Internship Report on Customer Satisfaction on the Services of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Limited Essay

Part-1 Introduction 1.1 Background of the report: The internship is a dynamic approach for practical knowledge gathered at this study. My effort was for practical job experience through internship for business communication skills as well as banking sectors. As a student of BBA for the requirement of the internship program, I was assigned to The MBL for my practical orientation. This report is done as partial requirement of the 3 months internship program for the BBA students of Department of Marketing, Bangladesh University of Business and Technology. The internship work is done on a bank, namely Mercantile Bank Limited (MBL). The students were asked to prepare reports on their assigned jobs after the completion of the Internship in the respective organizations. The topic of the report is â€Å"Customer Satisfaction on the services of MBL.† 1.2 Significance of the Report: The economy of our country has a lot left to be desired and there are lots of scopes for massive improvement. In an economy like this, banking sector can play a vital role to improve the overall social-economic conditions. As our country is an under develop country, the banks play the role of an intermediary and can mobilize the excess fund of surplus sectors to provide necessary finance, to those sectors, which are needed to promote the sound development of the country. The banks provide different types of services to its counter parts, like general banking services or finance or investing which results transaction of currency. To do this they also need capital, assets and other factors which effects directly in the bank performance. This report will help to understand the customer satisfaction on the services of MBL. As a result, we can have a clear idea about customer satisfaction on the Services of MBL. 1.3 Scope of the Report: MBL is always trying to improve their customer service in every sector, but in today’s competitive business world, banks need to give additional concentration to the client’s requirements, in order to stay at the top. Therefore, besides dealing with the general attributes of Different Services, I have been trying to put more concentration on the customer benefits and other customer related facilities in this report while I have been doing my internship. 1.4 Objectives of the Report: 1.4.1 Broad Objective: The broad objective of this report is to identify the customer satisfaction on the services of MBL. 1.4.2 Specific Objectives: * To find out the different services of MBL that is offered to its clients. * To identify the 7p’s analysis of MBL. * To identify the weakness, problems, opportunity of MBL. * To identify the level of customer satisfaction. * To explore the opportunities and competitive advantages that has been ignored by MBL. 1.5 Methodology: 1.5.1 Types of Research: It is both exploratory & descriptive research in nature. 1.5.2 Sources of Data: I have collected data from the two sources, one is primary source and another is secondary source. 1.5.2.1 Primary Sources: * Conversation and questioning with the different clients by questionnaire survey. * Observing the total environment. * Employee of foreign exchange, credit & others. 1.5.2.2 Secondary Sources: Secondary Data Which data is already published that’s called Secondary data or Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Secondary data are very much important for conduct an efficient study and to have faithful result. 1.5.3 Data Collection Procedure: 1.5.3.1 Primary Data: The primary data collection process includes: * Questioner survey 1.5.3.2 Secondary Data: * Brochures of MBL. * Annual report of MBL. * Official website. * www.google.com 1.5.4 Questionnaire Design: This is a well structure type of questionnaire and used for conducting customer satisfaction survey and acquire primary data. Here average time was 20 minute for every respondent. There are 20 questions on the questioner. Question type was close ended. 1.5.5 Sampling Plan: 1.5.5.1 Target Population: All clients of MBL Gulshan branch in Dhaka city. 1.5.5.2 Sampling Element: Individual clients of MBL . 1.5.5.3 Sampling Frame: No well structured sample frame was found. 1.5.5.4 Sampling Procedure: Non probability convenience sampling procedure is used. 1.5.5.5 Sample Size: I have taken 50 customers as my sample. 1.5.6 Data analysis and reporting: Quantitative and qualitative data collected and analyzed according to acceptable standards of practice. Different tables and graphs were used to make the data meaningful. 1.6 Limitations: * Lack of customer co-operation. * Lack of adequate knowledge about any other financial institutions. * It was very difficult to collect all data, which is very essential. * Due to time limitation many aspects could not be discussed in the present study because Banking is a vast subject. * Lack of experiences on Banking. * Every organization has their own secrecy that is not revealed to others. Despite the limitation, I have tried my best to prepare the report. If you find any mistake please consider it cordially. Part -2 Overview of the company 2.1 Company Background: Mercantile Bank Limited was incorporated in Bangladesh as a public limited company under the Bank Company Act, 1991, on May 20, 1999. After obtaining license from Bangladesh Bank to carry on banking business, the bank commenced its operation on June 2, 1999 with an authorized capital of Tk 800 million divided into 8 million ordinary shares of Tk 100 each. On 31 December 2001, its paid up capital was Tk 596.5 million Mercantile Bank Limited went for public issue of shares on October 21, 2003. There are 30 sponsors involved in creating Mercantile Bank Limited. During this short span of time the MBL has been successful to make a position as a progressive and dynamic financial institution in the country. The MBL has been widely acclaimed by the business community, from small entrepreneurs to large traders and industrial conglomerates, including the top rated corporate borrowers for forwarding-looking business outlook and innovative financing solutions. Thus within this very short period of time it has been able to create an image for itself and has earned significant reputation in the country’s Banking Sector as a bank with vision. The Bank has made significant contribution to the growth of Readymade Garments sectors by handling huge amount of export Letters of Credit. Recently it has 75 Branches with 1,668 efficient employees. 2.2 Vision: To be the best Banking service provider in Bangladesh at a reasonable cost & giving more services & facilities to the small ,medium ,large sectors to improve the socio economic condition in Bangladesh. 2.3 Mission: To meet the challenges of 21th century & to meet the expected future result, MBL offering many attractive services to the customer .they increased the FDR rate from 12.5 to 13.33 to collect more deposit from customers & to increase the saving tendency of the clients.MBL recently introduced Super Benefit Deposit Scheme (SBDS) & Education Planning Deposit Scheme (EPDS) they are long term special saving scheme through which customer can get benefits up to 10 or 15 years. 2.4 Objectives: * To achieve positive Economic Value Added (EVA) each year. * To be market leader in product innovation. * To be one of the top three Financial Institutions in Bangladesh in terms of cost efficiency. * To be one of the top five Financial Institutions in Bangladesh in terms of market share in all significant market segments we serve. * To achieve 20% return on shareholders’ equity or more, on average. 2.5 Core Values: * For the customer Providing with caring services by being innovative in the development of new banking product and services * For the shareholder Maximizing wealth of the bank * For the employer Respecting worth and dignity of individual employees devoting their energies for the progress of the bank * For the community Strengthening the corporate values and taking environment and social risks and reward into account. 2.6 Board of Directors: * Chairman Md. Abdul Jalil, M.P * Vice Chairman  Morshed Alam Mohd. Selim * Director  M. S. Ahsan Alhaj Akram Hossain (Humayun) Md. Anwarul Haque Dr. Toufi que Rahman Chowdhury Golam Faruk Ahmed Engr. Mohd. Monsuruzzaman Bilkis Begum Md. Tabibul Huq A. S. M. Feroz Alam A. K. M. Shaheed Reza Md. Nasiruddin Choudhury Md. Shahabuddin Alam Syed Muhammed Abbdul Mannan, M.P Alhaj Mosharref Hossain Israt Jahan M. A. Khan Belal Dr. Matiur Rahman, M.P * Managing Director & CEO A.K.M. Shahidul Haque 2.7 Operational network organ gram: Chairman| Managing Director| Deputy Managing Director| Executive Vice President| Senior Vice President| Vice President| Sr. Assistant Vice President| Assistant Vice President| First Assistant Vice President| Senior Executive Officer| Executive Officer| Senior Officer| Officer| Junior Officer| 2.8 Deposit Services: * Monthly Saving Scheme (MSS) Monthly Saving Scheme is one of the most popular deposit products in different communities that introduced to attract small savers for building up their habit of savings and thereby build up a healthy capital base for the economy. The monthly installments are in various sizes and one can adopt the schemes for a period of 03 years, 05 years, 08 years or 10 years. * Monthly Benefit Deposit Scheme Under this scheme, depositor will get a certain sum of money in each month proportion to his/her deposit during the entire tenure. Benefit starts right from the first month of opening an account under this scheme and continues up to five years. On maturity, the principal amount is paid back. Objectives of this scheme are to help the retired persons for investing their retirement benefits, Create investment opportunities for Non-Resident Bangladeshi. The Minimum deposited amount is BDT 50,000 or its multiples and the tenure is five (05) years. * Double Benefit Deposit Scheme (DBDS) The main attraction of DBDS is that, the deposited amount will be double in tenure of 5.6years. Minimum deposited amount should be BDT 10,000 or its multiples. In case of premature encashment interest will be paid on Saving A/C Rate. Loan may be granted up to maximum 80% of the deposited amount, but minimum principle amount must be BDT 20,000. * Quarterly Benefit Deposit Scheme The ‘Quarterly Benefit Deposit Scheme’ will be maintained for a period of 3 (three) years and the minimum amount of deposit is BDT 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) or its multiples. Interest will be paid on quarterly basis. Benefits start right from the first quarter of opening the scheme. On maturity, principal amount will be paid back. Savings account is needed to maintain this scheme. * 1.5 Time Benefit Deposit Scheme Under this scheme, deposited amount reserved for 4.25 years (or 51 months) and the minimum amount of deposit is BDT 50,000.00 (fifty thousand) or its multiples. After 4.25 years maturity, 1.5 times of the deposited amount will be paid back to the account holder. * Advance Benefit Deposit Scheme Under Advance Benefit Deposit Scheme, one can deposit a certain amount of money for two years. The depositor will receive the benefit on yearly basis. The benefit amount of first year will be received in advance at the time of deposit. On maturity, the depositor will get back the principal amount with the benefit amount of second year. That means Interest is paid in two Phases, first phase paid initially and second phase paid after maturity. Loan may be granted up to maximum 70% of deposit. 2.9 Loan Services: * Consumer Credit Scheme Consumer’s Credit Scheme is one of the popular areas of collateral-free finance of the Bank. People with limited income can avail of credit facility to buy household goods including computer and other consumer durables. * Lease Finance This scheme has been designed to assist and encourage the genuine and capable entrepreneurs and professionals for acquiring capital machineries, medical equipments, computers, vehicle and other items. Flexibility and easier term and conditions of this scheme have attracted the potential entrepreneurs to acquire equipments of production and services and repay gradually from earnings on the basis of ‘Pay as you earn’ * SME Loan Scheme Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Loan Scheme has been introduced to provide financial assistance to new or experienced entrepreneurs to invest in small and medium scale industries with a comparatively low rate of interest as the same is assisted by the Bangladesh Bank wither financing facilities. * Personal Loan Scheme Personal Loan Scheme has been introduced to extend credit facilities to cater the needs of low and middle-income group for any purpose. Government and semi government officials, employees of autonomous bodies, banks and other financial organizations, multinational Companies, reputed private organizations and teachers of recognized public and private schools, colleges and Universities are eligible for this loan. * Car Loan Scheme Car Loan Scheme has been introduced to enable middle-income people to purchase Cars/SUVs/Jeeps. Government and semi-government officials, employees of autonomous bodies, banks and other financial organizations, multinational companies, reputed private organizations, teachers of recognized public and private universities and businessmen are eligible for this loan. * Home Loan Scheme To meet the growing need of housing for middle and lower-middle income people, MBL has introduced Home Loan Scheme. * Overseas Employment Loan Scheme Overseas Employment Loan Scheme is designed to facilitate the Bangladeshi youths seeking employment aboard but unable to meet the expenses to reach the workplace from their own sources. The ultimate objectives of the scheme are to promote skilled / semi-skilled manpower to different countries across the world as well as to provide support to Government Policy considering priority of this sector. By availing loan under this scheme, the active youths of middle and lower middle class can get overseas employment. 2.10 Marketing Mix: (1)Product: MBL now offering various kind of deposit screams for the customers with retail Banking, corporate finance, asset, equity brokerage and security. (2) Price: Price means value that a customer has to pay to take any service.MBL take’s a charge from the deposited account & charge interest on lone. (3)Place: Recently MBL has 75 Branches all over Bangladesh & they are opening new branches for improving their customer services. (4) Promotion: MBL use TV, print media to communicate with the customers. (5)People: MBL has 1668 efficient employee to provide their services & many sells representatives on the field. (6) Process: Process means, the procedure mechanisms and flow of the activity by which the service is delivered. They always try to provide services as early as possible. (7) Physical Evidence: Physical environment means, the environment in which the service is delivered .MBL established their branches in all important places & they provide their service’s in a comfortable & friendly environment for their customer. 2.11 SWOT analysis: * Strengths: * Strong customer relationship or customer loyalty. * More than 70 branches with 1668 efficient employee. * Excellent Service quality. * Strong Management team. * Reasonable interest rate. * Weaknesses: * Delay in service delivery. * Long Account opening process. * Introducer require in opening current account. * Low promotional activity. * Opportunities: * Technological advantage. * Mobile banking. * Offering new deposit scheme. * SME banking. * Threats * Political changes. * Technological improvement. * Increasing number of banks. * High government rule & fixed interest rate by Bangladesh bank. 2.12 Corporate Profile: Name: Mercantile Bank Limited Established: May 20, 1999 Head office: 61, Dilkusha Commercial Area Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh PABX: 9559333, 9553892 Key People: Md. Abdul Jalil, M.P Industry: Finance (Bank) Services: retail banking, corporate finance, Finance, asset, equity brokerage and security. Branches: 75 Employees: 1668 Profit: 3,004.17 million (2011) Website: www.mblbd.com Part-3 Theoretical Aspects Marketing Theory: * Marketing: The process by which companies create value for the customer & build strong relationship with them in order to capture from customer in return. * Marketing Management: Marketing Management is a business discipline which focuses on the particular application of marketing techniques & the management of firms marketing resource & activity. * Marketing Research: The systematic design, collection, analysis, and reporting of data relevant to a specific marketing situation facing an organization. * Target Market: A set of buyers sharing common needs or characteristics that the company decides to serve. * Market Segment: A group of consumers who respond in a similar way to a given set of marketing efforts. * Market Positioning: A clear, distinctive and desirable place of a product relative to competing products in the mind of target consumers or Create a positive image on customers mind. * Market: Market is a system, procedure for exchanging goods & service where two parties agree to sell or buy any product or service in a particular value or price. * Market Offering: Some combination of products, services, information, or experiences offered to a market to satisfy a need or want. * Product Concept: The idea that consumers will favor products that offers the most quality, performance, and features. * Production Concept: The idea that consumers will favor products if that are available and highly affordable. * Selling Concept: The idea that consumers will not buy enough of the firm’s products unless it undertakes a large scale selling and promotion effort. * Marketing Concept: The marketing concept that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfaction better than competitors do. * Societal Marketing Concept: Maybe a company ought to make good marketing decisions by considering consumers want, the company’s requirements, consumers’ long-run interests and society’s long-run interests. * Service: Any activity or benefit that one party can offer to another that is essentially intangible and does not result in the ownership of anything. * Customer Satisfaction: Dependent on the products perceived performance relative to buyer’s expectations or the extent to which a product’s perceived performance matches a buyer’s expectations. * 7p’s in Detail: FIG: 1 * Products: The product is the most important aspect of the marketing mix. Products have both tangible and intangible benefits. Tangible benefits include benefits, which can be measured such as the top speed of a car. Intangible benefits are benefits that cannot be measured such as the enjoyment the customer will get from the product. It is important that the product is changed as necessary to bring it up to date and prevent it from being overtaken by competitors. The term â€Å"product† refers to tangible, physical products as well as services. Here are some examples of the product decisions to be made: * Variety * Quality * Design * Features * Brand name * Packaging * Services * Sizes * Warranties * Returns * Price: It is very important that the correct price is charged for a product. If the price is too high consumers will avoid the product as they will believe it to be too expensive yet if the product is priced too low they may believe that there is something wrong with the product for it to be so cheap. Also if the company charges too low a price, it may not cover its costs. There are many different pricing strategies that companies can use to decide on a price for their product including market and psychological pricing methods. Some examples of pricing decisions to be made include: * Pricing strategy (Skim, penetration, etc.) * Suggested retail price * Volume discounts and wholesale pricing * Cash and early payment discounts/ bonus * Seasonal pricing * Bundling * Price flexibility * Price discrimination. * Place: The place is where you can expect to find your customer and consequently, where the sale is realized. Knowing this place, you have to look for a distribution channel in order to reach your customer. * Distribution channels * Market coverage (inclusive, selective, or exclusive distribution) * Specific channel members * Inventory management * Intermediaries * Distribution centers * Order processing * Transactions * Reverse logistics * Promotion: In the context of the marketing mix, promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication of information about the product with the goal of generating a positive customer response. Marketing communication decisions include: * Promotional strategy (push, pull, etc.) * Advertising * Personal selling & sales force * Sales promotions * Public relations & publicity * Marketing communications budget However, the strategies for the four P’s require some modifications when applied to services. For example, traditionally promotion is thought of as involving decisions related to sales, advertising, sales promotions and publicity. In services these factors are also important, but because services are produced and consumed simultaneously, service delivery people are involved in real-time promotion of the service even if their jobs are typically defined in terms of the operational function they perform. * People: All human action that plays a part in reference and information services delivery namely the librating personnel. * Process: Process means, the procedure mechanisms and flow of the activity by which the service is delivered. * Physical Evidence: Physical environment means, the environment in which the service is delivered & firm & customer interact, & any tangible components that facilitate performance or communication of the service. * SWOT analysis: FIG:2 * Strengths: * What advantages does your organization have? * What do you do better than anyone else? * What unique or lowest-cost resources can you draw upon that others can’t? * What do people in your market see as your strengths? * What factors mean that you â€Å"get the sale†? * What is your organization’s Unique Selling Proposition? * Weaknesses: * What could you improve? * What should you avoid? * What are people in your market likely to see as weaknesses? * What factors lose you sales? * Opportunities: * What good opportunities can you spot? * What interesting trends are you aware of? * Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and narrow scale. * Changes in government policy related to your field. * Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes. * Local events. * Threats: * What obstacles do you face? * What are your competitors doing? * Are quality standards or specifications for your job, products or services changing? * Is changing technology threatening your position? * Do you have bad debt or cash-flow problems? * Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your business? Gaps Model of Service Quality: FIG: 3 1. Customer gap: Difference between customer expectations & perceptions. 2. Provider gap 1: Not knowing what the customer wants or expect. 3. Provider gap 2: Not selecting the right service design and standards. 4. Provider gap 3: Not delivering to service designs & standard. 5. Provider gap 4: Not matching performance with promises. Part-4 Analysis and Findings Questionnaire Survey Analysis: In every survey, it is essential to analyze the survey results and follow the findings as a guideline of development of the project. The survey reports are shown below with graphical representation in percentage basis. (1) What type of account you maintain with this bank? FIG: 4 From the graph, it is seen that 23 of the respondents are MSS holder, 10 of the respondents have FDR, 13 of the respondents have current account and 4 have the other account. Here most of the respondents have Monthly saving scheme (MSS) Here bank should give importance on other accounts. (2) Why you choose mercantile bank? Or reason of choosing this Bank? FIG: 5 From the graph, it is seen that the 11 respondents choose this bank for the number of branches of the bank, 15 for location of the bank, 3 for reputation of the bank, 16 for service of the bank, 5 for personal relationship. Here most of the respondents choose this bank because of the service and location of the bank. (3) What are the services of this bank you usually use? FIG: 6 From the graph, we found that the 20 respondents use MSS of this bank, 3 uses LC of the bank, 9 uses current account of the bank, 7 uses FDR of the bank, 7 uses Card & 4 uses locker service of the bank. Here most of the respondents use MSS and current account services of the bank. (4) Are you satisfied with the service charges of the bank? FIG: 7 From the graph, we can see that the 25 respondents said moderate, 14 respondents said service charges are high, and 11 respondents said the service charges are low from some other banks. (5) Are you satisfied with the account opening procedure? FIG: 8 From the graph, we can see that the 23 respondents are satisfied with the account opening procedure, 12 are very satisfied and 15 are dissatisfied. Here most of the customers are satisfied with the account opening procedure. (6) Are you a debit card holder of this Bank? FIG: 9 From the graph, it is seen that the 14 respondents are card holder and 36 respondents are not. Here the respondents who have account in the bank they can apply for the card. (7) Do you think the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient? FIG: 10 From the graph, it is seen that the 76% respondents think that the numbers of ATM booths are not enough and available, 24% respondents think that the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient. So, most of the respondents are not satisfied with the number of ATM booths. (8) Do you think MBL takes longer time to issue a card? FIG: 11 From the graph, we can see that 20 respondents think they don’t take longer time to issue a card, 20 respondents think they take a longer time & 10 respondents think they take a very long time. (9) Are you satisfied about ATM services? FIG: 12 From the graph, it is seen that the 17 of the respondents are satisfied with the ATM services, 20 respondents are dissatisfied, and 13 respondents are in moderate position. Here most of the respondents are dissatisfied with the ATM services. (10) Are you satisfied with the branch location? FIG: 13 From the graph, we can see that 18 respondents are satisfied, 14 respondents are dissatisfied, and 18 respondents are in moderate position. (11) Where do you first know about this bank? FIG: 14 From the graph, 0 respondents know from TV, 20% respondents know from news paper, 36% respondents know from bill board & representatives, 44% respondents know from friends & family. (12) Are you satisfied with the different interest rates that are offered by MBL? FIG: 15 From the graph, we can see that 36% respondents are satisfied with the interest rates, 50% respondents are in moderate position & 14% respondents are dissatisfied with the interest rates. (13) Are you satisfied with the different promotional campaign of MBL? FIG: 16 From the graph, we can see 0 respondents are highly satisfied ,3 are satisfied, 26 are in neutral position,12 are dissatisfied ,9 are highly dissatisfy about the promotional activities of MBL. (14) Do you think the employees are highly efficient? FIG: 17 From the graph, we can see that 5 respondents are highly satisfied on the work of employees of MBL.15 respondents are satisfied & 26 respondents are in neutral position & 4 respondents are dissatisfy. As a result more or less all respondents are satisfied for the employees. (15) Do you think the process of taking loan is very easy? FIG: 18 From the graph ,we found that 0% respondents are highly satisfied with the lone processing ,28% respondents are satisfy with it, 24% respondents are in neutral position ,48% are dissatisfy on the lone taking process. Part-5 Major Findings Major Findings: Mercantile Bank Ltd actively participate in the growth and expansion of the national economy by providing various kind of services. While analyzing the policies and procedures & analyzing the customer satisfaction of the Bank the following areas were mostly viewable. * Most of the respondents have MSS account. * Most of the respondents choose this bank because of the branch location & services of the bank. * Most of the respondents come to this bank for the MSS, FDR & savings accounts. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the MBL charges. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the account opening procedure of the bank ,but respondents had to face some difficulties to open current account because it require introducer who already have current account on MBL. * Most of the respondents don’t use card of this bank. * Most of the respondents are not satisfied with the number of ATM booths. * Most of the respondents are not satisfied with the system of issuing a card. * Most of the respondents are not satisfy with the ATM services. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the branch location. * Most of the respondents know about the bank from friends & family. * Most of the respondents are satisfied with the MBL interest rate. * Most of the respondents are not satisfied with the promotional actives of the bank. * Most the respondents are satisfied with the MBL employee’s attitude and behavior because they can expertly solve the banking problem. * Most of the respondents think the loan processing system is not easy & high interest rate on personal loan. Part-6 Recommendation Recommendation: MBL has an efficient and excellent management team and performing with a great expertise and care. The limitations can be overcome by some measures to make the performance outstanding. I have some suggestions for The MBL according to my observations out of my survey on 50 customers. Those are given below: * The bank should offer more facilities on other account to attract more customers. * The bank should build a strong image on market through covering new area. * The bank should provide more attractive features & plan to attract more customers. * Customers are satisfied with MBL charges, so the bank should attract large number of customer through using this low cost strategy. * The customers are satisfied with the account opening procedure of the bank. But the bank should introduce an easier process to open current account. * The bank should provide more facilities in the ATM cards. * They should increase the number of ATM booth because the Customers are not satisfied with the number of it. * The bank should give more importance on the system of issuing a card as early as possible. * The bank should give more concentration on the ATM services because the customers are not satisfied with it. * The bank should find new important area to make new branches & search opportunity for the bank. * The bank should increase their advertisements. * The bank’s customer are happy with the interest rate, through this advantage the bank should attract more customers. * The bank should increase the promotional actives on TV, print media & radio. * The bank has many efficient employees an efficient employee can attract the customers, so the bank should give more importance on that. * The bank should introduce an easier process for giving lone. Part-7 Conclusion Conclusion: Mercantile Bank Limited is a strong and effective player in the financial system. It is a solid, forward-looking, modern local bank with a record of sound performance. It is a new generation bank. It is committed to provide high quality financial services /products to contribute to the growth of GDP of the industrialization, boosting up export, creating employment opportunity for the educated youth, rising standard of living of limited income group and overall sustainable socio-economic development of the country. The bank has the vision to be the best Private Commercial Bank in Bangladesh in terms of efficiency, capital adequacy, asset quality, sound management etc. it is now one of the top most profitable commercial bank. As concluding remark the bank is able to attain a leading role with the 13 years success story but to remain in Strong position among new generation banks, the bank must face new challenges. The bank must make a positive attempt to be more outward looking in their goals and aware of what is happening. They must also emphasize on the domestic scenario more closely and analyze any certain trends and strategies of their competitors. The bank must accept any failures and think of them as an objective to pursue future goals instead of blaming such failures on other factors and in this way the Bank will be able to keep on playing its important roles in our economy. Part-8 Bibliography Bibliography: * Annual Report (2009) of Mercantile Bank Limited. * Annual Report (2011) of Mercantile Bank Limited. * Circular of Mercantile Bank Limited. * Interview with the Credit section of employees Mercantile Bank Limited, Gulshan, Branch. * Interview with SME and retail banking section of Mercantile Bank Limited, Gulshan Branch. Books reference * Principles of Marketing- 12th Edition- Philip Kotler. * Marketing Management- 13th Edition- Philip Kotler. * Service Marketing- 4th Edition- Zeithamal & Bitner . Internet reference * www.google.com * www.wikpedia.com * www.yahoo.com * www.answer.com * www.mblbd.com Part-9 Annexure Raw Table: 1. What type of account you maintain with the bank? * MSS 23 * FDR 10 * Current 13 * Others 4 2. Why you choose mercantile bank? * Branch number of the bank 11 * Location of the bank 15 * Reputation of the bank 3 * Service of the bank 16 * Personal relationship 5 3. What are the services of this bank you usually use? * MSS 20 * LC 3 * Current Account 9 * FDR 7 * Card 7 * Locker 4 4. Are you satisfied with the service charges of the bank? * Very high 0 * High 14 * Moderate 25 * Low 11 * Very low 0 05. Are you satisfied with the account opening procedure? * Good 23 * Very good 12 * Poor 15 * Very poor 0 06. Are you a debit card holder of this Bank? * Yes 14 * No 36 07. Do you think the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient? * Agree 12 * disagree 38 08. Do you think MBL takes longer time to issue a card? * Disagree 20 * Strongly Disagree 0 * Agree 20 * Strongly agree 10 * 9. Are you satisfied about ATM services? * Satisfy 7 * Dissatisfy 20 * Moderate 13 10. Are you satisfied with the branch location? * Yes 18 * No 14 * Moderate 18 11. Where do you first know about this bank? * TV 0 * News Papers 10 * Bill-board & sells representatives 18 * Friends & Family 22 (Likert scale) No.| Question:| Highly Satisfy| Satisfy| Neutral| Disagree| Highly Disagree| 12.| Are you satisfied with the Services offered by the MBL?| 0| 20| 21| 9| 0| 13.| Are you satisfied with the different charges & interest rates that are offered by MBL?| 0| 18| 25| 7| 0| 14.| Do you think the numbers of branches are satisfactory compare to other Banks?| 0| 20| 23| 7| 0| 15.| Are you satisfied with the different promotional campaign of MBL?| 0| 3| 26| 12| 9| 16.| Do you think the employees are highly efficient?| 5| 15| 26| 4| 0| 17.| Do you think the process of taking loan is very easy?| 0| 14| 12| 24| 0| 18.| Are you satisfied with the total working process of the MBL?| 0| 11| 30| 9| 0| 19.| Do you think MBL provides a very good after sales services in ATM sector?| 0| 9| 20| 13| 8| 20.| Do you think MBL take longer time to open LC?| 0| 20| 16| 14| 0| Questionnaire: Dear respondent, ————————————————- I’m a student of BBA program studying in Bangladesh University of Business & Technology (BUBT). I was assigned to prepare a report on â€Å"customer satisfaction of the Services of Mercantile Bank LTD† which is a partial fulfillment of my internship program. As a result, some information would be needed from you. It is assured that all the information will keep confidential and solely use in this report only. Name:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Sex: a) Male b) Female Occupation:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Express your opinion by giving (√) marks. You may choose more than one option where necessary. 01. What type of account you maintain with the bank? A) MSS C) FDR B) Current D) Others 02. Why you choose mercantile bank? A) Branch number of the bank C) Location of the bank B) Reputation of the bank D) Service of the bank E) Personal relationship 03. What are the services of this bank you usually use? A) MSS B) LC C) Current Account D) FDR E) Card F) Locker 04. Are you satisfied with the service charges of the bank? A) Very high C) Good B) High D) Poor E) Very poor 05. Are you satisfied with the account opening procedure? A) Good B) Very good C) Poor D) Very poor 06. Are you a debit card holder of this Bank? A) Yes B) No 07. Do you think the numbers of ATM booths are sufficient? A) Agree B) Disagree 08. Do you think MBL takes longer time to issue a card? A) Disagree C) Strongly Disagree B) Agree D) strongly agree 09. Are you satisfied about ATM services? A) Satisfy c) Dissatisfy B) Moderate 10. Are you satisfied with the branch location? A) Yes B) No C) Moderate 11. Where do you first know about this bank? A) TV B) News Papers C) Bill-board & sells representatives D) Friends & Family Please put tick (√) on appropriate place. Statement| Highly Satisfy | Satisfy| Neutral| Disagree | Highly Disagree| 12. Are you satisfied with the Services offered by the MBL?| | | | | | 13. Are you satisfied with the different charges & interest rates that are offered by MBL?| | | | | | 14. Do you think the numbers of branches are satisfactory?| | | | | | 15. Are you satisfied with the different promotional campaign of MBL? | | | | | | 16. Do you think the employees are highly efficient?| | | | | | 17. Do you think the process of taking loan is very easy?| | | | | | 18. Are you satisfied with the total working process of the MBL?| | | | | | 19. Do you think MBL provides a very good after sales services in ATM sector?| | | | | | 20. Do you think MBL take longer time to open LC?| | | | | | THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND COORDINATION. Surveyor Signature:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Contact No:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

Preferred language style: English (U.S.) Essay

First, you should read these key documents relating to the definition and expression of usability. As you read, try to define for yourself as specifically as possible how you would assess usability. Remember, usability matters, because time matters — the argument for usability is heavily based on efficiency, not on aesthetics or people’s rights not to be put upon. Jakob Nielsen, Kara Pernice Coyne, and Marie Tahir, Make it Usable. PC Magazine 02. 06. 01. [Available at http://www. pcmag. com/article2/0,4149,33821,00. asp] Jakob Nielsen (2003) Usability 101: Introduction to Usability. Alert box, August 25 http://www. useit. com/alertbox/20030825. html The Web Style Guide (2nd Edition) available at http://www. webstyleguide. com/index. html Usability First [available at http://www. usabilityfirst. com/] Then comes the experiential component of the case. It shouldn’t take you to long and will give you a point of reference for what the debate is all about. Take the Web Usability Quiz — free and online at http://www. humanfactors. com/training/webquiz. asp You might actually want to try the quiz before you do the reading to check your prior knowledge. However, since your score is just between you and the machine, it`s up to you. But you`ll get more out of it if you do take the quiz. Then, in a 3-5 page paper, discuss the following questions: What do you believe are the appropriate criteria for assessing usability? Who should make such judgments? How should disagreements about usability be resolved? Usability plays a very important role in determining the efficiency of a website, and suggests the ability of the customer to use the website (Neilson, 2001). It is a quality component and determines the easiness and the convenience in using the website (Neilson, 2003). The customer should find the website user-friendly and interesting (Neilson, 2001). In this article, the importance of usability to websites is mentioned, but it could be applied to any area. As there are countless number of websites providing relevant information, people have several options. Hence, if a website is badly designed, it would suffer from not being visualized by the customer. The customer has to be involved during the construction stage itself to ensure that the website can be designed in the most appropriate manner. Another fact which should be noted in this regard is that a customer would not return to the website if it is bad, as a negative impression would already have been generated in the mind (Neilson, 2001). Before the website is launched, a sample of the potential customers should provide feedback. Studies have shown that these potential users have provided appropriate feedback which was utilized and helped to improve the quality of the website. Many web-designers have made huge amount of corrections within a very short period of time, and with a little investment after taking advice from the sample of the customers. Usually customers were lost right from the start of the homepage, were a registration of the customer was required (Neilson, 2001). Usability is also required for the website surviving in the market. Customers would leave the website at any given point of time, if it is difficult to use. Any information put in a difficult to read manner would also have the same consequence. It is very important that the website answers the questions of the user promptly (Neilson, 2003). Hence, the information presented should be very relevant and specific. In the industry of web designing, usability suggests that the designers are very efficient at the construction of a website. At the moment about 10 % of the construction of websites costs is spent on determining and improving the usability (Neilson, 2003). It is one of the areas a website production unit would be spending more compared to other quality areas (Neilson, 2003). There are several criteria for assessing usability. These include:- 1. Efficiency – The ability of the user to perform the activities mentioned, once they have learned the website. 2. Learnability – The ability of the user to perform the activities easily, once they are able to enter the website. 3. Satisfaction – The pleasure derived in using the website. 4. Errors – The chances of committing errors on the website, and the extent of these errors along with the ease in which they can be corrected. 5. Utility – The ability to function in an appropriate user-friendly manner, (Neilson, 2003). 6. Accessibility – The customer should be provided with access to appropriate information in the website. This is one of the most important criteria a website should follow (Lynch and Horton, 2002). 7. User-friendly design – The graphics and the texts available on the website should be balanced and prepared in a well-balanced manner. It should encourage good flow of information. The website should provide content and should be user-friendly for only the target audience group. The navigation aids present on the website should be accessible. Sometimes, the user may require additional information, and in such circumstances an access link should be available. This access links should always be functional (Lynch and Horton, 2002). 8. Relevant information – The website should provide relevant and current information. Sometimes, further details about the source from where the information is derived, would also be required. 9. Author’s name and the Credentials of the author – The website should be providing the author’s name and the credentials of the author, so that the customer can also weight the accuracy and genuineness of the information provided. Judgments to improve the usability should be made by the potential customers. They should be called in at the designer’s office. The correction would be occurring in a process, which include:- 1. Determine the objectives and the activities of the representative user – At first, the users should be told the objectives of the website and they should be given sufficient information to proceed on to the next task. Each representative tasks should be written on a separate page, and once the user finishes with one age, he/she could move on to the next page (Neilson, 2001). 2. The people testing the usability of the website should be placed in real-life instances. Their profile should suit that of the relevant audience the website wants to target. To test a particular site, 5 people should be utilized. The time each tester should spend ranges from 20 minutes to about 2 hours (Neilson, 2001). 3. The test sessions should be performed in a serene and a quiet environment. Usually, testing should be performed at one person at a time. However, if one tester cannot observe or disturb the other tester, the process can be done for several individuals at a time (Neilson, 2001). 4. The areas the testers experience certain difficulties should be observed immediately, and efforts should be made to correct them. The feedback and responses supplied by the testers is very important and should be utilized appropriately (Neilson, 2001). 5. Besides actually following the feedback and reactions of the user, several other issues can be sorted out by the designers to ensure that the usability of the website can be improved. Frequently, surveys may not convey precise information, and a lot depends on following the observations of the user. The information provided by a survey may frequently be misleading (Neilson, 2001). 6. During the process of testing, the designers should be quiet and observe what the representative user does or say. Anything said by the designers would affect the outcome of such a procedure (Neilson, 2003). Problems that could arise during testing:- 1. The results obtained from one user may be similar to another user. In such a circumstance, it would be better to conduct the entire procedure individually for each user or place them in rooms where one user cannot disturb another user (Neilson, 2003). 2. Frequently, the outcome of a testing may not be useful if people not belonging to the target group are selected for testing. In such a circumstance, it would be better to select individuals (at least five of them belonging to the target group) (Neilson, 2003). 3. Users should not be told anything during the testing. Instead most of the talking should be done by the user. If too much talking is done by the testers, the users would get influenced, and real-life simulation would not be possible (Neilson, 2003). References: Foraker Design. â€Å"Usability in Website and Software Design. † 2002. Usability First. 2 Jun 2007 http://www. usabilityfirst. com/ Human Factors. â€Å"Web Usability Quiz. † 1996. Human Factors. 2 Jun 2007 http://www. humanfactors. com/training/webquiz. asp Jakob Nielsen, Kara Pernice Coyne, and Marie Tahir, â€Å"Make it Usable. † 2001. PC Magazine. 2 Jun 2007 http://www. pcmag. com/article2/0,4149,33821,00. asp Jakob Nielsen, â€Å"Usability 101: Introduction to Usability. † 2003. Alert box. 2 Jun 2007 http://www. useit. com/alertbox/20030825. html Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton. â€Å"The Web Style Guide, Second Edition. † Web Style Guide. 2 Jun 2007 http://www. webstyleguide. com/index. html

Essentials of Business Law Essay

There are many types of contracts made between people, however there are several guidelines to follow for the contract to be valid. A contract is defined as an official agreement which can be written or an oral agreement. A contract is a promise that is made between two or more people and can be formal or informal. There are six elements that make the contract valid, if these elements aren’t present in the contract then it is not considered to be valid. The first element of importance would be that the two parties must have an offer. An offer is the actual promise or agreement that needs to be decided upon because this is what makes the whole contract exist. In order to make a valid offer, there should be at least two people or more so that they can create a legal contract. Then the offer must be accepted by the other party/parties to be a legal valid contract. Both parties must fully be aware of what is being offered as well as what the other party must do in return. Once the offer is made in a contract, the other party must accept the offer. The contract cannot be official without the other party accepting the offer. The other party can accept the offer that is being made by writing or verbally. The next important element in the contract is consideration. Consideration is when the other party gives something back in response to the offer being made. Consideration is anything of value that is given in exchange for goods or services, and is used to induce the other party to enter into a contractual agreement. This makes the contract similar to an exchange between the two parties. In order for a contract to be legally valid, there must be a consideration. Although the Contracts Act 1950 does not state anything on the necessity of the intention to create legal relations, it is considered very important to have this element when making a valid legal contract. This element is an agreement that is not a contract unless it is in the common intention of the parties that it should be legally enforced. Such as an agreement made between two people about belongings that should be inherited after a person’s death. Certainty is another important element in the contract, the guidelines and rules that are made in a contract must be clearly stated and understood by both parties involved in the contract. The agreement must be certain or the contract will no longer be valid. Capacity in the contract is described as the parties in the contract having the legal capacity to carry out the contract. The parties must be at least of the age of 18 or older. Minors or people below the age of eighteen do not have the capacity to enter into a valid contract legally. All types of contracts are different, for example some are long and contain a lot of legal termination while others are written in simple English and are only a page long. Contracts are also used for many different reasons such as for large corporate businesses to personal matters. The many different type of contracts are created for many different purposes such as fix-price contracts, labor contracts, and time- material contracts to name a few. These contracts are created different but they are still required to meet all the expectations of a legal valid contract. References Rogers, S. (2012). Essentials of Business Law. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Change Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change Model - Essay Example The best short-term change model for the company is Kotter's 8 Step change model created by John Kotter, a Harvard University Professor. In this case, he argues that employees accept change when their leaders convince them of the urgency for change. The process involves eight stages, the first stage is increasing the urgency for change that aims at motivating employees. The next step is building a team that will be dedicated to change and who will build momentum around the need to change. The next step is creating the vision of change that people can understand. Communicating the need for change is also a crucial step. Communication needs to be frequent and powerful. Empowering workers with the ability to change and creating short-term goals are also crucial. For change to succeed the next steps are being persistent and it should be made permanent. The model is best for the organization because of its advantages including the fact that it is easy and is a step-by-step model. The proc ess also focuses on the preparation and acceptance of change among employees and not the actual change. The method also makes the transition to be easier. However, it also has its disadvantages that include the fact that the company cannot skip a step. It means that all the steps need to be followed for the model to be successful. There is also the risk that it would take a great deal of time to implement the model. It is critical to note that the company intends to make major changes on how it reaches its customers.

The impact of e-business on an organisation Dissertation

The impact of e-business on an organisation - Dissertation Example Organizations all over the world have taken the help of various methods to facilitate the operations and expansion of their business. With the development of Information and Communication Technology, firms have chosen to conduct a large part of their business activities through e-commerce. This has generated a new area of interest among financial researchers. Analysts have been curious to know the impact of the introduction of e-commerce on an organization. They have also been interested in comparing the firms’ business functioning in the earlier days with that in the new technological era. The introduction of e-commerce in corporations has brought about significant changes in their operations. The new technologies have enabled firms to undertake a larger volume of business with the help of the same resources.Service organizations are now able to reach out to a wider range of customers. The new ICT methods have facilitated a more efficient functioning of the overall activities of firms. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the impact of e-commerce on an organization. Therefore, this paper has chosen to undertake a research on this subject. The Indian banking sector has been currently been witnessing an ICT revolution. Most of the banks have adopted new technological methods to improve the efficiency of their existing operations and also to expand their business among a larger spectrum of the population. Recently the HDFC Bank has implemented a multichannel integration program across its business operations.... or choosing the project topic area Organizations all over the world have taken the help of various methods to facilitate the operations and expansion of their business. With the development of Information and Communication Technology, firms have chosen to conduct a large part of their business activities through e-commerce. This has generated a new area of interest among financial researchers. Analysts have been curious to know the impact of the introduction of e-commerce on an organization. They have also been interested in comparing the firms’ business functioning in the earlier days with that in the new technological era. These issues have urged analysts to undertake relevant research in this domain. The introduction of e-commerce in corporations has brought about significant changes in their operations. The new technologies have enabled firms to undertake a larger volume of business with the help of the same resources. Service organizations are now able to reach out to a w ider range of customers. The new ICT methods have facilitated a more efficient functioning of the overall activities of firms. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the impact of e-commerce on an organization. Therefore, this paper has chosen to undertake a research on this subject. Reasons for choosing the particular organization-HDFC INDIA The Indian banking sector has been currently been witnessing an ICT revolution. Most of the banks have adopted new technological methods to improve the efficiency of their existing operations and also to expand their business among a larger spectrum of the population. Recently the HDFC Bank has implemented a multichannel integration program across its business operations. Under this project, the bank has integrated its branches, the ATMs, the POS, the

Women and Minorities in K-12 Leadership Research Proposal

Women and Minorities in K-12 Leadership - Research Proposal Example Minorities are also quite resilient, with a â€Å"never say die† spirit which helps them overcome many of the difficulties that they face in their lives and work. Both women and minorities are quite assertive and they know how to stand up for what is right. The K12 education system needs leaders who are resilient enough not to give in to the challenges that come with managing educational institutions. K12 leadership also needs people who are assertive; those who can ensure that the system runs in accordance with the law. The theoretical foundation of this project will be â€Å"A woman leader can be like the sea horse. She may wobble occasionally after being besieged by the lionfish, but she regains her momentum and remains determined and aloft and swims upright – upstream† (Byers-Pevitts, 2006). Byers-Pevitts means that women cannot be discouraged by any kind of difficulty that they might face. They know how to deal with these difficulties and come out even stronger. Carter (2008) and Page (2004) affirm that women are well suited to carry out more effective K12 leadership as compared to their male counterparts during conflicts. Some researchers have also found out that involving minorities in K12 leadership would help foster some sense of oneness and cultural understanding in an institution. Since the sample size will be a big one, I will use questionnaires since they are cheaper and quicker to administer. The questionnaires are also quite easy to quantify. The interviews will help me get more quality data. They will also help me gain rapport with the interviewees. I will also get an understanding of the respondent’s views from observing their behavior. The purpose of my research is to analyze how effective women and minorities can be in K12 leadership roles. I will use primary and secondary data to show that these two groups

Films and computer games containing violence are very popular. some Essay

Films and computer games containing violence are very popular. some people say they have a negative effect on society and should be banned. other people say they are just harmless relaxation - Essay Example However, this argument does not prove to be a good one when one looks at the negative impacts. I believe that violent media arrives with concerns relating to addiction, anxiety, dejection, brutality and aggression that develop in young minds. Games like Mortal Combat, Resident Evil, Marvel vs. Capcom, Doom, Manhunt, Dead Rising, Gears of War, Grand Theft Auto, require the player to kill, shoot, slash and stab their enemy using bombs, swords and chainsaw. My neighbor’s son is being treated for anger management thanks to the violent films and games he watches regularly. Children tend to have less-developed ability of decision-making or critical thinking so they cannot realize what is wrong with what they are viewing and their minds learn or absorb every act they see. To conclude, when a person watches the violent acts, the energy generated by the fantasy keeps the physical responses from getting expressed. So, when this energy gets its chance, it gets expressed in the real life. Hence, violent films and video games have a very negative impact on

Cause and effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cause and effect - Essay Example on of marital relationships is strongly associated with aggression, whose presence may cause separation or divorce within a marriage’s first 4 years. Studies show that couples who exhibit aggression in their marriages would be more likely to end their marriages through divorce or separation than those that do not (Fine and Harvey 98). Newlyweds are particularly at risk as they show higher levels of aggression. Partners facing marital violence mostly downplay the violence by making excuses for not seeking help for the behavior, opting instead for divorce. The link between marital dissatisfaction and divorce is strong. Couples that are unhappy with their union are at an increased risk of divorce than those who are happier. Fine and Harvey support this postulate, noting the risk to be higher if the husband is the unhappy one of the couples (97). The risk when the wife was unhappy was noted to remain the same as when both are happy. Marital dissatisfaction may come as a result of the two people growing apart for various reasons causing them to lose touch of each other. Adultery is one reason that may cause couples to grow apart as it causes mistrust to creep in. Such mistrust causes couples to prefer to be apart, hence divorce. Additionally, alcohol and substance abuse has led to the dissolution of many marriages. Alcohol consumption, particularly in excessive amounts, leads to lack of control and could lead to physical or psychological abuse which strains marriages (Sember 6). Alcoholics would not aware of the damage caused to the family, especially because parenting would be left to one partner. A marriage with one or both partners engaging in substance abuse would be 4 times more likely to end in divorce than one where the partners do not (Fine and Harvey 97). A majority of men divorcees report spousal abuse as the cause of their divorce. Finally, economic challenges accelerate the risk of divorce. Studies have shown that couples are at a high risk of divorce

Case week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case week 2 - Essay Example U.S. companies justify this trend by indicating that it reduces their costs which in the end, makes them more competitive globally. The country that benefits from the outsourcing of skilled white-collar jobs to developing nations are the developing nations because it provides employment to their people. The losers are the other skilled white-collar workers in the rich nations because they will find difficulty in looking for a job since it was outsourced from other countries who have a much lower labor cost. These white-collars workers in the rich country may either be out of job or will be forced to accept a job which offers a lower rate just to remain competitive. Opponents of outsourcing claim that â€Å"the loss of competitive advantage to other countries is permanent and the American worker and economy lose forever (Saleem, 2008). Yes, the United States will suffer from the loss of high-skilled and high-paying jobs because most companies would rather hire individuals from Third World countries who have the same skills as those found in the U.S. but the cost of labor will be cheaper. Since outsourcing means fewer jobs for the Americans, it means that the unemployed sector of the U.S. will not have the capacity to spend. If they do not have the purchasing power, then those who produce the goods will not earn too (Saleem, 2008). Proponents of outsourcing however say that outsourcing is necessary for the productivity and competitiveness of the U.S. economy since the companies realize cost savings from hiring people at lower rates. (Elstrom, 2007). c. Is there a difference between the transference of high-paying white-collar jobs, such as computer programming and accounting, to developing nations and low-paying blue-collar jobs? If so, what is the difference, and should government do anything to stop the flow of white-collar jobs out of the country to countries such as India? There is not much difference between the transference to

Prostitution in Dutch Flemish Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Prostitution in Dutch Flemish Art - Essay Example They captured each emotion and took care of every little detail that could change the subject of the painting. These artists were meticulous enough when it came down to the choice of color palette and how to convey the message they bear in mind in a stabilized yet innovative manner. The different themes that represent the most notable era for the world of art and culture were historical paintings, portraiture (both group and single entity), genre paintings, landscapes and still life paintings. Historical paintings presented the real heroic scenes from the history with a touch of religious and national background. Portrait paintings included famous groups of people and their luxurious lifestyle and royal structures of various landmarks. Genre paintings on the other hand, gave a visionary meaning to mundane life along with an illustration of many Dutch quotes, proverbs and moralistic messages. Landscape paintings beautified the Dutch landscapes with the innovative imagination that made these artists produce such classic works of art. Still life paintings provided the Dutch painters to experiment with different textures and surfaces along with a merit of creating magic by the help of lighting effects. The socio-economical, political and religious position of the Netherlands helped in the emergence of a lucrative environment for the sphere of art. A great number of pictures and artists emerged during the 'Dutch golden age'. The popularity of genre paintings increased in between the span of 1600 to 1650 that well-preserved the scenes from everyday life while capturing the rhythm and thought provoking life back in the sixteenth century. Dutch genre paintings particularly in the sixteenth century were an excellent source of inspiration when it comes to the portrayal of family values, gratitude, social and moral responsibilities and duties. The mid-century genre paintings mostly portrayed women busy in indoor activities and taking care of the household. However, paintings which had depictions in them of women who were busy in any of the outdoor activities were often questioned and strongly criticized on moral grounds, specifically indicating towards the provocative character of a woma n. Dutch Culture and Prostitution: It is believed strongly that prostitution as per the Dutch culture is an expression of art and ingenuity which clearly predicts the existence of prostitution as a part of their culture and custom. Amsterdam, the Dutch capital is using prostitution as an instance to make way for artistic excellence along with cultural values and a representation of the Dutch people since it became a part of the global map. The Dutch culture and the candidness to prostitution within it has compelled the Dutch people to accept it as a legal part of their constitution which distinctly states that prostitutes can pursue their profession legally along with the payment of mandatory taxes. This quite evidently means that prostitution is acknowledged as standard and treated just like any other job that provides an individual with a monetary outcome. Therefore, the Dutch society who always fairly accepted the notion of prostitution because of its evident existence in their antiquity now has accepted prostitute s as legal workers having a legal job moreover, a contributing part of the society. In the

Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Human Resource - Essay Example 1. __False__ Suzy is employed as a secretary in the U.S. Senate. Her supervisor has insinuated that there are negative references in her personnel file. Suzy has demanded to see her personnel file and her supervisor has refused. Her supervisor has violated the Privacy Act. No, he has not violated the privacy Act since it relates mostly to health issues but in this case, Suzy is not authorized to see her personal file .It may be against the company policy to show the personal files of the employees. 4. False Melissa is fired for stealing from her employer, LaMont and Co. She is convicted of the theft, but given only a light sentence. Some time later, a prospective employer calls LaMont for a reference, and is told that the reason for Melissa’s termination was that she had committed theft of employer property. Melissa does not get the new job. LaMont has defamed Melissa According to the labour law the employees shall have the right to self organize and form unions or refrain from it. However, unfair labour practice charges can be brought against an employer on account to wages, hours and other terms of employment if they are not in accordance with the state laws or norms prevailing within the company or industry. False, The Wagner Act identifies the unfair labor practices that the employer can be accused of. The Taft Hartley Act was passed to amend the Wagner Act to restrict mis-use of unionism allowed through the Wagner Act. OSHA allows the workers to refuse to work if they see that the employer is violating their duty of providing a safe workplace. The employer is required to take corrective action but can not replace the workers since it is their right under OSHA to refuse to work in unsafe conditions. 14 TRUE OSHA does not hold employers liable for injuries suffered by employees while working in the employee’s home offices, but employers are responsible for injuries suffered by employees if the employee

Forensic Science Module Essay Example for Free

Forensic Science Module Essay 1. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid refers to the molecules that carry our genetic information. DNA can be found in blood, skin cells, tissues, muscles, bones, teeth, hair, and saliva. 2. Mitochondrial DNA is DNA that can be inherited from one’s mother and is found outside of the cell nucleus. 3. CODIS is a software program that contains the DNA profiles of convicted offenders, missing persons, crime scene evidence, and other sources. CODIS works by attempting to match the samples of DNA based on the thirteen different regions or loci within the nuclear DNA. 4. Complimentary base patterns are pairs that always pair up together. Complimentary base patters are so important because the four bases make up DNA 5. RFLP is described as the method in which DNA is studied, by using an enzyme to cut DNA strands into different sections. Limitations to this process include the fact that it requires a large sample of DNA and samples that carry dirt or mold usually will not work good with this type of test. 1. I believe DNA has had and continues to have such an impact on forensic science because a DNA sample can help figure out who was involved in a crime and even who was the person who committed the crime. 2. I believe some of the challenges that come with collecting DNA evidence could include the DNA sample potentially becoming damaged, by factors even if includes natural causes such as dirt, dust, and mold. Some ways that I could overcome these potential challenges include trying to collect more DNA samples that are not ruined or damaged you can also attempt to clean the DNA if possible. 3. The difference between mitochondria DNA and nuclear DNA is that mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the offspring’s mother while in nuclear DNA it is mixed and matched so it is different. I would choose nuclear DNA to work with because it is more complex which means it is less likely for any two people to have the same pattern while mitochondrial DNA has less variability from one to another. 4. If I had to analyze DNA samples I would choose the polymerase chain reaction to analyze the DNA. PCR creates strands of DNA from small samples of DNA at crime scenes. I would choose this technique because for one it is inexpensive, does not take very long, and can be successful with just even a small piece of the DNA sample. 5. The expert’s testimony can be dismissed by questioning its credibility, education,

Themes in The Sand Fish

Themes in The Sand Fish The Sand Fish Themes As a matter of fact, Maha Gargash succeeds in discussing a lot of issues from the beginning of the novel till its end. One of the main themes she managed to talk about is marriage and polygamy. Noora has to struggle through her life as she is forced to marry someone she does not love in order to live a rich life. Her brother decides to sell her as a slave instead of listening to her and instead of letting her taking in rule of her life. While she thought her life as a wife would be amazing, he also had to suffer in order to deal with her fellow wives. She also feels that she is always ordered to do things she does not want. However, at the end she feels satisfied after delivering her baby because such baby gives her a new hope. Moreover, Maha indicates the preparations done to each girl before getting married in the Arab communities as well as the rules of choosing a good wife according to the point of view of people there. Another theme discussed is the Arab customs and traditions represented in greetings like Assalamu Alaykom, clothes dressed by the main characters and customs of marriage along with respecting old people and serving them. The author explains how Noora walks with Jassem in the village while poor people get close to her and stare at her. She also talks about how Noora deals with Lateefa and Moza since they are older than her and how she listens to them carefully. Furthermore, Maha talks about how Noora serves his father and helps him with the house works. On the other side, Maha discusses betrayal due to hidden feelings. Because Noora could not allowed to do what she felt and what she needed to do according to her will, she did everything illegitimate and illicit. She let a stranger touch h er and she also betrayed her husband by being pregnant from someone else. While some readers could believe that what Noora did was adultery, others feel sorry for her because she was in love and she needed someone to take care of her. Maha also mentions the relationship between brothers and sisters represented in the one between Noora and Sager. Although they quarrel, they still care for each other. Another discussed theme is death as Noora starts to have memories about her mother Fatma giving her advices and recommendations regarding how to act nicely and how to become like a lady. One of the most important themes is metaphysics or superstitions spread between ignorant and illiterate people as they believe witches have forces and they can take control of everything as well as changing peoples destiny through deceiving them. Despite the fact that the witch told Jassem he would have a baby, it turned out not to be his. In addition, Islamic laws are perfectly mentioned in the story as Maha shows what is Haram and Halal, what is legal and what is illegal. When Noora makes love with Rashid and Hamad, she feels guilty as she violated the rules of her society and religion. Maha depicts perfectly pure love which arouse between Noora and Rashid before her marriage and how she feels secured and safe when he touched her. She also mentions the feeling of relief resulted from the love making between her and Hamad. Besides, Maha indicates in her story the technique of self-monologue as Noora keeps thinking and talking with herself most of the novel in order to share her thoughts with the reader and truly express how she feels as well as reacting according to such feelings. On the other hand, poverty is well explained in the novel of Sand Fish as Noora has to deal with this issue and not being able to do what she has the desire to do because she is poor. Thats why her brother feels responsible towards her and thats why he tells her he cannot afford her things. Therefore, he sends her as a bride to be married in a new house where she can find a bed to sleep and good food to eat instead of living a harsh life of men between mountains. Though Noora gets married, she does not feel happy. However, she manages to survive and adapt at the end. Characters There are a lot of characters mentioned in the novel of Sand Fish. Here they are as follows: Noora-Al-Salmi: the main character of the story. She is stubborn and childish at the beginning. Nevertheless, she takes good care of her house before and after marriage. She also learns how to become a lady. Although she did a lot of illicit things, she manages at the end to protect herself and her baby. Sager-Al-Salmi: Nooras friend. Though he is young, he does not want to show his tenderness and feelings towards his sister because he wants to act like a man. Thats why he sent her to get married to a rich merchant in order to live a good life away from poverty and famine. Rashid: a young teenager who falls in love with Noora. Though she finds him attractive and though he touches her, he turns to abandon her at the end in order to achieve his mothers desire by getting married to his cousin, Aisha. Ibrahim-Al-Salmi: Noora and Sagers father. Maha describes him as a mad man who lost his mind. However, he is very friendly and he loves his daughter so much. Jassem Saeed Bin-Mattar: Nooras husband. He is also married to two other wives named Lateefa and Shamsa. Though he seems stern at the beginning, he turns to become soft and tender once he speaks with Noora and shows her his inner feelings. He also becomes very happy when he knows that she is pregnant. Hamad: Jassems servant. He falls in love with Noora and makes love with her. Thats why she becomes pregnant with his son. However, when Noora refuses to escape with him, he travels to India. He also steals Jassems pearls to have money but Noora takes them from him in order to put them back in the cupboard. Zobaida Bint-Sheer: the witch who lives with her son Dur-Mamad. She is thought to have the ability to speak with Jinn and control peoples destiny. She also prepares potions and other stuff. She succeeds in deceiving people to take money from them by depending on sorcery. Thats why Jassem goes to her and pays her a lot of money in order to find him a solution so that he could have a baby. Plot The story talks about a young girl who is seventeen years old. Her name is Noora and she lives with her brother Sager and her insane father Ibrahim. She belongs to Al-Salmi tribe. Throughout the story, Noora finds herself forced to do things she does not want to do including being unable to marry the person she loves named Rashid, not having the ability to choose her destiny and refuse to marry someone she does not know and finally being helpless because of not being capable of escaping with the person she loved after her marriage. She also finds herself responsible for things she believes that she is so young to do such as taking care of the house work and looking after her father and brother. After going through many ups and downs and after facing a lot of issues, Noora decides at the end to stay with her husband Jassem and takes care of her baby. Setting The events of the story take place in the middle of the nineties at the Gulf countries. The characters move also from one place to another through the entire story as Maha Gragash mentions a lot of venues such as Wadeema, Leema and Nassayem. Furthermore, she talks about the life in desert and between mountains as well as the life of tribes and how they manage to survive in this harsh life. She describes the usage of wells and the dependence on dates along with exports from other countries like India and England so that they could be able to have a normal life. Some of these exports are spices and fruits such as turmeric, pomegranate and mangoes. Eventually, Maha talks about the activity of pearl diving and how Arabs used to rely on this trade in order to earn money. Narrative voice Maha depends on the self-monologue as mentioned before. In addition, she explains her story using the technique of the third person. Such technique is used in order to explain how Maha knows the deep secrets of every single character and how she predicts and expects their reactions. Furthermore, she successfully shows their emotions including their fear just as when she describes Nooras fear that someone might reveal her secret of betraying her husband. On the other side, Maha depends on the technique of flashback as she tells the events of her story and suddenly, she talks about old memories and events in order to attract the attention of readers as well as providing them with information she thinks it is necessary so that they could be able to know more about their favorite characters. Language Maha Gargash manipulates words perfectly as her choice of language and her well explanation of characters shows how perfect she is in using English though she is an Arab writer. Her excellence in language can also be represented in the implementation of many verbs in order to describe voices, scenes and reactions of faces as well as gestures. Finally, many readers could find some words difficult for them especially Arab ones but Maha manages to attract their attention and make the story appealing to their tastes. Summary The author Maha Gargash chooses a very unique name in order to call its story. Such name symbolizes the actions done by the main character is the story Noora Al- Salmi. As a matter of fact, Noora is a young girl whose mother is dead and she lives with her brother Sager. In addition, her father is an insane man that does not show any kind of commitment towards his children. Because Noora and Sager live a poor life, Sager, just like any other man in an Arab family, wants to let go of his sister by getting her married in order not to hold the responsibility of becoming the breadwinner of the family. Thats why he brings two sisters named Gulsom and Sakina to the hut where they live in order to find a rich husband for Noora so that she could enjoy a wealthy life away from poverty. In other words, Gulsom and Sakina work as matchmakers. After they arrive to Nooras house, they start to give her advices and recommendations about how to become a good wife as well as checking every single detail and aspect in her body from head to toe in order to make sure that she would be perfect for the awaited bridegroom. Therefore, they start to hold her cheeks and touch her skin as well as looking at her teeth. They also find out that she has a scar on her chin because she fell when she was playing between rocks. So, they become sad. However, they say that it is not a big deal and that they would find a solution for all the imperfections in her body through depending on the usage of a mixture of cardamom and milk. In addition, they begin to talk about their experience in making young daughters rea dy to become good brides and they tell Noora that she is lucky because they are here to help her. They also say to her something very important; she must abandon her pride and dignity in order to live a good life. This is because of the fact that if she decides to speak or talk, her husband would kick her out of home and she will find no place to go or to live. Thats why she must be silent. Noora is very scared and she hopes that Sakina and Gulsom would find something wrong in her body which would not qualify her to get married. However, her hopes are in vain when she discovers that both sisters are happy. Thats when Noora starts to feel like the sand fish after becoming sad and alone in the hut. In the next chapter, Noora is wandering between the mountains of the Arabian Desert in which the desert is very hot when she hears and sees a strange lizard. Because she is scared, she starts to call her brother Sager to come and help her. Then, they discover that this lizard is a sand fish and it begins to move quickly. Thats why it hurts itself and starts to bleed. Noora asks Sager to hold the sand fish in order to help it; however the lizard tries to escape. Then, suddenly it jumps into the air and lies on the ground. Noora and Sager think that it is dead but it survives. At the same time, Sager tells Noora that he wastes his time with her as he has a lot of responsibilities. When Noora hears this word, she thinks that her brother says her in order to feel important and in order not to allow her to reply. Then, when Sager and Noora carry buckets of water to bring them back home, Noora rolls up her dress so that she could be able to walk. Thats when Sager becomes angry and asks her to cover her legs. Noora tells him that she does not do anything wrong and she has the right to act whatever she likes. Then, Sager replies by saying that she is now a woman and she cannot do actions of little girls. She is now a grownup lady. Noora becomes upset and starts to remember the advices her mother Fatma used to give her such as combing her hair and putting kohl in order to look neat and clean. Noora also notices that Sager is starting to abandon his boyhood and act like a man. However, she is sad because he does not show his feelings towards her and begins to push her away. When she returns to the hut, she finds her father Ibrahim preparing food. Ibrahim does not exactly separate between the roles of men and women as he believes these roles have to be interchangeable. He also starts to talk to her about their tribe Al-Salmis and how the leader of this tribe named Ahmed contributes in the destruction of the tribe because he was selfish. Ahmed, in fact, violated the rules which state that tribes must not touch or drink from wells that do not belong to them. However, Ahmed drank from the well of the Hararees tribe and they killed him. Thats why no one from the tribe of Al-Salmi is left except Nooras family. After that, Ibrahim starts to hear the voices no else hears and begins to talk to Noora as if she is someone else as well as spitting at her face. Then, Noora takes him inside the hut to relax. Sager tells his sister that he could ask someone to help their father get better. This person is Zobaida Bint-Sheer and she is a witch. She is able to talk to Jinn; the spirits mentioned in the Holy Koran and made of fire. Although Noora disagrees at the beginning, her brother manages to convince her. While they are going to Zobaida, they pass by Mazoolah, a small village where their relatives from their mothers side live. After discussing the issue of their father with their aunt Moza and their friends Saif, Abdullah and Muhammed, Sager and Noora tell them that they are going to give Zobaida money to cure their father. However, the friends say to them that Zobaida is busy with a new rich client who comes from a far distance. Then, Moza suggests that Noora and Sager must give Zobaida honey instead of coins in order to be able to meet and talk to her. Fortunately, they manage to find some bees after leaving the village and catch them. When Noora asks Sager about his behavior towards her and who the rich man he and his friends are talking about is, he tells her that he is sad because he is not able to feed her well and he is angry of their father because he does not allow her to get married. He also adds that he cannot hold the responsibility of both of them and thats why she must m arry a wealthy man in order to have a good life. Finally, Noora and Sager reach Nassayem where Zobaida, the witch, lives. However, boys who were playing there from which was Faraj Al-Mugami, the youngest son of Sheikh Khaled the leader of the tribe, attack the two protagonists leaving them without any wood or honey. Now, they will not be able to go to Zobaida. In fact, those boys tell them that Zobaida has a son and she had turned him into a dog. They call him Dur-Mamad and they start to attack him. Later, Dur-Mamad, the young boy, come to Sager and Noora and kisses their donkey as a sign to follow him. After they meet Zobaida, she tells them that they did something special as they defended her own son. She also tells them that she can help Ibrahim by preparing a potion that would make him a gentle man. However, he will still be mad. Before they leave, Noora and Sager are very surprised as Zobaida says that they have another problem needed to be solved. She tells Sager that he is worry about his sister because she is old now and he becomes the man of the family. Therefore, she tells the protagonists that the only solution is to find her a husband in order to get married. Noora, of course, becomes angry and waits outside the hut till Zobaida and Sager finish their conversation. Then, Noora goes to stay with her aunt Moza and finds out that she has a chest where she keeps a lot of amazing fabrics. Then, Noora decides to sew some clothes for her instead of storing them without any purpose. Moza is very happy because she finally finds out that these fabrics will be useless. At the same time Noora thinks why her brother did not come to get her as she believe two men at the same house will not be able to survive without a woman. While staying with the old woman, Noora hears the footsteps of someone but she does not have the ability to see him or her due to the snore of Moza. However, she finally discovers that he is a man, but she keeps asking herself why he sneaks at night and why he does not show himself. Eventually, she manages to see him and talk to him. He tells Noora that he knows everything about her and that he feels sorry for what happened to her and her family. In spite of the fact that he refuses to tell Noora his name at the beginning, he finally agrees and says that his name his Rashid. Noora believes that Rashid looks familiar to her and then he tells her to meet him at the far well tomorrow. He also says to her that she does not have to stay with the old woman the whole day because no one will notice her absence and she can say that she will go for a walk. Then Rashid fades away in the shadows. In the following day, Noora starts to think whether to go or not to go. She begins to talk with herself regarding the reactions towards her if she decides to meet Rashid at night and if people of the village manage to catch her. She wonders if they will send her home to her brother or beat her or lock her up. This is because women always take the whole responsibility for everything. She thinks that nothing will happen to Rashid because he is a man while she will have to suffer and bear the consequences of her actions. Finally, Noora takes the risk and goes to meet Rashid. She is excited and scared at the same time because she figures out that Rashid is one of her brothers friends who had joined others for breakfast outside the hut of Moza. She is happy because this is the first time for her to sit with someone alone; someone who is a man not a boy and who is very concerned with her wellbeing. After that, Rashid encourages her to go to a place which he believes Noora will like and he tells her that his intentions towards her are noble. He is right because he shows Noora a very beautiful cave provided with a pool of water that could fit ten adults. Noora becomes very happy and starts to stretch her legs into t he water. Rashid, in turn, begins to compliment her eyes, tells her that they are so beautiful and that she must not hide them. Noora starts to think that Rashid truly cares about her. Then, he tells the protagonist that they must go home before it is too late in order not to let anyone know that she was outside the hut. Rashid and Noora used to meet at the cave every single night without anyone noticing and when Moza asks Noora about her absence, Noora tells her that she walks for a long distance. One day a woman named Hessa Bint-Ali came to visit Moza along with her niece Aisha and Aishas mother named Khadeeja. Aisha is promised to marry the son of Hessa. Then, Hessa starts to talk to Moza about how Aisha was sick and how she had lost a lot of weight. On the other side, Noora shows her skills in embroidery and her aunt Moza spreads the news between the women of the village. Nevertheless, no one is interested in the talent of sewing clothes but they do not mind take advantage of such talent to achieve their benefits. In spite of the fact that Noora begins to feel guilty because she hides a secret from her aunt that breaks the rules of the Arab tribal society in which she lives, she neglects her thoughts when she starts thinking of Rashid and his kind lovely gestures. After that, Hessa gives Noora some fabrics and asks her to sew the bridal gown and some clothes for her daughter-in-law in order to prepare her for marriage. Hessa also tells Noora that she is scared because she b elieves that a strange girl will steal her son away from her and his awaited bride. When Noora meets Rashid at night, she tells him about her meeting with Hessa. She says that she feels as if Hessa blames her for something though she complimented her skin color. On the contrary, Rashid says to Noora that he is not interested in this speech and that he wants to talk about him and Noora. He tells her that he cannot eat or sleep or do anything because he keeps thinking of her all day. Despite the fact that Noora feels weak because of his speech and that she feels vulnerable, she becomes helpless. Thats why she starts to change subject and tells Rashid that he can use this pool as a system of falaj in order to irrigate crops. Suddenly, Rashid becomes angry and asks her to stop talking about this topic because this is his place and he has all the right to show it to whoever he likes. In addition, he tells her that he has the desire to talk about both of them. Suddenly, he asks Noora that he wants to marry her. In the following day, she keeps thinking of what Rashid has told her while she is busy sewing clothes for Aishas wedding. When Moza sees her, she finds out that her face is glowing and asks her if she is happy because of being with her. Noora replies with yes but she wants to tell her the real reason. Nevertheless, she remains silent as Rashid tells her not to talk to anyone unless he asks for her hand formally from her brother Sager. After such proposal presented by Rashid, Noora starts to feel that her meetings with him begin not to become illegitimate or illicit. At the same day when Noora meets her lover, she asks him how he is going to talk to Sager in order to marry her. Noora tells him that her brother might not agree because he sometimes listens to others points of view, Rashid says that he has the ability to talk to Sager and convince him. Then both of them begin to converse about their life in the future together. However, when Noora asks Rashid about the name of his family, he becomes impatient and tells her that she does not need to know because he will be her family. Then, he tells her that she is treated like a savage and she is always alone. Suddenly, Noora starts to cry and both of them begin to quarrel and push each other. Finally, she fell into water and her clothes become wet. She feels exposed and she tries to cover her body with her hands in order not to make Rashid notice its outline. Then he comes close to her and asks her to forgive him for what he did. When she tries to pull him away because she feels she has to, she could not resist as she becomes attracted towards him. Her heart starts beating while Rashid grabs her towards his embrace. He keeps telling her that he wants both of them to melt into each other and that he loves her so much. Then, he starts kissing her eyes when Noora begins to believe that they have to stop. Suddenly, she tells him in a tone full of authority tha t she has to go now. She is happy but guilty because she feels that she has done something sinful. However, God is good to her as the sky was raining and now she has an excuse to explain why her clothes were wet. She has a mixture of feelings: happy, sad, guilty and excited. She also is sad because she had missed the downpour in order to be with Rashid. When she reaches the village, she promises herself not to let Rashid touch her again till they become married. On the other side, Noora finds out that Hessa had a fight with her son because he does not want to marry Aisha and then he disappears. Noora becomes perplexed because she does not know what the purpose of the wedding clothes would be. Hessa is angry and sad at the same time because she thinks her son is stupid as he refuses to marry his cousin. She also begins to hint in her speech while talking with Noora that someone evil might have convinced her son to refuse such marriage. Then she asks Noora why she did not walk as always and why she did not go back to her home. Noora replies that she is tired and that she will return home very soon. Suddenly, Noora becomes stunned when Hessa hopes the coming back of her son Rashid. The protagonist begins to wonder if Hessas son was her beloved Rashid or another one. Then Rashid comes to see her and tell her that it is useless for both of them to get married because he has to comply with the wishes of his mother to marry his cousin. Noora is ast onished and asks him about his promise to her. Then she decides to get back home. After that, she finds out that her father, just as Rashid, was gone and she was devastated. Sager calms her with his nice words and gives her lot of gifts from which is a ring made of gold. Noora becomes suspicious and asks him how he managed to get all of this money. He tells her that he received help from Zobaida and a merchant client who was visiting her. Then Noora asks her brother what Zobaida and this merchant would have in return for saving the witchs son Dur-Mamad. Sager tells her that she must marry this rich merchant in order to live a wealthy life away from poverty. Then, he begins to provide her with information about this groom. His name is Jassem Saeed Bin-Mattar. He is already married to two wives and has a big house. However, Sager tells her sister that she does not need to worry since those two wives will be like her sisters. Noora becomes angry and blames Sager for listening to this old witch and for taking decisions regarding her life instead of her. Then, she tells him that she will not be such bride for this merchant. Nevertheless, her brother forces her to marry this man and thats why Sakina and Gulsom start to prepare her as a bride by showering her with gifts and clothes. Then, Sheikh Kahled, Farajs father, along with her brother, two witnesses and the groom come to do the marriage. Later, Jassem becomes angry because Noora acts nervously and does not want to go with him. At the end, he takes her to a new place called Wadeema. When she arrives to her new home, Noora finds out that she will live with Latifa, the first wife of Jassem and the oldest one along with Shamsa his second wife. Noora begins to live her marital life while sailing with the boat of her husband. She also meets Juma Bin-Humaid, Shamsas father and she feels that he has something to say. Noora was true because Juma says to Jassem that he is sad for his daughter because she is still not ready to accept a second fellow wife. Jassem becomes angry to know that his wife went to see her father without his permission. When finally Noora reaches the marital house, Yaqoota, a maid there, begins to show her everything. The, Noora asks her about what her duties are as a wife. Yaqoota replies that she must have a baby as the other two wives did not and thats why the house is childless. Therefore, Noora starts to think that such baby would give her the chance to keep Jassem from coming to her every single night and would fill her empty hours. Thats why she gets happy when she knows that she will be left alone as Jassem is going to India. On the contrary, Jassem begins to get upset as he loses hope of having a baby, according to what was mentioned by the witch. Thats when he blames Noora for not doing her job as a wife and instead of making love with her, he begins to talk. Noora finds this nice and starts to respond to his talks with a smile. Besides, he informs her about his work which is collecting pearls from seas. He also teaches her how to do calculations and becomes friendly with her. However, Noora notices that whenever sun rises, Jassem gets his stern face back. Maha Gargash, the author, goes to explain another side of Nooras life which how her fellow wives treat her. While Lateefa acts as a mother, Shamsa cannot stand her and tells her that Jassem might throw her out when he gets bored of her. Noora starts to worry and think though she knows that she shares certain intimacy with him. Nevertheless, one night he tells her that he is upset with the magic in her eyes and that she cannot deceive him anymore. Noora did not what to do and she is scared that would she become useless and be kicked out of the house. Furthermore, Yaqoota tells Noora that Hamad, who works for her husband on his boat, wants to see her. This was very strange for her as being asked by unmarried man to meet her is not usual. However, all he wanted from Noora was stitching his fathers clothes so that he can use them at wo rk. One day, Jassem tells his wives that he is not going to India as there are no more pearls in the sea. Noora starts to think of poor divers who will not be able to support their families. Jassem also tells his wives that he will go to Leema while they will go to Om Al-Sanam. In addition, Lateefa wants her mirror and thats why she decides to send Noora and Hamad to look for it. Before the journey begins, Hamad talked with Noora about his dreams and how he wanted to be a diver but he failed. Noora starts to feel close to him and thats why she keeps telling herself that he is like a brother to her. As a result, she begins calling him brother Hamad. Furthermore, Noora keeps asking herself why Lateefa wants that mirror so bad but she does not find an answer. After they reached Wadeema, Noora falls and hits her head while searching for the mirror. Therefore, Hamad comes close to her and starts kissing her bruise. Since then, they stopped calling each other brother and sister. Though Noora f eels that what she did was wrong, she felt that it was right. When Noora goes back to Lateefa, Lateefa keeps asking her questions and touches her bruise. She asks her what the reason for the bruise was. Noora says that she knocked her head onto the door. At that moment, Lateefa stops asking questions while Noora becomes very worried by her silence. When Hamad and Noora are collecting Henna for Lateefa as she asked them, she tells Hamad that she is concerned Hamad again comes close to Noora and asks her to divorce Jassem because he wants to be with her. When she asks him what she would do with her husband and that he would not agree, Hamad tells her that they will figure something out. He informs her that he will dive and find a big pearl so that they could be able to get married. Noora tells him that he cannot because he has an ache in his ears because of diving before, but Hamad says that he will handle this issue. After they go back to Wadeema to get what Lateefa wanted, Noora and Hamad make love together. However, when Jassem comes back from India, Noora is not satisfied to see her husband as she wants to become happy again with Hamad. Hamad tells her to steal the pearls of Jassem and he would not notice, Noora of course becomes a ngry. Surprisingly, she is shocked when she finds out that she is pregnant and she keeps thinking about what will happen to her when they find out about her betrayal. Noora of course knows that the baby in her belly is Hamads. So, he comes her one night and shows her the pearl he stole from Jassem. He asks her to pack everything because they will leave. When Noora refuses because she cannot go, Hamad never shows himself again. Before disappearing, he tells her that Lateefa arranged for all of their relationship in order to make her pregnant so that she can get a baby for Jassem. Later, Noora knows from Lateefa that he has left in order to find another job in India. Noora becomes relieved