Current Issue on Islamic Banking and Finance Essay

New paradigm of product packaging. Islamic banking and finance has emerged as a financial intermediation process that is competitive and resilient and that contributes to the overall wealth creation, growth and development of our nation. In the middle of an increasingly challenging and competitive financial environment, the evolution of a comprehensive Islamic financial system seeks to meet the range of requirements of a rapidly changing economic environment, with its soundness and stability secured through the robustness of its regulatory framework supported by the strength of its financial infrastructure and the sophistication of its products and services. Indeed, the strength of the respective components of the system and the interconnections of its markets will open new frontiers in Islamic banking and finance and will maximize the potential and opportunities that it accords. In the new current issues on Islamic banking and finance have increased their product in sophistication from the deposits product to hybrid product that are able to enhance returns to depositors. Further advancement was made with the introduction of the Islamic variable rate financing mechanism that provides an alternative to the fixed rate financing. This will assist the Islamic banking institutions in mitigating part of the risk emanating from asset and liability mismatches. New innovative Islamic financial instruments such as Islamic asset-backed securities have also emerged and the financial structures underlying Islamic securities become more specifies. The rapid growth of Islamic unit trusts comprising a variety of bond funds, equity funds and balanced funds increases the efficiency and potential of the Islamic financial system as an intermediation channel by providing investors’ access to professional asset management that is based on their distinct risk tolerance levels. The issuance of new Islamic banking licenses to qualified foreign financial institutions will allow for the presence of foreign Islamic banking players to act as bridge between Malaysia and other global Islamic financial markets and increase the potential to tap new markets and growth opportunities.

Environmental Ethical Issues Essay

The world has over the last few years been witnessing a remarkable rise in awareness in philosophical ideologies that are geared towards the environment. A number of theories such as animal rights, eco-feminism, deep ecology, bio-centric ethics and other theories have been proposed with the main aim of providing value to the environment. Environmental philosophies have helped in exploring various causes of environmental destruction and the proposals they put across that would help to reverse the trend of destruction and restore the environment to an acceptable level. Most of the practices that these theories try to raise are geared towards grappling with the effects produced by the industrial and economic cultures that thrive in most countries. However, a variety of issues arise pertaining to the applicability of environmental ethics and whether the theoretical outcomes are attainable (Brennan and Lo, 2009). Nature has always been an important aspect of human life, this is evident with the recent surge of focus in the subject as more and more people become aware of the environment. The issue of environmental ethics came into being as a discipline in schools in the 1970’s. Philosophies during the 1960’s had the perception that the late 20th century would witness a ‘population time bomb†. Rachael Carol was one of the vocal scientists who drew much attention to the issue of an environmental crisis by detailing the impact that pesticides would have on the environment. Lynn White jr. also did a masterpiece essay that traced the roots of environmental crisis by arguing that Judeo-Christian thinking was a major contributor in the over-exploitation of nature. He argues that the thinking was that human beings were superior to nature, which is a theory that is widely discussed in theology and history. This as he argues tends to cause a kind of arrogance towards nature and this tends to be a cause environmental crisis (Brennan and Lo, 2009). Polluting or destroying the environment is behaviors that are considered as immoral and this perception proves that human beings are embracing the concept that a sustainable environment is necessary for survival. However, the process of keeping a sustainable environment may mean culling animals, destroying overpopulated species, putting out natural fires and this often leads to some issues such as the morality of the actions taken. Another issue that arises is the restoration of an environment after destruction such as when a mining company restores a land after working on it for a while which begs the question of whether there is a â€Å"difference between restoring an environment or a natural one† (Brennan and Lo, 2009). Modern day scientists have often argued that finding a distinction between â€Å"instrumental values and intrinsic values† is of great importance (Brennan and Lo, 2009). Instrumental values mean that are usable while on the other hand, intrinsic values are not reusable are an end to their survival. Fruits are considered to be of instrumental value to bats that feed on them since this makes the bats survive. The fruits on the other hand are not widely regarded as having an intrinsic value for themselves. This debate has been one of the contentious environmental ethics issues. Things considered being of intrinsic value demand protection morally with regard to those that are instrumental. Most traditional thinkers often tagged the term intrinsic value only to humans with a renowned philosopher Aristotle arguing that â€Å"nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man† which means that everything else is classified as instrumental (Keller 2010). However, with the advent of the environmental ethics, the issue of man’s moral superiority to other species in the planet is been challenged. The other borne of contention that is trying to be tackled, is the classification of intrinsic and instrumental values among various species. Modern scientists have often argued that the main essence of environmental ethics is directed towards providing moral grounds for policies that are aimed at protecting the planets environment and tackling issues of environmental degradation before they get out of hand (Keller, 2010). The fate of the outcomes that environmental ethics aims to fulfill lies in how various laws will be enacted. A considerable number of philosophers have come up with ideologies and they should be used in order to formulate laws so as to promote environmental values that are acceptable and also attainable. Everybody should be part of ensuring that the environment is being conserved so as to ensure survival of for the present and future generations. It cannot escape out attention that we are living in a nuclear age where we heavily depend on energy that produces waste which some of it is hazardous to the environment and even unrecyclable. These types of waste require careful management in getting rid off, so as to ensure that they do not pose significant threats to the environment. Although these types of waste may not have short-term effects at the present, they may be catastrophic for the future generation and thus the need to practice wise environmental ethics at the present to ensure survival and a future for the planet. References: Keller, D. R. (2010). Environmental Ethics: The Big Question. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Brennan, A. and Lo, Y. (2009). â€Å"Environmental Ethics†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), derived on August 16, 2010 http://plato. stanford. edu/archives/win2009/entries/ethics-environmental/ .

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Essay Example The autobiography of Benjamin Franklin focuses upon the overarching theme of self-motivation as he talks in detail about his experiences and intentions to serve as role model for the other people. In the autobiography he describes his life journey begun as a poor and unknown son of candle maker that turned to a successful businessman and started getting respectfully acknowledged in the American society. He tells the reader the key factors behind his success and talks about the virtues that he strived to acquire in order to foster the process of self-improvement. The autobiography reflects his thoughts and intentions towards self-improvement for which he developed a personal plan comprising of thirteen virtues. The thirteen virtues he identified as part of his personal plan of conduct include â€Å"temperament, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquillity, chastity and humility† (Franklin, p77-78). He explains the pr ecepts of these virtues and talks about the process through which he attempted to acquire these virtues in his life. Rather attempting to acquire all the virtues at a time he decided to focus upon them one after one. He tells "My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judg'd it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone thro' the thirteen" (Franklin, p78) Franklin explains his personal plan that he followed to acquire the thirteen virtues. In the beginning he realized that his personality needs much more improvements as he expected. He did thorough self-examination and realistically identified his personality fault to overcome them. He feel satisfied that following his plan resulted in diminishing the faults and flaws of his personality. He took one week to acquire one virtue and after t hirteen week he started the process again and repeated four time a year, then once in a year and then only once in several years. However, he followed and remained stick to these virtues throughout his life till his death. Franklin tells the story of his self-improvement mainly through the description of his personal plan and detailed explanation of the thirteen virtues and his quest to acquire those. The autobiography tells that his efforts of self-improvement were directed by self-motivation. He thinks realistically about his personality flaws and always remained eager to learn the ways for self-improvement. He read several books and texts to know about the virtues that could help in self-improvement and his reading and observations resulted in the formation of compact set of thirteen virtues. He was self-motivated to acquire the virtues to improve his personality. As he said " I wish'd to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural incli nation, custom, or company might lead me into" (Franklin, p77) The reading unveils that self-improvement plays key role in the life of Benjamin Franklin and his autobiography is great source of inspiration for the readers as it talks about the path of achieving self-improvement. The description of self-improvement plan led by Franklin affirms that he is not self-promoter but genuinely a benevolent man

Discussion Question Week 1 Damn Heels and the 4P's Assignment

Discussion Question Week 1 Damn Heels and the 4P's - Assignment Example 2). The information provided through case facts have assisted in identifying crucial information needed in identifying the 4P’s. The description of the product included the raw materials used, the sizes and color, as well as the packaging. Pricing strategies included the stipulated target prices ($20) and how it was priced in comparison with those pegged by the competitors (average of $25). Therefore, by pricing the product lower, it has potentials of attracting new and prospective buyers. Likewise, since the target buyers, from the conducted market survey were composed of post-secondary students within the age range of 20 to 22 years of age, then, the price set was just within their affordable budgets. The product was noted to be marketed through retailers (previously known business owners) and also eventually through the online medium. Finally, it was disclosed that promotions would be minimal given that no funds were immediately available. Thus, the product would rely on the s kills of the retailers. One strongly believes that the weakness in the strategy of Coleman falls in the lack of promotions or advertising campaign. Since this is a new product to be launched, it is crucial to enhance product awareness which could only be made through advertising and promotions. Likewise, since the target clients are potentially students, Coleman could actually approach schools or academic institutions as retailers; rather than relying on clubs or lounges. The online medium could also be pursued since most of the young adults use this medium for their purchase decisions. 2. From the scenario, specify the main ways in which the 4P’s of marketing can help the marketing intern offer suggestions to her manager for the new product launch. Provide specific examples that illustrate the relationship between of the 4Ps and the new product launch. The 4P’s of marketing can help the

Proof read Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proof read - Essay Example As a businessman, my father is always busy together with my mother who assists him in the details of his transactions. Despite their busy schedules though, our parents always make time for the family and include me and my sister in their travels every December. Therefore, I have come to love the month of December because I am not only able to be with my parents but I also get the chance of visiting other places. I have already been to different parts of the world such as France, Singapore, Germany, China, Seoul, Japan, Korea, England, USA, and Canada. The interesting places often make family vacations extra special and wonderful because I get to visit beautiful places and taste different delicious foods. Travelling around the world has therefore become my dream because I am very interested in exploring other cultures and meeting people from different backgrounds. As an afterthought, I think my father intentionally instilled in me the importance of travel to a businessman. Looking bac k, I could see how he has guided and molded to becoming a good businessman through the education that was given to me which I believe would really be very beneficial. I graduated from Gandhi Memorial International School in my hometown. As an Indonesian, I fluently speak my native language which is Bahasa Indonesia. Coming from Chinese descent as well, I am able to speak Mandarin because I am forced to speak the language with my grandparents. In addition, the school I attended also taught us the language. As an international school, Gandhi Memorial taught most of our subjects using the English language. This enabled me to use the language well. As an aspiring businessman, I consider my communication skills as an advantage because I know I could communicate well with other people. Knowing the benefits of education, I entered Pasadena City College on the Fall of 2013 to pursue higher education. My travels proved to be helpful as I lived

Application for British Airway Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Application for British Airway - Essay Example This is because I have been able to acquire knowledge and skills in the fields of general management, strategic management, and corporate finance. I am particularly interested in joining the management and planning team which primairly determines the core competencies, strengths, weaknesses, and the needs of British Airways. I can surely be instrumental in shaping the strategic path of the organization with my hard-earned knowledge and skill in assessing the internal performance of the company as well as the external factors in its external environment, I believe that in landing a job, a potential employee must only be imbued with the technical skills needed for the position. One of the most important things to consider is the person's high level of motivation to excel in the field and his capacity to deal with diverse individual in the business organization. Joining British Airways has been one of my greatest dreams and I am highly passionate to aid in the company's success. I am highly motivated to excel in this career, wanting not just a mere position but with commitment and devotion, I would like to pursue growth and excellence. I believe that I will be able to stand the pressure of joining a diverse workforce because I am trained to be open-minded and respectful of individuals outside my color, culture, value, and opinion. 3.0. Application of My Skills In order to prove that I will be effective in my chose position, I will be giving a brief analysis of British Airway's current performance through the employment of strategic management tools. First, I will be focusing on the business organization's financial performance by a financial ratio analysis. Next, I will look at the company's internal and external environment by the identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Lastly, I will be offering a three-point plan on how British Airways can further improve its operations. 3.1. Financial Analysis In terms of financial performance, British Airways in can be assessed by looking at the firm's profitability, leverage, efficiency, liquidity, and investor ratios. In terms of profitability, British Airways reports increasing profit margins yet still lags behind its competitors like Ryanair and Thomsonfly (British Airways 2007). British Airway's resources are largely financed by riskier financing debt. The company enjoys higher liquidity enhancing the ability of the air carrier to pay off its immediate obligation by its current assets. The company also improves its efficiency by lessening the day its pays off its suppliers and collects from its customers. An investor is most likely be attracted by the escalating share price of British Airways but be put off by the zero dividend yield. 3.2. SWOT Analysis for British Airways I will now focus on the SWOT Analysis. In terms of strengths, British Airways has always been unmatched due to its mere size commanding strong brand equity, strong network presence, cost cutting efficiency, and customer loyalty (Datamonitor 2005).In terms of assets, the airline is regarded as the second largest in the

Some thoughts of the article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Some thoughts of the article - Essay Example Therefore, to address these problems, government should to utilize tools for monetary and fiscal policy. Monetary policies tool entails utilization of discount rates and reserve requirements to control inflation and stabilize the economy. On the contrary, fiscal policies tool entails application of taxes as well as control of government expenditure to achieve certain economic goals (Taylor & Weerapana, 2008). On the contrary, Micro economics refers to a branch of economics that involves the study of decisions made by individuals and firms regarding the scarce resource. Whereby, in micro economics, consumers aims to maximize their utility despite having scarce resource aims to maximize their profits while at the same time minimizing their cost. However, due to limited resources, both firms and individuals experience opportunity cost. Whereby, they have to decide the best alternatives to forgo given the fact that resources are limited (Mankiw, 2011). Normally, in micro economics, the prices of goods and services are determined by market forces of supply and demand as well as government regulations. Therefore, both individuals and firms should take into consideration the issues of tax and government regulations when making their decisions (Chandra,