Thursday, February 27, 2020

Business of weightloss Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business of weightloss - Assignment Example There are certain principles that anchor the success of South Beach Diet as outlined in the sections below. The principle used is based on Glycaemic Index where carbohydrates are broken down into sugar after consumption and absorbed to the bloodstream resulting in high blood sugar causing the release of insulin to reduce it (Agatston, 18). In the first, phase South Beach Diet proposes a carbohydrate free diet that results in energy for the body and fat storage. Owing to the lack of carbohydrates, the body will retrieve stored fats and burn them to produce energy to ensure energy balance in the body is maintained leading to about 3.5 to 5.5 kg loss of weight. To ensure energy balance is maintained in the body, gradual introduction of low glycemic foods and high fiber carbohydrates are reintroduced in the diet in phase two raising insulin levels at a slower rate than starchy carbohydrates. These food aids in supplementing the required energy for the body despite being on a weight loss program. After achieving the desired weight through phases 1 and 2 of the South Beach Diet, maintain the lifestyle principles of phase 1 and 2 is recommended however all the foods are eaten in moderation to avoid intake of more calories than is needed in the body. The diet encourages intake of fruits and vegetables as well as fiber and whole grains to ensure healthy diet and maintenance of weight. At this stage, the diet recommends 3 servings o starch, 3 pieces o fruit, and at most 2 tablespoons of good fat to ensure that the weight remains at the desired level. Healthy living is the other aim of South Beach Diet and this is achieved through drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day, supplementing the body with minerals and vitamins with a recommendation of 500 mg of calcium for anyone below 50 years, and 1000 mg for women aged above 50 years. Avoiding caffeinated drinks and alcohol is the other measure of maintaining a healthy body as

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Approaches to Psychology and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Approaches to Psychology and Ethics - Essay Example This is one of those areas of studies which receives much attention from scholars and researchers and is evolving rapidly. There different approaches of the psychological studies such as cognitive approach, evolutionary approach, socio-cultural approaches, humanistic approach, behavioural approach, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approach and others (Walker et al, 2007). All the approaches of psychology can be linked with each other as these study different aspects of feelings and emotion within a social context of an individual. Social psychological research studies the psychological aspects in social settings. Social cognitive studies are amalgamation of the social psychological research and cognitive approach wherein beliefs of an individual is studied within his social world. Cognitive approach is based on beliefs of individuals whereas cognitive behavioural approaches study behaviours and beliefs together. Humanistic and narrative approaches are based on lived experience of individ uals in different settings. Psychodynamic approaches are based on feelings of individuals. All the approaches can be explained individually or with respect to each other. In the treatment of mental illness, behavioural processes and other psychological disorders, professionals can use one approach or mix of tow or three approaches for the best treatment of the client. Figure 1: Approaches of Psychology Source: Walker et al, 2007:5 Psychoanalytic Approach This approach originated through the disagreements psychologists had over the behavioural theories. One of the prominent contributors in this approach is Sigmund Freud. Freud treated various patients suffering from mental disorders by the use of conversation methods over a period of time. This is based on the assumption of â€Å"unconscious conflicts, motives, and defences† of the client which is not otherwise expressed in normal social circumstances. In the same process patient's self-knowledge also got improved. Freudâ€⠄¢s theories are based on the psychoanalytical concepts that focus on the ‘unconscious internal conflicts’ of the clients. Freud argues that the unconscious awareness of the client consists of his desires, thoughts and memories of lifetime particularly the early life experiences. There are various contributors who expanded psychoanalytical approach like Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Karen Horney, Heinz Kohut, and others (Maitland & Hannah, 2008, p. 45). According to Maitland & Hannah (2008) this brought changes in thought and process of psychoanalytical approaches. These are also described as psychodynamic approach.   Behaviourist Approach Behaviourist approach roots back from the time of Aristotle, Locke Thorndike, Skinner and many others. This theory ignores the genetics theories and determines behaviour of an individual purely on the based on assumptions of his environment and experience. According to Maitland & Hannah (2008), â€Å"The behavioural approach focuses on measuring and recording observable behaviour in relation to the environment. Behaviourists think behaviour results from learning. Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov trained dogs to salivate in response to the sound of a tone, demon- strating stimulus-response learning.  (Maitland & Hannah, 2008, p. 45)† Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs are used in understanding human behaviour in various stages of his life. This hierarchy consists of

Friday, January 31, 2020

The author’s decidedly negative Essay Example for Free

The author’s decidedly negative Essay Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide touches on many important themes, including identity and the role of reputation within society. On top of those themes, the author also uses his work to speak to an idea of â€Å"home† within the novel. Though this work does not include a typical literary representation of home as a developmental ground for young, aspiring successes, he does illustrate how home can be a highly safe and dangerous place all at the same time. Just as Jekyll and Hyde represent a personal dichotomy, home is shown as a place that can be multi-faceted. Because of the intimate nature of the relationships developed between a person and his or her home, that person can be manipulated by the safety of home. While it might seem like a place to barricade one’s self from the rest of the world, home can actually be the single force stripping individuals of their ability to function. In this particular work, home is a place where madness persists and it is essentially ground zero for all that is wrong with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this way, the author is accepting some of the views on the role of home, asserting that even in a sea of positives, home can play a negative role, as well. In this book, home is most certainly a place of comfort and violence. The author challenges the assertion that home could be a place where people go just to get their own measure of comfort. While it is true that Dr. Jekyll retreats to his home to get away from much of the scrutiny surrounding him, the author is quick to point out that this experience takes away from Jekyll in a big way. During one portion of the book, suspicions are at an all-time high and people continue to visit Jekyll to figure out his situation. Both the police and concerned citizens have made their way into his home, and in the early part of the book, it is not a place of comfort. In this way, it can be said that the traditional idea of home is lost for the doctor during those moments. He has police officers going through his personal effects and turning his home upside down. He has individuals peering through his windows, providing him with little privacy or comfort of any kind. During this portion of the book, the traditional idea of home is absolutely smashed. Instead of being a refuge, it is a fish bowl where immense and intense pressure is put on the doctor over a period of months. The author does use this opportunity to show the importance of a traditional safe haven, though. As Jekyll is essentially ambushed in his home, he begins to long for the comfort and the privacy traditionally expected in that kind of setting. When Jekyll stops receiving visitors, he is reaching out for the comfort of his home. He grows very tired of constantly being harassed for various reasons, even if those reasons are legitimate. He locks the doors and makes home his refuge. He takes comfort in his work in the lab, but home is also a place of violence. He lives through a kind of unchangeable madness while in his home, constantly working on concoctions and hiding from the truth about who he is. This violence is finally culminated in his suicide, which not surprisingly happens right in the middle of his comfort zone. This use of violence within the home by the author is meant to show that the comfort provided by home is a slipper slope. As the traditional views hold, the ideal of home is one that is delicate. In one moment, home can provide a place for a person to get away from criticisms and attention. In another moment, it can be a place where madness and violence consumer a person’s life. Additionally, the author presents a picture of home as the breeding ground for many of the crazed acts of Mr. Hyde. In short, every minute that Jekyll spends in his home or lab is just another moment where the reader anticipates some terrible event. Through creative sequencing and skilled foreshadowing, the author makes it very clear that the home is an ominous place for Dr. Jekyll. Though he does use it as a refuge, the author makes it seem as if he is only picking the time of his next crazed act. The traditional views hold that home is a place where one develops his or her skills to move forward in the future. Most would say that this is a positive critique of what home is all about. That is not the picture of home that Stevenson paints, though. He does use the ideas of preparation and planning, but it is always for something negative. Much like Dr. Jekyll experiments with various things in his lab, home is a place where there is decisive scheming. In this way, it is much more planning than it is preparation. There is no real personal growth taking place for the doctor; he is only hiding from his identity and attempting to conceal his acts. The author’s decidedly negative view on the role of home in terms of preparation is an interesting point. Stevenson challenges the idea that a person can receive some sort of nurturing from home that would make he or she a better person overall. Instead, he paints home as something of an independent force. For people who have the innate ability to develop and grow, home can be a good place to do that. It does provide the type of repetitive environment where individuals can focus on continued good habits. The author, at least in this work, offers the opinion that home in itself is not enough to develop those who would otherwise not get development. Additionally, he paints this repetition as a bad thing in the case of Dr. Jekyll. The doctor gets into a terrible cycle where he continues to self destruct, time and again. Because home is a place where individuals are protected and where there is very little to balance out such acts, it creates an environment where people can fall into traps. Home is not nearly corrective enough in this story. With this view, Stevenson may be offering an argument that home is only a positive when the people inside the home are providing the correct amount of support. Because it can be so many things and go so many ways, home itself is truly not to blame. It is only a framework from which people are expected to work. The real blame must go on the individuals who use the home and on the people who should be providing the customary support that goes along with being at home. For Dr. Jekyll, home is his refuge, and it acts as a place that he cannot wait to return to. As the reader clearly sees in this book, the first thing that Dr. Jekyll always does after one of Mr. Hyde’s acts is that he comes back home. There are dangerous out on the streets and he could potentially get himself into trouble, but when the doctor comes back home, he has the ability to cover things up, clean behind his tracks, and turn his life into something â€Å"normal† yet again. While many things change for Jekyll over the course of the book, including his professional reputation, his personal relationships, and his ability to manage his personalities, home is something that remains constant. It is a strong place for him to come and truly dedicate his time to his craft. Despite this somewhat positive view of what home is supposed to mean, the book indicates that Jekyll feels incredibly trapped by this situation. He is actually forced to feel like a stranger within his own home, and he comes to resent it after a short while. For the longest time, Jekyll looks forward to coming home because it provides him with safety after some of the acts of Mr. Hyde. This changes as the book moves along, though. No longer is there real excitement about coming home. Instead, he comes because that is the only place that he can go. Home becomes a restrictive force, and all that is positive about it is thrown out of the window. This is the author’s critique on the place of home. In one instance, it can be a place that people need, and it can provide the framework for success. It does not take much for home to take on a negative connotation, though. Just as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde can be switched on and off in a split second, a positive view of home and a negative one can come about very quickly. The traditional view of home as a dichotomy offers the opinion that different pictures of home can be experienced by different people. For some people, home is a good thing, while it is resented by other people. Stevenson complicates this by adding an element of personal indecision on the role of home. Dr. Jekyll experiences all of these emotions within himself. His entire life is dedicated to his work in the lab and the things he has going on at home. That is truly a place of great joy and utter accomplishment for him. Later, it completely switches for him and becomes a place of death, quite literally. Not only does he kill himself right in the middle of the floor at his home, but he also sees his professional life die right in that home. People are constantly peering in, wanting to take a look at the strange and complicated Dr. Jekyll. His reputation dies and any respect that he worked so hard for in that lab goes away along with it. It is no coincidence that the author chooses the doctor’s home as the place where all of this would take place. This speaks loudly about the importance of home to a person’s development. Whether positive or negative, home does play a substantial role in shaping what a person will become. In the case of Dr. Jekyll, home is a roller coaster and home has seen the full range of experiences that he has gone through. Home, in the traditional sense, is a mostly positive place with some negative possibilities. Most authors take the view that home provides something for a person until a time comes when home is a limiting force. In this work, home is something a little bit different. Both a refuge and a place of imprisonment for Dr. Jekyll, home goes through quite a transition as the work goes along. In the end, home is a place of horrible tragedy and death, and it serves as the fitting setting of a man’s twisted, double life.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Russia and World War I :: essays papers

Russia and WWI The administrative system of the Russian government has deteriorated greatly. The present government has lost the will power and confidence to carry on with this war at a successful rate. All Russians long for a more confident and able power to rule Russia at this moment of war. At the moment Russia needs a very strong leader to have authority over it. An organised managerial structure over the military would help immensely but disregarding Russia^s currents military status, the Tsar Nicholas II has dismissed the Supreme Commander in Chief and taken up the post himself. Even the Russian President of the Duma, Rodzianko has stated in an account to the Tsar, that his taking over of the position of Supreme Commander in Chief was an unwise action to take. Another problem facing Russian military at the moment is the lack of ammunition. Russian guns are sometimes limited to four shots per day or less. Only 12% of the machine guns needed are available. Fuel, and metals like copper and iron are scares, because of this shortage of metals, mills are finding it impossible to supply a sufficient amount of bullets and bombs ordered by the Central War Industries Committee to fight this war. At this rate, Russia will never even come close to defeating any of her enemies. Also, there is a very large shortage of barbed wire which is resulting in many deaths of soldiers in the trenches because of the lack of protection. Most of the time the trenches are flooded with water knee deep, so it is very difficult for the soldiers to lie down or sit down which again results in them getting shot or bombed. Many men are wounded and the lack of transport is depriving them from getting any medical support so again many are dying relentlessly. Because of the lack of ammunition, insufficient clothing and poor rations the soldiers are loosing their courage and will to carry on with the fighting. Unrest among the troops have developed and signs of mutinies are evident as soldiers are growing more and more tired of the war and anti-war propaganda has started among the troops. The underdevelop railways system is another problem which is adding to Russia^s plight. The railways system is so underdeveloped that it cannot handle the massive troop movements from one place to another. There is also a shortage in railway transport and due to this shortage of transport for civilian purposes such as the ransportation of food, has caused a bread shortage in the towns.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Distance Still Matterthe Hard Reality of Global Expansion Essay

CAGE Distance Framework Distance Still Matters analyses several factors that impact both success and failure in global expansion strategies. The challenges discussed are dimensions of distance. The four dimensions of distance discussed are cultural, administrative, geographic and economic. Cultural distance is essentially the differences in communication, interaction, religion, race and social norms. Administrative or Political distance refers to the absence of colonial ties, shared political association and institutional weaknesses. Examples of political barriers are tariffs, trade quotas and restrictions on foreign investment. Political associations between countries, typically that exist in a colony/colonizer relationship facilitates international trade due to similarities in administrative dynamics. Geographic distance is created due to remoteness or the lack of access due to transportation, communication limitations or differences in size and climate. Economic distance is created by a discrepancy in re sources such as financial, intellectual, human and natural. Star TV Star TV’s attempt to expand into the global media television market was given as an example of a failed initiative due to the lack of focus on dimensions of distance between foreign markets. Star TV was founded in 1991 with a mission to deliver television programming to Asian audiences. Their motivation was that they perceived the Asian audience as being starved for diverse media choices. Star projected that English language programming would transition into the Asian culture, especially with the socio-economic elite (top 5%). The strategy to gain a competitive advantage over broadcaster was to use satellite technology to transmit programming. Star’s expansion attempt failed, recording losses of $141 million in 1999 and $500 million between 1996 and 1999. Without extensive Asian market research this initiative was unrealistic. An assumption was made that cultural distance did not exist between Asia and the United States. The Asian media market was not as interested in English speaking programming as Star’s management projected. Additionally, Asian governments imposed barriers to politically driven programming which created even more political distance that initially existed. Star TV’s mistake was the lack of market research and a â€Å"go/no go† decision making process. Too many assumption were made that the international media television market was immune to dimensions of distance such and cultural and political. Recommendation Identify a sample market and run a pilot test with several typical English-speaking programming options. CPA Approach The CPA approach or the Country Portfolio Analysis looks at how the actual and potential markets measuring per capita income and per capita industry consumption. The two indicators plotted on a grid creating bubbles that represent the size of each country’s market Tricon Restaurants International (TRI) Tricon spun off from Pepsico in 1997. The company’s core business is managing fast food chains such as Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC both domestically and internationally in 27 countries. In 1998 the company began evaluating the possibility of consolidating operations within high performing markets. Two thirds of TRI’s revenues and even a higher proportion of profits came from 7 of the 27 markets. Based solely on market size, TRI’s initially plan was to dispose of its investment in Mexico. Mexico fast food market ranked 16th of 20, with a total fast food consumption of $700 million. Using the CPA approach, TRI identified Mexico as a top 3 priority based on geographic distance from Dallas, TX (TRI’s Headquaters), common land borders and favorable trade agreements with the United States. (Beamish, 2011) References Beamish W. Paul and Bartlett Christopher, Transnational Management: Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Mangement, pg. 95-105

Monday, January 6, 2020

Organisational Policies Reporting Of Faults - 1173 Words

P.2 Organisational policies: Reporting of faults A report of fault could be a document that reports problems occurred throughout IT technical support, it can avoid from wrong blame and make certain others understanding what s wrong with equipment such as laptop or desktop computers, and they are sometimes used once a technician accidentally damages the equipment during maintenance, but problems can be caused not by accidental damage. There are various types of faults and they must to be reported as soon as possible, because it might be the best chance to solve the problem quickly. By reporting the fault as soon as possible, it will be a lot faster to fix it, but it really depends of what problem is there. To report the problem, it needs†¦show more content†¦SLA (Service Level Agreement) SLA is a contract between the IT technician and the company which means that technician must to do and to meet with the company requirements, for example IT technicians will produce the secure networks, authentication via username and password, and also computer troubleshooting and maintenance. Confidentiality Confidentiality within all companies is very important as employees have access to a lot of important information on the company that they could potentially steal, tell others about, post it online or more. Companies have policies in place which are put in place to let their staff know that these such things are unacceptable and helps to reduce this from taking place but will not stop them from their employees doing it. Confidentiality is also important between the company and all their customers and is part of the policy. The companies that hold information on their customers by law are not allowed to give out the information they hold to anyone else without that person’s permission, if this was to happen in the company it will result in actions taking place such as a fine or even worse. Organisational constraints: Costs Most companies that are using IT systems will not have a large amount of money to spend on the equipment they are using and the security they have in place on their systems. Companies will be looking forShow MoreRelatedMove and position1455 Words   |  6 Pagespositioning individuals How legislation and agreed ways of working affect working practices: Current, local, UK and European legislation affects procedures and practices. This include Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended 2004), Reporting of Injuries, Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (England, Wales and Scotland) Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) order 1 978, Lifting operations and lifting Equipment Regulation (1998( - LOLER, The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)Read MoreNCFE EVIDENCE TRACKING SHEET5458 Words   |  22 Pages (D/602/2214) Develop and implement the health and safety policy Learning outcomes Type of evidence 1 Be able to define the statutory and workplace health and safety requirements for the organisation. 1.1 Analyse the structure of the organisation relative to health and safety 1.2 Advocate the Health and Safety Policy to all key stakeholders in the organisation 1.3 Assess the existing health and safety systems, policies and procedures in the organisation 1.4 Evaluate theRead MoreSafety Culture vs Safety Climate5255 Words   |  22 Pagesagrees stating that the term safety culture can be used to refer to the behavioural aspects (i.e. ‘what people do’), and the situational aspects of the company (i.e. ‘what the organisation has’). Other definitions include â€Å"those aspects of the organisational culture which will impact on attitudes and behaviour related to increasing or decreasing risk† (Guldenmund, 2000) and â€Å"the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions shared by natural groups as defining norms and values, which determine how they act andRead MoreProject Management Office3966 Words   |  16 PagesProject Management Office is to define and maintain projects management standards that must be implemented and adhered to throughout the organisation. The project management office must standardise the way that projects are executed by ensuring that policies, processes and procedures are repeated in exactly the same way in all of the projects that are performed in the organization. The Projects Management Office is the source of documentation, guidance and metrics on the practice of project managementRead MoreVinamilk Mbaar3744 Words   |  15 PagesUnit Outcomes Outcome Evidence for the criteria Feedback Assessor’s decision Internal Verification First attempt Re-work Be able to monitor appropriate systems to improve organisational performance LO3 Design systems to manage and monitor quality standards specified by the organisation 3.1 Demonstrate a quality culture to ensure continuous monitoring, evaluation and development of the process 3.2 Recommend improvements which align with the organisation’s objectives and goalsRead MoreCadbury Orang-Utans Case2358 Words   |  10 PagesQUESTION1: State what Cadbury’s mission, purpose, strategic plans, structure, policies, current public relations issues are. How do you think this will affect the public relations campaign and what should be the objectives of that campaign? ANSWER: Introduction: Cadbury as we know is a well-known company all over the world engaged in services of producing confectionery products. Cadbury provides its customers with world’s best chocolates and candies in more than 50 countries in the world andRead MoreCadbury Orang-Utans Case2364 Words   |  10 PagesQUESTION1: State what Cadbury’s mission, purpose, strategic plans, structure, policies, current public relations issues are. How do you think this will affect the public relations campaign and what should be the objectives of that campaign? ANSWER: Introduction: Cadbury as we know is a well-known company all over the world engaged in services of producing confectionery products. Cadbury provides its customers with world’s best chocolates and candies in more than 50 countries in the world and havingRead MoreThe Impact Of Organisational Policies On The Troubleshooting Repair Process1980 Words   |  8 Pagesimpact of organisational policies on the troubleshooting repair process Introduction Communications When there is a fault to report there are ways to report the error or problem you can email, phone, talk face to face or if the IT support staff have a form on their website you can fill in a form on it for the IT support know that there is a problem with that computer or a different computer. When everything is completed they have repaired everything they would enter everything in the fault log sayingRead MoreComparing Mintzberg and Fayol2543 Words   |  11 Pagesactivities; decision making; job analysis and design; staffing selection; empowerment (encouraging a liking for initiative and responsibility); performance management - fair and appropriate remuneration; maintenance of discipline and sanctions against faults and errors; subordination of individual interests to the general interest; and fighting against excess regulations, red tape and paper control. To command refers to setting the organization going (Fayol 1949:97). The object of command is to getRead MoreSocial Benefits of Audit2171 Words   |  9 Pagesseparate discipline contributes to the economic social advancement. Audits serve a vital economic purpose and play an important role in serving the public interest to strengthen accountability and reinforce trust and confidence in financial reporting. As such, audits help enhance economic prosperity, expanding the variety, number and value of transactions that people are prepared to enter into. However, in recent years, and in the light of corporate scandals, we have witnessed ongoing global

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Criteria For Mortgage Home Loan Selection In Malaysia - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2891 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Since housing is expensive, the availability of housing finance is equally important. Today, home financing offers financial assistance to homebuyers when purchasing their dream home. There are various institutions which offer housing loans that prospective borrowers can access such as insurance companies, state housing corporations/agencies or mortgage institutions. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Criteria For Mortgage Home Loan Selection In Malaysia" essay for you Create order With rapid change and more sophisticated homebuyers, it has become very important that financial institutions determine the factors which are pertinent to the homebuyer in selecting a mortgage home loan provider. To establish the potential capacity to pay for the desired home, prospective buyers were asked to estimate the average purchase price, the deposit required, the deposit that they could afford as well as any savings that could be added to the funding package. Moreover, homebuyers have to take into consideration in many dimensions such as the down payment, maturity of the contract, repayment structure, the ability to refinance, the possibility of being subject to borrowing constraints, and the evolution of economic variables such as interest rate, inflation, house appreciation rate and income growth.(Babakus, 2004) Mortgage loan is a source of finance in home purchases and it was the popular choice where the property was used as the main sources of collateral secure the loan. In the United States, according to the Residential Finance Survey in 2001, roughly 97 percent of the housing units where purchased through mortgage loans while only 1.6 percent were purchase in cash. According to data presented in the Mortgage Market Statistical Annual, the market share of non-traditional mortgage contracts has increased since 2000. As such, more financial alternatives are offered to the public and at the same time there are more options for Malaysian bank customers to choose from. The mortgage home loans definitely provides an option as an alternative to interest based ones for a Malaysia bank customers to choose the best financing package for their dream home. As a result, exploring such information would help service providers to identify appropriate marketing strategies needed to attract new borrowers. The choice criteria are most importance for customers and determine their decision of cooperating with the attempts to deliver offering, which will motivate customer choice. Therefore, understanding the service consumer is to understand the unique challenges they face as they attempt to make decisions and evaluations of their service purchases for mortgage home loan is important (Grace and Oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Cass, 2003). This paper attempts to deepen understanding about consumer decision-making when selecting a service provider and what criteria are of most importance. Research Question, Aims and Objectives The aim of this research is to identify the choice criteria that influence borrowers for mortgage home loan. The present study will focus on the following research question and research objective: Research Question What are the key choice criteria for the selection of mortgage home loan provider in Malaysia? Research Objectives To find out demographic information of Malaysian home loan borrowers. To examine major choice criteria that influence mortgage home loan selection. To determine the level of customer satisfaction of home loan providers. To recommend the appropriate strategy for home loan providers to market its mortgage loan products. Literature Review In this competitive world, banks offer their various home loan packages in the market. Therefore, homebuyers have choices on selecting a suitable home loan package for themselves. Homebuyers who are interested on the home loan packages need to contact to banks or mortgage sales officer or through banks in order to get information before they can make their decision when choosing appropriate home loan package which meet their requirements. Mortgage loan services In 1970s, Ginnie Mae (a government corporation) and Fannie Mae (a government chartered shareholders corporation) began the trend of securitization of home mortgages. By definition, mortgage loans or home loans are secured by real property and provide a schedule of payments of interest and repayments of the principal to a bank (Tse, 1997). Besides that, mortgage loans provide great volumes and accuracy of customer information (Kessler, 2001).The mortgage home loan involves a deliberately planned financial behaviour with a risk of unpredictable ability to make long-term repayment for a huge amount of debt (Sullivan, Warren, Westbrook, 2000). In general, banking institutions in Malaysia offer two types of mortgage loans, namely, conventional and Islamic. The commercial banking sector in fact has been getting more significant in financing individual home buyers with individual commercial banks competing severely for mortgage business, as individual housing loan was generally regarded by the banks as less risky (Shen, 2000). Borrowerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s selection process Each homebuyer has their different purchase criteria for mortgage home loan. A variety of factors that can potentially affect the mortgage home loan selection such as demographic characteristic of borrowers, interest rate, service quality, professional advice, easy approval of home loan application, reputation of loan provider and recommendation from friends and family members. Demographic characteristic of borrowers Demographic characteristics have demonstrated homebuyerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s attitudes towards mortgage home loan as well. Boyd et al. (1994) argued that selection criteria of banks and how these differ according the customers behavioural and demographic characteristics. Mortgage home loan attitudes are mainly influenced by gender, age, and income (Devlin, 2002). Moreover, women seemed to be having greater impact on bank selection decisions as they achieved greater social liberation (Anderson et al., 1976). In contrast, men are apparently more inclined to acquire home ownership through mortgage loan than women (Ajayi, 1990). On the other hand, older borrowers preferred bank locations close to their home, while the younger ones were interested in the variety of service (Kaynak et al, 1991). Beside that, high income household attached greater importance to opening hours and friendliness of staff and low income households relied on favourable publicity (Boyd et al.,1994). Interest rate Rate of interest has always been featured as one of the important considerations in explaining the saving behaviour of individuals. Base Lending Rate (BLR) is the lowest rate charged by banks on mortgage loans in Malaysia. Changes in the rate will have a direct relationship with the credit availability to borrowers. Increase in the rate means higher cost of borrowing to customers and also serves as an indicator whether they can easily obtain financing for their needs as well as their capacity to pay back the loan (Haron, 1997). For example, when there is an increase in the BLR, the interest rate on loan will also go up, and borrowerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s repayment would be higher. Khazeh and Decker (1994) surveyed recent homebuyers; they found that relatively few home buyers claimed to have chosen a mortgage lender on the basis of interest rate charges. Moreover, Breslaw et al. (1996) postulate two possible behavioural models of consumer behaviour for choosing a mortgage. The first occu rs when payment constraints become strongly binding and the second occur where the monthly payment constraint is less binding and a borrower has the latitude to choose a longer term and a shorter amortization. Service quality Bank service quality is the most important element that customers consider in order to select their mortgage providers and establish a long-term relationship with them (Lymperopoulos et al.,2006). Service quality is the consumerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s judgment about an entityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s overall excellence or superiority. It is form of attitude, and results from a comparison of expectations to perceptions of performance received (Zeithaml, 1987). They are mainly interested in the way the financial service is delivered (McKechnie, 1992). And particularly in the bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s opening hours, provision of information, and ability to focus on customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ needs (Holmlund and Kock, 1996). Avkiran (1999) measured the dimensions of bank service quality and came up with different discriminating factors, namely staff conduct, credibility and access to teller services. Staff conduct refers to responsiveness, civilised conduct and professional image of branch staff, w hile credibility refers to rectifying mistakes, and keeping customers informed. Access to teller service refers to the adequacy of number of staff serving customers throughout business hours and during peak hours. Professional advice Professional advice is the most important factor for all borrowers, but is also more important for young financial services consumer (Devlin and Ennew, 2005). Some homebuyers do not understand the nature of mortgage instruments (Mills and Gardner, 1994) and therefore the professional advice of intermediaries also affected individuals when selecting a mortgage provider. For example, the service officers understand the needs and wants of its customer, this is because some of the borrowers, regardless of educational level, could not determine which mortgage type had higher financial cost (Lino, 1992). In addition, there is a lack of knowledge on the borrowing behaviour, preferences and experiences of low-income households with accessing housing finance from the commercial banking sector in South Africa (Hendler and Pillay, 2001,p.2). Therefore, it is important to understand that the professional advice that can be influenced the intention the choice for mortgage home loan in Malaysia. A s a result, today, retail customers require information, comprehensive advice, honestly, consistency, responsiveness, commitment and value for money (Shelton, 1995; Leach, 1995). Easy approval of home loan application Poor or low and middle income borrowers often face difficulties to meet the requirement of bank in Nigeria (Olufemi, 1993;Onibokun, 1985; Falegan, 1985). This is because some borrowers cannot meet some lenders requirements such as collateral, down payment, service charges, repayment schedule and mortgage protection policy (Smith et al,1997). Dymski (1999) noted that because of systematic institutional discrimination, large, consolidated banks do not serve minority and low-income customers well, and certainly not as well as smaller banks and non-bank financial institutions Therefore, approval for home loan application can be influenced the intention the choice for mortgage home loan. Reputation of loan provider Reputations play a major role in the selection process (Haron et al., 1994). Interestingly, Devlin and Gerrard (2004) presented an analysis of trends in the relative importance of bank choice criteria. In UK, noted the importance of the impact of advertising by building societies on mortgage choice (Leece,1995). Home loan borrowers satisfaction which mainly focused on the bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s name, image, confidentiality and reputation ( Erol and El- Bdour, 1989).Therefore, the reputation have retained their degree of importance in home loan borrowers mind. Recommendation from friends and family members The importance of recommendations or word-of-mouth in the formation of attitudes in a service purchase decision making context has been showed in many studies (Wangenheim and Bayon, 2004; Grace and Oà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Cass, 2003). The researcher provided findings from 7,033 consumers and showed that the influence of recommendations is now the important choice criteria. Sometimes, people are influenced by the recommendation of family member, spouse or friends, with respect the choice of mortgage home loan selection and also the home loans is mainly influenced by customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ previous experience with the provider (Ford and Jones, 2001). As a result, mortgage home loan borrowers are encouraged to obtain information about experience attributes from people who have actually used the service (Babakus et al.,2004). Overall, it is important to address the criteria in order to make sure the service providers are able to come up with attractive package of mortgage services providers to their prospective loan borrowers. As a conclusion, the factors that will affect choice criteria for mortgage home loan selection in Malaysia by home loan borrowers should be concern and investigate deeply. Conceptual framework Indicators Independent Variable Dependent Variable Gender, age, income Demographic characteristic Payment constraints, monthly payment constraints Interest rate Service quality Staff conduct, credibility and access to teller services. Mortgage home loan selection Require information, comprehensive advice, honestly, consistency, responsiveness, commitment and value for money Professional advice Collateral, down payment, service charges, repayment schedule and mortgage protection policy (al,1997Dymski (1999) noted that because of system Easy approval for home loan application Reputation of loan provider Bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ name, image advertising by building societies Family member, spouse or friends Recommendation Figure 1 Hypothesis From the conceptual framework the following hypothesis is developed to be tested in this study: Hypothesis !: Mortgage home loan selection are mainly influenced by demographic characteristic Hypothesis 2: Interest rate is positively related to mortgage home loan selection. Hypothesis 3: Service quality is positively related to mortgage home loan selection. Hypothesis 4: Professional advice is positively related to mortgage home loan selection. Hypothesis 5: Easy approval for home loan application is positively related to mortgage home loan selection. Hypothesis 6: Reputation of loan provider is positively related to mortgage home loan selection. Hypothesis 7: Recommendation of loan provider is positively related to mortgage home loan selection. Methodology After the literature review, quantitative research methods will be implemented to meet the research objectives of this study. In particularly, a survey was designed and conducted in Selangor states of Malaysia. In order to conduct a self administered surveys and questionnaire will be used as a research instrument. Self administered surveys are used to collect quantitative information about items in a population. A survey may focus on opinions or factual information depending on its purpose, and many surveys involve administering questions to individuals. The study presents primary and secondary sources such as articles, journals, searching and browsing through the internet web pages, internet websites and online articles and journals to seek for supplementary information. Data will be collected by self-administered questionnaires of Malaysia banks customers in Selangor. A total of 200 bank customer will be targeted and responded to a survey addressing the choice criteria for mortgage home loan selection. A self-administered survey is one in which the respondent completes the survey on his or her own, it is a traditional à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“paper and pencilà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? survey and is a group self-administered survey and drop-off survey whereby respondents fill out at leisure. There are some advantages for this self-administered survey which can help to reduce cost by eliminating the need for an interviewer or an interviewing device, respondents have the controlled pace at which they answer, no interview-evaluation apprehension. Besides that, they can be administered in large number all at the same place and time. There are some strengths and weaknesses of the survey. The survey is useful in describing the characteristics of a large population. Consequently, very large sample are feasible, thus making the results statistically significant even when analyzing multiple variables. In contrast, many respondents will refuse to fill the questionnaires and some respondents will not cooperate in filling the questionnaires. On the other hand, it will be difficult to ensure that a large number of the selected sample will reply. A non-probability, convenience sampling will be implemented for the research. Convenience sampling refers to the procedure of obtaining units or people who are most conveniently available. The convenience sampling is used to obtain a large number of completed questionnaires quickly and economically. With this method, it only samples those who are available and willing to participate in the survey. Before the questionnaire was finalized, a pilot study will be conducted in order to test the appropriateness of the questionnaires and to provide clarity and simplicity to the potential respondents. Apart from that, it also aims to ensure a presentable and quality questionnaire is produced. Testing effects can be attributed to changes in subjects that arise from the influence of the testing process itself. It is possible that a pilot test can sensitise or bias a subjectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s behaviour and result in an improved performance. Both open and closed-ended questions will be used in questionnaires. An open-ended question is a question without any prompting in regard to the range of answers to be expected, and writes down the respondentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s reply verbatim. A line or space is left for the respondent to write their own answer. Furthermore, closed ended questions will be used in preparing the questionnaire use to overcome some open- ended questions which is offers the respondent a range of answers to choose from. A range of answers is set out in the questionnaire and the respondent is asked to tick the appropriate boxes. Finally, In order to test for difference in importance of choice criteria across groups of the various measures, the data will be collected and subsequently by different statistical techniques provided by SPSS for window package version 16.0. Discuss of access and ethical considerations In order to gain the information for the research, I decided that I specially did not know the identity of respondent such as name, age, identity card number, mobile phone number and home address during the interview. I felt that honestly assuring anonymity would increase the likelihood and accuracy of responses. In the few instances in which respondents volunteered their name, such information was immediately obliterated on the questionnaires. The research will be take place in safe environment to ensure the personal safety. All interviews will be conducted in the public place. Furthermore, I will only ask what is needed for the research but not include other question not related to my research. The information respondents give must be kept at least confidential. Besides that, other important research ethic is that experimental participation must be voluntary. All participants will be offered the opportunity to take part and it will be voluntary the decision to whether accept. Finally, a brief description of the purpose of the project will be provided in the questionnaire to make sure all participants will know they are involved with the research. This is known as informed consent. Participants will be required to sign a consent form, accepting to take part in the research voluntary. Resources The sources of finding will be used to complete the research. The resources are used in this research included time and cost. The printing cost of RM450 will be used to print questionnaires survey form. The estimate time for complete this research is around six months that is from February to May and September to December 2010.