Public Education in America an Example of the Topic Government and Law Essays by

Public Education in America Education is one of the most important institutions in every society which determines personal development and knowledge level of citizens. Public education is not merely an instrument for meeting the economic and administrative needs of the state; it also promotes personal development and helps to overcome social and economic class restrictions, allowing individuals to escape from their immaturity. Thesis In spite of great social changes and democratization processes, public education is America is still under scrutiny caused by lack of financial support and ineffective educational programs which prevent many low class children to receive good education and enter high educational establishments. Need essay sample on "Public Education in America" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Local school districts are responsible for managing public schools, but few can pursue consistent improvement strategies. School board members continually find themselves in awkward and conflicted positions. Their powers are both legislative and executive: they make policy and then often take responsibility for administering it (Kendall, 2007). Board members are elected to represent the interests of a public that is paying the bills for and expects to obtain the highest-quality education at an affordable price. This means that school boards must spend their time seeking a balance between the quality and quantity of education, and the tax price of those services. On the other hand, school board members are also employers of school administrators, teachers, and many other staff. As employers, they are expected to protect the interests of their workers, which usually means increasing budgets to provide higher salaries, more benefits, and better working conditions, regardless of the pref erences of the public, the quality of instruction provided, or the community's ability to pay. As both policy makers and public employers, school board members face conflicts about whom they should serve. The lower-grade curriculum was covered in a slightly different way in each group but still followed the state-prescribed frameworks. Bracey (2006) found that "Most programs couldn't meet our scientific standards, so we lowered our standards and accepted programs that told us they were good programs" (151). A second indicator of governance problems is that school systems seldom have any free resources to invest in major improvements or to intervene in desperately failing schools. "The biggest problem that we have is that we have a tremendous number of inexperienced teachers that just need the basics before they can do what we're doing" (Wilms 2003, 606). The quality of the schools in urban ghettos must also be considered in any study of the failure of education with poverty children. Such schools usually have less experienced teachers and a greater proportion of substitutes who are assigned on such a short-term basis that lesson planning is difficult or impossible. In some of the schools, the teachers may tend to label poverty children as unteachable, although this effect is often offset by the assignment of new teachers who are young, idealistic, and unencumbered with stereotypes. That the educational process should be carried out under conditions which will maximize the child's learning. The content of learning should presumably include the language and conceptual competencies necessary to enable the learner to become a self-sufficient, fully responsible member of society (Heckman, Krueger, 2004). While much has been written about the failure of the schools in poverty areas, little has been written about the role of the home and neighborhood in providing the necessary support without which school learning cannot be effective. Whereas the middle-class home prepares the child, serves as his trainer and cheering section in the competition for success in school, and ensures his continued focus on school rather than on other child-like or adult pursuits, the poverty home and community provide little or no school supportive services. In calling attention to the parent's critical role in socializing the child for education and in sustaining the child's interest in and motivation for educational and later occupational success, educators do not intend to lay all the blame on the parent when a child drops out or does not learn (Kendall, 2007). A successful educational experience requires both parent preparation of the child and competent teaching at the school. A paradoxical discussion can be entered into if educators seek to apportion blame for the failure of the poverty child in school. Heckman and Krueger (2004) hold the schools fully accountable for their successes and failures, and completely disregards the differential degree of history of America. What is provocative to researchers is how they as educators really can achieve these goals within an understanding of contemporary cultural change. If researchers view generational differences as cultural differences, then any teacher-student interaction becomes intercultural. In the case of the ghetto schools, there are problems of inadequate budgets, less competent teachers as a result of low budgets, or school location in high crime and violence neighborhoods, teachers with prejudicial attitudes toward ghetto children, and general administrative inadequacies deriving fr om the school's marginality. Today's public schools are not required to do whatever is necessary to make students succeed. The school's responsibility for student success ends, for all intents and purposes, with the obligation of delivering instruction and seeing to it that students are not impeded from access to it. Like defensive medicine, i.e., the practice of selecting tests and procedures to avoid charges of medical malpractice rather than to meet individual patients' needs, public schools are often driven by the need to avoid blame, not to do the best possible for students. In many urban school districts, African-American students are as likely to drop out of high school as to finish, and those who do finish school and take the Scholastic Assessment Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test) are likely to average below the 25th percentile for white students. Much the same is true for the U.S.-born children of Hispanic immigrants. As the plaintiffs in lawsuits such as Rodriguez v. Anton have demonstrated, the public school system delivers less to them, less money, more dilapidated school buildings, fewer and more poorly prepared teachers, and fewer books, than to other students (Purpel, Shapiro, 2004). No one with any firsthand knowledge of how schools serving these youngsters operate, or with direct responsibility for their quality, has ever argued that these schools are adequate. When challenged about the adequacy of the services provided in such schools, administrators invariably fall back on the defense of process, procedures, and compliance with applicable rules and regulations. They make no claim that the system is structured to ensure that these students succeed in school. Under the current system, schools have few incentives to make pledges about what students will experience or attain, or to critique their own performance. When s chools succeed they are seldom reproduced, and Modern standards for education broaden and increase as educators include immigrant and previously marginalized groups (such as women) and move into a more technological and future-oriented society. "To achieve that degree of public engagement, we must motivate and mobilize the American people and, to do that, we need a compelling narrative on the critical importance of getting all Americans involved in public education." (Puriefoy, 2004). Discontent continues to be laid at diversity's doorstep. Socialization provides the widest constellation of language and communication skills including nonverbal skills, and concepts of time and space. Formal learning may involve some of this, but the emphasis is on formal language and discourse, not on the broader aspects of communication, attitudes, and behaviors. The problems facing African-Americans in the United States are not unlike those being experienced by other minorities: living in a population where the majority is of another race; equality in job opportunities and the handling of applications for jobs and limited opportunities in education (Promoting America's Public Schools 2005). Such a working alliance of political elements, local, state, and federal entities, and others can be achieved only if these elements and the society in general desire more effective ghetto schools. Without such support, education remains a concern primarily of professional educators and middle -class parents whose children have something to gain from education. "We have had 25 years of reform with little to show for it. Yet improving public education continues to be at the top of Americans' list of priorities" (Wimps 2003, 606). It is the moral duty of a democratic society to give its best education to all its youth, and that the best education is one that promotes the ideal of disciplined intelligence. Today, the deep contradictions in American life and education includes the contradictions between liberal education and vocational training; between the ideal of critical intelligence and the need for immediate and unquestioning obedience in the body politic. There is every reason to think that the problems of public education are rooted in the basic arrangements by which we as a society provide public education. In their efforts to help public schools respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse population, educators have made public education more rule-bound, rights-driven, and divided into specialties; they have removed decision-making from the school level and centralized it in district offices, courts, and state departments of education. Hence, politicians and educators have weakened schools as organizations and blurred their focus on the core mission of teaching. The unwillingness of the public to support educational budgets and construction has left public education with less money to deal with children who, with each generation, are even less prepared for schooling, regardless of their socioeconomic stratum. The result has been an increasingly less effective educational process for all. Works Cited Bracey, G.W. (2006). The 16th Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education. Phi Delta Kappan, 88 (2), 151-160. Heckman, James J., Krueger, A.B. (2004). Inequality in America: What Role for Human Capital Policies? Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Kendall, D. (2007). Sociology in Our Times. Essentials. Thomson Nelson. Promoting America's Public Schools (2005). Retrieved 03 April 2007, form http://www.learningfirst.org/publications/pubschools/ Puriefoy, W.D. (2004). Telling the Story of Public Education in America. Retrieved 03 April 2007, form http://www.publiceducation.org/connections/fall04/index.asp Purpel, D.E., Shapiro, S.V. (2004). Critical Social Issues in American Education: Democracy and Meaning in a Globalizing World. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Wilms, W.W. (2003). Altering the Structure and Culture of American Public Schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 84 (8), 606.

Organizational Culture in Change Management

Organizational Culture in Change Management Introduction The success of a story of a company depends on certain conditions. These conditions can be thought of as mandatory when starting a business. The conditions being referred to are:Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Culture in Change Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Tapping the market of products and services that has little or no competition. Offer services or products that cannot be provided by anyone else. If a product owns a large share of the market, then the organization has no worries regarding its competition. Getting rid of the competition by letting them compete against each other. If the company is the sole buyer of a product, then it is easy to negotiate a price with the supplier. These factors seem like the ideal situation to start a business and would most probably generate high revenue. But, in reality the top leading companies of the United States never eve n applied one of these rules, and yet their stocks rocketed in the capital markets from 1972 to 2002. So the question arises: What was their secret of success? What was the factor that made these companies one of the best companies of all time? The answer is quite simple organizational culture. Discussion It is understood that there is no universally accepted definition of organizational culture; however, we can say that organizational culture is the factors and the points that contribute the surroundings of an organization in multiple ways. These factors can range from the belief of an individual to the acts of an entire group the organization culture of any institution plays a huge role in its productivity. But, applying changes to the organizational culture is not easy it takes a lot of hard work, effort, and can be a time consuming process. A culture that develops within an organization is quite difficult to change and if someone joins the organization they have to adapt to the new culture, and eventually he or she becomes a part of that culture. These employees eventually try to preserve that environment to which they have gotten used to. Those who do not fit the culture usually tend to leave the place. Some institutions tend to penalize the person whose behavior is not in accordance to the culture that prevail wit in that organization. Learning within an organization is a difficult phase, but it is an important one if the person is to maintain his job (Todd, 1999).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research on the management of organizational culture and organizational control is very limited. Moreover, through studies it has been established that there is a relation between the two it is still not clear to what extent is the effect of organizational culture and how to control or manage it. Little has been known on the phenomenon of organizational culture, and there has still been no proper way known to measure it. While some believe that there is no method to measure organizational culture, others believe that some factors can be taken into account to measure organizational culture (Lawson Ventriss, 1992). A majority of researchers believe that organizational culture can increase the productivity of the company. These researches suggest that changes focused on the organizational culture and the implementation of a proper plan in the right sectors could move the company in the desired direction towards progress (Lawson Ventriss, 1992). The collective efficiencies are one of those facts that can have a huge impact on the financial and productive output of a company, with each individual performing to the best of his or her abilities can improve the culture of an organization and can bring about a positive change in the companies’ atmosphere. However, some scholars believe that attitude of employees towards their job is not the deciding factor towards the change in the organizational culture, but it is in fact the attitude of the CEO that makes the true difference. The CEO is responsible for setting the goal for the organization and making sure that everyone including himself work towards achieving that goal. He should inspire and motivate his employees by bringing out the best out of each of them.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Organizational Culture in Change Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More His attitude towards employees, the company and his own work is of real impact to bringing change in an organization. Also, the success of a CEO lies with his ability to decide when change in an organization is required and how to bring about that change. In short, the dynamic leadership of a CEO is the true essence of an organizational culture (Tsuia Zhang, 2006). Another author suggests that certai n individual figures within an organization play a vital role in the organization culture and through those individuals a change can be brought about within an organization (Curado, 2006). Defining organizational learning is a topic of great controversy. There is no single acceptable definition, and definitions vary with each author. Organizational learning has been defined by different authors through different means with little or no common grounds between them. But, it is the author’s personal view that organizational learning is a mutual sharing of ideas and resources. Since, organizational learning is relatively a new branch of studies; therefore, there is still time in a standard definition to emerge. It is not only the definition of organization learning that has raised confusion, but also different terms relating to organizational learning are in need of standardization, and just like the definition all these terms are defined by different authors in different ways. U nlike individual learning organizational learning depends upon information possessed by each member of the organization and his ability to interact and share this knowledge with his peers and his colleagues.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organization learning is lot simpler and less time consuming than individual learning because in organizational learning, one has to observe the culture he is surrounded by and simply pick up information from there on. Another advantage of organizational learning is that it helps to cultivate competent employees, which in return attract clients towards the organization. It is believed that organizations with a better understanding of organizational learning can easily adapt to change providing the organization a competitive edge over other firms (Curado, 2006). On the other hand, Mackenzie states that organization learning cannot be used in a rapid changing environment. Organizational learning is a slow process and needs time to be implemented into the system. Even after the slow implementation of organizational learning there is no guarantee that the organization change would result in the financial benefit or would it result in the financial loss (Mackenzie, 2004). Organizational change is again a topic of great confusion. The facts and reasons for a change in an organization are not clear. Although, most authors believe that the real reason for change is the ever growing influence of information technology on other fields. IT has long been thought as the deciding factor in bringing change to an organization, and the organization culture has long been thought to be the opposing force. The world of business is changing every day, new competition, and changing monetary policies etc. are all things that organizations have to adapt to. In order to increase the life span of an organization, they have to bring about changes to their systems. Burke Litwin (1992) state that for a change to occur three factors must be present. First the trigger that would cause the need for a change, the second fact that must be taken into account is that the miniscule activities within the organization must not be ignored. Third and perhaps the most difficult principle to cope with is the sudden change when the organization least accepts it and is not ready or has not planned for it. No one knows why the sudden change occurs or if there are more than one factor causing this change. There are two ways of implementing change in an organization. Incremental change Radical change Incremental method, to put in simple words, is a change that is brought on in an organization slowly and gradually with the passage of time. Incremental method ensures that change is brought about in an organization without drastically disturbing the existing culture of the organization. Incremental method can be seen taking place in an organization though daily activities of the organization. For the incremental process to work properly, the organization has to define its goals and plan out the process keeping in view the competency and adaptability of the workforce of the organization. To implement incremental change successfully the company has to implement some policies or have to follow some guidelines. Firstly, the company before it starts out has to outline its objectives it intends to achieve from implementing the change and what steps will be undertaken to bring about that change. Secondly, allowing employees to familiarize themselves with the new system. Lastly, enabling a culture that allows growth and which can easily accept change (Myers Hulks, 2012). When it comes to the programs that can be implemented or used to bring change, managers have a range of choice. They could either have custom made programs specifically for their needs or they can buy general purpose programs. It all depends upon the needs of the organization. However, there are certain issues that must be given consideration when choosing the right types of programs. For example, corporate wide programs may be great to help familiarize employees with the inevitable change utilize a lot of resources and can reduce the efficiency of the organization. In the same way, general purpose pro grams can be bought right away without much planning, and they may not serve the purpose as these programs are not specific to the needs of the organization. These decisions have to be made properly after an analysis of the situation or opinion of a consultant to make such decisions on behalf of the company. Incremental change enables an organization to break large problems into small ones. Solving these small problems might not seem effective initially, but a collection of these small problems solved can make a huge difference to the organization (Orlikowski, 1993). Radical change is the change that occurs when the surrounding of an organization changes which in turn has an effect on the culture of the organization, and to negate the effect of that change the organization has to make some drastic changes. Usually, it is advised that radical change should not be managed by anyone within the company because a person needs to be able to set aside his own personal gains when planning t he future change of the company. In the same way as the individual planning, this change must be able to challenge the higher authority’s perspectives. Radical change is a very complex process, which requires high level of competency by the entire team, and not just the individual who is leading the charge. Technology should be implemented only if it is needed, otherwise it should be avoided. The team must be properly briefed when it comes to the use of information regarding each member (Todd, 1999). Organizational learning is viewed as one of the most important attributes that contributes towards organizational change. When employees within an organization go through learning phase then the company can expect some kind of change. The management needs to closely monitor employees of their organization and try to plan the change accordingly. Organizational learning focuses on both the past and future that a company may face. Analyzing and preparing for the future is also part of organizational learning (Schein, 1990). Preparing for the future refers to change that would be applied to the company. To make sure that the right decisions are taken in this matter, a method called scenario planning is used. Scenario planning basically is a strategy that provides a possible solution for possible scenarios that may arise in the future. Some organizations only allow the management staff to carry out such decisions. While in some companies, the management allows representation from all levels of the company including different departments and sectors. These employees are then briefed and trained on what factors to consider that would affect the change of the company (Geldenhuys Veldsman, 2011). Culture within an organization is passed on to employees from the organizations founders through a set of practices and talks. One way for an organization to determine its culture is by their treatment of employees. Explaining employees about the dos and don’ts enab les the formation of a culture within the organization shared among employees. Usually, introducing innovation disturbs the environment around an organization and that is the true nature of culture it resists change. Organization that is able to successfully apply change need to do so at a steady pace (Schein, 1990). Change is a very complex process and in order to manage change successfully appropriate managerial skills are required, and when it comes to radical change there should be no doubt when enforcing it. Change is not always successful and once the process of change starts the management must see the whole process through. Planning and attention to the details is very important, and employees must be ready to accept a change in the culture that might develop due to change that occurs within the organization. It is also important for the management to be ready for any reaction that might come from employees of the organization (Schein, 1996). Organizations with powerful fina ncial background are more likely to survive a change then that with a less powerful financial background. Changes made from mutual agreement of employees and the management staff is less likely to fail then the change taken based on the decision of just the managerial staff. It is important that the political nature of the organizational culture must be understood before making any major decisions regarding change within an organization. Communication between the managerial staff and employees is of utmost importance (Mackenzie, 2004). Paying attention to small details during the transition is of utmost importance, the neglect of even the smallest nature can cause great problems in the implementation of change in the organization. Every employee must be given a considerable amount of time to work with the change and should be removed from the organization if they are unable to adapt to the change. Bold and brave decisions could be very helpful in bringing about change within an orga nization. New leaders must act as pioneers of change and must remain firm in their decision of change (Myers Hulks, 2012). Conclusion Although, there is vast information regarding organizational learning and knowledge, but the confusion regarding terminologies and definitions prove to be a huge barrier in understanding the subject clearly. Moreover, empirical data is limited on the subject. To overcome these obstacles, there is a dire need for researchers to implement their research in the field and achieve some statistical data to support their theories. These researchers must compare notes and provide some proper terminologies regarding the subject. List of References Burke, W Litwin, G 1992, A Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change, Journal of Change Management, vol. 18 no. 3, pp. 523-45. Geldenhuys, C A Veldsman, T H 2011, A change navigation-based, scenario planning process within a developing world context from an Afro-centric leadership perspective, SA Journ al of Human Resource Management, vol. 9 no. 1, pp. 1-17. Lawson, B R Ventriss, C L 1992, Organizational change: the role of organizational culture and organizational learning, Kenyon College, Vermont. Mackenzie, K D 2004, The Practitioners Guide for Organizing an Organization, Mackenzie and Company, New York. Myers, S P Hulks, W L 2012, Organizational Change: Perspectives on Theory and Practice, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Orlikowski, W J 1993, CASE Tools as Organizational Change: Investigating Incremental and Radical Changes in Systems Development. MIS Quarterly, vol. 17 no. 3, pp. 309-340. Schein, E 1996, Three Cultures of Management: The Key to Organizational Learning, Sloan Management Review, vol. Fall, pp. 9-20. Schein, E H 1990, Organizational Culture, American Psychologist, vol. 45 no. 2, pp. 109-119. Todd, A 1999, Managing Radical Change, Long Range Planning, April, vol. 32 no. 2, pp. 237-244. Tsuia, A S et al. 2006, Unpacking the relationship between CEO leadership b ehavior and organizational culture, The Leadership Quarterly, April, vol. 17 no. 2, pp. 113-137.

Definition and Examples of Periphrastic Constructions

Definition and Examples of Periphrastic Constructions In English  grammar, a periphrastic construction  is one in which an independent word or multi-word expression has the same role as an inflection, such as the use of the auxiliary will with another verb to form the future tense. Periphrasis in the grammatical sense is a back-formation from the adjective periphrastic. For the rhetorical and stylistic sense of the term, see periphrasis (rhetoric). Examples and Observations A tense is inflectional if it is realized as an affix on a head (in English, a verb), periphrastic if it is realized as an independent word. Thus the English past is inflectional, but the future is periphrastic, co-opting the modal will.​  (Jeremy Butterfield, The Arguments of Time. Oxford University Press, 2006)The roots of the periphrastic forms for the future, perfect, and pluperfect can be found as early as Old English. These were established in Middle English, although the simple present and preterite forms were still possible in some contexts in which Present-Day English would use periphrastic constructions.  (Matti Rissanen, Syntax, Cambridge History of the English Language, Vol. 3, ed. by Roger Lass. Cambridge University Press, 2000) Comparison of Adjectives: Inflected and Periphrastic Patterns There are two patterns of comparison of adjectives, the inflected and the periphrastic. The inflected pattern adds -er to the positive degree: small becomes smaller, happy becomes happier. To form the superlative degree, it adds -est: smallest, happiest. The periphrastic pattern uses the adverbial intensifiers more and most: the comparatives of beautiful and ostentatious are more beautiful and more ostentatious; the superlatives are most beautiful and most ostentatious. The generalizations that seem to account for whether we choose the inflected pattern or the periphrastic are these: (1) most one- and two-syllable adjectives use the inflected pattern; (2) adjectives of three and more syllables almost always use the periphrastic; (3) the higher the frequency of two-syllable adjectives, the more likely they are to inflect for comparison; (4) the periphrastic more and most may on occasion be used with any one-syllable or high-frequency two-syllable adjective, e.g., more dear, most happy .​  (Kenneth G. Wilson, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Columbia University Press, 1993) The Periphrastic Possessive To attribute possessiveness to inanimate objects we generally use the periphrastic possessive, that is a prepositional phrase (beginning with a preposition and followed by a noun). For the inanimate examples, we might expect the following:  (Bernard ODwyer, Modern English Structures: Form, Function, and Position. Broadview, 2006) The expense of getting wool down to the side of the ship would eat up the farmers profits.The director of the clinic made no bones about the underlying problem.After spending some months in a rather depressing Convalescent Home, I was given sick leave for a month. The Evolution of Periphrastic be going to We will describe a recent English change, the rise of periphrastic be going to ... In the periphrasis stage, a periphrastic construction is employed for a particular function. In the case of the English future, a combination of a motion verb (go) and a purpose clause (to infinitive) is employed for a future function. This stage is motivated most likely to avoid misunderstanding, although expressiveness is also sometimes invoked. . . . The construction be going to probably spread from the closely related meaning of a motion event undertaken with an intended future outcome (the purpose clause). In the fusion stage, the periphrastic construction becomes a fixed, distinct, independent construction employed specifically for the function in question. . . . This stage has clearly occurred with future be going to: it is fixed in the use of the specific verb go and the present progressive form. Finally, erosion occurs: as the construction becomes entrenched, it is phonologically and morpholo gically reduced . . .. The future be going to has commonly be reduced to the contracted form of be plus the reduced unit gonna.​  (William Croft, Evolutionary Models and Functional-Typological Theories. The Handbook of the History of English, ed. by Ans van Kemenade and Bettelou Los. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) Pronunciation: per-eh-FRAS-tik

M2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

M2 - Assignment Example The different categories of biological pose specific threat to human health and our general well-being. In this error of increased terrorism threats, terrorists have realized the potential threat posed biological agents and have exploited these agents to carry-out their terrorism attacks in the form of biological weapons. Counterterrorist agents therefore need to identify the various biological agents and the various ways in which they can be exploited to harm innocent people. In addition, it is important to understand how the various biological agents affect our systems and the best way to minimize their impact on our body systems. Chemical agents exert an effect upon human health in varying ways and are classified according to their effects on the body system. Environmental chemical agents are classified based on their effect on the body system. The society and public health professionals need to understand the various chemical agents that pose significant threat to the well-being of people in order to device the means of countering and minimizing their effect. The various categories of chemical agents include carcinogenic or mutagenic agents and toxic agents (Koppe et al., 2006). All chemicals with potential adverse effects can be categorized into either the toxic or carcinogenic agents. Physical agents on the other hand include environmental materials which facilitate the human contact to disease agents or affect the body system indirectly. Such materials are categorized as irritants, radiations, vibrations and noise (Koppe et al., 2006). Energy in the form of harmful radiations forms part of the physical agents that may adversely affect the human system. Dust and other micromolecules also have the potential to affect the human system inform of human system

The Bahai Faith and an Excerpt by Bahaullah Essay

The Bahai Faith and an Excerpt by Bahaullah - Essay Example The Baha'i Faith originated more than 150 years ago and expanded around the world. Affiliates of the Baha'i Faith reside in more than 100,000 sections of the globe and derive from practically every civilization, occupation, nationality, and monetary environment. Baha'i Faith strives to find a unification of vision in seeking a purpose in life through true religion. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Baha'u'llah. (The Baha'i Faith / The International Web site of the Baha'is of the world). One of his writings, "The Moral Guidance in Ornate Prose", will be analyzed in this paper. Baha'u'llah begins his Moral Guidance piece with similar parallels to the eight Beatitudes taught by Jesus Christ. The Beatitudes are simply written but very profound statements that guide, teach and show values of Jesus' message, similar to Baha'u'llah's Moral Guidance excerpt. "Be generous in prosperity", "worthy of trust of thy neighbor", "treasure to the poor", "an answerer to the cry of the needy", "Be unjust to no man", "show all meekness to all men" (Tradition).These teachings from the beginning of Baha'u'llah's Moral Guidance passage, emphasize that a firm sense of unity between all of us is essential to human progression and that all prejudice - racial, religious, national or economic - is destructive and must be overcome.

Service Provider Essay Example for Free

Service Provider Essay Objective The objective of this report is to analyse the Service Provider named, StarHub and its success towards providing good service and being popular among the Singapore Consumers. To identify the factors that contributed to the success of StarHub using swot analysis. Background StarHub Limited is telecommunication Service Company and is Singapore’s fully-integrated info communication Company. StarHub Limited also provides other communication services like Mobile Network Services, Digital Cable Services, and Internet service for both consumer and corporate markets. It holds the second position in Mobile Operator Service and it has the fastest two-way High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) and mobile network that has fastest network speed that gives up to 21Mega bit per second (mbps) with the help of the new 3G mobile telephony communication protocol technology. StarHub has this Hybrid Fiber-Coax (HCF) network which satisfies the consumers by providing multi-channel cable TV services which includes High Definition Television and on-demand services. It also provides Internet services in the form of Residential dial-up internet service and broadband internet via cable. It also provides mobile broadband where anyone can use it anywhere they want with network coverage. It delivers Ultra High broadband speed to its consumers. StarHub also provides digital voice service via cable with superior clarity. StarHub is the fast-rising challenger in the Singapore telecommunications Industry, placing second behind former government monopoly Singapore Telecom (SingTel). StarHub is also that markets only telecommunications group capable of providing the full range of telecommunications services, combining fixed and wireless telephone networks, cable television service, and broadband. Scope This report covers the analysis of Starhub Service Provider. It also covers the services given by the telecommunication services in Singapore and History of StarHub over the 10 Years. Surveys are done to collect data information of communication service consumers. Methods of enquiry Surveys are given to Consumers to get the opinion on the service they get  from StarHub. Finding out the factors through the surveys which contributed to the success in getting good reputation among the consumers in Singapore. 2.1 Management History Of StarHub. Management Singapore Government decided to liberalise the telecommunication sector by 2000. The 49% cap on foreign ownership of public telecommunications will be lifted and will give room for newcomers. StarHub was formed in April 2000. StarHub was given the license to deliver fixed network and mobile service on 7 May 1998. It was formed officially formed with Singapore Technologies Telemedia, Singapore Power, British Telecom and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) having the major shares in it. At the same time 2 other telecoms were formed, SingTel M1 (Mobile 1).Till then it was only providing mobile services. StarHub manage to sign agreement with 16 countries including china, USA and United Kingdom for its roaming services which even brought more consumers to them. StarHub further developed by winning the city’s 3G cellular phone licenses. During the period from 2003 to 2009, StarHub manage to develop in mobile services further. StarHub was the first mobile operator to launch Blackberry which is well known for its Smartphone service like e-mail, web browsing and other wireless data access. Wireless data services were even further developed by StarHub. By the end of 2009, StarHub was the first mobile operator in Asia to launch HSPA+ service having a high download speeds across nationwide. StarHub manage to get the License for Internet Service Provider and joint force with CyberWay service provider which was the first internet industry in Singapore and was announce as StarHub Internet on 3 Dec 1999. On the same day itself, a free surf plan was announce in conjunction of the new service provided and it became too popular that more than 180,000 people signed up for the surf plan less than few months. Consumers could surf the internet for via dial up and pay only normal local charges. In the year 2000, StarHub merged with Singapore Cable Vision which is the only paid TV media entertainment in Singapore. Due to th e merger, it obtained the SCV’s cable television together with the broadband internet access operations. In 2005, StarHub online was formed to provide broadband internet service. Both services came under StarHub. StarHub cable TV also manages to develop over the years. They had more  people subscribing to their service as the number of channel had start to increase and there were more variety channels to watch. Digital Television service was brought in 2004 and 11 interactive channels were added in. This made a tremendous change in subscriptions to their TV services. And now StarHub is the first service provider that provides with High Definition Television (HDTV) service and has 6 High definition channels. StarHub Launched the Maxonline plan where it is the connected 24 hours and has unlimited access to internet. They provided plans which suited for heavy and light users of internet. For light users, it came up plans like flexi surf where you pay as you use. Consumers only have to pay what they use for.It had the fastest download speed in Singapore when the MaxOnline Ultimate was launched. Now it provides 1Giga Bit Per Second (gbps) together with the Next Generation National Broadband Network. 2.2 Comparison In Singapore, We have 3 main telecommunication service providers which are StarHub, Singtel and M1. All have been a rising challenger to one another in a way with the service they have been providing for the past years. First we are going to compare what services they provide which defer from one another. These are the services provided by these service providers in a summary in the table below. Services Provided http://www.investorcentral.org/i/logo_starhub-a.gif http://topnews.com.sg/images/singtel_logo111.jpg http://blog.elyius.net/wp-content/uploads/m1-singapore-logo.jpg Mobile Service-Prepaid Service Mobile Service- Postpaid Service Broadband Service- Home( Fixed) Broadband Service- Mobile Digital TV services Home Fixed Line Service 2.3 Further Analysis From the above table, we could clearly see that M1 lacks in a Digital TV service where other service provider provides. Only StarHub and Singtel provide the Digital TV service. Another recent service just provided by M1  is the Home Fixed Line Service, meaning there were 2 services which M1 wasn’t providing before. But all the services are rather more similar if compared with one another which they are providing now. After seeing, the table you would have known the services provided is the same, we need to analyse further to see which service provider has better recognition among the consumers. Since our main focus is on communication services as a whole we shall remove M1 from the comparison as it doesn’t provide Digital TV service. So I would be comparing within StarHub and Singtel about their services. I have done some surveys using www.monkeysruvey.com using that I have collected some data from 80 people for my inferences. From the pie chart and bar graph below, we can clearly see that StarHub managed to dominate the graph by having 44% of the people surveyed using StarHub service. By looking at this, roughly we could estimate that StarHub is dominating the communication service industry in this Singapore. Followed by the Singtel which has 35 % and M1 21% from the people surveyed. I am going to explore the factors that contributed to this high percentage of StarHub consumers in Singapore. Survey on StarHub Consumers and other Consumers. Please Select the appropriate Answer. Which service provider do you subscribe to? StarHub b) Singtel c)Mobile 1(M1) Please proceed to the rest of the questions if you have selected â€Å"a† above. Which Service have you subscribed to? Mobile b) Cable TV c) Internet d) All services. Rate the Service Given by StarHub. Very Satisfied b) Satisfied c) Neutral d) Not Satisfied e) Very Not Satisfied Reasons for choosing StarHub? a)Cheap b) Good service c)Recommendations d) All of the above Would you recommend StarHub to others? Yes b) No 2.4 Factors Contributed We know that In order to be outstanding from one another we should have certain distinct characteristics or talent which differs from other people. This is case we have to explore How StarHub manage to obtain good  recognition among the consumers in Singapore even when there are other communication service Providers in Singapore. In order to be outstanding among the communication service providers they must be really competitive with other Service Providers. Getting updated with latest technology and offering services that go together with the latest technology. StarHub which follows this always provides its customers with up to date network service to serve them better. Also means that StarHub is readily available for changes and anticipate them accordingly. For example, when internet usage was getting higher in Singapore like surfing the net and online gaming increases they manage to help this consumers by having the highest internet download speed in Singapore. This made many co nsumers who prefer to be fast get attracted to their service. Next would be the quality of service. From the Survey I have done, below we can clearly see that StarHub provides with good service to the customers.service.PNG Higher percentage surveyed that their service is above average. StarHub has a very good recognition with their quality of service. They have a very coordinated system, which doesn’t have any severe problems and miscommunications. They provide 24 hrs customer service hotline, where people can call them 24 hours regarding their queries faced and technical difficulties, which makes consumers more accessible to them whenever they want. Next would be their promotions, which attract the customers to take their service up. They provide more promotions bundle services together so that consumers will take all the services together paying at a cheap price which eye catching for the customers. Hubbing promotion, where consumer will be subscribed to all 3 services at a cheaper rate compared subscribing to one service by one. From the survey done we can conclude that consumers with the higher percentage of 80% saying that their services charged at cheaper and worth it price. StarHub has done well in this area trying to attract the customers by providing its consumers cheaper services. Referring to this graph, we could roughly estimate that StarHub manage to get most of its consumers to subscribe to all its services. We can somehow conclude that the promotion above was effective after all in a way. StarHub also doesn’t focuses on getting new customers always but also tries to keep his current consumers by rewarding them by giving discounts to when they re-contract or waiving certain fee charge if they subscribe. They also have this point’s system feature, where the customers can redeem things in  return without paying full money for it. They also provide vouchers which can be used to re-contract their subscription with them without paying any fees. StarHub also gives birthday treat by giving free cake and vouchers on their customers birthdayreawrds.PNG StarHub have managed to attract new customers by giving them attractive promotions and cheap service. And as promise they also manage to give good service quality from the survey done. With good service provided, they also provide with reasonable cheap price which is really eye catchy for the customers. They also focus on attracting new customers and at the same time they also provide the current customers with good incentives making sure that they still prefer their service compared to other service providers. Customers satisfied with StarHub Service would tend to recommend the service and share the experience with their friends. With satisfied recommendations by friends People subscribe to the services also. This could be one of the reasons why it contributed 20 % to the graph above (4) on reasons for choosing for StarHub. We have explored certain factors on how StarHub manage to attract customer and the possible reasons on why they chose them. Next, we were going to analyse StarHub using SWOT analysis. 3.1 SWOT Analysis 3.11 Strengths StarHub strengths had made them a successful communication service provider. The strengths have enabled it to be successful and popular among the consumers in Singapore. One of it would be anticipating changes, as it becomes more and more competitive in the telecommunication industry its able to come up with new promoting ideas. StarHub manage to come up with new and innovative ideas on the service they give. For example, they were the first service provider to come with per second billing for outgoing calls and all day free incoming calls. This idea even boosted the service provider market. More people chose StarHub due to this reason. This is not the one idea they came up with, they were the first service provider who came up with unlimited internet access. This attractive idea of theirs had a huge jump of consumers subscribing to them. StarHub has this strength where many consumers preferred StarHub Services. Another good example would be when other communication services adapt th eir ideas to the services; StarHub has to come up with more new innovative ideas. When all services were the same  in all 3 communication services, StarHub manage to come with new idea with student Plan with an unlimited SMS service. When all the internet services provided by all providers were also the same, it came up with the highest and fastest internet service. They adapted to changes well and reacted to accordingly. Another important strength would be StarHub’s 24 hours customer service. With its 24 hours customer service department consumers and seek help anytime they want. All their problems can be addressed anytime they call the customer service. With this, consumers will feel more secured as there are people to support them with any kind of problem whenever they face. This would help the consumers to build trust on the service provider since they are assisted anytime. Next would be interactive. StarHub has Facebook which aids in connecting with all the people who have subscribe to their service. As most us know Face is becoming a the most popular social networking platform. StarHub uses this chance, to interact and have a better communication with the customers. People who cannot get through their customer service they can get their queries answered at facebook. StarHub also promote their service in the facebook so that everyone can see. Another interesting strength would be their Hub club and Platinum Club member scheme. This scheme is basically for those who subscribe to all their services will be provided certain discounts and special privileges. With this it helped StarHub to serve the customers better. With this discounts given more people preferred to treated specially by giving discounts. 3.12 Weakness StarHub’s weakness would be due to it’s one of its strength. When StarHub always come up with new attractive services these ideas would be adapted by communication service providers. Not only have other Communication service providers done that, in order to maintain the same level of other service providers, StarHub also adapts certain ideas from them. So due to this adaptation of ideas from one another to stand in the same level, StarHub needs to come with more so that they can be more outstanding from the rest. Coming with ideas isn’t easy; they have to consider certain factors at the same time. For example they have to come with ideas so that the company doesn’t make any loss but at the same time coming up with ideas with their current resources to attract and retain its current customers at the same  time. StarHub tries to make its new customers and existing customers at the same time. No questions to ask regarding about this. But when we really analyse this more in detail, we can say StarHub places most of its emphasis on attracting new customers. Equal emphasis isn’t given to both the sides. With this they have a chance of losing their existing customers. For example, for those who port over their mobile line to StarHub from other service providers were given $200 off any mobile phone they take and will be given whatever discount or fee waived for new sign up while for existing customers when they want to re- contract they are not given this privileges but only given vouchers that do not exceed the amount. 3.13 Opportunities StarHub has explored his opportunities well in telecommunication industry. When technology gets improved, it takes this chance to further more improve the service with the help of new technology. For example, it was the first to launch the 3G mobile service in 2004. It maximized the technology by providing the most 3G coverage around the whole Singapore and providing with the fastest HSPDA mobile internet speed up to 21Mbps. And also when Next Gen NBN service was out, StarHub made use of this and provided consumers with more faster and effective internet service. Another opportunity was for it to interact with customers and knowing what they want. As I have stated above of StarHub connecting themselves with the consumers through facebook social networking. Through facebook, consumers can ask the queries that need to be clarified. Consumers will also give ideas on how to improve their service and will give suggestions for them. From these, StarHub would roughly know what the issues that need to be solved are and know what the consumers really want. This helps StarHub to understand and provide service accordingly to reach the consumers standard and needs. When consumer’s needs are met, they would prefer more of StarHub service. StarHub manage to explore more of opportunities on the services they can provide. When StarHub merged with Singapore Cable vision with the cable services they also provided internet service. Providing 2 services due to the merger. These are some of the opportunities of StarHub. 3.14 Threats As this is competition based on Singapore, the only two threats faced would be Mobile One and Singtel communication Service Providers. As most of the  services provided by them are similar, StarHub has to do things making sure that they are outstanding among all the communication service providers. They must conquer well in most important 3 areas which will be Price, service quality and service they provide. 3.15 Suggestions My suggestion for StarHub would be really analyzing the consumer needs. For example, would be the lack of consideration for the existing consumers. The only provide more attention on attracting new customers. May be they could also give similar privileges to the current existing customers where everyone will be treated equally and will be fair, at the same sometime not having loss. Another suggestion could that, since it’s a very big company and they have many customers they could provide larger customer service serving customers as not all queries would be solved once they call. Most of the consumers hate waiting, thus having more people in customer service; consumers will have their queries solved immediately and with les waiting.

Downfall of the Governess in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James Essay

Downfall of the Governess in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James In the governess's insane pseudo-reality and through her chilling behavior, she managed to bring downfall to Flora and Miles, the children of Bly. With compulsively obsessive actions, irrational assumptions, and demented hallucinations, the governess perceived ghosts bearing evil intentions were attempting to corrupt and destroy the children she had taken the role of care for. In reality, the governess herself brought tragedy to the children through her own selfishness and insanity. From the first interactions with the young children, the governess's infatuation with their uncle, her employer, eventually proved to be her own failure in every fashion. In talk with the head maid, Ms. Grose, the governess explained her meeting with her employer and how she had fallen in love with him on their first meeting. Ms. Grose then began to explain that that was the nature of the her employer, to draw a women he could entrust his estate to, and that the governess was not the only one so taken by him to leave the infatuated governess without further communication. In restless sleep and longing for contact with those outside of Bly-- particularly her employer-- the governess placed hope in chance meetings of random individuals. In her walk in the yard, the governess began to wish for the sight of her employer who she was still madly in love with. The governess's desire to see him and receive his reassuring approval conceived the ghost of what was later revealed to be Peter Quint she believed she had seen. Later in her climax of interaction with her ghosts, the governess is afraid that the master will come home, for she is fearful of what he will think of her. ... ...d in the governess's eyes. After feeling she had lost Flora to the ghost, when in reality the governess had scared the child to death, Miles still shown to be a ray of hope for the demented governess. She refused to leave him alone and began to become angry and suspicious of his corruption when he would ask of his desire for schooling. In the governess's last attempt to consume the children for herself, she sends Ms. Grose away with the sickly Flora and keeps Miles with her at Bly. After her last vision of Quint and with Miles dilapidated in her ineludable arms, the governess frightens Miles so that he collapses and dies, by the governess's conniving will, and to her own bane. Although the governess seemed to have good intentions, her root of mind was self-serving and deceptive. Works Cited: James, Henry. "The Turn of the Screw." Esch and Warren 1-85.

Play Writes Skills as A Dramatist Essay

Analysing A Scene from the play ‘A View from the Bridge’ Showing the P Play Writes Skills as A Dramatist   The paly which I analysis is by Arthur miller called â€Å"a view from the bridge†. In this play I analysed a scene which is the chair incident. In this essay I will be writing about what lead up to the chair incident. I will be also analysing the skill that Arthur Miller uses and write down its function.This play is set in America in 1960s. This play is about the Carbone family who brings two brothers who are Italian immigrants. There are six main characters, Eddie who is married to Beatrice, Catherine who is Eddies nice. The layer is Alfiera. The two immigrants are Marco and Rodolfo. At this time Italy was very poor and it was illegal for immigrants to come in America. Eddie helps his Italian cousins Marco and Rodolfo by smuggling them to America so they can provide for their family. When they by a ship they get jobs as longshoremen. Marco has a wife and two children and Rodolfo is single.  The events which led up to the chair incident is the boxing incident. This is where Eddie decides to teach Rodolfo boxing for self defence as he is to vulnerable. For example he says â€Å"I’ll teach you† to Rodolfo. This incident suggests that Eddie is trying to embarrass Rodolfo in front Catherine. This will make Catherine think that Rodolfo is nothing but a man mouse and Eddie is a man. Marco reacts to this by â€Å"rising† from his chair. This gives the audience the impression that Marco is going to do something to get his vengeance this builds up tension between Marco and Eddie as Marco is very protective over his brother Rodolfo. This leaves the audience feeling overwrought as they are wondering how Marco is going to get his vengeance. In the chair incident Marco gets his revenge for his brother. Firstly the atmosphere is tranquil; this is where Rodolfo and Catherine dance together. For example in directors notes is says â€Å"he took her hand; they go to the phonograph and start it.  This is when Marco decides to teach Eddie a lesson. Marco says â€Å"can you lift this chair†. Eddie thinks this is just a game but he doesn’t know what Marco’s ingenious plan is as he says â€Å"what do you mean† the gives us the impression that Eddie hasn’t got a clue of what Marco is planning. This is when a lot of tension and suspense builds up as it makes the audience aware of what Marco is planning. This also makes the audience think that Marcos plan must be vicious as he is ‘shy ‘. This implies that Marco is a very bashful and quiet person. Also the audience know that Marco is a person not to joke around with as Eddie says â€Å"nobody kids with Marco†. This gives the aud ience the impression that Marco is a very serious person. Eddie falls in Marcos trap when he lifts the chair. Eddie ‘grasps’ barely lifting the chair. This suggests that Eddie is struggling to lift the chair with straight with his arm. But Eddie does not give up ‘he tries again and again but fails’ this is what Marco wants Eddie to do. This gives us the impression that Eddie is putting all his effort to lift the chair and is trying vigorously to lift the chair. Also the audience now think he is weak and slow-witted for not realizing Marco plan. At this moment a lot of anxiety and tension is created. Marco then decides to lift the chair as it says in stage directions ‘with strain slowly raise the chair higher’. This symbolises that Marco is giving out a warning to Eddie. Marco raised the chair ‘higher’ then Eddie which indicate Marcos status and authority over Eddie as the height of the chair suggests that Marco has more status then Eddie.  There are many features of this scene that make this a climatic scene as in directors notes it says ‘Marco is face to face with Eddie a strike of tension gripping his eyes and jaws’ this is when Eddie finds out what Marco is happening to him. ‘Eddie grin vanishes as he absorbs his look’ this gives us the impression that Eddie feels apprehensive from the impact of the warning from Marco. This nail biting incident leaves the audience feeling perturbed as it makes them think of the various ways that Eddie can get his revenge and if he is going to do any think foolish.

Dangerous Minds and Diversity Essay

In writing a review of a narrative in pop culture that includes a significant illustration of diversity in a school community, I chose Dangerous Minds by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer (Bruckheimer, 1995). The film Dangerous Minds is based on the autobiography My Posse Don’t Do Homework by former U.S. Marine LouAnne Johnson, who took a teaching position at Carlmont High School in Belmont, California, where most of the students were Hispanic and African-American. This film exhibits cultural diversity in school community in several ways from lower-class and under-privileged backgrounds to being involved in gang and drug warfare activities to simply refusing to engage in any type of learning. Determined to reach the students, LouAnne devises classroom exercises that teach similar principles to the prearranged work, but using themes and language that fascinate the streetwise students. She also tries to motivate them by giving them all an A grade from the beginning of the year, and arguing that the only thing required of them is that they maintain it. Through poetry and other reading methods, she attempts to teach symbolism and metaphor. Once that was achieved, she progresses on to other poems and rewarded the students with a trip to a theme park, candy bar incentives, and a dinner at a nice restaurant. She also tried to teach the students how to use a verb correctly in a sentence. Her initial sentence on the board was, â€Å"We ____ meat for dinner.† The students were not interested in learning through the curriculum based instruction that was pushed onto LouAnne through the principal and assistant principal of the school. Since the students would not respond to that way of learning, she quickly revised and reiterated her way of teaching by asking them, â€Å"What is the verb in the following sentence, â€Å"We want to die.† Since this was a relative way of thinking about things for the students, they responded quickly (Bruckheimer, 1995). The most interesting thing about the way she taught through diversity was that she related the information to their real-life circumstances. Taking the transdisciplinary approach, she was able to teach across the curriculum by integrating poetry and the history of where it originated (Bruckheimer, 1995). LouAnne also reaches out to individual students that draw attention through their personal problems. Renoly is a Hispanic boy who is regularly involved in gang and street crime. LouAnne tries to encourage him to focus by paying a special visit to his family to congratulate him on his work, and going to dinner with him as a way of instilling confidence and self-respect. Callie is an African-American girl who is unusually bright girl in English, but is removed from the school halfway through the semester when she becomes pregnant. LouAnne visits her outside of school hours to try to persuade her to continue with further education. Finally, Emilio is the most troubled of them all. He believes strongly in the sense of personal respect and doesn’t want to ask her for help. She finds that his life is in danger and reaches out to help him. She directs him to talk to the principal and because of a bad attitude from the principal, Emilio is killed (Bruckheimer, 1995). Toward the end of the movie, LouAnne gets overwhelmed with trying to help all the students and wants to quit. The main reason I think that LouAnne was successful in meeting the needs of the diverse school community is because at the end of the movie the students take a stand for her and insist that stays and finishes helping them so they can graduate. They refer to her as their â€Å"light† in learning which was derived from a poem that she had taught them. That in itself shows how she was able to get through to a group of culturally diverse students in the school community (Bruckheimer, 1995). Bibliography Bruckheimer, D. S. (Director). (1995). Dangerous Minds [Motion Picture].

Interview With A Vampire essays

Interview With A Vampire essays Interview's main character is a vampire named Louis (Brad Pitt) who narrates the story of his human and inhuman lives to a small-time San Francisco reporter (Christian Slater). Louis is a Four out of five in this story for he hinges on his flourish propensity for whining. While still human in the 18th century, he loses his wife in childbirth and sinks into a passive death-wishing funk. While Louis' grief is genuine, he is also seen wallowing in melancholy over the unfairness of existence. He claims that he wants to die but then does nothing about it. Along comes veteran vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise) who offers Louis eternal death-in-life. Brad Pitt also deserves mention, because he skillfully acted an all-in-all glum role. It's never easy being the protagonist in movies in which I believe few actors could of done better. In "Interview with the Vampire" he is mostly a device to reflect the larger, more scintillating personalities of the older vampires around him. Kirsten (Kristen) Dunnst has secured a future as an actress by her portrayal of Claudia. The part called for in the book was that of a five-year-old, but her age was never revealed in the movie. This at least for those who have not read the book diminishes the need for a suspension of disbelief. What we are able to believe is that she was a young child who ages in maturity but not bodily (and she resents this), and this is certainly the intention of the author. This movie also had good special effects, but you won't notice them. You won't find yourself thinking, "Wow, what good computer animation." Compared to special effects such as "Jurassic Park" and "Stargate", the effects seem paltry until you consider that you simply didn't notice them. In "Frankenstein," one feels disgusted, tense and uncomfortable at the squalor, which aids the film. In this movie, anything gruesome detracts from Interview with a Vampires primary goal. Interview with a Vampire which...

Banking Industry Analysis

Banking Industry Analysis Essay Graham MavarMgmt. 415 Sec 6Industry Analysis: BankingThe banking industry has come under increasing pessimism of late because of rising short and long-term interest rates. The banking industrys market capitalization made a substantial decline. Most investors are concerned with whether the industry can sustain continued profitability as a result of these factors. Banks have responded in recent years to these problems by diversifying away from interest sensitive products and services. But interest rates are the fundamental aspect of any financial services. Therefore, I believe the financial services industry will be deeply affected by rising interest rates. Banks have experienced good business factors over the past two years. Interest rates were low, credit quality was good, and inflation was low. These factors are usually predictive of the types of earnings banks should report. But good times cant continue because interest rate hikes cause reduced lending activity, damaged credit quality, and reduced values of bond portfolios. Porters Five Forces Analysis:1. Rivalry among competing sellers:The banking industry is continuing to restructure and position itself for our changing economy as a result, many mega-mergers have occurred in recent years. Citicorp and Travelers Insurance agreed to merge in April 1998 at a value of $70 billion. Bank of A merica and Nations Bank also agreed to merge shortly afterwards which became the largest bank in the United States. Bank mergers are usually consummated as a cost-cutting measure but also to compete with non-bank providers of financial services. Bank rivalries are very strong, and as weve seen many of the largest banks are merging to increase their power. In fact, Charlotte, NC is practically owned by Bank of America and First Union. 2. Potential entry of new competitors:There is virtually no chance of a new entrant significantly affecting the major banks market share. The only place that new entrants may have a chance in the industry is through Internet banking, because of its low cost. 3. Firms offering substitute products:This is not really an issue within the banking industry, because there arent really any legal alternatives, except buying a safe and borrowing from a loan shark4. Competitive pressures stemming from supplier and buyer bargaining power:I grouped these two categories together because in the banking industry the buyers are the suppliers and vice versa, so I might as well just discuss the situation as a whole. Interest rates are the single most important aspect of bank profitability they are the bargaining power. Most bank profits are derived from net interest income. This is interest income received on loans minus interest expense for borrowed funds. Interest rates determine the amount of money a bank can earn. Another measure is a banks net interest margin which is a banks net interest income divided by its average earning assets. This is a common measure of a banks ability to squeeze profits from its loans. When interest rates fall, they have a positive effect on a bank. First, net interest margin can expand. Second, the value of a banks fixed rate of investment portfolio is enhanced by declining rates, since a bond with a higher stated interest rate becomes more valuable as prevailing rates drop. Third, falling rates lower the cost of credit, which stimulates loan demand and reduces delinquency rates. Opportunities: 1. Because of the increasing amount of technology Internet banking will begin to replace traditional banking, thus cutting personnel costs. 2. Incorporating investment banking into the banking industry, as some major companies are doing, lets the bank increase profits and promote economic growth while improving company image. Threats:1. An increase in interest rates causing a decline in bank activity. READ: In Cold Blood: Death Penalty Essay2. A collapse of the Fed leading to bank failures, a repeat of the crash of 1929. 3. A decline in the US economy leading to a fall in the value of the dollar, thus causing an instable economy. From there the US banking system would be less secure in terms of dollar values that many people would move their money overseas into a more stable economic situation. Similar to the situation in many South American countries. (a little far-fetched, but possible)Key Success Factors:? Capability to use the internet for banking, investing, and general e-commerce? Size of company, name recognition, innovative local marketing? Best rates (loans, checking, savings, etc.)? The capability to have the fastest and simplest banking through design, innovation, and locationBusiness Reports

Market target paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Market target paper - Essay Example In addition, LA is also the focal point of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, which has cumulative population of over 18 million approximately estimated in 2009 (US Census, 2010). It should be highlighted that the larger the population in a city, the great the derived needs / demand and the greater the market size. In addition, the per capita income across Los Angeles city is nearly $55,000 as estimated in 2010 (Beacon Economics, 2010). The major suppliers of watches to JBR collections will be international corporations with well known brands such as Replica, Rolex, Casio, Citizen, Armani, Adidas, Orient, Omega, Franck Muller, Rado, Raymond Weil, Seiko etc. For instance, the non-branded local and imported watches from India and China of medium to high quality will be offered at budget prices to attract customers from different social classes. The watches will be marketed to both male and female customers within the age bracket of 16 - 65 years. 2. Target Market The actual target m arket of JBR Collections is elite, upper – middle and middle – middle class groups because Los Angeles is a city of well-established rich consumers with an average annual income of $55,000 in 2009 – 2010 (Beacon Economics, 2010). Indeed, highly expensive elitist branded watches will be targeted to income groups having on average $70,000 and above per annum. The relatively high priced and affordable brands will be observed to middle – middle customers with an income range of $45,000 – 70,000 per annum. Finally, the low priced budget watches, local and imported, will be for lower – middle customers with an income of $20,000 – 30,000. 3. Product Indeed, it should be highlighted that the US economy is recovering from recession; therefore, new business opportunities have been created that could be utilized prudently to maximize financial gains. The products will be wristwatches, wall clocks and time pieces that are heavily demanded by indi viduals, households and businesses because a watch is a genuine need of a human being, thus having relatively inelastic demand. 4. Competition The value proposition of JBR will be â€Å"Premium watch collections at competitive prices†. Indeed, the showroom will be opened in well established City Shopping Center, which enjoys a strong customer base. For instance, the showroom will face intense competition with other watch showrooms located in LA in shopping malls such as Beverly Center Shopping Mall, Rodeo Drive, Two Rodeo, Century City Shopping Center and Westside Pavilion (LA Tourist Guide, 2011). Shops located in unorganized smaller markets will also give competition to JBR Collections. The only strategy to ensure business survival is to adopt penetration pricing strategies in first few months of operations because low introductory prices will help attracting many potential customers to JBR Collections. 5. Mission Statement To offer valued customers of Los Angeles City the high priced premium quality watch brands as well as budget price watches at affordable prices and to create value through meeting consumers’ watches demand and maintaining quality standards through strict control and after-sales-services. 6. Market Strategies 6.1 - Price JBR Collections has planned to use promotional pricing strategy in first three months after official inauguration of its new showroom. The reason behind it is the fact that it would like to attract maximum customers in first few mon