challenges and the teething problems thereof would hardly be encountered along the adoption and the implementation path. In the final analysis, the costs would marginally be cut down.

7.3 Limitations of the Study

Though the study does emphasis the vitality of the research formative, it is of essence concluding the study with some inherent limitations. These limitations apart from providing the shortfalls provide guidance for any future researches to ensure the researches do not fall prey to such limitations.

Judging the study based of the component that are pertinent and that it does fail to cover, the study fails in developing a models that would adequately address the challenges that are presently dogging the private sector (Chowdry, H., Greaves, E. and Sibieta, L., 2010). The study equally fails to determine the efficiency with which TQM management policies will leverage maximally the objectives of the education sector.

The time spans was quite limited, this made the establishment of variable that would otherwise affect the overall implementation process remain within a half vacuum (CBI, Confederation of British Industry, 2008). The data collection approach was qualitative on most occasions, rather than quantitative, this locked out the possibilities of utilizing case studies in the collection of incidental information. If the two data collection approaches were used, the study would have had increased validity and reliability.

The scope of the research was equally limited, particularly given that questionnaires were only given to 32 persons. This makes the study more prone to respondent and interviewee bias. Though precautions were adequately taken, such bias would not be readily wished away.

Lastly, given the study had much reliance on secondary resources, the study equally limited by the available literature. Not much had been documented on the transfer of the management of secondary education to the private sector. the only available literature related to the privatization of other public utilities such as companies.

7.4 Final Conclusions

In spite of the shortcoming underlying the study, there is sufficient evidence that the research study satisfies the outlined objectives and does validate the hypotheses listed thereof. The position that the study adopted was that there are no validated obstacles towards the adoption of the private sector policies, or better still, outright transfer of the management of the public secondary education to the private sector.

Vividly, the literature that was reviewed did support this statement backed by the field study thereof (Carnoy, M., Jacobsen, R., and Mishel, L., 2005). The study clearly demonstrated that the policies utilized in the private sector would effectively and efficiently be applied in the public sector with particular reference to the secondary education. The application of private sector strategies across the board appeared to have worked relatively well across the board and were worth adopting within the secondary education sector in theRepublicofSaudi Arabia(Chowdry, H., Greaves, E. and Sibieta, L., 2010). Professionals who had applied the strategies elsewhere appeared contented that the transfer of the policies would actually leverage the objectives of the public sector.

The findings are both backed by the available literature reviewed and the fields study (Anne L. 1992). This notwithstanding, the study did not sufficiently elude the fears of any obstacles to be encountered during the implementation process if the strategies were adapted to the public secondary education sector.

The conclusion that is reached from the study is that private sector strategies for management would be effectively and efficiently utilized within the public sector (Robelen, E W, 2007). Moreover, whether by necessity or by definition, mechanistic or by formalized the strategies would, if successfully implemented guarantee the effective management of the public sector. Within the mandate of this argument, it suffices adopting the strategies in the private sector to the public secondary education by utter transfer of the management of the secondary education sector to the private sector.

Religion Influence on customers

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The contemporary business world has become very competitive and innovations are being made by business in their attempt to attain a competitive advantage. Globalization and movement of people from one country to another have also led to diversity in terms of culture and background of various societies in the world. The concept of customer orientation has become important for business to survive in such an environment. Identifying customers needs and satisfying them satisfactory than competitors is therefore indispensable. Businesses are nowadays operating in environment where different communities are coexisting due to globalization and liberalization of many economies. A market may constitute of people from different countries say China, England, Germany, Saudi Arabia and South Africa and so on. This people may also be from different religion such as Islamic, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism and so on, which have different religious teachings altogether. (Kunin2003:Allen 2002; Hutchings 2003).

Diversity in consumers needs is influenced by various factors such as religion, culture and believes tastes and preferences, income levels, fashion and so on. Culture and religion plays a big role in determining customers’ tastes and preference. This also affects the consumers choice and business environment at large. Food industry is one of the industries which are influenced by culture and religious believes. For instance, Muslims adheres to dietary laws which direct them on which food to eat and not to eat. Allowed foods are usually referred to as ‘Halal’. Muslim faith also forbids certain foods which are normally known as ‘Haram’. Muslim religion also considers some food as questionable, usually referred to as ‘Mashbooh’. Certain food such as pork products, and meat improperly slaughtered or slaughtered in other name apart from Allah name are referred to as Haram. Meat from dog, pig, donkey, monkeys, carnivores, cats, frogs, lions, turtles, crocodiles, flies, worms, cockroaches, eagles and owls are prohibited in Islam faith. Alcohol, tea, coffee, and other drugs are also considered as Haram. Muslim teachings also consider any Halal food as Haram if it comes into contact with Haram food. These teaching are also comparable to teaching by Jewish religion. (Minnesota State Unity 2010; Khadim 1996).

Buddhism religion prohibit intentional killing of animals. This religion also discourages eating of meat whose source usually involves killing of animals. Buddhism prohibits activities such as hunting, butchering, steaming live dams. For instance, a Buddhist should not order a fresh steamed lobster from the restaurant. Thus, products arising from these activities are likely to influence Buddhists’ consumption habit. Some Christians are also against consumption of certain foods and drinks such as meat from dog, pig, donkey, monkeys, carnivores, cats, frogs, lions, turtles, crocodiles, flies, worms, cockroaches, eagles, owls,  alcohol, tea, coffee as instructed by the Bible (spiritual book which Christianity rules and believes are derived from).  Apart from this religions, there exist other religions which also have different believes and rules as far as diet is concerned. There is a need to understand this believes and their influence on business. There also exists other cultural practices apart from religious believes whose greatly impact demand in food industry.  Some communities have different dietary customs which they consider as the way to go about it. (Counihan & Esterik 2008; Bullitt 2010).

1.1.2 The Constituent of Religion

Religion has a long history and can be traced back to beginning of human existence. It is old as human kind. Different religion has different stories about their beliefs, laws and rules. This beliefs, rule and laws are taught to children and passed over to the next generation. Every religion is set up is different from the other but almost all religions have some common aspects/ constituents. The aspects of religion includes: divinity which include all beliefs and knowledge regarding the spirits and universe:  ethics which are mainly constitute set of principles to morality, religious rituals prayers and obligations: theology or social laws. Divinity is the most fundamental part of religion. This part of religion explains how universe and its components came to exist. This includes creation teachings, life after death and so on. It also gives light on belief on spirits existences and life continuation. This aspect also offer more light about plan and intention of creation.  Many religions have that the world was created by a supreme being who has all authority over the universe and human kind. Existence of spirits and life continuations is also part of many religions. Ethical laws are also an important part of religion. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians base their ethics on laws derived from their religious teachings. Such ethics are also called religious morality and greatly influence those who subscribe to these religions. Rules about how to relate with other human beings, animal and plants, eating habits and so on are directed by this constituent. These ethics are a crucial part of their life which should be observed as they seek to please the Supreme Being or Spirits believed to have the power to bless or punish them in accordance to their actions. The last constituent of religion is social laws. This offers guide on how one should relate with other human humans. It in such laws, guidelines about helping the poor, loving and being kind to others are usually written and emphasized. These rules are directly derived from religious books which are believed to have been written by people who were influenced by Supreme Being or spirit.  Thus, to those who subscribe to the any of religion, this is very important for present and future life. It is part of them and will strive not do anything repugnant to the teachings. (Bullitt 2010; Kunin 2003; Counihan & Esterik 2008).

1.1.3 Muslim Society in the U.K.

Muslim Society in the UK has continued to increase in number and the part Muslims play in the economy is enormous. Islamic society of Britain is an organization that was formed to bring together all Muslims in UK, to work as a one people for welfare of all Muslims and all people of Britain at large. The enormous and wide spread Muslim society therefore has a big effect on the Britain economy. Food industry is one of the industries which have greatly been influenced by growth of Muslim society in UK. Various food businesses have been set to offer food acceptable to this society i.e. Halal. Halal food has become part of various food offered by various food and drinks businesses. Management to such business has been influenced by Muslim dietary faith and business objectives to meet their target customers’ needs satisfactory. Activities carried out by Islamic Society of Britain have also continued to increase. This society has continued to encourage mutual integration of Muslims and other larger Britain population. Today, Muslims are almost every where in Britain; in universities, urban areas, colleges, and involving themselves in various business activities and investments. They are part of the UK community. Their demand in food industry can no longer be overlooked and offers a great opportunity to entrepreneurs who perceive it. Muslim society in Britain has grown in terms of political social and economic spheres. They are involved in political activities, represented in House of Commons and House of Lords. They run and own number of businesses. Their presence in UK is evident and form part of key economic agents. Such a society has a great impact on all industry where food industry is not exceptional. (Islamic Society of Britain 2010; Esposito & Burgat 2003; Kwok etal 2005).

1.2 Research Question.

Religion as part of culture greatly influences decision making process both individually and collectively. Thus, the need to understand how religious teachings influences decision making process of the consumer is very imperative. On this note, this dissertation, major research question is to find out how religion influences consumer’s decision in food industry.

1.3 Research Focus

1.3.1 Aim

The major aim of this dissertation is examine the influence of culture on consumer’s decision in food industry and to what extend these factors have made a change in the chosen industry’s marketing strategy. Religion influence on consumers’ decision process will be part of main concern of this dissertation. Its effect on food industry will be emphasized. Such findings will then help in focusing on impact these factors on marketing strategy for food industry as a both reactive and proactive measure to the influence of culture on consumer’s decision making process.

1.3. 2 Objectives

To examine consumer behaviours towards the food industry

To identify factors that influence Muslims consumers’ behaviour toward food in the UK.

 

 

1.3.3. Hypothesis

H1: Behavioural beliefs and attitudes towards behaviour influences consumer behaviour towards food industry.

H0: behavioural beliefs and attitudes towards behaviour do not influence consumer behaviour towards food industry.

H2: Religious teachings and beliefs influences Muslims consumer’s decision behaviour toward food in the UK.

H0: Religious teachings and beliefs do not influence Muslims consumers’ decision behaviour toward food in the UK.