Free Essays on Human Nature- Lord Of The Flies

â€Å"What we call human habit in actuality is human nature† (Jewel, Pieces of You). Society has cultivated the human mind into a sponge, which filters knowledge and moral values that are taught from birth. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding places fictitious characters on a remote island to test human instinct without outside influences. Golding uses objects such as the Island, the Conch, and the Beast to reflect aspects of our society socially, politically, and psychologically. Golding uses the island to represent the social structure of human nature. One aspect of our social structure is how different each individual is from the next. The plane, which crashed, delivered a variety of personalities with different backgrounds: Ralph, from a loving mother and father, Piggy from his overprotective Aunt, and Jack from a rebellious childhood. These boys are defined by different ages, backgrounds, and characteristics, which represent individuality among the population that exists today. Another aspect of our society is the tendency to form groups. Jack forms a rebellious group of hunters and says, â€Å"We hunt and feast and have fun.† (140). The other, more conservative group, is led by Ralph who states, â€Å"I’d like to put on war-paint and be a savage. But we must keep the fire burning.† (142). This reflects how humans tend to group together and have contrasting beliefs. Political parties today, in which one is more conservative or libera l than the next exemplify a parallel to this statement. The last aspect of society is shown in the war, which displays how socially, humans tend to fight with violence and animosity. â€Å"The ululation rose behind him [Ralph] and spread along, a series of short sharp cries, the sighting call† (199). Jack’s Savages start a fire to kill Ralph, the enemy, but cease to realize that they are only destroying their shelters, food supply, and sanity. This is much like the wars fought in modern ... Free Essays on Human Nature- Lord Of The Flies Free Essays on Human Nature- Lord Of The Flies â€Å"What we call human habit in actuality is human nature† (Jewel, Pieces of You). Society has cultivated the human mind into a sponge, which filters knowledge and moral values that are taught from birth. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding places fictitious characters on a remote island to test human instinct without outside influences. Golding uses objects such as the Island, the Conch, and the Beast to reflect aspects of our society socially, politically, and psychologically. Golding uses the island to represent the social structure of human nature. One aspect of our social structure is how different each individual is from the next. The plane, which crashed, delivered a variety of personalities with different backgrounds: Ralph, from a loving mother and father, Piggy from his overprotective Aunt, and Jack from a rebellious childhood. These boys are defined by different ages, backgrounds, and characteristics, which represent individuality among the population that exists today. Another aspect of our society is the tendency to form groups. Jack forms a rebellious group of hunters and says, â€Å"We hunt and feast and have fun.† (140). The other, more conservative group, is led by Ralph who states, â€Å"I’d like to put on war-paint and be a savage. But we must keep the fire burning.† (142). This reflects how humans tend to group together and have contrasting beliefs. Political parties today, in which one is more conservative or libera l than the next exemplify a parallel to this statement. The last aspect of society is shown in the war, which displays how socially, humans tend to fight with violence and animosity. â€Å"The ululation rose behind him [Ralph] and spread along, a series of short sharp cries, the sighting call† (199). Jack’s Savages start a fire to kill Ralph, the enemy, but cease to realize that they are only destroying their shelters, food supply, and sanity. This is much like the wars fought in modern ...

Learn How to Conjugate Parler (to Talk) in French

Learn How to Conjugate Parler (to Talk) in French The French verb  parler  literally means to talk or to speak. Youll find it used in a variety of idiomatic expressions and in order to use it properly, youll definitely want to know how to conjugate it. A quick lesson will introduce you to this very useful verb while learning many common phrases. Conjugating the French Verb  Parler We must learn how to conjugate verbs in order to place them in the correct tense for our sentences. By understanding how to do so, youll be able to use  parler  in the past tense, talked, the future tense will talk, and the present tense am talking. French students will be happy to know that parler is a  regular -er  verb. It follows the most common conjugation pattern in the French language, so learning how to conjugate it is relatively easy. If youve studied other regular -er  verbs, you can apply what you learned with those to this one. To begin, we must identify the verb stem, which is  parl. To this, we will add a variety of endings that match both the subject pronoun and the tense of the sentence. The most common forms of this are the indicative moods, which are found in this first chart. Using it, you will learn that I am talking is  je parle  and we will talk is  nous parlerons. Practice these in context to help speed up your memorization. Present Future Imperfect je parle parlerai parlais tu parles parleras parlais il parle parlera parlait nous parlons parlerons parlions vous parlez parlerez parliez ils parlent parleront parlaient The  present participle  of  parler  is  parlant. This is formed by adding -ant  to the verb stem. Another form of the past tense is the passà © composà ©. To form it for  parler, you will use the auxiliary verb  avoir  along with the past participle  parlà ©. For instance, we spoke is  nous avons parlà ©. Among the other basic conjugations you may need for parler are the subjunctive and the conditional. These two verb moods imply that the act of talking may or may not happen depending on circumstances and there are rules for using both. Also, the passà © simple and the imperfect subjunctive may be useful, particularly if you do a lot of formal reading or writing in French. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je parle parlerais parlai parlasse tu parles parlerais parlas parlasses il parle parlerait parla parlt nous parlions parlerions parlmes parlassions vous parliez parleriez parltes parlassiez ils parlent parleraient parlrent parlassent The imperative verb mood is used to say short commands such as, Talk! When using it, skip the subject pronoun and simply say, Parle ! Imperative (tu) parle (nous) parlons (vous) parlez Expressions With  Parler Learn how to babble, be a good speaker, make small talk, and more with these expressions that use  parler. When the expression defines a subject, the proper conjugation is included for you. Others will require you to use your new conjugations skills to form a sentence. Ways to Talk   There are many forms of talking and ways to describe this action. Each requires some form of  parler  and many of these will need to be conjugated. parler to talk to parler tort et travers to talk drivel, babble parler au coeur to speak to the heart parler du fond du coeur to speak from the heart parler avec les mains to speak with ones hands se parler to talk to oneself; to talk to one another le parler speech, dialect le parler de tous les jours everyday language le parler vrai straight talking le parler vulgaire vulgar/coarse way of speaking parler par nigmesparler par paraboles to speak in riddles parler par gestes to use sign language Describing How Someones Talking You can use adjectives to describe the manner in which someone is talking. Here are a few common examples to give you a good foundation for saying such things in French. parler crment to speak bluntly parler distinctement to speak distinctly parler franc to speak frankly parler dor to speak words of wisdom parler pour ne rien dire to talk for the sake of talking You Speak Well (or  Not) There are also many common phrases that refer to how well someone speaks. These are useful, especially when youre new to the language. parler bien to speak well, be a good speaker parler mal to speak poorly, not be a good speaker parler comme un livre (derogatory) to talk like a book parler le franais comme une vache espagnole (informal) to speak French terribly, literally to speak French like a Spanish cow parler le franais couramment to speak French fluently Parlez-vous anglais ? Do you speak English? Parlez-vous franais ? Do you speak French? Voil qui est (bien) parl ! Here! Here! Well said! Things to Talk About In conversation, you will have many things to talk about. Using these phrases as a base, you can substitute words and explain that youre talking about almost anything. parler de to talk about parler affaires to talk about business parler boutique (informal) to talk shop parler de choses et dautres to talk about this and that, to make small talk parler de faire quelque chose to talk about doing something parler de la pluie et du beau temps to talk about this and that, to make small talk parler politique to talk politics To Complain Talking does come with complaining at times, so you might need these phrases on occasion. parler du nez to speak through ones nose parler en lair to talk without acting, to complain but not do anything parler mal de quelquun to speak ill of someone aimer scouter parler to like to hear oneself talk, to like the sound of ones own voice I Heard... Other common French expressions refer to hearing someone speak about something or someone else. Remember to conjugate  parler  as needed for these. dire quelquun sa faon de parler to tell someone what one thinks/feels entendre parler de... to hear (someone talking) about... faire parler to make talk, loosen ones tongue, draw out faire parler de soi to get oneself talked about ne jamais en parler to never talk about something Talk About Yourself When you want to tell someone about yourself, youll find these expressions helpful. Je parle franais. I speak French. Je parle un peu de franais. I speak a little French. Je ne parle pas franais. I dont speak French. Mais je parle, je parle... But enough about me... moi qui vous parle I myself/personally Talk About or To Someone Else In other instances, you might be speaking about someone else. There are also a few phrases in this list that can be used when talking directly to someone. parler pour quelquun to speak for someone, on someones behalf vous parler franc to be frank with you Vous navez qu parler. Just say the word. On parle beaucoup de lui comme... Hes being talked about as a possible/likely... Nous ne nous parlons pas. Were not speaking (at the moment). Ne men parlez pas ! (informal) Youre telling me! Tu parles ! (informal) Youre telling me!, You must be joking! Parlons-en ! (informal) Fat chance! You must be joking! Tu peux parler ! (informal) You can talk! Youre a fine one to talk! Tu parles si... ! (informal) You must be joking if...! A fat lot of... ! Tu parles dun... ! Talk about a...! Nen parlons plus ! Lets not talk about that any more. On ma beaucoup parl de vous. Ive heard a lot about you. Quand on parle du loup (on en voit la queue). Speak of the devil (and he appears). Just to Clarify When you need to clarify a point in French or ask someone else to do so, knowing these phrases will come in handy. Parle pour toi ! Speak for yourself! Parlez plus fort. Speak up. Parlons peu mais parlons bien. Lets get straight to the point. sans parler de... not to mention..., let alone... ...et je ne parle pas de... not to mention... Everyones Talking   Is everyone talking about something? If so, then youll want to know how to tell someone else. On ne parle que de a. Thats all people are talking about. Tout le monde en parle. Everyones talking about it. Toute la ville en parle. Its the talk of the town. Unusual Uses of  Parler While  parler  means to talk, there are instances in which it has other meanings. As you can see in the following expressions, the verb can be deceptive at times and its all about the context of the sentence. Tout me parle de toi. Everything reminds me of you. parler limagination to appeal to the imagination parler aux yeux to appeal to the eye trouver qui parler to meet ones match faire parler la poudre to start a gunfight/war Cest vous de parler. (card game) Its your bid. Figures of Speech Well finish up with a few common figures of speech that also use  parler. These are nice additions to your French vocabulary and can help you remain part of any conversation. Cest une faon de parler. Its (just) a figure of speech. Ce ... me parle. This... really speaks to me. Ce ... ne me parle pas. This... doesnt do anything for me. Cest parler un mur. Its like talking to a wall. Le devoir a parl. Duty called. Les faits parlent deux-mmes. The facts speak for themselves.

Cover Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Cover Letter - Essay Example I am also hardworking and flexible, so I can meet the changing needs and demands of my job. My value for a systematic and collaborative environment is an added advantage for your organization to realize its goals in a timely and effective manner. I understand that achieving performance improvement and government expenditure growth is a difficult task for the government. However, for whatever the government can accomplish, it should to be accountable to the taxpayers. In other words, the taxpayers should be aware of how their money is used. One of the most successful methods of achieving accountability is to publish and release data annually and semi-annually in order to provide the public with information on how public funds are spent and how well the government is performing in terms of service delivery to the public. Providing information about public service and performance ensures that the government becomes accountable and improves its efficiency (Erkkilä, 2012). Data of expenditure should be published to enable the public to track the money paid to civil servants, money spent on contracts, and other types of government expenditure. Releasing public data should be done in public and through the print media so that a ll citizens can access them. The local government can become more open, transparent and accountable to its constituents by providing open data, disclosing sufficient financial information on annual financial statements, and engaging the public in decision making. Publishing data on financial expenditure enables the public to assess government performance; hence holding the government accountable for its service delivery and performance. This openness builds public trust on the government. The government should also discuss various issues with the public concerning public service and how the government is using public funds to meet its expenditure. Financial information

Corporate Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Corporate Strategy - Essay Example The company changed its name to Air France KLM, though the two companies operate separately. Delta Airlines had a merger with Northwest Airlines in the years between 2008 and 2010 that made the former become the world’s No.2 passenger carrier after United Airlines. The company still maintains the Delta name. We also visit United Airlines that merged with Continental Airlines in 2010 to become the world’s largest airline company/carrier. Airline acquisitions and mergers have implications on airline customers and employees. These business moves have some interlinked factors that are important in understanding what really takes place; Efficiency, approvals, competition, strife and benefits to the airline customers (Kelly et al, 2002). In the airline industry, mergers and acquisitions are purely strategic and are pursued after putting several factors into consideration: Service quality and image of the other airline, possibility of the other airline company to have partners hips with airlines considered industry rivals and the area covered by the other airline, which is of interest. Strategically speaking, an airline entity would merge with another airline company that operates on different routes from those that it operates. This expands flight coverage and helps in avoiding overlapping of flights in any given routes. One of the effects of acquisitions and mergers on airline customers is that air fares increase. Such business moves reduce the number of operators thus reduction in competition. The result is an increase in fares and rates. Acquisitions and mergers are most active when there are equity markets with low volatility and low rates in interests. There is also an upward trend in mergers and acquisitions, when stocks trade in low multiples. Mergers and acquisitions have the tendency of being instigated and driven by market conditions and factors that are favorable (Kelly et al, 2002). The drive to transact mergers and acquisitions mainly starts with the parties involved who have strategic objectives that are to be achieved at the tail end of such transactions. The strategic objectives of selling and buying converge in a manner that fuels the transaction process. For instance, the parties involved may enter into such agreements in order to stay afloat in the market or the merger and acquisition plan will facilitate a leaner, profitable, and successful company. These transactions could be done with the objective of strategically positioning the resultant business entity for the necessary growth. There are strategic reasons that explain the existence of these kinds of businesses: financial growths, achievement of vertical integration, outdo competition, asset acquisitions, expansion into new markets, gaining of intellectual property (IP), acquisition of new customers and clientele, expansion into complimentary services and products, and the need to outdo threats on entity services and products (Bierly & Coombs, 2004). There were developments that led the above named airline companies to venture into these kinds of agreements. United airlines merger with continental airlines was driven by the urge to create the world’s most lucrative airline that would taste success in the competitive domestic and global airline sector. The resultant entity would offer unique and superior services and products to its prospective customers. The resultant company would also serve a global airline network of 370 destinations. The

How Small Coffee Shops Can Succeed Using Social Media Essay Example for Free

How Small Coffee Shops Can Succeed Using Social Media Essay Everyone has a local coffee shop that they consider to be their favourite. That one place where they know they’ll be welcomed with open arms and the people behind the counter know their name (or at least their face). The place that even if their coffee costs almost double as much as Tim Hortons (Starbucks); that this is the place they’ll always recommend to their friends. A few years ago, it was nearly impossible for a local coffee shop to compete with the deep pocket coffee shops. Today, even the smallest cafe with the a very little marketing budget can compete. All they need – is a story worth telling and of course, a coffee worth brewing. If they have those, the clients will keep coming back – the main concern is usually getting them there in the first place. Here are some ways that social media can be used to help local coffee shops compete with the big players. Two Tweets and One Sugar As I write this post, twitter has become one of the biggest buzzwords of the year. However, the buzz isn’t unwarranted. Twitter is one of the largest social networking channels in North American consisting more than 15Million accounts. And while its still in its infancy; it provides businesses an unparalleled opportunity to communicate with consumers and current customers in real-time. So what does this mean for coffee shops? It means that they can communicate more effectively than ever with consumers. If that means setting up a search that tracks their brand and sending a simple thank you or going as far as taking a pre-order, so be it. Twitter gives these brands a chance to create a personal connection with their consumers and make their brand worth talking about. By being active in the twitter community an opportunity exists for coffee shops to offer their space for events such as tweet ups. Hosting these live events at your venue not only gaurantee that you’ll be selling your products, but also guarantees some buzz (tweets) about your brand. On top of that, some of these new customers were probably never in your shop in their life; however, because you got involved in twitter and hosted this event you were able to attract new customers to experience your shop. What more can you ask for? I’m glad you asked. How about 1 Blog Latte While blogging can be an important part of a social media strategy, its not worth having if you don’t have a strategy behind it. If your main goal is to develop an online community; it might be in your best interest to blog about different beans or maybe do a Wine Library TV segment – Coffee Style. However, if your strategy is focused around getting more butts in your cafes seats, it might be in your best interest to discuss offers on the blog. As great as a blog can be for an organization it can also be their downfall. A company that views their blog as being a great way to only talk about their brand and how great they are will never find readers. Well maybe they’ll have their spouse and employees; but customers won’t be interested. If you can provide your readers with something of value they will return. I often tell people looking to start a blog to try and offer the three E’s of Social Media. Entertainment, Education or Engagement An Extra Large Facebook Facebook has become the grand-daddy of them all when it comes to social networks. It has recently gone from being a questionable place to have your brand, to a necessity for many companies in the food industry. With its most recent changes to the facebook pages; it has become obvious that brand experience on facebook is back. Brands are now able to create facebook pages with more customization than ever and truly deepen their relationship with their customers. The frazzle-dazzle applications aren’t the only way for a local coffee shop to set itself a part from other stores. It can also use Facebook to promote other content that they have created. This means they can post links to their blog, videos, pictures and even coupons; reaching an audience that may not be present on the other social networking channels. With that said, we can’t forget the meat and potatoes that Facebook was built upon. The ability to get your message out to a number of people is one of the key reasons why businesses have found such success on facebook. Those tweetups we discussed earlier can easily be cross-promoted using a Facebook event. The opportunities available on facebook are great – its up to you, to turn them into something remarkable. Whose your Manager Mayor?! Foursquare is the new kid on the block in the social media world. It will be the most talked about social networking platform for the rest of this year and will definitely be playing a big part in several social media plans. James Hoffman explains on his blog why, You have people competitively visiting you, talking about you. More than that there is a pretty sensible business model in there too, meaning that foursquare could well be around in a few years. Coffee shops seemed pretty quick to embrace twitter, and it will be interesting to see if that experience has soured social media for them, or if they’ll embrace foursquare too. Something tells me that they’ll embrace foursquare like a seat-belt embraces impact. Mayorship TechCrunch One of my favourite tactics that coffee shops can use in Foursquare is promoting the idea of becoming mayor. The basics behind this tactic is that you tell the consumers that if they become the mayor of your shop they get their beverages for free. Seeing that there is an incentive now for going to the shop more and more – You’ve ultimately created a competition that will keep the people swarming your shop. The whole idea of providing customers with rewards for loyalty has been going on for years. This race to be the mayor however, takes customer loyalty, flips it upside down and turns it into a competition. Lets not get our Mochas in a Bunch With all that said, you must always remember your companies core strategy and goals. These channels discussed above may take a similar route as hi5 or geocities in a few years time. For that reason, it is important to not put all your eggs into one basket. Facebook is already talking about their new function that will be the â€Å"Foursquare Killer.† (Keep your eyes open) Finally, remember that the value you provide your customer in the store will always out weight the value you can provide them with a social networking tool. While its important to do things to get your customers in the door – its just as important to make sure they’ll want to come back.

Traditional Dance as the Way to Understand the Culture Essay -- Cultur

â€Å"Dance has no language†- it is often said at the concerts and festivals. Indeed, in order to understand the beauty of the dance and what dancers want to express you do not need to know particular language, so Kazakhs, Russians, Koreans, Germans, Chinese etc. will perceive dance performance in the same way. Traditional dance involves not only dance performance, but traditional national music, costumes and attributes as well. So, through the traditional folk dances people can get acquainted with one or another’s culture. However, according to Bridget Rose Nolan (2008, 8) the nature of the traditional dances are very complex, and the question about to what extent such dances are traditional is arguable. She states that â€Å"dance is arguably one of the hardest forms of cultural expression to pass from one person to another unchanged, let alone from one generation to another through hundreds of years†. As Brennan (1999, 15)said â€Å"dance is, by its nature, ephemeral†. Brennan points that traditional dance itself underwent the process of evolution. Nevertheless, culture is learnt, so it can be changed and it changes slightly from one generation to another, and traditional dance as a part of culture changes as well. This will not be the eradication of culture. Therefore modern traditional dances can be regarded as part of culture and they can be considered as the way to understand particular culture. This paper is focused on this way, to be precisely, how traditional dances affect the understanding of culture. Firstly, the research problem will be described. Then essay will proceed to the description of the practical part, particularly, of the fieldwork, methods and expectations of the participant observation. Furthermore, there will be an an... ...ered that choreography students do not identify with any culture, including their own one, during the dance performance. So, the expectations about the changes in the behavior by the influence of the folk costumes and attributes were met, though the expectations about the feelings of the other cultures were not met. Therefore, folk dances can present culture of the particular folk, but the performances of the folk dances not always involve the understanding of the culture. Bibliography Brennan, H. The Story of Irish Dance. Ireland: Mount Eagle Publications, 1999. Haviland, William A., Harald E.L. Prins, Bunny McBride, and Dana Walrath. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. Wadsworth Publishing, 2011. Nolan, B.R. "Tradition, Modernity, and Authenticity in Riverdance." American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Boston, 2008. 1-17. Traditional Dance as the Way to Understand the Culture Essay -- Cultur â€Å"Dance has no language†- it is often said at the concerts and festivals. Indeed, in order to understand the beauty of the dance and what dancers want to express you do not need to know particular language, so Kazakhs, Russians, Koreans, Germans, Chinese etc. will perceive dance performance in the same way. Traditional dance involves not only dance performance, but traditional national music, costumes and attributes as well. So, through the traditional folk dances people can get acquainted with one or another’s culture. However, according to Bridget Rose Nolan (2008, 8) the nature of the traditional dances are very complex, and the question about to what extent such dances are traditional is arguable. She states that â€Å"dance is arguably one of the hardest forms of cultural expression to pass from one person to another unchanged, let alone from one generation to another through hundreds of years†. As Brennan (1999, 15)said â€Å"dance is, by its nature, ephemeral†. Brennan points that traditional dance itself underwent the process of evolution. Nevertheless, culture is learnt, so it can be changed and it changes slightly from one generation to another, and traditional dance as a part of culture changes as well. This will not be the eradication of culture. Therefore modern traditional dances can be regarded as part of culture and they can be considered as the way to understand particular culture. This paper is focused on this way, to be precisely, how traditional dances affect the understanding of culture. Firstly, the research problem will be described. Then essay will proceed to the description of the practical part, particularly, of the fieldwork, methods and expectations of the participant observation. Furthermore, there will be an an... ...ered that choreography students do not identify with any culture, including their own one, during the dance performance. So, the expectations about the changes in the behavior by the influence of the folk costumes and attributes were met, though the expectations about the feelings of the other cultures were not met. Therefore, folk dances can present culture of the particular folk, but the performances of the folk dances not always involve the understanding of the culture. Bibliography Brennan, H. The Story of Irish Dance. Ireland: Mount Eagle Publications, 1999. Haviland, William A., Harald E.L. Prins, Bunny McBride, and Dana Walrath. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. Wadsworth Publishing, 2011. Nolan, B.R. "Tradition, Modernity, and Authenticity in Riverdance." American Sociological Association Annual Meeting. Boston, 2008. 1-17.

Effectiveness of Matatu Saccos a Case Study Ofnairobi County

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Background of the Study The transportation industry sector is comprised of a wide range of service providers covering all modes of transport; air, road, sea and rail. In Kenya, both private and public providers offer transportation to the public.Due to the diversity of the transport sector in Kenya, the infrastructure group; the department of Price Waterhouse Coopers-Kenya that deals with researches on industries and infrastructures, had classified roads as the prime link between all the economic sectors since they account for 80% of Kenya’s total passenger and freight transportation as well as value of output (PWC Kenya 2009). The word matatu is derived from the local kikuyu vernacular word mang’otore matatu which means â€Å"thirty cents† which was the standard charge for every trip made. Chitere. O and Kibua. N, 2004). Majority of Kenyans do not own private cars, thus they use matatus as their mode of transportation. By 2003, the nu mber of matatus operating in both urban and rural areas was estimated at 40,000 and they provided employment to 160,000 people and paid up to Ksh. 1. 09 billion per annum to the government in taxes (Chitere and Kibua, 2004). The origin of matatus in Kenya can be traced back in the late 1950s. After Kenya’s independence in 1963, Africans migrated to Nairobi to search for employment opportunities.Informal settlements began to expand in areas where there was limited transport. These people were too poor to own private vehicles. Recognizing the opportunity for financial gains while providing the much needed service, mini-bus taxis (which were largely owned by middle-income people) began offering transport services from rural areas and informal urban settlement around the city. Due to high demand, the number of matatus increased but was operating illegally until 1973 when the then president (Mzee Jomo Kenyatta) issued a decree officially recognizing matatus as a mode of public tra nsport.This made them to be the main mode of transportation in Nairobi metropolitan up to today, with an estimated number of 15,000 matatus. (Graeff J, 2009). The benefits that are attached to matatus as a mode of transport by various parties include: Owners get income inform of profits, workers such as drivers, conductors and stage workers also get income in form of salaries, passengers get mobility and safety, other road users such as cyclist, motorists and pedestrians also get safety, and institutions such as local authorities get revenue.Despite all this, there is still a struggle for regulatory and economic sphere of influence in the matatu sector (Khayesi. M, 1999). It has been reported that there is insufficient consistent data about matatus. If any, there is limited access to the database and can only be found through SACCOs (Graeff. J, 2009). Since the official recognition of the matatu as a means of transporation in 1973, the sector grew to the extent that the owners forme d a national association to control the operations of the sector and also advocating for their rights and demands.All matatu operators were expected to belong to this association, that is, The Matatu Vehicle Owners Association (MVOA). They had a rule that forced new matatu operators to register with the association in order to be allocated a route of operation. The association attracted the attention of both the Government and political opposition groups who saw the association as an important ally to advance political moves. The association was disbanded by the Government and was accused of having been penetrated by rich individuals who were oppressing the weak members by assigning them to routes that had fewer passengers.The Government then left individual members to operate on any route although it did not end the influence and support that politicians had for the matatu owners and operators (Khayesi. M, 1999). The Government then introduced SACCOs in the matatu sector as one of the reforms strategy that targeted to manage transport systems (Graeff. J, 2009). These SACCOs played an important role in addressing the concerns of the stakeholders and integrating the matatus into a comprehensive system. They are the professional transport firms as they act as the key takeholders. They act as the liaison between the members of the SACCO and the other stakeholders including the Government. They have the ability to unify the industry and strengthen the voice of the stakeholders which is an important incentive. Although SACCOs are important, they compete with each other thus creating a dangerous and stressful environment (Graeff. J, 2009). A Savings And Credit Co-Operative (SACCO) is an association of like-minded people registered under the ministry of cooperatives.It is owned and operated by its members, according to democratic principles, for the purpose of encouraging savings, providing credit facilities and other related financial services (The SACCO bill, 2005) . In Kenya people are eligible to form a SACCO if; they have a similar occupation or profession or are employed by a common employer or within same business district or market area; they have common membership in association or organization including, but not limited to: religious, social, cooperative, labor or educational groups; who reside, worship or work within the same defined community (the SACCO bill, 2005).It extends to any form of industry, not exclusively transport. In the case of matatus, a group will register to become a SACCO identifying itself mainly with the route where it is operating, although many people refer to the SACCOs as route associations (Graeff. J, 2009). 1. 2 Statement of the Problem There have been several benefits that have been accrued to the use of SACCOs as a mode of matatu management in Kenya. They include; creation of employment and additional revenue in form of taxes to the Government (Chitere. O and Kibua.N, 2004), professional management, financ ial support and reduced conflicts to the owners and employment benefits, credit services and employment contracts (Khayesi. M, 1999). The proponents of managing matatus individually argued that, operating matatus individually earns a lot of profits due to reduced costs such as SACCO contributions, the taxes paid to the Government and the salaries paid to the professionals and employees and poor financial management (The Citizen, 2010). There has been an argument that operating matatus on individual basis makes it easy to reach decisions faster than when in SACCOs.This was based on the argument that in the SACCO; there will be a split of decision among the members on different issues concerning the SACCOs thus delaying the decision making process. The financial management in SACCOs can be poor simply because the leaders who manage the finances have no basic knowledge of financial management with the addition of poor working environment and increased political interference (The Citize n, 2010). While the benefits of matatu SACCOs are undisputed, there have been several concerns about its success in terms of financial benefits, handling matatu industry challenges and improving road safety.Investors and other stakeholders need guidance concerning this. This study was used to guide the entrepreneurs interested in the matatu sector on the mode that would bring full benefit to them which took the form of studying the performance of matatu SACCOs, before and after their formation and that of individual management. 1. 3 Objectives of the Study 1. 3. 1 General Objective To assess the effectiveness of SACCOs in the management of matatus in Nairobi 1. 3. 2 Specific Objectives To find out the difference in the financial revenues and costs before and after the formation of matatu SACCOs.To examine the role of matatu SACCOs in handling the challenges facing the transport industry. To find out the level of road accidents before and after the formation of matatu SACCOs. 1. 4 Re search Questions What are the financial benefits that come with SACCOs as a mode of matatu management? How do matatu SACCOs handle the challenges that face the transport industry? Has matatu SACCOs helped in dealing with road safety? 1. 5 Significance of the study Matatu SACCOs operate in environments surrounded by communities who depend on them for jobs, tax revenues and quality services.All stakeholders have interests in the well-being of their SACCO. This SACCOs also operate in environments which are characterized by political interests, markets existence, culture, values, technology, regulations and taxing authorities (Agumba. N, 2008). This study would be of great benefit to the matatu owners as it found out the challenges that matatus and matatu SACCOs face in these environments. This uncertain environment leaves doubt in the stake holders. This study would also benefit the stake holders as it would aid them to make decision in order to improve the services of this industry.Th ere is SACCO leadership for efficiency and probity and that SACCOS are responsible, responsive, accountable, transparent, competitive and sustainable. Through the study, the new entrepreneurs would want to be reassured that; Matatu SACCO enterprises are viable, sustainable and competitive; are held accountable and not left to run amok; are competitively attractive to investments; are responsible corporate citizens and that they comply with legal framework and remain relevant and legitimate in society (Agumba. N, 2008)The majority of matatu owners has reasonable educational and training qualification and occupational experience in fields such as banking, accountancy as well as teaching and is well informed of about the industry. Mostly they have other sources of income and can use credit to improve their vehicles. This shows that the industry still attracts new entrants and entrepreneurs with funds to invest in the industry, they will therefore need some guidance on which form of man agement they should use for their business. 1. 6 Scope of the StudyThis study was conducted to find out the financial gains that matatu owners get when they are operating their business through SACCOs. This covers credit facilities to acquisition and maintenance of the mini-buses, repair costs, level of income and generally the issue of security in order to help the owners acquire loans from the financial institution. The study also covers how productive the SACCOs manage the matatus better than if it was to be managed on individual basis and if there are any savings made if the matatus are managed through SACCOs.This study also found out the benefits that SACCOs give to other stakeholders in the matatu industry, the differences that SACCOs have brought to the welfare of the workers in the matatu industry, the levels SACCOs aid in the reduction of road accidents and how far they aid the road traffic department in bringing order to the roads, the safety that the users (customers) fee l while using the SACCO owned matatus in comparison to the individually run matatus and the challenges that matatu SACCOs face during their operation.This study also covered the transport industry in Kenya, and because of the diversity in the industry, the research will focus on the road transport in Nairobi. This was through finding out how effective the matatu SACCOs have been in the management of the matatu industry. 1. 7 Limitation of the Study For a general conclusion to be reached, this research needs to be conducted within the whole country, but in this case, the study is limited to Nairobi alone. As an addition, there are other factors that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the matatu industry other than the ones that this research has used.The results of this study did not put in to consideration the other variables that affect the functionality of the matatu SACCOs. Usually, it is always difficult to make people reveal the amount they benefit from a given busines s or enterprise. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 1 Introduction The matatu as a means of transport has an array of businesses and individuals who are involved in it. Apart from the regulatory dominance that has been shown, there are economic interests pursued by the owners and operators.The matatu is not just a business for the low-income and the self- employed workers, it is a big time enterprise now involving the affluent in the society (Khayesi. M, 1999). There are cases where one individual owns several matatus. There are also other businesses that are linked to the matatu industry, for example insurance firms, motor vehicle body builders, vehicle assemblers, vehicle importers, garages, petrol stations, driving schools and commercial banks/ money lenders but in this case SACCOs will be our main concern.This means of transport employs drivers, conductors and stage workers. All these people are stakeholders in the matatu industry and therefore they have benefits that they attach to the industry hence a need for effective management of the industry (Khayesi. M, 2002). This chapter explores what other researchers have found on how the stakeholders have gained from managing the matatus on individual basis in comparison with SACCO mode of management. 2. 2 Conceptual Frame Work The management of the matatu industry in Kenya has taken two main forms of management.These are management through SACCOs and managing the matatu business as an individually. This research took the matatu SACCOs as the dependent variable on to which the effectiveness of the industry will be measured through the factors as the independent variables. These are the financial benefits of using SACCOs as a mode of managing the industry. In this case, costs and gains, access to credit and other financial benefits, effectiveness in terms of handling of matatu industry challenges, effectiveness in improving road safety and reducing road accidents.The outcomes of the results can be affected by the i nvolvement of the Government but during this research its effects were kept constant. Figure 1 Conceptual Framework | | |Financial Benefits/Revenues | Independent Variables (Factors) Dependent Variable (Outcomes) | | |Effectiveness Of Matatu SACCOs | | | |Matatu SACCOs | | | Road Accidents | Source: (Researcher, 2012) 2. 3 Theoretical Review According to Aline. J, (2011), the first Kenyan co-operative society, the Lumbwa co-operative society was formed in 1908 by the European farmers with the main objective of purchasing farm inputs at radically reduced prices because of their numbers and on friendly terms to the members who paid in installments or when they harvested and then market collectively market their produce. Lumbwa was replaced in 1930 by the Kenya Farmers Co-Operative to take over the role of farm input supply.After seeing the success of European co-operatives, the smallholder African farmers fought for the formation of their own co-operatives, in which they were allowed to form in the late 1950s and register co-operatives for cash crops like coffee and pyrethrum. Consequently at independence in 1963, there were 1,030 co-operative societies with 655 being active with total membership of 355,000(Aline. J, 2011). Since independence investment in Kenya has empowered and energized by the existence of the co-operative sector where pooling of resources was closely linked to Mzee Kenyatta’s call of Harambee.Presently, matatu SACCOs are dominating the city route in form of route associations (Graeff. J, 2009). In Kenya, SACCOs are co-operatives which are formed by an association of people who come together with a common purpose of pooling together resources for mutual economic and social benefit (Aline. J, 2011). According to Mikwamba. E and Ng’ombe. W (2003), a SACCO is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic and social needs through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise or busi ness.The objectives of forming SACCOs include; organizing and economic interests of its members; promoting thrift among members opportunity for accumulation of savings, loans at fair and reasonable terms; providing opportunities for members to improve their economic and social conditions; and perform the functions that they were formed to (Aline. J, 2011). According to the SACCO society’s regulatory bill, 2005, a SACCO is registered by writing an application to the registrar of SACCO societies who will register the SACCO if it has complied with the provisions of the Act.This research found out if the objectives of forming SACCOs in the matatu industry are being realized by using them in the managing of the matatus in the Nairobi’s transport sector and their effectiveness. 2. 3. 1 The Management and Operation of SACCOs According to Mikwamba. E and Ng’ombe. W (2003), members are the heart of the SACCO and the reason for the SACCO’s existence. The members ar e the owners and the only â€Å"users† of the SACCO and no more persons has the monopoly in a SACCO regardless of one’s share and savings.Usually SACCOs are democratically run and controlled organizations. According to the SACCO society’s regulatory bill, 2005, one thing that is clear is that the affairs of a SACCO are managed and administered by a board of directors elected at annual general meeting. It is this board of directors which will hire a manager and support staff to run the day to day operations of the SACCO. In most cases the manager and the staff hired are qualified and competent people with skills and knowledge of SACCOs (Chitere. O and Kibua.N 2004). According to Mikwamba. E and Ng’ombe. W (2003), a SACCO is a financial business and it has to be managed as such. Its major commodity is the money the members bring in as their savings for the safe keeping, convenience and as a form of investment. The savings earn competitive interest rates. Me mbers who have established their credit worthy can borrow from the SACCO. The interest on loans, investments and the other income is used to cover operational costs as well as paying interest on members' savings.The next surplus is used to pay dividends to the members and the building of SACCO capital reserves. Specific duties and responsibilities in a SACCO are assigned to different committees to ensure smooth running and coordination of SACCO activities. All the committee members are elected from the general membership. According to Chitere. O and Kibua. N, (2004), owners of the matatu are employees and professionals in different fields like, banking, accountancy and teaching and thus they don’t involve themselves in the hand on management of their matatu businesses.This study found out how effective the employees of the SACCOs will be effective in the running of matatus on behalf of their employers and ensuring that they receive the benefits they are entitled to as provide d in their values. 2. 3. 2 Effectiveness of SACCOs SACCOs create the opportunity for people to take responsibility for their own financial organization, these is facilitated through democratic processes. SACCOs pay dividends on shares to their members once the SACCO is established and profitable. Members therefore take pride in owning their own SACCO.SACCOs educate their members on financial matters by teaching prudent handling of money, how to keep track of finances, how to budget and why to keep away from hire purchase and loan sharks, this encourage saving culture for their members. Loans of SACCOs are usually insured thus death of a member the estate will not have to repay the outstanding loans to the SACCO. After deducting all the working expenses from the income, the profit is usually shared among members according to their patronage (South African Reserve bank, 2011). . 3. 3 Effectiveness in Terms of Financial Benefits According to Mudibo. E, (2006), SACCOs have been in exist ence for a long time starting with the Raffeissen movement in Germany in the middle of the 19th century. The movement has since spread to most countries, both developed and developing world and throughout the decades they have been important for small-scale savers and borrowers. This has been embodied in the co-operative and SACCO principles which was summarized as: user-owned financial services.In this case the savers/ borrowers own and govern their institution which provides them with the financial services that they need. This was the fundamental quality of the SACCO since its set-up provides for demand-led services decided by members in a democratic and participatory manner. It is the clients who are the members, as well as the owners themselves, who decide on which type of financial services to benefit them, how these are to be provided and where the external forces cannot take advantage of members need for the services.Not only did SACCOs provide savings facilities from their formation but they also generally applied a holistic approach to the needs of their members. Loans were provided for productive purposes and variety of needs for example for welfare and consumption purposes (Mudibo. E, 2006). This research reflects these financial benefits to the case of matatus, whereby according to Chitere. O and Kibua. N, (2004), the initial capital to invest in matatus is large and hence difficult to rise together with the insurance costs and taxes.The other benefits will be in terms of operating costs like fuel, costs of repair and maintenance which can be reduced when operating in SACCOs (Chitere. O and Kibua. N, 2004). 2. 3. 4 Challenges of Matatu SACCOs Cartels have positioned themselves in the name of SACCOs to take advantage of new operators seeking to join the industry. The high financial requirements demanded from new by established SACCOs have forced some operators to miss out on this business while some operators use fake stickers of unregistered SACCO s (Mwaniki, W 2011).Some SACCOs have invested in other line of businesses and when a new member comes it becomes a challenge. 2. 3. 5 Effective in Terms of Handling Challenges According to Agumba. N, (2008) SACCOs operate in an environment surrounded by communities who depend on them for jobs and tax revenues and customers for quality products and services. All stakeholders have interests in the well-being of their SACCO. These SACCOs also operate in an environment which is characterized by political interests, markets existence, culture, values, technology, regulations and tax authorities.Despite these challenges, SACCO values under the principle based model – voluntary membership, democratic member control, member economic participation, autonomy and independence, education, training and information, cooperation among SACCOs and concern for community are key to enhancing performance in handling challenges within and out of the SACCO (Agumba. N, 2008) According to Chitere. O , (2004), most drivers and conductors do not observe traffic rules and are responsible for many accidents in both rural and urban areas.Other problems include harassment of owners and workers by the police, corruption, government and local authority taxes, lack of control of the industry by the vehicle owners and exploitation by cartels. A larger study was carried out that examined policy, legal and regulatory framework; institutional arrangements; costs and benefits; and the internal capacity of the industry at the local level and their training was weak and conditions of work poor (Chitere. O, 2004). This research found out how effective the matatu SACCOs have been in the handling these challenges. 2. 3. 6 Road Safety in KenyaThere has been a rapid increase in the number of matatus on Kenyan roads from the time they began operating till today. Unfortunately, the industry’s vast growth has been accompanied by increasing road traffic accidents that have threatened the safety of Kenyan passengers. The accidents tripled from 3,578 in 1963 to 10,106 in 1989, and 11785 in 1994 (Chitere. O and Kibua. N, 2004). In these accidents, 2,014 persons were killed, 6,650 were seriously injured and 11,094 had minor injuries. The cause of these accidents are majorly reckless driving, driving non-roadworthy vehicles and poor conditions of the road.Research by Odera, Khayesi and Heda (2003) found that 3,000 people are killed annually on Kenyan roads, which translates to 68 deaths per 1,000 registered vehicles. This is the leading trend in whole world (Chitere. O and Kibua. N 2004). Transport Licensing board (TLB) is supposed to license all PSVs, allocate them routes and regulate their operation timetables. It has been unable to allocate routes and monitor or even ensure PSVs have operation timetables which might be as a result of the board not being conversant with the routes (Chitere. O and Kibua. N 2004).Due to this the Government has tried to put in some measures in t he form of the famous Michuki rules in order to reduce the rate of accidents on roads. These reforms included; Fitting speed governors to all PSV and commercial vehicles to a speed of 80km/hr. Fitting seat belts to all vehicles (both public and private). Issuing of badges and uniforms to all drivers and conductors. Indication of route details for purpose of easy identification. Re-testing drivers after every two years. Displaying of drivers passport photograph together with the identification details.These rules (Michuki rules) proved difficult to maintain owing to the level of expenses attached to it. This research found out how the SACCOs have helped in the reduction of reckless driving through enforcing the reforms that were put in place by the government and also found out how far the SACCOs have gone to reduce accidents in Nairobi. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1 Introduction This chapter looks at the methodology used to conduct the study. It highlights and expounds on the research methods employed in conducting the research, methods that were used in collecting data, how the data was analyzed and reported. 3. 2 Research DesignResearch design is the plan and structure of investigation so conceived so as to obtain answers to research questions. The plan is the overall program of the research and includes an outline of what the investigator did from writing the hypothesis and their operational implications for the final analysis of data. Cooper and Schnielder (2003) summarize the essentials of research design as an activity and time based plan; always based on the research question; guides the selection of sources and types of information; a framework for specifying the relationship among the study variables and outlines the procedures for every research activity.In conducting this research, descriptive research design was used in collecting the data from respondents. The design was preferred because it was concerned with answering questions such as who , how, what, which, when and how much (Cooper and Schnielder, 2001). A descriptive study was carefully designed to ensure complete description of the situation, making sure that there is minimum bias in the collection of data and to reduce errors in interpreting the data collected. 3. 3 Target PopulationThis research considered all matatus operating in Nairobi County. Those operating on the routes that ferry people to the city were the main target population. This gave the researcher easy access to the workers of the matatus as they were at their respective stages (matatu terminus). In the sample frame, more consideration was awarded to the major matatu SACCOs with offices in Nairobi metropolitan operating large occupancy vehicles. This was efficient and effective in terms of cost and accessibility to the researcher.Table 1 Target population | Route |North of Nairobi (a) |East of Nairobi (b) |South of Nairobi (c) |West of Nairobi (d) |Long | |(Population Size) | | | | |Distances (e ) | |Capacity | | | | | | |(Population Category) | | | | | |High Occupancy | | | | | | | |30 |30 |30 |30 |30 | |Low Occupancy |40 |40 |40 |40 |40 |Source: (Researcher, 2012) 3. 4 Sample Design Majorly stratified and clustered sampling was used to select a sample that will represent the entire population. Stratified sampling was the best procedure as it gave the chance to group the matatus in accordance with their capacity i. e. , high occupancy and low occupancy. In addition, clustered sampling supplemented stratified sampling.This technique helped in accessing all routes (Nairobi County has several routes) which gave a fair ground for the acquisition of different opinions since different routes have different matatu SACCOs that have varying strategies in attaining their goals. This method was the major source of primary data. Table 2 Target sample size Route |North of Nairobi (a) |East of Nairobi (b) |South of Nairobi (c) |West of Nairobi (d) |Long | | |(50%) |(50%) |(50%) |(50%) | Distances (e) (50%)| |Capacity | | | | | | |High Occupancy | | | | | | | |15 |15 |15 |15 |15 | |Low Occupancy |20 |20 |20 |20 |20 | Source: (Researcher, 2012) 3. 5 Data Collection InstrumentsIn this research, the use of both primary and secondary sources of data was adopted. Personal interviews were done through appointments with the managers or phone call interviews in case an appointment failed, questionnaires which were given in a period of one week and then collected by the researcher and direct observation on physical basis were the source of primary data. The use of relevant literature like; Matatu SACCO’s website, business magazines, daily newspapers and government authorities (traffic department) journals available for the public was an ideal source of secondary data. 3. 6 Data Analysis and Presentation The data collected in this study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature.This was for the analysis of data to show the effectiveness of SACCOs in the managemen t of the Matatu Industry. The analysis applied the use of percentages to show the effectiveness of SACCOs. This analysis made it possible to draw appropriate conclusion about the study and pave way for reporting and documenting the study. In order to infer the data that was collected into a form that is understandable to the users of this study, the researcher used tables for quantitative analysis and cross comparison analysis and pie charts that depict the trends and frequency distribution of the research. CHAPTER FOUR DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTEREPRETATION 4. 1 IntroductionThe study aimed to establish the effectiveness of SACCOs in the management of the transport industry in Nairobi County. This chapter discusses data analysis and findings of the research. Descriptive analysis was used and represented by the use of tables and pie charts. Qualitative analysis was used to summarize the respondents’ final comments in the questionnaire so as to get a better insight on their opinions on Matatu SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management. 4. 2 Respondents The sample size comprised of 100 respondents drawn from selected Matatu SACCOs. Out of the 25 SACCOs that were given questionnaires, 5 of them gave their feedback. Table 3 Sample and number respondents MATATU SACCO |Sample size |Returned |unreturned |percentage | |MWI Sacco |20 |18 |2 |90% | |Double M |20 |20 |0 |100% | |Super highway 45 Sacco |20 |15 |5 |75% | |City hopper |20 |16 |4 |80% | |KBS |20 |18 |2 |90% | |TOTAL |100 |87 |13 |87% | The research targeted the owners, managers and employees (drivers, conductors and stage workers) of the SACCOs to provide information. Table 4 Type of respondents |SACCO |OWNERS |MANAGERS |WORKERS | |MWI SACCO |5 |5 |8 | |DOUBLE M |2 8 |10 | |SUPER HIGHWAY 45 SACCO |4 |3 |8 | |CITY HOPPER |3 |4 |9 | |KBS |0 |6 |12 | |TOTAL |14 |26 |47 | 4. 3 Findings The financial revenue benefit was indicated by 85% of the respondents saying that there are financial re venues gained by the use of SACCOs as a mode of matatu management and 15% supported individual management and that the financial status before SACCOs were formed was the same as that of individual management which was prominent in the past. Figure 2 Pie chart presentation on increase in financial benefits [pic]When it comes to the reduction of the operational costs, 83% of the respondends accept that there is a significant reduction in the operational costs of the matatu sector. This is attributed to the fact that some SACCOs have their own petrol station thus reducing the costs. On the other side, the remaining 17% don’t see any reduction in the operational costs as there are contrubutions made by the SACCO every morning or evening of the day. Figure 3 Pie chart presentation on the reduction of operation costs [pic] In reference to the level of profitability, 25% of the respondents said that the profitability of the SACCOs was high compared to individual management. 58%, of the respondents said that the profitability of SACCOs is medium but etter than individual management, and 17% retained that the profitability of the SACCOs was low compared to individual management since daily contributions are made by the SACCO which reduces daily production. Figure 4 Pie chart presentation on the level of profitability [pic] To the challenges facing the transport (matatu) sector, majority of the respondents at 50% still maintain that SACCOs have done nothing to manage the challenges. They attribute this to the fact that the SACCOs are just a statutory requirement and not a free will initiative while others state that the challenges facing the transport industry is a responsibility of the government for example, bad roads and that the work of the SACCO is to support them financially not in terms of handling challenges. 2% of the respondents said that the management of the challenges by SACCOs is better than individual management. This is mainly due to the fact that finances are also a challenge and that the services offered by the SACCOs are part of the solution to the challenges. 18% of the respondents are satisfied with the way SACCOs are handling the challenges that face the industry. Figure 5 Pie chart presentation on the level of handling challenges by SACCOs [pic] In response to the level of accidents, 54% of the respondents support that SACCOs have reduced road accidents supported by the fact that they ensure that their drivers maintain road safety while others said that they service their vehicles in order to enhance safety standards. TThe remaining 46% of the respondents said that accidents have not reduced because they are not only caused by public service vehicles alone but others like personal cars, long-distance Lorries, motor cycles, and other users. Figure 6 Pie chart presentation on the level of road accidents [pic] In terms of general effectiveness, 85% of the respondents said that the SACCOs have been effective in the manage ment of transport industry and have brought order in the matatu industry. 13% of the respondents said that matatu SACCOs are not effective in the management of the transport industry. Figure 7 Pie chart presentation on Effectiveness of SACCOs [pic] 4. 4 Qualitative analysisFrom the findings we can see that the introduction of SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management has benefited the owners, workers and other stake holders of the matatu industry with 85% of the respondents supporting that SACCOs have been effective in the management of the transport industry. To the owners, there has been a benefit in terms of accessing credit facilities, sharing of operation costs with other matatu owners and monthly or yearly dividends received from the SACCO with or without operation since 83% of the respondents supported that the SACCOs have reduced operational costs. Drivers also get financial support from the SACCO as a means of self -help.They gain credit facilities from the SACCOs a t an affordable rate as compared to the other financing institutions like banks. The Owners and other stakeholders like the Government also benefit financially in terms of taxes and profitability since 85% of the respondents supported that SACCOs have increased financial benefits and the profitability gained through them are as follows: High-25%, Medium-58% and Low-17% The other beneficiaries of the Matatu SACCOs are passengers, who enjoy safety and quality services and other road users benefit from the relatively good order on the roads and discipline in both conduct and service with 54% of the respondents who have supported that SACCOs have reduced road accidents and have increased road safety.Unfortunately, the SACCOs have not been able to curb certain challenges within the transport sector such as corruption, harassment by the police and reckless driving by their drivers with 50% of the respondents saying that they have not done enough to handle these challenges. CHAPTER FIVE DI SCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. 1 Introduction. This chapter presents the summary of the research based on the analysis of the responses received from the relevant respondents. It is a summary of the main findings of the research and how they relate to the nature of the study. This chapter also includes suggestions for further action and research. 5. 2 Discussion of the Findings Matatu SACCOs have been effective in the management of the transport industry at 85%.This is attributed to the increase in financial revenue benefits at 85%, reduction in the operation costs at 83%, level of profitability being medium at 58% and reduction of road accident at 54%. Despite being unable to manage the challenges facing the industry, SACCOs are still able to manage the challenges of the industry at 32% – better and 18% – best, 50% of the respondents indicated that SACCOs are worst managers of the challenges facing the industry. The passengers indicated that the use of matatu SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management has set standards of service in order to satisfy the customers. Other road users indicated their satisfaction towards the improvement in the level of order and road ethics. In comparison to management by Matatu SACCOs, the effectiveness of management on individual basis stood at 15%.This was indicated by the financial revenue benefits at 15%, reduction of costs at 17%and profitability at 42%. Generally, passengers were dissatisfied with the services offered by the matatus and they saw the industry as a house of insanity and disorder. This was attached to reckless driving and high level of accidents as a result of this. 5. 3 Conclusion With use of Matatu SACCOs as a mode of transport industry management, there is a sign of relief to the stakeholders of the matatu industry. SACCOs give the owners professional service in terms of management. Therefore, the profitability of SACCOs is medium and it gives satisfaction to the owners since they benefit financially from the SACCOS.In the long run, there is anticipation by all stake holders that the problems and challenges facing the industry will be handled through the SACCOs and in turn this will improve the Matatu Sector. 5. 4 Recommendations The challenges facing the SACCOs can be helped by the government. This includes improvement of road networks. This will help reduce the cost of maintaining the vehicles. The Government should put the right structures in the right places in order to reduce the procedures regarding the registration and legislations of the SACCOs. The dealers in the petroleum industry, should try to reduce the cost of fuel. This will be of great benefit to the other stakeholders.To reduce the level of road accidents, that should be taken as a responsibility of everyone who makes the use of the road from motorists to pedestrians. The government should enforce the road safety (the famous Michuki rules) to the latter. To the SACCO man agement, there should be additional training to the staff in areas such as financial management and customer service. The drivers and other workers should be employed on relatively permanent basis for better accountability. 5. 5 Limitations No SACCO accepted to give their financial report. The SACCOs termed the financial reports as private and could not be issued for research. Most of the Matatu SACCOs are new (less than 3 years old) since the government legislated them.Therefore it is difficult to obtain financial information covering the whole period. 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W, Know more about SACCOs,(2003) PWC Kenya, Issues facing the transport industry, (2009) Rothschild J. and White J, The co-operative workplace, Cambridge University press, (1986) Riddley-Duff R. Social enterprises as a socially rational business, (2008) SACCO Societies regulatory bill, (2005) Donald R. Cooper and Pamela S. Schindler, Business Research Methods (2003)

James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues Essay

In James Baldwin’s short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† a young man questions his brotherly obligations after finding that his younger brother has been arrested for using drugs. In the attempt to rectify his younger brother’s behavior and life, the young man faces his own feelings for his brother and comes to terms with the life his brother Sonny lives. The developments of certain elements-plot, character, point of view, setting, symbolism-in the story help accentuate the narrator’s struggles and theme(s) of the story. One of the most important elements of this story is the setting. Taking place in the drug-plagued, poverty-stricken, and frustrated streets of Harlem in the 1950s, the setting aids any reader in understanding the obstacles and hardships the narrator and his brother faced growing up in Harlem. From the narrator’s description of the setting, we can infer that the violence, drug abuse, and indigence in the narrator’s community, Harlem, has had a deep emotional impact on him and his brother. Furthermore the setting can also be argued to have somewhat attributed to Sonny’s difficulties. The point-of-view also plays a pivotal role in providing an insight into the lives of the narrator and Sonny and the environment in which they were raised. The story is told in first person by Sonny’s brother, an unnamed narrator. Although the story’s title might invoke the sense that Sonny is main character, making the narrator a subordinate character, the story is as much about the narrator as it is about Sonny. Through the narrator’s perspective, we see the torn city of Harlem and the hurdles that Sonny has faced and will face. The narrator is more aware of Harlem’s dangerous and violent side. In numerous instances, he describes the poverty and crime that are rampant in the community. More importantly, the narrator’s point-of-view enhances the emphasis on the relationship between him and his brother. Furthermore, the narrator is an excellent narrator because he is able to give us a reliable glimpse into to Sonny’s life and his own. The development of the plot stands out as one of the most crucial elements of the story. From the very beginning, the narrator discovers that Sonny has been arrested for his drug use. This action engenders the narrator to reflect on his relationship with Sonny. The discovery of Sonny’s arrest quickly conveys to us a point that is so central to the story. Following the introduction of plot is the conflict. The conflict of the story centers around the narrator and Sonny arguing about Sonny’s decision to become a jazz musician. This conflict,however, has happened before the situation in the introduction of the story but is mentioned further in the story. Sonny’s desire to become a jazz player is seen as a waste of time by the narrator. Consequently, tension is formed between the brothers because of their lack of agreement on the issue. The tension between the brothers gets even more complicated when Sonny moves into the narrator’s apartment. During this part of the story, the narrator and Sonny try to come to terms with themselves and each other. The climax of the story is when the narrator and Sonny argue in the apartment. This is the most important part of the story because both brothers have a brutally honest argument. The narrator discusses Sonny’s drug use, his misunderstanding of Sonny as a musician, and Sonny’s frustration in life. This argument between the two brothers resolves when Sonny invites the narrator to come hear him play. The story concludes as the narrator sends Sonny a drink. The narrator finally understands how important music is to Sonny. The story leaves the readers with the impression that both brothers may finally find peace with each other. Another critical part of the story is the symbolism. Baldwin’s use of the light and darkness as two forces that are constantly clashing with each other is very symbolic in what it conveys. These two contrasting forces seem to highlight the hope and despair of the characters’ lives. At beginning of the story, Baldwin uses light to describe the room full church people. This suggest that light represents positive moments in life. In contrast, darkness represents the problems and struggles of the characters’ lives; it is also more pervasive in the characters’ lives than light. Sonny’s problems and the condition of Harlem are embodiment of the widespread darkness in the story. At the end of the story, the narrator sends a glass that he describes as â€Å"the very cup of trembling. † This very cup highlights the troubles and uncertainty Sonny currently has in his life. It symbolizes Sonny’s effort to redeem himself of the suffering he has caused and endured. Given its unique structure, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues stands out as one of Baldwin’s most critically-acclaimed works. Collectively, the elements of the story paint a picture of the atmosphere during one of Harlem’s renown periods. In conclusion, these elements of â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† enhance the story’s meaning and shed light on the difficulties Sonny and his brother faced.

School is Bad for Children Essays

School is Bad for Children Essays School is Bad for Children Paper School is Bad for Children Paper Is School Bad for Children? John Holt Education has always been an intense topic of discussion among many cultures and different groups of people. For many years it was believed that without formal structured education, academic success couldnt be achieved. Today that idea has been challenged and proved invalid by homeschooling, online classes and alternative learning of all sorts. In the article,†School is Bad for Children,† American author and educator John Holt talks about the failures and flaws within our traditional schooling system. In â€Å"School is Bad for Children†, Holt states that a child enters school with more willingness to learn and desire to figure things out for themselves than they will ever be at school. He says that children learn the most important thing they will ever need to know before they even go to school which is â€Å"the mystery of language†. That when you first go to school you want to be there and want to learn. Why Is School Bad? The author states that children do not learn own their own anymore, that their learning is done passively for them. Holt says that learning is separate from living and in other ways, he learns that he is abandoned and disloyal. Whatever you like or thinks important, its not. The only thing that matters is what the system wants and think is important. So the students learns not to ask questions and given no chances, he soon acknowleges the adults sterio-type of him. Children realize when at school, to be wrong or unsure is not adequate. The school only desires the correct answers and the student has to accomplish ways to â€Å"pry the answers out of the teacher.† Holt states that children are taught not to learn from each other, to ignore other students and to focus only on the teacher. Another controversial part of this essay by Holt is that he states that children learn from school how to shut their brains off, and that eventually leads them to drug use. Then Holt gets so bold as to suggest to abolish mandatory school attendance because that would cause the children not to be forced to go to school but to want to go to school. Furthermore, he offers many strategies to fix the school problem, including: remove children from schools and bring them out to the real world, take them to meet adults besides their parents and teaches, let children work together, and let children grade themselves. His final suggestion is to abolish curriculum altogether. In a nutshell, Holt argues boldly that the way our current educational system works is not best for children or their learning process. In the article Holt points out the specific flaws in modern education. He also offers alternative ideas for educating our youth. Through examples John Holt expresses the idea that children are much better learners without any formal teaching, before they ever set foot in a classroom. John Holt makes the statement, almost every child on the first day he sets foot in school is smarter, more curious, less afraid of what he doesn’t know, better at figuring things out, more confidant, resourceful, persistent, and independent than he or she will ever be again in school. Holt explains that without any formal education, by experimenting all alone, the child has done a task far more complicated and abstract than anything he will be taught. The child discovers and learns to use language independently. Holt goes further to argue that traditional schoolsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ impersonal and dull approach teaches the child that his or her experience, hopes, fears likes dislikes and opinions count for nothing. School tells our children that he only way they are capable of learning is by being properly taught from a teacher, and that without formal instruction; he doesn’t have the ability to figure things out and find answers on his own. The child learns not to ask questions, the author says, because only right answers are sought and Continue Reading

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish

How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish No matter how little Spanish you know, its easy to introduce yourself to someone who speaks Spanish. Here are three ways you can do it: Introduce Yourself: Method 1 Simply follow these steps, and youll be well on your way to making a connection with someone even if that person doesnt speak your language: To say hello or hi, merely say Hola or OH-la (rhymes with Lola; note that the letter h is silent in Spanish).To introduce yourself, simply say Me llamo (may YAHM-oh) followed by your name. For example, Hola, me llamo Chris (OH-la, may YAHM-oh Chris) means Hi, Im Chris.To ask someones name in a formal way, say  ¿Cà ³mo se llama usted? or KOH-moh say YAHM-ah oo-STED. (The oo rhymes with moo.) This means, What is your name?In an informal setting, or if speaking to a child, say  ¿Cà ³mo te llamas? or KOH-mo tay YAHM-ahss. That also means, What is your name?After the person responds, you may say, Mucho gusto or MOOCH-oh GOOSE-toh. The phrase means much pleasure or, less literally, pleased to meet you. Introduce Yourself: Method 2 This second method may be a slightly less common way of introducing yourself, but its still perfectly acceptable and is easier to learn. Most of the steps are the same as above, but for the second step, where you actually introduce yourself, merely say Hola followed by soy and your name. Soy is pronounced basically the same as it is in English. Hola, soy Chris means Hello, Im Chris. Introduce Yourself: Method 3 The third method also isnt as common as the first in most areas, but it may be the most straightforward way for those who have English as a first language. For the second step, you can use Mi nombre es or mee NOHM-breh ess followed by your name. Thus, if your name is Chris, you can say: Hola, mi nombre es Chris. Whichever method you use, dont be afraid to sound silly. Youll be understood by following these directions, and in nearly any Spanish-speaking area even the feeblest attempts to speak Spanish will be honored. Spanish Introductions The most common way to introduce yourself in Spanish is to say  Me llamo followed by your name.Alternatives include Mi nombre es or Soy followed by your name.Hola can be used for either  hi or hello. Grammar and Vocabulary Behind These Introductions You dont need to understand the precise meanings of what youre saying or how the words relate to each other grammatically to introduce yourself. But if youre curious, or if youre planning on learning Spanish, you may find them interesting to know. As you might have guessed, hola and hello are basically the same word. Those who know etymology, the study of word origins, think the word goes back to at least the 14th century, before English and Spanish existed in their current form. Although it is unclear how the word entered Spanish, it probably originated with German as a way of trying to get someones attention. Me in the first method above means myself (obviously, theres an etymological connection with the English me), and llamo is a form of the verb llamar, which usually means to call. So if you say Me llamo Chris, thats a direct equivalent of I call myself Chris. Llamar is used in many of the same ways as to call is, such as for calling out to someone or calling someone on the telephone. In both Spanish and English, verbs in which the person is referring to doing something to him- or herself are known as reflexive verbs. The reason two methods are used with llamar for asking someones name is because Spanish differentiates between formal and informal (sometimes called formal and familiar) ways of addressing people. English used to do the same thing - thou, thee and thine were all informal terms at one time, although in modern English you and your can be used in both formal and informal situations. Although there are regional variations in how Spanish distinguishes between the two forms, as a foreigner you are safer in using the formal form ( ¿Cà ³mo se llama _____?) with adults and especially with authority figures. Soy is a form of the verb ser, which means to be. In the final method, mi nombre es is a word-for-word equivalent of my name is. Like soy, es comes from the  verb ser.

Melissa Richardson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Melissa Richardson - Essay Example While discussing in more details, it can be said that she was very well aware of the fact that the role of a sales manager goes much more beyond the job responsibilities of a normal sales executive. She was to some extent aware of the fact that the sales manager needs to supervise the work done by the team members and has to take in to account the review of the progress of each employee in regards to his or her target achievement. She also had the idea that as a sales manager, she needs to provide significant motivation to the sales executives on a regular manner, so as to enhance their performance on the job. It is important to highlight that there exists a significant difference between the roles and responsibilities handled by a sales executive and sales manager. Talking on this note, it can be said that the traditional job responsibilities of sales executive comprises of leading the sales force of the company for acquiring sales of the company’s products or services. The k ey roles of a sales executive involve planning, organizing, implementing and monitoring of the sales executive of the firm (Jeff 18). Talking in regards to the role of a sales manager, it can be said that the job responsibilities include hiring the sales force, managing and motivating the sales team, achieving the sales target for the company. It is also important to say that the sales manager has a very crucial role in managing the sales turnover of the company, planning the promotional activities and devising the sales strategy to generate product and service sales for the company (Miller 5). Talking from the view point of ColorTech Greenhouses, Inc., it can be said that the job role of the sales executives for the company comprises of developing the accounts or business prospects of the company from large as well as small customers. While talking about the job role of the sales manager, it can be said that apart from managing and motivating the sales team, a lot of paper work is also involved on the job role of the sales manager (Booth and Cates 3). 2. It can be said that Richardson in an attempt to develop a high level of compatibility for handling the new responsibilities in a job focused on doing a number of right things. The very first thing that has to be mentioned is the fact that Richardson enrolled herself for a sales manager training course. It has to be highlighted that this particular action of Richardson was fuelled by the expectation that the course will help her to learn the necessary steps that will help her to manage the new responsibilities. The second most important thing that was done correctly by Richardson is to use her time listening to Spanish language, since she expected it will help her to develop a high level of compatibility with the other employees of the company, who prefer to use Spanish for one to one interactions. The third correct thing that was done by Richardson was to develop and design a motivation program that will help to boost the motivation level of her sales team. It also has to be highlighted that Richardson in her interest to develop the level of compatibility with the new job requirements took a few wrong decisions. First of all, she should have dropped out from the previous sales management classes she was taking since she felt they did not add much value to her. Second, the issue of not taking Spanish language classes to develop her language compatibility was also a very wrong step. It can be said that Richardson should have dropped out from the first sales management course and should have opted for a small course on management. The small course on management would have helped her in developing a level of familiarity with sales, leadership as well as the issues related to the paperwork. Also, she should

Law Torts in economic sense Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Law Torts in economic sense - Essay Example Law Torts in economic sense The value that the law comes up in terms of property and treasure are mainly determined by economics. The law mainly entails making decision and providing guide lines according which the economic activities can operate. Without law people could conduct their business without discipline, thus it brings discipline in the field. To discuss the relationship between the two concepts we shall discuss the main components of law which include; law of torts, law of contract, law of property and the concepts of justice. Law Torts in economic sense This is any wrongful act done to a person hence resulting into losses and therefore the person is liable to some compensation due to the loss incurred. Tort laws are the most unintentional unlike the criminal laws. The tort laws may be divided into two categories either intentional or negligent torts. Torts that result to negligent include actions that touch on intangible resources attached to a person e.g. infringing someone’s safety, while i ntentional including occupying and building on someone’s piece of land. Law of contract and the economics This is a legal binding between two or more people. The law usually recognizes these bindings and any breach of these legal bindings could lead to one be charged in a court of law. The law of contract includes the process of buying and selling of commodities, and signing to long-term supplying agreements between companies and individual suppliers. (Princeton & OverDrive, 2013). Law of property and economics This law entails the ownership by an individual person of anything that is of value. This law tries to bring out the relationship between the person and the object. The important items to this law are possession and transfer of ownership. Possession mainly entails to be established in persons whose possession a particular property belongs, while transfer of ownership is taking the ownership of a particular person to another person (Princeton & OverDrive, 2013). Concept s of justice and economics Justice is doing right according to the society, there are several concepts to justice, these include; social perception, the consequences and the processes involved. In most societies they have, their own perception of what is just and what is not justified, the perception of rape can be justified in some societies while some societies do not entertain the vice at all. Justice is judged depending on the consequences of a particular action. The result from a particular action could lead one to see if it is justified or not. The worse the consequences the more they are not justified by the society. The steps involved in doing a particular action also determines if the action is justified or not (Princeton & OverDrive, 2013). In most countries, laws are legislated by acts of parliament. Thus means that the most powerful and decision-making body in any state is the legislature. This usually explains why some laws are different from other countries. Most state s make their laws depending on the mission and vision statement of the given country. Religion also plays a big role in the determination of the laws of a particular country. This is because religion plays a big role in the life of nay living human being (Princeton & Over