Structure and Strategy The Case of Coca Cola

Aligning structure with strategy is fundamental to the success of any business. Fortuin (2007) defines strategy as â€Å"plan for the whole business that sets out how the company will use its major resources† (54). Structure, on the other hand, is â€Å"the way the pieces of the organization fit together internally† (54).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Structure and Strategy: The Case of Coca Cola specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Managers of companies must link structure and strategy in a seamless manner that allows for optimum utilization of resources, high productivity, and efficiency in service delivery. Coca-Cola Company has managed to gel structure and strategy in a fluid manner that has led to tremendous growth. This paper will demonstrate that the key to business success lies in the ability to align structure with strategy. It will also evaluate the importance of strategy-critical activities and assess how much authority to delegate in an organization. To understand how Coca Cola Company aligns structure with strategy, it is important to review the company’s strategies. The first strategy is to achieve growth by increasing production of soft drinks. The second is to broaden the products varieties and grow profits. The third is to serve customers with creativity and grow market share. Fourth and last, Coca Cola intends to embrace technology to reduce cost and enhance efficiency. Wit and Meyer (2005) identify three main ways to structure a company. The first reflects the function in whereby a company creates specialized departments. The second reflects products whereby a company creates departments according to what they produce. The third reflects process in which case a company tailors its departments to the processes that they execute. Proper structures should facilitate achievement of a company’s goals and objectives. Aligning structure with strategy fa cilitates the process of decision-making. Good structures allow dynamism, creativity, and innovation and at the same time foster exchange of ideas, both horizontally and vertically. Coca-Cola Company has aligned its structure to strategy and thus allowed a spirit of teamwork, sharing of ideas, and collective responsibility. In United Kingdom for instance, Coca-Cola is flexible enough to allow fruitful interaction between departments in order to meet its first strategy of broadening their products base (Wit Meyer, 2005). The company brought together staff from all departments to develop Coca-Cola Vanilla. Such a move illustrates that structure and strategy are inseparable in the modern corporate world.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Coca-Cola Company does not just show the harmony between structure and strategy at the business unit level but also at enterprise level. The co mpany understands that different geographical markets are at different developmental stage and the taste and preference of locals may vary from one place to another. It has thus allowed companies in different regions to develop specific products for their markets. In Great Britain for instance, Coca Cola has Lilt, a product that is not available in Africa (Wit Meyer, 2005). Such levels of autonomy allow the company to suit its products to local needs, and thus meet the company’s general strategy of increasing market segment all over the world. Allowing its company’s subsidiaries to develop products for local markets is a strategy-critical activity. Coca-Cola Company holds regular meetings in which employees from various departments meet to exchange ideas. Those from marketing department extrapolate their findings on the market trends. Specialists in food and nutrition expound on what improvements and changes to make. Those from finance department explain how the vario us activities will affect the company’s balance sheet. Coca-Cola Company hierarchy has the executive committee at the helm. This is where the company derives its strategic direction (De, 2009). The strategies enumerated earlier have originated from this committee. The chair of this committee also doubles as the company’s chief executive officer. Coca-Cola use both centralization and decentralization in order to reach local consumers (Fortuin, 2007) Decentralization involves business strategic units that are under regional heads. These regions conduct market research within their regions and carry out the advertising functions. The company has allowed strategic business units to develop their marketing structure so that they contribute to the critical activities of meeting the overall strategies. Additionally, regional heads make decisions on advertising. An advertisement from the United Kingdom for instance cannot work in Asia because of language barriers. However, the company encourages meeting of regional heads so that they can exchange best practices. In conclusion, aligning a company’s structure to strategy is very important. It facilitates the process of decision-making and thus enhances efficiency. It makes exchange of ideas and good practices easier and thus contributes to higher productivity. It also assists in harmonizing the roles of different departments so that they can work in tandem to achieve the overall organizational goals.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Structure and Strategy: The Case of Coca Cola specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Coca-Cola provides a good example of seamless alignment of structure to strategy and has enabled the company cement its global leadership in the beverage sector. Use of strategic business units achieves decentralization while at the same time keeping the focus on the common strategies. Companies with proper operational mode l that integrates structure to strategy perform better than those that do not have. References De, K. M. (2009). Profit power economics: A new competitive strategy for creating sustainable wealth. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fortuin, F. (2007). Strategic alignment of innovation to business: Balancing exploration and exploitation in short and long life cycle industries. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers. Wit, B.., Meyer, R. (2005). Strategy synthesis: Resolving strategy paradoxes to create competitive advantage. London: Thomson Learning. This essay on Structure and Strategy: The Case of Coca Cola was written and submitted by user Brayden Meadows to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Braveheart Essays

Leadership / Braveheart Essays Leadership / Braveheart Essay Leadership / Braveheart Essay Braveheart Like 12 0 Clock High and Lawrence of Arabia, the characters in Braveheart are engaged in a desperate military campaign against superior forces. In such a situation, the quality of leadership may make a difference between success and failure. As a charismatic leader who draws disparate groups together in support of a cause, the character of William Wallace possesses many similarities to T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia and also to Commander Davenport in 12 0 Clock High. The presence of a charismatic leader brings many advantages to an organization, ncluding a passionate base of supporters, but also some disadvantages, as demonstrated by all three films. Charismatic leaders like Wallace and Lawrence may inspire loyalty and attract recruits through the force of their personalities. Both characters make their initial impressions and win the loyalty of the men they eventually lead through acts of bravery, in Lawrences case, or prowess in combat, in Wallaces. While this kind of attention can inspire considerable passion from followers, who can then achieve results that would otherwise seem impossible, such qualifiers for leadership do not lways indicate a capacity for actual strategic thinking or resource management, which can lead to the downfall of the organization. Commander Davenport in 12 0 Clock High was also a charismatic leader who was well-liked by his men. However, his affection was earned through camaraderie, not leadership skills, which resulted in the 918th group suffering high casualty rates and mission failures. Gardner points out that an effective leader can be measured by the extent to which he or she maintains a focus on group objectives. In the case of charismatic eaders like Wallace and Lawrence, the group objective and personal objectives often align. For the character of William Wallace, his personal mission for revenge evolves into the larger goal of Scottish liberation, while Lawrences goal of Arab liberation comes from personal sympathies for the marginalized Arab tribes. However, the weakness of leadership inspired solely by charisma can come from the same source as its strength, meaning that the leaders personal qualities do not necessarily extend to the act of total leadership. For Lawrence, for example, whose personal ego and mbition eventually cloud his perception of the groups fighting under him, the focus on Arab liberation slowly shifts to a focus on self-aggrandizement. While he does win the battle for Damascus and achieves his overall objectives, his inability to objectively evaluate the situation dooms the larger goal of Arab liberation to failure. William Wallace, on the other hand, does not suffer from the same style of weakness. Like Lawrence, however, the appeal based on his personal reputation is very strong among the rank-and-file soldiers, but weaker among those in power with personal stakes of their own. Lawrences men habitually leave the battle when they have accumulated enough money to make the expedition worthwhile because their William Wallace over-estimates his own authority at the battle of Falkirk, where he is betrayed by Lochlan and Mornay, for whom money and power are more important than Scottish independence. Atticus from the film To Kill a Mockingbird makes a similar error, assuming that his personal conviction will be enough to overcome the racist tendencies of the Jury. By contrast, General Savage achieves results leading the 918th partially because he is willing to be personally unpopular and instill unit iscipline, uniting the group around common goals rather than his personality. Another error made by charismatic leaders in these films is the unwillingness to fully trust their managers and leader-managers. Lawrence continually refuses to acknowledge the advice of al-Sharif throughout the film, even though in several instances Sharifs insight would have maintained the cohesion of the Arab fighting units and prevented Lawrence from being arrested and tortured. William Wallace is also often hesitant to delegate responsibility and listen to the counsel of others, specially the more temperate voice of Robert the Bruce. While Roberts naivet? © is mostly responsible for Wallaces capture, his input regarding dealing with the Scottish nobility could have helped avoid the betrayal and losses in the first place. By contrast, General Savage consistently requests the counsel of the officers and managers working under him. While he does not always respond his officers advice, he is often willing to put aside his own prominence in order to be a more effective leader. Charismatic leaders often find themselves as the recipients of fierce loyalty from heir subordinates. However, this loyalty does not always extend to the goals of the organization at large, resting instead on the leadership fgure himself. When this situation arises, the personality flaws of the individual leader become weaknesses for the entire organization, which may also lack the cohesion to follow through on its goals in the leaders absence. William Wallace, Atticus, and T. E. Lawrence all personally failed at their objectives, while the 819th achieved at their objective precisely because the loyalty of the fghting men was to the organization, not the fgure of the leader.

Effectiveness of the Leadership Styles at Wal-Mart Coursework

Effectiveness of the Leadership Styles at Wal-Mart - Coursework Example Paternalistic and Democratic are flexible style of leadership and they are being used by Wal-Mart since many years. Wal-Mart takes care of its employees by practicing the paternalistic style of leadership. Wal-Mart tries to supply concern for their employees and in return they gain trust and loyalty of the staff. Through democratic leadership Wal-Mart gives the decision making power to the employees, which promotes the interest of the employees towards the betterment of the organization. However Wal-Mart does not seem keen to practice laissez-faire leadership style, as it wants to restricts the decision making power of the employees. The transactional leadership style is however used by Wal-Mart at times when the find the emotional level of the employees low (5 Different Leadership Styles That All Work!, 2011). The most common and effective leadership style that is being used by Unilever is the transactional style of leadership, which is based on providing materialistic and psychological rewards to the employees on their good performance and also to keep them motivated. This style of leadership is being used through the entire organization. The leaders analyze the cause of the poor performance of the employees and then take corrective actions. The end result of this leadership style have been effective for Unilever, as it helps them reach goal setting, maturity, increase productivity and efficiency of operations. Other leadership styles such as transformational and laissez-faire have not been quite successful at Unilever. However paternalistic and democratic leadership styles have been effective for gaining the trust of the employees and keeping them devoted towards the organization.

Position review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Position review - Essay Example lly by (a) providing reasons and evidence that the audience will see as persuasive, (b) anticipating and responding to objections or questions the audience is likely to raise, and (c) making appropriate appeals? The paper could be more persuasive in the 4th paragraph where the writer was trying to convince the reader that the cost of having an on call interpreter for every language in the hospital is a necessary evil. This could have been done by presenting actual statistics relating to the effective treatment of patients in hospitals that do have easily accessible interpreters. The writer has created a clear voice that speaks for the non-English speakers who need hospital care. The voice used is clearly appropriate for use throughout the whole paper. However, his ethos is hampered by the lack of citations in the paper that would have added credibility to his arguments. 7. What did you learn from the conclusion that you didnt already know after reading the introduction and the body? What information does the writer want you to take away from the argument? Does the writer attempt to change your attitude, action or opinion? I learned that the changing ethnic landscape of America has also changed the way we treat patients in the hospitals. We need to make sure that the hospital policies follow suit in order to be able to provide ample healthcare to all concerned. The writer wants the reader to come away from the argument realizing that universal healthcare should also speak international languages in order to be highly effective in treating their patients. The writer however, does not attempt to make the reader change his attitude, action, or opinion. Instead, he presents all of the factual data that he can muster and then allows the reader to come to his own

Whole Milk and Meat is no Good for Children Research Paper

Whole Milk and Meat is no Good for Children - Research Paper Example The paper throws light on the growing concern of antibiotic resistance as a result of excessive utilization of antibiotics in cattle. The harmful effects of Recombinant bovine Growth Hormone coupled with information on what should be done be tackle the prevalent situation has also been incorporated within the body of the paper. Lastly, the text provides a discussion on the use of artificial hormones and their contribution in the development of various health concerns. Key words: Recombinant bovine growth hormones, antibiotics, inorganic milk, cancer, early onset puberty, FDA Whole Milk and Meat not Good for Children Introduction: Milk has always been attributed as a powerhouse of many nutritional ingredients that are essential for bone growth and other body developments. Human beings are mammals and therefore have a unique relationship with milk as it is the first source of nourishment for them after birth. Mainly due to this reason, it is always assumed that milk has only beneficial impact on health. However, this assumption is far from being true. In fact in the present scenario when dairy milk and their products have become a global business many harmful components can be identified not only in the milk but also in the cattle meat. Most of these components are genetically engineered hormones that are injected to obtain increase milk production. Some of these hormones are also responsible for the rapid growth of cows that are raised to be slaughtered for beef. Therefore, these measures are taken to increase productivity that ultimately increases the profit. But it has raised considerable question marks regarding consumer’s health. Recombinant bovine Growth Hormone (rbGH) The commercial sale of milk from rbGH treated cows was approved in 1993 by FDA. Recombinant bovine Growth Hormone (rbGH) is a genetically engineered artificial hormone that was aimed to stimulate milk production in cows. It is legally sold in all 50 states of US under the famous brand name of Posilac, manufactured by Monsanto. It is estimated that about 13000 farmers use this hormone to obtain excess profit from milk industry. But there are major health concerns associated with this particular milk. Although, this hormone does not directly contaminate the milk, it is associated with increase production of Insulin like Growth Factor (IGF-1) in cows. From the studies it is evident that high concentration of this IGF-1 is present in the milk produced by these rbGH treated cows. IGF-1 is a potent carcinogen with anti apoptotic properties. Studies have shown that IGF-1 contributes in the development of many cancers such as breast, prostate, colon and bladder cancer. (Malawa 2002). FDA Approval Despite this possible association of milk, derived from rbGH induced cows, with many cancers the approval from FDA is very shady. Many reasons have been given by the drug authorities to justify their approval. They pounder over the fact that the hormone is directly not present i n the milk. Secondly, according to the FDA Insulin like Growth Factors (IGF-1) is not absorbed orally. This has been concluded on the basis of the research carried by the same pharmaceutical companies, Monsanto and Elanco, who are leading manufacturers of this hormone in the commercial market. The research was conducted on rat models for a very short period of 2-4 weeks. Moreover, they did not access the contribution of IGF-1 in the milk and cancer development. A more in depth research is required in this regard as it is a very serious issue that needs proper investigation. (Malawa 2002). Mastitis in rbGH Treated Cows Most of the animals used for the production of

Electronic Banking in Pakistan | Dissertation

Electronic Banking in Pakistan | Dissertation Electronic Banking in Pakistan 1. PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND 1.1. INTRTODUCTION As the world has entered the twenty first century, one thing has become all too apparent, any organization that wishes to succeed in todays cutthroat competition will have to embrace Information Technology (IT) with fervor. In this age of Information Technology new inventions and innovations are affecting all the fields of life. Almost all kinds of organizations are stepping into the field of IT, in an effort to increase their productivity and expand their customer bank. The same goes for the Banking Sector. Today all the banks of the world are adopting the tool of Electronic Banking. The need of Electronic Banking was felt in South Asia during the last 5 to 7 years. This concept emerged as an essential tool for successful bank management. Financial sector has been quick to recognize this fact, and in Pakistan, most of the banking industry has moved away from the old ledger based system to computers and automation in order to modernize their operations. Although foreign banks were pioneers of bringing this concept to South-Asia but they have yet to start latest Electronic Banking practices in Pakistan Background Electronic Banking Electronic banking is an umbrella term for the process by which a customer may perform banking transactions electronically without visiting a brick-and-mortar institution. It is a form of banking in which funds are transferred through an exchange of electronic signals between financial institutions, rather than an exchange of cash, checks or other negotiable instruments. The growth in use of the Internet world-wide and the development of procedures enabling secure transactions on-line have created the new field of on-line banking, where customers deal with their banks chiefly or entirely through Internet connections. Opening hours or location of branches, unlike the traditional banks does not restrict such services. Both existing banks and new groups are already moving into this potentially very important area. Since on-line banking services can be accessed with equal ease almost anywhere in the developed world, this raises the possibility of banking networks operating without regard to national boundaries, with consequent regulatory problems. Banking on line, commonly called PC banking, electronic banking or Internet banking, has been around in one form or another for a decade or more. Forms of on-line Banking Following can be the ways to bank on-line: 1) Internet Based access to account information through banks web site, via modem, using a standard web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. 2) Bank Software: Bank provides customers with proprietary software to install in their computers. The software allows customers to connect to banks computers over a secure network. The customer essentially dials directly into the bank instead of through the Internet. 3) Personal Finance Software: Software such as Quicken or Microsoft Money allows customer to exchange financial information with the bank. The software connects to the banks computers via an Internet based set up and downloads financial information from the clients account. Many banks affiliate leading software vendors such as Intuit or Microsoft to make their systems compatible. 4) Pay-by-Phone Systems /Tele banking: Allows a customer to pay by telephone certain bills, or transfer funds between accounts, with instructions to the bank. One must have an agreement in advance with the institution to make such transfers. 5) Point-of-Sale Transfers: Allows a customer to pay for retail purchases with an EFT (or debit) card. In some instances, this card may also be an ATM card. This is similar to using a credit card, but with one important exception: the money for the purchase is transferred immediately — or very shortly — from customers bank account to the stores account. An increasing number of merchants are accepting this type of payment. On-line Banking: a Revolution The thought of today is the reality of tomorrow but the thoughts of Banking on Your OWN TERMS AT YOUR OWN DOORSTEPS, which seemed to be reality of tomorrow, is no a more mystique. What we can do NOW (?) It allows customers to do most of their financial transactions at home on a personal computer. Pay your bills on-line while youre watching TV. Check your account balances from your digital cell phone as you stand in line to board a flight. Consolidate all your financial accounts on-line in one convenient, secure location. Have access to friendly, helpful customer service representatives Why on-line banking? Unfortunately, banking is a necessary evil that can take a large chunk out of already busy schedules. Visiting a branch or ATM, paying bills by paper check (and mailing them) and balancing a chequebook all can be time consuming. Banking on-line, by its nature, can automate many of these processes, saving time and, in many cases, money. One can access his account and do banking when (and where) it is convenient for him. Following can be online banking services offered by various banks Check account balances Make transfers between online accounts Check the status of loans Track investments Apply for loans online Pay bills electronically Download account information to a personal finance software program On-Line Banking Advantages Internet banks are open 7 days a week 24 hours a day In general, you will find lower fees and higher interest rates for deposits due to the reduced cost of operating on-line and not needing numerous physical bank branches. Create a more in depth portfolio of each individual customer of what their needs and expectations are. Be able to provide services to each customer that are customized to their individual preferences You will have easy access to account information and transactions, because any Internet-enabled computer can become your bank terminal. You will generally have up-to-the-minute current bank account information due to the automation of most systems. In many cases, on-line banks offer free bill pay, which can be a big saving in both money and time. You can transfer funds electronically between accounts. Common E-Banking Services Retail Services Wholesale Services Account management Account management Bill payment and presentment Cash management New account opening Small business loan applications, approvals, or advances Consumer wire transfers Investment/Brokerage services Commercial wire transfers Loan application and approval Business-to-business payments Account aggregation Employee benefits/pension administration Current Scenario of Electronic Banking in Pakistan Pakistan is widely considered to be in the Third Wave of developing economies that include countries in Asia, Latin America, the Pacific Islands and the Middle East. These countries started to adopt the Internet from around 1993. Almost all have a state monopoly over the telecommunications sector with low tele-densities per population and high telecom costs, which restrict Internet access to elitist groups in the population. Less than 2 per cent of the population is connected to the Internet. These countries have weak political and democratic institutions where the governments welcome new commercial opportunities. The First Wave countries include USA, Canada, and some Nordic states where the Internet took hold in the 1980s, and became an established feature of social, political and economic life. On average, over 35 per cent of the population are connected to the net, with households always connected online to the net 24 hours in the day in many cases. Both the First and Second wave of counties have much in common; with both involved in the early development of the Internet. The gap between the two is rapidly diminishing. Both have highly developed telecommunication infrastructures, with extensive networks of fiber optic, satellite and ISDN lines that can respond to exponential growth in demand for bandwidth. Knowledge of Internet applications is a mainstream activity, and a prerequisite for commercial credibility. They have highly developed information, dissemination technology and content industries, with a strong export focus. Both have strong government policies that aim to influence the shape of the future information society, with massive investments in research and development, education, training, IT and Internet developed research. E-Banking in Pakistan: Due to advancements in sciences and technology, many foreign banks started offering Electronic Banking services in Pakistan. Electronic Banking offers tremendous opportunities and saves cost and time for both banks and customers. E-Banking in Pakistan is still a relatively new phenomena and is expected to grow now faster with future penetration of computers and internet services in the country, availability of a robust legal framework, removal of concerns about security of electronic transactions and enhanced reliability of communication Unfortunately Electronic Banking in Pakistan is still in the introduction phase and the government with the private sector has to streamline many policies for its further development and success. Although foreign banks took the initiative but now there are private Pakistani banks that are making advancements in E-Banking. The rate of technology transfer from developed to developing countries has been very slow in this regard. In Pakistan the available technology services are NIFT, ATM, ETPoS, Tele Banking and Central Depository Systems. NIFT was established in 1997,it is a technology that uses images with high-speed sorters to automate check clearing. ATMs are automated teller machines that provide facilities for instant deposits and cash withdrawals, and are presently available at around 200 locations in major cities only. ETPoS is a method of payment where goods and services are paid for at the point of sale, and is available in major cities in a few super markets only. Telebanking is telephone banking facility available only in a few banks, and again, in major cities only. The central depository system is a well- established system used in stock exchanges for recording and the transfer of securities. Secure electronic transactions (SET): This protocol was developed jointly by Visa and Master Card and is now baked by American Express. Major players in e-commerce, networking, and computing like Microsoft, Netscape, IBM, etc, are behind specifications of this protocol, and are thus becoming an industry standard for secured payments on the internet. SET provides confidentiality through encryption; message integrity using digital signatures, and authentication of consumer and merchant identity Use of this, method is ideal due to the level of security that this method offers. However, establishment of this protocol will require Internet merchant accounts. Smart cards: It is a digital currency payment, which looks similar to credit cards, but contains a microprocessor and a storage unit. The cards hold prepaid account information. Merchants who accept these records are credited for the transaction amount by card issuers. The use of this technology is safe but expensive to acquire. Pakistan will require building a consensus among major stakeholders to invest in making this technology available in Pakistan. Value-added networks: Pakistan could establish value added networks (VAN) for financial transactions to expedite fast and efficient flow of remittances to all major cities and to enable exchange of electronic documents. These networks will provide shared connectivity, security assurance of data, and reliability of service. These networks will provide bank -to -bank transfer of funds for financial transactions, and will also enable the exchange of electronic documents to facilitate e-trade. These value added networks will also facilitate B2B transactions using EDI systems. The EDI Vans will execute authorized transactions between valid trading partners. These networks will reduce technical complexities and the cost of implementing dedicated connections with a multitude of trading partners. Another advantage out of these networks will be the provision of storing viable information on the networks, so that authorized partners can directly access them without contacting the other parties. This will help in in creasing efficiencies of business transactions in terms of time and costs. 1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM E-banking has entered the Pakistan economy in a big way but, considering the state of development of banking industry in the country and the client-base, there are doubts about the utility and cost-effectiveness of this mode of banking. The research study will examine these points and give recommendations on the subject: An evaluation, theoretically and practically, of the progress of banks which adopted electronic operations, and the prospective role for banks in the future. Discussing problems facing banks in the scope of electronic banking operations. Specifying the concept of electronic banks. 1.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY Following objectives have been set forth in conduct of the research: To familiarise public with the subject of ELECTRONIC BANKING, enhance their keenness to remain abreast to the techniques, and modern trends of efficient banking. To induce healthy practices in banking business and profession and to advise suitable measures for their achievement. To encourage and provide Electronic Banking information and to offer education through research report contents to students and consequently to national financial institutions. To print and publish the report for provision to all who are interested in the issue of Electronic Banking. To study Electronic Banking practices of different banks in Pakistan. 1.4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY E-banking is playing an important role not only in the development of electronic services in the first world countries but also in the developing countries too. Due to advancements in sciences and technology, many foreign banks started offering Electronic Banking services in Pakistan. Electronic Banking offers tremendous opportunities and saves cost and time for both banks and customers. This study will evaluate the electronic performance of banks. This report emphasizes the fact that on-line accessibility, awareness, attitude towards change, computer and Internet access costs, trust in ones bank, security concerns, ease of use and convenience are the major factors affecting the adoption of Internet bank services in Pakistan. 1.5. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Scope of the study: The research thesis covers the leading banks in Pakistan that have entered the e-banking era and examine its economics. The major limitation of the study is that the concerned banks are reluctant to disclose information with regard to costs incurred on E- banking. Limitations of the study: As the E-banking in Pakistan is at the introduction stage and its efficacy is yet to be tested, adequate literature on the subject is not available. Moreover, the topic under study requires comprehensive research, which is possible if more time is allotted for the project. Banks personnel are reluctant to give information about banks electronic process and problems faced by banks. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Literature survey is conducted in order to get more insight into the study. Literature survey consists of past studies related to this topic. Which will help and ensure that no important information related to the study is omitted. It includes mostly domestic studies conducted by our own scholars. 2.1. FOREIGN SCENARIO Yoshio, (1999), states that Malaysian banking sector started in the 1970s. However, the first visible form of electronic innovation in the Malaysian banking industry was the introduction of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in 1981. The ATMs to a large extent released banks from the constraints of time and geographical location. Then in the early 1990s, Tele-banking was introduced in Malaysia, which provided yet another delivery channel for branch financial services via telecommunications devices connected to an automated system of the bank by utilizing Automated Voice Response (AVR) Technology. Utsuml, on June 1, (2000), said that the Malaysian Central Bank gave the green light for locally owned commercial banks to offer Internet banking services. On June 15, 2000, Maybank, the largest domestic bank in terms of assets as well as network distribution, http://www.arraydev.com/commerce/jibc/www.maybank2U.com became the first bank to offer Internet banking services in Malaysia. This service is currently provided to individual customers of the bank and the site boasts of the latest 128-bit encryption technology to allay fears of security among consumers. The services provided in this portal include banking enquiry functions, bill payment, credit card payment, funds transfer, and accounts summary as well as transaction history. Customer support service is provided via e-mails as well as via telephone lines and is available daily from 6 am to 12 mid-night. JoseÉ, (2000), said that the Hong Leong Bank commenced its Internet banking operations known as e-Banking, which can be accessed via their web site at http://www.arraydev.com/commerce/jibc/www.hlbb.hongleong.com.my in December 2000. In addition to providing services that were previously included in their Phone banking service, they also offer options of assessing account transaction history in their e-banking. They too provide support services via e-mails and telephones from 7 am to 11.00 pm, seven days a week. Al-Jasser, (1999), states that both the competitive forces as well as the expected benefits are causing concentration and expansion of E-banking services in the country (Saudi Arabia). However, in the long run it would be the actual benefits which the banks would realize in terms of higher profits through reduction in intermediary costs and expanded consumer base due to improved services on a cost effective manner that would determine the role of E-banking in the countrys banking sector. E banking is expected to play an important role in integrating the financial markets of Saudi Arabia globally and banks would ultimately capitalize on these developments. Figures, (2000), states that E-banking Automate critical banking activities and interact electronically with bank with comprehensive tools that help reduce administrative costs, increase productivity, and improve cash management—in a security-enhanced environment. 2.2. LOCAL SCENARIO Mashhood, (2000), states that the role of information technology in financial services is to support operational efficiencies, facilitate customer services, mange risk and support in decision-making. In the IT policy on financial services, the government of Pakistan has asked the State Bank of Pakistan to allow opening of internet merchant accounts to enable inter-bank electronic fund transfer, to re-engineer processes of foreign trade sections, to accept e-orders of value less than $500, to open an e-commerce wing in financial institutions, and to facilitate clearing and e-reporting in al banks. The e-commerce action plans for the financial sector have been established as per directions from the government. The plan is to connect branches of 25 local and foreign banks in 12 major cities. In phase I, branches in one city will be linked with their head office. In phase II, all these banks and other financial institutions will be connected together. In phase III, private and public sec tor stakeholders will be linked and ultimately e-commerce network will include financial, trade and customs networks along with their international links. Ziauddin, (1998), states that In Pakistan, huge investments, recurring costs, and absence of economies of scale are some of the major bottlenecks to invest in online banking. One other problem is that only a few foreign banks are linked with their branches, otherwise all major financial institutions work in isolation. AL-Bader, (1999), said that in the absence of a centralized database linked to branches, banks do not only need the communication software to facilitate communication, but also require modems, routers, controllers, etc. irrespective of the volume of transactions, be it small or massive, huge investments are required to facilitate online banking. Not only the capital investments debut also the recurring costs, such as lease payments to PTCL, ongoing maintenance costs, etc, are discouraging national banks to invest. Giasuddin, (2003) said that there is a need to establish inter-branch and inter-bank networks so that all financial institutions may be linked together to facilitate electronic payment systems, which are among basic prerequisites for establishment of the financial infrastructure for e-commerce development. The next step that is still not clear in Pakistan is the type of electronic payment systems and digital currencies to be used in Pakistan. There are a lot of different methods of payment that are available globally. Pakistan has to carefully decide the most feasible payment systems that can easily fulfill financial requirements, as well as, provide enough confidence to the buyers and merchants for safety and security of such payments. Kazmi, (2000), said that there is an urgent need in Pakistan for establishing value added networks for financial transactions. Without these networks, it will be difficult for business and financial institutions to provide EC solutions with high quality and low costs. Zaidi, (2003), states that there is a need to establish inter-branch and inter-bank networks so that all financial institutions may be linked together to facilitate electronic payment systems, which are among basic prerequisites for establishment of the financial infrastructure for e-commerce development. The next step that is still not clear in Pakistan is the type of electronic payment systems and digital currencies to be used in Pakistan. Shabbir, (2003), said that both the competitive forces as well as the expected benefits are causing concentration and expansion of E-banking services in the country. However, in the long run it would be the actual benefits which the banks would realize in terms of higher profits through reduction in intermediary costs and expanded consumer base due to improved services on a cost effective manner that would determine the role of E-banking in the countrys banking sector. E-banking is expected to play and important role in integrating the financial markets of Pakistan globally and banks would ultimately capitalize on these developments. Naveed, (2003) states that Credit cards are primarily used as convenient payment products and at times a credit facility for short term needs. The State Bank of Pakistan is playing a pro-active role in promoting adoption of technology-based solutions in the banking sector and supporting services based on E-Banking. E-Banking has already taken off in this country and the recent launch by Habib Bank- one of the largest banks in the country has provided a major breakthrough. so the question is not when the facilities will be provided but how rapidly these facilities will expand. Efforts in this direction are focused upon following areas: Creation of a robust legal infrastructure catering to the needs of E-Banking and other payments systems involving electronic settlement of funds. Key step in this direction was the promulgation of Electronic Transactions Ordinance 2002, which provides legal recognition to digital signatures and documentation reducing the risks associated with the use of electronic medium of business. State bank is currently engaged in an exercise to further augment the legal framework for electronic settlement of transactions in the banking sector. Establishing of Payment Systems Development Committee in which commercial banks are members, to guide the development of payment systems in Pakistan. Creation of a dedicated Payment Systems Department in the State Bank dealing with all issues pertaining to payment systems including E-Banking. Creation of a Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) providing an E-Banking solution to banks maintaining their accounts with standard operating procedure (SOP) whereby they will be able to operate these accounts from their own premises via an electronic connection with the State Banks own servers. Commercial banks have been allowed to open and operate Internet Merchant Accounts. Banks are being encouraged to expand the ATMs network through more participation and a wider network of machines all across the country. all banks have been asked to join a SWITCH and interconnection between the 2 existing SWITCHES is being encouraged for further development of the electronic infrastructure . State Bank has already acquired SWIFT connection and has also made it mandatory for banks to acquire SWIFT connectivity for settlement of all cross border financial transactions. Expansion of automated cheques clearing services to all major cities in the country is actively being pursued. The usage of plastic money such as Credit/Debit cards is making good progress Ishrat, (2003), states that introduction of E-banking will improve banking services mainly in terms of the convenience of the customers including, place, time and price, the banks will be able to provide improved services and, consequently, the quality and skills of banking staff will also improve. Although many banking services will be available 24 hours, the need for over the counter services will remain and banks would continue to provide normal services during office banking hours in Pakistan also like in the developed countries where E -banking is prevalent, it has been observed that customers feel much confident in using e-banking services when they can associate it with brick and mortar branches. Purely online banking without physical branch network has not made much headway even in developed countries. In Pakistan, with low rates of literacy the majority of customers will continue to use the 9-5 bank branches. Rizvi, (1999), states that the state bank of Pakistan has constituted various committees such as the Payment Systems Development Committee and the ECH task force for the development of technology based banking services in the country. Besides other matters, these committees also oversee the developments in the areas of E-banking. State Bank of Pakistan coordinates closely with other agencies such as the Ministry of Science Technology (MoST), in initiatives relating to E-banking. Shirazi, (2001), said that the future of e banking is very bright in Pakistan. Many banks in Pakistan have started providing e-banking facilities to their consumers. Over 300 ATMs are in operation in Pakistan the use of ATMs is rapidly increasing. More and more facilities are being provided by the banks electronically including e-statements, funds transfer, bill payment for utilities as well as other purchases. By 2002, almost 40% of the bank branches have been automated and it is expected that this proportion will reach 50% by 2004. The rate of increase is phenomenal i.e. about 318%. Similarly, the number of online branches has doubled during the last 2 years to 570 and by 2004 this number will jump to 1356, representing an increase of 376%. This expansion along with the growing penetration of internet will bring E-banking to more and more of their customers both in terms of numbers as well as geographical locations. Mahmood, (2003), states in order to meet E-banking challenges that State Bank of Pakistan established the ECH Task Force under the leadership of Mr. Naveed A Khan (Country Representative ABN AMRO Bank) to facilitate the development and implementation of E-Banking sector to promote E-Commerce. This Task Force was constituted to facilitate in planning introduction of enabling technologies in the financial sector of the economy having a direct bearing on E-commerce. The ECH Task Force is constituted of various dedicated professionals from the major financial institutions of the country who enrich the Task Force with their experience and expertise with a firm commitment to develop and promote E-Commerce in Pakistan. Ahmed,(2001), states that Electronic Commerce (E-Commerce) is just another business tool, one that enhances business efficiency and effectiveness and allows cost reduction. It is a vehicle to carry out business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. For financial institutions and entrepreneurs, E-Commerce not just makes old processes work better; it also provides a means to break with tradition and create new ways of doing business. E-Commerce has a lot of potential in Pakistan where ideas are rich, resources and labor are cheap, workmanship is excellent, entrepreneurial skill in abundance, and there is a large presence of indigenous and globally appreciated artifacts other tradable goods. However, on a more realistic side, we have a lot of ground to cover before we can reap the benefits of E-Commerce and turn our economy around. These are technical as well as administrative challenges that have to be met and above all we need the basic infrastructure, which fa cilitates and promotes trading through electronic means. 3. RESEARCH METHDOLOGY This chapter presents the basic methodology required in research. It includes the methods of search, type of study and the sources of data. 3.1. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY The methodology of study includes the different methods that researcher has used to reach to the conclusion. But due to shortage of time the researcher has tried his best to make this report informative, useful and also beneficial for others. The researcher has also gathered a lot of information to cover all types of aspects related to automation and electronic data processing. In this report the researcher has covered first of all the introduction of electronic banking, its background, what facilities and benefits it provide and what is its scope in Pakistan? Secondly the researcher has visited few of the banks offering electronic services. They were very knowledgeable to the researcher basically in explaining their scope in Pakistan. 3.2. TYPE OF THE STUDY The study is descriptive because the intention is to explore the existing values given in problem statement. Descriptive process was believed to be more suited in this kind of investigation because it seeks direct response from respondents. This procedure has been used in many areas of investigations in many fields of academics and scientific discipline. 3.3. GOAL OF DESCRIPTIVE STUDY The goal of the descriptive study, here is to offer a peo

Vimy Ridge :: essays research papers

 Vimy Ridge   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This essay will describe the events that took place at Vimy Ridge during World War I. Britain and France both attempted to take control of the Ridge which was currently occupied by the German Army and both failed. It was left to the Canadian Army to take the Ridge. This essay will prove that after many struggles, and careful preparation, Canada was defined as a Nation at Vimy Ridge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vimy Ridge was a key to the German defence system. It rose 61 m. above the Douai Plain which favoured the Germans because there was a gradual incline on the West. This meant that the Canadians would have to attack over open ground where they would become prime targets for German artillery, machine guns and rifle fire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Military mining played a big role in the battle of Vimy Ridge. Engineers built a network of tunnels under no-mans land. They also dug subways totalling more than 5 km. in length, through which assault troops could move to their jumping-off points. The subways provided protection from enemy artillery fire, and permitted the wounded to be brought back from the battlefield. Chambers were cut into the walls of the subway for brigade and battalion headquarters, ammunitions stores, communication centres and dressing stations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The taking of Vimy Ridge fell to the Canadian Corps under the command of the British General Julian Byng. He appointed the Canadian born Major General Arthur Currie as the Commander of the 1st Canadian Division. Currie believed â€Å"Thorough preparation must lead to success. Neglect nothing.†. He left nothing to chance, every stage of the attack was planned to the very last detail. General Currie had a full scale model of Vimy Ridge built to train his soldiers. They got the locations of every trench, machine gun and other valuable information about the enemy by using aerial photographs taken by the Royal Flying Corps and information from intelligence raids across enemy lines. Over 1,400 Canadians lost their lives retrieving this information. The key positions of the model were marked with flags and coloured tape. Currie had his soldiers practice and rehearse every step they would take on the day of the attack, so when the day came, the troops would be fully informed about their objectives and their routes. Maps were given out to guide even the smallest units. The soldiers were also trained to use the enemy machine guns so when the enemy guns were captured, they would know how to use them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The German defence system was made up of three defensive lines. They consisted of a maze of trenches, concrete machine gun strong points that had

Building a global network

The paper shall examine some of the challenges that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) are confronting after a merger between Pricewaterhouse and Coopers and Lybrand. The company is one of the most influential within its respective business arena. Such a position presents a fresh set of challenges in terms of creating an efficient and fully functioning network. These issues shall be examined below. Importance of having a knowledge base or intranet resources The latter company had benefited from the economies of scale that emanated from creation of such a large and influential global company.Consequently, there was a need to ensure that one of the most important qualities in business was attained and this was speed. The latter trait would only be efficiently carried out if the companies under consideration had fast technologies to help them achieve this. One of the latter modes of technology is the use of intranet and possession of a knowledge base. (PWC, 2000) The intranet would go a long way in facilitating communication between a series of stakeholders within this firm. Some of them included its employees, the company’s suppliers, its clients and many more.Since these stakeholders were distributed globally, then there was a need to make sure that this information was shared efficiently and the best way to do this was through the utilization of a sound knowledge management system or the intranet. A good knowledge base was also essential in adding value to the various clients by providing them with easy access to their resources. Intranet would also assist in boosting the process of deployment that provided products and services within the firm. In addition, the knowledge base was also essential in ensuring sound management of those resources.Lastly, the use of the intranet was important in ensuring that the merger was effectively carried out. This was because the latter form of technology would ensure that information was fist captured, then updated and distr ibuted effectively within this organization. In other words, knowledge within the two firms would be made available to the entire organization and this would make the process a whole lot more effective. Advantages and disadvantages of the Knowledge curve implemented at PWC There are a number of strong points that the Knowledge Curve (the intranet) that was implemented by PwC.First of all, it provided a platform against which all the knowledge within the firm was incorporated. This meant that the Knowledge Curve was instrumental in providing a tool for providing the company with a source of competitive advantage. (Thomas, 2000) The Knowledge Curve was also advantageous because of its profiling capabilities. Through this methodology, it was possible to understand the needs of the company on the basis of geography, line of business and industry. This intranet system was important to the company because it would assist the company to achieve knowledge management both at global level and also at office level.However, there was a problem with the Knowledge Curve owing to the fact that certain priorities at office level would not be implemented on a global level. This was because only the aspects that were common between various firms would be included in this global level system of profiling. (Law, 1998) It should be noted that this limitation was dealt with by providing Knowledge Curve homepages for each office. This would go a long way in ensuring that personalized information was restricted for these areas. Another major disadvantage was that it was difficult to customize this respective system.This eventually led to the creation of another website whose purpose was to ensure that local needs within each enterprise level were addressed. The latter website was known as the bridge. By adding such extra features, then it can be said that Knowledge Curve was a bit ineffective at achieving most of it objectives. (Lambert and Langley, 2000) How PWC would encourage user s to contribute knowledge towards the intranet First of all, PWC could ensure that they break down all the bureaucratic systems within the company.This means that the former mentality where it had been held that the support teams are implementers while the more experienced members were the decision makers should be changed. By doing this, people who are more in touch with what is going on at the ground will be encouraged to participate more within the intranet system within the company. The company needs to ensure that there is a flatter structure implemented on the ground. This will go a long way in encouraging participants to contribute towards the internet because they will feel more valued by the organization.While the company has gone a long way in eliminating some of the office politics within the organization, there are still relatively high numbers of issues that need to be implemented by this company in order to boost participation. Since there is still a management board t hat does project approvals and constitutes the management board, then people within the organization may still be feeling a little inhibited about contributing towards that intranet. Fewer powers need to be given to this board so as to boost an open environment.How PWC could facilitate awareness about the intranet and encourage users to utilize the knowledge base PWC was faced with an enormous task of informing all its one hundred and fifty thousand employees who are distributed across one hundred and fifty two countries for this receptive company. Consequently, there was a need to look for methods that could apply in such a wide geographical arena. Presentations are always a good way of informing people about something new. Consequently, the latter company could utilize this method to inform people.It could carry this out by visiting various offices hence talking to people face to face and making them understand some of these issues properly. (Law, 1998) Besides using presentations , there is a need to interact personally with these potential users through the utilization of direct instructions. The company could go a long way in promoting awareness by distributing literature in the system. Since PWC is implementing the system on a global scale, then there is a need for the company to ensure that all the respective groups understand the intricacies involved through a method that leaves room for the communication of vast amounts of data.Other ways in which this company can create awareness include; †¢ Flyers †¢ Posters †¢ Wallet cards †¢ Give a ways †¢ Many more The company can also go a long way in ensuring that various professionals understand how to use this system. This can be done by implementing sessions tailored for such groups. Examples are all the accountants within the firm. By addressing a particular profession, then the company will have shown them just how specific the intranet will be to their respective needs. Promoting a wareness should not just be restricted to understanding the system itself.Awareness needs to be done through a two way exchange. In other words, the system needs to be made in such a manner that the underlying problems faced by the users need to be understood by the incoming team. One such example is the Knowledge Point help desk in which individuals can address their problems through such a system. Besides this, there is also a need to look into some of the challenges that the group is likely to encounter through a survey. Here, respondents can be asked about how they found the intranet and what the company can do to improve it.Tracking this intranet on an annual basis can also go a long way in ensuring its success. (Anonymous, 1998) Issues that PWC could encounter for intranet users outside PWC Most of the problems to be faced by intranet users outside of this organization will emanate from the fact that there are still a number of corrections that are yet to be done in the proces s. An example of this issue is in terms of its Notes usage; the company is yet to implement a regional basis of this system. Consequently, the following Notes names will have to be carried out †¢ Country †¢ City †¢ Line of serviceSince ensuring the implementation of such system would take up a lot of time, then it can be said that the security of the user will be at stake. Another way in which security issues could present a hurdle to the respective clients under consideration is through the implementation of a private link to the client’s system. This can be problematic owing to the fact that implementing it is too complex thus leaving security needs unmet. An example of how such a problem was revealed was when the PWC tried implementing a private system for Hong Kong which was the centre point of all Asian Pacific clients.This was implemented through Australian, New Zealand and Hong Kong gateways. Utilization of such measures could be very problematic owing t o the fact that so many security bridges can arise out of such a complex system. Evaluation of Lotus and the Knowledge Curve Benefits of using such systems Also, the intranet was very important to this company because of the fact that it was quite simple to implement. In other words, it was relatively easy to package, capture and also deliver knowledge to the respective users.Whether PWC could manage diverse and huge information with its technical infrastructure PWC can definitely manage such a diverse information system owing to the fact that it implemented a rationalization program. This was done in order to eliminate duplication of work that arose out of the availability of two sources of data. Besides this, the company was in need of synchronizing all the numerous databases that were located within different geographical areas. In order to solve such a problem, the company chose to delegate duties to lines of service.Doing this was an effective and adequate way of making sure th at all the problems being faced were dealt with meticulously. Besides that, the IT team would have been overburdened by the problem. Each line of service member was supposed to carry out identification of the data owner. PWC was able to carry this out effectively also data owners were assigned the task of regularly updating information so as to ensure that the data base was valuable. Carrying out these painstaking tasks to completion was an indication that the company can manage vast amounts of data. (Lotus, 2000)Additionally, this company is capable of covering most of its challenges to be faced in managing huge databases by choosing to maintain open rather than closed systems. Closed systems may work for relatively small companies. However, companies of a global nature such as PWC are in need of making sure that people can update and access information as smoothly as possible and an open database would definitely be the way to go. Lastly, PWC was able to eliminate the duplication problem that it was facing at the beginning of their merger. This was also another painstakingly slow process since it was manually done.Since the company was able to do this effectively, then one can assume that the company can be able to carry out the process of managing even larger amounts of data in the future. Ways in which the Knowledge Curve structure could be improved The Knowledge Curve could be improved in the future trough working on local Knowledge Curves. Already, the Development team has been assigned with this task. They need to ensure that all data is analyzed at local levels in order to streamline some of the tax management, document management and executive recruitment tasks (Farhoomand, 2000)In order for the knowledge curve to work, there should be improvement of the company’s networking system. Servers for data sharing need to be worked on. Also, there are a number of related task that need to be managed and target include; monitoring, internet services, n etwork management and security systems. The Knowledge Curve also requires continuous improvement of the Lotus Notes Infrastructure, this can best be achieved through the process of recertifying all identification within this systems. Besides this, the process of addressing through the use of initials needs to be implemented.The Knowledge Curve needs to be in line with recent technologies. This needs to be done in such a manner that items such as voice recognition technologies need to reflect such perceptions. In line with this is the issue of upgrading the power system within the company. Lastly, the Knowledge curve can also be improved through a sound feedback teams. First of all, they need to ensure that calls are answered promptly. Also, they need to improve their level of integration between the use and the integration of internal networks.How PWC should disseminate the service to its clients The company is interested in ensuring that most if not all the services offered to thei r respective clients are done in an effective manner. In order to do this, then clients should not be treated as if operational challenges are part of their problems. The company needs to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible. (Leong, 1999) First of all, the company should send notifications to their clients about any recent upgrades within their system. This can be done through email.Thereafter, the company should give details about those changes and leave room for inquiries from clients in case they do not understand the instructions. Shortly after, the company needs to carry implementation in one stage. This can be done in short intervals so as to ensure that the entire process is covered within a relatively short time. Customers can get weary of this by implementation if they constantly have to grapple with new changes. It would be best to get it over and done with at one go. Whether PWC should offer the service for free or for a feeSince PWC prides itself in the v alue addition within its services, then the company should offer the service as a bonus to their clients. The rewards of implementing such a system will be depicted in the returns obtained by the system. PwC will be more effective in responding to client needs and they will also have a large capacity for managing information received from their respective clients. Consequently, the system will improve their profitability through more satisfied consumers and a wider client base. There will be no point in charging them for this because if PwC was to do this, they would be trying to get double benefits.Conclusion Building a global network is a huge challenge for PwC but this company has more than enough capabilities to deal with this issue. First of all, their networking team has been able to manage effectively and they will continue to do so. Secondly project, development and customer care groups have also done their part. The company needs to keep up this effort in order to ensure th at their Knowledge Curve has succeeded. References PWC (2000): Homepage, retrieved from http://www. pwcglobal. com/ accessed on 24th Jan 2008Anonymous (1998): Moore Schiro: We changed the competitive landscape; Accounting Today, 28th September Thomas, S. (2000): Focus – Keeping pace with knowledge; Information Week Review, 155 Leong, K. (1999): Marketing Gets Innovative, Internet week, 3rd May, Lambert and Langley (2000): PwC Interview, Hong Kong, 1st February Lotus (2000): Definition of Notes, retrieved form http://www. whatiscom/notes. htm 30 May Farhoomand, A. (2000): Price water house Cooper: Building a global network; Asia case research centre Law, G. (1998): And then there were four; Management journal, 45, 1

Free Essays on The Renaissance

â€Å"The Renaissance† This research Term Paper will attempt to prove that one may truly call Donatello a Renaissance person. What is a renaissance person? A Renaissance person can best be described by the following terms Greco-Roman and Judea-Christian. Greco-Roman is not only the Greek culture but also the cultures from Mesopotamia, India, China, and Egypt. Romans had a world wide culture. Jude-Christian is two different cultures: Jewish and Christian. Judeo-Christian combines both the sacred Hebrew Scriptures and sacred Christian scriptures along with the old testaments and new testaments. To begin to understand the Renaissance person, one must understand the Greek ‘view of man’. The Greeks viewed man on earth as being the apex of life because only man can produce civilization and culture and that man should be free. Donatello, real name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi was born around 1386 and died in 1466. Donatello was an Italian Renaissance sculptor. He was â€Å"generally considered one of the greatest sculptors of all time and the founder of modern sculpture.†1 Donatello was born in Florence, Italy. He started to paint at a young age. He mostly painted nature and people. It is not known when he started to sculpt, but he sculpted both marble and bronze. His lifetime in the arts was separated into three stages; his early Career, Panduan period, and the Late Florentine Period. He had many influences on his work such as Ghiberti, another Florentine artist, and Brunelleschi. Not only did he get influenced by other artists he influenced others after him. Famous artists that Donatello inspired were Michelangelo. â€Å"When he was 17 years old, he assisted the noted sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti in constructing and decorating the famous bronze doors of the baptistery of San Giovanni, Florenc e. Later, Donatello was also an associate of the noted architect Filippo Brunelleschi.†2 He is known to be one of the hardest working artis... Free Essays on The Renaissance Free Essays on The Renaissance â€Å"The Renaissance† This research Term Paper will attempt to prove that one may truly call Donatello a Renaissance person. What is a renaissance person? A Renaissance person can best be described by the following terms Greco-Roman and Judea-Christian. Greco-Roman is not only the Greek culture but also the cultures from Mesopotamia, India, China, and Egypt. Romans had a world wide culture. Jude-Christian is two different cultures: Jewish and Christian. Judeo-Christian combines both the sacred Hebrew Scriptures and sacred Christian scriptures along with the old testaments and new testaments. To begin to understand the Renaissance person, one must understand the Greek ‘view of man’. The Greeks viewed man on earth as being the apex of life because only man can produce civilization and culture and that man should be free. Donatello, real name Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi was born around 1386 and died in 1466. Donatello was an Italian Renaissance sculptor. He was â€Å"generally considered one of the greatest sculptors of all time and the founder of modern sculpture.†1 Donatello was born in Florence, Italy. He started to paint at a young age. He mostly painted nature and people. It is not known when he started to sculpt, but he sculpted both marble and bronze. His lifetime in the arts was separated into three stages; his early Career, Panduan period, and the Late Florentine Period. He had many influences on his work such as Ghiberti, another Florentine artist, and Brunelleschi. Not only did he get influenced by other artists he influenced others after him. Famous artists that Donatello inspired were Michelangelo. â€Å"When he was 17 years old, he assisted the noted sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti in constructing and decorating the famous bronze doors of the baptistery of San Giovanni, Florenc e. Later, Donatello was also an associate of the noted architect Filippo Brunelleschi.†2 He is known to be one of the hardest working artis...

Free Essays on Advertisings Affect on Kids

The effects of 2 People see advertisements all around the globe that attempt to lure consumers to buy products. Advertisements are placed in newspapers, magazines, schools, and on billboards everywhere. According to marketing consultants Stan Rapp and Tom Collins, on a typical day, an average American sees over 5,000 advertisements a day (Gay, 1992). Many questions arise about these advertisements, such as â€Å"Is advertising deceptive? Does it create or perpetuate stereotypes? Does it create conformity? Does it create insecurity in order to sell goods? Does it cause people to buy things that they really don’t need?†(Alexander & Hanson, 1993, p. 240). Advertisers use specific methods to target teen consumers, but these methods are not always successful or ethical. Advertising is giving the general public information about new goods and trying to increase overall sales, which increases the efficiency of the nation’s economy. It is supposed to be a significant way of getting the point across about a product and create motivation for people to buy. Advertising alone, however, does not get customers. It simply catches consumers’ attention, gets them to walk up to a shelf, and make an impulsive purchase. However, getting the customer back requires a more creative marketing approach. There are several ways to research consumers’ behaviors, likes, and dislikes. The most popular method is tests and surveys, both before and after a product is introduced. Telephone surveys are very common, but they take several thousand calls to get a substantial number of responses to work with. Along with those, written questionnaires and samples, either handed out in stores or sent by mail, are effective tests to see if consumers like a product or not. The reactions to the samples, results of questionnaires, and number of participants are all recorded as The effects of 3 a part of the researching process to come up with effective ads. All of this da ta ... Free Essays on Advertising's Affect on Kids Free Essays on Advertising's Affect on Kids The effects of 2 People see advertisements all around the globe that attempt to lure consumers to buy products. Advertisements are placed in newspapers, magazines, schools, and on billboards everywhere. According to marketing consultants Stan Rapp and Tom Collins, on a typical day, an average American sees over 5,000 advertisements a day (Gay, 1992). Many questions arise about these advertisements, such as â€Å"Is advertising deceptive? Does it create or perpetuate stereotypes? Does it create conformity? Does it create insecurity in order to sell goods? Does it cause people to buy things that they really don’t need?†(Alexander & Hanson, 1993, p. 240). Advertisers use specific methods to target teen consumers, but these methods are not always successful or ethical. Advertising is giving the general public information about new goods and trying to increase overall sales, which increases the efficiency of the nation’s economy. It is supposed to be a significant way of getting the point across about a product and create motivation for people to buy. Advertising alone, however, does not get customers. It simply catches consumers’ attention, gets them to walk up to a shelf, and make an impulsive purchase. However, getting the customer back requires a more creative marketing approach. There are several ways to research consumers’ behaviors, likes, and dislikes. The most popular method is tests and surveys, both before and after a product is introduced. Telephone surveys are very common, but they take several thousand calls to get a substantial number of responses to work with. Along with those, written questionnaires and samples, either handed out in stores or sent by mail, are effective tests to see if consumers like a product or not. The reactions to the samples, results of questionnaires, and number of participants are all recorded as The effects of 3 a part of the researching process to come up with effective ads. All of this da ta ...

(Love) Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

(Love) Ethical Issues in Healthcare - Essay Example Group morality on the other hand is the contrast values of right and wrong that are stipulated by each group according to the group dynamics and its organizational culture. The moral exemplary leader of all times is the late Mother Teresa. She was a moral leader because she stood for what was right according to not only the culture but also according to the bible. She made many people develop their own personal morality by just following her moral standings and judgment. Deontology is the morality theory that states that an individual follows his or her own personal morality when it comes to making ethical decisions. On the other hand, utilitarianism states that an individual’s ethical decision depends on whether the decision will benefit many people or not (Hinman 2007). An example of deontology is when a friend steals medicine from the hospital’s pharmacy and you have to decide whether to report the friend or assume the theft. In this situation, your personal morality is the one you will base your decision

Investing In Early Developing Country with One of the 500 Fortune Research Paper

Investing In Early Developing Country with One of the 500 Fortune Companies - Research Paper Example The aspect of globalization was the core consideration with regard to the type of company selected. Since I was more inclined to a service company particularly in the baking and financial services sector, I settled on Capital One Financial, which is a reputed banking corporation with a global presence as well as being among the fortune 500 companies. Capital One Financial Corp is a bank holding firm based in the U.S and focuses in auto loans, home loans, and credit cards banking along with savings products (Icon Group International, Inc. Staff and Icon Group Ltd 12-15). An associate of the Fortune 500, the corporation helped establish the mass marketing of credit cards in the initial periods of 1990s, and it is currently the fourth-largest client of the American Postal Service and its deposit assortment is ranked fifth in the country (Paige 14). Capital One Financial firm is the mother corporation of Capital One Auto Finance, or COAF, stationed in Plano, Texas. Subsequent to buying P eopleFirst, it grew to be the largest Internet auto lender and one of the highly ranked US auto lenders in general (Hitt et al 85). Kenya is my country of choice for investment for a number of reasons, first is the fact that Kenya is the fastest growing economy in the expanse and its performance is robust making it a viable destination for investment (Ndung’u, Collier and Adam 89-92). Commercially, Kenya has made numerous gains and its financial sector along with general economic environment is based on the contemporary economic standards. Kenya’s financial and banking sector is among the most robust and lucrative not only in East Africa but also in the entire world. Therefore, investing in the Kenyan financial and banking sector is a lucrative idea. The investment plan by Capital One Financial in Kenya’s financial and banking system will be organized in a number of stages to achieve the required results (Goodman and Downes 106). In essence, the investment progr am will echo the relevant realities in Kenya regarding the investment protocols that ought to be followed. Essentially, the investment will be done through joint ventures that represent the most convenient way of investing in Kenya. Therefore, Capital One Financial will seek joint venture with local banks in Kenya through which it will launch its services and operations in conjunction with the local bank. The choice of local company will be done in a categorical manner to make certain that the concerns and goals of the investing company are safeguarded. Nevertheless, the option of foreign direct investment (FDI) will be left open so as to ensure that Capital One Financial may invest directly in the Kenyan financial system. However, this will depend on the probability of success of FDI by the company on request of the Kenyan authorities. Financial banking is the discipline of administration of money along with other valuables pertaining to a particular business. It is obvious that ba nks tender basic advances, deposits in addition to financial counsel, though they as well facilitate dealings on complicated financial instruments like private equity, bonds along with mutual funds (IBP USA Staff 56-61). The majority of top performing contenders typically perceive careers in Banking as the pinnacle of accomplishment, and sectors such as coffers, equity trading, speculation banking along