Monday, September 30, 2019
ââ¬ÅI Wandered Lonely as a Cloudââ¬Â by William Wordsworth Essay
For my second test I choose the poem ââ¬Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloudâ⬠by William Wordsworth because I like the imagery in it of the dancing daffodils. After reading the poem many times I had realized that most of this imagery is produced by the many metaphors and similes. In the first line, Wordsworth says ââ¬Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud.â⬠This is a simile comparing the wondering of a man to a cloud drifting through the sky. I think that the wandering cloud is lonely because there is nothing else that high in the sky besides it. It can pass by unnoticed, touching nothing. Also, the image of a cloud brings to mind a carefree sort of wandering. The cloud is not bound by any barriers and can go wherever the impulse of the wind might take it. The next line of poem says ââ¬Å"I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils.â⬠Here Wordsworth is using a metaphor to compare the daffodils to a crowd of people and a host of angels. The word crowd brings to mind an image of the daffodils grouped together and being amongst one another. The word host makes them seem like their golden petals are shimmering like golden halos on angels. It is interesting to note that daffodils do have a circular rim of petals in the middle that could look like a halo. Later in the poem Wordsworth uses another simile, saying the dancing of daffodils in the wind is ââ¬Å"continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the Milky Way.â⬠This line creates the image of the wind blowing the tops of random daffodils up and down in a haphazard matter, so they appear to twinkle momentarily as their faces catch the sun. This goes along with the next metaphor of the daffodils ââ¬Å"tossing their heads in sprightly dance.â⬠It is also interesting how the first image of the wandering cloud contrasts sharply with the second image of the dancing daffodils. The cloud drifts in solitude slowly and placidly across the sky, whereas the daffodils hurry to and from in a lively way. This contrast seems to show that looking at the daffodils made the author feel better than he did before and that they in fact helped cheered him up. This idea is supported by the last line of poem, where he says his heart ââ¬Å"with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodilsâ⬠suggesting thatââ¬â¢s how he feels whenever he thinks of the daffodils. The speaker says that, wandering like a cloud floating above hills and valleys, he encountered a field of daffodils beside a lake. The dancing, fluttering flowers stretched endlessly along the shore, and though the waves of the lake danced beside the flowers, the daffodils outdid the water in glee. The speaker says that a poet could not help but be happy in such a joyful company of flowers. He says that he stared and stared, but did not realize what wealth the scene would bring him. For now, whenever he feels ââ¬Å"vacantâ⬠the memory flashes upon ââ¬Å"that inward eye. That is the bliss of loneliness,â⬠and his heart fills with pleasure, ââ¬Å"and dances with the daffodils.â⬠This simple poem revisits the familiar subjects of nature and memory, this time with a particularly musical expressiveness. The plot is extremely simple, that shows the poetââ¬â¢s wandering and his discovery of a field of daffodils by a lake, the memory of which pleases him and comforts him when he is lonely, bored, or restless. The speaker is metaphorically compared to a natural object, a cloud and the daffodils are continually personified as human beings, dancing and ââ¬Å"tossing their headsâ⬠in ââ¬Å"a crowd.â⬠The four six-line stanzas of this poem follow a quatrain couplet rhyme scheme ABABCC. Each line is metered in iambic tetrameter. This poem had great use of imagery which correlated and was shown by using similes and metaphors. The imagery Wordsworth uses is very influential, and made me feel as though I to was there to see the breathtaking sight of the daffodils. In conclusion I really liked this poem. The poems we had read before were not this rhythmic and pleasant to the ear. This poem sounded to me like a song. Overall this poem is very peaceful and gives off a feeling of tranquility. It is about a man confronting external nature and how with his imagination it can fulfill him. His creativity seems to be encouraged by the nature around him. I believe that the main theme of this poem was nature and the tone used was serious. The occasion was him remembering the sight of nature the daffodils and the ââ¬Å"lonely cloud.â⬠He is in a way showing us how he likes to reflect on nature and use it as an inspiration.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Education â⬠Want Essay
We could say that an educated person is like a piece of artwork, it is open to the interpretation of the viewer. Just like every art work critique has their own opinion about an artwork, everyone has their own different interpretations of what an educated person is. One thing is clear though, in order to be a successful person in life, you do not need money, as well as in order to be an educated person, you do not need a college diploma. What you are willing to give up in order to become your best person depends on how much you truly want to accomplish that goal. Not everyone knows right away what they have a passion for. One has to explore new activities and only then will they be able to decide for themselves. Everyone expresses their opinion, and in my thought an educated person is the willing to put in time like Gladwell explains, claims their learning rights like Rich exercises, applies critical thinking and reasoning to work towards a success like Wagner emphasizes and lastly does not fall victim to adversity like my father focuses attention on. An educated person should always be willing to put in time. This means that they are willing to give up what they want now, for what they want most. For example, in Gladwell, Schoenfeld the math professor experimented with a young girl Renee, which took her approximately twenty-two minutes to figure the slope of a vertical line. ââ¬Å"This is eight-grade mathematicsâ⬠¦ If I put the average eighth grader in the same position as Renee, Iââ¬â¢m guessing that after the first few attempts, they would have said, ââ¬ËI donââ¬â¢t get it. I need you to explain it. ââ¬â¢ (Gladwell 2008, pp. 245). â⬠What Schoenfeld proved with this experiment was the willingness of Renee to continue the math problem. Of course, compared to the eighth grader, Renee had more self-discipline and wanted to continue on going until she was able to solve it. An educated person should be willing to put in time and work towards their goal. It will not be easy or given to the person, there is a lot of time and energy put to having what one wants. Another idea Gladwell explains is the amount of time one is willing to put in and how that makes one an expert. ââ¬Å"Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: 10,000 hoursâ⬠(Gladwell 2008, pp. 40). Gladwellââ¬â¢s idea of hard work and dedication to whatever it is that you want to become an expert at takes at least 10,000 hours. I agree with him, but only to a certain point. It is true that in order to become someone well knowledgeable on a certain activity or topic one must practice and put in time. I do not necessarily agree that 10,000 hours should be the exact number for ââ¬Å"true expertiseâ⬠as Gladwell calls it, but it definitely should not be a few hours. For example, ideally doctors should be one of the most specialized fields. They are ones performing their knowledge on people and I honestly would not want a doctor that has gotten a few hours of practice to do anything to me, because there is more of a chance that they are not as experienced as someone else that has been working for decades as a doctor. An educated person should be willing to put in time to practice which is what makes someone good at their specialization. Richââ¬â¢s idea of ââ¬Å"claiming an educationâ⬠also applies within our pursuit to defining an educated person. Rich explains that a student should not think about education as ââ¬Å"receiving itâ⬠, but to be thought of as ââ¬Å"claiming itâ⬠(Rich 1979 pp. 365). Rich explains that claiming an education is taking as if one were the owner. I agree with Rich, students should have the mentality of taking the education being given to them. There is a difference between claiming what is rightfully yours, and taking what if rightfully yours. One difference is that when you claim something, you are putting in effort to learning what is being taught. For example, a student that goes to class and learns whatever the lesson was for that day, would in my terms be called receiving. On the other hand, if that same student were to go to the instructorââ¬â¢s office hours and basically use the resources that there are around campus, that would be claiming. The mere difference of going one step above the other makes the difference between the two. Rich also backs this idea of claiming, with the simple act of participating in class, becoming more engaged in class and the teacherââ¬â¢s professional life. This idea of claiming an education is not limited to those in school, because not every educated person goes to college, or needs a college degree. It is helpful in order to have something to fall back upon. One way we can connect the idea of claiming an education without going to school, could be my fatherââ¬â¢s story. His decision of dropping out of high school did not stop him from doing what he wanted to do. He claimed his rights to learning about how to create his own company and becoming a successful entrepreneur, without having a business college degree. Claiming your rights as a human being over all is what counts. Anyone should be able to express their passion for something. In my fatherââ¬â¢s case, he first started by working at a small local shop as a cashier, but he found himself not doing what he loved, ââ¬Å"I loved helping people, make their houses bigger or just fixing their house up for them. â⬠(Gomez 2014). My father eventually stopped receiving, and started claiming. An educated person is one who does not receive, but one that claims and demands their ability to practice their passion. Give a child a list of three words with a definition to each, allow them to memorize it and few minutes later, they can regurgitate it back to you. As an education major, it is easy to go a whole year teaching children a certain vocabulary words, or teaching them how to solve a math problem, but explaining why the answer is the answer, is a lot more difficult. Wagner explains that many students lack ââ¬Å"intellectual challengesâ⬠(Wagner 2008, pp. xxv). A class lacking intellectual challenge for students can cause a downfall in the future. Providing students with more rigorous work and questioning their solutions, prevents them from finding lessons uninteresting and eventually leading them to want to drop the course, or worse yet, want to drop out of school. For example in history class, one has to remember specific dates, but also know why several of these specific events happened or what lead to it. I was one of them. Rarely do students remember what lead to wars, or life historically changing events, like the great depression because they are just taught either to memorize the dates or they find it easier to only remember the dates and names of important historical figures. The same concept can be applied to mathematics, where one has to know how to solve the problem, but does not always know why a certain formula was used or why it only works with that certain problem. According to Wagner, knowing the answer is not sufficient, one must know and be able to critically think about the end result. Therefore, an educated person should be willing to not only claim their education, but also be able to apply more critical thinking and reasoning. Which by later exercising that through practicing and preparing, one can accomplish their goals. Lastly, I interviewed my father, because he is the first man I have ever admired. He was able to successfully carry out a career that he did not go to college for. Matter of fact, he never went to college, and only completed a few years of high school. Through my interview with him, he allowed me to truly appreciate and admire him a lot more. One main adversity he got through was coming in to the United States, he believes that without coming to the United States his success would not have been possible. ââ¬Å"Coming from a huge family, having 8 brothers and 7 sisters you did not always get what you wantedâ⬠(Gomez 2014). My father further explained that he was always having to share his things and he never had the opportunities that I have today. ââ¬Å"I had to run a whole mile in order to get to class, there were no buses, because we lived in the country, and I had to run to the city every morning to get to schoolâ⬠(Gomez 2014). My father continues with his story, ââ¬Å"every morning we all had to do chores, mine were taking care of the farm animals. I would milk the cows every morning and since I had to do my morning chores before school, sometimes I ran late and I had to go to school smelling like farm animals and sweatâ⬠(Gomez 2014). The dedication put into working back then is not the same today. For everything there is always an excuse made up. I myself have made many excuses, but it takes an educated person to not make excuses. He could have easily said I am not walking a mile to go to school, but he was determined. My father did not drop out of school because he was failing his classes. At age 18 he became an innocent victim in a shooting, in which he was shot in the stomach and had missed a big portion of his senior year. He was months away from graduating, but he never was able to complete his missed classes due to the lack of support from his teachers, he explained. He after started his own family and came to the United States when I was born. ââ¬Å"You are the luckiest one of everyone in the familyâ⬠he told me, ââ¬Å"your sisters do not have the opportunity that you have and an educated person is one who can make the best situation out of a tough oneâ⬠(Gomez 2014). Without doubt, my father was able to create a self-made company. He was the only one of his 15 siblings to become an entrepreneur, and today in my eyes he is the most successful. An educated person would ideally be my own father, who was willing to put in time to learn about his passion, claim his rights as a United States resident and created his own business, and lastly he did fall victim to adversity. An educated person and a successful person go hand in hand, but the definitions are endless, and open to many interpretations, but what makes either person educated or successful, depends on what they are willing to give up in order to become their best person. An educated person is one who no matter what is willing to put in time in order to be called an expert at his passion. Someone who rightfully claims the ability to carry out their love for their passion and lastly, someone who does not fall victim to adversity. ? Bibliography Gladwell, Malcolm. ââ¬Å"The 10,000-Hour Ruleâ⬠in Outliers, 34-68. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gladwell, Malcolm. ââ¬Å"Rice Paddies and Math Testsâ⬠in Outliers, 224-249. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. Gustavo Gomez, interview by Alondra Gomez, April 28, 2014. Rich, Adrienne. ââ¬Å"Claiming and Educationâ⬠in On Lies, Secrets and Silence, 365-369. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1979. Wagner, Tony. The Global Achievement Gap, intro xix-xxviii. New York: Basic Books, 2008.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Evaluate the current streght of evidence for a complimentory therapy Essay
Evaluate the current streght of evidence for a complimentory therapy (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation TENs for post operative pain management in chi - Essay Example As a result, use of complementary, non-pharmacological therapies for management of pain appears to be an effective and safe option (Zollman & Vickers, 1999). Complimentary therapy has been defined by the Zollmanà and Vickers (1999, p.693) as ââ¬Å"group of therapeutic and diagnostic disciplines which exist outside the institutions where conventional health care is taught and provided.â⬠Some of practices of complimentary medicine like chiropractic medicine, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), acupuncture etc are increasingly being accepted and used clinically by mainstream medical practitioners (Zollman & Vickers, 1999). Complimentary therapy is now increasingly becoming an important aspect of the health care system in the U.K. a small machine, called the TENS unit is used to transmit electrical currents through the skin to stimulate the underlying nerve endings at or near the area where pain occurs (Hicks, 2006). The electric impulses which are generated by the TENS device are delivered to the area of pain through the sticky pad electrodes, which are placed on the skin in the painful area. Electrical impulses which stimulate the nerve endings at or near the site of pain help in diminishing the pain. intensity and frequency of electric current used by TENS machine, it can be sub-classified into two sub-types: low-intensity (1ââ¬â2 mA) and high-frequency (50ââ¬â100 Hz) TENS or high-intensity (15ââ¬â20 mA) and low-frequency (1ââ¬â5 Hz) TENS (White et al, 2001).The mechanism of action of TENS is thought to involve both spinal (gate-control theory) and supraspinal theories (release of endogenous opioid like substances). High-frequency and low-intensity TENS is thought to control pain through ââ¬ËMelzack and Wallââ¬â¢s theory of spinal gatingââ¬â¢ (Erdogan et al, 2005). According to this theory activation of large myelinated afferent nerve
Friday, September 27, 2019
Auditing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Auditing - Essay Example 9). He has the right to use such information for completing his duties rather than using it for its own purpose. However, any information used by him should first be approved by the concerned parties. It is necessary to maintain and follow professional standards while carrying out these kinds of duties. (ii) In this case, there is a breach of duty, which can be seen when Wendy performs the duty of a company secretary. As an engagement partner of the firm, Wendy has the responsibility of decision-making on significant auditing and accounting functions. The task of an engagement partner is complex and performing the companyââ¬â¢s secretarial duties for even a little while will cause distractions in her duties and she would not be able to fulfill these duties effectively. ââ¬Å"Generally, employees should not perform duties outside their job descriptionâ⬠(Business Management: Internal Controls for Small Business, 2008, pg.23). It is evident that Wendy is responsible for perfor ming the accounting duties only. So in order to solve this issue, the auditor must provide suggestions to the top level management for the appointment of a new employee who would carry out the duties of the company secretary. ... 17) refers to the risk that arises in the methods adopted by the auditor to decrease audit risk. Whereas, material misstatement risk refers to the risk that occur when financial records are materially misstated prior to audit. It involves ââ¬Å"inherent and control riskâ⬠(Christopher, 2012, slide. 17). In the first case, the company faces cost cutting and margin falling issues. ââ¬Å"Cost cutting and pricing pressures are key risks to the business agendaâ⬠(Turn Risk and Opportunities into results 2013 The CFO Perspective- at a Glance, n.d, para. 3). Stress to cutting the costs comes not only from internal forces that function to protect margins but also from outside sources. The company pursues cost cutting plans and they expect rising competence from their partners and suppliers. In this situation, the company faces inherent risk in doing the business as nobody is aware of the occurrence of this risk. à (ii)à In the second situation, Getaway Pty Ltd faces the audi t risk in not carrying out the conservative business strategies effectively. The company faces inherent risk while reducing audit risk to a certain level. ââ¬Å"The auditor will spend quite a bit of time at the early planning stages obtaining information to assess these risks so that ââ¬Å"the engagement is performed in an effective mannerâ⬠(Burke, n.d, pg. 1). The managers can make a decision, regarding business risks that occur due to poor information management, by determining if the time that they themselves and their assistants spend in gathering data is already available or not. Another method of measuring these risks is by observing performance data regularly and checking if reports are late or missing. 3. (a)à à à à For the successful
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Globalisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1
Globalisation - Essay Example The World War I & II were the central points that proposed the idea of globalisation. The World Wars adversely affected national economies. On the basis of numerous studies conducted, economists realised that the concept of globalization would contribute to the rapid economic restructuring. In addition to the economic benefits, nations could improve its political as well technological relations globally. It is argued that globalisation can benefit developing countries more in achieving rapid economic growth. Obviously, it has several negative aspects too. This paper will critically analyse notable strengths and weaknesses of globalisation. Strengths According to Devetak and Hughes (34), globalisation connects nations through a global network, and it assists a nation to get access to foreign markets and customers. Sometimes, an organisation can attain more benefits from foreign markets than from domestic markets since the offshore country may provide better business conditions. The fa vourable conditions include cheap raw materials and labour, liberal government laws, and large number of potential customers. The removal of trade barriers promoted import and export activities by which a government acquires foreign investments. The emergence of a global financial market can be directly attributed to the concept of globalisation, which assisted the borrowers to get better access to external financing. The increased volume of national and international trade transactions will probably boost the rapid economic development of a country. The economic development of a country may raise the standard of living of its citizens. Moreover, every nation gets access to highly developed technologies so that organisations can take advantages of these improved technologies in order to enter the next phase of growth. Hence, technological improvement and increased productivity are some of the positive outcomes of globalisation. As per statistical data, ââ¬Å"everyday more than $1.5 trillion is now swapped in the worldââ¬â¢s currency markets and around one fifth of products and services are generated per year are bought and soldâ⬠(Benefits of Globalisation). The global interconnectedness helps nations to attract more and more investors and thereby complete their capital accumulation process successfully. It is evident that potential investors are invaluable assets of every organisation as these investors have the capacity to raise additional capital in times of unexpected contingencies. The buyer group also acquires benefits from world trade as they get better selection options through which a buyer can purchase quality goods at lower prices. Another fascinating feature of the globalisation is that it can keep inflation level lower. This feature greatly aids governments to trim down public sector spending and minimise troubles associated with a higher inflation level. The increased global trade creates a lot of employment opportunities across the glob e and thus it effectively contributes to each nationââ¬â¢s economy. Globalisation brought some excellent economical results in 1980s and it can be attributed to increased global trade activities. In 1986, commerce as a percentage of gross world product has risen from 15% to 27%; in addition, globalisation process brought revolutionary developments in the number of mobile phone subscribers and internet users during the last few decades (Benefits of Globalization). Weaknesses As in the case of any other potential
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Vulnerable population-Mentally Ill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Vulnerable population-Mentally Ill - Essay Example According to Stanton (2001), Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease is a manifestation of dementia which occurs between ages 30-40 but common for 65 years old and older individuals. This disorder gets worse as time passes and it is a ââ¬Å"degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in increasingly impaired memory, thinking, reasoning, and behaviorâ⬠(Stanton, 2001, n.pag.). The Department of Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine (n.d.) stated that United States has 4 million cases of AD on the aged. This paper will tackle on designing a program for elders having Alzheimers Disease and justifying whether home care or nursing home care is the most effective way on promoting wellness of these individuals. This is significant to gain focus as to which of the two health care setting would provide the most effective way of caring for the elderly and especially those with AD. This program starts from little pieces of ideas, goals and plans in combating Alzheimerââ¬â¢s Disease. This centers a simple community with an average number of population. The city of Colton under San Bernardino County is a community of close family relations, and known to be one of the developed dominions in the United States (ââ¬Å"Demographics,â⬠n.d.). Colton has 52,154 population as of 2010 (ââ¬Å"Colton, California,â⬠2011). Coltonââ¬â¢s history of having rich family ties sets them as perfect focus in extending programs of wellness of the aged, prevention and specific care for those having Alzheimerââ¬â¢s Disease within the family. Aside from support systems, it is important that an institution and program fit the standard needs of their client. The community as a whole needs to contribute to this as well by providing support and means of development. A 2010 study revealed that there are 2,153 under the 65 to 74 age bracket, 1, 277 for ages 75- 84 and 503 for ages 85 and above (ââ¬Å"Colton CA,â⬠n.d.). Estimated ââ¬Å"median household income by ageââ¬
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Vodafone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Vodafone - Essay Example Vodafone is a mobile system operator whose headquarter is in Newbury, England. It has been credited for being the biggest telecommunications network company all over the world with a market worth of close to hundred billion pounds. Currently, this company has equity benefit in twenty-five countries and associate network in forty-one countries. Vodafoneââ¬â¢s current strategy in business is to develop through geographic extension, maintenance of present customers, attainment of fresh customers, and increase usage through technological innovation (McLoughlin and Aaker, 2010: 111). Vodafoneââ¬â¢s results presented by the CEO on 19th May 2009 left everyone unimpressed. Before this report, it had been expected that the group would see free cash flow, increases in revenue, and adjusted profits (McLoughlin and Aaker, 2010: 111). Colao had been appointed as the CEO in July 2008with the intention that the companyââ¬â¢s performance would boost significantly. Colao is currently employing strategies to improve Vodafoneââ¬â¢s performance in the future. He intends to reduce costs by 1 billion dollars by the end of 2011. One of the current strategic issues is a revenue-boosting factor. This shall be guided by a push indented to convince more customers to purchase mobiles competent of linking to the internet (McLoughlin and Aaker, 2010: 111). A further strategy by the CEO is to trade telecoms services to other companies. There is a further strategy involving expansion of services to other countries. A resource based analysis of Vodafone involves an investigation of the capabilities and resources that results to its strengths and weaknesses. For a careful analysis of Vodafoneââ¬â¢s current strategy, some essential issues affecting the company both externally and internally need to be examined. Some of these issues include political factors, infrastructure, economic factors, social-cultural factors,
Monday, September 23, 2019
Sucessful supply chain management and the creation of competitive Essay
Sucessful supply chain management and the creation of competitive advantages requires effective demand and supply chain manage - Essay Example In this case, upstream interconnection focuses on source of supply, while downstream interconnection deals with distribution of commodities to customers. Therefore, SMG focuses creation and optimization of value in processes and activities for services and products that are offered in order to satisfy customer demands. SMG may also be considered a interrelationship and management of inflow and outflow of commodities and relevant information through a network that interlinks producers, manufactures and consumers (Samaranayake, 2005, 48). However, there is a need for a change in SMG, which is facilitated by a shift from individual functions of management to integration of necessary activities in the process. Some of the processes managed through SCM include management of customer relation, suppliersââ¬â¢ relationship service, returns, demand, flow of manufacturing processes and order fulfilment. Moreover, there are functions and facilities, which are entailed in the supply, chain ac tivities such as conversion and transportation of commodities from a stage of raw materials to finished goods. Therefore, SCM can be conceptualized as a network through which suppliers and consumers are able to integrate demand and supply. Competitive Advantage In order to create a competitive advantage with through supply chain management, there are supply chain connections in the upstream and downstream flow of materials and information (Monczka, Trent & Handfield, 2005, 9). There are both physical and informational elements entailed in the process of SCM, which is perceived as creation of value chain network that consist of individual functional units. In addition, it entails upstream supplier network and downstream channels, whereby organization forms an integral part of the SCM. In this case, this calls for equitable performance in a way that facilitates achievement of organizational objectives. In other situation, supply chain management is applied as a way of gaining competit ive through maximization of value, whereby it leads to generation of disparities between finished products. In fact, these different is vital to the customer and for supply chain as well, whereby it offers a means of satisfying customer needs (Chopra & Meindl, 2007, 22). On the other hand, SCM offers a platform for a competition based on value of products and services offered by an organization and collaboration with suppliers and customers. This leads to acquisition of a substantial market share, which is derived from consumers through satisfaction (Martin & Grbac, 2003, 25). Therefore, SCM creates an opportunity of gaining a competitive advantage through collaboration and cooperation aimed at improving the efficiency and market effectiveness that is vital to the customers. Nevertheless, gaining a competitive advantage through SCM requires planning of operations, whereby it is vital for facilitating the process of distributing commodities in the market to the consumers (Gimenez & V entura, 2002, 4). Moreover, there other issues considered in the process of designing and monitoring the supply chain; in fact, these
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Product Life Cycle Essay Example for Free
Product Life Cycle Essay ââ¬Å"Products, like humans, no matter how successful, are mortalsâ⬠(adopted from Batory, 2008). This interesting quote shows the fact that a product does have a lifespan in the marketplace. Thatââ¬â¢s why managers and marketers should understand the life cycle concept in order to effectively manage their products in each different stage. This essay aims at giving an idea about the Product Life Cycle (PLC) concept. It begins with defining the concept. Then, it gives an idea about the four different stages of the product life cycle (introduction- growth- maturity- decline) with example product in each stage. First of all, to understand the concept of ââ¬ËProduct Life Cycleââ¬â¢ (PLC), it is better to start by defining the concept. According to Merriam Webster (2008), a product ââ¬Ëlife cycleââ¬â¢ term is defined as ââ¬Å"a series of stages through which a product passes during its lifetimeâ⬠. These four stages ââ¬Å"begin with the introduction of the product to the market and end with the decline of this product or even the withdrawal of this product from the marketâ⬠(Thompson, 2001). The life cycle of a product ââ¬âgenerally- is divided into four main stages, (1) introduction, (2) growth, (3) maturity, and (4) decline. Obviously, the logic or analysis in this life cycle is based on the change or performance of sales, revenues or profitability of this product in the market. The ââ¬Å"duration of products or brands could be few months or even centuries, such as gasoline powered automobileâ⬠(NetMBA, 2007). Now, to realize the importance of this concept, it is important to know what this concept exactly means for business managers or marketers. According to Kotler and Keller (2006), this life cycle shows that ââ¬Å"products have main things in common, (1) a limited lifespan; (2) changes in sales/revenues/profits depending on each stage with different characteristics, challenges, and opportunities; and (3) the need to use different strategies (financial, human resources, manufacturing, marketing, and purchasing) in each stageâ⬠. (Cited in Papares4You, 2007) As a result, these different stages of the product life cycle could be used to effectively manage the product by using the appropriate strategies or even making any required changes in the marketing mix. The first stage is the introduction stage which begins after the product development, when the product is introduced to the market. The most important thing is to create ââ¬Ëdemandââ¬â¢ for this new product by creating ââ¬Ëcustomer awarenessââ¬â¢ of it. It is natural in this stage to have low growth in the sales (or profitability) of this product. Thatââ¬â¢s why promotion in the introduction stage should be intensive to create ââ¬Ëcustomer awarenessââ¬â¢. Companies should have a long-term marketing strategy for the product in this stage. For example, it is not important during this stage to have high revenues or profits; the company could adjust the pricing policy based on this long-term strategy and introduce the product at a low price to attract customers and make it easy for them take the purchasing decision. There are many examples for products in this stage such as iphones, virtual reality, digital cameras, mini computers, DVD, video phones. Some of these examples will remain in this stage longer than the others due to high prices such as video phones, and others wonââ¬â¢t remain for too long ââ¬âmay be 5 or 10 years- such as digital cameras, mini computers, DVD, iphones due to the increasing awareness of the product along with the increasing demand from consumers. The second stage is the growth stage; when the product becomes available and sales begin to rapidly increase till the market approaches saturation. Competitors start to enter the market in this stage. Companies could succeed in this stage by ââ¬âfor example- ââ¬Å"adding new product features or improve its quality and managing customer relationshipâ⬠. (Papares4You, 2007) There are many examples for products in this stage such as CD player, personal or home computing, the internet and mobile or cellular phones. The sales of these products are growing faster and faster. However, a product such as CD player may be replaced by other products. But, the internet and personal computing are about to enter the maturity stage may be five or ten years. The third stage is the maturity stage; and this is when the market is saturated with this product. However, it is not necessary that the product reaches this stage. Sales in this stage continue to grow till their peaks but with a low growth rate. There are ââ¬Å"some product categories which remain in this stage for decades or centuries such as automobiles, cigarettes, and refrigerators; sales for these categories may remain at their peak for decadesâ⬠(Thompson, 2001). There are many examples for products in this stage such as automobiles, toothpaste (such as Crest and Colgate), Coca-Cola and Pepsi, batteries (such as Duracell). Batteriesââ¬â¢ technologies are changing thatââ¬â¢s why a product like traditional batteries will stay ââ¬â may be for 20 years for maximum- until new batteries enters the market. There are some strategies such as intelligent branding, entering new markets, and adding significant changes to the product could make the product stay longer in this stage. The fourth stage is the decline stage; when the product withdraws from the market due to deterioration in sales and profits. The decline in sales could be due to ââ¬Å"(1) technological developments, (2) changes in consumer behaviour, or (3) significant increases in competitionâ⬠(Kotler and Armstrong, 2004 cited in Papares4You, 2007) There are many examples for products in this stage such as vinyl records, black and white T. V. , the yo-yo, the hula-hoop, the pet rock Now, after having an idea about the four stages of product life cycle, it is important to realize that the product could repeat this cycle over as the case in fashion for example. And the duration of the product in each stage isnââ¬â¢t fixed because there are products that stays for too long in the introduction stage (such as video phones- microwave ovens- automatic dishwashers) or in the maturity stage (such as refrigerator- T. V. Coca-Cola). Also, the product needs different strategies in each stage. For example, to use intensive promotionââ¬â¢ in the ââ¬Ëintroduction stageââ¬â¢ to create ââ¬Ëcustomer awarenessââ¬â¢ or to introduce products with low prices to increase customers; and to add more features to the product or decrease prices in the ââ¬Ëgrowth stageââ¬â¢ to enter new markets and to still competitive. Finally, any product could be affected by many factors ââ¬âmentioned previously- in its life cycle such as ââ¬Å"(1) technological developments, (2) changes in consumer behavior, or (3) significant increases in competitionâ⬠(Kotler and Armstrong, 2004 cited in Papares4You, 2007). Thatââ¬â¢s why business managers and marketers should continuously study the external environment along with the product life cycle to be able to effectively manage their products and in the marketplace.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Becketts superimposing Essay Example for Free
Becketts superimposing Essay On the surface this exchange is witty and would have the audience laughing if well performed. However, when considering what theyre talking about it is slightly depressing the humour then turns much more sardonic and despairing. One is chair bound and the other is tormented by having to be constantly on his feet. A little bit later on they have another exchange which shows their discontent and depression with these fact Hamm: Nature has forgotten us. Clov: There is no more nature! The possibility of nature not existing gives the whole play still further meaning. Are they living in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust? If one does decide that the characters are living in a bunker avoiding the effects of a nuclear winter, then everything in the play is given extensive resonance and to call it meaningless would be ignorant. If Beckett did intend the play to have this nuclear agenda, then it would explain Hamm saying towards the end of the play when Clov sees a little boy outside the house/bunker Its the end, Clov, weve come to the end The end Hamm refers to would be the end of the nuclear winter. The play, for one which has such elusive dialogues, has very strong themes. The strength of themes, I feel, is one of the things which makes it difficult to claim that Endgame has no meaning. One theme, which Beckett refers back to regularly throughout the play, is finishing. The reason for Becketts choice of this word for this theme is the multitude of its possible meanings. The theme is so important it is presented in the opening moments of the play by Clov Finished, its finished, nearly finished, it must be finished. One could argue that the fact that Beckett chose a word, which has so many meanings, indicates that Beckett does not wish to imply any specific meaning what so ever. If this were true then one of the main themes of the play is meaningless thus providing substantial evidence for the argument that Endgame has no meaning. I however disagree with this, everything in this play remains unfinished or incomplete even the characters bodies. I think Beckett is implying that the only thing that finishes everything is death. The only way to be complete is to die. I feel this is backed up by the following exchange Clov: I couldnt finish you. Hamm: Then you shant finish me. The design of the set also provides argument as to what the meaning of the play is. Beckett designed the set to accommodate many possible readings of the play. One could take it, as I mentioned earlier, as a nuclear bunker; this would explain the ground level windows and the deformed characters. The stage setting has also been likened to a skull, the two windows being the eyes. If this were true the characters could represent the differing departments of the brain. In this reading the entire stage and production would be a metaphor for an ageing or dying mind; evidence for this would be Clovs continual memory lapses and the death of Nell. In conclusion I do find Endgame very resonant. There are many different ways of interpreting this play and Beckett invites this by the seemingly abstract dialogue. Becketts superimposing of his ability to write comical (if slightly obscure) dialogue on top of his contrary and nihilistic attitude to life creates a very amusing yet conceptually powerful piece of drama.
Friday, September 20, 2019
The Bmw Mini Brand Marketing Essay
The Bmw Mini Brand Marketing Essay According to the book Strategic brand management by Kevin Lane Keller, Identifying and creating brand positioning is the first and important stage of the strategic brand management process. Positioning effects on a founding benchmark and works toward building a strong brand by helping marketers to design, to implement, to solidify or to sustain brand associations. Aaker ( ) also supports the idea that the brand position can offer clear direction to a communication program implementation. To establish the position of a brand, the concept of it should be clearly defined. Criticism of the literature reveals numerous meanings and clarification of positioning. Sekhar, (1989) states that the concept of positioning developed from research on market segmentation and targeting. Kotler (2003, p. 308) defines brand positioning as the act of designing the companys offering and image to occupy a distinctive place in the mind of the target market. The end result of positioning is the successful cr eation of a customer-focused value proposition, a cogent reason why the target market should buy the product. Arnott (1992, 1993) parallels the idea by stating that positioning is, correlated to the rivalry, management attempt to adjust the tangible features and the intangible views of a marketable contribution. Furthermore, Kapferer, (2004, p. 99) emphasises on the distinctive characteristics that make a band different from its competitors and alluring to the public. In addition, Sengupta (2005 ) enhances the term of perception that indicate the core of the brand in terms of its functional and emotional benefit in the decision of customer. Also, it is shown as points in perceptual space and think up a product class. In essence, Keller outlines the idea behind the concept of brand positioning that involves four aspects; target market identification, the nature of competitors, the ideal of points of parity, and the points of difference. Identifying target market is crucial part in establish a robust positioning because dissimilar segment may have diverse brand knowledge structure or perceive the same brand in different way vary by own attitudes, beliefs, and experience. The target customer can be classified as descriptive (customer-oriented), which associated to the kind of customer or behavioral (product-oriented), which related to how customers consider of or utilizes the brand or product. The behavioral side is more significant to comprehend brand position due to stronger strategic implication. Decided type of target can, then, implicitly sketches the nature of rivalry because businesses usually target that same segment in terms of category membership. Once the appropriate competitive frame of reference for positioning has been formed, the correct points of parity (POPs) and points of difference (PODs) are able to make.à Point of parity (POPs) are characteristics or benefits that may mutual with other brands separated into two forms: category and competitive. Category point of parity is a standard association expected by customers to show the credibility of companies. Competitive Point of parity are associations designed to abolish rivalry Point of difference. It is used when firms want to break even the area that competitors are attempting to seek an advantage and achieve advantages in some other areas. To illustrate, to enter in the fast food industry, there are key elements that help customers to label a brand as a fast food restaurant such as quick service, good taste, and low prices. These are fundamental features and benefits of product category that it belongs to. Point of difference, on the other hand, comprises of strong, favorable and unique associations for a brand based on attribute or benefit association in the mind of customer. It is associations that customers believe that they couldnt find in the competitive brand. It is considered by functional basis, performance-related consideration and imagery related criterion, which are competitive strengths and insight about consumers motivations. Reeves and Ted Bates advertising agency (1950) also support the common concept of PODs in terms of unique selling proposition (USP) that promoting use to compel customers to buy product that competitors could not race. For instance, fast-food chain Subway uses the healthier benefit as PODs compared with other quick-serve restaurants that supported by less fat attribute. Nike, for another example, claim of superior performance in athletic shoes. Nowadays, business environment is becoming more intensively competitive. Marketers must certify that their brands constantly amend to stay s, at the same time as keeping on the true core values (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1999). There are many reasons that make a firm to reconsider about its brand position which could be environmentally driven, Consumer driven, Competitor driven, and company driven. The environmentally driven can cause by economic issue, political issue, or the green movement. Consumer driven is able to be the change of consumer needs and lifestyles or the attractiveness of alternative target markets . Moreover, the driven from internal of company usually be a change in company strategy or gaining of new technology or other asset that provides the brand a competitive advantage and valuable differentiator. Finally, the essential reason that affects a brand to reposition is the competitor movement. Markets are shredded and full with proposition that rivals try to display the ir point of different and superior positioning. Then, the brand may be faced by a new stronger positioning. Often, competitive advantages survive for only a short period before competitors attempt to match them, which may harm the brand positioning in terms of building satisfactory distinction benefits over their contenders (Clancy and Trout, 2002). Thus, brand should react by using repositioning strategy to change and stay contemporary and fresh in the eyes of customers. Trout and Ries () propose an idea of the repositioning that involve with competition, change, and crisis issues. Firstly, repositioning can compete the rival by discriminate the brand or product and add value to it. Secondly, since time pass by, brand should update itself and make connection to target customer by using technology and communication and multimedia assets. Finally, repositioning can cure the crisis especially the cost issue. Ryan et al ()also gives the meaning of repositioning that is the way to re-ad apt brand position the consumers thought to change the way in which a firms product or service is apprehend. Basically, positioning and repositioning are the same; they are both process of gettingà ownership of a place in the thoughts of the target market that is proper, differentiating and fascinating. These two activities are , likewise, bases on the Customer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) Model settled by Keller in 1993 which defined as the different effect that consumer knowledge has on the customers response to marketing activity. To clarify, this paper will show the illustration of two repositioned brand of the automobile industry in both successful and fail way. Begin with brand that succeed in repositioning that is MINI, The MINI (original named Mini) is one of the most well known brands in the car industry, and indeed the most prosperous British car in terms of volume sold (Birmingham Mini Owners Club, 2002). It was launched in 1959 by British Motor Corporation. It was originally designed for four people seat, in a small size, practical, easy to park and economical. Also, priced was inexpensively. This reacted to a fuel scarcity, and the increasing demand for proficient urban cars. The Mini Cooper was designed and commercialized as a faster and sporty version of the Mini that would allow the car to compete successfully in rallying. Moreover, in 1969 the Mini was placed on the film The Italian Job. Due to the combination of the Minis rallying success and celebrity style reputation so it became a necessary fashion accessory. It gained the cultural status that considered as a British icon. The Mini Coopers status was variable between the 1970s and the 1980s as the license for the brand was sold to Span ish and Italian companies. In 1994, BMW bought the Rover Group, the owner of the Mini and launched the line in 2000. BMW still used the Mini brand to unite old and new to form explicit and consistence profile, but a bit change in name from Mini to MINI. Launching the New MINI had task to preserve the MINI from becoming a fad. Therefore, business strategy of BMW is to position the MINI as a symbol. It target young groups of customers that are urbane, stylish, individualistic or characteristically take their own path, value and quality consider, love to drive, and a trendsetter. To meet the target market need, characteristic, and lifestyle, Mini brand came out the repositioning strategy that tried to attract customer in both logical level by the products performance and insurance of quality, and at a sensational level by the value of the brands image or product aesthetics. At the rational level, MINI keeps the perception of a small premium car. It emphasized in practical and brand heritage about being an economy small sport car that have a different and new technical base. There are three main competitive advantages that support the aspect; custom design, modern quality technology, and outstanding safety. Firstly, MINI has an extensiv e variety of equipment along with paintwork choices, applications on the external and rare materials for the internal that make MINI customizable and can be differentiate. As a result, it offers customers to choose their own style MINI to express and show their own brand personality. Secondly, the quality dimension, it involves; body structure setting new standards, the powerful engines, the most progressive suspension technology, which makes driver feel a go-kart experience. Thirdly, the safety system guarantee excellent safety airbag system, which makes the MINI one of the safest and the most reliable cars in its category. At an emotional level, the MINI stressed on the fun facet, play with the slogan fun to drive. Thus, MINI attempted to create brand personality of it as fun loving, outrageous, cheeky, trendy, sporting and attractive. Figure 1 : The perceptions of the BMW Mini brand: the importance of historical associations and the development of a model : Figure from Simms and Trott (2006) The victory of the MINI brand repositioning can be analyzed in many aspects. Firstly it achieved in clearly defined its target market so it could offer the brand attributes or benefits that meet the target needs and, also, was able to compete with the relevant brands in the sporty compact cars market such as Honda and Volkswagen. Likewise, MINI did not forget to offer the Category points-of-parity; it provided essential and credible attributes that a car should have to customers. Additionally, MINI can prove strong superiority on its attribute and benefit and, too, consumers can be swayed. MINI brand associations met three criteria that can correctly be good at a point-of-difference; desirability, deliverability, and differentiability. First of all, the MINIs target customer was given a persuasive motive to believe by MINIs pose on exclusive design, up-to-date quality technology, excellent safety, plus fun emotion. Accordingly, they can feel the relevance in both performance and emot ion. These advantage associations are hard to compete. Also, MINI got benefit from the combination of two legacy advantages; British heritage and BMWs German heritage that effected to customer perception. The former British heritage included construction in England, iconic scheme, fun and sporty sensation. The later German heritage BMWs consisted of the certifying in excellence of production and technology along with the premium car segment. Moreover, the company can really deliver favor attributes and benefits, in the other words, MINI could sent the promise unique joy at an attainable price to its consumers. The product design and its marketing campaign supported the desired associations. Their unique, specific and complete forms of advertising resulted to minis repositioning accomplishment. The customer was underlined that possessing and driving a MINI is fun, at the same time, also promoting brand personality and the idea of smaller is better. In every touch points, from the bil lboards to the showrooms, everything is branded that pararell with the set position. Finally, associations of MINI brand are strong in differentiate about history related, product related, and emotional related that can claim distinctiveness and superiority against relevant competitors. Whilst MINI brand repositioning has been very successful, Oldsmobile brand, contrastingly, had left customers confused. The Oldsmobile brand is a case of the failure brand in repositioning. Oldsmobile is one of the brand legends in US car history. It was in the portfolio of General Motors (GM) same as Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick and Cadillac. It was a pioneer brand that launched the first car with chrome plated trim and front wheel drive. Besides, it was an original of an automatic car called Toronado model. The brand was popular for many decades until there were problems that shake the strength of brand and have to end the production in 2000. The reason behind the brand failure can be divided in terms of positioning in three parts. First of all, around 1980s onwards, when GMs technology had cutting edge begin with the Chevrolet engines were substituted ad diesel engines were given as an option, it, afterward, stopped maintaining and emphasizing the unique selling proposition of Oldsmobile and make the brand to be uniform like others. Consequently, Oldsmobile is devalued its positioning in advance automobile in sportiness and innovation .It lost its advantage edge and considered very alike to other brand of GM. Additionally, due to its brand name, there is an effect of the name old to the perception of customer that mislead to be perceived as outdates brand specially among teenage segment. As a result, marketers of Oldsmobile tried to reposition the brand and adjust the brand image with Its Not Your Fathers Oldsmobile slogan and ran advertising to describing the point. Unfortunately, this customers couldnt recognize reasonable about age association and still perceive that Oldsmobile is old-fashioned (Levinson,2005). One Brand Week article, published in February 2001 gave a recommendation to the Oldsmobile that instead of attempt to be younger, it should better accept the exist brand, with its older profile, search for older customers insight and give them a communication that fascinated to their needs. It could be possible, as the Oldsmobile had been seen as a trendsetter in its field, even though it had never been a youth brand. Also, the process of this repositioning was rather impulsive operation. The customer perception should proceeding adjust for example, from old brand to adult brand to, eventually, younger brand. Moreover, Oldsmobile had endeavoured to lift its position to be a luxury brand by changing logo and make many product variations to enter European market. However, the principal notion of Oldsmobile was to manufacture a low-priced car for the masses and discounting strategy to sales was still used that against the repositioning aim, thus, consumers were confounded. Again, their memories with the earlier brand image still ran deep. Ultimately, General Motors shut down its Oldsmobile section. Refer to the case, there are many factors that make Oldsmobile incapable to success in repositioning. Begins with the target market, it attempted to target younger consumers and affluent market without finding those customers insight. While there were overwhelm of competitors that pierced in the same target. Thus, introducing trendy new Olds cars were too late. Oldsmobile did not carry on the brands new promise; it just created the tag line Its Not Your Fathers Oldsmobile but did not do anything on product or service programs to stress the claim. The product reforms did not meet wishes of new clients. By reason of deficient product development plus inconsistent brand communications, it did not have power enough to change the targets perception that Oldsmobile is a youthful, modern brand. Sharfman(2001) states that this slogan excluded both newer and elder purchasers. The reason that might be it had not done enough through its designs, contemporary images, and marketing mix, especiall y to the customers who do not have high involvement in the brand. They saw no advantage and no distinction, and no emotive association. In addition, it abandoned their competitive advantages which are a sporty and innovative, based on its heritage. Consequently, the trusted and believable personality of Oldsmobile was destroyed. In addition, to be in the upper market, Oldsmobile did not do well on credibility. Price levels did not represent the new willing position. Also, it was not able to form a unique emotional advantage or identity component of brand equity that is related to its customers. For these reasons Oldsmobile turned people off. In a nut shell, brand positioning is a strategic concept that marketers make a band image to sit in a unique room in the mind of the target market by a customer-focused base value correlated to competitors. Furthermore,There are factors require brand managers to reconsider about their brand position such as altering customer needs, increasing competitive pressures and changing of the company own structure. The BMW MINI case shows an example of how a brand cans success in repositioning. It created effective brand associations that consumers perceive a brand dwell in a favourable, differentiated and credible location in the minds of consumers. Thus, MINI gained trustworthiness of the product position by information given by brand. Although many brands are desired to become resurrected and famous again, often, repositioning brand fail in changing the image in the mind of customer as the mentioned case of Oldsmobile. It underwent from a lack of strong positioning since targeted goal that it did not have ability to send the promises or new benefits. Also, elements of marketing mix did not go along with new position such as the product improvement and the price. As a result, marketers should carefully redefine brands target market, stick on their needs and expectations, then, find the right and available place to be in their minds, which unique, certifiable, and satisfactory. Finally, the new position should be communicated properly and consistency.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
THE PLACE OF ISLAMIC LAW IN TANZANIA MAINLAND :: essays research papers fc
THE PLACE OF ISLAMIC LAW IN TANZANIA MAINLAND. Introduction: Islam is one of the Universal religions of the world. As a religion, Islam is governed by an assortment of divine laws known as shariah of which its sources are mainly attributed to the divine revelations in the Holy Qurââ¬â¢an and traditions of the Prophet (P.B.U.H). This package is what forms the basis of the spiritual, economic, political and social guidance of Muslims. Thus, all the laws of Islam have to be annexed to and borne of the Holy texts. Contrary to this, such laws would be regarded as un-Islamic. On the other hand, as regards the modern states, the mother of all laws is the constitution. It therefore follows that any law of the land must be in conformity with the Constitution; otherwise, such a law would be declared unconstitutional or ultra vires the constitution and would be of no legal effect. In other words, no state has a right to enact any laws or rather provide for the application of the same, unless such laws have been expressly or impliedly guaranteed by the constitution. Tanzania is governed by the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania 1977.This Constitution provides a right to Freedom of religion which includes inter alia, choice in matters of religion and change of religion. From this provision, it may be inferred that, Islam, as a religion, is recognized in Tanzania. The United Republic of Tanzania is a product of a union between Zanzibar and Tanganyika. The union consists of two governments: the union government and the government of Zanzibar. As a result of this, Islamic law in Tanzania is applied in two different modes. In the isles of Unguja and Pemba i.e. Zanzibar, Islamic law is governed by a separate system of courts known as Kadhiââ¬â¢s courts. However, these courts are limited to Islamic matters related to personal status, marriage, divorce and inheritance in proceedings in which all parties profess the Muslim religion. On the other hand, in Tanzania mainland, there are no separate courts for the application of Islamic law. The single hierarchy of courts hears and determines disputes regarding both Muslim and non-Muslim or rather secular matters of interest. This paper will chiefly focus on the application of Islamic law in Tanzania mainland, although reference will be made to Islamic law in Zanzibar where appropriate. Take my hand and let me lead you through this. The paper will discuss the application of Islamic law during colonization and post -colonial period including the present state.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Death and Grief in Mid-Term Break :: Mid-Term Break Essays
In the poem Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney, the ideas of death, trauma, grief and finality are explored. The poem itself is as haunting as it is brilliantly executed. The poem depicts a boy arriving home from boarding school, to where he is informed of the tragic death of his younger brother, whose doomed fate indelibly marks the narrator, whom is the boyââ¬â¢s older brother. The boy recounts the experience of losing a loved one. The author has incorporated many elements and style in a subtle and distinct manner. à The poem depicts a boy arriving home from school, ââ¬Å"moaning in the college sick bayâ⬠to hear the news that his four year old brother has been killed in an accident. Upon arriving home, ââ¬Å"I met my father crying.â⬠This shows how death can cause much grief and trauma, as well as confusion. Here we can see that the stereotypical roles of the parents have been reversed/exchanged, with the father crying, and the boyââ¬â¢s mother, ââ¬Å"Coughed out angry, tearless sighs.â⬠It can be seen/evident, that deaths were quite common, ââ¬Å"He had always taken funerals in his stride.â⬠But no-one expected the death to hit quite so close to homeâ⬠¦ to the heart. And then we see the tables have turned; the parents no longer were the spectators of the funerals, now that their own flesh and blood had been taken away from them. à The theme within the poem is subtly expressed, with an almost childlike innocence.à The theme is set out in a simple manner, yet pays much attention to detail. The theme is one of ââ¬Å"finality.â⬠Hence the title playing a huge roleà in the revealing of the theme. ââ¬Å"Mid-Term Breakâ⬠suggests finalityâ⬠¦ of oneââ¬â¢s lifeâ⬠¦. Time. Along with death brings finality, and along with finality comes the repurcussions of death, such as trauma andà grief for all involved. à The emotions of the poem are beautifully poignant, and this allows the reader to be transported to a world of different experience, such as the repression. The mood within the poem hasà a somber touch with an eerie silence. The poem positions the reader to come away with mixed emotions- anger, grief, confusionâ⬠¦ all of which the topic of death brings with it. This leaves the audience truly captivated with the simple text that represents so much emotion. à There are many images depicted in the poem, whichà is what ultimately draws the audienceà into itââ¬â¢s graps/ The impenatrable, life-altering consequences of death and the secrets of adolescence bring the poem to life.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Dowry, an Investment System
Dowry system is when the brideââ¬â¢s family gives goods, money, or estate to her husband and his family during marriage (E. Pauls Prine (Ed. ), 2008). This practice is mostly common in South Asia, specifically the Indian culture (E. Pauls Prine (Ed. ), 2008). On the other hand is the practice of bride price system which is where the husband gives cattle, land or goods in exchange for a womanââ¬â¢s hand in marriage (Schwimmer, 2002). This is mostly practiced in Africa among traditional households, where it is a price for the economic services and children a woman adds to another family (Schwimmer, 2002).Dowry and bride price are mostly practiced in exchange for the brideââ¬â¢s well being (E. Pauls Prine (Ed. ), 2008). There is a strong possibility that a wife might be mistreated if the dowry was not enough or satisfying for the groomââ¬â¢s family (E. Pauls Prine (Ed. ), 2008). Most times if the husband leaves or mistreats his wife the dowry is to be returned to her (E. Pau ls Prine (Ed. ), 2008). It is also used as a means to discharge a husband of his duties to provide well for his wife, this is most common in marriages where two young people are wedded (E.Pauls Prine (Ed. ), 2008). Although the practice of dowry from the brideââ¬â¢s family to the groomââ¬â¢s is a norm in the Indian culture it the opposite for the African culture. Where as in Africa a groomââ¬â¢s family gives bride price to the brideââ¬â¢s family. These practices seen in the context of their culture are completely normal, but seen from a modern perspective are primitive and inhumane since they resemble a system of slave exchange (Schwimmer, 2002). This is due to the over turn in the practice in the twentieth century.In South Asian culture dowries have been demanded and paid to the groomââ¬â¢s family conjugating the term ââ¬Å"groom priceâ⬠(Maitra, 2007). In India it is evident that there is a great inflation in dowry practice (Maitra, 2007). There was also an ev ident increase in violence against brides who were unable to fulfill the dowry payment demanded (Maitra, 2007) . This was against the fact that in 1961 there was a Dowry Prohibition Act which made it illegal to give dowries (Maitra, 2007). This has flamed many womenââ¬â¢s rights issues due to many cases of mistreatment of brides in India (Dowry system in, 2010).It is also criticized because it is not to provide for the bride in unforeseen circumstances but to appease the groomââ¬â¢s familyââ¬â¢s greed (Dowry system in, 2010). For example, it was reported by the Vancouver Sun that a bride had died and her 13-month old daughter had suffered severe burns after the brideââ¬â¢s family started a fire after being dissatisfied with the dowry (Nelson, 2012). The article also highlighted that such dowry dissatisfaction causes for deaths of up to 8, 000 women in India each year (Nelson, 2012).Therefore, even though there is awareness of the cause of such mistreatment against women in India it is still a norm to practice dowry which can possibly put a daughterââ¬â¢s life in danger. Where as in the African culture the system of bride price is most practiced. Here bride payments are mostly interpreted as the wealth received by the brideââ¬â¢s family which compensates for the daughter that will be of economic use and will bare children for another family (Schwimmer, 2002). Among the Dani of New Guinea there are 3 occasions where a groom must give a brideââ¬â¢s family valuables, such a cattle or shells (Schwimmer, 2002).First, when the groom marries the bride and she starts working on his farm; second, when the groom has sexual rights to the bride and consummates the marriage; third, when his wife bears a child (Schwimmer, 2002). In the Igbo culture of South Africa, bride price is considered as the payment to have fertile woman and if the bride is not fertile or chooses to leave the marriage before producing children she must return the wealth given to he r family by the groom (Schwimmer, 2002). With such cases of bride price many men choose marry many women and it is usually the older man that marry before the young (Schwimmer, 2002).This is due to the fact that older men have had the time to accumulate more wealth and necessary resources to pay for a bride (Schwimmer, 2002). Such practices have also raised cases where the brides have been divorced or are infertility so the families of the bride have to return the price paid to the groom (Schwimmer, 2002). For example, in the Zulu culture in South Africa there is an exchange of cattle among the groom and the brideââ¬â¢s father or brother (Schwimmer, 2002). This exchange is called lobola and has to be returned if the bride is divorced or cannot bare children (Schwimmer, 2002).Also, in such cultures when a son receives his first lobola from his daughterââ¬â¢s marriage he must give it to his father as repayment for his marriage (Schwimmer, 2002). These practices observed by outsi des would resemble much to slave exchange; morally this is wrong yet it is normally practiced in South Africa because of its wide acceptance in the culture (Schwimmer, 2002). In conclusion, from an anthropological point of view there is a cultural norm set by traditions and human greed which causes for such immoral practices of dowry and bride price.Although, these practices are considered a norm in these cultures, an outsider observing would be very shocked to see such inhumane treatment of women. This is a type of degradation which is still to this day present even with government laws which prohibit against it (Dowry system in, 2010). In order for such practices to become a rarity and not a norm a strong education system for women is important this is a suggestion and an observation an anthropologist would make with a moral leniency. Bibliography: Nelson, D. (2012, 10 16). Woman dies in dowry spat.The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from http://www. vancouversun. com/Woman+dies+dowry+sp at/7395783/story. html Woman in coma after suicide attempt dies in sardarnagar. (2012, 10 30). Times Of India. Retrieved from http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/city/ahmedabad/Woman-in-coma-after-suicide-attempt-dies-in-Sardarnagar/articleshow/17012521. cms Dowry system in india. In (2010). Country Facts & Information. Kwintessential Ltd. Retrieved from http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/articles/india/Dowry-System-in-India/3024 Dowry. In (2008). E. Pauls Prine (Ed. , Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www. britannica. com/EBchecked/topic/170540/dowry Maitra, S. (2007). Dowry and bride price. In (2nd ed. ). International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Retrieved from http://dept. econ. yorku. ca/~smaitra/SMaitra_IESS. pdf Schwimmer, B. (2002, 05). Bride wealth. Retrieved from http://www. umanitoba. ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/marriage/bride_wealth. html (Schwimmer, 2002) Bridewealth. In (2012). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www. britannic a. com/EBchecked/topic/79255/bridewealth
Monday, September 16, 2019
Week Five Assignment
This type of entity will provide the control of a sole proprietorship while placing liability on the business rather than the individual. Fireworks have the potential to be dangerous, causing serious damage to both people ND property. The potential for liability associated with the use and/or manufacture of fireworks is unavoidable. ââ¬Å"Any one of the following defects may expose the man effectuate to liability for injuries that are caused by their product: design defect, manufacturing defect and defect in marketing,â⬠(McLaughlin, & Laurite, 2014).Liabilities associated with these defects include intentional torts, negligence and strict liability. The first step to avoiding an attack on personal assets is relocating operations to an area zoned for the manufacture of fireworks. No matter what the entity, the manufacture of explosives in a residential area will enable a liability protection to be pierced. An intentional tort will occur when the manufacturer sells a product tha t he knows is defective or dangerous of which injuries are certain to occur. In such cases, ACME has a duty to warn the consumer of potential harm.If ACME fails to provide warnings or recalls on its products, it can be held liable for battery to anyone injured by its products. According to a 1903 product liability case, a company is liable for failing to notify the buyer that the product is potentially dangerous, is effective, or negligence in the manufacture or sale of a dangerous product. See House v. J. I. Case Threshing Mach. Co. , 120 F. 865 (8th Cirri. 1903). Should a mishap occur during the manufacture, sale or storage; a sole proprietor will be liable for any and all property damage incurred to both himself and/or his neighbors.With a sole proprietorship there is no legal distinction between the owner and the business thus, he is at risk of losing personal assets in a lawsuit against the business. Should injury, death, or damage to property occur from intentionally manufactu ring or selling a ungenerous product, both the manufacturer and suppliers can be sued for unintentional injuries. This risk extends beyond the manufacture and supply of the fireworks; it also includes care in design and use. For instance, should a consumer purchase defective ACME Fireworks from a retailer and sustain injury to him and others, ACME can be sued.See Boeing Airplane Co. V. Brown, 291 F. Ad 310 (9th Cirri. 1961). ââ¬Å"Strict liability in tort arises when someone suffers an injury not from anyone's willful negligent act, but rather by engaging in some intrinsically dangerous activity or, under certain resistances, through the manufacturing of unsafe products,â⬠(Rogers, S. 2012). Courts today, rationalize strict liability by establishing the fact that manufacturers are better positioned to prevent risk of loss than, that Of the consumer. As such, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure their products are safe.In order to be strictly liable for a prod uct, the plaintiff must demonstrate that there is a defect, the defect was caused by the manufacturer and in turn, was the cause of injury. See Kerr v. Corning Glass, 169 N. W.. Ad 587 (Min. 1969). In order to determine Contract Viability, it s important to review the agreements between ACME and the retailers. Examine each contract carefully ensuring it contains five essential elements. The legitimacy of the agreements is dependent upon it containing an offer, acceptance, consideration legality and capacity.To further explain, an offer is an invitation to enter into a contract. If a company agrees to the terms outlined in the offer, they have then accepted the agreement. Once an agreement has been recognized, it must be established that both parties have intentions to enter into a legal binding contract. The considerations of his agreement are legal exchanges for services or products. For ACME Fireworks, this will include the prices paid for the fireworks and the amounts desired. In order to be legally binding, the cost of doing business must not be illegal and, the ability to perform must not be impossible.Finally, it must be determined that both parties have entered into the contract freely without coercion or duress. Additionally, the law prohibits contracts made with persons of diminished mental capacity and minors. The contract probability concerns itself with the performance specifications and acquirement of the agreement. Though the agreement appears to be viable, if it lacks a specific performance strategy, it will not have a future. The probability Of the agreement to remain in force will be dependent upon the period of performance and quantities desired during that period.Fireworks are seasonal whereby; a retailer agreeing to order large quantities on a regular basis is not realistic. There is no guarantee the quantities will remain consistent throughout the contract period. Additionally, ACME is concerned about failing to meet its contractual obliga tions should it not hire enough people. The basic questions that need to be addressed are: how and when to order, amounts to order and what happens if ACME fails to deliver? The owner is concerned that there will not be enough work for the additional employees once the initial orders have been filled.The terms and conditions of the contract will determine the type of employees ACME will hire. At-will employment provides no obligation of continuous employment once the orders have been filled. For this reason, the law allows an employer to terminate without just cause or reason. Generally, this rule is applied for seasonal work. ACME Fireworks has several options to consider in meeting contract demands, performance and productivity. By hiring temporary full-time associates, ACME can readily meet demands however; there is no incentive to maintain a standard of quality or productivity.Same is true for part-time associates as their hours are usually dictated by the needs or demands Of a business. Consideration for casual and day labor employees might prove useful. Casual employees typically work on an as needed basis and usually consist of single parents, college students or applicants seeking extra money. Temp Agencies provide labor on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Typically, temp agency employees that excel are offered permanent positions within an organization. Hiring regular employees on a probationary basis will allow ACME the ability to meet the quality, performance and productivity of the contract.Generally a just-cause type of employment this employee is evaluated at the end of a specified period based upon certain criteria. If an employee fails to meet standards then they are usually let go. With the increase in business size and operation certain liabilities can raise concern. It is important to understand the differences associated with the different entities when choosing what best fits your organization. Whether choosing a Sole Proprietorship, a Pa rtnership, a Corporation or a Limited Liability Company, it is important to assess all the risks associated with the nature of the business.Currently, ACME Fireworks operates out of a garage and the owner enjoys complete autonomy over operations. Operating as a Sole Proprietorship, the business and the owner remain one and the same. This provides the highest risk of loss to personal assets. The disadvantage is that a sole proprietor has limited options for raising capital and no limits on liability for business debts; thus if the business does not fare well, the sole proprietor can face personal bankruptcy,â⬠(Rogers, S. 2012).As a partnership, ACME Fireworks will share ownership with two or more people. ââ¬Å"Partners are automatically owners and managers of the business, and the law presumes equal rights unless the partners have specified otherwise,â⬠(Rogers, S. 2012). In a partnership, taxes are assessed on the earnings of the partners and not that of the business. Sh ould the company become party too lawsuit or is unable to fulfill its contractual obligations, the personal assets of all the partners can be used to satisfy a judgment by the court. Partners are not only liable for their own actions, but also for the business debts and decisions made by other partners. In addition, the personal assets of all partners can be used to satisfy the partnership's debt,â⬠(SABA. Gob, 2014). Should ACME Fireworks consider a Corporation, it will become an independent legal entity. The owner(s) will then become shareholders which will limit their liability and legal responsibility. In order to remain free of any personal liability, the company must operate according to state corporation laws. If the corporate form of business organization is used to defraud creditors, stockholders will lose the protection of limited liability and will be held personally liable for all debts of the corporation,â⬠(Rogers, S. 2012). Since a corporation requires the f iling of complicated forms, annual reports and fees, it can prove costly for a small company. Additionally, a corporation is double taxed whereby; the company pays taxes on its earnings and the shareholders pays taxes on dividends paid UT. A Limited Liability Company (LLC) provides the limited liability features of a Corporation but operates like a partnership or sole proprietorship.A LLC ââ¬Å"typically features easier formation (although filing under the statute is required) and lower filing fees, flow-through taxation where members of a LLC are taxed on their earnings, but the business itself is not taxed, the stability of a corporation (a member's leaving will not dissolve the LLC), and limited liability, where the business is liable for its debts and the people who own it are not,â⬠(Rogers, S. 2012). Since ACME Fireworks is a small business with a single owner, a LLC will provide a low cost alternative that provides limited protection of personal assets.Unlike like a cor poration, the taxes, profits and losses are passed through to each member of the LLC. Members are protected from personal liability for the actions and decisions Of the LLC. However, in the case of wrongful or illegal acts, the limited liability can be pierced and personal assets can be assessed. Additionally, it is important to separate business funds from personal funds. Should ACME use a personal ann. account to pay its creditors, they can in turn pierce the limited liability and seize the owners' personal funds. The Federal Government does not recognize a LLC as a separate entity as in a corporation.As such, the owner(s) of ACME Fireworks will file their shared earnings on their personal income tax. If the LLC is a single owner operation, income will be reported on a Schedule C just like that of a sole proprietorship. Should there be more than one member sharing in the profits and losses, a form 1 065 will be filed as is done in a Partnership. The entire net income of the LLC mu st be accounted or in the filings of all members involved. The owner of ACME Fireworks has asked for advices in choosing an entity that would provide the least risk to personal assets, should he fail to meet his contractual obligations.It is important for ACME Fireworks to understand the risks associated with the nature of the business. In assessing the current operation, ACME Fireworks operates out of a garage and currently employs approximately 15 people. The liabilities associated with the manufacture of dangerous materials poses a high risk to personal assets should a mishap occur. Before engaging rather, ACME must consider relocating to meet both local and state zoning laws. Additionally, Federal OSHA standards must be in place in order to release the owner of allegations associated with safety, wrong doing, or negligence.The law provides certain protections associated with All's and Corporations. As a sole-proprietor, ACME Fireworks and the owner are one in the same. Should th e company fail in its obligations or fail to warn and/or injure a consumer, the owner is held personally liable. If ACME is to pursue a partnership, the partners share in the personal liabilities of the company. For he production of what is considered dangerous materials (fireworks), the risks associated with injuries from product liability to manufacture are substantial.The company IS liable for intentional torts, negligence and strict liability as such; neither a sole-proprietorship nor partnership is suggested. As a manager of ACME Fireworks, would recommend the company pursue a Limited Liability Corporation. According to the Small Business Administration, ââ¬Å"Members are protected from personal liability for business decisions or actions of the LLC,â⬠(SABA. Gob, 2014). Essentially, if the LLC becomes party to a suit or is unable to fulfill its obligations, members enjoy the same protections as that of shareholders in a corporation.However, as a limited liability company , they are not exempt from litigation involving wrongful acts by its members or employees. In a LLC, the owner will retain control over the company as in a sole-proprietorship and lessens the risk of personal liability. The owner is also concerned with ACME's ability to meet either contractual obligations or make payroll. The LLC would provide the protections it needs without relinquishing control to a Board of Directors, as in a corporation. Without knowing the specific terms and conditions of the agreements, it is difficult to ascertain viability and validity.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
African Trade Routes
Africanââ¬â¢s were among the richest of people back in the 1000ââ¬â¢s. Effects of trade brought cities to faster than they rise. Great civilizations from Ghana to Zimbabwe both flourished but, had their tragic end. But, it provided them with a lot of things such as gold, salt slaves etc. People introduced camels to the desert in 200 a. d. Merchants primarily used them for trade to the Empires in the middle of the desert. They traded things such as gold, ivory, ostrich feathers, animal hides, and slaves.According to document 5 ââ¬Å"The salt trade made the city prosperous; in Africa, salt ranked with gold and slaves in value. For Merchants to risk camels over hundreds of miles of burning sand, the profits must have been enormousâ⬠(22). This means that merchants traveled to cities in the desert to make mounds of cash. This trade route was the ââ¬Å"trans-Saharan tradeââ¬â¢ which they used camels to travel across. Because, Of the Saharan trade routes many cities like Gh ana rose and prospered.It also bought new crops from south and Southeast Asia such as, sugarcane, coconuts, bananas, asian rice, and vegetables. Another effect is slavery; they used slaves to break up the salt so it could be traded. Also trading had a major effect on Islam. According to document 8 ââ¬Å" The leaders became integrated into African societies by playing religious,social,and political roles similar to those of traditional priestsâ⬠(447). This means Muslim leaders kind of move in and just sprinkled their religion around until people caught on.And by learning this new religion it opened doors for even more trading by them eventually learning their language. Ghana soon began to fall, people who were under their control fought for the control of the lucrative trade. Mali was established in 1235 by Sundiata. Male became rich off of the Saharan trade routes. King Moses controlled Gao and Timbuktu his power extended also to the Taghaza salt mines. According to document 9 ââ¬Å" They put their children in chains if they show any backwardness in memorizing it, and they are not set free until they have it by heartâ⬠(304).It basically means that the power that they had over other people also were towards their children which shows they had a lot of money. According to document 6 ââ¬Å"The inhabitants are very rich, especially the strangers who have settled in the country; so much so that the current king has given two of the daughters in marriage of two brothers both businessmen, on account of their wealthâ⬠(112). This means that he cared so much about their money that he ensured they will never lose it.According to document 1 ââ¬Å"Salt is so common, so easy to obtain and so inexpensive that we have forgotten that from the beginning of civilization until about 100 years agoâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (Kurlanksy). It shows you that people that wanted salt had to pay and work endlessly until they finally got what they needed. Now all you have to do is pick it up at a store; no effort is needed. According to document 3 ââ¬Å"Behind the King stood ten pages holding shields and swords decorated with gold. â⬠(45). As you can see there was a surplus of gold so they just dressed in it not all
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Implementation of an Information System for a Financial Institution
INTRODUCTION Background Ribeiro and David (2001) state that information technology over the years has had a number of significant impact on organizations. Such impacts are: â⬠¢ It has created opportunities for competitive advantages amongst competitors in any industry â⬠¢ It has improved the relationship existing between customers and organizations â⬠¢ It has helped with the development of new products as well as services â⬠¢ It has allowed organizations to perform tasks which would have remained impossible without the use of a computer system. It has reduced the total cost incurred in transaction processing for banks and other financial institutions. History of the I. T manager Having applied for the post of the I. T systems manager, listed below are my qualifications and information about my past work experience: â⬠¢ A masterââ¬â¢s degree in Information systems with technical background in Windows Server and Desktop technology â⬠¢ Professional qualificati ons in CISCO and MCSE with an understanding of some server grade applications including IIS, Apache, SharePoint, DNS, SQL and Foundstone Reasonable knowledge of large enterprise LAN/WAN environments â⬠¢ 8 years experience in project management, leadership and organizational skills â⬠¢ 7 years IT managerial experience in other financial institutions â⬠¢ 5 years experience with client technologies â⬠¢ 4 years working experience developing effective IT for financial institutions History of Progress bank Progress bank was established in 1999 and up till now does not have any I. T department in place. Their customer base is relatively small as well as the number of staff. Recently, it mergered with another bank in a bid to make it stronger and this has led to increased operational activities, increased customer base and more staff and a decision to introduce and implement an effective I. T department for the bank. The board decided to set up the department in order to ease their work, to allow free flow of communication between the various departments, to hasten decision making processes, to improve the turn-around time in their daily operational activities. The board members of the bank want the I. T manager to report directly to the Head of Operations of the bank. About 10 ââ¬â 12 information technology specialists would be required to work with him in the new department and the roles and responsibilities are to develop, maintain and support the banks cash and commercial product management systems, to reconcile accounts, to manage the cash systems and control disbursement of funds. Some recruitment consultants were consulted to help out with the recruitment of appropriate candidates and so far, 8 people have been recruited to work with the I. T manager. These people include network technicians, network assistants, and network engineers. Responsibilities of the I. T manager The major tasks and responsibilities of the I. T manager have been identified to be: 1. Development of an information system for the bank. 2. Coordination, monitoring and supervision of the supporting staff for the development, designing, coding, maintaining and modifying application programs for a limited area and small number of projects. 3. Extensively working with the business units of the bank in support of their business processes, electronic business communication and also transactional needs. . The provision of analytical support for applications-related activities including customer experience, marketing, technology, human resource and also the operations department. 5. Leading the deployment of advanced information technology solutions relating to commercial product needs. 6. Recommendation and suggestion of strategies as well as hardware and software enhancements to increase employee productivities. 7. Administering, recommending and im plementing changes to policies that affect the employees of the various departments. 8. Making the flow of information within the organization easier and faster through the development of the intranet. 9. Making communication a two- way thing i. e. vertical and horizontal. 10. Developing a customer database for the bank. 11. Selecting, developing and evaluating personnel to ensure the efficient and effective operation of assigned functions. 12. Ensuring that the project budget, schedules and performance requirements are completely met. 13. Regular interaction with customers and some peer group managers. 14. Ensuring that the organization operates fully in accordance with the established procedures and practices. How to measure the implementation success The success of the implementation of an information system can be measured by taking note of the following: i. User satisfaction with the system or with the outcomes of using the system. ii. Favorable attitudes on the part of the users towards the system. iii. The overall payoff to the organization. iv. The extent to which the system accomplishes the organizational objectives. Limitations The major limitation to be considered is the cost. It would be costly for the organization to fully introduce and to implement an effective information system. A major factor to be considered is the need for training and development of the existing members of staff of the organization. Training and development sessions, on-the-job training, meetings and discussions need to be arranged for the members of staff in a way that it would not interfere with the day-to-day operational activities. The whole process of change may be a cumbersome one for the employees because they would have to transfer the information and data from the various departments from files which were their major form of storage to the computers. INFORMATION SYSTEM This refers to the interaction between people, processes, data and technology. It refers to the way people interact with technology to support the business processes. Information systems are different from the information and communication technology (ICT) and also from business processes although it has an ICT component and it also helps to control the performance of the business processes (Zhu and Meredith, 1995). An information system can be defined as a work system involving activities that are necessary for the processing (capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying) information (Wang and Strong, 1996). An information system can be considered as a semi-formal language that supports decision making as well as actions. Components of Information System There are different components of the information system and they include: i. I. T comprising of the hardware and the software. ii. Data/ Information. iii. Procedures/Policies. iv. People. v. Purpose and vi. Communication Networks. Hardware Standards There are different standards of computer hardware, the hardware consists of the things that can be seen. The standards will be reviewed and revised occasionally based on the emerging desktop technologies and development in software (Avgerou, 2001). It is recognized that in the bank, the ability to share vital information easily and quickly is very important. Apart from the quick sharing of information, the software environment is also important especially those used for word processing, databases for the customers, spreadsheets, network browsing and electronic mail. Therefore, the development of a wide computing infrastructure which is based on good hardware and software standards will improve the day-to-day operational activities and interactivity between the various departments of the bank. The standards would also help facilitate the quick exchange of information as well as important documents both within and outside the bank. According to Stair and Reynolds, the hardware standards are based on the present technology that is available in addition to the present needs of the bank which then applies to both the windows and the mackintosh platforms. However, for each hardware configuration, some considerations have to be made which include: i. Easy connectivity to the bankââ¬â¢s network. ii. Easy connectivity to the external systems and other organizations. iii. The in-house experience with the chosen product and the configuration. v. The maximum period which the machine can effectively function. v. The presence of service provided by external hardware repairers. Different types of computers can be purchased but regardless of the type purchased, the minimum configuration should be: i. Intel core 2 Duo processor. ii. 2 G RAM because weââ¬â¢ll be using windows Vista. iii. 60 GB hard disk. iv. CD ââ¬â ROM/DVD drive. v. Network connection. vi. 3 years warranty. Because of the nature of the tasks performed by the bank, there will be a need to archive data, so a DVD+R drive is recommended. Recommendations on what to purchase Monitors: Flat panel monitors with high resolutions are recommended due to cost constraint, but as time goes on, we could change them to dual monitors. Printers: HP Laser jet P2015dn (monochrome) and HP Color Laser Jet 2605dn (color) is recommended. Scanners: USB scanners are recommended. Other Peripherals such as Modems, NICs and Drives: From previous experience, a personal relationship has been developed with MNJ Technologies Direct so it is recommended that supplies be purchased from them. Software Standards The software standards have a lot of advantages and these include: 1. An improved data sharing to ensure: . The sharing of data between applications such as word processors, databases, spreadsheets and so on. b. That there are identical resources on each of the desktop to provide easy transfer of information and to serve as a consistent tool-set for all the bank workers. c. A consistency of file format to provide optimal file sharing between individuals, units and departments within the organization. 2. An improved training which focuses on: a. Team training in various courses and workshops for different levels of user proficiency i. e. the introductory, intermediate as well as the advanced stages. b. Computer ââ¬â based training courses which is centered on selected software packages. 3. An improved support from the I. T support staff to focus on: a. The depth of knowledge of application instead of the breadth of the large number of applicants. b. Product expertise. 4. Smoother software installation and upgrades to ensure: a. The proper installation of the different software for the new computers usually making it a part of the initial hardware installation. b. That routine installation is made instead of a specialized process for each individual resulting in maximization of time and resources. c. That upgrades are tested and properly documented in order to reduce potential incompatibilities. Types of software standards 1. Fully supported software: it is my responsibility as the I. T manager to ensure that the appropriate software is installed, to troubleshoot software problems, to provide training courses and to provide the documentation of selected packages. Office productivity suite includes Microsoft word, Microsoft excel, PowerPoint, Access, and MS Office. i. Electronic mail/calendar ii. Web browser which includes internet explorer 6, safari 1 (Mac OS 10. 2), Firefox 2. iii. Web course development : Desire2Learn. v. Web page development: Dreamweaver MX. v. Image Editing: Adobe Creative Suite 2. 0. vi. Operating Systems: Windows XP and Windows Vista. vii. File transfer: Transmit, Filezilla 1. 7. viii. Other utilities: PowerArchiver 2000, Norton Antivirus 10. 15, Print Key 2000. ix. Network operating system: Netware 6, Microsoft server. x. Network clients: Netware client 4. 9 SP2 (Win XP). 2. Partially supported software: This may include some versions of the fully supported software and in some cases; it includes a new release of a standard application. These includes: i. Mathematical software: Maple 10, Matlab 2006. i. Telnet: Host Explorer (Telnet) 4, Putty (Win). iii. Operating systems: Windows 2000, Mac OS X 10. 3. iv. Statistics: SPSS 15. x, SPSS 12. x, Minitab 15. x. v. Office productivity suite: MS Office XP. 3. Non- supported software: these are some software that the I. T will not install nor provide follow-up support for because they are considered as obsolete. Examples of these include all Microsoft DOS and Windows 3. 1 based software. 4. However, changes will be made regularly by the I. T department to the computer hardware and software standards and this will be communicated to all members of staff. Sufficient time will be allowed for the migration to new standards; changes will also be made regularly to the hardware configurations as technology and prices change and would also be communicated to all members of staff. Operating systems Operating systems are the most important software which runs on the computer. Without it, the application software which is designed to communicate with the hardware through the operating system cannot run. There are different types of operating systems and these can be classified into: a. Single program operating system and . Multi tasking operating system The single program operating system is a type of OS that allows only one program to run at a particular time. This was later converted to the multi tasking operating system because it was found out that it was time consuming and not very practical and professional to close one application in order to open another one especially if you want to copy or transfer data from one application to anothe r. The multi tasking operating system is a type of OS that enables a single user to have more than one applications open at the same time. It usually gives the computer the option of determining how many time slices will be allocated to each program. The main program gets the most and the rest is distributed to the remaining programs depending on their rates of activity. There are basically three types of the multi tasking operating systems. These are: Single user multi tasking systems, real time operating systems and the multi user operating system. The real time operating systems are usually used to control scientific instruments, industrial systems and so on. The user has little control over the activities performed by this type of system. The single user multi tasking system allows a single user to open and run different applications at the same time. Examples of this type are Windows of Microsoft and the Macintosh of apple. Multi user operating systems are systems that give access to the resources on a single computer to many users at the same time. An example of this is the UNIX. However, the operating system that is commonly used are Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP (coming in two versions as the home and the professional), Windows Vista, Windows CE, Apple Macintosh, Unix, Solex etc (Charette, 2005). Network Security The computer networks can either be public or private. They are used daily to conduct transactions and to hasten communications amongst individuals, business and groups within an organization. The networks comprises of ââ¬Ënodesââ¬â¢ which can be referred to as ââ¬Ëclientââ¬â¢ terminals and one or more ââ¬Ëserversââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëhostââ¬â¢ computers. They are usually linked by communication systems which could be private which could be used within a company and public which can be accessed by members of the public such as the Internet. However, due to technological advancement, most of the companies host computers can be accessed by employees within the offices over a private communications network outside the offices through normal telephone lines (Tatnall et al. , 2002). Network security can then be described as involving all the activities that the various organizations, institutions, enterprises and so on take to protect the value of their assets and the integrity and continuity of their operations. In order to make the network secure, threats should be identified and strategies put in place to combat them by making use of the different network security tools. Threats to network security There are different threats to network security and they include: a. Viruses: these are computer programs that have been written by programmers with the aim of infecting computers when triggered by a certain event. b. Trojan horse programs: these are delivery vehicles for destructive codes which could appear as a harmless software program or as a useful one. c. Vandals: these are some software applications that can destroy the computer. . Attacks: This could be information-gathering activities which collect data that is used to compromise networks, access attacks which exploit network vulnerabilities gaining entry to e-mails, databases and the corporate network and denial-of-service attacks which prevent access to some part or all parts of the computer system. e. Data interception: This involves the altering of data packets that are being transmitted. Some network security tools that can be put in place include: a. Antivirus software packages: These are used to counter most of the virus threats. They need to be updated regularly in order for it to be effective. b. Secure network infrastructure: firewalls and intrusion detection systems provide protection for all the areas of network hence enabling secure connections. c. Virtual private networks: these are used to provide accessibility control and data encryption between different computers on a particular network. It allows the safe connection of workers to the network without the risk of someone else intercepting the data. d. Encryption: these are used to make sure that messages cannot be read by anyone else other than the authorized recipients. . Identify services: are services that identify users and control their activities as well as their various transactions on the network. Services used here include authentication keys, passwords etc. However, no single solution can protect against the variety of the afore mentioned threats, as a result, multiple layers of the security tools should be put in place. Network security i s usually accomplished through the hardware as well as the software, with constant update of the software to further protect from the emerging threats. In order for the network security system to be effective, it is important to note that all the network security tools work hand in hand to minimize maintenance and to improve security. Client Server Computing Client server computing can be defined as a distributed computing model where the requesting of services from the server processes is done by client applications. Here, both the clients and the servers run of different computers that have been interconnected by a computer network. Basically, it is server software that accepts requests for data from the client software and returns the results to the client. The major focus in client-server computing is on the software. A common example of the client-server computing is the use of the internet which could be the collection of information from the World Wide Web. However, client server computing generally applies to systems in which the organization runs various programs that have multiple components distributed amongst different computers in a particular network. The concept is linked with the enterprise computing which ensures availability of the computing resources. Client server systems are important and useful in the banks because it allows easy accessibility of account information on a central database server amongst other things. This will be very useful in the day-to-day operational activities. All the access is done through a PC client which provides a graphical user interface (GUI). Data such as the individual account numbers can be entered into the GUI along with the different types of transactions made on the account be it withdrawal or deposits. The PC client validates the data, transfers it to the data base server and eventually displays the results. Client Server Toolkits It has been observed that a lot of software toolkits for the effective building of client-server software are available today. These toolkits are referred to as middleware and examples are the Open Software Foundation (OSF) Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), Distributed component object model (DCOM), Message-Oriented Middleware (MOM) and the Transaction processing monitors (TPM). Data Base Management System This is a collection of programs that enables effective storage, modification and extraction of information from a database. Its primary goal is to provide an environment that is convenient and efficient for the storage and the retrieval of information. Different types exist which range from small systems running on personal computers to huge systems running on mainframe computers. Examples of database management system are Microsoft Access, My SQL Server, Oracle and FileMaker Pro. Examples of the use of the database systems include: â⬠¢ Automated teller machines(ATM) â⬠¢ Computerized library systems â⬠¢ Computerized parts inventory systems â⬠¢ Flight reservation systems Employee information systems â⬠¢ Company payroll â⬠¢ Credit card processing systems â⬠¢ Sales tracking systems and so on The internal organization determines the ease and flexibility of information extraction. The requests for information from a database are made in form of a question. This information can be presented in different formats. The database management system includes a report writer program which en ables the output of data in the form of a report; some also include a graphics component which allows the output of information in the form of graphs and charts. The major purpose of a database system is that it provides users with an abstract view of data. Data is usually stored in complex data structures bit users see a simplified view of the data. Model View Controller Model view controller is a design pattern that is used by applications which need the ability to maintain multiple views of data. It focuses on a separation of objects into three categories such as: â⬠¢ Models: for the maintenance of data â⬠¢ Views : for the display of all or a portion of data â⬠¢ Controllers: for the handling of events affecting both the models and the views. Due to the fact that it can be categorized, there can be interactions between multiple views and controllers with the same model and there can also be interactions between new views and controllers that were never in existence with a model without necessarily forcing a change in the design of the model. Model view controller can be represented graphically as shown below: [pic] The controller can change a model or a view or change both due to certain events. When a controller changes the model, all the dependent views update automatically and similarly, when a controller changes a view, the view gets data from the model to update itself. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) This is a term that is used to describe the set of activities supported by multi-module application software that helps businesses and companies to manage the important parts of its business. It is a package that promotes the seamless flow of information in any organization. The information from the ERP system provides visibility for key performance indicators that are necessary for meeting corporate and business objectives. ERP software applications are useful in managing product planning, providing customer service, purchasing, inventories and tracking orders. Enterprise resource planning includes application modules for the finance and the human resources aspects of any business. Typically, it has both modular hardware and software units that communicate on a local area network. This allows a business to add or to reconstruct modules while preserving the integrity of the data. Some of the players in the ERP market are SAP, PeopleSoft etc, while the new comers include Oracle, IBM and the Microsoft. Before an organization implements the ERP, certain issues need to be addressed and they are stated below: â⬠¢ The popular information systems â⬠¢ Fluctuations in the choice of technology The ability of the market players to stay in tune with ERP â⬠¢ The effective ways to implement business applications like ERP â⬠¢ Ways to benefit from it in order to lead to competitive advantage â⬠¢ The necessity for the innovation of software applications All these are important to take note of and will eventually determine the business mod el of the organization. The implementation of ERP is a very crucial factor in the ERP system. The success of a good ERP implementation lies in quicker processes making training very important. The speed and extent of the training eventually determines the worth and the value of the ERP. Decision Support System This is a term that describes computer applications which enhances the userââ¬â¢s abilities to make decisions. It describes a system that is designed to help decision makers identify problems and to make decisions to solve those problems by using information from a combination of raw data, personal knowledge, business models and communications technology (Hanna et. al, 2003). Information that can be gathered and presented by a decision support is: â⬠¢ Comparative sales figures from one period to the other â⬠¢ Projected revenue figures which are usually based on assumptions on new product sales A stock of all the current information assets which could be data sources, data warehouses, data marts etc. Components of Decision Support System According to Bhargava et. al,(1999), the components of Decision Support System can be classified as: â⬠¢ Inputs: which include numbers and characteristics that are used for analysis â⬠¢ User knowledge and exp ertise: which are inputs that require manual analysis by the users â⬠¢ Outputs: which are transformed data that aid the generation of the DSS decisions â⬠¢ Decisions: these are the results generated by the DSS Applications of Decision Support System Decision support system can be used and applied in various fields. Some of them are stated as follows: 1. It can be used for medical diagnosis in the clinics. 2. It is used extensively in business and management to allow faster decision making, better allocation and utilization of resources and the early identification of negative trends which could pose as threats to the organization. 3. It is used in agricultural production systems to facilitate decision making at the farms and at policy levels. 4. It can also be used in forest management for long-term planning. 5. It can be designed to make useful decisions in the stock market or even in the marketing department of the banks to decide which segment or target group to design a product for. It is basically useful in any field where effective organization is necessary. Benefits of Decision Support System Some of the benefits of an effective DSS include: 1. It helps to create competitive advantage amongst an organizationââ¬â¢s competitors. 2. It facilitates interpersonal relationships between the employees of a particular organization. 3. It increases control in an organization. 4. It speeds up the process of problem-solving in an organization. . It recognizes the importance of training and development within an organization and it promotes this. 6. It encourages innovative thinking as well as discovery of new areas of the decision maker hence improving motivation of the employee CONCLUSION It is worthy to note that the implementation of an effective information system is a continuous process t hat starts from the period the original suggestion was made and continues in the system as new users are introduced. Implementation plays a major role in the management of information technology and as such steps should be taken that it is done properly. REFERENCES Avgerou, C. , (2001). The significance of context in information systems and organizational change. Information systems Journal, Vol 11, pp 43 ââ¬â 63. Bhargava, H. K. , Sridhar, S. & Herrick, C. (1999). Beyond spreadsheets: Tools for building decision support systems. IEEE Computer, 32(3), 31-39. Charette, R. N. (September 2005). Why software Fails. IEEE Spectrum. Hanna, M. M. , Ahuja, R. K. & Winston, W. L. (2003). Developing spreadsheet-based decision support systems using VBA for Excel. Gainesville, USA: Innovation Center. Ribeiro, L. & David, G. (2001). Impact of the information system on the pedagogical process. Stair, R. M. & Reynolds, G. W. (1999). Principles of information systems (4th ed. ). USA, Course Technology ââ¬â ITP. Tatnall, A. , Davey, B. , Burgess, S. , Davison, A. & Wenn, A. (2002). Management information systems -concepts, issues, tools and applications. Melbourne: Data Publishing. Wang, Y. and Strong, D. M. (1996). Beyond Accuracy: What data quality means to data consumers. Journal of Management Information Systems, 12, pp. 5-34. Zhu, Z. and Meredith, P. H. (1995). Defining critical elements in JIT implementation: a survey. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 95(8), pp. 21-29.
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