Review Of Divertimento Fanfare By Roger Zare - 1268 Words

On October 5th, the Auburn University Chamber Winds and Symphonic Winds performed a collection of pieces from different time periods including: The Classical period, the 20th century period, and the Modern period. All of the pieces, except for the last piece and the pieces that were not conducted, were conducted by either Michael Cater, Zack Deininger, Ethan Lolley, or Meghan Miller, who are all graduate conductors. The first piece performed, â€Å"Divertimento-Fanfare†, was written by Roger Zare. Zare is known for his contemporary chamber and orchestral work. His music is inspired by science nature, mathematics, and mythology. Zare uses word painting to convey and contrast the two ideas in â€Å"Divertimento-Fanfare†. The opening rhythm can be described as consonance and then as the piece progresses, the rhythm becomes dissonant. The interaction between these two kinds of rhythms builds tension and energy. The texture of the piece had a main melody and a subordinate me lody, otherwise known as a homophonic texture. The only instruments in this piece were the trumpet, horn, trombone, and the euphonium (small tuba). The tone color or timbre of each instrument were all related with one another because all the instruments were in the brass family. The second piece played was the Overture and it was written by Kurt Weill. Kurt Weill was born the son of a cantor in Dessau. He made a name for himself in Berlin during the 1920’s and 30’s while working with Bertolt Brecht. His Overture

Legalized Pot; Killing Our Country Free Essays

Hempeficial, by Steven Jeffrey published in 2011 discusses the legalization of hemp and marijuana plants in the United States. Mr. Jeffrey thinks it is ludicrous that pot is illegal. We will write a custom essay sample on Legalized Pot; Killing Our Country or any similar topic only for you Order Now In my opinion it is irresponsible to propose any initiative to legalize marijuana. My experience has proven it to be highly addictive, damaging to young brains and can rob the economy of the intellect necessary to keep us moving ahead. It is a myth that cannabis is not addictive. Studies of long- term users show a significant dependency correlation. A friend of mine, who is a neuroscientist, once told me that approximately 173,000 people have some form of dependence to or use cannabis or its sister plant hemp regularly. Jeffrey states â€Å"hemp has been used for at least 5,000 years†. That is a classic case of addiction, not be able to stop. Marijuana is very damaging to the brain, especially young brains. My husband, who is a doctor, points out that it is not uncommon for people who use, to complain about memory loss and not being able to think clearly. That the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, corrupts the natural process of endocannabinoids, a key family of chemicals that help guide the brain in proper maturation. Yet Jeffrey refers to this as an â€Å"innocuous plant†. These chemicals are vital keys to the formation of memory, learning and decision-making. In this way, marijuana is even more damaging to a person because it pilots the brain to become stagnant. The primary concern is it has a lasting effect on young people. Jeffrey agrees that, â€Å"the evil female plant-marijuana. It gets you high, it makes you laugh†. My neighbor, a mother of three, told me she is very concerned that her once straight A students do nothing all day now except get high and laugh. When young people fail to show initiative to do something with their lives, we lose that portion of innovative ideas for new and improved technology. Our nation has stopped growing along with the smokers. Even Jeffrey states that other countries are â€Å"literally laughing at our stupidity†. How to cite Legalized Pot; Killing Our Country, Papers

IT Governance Essay free essay sample

Research Proposal No.1 (Quantitative analysis) Alignment of Information Technology (IT) Governance with Business Needs in the EnterprisePrincipal Aim of study: To identify and understand how and why IT needs to be carefully placed to be compatible with business needs in the organization. â€Å"Some organizations started with the implementation of IT governance in order to achieve a better alignment between business and IT.† (Haes Gremberg 2008). Objectives: To identity specific needs for IT application within the framework business in the enterprise To establish a deployment that is most beneficial to the organization in economic terms To seek the implementation of most appropriate and cost effective IT solutions for contemporary organizational structures To emphasize on the need for clear and consistent standard followed in implementing IT solutions in corporate environments. To offer quantitative solutions aligned with IT; that will effectively address issues arising in the organization. Hypothesis: There is a significant role of IT governance in positively affecting the ability of businesses to cater to industry demand and achieve considerable cost benefits over time. Research Questions:1. What level of system throughput is essential and critical for the success of managerial and effective decision making using timely data and processing capabilities? IT Governance 32. How could â€Å"a purpose-built, standards-based data appliance that architecturally integrates the database, server and storage into a single, easy-to-manage system.† be operated? (Netezza twinfin data warehouse and analytic appliance: Resetting the bar on price/performance, 2009, p.1). 3. There is nothing called perfect data. However, what makes the extraction of information from data so tedious a process?Significant role of IT governance in positively affects businesses to cater to industry demand and achieve considerable cost benefits over time. There is nothing called perfect data. However, what makes the extraction of information from data so tedious a process? What system throughput is essential and critical for the success of managerial and effective decision making using timely data and processing capabilities? Literature Review How could â€Å"a purposebuilt, standards-based data appliance integrating database, server and storage into a single, easy-tomanage system.† be operated? Empirical Research Database and Systems Integration Statistical Tools and Profilers Research Objectives Research Parameters Primary Research and First-hand data collection IT Governance4 Literature review:Costs:Initial capital investmentsMaintenance and usage costsImpact on bottom line through amortizationCost benefit evaluation on short, medium and long term basisFinancial analysis including calculation of present value, cash flows and residual assessmentTechnological obsolescence Implications: Positives /Negative impact of present IT deployment: From the government’s point of view From the point of view of the IT industry Specific work-force and union perspective on IT deployment Negative aspects of the present IT policies and procedures Threats and challenges in the IT alignment the corrective measures to overcome these through practice and research studiesEnvironment: The present scenario of the IT industry The industrial techniques to meeting business needs Perceived risks in various implementation schemes Positive and negative results of IT governance and deployment in the enterprise Legal and socio-economic constructs of IT alignment Research Designs: IT Governance In a research study of this genre, it is critical to plan appropriate designs that could not only meet the goals and objectives of business but also provide an environment and basis on which the empirical research study could be well conducted. Besides, the research design should be free from known errors, statistical bias and must present a strong forum for the detailed and comprehensive study of the topic under research. In this IT related studies, it is very important that quantitative data should be gained through both primary and secondary researches. The Primary Research is based on a modern topic that requires utmost care and understanding with valid and well-informed group of respondents. It is also compulsory to consult secondary resources to establish current trends and apparent cost benefits through upgrading or reassessment of latest technologies and the latest high-tech IT operation in the existing corporate and technological demands. At this point when business cannot separate from technological influences, it is indeed important that maximum efforts and attention is given on how business needs could be increased and improved through better IT interfacing and governance. In a quantitative research study of this genre, the use of statistical tests to underpin the validity the conduct of research and hypothesis testing is imperative. The above research design by compartmentalizing between Business and IT strategy seeks to bring forth the major ingredients in the two while also seeking to integrate IT Governance 6 the two aspects of bus iness- the business unit and the IT deployment or alignment in the manner that is most advantageous to the business and its stakeholders.MethodologyThrough research techniques like surveys and personal interviews using right forethought. Also, use of appropriate statistical tests that could emphasize this quantitative research.† A chi-square test is used when you want to see if there is a relationship between two categorical variables.† (What is statistical analysis should I use? Statistical analysis using SPSS, (n.d.).Primary sources are derived from discussions with IT researchers, practitioners, revenue specialists (in public and private sectors IT governance). Interviews conduced with a selected group of IT specialists and practitioners drawn from various business and industrial sectors. Secondary and tertiary sourcing is from website libraries, online internet sources, and peer reviewed academic magazine articles.Interpretations / AnalysisBased on the literature reviews and findings of the research studies carried out after gathering quantitative data from primary, secondary and tertiary sources. Conclusions: An appropriate conclusion is that could strengthen the impact of IT in enterprise thereby stressing its present and ultimate risks, challenges, advantages and benefits. Also, observation on the various methods that are necessary in the present context .This method could be IT Governance 7 applied considering the future risks of technical and commercial obsolescence of IT industry. It is important that the requirements of the corporate units are met through the use of IT. Therefore the conclusion validates or nullifies the hypothesis. Reference ListAdvanced QA corner, 2009. [Online] CPU. Available at: http://www.computerpoweruser.com/editorial/article.asp?article=articles%2Farchive %2Fc0906%2F27c06%2F27c06.asp [Accessed 9 March 2010]. Building IT and end user partnership, 2010.[Online] ITtoolkit.com. Available at: http://www.ittoolkit.com/assessments/assess_partnerships.htm [Accessed 9 March 2010]. Business sponsorship and alignment – white papers, 2010. [Online] tdwi. Available at: http://tdwi.org/whitepapers/list/business-sponsorship-and-alignment.aspx [Accessed 9 March 2010].Customer satisfaction survey questions, 2010. [Online] Zoomerang. Available at: http://www.zoomerang.com/Customer-Satisfaction-Survey-Questions/ [Accessed 9 March 2010].Data governance, 2010. [Online] Bitpipe.com. Available at: http://www. bitpipe.com/tlist/Data-Governance.html [Accessed 9 March 2010].Haes, D.S., Gremberg, V.W. , 2008. Analyzing the relationship Between IT governance and business/IT alignment maturity. [Online] IEEExplore. Available at: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore. ieee.org %2Fiel5%2F4438695%2F4438696%2F04439133.pdf%3Farnumber%3D4439133a uthDecision=-203 [Accessed 9 March 2010].National survey of information technology occupations, 2004. [Online] Statistics Canada. Available at: http://www.statcan. gc.ca/cgibin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurveySDDS=2939lang=endb=imdbadm=8 dis=2 [Accessed 9 March 2010].Netezza twinfin data warehouse and analytic appliance: Resetting the bar on price/performance, 2009. [Online] NETEZZA, p.1. Available at: http://www. netezza.com/documents/twinfin_ds.pdf [Accessed 9 March 2010].What is statistical analysis should I use? Statistical analysis using SPSS, (n.d.). [Online] Academic Technology Services. Available at: http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/Spss/whatstat/whatstat.htm [Accessed 9 March 2010].Why is it so hard to get? 2009. [Online] Semantra. Available at: http://www.semantra.com/library/Semantra-Enterprise-FactSheet.pdf [Accessed 9 March 2010].

When On D-Day-June 6, 1944-Allied Armies Landed In Normandy On Essays

When on D-Day-June 6, 1944-Allied armies landed in Normandy on the northwestern coast of France, possibly the one most critical event of World War II unfolded; for upon the outcome of the invasion hung the fate of Europe. If the invasion failed, the United States might turn its full attention to the enemy in the Pacific-Japan-leaving Britain alone, with most of its resources spent in mounting the invasion. That would enable Nazi Germany to muster all its strength against the Soviet Union. By the time American forces returned to Europe-if indeed, they ever returned-Germany might be master of the entire continent. Although fewer Allied ground troops went ashore on D-Day than on the first day of the earlier invasion of Sicily, the invasion of Normandy was in total history's greatest amphibious operation, involving on the first day 5,000 ships, the largest armada ever assembled; 11,000 aircraft (following months of preliminary bombardment); and approximately 154,000 British, Canadian and American soldiers, including 23,000 arriving by parachute and glider. The invasion also involved a long-range deception plan on a scale the world had never before seen and the clandestine operations of tens of thousands of Allied resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied countries of western Europe. American General Dwight D. Eisenhower was named supreme commander for the allies in Europe. British General, Sir Frederick Morgan, established a combined American-British headquarters known as COSSAC, for Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander. COSSAC developed a number of plans for the Allies, most notable was that of Operation Overlord, a full scale invasion of France across the English Channel. Eisenhower felt that COSSAC's plan was a sound operation. After reviewing the disastrous hit-and-run raid in 1942 in Dieppe, planners decided that the strength of German defenses required not a number of separate assaults by relatively small units but an immense concentration of power in a single main landing. The invasion site would have to be close to at least one major port and airbase to allow for efficient supply lines. Possible sites included among others, the Pas de Calais across the Strait of Dover, and the beaches of Cotentin. It was decided by the Allies that the beaches of Cotentin would be the landing site for Operation Overlord. In my opinion, the primary reason that the invasion worked was deception. Deception to mislead the Germans as to the time and place of the invasion. To accomplish this, the British already had a plan known as Jael, which involved whispering campaigns in diplomatic posts around the world and various distractions to keep German eyes focused anywhere but on the coast of northwestern France. An important point to the deception was Ultra, code name for intelligence obtained from intercepts of German radio traffic. This was made possible by the British early in the war having broken the code of the standard German radio enciphering machine, the Enigma. Through Ultra the Allied high command knew what the Germans expected the Allies to do and thus could plant information either to reinforce an existing false view or to feed information through German agents, most of it false but enough of it true-and thus sometimes involving sacrifice of Allied troops, agents or resistance forces in occupied countries-to maintain the credibility of the German agents. Six days before the targeted date of June 5, troops boarded ships, transports, aircraft all along the southern and southwestern coasts of England. All was ready for one of history's most dramatic and momentous events. One important question was left unanswered though: what did the Germans know? Under Operation Fortitude, a fictitious American force-the 1st Army Group-assembled just across the Channel from the Pas de Calais. Dummy troops, false radio traffic, dummy landing craft in the bay of the Thames river, huge but unoccupied camps, dummy tanks-all contributed to the deception. Although the Allied commanders could not know it until their troops were ashore, their deception had been remarkably successful. As time for the invasion neared, the German's focus of the deception had shifted from the regions of the Balkans and Norway to the Pas de Calais. The concentration of Allied troops was so great, that an invasion of France seemed inevitable. Bombing attacks, sabotage by the French Resistance and false messages from compromised German agents all focused on the Pas de Calais with only minimal attention to Normandy. Also, German intelligence thought that the Allies had 90 divisions ready for the invasion (really only 39), so that even after the invasion of Normandy, the belief could still exist that Normandy was just a preliminary measure and the main invasion of the Pas de Calais was still to come. None of the German high

Shinto Religious Practices Essay Example

Shinto Religious Practices Essay Example Shinto Religious Practices Paper Shinto Religious Practices Paper Shinto is a Japanese religious practice characterized by rites and based on the polytheistic idea of Kami. Jinja Shinto is the institutional form while the Jinja Honcho in Tokyo is the administering office for over eight thousand shrines in Japan. The Ise Jingu in Ise which is believed to enshrine the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, is considered to be the most sacred of the Shinto shrines. The Emperor is considered the highest Shinto priest and the divine descendant of Amaterasu Omikami. It is widely practiced religion in Japan besides Buddhism and as a religion, Shinto concerns with prosperity and happiness in this world (Ozawa-de Silva, 2014). The grounds of Shinto shrines are most commonly marked by a grove of evergreen trees that surrounds a gateway, the torii. The main building enshrines the spirit of a particular kami. Most people will go to Shinto shrines on certain occasions especially on the New Year’s Day which is normally done to pray for Kami’s blessings. During the New Year, the home is thoroughly cleaned to make it very attractive to the spirits and the main gate is decorated with a kadomofsu. The family gathers to celebrate by eating a special soup called ozone which is believed to promote health. The tradition dictates that those performing the prayer first wash their mouth and hands at the fountain usually located at the gateway. They should then proceed to the front of the main building, cast some coins into the offertory box, ring the bells, bow twice, clap their hands twice, and then bow one more time (Bernstein, 2009). There are also several rites and a major festival that are held each year at each of the Shinto shrines. During the festival, the priest will solemnly offer prayers and food to the Kami as thanksgiving and as a way of seeking blessings. Dances and music are also performed for the Kami while the people enjoy together. The prime of the festival happens when portable shrines are energetically paraded through the parish. Also, a very special ritual known as jichinsai is always performed by the Shinto priests before commencing construction on a new building (Ozawa-de Silva, 2014). This is based on the belief that lack of such a ritual would lead to accidents because deities that dwell on that construction site become angry. Shinto marks some seasons with special practices such as planting and harvesting rice. Respect for nature is a key aspect of Shinto and is characterised by reverential objects placed in the midst of fields, forests, or mountains. Respect for spirits is practices by pouring water over gravestones and leaving offerings of flowers and food. Another notable practice involves the purification of water. There is also the climbing of the sacred mountain to gain favour and union with the spirit of the mountain (Bernstein, 2009). Climbing Mount Fuji is particularly one thing that most Japanese wish to accomplish during their lifetime. Other practices involve daily worship and the maintenance of a small shrine called kamidana done in the home. Shinto worships for beauty and its tradition on figurative art are also fundamental. The defining features of the Shinto art are openness, deliberate simplicity, and the use of natural elements. Shinto places little emphasis on ethical demands and doctrines (Bernstein, 2009). It focuses on beauty of ritual, an aspect that gives it an important affiliation with the arts. Shinto’s high regard for art is also believed to have inspired today’s Japanese art and architecture. References Bernstein, A. (2009).Shinto Beliefs and Traditions. Sage Publications, Inc. Ozawa-de Silva, C. (2014).HatsumÃ… de, the Visitation of Shinto Shrines: Religion and Culture in the Japanese Context. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199362202.003.0008

Voice in Writing 77 Questions to Find Yours

Voice in Writing 77 Questions to Find Yours Voice in Writing: 77 Questions to Find Yours Finding your unique voice in writing can be so tricky. Have you ever thought, Why do I seem to become more boring the longer I write?Or, maybe youre thinking, Why do I struggle to write when I can talk to people so easily about the same subject?Sometimes, there’s a disconnect between how we want to say something and how it actually sounds.Our voice as a writer can get lost, tainted, or may just be inconsistent.The way to combat this is found in a two-part solution:Create an avatar.Write to that avatar.What Is An Avatar?To a writer, an avatar is a composite of characteristics of people that you want as your ideal readers. This person should have a name, a picture, a specific demographic, and other detailed qualities. Once you can easily hold a picture of who this person is in your mind’s eye, you can develop your writer’s voice by writing to your avatar.When you hold your avatar in mind, you’re able to write as if youre having a conversation. This allows yo u to be more authentic, more helpful, and it enables you to connect with your reader which will in turn help you to sell more books.If your readers are the right readers (the people that your avatar represented), they will think as they read your book, Oh my goodness, this book was written exactly for me!How Do I Create An Avatar?A good first step is to think, Who is one person in my life that this book would help the most?If there is someone that you think fits the bill exactly, then voila! Write the book for that person.Chandler Bolt, founder of Self-Publishing School, even suggests starting each chapter off by addressing your avatar.For example, if your avatars name is Sharon, you could start each chapter by saying, Dear Sharon. Later, in your editing process, you can delete that initial greeting.Chandler says, What youll find is that when youre struggling with your voice and youre not sure what to say, youll just come back to, What would [name of avatar] want to hear right now? What story would most resonate with them? How could I write the next portion of my book in a language that would resonate the most to [name of avatar]?'You will write faster, you will write easier, and you will write books that your readers crave.Is an Avatar Necessary?Some people may opt for a slew of statistics that represent the general demographic of their reader instead of an avatar. But basing your writing voice off of a generic understanding of your ideal reader will result in a generic portrayal of your message.And, with a generic message, your audience will be too broad. As its been said, When your audience is everyone, your audience is no one.But I Dont Have An Avatar!If you dont know someone that perfectly embodies your avatar, don’t stress!Here are 77 questions that you can answer to flesh out your avatar, and in turn, solidify your voice as a writer.Determine Your Avatars DemographicsWhat is your avatars name?What is your avatars age?What is your avatars gender? What is the marital status of your avatar?How many children does your avatar have?What are the ages of your avatars children?What is your avatars occupation?What is their job title?How many years have they been in their current position?What is your avatars annual income?How many jobs have they held throughout their career?What is your avatars level of education?Where did they attend school?What type of experience did they have at school?Who were their friends at school?What are your avatars political views?What are your avatars religious views?It is even important that you define your avatars physical characteristics. This means that you should even have a picture of your avatar!You can easily find a picture on the internet to find an image that captures the look of your created avatar.What is your avatar’s hair color?What is your avatar’s eye color?What is your avatar’s weight?What is your avatar’s height?What does their facial expressions look like whe n theyre frustrated? Tired? Confused? Happy? Surprised? Taken off-guard?Determine Your Avatars PersonalityDescribe your avatars personality at home, at work, and in other social situations. (If youre stuck, consider the questions, What makes your avatar anxious? Does your avatar feel secure in social situations? Does your avatar crave attention or try to avoid it? Does your avatar feel accepted in their relationships?)If you could tell your avatar anything, and you knew that they would not only hear you, but apply what youve said, how would you instruct them?What are exact quotes that your avatar would say? (If you are unsure of this, simply watch people- whether personal friends or other online presences- and observe how they speak. What do their Facebook comments look like, their Amazon book reviews, etc.?)What thoughts keep your avatar awake at night?What does your avatar’s typical social environment look like?How does their culture influence their personality and decision s?What things does your avatar feel like they have control over?What things does your avatar feel like are out of their reach?What does your avatar worry about?Who does your avatar celebrate?Has your avatars life lived up to their expectations?Determine Your Avatars Hobbies and InterestsWhat type of music does your avatar listen to?How often does your avatar listen to music?Does he or she like sports? Do they enjoy watching? Playing?Is your avatar interested in art?Where does your avatar want to travel?Where has your avatar already traveled?What does your avatar stay up-to-date on?What are your avatars favorite clothing brands?Determine Your Avatars Goals and ValuesWhat does your avatar want to accomplish this week? This year? Before they die?What is your avatars process for working towards those goals?What is your avatar committed to (values)?In what ways does your avatar wish to improve their family situation?What would your avatar pay almost anything for?Determine Your Avatars Ch allenges and Pain PointsWhat challenges is your avatar currently facing?What causes your avatar pain?What is the worst thing that could happen to your avatar if their problem (that you are solving in your book) wasnt solved?How would this make them feel?What is your avatar afraid of?What does your avatar dislike about their current situation?Determine Where Your Avatar Spends TimeWhere does your avatar hang out (physical locations)?Where does your avatar spend time on the internet?What books does your avatar read? Digital Marketer, an online business that specializes in internet marketing, suggests that you answer the question, My ideal [reader] would read [book name], but no one else would. By determining a book that your avatar would read, but no one else would, you are able to understand the personality and buying traits of your avatar even more.What magazines does your avatar read?What blogs and websites does your avatar read and spend time on?Does your avatar use Twitter? Why?D oes your avatar use Facebook? Why?Does your avatar use LinkedIn? Why?What other social media platforms does your avatar use? Why?How much time does your avatar spend online?What conferences does your avatar attend?Who does your avatar consider gurus or experts?What types of technology does your avatar use (what type of phone, computer, television, etc.)?What does your avatar think of themselves?What does your avatars friends think about them?What does your avatars family think about them?Determine Objections Your Avatar Might Have To Your Book/MessageWhat possible objections might your avatar have to your book/message?Why would your avatar choose not to buy your book?What is your avatars ability to purchase products from you?How does your avatar perceive products similar to yours?Determine What Your Avatars Experience With Your Book Should BeWhat did your avatar do before reading your book?What will your avatar think while reading your book?What is your avatar trying to accomplish b y reading your book?What will your avatar do after reading your book?What will make your avatar come back to your book?Steps to Find Your Voice in WritingTo create your avatar, something that will greatly enhance your voice as a writer and your all-around ability to sell to and connect with your readers, do the following:Answer the questions above.Based on the information you gather, write a story about your avatar. Transform the facts into a short narrative about this persons life.Write your book to this person and watch your writing voice become more consistent and powerful.Knowing who you are writing for not only influences future blog posts, sales copy, email marketing, and paid traffic advertising, it also helps you write your book.

Transferable Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Transferable Learning - Essay Example These important industries are the building blocks of successful economic growth. This paper evaluates Lonrho’s business interests in Africa to determine the company’s position, strengths and weaknesses against the backdrop of internal and external constraints and opportunities (Lonrho vision, 2013, Para6). Management structure Stakeholders Stakeholder Stakeholder expectation Customers Customers expect services and products of high quality relative to the price charged. In the case of corporate and government contracts, the expectation is timely delivery of products and services the company is contracted to supply. Investors (shareholders) Shareholders anticipate a return on their investment in terms of dividends and growth in terms of expansion and market capitalization. Employees Employees expect proper remuneration for their labor in terms of the pay package and social security. External Environmental Analysis (PESTLE Analysis) PESTLE is an acronym for political, eco nomic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors, which are used to assess the market for a business or organizational unit (Salva?, 2011, P.96). Political Factors Political factors are government regulations such as employment laws, environmental regulations and tax policy. The company’s John Deere distributor in Mozambique experienced import delays of tractors and other consignments towards the end of the financial year 2012. These delays resulted in loss of contracts and project delays and had a negative effect on the company’s revenue and profitability (Project delays, 2012, Para3).

Marketing strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Marketing strategy - Assignment Example This research is being carried out to evaluate and present some of the generic marketing strategies. Market dominance; this is the portion of the market served by the organization. It is healthier for a business entity to know the size of the market and the percentage it serves. This will enable them determine the quantity of production. Market dominance is grouped into four. These are; leader, challenger, follower and niche. To avoid serious impact, businesses should try to be the market leaders. This can be achieved through direct marketing, publicity and other promotional methods. Growth strategy; this is a strategy aimed at the area of operation, quality of operation and quantity of production. Businesses should spread out their branches over as large region as possible. This may take place in the following directions; horizontal (the operation is expanded geographically), vertical (improvement done on the quality of production and quantity of the produce), diversification and in tensification (changes made to include variety of other related commodities for example if previously organization was producing beverages it can incorporate refreshments). Innovation strategy; this strategy aids the invention of new products, new production methods, new markets and new branding. It enhances the sales of the products and results in average increase of sales. Businesses should always try to be the inventors of an idea; the pioneers and not the followers or the late followers. Pioneers are likely to dominate the market if their followers are not innovative enough to come up with a more advanced service or quantity. An example is the coca cola company who has remained the sole producers of refreshments in the larger East and Central Africa. They therefore dominate this market. They as the leader keep all the secrets of production to themselves. They have succeeded in operations through practices like branding of their commodities. Also the services like software servic es where companies like Microsoft were close followers but are now coming up steadily due to their innovative nature. Innovation strategy should cut across the technological changes and the business innovations and the inventions. Porter generic strategy; these are steps put forth to ensure that the organization gets deep into the market and has a proper and sustainable completion advantage. Organizations are able to achieve this through market segmentation; dividing market into portions of same need and which serviced in a similar way and cost leadership; making the prices of the commodities be fairly lower compared to that of the competitors. Product differentiation can be used make clear distinction between the vendors. Marketing warfare strategies; these deal with marketing and war, dictate what is to be done at such times. Product strategy document Product strategy is the procedure which an

Psychology in a Prayer for Owen Meany Essay Example for Free

Psychology in a Prayer for Owen Meany Essay Thoroughly leading up until the climactic ending in A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving explains to his readers just how important it is to Owen Meany to fulfill his duties and obligations to God. Like a hobbit traveling to Mt. Doom in Mordor, he is determined and dedicated more than anyone in the novel to achieve his goals, despite his responsibilities and, what should be, his major concerns in his life. Owen completely envelopes himself in the fact that he is an instrument used by God, and doesn’t even stop to think to realize and remember his loved ones, whom are Hester, his love struck girlfriend, and John, his best friend who has been with him through thick and thin ever since they were children. It is bittersweet, I suppose, about the choices he ultimately ends up making until the end. On one hand he will miss out on the opportunities he can easily obtain through attending Harvard and making a life for himself with his most important people by his side (Hester and John); on the other hand, however, by choosing to follow God’s calling for his life, he will conclusively act upon the happening that impacts the ending of the novel altogether. Owen, as one finds out throughout the novel, is excessively brilliant, surpassing the intelligence of other people his age by far. Tabitha Wheelwright acknowledges this special gift in Owen insisting that he attend Gravesend Academy, where his brilliance be put to good use. It turns out that it was, for Owen ends up being the best student at the Academy, which almost guarantees him the ability to attend Harvard to now receive the best college education possible, but certain setbacks keep him from doing so. His careless mistake of getting caught making fake IDs for other students opens the door for the principle to seize at the opportunity to expel Owen, which severely hurts his chances to get into any worthwhile colleges. But with this, Owen understands that his purpose must lie elsewhere, because nothing happens for no reason. Even before this incident occurs, he knows his death will be undeniable for it is a part of God’s plan for him, and that â€Å"the shot† is involved in this future incident. Owen’s responsibilities to his education is nothing, however, compared to the conflicting feelings Hester and John feel about Owen’s prophecies and predictions about his death. â€Å"Owen knows that he must sacrifice his life to save others, both physically and spiritually (Rosefeldt, 1). Following this, he joins the army to go to Vietnam in an attempt to seal his fate as he believes God wants him to do. Hester practically resents Owen for his stubbornness in doing this, placing that as more important, his passion, in front of her, his implied â€Å"responsibility. † After his death, Hester becomes a hard rock sex icon in the music world in a ways to cope, and John completely unaware how he will now live his life, for Owen was always such a compass in his life, that he feels helpless without him. Owen’s obsession with his passion has completely blinded him to the fact that his responsibilities, the ones that care about him the most, need him the most, but even with them he puts his God given goals first, as always. Lastly, toward the end of the novel, Owen’s only, and I mean that literally, thing on his mind, is fulfilling his purpose, which he ends up doing in the chapter â€Å"the shot† where he sacrifices himself, as Jesus Christ did for the world, for the sake of the Vietnamese orphan children. â€Å"When Owen Meany said ‘READY? ’ I figured we had about two seconds left to live. But he soared far above my arms-when I lifted him, he soared even higher than usual; he wasnt taking any chances. He went straight up, never turning to face me, and instead of merely dropping the grenade and leaving it on the window ledge, he caught hold of the ledge with both hands, pinning the grenade against the ledge and trapping it there safely with his hands and forearms. He wanted to be sure that the grenade couldnt roll off the ledge and fall back in the room (Irving, 623-624). † Here Owen proves the symbolism for the concept of sacrifice, and just how much of a Christ-like figure he is, practically mirroring Christ’s life. From the mysterious secret revealed that Owen is actually from a virgin birth, to the sacrifice he makes for the sake of others, this mirror image is quite apparent. From the start Owen knew he would become a hero for those in need of one, and his lifelong passion for it is finally is proved to be worthwhile in the final chapter. Owen Meany has to be one of the most admirable characters in any novel ever written by the fact that once he sets his mind to something, there is absolutely no changing it by any means. Regardless of his loved ones, he new this is what he had to do, and did not want to disrupt God’s plans that He had for him. He knew being a sacrifice as well as a hero to others was his fate, and he learned long ago fate is not something to be messed with. This also reveals just how similar God and Owen are to each other, and how each other’s lives are identical in almost all means- they are selfless, and just want to prove to others, as well as themselves, tha t their purpose on this earth is put too tremendous use, despite the clashes with the outcome of their responsibilities.

Much Ado About Nothing Essay: Many Facets of Love Explored

Many Facets of Love Explored in Much Ado About Nothing      Ã‚   In Shakespeare's romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare focuses a great deal of time to the ideas of young, lustful, and intellectual love. Claudio and Hero, Borachio and Margaret, and Benedick and Beatrice, respectively, each represent one of the basic aspects of love. Shakespeare is careful to point out that not one path is better than another. The paths are merely different, and all end happily. Shakespeare also explores the different aspects of courtship, weddings, and the different facets of love.    The aspect of courtship in Much Ado About Nothing plays a crucial role in the development of the characters and in the evolution of the play as a whole. The character that must undergo the greatest transformation during the courtship process is Beatrice. The first mention of courtship is in Act One, scene one, when Beatrice inquires about Benedick with fervor: "I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars or no?" Beatrice loves Benedick, and he loves her, but she is too proud to admit that she has feelings for any man. She denies her true feelings to herself so often that it has gone from being a ruse to being the truth she believes: "Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much? / Contempt, farewell, and maiden pride, adieu!" (III. ii. 108-109) There Beatrice realizes how scornful she has been and vows to cast off her steel armor for one made of chocolate. Now, it isn't the chocolate with nuts or the fudge chocolate or even milk chocolate, but the chocolate that is white and pure so she can impress upon it her requited love for Benedick: "I will requite thee, / Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand" (III. ii. 111-112). Beatrice has... ... ceremonial aspect of relationships and how wrong they can go if given the leeway with Claudio and Hero's wedding. Finally, Shakespeare shows how powerful the physical attraction between two people can be; so powerful that one becomes totally subservient to the other's commands and requests. The moral of the play: Know thyself, and thy neighbor.    Works Cited and Consulted: Barton, Anne.   Introduction.   Much Ado About Nothing.   The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997.   361-365. Lewalski, B. K. "Love, Appearance and Reality: Much Ado About Something" Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 8 (1968): 235-251. Rossiter, A.P. "Much Ado About Nothing."   William Shakespeare Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Shakespeare, William.   Much Ado About Nothing.   Bevington 216-51. Much Ado About Nothing Essay: Many Facets of Love Explored Many Facets of Love Explored in Much Ado About Nothing      Ã‚   In Shakespeare's romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare focuses a great deal of time to the ideas of young, lustful, and intellectual love. Claudio and Hero, Borachio and Margaret, and Benedick and Beatrice, respectively, each represent one of the basic aspects of love. Shakespeare is careful to point out that not one path is better than another. The paths are merely different, and all end happily. Shakespeare also explores the different aspects of courtship, weddings, and the different facets of love.    The aspect of courtship in Much Ado About Nothing plays a crucial role in the development of the characters and in the evolution of the play as a whole. The character that must undergo the greatest transformation during the courtship process is Beatrice. The first mention of courtship is in Act One, scene one, when Beatrice inquires about Benedick with fervor: "I pray you, is Signor Mountanto returned from the wars or no?" Beatrice loves Benedick, and he loves her, but she is too proud to admit that she has feelings for any man. She denies her true feelings to herself so often that it has gone from being a ruse to being the truth she believes: "Stand I condemned for pride and scorn so much? / Contempt, farewell, and maiden pride, adieu!" (III. ii. 108-109) There Beatrice realizes how scornful she has been and vows to cast off her steel armor for one made of chocolate. Now, it isn't the chocolate with nuts or the fudge chocolate or even milk chocolate, but the chocolate that is white and pure so she can impress upon it her requited love for Benedick: "I will requite thee, / Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand" (III. ii. 111-112). Beatrice has... ... ceremonial aspect of relationships and how wrong they can go if given the leeway with Claudio and Hero's wedding. Finally, Shakespeare shows how powerful the physical attraction between two people can be; so powerful that one becomes totally subservient to the other's commands and requests. The moral of the play: Know thyself, and thy neighbor.    Works Cited and Consulted: Barton, Anne.   Introduction.   Much Ado About Nothing.   The Riverside Shakespeare, 2nd ed.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997.   361-365. Lewalski, B. K. "Love, Appearance and Reality: Much Ado About Something" Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 8 (1968): 235-251. Rossiter, A.P. "Much Ado About Nothing."   William Shakespeare Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Shakespeare, William.   Much Ado About Nothing.   Bevington 216-51.

Rhetorical Analysis of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass† by Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass wrote many autobiographies, editorials, and speeches. His greatest piece is probably the book Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass. In this book he talks about his life as a slave and he makes numerous arguments against slavery. Upon a closer reading, Douglass, by metaphors and personal anecdotes, appeals to the three rhetorical appeals Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Later in the first chapter Douglass talks about his aunt Hester. Hester disobeyed their owner and he started to punish her. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ He led her to a stool under a large hook in the joist, put in for the purpose†¦ † (Douglass pg4) Made her get on top of the stool tied her to the hook and â€Å"†¦he commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin and soon the warm, red blood came dripping to the floor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Douglass pg 5) â€Å"I was so terrified and horror-stricken at the sight, that I hid myself in a closet and dared not to venture out till long after the bloody transaction was over. (Douglass pg 5)With this quote he is subtly saying â€Å"If you want to know about slavery I can tell you about slavery because I was there, I lived it. † For the fact that he was there and witnessed this event gives him ethos. Around the middle of the second chapter Douglass talks about an overseer named Mr. Severe. Mr. Severe was the overseer of Colonel Lloyd’s, who was Douglass’ owner, plantation. â€Å"Mr. Severe was ri ghtly named: he was a cruel man. I have seen him whip a woman, causing the blood to run half an hour at a time; and this, too, in the midst of her crying children, pleading for their mother’s release. † (Douglass pg 7) Again this same situation where he is telling the audience that he knows what he is talking about because he witnessed and lived it so therefore he has enough credibility to talk about it. This quote shows that he knows exactly what he is talking about so he has the ethos to tell the audience what a slave’s life was like. In the middle of chapter two Douglass talks about how the slaves were not given beds. He said â€Å"†¦They found less difficulty from the want of beds, than from the want of time to sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Douglass pg 6) â€Å"†¦Very many of their sleeping hours are consumed in preparing the field for the coming day; and when this is done, old and young, male and female, married and single, drop down side by side, on one common bed,-the cold, damp floor,- each covering himself of herself with their miserable blankets†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Douglass pg 6) He says this to evoke emotion into the audience the phrase â€Å"the cold, damp floor,† and the parallel structure â€Å"old and young, male and female, married and single† evokes emotion. This is a strong appeal to pathos in his argument. In the beginning of chapter eight Douglass talks about when he went to live in Baltimore. He talks about His old master’s youngest son dying and then three years later his old master died. So his property was valued and he was sent for to be valued with the other property. â€Å"†¦Here again my feelings rose up in detestation of slavery. I had now a new conception of my degraded condition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦I left Baltimore with a young heart overborne with sadness, and a soul full of apprehension. (Douglass pg 27) He says this and these lines evoke so much emotion. With the phrase â€Å"a young heart overborne with sadness† and the use of other emotional words and phrases get the audience going. So this is also an example of a strong appeal to pathos. Around the middle of chapter six Douglass talks about going to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld. Mrs. Auld started to teach him the A, B, Cs. After he learned that he was lear ning to spell words of three or four letters. At that point Mr. Auld found out and told Mrs. Auld not to instruct him further. He said Mr. Auld said â€Å"’†¦ if you teach that nigger how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable and of no value to his master †¦It would only make him discontented and unhappy. ’ These words sank deep into my heart†¦ I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty-to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man. †(Douglass pg 20) This is his epiphany or his allegory of the cave moment when he realizes what is actually going on. He thought logically for a long time and he finally found what he was looking for. This quote is an appeal to logos. Early on in chapter nine Douglass talks about his Master Thomas Auld. He says he always got enough to eat everywhere else he went but not with Master Thomas. â€Å"I have said Master Thomas was a mean man †¦ Not to give a slave enough to eat, is regarded as the most aggravated development of meanness even among slaveholders. The rule is, no matter how coarse the food, only let there be enough of it†¦ Master Thomas gave us enough of neither coarse nor fine food. (Douglass pg 31) This is a syllogism he is saying Mean slave owners don’t give their slaves enough to eat, Master Thomas doesn’t give his slaves enough to eat therefore Master Thomas is a mean man. A syllogism appeals to logos so this quote appeals to logos. To conclude, Frederick Douglass uses metaphors and personal anecdotes to appeal to the three rhetorical appeals Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. His book Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass is filled with examples of these appeals. Personal anecdotes give him Ethos, Parallel structure appeals to Pathos, and logical thinking appeals to Logos.

Bad Habits of Trusting Online Essay

One thing that I have learned as a young adult is that trusting is not always the best thing to do and in fact it could turn out to be the worst thing you ever did. Now working in the fast-food business every day, I learned that trust is more than just believing that someone else knows what they are talking about; trust is also about knowing what you’re getting whether that means a soft drink that is full to the top instead of half way, for a rude customer; or knowing that behind another computer screen there might not always be a good guy trying to help you get your money into your bank account. Instead their goal is to take your money and never be traced again. Trusting the internet with bank information, social security numbers, and personal information is the perfect antidote for online identity theft. This fraud is causing banks’ bad reputations, financial losses to thousands of Americans in the United States and will have a huge impact on E-commerce (activities th at relate to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet). In 2007, a study from Cyveillance, a company involved in cyber intelligence, showed that within the same two months, 1 million social security cards were thought to be stolen off of the internet; and in that same year online phishing which can be defined as the practice of using fraudulent e-mails and copies of legitimate websites to extract financial data from computer users for purposes of identity theft; had grown by fifty percent (Britt).Trusting the internet with social security numbers is one of the worse things to do, because it allows hackers more abilities and more information. So this means while you sit, frantic about how you trusted online sites, the bad guy on the other screen profits from their access to your credit cards, bank accounts and your identifying information. The worst part about it all is that after the fraud it is unlikely that the person who caused you so many problems would ever be caught or punished for their harm to you. Online identity theft allows cri minals to do crimes or things in your name, or even change bank account information. For some people like Amy Browne, a Yahoo Contributor and a mother, she was a victim of identity theft. Amy experienced a harsh battle for her identity, on Oct 19, 2011 Amy did not only lose a lot financially when her rent card was short hundreds of dollars, she also lost her son’s trust and love when she accused him of  stealing the rent money each time. What I understood from Browne and her experience with online identity theft was that it can be very confusing, scary, and hurtful. The real problem with identity theft is that it cannot be taken back, so for Browne and her family they suffered. The solution to making online phishing decrease from fifty percent is to rely less on online interactions, because when an actual banker is in front of you he or she does not ask you for your social security number. Instead they let you type it into a pin pad, never having a chance for identity theft to occur. For banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, protection from identity theft have become extremely important to their companies, which is why they have incorporated tools and alerts, like password changes to help their customers be safer from online identity theft. With the frauds becoming more sophisticated, banks need to find better ways of identifying the crimes. For banks that do not want bad reputation, this means hiring more staff, or investing in technologies that help identify the acts of bank fraud .As Americans we are a bit greedy, and scared to lose what we have worked hard for. Some people spend years working a family business simply because of traditions dear to relatives that started family legacies. We all know that leaving our money at home in a safe is predictable, and that leaving it under our beds could be dangerous in case of a fire or flood. So we trust our banks. What we have found out through Daniel T. Woolley in his journal, â€Å"Journal of retail banking services, was that loses attributed to computer fraud, theft, and vandalism across all industry segments are currently estimated at $10 billion – and rising steadily. (Woolley.) Now hearing scary things like this make it hard to believe that the banks might not be much safer than online fraud, but it is safer, because banks are coming up with solutions to help their customers be completely safe from identity fraud. The solution is that trusting the banks may not be the best thing to some people because there are still occasions of identity theft within bank accounts, but what has to be recognized by consumers and customers is the amount of effort and time the bankers are taking to try and keep customers safe. In reality the banks will do whatever is needed to satisfy their customers, they need customers just as much as customers need them. Numbers of fraud within banks has fallen due to the regulations from the bankers. Teddy de Rivera, EVP of the Internet services group at Wells Fargo reports  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We know that because of all the tools we have in our layered security approach, as well as through relationships we’ve built with other banks, the actual losses we’re seeing — and we guarantee all online banking fraud losses — has actually dropped year over year† (Crosman). De Rivera does not prove his facts but the number of losses he suffered from at the bank were very little. De Rivera says that relationships with other banks and security have been the key to helping the numbers lessen. Being aware and educated about banking is the key to finding the best way to keep your money safe and accessible. Overall banks are more reliable than the internet because banks are constantly being looked at by bankers to help their customers with identity safety. In America today there are nearly eighty seven percent of people who shop online. E—commerce -activities that relate to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet –has had negative effects due to the amount of fraud and identity theft with online transactions. What this means is that online businesses like Amazon, and EBay are suffering from business loss. The amounts of threats are scaring their customers away. As Americans the enjoyable things are cheap and quick to have. Although everyone doesn’t look at price ranges most people would go for the lowest price they could weather they are rich or poor. For example Toms shoes were founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie, who came up with a very inspirational theory to help children in need. With every pair of Toms that is sold another pair is given to a child in need. Not only does it feel good as a customer to know that you are hip and in style it also feels rewarding to know that you are helping others. Since the big boom from the Toms shoes Mycoskie has been able to donate ten million pairs of shoes to children in need. At the start Toms were fifty dollars a pair, now they can be found in places such as Nordstrom’s and EBay for way cheaper. As customers we want the best deals and online shopping does its best to help customers find those deals. Nordstrom’s sells Toms f or thirty seven dollars whereas EBay sells them for twenty five dollars. There are several benefits for online shopping customers, they are able to buy anything at any time, it is convenient, lots of discounts, and has a large variety. There are also disadvantages to online shopping as well, shipping costs, must wait for shipment, cannot inspect purchase physically, cannot use cash to pay, and not all sites are trustable, fraud number are increasing with online  purchases. On most sites like EBay and Amazon customers are able to leave feedback on their products which helps other customers to know the good and the bad in products, well when EBay made the decision to cut out their buyers reference with the hopes of better customer experience; customers argue the act will cause more fraud. â€Å"EBay said the changes to the feedback system will improve accuracy and accountability. Critics argue that the move could increase buyer fraud. Opponents have left thousands of comments complaining about the elimination of negative buyer references (eBay’s). One of the hardest things about online shopping is the trust, not know if you will get the actual item you are shopping for. About a year ago my mother was on the hunt by my side for Toms that were red; we looked in stores but could not find them, so we relied on the internet. After she put in her card number and her personal information we knew the transaction was complete. I remember waiting weeks and watching my shipment tracker as the days counted down for the delivery day, but when I got my shipment of red toms we were shocked to find that inside the random box not even Toms symbolized there laid a one dollar gold coin. My mother was not able to get her money back or a replacement for the wrong product which shoes how un-predictable online shopping can be. In some cases convenience is necessary but how helpful is it to shop online and get the wrong product, and end up having to wait or except a loss as my mother did. Fraud has become a very big issue in society today. The more willing and vulnerable a person is the more likely their chance is to be a victim of identity theft and fraud. Currently we live in a place that moves forty miles per hour daily, individuals now a days don’t just work one job and go home to their families, but instead a second or third job. Money has always had negative and positive effects on people’s lives whet her it helps build or makes loss, money doesn’t change. Just like money doesn’t change so doesn’t the people the Americans who steal, harm, and rob others via online fraud. Trusting someone else with your money that you work hard for can be hard whether you spend it online or in person, but the positive to buying all items in person is a valid recipe for returns, a trained worker to help with social security issues rather than an operator, and the fact that all in person interactions are going to be more recognizable than transactions online. As Americans we put our trust in a lot of people, fast-food workers, doctors, and bankers with that being  said we hope for the best outcomes and sometimes can be surprised at the carelessness, and disrespect of some of the people we trust the most. With online Identity theft growing so quickly and the knowing of the subject, as individuals we have to be more knowledgeable towards things in order to escape completely from fraud online. With each transaction online there is an unknown that could be a person, scenario, or problem. Americans have to recognize the damages of trusting the internet with bank information, social security numbers, and personal information because online identity theft is real. Don’t share personal information with the web. Citations: Britt, Phil. â€Å"Keeping up with fraudsters: to fight fraud, banks must gather information about current schemes and educate consumers.† Bank Systems + Technology Aug. 2005: 31+. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Trusting the internet with social security numbers is one of the worse things to do, because it allows hackers more abilities and more information. So this means while you sit, frantic about how you trusted online sites, the bad guy on the other screen profits from their access to your credit cards, bank accounts and your identifying information. The worst part about it all is that after the fraud it is unlikely that the person who caused you so many problems would ever be caught or punished for their harm to you. Online identity theft allows criminals to do crimes or things in your name, or even change bank account information. Crosman, Penny. â€Å"Standing Guard.† Bank Systems + Technology 1 May 2010: 12. Academic OneFile. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. De Rivera does not prove his facts but the number of losses he suffered from at the bank were very little. De Rivera says that relationships with other banks and security have been the key to helping the numbers lessen. Being aware and educated about banking is the key to finding the best way to keep your money safe and accessible. Overall banks are more reliable than the internet because banks are constantly being looked at by bankers to help their customers with identity safety. â€Å"eBay’s Plan To Eliminate Negative Buyer Comments Draws Fire; eBay says  sellers will no longer be able to leave negative or neutral feedback about buyers.† InformationWeek 7 Feb. 2008. Academic OneFile. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. EBay will do away with negative buyer references, along with a host of other changes it says are aimed at improving customer experience. What EBay has to recognize is that by shutting their customers out and giving them no voice to be able to say how they felt about products is giving customers more reason to assume that EBay cannot be trusted. Woolley, Daniel T. â€Å"Electronic robbery: how to prevent huge losses in nanoseconds.† Journal of Retail Banking Services Summer 1998: 49+. Academic OneFile. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. Its hard to believe that the banks might not be much safer than online fraud, but it is safer, because banks are coming up with solutions to help their customers be completely safe from identity fraud. The solution is that trusting the banks may not be the best thing to some people because there are still occasions of identity theft within bank accounts, but what has to be recognized by consumers and customers is the amount of effort and time the bankers are taking to try and keep customers safe.

New and Useful Information on How to Become a Bank Teller

New and Useful Information on How to Become a Bank Teller when you think of bank tellers, you probably think of someone who sits behind a counter and counts money all day. but really, they’re customer service professionals who also happen to count money and provide banking services. it’s a job that requires strong math skills, a high dependability factor (after all, you’re being trusted with other people’s money and banking information), and excellent people skills. the truth is, you’re not just dealing with money all day- you’re dealing with people. if you’re looking for information on how to become a bank teller, the following guide will let you know everything you need in order to make it happen.the many benefits of a bank teller jobbeing a bank teller is a great entry job if you’re thinking about a career in the finance world, or if you have strong cash-handling and people-handling skills from retail experience. depending on the bank that hires you, you could be looking at:paid, on -the-job training (or, for some banks, reimbursement for courses taken to prepare for the job)medical, dental, and life insurancea 401(k) retirement planpaid vacation and holidaysa calm, quiet, and secure working environmenta path forward to manager positions and beyondresume building, especially high-demand soft skills like trustworthiness, organization, and being detail-orientedthe qualifications you’ll needbank tellers don’t necessarily need tons of experience if they have the right skill set, but if you go down this path you should expect to be able to:do math quickly, and with total accuracy.handle money responsibly.look presentable and well-groomed at work (usually no obvious tattoos, odd piercings, or crazy hair).dress in business casual (or standard business attire if it’s a more formal bank).there are also usually minimum educational, experience, and language requirements. depending on a particular bank’s policies, bank tellers will likely need t o be:able to work legally in the u.s.fluent in english.a high school graduate, ged recipient, or higher.focused on providing fast, friendly customer service.able to multitask, while still doing things accurately and quickly.and again, don’t underestimate the customer service piece. a bank teller might be dealing with a line of people, with distractions all around. as the front lines of the bank, tellers are a huge part of keeping things calm and moving along, even when things are busiest. if you are someone who can’t stop themselves from rolling their eyes at a particularly rude customer, or have no patience for the toddler clamoring for his mother’s attention while you deposit mom’s check, this might not be the right financial services career for you. however, if you can hand the kid a sugar-free lollipop and process mom’s transaction in one smooth motion while keeping a smile on your face, this could definitely be the right job for you.the decisi on: is it the career for you?if you have the base skills and interest in becoming a bank teller, it’s time to move into the gut-check phase, and ask your self these questions.can you pass a criminal background check and a drug test? you’ll be handling money, physically and electronically- the bank will need to know you’re a trustworthy investment.can you serve customers with good cheer and diplomacy?are you good with details, with an eagle eye for possible mistakes? for bank teller, mistakes can come with a very real price tag either for the customer or the bank itself.are you comfortable learning and offering a range of financial services to customers?if you’re leaning toward â€Å"no† for any of these questions, then becoming a bank teller might not be your ideal path. but if all of these sound good and you’re ready to move on to the next step, it’s time to look at the how.the trainingmost banks offer on-the-job training for new hir es, which teaches skills like cashing checks, processing deposits and withdrawals, using the banks own systems, navigating security protocols, and settling the cash drawer at the end of the day. tellers also have the option to get outside education as well, before they get a job as a teller. the american bankers association offers courses and certification for all kinds of banking professionals, including tellers.the career outlookaccording to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics, the median salary for bank tellers is $26,410 per year, or $12.70 per hour. the field is facing a slight decline over the next 10 years, due to automation and fluctuations in the banking industry. you shouldn’t let this discourage you, though- becoming a bank teller is still a great way to get your foot in the door for other opportunities down the line. atm machines may be able to dispense cash, but banks still need people to manage services and act as a quality control.if you’ve got the peopl e skills and the money skills, this is a great career building block for you. bank tellers build a lot of super-useful, transferrable skills that will take you to the next step in your career fairly quickly, whether that’s in banking or any other field that requires a focused, responsible eye.look for bank teller jobs? thejobnetwork has you covered! search our site for jobs in your area, at all levels of experience.

Business Ethics in Bangladesh Essay Example for Free

Business Ethics in Bangladesh Essay Morality (706) , Business ethics (133) Social responsibility requires individuals engaging in business endeavors to behave in an ethical manner. Ethics are principles of behavior that distinguish between right and wrong. Ethical conduct conforms to what a group or society as a whole considers right behavior. People working in business frequently face ethical questions. Business ethics is the evaluation of business activities and behavior as right or wrong. Ethical standards in business are based on commonly accepted principles of behavior established by the expectations of society, the firm, the industry, and an individual’s personal values. Critically, â€Å"Business Ethics† can be defined as the critical, structured examination of how people & institutions should behave in the world of commerce. In particular, it involves examining appropriate constraints on the pursuit of self-interest, or (for firms) profits, when the actions of individuals or firms affects others. (9) With unethical business practices often receiving publicity, the public sometimes believe that people in business are less ethical than others in society. But ethical problems challenge all segments of our society, including government, churches, and higher education. Most business leaders realize their firms cannot succeed without the trust of customers and the goodwill of society. A violation of ethics makes trust and goodwill difficult to maintain. In thousands of companies, executives and employees act according to the highest ethical standards. Unfortunately managers in some firms behave unethically, and these instances are often highly publicized. Personnel executive say the major reason managers behave unethically is to obtain power and money. Business ethics is a wider term that includes many other sub ethics that are relevant to the respective field. For example there is marketing ethics for marketing, ethics in HR for Human Resource Department and the like. Business ethics itself is a part of applied ethics; the latter takes care of ethical questions in the technical, social, legal and business ethics. When we trace the origin of business ethics we start with a period where profit maximization was seen as the only purpose of existence for a business. There was no consideration whatsoever for non-economic values, be  it the people who worked with organizations or the society that allowed the business to flourish. It was only in late 1980’s and 1990’s that both intelligentsia and the academics as well as the corporate began to show interest in the same. Nowadays almost all organizations lay due emphasis on their responsibilities towards the society and the nature and they call it by different names like corporate social responsibility, corporate governance or social responsibility charter. Primary and Important Sources of Business ethics Ethics in general refers to a system of good and bad, moral and immoral, fair and unfair. It is a code of conduct that is supposed to align behaviors within an organization and the social framework. But the question that remains is, where and when did business ethics come into being? Primarily ethics in business is affected by the following sources – family, religion, culture, legal system, codes of conduct, and personal experience. It is for this reason we do not have uniform or completely similar standards across the globe. These factors exert influences to varying degrees on humans which ultimately get reflected in the ethics of the organization. For example, ethics followed by Grameen Phone Ltd. are different from those followed by Square Group or Unilever for that matter. Again ethical procedures vary across geographic boundaries. A person’s values is the source of their ethics, and it is their philosophy, spiritual or religious beliefs that usually help mold and shape those values, but most of all it is how a person is raised by his family that sets the foundation for his ethics in later life. It’s the basic source of business ethics. It is one of the oldest foundations of ethical standards. Religion wields varying influences across various sects of people. It is believed that ethics is a manifestation of the divine and so it draws a line between the good and the bad in the society. Depending upon the degree of religious influence we have different sects of people; we have sects, those who are referred to as orthodox or fundamentalists and those who are called as moderates. Needless to mention, religion exerts itself to a greater degree among the orthodox and to lesser extent in case of moderates. Fundamentally however all the religions operate on the principle of reciprocity towards ones fellow beings! Culture is a pattern of behaviors and values that are transferred from one generation to another, those that are considered as ideal or within the acceptable limits. No wonder therefore that it is the culture that predominantly determines what is wrong and what is right. It is the culture that defines certain behavior as acceptable and others as unacceptable. Human civilization is fact has passed through various cultures, wherein the moral code was redrafted depending upon the epoch that was. What was immortal or unacceptable in certain culture became acceptable later on and vice versa. During the early years of human development where ones who were the strongest were the ones who survived! Violence, hostility and ferocity were thus the acceptable. Approximately 10,000 year ago when human civilization entered the settlement phase, hard work, patience and peace were seen as virtues and the earlier ones were considered otherwise. These values are still in practice by the managers of to day. Still further, when human civilization witnessed the industrial revolution, the ethics of agrarian economy was replaced by the law pertaining to technology, property rights etc. Ever since a tussle has ensued between the values of the agrarian and the industrial economy! Laws are procedures and code of conduct that are laid down by the legal system of the state. They are meant to guide human behavior within the social fabric. The major problem with the law is that all the ethical expectations cannot be covered by the law and specially with ever changing outer environment the law and specially with ever changing outer environment the law keeps on changing but often fails to keep pace. In business, complying with the rule of law is taken as ethical behavior, but organizations often break laws by evading taxes, compromising on quality,  service norms etc. A business code of ethics is a series of established principles an organization uses when operating in business or society. Organizations often develop these codes to ensure that all individuals working in the company operate according to the same standards. Most individuals have an internal code of ethics or moral principles they follow in life. A situation one individual finds ethically reprehensible may not seem so to another individual. Using a code of ethics in business attempts to create a basic understanding of acceptable ethical behavior to be used when handling situations involving the company, government agencies and the general public. If an individual is rewarded or is not punished for behaving unethically, the behavior will probably be repeated. This type of experience encourages other to do unethical things in future. Likewise the threat of punishment and the lack of reward for unethical activities encourage that particular person and all others to behave ethically. Factors Influencing Ethical Behavior To encourage ethical behavior, executives, managers, and owners of firms must understand what influences behavior in the first place. The several factors that affect individuals’ behavior in business: the business environment, organizational factors, and an individual’s personal moral philosophy. Almost daily, business managers face ethical dilemmas resulting from the pressure of the business environment. They are challenged to meet sales quotas, cut costs, increase efficiency, or overtake competitors. Managers and employees may sometimes think the only way to survive in the competitive world of business is by deception or cheating. In some instances, an organization may use someone else’s successful work without the permission of the owner or originator. Conflict of interest is another common ethical problem stemming from the business environment. Often an individual has a  chance to further selfish interests rather than the interests of the organization or society. To gain favor with people who make purchasing decisions for their companies, a seller may offer special favors or gifts, ranging from a metal to clothing to trips. Some offer cash-a kickback-for putting through a contract or placing orders with a company. Others offer bribes. Such illegal conduct will damage the organization in the long run. In order to limit unethical behavior, business firms must begin by expecting their employees to obey all laws and regulations. The international business environment presents further ethical dilemmas. Business people and government officials in different countries and cultures often operate according to different ethical standards. The organization itself also influences ethical behavior. Individuals often learn ethical or unethical behaviors by interacting with others in the organization. An employee who sees a superior or co-worker behaving unethically may follow suit. An organization can also use rewards to influence the behavior of its members. If an individual is rewarded or is not punished for behaving unethically, the behavior will probably be repeated. Likewise the threat of punishment and the lack of reward for unethical activities encourage ethical behavior. The severity of punishment also sends a message to other individuals who might be considering similar activities. A person’s own moral philosophy also influences his or her ethical behavior. A moral philosophy is the set of principles that dictate acceptable behavior. These principles are learned from family, friends, co-workers, and other social groups and through formal education. In developing a moral philosophy, individuals can follow two approaches: The Humanistic Philosophy focuses on individual rights and values. Individuals and organizations adopting this philosophy would honor their moral duties to customers and workers. Individuals and organizations following the Utilitarian Philosophy seek the greatest good for the largest number of people. Most of us would agree that it is ethics in practice that makes sense; just having it carefully drafted and redrafted in books may not serve the purpose. Of course all of us want to be fair, clean and beneficial to the society. For that to happen, organizations need to abide by ethics or rule of law, engage themselves in fair practices and competition; all of which will benefit the consumer, the society and organization. Primarily it is the individual, the consumer, the employee or the human social unit of the society who benefits from ethics. In addition ethics is important because of the following: 1. Satisfying Basic Human Needs: Being fair, honest and ethical is one of the basic human needs.   Every employee desires to be such himself and to work for an organization that is fair and ethical in its practices. 2. Creating Credibility: An organization that is believed to be driven by moral values is respected in the society even by those who may have no information about the working and businesses of that organization. British American Tobacco, for example is perceived as an organization for good corporate governance and social responsibility initiatives. This perception is held far and wide even by those who do not even know what business the organization is into. 3. Uniting People and Leadership: An organization driven by values is revered by its employees also. They are the common thread that brings the employees and the decision makers on a common platform. This goes a long way in aligning behaviors within the organization towards achievement of one common goal or mission. 4. Improving Decision Making: A man’s destiny is the sum totals of all the decisions that he/she takes in course of his life. The same holds true for organizations. Decisions are driven by values. For example, an organization that does not value competition will be fierce in its operations aiming to wipe out its competitors and establish a monopoly in the market. 5. Long Term gains: Organizations guided by ethics and values are profitable in the long run, though in the short run they may seem to lose money. For Example, Tata group, one of the largest business conglomerates in India was  seen on the verge of decline at the beginning of 1990’s, which soon turned out to be otherwise. The same company’s Tata NANO car was predicted as a failure, and failed to do well but the same is picking up fast now. 6. Securing the Society: Often ethics succeeds law in safeguarding the society. The law machinery is often found acting as a mute spectator, unable to save the society and the environment. Technology, for example is growing at such a fast pace that the by the time law comes up with a regulation we have a newer technology with new threats replacing the older one. Lawyers and public interest litigations may not help a great deal but ethics can. Business Ethics- Practice in Bangladesh In Bangladesh, though practice of Business ethics is still not so commendable in public sector and small companies, but business ethics has been an increasing concern among larger companies, at least since the 1990s. Major corporations increasingly fear the damage to their image associated with press revelations of unethical practices. The following information about the functions relating ethics and social responsibility of 2 reputed companies of our country will give a brief idea about the practice of Business Ethics in Bangladesh. Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited is one of the leading conglomerates in Bangladesh, with a multinational heritage. They have a mission to achieve business excellence through quality by understanding, accepting, meeting and exceeding customer expectations. They follow International Standards on Quality Management System to ensure consistent quality of products and services to achieve customer satisfaction. They are focusing on improving the food habit of consumers through providing more ready to cook products and ready to eat as well. Their visions are to establish harmonious relationship with the community and promote greater environmental responsibility within its sphere of influence. Their Values are Quality, Customer Focus, Fairness, Transparency, Continuous Improvement, and Innovation. Societal Development through Educational Programs: ACI’s guiding principle in all its operations is to be a responsible corporate citizen. Thus Social Responsibility is a top priority for every individual at ACI. Their Initiatives and significant contribution to societal development is Continued Medical Education (CME) for medical professionals and Children’s Education Programs. ACI has also undertaken an English Education program in Faridpur, one of the remotest districts of Bangladesh. This provides support to teach English Language to school going children. Doctors in Bangladesh who are not living in the metropolitan cities have very limited access to the Internet or any other sources of information. In order to keep them updated on the developments in the medical practices regularly, the CME program has been proven highly effective. ACI believes that by promoting education of children, they are contributing to societal development by shaping the minds of their futur e leaders. Environment Friendly Practices: ACI has undertaken extensive programs to educate crop farmers all over rural Bangladesh in Good Agricultural Practices. They have a team of agricultural experts working at the field level all across the country, holding a range of technical trainings and field demonstrations. ACI also has similar education programs for animal and poultry farmers. These include, Technical trainings on diverse aspects of farming, and on application of new technologies, Farmers‘ group meeting for sharing of learning and experience, Free visits to farms by veterinarians, to identify problems and give advices to individual farmers. Most importantly, making the farmers aware of ways to protect the environment from hazardous uses of chemicals on their farms, allowing them the opportunity for informed decision-making. ACI hopes to continue to play a leading role in promoting greater environmental responsibility among farmers in Bangladesh. ACI Company produces some products which do not work properly, like ACI Aerosol. It is mainly produced for killing mosquitoes, but that’s not true. Most of the mosquitoes go away for sometimes but not killed. Sometimes some  products like ACI Atta, ACI Maida, etc contains 1975 grams instead of 2000 grams but they fix their prices for 2kg of the products. These are unethical for their marketing practices. Over the last four decades, Unilever Bangladesh has been constantly bringing new and world class products for the Bangladeshi people to remove the daily drudgery of life. Over 90% of the country’s households use one or more of Unilever products. They aim to give everybody a little something to celebrate about themselves every day. They believe that to succeed in business, it is essential to maintain the highest standards of corporate behavior towards everyone they work with, the communities they touch, and the environment on which they have an impact. Effective Code of business principles: Their code of business principles describes the operational standards that everyone at Unilever follows, wherever they are in the world. It also supports their approach to governance and corporate responsibility. Code of business principles are- Standard of conduct, Obey the law, employees, consumers, shareholders, business partners, community involvement, public activities, the environment, innovation, competition, business integrity, conflict of interest, compliance, reporting, monitor. Women Development and Women Empowerment: Unilever strongly believes in the importance of empowering women in Bangladesh, because the progress of any society will be constrained if a significant part of its population is neglected and excluded from the benefits of development. They believe, with economic and educational empowerment, women can become more vocal about their rights and become stronger in withstanding repression in any form. So they have established â€Å"Fair & Lovely Foundation†. The mission of this foundation is to encourage economic empowerment of Bangladeshi women through information and resources in the areas of Education, Career and Enterprise. It is this realization that has brought about the Fair & Lovely Foundation Scholarship Program. Under this scholarship scheme, women who have passed their HSC each receives a Taka 25,000 scholarship to support her tertiary level education. Unilever produces Fair & lovely fairness cream, lotion, etc and they claim that skin color will be white after using this product. But that it is not true. There are no scientific values about whiteness. This is totally unethical performance in marketing activities of this company. Comparative Customer Evaluation on Ethical Performances of 3 Reputed Companies of Bangladesh Figure – Customer Response on Maintenance of Ethical Procedure by the Companies (1) Figure – Customer Response on Deceptive Practices Used by the Companies (1) Figure – Customer Response on Significant Contribution toward Ethical Marketing (1) Figure – Customer Response on Satisfaction through Using Products of the Companies (1) Figure – Customer Response on Changing of Defective Products by the Companies (1) Bribery & Nepotism- A Curse against Ethical Practice Corruption is a very strong example of unethical behavior and it is still prevailing in different business sectors of our country in the form of Bribery and Nepotism. Nepotism is the way in which someone approaches and compels a person of power and authority to take necessary steps to get his work done by capitalizing kinship, friendship or political lobbying. Bribery means offering gifts, money etc. to get a work done in unethical way. Often public officers are infamously alleged for taking bribes to award public contracts using their power. Bribery and Nepotism also exist in the corporate world, which is very harmful for ethical practices and creates hindrances in building proper and ethical business environment. Managing or Encouraging Ethical Behavior Managing the financial operations of a company can be a complex effort. Companies need to balance their desire to grow with the realities of maintaining their financial relationships, satisfying their investors and making a profit. Government Regulations: The government can do so by legislating more stringent regulations. But, rules require enforcement and when in many cases there is evidence of lack of enforcement even the ethical business person will tend to â€Å"slip something by† without getting caught. Increased regulation may help, but it surely cannot solve the entire business ethics problems. Trade Associations Setting Guidelines: Trade associations can and often do provide ethical guidelines for their members. These organizations within particular industries are in an excellent position to exert pressures on members that stoop to questionable business practices. Companies Providing Code of Ethics: Employees can more easily determine and adopt acceptable behavior when companies provide them with a â€Å"code of ethics.† Such codes are perhaps the most effective way to encourage ethical behavior. A code of ethics is a written guide to acceptable and ethical behavior that outlines uniform policies, standards and punishments for violations. Because employees know what is expected of them and what will happen if they violate the rules, a code of ethics goes a long way towards encouraging ethical behavior. However, codes cannot possibly cover every situation. Companies must also create an environment in which employees recognize the importance of complying with the written code. Managers must provide direction by fostering communication, actively modeling and encouraging ethical decision making, apart from investing in training employees to make ethical decisions. Whistle Blowing Technique: Sometimes, even employees who want to act ethically may find it difficult to do so. Unethical practices can become ingrained in an organization. Employees with high personal ethics may then take a controversial step called â€Å"whistle blowing.† Whistle blowing is informing the press or government officials about unethical practices in an organization. Whistle blowing could have averted disaster and prevented  needless deaths in the Challenger space shuttle disaster, for example. How could employees have known about life-threatening problems and let them pass? Whistle blowing on the other hand, can have serious repercussions for employees; those who make waves sometimes lose their jobs. The main objective of business is to serve people with their every need for the well-being of human being and to ensure that, there is no alternative of following business ethics. Since the practice of business ethics in our country is still not ubiquitous, we are not getting the proper environment for the business, and thus often we are facing some crisis situation and it is hampering our total economic development. Our policy makers and the top executives of the organizations should give more concern in making ethical policies and take proper steps to encourage business executives and service holders to follow them. 1) â€Å"Ethics In Marketing On Bangladesh Perspective: Study on Few Companies of Bangladesh†- collected from â€Å"World Journal of Management Volume 2. Number 2. September 2010†, the direct link- http://wbiaus.org/10.%20Tajmeela-FINAL.pdf 2) â€Å"Business for the 21st Century†- Skinner & Ivancevich 3) â€Å"An Integrated Approach to Business Studies† (4th edition)- Bruce R Jewell 4) â€Å"Business Studies† (4th edition)- Dave Hall-Rob Jones-Carlo Raffo- Alain Anderton 8) www.sagepub.com/upm-data/10923_Chapter1.pdf 9) www.businessethics.ca/definitions/business-ethics.html Business Ethics in Bangladesh. (2016, Apr 12). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Case Study 5 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

5 - Case Study Example For example, Banyan Tree has managed to charge premium prices on customers just for its memorable experiences. As an experiential brand, Banyan Tree had its brand experience as well. Thus, the company had its value propositions to offer; one of them being corporate social responsibility (CSR). Enz (2010) explains that Banyan Tree engages its customers in many projects based on CSR which creates and impact as well as expression that lasts for long. Banyan Tree Holdings Limited also uses materials and methods of construction which are environmental friendly which then enables the company unify their developments into an environment which s very natural. The staff of Banyan Tree is also recruited from the community which then signifies their giving back to the community. Consistency of products and services is also another value proposition offered by Banyan Tree (Enz, 2010). The company has a way of designing and furnishing their rooms and villas to ensure that its look is consistent. Service delivery is also done uniquely to provide pleasurable experience to the customer. The exclusivity of Banyan Tree Holdings is another value propositions that has contributed to the great experience at Banyan Tree. The company presents exclusive locations which have views of nature which are spectacular. Each of their villas is also very exclusive hence contributing to the wonderful experience of the company’s brand. According to Enz (2010), Banyan Tree Holding also focused on training of its staff and developing it well. A corporate culture was established to provide opportunities for staff in advancing their career and their own personal development. The general team of management is composed of people from different cultural and geographical backgrounds. This style of management has allowed creativity and innovation among the staff of Banyan Tree. Therefore, innovation in its spa