The Life and Works of Maya Angelou free essay sample

A discussion of Maya Angelous life, talent and contribution to the black community. This paper focuses on the life and works of Maya Angelou, one of the greatest African-American literary figures in the United States. This multi-talented woman has had a major impact on the black community because of her active participation in the civil rights movement. Maya Angelou is an award winning writer, poet, historian, playwright, producer, and director and in short she is an amalgamation pf many talents, which are all, related to art. This amazingly writer has influenced the lives of millions of her readers because of her strong spiritual beliefs and an inner strength that she displays in her stories and other work. She has also actively participated in the civil rights movement because she feels that black still d not have equal rights in the United States; she has thus inspired many black men and women to achieve more by emulating her. We will write a custom essay sample on The Life and Works of Maya Angelou or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She has written some autobiographies which are very famous among the public because of their emotional content as they come form the very core of the authors heart, these include All Gods Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986), The Heart of a Woman (1981), Singin and Swingin and Gettin Merry Like Christmas (1976), Gather Together in My Name (1974), and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), which was also nominated for the National Book Award and has been one of her most widely read works.

Analytic Response to Amy Tans short story entitled Two Kinds

Analytic Response to Amy Tans short story entitled Two Kinds â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan is a short story about a mother and her daughter who have different views on various issues in life. The story is about a young girl’s (named Jing-mei) refusal to her mother’s persistent urge to make her experience the American dream, which is the hope of most immigrants.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Analytic Response to Amy Tans short story entitled Two Kinds specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The mother in the story held the opinion that her daughter was intelligent and thus attempted all means to ensure that the daughter became a music prodigy; however, the daughter turned her efforts down through taking advantage of her deaf music teacher and failed to do enough practice to perfect her skills in music. A literary analysis of the short story reveals that is an excellent work of literature. The story, which is in the genre of conformity and rebellion, is the last of Tan’s loose collection of interrelated stories in his first successful novel The Joy Luck Club. As hinted above, the story illustrates a conflict between two well-articulated positions wherein a rebel, on principle, meets head-on and fights against an established authority. The main theme of the story is about the complicated relationships that exist between mothers and daughters in the contemporary society. Specifically, the author intended to depict the complexities that exist between the Chinese mothers who hold to traditional principles and their American-born daughters who are in a dilemma either to fulfill the dictates of their Chinese tradition or to pursue the supposedly ‘good life’ in the United States. To depict successfully the issue of supremacy and authority on the mother’s side and conformity and toughness on Jing-mei’s part, the author used the tone of rebellion and dissatisfaction.Advertising Looking for critical writing on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The diverse life experiences, diverse approaches towards life, and diverse expectations in the story resulted in the tension between the mother and the daughter in the story; nonetheless, after the mother’s demise, the tone of the story changed to belated insight and remorse when the daughter realized the meaning of her mother’s assertion of â€Å"two kinds of daughters† in her. In the story, the author constructed the mother daughter dynamic with the story’s protagonist, the young girl, having a round character. The protagonist in the story appears to be a complicated character as she has both inner and outside clashed all through the entire story. On the other hand, the mother seems to be a bit controlling since she is the mother, an established center of authority, particularly in matriarchal Chinese society. The author used variou s techniques to depict the setting of the story. The phrase, â€Å"The TV was old and the sound kept shouting out† (Tan, para.12) depicts the economic status of the family. The majority of both temporal and social conditions are illustrated by means of the narration and description for the series of the events in the story such as the mother having come to the United States in 1949 and the use of reference of the names Shirley Temple and The Ed Sullivan Show. Lastly, to increase the attention of the audience on the progress of the story, Tan used the narrator’s point of view. As the story’s main character, Jing Mei is also an omniscient narrator and she gives an account that is totally from her point of view. Even though she does not know what her mother thinks, she gives a compelling portrayal of the dealings of her mother.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Analytic Response to Amy Tans short story entitled Two Kinds specifica lly for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tan, Amy. â€Å"Two Kinds.† Angelfire.com. Angel Fire, n.d. Web. angelfire.lycos.com/

Criminal justice and the crime problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Criminal justice and the crime problem - Essay Example Under the first grouping, individuals may commit crimes under direct influence of drugs. This could be violent or non-violent means of gaining goods or money. Often compulsive drug users commit crimes to buy more drugs for use, for themselves and groups. Further, drugs could be used to strengthen group relationships and to establish better member rapport. Dealing with drugs and drug taking through strong preventive and punitive measures could exacerbate the situation and lead to more complexities. Therefore, it is necessary that cases of individual committing crimes after taken drugs be established. It has been established beyond doubt that crime and drugs are interrelated since research has provide that â€Å"Criminals test positive for drug use (NEW-ADAM, Probation monitoring)† (Drugs and Crime: Criminal Justice and the criminal problem: Drugs cause crime: further evidence). However, it would be farfetched to suggest that drugs induce crimes. This because it is quite possible to carry out crimes without the use of drugs , or to use drugs without indulging in criminal activities, although using illicit drugs may be considered a type of crime. These types of crimes are carried out under influence of some psychoactive products, which could be induced through use of strong stimulants. These drug groups render the consumer aggressive and displaying high level of antisocial behaviour patterns that could culminate in to crimes, depending upon situational factors. It is also possible that the perpetrator may be in a state of mental disorientation and not having adequate control over mental faculties, or though processes while indulging in this type of drug induced crimes. Another aspect could be in terms of the fact that these drug groups could enhance performance under its influence. The economic factor underpins such drug induced crimes. Invariably, the person commits crimes to obtain funds to take care of his drug habits. His sponsors may pay him either

School bullying Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

School bullying - Essay Example In the context of schools, it encompasses the uncalled for aggression directed towards the weaker students by the seemingly big and stronger students. In the recent past, there has been an increase in public reaction by the American concerning the question of bullying schools. This was occasioned by the fact that bullying traumatizing students to the extent where they would not wish to attend school any more. Therefore, it is prudent and imperative for the society as a whole to face and tackle the problem of bullying once and for all. There are different types of intimidation, harassment or bullying namely physical, emotional and verbal bullying. Physical bullying includes instances when the bully hit the other student, verbal bullying is when a person bad mouths another with the intention of hurting them (Einarsen et al, 9). Emotional bullying on its part is where the bully discriminates and marginalizes another person on the basis of any narrow societal definition such negative stereotypes, race amongst others. Conventionally, one would expect that students are the bullies against fellow students, however, the reality is a lot different. Parents and teachers are equally culpable of being bullies. At the long end, the younger person being bullied becomes hurt and would have a lower self-esteem since the people who are expected to offer solace turn out to be bullies themselves.

The Fashion Industry - Zara Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Fashion Industry - Zara - Coursework Example The paper "The Fashion Industry - Zara" will look into the marketing environment of Zara. The fashion industry is greatly effectually by the political variable that’s are present in different nations. According to Holmquist (2003), there is certain liberty when it comes to the quantity of material import related to the fashion industry. This is a positive approach for them, especially in the Euro zone. Zara creates very good social connections and is also involved in CSR activities that has helped Zara a good brand name in the global political environment. The government is involved in the changes that affects the environment at large. The fashion industry is rapidly changing with the several trends that keeps on changing from a day to day basis. However, they also involve a lot of environmental wastage (Allen, 2013). According to Allen (2013), that the per capita income or in other words the GDP is also an important decision making factor for the fashion industry. UK in this case, has a strong GDP and that is why all the companies are concentrating on entering the UK market. However, there are different market where many people also prefer to buy cheap apparels. The economy of Europe is rising gradually and that is why the future is bright for the fashion and retail industry especially because the rise in the disposable income in the general public, gives them the opportunity to buy the fashionable clothes to stay with the current trend of the market. From the point of view of the currency.

Drivers of Customer Loyalty and Firm Profitability Research

Drivers of Customer Loyalty and Firm Profitability Research Financial institutions perform a vital role in facilitating the aggregation and allocation of capital with the help of conveying individual savings in to loans to businesses, government and individuals. The role of banking division in the concentration and distribution of capital in Ghana can not be disputed. The recent credit crunch has left a deep impact over the performance of various banks all over the world. Thus, in order to survive in the long run, the institutions need to adopt competitive strategies. One and the most important of such strategies in the banking sector constitute customer loyalty to business which makes the banking businesses competent. In this paper, we will analyze the determinants of customer loyalty and their impact on the share market and firm profitability with the help of studying the customer relationship management (CRM) and contact management of Barclays Bank in Ghana. In the late seventies and early eighties, the state owned banks in Ghana dominated the formal banking system of the country as they had monopoly with respect to their spread and operations (Hinson and Hammond, 2006). However, the banking environment has now been evolved. According to Hinson and Hammond (2006; p.45), universal banking law has permitted all categories of banking to be performed under a single body for corporate banking which has greatly restructured the scopes of competency in various banking products in Ghana. Thus, the banking sector in Ghana has been brought in to the competitive arena which is based on the customers and products due to the reforms and deregulations. This infers that the management of the banks in Ghana should employ the strategies that provide customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, customer retention and thereby, increase firm profitability and market shares. 1.1 Service Quality Concept The European school of thought, vastly expressed by the work of Gronroos (1984), explains that the customers recognize service quality from two aspects which are: (1) the technical aspect of service and (2) the functional aspect of the service. Technical quality is determined by knowing if the customers expectations from the service are fulfilled or not. The functional quality is recognized through the customers perception about the service production and its delivery. According to Richard and Allaway (1993), both of these distinctions are correct and needed to define customers service quality analysis and loyalty behaviour. However, this concept does not consider the physical environment of the service. Thus, the American school of thought led by the work of Parasuraman et al., (1985, 1988) has been adopted in various studies which states that service quality is basically the difference between perception and expectation of the delivery of service. According to this model, service q uality has five dimensions on which customers judgement about perceived service quality is based. These dimensions are: Reliability: Performance assurance, accuracy and dependability of the service. Responsiveness: Will to help and provide prompt service to the customers. Assurance: Knowledge, courtesy and ability of the employees that ensures trust and confidence. Empathy: Care and special attention given to the customers. Tangibles: Outlook of the personnel, equipments and other physical facilities. These five dimensions will be measured through a scale called SERVQUAL comprising of 22 items. Service quality is operationalized according to the gap between perception and expectation (P-E). Thus, the SERVQUAL determines the gaps in the service delivery of a firm. SERVPERF is another service quality measure that has been developed by Cronin and Taylor (1992) considering that SERVQUAL was inadequate. According to them, performance and not perception minus expectation determines service quality by proving that expectations have almost no impact on the customers evaluation about service quality. Both of the SERVQUAL and SERVPERF conceptualizations have been incorporated in our research model for this study. Although, our research model includes P E, we measure service quality on the basis of perception only since expectation is insignificant (Cronin and Taylor 1992; Brady et al., 2002). However, the basics of Parasuraman et als., (1988) dimensions of service quality have been retaine d in our model. Moreover, the 22 items of these dimensions in our study are slightly modified according to relevancy. 7 point likert scale will be used to measure P. 1.2 Customer Loyalty Concept In our study, we have incorporated both attitudinal and behavioural concepts of customer loyalty. The following cues will be used to measure customer loyalty in the banking sector of Ghana. Word of Mouth: Recommendations made by the customers to their friends and family for using the services of the bank. Repeat Purchase: Repetition or consistency in making purchases by the customers for the banks products and services. Satisfaction: The level of pleasure or happiness of the customers with their banks services and products. 2. SERVICE QUALITY MODEL The Disconfirmation Paradigm (Parasuraman et al., 1985) allows service quality model to measure disparity between consumers perceptions and their expectations for the quality of service. Figure 1 given below represents the service quality model for the banking sector. This model illustrates that there are five gaps in delivering the quality service to the customers. These gaps are described below. Gap 1: This gap can be referred as Understanding as it depicts the difference between expectations of the customer and the management perceptions of the customers expectations. Gap2: This gap can be referred as Service Standards since it depicts the disparity between management perceptions of customer expectations and specifications of service quality. Gap 3: This gap can be referred as Service Performance as it illustrates the disparity between the service quality specifications and the actual service delivered to the customer. Gap 4: This gap can be referred as Communications since it shows the disparity between service delivery and external communication with the customer about the service. Gap 5: This gap can be referred as Service Quality as it depicts the disparity between customer expectation for the quality of the service and the customers perception about the performance of the firm. Gaps 1 till 4 impact the service delivery leading to Gap 5. Thus, these four gaps have a very strong influence over the gap 5. This study will focus on the potential discrepancies found in all the gaps. The managerial implications associated with these gaps must be assessed in order to formulate proper business strategies. These resultant strategies will then be properly implemented for closing the identified gaps found in the banking sector in Ghana and thereby, to improve service quality and profitability of concerned Bank. Word of Mouth Communication Personal Needs Past Experience Expected Service Perceived Service Gap 5 Service Delivery External Communications with Customers Gap 4 Translation of Perceptions in to Service Quality Specifications Management Perceptions of Costumer Expectations Gap 2 Gap 3 Gap 1 3. PROBLEM STATEMENT The gaps 1 to 4 impact the service delivery and are concerned with the management and service providers of the bank. Thus, the question arises, what variables or factors are responsible for creating these gaps or what is the lacking of the management that refrain them from delivering the quality service to the customers? As for Gap 5, the question arises which business strategies should be adopted to reduce the gaps and thereby, improve service quality and performance of the bank. 4. HYPOTHETICAL MODEL This paper is aimed towards finding loyalty drivers according to the viewpoint of the customers of the Ghanaian retail banking. This chapter of the paper will present a hypothetical model that will be used to determine the relationship among loyalty, loyalty drivers, banks profitability and market share. Figure 2 provided below represents the framework of our hypothetical model. The model presented in figure 2 below explains the service quality as perceived by the customer. This model has been premised on seminal model (SERVQUAL), Cronin and Taylor (1992; SERVPERF), Parasuraman et al., (1988) and Brady and Cronin (2001). The quality of service conceptualized by 2 pathways that are: (1) P-E representing the gap in between perception, P and expectation, E and (2) P that represents only perception as the conceptualization of expectation (E) is not important (Cronin and Taylor, 1992). Thus, perception is what is actually measured. Hence, the questionnaire in the survey will consist of a single set to elicit answers concerning customers perception (Brady and Cronin, 2001) instead of two sets of questionnaires for measuring perception and expectation distinctively and for determining the difference between the two as was done by Parasuraman et al., (1988). The framework provided in this paper demonstrates the fact that fake loyalty may be found abundantly and inco mplete satisfaction will result in customer switching. The model below illustrates a gap which represents the disparity between the customers perception and expectation. Since the expectation of a customer does not influence the actual service delivered to him/her by the bank, thus, it holds an insignificant value. This infers that the actual service delivered will depend on the perceived service quality which in turn is also influenced by various service quality dimensions namely: tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. Moreover, it is known that these dimensions influence both the customers service quality perceptions and the management designed service quality. Thus, the hypotheses and the hypothetical model are the same for all the gaps mentioned above. This research paper will investigate the disparity between the perceived service quality and the actual quality of service delivered to the customer by measuring the above mentioned service quality dimensions. Service quality dimensions Competitive Price Expectations (Expected Service) Perception  (Perceived Service Quality) Satisfaction Loyalty Actual service Experienced Tangible Reliability Responsiv-eness Assurance Empathy Banks Profitability Bank (image reputation) Market share Dissatisfied customers Switching customers 5. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES 5.1 Purpose of the Research The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the hypothetical model and the related hypotheses. The analysis of the hypothetical model will lead to the formulation of appropriate business strategies that will overcome the potential disparity between perceived service quality and the actual quality of service delivered to the customer upon implementation. 5.2 Research Objectives 5.2.1 Primary Objective The objective of this paper is to investigate the drivers of customer loyalty and firm profitability with the help of collecting empirical evidence through interviewing the customers of various banks in Ghana and also, through assessing a case study of Barclays Bank Ghana. Due to the distinct cultural values of the Ghanaian Society, our study will focus on the extant literature. 5.2.2 Secondary Objectives Businesses conventionally implement aggressive marketing strategies in order to draw the attention of the new customers and thus, increase market share at the cost of competitors. According to the latest trends in competition, those businesses benefit the most that focus on retaining their customers while providing them the goods and services (Roberts, 2005). Customer retention with the help of enforcing quality in products, services, prices and accessing facilities of the bank among others play a critical role in customer satisfaction. Studies have shown that satisfied customers always return to their service providers and also, make their recommendations to friends and families which in turn increase both market share and profitability of the firm. In the banking sector of Ghana, it is generally hypothesized that high performance of the bank is associated with high customer retention. Thus, Bankers appraise customer loyalty as the key factor towards maintaining market share and increasing profitability of the bank. Due to the high customer chum, it is important to know that what drives customer loyalty. Ghauri and Grà ¶nhaug (2005; p. 14) state that assumptions and speculations should not be accepted or rejected unless these assumptions are critically studied to give logical and reliable reasoning for their acceptation or rejection. This study seeks to attain this aim that requires investigation of the drivers of customer loyalty serving as the core of design strategies that result in the increase of customer retention and bank performance by taking in to account the case study of Barclays Bank in Ghana. 6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES 6.1 Research questions In order to study the optimization of the enterprise contact management through a CRM enabled contact centre platform by taking in to consideration the case study of Barclays Bank in Ghana, the following question are being posed in this paper. What are the factors driving customer loyalty in Ghanas banking sector, in particular Barclays Bank Ghana? What are the factors that set back customer loyalty and retention in the banking sector in Ghana, particularly Barclays Bank Ghana? Does customer loyalty is achieved through customer satisfaction? Do reluctant customers approach other banks in order to get better and improved customer relations and services? 6.2 Hypotheses Our study will test the following hypotheses in this paper. H1- Service quality influences loyalty and satisfaction of the customer. H2- Tangibility, responsiveness, reliability, assurance and empathy are the five dimensions of service quality that vary to the extent to which they instigate customer loyalty and satisfaction. H3- Customer loyalty and satisfaction depend upon competitive pricing. H4- Perceived reputation and image of the bank stimulate customer loyalty. H5- Banks or enterprises profitability can be increased by customer loyalty and market share. H6- Reluctant customers approach other banks in order to get improved service quality from other banks. 7. BACKGROUND- BANKING IN GHANA Ghana has a well structured financial system that is built around the capital market, the Bank and the non Bank Financial Institutions. Banks are further divided in to the following classes on the basis of a licensed system: Universal Banking under Class I banking license. Universal and off-shore Banking under Class II banking license. Universal, off-shore Banking and ARB (Association of Rural and Community Banks) APEX Banking under the general banking license. (Bank of Ghana, Annual report, 2007). At present, the minimum amount of GHC 60 million is required to be possessed by the banks that are operating in Ghana as their stated capital (Bank of Ghana, Annual report, 2007). Ghana has 26 major banks operating under the Universal banking license and 126 rural and community banks that have been licensed for ARB Apex banking system. And also, 41 non Banking Financial Institutions which comprise of Discount Houses, Finance Companies, Mortgage Finance Companies, Savings Companies, Loans Companies and Leasing Companies. All of these NBFIs are supervised by the Bank of Ghana that is the central bank of Ghana. The activity based division of Commercial, Merchant and Development banking operating previously in Ghana have been replaced by this categorization. This was done in the wake of the initiative for the financial reforms that enabled universal banking in Ghana and thus, dissolved the operating limits hypothesized on the initial activity of incorporation. The goal was to transform t he conventional way of banking operation in order to welcome competitive trading in to the banking sector. Dr. Acquah, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana stated in his speech at the Fifth Banking Award Ceremony that universal banking was introduced in order to promote new banks, liberalize the options for the banking services, extend the branch network and increase competition for deposit at the level of retail (Acquah, 2009). Since the banks constitute 70 per cent of the financial sector, thus, they are the most common source for contributing to the economy (Bawumia, 2008). The head offices of all the banks in Ghana are situated in the national capital of the country while their several branches are located in major cities and town of Ghana that are owned by the government, Ghanaians, foreigners or the combination. Currently all the banks in Ghana possess Universal Banking License. Only 12 banks in Ghana are owned by its citizens. The table below shows the banks operating in Ghana with their branch networks, area of activity and proprietorship. Name of Bank Number of Branches Ownership Current Banking Licence Barclays Bank of Ghana Ltd 120 Non- Ghanaian Universal Merchant Bank (Ghana) Ltd 16 Ghanaian Universal Ecobank Ghana Limited 32 Non- Ghanaian Universal Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd 143 Ghanaian Universal National Investment Bank Ltd 24 Ghanaian Universal Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Ltd 19 Non- Ghanaian Universal SG-SSB Bank Limited 36 Non- Ghanaian Universal The Trust Bank Limited 17 Ghanaian Universal Agricultural Development Bank Ltd 50 Ghanaian Universal Amalgamated Bank Limited 10 Non- Ghanaian Universal Prudential Bank Limited 10 Ghanaian Universal Fidelity Bank Limited 6 Ghanaian Universal Zenith Bank Limited 9 Non- Ghanaian Universal Stanbic Bank (Ghana) Limited 10 Non- Ghanaian Universal Unibank Ghana Limited 11 Ghanaian Universal Intercontinental Bank Limited 12 Non- Ghanaian Universal HFC Bank Ghana Limited 11 Ghanaian Universal First Atlantic Merchant Bank Ltd 4 Ghanaian Universal International Commercial Bank Ltd 12 Ghanaian Universal Guaranty Trust Bank Limited 5 Non- Ghanaian Universal CAL Bank Limited 10 Ghanaian Universal United Bank for Africa (Gh) Ltd 16 Non- Ghanaian Universal Bank of Baroda Ghana Ltd 1 Non- Ghanaian Universal BSIC 1 Non- Ghanaian Universal BPI Bank Limited 9 Non- Ghanaian Universal Table 1: Banks in Ghana (Source: Price Waterhouse Banking Industry Survey, 2008). 7.1 The era of post Banking Reform in Ghana Developments in the era of post Banking Reforms in Ghana can be concisely expressed as the transformation of the distressed and dysfunctional banking system with illiquidity and insolvency, credit rationing and interest rate controls in to a market based regime along with improving the bank supervision in order to ascertain that efficiency and profitability is increased (Acquah, 2006). The Economic Recovery Programmed (ERP) introduced the Financial Sector Adjustment Program, generally referred as FINSAP so that the banking sector can play a vital role in promoting the economic development. This program was executed in two in two phases. In the first phase, FINSAP 1, provisions were made for liberalizing the banking industry and restructuring the distressed banks in Ghana (Brownbridge et al., 1998). The restructuring part was very crucial since these banks were either extremely important for the economy or deeply associated with other economic activities such that their demolition may result in disastrous ramifications. The second phase, FINSAP 2 brought new dimensions in the financial industry reform program through privatizing state owned banks, technological advancements, human capital development and careful supervision and regulation by the central bank of Ghana. In addition to this, the second phase of FINSAP characterized cautious banking through revising the Banking Law of 1970 and through introducing the Banking Laws of 1989 and 2004 which enforced the requirement of minimum capital keeping in view the increased number of banks and branches. Due to FINSAP 2, the banking and the financial industry in Ghana experienced strong regulation and supervision along with the advancement in latest payments and settlement system. Above all was the Payment Systems Development Strategy by the central bank of Ghana that focused at the delivery of financial services that enhanced the financial intermediation with the help of the progress of electronic payment products that include ATM (Automated Teller Machine) services, e-money, transfer of funds at the point of sale, SMS (Short Message Service), internet and telephone banking. Recently, e-zwich was brought in to the market in order to build a common platform that assisted in connecting the different banking institutions through a biometric smart card (Acquah, 2009). All the banks responded positively to the introduction of information and communication technology (ICT) in delivery of financial services which in turn improved the financial performance. This outlook over shadowed the competition and distinguished market share and profitability among the banks in Ghana. The new foreign and private banks launched latest technologies whereas the government banks have to cope up with the redundant man power and non-performing assets. The new banks encounter the challenges of market share, spread and size from the conventional banks. In order to overcome this challenge, the new banks employed the strategic option of swift implementation of the prescribed new products and the development of financial services administered by the Bank of Ghana so that the un-banked, banked and under banked customer classes of the population could be captured. 7.2 The Case Study of Barclays Bank, Ghana As shown in the table 2 provided above that Barclays Banks holds a leading position in the Ghanaian financial services market place in addition to an aggressive nationwide branch network. Thus, Barclays being the premier banking institution of Ghana is leveraging its distinct characteristics in order to compete effectively in the highly competitive and fast progressing banking and financial services industry of Ghana. In order to further differentiate itself from the rest in the competition, Barclays Bank is headed towards promoting its strategy of holding its market leadership position through developing its customer management functionality with the help of implementing a robust solution for customer relation management (CRM) with strongly emphasizing over its customer service operations. Barclays commenced this initiative for CRM in order to facilitate the customer facing the banks operations with the technology platform enhancing the banks operations and enabling the bank to compete effectively in addition to becoming a truly customer focused organization. Thus, Barclays is looking forward to working with a reputable organization in order to develop and upgrade its existing customer contact centre along with integrating it with CRM Dynamic Solution by Microsoft. Completely equipped, contact centre of Barclays Bank will eventually enable the customers to interact and deal with the bank via multiple channels such as voice, e-mail, fax, IVR, web, etc.) that fulfils various functionalities of sales, marketing and service at the time of their convenience either with a customer representative or through self service. It is highly vital for Barclays to enhance its processes facing customers in order to develop the business relationship in between its customers and employees for attaining its business goals. The implementation of such an advance and complex customer management project is to be based upon detailed and comprehensive planning, apt consulting and allocation of technical resources to ascertain that the desired goals are achieved with in a certain time period, being as cost effective as possible. Electronic services department of Barclays strongly believes that the goals of this initiative required being in line with the overall business strategies of Barclays Bank. It has been observed from similar engagements that spanning numerous industries is not adequate to ensure desired result. Barclays must recognize the important role that it has to play in the initial stages of the project. Complete commitment and dedication from Barclays is required through out the total time frame of the project in order to ascertain and realize the significance of enhancing its customer management functionality which will ultimately result in the growth in revenue and profitability. 7.2.1 Requirements for the Barclays Bank Ghana Barclays Bank Ghana is looking forward to improving its overall customer management operations through commencing a CRM strategy that is most likely to enhance the banks customer focus strategy. The first stage of this CRM initiative will emphasize over improving the customer service function of the bank through making new advancements in its current platform for the centre. This is achieved by employing latest tools that will improve the interaction of the customers with the bank either through the customer service representation or by means of self service. The first stage of CRM initiatives is most likely to improve the sales and marketing processes of the operation of the bank and set the stage for linking these processes with the customer service operations and allowing them to access the tools that will support in improving their performance, enhance their functions and recognize understand the customer as the Banks primary asset. The bank has recognized the following basic functions necessary for improving its existing contact centre platform. Outbound Calls and Multimedia Channels Automatic Distribution of Calls Caller Line Identification Complaint Management Interactive Voice Response Integration of CRM Computer Telephony Integration Call Recording Reports or Dashboard System Backup Barclays Bank has also recognized the following modules of Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform as the desirable milestones for the project. Marketing module Service Module Sales Module Workflow Module Analytical Module 7.2.2 Recommended Solution The recommended solution is divided in to the following three different components. CRM-Workshop for Business Process Mapping Implementation of Microsoft Dynamic CRM Up gradation of the platform of Contact Centre Technology 7.2.3 Business Process Mapping The aim of this exercise is to recognize the current business processes, future business processes and the gap between the two scenarios. It is formulated to overcome barriers between the business values and its technology. The outcome is strict accountability and a higher probability of customer satisfaction through its deployment. The exercise will determine the metric that need to be tracked down, managers and customers that will be held accountable for these measurements of the performance, required new processes, impact of processes and sub processes on data importing, solution configuration and integration with other technologies and systems used at the back end. The results of this exercise are given below: Detailed Process Map that consists of report on current state as validated by the stockholders. Detailed Process Map consisting of report on future state as validated by the stockholders. Gap Analytical Report Business Requirements Report After the above documents have been produced, the business users will eventually examine and validate the provided information. After approval, these documents will be used to support project execution. 7.2.4 Deployment of CRM System The desired outcome of the successful deployment of a CRM system is determined through the end users usage and willingness to use it daily in order to improve their personal productivity. In this regard, the adapted methodology gives a frame work for dealing with customer relationship management as a business strategy and also as a project for developing technical systems. The concept behind this process is that technology alone with out strategy does not produce business results. Thus, a proper strategy for CRM is required to be adopted side by side with the deployment of the technical system. The success of CRM lies in the implementation of the technology with the clear picture of the improvements in measurable business performance. 7.2.5 Strategy The strategic model used by the Barclays Bank Ghana constitutes of four components that must be understood in order to achieve real business advantage from any CRM based project. Figure 2 (Source: e.Services Africa Ltd. 2010). Performance Management The purpose of any CRM project in an organization is to improve or optimize its performance. However, it is complicated to precisely define: the areas and object to be improved, the extent of this improvement and the enhancement of this improvement measure through the CRM system. This objective is fulfilled by embedding key point indicators, business metrics in the form of understandable charts and graphs in to the user interface of the CRM system. This enables the user to use the system as a routine activity. User can easily find the changes made by them to the system in clear metrics on their dashboard. Users and the management must seriously operate the business in accordance to the embedded metrics on the dashboards. Management Commitment Commitment of the management serves as the basis for success of any CRM project. Senior managers must completely comprehend and be involved in adopting CRM as a strategy and they must also, actively take part in the implementation of CRM project. Existing processes need to be changed for improving performance of any business or system, thus, any CRM project could be referred to an effort for changing management and modifying behavior. Managers are supposed to support such changes. Irrespective of the technological functions, the managers must back the process changes along with communicating the fact that new procedures need to be adopted in order to achieve the desired goals of the business.

Information Processing Theory Essay

Information processing is a theoretical approach used to analyze human behavior (psychology) and learning processes (education). Information processing, in the pedagogical perspective, may be defined as the process of acquiring knowledge based on memory structures and information in different stages of information or mental processing. (Think Quest Team, 2007) It deals with thinking, storing, remembering and forgetting information. (NSW HSC Online, 2007) Information processing and the cognitive learning theory are closely associated with each another. This is because their propositions are similar in content. Information processing theory emerged at the dawn of the computer age (Hall, 2007). This theory suggests that memory and computers have common features. Moreover, it proposes that perceived information goes through three stages within the memory structure: sensory registers (where information is perceived and processed through the senses), short-term memory (where information is shortly stored and encoded), and long-term memory (where information is stored for easy retrieval). (NSW HSC Online, 2007) There are several principles that support this theory. First, there is an assumption that the capacity of the memory is limited. This means that at times, there may be barriers that affect processing of information. It is advantageous to identify why there is difficulty in information processing. Through this, resolutions may be formulated to address this issue. Second, there is a need for control mechanism. Control mechanism directs the extent of use of memory capacity. For instance, new information may require more processing than the regular day-to-day tasks. Third, information flow is two-way. We acquire information through our senses, process it in our memory in the same way that we create responses in our memory, and carry them out through our senses. Fourth, the genetic make-up of humans is meant for information processing. For instance, infants do not learn to think from other people. Their curiosity allows them to think and develop their senses. (Huitt, 2003) Information processing applied as an approach in the classroom setting, gains broader meaning and undeniable importance. The theory recommends a variety of techniques and methods to make teaching more efficient. Information processing also provides several tools and procedures that teachers may use to enhance thinking skills and extend mental capacity among the students. The learning process through information processing starts with the activation of schema, defined as the state of existing knowledge structures prior to the introduction of new information. Schema is often altered to accommodate new information. Therefore, new information related to the learner’s schema is more meaningful to them. (NSW HSC Online, 2007) Activation of schema is followed by acquisition of new information by the learner. Information processing postulates that in processing and in the retrieval of information, it is necessary to ensure that information is significant to the learner for him to be able to relate previous knowledge or schema to new information. The information is processed to fit schema, or in some instances to complement schema. The information is then stored in the long-term memory for future retrieval. There are also various key concepts to remember in applying information processing theory in the classroom setting. First, it is easier to remember significant information. Learners remember information that is interesting and relevant to their personal lives. Second, words are easily remembered based on their position in the text. For instance, words written in the beginning and in the end are easier to remember than words written in the mid area of the text. Third, repetition is efficient for memory retention. Memory retention is best improved through repetition and practice. Fourth, learning should be systematic. When learners make lists to organize lessons learned, information is easier to remember. Fifth, much effort should be exerted in processing information. Information that is processed in depth is easily stored in the long-term memory. Sixth, information processing is affected by schema. If information does not relate to a person’s schema, then there would difficulty in information processing. Lastly, there is a necessity to provide advance organizers for students. Advance organizers aids and prepares the learner for the next lesson. (Huitt, 2003) In the classroom setting, the teacher must come up with a lesson plan that follows a thorough procedure. Systematic procedures must be followed in information processing because there are limitations to memory capacity and thinking processes. Teachers must make sure that purpose of the previous step is achieved before moving on the next step. For instance, activation of schema comes first before the processing of information. To follow this step, the teacher must first provide stimulus that catches the attention of the students. Consequently, the learner perceives and processes this information in his sensory registers and short-term memory, allowing him to respond to the stimulus. The next step is to ensure that the information you teach is retained in the learner’s long-term memory. This can be achieved by following key concepts previously enumerated. In applying information processing in the classroom setting, keep in mind that its primarily goal is for students to learn by enhancing memory retention and maximizing information processing and capacity. The teacher must be guided with the key concepts and principles governing information processing theory to achieve greater success in meeting educational goals and objectives. References Hall, R. (2007). Information Processing Theory. Retrieved November 22, 2007. http://medialab. umr. edu/rhall/educational_psychology/2001/vl2a/info_new. html Huitt, W. (2003). The Information Processing Approach to Cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved November

Call of Duty Essay

Premise: A new action-thriller game with trained soldiers and an arsenal of advanced, powerful, modern day firepower whom try and take down enemy combatants. The brutal opposition are threatening the world in various settings and scenarios. A story with twists and turns about soldiers fighting; using both ground-war technology and aerial strikes on a battlefield where speed, accuracy, and communication are the major factors in victory. Genre: Call for Action is a first-person shooter (FPS) which the person’s cross hairs are placed in the center of the screen and everything happens around it. Platform: Call for action has four different platforms. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. The best platform for this game is PlayStation 3, because of its superior graphics software, easier controlling, and less hardware malfunctions. These reasons have been approved and guaranteed by users. The second best platform for this game is Xbox 360. It can handle the graphic and it’s easy to control, like PlayStation 3. Microsoft Windows and Wii are the other platforms which can be used in order to play Call for Action. Backstory: The story takes place in the year 2011, where several U.S. Sergeants and British SAS members find a nuclear weapon on a ship traveling to Africa. After the evacuations, they find evidence of ties between Germans and Russians. At the same time, the Russians want to distract people in order to achieve their goal. So they hire a local separatist leader, called Ivan, to execute the president of the United States to keep the military away. USMC 1st Force Recon team must find and rescue the president, but during the operation, United States Central Command is notified by Seal Team Six of a German nuclear weapon. Later on British SAS find and interrogate Ivan, he exposes that the German leader supplied the nuclear bomb in order to start World War III. Therefore, A combined operation, by U.S. Sergeants and British SAS members, is taken on to stop German leader. Target Rating Call for Action’s rating is M which stands for Mature. Content is generally suitable for ages seventeen and up because the content contains intense blood and gore, intense violence, and strong language. Target Market This game is originally for residents of the US, but later it can be available to other countries. The target audience is mostly teens generally above the age of 17. On the other hand, the game is only rated M because of parents not wanting their children playing a game with some blood in it. A game should only be rated M if it has sexual scenes not because of blood. Player Motivation This game has two versions, the fist version is, playing the normal mode which the player goes through the story and tries to finish the game, and the second version is the online version which players will compete with their friends in an online mode. Call for Action has a lot of motivations. First, the game finishing scene is the player needing to find the Germans leader in Africa and kill him. If the player kills him, he/she has the right to destroy the nuclear weapon. Second, in this game, not only you can kill people, but you can also drive a tank or a car. Third, when the player finishes the story, the game will give the player a set of special weapons for the online gaming. UPS There are some unique things in the game and about the game which makes it special. First, in this game players can shoot with their weapons, drive a car, or play as a pilot. (Drive an airplane) Second, it has a very high quality and graphic which gives the real feeling of the game. Third, it uses the PlayStation’s dual shocks, so every time players get hit, it will start shaking. The last reason that makes this game special is that players can check their friends’ progress and follow them. Therefore, this game helps the players to experience the war situations and teach the necessary information and acts that people need to do during the war. Competitive Analysis There are three other games which could be considered competitors of Call of Action. The first game called Battlefield 3. This game is a first person shooter by a Swedish developer. According to Wikipedia, â€Å"In-game, the European Union and the United States fight China and the Middle Eastern Coalition. It is known that in the game’s story, the EU and the US are allies and the EU has negotiated a peace deal with Russia.† The platforms for this game are same as Call for Action. (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360) The second game is Call of Duty Black Ops II which was developed by Treyarch. According to Wikipedia, â€Å"Black Ops II is the first game in the Call of Duty franchise to feature future warfare technology and the first to present branching storylines driven by player choice. It also offers a 3D display option. In this game the player campaign features two connected storylines, with the first set from 1986 to 1989 during the final years of the first Cold War, and the other set in 2025 during a second Cold War.† The platforms for this game are PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and Wii. The third game is Blacklight which was developed by Zombie Studios. According to Wikipedia, â€Å"Zombie is planning to make Blacklight a multimedia franchise that will include the video game, a feature film, and a trilogy of comic books. The idea was concepted by Zombie executives which later pitched the idea to several film and comic book production companies.† The platforms for this game are Games for Windows – Live, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade. Based on the other three descriptions and Call for Action description, Call for Action has more options and futures. It may not be better than Call of Duty Black Ops II, but has the same quality and features. In this game, you can fly a plan, drive a car, or a tank. It will use the dual shock in order to give the real feelng to the player. It will attract players to finish the story by giving them prizes at the end. Therefore, it can be one the top competitions in the market. Goals The goal of this game is to give a player the time to enjoy, learn, and challenge themselves. In this game people can spend time and put themselves in a war situation. What needs to be done? How to control a gun? How to communicate with people in an emergency situation? Players can learn the name of all guns and get to know their specifications, how they are working and what they are good for. Also in an online game, people can compete with each other. Players can see their friends’ progress and play with them, or players can invite their friends, gather a team, and fight with other people. In this case, people will communicate with each other and learn a lot about the game by asking or watching other people playing.

Industrial Revolution Essays (869 words) - Textile Machinery

Industrial Revolution Essays (869 words) - Textile Machinery Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was under way 1st in Britain and wasn't possible without coal. Agriculture Revolution Every 3rd year the farmers believed that they had to leave their field fallowed so the soil won't wear out. In 1730 Charles Townshend discovered that fields did not had to be left fallowed, if farmers would rotate the crops. Charles suggested to grow wheat or barely and then the next year grow clover or turnips. Clover and turnips provided excellent feed for cattle. New Farm Machines Jethro Thull developed a seed drill that planted seeds in straight rows. This was a big improvement over the old method of scattering seeds at random, which made fields a tangle of crop and weeds. In the 1700's farmers began to use iron plows instead of wood plows. In 1800's wealthy landowners used mechanical reapers and threshers which increased production. The Enclosure Movement Since the Middle Ages farmers worked small strips of land in scattered fields. The razed their animals and gathered timber on public lands. In the 1500's wealthy landowners began claiming the right to these public lands. This made agriculture more efficient because the wealthy had more land to experience with new crops. Smaller farmers were then driven right out of a job. With more food lead to better health and rapid growth. The demand for manufactured goods was now high. Changes In The Textile Industry Inventions went off right and left. In 1733, John Kay invented the Flying Shuttle. This replaced the handheld shuttle for weaving. It sped up the weaving process. Soon they were using thread faster than produced. In 1764, James Hargreaves developed the Spinning Jenny. It had several spindle on a single wheel. In 1769, Richard Arkright built the Water Frame it could hold up to 100 spindles. It was too heavy to be operated by hand so it was ran by water power. 10yrs later Samuel Crompton developed the Spinning Mule, which used features from the Spinning Jenny and the Water Frame. Cotton thread was now produced at high speeds. In 1785, Edward Cartwright built a Power Loom powered by water. They could produce 200 times more cloth in a day. In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin that increased the supply of raw cotton and gave the British cotton industry a further boost. It tore the fibers from the seeds and made it possible for a single slave to turn out as much as 50 slaves. Cotto n production soared and the price fell. Development Of The Steam Engine Although many inventions in the Textile Industry were powered by running water, steam soon became the major source of energy. In 1698, Thomas Savery had built a steam-driven pump to remove water from flooded coal mines. Except his pump frequently exploded because of the intense pressure of the steam. In the early 1700's, Thomas Newcomen developed a safer steam pump. His engine broken down lots and required lots of coal to fuel it though. Finally James Watt came alone in the 1760's to revise the pumps of Newcomen and made it better. His got 4 times more power from the same amount of coal. Steam powered the Industrial Revolution. They were used in the growing of Textile Industry. They also brought great changes in the mining of iron and coal and they revolutionized transportation. Advances In Transportation & Communication In the 1700's the need for rapid, inexpensive transportation led to a boom in Canal building in Britain. In 1759 the Duke of Bridgewater built a Canal to connect his coal mines and factories. A Scottish engineer John McAdam invented a road surface made of crushed rock. In 1829 George Stephenson, a mining engineer, developed the Rocket, it was the 1st steam-powered locomotive. It could go 36mph. Steel rails replaced iron rails, speed were then increased. In 1807 Robert Fulton developed a paddle-wheel steam ship called the Clermont. This improved communication to other nations. Aboriginal Paradigm It was mainly an all for your self way. Workers tend to work only for the present need. The object of life was to maintain ones rank and the ideal of personal gain was the work of the devil. Capital as wealth existed, but there was no investing of it. Land

Free Essays on Abortion- Pro Choice, Only Choice

Abortion has always been a controversial subject among everybody whether they are involved directly or indirectly, whether they are for it or against it. It is nearly impossible to find someone who doesn’t have an opinion about abortion. Both those who favor or oppose abortion make superior arguments to defend their beliefs and views. Personally, I think every last person is entitled to his or her own opinions, beliefs, thoughts, and rights. And yes, women have rights too, and denying women the right to choose abortion in the early stages of fetal development is denying her rights as a US citizen and is also discriminating against her. I think that abortion should be restricted to the first 21 weeks, which is when most of the tests can be taken to determine the health of the fetus. Anything after that might be immoral, since the fetus can very well live outside the mother’s womb; although, it does depend on the situation. Abortion should unquestionably not be used as a primary birth control use. It should be determined based on the circumstances of the pregnancy. A woman should have the choice to have an abortion if she is raped, impregnated by a disturbed man or by incest. It would be unfair to force a rape victim to bear an unwanted baby and give up all the dreams she ever had and be reminded of that rape for the rest of her life. I also think a woman’s life should not be sacrificed or put at risk, a woman should be able to abort if there is any complications or a risk to her life and a threat to the baby’s life. It would be morally wrong to bring to this world a severely deformed, extremely handicapped, or an incompetent baby and watch him or her suffer for the rest of their lives. That would not only affect the mother’s life, but that would affect the baby’s life also. That child would never be average, never be happy and would feel dejected for not being like the other children. It takes so much energy, will power... Free Essays on Abortion- Pro Choice, Only Choice Free Essays on Abortion- Pro Choice, Only Choice Abortion has always been a controversial subject among everybody whether they are involved directly or indirectly, whether they are for it or against it. It is nearly impossible to find someone who doesn’t have an opinion about abortion. Both those who favor or oppose abortion make superior arguments to defend their beliefs and views. Personally, I think every last person is entitled to his or her own opinions, beliefs, thoughts, and rights. And yes, women have rights too, and denying women the right to choose abortion in the early stages of fetal development is denying her rights as a US citizen and is also discriminating against her. I think that abortion should be restricted to the first 21 weeks, which is when most of the tests can be taken to determine the health of the fetus. Anything after that might be immoral, since the fetus can very well live outside the mother’s womb; although, it does depend on the situation. Abortion should unquestionably not be used as a primary birth control use. It should be determined based on the circumstances of the pregnancy. A woman should have the choice to have an abortion if she is raped, impregnated by a disturbed man or by incest. It would be unfair to force a rape victim to bear an unwanted baby and give up all the dreams she ever had and be reminded of that rape for the rest of her life. I also think a woman’s life should not be sacrificed or put at risk, a woman should be able to abort if there is any complications or a risk to her life and a threat to the baby’s life. It would be morally wrong to bring to this world a severely deformed, extremely handicapped, or an incompetent baby and watch him or her suffer for the rest of their lives. That would not only affect the mother’s life, but that would affect the baby’s life also. That child would never be average, never be happy and would feel dejected for not being like the other children. It takes so much energy, will power...

Politics and government Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Politics and government - Article Example n’s representation in a third world country (Kenya); it will look at the pros and cons of quota system and then put it in the context of the selected country. The quota system is aimed at increasing the number of women who are involved in active politics to a significant minimum; say 30 or 40 per cent. This system does not apply to only elective positions but also appointive positions such as members of committees and boards. The use of this system in political representation therefore constitutes all fields in politics (Kiplagat, 2008, p.52-78). The quota system does not discriminate but help women overcome the barrier that prevent them from engaging in active politics. Women entry into politics is faced with several challenges such as the perception that the society has towards them, their lack of aggressiveness that is required in politics among other barriers. The introduction of quota system, which sets aside a certain percentage of political positions for women, eliminates all the barriers that women face in competing with men; therefore, providing women with an opportunity to compete among themselves equally. In Kenya, the positions of women representative from all the 47 counties derive their legitimacy from the constitution; these positions are only open to women candidates (AfriMAP, OSIEA & OSMP, nd, 3). In addition, the constitution also provides for nomination of women and other marginalised groups into the national and the county assemblies (Mutunga & Mazrui, 2004, p. 308-417). The right to equal representation of women in politics is no different from that of men and the quota system helps in achieving that equal representation. Most of the representatives in the political arena are usually men; therefore, most of the issues that they discuss are likely to favour men, which deny women the chance to air their opinions in legislation. The quota system has increased the number of women in political seats and consequently increased their bargaining

Iron Deficiency Anemia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Iron Deficiency Anemia - Essay Example I will address an important topic that still causes major morbidity and mortality around the world, especially in low income populations and children. 2. Iron-deficient erythropoiesis: after iron stores are exhausted, lack of iron limits the production of hemoglobin and other metabolically active compounds that require iron as a constituent or cofactor. Globally, the most common cause of anemia is iron deficiency. Other possible causes are acute or chronic infections, parasitic diseases, heavy menstruation, hemoglobinopathy, colon cancer, and vitamin A/B12 or folate deficiency, among others. Various epidemiological studies have shown that iron deficiency anemia is still one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiencies. Iron deficiency is present in up to 30% of women, and 70% of pregnant women. A recent cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and possible risk factors for iron deficiency anemia on aboriginal schoolchildren living in remote areas in Malaysia. Overall, 48.5% of children were anemic. Low levels of mothers' education and low household income were identified as risk factors; severe trichuriasis was also found to be associated (Al-Mekhlafi 1046). If this deficiency is present during the first two years of life, a functional disturbance is highly probable, given that the developing brain experiences structural and biochemical changes; a few weeks after birth, synapses formation takes place and the nervous system starts its shaping, being a critical time with high vulnerability. Moreover, anemia may affects cognitive function at all stages of life. The immune system depends of multiple oxidation processes; another possible outcome in people with anemia is a state of immunodeficiency. Pregnant women with anemia may experience complications and increased mortality rates. Finally, anemia in adults may have economic consequences because it provides low physical and work performances, increasing disability and work incapacities. It is important to define the severity and etiology of anemia, in order to start an adequate therapeutic approach. Clinical symptoms and physical examinations have low sensitivity and specificity. According to WHO, Hb concentration is the most reliable indicator of anemia at the population level, and measuring it is relatively easy and inexpensive. However, the etiology of anemia should be interpreted with caution if the only indicator used is Hb concentration. A complete blood count gives important information that can guide into the possible cause. Other important tests are serum ferritin, serum iron, transferrin, and transferrin saturation. Anemia is not a specialized disease.