Clarifying Personal Values

In my personal opinion a moral dilemma is one having to choose between what is right and what is wrong. This could be taken in several different ways, and might not be what others view as the right definition however this definition is in my own words. Moral. 2013. In Merriam-Webster. com. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/moral, the meaning of moral is â€Å"of or relating to principals of right or wrong in behavior. † When looking at this specific definition you are unable to complete your assessment without also including the definition of dilemma.Dilemma. 2013. In Merriam-Webster. com. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/dilemma, a dilemma is â€Å"an argument presenting two or more equally conclusive alternatives against an opponent, in other words a usually undesirable or unpleasant choice. † An example of a moral dilemma that I personally have experienced was choosing whether or not i t would be acceptable to call the police and have my sister arrested for theft and possession of prescription medications which she stole from our mother.I had battled along-side my sister for 15 years with her drug addiction and I had finally come to my limit. I decided that it would be in her and her children’s best interest if she was forced into a rehabilitation situation and become the person that I knew she could be and also be capable of raising her children with the right morals and in the right type of environment. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life, but I believe it was what was best for her. That was in October of 2009 and she has remained drug free ever since and her children are growing and thriving!While ethical dilemmas are similar to moral dilemmas, it seems that there is a generous amount of definitions. Upon researching and synthesizing 38 different definitions, Lewis (1985) defines business ethics as comprising the r ules, standards, principles, or codes giving guidelines for morally right behavior and truthfulness in specific situations. This tells me that an individual must make the right decision based on the best interest of themselves and/or the company regarding any ethical dilemmas that arise. An example of an ethical dilemma that my husband has recently had to make a ecision on is co-workers cutting corners on their job details and causing machinery to be pushed back for repairs prior to approval of shipment. I am unable to reveal the name of the company, however I can tell you that it is a multi-million dollar company that is international and if a machine went to a customer with parts not working correctly, it would not just be the customer that suffers. This would affect the customer, their state, and possibly more territories. My husband had to make the choice to speak to his supervisor privately and anonymously to get this situation taken care of.Not only could the machine not work correctly, there could also have been injuries to the other workers in the plant as well as potential injuries to the customer. Appendix C Clarifying Personal Values Each of you will be faced with numerous moral and ethical dilemmas throughout your career. To be prepared to make these ethical decisions, it is helpful to clarify your personal values, and morals before you are faced with an ethical dilemma. Review the following list of values and create a list of the five values most important to you in making decisions. acceptance accomplishment adventure ambition ssertiveness beauty bravery compassion competence conformity creativity customer satisfaction discipline diversity equality fairness flexibility freedom honor humility loyalty obedience order power promise keeping respect responsibility risk taking service success teamwork tradition trust understanding winning | | |List of Five Important Values | |1. | | |Competence | |2. | | | |Diversity | |3. | | | |Respect | |4. | | |Teamwork | |5. | | | |Trust | I think that my personal decision-making process is based on each situation that arises. I would have to say that I usually go with the moral dilemma way of thinking and choose what is right versus what is wrong. When it comes to an employment situation, I have had to make a few tough decisions on the ethical side of things.I’ve witnessed fellow employees being called nasty names by upper management, customers being treated rudely because of their race or religious beliefs, and individuals with mental disabilities treated with no respect and treated no better than a bee buzzing around someone’s head. It’s not easy to make a decision that can affect so many individuals, but in my eyes, as well as with the morals that my parents raised me with, doing what is right is always the best way to go. I think that when I look at the list that I chose, that I have given myself a pretty close-nit grouping.I find that when working in any type of industry, it is pertinent to have employees that are competent within their positions. Having a diverse group of employees allows for a larger opinion base and also shows that individuals that are very different in their own personal lives are able to work well together, thus showing the teamwork. Without teamwork, most businesses would fail miserably. It may take several different types of individuals to make a whole, and each of these people have a specific position within the company, but as a whole they ARE the company.I think that respect is a major factor when looking at business ethics. I do not believe that it matters where you stand within the company. I feel that each person deserves the respect of their fellow employees as well as management, owners, customers, etc. Once all of these factors are met then you have built a trust within the company base that allows for each individual department to depend on the others to carry out their roles so that all the puzzle piec es fit. I personally think that my own values are the reason that I choose right versus wrong. Sometimes it might not be the â€Å"best† decision, but morally nd ethically I choose to be open and honest about things that I see or find that are not in the best interest of a company, or even in my own personal life. Making the decision to have my sister arrested for her drug addiction was morally right but it was devastating to her children, my parents, and my own individual family. I chose the moral route of right, but in my mind it felt so wrong. Taking my niece and nephews’ mother away from them was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The decision-making process that I had to go through took a total of 15 minutes (the time it took for me to drive from my home to my parents’ home. I knew that I HAD to make her own up to her mistakes and get the children out of that environment. Just because I did what was morally right, doesn’t make it any differe nt in my heart. I personally don’t think that my personal values differ from that of an organization. I feel that I would make the right choice no matter what the situation. If I knew that a fellow employee was stealing from the company I would turn them in, but I would also hope that because I came forward regarding the situation that the management would not punish me or look at me any differently.I would not be coming forward because of a dislike for the other person, I would be coming forward because what they were doing would be wrong and the company would suffer from it. I would report any discrimination, theft, or inappropriate behaviors by others if need be. It would not only affect the company, but it would also affect me personally. This assignment has made me look closely at my background and see that I have had to make a lot of tough decisions, as have some individuals very close to me, however I believe that doing what is right will always trump choosing to eithe r ignore it or choosing the wrong way to go.Looking at the list above, I believe that all of these things are important for any one individual. Without having a lot of these traits, a person might not be the best fit for a company, nor would they be one of those individuals that I would allow in my life, let alone my children’s lives. If I am unable to trust, rely, or respect a person because of their choices, then that person is not somebody who needs to be involved with me or the company that I am working for.References Trevino, L. , & Nelson, K. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (5th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Malpas, J. , â€Å"Donald Davidson†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2012 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed. ), URL = . Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary copyright  © 2013 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Lewis, P. V: 1985, ‘Defining â€Å"Business Ethics†: Like Nailing Jello to a Wall', Journal of Business Ethics 4(5), 377-383.

Environmental Factors Essay

The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. These factors vary by location and can include culture, customs, and even legal matters. The Coca-Cola Company has been able to successfully examine these factors and create marketing campaigns that have allowed the company to grow in leaps and bounds over the past 100 years. Global economic interdependence Global economic interdependence is when different economies rely upon one another and can include goods and service exchanges. Coca-Cola is one of the most famous soft drink brands in the world because they have successfully marketed their products across the globe. These foreign economies rely upon Coca-Cola products to stock their shelves to meet the consumers demand. With such a strong demand, countries would want the company’s product in local stores to increase sales and thus taxes collected. In order to get products to foreign markets, Coca-Cola is faced with trade restrictions and agreements. Restrictions can include tariffs which impose taxes on imported goods or quotas that limit the amount of certain product that is brought into the country (Kotler, Keller, 2012). These restrictions can lead to questions as to whether entering that foreign market is profitable. A high tariff could cut into profits while other trade restrictions may not allow a product to enter the market at all. A stiff market to enter may require a very detailed and successful marketing plan in order to reach the most potential consumers. A failed plan could result in the company paying more for the product to enter that market rather than the amount of money being made. Demographics and infrastructure Demographics must be examined prior to entering a foreign market. Household income, population, and age can all play a factor in a marketing plan. Poor  countries such as those in Africa may not be able to afford to purchase a product and therefore, would not be included in a marketing plan for a high priced item. Also, if there is a limited amount of infrastructure the product may not be able to be transported. Countries that lack infrastructure such as paved roads or electricity would become difficult markets for Coca-Cola to enter. Without roads or railroads, Coca-Cola would not be able to deliver their product to the consumers. Electricity is typically needed in order to keep the beverage chilled and to record sales transactions. A country lacking infrastructure will have a difficult time getting popular goods to their consumers. Cultural differences Cultural differences play a role in the marketing process. Different cultures will have different ideals and may even use products for different reasons. What may be acceptable in the American market may be a sign of disrespect in another. Knowledge of cultural differences can make or break a marketing campaign and also the entire company. For example, the Japanese commercials tend to have more animation and songs in the commercial. Also, the culture is also more advanced in technology so vending machines are more advanced in Japan than the ones we see here in America. Finally, different cultures may see certain products or ingredients as unhealthy. What may be delicious to consumers in China may be horrid to the taste buds of those in America. Social responsibility and ethics versus legal obligations Social responsibility and ethics are values that should be followed but not necessarily obligated to do so. On the other hand, legal obligations force a company to perform certain actions. For example, Coca-Cola is not legally obligated to set a certain price on their product. However, they are legally obligated to place nutritional and ingredient information on the product. As previously mentioned, different cultures play a role in marketing. What one culture may see as a social responsibility may be a legal obligation in another. As many know, Coca-Cola once contained the drug cocaine. Legally, cocaine is outlawed in the United States but may not be in other countries. What some may not know is that Coca-Cola still contains an extract from the coca leaves that is not classified as illegal (New York Times, 2013). In some cultures, it may be unethical to sell a product that has any  derivatives from any mind altering plants. Political systems and the influence of international relations Political systems can decide whether to allow a product to enter their market or impose extreme conditions that must be met. In addition, international relations can play a part as to where a product goes. Currently, the United States has a trade restriction with Iran that limits what can be exchanged between the two countries. Iran, once considered an ally, is now an evil and thus trade restrictions are in place. Coca-Cola may find it difficult to get their product into this market through a legit trade agreement. If Coca-Cola was faced with the fact that nobody would be allowed to import their product, they would be able to develop a marketing plan for domestic use that would portray that they are the only country who gets to receive the product. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 prohibits bribes being paid to foreign officials to assist in obtaining or keeping business (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, n.d.). This Act would prohibit Coca-Cola from bribing an Iranian official to allow them to export their product to the country. Because of this Act, large corporations can no longer pay foreign officials to keep their products in stores of countries that have banned them either by local or international law. These different laws and stipulations create barriers for a product to be introduced into foreign and domestic markets. Technology Advancements in technology have made marketing both easier and more difficult at the same time. Social media sites such as YouTube now promote products before the user can watch the video they intended to view. As technology advances, previous innovations become cheaper and open the doors for new consumers to obtain these products. As the amount of people who are able to access the internet increases, so does the amount of people that can view advertisements. One of the newest fads for technology is making more products â€Å"green†. Environmental friendly products are now the big rage and consumers will pay more for a product if it is deemed â€Å"green†. Advances in technology will eventually lead to more products being green and thus  creating a decline in the demand. Conclusion The Coca-Cola Company was established in 1886 in the United States. Today, the Coca-Cola Company’s products are available in over 200 different countries. Each country contains its own demographics and other factors that influence the marketing planning and promotions for the Coca-Cola product lines. Factors such as political influences, technology, and cultural differences all play a part on marketing. Differences in these factors can determine whether a product should be entered into the market. It is the responsibility of the manufacture, such as Coca-Cola, to perform their due diligence and evaluate its findings. References New York Times. (2013). How Coca-Cola Obtains Its Coca. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/01/business/how-coca-cola-obtains-its-coca.html U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.). Spotlight on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Retrieved from http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/fcpa.shtml

Ratio Analysis Memorandum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ratio Analysis Memorandum - Essay Example The solvency ratio looks at the organizations ability to pay long term debt and interest on debts (Bull, 2008). By looking at the debt to asset ratio it can be seen that the organization’s reliance on debt financing is increasing as this ratio has increased from 0.39 in 2008 to 0.79 in 2009. From the analysis the organization is generally still performing well, however, there is need to improve on the profitability of the organization which is decreasing from as seen in the analysis. This can be done by decreasing the expenses of the organization. The current and the quick ration also needs to be improved as they have both decreased in 2009 as compared to 2008 which is mainly contributed by the increase in the current portion of long term debt as per the Balance sheet. The organization needs to pay off these current liabilities in the shortest time possible for the improvement in the ratios to happen. The organization also needs to also reduce the solvency ratio by reducing its liabilities so as to ensure that the reliance on debt financing does not increase.

Market environment analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Market environment analysis - Assignment Example The influence of environmental factor and its effect on any company can be better analysed by PEST analysis which is covering 4 important environmental factors namely political, social, economic and technological. Political Factors: An overview of its investment patterns will suggest that Topshop has constantly chosen to invest in countries that have a capitalist form of government. The capitalist government helps them to use labor, capital and fund more easily with less restriction. This is the reason why Topshop has invested mainly in Europe which is governed by capitalist systems.Recently after the change in the government policies in different countries, Topshop stated to operate in other parts of the world like USA and China. In USA, the company is looking to start its operation in 2014 only with their first store in Springfield Town Centre. (Bhattarai, 2014) Economic Factors: Amongst the economic considerations, the most vital factor is inflation. In case of high rates of inflation and resulting increase in money supply in the economy, the prices will rise. Then the people will not be able to afford the fashionable clothes and accessories offered by Topshop. Other economic factors that must be considered by the company before investing in any country are the balance of payment situation, fiscal and monetary policies, and the counter-trade policy of that country.Low labour cost, availability of raw materials with lower price, are also important aspects before setting up new outlets and considering these factors Topshop therefore now considering the developing nations(Like India, China) to setup there manufacturing unit to increase profit margin by reducing manufacturing cost.(Kaye, 2011) Social Factors: The social factors prevalent in the target market can have a major impact on the performance of a company. The social factors include the social systems, family backgrounds, education, religion, occupation and income levels of

Public safety - mandatory vaccinations on school chilldren (also need Research Paper

Public safety - mandatory vaccinations on school chilldren (also need outline)- - Research Paper Example doza-Vaca representing their minor children presented an Amended Complaint challenging vaccination practice in New York on both the state and the federal law grounds. The plaintiffs claim that they have sincere religious beliefs, which are contrary to immunization practice. In one of their Amendment cause of Action, the three plaintiffs claimed that their religious rights were being violated when the school excluded their children from the school institution because of their religious beliefs thus running counter to the immunization practice. The three plaintiffs argued that the school arbitrarily and unconstitutionally denied their children the right to exercise their religious freedom that was based on the vaccination practice (Phillips v. City of New York. (2014). In this case, the court consolidated the actions of the three plaintiffs. For various reasons, the courts granted the New York City Departments of education and Defendants City of New York motion and dismissed the three plaintiffs on the Amended Protest in its entirety. In reference to Philips vs. New York, number 14-2156-cv, Lynch, Chin and Korman who were the judges upheld the decision of Judge William Kuntz on finding the law passed on constitutional muster. In reviewing the case to terminate pursuant to rule, the judges were supposed to accept the realistic allegations that were set forth by the plaintiffs as true. The children of the three plaintiffs were therefore granted religious exemptions in reference to the mandatory vaccinations. However, despite their religious exemptions, the three plaintiffs still complained of their children’s exclusion from school on every occasion where their children’s schoolmate reported a vaccine preventable disease case. Vaccination against life-threatening diseases remains one of the greatest achievements in health in the United States history. Generally, millions of premature death cases have been prevented while countless children have been rescued from

Marketing Communications Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Communications Plan - Essay Example Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit that is responsible for the production and marketing of its video games consoles including the Sony PlayStation. The history of the PlayStation began in 1988 when Sony and Nintendo worked together on a product called the Super Disc. However, Sony and Nintendo parted company and the Super Disc was never launched by Nintendo. In 1991, Sony modified the Super Disk as part of its development of the first Sony PlayStation. Sony launched the long awaited PlayStation 3 in the USA in 2006 just two days before the launch of the Wii from Nintendo. These two new consoles proved to be immensely popular and most retail shops sold out of both within days. Soon afterwards both of the consoles appeared for resale in large numbers on the auction website eBay. The asking prices for some of these resale consoles were up to five times the original retail price. Microsoft's Xbox 360 console had a one-year lead in the market and enjoyed buoyant sales as a result. Nintendo's Wii positioned itself away from its main two competitors through the deployment of its ground-breaking motion-sensing controller (Cheng J, Mark Freeman-Aloiau M, Xin Guo, Pullen A. 2007) In 2In 2009, the PlayStation 3, helped by a $100 price cut, has outsold Nintendo's Wii console for the first time. Sales of the PlayStation 3 more than doubled to 491,800, while those of the Wii fell 33% to 462,800 (Satariano, A. 2009). The PlayStation 3 is expected to give a further boost to Sony's earnings in time for Christmas this year when the latest version of the blockbuster role-playing game for the PlayStation, 'Final Fantasy', is launched in December (iStockAnalyst, 2009). 2.0 Marketing Strategy 2.1 Positioning Strategy Sony uses the newest and greatest technology to appeal to their customers. The people who are most interested in staying up-to-date with the newest technology are usually men of the ages 15-30. To reach that market, they make games that are attractive to men of those ages; these games tend to be the shooters and high action games such as Kill Zone and God of War. However, they do make games for younger children; these games have a more adventure based game play such as Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot. Beyond gaming, Sony also hopes to reach movie buffs with their high-definition movie playback thanks to Blu-ray technology. Blu-ray offers the latest advancement in movie entertainment experience. The detail of these movies is so good that you can literally see individual pores on people's faces. As you might expect, this means detail on everything is very high and movie buffs love this. 2.2 Product Strategy The PS3 offers the most advanced visuals and audio of any other game console and most computers. Hardcore gamers want their games to be more visually pleasing, and that is exactly what Sony has given them. They have changed very little about control setup except they have added some motion sensitivity (after they saw Nintendo unveil this feature in the Wii); this means that people who have played PS1 and/or PS2 won't have to learn how to hold and use the controller all over again. Also, there are a lot of classic games available for download via the Playstation Network (for a

The Renaissance Art, Literature and History Essay

The Renaissance Art, Literature and History - Essay Example This style of art was widely used in the most respected premises like the palaces and empires where the princes, kings, queens and other leaders had important occasions or even ceremonies performed and held (Pedro p. 33) In this particular renaissance art and literature, everything about the history, leadership or certain countries are brought out. The artist could use their works to illustrate realities that had passed and also the imaginary events expected to be faced by the leaders and their countries in the future. Most works done in literature by playwrights like Pedro Calderon whose hero is the Ruler of Madrid Prince Segismundo? Pedro stressing the fact that Madrid is central entertainment point of the world and prince Segismundo is the ruler (Pedro p. 99). Pedro also seemed to be influential in the sense that he is able to bring inspiration into bringing the possibility of the Plaza being rebuilt. We also have the verses being used by other artist such as Pedro Rosete who uses a collection of verses to praise the palace of Buen Retiro. He names the Poem after the ruler of the Palace with very unique composition. So many decorations of the palace were put in a way that conveyed very strong messages with some of them giving beautiful pictures of memorable events and great leaders. Some art portrayed good works of leaders and mostly victories of wars and some were showing battles. In Retiro there was the most important room which was meant to be occupied by the royals at the time of celebrations and ceremonies. The hall which was a place where the king spent time sometime to enjoy himself and to work during other moments had to be made very attractive with arts which had different strong meanings (Levin p. 56). The rooms also according to the artist had to be the most comfortable place for the king or a leader to spend most of his time. As seen from the Hall or Reams the artists did a crucial job to ensure the best outcome for the look of the palaces, all s ignificant historic portrays were used to decorate the inside of the palace, starting from the floor, the walls, and even the roof. The most beautiful paintings, showed the four kingdoms of the Monarchy of Spain. Other art painting which decorated the room were those of victories won by Phillip IV armies (Pedro p. 105) The paintings were done all over the room including on the doors. They gave a richly oriented decoration. Mostly the works done by two artist Velazquez and Maino were the best and the most unique. These were artist known for their excellent artwork hence being chosen to do the work for the most important places where royal’s ceremonies were carried out. The palace was full of arts of different beautiful illustrations from those of war, to victories such as Elizabeth in procession to black friars 1600 by Robert Peak, to images of young Prince Baltasar Carlos on horseback 1634. The artist works shows how the arts and the palace are very friendly in the sense that the kings are comfortable with the works as the decorations portray old tradition which matches the kingship old history. The arts of decorations from the great artists were done in parables, similarity and recitations. They illustrated, huge family occasions, victories made by the armies, triumphal entries, dynastic marriages, diplomatic coups through narrative way. Others like wisdom, justice among others were shown through representation or referred to

A review of the literature on the effectiveness of acupuncture on Essay

A review of the literature on the effectiveness of acupuncture on chronic neck pain - Essay Example This effect however was not found to be clinically significant. The design of the study was a randomised, single-blind, placebo controlled, parallel-arm trial. The sample of participants was selected from two outpatient departments in the UK, with a total of 124 study participants in total completing the trial. The participants selected were between 18 and 80 years old, and were all selected on the criteria of having chronic, mechanical neck pain. The study was measured on an outcome basis, with the primary outcome being continued pain after one week of treatment. Secondary outcomes were pain at other time points, score on the neck disability index and the Short Form-36, and use of analgesic medications. Patients received either 8 treatments with acupuncture over the space of 4 weeks or 8 treatments of mock transcutaneous electrical stimulation of acupuncture points. While the acupuncture was found to be effective in relieving the neck pain, it was found not to be clinically signific ant as the placebo group were also found to improve from the baseline. Based on the primary outcome of pain one week after beginning treatment, the study found only a 12% better improvement in those receiving acupuncture than those receiving the placebo. This small percentage was not deemed to be clinically significant despite being classed as statistically so. There were recognised to be limitations in the study, however. Although the treatments were all carried out by one practitioner, the control did not mimic the process of needling, which may have affected the credibility of the placebo. There was also no control by means of a non-intervention group, which could have been used to measure the significance of the treatment in comparison to patients having received no treatment at all for the neck pain. The study did not make any assessment to the safety of the procedure. Overall from this study, it would be concluded that acupuncture is not effective enough in treatment of

Comapre and contrast maslow needs hierarchy and equity theory, also Essay

Comapre and contrast maslow needs hierarchy and equity theory, also evaluate why organizational studies are important in contemp - Essay Example Maslow’s hierarchies of needs starts with physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness needs, esteem needs and ultimately self-actualization needs (Brown, 2007). According to the theory, the management will motivate the employees through enabling them achieve their needs according to the order. The lower-order needs include safety, social needs and job security while the higher-order needs include recognition, self-esteem and self-actualisation attained through personal and professional growth. On the other hand, equity theory of motivation asserts that employees are motivated if they perceive that they are treated fairly (Knights & Willmott, 2007). Equity theory involves the perceptions of outcomes of performing the duties such as the salary levels, the perceptions of inputs and reference person that enables the employee to compare the outcomes and inputs in order to determine whether the existing job is equitable or inequitable. The employees will respond to perceived in equities by changing the work inputs, changing the situation or demanding more rewards. In this case, overpaid employees will experience feelings of guilt while underpaid employees will experience anger (Brown, 2007). ... ory aims at enabling the management to identity the needs of employees in order to ensure their perceived job outcomes are aligned with the inputs (Knights & Willmott, 2007). Question 2 Organizational studies are important in contemporary business since the competitive edge of the business depends on the quality of people skills, structure, and social relations in the organisation (Smith, 1992). The studies examine how individuals and groups within the organisation construct processes and structures and how these structures and processes ultimately motivate employees towards high achievement. Organizational studies identify managerial and leadership approaches that fosters interpersonal relationships and contribute to high job satisfaction in the workplace (Brown, 2007). These studies enable business managers to articulate the mission, shared vision and strategy to the employees in all communications (Martin, 2001). Contemporary business environment is characterized by frequent chang es in external environment variables such as new technologies, new legislations and shifts in consumption patterns thus organizational studies will enable the managers to align their business vision and strategy to these changes. In this case, managers will be capable of collecting market intelligence information and outlining competitive strategies that aim at attaining the overall business vision (Cole, 2004). Accordingly, the studies will motivate employees through ensuring proper leadership styles that aim at ensuring team work and improving the individual employee performance (Smith, 1992). In this case, modern business must implement transformational leadership practices that consider the unique needs of each employee and that aim at inspiring the efforts of employees towards

W2 Asign Determining Requirement in Data Warehousing Essay

W2 Asign Determining Requirement in Data Warehousing - Essay Example data warehouse, pick-up interesting data, format his or her own queries, drill through the data layers, and create custom reports and ad hoc queries† (Ponniah, 2010, p. 40). As such, these power users usually seek complex information, multidimensional (MD) analysis, and statistical analysis which could be facilitated through the online, intranet, internet, as the use of emails. As learned from Ponniah (2010), the â€Å"primary goal in the requirements definition phase is to compile information packages for all the subjects for the data warehouse† (p. 105). The kinds of requirements that one needs to gather at the requirements definition phase are categorized as follows: The gathering of information during this phase could be solicited through three (3) primary means or basic techniques: interviews, joint application development (JAD) sessions, and through questionnaires (Ponniah, 2010). Thus, the kind of details to be gathered would depend on the needs and demands of the users in the organizations. Through the use of the basic techniques for gathering information, as the query tools specialist, one must be able to comprehensively assess and determine the informational requirements of each user according to the category of requirements as stipulated above. Likewise, the types of questions that should be designed and communicated to the users should be structured in the most effective manner to facilitate solicitation of the appropriate response. Concurrently, it was also learned that aside from utilizing these three (3) basic techniques for data gathering and collection, one could gather useful information through the evaluation of existing documentation (Ponniah, 2010). As emphasized, â€Å"review of existing documentation can be done by the project team without too much involvement from the users of the business units. Scheduling of the review of existing documentation involves only the members of the project team† (Ponniah, 2010, pp. 115-116). Overall, as the

Debut albums, Life Essay Example for Free

Debut albums, Life Essay This is a phrase, a philosophy phrase that is about living, daily living. But what do you think it really means or should we say what is the hidden meaning about it? Why just living is not enough? Living is not enough because we need to experience all the things we can. Simple as to explore the world or the things that was given to us by our beloved GOD. We need to experience all good, better and best, bad, worse and worst. From worst to best to know what the word LIFE truly means. It also doesnt mean we need to do crimes in order to experience bad things, its just like problems, wounds and etc. We and I consider it as bad things because I dont like any of that happen to me. Just living is not enough†¦. We need to explore and find the true meaning of life. He who hesitates is probably right. This is a philosophy that we can use daily, why? Because this is about decision making. And we always make decision in every aspect of our life. As a student I can relate in this because of our recitations in school. We always hesitate before we raise our hands to answer. We will suddenly know that our or my answer is right because someone answers it. And its too late to get the credit. The philosophy above is trying to teach or to tell us that if we have ideas, share it, tell it, explain it because we will never know if our ideas is right if we dont try it. Not only for students but all individuals around the globe. Human life is purely a matter of deciding whats important to you. This Philosophy is saying human life always choose whats important to you. But why? All individuals are different from each other, different tastes, likes, dislikes and many more. But we all have similarities, we always choose whats important to us in every problem that comes in our life. For some instances, family problems like marriage and your family doesn’t want your fiance or fiancee, you will decide whats MORE important to you your family or your love one? If you choose your family, then go and its also the same if you choose your love one. I understand in this philosophy that this our instict that we always choose whats important to us but it never assures us that what is important will be the best for us. Only friends can answer your calls everytime of day that matter. This is a simple philosophy that is about friendship. If we first read it, we will quickly understand what it means. But what do we understand? We all know we have many friends in our life, friends in school, friends in the neighborhood and many more. We also know not all friends are real, just like this saying says Some friends are gold and some friends are silver. The philosophy above is trying to tell us that only TRUE and REAL friends can answer your calls no matter what your problem is. The friends that are there for you no matter what. No matter what time of day it is, you could call them and theyd be there for you. And its true, they are the ones that matter. The people who you can really rely on to be there for you are the ones that should matter in your life.

Human Resource Definition Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Definition Essay 1. Contingent workers- Someone who is not an employee, but a temporary or part-time worker for a specific period of time and type of work. Employee engagement- The extent to which individuals feel linked to organizational success and how the organization performs positively. Human capital- The collective value of the capabilities, knowledge, skills, life experiences, and motivation of an organizational workforce. Human resource management- Designing management systems to ensure that human talent is used effectively and efficiently to accomplish organizational goals Organizational culture- The shared values and beliefs in an organization. Productivity- Measure of the quantity and quality of work done, considering the cost of the resources used Sustainability-Being able to continue to operate, survive, and adjust to significant changes. - - Essay Questions: Answer the following essay questions based on the book and class discussions. 2. Ethical behavior in an organization is likely to occur when an ethics program includes these four elements: The four elements necessary to quantify an organizations ethics are 1) written code of ethics and standards 2) ethics training to executives, managers, and employees 3) availability for advice on ethical situations (i.e. advice lines or offices) and 4) systems for confidential reporting 3. What challenges face HR managers with regard to workforce availability and quality? What are potential solutions? Future supply of and demand for employees and the nature of workforce issues, including the retention of employees. These factors are used when recruiting applicants for job openings. The selection process is concerned with choosing qualified individuals to fill those jobs. 4. What are the three major roles of HR management? Which is/are the most affected by technology and outsourcing? Which roles are growing in importance? 1) administrative, 2) operational and employee advocate, and 3) strategic. 5. Identify the key competencies needed by all HR professionals, and the additional competencies needed by senior HR leaders. HR professionals need competencies in strategic knowledge and impacts; capabilities in legal, administrative, and operational areas; and technology knowledge abilities. Senior HR leaders need these areas plus others to be effective. - HR Headline: Read the following and then in teams, answer the following questions: HR Headline: The Challenges and Crises Facing HR Management Recent economic downturns, industry crises, bank failures, closing of plants and stores, changes in global operations, and other factors have significantly affected organizations, managers, and Human Resource (HR) management professionals. Some jobs are in high demand while others are being eliminated. According to surveys, some of the biggest problems include the following: 1) Adjusting benefits programs due to increasing costs; 2) Attracting and retaining key employees; 3) Planning for replacement of â€Å"baby boomers† when they retire; 4) Using talent management to train and develop capabilities of employees for future job needs; 5) Dealing with the expanded personal and organizational use of HR technology through blogs, wikis, twitters, text messaging, and other aspects; and 6) Complying with revised and changing federal, state, and local legal requirements affecting discrimination, treatment errors, unionization, and others. Questions for Discussion: 1. What do you think will be the most important change in the economy that will influence HR management operations? Explain. Their media tend to be a big part of it since that how things are function more. There are so many way to communicate and get things done faster and is more time saving. Also attracts different type of people with different types of skills. 2. How do you think technology changes will change the way HR professionals do recruiting and selection of employees? What are the pros and cons of any changes? It helps people have easier way to apply for jobs or to show their talents. Help HR find people with the skills that they are looking for. But it also disqualifies many people for the reason they are in the internet/ profiles. 3. The number of jobs in HR is predicted to increase between now and 2018. Explain why you think that is? They are going to need more people to be able to hire other that are right for the jobs rather than outsourcing. Since many people are baby boomer, there are going retired soon so that means many companies are going to need new heiress there need HR to be able to cover all the new people that are coming. HR Headline: The Challenges and Crises Facing HR Management Recent economic downturns, industry crises, bank failures, closing of plants and stores, changes in global operations, and other factors have significantly affected organizations, managers, and Human Resource (HR) management professionals. Some jobs are in high demand while others are being eliminated. According to surveys, some of the biggest problems include the following: 1) Adjusting benefits programs due to increasing costs; 2) Attracting and retaining key employees; 3) Planning for replacement of â€Å"baby boomers† when they retire; 4) Using talent management to train and develop capabilities of employees for future job needs; 5) Dealing with the expanded personal and organizational use of HR technology through blogs, wikis, twitters, text messaging, and other aspects; and 6) Complying with revised and changing federal, state, and local legal requirements affecting discrimination, treatment errors, unionization, and others. Questions for Discussion: 4. What do you think will be the most important change in the economy that will influence HR management operations? Explain. Their media tend to be a big part of it since that how things are function more. There are so many way to communicate and get things done faster and is more time saving. Also attracts different type of people with different types of skills. 5. How do you think technology changes will change the way HR professionals do recruiting and selection of employees? What are the pros and cons of any changes? It helps people have easier way to apply for jobs or to show their talents. Help HR find people with the skills that they are looking for. But it also disqualifies many people for the reason they are in the internet/ profiles. 6. The number of jobs in HR is predicted to increase between now and 2018. Explain why you think that is? They are going to need more people to be able to hire other that are right for the jobs rather than outsourcing. Since many people are baby boomer, there are going retired soon so that means many companies are going to need new heiress there need HR to be able to cover all the new people that are coming. - - Chapter Video—Fruit Guys: After the video, answer the following questions. 6. What do you think will be the most important challenges for HR at Fruit Guys in the next five years? SUMMARYIZED THE VIDEO: It was showing how people in business think in the way of rewarding people in different positions. People that are in a higher position that are being rewarded for their performance in money show there performance actually got worse compare to the people in lower positions that are getting paid less. The study show that the people that have cram time to do a project are more productive and they show more passion on their job. Also people tend to do thing for free in there space time and are more productive since they are not pressured or force to do something they tend to be more productive. 7. Based on the CEO and other manager in the video, it appears that HR at Fruit Guys is expected to be involved in all three roles of HR. Describe an example of HR activities at Fruit Guys required for each of these roles shown in Figure 1-9 in the text.

Bank of Maldives SWOT, Pestle and Porters Five Analysis

Bank of Maldives SWOT, Pestle and Porters Five Analysis Jump to: Mission and Vision of the Bank of Maldives SWOT Analysis PESTLE Analysis Porter’s Five Analysis GAP Analysis Segment Analysis BCG Matrix Porter’s Generic Strategy Ansoff Matrix Human Resources Introduction Bank of Maldives Overview On 23rd May 1982, Bank of Maldives was registered (Company Registry No. C-22/1982) with Ministry of Home Affairs as a company. On 10 November 1982 BML was registered at Maldives Monetary Authority and was given license to provide banking business in the Maldives. http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=mvv=71 Joint venture with IFCI On November 11, 1982 Bank of Maldives Plc was inaugurated and started commercial operation as a joint venture bank with 60% shares held by the Government of the Maldives (including its Agencies and Maldivian Companies) and 40% shares owned by International Finance Investment Company Limited (later IFIC Bank Limited), Dhaka, Bangladesh. Until 31st December 1992, the Bank was managed by the professionals of IFIC Bank Limited and they were paid 10% of the Banks profit. During the tenth year of the Bank, the Government of Maldives decided to re-structure the Bank of Maldives as such requested the IFIC Bank Ltd to reduce the share holding and also the number of representation in the Board. Consequently IFIC Bank Ltd decided to dispose off its entire shares in the Bank of Maldives and terminate its relations with the Bank with the expiry of the Management Contract on December 31, 1992. Bank of Maldives Become Public Limited Company Government of Maldives purchased 40 per cent shares On 14 November 1992, held by IFIC Bank Ltd. As a result, 80 per cent of the share capital of the Bank of Maldives was owned by the Government while the remaining 20 per cent of the share capital was sold equally to the State Trading Organization and Maldives Transport and Contracting Company respectively. Company Shares Government decided and started, to sell Banks shares to the general public In December 1992, by way of a assessment to expand the Banks capital. From January 1, 1993, Bank of Maldives Plc has become, and since then remained, a bank fully owned by the people and the Government of the Maldives. The Bank of Maldives Plc issued shares during 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2007. In 2007, Memorandum and Articles of Association of the bank was revised, shares were split and bonus shares were given to the existing shareholders. As a result the authorised caiptal of the bank was increased from Rf 300 million to Rf 800 million. The face value of BML shares stand at Rf 50/-. Bank of Maldives Branches Bank of Maldives has 25 branches in the country Maldives. Out of 25 three branches are in Male, the capital, and 1 branch in Male International Airport (Hulhule Island) and 01 each in both Villingili ward and Hulhumale. The other branches of Bank of Maldives are distributed amongst the atolls of the country, each with a chosen command area. Therefore, the Bank of Maldives Plc is able to serve the whole nation. Strategies for businesses The main business of Bank of Maldives is retail banking in addition Bank of Maldives handle most of the development banking activities in all the atolls of the Nation, Bank of Maldives PLC covers a variety of modern banking services online in a fully computerized environment and is proud to be serving the nation as the leading bank in the Maldives. http://ebanking.bankofmaldives.com.mv/page/view/n/company/o/introduction Businesses are often so preoccupied with immediate issues that they lose sight of their ultimate objectives. Thats why a business review or preparation of a strategic plan is a virtual necessity. This may not be a recipe for success, but without it a business is much more likely to fail. A business strategy is a pattern of decision and actions that are taken by the business to achieve its objectives. Business planning involves deciding what is to be done, setting objectives and developing polices to achieve them. Strategic process is steps taken to achieve those objectives. Frame Work of Business Strategy In practice, strategic management process has three main components, shown in the figure below. http://courseware.finntrack.eu/institutions/lectur_4.htm There is a number of stages involve in the planning process. These include Identifying the objectives Analalysing the positions of the business Deciding on suitable strategy Implementing a suitable strategy Evaluating its effectiveness Strategic Planning Process C:UsersAroonDesktopthe-strategic-planning-process-thumb.jpg Mission Mission statement includes descriptions of the overall aims of the business and they tend to be aimed at stake holders in the business. Stakeholders are those individuals or groups that affect or have interest in how the business is running and also what it achieves. Mission statement of business will include information for all key stake holders of the business including employees, shareholders, and also customers. Bank of Maldives Mission statement We will lead the way through quality of service and dedication of our staff. We will serve all our communities to the best of our ability, strive always to listen to your needs and so build total customer confidence and satisfaction From BML Mission statement I found that the mission that the company established is based on blending the various interest of range of stakeholder grouping. Example one of the objective mentioned in mission statement is to lead the way through quality of service and dedication of our staffs it will benefits many stakeholders because customers will receive high quality product and services, shareholders will receive high dividends, employee will receive good wages, and so on. Vision A vision statement is sometimes called a picture of your company in the future but its so much more than that. Vision statement is our inspiration, the framework for all our strategic planning. A vision statement may apply to an entire company or to a single division of that company. Whether for all or part of an organization, the vision statement answers the question, Where do we want to go. Vision statement of Bank of Maldives To be the leader in the financial industry in Maldives, spreading its presence in all key economic geographies in Maldives To be the leader in the financial industry in Maldives, inculcating a long term saving culture in the nation and promoting a cashless society To be one of the most Efficient, Profitable and Respected financial institutions in Maldives. Values http://www.bankofmaldives.com.mv/SiteCollectionImages/mission-statement.jpg http://www.bankofmaldives.com.mv/InvestorRelations/Pages/OurCommitments.aspx The bank values lot of things like innovation, giving respect to others and receiving respect from others, also communication, innovation and integrity. Stakeholders of the business Customers Customers are one of the key stakeholders of the business as they are vital to the survival of the business. Bank of Maldives provides excellent services to its customers and has excellent relationship through respects, friendly services and also greeting and so on. Shareholders Bank of Maldives try to give maximum benefits to its shareholders and also have good relationship with them. The Annual General Meeting of the company is used to have an effective discussion with the shareholders on matters and issues which are of relevance and of concern to the general membership. The Banks website also provides information for the shareholders of the business. Employees Employees are other key stake holders of the company. Bank of Maldives has various ways. Bank provides training programs to employees to familiarize them companys policy and working practice. Bank also provides many packages and development opportunity to its employees. Suppliers In todays environment it is very important for good relationship to exist between business and suppliers. Government Government can influence and affect business in number of ways. Bank of Maldives has to follow the rule and regulation that is made by the government. And also government is 51% shareholder of the bank. Therefore provide full support to the company. Hierarchy of Objectives There are two types of objectives, corporate and functional level objectives. At the top level of an organization will often create a vision setting what and where they want to be in long run or in future and also the top level of organization will often create mission setting out the purpose of the organization and also mission statement is a path way to achieve its vision and then Organizations will create a hierarchy of objectives. The hierarchy of objective is a breakdown of Mission Corporate Objective Functional/Departmental Objective Team objective Individual Objective the objectives and presenting in a more understanding and also able to manual to the operational/functional level of employees of the organization. This process is because organizations believe that each and every individual should be clear of what is expected from them in order to accomplish the corporate objective. Strategic analysis Strategic analyses is all about analyzing the strength of businesses position and also analyzing the weakness and understanding the important external factors that may influence and effect the business position. The business strategy of a company provides the big picture that shows how all the individual activities are coordinated in the organization in order to achieve a desired end result. It is through the strategy process that the overall direction of the company is established. This is based on the external opportunities and threats, outside the organization or external environment creates, also the internal strengths and weaknesses of the business. There are many tools for process of Strategic Analysis which we can use to analyze the business such as: SWOT Analysis PEST Analysis Scenario Planning Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation Directional Policy Matrix Competitor Analysis Critical Success Factor Analysis SWOT Analysis We can use SWOT analysis as a tool to conduct a general or detailed picture of a companys health. SWOT analysis is quick examination of a business current position so that it can identify internal strength and weakness and also external opportunities and threats. (S)trengths Financial stability and bank is well capitalized and this has enabled it to perform relatively well with largest financial network of 25 branches and 37 ATMs in Maldives. Highest market shares/over 260,000 loyal deposit account holders/ Over 53,000 lending relationships Government helps since it has 51% their share power Most effective recruitment and selection process and over 748 dedicated employees Awarded for 3 years about their customer satisfaction methods. Easy transections for its customers Updated technology as leader in electronic banking in card issuance with a wide network of POS terminal Nations most trusted company with the highest transections and strong customer relationship 27 years banking service in the market and well branded in the country Annual report 2009 (W)eaknesses Less number of employees to deal with their daily transections and customers problems. Limited dollar providing Difficult to get loans compare to their competitors Maldives is facing shortage of US dollars these days and most of the Expatriate working in Maldives is paid in Rufiyaa. Even to buy dollars from Bank of Maldives is something impossible these days. Due to the shortage of dollars most of the businesses are facing problems since Maldives import almost everything and businesses need to transfer their money to their suppliers. Also the foreigners those who are working in Maldives are paid in Rufiyaa and they also face problem due to shortage of dollars. I think that the shortages of US dollars are due to the world economy experienced tremendous instability in the year 2009, due consequences were felt in the Maldivian economy as well. The depression in tourism industry and fisheries industry played huge role as it posed numerous effect while the US Dollar liquidity crisis contributed added to the challenges being faced by the Bank. (O)pportunities Since they have got a good financial stability they can expand their business to other islands Sell more shares to the public market. It will increase their customers and also will be able to have a better capital to provide a good service To deal with their daily transections and to get experience from developed banks like Swiss bank they can ask from the government talk about it with them. (T)hreats Recently have stopped providing any types of card to the customers Economic crises Competitors I think the strengths of the company can be assessed as companys resources and also the company capabilities which can be used as a root to achieve its objectives and goals and also for developing a competitive advantage. There are many external threats and opportunities which organization has to face. So that Business can try to maintain the strengths and try to overcome from the weaknesses as internal factors those can be controlled by the business, but external factors cannot be controlled by the business because they are independent. Therefore business can try to take advantages of opportunities so it can be key to be success in future and have to try to manage the threats as well. Or have to try to reduce its negative influences to the organization. PESTLE It is very important that an organization considers its environment before beginning the marketing process. In fact, environmental analysis should be continuous and feed all aspects of planning. http://imagetrail.net/image/5042061/PEST-Analysis.aspx (P)olitical In Maldives government doesnt influence most of the business. But Bank of Maldives is a government company so they take decisions according to their political decisions. Most of the businesses in this country are private business. Government helps to their business to carry it with the highest level they can and to expend it. However they have recently announced that they will make new rules to the tertiary sector business. So its important for them to update the changes and obey the rules and regulation of ministry of trade and industry. The political changes need to be monitored very often especially during these days. As there is changes in political system or due to the implementation of party system in the country and the new laws passed by the government plays a vital role in todays business climate. So, I feel that the management and investors needs to be cooperative with the new system and government in order to keep running in the market. Moreover, Bank of Maldives is one of the biggest service industry in the country and also it is central bank of Maldives so political factors may effect the business for some extent. (E)conomical After the tsunami the country was developing rapidly their business and starting new business. Inflation of country is controlled in recent years. Mixed economy is one of the key features of the country that take account of tourism, fishing and other industry. http://www.indexmundi.com/maldives/inflation_rate_%28consumer_prices%29.html Mixed economy plays huge role in businesses growth and is can be an important aspect of the Maldives economy hence for most of the company government helps and government have shares in most of the leading company such as State trade Organization plc., Bank of Maldives and so on, In 1989, the economic reform program implemented by the government lifted the import quota and encouraged exports to the private sector. Later on, the liberalized conventions allowed more foreign investments. Therefore I feel one of the targeted markets for Bank of Maldives that is foreigners became the customers of the business. http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/maldives/ On the other hand, GDP reduced in 2007-08, then contracted in 2009 and the reason may be due to the worldwide recession. Falling tourist arrivals and fish exports, combined with high government spending on social needs, subsidies, and civil servant salaries contributed to a balance of payments crisis in 2009. Diversifying the economy beyond tourism and fishing, reforming public finance, and increasing employment opportunities are major challenges facing the government. Maldives GDP- Real growth rate (%) http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=mvv=66 Therefor Bank of Maldives may face economic problems in upcoming years. So it is very important for BML to keep an eye on economic changes that comes every now and then. Taking in this aspect, interest rate and inflation plays a keys role. A very slight change in the interest rate brings a change in the price of product. So I would advise the management to observe the economic changes that comes very often. On the other hand most of the stakeholder of the company believes that in upcoming year economy will be favorable to the business. Moreover, in the market Bank of Maldives have got so many new competitors like HSBC and Bank of Ceylon. Most of the people still trust Bank of Maldives because of being the oldest Bank in the country and also its under the control of government. Most of the transaction are done in the capital city. So economically they will face much trouble from other business, Because HSBC can be a competitor who will be able to get market share. They have the best dollar providing service. When looking in to the people perspective, most of the people have bank accounts. And all most all the people are aware about the modern world (S)ocial Maldives economy is based on about the social could be their spending is higher and less saving. This way happens mostly with the youngsters. Everything for them is fun and enjoying. And each every of them has their own bank account. Thats why it increases the bank transection. Also government employees should have bank account in BML and most of the money transections of government are done through BML. Bank of Maldives caters to customers in unbanking islands through its Dhon services, Also facilitator of infrastructure development to enhance the living standard of local community. BML extends its support to various initiatives in view of the socioeconomic benefits. Among these initiatives BML cosponsored GCE High Achievers Award ceremony and worked alongside the Maldives Police Service to create awareness regarding counterfeit currency. Furthermore BML also extended its support through providing sponsorship for the Democracy Fair held during 2009 and the fishermans day activities. Further efforts to extend our corporate responsibility stance involved daily collection facilitation for state insurance scheme Madhana by all branches of the Bank. BML fully funded the acquiring of an ECG Treadmill for IGM Hospital for the benefit of patients utilizing the services of the hospital. BML is the pioneer and leader of microfinance facilities for rural development and to SME sector projects throughout Maldives. These loans significantly contribute to improving the livelihood of rural communities, alleviating poverty and creating employment opportunities. BML report 2009 (T)echnological Technology is vital to gain competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. Changes in technology have also become mainly weighty in the world. This is for the most part true in terms of modern communication technologies todays environment. The creation of databases and electronic communications help to have easy communications and have enabled huge quantities of information to be shared and quickly distributed all around the world with cost reductions, and often improvements in service and product. Organizations need to be aware of the latest relevant technologies for their business and due to high competition in the market. Bank of Maldives use latest technology to implement business processes, manage risks and provide excellent customer service. Such as Online electronics banking, mobile banking and internet banking, ATM service etc. Also bank is fully computerized and provides almost all the banking services needed for the citizens and business establishments in Maldives. There for I suggest bank of Maldives it is very important to be in touch with new technology as the technology has brought the people together with the best, comfortable and convenient life. Also technology is one of the biggest issues in modern world and also to provide best services to its customer and to create competitive advantage against rivals in the market. Porters Fives Forces Five Force analyses assume that there are five important forces that determine competitive power in a situation. These are:http://www.tutor2u.net/business/images/five_forces.gif Threat of New Entrants The number of business in a market may not be always be a useful guide to completion in that market. New entrants to an industry can raise the level of competition, by this means reducing its attractiveness an also if it is easy for business to enter markets then the competition likely to be greater. The threat of new entrants largely depends on the barriers to entry. High entry barriers exist in some industries. Key barriers to entry include: Economies of scale The need of Capital or investment requirement Customer switching costs Access to industry distribution channels The likelihood of retaliation from existing industry players. Bank of Maldives is the only local bank in Republic of Maldives. There are other banks like State bank of India, Habib Bank, HSBC bank, etc in Maldives, but they do not have more than one branch. I am not sure if there is any restriction to open more than one branch for foreign banks in Maldives. Bank of Maldives has many branches in Male the capital of Maldives as well as in remote islands. In my point of views It is difficult for new entrants to enter in banking industry due to threat of new entrants largely depends on the barriers to entry. To enter in the banking industry in Maldives for local business it will be difficult due to capital requirement they need to invest on the business, and also it is difficult to gain economies of scale. Also Bank of Maldives is one of the highest distributors with 25 branches all over the country. Threat of Substitutes This depends upon the extent to which business can differentiate their products from those of competitors .The substitute products can lower industry attractiveness and profitability because they limit price levels. The threat of substitute products depends on: Buyers willingness to substitute The relative price and performance of substitutes The costs of switching to substitutes Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers are the businesses that supply materials other products into the industry. Powerful suppliers can increase the cost of a business. If suppliers have high bargaining power over a company, then in principle the companys industry is less attractive. The bargaining power of suppliers will be high when there are number of suppliers and also when there are many buyers and also the importance of the product which is supplied or undifferentiated, highly valued products bargaining power of supplier will be high. For BML bargaining power of suppliers will be less due to more dominant supplier like Rainbow, all brothers business and so on. Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyers are the people / organisations who create demand in an industry. The bargaining power of buyers is greater when There are few dominant buyers and many sellers in the industry Products are standardized Buyers threaten to integrate backward into the industry Suppliers do not threaten to integrate forward into the buyers industry The industry is not a key supplying group for buyers For BML I feel bargaining power of buyer is less because BML is only a company that caters the customers all over the country and they have branches in many part of the country and also the other competitors such as HNB is have only one branch in the country which is also is located in capital Male. Intensity of Rivalry The intensity of rivalry between competitors in an industry will depend on: The structure of competition for example, rivalry is more intense where there are many small or equally sized competitors; rivalry is less when an industry has a clear market leader. BML is a market leader of Banks in Maldives. The structure of industry costs for example, industries with high fixed costs encourage competitors to fill unused capacity by price cutting Degree of differentiation industries where products are commodities (e.g. steel, coal) have greater rivalry; industries where competitors can differentiate their products have less rivalry . For BML the degree of differentiation is higher than the other competitors. Switching costs rivalry is reduced where buyers have high switching costs i.e. there is a significant cost associated with the decision to buy a product from an alternative supplier Strategic objectives when competitors are pursuing aggressive growth strategies, rivalry is more intense. Where competitors are milking profits in a mature industry, the degree of rivalry is less Exit barriers when barriers to leaving an industry are high (e.g. the cost of closing down factories) then competitors tend to exhibit greater rivalry. Having a good pricing strategy and a good customer care will enhance Bank of Maldives to catch up the marker easily and maximize the profit. GAP analysis Bench Marking Benchmarking is the process of measuring an organizations internal processes then identifying, understanding, and adapting outstanding practices from other organizations considered to be best-in-class. By Benchmarking the business can discover performances of the business compare to competitors or with the organization which the business is bench marking and also can identify the most compatible for the business to bench mark.. Source: http://www.benchnet.com/wib.html View date: 20 November 2009 Core Competency Core competencies are those strengths or abilities that are critical to a business achieving competitive advantage. Senior management cannot focus on all activities of a business and the competencies required undertaking them. So the goal is for management to focus attention on competencies that really affect competitive advantage. The Core competencies are the most significant value creating skills within Bank of Maldives and key areas of expertise which are distinctive to the business and critical to the Bank of Maldives long term growth. I believe core competencies are the thing that Bank of Maldives can do better than the competitors in the field. So there are competitive advantages in Bank of Maldives that is difficult to imitate by the competitors in the market to gain the core competencies. The loyalty customers had towards the Bank of Maldives is a core competency that business had, compared to the competitors, and is also high. Customer care had a great impact on the business as well since the employees services to the customer of human resource cannot be copied by competitors. Segmentation and Products and services of Bank of Maldives Segment Analysis By Geographical segment- Bank operate only in Maldives By business segment Retail banking Corporate banking Electronic banking Development banking Bank of Maldives Corporate Banking Loans and leasing Working capital facilities Working capital facilities Investment financing Credit card lines, electronic banking and foreign trade services and so on International Banking Electronic Banking Mobile Banking Online Banking ATM Services Development Banking For Bank of Maldives using technology such as ,Automated Teller Machine, online banking and Mobile banking will reduce the amount of transections of bank and customers can acquire services at their offices every day. Also the bank can gain from such services, is reducing their operational costs via decrease in tellers and cashiers, when less number of customers attend the bank to get the services. Right now the bank is charging Rf 2 per any transaction on an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), and Rf 1800 for internet banking services with account to account transfer services. For the Bank implementing such services incur a huge cost. BCG Matrix The BCG matrix technique is based on the product life cycle concept that can be used to determine how much importance should be given in the product portfolio of a business element. To make sure long-term value creation, a company should have a portfolio of products that contains both high growth products in need of cash inputs and low growth products that generate a lot of cash. It has two dimensions. The first one is market share and second dimension is market growth. The basic idea behind it is that the larger the market share a product has or the faster the products market grows the better it is for the company. http://cnx.org/content/m35356/latest/ Last edited by Jared Adler on Oct 6, 2010 1:05 pm GMT-5. The four categories are: Dogs Dogs have low market growth and low market share and do not generate any money or consume a large amount of cash. So they need to be killed Question marks Question marks are also called as problem child and might have future potential as they are in growth market, but the sales are not particularly good. Also with rapid market growth and also consume large amount of cash due to low market share they do not generate much money. Such as Online banking and Mobile banking are question mark products of Bank of Maldives. Stars star products are those who with a large share of high growth Cash cows As leaders in a mature market, cash cows exhibit a return on assets that is greater than the market

Chillingworth as Hero of Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter? Essay

Chillingworth as Hero of The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter is a story about human reaction to circumstances and the justification behind these actions. Each of the central characters in the novel represents a side of an extremely serious situation, adultery. Each of the characters has a certain amount of justification behind their actions and each searches for a way to rise out of his/her condition. Roger Chillingworth himself represents revenge. Some even believe him to be representative of evil or Satan. What is ignored in the cases of interpreting him as Satan or as evil is the fact that he has been cruelly wronged by both Hester and Dimmesdale. Because Hester and Dimmesdale are portrayed as protagonists in the novel, Chillingworth is automatically classified, because of his opposition towards the two, as antagonist. He is not actually this at all when regarded without the negative connotations under which he is crushed within the book. Hester and Chillingworth were married before the beginning of the novel. Chillingworth, previous to his marriage, was a completely introvert man. "I - a man of thought - the bookworm of great libraries - a man already in decay, having given my best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge... I came out of the vast and dismal forest and entered this settlement of Christian men, the very first object to meet my eyes would be thyself, Hester Prynne...." (52-53) Chillingworth saw Hester, after emerging from a great period of solitude, as a symbol of life. He regarded her as almost a savior. ... ...om doing what is right. Chillingworth is actually attempting to keep his essence. He is ruined without his revenge. Defeated, purposeless, Chillingworth soon dies after Dimmesdale's confession. Chillingworth's source of happiness, Hester, has been taken away along with his chance at reprisal. It is far too easy for a reader of The Scarlet Letter to simply brand Chillingworth as evil. The reader must pay attention to the complexities of the position which Chillingworth is forced into to understand that he is not evil or bad, at least not completely. Chillingworth is only a human put into a terrible position which he reacts to. In fact, it is not beyond reach to say that under his circumstances, Chillingworth was actually the hero, the protagonist; and Hester and Dimmesdale are the true villains.

The Boy Who Will Never Be a Man :: Free Essay Writer

The Boy Who Will Never Be a Man I believe The Man Who Was Almost A Man is an example of imprudent youth. The story is of a boy who wants a gun for all the wrong reasons. His thoughts are of manhood. He associate a gun with manhood, yet fails miserably to understand the concept of manhood or the responsibility that’s closely connected with it. On the surface, the message of the story is that of a stupid, deceitful, unkind, violent, black boy with dreams of becoming a man with all its grandeur. As is seen in the text when the protagonist witness men in the field shooting their guns. The protagonist, known as Dave, decides promptly that he will purchase a gun and impress the men with his skill in handling the weapon (655). We see that Dave wishes dearly to gain the respect and power so closely associated with manhood. This man who is almost a man, deserves to be called â€Å"boy† at 17 and forever. Dave is not ready to be a man, he is not ready to except the responsibility allied with the designation of being a man. The story ends with a kindly white man being cheated out of $50 and the protagonist, the black boy-man, riding off into the night with nothing but anger, a gun and a long track record of poor judgment. Upon further examination, Dave appears to be less responsible for his shortcomings. His poverty is deep and his parents are awful and he has no future. In his environment there is practically no way he could grow up and develop self-respect and the respect of others. Dave is treated just like a mule, given no responsibility, not even the chance to hold on to part of his earnings. This is seen when Joe, the store owner ask â€Å"your ma letting you have your own money now?†(656). Dave doesn’t want a gun; he wants to be a man. This is a natural, healthy desire that hasn't yet been beat out of him. The fact that he thinks a gun will do the trick is ignorant, but the only solution his environment can have him imagine. Dave’s belief that having a gun will make him a man is ridiculous and repellent but as the story turns out, his pursuit of having a gun is his ticket out of town, his only hope for becoming a man.

HOW ARE TENSION AND SUSPENSE BUILT UP AND MAINTAINED IN AT LEAST TWO :: English Literature

HOW ARE TENSION AND SUSPENSE BUILT UP AND MAINTAINED IN AT LEAST TWO GOTHIC HORROR STORIES? The original use of the term `Gothic Horror' was applied to a group of novels, including Mary Shelley's `Frankenstein', written before 1914. These novels usually included some or all of the following characteristics, which seem demonstrative of the original use of the term `Gothic': An emphasis on portraying the terrifying, a common insistence on archaic settings, a prominent use of the supernatural, the presence of highly stereotyped characters, barbarism as opposed to elegance, and the attempt to set up and perfect techniques of literary suspense. Bram Stoker's `Dracula' would be another example as the novel includes most of the characteristics above. The setting would generally have a sense of eeriness and darkness and there is usually a lack of an escape route. This can make a character experience a dramatic loss of self-control and overwhelming emotions. A sense of helplessness or vulnerability heightens the dramatic climaxes of these stories. As well as vulnerable characters appearing in these stories there would also be a rational, scientifically thinking character. He, or she, would represent the newly literate middle class and would have lent credibility to the tale. ‘The Monkey’s Paw’ is an example of a pre 1914 Gothic Horror story. It is about a man who receives a paw which can allow people to make a wish but can also cause evil things to happen. Mr White wished for two hundred pounds, which he was given, but as compensation for the coincidental death of his son. Mrs White came up with the idea to wish for their son to come back. Mr White, knowing that his son would be mutilated after being buried for nine days, wished for everything to be back to normal after they received a strange knock on their door in the early hours of the morning. ‘The Red Room’ is about a protagonist who visits ‘Lorraine Castle’, in a deserted place, to see whether the stories of a haunted room were true. After a long walk through the castle he gets to the room. On his way there he encounters ordinary objects which look menacing due to the contrast of the moonlight. Once in the red room strange things started happening. What made the room feel haunted was fear. In the Victorian era, pre 1914, people were very rational. People in the 19th Century had just come out of the Industrial Revolution, they were more educated than before and by then they had became less superstitious ‘of the myths about earls, countesses or the timid wife’, mockingly alluded to in 'The Red Room'.

A Memorable Family Occasion Essay

The return of my eldest brother from overseas after completing his medical studies in England was a memorable family occasion.  Every member of our family turned up at the airport with joy and expectations to await his arrival. As the plane taxied in, we wondered how he would look after his long absence, for he had returned only once for a holiday and that was four years back. At last, he appeared, taller and bulkier than ever, looking very different in his trendy clothes and a new hairdo. He had grown shades fairer. After we had exchanged hugs and greetings, he introduced to us his long-time girl friend who had also qualified as a doctor at the same university. We were thrilledbeyond words when he announced that the two of them had just been engaged. We went home to celebrate the double joy with a re-union dinner. Some of his old classmates, friends and our relatives, too, had been invited that night. A sumptuous dinner of various courses and delicacies was served with desserts and fruits to round off the meal. Throughout dinner, my brother entertained us with interesting tales of life in England and of his university experiences. That memorable day ended with great joy. We, his family, were especially proud of his achievements and his choice of a lovely girl. taxi To move slowly on the ground or on the surface of the water before takeoff or after landing thrilled extremely pleased sumptuous luxurious, lavish

Macbeth Assessment Essay

Macbeth write in 1606 has turn up to be atomic number 53 of Shakespe ares nearly successful and prevalent happens. It wasnt provided the flows that were universal William Shakespeare innate(p) 1564 is the most famous def turn back author in the world. He was born in Stratford upon Avon. He wrote 34 foregathers, Macbeth be just wiz of them. T present are more or less(prenominal) reasons wherefore Macbeth has proven to be so popular. It is the third shortest frivol written by Shakespeare, it is fast despicable including death, move out, deception, and betrayal.The bestow follows the stratum of a sm entirely-arm who was desperate for baron and turns to murder to pass away his give way. It has conserve its title as an exceptional accept as it appeals to consultations both instantly and in Shakespeares era, by including f hu spell activityors that appeal to e preciseone. In Shakespeares time hatful would be intrigued by the witching(prenominal), as they wer e xenophobic, they took a nau foote towards the witches. They didnt understand them dismantle now when we turn in a little more(prenominal)(prenominal) near the supernatural it is still a travel byic passel would interchangeable to con ladder more about.The crook makes you privation more. You want to find out if he was a life-threatening poove or if he would in truth murder his best booster shot. It is an episodic twist you dont k straightaway what is going to happen.Theatre going was truly popular in the 1600s because non sole(prenominal) was it for the generous the poor could eff the entertainment as well. Many people enjoyed the magic of the theatre, thats what distressede it such(prenominal) a success. The globe built in 1599 was one of the first theatres in London, it could seat over 3,000 people scarce lamentably tragedy struck in 1613 when the large fire of London burnt master the theatre a farsighted with publicy other famous landmarks. It was a great dismissal in everyones eye, so a year subsequently the globe was replaced. It price 1,400 to rebuild. It didnt take long in advance the theatre had paid for its ego as it was so popular.The poor people would sit in the pit they would only put one across to pay 1p tho if it rained they would get wet, as in that location was no shelter. The cryptical people could sit around the sides where they would be able to see every involvement as the sit were tiered along the sides they were sheltered from the cold. They would claim had to pay around 10p for their seat. As a variety of people attended the fulfil would stool to supply for a aim of people. Not a play for the rich or poor.If the fairy didnt pass of they play he could stop the perfor sliceces. Shakespeares plays were clever they contained seam guts and control panel. The monarchy and the policy-ma magnate situation at the time had untold to do with why the play had proven to be so popular.King crowd tog ether the first was new to the throne, as Elizabeth had died. Elizabeth was a popular queen where as crowd together the first had sh profess to be very dis the exchangeabled. They unhappy what king pack would be like on the throne they were right to be worried King jam was mephistophelian he burnt and tortured Catholics. The declining Catholic population soon grew to hate him and in 1605 a patch was taken against him in hope he would die. Guy Folkes seek to blow the house of parliament up in The gun powder man fortunately for the king he was unsuccessful. He was modernr executed. A year later when Shakespeare was writing Macbeth he had to be very careful on what he included. If James the first did not like the play and took offence to it so he could spend a penny Shakespeare kil lead. Shakespeares presented the play in good light. He displayed Dun smoke the king as a good king whom people loved, James would have liked this as he railyardght it portrayed himself except really Shakespeare was exhibit James to be Macbeth.The play showed a warning if a man veiled the king he would suffer a fate as bad.The main solution of the play shows a man who is led to despair by his controlling wife.He starts as a loyal spend serving his king to the very best. imputable to his service he was distressede Thane of Cowdor, tho that was not sufficiency for him and his tycoon mad wife. They deoxyguanosine monophosphateght of an diabolical plot to pop out the beloved Duncan. They arranged to knock down him in his bed and make it reflection as if his own guards have defeated him. They succeeded in their plot for greatness. Macbeth is caped king. Duncans sons who would have been coterminous to the thrown, but they fled as they thought they were suspects for the murder.Macbeth instantly had the taste for murder. He killed his best friend Banquo. after he tried to kill Mac plum duff a fellow soldier but was unsuccessful as Mac duff got away. Macbeth was mad by this and preferably of try to kill Macduff he killed his wife and children. How could a man be so deplorable as he whitethorn have suffered the pain of a child being taken from his life. Macduff was on his way to England to convey an army thousands big. noblewoman Macbeth went mad with wickedness and killed herself. Once Macbeth heard news of the bliss against him he started to worry. He got ready for a fight he placed on his amour ready. When Macduff arrived they fought their way into Macbeths fortification in Dunsinane. Macbeth fought till the very end until it became too much(prenominal) he suffered a soldiers death.The supernatural had a large role in the play Macbeth. Macbeth included the supernatural, as the auditory sense and so were terrified and shocked by it. They were scared of witches as they thought of them as bad. So when the play Macbeth was written Shakespeare included witches in the very start. This would have shocked the audience making them interest ed in the play from the very start. They would want to know what happened to them. Audiences now would be curious to see the supernatural and how the witches act. The witches cropped up several times in the play to check the audience watching.The witches chip in the play when shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in the rain? When the hurly buirdlys through with(p), when the battles lost and won, that testament be the set of the sun where the place upon the heathlandMacbeth is a very fast moving play, which included a lot of live up to. The play is short, it is so fast moving to keep the audiences attention. I deliberate the action and length were quite pregnant to an audience. If the play were long and lacked action the play would be unpopular and found boring. Plays had to appeal to everyone it would be of the essence(p) to keep them interested and as in that reckon would be peasants viewing they would have to cater for them. The plots would have to be q uite guileless so the peasants could understand. The main events in the play link with each other. The witches have an important role in the play on the heath in act 1 scene one and again in act 1 scene 3.They circulate Macbeth and Banquo their future. The following important scene is stand for 1 scene 5 when Duncan comes to period with Macbeth to celebrate Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cowdor but woefully Duncan is brutally murdered in his own bed. Macbeth is forced to do the deed by his crazed wife. Then Macbeth is crowned king. The adjacent important scene is when Macbeth gets Banquo killed and Banquos tint comes to haunt him. Lady Macbeth tries to make excuses to sulk his moments of madness. She branchs the people not to leave, as this depart offend him. Dray you keep seat. The foregather is momentary upon a thought. He will again be well. If much you seam him you shall offend him and extend his passion feeds and understand him not. The witches indeed appear again in act 4 scene 1. This time the witches didnt find Macbeth, Macbeth went to find the witches. He wanted to know more. So the witches tell Macbeth in wrangling, which have a effigy meaning. This makes Macbeth regains he is going to rule as king for a long time.Macbeth next tries to kill Macduff but is too late Macduff is already on his way to England to start an army to kill Macbeth. Then Malcolm can extradite as the rightful king. In rage Macbeth kills Macduffs wife and children. in the meantime his own wife is going mad with guilt. She thinks she has a spot of Duncans blood on he hand, which she cant wash off. This time lady Macbeth has sour out to be the one with scents instead of being callas. She had always called Macbeth a coward for showing characters of olfactory perception Are you a man? he often tries to prove himself. What man dare, I dare Lady Macbeth becomes so deranged she kills herself. Then we meet the biggest scene, act 5 scene 3 at Dunsinane castle. Malcol ms army fight there way into Macbeths castle to return the rightful king to the thrown.Many play writers would have included guts and gore to surprise the audience. If all plays were written about love and everything was perfect plays would become boring. demonstrate guts and gore with lots of action would keep the audiences interested.The technology back then wasnt that good not compared with today, but audiences back then would be move by Shakespeares use of seafarer doors and fake blood. The trap doors would be utilise for the witches and Banquos ghost to appear and disappear. This would beam the power of the witches . They may have displace Banquos ghost down on a rope to make it look as if it was floating. Many of these effects are still utilise today succession doing performances of the play. The goriest bits in the play would be the murder scenes. Especially the scene with Duncan they would have used a lot of fake blood.Macbeths character changes quite significantly d uring the play he starts off as a loyal soldier dedicated to his king. He changes after his first meeting with the witches, at a time he knew his destiny he would do anything to get it as soon as he could. The witches told him he would be thane of Cowdor, and then he would be crowned king. His power mad wife often challenged his position. why do you make such faces Macbeth showed feeling he didnt want to kill Duncan but callas Lady Macbeth drove him to it That I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valour of my lingua this shows the power she had over him. Macbeth is good not evilness yet I do fear thy nature, it is too full othmilk of human sympathy Where as Macbeth is a gentle person. Lady Macbeth calls upon the spirits to make her evil complete to commit murder.Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crown to toe top full of direst cruelty make thick-skulled my blood. The planning of Duncans murder was quite distur bing Lady Macbeth proves her callas feelings. The death is like a challenge. Art thou afraid(predicate) to be the same in thine own act and valour as thou art in desire? She accuses him of rupture promises, that he isnt strong enough to accept the challenges wouldst thou have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life, And youre a coward in thine own esteem Macbeth braves himself as a man and accepts the challenge I dare do all that may become a man, who dares do more is none Lady Macbeth shows some feeling like the feeling she may once have had for her child I have given suck and know how stark naked tis to love the babe that milks me.I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn to you have done to this Her feelings soon turn evil as she says to Macbeth she would rather kill her child than divorce her promise. There was also many reasons why Macbeth shouldnt kill Duncan Hes here in double thi nk first I am his kings man and his subject, strong both against the deed then, as his host. Who should against his murder shut the door, not expatriate the knife myselfthis Duncan been so clear in his great office Macbeth was related to king, he was Duncans host. Duncan was a good king if Macbeth went ahead with the murder he could give up everything.It was worse to kill a king than anyone else. It was a huge sin against god. matinee idol chose who was to be king. Lady Macbeth made most of the plans for the murder, she controlled Macbeth. She told him when and how to commit Duncans murder. Macbeth said the dagger showed the way to Duncans dwell. The night for Duncans death was perfect. Crows searched the courtyard a sign of death. An owl shrieked anther sign that evil was in the air. When Duncan had retired to his room and the guards had fell torpid Macbeth brutality stabbed Duncan in the chest with a dagger.Macbeth returned out of Duncans room with the order in his hand. He refused to re-enter the room so lady Macbeth took them back in the room and put the blood of Duncan on the guards face to make it look like they had killed Duncan.Macbeth didnt prove to be a very good or popular king. Many people didnt respect him. He lost many of his friends oddly his supposed best friend Banquo whom he had killed as he suspected Macbeth had killed Duncan. Later at one of Macbeth banquets, he started to communication to a ghost that wasnt even there. Lady Macbeth tried to cover it up.The assist meeting with the witches as deliberate they told Macbeth words with double meanings. They told Macbeth he would be king until the wood moved. Macbeth thought he was safe, as wood couldnt move. The witches tricked Macbeth so the audience would see the witches as evil. Macbeth wasnt much better himself the most loyal thing he did while wearing the crown was suffer a soldiers death. He died a lonely man his wife had at peace(p) crazy and killed herself she jumped of the ca stles balcony. The audience views Macbeth would change at different points in the play. They would see him as a loyal soldier but then he turned evil but he still had some feelings he didnt want to kill Duncan he was bullied by his wife. After the sloppy deal was done he never returned from the evils scheming.In conclusion I think Macbeth is a very good play. It is a fast moving play. Which includes love, deception, and murder. Aspects that would appeal to all audiences. The audience would be relieved that jurist was done. By including these features I feel that Macbeth has proven the test of time as one of the best plays of all time. Many theatres today still make reproductions of the play. I think Shakespeare truly has lived up to his title as a great play writer.