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Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Guide to Different Kinds of Essays Essays - Pic Language, Troff

Guide to Different Kinds of Essays [pic] An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes or analyzes one topic. It can discuss a subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or just report information. An essay can be written from any perspective, but essays are most commonly written in the first person (I), or third person (subjects that can be substituted with the he, she, it, or they pronouns). There are many different kinds of essays. The following are a some of the most common ones: [pic] [pic] Descriptive: Examples: A descriptive essay could describe . . . * a tree in my backyard; * a visit to the children's ward of a hospital; * a hot fudge sundae; * what an athlete did in order to make it to the Olympics. The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader interested in the plot and theme of the event described. [pic] Definition: Examples: A definition essay may try and define . . . * the meaning of an abstract concept, like love; * the true meaning and importance of honesty; * how the meaning of family goes deeper than just your blood relatives. A definition essay attempts to define a specific term. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such. It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning. [pic] Compare/Contrast: Examples: A compare/contrast essay may discuss . . . * the likenesses and differences between two places, like New York City and Los Angeles; * the similarities and differences between two religions, like Christianity and Judaism; * two people, like my brother and myself. The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept. It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences. [pic] Cause/Effect: Examples: A cause/effect essay may explain . . . * why a volcano erupts, and what happens afterwards; * what happens after a loved one's death. The cause/effect essay explains why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event. This essay is a study of the relationship between two or more events or experiences. The essay could discuss both causes and effects, or it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance. The below example shows a cause essay, one that would explain how and why an event happened. If this cause essay were about a volcanic eruption, it might go something like: "Pressure and heat built up beneath the earth's surface; the effect of this was an enormous volcanic eruption." The next example shows an effect essay, one that would explain all the effects that happened after a specific event, like a volcanic eruption. If this effect essay were about a volcanic eruption again, it might go something like: "The eruption caused many terrible things to happen; it destroyed homes, forests, and polluted the atmosphere." [pic] Narrative: Examples: A narrative essay could tell of . . . * my brother's and my fishing trips; * a boring trip to the grocery store; * my near-death experience at the beach. The narrative essay tells a story. It can also be called a "short story." Generally the narrative essay is conversational in style, and tells of a personal experience. It is most commonly written in the first person (uses I). This essay could tell of a single, life-shaping event, or simply a

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Shadows on the Beach Analysis essays

Shadows on the Beach Analysis essays Shadows on the Beach is a short play that has a man talking about the insecurities that he has concerning his wifes faithfulness toward him. He is talking to a girl about them and the audience can tell that he is in pain over the fact that he believes she is having an affair. In the end we see that he is actually talking to his wife and that it is him that she is in love with. In a sense it is the shadows that they make on the sand that the man was talking about. In the end the mans fears are diminished because he know remembers and understands that his marriage isnt how he thinks it is and that everything is going to be okay. This play involves a beach setting. This is important to convey to the audience because number one the word beach is in the title and it would confuse people if they thought the play was going to take place at the beach and it ended up in another place. Also through out the play the characters are looking out and talking about seeing someone walking on the sand. The HE character also talks about his wife taking a swim in the cold water. To convey this fact I think that beach sounds, such as seagulls and the sound of water should be brought in at lest in the beginning and the end of the play. The set can be simple with a few rocks and small palm trees. The lighting needs to be on the dim side because this takes place at dusk. The sun is going down and so the light needs to have reddish highlights in it. The lights also has to be set so that the characters shadows are cast out in front of them so that they and the audience can see them. This is because the characters are talking about their shadows so they need to be able to look at them easily and also the audience needs to see clearly of what they are talking about. It the shadows were in the back of the characters, they would have to either turn around to see them thus putting them in a closed position or ignore the shadows and ther...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Seven Floors by Dino Buzzati Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Seven Floors by Dino Buzzati - Essay Example The theme of TIME In virtually all the short stories of Buzzati, time is a major player that is calculated and predicted in terms of its relationship with space, juggled into a confusion of days, locked into large crates, or thrown out of synch with the events that are supposed to compose it (p87). Accordingly, Buzzati says â€Å"time remains uncontrollable and the minutes and hours march forward like great lords with so much composure, no one would ever say they are our enemies† (p90). Buzzati thus declares â€Å"time to be the force that leads us into the clutches of death, which appears in Buzzati’s stories as it appears in life: waiting outside the garden gate, furtively entering our homes as we lie sleeping, or violently tearing away at the foundations of our homes† (p101). Seymour (p127) observes that â€Å"this objective and eternal time is seen as a real power, a living figure that ends up by identifying itself with death†. The element of CHARACTERIZATION Buzzati’s characters are never fully defined as they are given common Italian names. Their lives are filled with repetition, routine and monotony in what he calls â€Å"the absurd human condition† (p117). His characters are â€Å"humble, ordinary and unblessed as they are less important than the realities that determine the course of their lives†

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Psychology class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychology class - Essay Example al health problems are prevalent in modern society, a fact that contrasts the low mental health cases reported in health institutions in traditional society (Shally-Jensen 80). Society is preoccupied with treating mental health conditions, but the low number of medical professionals cannot effectively address this problem. Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with assessing, diagnosing, treating and preventing mental health problems (Shally-Jensen 10). A clinical psychologist improves the psychological well-being of individuals by alleviating and reducing psychological distress. As a professional, I will be training in various techniques and theoretical approaches to be able to work in private practice, hospitals, and academic settings. However, other clinical psychologists focus on treating psychological disorders and may involve treatment of severe mental problems like depression and schizophrenia. Dealing with clients and ensuring positive outcomes requires detailed record keeping, client assessment, therapeutic, and diagnostic records for tracking treatment progress and for insurance and billing (Shally-Jensen 57). Moreover, a clinical psychologist works with a team of other professionals, and I will work alongside occupational therapists, doctors, social workers, nurses, and physiotherapists. Clinical psychologists are increasingly demanded today because of the increasing cases of mental health problems. Consequently, the salary of clinical psychologists is increasing annually because of the low number of clinical psychologists today. However, according to the US Department of Labor in its Occupational Outlook in 2013, employment opportunities in clinical psychology are expected to rise in coming years (Department of Labor Statistics 1). It will influence the demand for professionals because of a rising need for qualified mental health experts. A 2013 report by CNN suggested the median pay for clinical psychologists was 80,000 dollars.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ethical Dilemma Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Dilemma - Research Paper Example Thus Margaret should choose which is the most important thing for her either her gender roe or own personality. The point of any story, including all the stories depicted in films, is in description of human choice, which eventually leads to either good or bad consequences. However, unlike some common conceptualizations of choice that claim that choice deals with picking between good and bad, real choice (a complicated one) is always about choosing between equally either bad or good possible consequence. This means that each really crucial choice is an exclusion of something crucial. Ethical dilemma requires an exclusion of some morally valuable thing in behalf of another, probably more important value. So the two important values that the leading character Margaret Keane should choose between are her identity (personal interests) and social status (her social identity). On the very beginning of the film Margaret is described as an obedient wife and a good decent mother. She lives an ordinary life of an American housewife of 1950es, when women’s rights weren’t so developed and society didn’t take them seriously. Thus she identifies herself with the gender role of a typical woman she is used to playing. She believes that being a good mother is a part of the gender role, which cannot be separated from being a wife and being an obedient woman. So as far as her maternity is an important moral value for her, the only way she believes she can implement it best for her child is by playing the complete gender role parked on her by society. Although Margaret manages to get divorced with her husband who she cannot live with, she realizes that society doesn’t accept a single mother who has no professional skills in anything. She meets a man who seems to be a nice one, however eventually it turns out that he is a fraud who cashes in on sailing her genius artworks under his own name, keeping Margaret in shadow. Thus opposite value Margaret has is

Friday, November 15, 2019

The Value Proposition in Barclays PLC

The Value Proposition in Barclays PLC The organization that is used for this assignment is Barclays PLC; this project is divided into three parts. The first parts aim is to identify and to explain what is the perceived value for the customers, to do this, suitable models of consumer values are going to be used and then the model will be applied to the organization. The second part will critically evaluate the value proposition of the business and then a comparison will be made with that of the leading competitors value proposition. The third part would produce a new value proposition, which will match the value criteria of the existing customers; this will be done by identifying the weaknesses in the existing value proposition. It will also provide us with a plan to implement the value proposition internally and externally. Using suitable models identify the customer perceived value for the customers for a product/division/company of your choice. Customer perceived value, what does this really mean? Customer perceived value, can be regarded as the opinion that a customer has or has formed of a particular product and how it is of value to him. Simply put, the customer perceived value of any product is the consumers overall assessment of the utility or use of a product based on perceptions of what the customer receives and what he is giving to get the desired service or product. This concept can also be explained with the help of the following diagram: Customer perceived value= Perceived Benefits _______________ Perceived Sacrifice Where, Perceived benefits are the attributes of the service being received and the customer perceived quality and price of the product. Perceived sacrifice are the customer costs involved in purchasing, such as time, travel etc. Introduction to the organisation: For the purpose of this assignment, the company that has been selected is BARCLAYS PLC; the following text would give a brief company profile followed by the identification of the customer perceived value for the organisation by the use of the Customer Value Hierarchy Model. Company profile: Barclays is one of the worlds leading financial institutions headquartered at 1 Churchill Place, London. It is a 300 year old corporation that became a major financial services provider that engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, wealth management, investment banking and management services provider for big global equity firms. It has an extensive international presence in Europe, Africa, Asia and off lately has started to expand in the United States market as well. It moves, lends, protects and invests money for than 38 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has two business clusters: Global Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth Management- both compromising world-class business and brands. Before we take a look at the customer perceived value of the Barclays brand, the project would like to discuss the Customer Value Hierarchy Model, and then try to apply them to the customers of Barclays. Customer Value Hierarchy Model: OBJECTIVE LAYER Customers goal and purpose CONSEQUENCE LAYER Desired consequences in use situation ATTRIBUTE LAYER Desired products/services attribute and performances The Customer Value Model consists of three layers, namely the Attribute layer, the Consequence Layer and the Objectives layer. The objective layer includes the ultimate motivations of customers, the consequence layer represents the customer experience desired by the person and finally the attribute layer specifies what actually the needs of the customer are. From the bottom of the customer value hierarchy, customers would always firstly consider the attributes and availability of products. At the second layer, customers begin to make expectations according to the attributes. At the top layer, customers form expectations about the realization of their aim. How do Barclays customers perceive their bank? Thats the question that this assignment would like to answer by giving the objectives, consequences and attributes desired by the customers, followed by a customer review. OBJECTIVES Easy personal banking Safety of the account at all times Saving account options Availability of loans at a good interest rate Online banking to keep a record of their account details at all time Ability to invest Good mortgage options Insurance options Credit card facilities Assistance while travelling CONSEQUENCES Easy accessibility to the account Peace of mind as the customer is aware that the account details are secure and safe More control over their own finances The customer does not require to keep much cash with them at all times because of the debit cards Saving for the rainy day A secure and safe environment Future is taken care off Can start a business with the help of financial banking More purchasing power ATTRIBUTES Pin- sentry device Debit card Online banking facilities which enable the customers to check account balances, make transfers, setup standing orders and direct debits. Chequebooks Barclaycard ISAs Bonds Home insurance Different types of savings accounts Different types of current accounts Overdraft facility E-savings Car insurance Travel services Looking at the above attributes, consequences and objectives list one can identify the value of the brand as perceived by the customer. The brand Barclays is a very widely recognized name and almost every person in the UK is a big fan, of course with some exceptions which are bound to be there, the customers on a general note feel very happy with the huge array of services and products made available by the bank for its customers and are satisfied with the huge network of customer service centres spread all across the world providing 24/7 customer service, also the safe and secure online banking facility provided by Barclays is very user friendly and easy to use, letting the customers always keep a track of their money. So its safe to say that Barclays as a bank not only just for people but also for small businesses and big equity firms is a financial institution of repute and is trusted and respected by the people. PART 2 Critically evaluate the existing value proposition of the product/division/ company you have chosen. Compare and contrast the value proposition with that of the leading competitor in your sector. This part of the project would evaluate the value proposition or the customer value proposition of Barclays and contrast it with the customer value proposition of HSBC. But before we proceed to comparing and contrasting the value propositions of both the brands we first need to understand, what a customer value proposition really is? This is the question this project would answer first and then proceed on to discuss the variations in the value propositions of both the brands. Customer Value Proposition: In the subject of marketing, the customer value proposition is a measure of the sum total of the benefits which a provider offers or promises a potential consumer which he/she will receive in return for the customers payment (or any other value transfer). A customer value proposition is a business or marketing statement that would describe why a customer should make use of the services and products being offered by the organisation. It is targeted towards potential consumers, rather than at other groups such as employees, suppliers or partners. It is a defined statement, which is designed to convince the customers that this particular product will add more value or better solve a problem than the other competitors in the same industry. Why are customer value propositions so important? This question is of utmost importance to any business, because it is only these statements that give the customer an expectation of a desired service, it provides the consumers with a convincing reason to buy the desired good and also helps differentiate the product from the other services provided by the other competitors in the same industry. They help in gaining customers attention and if the customer value proposition is strong, and is able to gain the approval of the customer that helps in building of faster and more profitable sales and in increasing the market share of the organisation. Understanding of the customer needs is very vital as this would ensure the promotion and creation of a successful brand. Types of Customer Value Propositions: All benefits: This is a list compilation of all the benefits of the products and services offered to the customers by the organisation. This approach requires the least market knowledge about customers and competitors and thus does not provide a good base when seen from a marketing perspective. Favourable Points of Difference: This type of value proposition explicitly recognizes the fact that the customer has different alternatives and it then it lays it focus on how to differentiate one product or service from another. A product or service can have several differences, confusing the customer and thus complicating the customers understanding of the product which would offer him more value. Resonating Focus: This approach is used by managers who directly deal with a supplier who fully grasps the critical issue in the product- consumer cycle and who delivers a customer value proposition thats simple yet powerfully captivating. The value proposition offered is superior in the few attributes that are of the most importance to the customers which convey a message to the targeted audience, that here is an organisation which is communicating a sophisticated understanding of the customers business priorities. When talking about the value proposition of a financial institution we have to take into account the current market conditions and then arrive at the capital and funding strategy of the bank which in itself is a sort of value proposition available for the customers to have a look at and, then these consumers can decide for themselves whether they do need to associate themselves with the financial institution. Analysis of value proposition of Barclays: Capital Strategy: Barclays capital management activities will attempt to maximise shareholders value by optimising the level and mix of its capital resources. Barclays ability to operate as a bank is directly dependent upon the maintenance of adequate capital resources. Barclays works according to a centralised capital management model considering regulatory and economic capital. The Groups capital management objectives are to: Maintaining the sufficient capital required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements set by the UK FSA. Maintaining sufficient capital resources which can support the Barclays risk appetite and fulfil the economic capital requirements. Support the banks credit rating Ensure that the locally regulated subsidiaries can meet the minimum capital requirements without having to borrow from other financial firms. Allocation of capital to support the strategic objectives set by Barclays, including optimum returns on economic and regulatory capital. Funding strategy: Barclays will manage the funding position so as to comply with the regulatory requirements decided by the UK FSA .Barclays operates on the model of centralised governance and control processes that covers all of its liquidity risk and management activities. Funding Structure Global Retail, Commercial Banking, Barclays Wealth and the Head Office Functions are to be self-funded through customer deposits and Barclays equity and other long-term capital. The Barclays Capital and Absa businesses will be funded through the wholesale secured and unsecured funding markets. The major currency payment inflows and the payment system collateral are going to be monitored and managed, so it can be ensured that at all the times there is going to be availability of sufficient collateral to make payments. Day to day funding will be managed through putting limits on wholesale and the secured borrowings. This is going to ensure that on any day and over any specified period of time there is only going to be a limited amount of refinancing requirement. In addition to cash flow management, Barclays would monitor the term mismatches between the assets and the liabilities and also the levels and the types of undrawn lending commitments.Additional value propositions specific to a personal customer and not the global market: Personal banking made easy by the debit card that is an internationally valid card which has many advantages like international assistance anytime anywhere, guaranteed transactions etc. Wide range of current accounts available to suit different customer needs.(mobile phone insurance, car breakdown cover etc.) Availability of loans at competitive rates Online facilities giving easy accessibility to customer funds. 24/7 customer service Wide array of savings and investment options Credit card facilities Insurance facilities(home, motor and life insurance) Mortgage facilities(buying, building and renovating of property) To understand the customer value proposition of Barclays and then to contrast it with the value proposition of HSBC, this project is going to use the SWOT analysis which is preceded by the mission statements and the vision statements of both Barclays and HSBC, thus giving us a better idea of what the customer expects from the brand and what are the promises being made by these institutions to potential and existing consumers. Mission Statement: This is a short, formal, written statement of the purpose of the company. It guides the actions of the company, benchmarks its goals, provides a sense of direction and guides in decision making. It provides a framework within which the strategies of the company are formulated. Vision Statement: This can be defined as statement that captures the long term picture of what the organisation wants to become. It gives a broad and an aspirational image of the future that an organisation wants to achieve. It is often inspirational and memorable. Mission Statement of Barclays: To develop deliver the most innovative products, manage customer experience, deliver quality services that contributes to brand strength, establishes a competitive advantage and enhances profitability, thus providing value to the stakeholders of the bank. Vision Statement of Barclays: We have a clear view of where growth will come from over the coming years. While there will be significant growth opportunities in the UK, we see many more internationally. Barclays will become a leading global universal bank. Mission Statement of HSBC: We aspire to be one of the worlds great specialist banking groups, driven by commitment to our core philosophies and values. Vision Statement of HSBC: We envision enabling HSBC to achieve its strategic objectives, driving excellence in our delivery through partnership with our customers and associates. SWOT Analysis of Barclays: Strengths: Extensive network in Europe providing business sustenance. Focus on cost efficiencies which ensure relatively higher profitability. Ability to lend amidst reduced size of the balance sheet. Associated with innovation, Barclays in 1966, brought out the first credit card, most recently the OnePulse card combining Oyster, credit cashless functions for its customers. Opening of several new branches, along with a massive refurbishment programme. Weaknesses: Strained trading income impacting the revenue diversity. Barclays Capital credit market exposures are impacting the financial position and performance. Large bonuses for the Directors have attracted unwanted attention. Expansion plans in the Asian market thwarted, when Barclays lost the deal for ABN Amro in 2006. Opportunities: Barclays wanted to acquire Lehmans assets prior to the collapse but however, after the collapse, they negotiated a better deal with the liquidators which allowed them to be selective in what parts of the business they actually wanted to acquire. The banks strategy was to offer a full plethora of services worldwide, which provided a wide range of cross-selling opportunities. Asia is still an opportunity for business expansion, and thus operations are going to be set up at various locations. Welfare provision has been decreased in many countries because of the subsequent cost to governments, and  Barclays  considers self-provision as an increasing fad that it can use. Positive outlook for buy to let market may bring business volumes. Buoyant secured personal loans market in the UK could help the business. Threats: Bleak outlook for the UK economy. Regulatory fines can compress margins and financial position. Increase in online fraud. Barclays  is accused of loss-making investments which are associated with the sub-prime market from the accounts to those of other investors, and there could be legal risk. Though it offers a wide range of services, there is a threat that customers may go to suppliers who can present a more specialised approach. Barclays has been closing branches left right and centre, and the competitors have positioned themselves as more consumer-friendly by adopting a strategy of keeping the branches open. The Asia expansion is risky given that  Barclays group  are not in a strong position than the banking industry leaders when it comes to capitalisation, and this can detract investors. SWOT Analysis of HSBC: Strengths: The bank is well capitalised which enables it to perform well in comparison with other banks in the recent economic conditions. Going forward, the bank is unlikely to borrow from the UK government because of the huge market capitalization; this enables it to retain more autonomy. HSBC has a strong presence in emerging markets, which places it in a good position allowing it to take advantage of future growth in those economies. HSBCs global presence in Asia, South America and Europe spreads the risk and offers significant economies of scale. Rebranding relatively recently (1999), the HSBC bank has become well-established and is considered of great value within the industry circles. Weaknesses: HSBC strongly believes in investing in the small business sector, but the current economic downturn has led to increase in risk, which could potentially compromise the activity levels in the area of its operation. HSBCs involvement with sub-prime markets in the US has forced it to write off large sum of figures lent to high-risk borrowers. Despite cuts in the UK interest rate, HSBC has been increasing its mortgage rates. This can be perceived negatively by the borrowers and potential borrowers, which may add pressure to a depressed housing market and can ultimately lead to more defaulting as borrowers would struggle with higher repayments. A redundancy programme which was announced recently can affect morale among staff, leading to decreased productivity and loyalty. HSBCs branding emphasises the global presence of the bank, and this may be seen as negative thing by some consumers due to the implication of homogenisation and the lack of personalisation. Opportunities: HSBCs high levels of market capitalisation place the bank, in a strong position which helps it to acquire assets. Banks which find the trading conditions particularly difficult at present could be available at low costs. HSBC has adequate capital which it uses to purchase strong local banks such as Bank Ekonomi in Indonesia, in which it has purchased a stake to continue the Asian expansion despite challenging economic times. HSBCs strong position presents the opportunity to outperform other banking competitors during the economic downturn which allows it to build a reputation of being one of the safe banks for depositors which further helps to increase resources for lending. Negative press coverage of competitors such as HBOS may encourage customers to choose HSBC instead. Threats: Decreased trust in the financial system overall, including HSBC due to financial losses suffered by investors may be a reason for them to invest elsewhere. Financial losses which have affected the banking industry and the sole investors on the global scale has resulted in less amount of credit being available for customers. In the UK this coupled with increases in living cost has resulted in less money being saved. The slump property market is leading to a rise in the numbers of homeowners with negative equity. If a propertys worth is less than what it was borrowed to finance its purchase, then there is going to be less likelihood that the bank will recoup all the losses if owners default. Claims have been made against HSBC, about the bank understating its losses resulting from the US sub-prime markets, and this has led to undermining confidence in the bank by the customers. CONCLUSION: Barclays is currently taking a  conservative approach due to the recession. However, the downturn has provided the bank with many opportunities for consolidation. Also, with the BRIC and East Asian markets rebounding fast this region looks to be a source of potential revenues and provides opportunities for increasing operations. With the United Kingdom and the Americas looking at a slow and prolonged phase of recovery, Barclays will need to adopt a policy of looking east when it comes to operations. The threats and problems being faced by Barclays will be because of the sustained economic situation being experienced in the United Kingdom, America and Europe which leads to uncertainty within the retail consumer market and could result in shortage of availability of credit. This in turn makes it even more important for Barclays to drive the overall corporate profitability margin by seeking to offset the shortfalls in the UK domestic market by making advances in the emerging markets. All the companies, like Barclays, are forced to re-examine the retail aspects of their operations which are seeking to remain competitive on the high street and also to make cuts wherever necessary. In the current financial climate, banks are not ready to finance each other and with the UK market on the verge of a projected severe recession, all of the retailing factors will influence Barclays competitiveness and it would depend largely on how the Bank of England and the Treasury would regenerate and r einforce the weak confidence in the stock markets. HSBC will concentrate on the strategic and prioritized areas of its worldwide operation with the further emphasis on HR management strategies and technologically-advanced applications within the group to keep a firm lead in the financial markets. HSBCs conservative approach to banking, staying focused on keeping its capital base strong and liquid balance sheet have prevented its failure. Executing the HSBCs strategy emphasizes on improving the intra-group linkages by joining up the businesses and functions so as to effectively create additional value. The HSBC brand is going to be leveraged to reach new customers and add more services to the existing ones. Efficiency will also be enhanced by taking the full advantage of the local, the regional and global economies. Appropriate objectives and new incentives will be adopted so as to encourage employees to be fully engaged in delivering the strategy. PART 3 In light of your analysis of your existing value proposition and what you have learnt in this module produce, a new value proposition that will match the value criteria of your customers, and a plan to implement the value proposition externally and internally http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/pix/spacer.gif To create a new value proposition that would be acceptable to the customers of Barclays, all the weaknesses that the current business structure has would have to be removed and a new and better business plan would have to be drafted by identifying the opportunities and removing the weaknesses. A New Value Proposition: The trading income should be relaxed so that it does not impact the revenue diversity. Capital bonuses should be distributed in accordance with the FSA and the bad practice of the directors receiving huge bonuses should be curtailed. Barclays should provide the consumers with a full portfolio of services worldwide, rather than just concentrating in the UK, this move could enable cross-selling opportunities. Barclays should look towards expanding in the worlds booming economies like India, China, Indonesia etc. so that these economies could provide Barclays with the market opportunities it is looking for, thus increasing the market capitalization. This project would propose that Barclays should have an aggressive expansion policy in the Asian market. Barclays needs to invest in buy to let market, which would in turn bring business volumes. Due to the economic crisis in the markets, Barclays needs to cut down its interest rates and mortgage rates, so as to become a peoples bank and thus raising the brand image. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: To implement the new value proposition described above the project, will identify the key relationship-marketing issue, followed by refocusing of marketing effort: moving activities away from a marketing mix that creates a series of one-off transactions, to manage a complex network of relationships involved with the production of the whole consumer offering. T Marketing audit will be carried out so as to map out a plan that will be of most advantage to the customers and will be conducted in stages, namely at the beginning, the middle and at the end. Marketing analysis in terms of the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. A review must be undertaken to understand the new value propositions outlined above in the light of internal marketing. A new strategy development process concentrating on differentiation, cost leadership and adequate response systems would have to be created. Action programmes would have to be designed by managers so as to determine the most appropriate course to take in tackling the weakness of the organisation, with a determination of the likely costs which would be incurred. The implementation plan would have to be monitored and controlled by keeping a track of staff performance, evaluation and appraisal schemes. To ensure effective, appropriate and accurate results, basis for market segmentation would have to be identified, based on extensive market research. Marketing orientation is going to be very important, the new value propositions must be made clear to all the employees and clearly defined individual goals should be set down to enable the employees to see their own contribution in achieving the organisations objectives. Externally implementing the plan is going to be very important, and can be done by the use of media, electronic, print and sponsorships. The new value propositions can be made available in the form of television advertisements, available for all the people to see. The Barclays website can act as a powerful medium on which the new value propositions can be put up and made available. It should be designed in an effective and detailed manner so that the customers are aware about all the new services available to them. Print media is another powerful form by which the new policies can be made available for the masses. Barclays is a big sponsor for many big international events and meets and can use that as an active platform to educate the consumers about the new change in the policy structure.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

A Canticle for Leibowitz and Starship Troopers: The Movie Essay

A Canticle for Leibowitz and Starship Troopers: The Movie In this paper I intend to explore the attitudes toward the value of individual life vs. the value of a community as a whole expressed in A Canticle for Leibowitz and Starship Troopers: the Movie by analyzing their treatment of information control, euthanasia, and the idea of obtaining happiness through a sense of purpose. Starship Troopers may be a satire of a fascist state or an apology for fascist ideology or neither (I don’t pretend to know which). In any case, it is a depiction of a possible state of affairs that could theoretically arise out of a futuristic fascist regime. The ideology advocated by this state, and for the most part by its subjects, is one that treats the state as something greater than the sum of its parts, as a benevolent machine that will take care of the people as long as the people are willing to sacrifice as much of themselves as necessary to keep it oiled. A Canticle for Leibowitz, at least from the perspective of the monks (again, this is not necessarily that of the author), takes a much more individual approach to pursuing the common good. In other words, it treats the community, or species, as exactly the sum of its parts; people are encouraged to further the common good by furthering their own good. Progress is a result of individual motivation rather than of a m andate of the state. One way the difference between these two ideologies manifests itself is in the treatment of the control of information. In Starship Troopers, since everything is controlled by the government, so are all channels of information. In the movie, we see an unidentified hand (presumably that of the common citizen) happily clicking on the government-controlled... ...ach relies on a different method of human motivation. Starship Troopers relies on an individual’s submission to the rule of the state and willingness to forget about himself in terms of his own psyche in favor of a collective identity. A Canticle for Leibowitz supposes that people are best motivated as individuals; that is, allowing people to act and exist as individuals increases their investment and interest in their own survival, which in turn increases that of the survival of the species. It also supposes that individuals can be trusted as such, without a controlling system. Maybe this difference is why we are so upset when the first main character in A Canticle for Leibowitz dies (after we spend about a hundred and seven pages becoming attached to him), but the characters in Starship Troopers are so flat and predictable that we really don’t care when they die. A Canticle for Leibowitz and Starship Troopers: The Movie Essay A Canticle for Leibowitz and Starship Troopers: The Movie In this paper I intend to explore the attitudes toward the value of individual life vs. the value of a community as a whole expressed in A Canticle for Leibowitz and Starship Troopers: the Movie by analyzing their treatment of information control, euthanasia, and the idea of obtaining happiness through a sense of purpose. Starship Troopers may be a satire of a fascist state or an apology for fascist ideology or neither (I don’t pretend to know which). In any case, it is a depiction of a possible state of affairs that could theoretically arise out of a futuristic fascist regime. The ideology advocated by this state, and for the most part by its subjects, is one that treats the state as something greater than the sum of its parts, as a benevolent machine that will take care of the people as long as the people are willing to sacrifice as much of themselves as necessary to keep it oiled. A Canticle for Leibowitz, at least from the perspective of the monks (again, this is not necessarily that of the author), takes a much more individual approach to pursuing the common good. In other words, it treats the community, or species, as exactly the sum of its parts; people are encouraged to further the common good by furthering their own good. Progress is a result of individual motivation rather than of a m andate of the state. One way the difference between these two ideologies manifests itself is in the treatment of the control of information. In Starship Troopers, since everything is controlled by the government, so are all channels of information. In the movie, we see an unidentified hand (presumably that of the common citizen) happily clicking on the government-controlled... ...ach relies on a different method of human motivation. Starship Troopers relies on an individual’s submission to the rule of the state and willingness to forget about himself in terms of his own psyche in favor of a collective identity. A Canticle for Leibowitz supposes that people are best motivated as individuals; that is, allowing people to act and exist as individuals increases their investment and interest in their own survival, which in turn increases that of the survival of the species. It also supposes that individuals can be trusted as such, without a controlling system. Maybe this difference is why we are so upset when the first main character in A Canticle for Leibowitz dies (after we spend about a hundred and seven pages becoming attached to him), but the characters in Starship Troopers are so flat and predictable that we really don’t care when they die.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Shareholders Rights

Requirements for Valid Action at a Shareholder Meeting * Read statute, bylaws and articles * 1. Authority for the meeting * 2. Proper notice (or waiver of notice) * 3. Quorum * 4. Required number of votes cast in favor 1. Authority for Meeting * The meeting must be authorized * Look to statute and bylaws for authorization * Annual meetings MBCA  §7. 01 * Special meetings MBCA  § 7. 02 * Court ordered meetings MBCA  § 7. 03 * Who may call a special shareholders meeting? 2. Proper Notice * See MBCA  § 7. 05; Del.  § 222 * a) Must the meeting notice state the purpose of the meeting? Annual meeting MBCA  § 7. 05(b) * Special meeting MBCA  § 7. 05(c) * NOTE: A number of provisions in the applicable corporation statute will contain special notice provisions. See, e. g. , MBCA  §10. 03(d) * b) Who is entitled to notice? * generally only shareholders entitled to vote MBCA  § 7. 05(a) * only shareholders on record date MBCA  § 7. 07; Del.  § 213 * Note: In some cases sha reholder who are not entitled to vote are entitled to notice. See, e. g. , MBCA  §Ã‚ § 10. 03(d) & 11. 04(d). * c) What about electronic notice? * See MBCA  § 1. 1(c); Del.  § 232 * d) Can notice be waived? * Notice (or a defect in a notice) may be waived expressly or by participation in the meeting. See MBCA  § 7. 06; Del.  § 229 * e) What notice is required in the case of an adjourned meeting? * See MBCA  § 7. 05(e) 3. Quorum Requirement * See MBCA  § 7. 25(a); Del.  § 216 * a) Can a greater or lesser quorum be authorized? * See MBCA  § 7. 27. The articles of incorporation may provide for a greater than majority quorum * See MBCA  § 7. 25 Official Comment 5 (lesser quorum) * Compare Del. 216, which also permits the bylaws to vary the quorum requirement * Why would a corporation permit a lower than majority quorum? * b) Can shareholder, by withdrawing from a meeting, break a quorum? * See MBCA  § 7. 25(b) (no) * Not all corporation statutes (e. g. , Del. ) add ress this issue * There is some case law contra to the position adopted by the MBCA 4. Required Number of Votes * Traditionally the required number of votes is a majority of those present in person or by proxy. See Del.  § 216 * The Revised Model Act takes a different approach. See MBCA  § 7. 5(c) * What is the difference between the Del. approach and the MBCA approach? * What about elections of directors? * The trend is to merely require a plurality of votes cast. See MBCA  § 7. 28(a) and Del.  § 216 * What is cumulative voting for directors? How does it compare with straight voting for directors? * See MBCA  § 7. 28(c); Del.  § 214 * What are the advantages of cumulative voting? * What are the possible disadvantages of cumulative voting? * Only a small minority of states require cumulative voting * Of those that permit cumulative voting, most (including the MBCA and Del. are â€Å"opt in† statutes * Why does the MBCA require notice before cumulative voting is pe rmitted? * How valuable is cumulative voting? * a) Can the amount of votes required for shareholder action be increased? * See MBCA  § 7. 27 and Del.  § 216 * Del. allows supermajority voting requirements to be placed either in the certificate or bylaws * b) Some types of shareholder action have special voting requirements * Some types of action require a majority of the votes entitled to be cast. See, e. g. , MBCA  § 10. 03(e) * Non-voting shareholders may have statutory right to vote on some things.See Del.  § 351 * IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THE STATUTE What about meeting minutes? * Is a meeting valid without minutes? Supermajority Quorum or Voting Provisions * The ability to raise quorum and vote requirements provides a tool that may be used to protect minority shareholders * Use of this tool increases possibility of shareholder deadlock * Is deadlock necessarily bad? Determining Who is Entitled to Vote * How does a corporation determine who is entitled to vote (and to noti ce)? * See MBCA  § 7. 07 * What about beneficial owners? * See MBCA  § 1. 40(22) and Del. 219(c) * See also MBCA  § 7. 23. There is no equivalent Del. provision Proxy Appointments * Does a shareholder have to be present in order to vote? * See MBCA  § 7. 22 and Del.  § 212 * Why is a proxy appointment generally only valid for a limited period of time? * MBCA (11 months); Del. (3 years) * When is a proxy appointment revocable? * Generally this is a question of agency law * The MBCA has a detailed provision on revocability * A number of problems can arise from the use of proxies. One is that of conflicting proxies * Is an e-mail, telegraphic or facsimile proxy valid? See MBCA  § 7. 22(b); Del.  § 212(c) & (d) * While the typical corporation statute does not impose significant requirements as to the form of a proxy, the SEC proxy rules do impose requirements for publicly held corporations * See SEC Rule 14a-4, suppl. p. 1671 Conduct of the Meeting * The Revised Model Act now includes some rules governing the conduct of a shareholder meeting. * See MBCA  § 7. 08 * There is no comparable Del. provision * The bylaws of a Del. corporation may include provisions similar to the rules in the MBCA. Cf. sample bylaws, suppl. . 1117 Election Inspectors * The Revised Model Act and the Del. Act require some corporations to have election inspectors and set out the duties of such inspectors * See MBCA  § 7. 29. See also Del.  § 231 * In other corporations, the bylaws may provide for election inspectors Action by Written Consent Without a Meeting * Do you have to have a shareholder meeting? * Action may be taken by signed written consent without a meeting * See MBCA  § 7. 04 and Del.  § 228 * Notice may be required to nonvoting shareholders or, in Del. to non-consenting shareholders * Read the applicable statute! * Can the written consent procedure be used in publicly held corporations? * Why or why not? * Can a written consent be revoked? * See MBCA  § 7. 04(b) Welcome to the 21st Century To what extent may electronic forms of communication or participation be used? * Can notice be given electronically? MBCA  § 1. 41(c); Del.  § 232 * Can a person participate in a meeting without being there? Del.  § 211(a); MBCA  § 7. 09. * Can a meeting occur completely in cyberspace? Del.  § 211(a)

Friday, November 8, 2019

6 top apps for teachers in 2018

6 top apps for teachers in 2018 Fact of life: teachers are busy, both in the classroom and outside of it. Apps can be a godsend to help keep organized and improve the classroom experience for students. But there are so many apps out there- which ones are tops for teachers and can help streamline their lives inside and outside of the classroom? Let’s look at some of the best apps for educators for 2018, designed to help these busy professionals keep their days (and their classrooms) organized.TeacherkitTeacherkit is special-made for teachers, and used by more than 1 million people around the world. It can log student attendance, keep notes on individual students, record grades, and generate reports for students and parents, among other tasks. This is an app that can be used by teachers at all levels: K-12, college, and beyond.Available on: iOS, AndroidCost: Free, though you can upgrade to a premium version of the appClassDojoClassDojo helps teachers enhance the classroom experience by taking a multimedia appr oach to setting up student groups, maintaining real-time classroom data, generating creative classroom project ideas and activities, playing music or videos in the classroom, and sharing data with parents or colleagues so they can see what’s going on day-to-day.Available on: iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, any computerCost: FreeRemindTired of giving the same reminders and announcements over and over, or sending out emails that you know are never read? Billing itself as â€Å"the end of unread emails and handouts,† Remind eases teacher communication by sending out reminders and messages to targeted groups. You can be sure the people who need to get messages are receiving them and schedule reminders that go out as automated messages. Remind is great for use with students and parents, as well as colleagues and administration.Available on: iOS and AndroidCost: FreeEdmodoIf you’re looking for a way to build your classroom community (engaging parents and families, keeping students involved in their progress), then Edmodo could be the communication app for you.Available on: iOS and AndroidCost: FreeToo NoisyIs â€Å"indoor voice, please† part of your daily repertoire? Too Noisy is a bit counterintuitive- it uses chaos to combat noise. As the classroom gets louder, the app has custom tracking that displays changing graphics and alarms that tell students things are getting too loud. Students learn what â€Å"normal† sounds like, and the teacher can set whatever trigger levels he or she wants.Available on: iOS and AndroidCost: $3.99AnimotoIf your classroom presentations could use a little jazzing up (and really, whose couldn’t?) Animoto gives teachers fun templates for slide shows, as well as access to a large database of music and videos that can be exported for presentations, emails, or other digital documents.Available on: iOS and AndroidCost: FreeIf your goals for the year include a more organized classroom or more fun ways to en gage your students and the school community, any of these options will help you hit those with digital style.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Imperialism in the United States essays

Imperialism in the United States essays As Americans, it is our destiny to expand the size of our nation. Now, at the turn of the century, the United States needs to expand to support our growing county. Here is our chance to join the European imperialist powers in Europe and establish colonies overseas, such as the Hawaiian Islands. Imperialism is a global trend and if we, as a nation, want to fit in with the superpowers like England and Germany we must extend our economic, political, and military powers over weaker territories. Advances in technology are enabling Americans to produce far more than Americans alone can consume. However, the United States is in dire need of materials for our factories. As an imperialist, the solution to the American economic crisis is foreign trade. If we can trade our overproduced products for the raw materials that we need to keep our factories up and running, then the United States will be economically sound for years to come. As long as we export more than we import, our glorious country will be a leading economic power. Another reason for American imperialism is our desire for military strength. Because many of the countries around the world are establishing military presence in areas other than their home countries, I feel that it would be wise for the United States to build up our own military strength before foreign superpowers can take advantage of us. We need a strong navy to defend our shipping lanes during peacetime to ensure American economic growth. We also need a strong navy to protect our country in times of war. In the event of a war, the United States must be prepared to defend everything that we have worked so hard to achieve. With a strong navy and a canal in Panama, the United States would be the strongest country in the Western Hemisphere because we could easily trade with Europe and Asia. Along with ships to protect shipping lanes, the United States should have strategically placed naval bases in...

Sunday, November 3, 2019

History of the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of the USA - Essay Example The search discusses the four types of American ethnic relations levels. Fulfilling the promise to make all men equal is trending on the correct road towards realization. Jefferson’s making a promise in his Declaration of Independence. In 1776, President Thomas Jefferson uses the philosophical teachings of John Locke as the foundation for his declaration of independence where President Jefferson promised to exert efforts to make all men equal. However, the makers of the United States Constitution preferred that only the White Americans who owned lands could vote (Ciment 1). On the other hand, President Jefferson emphasized that the people must be granted their inalienable rights. The rights include the right to live, liberty, and right to seek one’s happiness. Further, John Locke’s Two Treatise on Government, published in 1690, reiterated that the people had the inalienable (natural) rights to property, liberty, as well as life. Consequently, John Locke insisted that the government must do its best to protect the people’s rights from being abused. However, President Jefferson replaced John Locke’s property right to happiness right. The declaration of independence mentioned that the King George III Britain government had deprived the people their rights, triggering a fight for independence from Britain (Bardes 35). However, the conservatives of American society limited and modified the political system. Jefferson’s differential political government emphasized that the majority of the Americans will not enter the political picture. The conservatives only allowed the wealthy and the educated elite members of society to engage in political decisions and other government exercises (Garry 54). Further, Alexei reiterated that the local American Indian Art culture was slowly being overrun by the imposed White American colonizer’s imported art culture. The Indians were forced to incorporate the White American’s art culture into the American Indian’s local art culture. The Western style paintings triggered the death of the local art forms (Dawn 256). Furthermore, the leader of the women’s group, Stanton, copied the President Jefferson’s declaration of Independence as basis for drawing up the women group’s demands to exercise the right to vote and gender equality. The women called the document, Declaration of Sentiments. The voting process during Stanton’s time only allowed the male citizens to vote. Five women spearheaded the signing and advertisement of the women group’s declaration in the July 14, 1848 issue of the Seneca Newspaper. The five women held the women’s July 19 and July 20 convention. The convention focused on forcing the government to allow the women population to vote (Burgan45). George Frederickson’s Ethnic Relations In terms of ethic relations, George Frederickson (638) insists that the best model of American ethnic relat ions is cultural pluralism model. The model accepts the cultural diversity of the different races. For example, the United States court stated (Meyer vs. Nebraska [262 U.S. 390]) that the German Community can use the German bible in their elementary school (Norgren & Nanda 68). The model allows the individuals to freely build and rebuild their own diverse cultures (Loury, Modood, & Teles 133). On the other hand, the assimilation model indicates the non-whites are forced to accept and implement the culture of the White Americans (Frederickson 635). Under the One Way Assimilation model, the ethnic groups are required to conform or follow the cultural acts and non-acts of the White Americans. Consequently, the model dictates that the non-White Americans’ cultures are inferior to the White Americans’ culture. Consequently, the

Friday, November 1, 2019

Managing Organisational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Organisational Change - Essay Example So the above stated lines are indicating one more interesting technique to reach Organisational goals, that is changing the people's attitude, their way of working, and behaviour towards work so that Organisation can reach its objectives through change which is probably the only way for it to reach its goals as modernisation automatically changes the surroundings, behaviours of buyers, the variety of competition and so on. Globalisation is a recent word suggesting that there is a new cohesion in markets worldwide, which may imply that it is likely that change cannot be resisted or that the traditional local markets cannot be sheltered from the impact of such general change. Such claims might seem to have a surface validity. However, it is difficult to identify exactly how this interplay of forces is materially different from influences that have reinforced change in the past. An in-depth analysis of the change management, as in terms what is causing the change, would be conducted foc using on the Brazilian based manufacturing firm, Semco. External Change Drivers The business does not get changed itself, nor does it require it self to change without any need as the profitability (growth) or survival is the core objective of any business, but when it comes to change, only external factors make an organisation or business change primarily, afterwards the firm changes itself may be in internal manners. The External change drivers that can be seen commonly in this modern world or from the time the changes took place include Mega Environment1, it further includes Technological Element, in which the modern technology that is used outside the firm, perhaps around the world and by the competitors, tends to change the Organisation, the failure to use such technology can result in loss of values, customers, and most importantly long-term profits. Semco acquired new plants, came up with innovation in their manufacturing techniques through R&D and so it reduced the rejection rate, it further downsized the company by eliminating 23% of employees through attrition and incentive programs, the company had to do all this otherwise it would not have been able to cope with the external changes. The next external change is brought by Economic Element, of course the change in the country's wealth distribution, it's financial debt and the inflation can create unbalance in an Organisation or any busin ess, such as the decrease in the price of a certain commodity or product can have some negative impact on the firms profitability, specially if the country in which the Organisation is operated is a socialist economy in which the government owns a lot than the individuals, the importance of economic element is obvious from the fact that in1980 when Semco was seeking help from various banks and foreign companies, many of the institutions refused it because of the economic status of Brazil and further the Semco's poor