Research Topics

Introduction to International Finance

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCE             International finance is also known as international macroeconomics. It is because nations trade with each other, lend and borrow from each other,  and affects economic movement that international finance came into existence.             With international credit and debit, opportunities are growing and options are available to raise one’s income. On the downside, as international finance can cause income growth so can it cause potential  financial crisis.              The largest market in the world is foreign exchange.  It is then followed by exports and imports. With globalization, international trade has become very important and essential to all nations.             International finance is a result of various types of currencies. It is also a result of intertemporal trade. Intertemporal trade is shown and is present in securities.  Flows of securities are huge, more massive than trade in its entirety.  Those that contribute largely to fluctuating markets are the gross flows. The situation that sets the stage for financial and currency crisis are when country borrowers receive monetary currencies that are not from their country.  Example is peso to dollar.             The history of capital flows notes that there was a very large capital flow until the year 1913. A big trough caused the market not to recover until the middle of 1980s although post World War II economy is much favorable than the pre-World War II period. The fruitful and productive years of   financial mobility was curved by World War I. Furthermore, the Depression years up to World War II were really a downtrend.             It was only with the beginning of the oil shocks that recovery became possible. As of the present, the status of the economy is back to the economic standing of World War II.  This only proves that institutions, along with technology, promote capital flows and globalization.             The International financial system is vital to international economic organizations. Bimetallism should be identified. Gold standard, which is the top of the capital market globally, should also be identified. Depression shattered the system during World War I.  The system then worked again until it  collapsed at the onset of OPEC  and previous to that, the Vietnam War.             Globalization cannot be pinpointed as the culprit since there was a very high international capital mobility in the early twentieth century. Some major countries have adopted the euro as their currency and canceled out their own currency. Some countries attach their currencies to the dollar or another important currency.             Bilateral exchange rates are the cost of one currency as against another currency. The periods that were prominent for its tremendous instability were the 1970s and 1980s.  European countries  attempted to stabilize the variations of their currencies against each other. The forerunner of the euro was the EMS. It reserved individual currencies yet the European countries were compelled to narrow bands.  When Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom dropped out of the system in 1963, it underwent a  massive crisis.  This encouraged the direction towards the euro. The euro eliminated speculations against other individual currencies. All European Union members are required to accept and adopt the euro. However, United Kingdom and Sweden still have political issues to settle regarding this. Italy joined in but France and Germany are being difficult. Evaluating a single currency is ambiguous at best as it is the result of doing commerce with other countries. Trade weighted exchange rates are rates based on a country’s shares of trade transactions with the United States.  Example is the peso exchange rate to the US dollar.             After 1973, prices became more unstable causing inflation. Variations in a country’s inflation rates are a significant factor in the establishment of nominal exchange rates.             The current account balance is the total amount  of net exports of a country including net transfers. Net exports are the exports of goods and services without the imports. It is how a country’s trade relations with other countries are evaluated and analyzed. If a certain country has a surplus in its current account, it is said to be  obtaining assets from other countries.  If it does not have a surplus, the country is said to be in debt.             A reason why developing countries are becoming large lenders to rich countries as the United States is because of the financial crisis at the turn of the twenty-first century. Reserves were built up by these developing countries.             On the other hand, a country can have a huge current account shortage but can have a surplus  or excess in the capital account.     Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Introduction to International Finance

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL FINANCE International finance is also known as international macroeconomics. It is because na...

Dissertation Proposal : An analysis of the effectiveness of corporate governance by public listed companies in Malaysia

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL   Student Name :                            Student Number :   Degree Programme : BA (HONS) Accounting and Finance   Dissertation to be submitted :     Area of Dissertation :   Title : An analysis of the effectiveness of corporate governance by public listed           companies in Malaysia.   Introduction :             Realizing the important role and responsibility to the public, companies have taken the initiative step to be self regulate; and one of the approaches is to practice good corporate governance. The lax standards of Corporate Governance subsequently known as (CG) were reviewed and tightened into best practices among Public Listed Companies (plc) as the East Asian economic crisis in 1997/98.  As a result, a series of initiatives focusing on the governance structures of companies and on the disclosures that need to be made protect shareholders and provide confidence that the stewardship of organizations are in good hands.            Since different cultures and approaches of Corporate Governance were adopted by different countries, Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance subsequently known as (MICG) was therefore established, serve as the medium of CG to react on issues relating to management of the business and affairs of corporations in Malaysia; and to promote public awareness of CG in encouraging interaction among the members and the investing public CG issues.  There are four main areas where the principles underlies in the report are board of directors, director’s remunerations, shareholders and accounting and audit ability.             The Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance subsequently known as (MCCG) is aimed at providing guidelines for companies to observe good CG in their business practices.  MCCG is especially relevant to public listed companies that have a responsibility towards their shareholders to observe the highest standard of transparency, accountability and, above all, integrity.  Bursa Malaysia Berhad has helped to play an important role in enhancing companies’ financial performance in accordance with MCCG such as the amendments made in revamp in listing requirements.  It is aimed at strengthening provisions in disclosure, financial reporting and other continuing listing obligations.   Research Problem :   1) What are the factors affecting the compliance with Corporate Governance among      public listed companies in Malaysia?   2) What are the problems faced by these companies in practicing good corporate      governance?   3) What are the possible ways that can be used by these companies to overcome the     problems of corporate governance compliance?   Objective :                     This research is attempted to study and identify the following :   1) the factors affecting the compliance of corporate governance and the importance of     corporate governance among public listed companies in Malaysia   2) the problems faced by these companies in practicing good corporate governance   3) the possible ways which can be adopted by these companies to solve the problems of corporate governance.   Scope of Study :             This study will concentrate on the practice of good corporate governance framework in the business world where companies have to cope with the fast beat of corporate development faced by those companies in Malaysia.  Although these framework are very important but it realized that companies have difficulties in adopting proper and good corporate governance. So the roles and functions of directors, the establishments of specialized bodies in governing the practice of good CG, and the impact derived from the principles are to be investigated.   Literature Review :            Based on Cafferty and Finn (2002) says that there are three criteria that need to be met in order to reduce the risk of fraud.  The three criteria are good ethics, good people and lastly a good system. However, many analysts see this as a setback of the government’s corporate restructuring effort. Malaysia’s corporate governance appears to have gone two steps forward and one step back. Whether all the investors’ confidence that the market has rekindled in the past months is for real, we’ll have to wait and see until the new year.            However, the argument on Shleifer and Vishny (1997) states that the central problem of corporate governance is to insure that investors receive an adequate return on their investment in the firm.  Whereas, as stated by Goktan (2005), the firm’s governance organization is to be mainly determined by its board size, its board composition, its management’s equity stake, its corporate charter/bylaws, and the state laws to which it is subject.             Besides, Chester (2006) stated that, poor governance can at times be associated with higher returns through excessive, nontransparent risk taking by fund managers; although, with a proper risk-adjustment, fund performance could be lower.  Based on Deakin (2002), the fall of Enron has again focused attention on the failure of mechanisms of corporate governance to protect investor interests. However, financial scandals of this kind are nothing new, particularly in periods of ‘correction’ following stock market bubbles.  Moreover, there is no consensus on the wider implications of the Enron affair. Three distinct positions might be taken.   Research method :             This research will engage mutually the qualitative and also quantitative evaluation. Thus, the secondary data will involved for additional understanding the nature of the research topic and also related topic. The research focal point generally is more on secondary data compared to primary data.  Secondary data is data where usually researchers will not need to collect their own data but can test the hypothesis by using the data that already exist.  The challenge with secondary data is to assure yourself that the data appropriately address your research question such that you are not caught in a dilemma of altering your hypothesis to fit the data.   All of these secondary date collected was used to justify and support any claim made on the research issue to make it more presentable and reliable on the claim topic.  There two methods used to obtain the secondary data which are online and manual methods. The manual methods will be such as magazines, newspaper, company’s Annual Reports, Malaysian Code on Corporate Governance, the reports on stock market, the reports on Corporate Governance, Securities Commission reporting, book and etc.             Since the factors affecting the compliance with corporate governance, the problems faced by companies and the possi       Timetable :  Oct – Chapter 1 Introduction                      Nov – Chapter 2 Literature Review                      Dec – Chapter 3 Research Methodology    Please tick the most appropriate subject area for your dissertation.   - Accounting and Finance   Signature of Student :                                                                  Dated :   Please hand this form into the Faculty Office and you will be allocated a supervisor.   Office Use Only Proposed Dissertation Supervisor :   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Dissertation Proposal : An analysis of the effectiveness of corporate governance by public listed companies in Malaysia

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL Student Name : Student Number : Degree Programme : BA (HONS) Accounting...

Thesis Chapter 5 on An Evaluation of the Process and Effects of Knowledge Management in the Financial Sector

Chapter 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS   This study tried to assess the effects of knowledge management on the financial sector. Specifically, the study tried to identify the knowledge management strategies of financial institutions particularly of banks in the United Kingdom; the manner on which banks cope up with the rapid change in the financial sector using knowledge management; the effects of these knowledge management strategies on the goals, objectives and long-term plans on the banks and the financial sector in general; and the potential of knowledge management in the attainment of goals/objectives, keeping up with competition on other financial institutions and the in accomplishing long-term management and financial goals.   The study utilized the descriptive kind of research with questionnaires and interviews used as instruments to measure the hypothesis of this study. The secondary sources of data came from published articles from social science journals, theses and related studies on Knowledge Management, Organizational Behaviour and the financial sector.   Summary On the basis of the data gathered in relation to the statement of the problem, the following are the significant findings: 1.            Greater than a half of the all the respondents claim that they have the grasp of the basic business objectives of their firm.   2.            The respondents are uncertain whether their company has a better comprehension of the basic principles of KM. Although the respondents claimed that their company has installed its own intranet and extranet, only 43% of them stated that the system actually helps the employees in understanding and acquiring information in the firm.   3.            The population stated that their respective companies have made their functions more efficient in the imposition of KM in their system. This is because the industry has the initiative to acquire specific techniques that suits their respective organizational cultures.   4.            The respondents stated that another potential of KM is the fact that it provides the top management the venue to sustain the company’s strategic goals without compromising any other aspect of the organization.   5.            The population asserted that the program also allows the company to cultivate the affairs of the organization, particularly those that are significantly relevant for the company.   6.            The respondents also perceive that the imposition of KM in their system has significantly provided the individual employees with the right to be heard in the conglomerate.   7.            The principles of KM have provided the much needed communication line between the CEOs and those in the rank-and-file employees.   Conclusion             On the basis of the above summary of findings in this study, this research came up with the following conclusions: The implementation of knowledge management in the financial sector is obviously in its infancy stage. The financial sector must contend with a proliferating number of products, services and data sources as investment markets go global and become active around the clock. Keeping abreast of this data and understanding how it relates to employee and organizational performance is crucial to financial service companies such as those stated in this study. As more products, trading services and companies contribute to an online investment environment, this requirement will only intensify.    The study presented an impression of the benefits of KM are glaringly obvious to KM practitioners: Implementing a knowledge management system is part of an organizational commitment to raise information literacy skills, enabling associates to find, appraise, and utilize resources as part of their everyday routine. Concurrently, the study also presented the possible factors that contribute to the failure of the KM principles. In this light, the study concludes that the level of management implementation is directly proportional to a bank’s profitability. Concurrently, the study also concludes that knowledge management is inversely proportional to the failure of the company. Nonetheless, the latter is acceptable only if the principles of KM are properly implemented. Another requisite is that the company is able to handle the dynamism of its environment in order to establish the realization of KM’s full potential.   Recommendation The findings of the study as well as the suggestions of the respondents helped the researcher prepare the following recommendations: The study provided a presentation on the perception of the personnel of five financial institutions regarding their grasp and faith as well as their evaluation on the Knowledge Management strategies employed in their respective companies. Moreover, the study also established that the environment of the financial sector is a different playing field for KM. This is reflected by the predominantly dearth materials on the implementation of the strategies specifically on the banking sector. In this light, the study recommends that the banking sector closely analyze the kind of KM strategy that will perfectly fit their organizational culture as well as their specific vision and mission. The study also established that the opening of communication lines among the hierarchy of the company has significantly increased the motivation level of the employees. Thus, the study suggests that a greater emphasis on the way this increase in the morale of the workforce become an instrument for further profit. Although there is a slight increase in the productivity of the employees resulting from this rise of morale, it is important to keep track on the administrative aspects of the company. Maintaining the high level of efficiency of employees shall inevitably ensue high profits. And lastly, the researcher proposes to employ additional studies that will cover a much larger population and a much wider coverage area. This would allow the learners in the similar discipline to gauge the effectiveness of Knowledge Management in the financial sector.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Thesis Chapter 5 on An Evaluation of the Process and Effects of Knowledge Management in the Financial Sector

Chapter 5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This study tried to assess the effects of knowledge management on the financial ...

A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW TO APPROACH THE CONCLUSION

A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW TO APPROACH THE CONCLUSION   ü    Stress the importance of the thesis statement. ü    Give the essay a sense of completeness. ü    Leave a final impression on the reader.   1.     Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of your paper or redirect the readers’ thought process. It may help them apply the new information to their lives or see things more globally. ü     Example: Without well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment. If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when youth suffers, the future suffers.   2.     Posing questions: Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together to create a new meaning. ü     Example: Campaign advertisements should help us understand the candidate’s qualifications and positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what an idiot the opposing candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to creating informed citizens or a people who choose political leaders the same way they choose soft drinks and soap?   3.     Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply it to their own lives. ü     Example: Though serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of America’s attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us to be interested and responsible citizens.   Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW TO APPROACH THE CONCLUSION

A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW TO APPROACH THE CONCLUSION ü Stress the importance of the thesis statement. ü Give the essay a s...

Service Delivery for Rural Communities

Service Delivery for Rural Communities     The evolving government in South Africa engages in local development and  service delivery by way of a decentralized system with strong community support. It concentrates on speed and delivery in dealing with the remnants of apartheid, the struggle against which has also left a legacy of community-based organizing and a significant civil society sector, where blacks and women play a critical role.[1]   However, there is a disconnect  between community-based development and community-driven development (CDD), where communities control the identification of projects, due to the local government’s use of ward committees in community involvement. These are not independent bodies and have no budgets for their initiatives.[2]   Municipalities in South Africa are mandated to have policies and institutional frameworks that support and sustain local development that is in line toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and basic rights of the people. Local government officials must promote good governance by performing their duties with efficiency, transparency and accountability.[3]   Local governments must coordinate to realize several goals which include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, installing universal primary education, practicing gender equality, decreasing child mortality and fighting human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria and other diseases.[4]   Since 2004, people have gone to the streets to protest the political leadership’s inadequate response to community issues on the incompetence and corruption of local governments, which reflects the crisis of local democracy. However, municipalities cannot deliver services due to fiscal distress, a weak revenue base and a shortage of the required skills for the job at hand.[5]   The following are recommendations to address the challenges of delivering service to rural communities in South Africa:[6] The public should be consulted and enjoined to participate on vital governance issues, policy formulation and implementation. Municipalities must review and upgrade their internal control systems to check maladministration, financial mismanagement, fraud and corruption. Transparency, accountability and openness to public scrutiny must be promoted in local governments. Municipalities must integrate the needs of the community in their budget allocations and development programs. Prevailing tensions between politics and administration must be resolved and made sure not to compromise the delivery of service. Fiscal allocations must be made according to the economic capabilities of different municipalities to ensure uniform development. The capacities of municipal officials must be built to make them render services more effectively.   Moral renewal is needed in the country where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and it is important for civil society to address the failure of  government service. These organizations are committed to the values of a moral society and receive the support of local and foreign donors and ordinary workers.[7]     		 		 		 		[1] David Everatt, Lulu Gwagwa, 		“Community Driven Development in South Africa, 1990-2004”, 		Africa Region, Working Paper Series No. 92, October 2005, 		 		<http://www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/wp92.pdf> [accessed 20 April 2011] 		 		 		 		[2] ibid 		 		 		 		[3] Idasa, “The State of Local 		Government and Service Delivery in South Africa: Issues, Challenges 		and Solutions”, 22 January 2010 <www.pmg.org.za/files/docs/100204idasa.doc 		> [accessed 21 April 2011] 		 		 		 		[4] ibid 		 		 		 		[5] ibid 		 		 		 		[6] ibid 		 		 		 		[7] Shelagh Gastrow,“’Tis the 		Season of Promises”, service delivery, sa ngo net pulse, 		<http://www.ngopulse.org/category/defined-tags/rural-development/service-delivery> 		[accessed 21 April 2011] Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Service Delivery for Rural Communities

Service Delivery for Rural Communities The evolving government in South Africa engages in local development and service delivery...

ENGAGING NEW BUSINESSES IN SINGAPORE

ENGAGING NEW BUSINESSES IN SINGAPORE         Entrepreneurs are the walls of economy; they are the driving force that motivates groups, organization or individuals to succeed. People who are engage in business are the leader and the key people who can make the country grow. They are the one who do not be contented in employment but they are the one who create opportunities for themselves and expand greatly to help people. In today’s modern economy Entrepreneurs do not rely mainly on their own country but they are also engage in International trade which is definitely a great way to expand their businesses. Viable businesses can be greatly encouraged to engage in exchanging foreign trades. In Asian countries like Singapore where business are allowed to enter if they can give a good opportunity between nations.       In fact Singapore government agencies that are assigned in International trade and other Singaporean private companies are visiting countries all over the world to look for specific business that they dwell on to partnership or direct selling. Sometimes they learn in other countries the trade secrets of such a business, KILUS foundation a multi-purpose cooperative in Pasig, City Philippines where there is a group of women who create different products made from tetra-pack of juice drinks. This tetra pack instead of throwing it out on the garbage are collected by members and clean it up and sewn by their members to become a raw material for making bags, slippers and other useful products that they can sell to the market from various countries especially Singapore who is one of their biggest customers. This tetra pack business has been doing well for the last few years in Singapore and expected to continue for the next few years. This means than engaging in entrepreneurship as long as it is legal is highly obtainable in this country.       Since Singapore is a newly industrialized country, businesses like foreign language and English language, Information Technology or tutorial may be a good one to offer they are highly allowing the use of advance technology in their country to be adopted. Also products that are associated in Agribusiness may be viable. Singapore although newly industrialized they have a large land that caters to agricultural production of rice and other crops. Business like fertilizer, machineries, and others may also be a good product to be presented here.  According to Global Agricultural Information Network the country is also in need of livestock like Pigs, Chicken, Meat, Fish fresh fruit and vegetables, snacks and beverages and more due to the high demand of food service business who are now booming in most Cities and Provincial villages in Singapore. Although food exports are highly critical to export since it requires intensive quality of livestock and inspection that would take days upon delivery but the opportunity to export this products is high.         Due to the ever increasing demand of food businesses in Singapore the service food chain business is highly a very profitable business in this country, food stalls continues to grow in streets and walkways. Giant Corporation like McDonald, KFC, Pizza hut etc. are highly enjoying the market demand and it is expected to grow as much as the public continues to patronize such food businesses.        A foreign nationality is open to explore to a new venture in this country, there are various process that an entrepreneurs might need to follow to be legally successful in their endeavor. There are no particular products that you can offer in this country, if you have a business that you think can be viable you should first register to the International Enterprise in Singapore to gather a market research or feasibility study guide. This is an advantage on Entrepreneur’s part to be successful. You may also seek the following agencies for consultation before engaging in your business trade. ·         The Association of Small and Medium Enterprise (ASME) they are the one who provide assistance to the new budding entrepreneurs who are willing to learn and succeed. ·         The Singapore Manufacturer’s Federation (SMa) they provide consultancy services for overall business improvement. ·         Or you may visit directly this website for the complete list. http://www.business.gov.sg/ http://www.business.gov.sg/EN/ContactBusinessConsultant       The openings of International Trade have given full access to individual and organization to take part of the opportunities of businesses all over the world. Entrepreneurs should take advantage of these opportunities if they have a viable business to introduce. The best thing to do is try to create a business today even in modesty then expand gradually and be successful. Who knows? A small business today can be an icon for tomorrow if given an attention and harness in full potential.           Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

ENGAGING NEW BUSINESSES IN SINGAPORE

ENGAGING NEW BUSINESSES IN SINGAPORE Entrepreneurs are the walls of economy; they are the driving force that motivates groups, or...

Road Congestion

Road Congestion / Traffic Congestion                         Road Congestion is a condition that is characterized by longer trip times, slow traffic flow, and increased queeing. Traffic jam is a colloquial term for a period of extreme traffic congestion. Road Congestion happens when: 1. there is  high traffic volume 2. construction 3. accidents/disasters 4. bad wheather condition.  There are several negative effects of Traffic Congestion. One negative effect is it wastes both the time of the motorists and passengers. It also causes tardiness. Many people especially those who need to arrive promtly for work, school or business meetings. Increased idling, acceleration, and braking cause fuel loss and air pollution. It also causes stress to the motorists and passengers alike.             Traffic congestion is a classic externality, especially pervasive in urban areas. The theoretical and empirical relationships governing it have been thoroughly studied. As a result, most urban economists and a growing number of other policy analysts agree that the best policy to deal with it would be some form of Congestion Pricing. Such a policy involves charging a substantial fee for operating a motor vehicle at times and places where there is insufficient road capacity to easily accommodate demand. The intention is to alter people’s travel behavior enough to reduce congestion. Three cities have seriously considered congestion pricing of a city center, each pioneering a different method of applying or implementing the concept. Singapore was the first to design and implement a practical, low-tech scheme for congestion pricing. Singapore’s initial system was very simple: the priced area is defined by a single cordon line surrounding the city center, the technology consists of paper windshield stickers, and enforcement is through visual inspection by traffic officers. Hong Kong was the pioneer in fully automated charging; its electronic road pricing (ERP) scheme was a flexible and comprehensive system involving multiple cordons. For Cambridge, England, the new concept was congestion-specific charging, an attempt to more closely approximate the theoretical ideal of congestion pricing by making the charge vary in real time in a manner reflecting the severity of congestion actually encountered while inside the priced area. Only one of these systems is operational. Singapore’s Area License Scheme (ALS) was inaugurated in 1975 and still operates today; the city has recently inaugurated an electronic system to replace its manual charging and enforcement. Hong Kong’s ERP scheme was subjected to extensive technological field trials as well as exhaustive desk studies for prediction and evaluation, but was withdrawn due to public opposition. Cambridge has also been the site of a technological field trial but the scheme was abandoned when a new and unsupportive council came to power in 1993. Singapore’s ALS is part of an extremely stringent set of policies designed to restrict automobile ownership and use in this crowded island city-state of three million people. The national government chose the ALS over conventional road tolls and higher parking charges because space for toll stations was lacking in the city center and it thought higher parking charges would be ineffective in the face of heavy through traffic and numerous chauffeurdriven cars. The size and structure of the fee has varied over the years. When first implemented in 1975, the fee was imposed only on vehicles entering the restricted area during the morning peak period. There have been both intellectual and practical developments since Pigou first, put forward the idea of road pricing. The basic concept is deceptively easy; apply the price mechanism in the same way as it applies elsewhere. When there is high demand prices should be high to deter excessive use. Intellectually, the key question is one of defining the appropriate price in what is often a complex set of economic and technical circumstances. The key issue from a practical point of view is one of operationalizing the concept, not only in terms of developing technically efficient charging mechanisms but also in gaining political acceptance as a valid policy instrument.             Another innovation is the use of Inteligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Intelligent transportation systems–formerly called intelligent vehicle-highway systems (IVHS)–are information technologies that, when implemented in vehicles, on roadways, or centrally, can lead to vast savings in journey time, improved driver safety and convenience, and significant reductions in energy consumption and pollution. Among the capabilities of current and future ITS technologies are the following: 1.  Traffic can be managed on the main roadways of major metropolitan areas through  control of road junctions and access to major routes,  rapid detection of and response to incidents (e.g., accidents and heavy congestion), and communication of advice to drivers and passengers about traffic conditions. In addition, automatic vehicle identification and toll collection open the way to variable pricing of roadway access (i.e., pricing based on road congestion).  2.  A wide variety of information systems can be available to travelers (e.g., route guidance, nearby restaurants and other traveler facilities, travel time to the airport). Drivers and passengers can receive certain information by means of either eye-level “heads-up” displays or voice synthesizers installed within the vehicle.  3.  Drivers can be automatically alerted to the proximity of other vehicles or obstacles. Under some advanced ITS technologies, automatic steering and intervehicle spacing control both facilitate collision avoidance and dramatically increase highway throughput.  4.  Commercial vehicle operators can receive regulatory documents (e.g., permits and registrations) for multiple states in a single transaction. They can also undergo automatic weight checking without having to stop.  5.  Continuous monitoring of the physical state of the road itself–as well as of bridges, tunnels, and the like–with early warnings of deterioration or structural weaknesses can be carried out through a network of probes embedded in the physical infrastructure.  The enjoyment, comfort, and convenience of driving should escalate considerably as ITS systems are implemented. It is suggested that reduced stress will accrue from safety systems because of the lower probability of colliding with another vehicle. Clear directions from route guidance systems, as well as reduced congestion and travel times, will also minimize stress. Commuters will be the primary beneficiaries of these improvements, but recreational drivers will gain as well. There is an expectation, borne out by travel studies, that drivers would be willing to pay to avoid routes having unpredictable travel times. This reduction in trip duration and congestion would also alleviate stress. It is even possible that in the long run people may choose to keep their total travel time constant and increase the length of their trips to work or leisure activities, thereby gaining more options and flexibility. When combined with mass transit, ITS will enable urban and suburban travelers to make their trips on the basis of accurate, real-time information regarding travel conditions and bus and subway schedules. It will also provide them up-tothe-minute information when disruption threatens their usual routines. For example, automatic vehicle location will provide real-time information on systemwide departure times and transit vehicle locations. This information can be communicated to the transit provider and ultimately to the transit users at bus stops, shopping centers, places of employment, and other centers. Implementation of interactive communication between user and provider of transportation will occur in the final stages of advanced trip planning. Passengers will be able to make and change reservations from their homes based on realtime information regarding schedule, fares, and availability. ITS will elevate car pooling to new levels of sophistication and efficiency, which will enhance its acceptability. When automated highways are fully implemented, which is not expected to occur until well into the twenty-first century, they will result in vastly increased throughput and reduced driving fatigue. Finally, electronic driving aids will improve the quality of life for the elderly and disabled driver population by maintaining their mobility as the aging process or handicap reduces their physical abilities. The major types of traffic management systems, which have been a focal point of intelligent highway development for the past thirty years or so, are traffic-flow measuring and signal-light controlling mechanisms. Newer systems, some of which are already operational, provide (1) real-time monitoring of traffic and incidents; (2) continuous solution and optimization of problems and predicted problems, by relaying instructions to control devices; (3) signs–uniform in size, readability, and logic–that display traffic information; (4) area-wide traffic jurisdiction coordination; (5) coordination of emergency vehicles and incidents; (6) ramp metering; and (7) automatic vehicle identification/toll collection. The latter two systems offer the most potential to produce improvement in traffic flow. Ramp metering, whereby automatic signals regulate the access of cars at the on-ramp, has been a successful technology in relieving collision risk, which research has shown increases by 150 percent when vehicles in the same traffic stream have speeds differing by more than 10 miles per hour. Where it is implemented, ramp metering has reduced freeway accidents by approximately 30 percent while substantially increasing throughput. A strategy that is frequently used in combination with ramp metering is a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) bypass lane. This is a parallel ramp or lane reserved for HOVs that bypasses the meter. It provides an incentive for using vans and carpools.             Automatic vehicle identification (AVI), because it can provide information for such valuable functions as automated toll collection, freight tracking, and exact traffic conditions, is the segment of traffic surveillance systems that probably produces the greatest benefit. With AVI, a radio or infrared sensor at a fixed point recognizes a tag that uniquely identifies that vehicle. For toll collection, a car passes through the sensor without stopping and a computer uses the identification to debit the driver’s prepaid account, thereby relieving a potential focus of congestion. AVI also makes possible automatic road pricing or congestion pricing. This process identifies vehicles and charges tolls based on the time of day or some other variable, such as number of vehicle occupants, to control demand for roads during peak hours. These disincentives for peak-hour travel and single-occupant vehicles encourage wider use of car pooling, mass transit, and alternative work hours. Traveler information systems feed traffic and safety information to the traveler to enhance his or her traveling efficiency. This information is either stored in the vehicle itself or can be obtained by means of interactive communication with a traffic control center. Route guidance is the most prevalent application of traveler information systems. These systems are a major leap beyond the typical information currently available to drivers in their vehicles, such as vehicle speed, state of the engine, and sporadic radio reports from local stations about selected traffic and weather conditions.                         Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Road Congestion

Road Congestion / Traffic Congestion Road Congestion is a condition that is characterized by longer trip times, sl...

Photographic Lenses on SALE at Pixelpro

Photographic Lenses on SALE at Pixelpro

Photographers : There’s a sale at Pixelpro shop at Greenhills Shopping Center Canon lens (Cash price sale!) valid up to July 2009 Canon 18-2...

Build up a ‘conceptual design’ picture of the Digiboard

This key assignment is to generate a PACT analysis of an interactive system to help organise domestic information more effectively and pleasurably.  In the assignment you will conduct a number of activities to build up a ‘conceptual design’ picture of the Digiboard.   Important:  Although you will be working in a group for some of the activities (like brainstorming), you should complete the documentation yourself.  You should first review the lecture notes on PACT analysis – and reread the Benyon, Turner and Turner chapter on PACT analysis. The challenge   Most houses I go into have at least one place where ‘peripheral’ household information gathers. Sometimes it’s a fridge/fridge magnet combo, sometimes it’s a corkboard.  Sometimes it’s the floor underneath a coffee table.   In family houses / shared houses the board is usually a chaotic jumble of postcards, timetables, party invites, really important letters that need signing and returning, shopping lists, post-it notes, gas bills, milk money envelopes….   Lets imagine that we’re going to ‘go digital’ with the household information centre.   It’s a fundamentally bad idea (we can discuss why later) but for now let’s start to scope the design solution and interface.   Technology assumptions   Lets assume that the electronic corkboard (Digiboard) will use some sort of flat panel screen attached to a wall in the house.  It might use a keyboard, a keypad, or handwriting recognition.  It might be able to connect to the internet via domestic broadband.  Maybe it can act as a server so you can check your shopping list online or from your mobile phone. Maybe people can play linear games (like noughts and crosses or chess) as they pass by the board.  What about speech recognition?  Could we use the board to repond to party invitations?           Tasks   Using the material we covered in the PACT lecture and from chapter 2 of the Benyon book, you should develop a set of requirements for the Digiboard based on the following stages:   <li class="MsoNormal"> A PACT analysis </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Interviews with family members / students who share a kitchen </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> A ‘persona’ or ‘person-profile’ of a potential user </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Web research on similar systems </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Based on the previous 4 stages – produce a lo-fi visualisation/mock-up of the main LOST! interface components. </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Record feedback on your initial design </li>   Don’t worry – I have included some forms to help you structure your work – and as we go through these stages we’ll discuss them   PACT analysis.   The PACT analysis is a way to record and describe:   <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> People who will use or be affected by the system </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Activities that the system will support (functionality) </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Context that the system will be used in (and whether this will affect what you can design) </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Technologies that can be designed or brought together to support the Activities. (Technologies provide many opportunities for doing things differently) </li> </ul>   IMPORTANT:  It is not enough to just list these items – you need to make notes on how each person, activity, context or technology might effect or influence what you can design.  Look for opportunities as well as constraints.  For example – what might a dynamic internet connection allow in terms of the functionality of the Digiboard?   How do you do PACT?     Observing:   <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black"> Over the next few weeks – watch how people collect, organize, discard ‘peripheral’ household information.  How is material prioritized? – do ‘outdated’ messages remain without being discarded or recycled? </li> </ul>   Brainstorming.   <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black"> A group of you get together and talk through ideas and possibilities </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black"> Do not dismiss ideas at first – anything goes! </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black"> After you have a set of possibilities go through and weed out the more ridiculous ones </li> </ul>   Use the form overleaf to record your PACT analysis       1: PACT form   1:  People.  Who will use the electronic corkboard system?  Who will be affected by its use?  Do any of the users have special requirements?  What about age range and what this means for the input systems.  Who will love it and who will hate it? Why?   2:  Activities.  What activities will the electronic corkboard support? e.g. recording speech, linking notes to speech, a calendar function, what about private notes (does it need security?)  Will it need to archive notes or just delete them, will it connect to the internet, what ‘types’ of notes might you want to display (tables, lists, post-its) 3: Context of use. Not just where the system will be used, but also any special conditions – will the environment be noisy, quiet, will the system need to be used quickly, what about the need for training?  Can everybody reach the board? What about children?  Will the board make sound itself and how will this impact on domestic peace? 4: Technology.  What will the hardware have to do? (record audio, handwritten notes)  What will the software have to do?  How will the technology assist the activities outlined above?  Does the technology you choose suggest any opportunities for further activities?      Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Build up a ‘conceptual design’ picture of the Digiboard

This key assignment is to generate a PACT analysis of an interactive system to help organise domestic information more effectively and pl...

Case Scenario

Case Scenario                 Paul, a 5 year-old rescued street child was admitted in the charity ward of the hospital you are working to. He is suffering from severe malnutrition and some wounds in his legs and arms are left untreated. Upon attending to the patient, you learned that he is from the nearby city with no parents alive. His relatives are not interested of taking care of him. Immediately, you asked his name. As a five year-old kid, he is somewhat shy to answer several of your questions. But to the vital information that you need are given by his short, soft and hesitant responses.             After the preliminary recording of personal data and whereabouts, you immediately order a colleague to check on the medical files of the child in the hospital records shelves or in the nearby hospitals whom he is possibly admitted before. The colleague found out that Paul was born in your hospital as on March 18, 2000. According to the facts listed on the records, his mother passed away upon giving birth. He belongs to a poor family when his parents are still living.             1.         Physical milestones               – As a street kid, Paul is too skinny and short. He definitely falls below the average weight and height of a normal five years old child. For some normal kids of his age, they are expected to be active and curious. They are generally playful and full of energy. It is believed that the first five years of a child is the most crucial and considered the formative years (‘). In the same article, a healthy child is in a perfect state not only in body but in mind. A child learns how to play independently, dress and undress (2001), talk, run, stand on one leg even as early as the age of 3 (1990). In relation to height and weight, a 5 year old child has the average of 109.0 cm and 18.2 kg. With the case of Paul, he is under the average height and weigh acceptable to his age.   2.         Gross motor skills               “Gross motor skills are larger movements involving the arm, leg, or feet muscles or the entire body — things like crawling, running, and jumping are gross motor skills” (2005).             – Paul is not as active as a normal five years old child. He can run but easily gets exhausted. When tired, he barely moves his arms and limbs due to his malnourished condition. Accordingly, he just sits on street or park benches and waits for alms from by-passers. During meals, he often eats leftovers from rubbish.   3.         Fine motor skills   According to (2005), “Fine motor skills are those smaller actions like picking things up between the thumb and finger or using the toes to wriggle into sand or the lips and tongue to taste and feel objects.”             – Though Paul is physically weak, he is still capable of thinking and speaking in his age. He can comprehend to questions from the people who interview him. He can move his hands in coordination with his eyes. He has a develop senses.   4.         Language   Language as well as motor development is now at a level to give expression to imagination at the age of 4 to 5 (1999).  - Basing it to his age, Paul can speak well. However, he is shy and hesitant. He can pronounce works as a normal kid of his age but his soft shy voice is the only problem.   5.         Social development for the particular age group               Paul is shy. Hence, he lacks self-confidence and self-esteem. His emotional health is poor. He is aloof to people and seems worried. Since he is a street child and no relatives taking care of him, his sense of security is low. This makes him troubled and uncomfortable. Referral may be the action of choice when a health professional believes that a patient has a personal problem and needs counseling. When the problem appears to be primarily related to something beyond the current treatment situation, or when it seems to be complex, the health professional may feel inadequate to deal with it (1999). Nursing Suggestions             In developing gross motor skills, consider the long-term implications for development for its control, as well as fine motor coordination and eye-hand coordination basing it from the data taken in the environment of the patient.             Most importantly, healthy food should be given to Paul to make him as fit as a normal 5 years old kid. His wounds should be treated to alleviate the risk of infection. Exercise, sleep, and proper care and attention must be given to him. Further, as a street child, the responsibility of the nurses and/or doctors is to look for an institution that will cater to the needs of the child.             In social development, “Emotional relations established very early in life set the pattern of relations in later life” (‘). Paul must develop his emotional health because it is the basis of the child’s development of a sense of security, confidence and the ability to cope well with other people and with the world at large.             Meanwhile, it is vital to bear in mind that progression through the stages is a function of chronologic age, physical and emotional maturation, and the social environment. Different cultural contexts place different demands and expectations on individuals. Those presented here reflect a post-industrial society, and would not necessarily apply to a tribal society or that of a developing country. Thus, change occurs in the individual in several different areas simultaneously at each psychosocial stage throughout life.       Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com

Case Scenario

Case Scenario Paul, a 5 year-old rescued street child was admitted in the charity ward of the hospital you are working t...