Evaluating creative writing pieces Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluating creative writing pieces - Essay Example This remarkably brings to fore the conflict of emotions and the certainty of motivation in the character, which is so human and universal. The dialogue between Karen and Danny systematically unfolds the plot, exhibiting a mix of stability and surprise that the readers are bound to find interesting. The pace of the narrative is steady and terse, managing to gently hold on to the readers’ attention, until it culminates into a pleasant, open ended and a positively relieving climax, with the entry of Peter or possibly someone else. The writer immaculately exhibits a firm and understanding grip over the child psychology. The usage and treatment of dialogue is touchingly sensitive and emphatic. The conflict within the main characters that are Carmen and Sebastian, which stands to be so external in its scope and treatment throughout the text, almost suddenly metamorphoses into a purely internal struggle that between the constrained temporal realities of Carmen and her troubled and versatile imagination. The hallmark of the plot is that instead of relying on elaborate explanations ensuing forth from some omniscient point of view, as is so common to find in such writings, it leans on a systematic and stable development of dialogue to elaborate on the mindset of the main character. The rawness of power struggle between Luis and Carmen is expressed economically and effectively. The climax is gripping, apt and emphatically touching, furnishing a delicate but perpetuating release. In that sense, this piece of creative writing is very masterly and mature. Considering the visible affiliation of this piece to the thriller genre, the writer has to a great extent succeeded in exploiting the so essential elements of suspense, surprise and violence, which are the standard and inevitable trademarks of this discipline. The characterization is effective and apt. The writer has successfully managed to lead the dialogue from an initial simplicity to a

Example of Leadership Essay Example for Free

Example of Leadership Essay From the Forbes’ article â€Å"Leadership Lessons from Admiral Michelle Howard, The Highest Ranking Woman in Naval History†, written by Kathryn Dill, tells the history of the four-star admiral and Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the second highest position in the Navy, Michelle Howard and how she became the first American woman to get this position. It is all about her leadership. The first aspect that she points out is about innovation. She takes the example of outside companies and does not have fear to make changes. She says: â€Å"There’s great ideas out there–it’s having the courage to go ask people about what they’re doing that’s different, and saying, ‘I wonder how I could apply that to my organization.’† It is important to all organizations keep changing. She has an envision of the future and because of her way to manage her team, it will be always better, by experimenting and learning from those changes. Moreover, she encourages creativity and â€Å"creates an environment where employees can meet personal goals and they’ll strive that much harder for the professional ones.† It is clear that she wants everyone to share the same vision and seek their goals, even the professional or the personal ones. Doing this, she encourages their hearts joining their lives’ purposes. At last, she is a great example for her co-workers. She is a great leader who behaves and work in a consistent way. Furthermore, she is strong and brave. Someone who people could trust. Work Cited Dill, Kathryn. Leadership Lessons From Admiral Michelle Howard, The Highest RankingWoman In Naval History. iForbes/i. Forbes Magazine, 1 July 2014. Web. 23July 2014. lt;http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/07/01/leadership-lessons-from-admiral-michelle-howard-the-highest-ranking-woman-in-naval-history/

What I Would Place In A Time Capsule Essay -- essays research papers

What I Would Place In A Time Capsule As the turn of the millennium approaches, the human race will continue to develop new technology and new ways of thinking. It is always enjoyable to take a visual journey back in time, to view what was considered advanced and what thoughts of future times represented. A time capsule stored with precious documents and possessions from a past era can serve as a visual and material presentation of what past times were like, and put in prospective the accomplishments that have changed human lifestyles for better or worse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If I were invited to participate in the planning of a time-capsule, I would include items that depicted the present society's mood and pastimes. One item that suits this category would be music. Music is one of the most influential forms of art, and has brought delight, sadness, love, and despair to individuals worldwide. I would include a compilation of the most popular and the most controversial music of the present era, and some background information on the songs and artists. Song lyrics, like poetry, can go beyond the written words of a book or a story, and give an in depth prospective on people and their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Guiding the new information and technology of today, computers serve as the most useful tool for teaching and productivity across the globe. With the aid of computers, new and better systems are manufactured and put to work constantly. The amount of d...

Economic Interpretaion (C. A. Beard) :: essays research papers

Charles Beard's "Economic" Interpretation In 1913, Charles A. Beard (1913 [1935]) consolidated various scholarly views of the Constitution and, in the process, offered what became identified as "the" economic interpretation of the Constitution. Beard (pp. 16-18) argued that the formation of the Constitution was a conflict based upon competing economic interests - interests of both the proponents and opponents. In his view, the Federalists, the founders who supported a strong, centralized government and favored the Constitution during its drafting and ratification, were individuals whose primary economic interests were tied to personal property. They were mainly merchants, shippers, bankers, speculators, and private and public securities holders, according to Beard (pp. 31-51). The Anti-federalists, the opponents of the Constitution and supporters of a more decentralized government, were individuals whose primary economic interests were tied to real property. Beard (pp. 26-30) contended these opponents consisted pri marily of more isolated, less-commercial farmers, who often were also debtors, and northern manorial planters along the Hudson River. However, Beard (pp. 29-30) maintained that many southern slave owning planters, who held much of their wealth in personal property, had much in common with northern merchants and financiers, and should be included as supporters of the Constitution. Beard (pp. 31-51) claimed that support for his argument could be found in the economic conditions prevailing during the 1780s. As a result, he suggested that the primary beneficiaries under the Constitution would have been individuals with commercial and financial interests - particularly, those with public securities holdings who, according to Beard, had a clause included in the Constitution requiring the assumption of existing federal debt by the new national government. Commercial and financial interests also would benefit because of more certainty in the rules of commerce, trade, and credit markets under the Constitution.

The Competent Teacher

The Competent Teacher The purpose of this article is to evaluate how teachers need to prepare to be competent for the 21st century. Researchers and teachers are becoming aware that the 21st century classroom is changing dramatically. A team of teacher educators from NIE sat down and asked themselves these questions. : What are the roles of the teacher in the 21st century? What are the competencies teachers need to fulfill these roles? What can our teacher education programs provide to help them with this task? Some of the roles they identified included: nurturing the whole child, providing quality learning, working with others, and developing a strong set of personal values. They then made a list of core competencies that every trained teacher should have. The core competencies were classified into 3 broad performance dimensions. These dimensions are, professional practice, leadership and management, and personal effectiveness. Professional practice, is the idea that the teacher takes every opportunity to encourage learning, and believe that all students can learn. And learning isn't limited to the classroom. The teacher takes every opportunity to improve on his or her own professional practice, in order to provide quality learning. Leadership and management is the idea that a competent teacher is a leader who wins the hearts and minds of the students and sees value in working with parents, colleagues, and other professionals at any and all given times. Personal effectiveness is the idea that teachers have to hold themselves to the highest moral and ethical standards both in and out of the classroom. The thinking behind this idea is summed up best as â€Å"you must believe in yourself before others will believe in you†. I think that for a teacher to be competent in the classroom today they must evaluate themselves on a yearly basis. Every class, and student is different and teaching material changes over time. Technology is also a key element in the classroom. A teacher must stay up to date and be proficient on the various aspects of the technology world. I believe a teacher should be able to adapt to different classroom settings, students and situations as they are presented. Becoming a teacher is a job where one must expect the unexpected and be able to deal with it on a professional level. (Citation: singteach. nie. edu. sg Issue 23- march/april 2010)

End User Example

End User Example End User – Term Paper Example Managerial End User Responsibilities in Information Systems Your First Your middle initial, Your of here Managerial End User Responsibilities in Information Systems In order to better understand a manger’s responsibilities in information systems, first let’s briefly define the role of a manger in general. A manager’s role is to help build the company. Building a company in reference to the role of a manager means bringing on staff, presenting an organized structure for the staff and overseeing and directing the organized structure. The staff is very important in the structure and building of a company. The staff looks to the manager for direction in all aspects of the business. The staff is the end user in any new technology or programs implemented in the business. The staff’s understanding of new technology or programs implemented depends heavily on the direction of the manager. The responsibility of a manager exemplified in the final outcome of end user information systems is through implementing a system of successful learning. End User Satisfaction (EUS) is critical to successful information systems implementation (Au, Ngai, Cheng 2008) In several studies there has been a proven decline in performance and quality of work when new information systems are implemented. This is due to end users having to learn a new system yet produce if not more the same amount of work. The time and training for learning a system can become costly. To responsibly put this new system into effect a manager should first consider before purchasing the system what’s the ratio of user control to the controlling of the user. In other words better user control would be more adaptable in the end user learning the system than the system controlling the user. The systems are usually developed by designers who don’t know the specific needs of the user. So user control is very important. Also forming focused training sessions instead of individual â€Å"trying to figure it out with the instructions† would be cost effective. A follow through would incorporate weekly or monthly checks.ReferencesAu, N.; Ngai, E. W. T.; and Cheng, T. C. E.. 2008. "Extending the Understanding of End User Information Systems Satisfaction Formation: An Equitable Needs Fulfillment Model Approach," MIS Quarterly, (32: 1).

The beginning of tv essays

The beginning of tv essays Is television appropriate, especially in the home of a growing child? To find this answer we have to review why it wouldnt be and why it could be appropriate. Which, pro or con, weighs higher in the argument. In order to prove either way I have to show how it exactly affects the child. When Children are born they are born with all the brain cells they will ever have. Once you are born you do not grow more brain cells like the other cells of the body such as skin and bone cells. You ask well how is that true if their brain does not grow then no one could ever increase in knowledge. The brain grows by increasing brain connections within the nerves of the brain. Scientists have proven that children form these brain connections at a rate of 10 times the rate an adult does. Have you ever noticed that you could learn and pick up on things when you were younger then now that you are older? This is why, your learning ability is higher when you are young. Because of this a parent of the children or guardian has to provide a high learning environment for this child! Television first came out it was in 1939 at the worlds fair in France. The TV as it is known today is completely different from the original TV. It started as commercial television. Today there are some commercials but the main things we see on TV such as shows and movies are public broadcasting. Not until 20 years later did public broadcasting start. Public broadcasting started as completely educational such as PBS. This has changed greatly within the last 70 years! Today the content of TV is unbelievable! American children watch an average of three to fours hours of television a day. Television can be a powerful influence for developing value systems and shaping behavior in children. But, much of today's television programming is violent. Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on childr ...

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Restructuring the Siemens Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Restructuring the Siemens Company - Case Study Example There are a number of definitions of corporate restructuring ranging. Froud (2000) defines restructuring as the collective activities that involve the introduction of financial instruments, dissolution, increasing equity ownership and reduction of corporate assets. Usui (1996) defines restructuring as activities that a corporate engages in when under pressure, Bowman (1999) on the hand states that restructuring involves the reorganisation of division, streamlining of operations and spun offs with the aim of improving performance and restructuring is the utilisation of assets in a more productive way in order to improve share holder returns. Bowman (1999) states that there are three modes of restructuring which include portfolio restructuring, financial restructuring and organisational restructuring. Portfolio restructuring include those actions aimed at changing the asset mix owned by a firm and they include spin offs and sale of assets. Financial restructuring on the other hand are those actions aimed at changing the capital structure of a company and they include leveraged buyout and debt equity swap. Finally organisational restructuring involve changes in the organisation structure of the firm and they include redesigning and employee downsizing. Restructuring has both negative and positive impacts. Positive impacts include enhanced productivity, reduced production costs and increased shareholders' wealth and Negative impacts include lay offs. Bowman (1999) states that performance is determined by market performance and accounting performance. Market performance relates to change in the share prices of a company after restructuring while accounting performance relates to changes in profit, return on investment and equity. Restructuring in the Siemens Company: Restructuring of the company started in 1966 whereby the company the company organised its production into division and there was decentralisation of control, this was aimed at improving the response to consumer requirements, the division included data system, power engineering, electrical installation, medical engineering, components and electrical installations which all worked independently, Siemens (2009) states that sales during these years ranged at DM 10 billion a year and employment was approximately 270,000 employees. Further restructuring efforts were evident in the year 1969 when the company made it possible for employees to purchase shares at discounted prices. In 1990 further changes were implemented, the seven units were further divided into 15 units, (Siemens (2009)) Before 1990 over 60% of Siemens consumers were public institutions, this protected the company from fluctuating prices in the market and product prices remained relatively constant, privatisation of public institutions began in the 1990's and this led to a decline in domestic sales, because the domestic market was already saturated the company opted to expand its market size by investing abroad, in 1985 domestic sales amounted to 53% and only 10% in the US and by the year 2001 domestic sales am

How Souls Move Bodies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

How Souls Move Bodies - Essay Example Elisabeth asks Descartes to clarify the interaction problem. The problem constitutes dualism as a central point of controversy. The fact that something, which does not have the physical property, interacts causally with physical objects is the central theme of conflict. Elisabeth inquires why thoughts in the mind can cause action in the physical body. She argues that anything that affects the physical body must also be physical and have extension and mass.  In responding to Elisabeth, he attributes the existing confusion to the use of notions that differentiate the mind and the body to explain the interaction between the two aspects. He uses an analogy of an individual who considers heaviness an actual thing that causes an object to fall. From this analogy, Descartes derives his conclusion that people are a misapplying concept. In the second reply, he says that Elisabeth should feel free to attribute extension and matter to the soul. He continues to argue that she will conceive of the union of the body and the mind if she does so. In summary, he avoids giving a precise answer to the prompt.  Descartes’ reply is unsatisfactory. It leaves more prompts than answers. Without the extension of the soul, how will people’s perception of it in that context explain the problem of interaction? Additionally, if people are to conceive of the union of the soul and body, it will mean that we perceive some causal connection. Therefore, it is harder to conceive of it as instructed by Descartes.

The role of captive insurers in the insurance and risk financing Essay

The role of captive insurers in the insurance and risk financing market - Essay Example The paper tells that captive insurance has been in practice since the mid-19th century. Not satisfied with the insurance and costs involved, companies in the mid-19th started operating their own insurance resources. To cite some examples, there were the American ship owners, not content from the insurance services of the Lloyd’s of London and created Atlantic Mutual in the 1840s. Later in the 1960s, there came a boom period for captive insurance when a number of American corporations jumped into insurance business by creating their individual insurers. By 1990s and 2000s the captive insurance business thrived with the hardening of insurance market, reporting innumerable malpractices in medial and professional responsibility area. Growth in the captive insurance business has been unprecedented, fuelling their demand need globally. Taking it from the Swiss Re reporting of 2003, in 2001 the insurance premium paid by 2,500 of the major world corporations represented 13% business o f the global commercial insurance but the share of captive insurance in that was 80%. Presently, captive insurance is not just reserved to private entities; even government organisations like the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have entered into forming their own captives. Business of captive insurance grows rapidly in such domesticates worldwide where there are lenient regulatory controls in comparison to fully grown developed market economies. There are special legislations for such captives in lenient jurisdictions, not asking for initial high capital injection and also offering tax benefits along with making available developed infrastructure in the form of fully functional capital markets and human resources (Skipper and Kwon, 2008). Impact of captives on the commercial insurance market is huge, as they carry on a worldwide shift by commercial entities that desire a more effective and logical tool of financing the risks. Kloman and Rosenbaum (1982)) pointed out that the growth in captive businesses even in the 1980s was because of the unending pressure from the ever-increasing line of sophisticated risk managers to differentiate and verify each and every aspect of routine insurance transactions. It was also said that many big global companies have just outgrown their risk financing capabilities of the routine insurance market, thus strengthening the deficiency of insurance supply through captive and other options of financing arrangements (Skipper and Kwon, 2008). What is Risk Financing? Risk financing is a process to find the most effective way to finance a known risk. In case insurance is easily available through the traditional marketplace at suitable costs, it is preferable but in case of non-availability of insurance at desired costs, risk financing is the right way of insuring risks. It may include researching alternate ways like self insurance by creating a captive insurer (Capstone Associated Services, 2011). What is a Captive Insu rance Company? A Captive Insurer company fulfils primarily the insurance needs of its owners or their associate entities. The parent pools in the growth of the captive that can offer both underwriting profit and investment return. The Captive Insurer not only provides conventional insurance coverage but at the same time covers risks normally not insured in the traditional market. The risk-financing programme of a captive provides flexibility, stability and control (Hodgins, 2012). Companies not in the insurance business get their loss exposures financed by captive insurance entities, the past and most practised type of ART. In captive insurance, the risk gets shifted from the company to the affiliated insurance firm of the company. Such captives are small firms, controlled by specialist captive managers. Captive firms may be simple in structure but their offerings are critically crucial for the interests of their

Ways To Increase Return On Assets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ways To Increase Return On Assets - Essay Example Since both sets of figures show similarity in the total expenses at  £15,400 each, although Set B fails to present the break down of the expenses, then using the said expenses as criterion could not be deemed to indicate a material difference for purposes of inferring which of the two would or would not show a true and fair value. It is, therefore, the matter of the closing stock that will settle the issue of which set does or does not present a true and fair view since it is in the value of the closing where the two sets of figures materially differ. By taking the difference of  £14,000 and  £10,000, one will get a difference of  £4,000 which represents about 40% and which could be now considered by auditors as material misstatement in the financial statement. As to why it affects materially the financial statements will be seen in the income statement and the balance sheet. The income statement is affected because closing stock or inventory takes the nature of revenues in t he income statement as will be explained later. The balance sheet is also affected because the closing stock is part of the current assets and total assets which are parts the computation of liquidity using current ratio and the profitability using the return on assets. Since it affects the net income, the other ratios where net income is used will also be affected.  As to how the material misstatement will affect the profitability ratios may be illustrated as follows: First, the closing stock is important in the computation of gross profit ratio (GPR) which is computed by dividing gross profit by the total sales. It must be noted that the closing stock affects the value of the cost of sales to be deducted from total sales to arrive at the gross profit.

Forest Parcelization in Vilas County, Wisconsin Research Paper

Forest Parcelization in Vilas County, Wisconsin - Research Paper Example A huge portion of this forested land parcels is under the ownership of non-industrial private landowners. It is estimated that these non-industrial private landowners own over sixty percent of the whole forested land in the county of Vilas. The rest of the forested parcels of land are under the ownership of the county government of Vilas, the federal government, the state government, the forest industry department and Wisconsin’s Indian Tribes. The federal government carried out the land survey of the State of Wisconsin forest in the nineteenth century. The purpose of the survey was to divide the huge land under public ownership into parcels that could be sold to private owners, in order to raise revenue for the federal government and provide settlement for the people (Allred et al. 2011). The work of the survey was implemented using the Public Land Survey System that usually divides the land into six-mile square townships and one-mile square sections. Six-mile square townships are the primary units of the public land survey. They are further sub-divided into one-mile-square sections. The townships are then regularly arranged across the state whereas the sections are similarly arranged in the townships (The Vilas County Mapping Department, 2010). The Wisconsin-Illinois border is the location of the initial point of the public land survey in Wisconsin. The locality is roughly ten miles east of Mississippi (Allred et al. 2011). The location is the point of intersection of the base-line. It is also the boundary of the southern state and the principal meridian, which is a latitude running due north from the initial point. Township lines are the east-west lines that cross the principal meridian after every six miles. Range lines, on the other hand, are north-south lines that run through the middle of the baseline after every six miles.

Ways To Increase Return On Assets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ways To Increase Return On Assets - Essay Example Since both sets of figures show similarity in the total expenses at  £15,400 each, although Set B fails to present the break down of the expenses, then using the said expenses as criterion could not be deemed to indicate a material difference for purposes of inferring which of the two would or would not show a true and fair value. It is, therefore, the matter of the closing stock that will settle the issue of which set does or does not present a true and fair view since it is in the value of the closing where the two sets of figures materially differ. By taking the difference of  £14,000 and  £10,000, one will get a difference of  £4,000 which represents about 40% and which could be now considered by auditors as material misstatement in the financial statement. As to why it affects materially the financial statements will be seen in the income statement and the balance sheet. The income statement is affected because closing stock or inventory takes the nature of revenues in t he income statement as will be explained later. The balance sheet is also affected because the closing stock is part of the current assets and total assets which are parts the computation of liquidity using current ratio and the profitability using the return on assets. Since it affects the net income, the other ratios where net income is used will also be affected.  As to how the material misstatement will affect the profitability ratios may be illustrated as follows: First, the closing stock is important in the computation of gross profit ratio (GPR) which is computed by dividing gross profit by the total sales. It must be noted that the closing stock affects the value of the cost of sales to be deducted from total sales to arrive at the gross profit.

Millenium Development Goals Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Millenium Development Goals - Essay Example Although poverty eradication has emerged as the top priority of the Philippine government since the 1980s, factors such as the rising population, and the slumping economy amidst political struggles in the late 1980s, kept the goal an elusive dream for the Philippine government, and for millions of vulnerable Filipinos. But with the introduction of the MDG's there were major improvements observed in reducing poverty. Table 1 shows that over the span of 12 years, "subsistence poverty declined from 20.4 percent in 1991 to 16% in 2000 and down to 12.15% in 2003" (Philippines Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals, 2003, p.2). Table 2 also shows much promise in lowering the proportion of the population below the poverty line (i.e. per capita income Despite the positive result in the present ratios, several issues still remain to be taken in hand. For instance, poverty incidence in the Philippines is largely concentrated in the rural areas and in Visayas and Southern Mindanao. The Philippines Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals (2003, p.2) noted that "about 78.8 percent of the food-poor families live in the rural areas...rural poverty remained high between 1991 (55.1%) and 2000 (54.5%). Urban poverty has been reduced by almost one third as of the year 2000, from 35.6 percent in 1991." In terms of poverty concentration by region, 65.2% of the population in Central Mindanao and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is classified as poor. Bicol and most regions in the Visayas and Mindanao viz. Central Mindanao, CARAGA, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Western Mindanao also have poverty rates considerably higher than the national average. Furthermore, Table 3 shows reveal that the Gini coefficient has remained high at 0.48 in 2000 which makes income inequality still a huge part of the problem (Philippine National Statistics Office, 2004). The present Philippine administration is committed to win the war against poverty. The Arroyo administration has outlined a "comprehensive set of policies and programs directly aimed at addressing the needs of the poor, under the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2001-04. The core strategies are: 1) Macroeconomic stability with equitable growth based on free enterprise; 2) Agricultural and fisheries modernization with social equity; 3) Comprehensive human development and protecting the vulnerable; and 4) Good governance and the rule of law" (Philippines Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals, 2003, p.14) The centrepiece of the government's Anti-Poverty Agenda is known as KALAHI or "Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan" (Linking Arms Against Poverty) Program, a community- driven development project that aims to improve the access to social services (low-cost, productive infrastructure such as roads, water systems, clinics, and schools), empowerment of the people through strengthening the community participation in local governance, and the management of resources. Since its inception, the project has seen

The Battle of Britain Essay Example for Free

The Battle of Britain Essay ‘Never the Master, Always the Servant. ’ How Accurate is this Statement in Regard to Wolsey’s Conduct of Foreign Policy 1513-29? â€Å"Had I but served God as diligently as I have served the King, he would not have given me over in my grey hairs. † Cardinal Wolsey c. 1472-1530 Here Wolsey himself professed his obedience to Henry VIII, but historians of the previous century and a half claimed that between 1513 and 1529 foreign policy was governed entirely by Wolsey, some suggesting that Henry gave only perfunctory approval to his decrees. Modern historians dispute this, the king’s aspirations and decisions being of fundamental importance. The matter remains unsettled however, regarding the extent of Wolsey’s influence and manipulation. Contemporaries argued that Wolsey was effectual ruler, â€Å"Alter Rex† during particularly the mid 1520s, his palatial home eclipsing Henry’s in political importance. Wolsey was clearly very cunning; he won Henry’s favour by shrewdly encouraging him to enjoy leisure activities and leave the mundane politicking to him – exploiting the mistakes of his predecessors. Cavendish declares, â€Å"Thus the almoner ruled all those that ruled before him†. However, Wolseys desperation to gain Henry’s esteem is evidence merely of the need for Henry’s approval – as Wolsey clearly appreciated. Henry intervened less in politics before 1529 than he did afterwards, but as Peter Gwyn recognises; this was only due to his sincere satisfaction and comprehension of Wolseys loyalty. From 1512 Wolsey climbed the political ladder very swiftly; utilising the opportunity of the French invasion to exceed Henry’s expectations and impress the king with prizes in Tournai and Therouanne. By mid 1514 Wolsey was receiving all the king’s important business affairs, and exploiting Henry’s need for an authoritative chief servant fully Wolsey admittedly used his persuasion to gain himself numerous offices – Dean of Lincoln, Bishop of Tournai, Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York. Although Warham still held the most senior church office, as Archbishop of Canterbury, Wolsey had won himself Lord Chancellorship by 1518, making him head of the legal system. However Wolseys ascendancy was resultant from Henry’s appreciation of his talents, by the time of the treaty of St. Germaine-en-Laye with France in 1514 Randell recognises Henry’s apparent disinterest with routine diplomacy, â€Å"He was still keen to win glory, but was content for someone else to arrange it for him. † His connections with the Papal authorities brought about suspicion that he had tied England to Roman foreign policy, such as Pollard’s insinuation that Wolsey considered his duty to his spiritual master over that over the king – In 1518 he was appointed ‘Legatus a latere’, a position he was guaranteed for life in 1524. Scarisbrick however discredits Papal loyalty, acknowledging Wolseys disregard for Papal instruction as frequently as it was adhered to. Although England and the papacy had common interests, it was merely coincidental for the Pope’s wishes to be followed, and the king himself had the same attitude to Wolsey towards the pope. Henry wanted to become ‘Defender of the Faith’ and did so, in 1521, and there is more proof that it was he who encouraged Wolsey to pursue the office of Pope than vice versa. As Palmer asserts, â€Å"Wolsey was no more or less a servant of the Papacy than Henry himself. † Wosley required the position of ‘Prince of the Church’ (gained 1515) because he had not won such approval from the Papcy as he had from his royal master. He did not wish to rival Henry’s authority by becoming ‘Prince of the State’ because he was assured of Henry’s support. Although Wolsey bragged of being â€Å"author of the peace† at the Treaty of London in 1518, and despite evidence for him formulating his own policies by 1517; as Gwyn defends – he was winning glory for his master. Scarisbrick recognises Wolseys desire to become arbiter of Europe, but his dependence upon Henry is undeniable. As Randell recognises, Wolsey often hid things from Henry and considered ways in which he could put things to him in order to provoke a desired response, to push contenders away and get away with more than he officially should. Vergil even suggested that Wolsey bribed Henry with gifts to distract him whilst he was making demands and to gain further favour. All these efforts, however, merely emphasize Wolseys dependence upon the king and his desperation to maintain his support. Randell suggests that Wolsey made independent decisions – often trivial but sometimes-major ones, but Henry could and sometimes did intervene. Wolsey always needed to appear to be implementing Henry’s decisions even if it was not always strictly the case. Skelton and Palsgrave, authors of articles in the House of Lords December 1929 attacked Wolseys arrogance and misrule during parliament and regarding matters of foreign policy, alleging he bestowed himself excess authority and wrongfully excluded other councillors from attending court, but evidence suggests that they were pursuing a ruthless campaign to get him dismissed. Although, as Guy points out, up until 1927 â€Å"more than the details were left to Wolsey† Henry was nevertheless broadly responsible throughout all matters of foreign policy. Wolsey may have organised much of the minor details, such as the essential transport arrangements and food supplies during invasions, but it was under Henry’s direction and command. The king would instruct Wolsey and provide details of the task, which Wolsey undeniably fulfilled exceptionally and often made fitting amendments to Henry’s broader schemes. Henry’s certain dominance was clear throughout a number of issues. In 1518 Henry backed the Holy Roman Emperor despite Wolseys disproval and efforts to persuade him oppositely. Scarisbrick identifies disparagement between Henry and Wolsey throughout the events of 1520 and 1521; the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520 was extremely expensive and Wolsey discouraged Henry from spending such vast amounts of money on what he anticipated to be a political fiasco, yet the event went ahead with no expenses spared – regardless of Wolseys advice. In 1521 Wolsey wanted peace in contrast to Henry’s desire for warfare, but Wolsey was made to journey around Europe; negotiating with Charles in Bruges that England and Spain should ally against France, and then returning to Calais. His consolation being that war would be delayed until 1522 – but Henry’s leadership is clear, the attack was still launched and Wolsey left disregarded once more. As Gwyn appreciates, Wolsey realised the importance of bringing honour to his master through dominating affairs – which his desired neutrality would not bring. Wolsey deceived France against his own wishes to preserve Henry’s major international role. In 1525 the Battle of Pavia saw the capture of King Francis and the strengthening of Henrys desire to become Imperial Ruler. Wolsey was then unable to act as an Imperial Arbitrator, Henry VIII wanted an Imperial Alliance and Wolsey was forced to attempt the Amicable Grant for Henry to invade France, but this was impossible and in August the Treaty of the More was signed after the French war. The reversal was extremely embarrassing for Wolsey, who went through humiliation and dispute to please Henry VIII, eventually gaining an annual pension of 100000 gold crowns. Historian Dana Scott Campbell understands Wolsey as being motivated to tread the path necessary to ensure personal advancement and power in England. By satisfying Henry VIII with international glory and prestige his support was ensured; although his power was enhanced by the Papal authorities, Roman influence was limited – his self interest, over all else, forced him to please Henry primarily and the Pope if possible. He acted with more alacrity for Henry, and with more determination, joining the Anti-Imperial League of Cognac in 1526 and declaring war two years later. The Treaty of Cambrai in 1529 was a desperate attempt by Wolsey to retain Henry’s partiality, and was signed by the leaders of England, France and the Holy Roman Empire. Wolsey underwent mortification and infringement of his own desires in order to please his King, both in the matters which he may have seem to control and in those which were quite obviously of Henry’s design. Whether due to arrogance and untamed ambition or merely a desire to satisfy the King – Wolsey routinely aimed to please him in all aspects of foreign policy. Grossel appreciates Wolseys desire to serve the king; convictions in Wolseys vanity are now outdated as Wolsey clearly wanted to maintain the honour and influence of his own position through that of his king. Henry’s absolute dominance is evidenced by the impossibility of Wolsey sustaining esteem as European Arbitrator because of Henry’s belligerence (as well as the treachery of the European Kings). His independent decisions occurred only when permitted, or occasionally unknown, by Henry. Wolseys position was secured for the most part because of Henry’s satisfaction with his conduct – had it not been so (as in later years) Wolsey would have been rapidly dismissed. However, Randell recognises that the evidence for both supporting and admonishing Wolseys loyalty is in the form of letters written only to deceive the recipients, disparate word of mouth and untrustworthy third parties – all of it unreliable.

Reasons for the Success of Primark

Reasons for the Success of Primark Overview Primark is one of the biggest chain stores in Europe. It operates in 6 European countries like Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Portugal and Germany. The first store was established in 1969 in Dublin. Afterwards in 1973 Primark started trading in Great Britain and in 2006, it opened 2 new stores in Spain and from 2008 2009, Primark starts trading in the Netherlands, Portugal and Germany. Today Primarks chain consist from 193 stores, and majority of them located in the UK. The main offices of company are located in Ireland where it is known as Penneys, Primark is a branch of Associated British Foods pls. ABF has international sales of  £6.8bn and 85,000 employees in 43 countries and Primark is the main piece in ABF. ABF is a highly diversified group of companies who enjoy a high degree of autonomy in the running of their specific businesses. The ABF group is one of the biggest chain stores in Europe with the variety of successful brands and goods in the food sector. (http://www.primark.co.uk/ ) Main Body The successful story of business is Primark story that has become true in last several years. As it was written in â€Å"The Independent: â€Å"During a high street slump, it has built a reputation as a seller of extraordinarily cheap garments and shoppers have besieged its new stores, some of them bought from the collapsed Allders chain.† ( The Independent,† Primark is named at least ethical clothes shop†, by M. Hickman, Thursday, 8 December 2005). Primark success relates to: Super-competitive prices (the result of technology, efficient distribution, supply and volume buying) Market product quality High Street locations Clear focus on the target market. Good global management and logistics system (http://www.earthtimes.org/ ) Super-Competitive Prices Nowadays, global economy opens huge variety of markets, distribution and supply services to the companies that trade in global market. The one of the main oppotunities in companies success is opportunity to choose from a wide range of markets where to trade, or what supplier to choose. The combination of this aspects give to global companies a chance to make more profit that was ever made. As it is known, most of Primarks suppliers are from China, India and south east Asia. So, it gives to ABF group cheap distribution that relates to prices. Low price system give a huge advantage to Primark as a player in the market, among other players such as Tesco, Mark Spencer, Next and etc. this is a good strategy for Primark ,as a player in the global market, during the recession. It gives Primark a big market share and increases in profit. FQDSC strategic model (competitive advantage through) It is better to understand success of Primark store in FQDSC strategic model, which includes flexibility, quality, dependability, speed and cost aspects. If we mark Primark in all this aspects with one of his competitors and compare them, we will see why Primark is so successful. Now, we see that factors such as speed and cost play a huge role in human behavior in todays world during the recession. The recession time shows us how Primark is flexible with their customers, that speed and cost factors give Primark a huge advantage among other players in the market. In comparison with Debenhams and other competitors, factors such as speed and cost played the main role to the success of Primark. (Gregson, R. (2009) MGT 7100 Managing Processes, Lecture 1) Market Product Quality Quality of Primark`s goods strictly relates to the price and suppliers that Primark works with. So it is one of the best quality-price ratios in the market. ABF group achieved this correlation by using the basic rules in global economy to reach best profit. As it was mentioned before, global economy gives a huge amount of opportunities to the companies to make their best correlation between quality, price, location, speed and etc. High Street Locations Primark like almost a half of his competitors has a good location policy. For example, in London on Oxford street, Primark and his competitors are found in one street of market stores. In the UK High Street there is a huge amount of no-frills fashion stores. That means that Primark have a lot of competitors that have same type of customers. Well-established competitors such as Bhs and NEXT and others have to cope with Primark, while results are booming. Primark has become one of the cheapest fashion retailers in the UK High Streets. Therefore people buying goods from Primark store. The live example of Primark success in UK High Street it is if you go to Oxford street you will see a superior amount of people that are carrying Primark bags than from other stores. (http://www.open2.net/ ) Clear Focus On The Target Market Primark have clear understanding demands of their customers. Primarks market segment is the fashion conscious people under- 35s with the slogan â€Å"Look good pay less†. Primark has chosen ‘Cost Leadership strategy, it means that Primark has a cost privilege over competitors. In the last several years Primark has done a lot of things right. TK Maxx and Asda are one of the strongest competitors of Primark and they have a similar market segment. TK Maxx and Asda have different strategies to that of Primark. TK Maxx trades hugely-discounted prestige brands and Asda has created its own private and well-known brand. Primark focuses more on buying, logistics and supply chain management rather than developing its own brand. Primark made its own teams of buyers that travel all over the world to detect fashion trends and to find out the competitive caterers. It means that Primark understand demand of their customer very well by providing them high fashion goods at very low prices. It also has a very clever system of choices of fashion goods to copy into the mass production. To proceed to be most successful in market with ‘Cost Leadership strategy the firm should provide the cheapest prices in the market. (http://www.open2.net/ ) Good Global Management And Logistics System The success of Associated British Foods pls. is not based only on one aspect such as super competitive price, quality, high street location or clear market target. It is the totality of all of aspects. ABF group has a clear understanding of global economy rules. Primark realize that global market opens huge varieties of dealing business. It means that global economy, as it was mentioned before, give to companies a huge varieties of markets, suppliers and etc., and companies can choose among markets and suppliers. ABF group has a good correlation of options that global economy provides to companies. As the result Primark has a very good management and logistic systems. It means that Primark realize a correlation between high volume, low cost, location, market and supply chains. It is better to understand Primarks correlation in picture: Now, we can clearly understand the logistic system that is used by Primark. We can see that global economy and global market give a challenge to Primark and competitors to choose among suppliers. As we can see Primark has chosen the best correlation between suppliers, prices and other aspects which leaded to better profit. This is demonstration of Primarks commitment to having the best available solutions to help manage its supply chain, and to improve working conditions whilst maintaining competitive edge and quality in a fast-moving fashion environment,† said Ray Ellis, business systems analyst at Primarks owner, Associated British Foods. ( http://www.supplychain.cn ) Conclusion In conclusion we can see a whole picture of Primarks success. It is obvious that the company became a successful business story just in several years. Primark success is a very good solution in management and logistic system. Primark became a good example of success and a case study to its competitors. As it was written before, Primarks triumph relates to several aspects such as quality, high street locations, super competitive prices, clear focus on the target market, good management and logistics system. The main point of the success of Primark, it is that the owners of Primark were one of the first in practical business who realized the whole picture of global market and combinations of aspects and factors that is given by the globalisation. It is true that during the recession time factors like low costs and fast speed are playing a big role in decision making process of customers. Primark has a clear focus on the target market, and it helps them to know what the best to their customers is. They know that their target market are people under 35 and they focus more on factors such as fashion, low prices and speed. At the end, we cant say that the success of Primark is the lucky chance, their success is the well-developed combination between factors and aspects. References: http://www.primark.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=eb44df4565934edca627dac6ec12145a [accessed 14 November 2009] http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/primark-to-install-island-pacific-planning-solution,1029702.shtml [accessed 14 November 2009] The Independent,† Primark is named at least ethical clothes shop†, by M. Hickman, Thursday, 8 December 2005 http://www.open2.net/money/briefs_20051206_primark.html [accessed 15 November 2009] http://www.supplychain.cn/en/art/2769/ [accessed 15 November 2009] Gregson, R. (2009) MGT 7100 Managing Processes, Lecture 1

Language and Culture in an Immigrant Society :: Cultural Identity Essays

The professor of my linguistics anthropology course this year, stepped up to the podium on the first day of class, and surprised us all with his feelings regarding language. He began by telling us that he specializes in human misery, perhaps insinuating language is a source of misery. Dr. Song is a Korean immigrant and the sounds of his own language repulses him. Growing up in modern society America has made him cringe at the sound of his native tongue. It is this same native language of Korean that my professor falls back into when he is made nervous by an English speaking person leaning in closer to him and squinting up his face expecting not to understand what will come out of his mouth before he even opens it. It is as if the frustration and impatience he has confronted in people has fostered a hatred for the part of him that is foreign. Michael Agar, a leading theorist on modern linguistics, has proposed a reason for this regression. In looking at the elusive idea of "culture" we see that the content is ever changing. It is a continual process one that Agar says "is not something those people have; it's something that happens to you." My professor used an example of two types of drivers to demonstrate the different reactions to the complications that arise with culture. These two drivers will be called the first and second driver. The first driver embodies the number one type and the second, the good driver. He uses the situation of traffic congestion to put these types into perspective. Imagine a driver during traffic congestion. The number one type will say to himself, "The system is causing this inconvenience, because it is always like this." To a number one type, it is this "immutable truth" that is the cause of any obstacles. This truth can be applied to almost anything in a society where we are sur rounded by reproducible images and experiences, which grants permission to use stereotypes. The problem (the traffic congestion) is caused by a "thing" out there and is objectified. But there is a second driver, the good driver. This driver does not objectify the situation and use the accepted truth.

poetry is a social act rather than an isolated object :: essays research papers

Is poetry a social act rather than an isolated object? Is poetry meant to be shared with others, or meant for the individual? Personally I can think of examples that would justify both of these statements. Poetry itself is almost impossible to define but to describe a poem, as a â€Å"social act† or an â€Å"isolated object† doesn’t necessarily mean that the next poem is. There are however cases that would suggest that poetry does indeed lean more towards the â€Å"social act† description allotted by this particular essay-title. One point that arose during a discussion with a fellow student concerning this question was that poetry itself originated from song: the medium of song itself being a very social form of expression so logically poetry is also a social form of expression. I personally agree with this point and firmly believe that the origins of poetry do lie in the social act of singing. But one of the most unique, fascinating and potent qualities of poetry (of which there are a few) is its state of flux, it is constantly changing and re-inventing itself so to think of poetry as a mere derivative or deviation of song is to miss the point of poetry entirely. One prominent social re-invention of poetry that comes to mind is that of the â€Å"Beat Movement†. The "Beat Movement" in modern literature has become an important period in the history of literature and society in America in particular but also around the world. Incorporating influences such as jazz, art, literature, philosophy and religion, the beat writers created a new and prophetic vision of modern life and changed the way a generation of people see/saw the world. One of the most important contributions to contemporary verse was to take poetry out of the classrooms and into non-academic setting coffee houses, jazz clubs, large public auditoriums and even athletic stadiums making it an even more social act/form of expression. Poetry is more popular and more read at this time than anytime in previous history, not only spoken poetry but also sung poetry of a high order, reminiscent of poetries origins. Keeping this further socialisation of poetry in mind I would a lso like to stress the point that although poetry was in its most social environment yet the emphasis was firmly on the individual and their individual poetry, attempting to isolate their poetry from all previously heard. So in the ideal situation although the act would be social, the object would be isolated.

First Language vs Second Language

LEDESMA, JUDIELLE G. TESL ABE 3-1NOVEMBER 12, 2012 A. 1. Differences between First Language and Second Language | First Language| Second Language|Definition| any language other than English that a child was exposed to during early development and continues to be exposed to in the home or community| any language learned after the first language or mother tongue | Basis for learning| universal grammar alone| knowledge of the first language also serves as a basis for learning the second language| Learning Process| children spend several years listening to language, babbling, and using telegraphic speech before they can form sentences| in older learners, learning is more rapid and people are able to form sentences within a shorter period of time;Learning in older learners, learners are able to use more metacognitive processes in their learning. They can consciously analyse and manipulate grammatical structures, and they can explicitly describe how language works. | Practice| learners hav e many chances to practice with native speakers| learners may or may not have the opportunity to practice extensively with native speakers| Acquisition| Almost everyone acquires a first language;happens naturally| not everyone acquires a second language;often requires conscious effort on the part of the learner| 2.Differences Between Second Language and Foreign Language English as a Second Language (ESL or TESL) also refers to specialized approaches to language teaching designed for those whose primary language is not English (Nordquist, English as a Second Language). English as a Second Language corresponds roughly to the Outer Circle described by linguist Braj Kachru in â€Å"Standards, Codification and Sociolinguistic Realism: The English Language in the Outer Circle† (1985). A foreign language is a language that is from a country other than one's native country. Foreign languages are usually learned for the sake of learning about the culture and people who speak it.For ex ample, some people learn ancient Greek for a deeper understanding of the early philosophers from reading their works in their original language. (www. education. brookes. ac. uk/) Foreign language is basically a non-maternal language that you're learning on purpose rather than naturally. Being in a foreign language environment means that the learner will rarely, if ever, have opportunity for exposure to the target language outside of the classroom (Bilash, 2009). 3. Learning and Acquisition Acquisition is the act of getting knowledge unconsciously. Children acquire knowledge from the time they were born in this world. Learning is acquiring or getting knowledge of a subject of a skill by study, experience, or instruction—consciously. (Corder, 2007).Children acquire language through a subconscious process during which they are unaware of grammatical rules. This is similar to the way they acquire their first language. They get a feel for what is and what isn’t correct. In order to acquire language, the learner needs a source of natural communication. The emphasis is on the text of the communication and not on the form. Young students who are in the process of acquiring English get plenty of â€Å"on the job† practice. They readily acquire the language to communicate with classmates. Language learning, on the other hand, is not communicative. It is the result of direct instruction in the rules of language. And it certainly is not an age-appropriate activity for your young learners.In language learning, students have conscious knowledge of the new language and can talk about that knowledge. They can fill in the blanks on a grammar page. Research has shown, however, that knowing grammar rules does not necessarily result in good speaking or writing. A student who has memorized the rules of the language may be able to succeed on a standardized test of English language but may not be able to speak or write correctly. (Judy Haynes, Language Acquisit ion vs. Language Learning). 4. Second Language Learning and Bilingualism Second-language learning is the process by which people learn a second language. Bilingualism refers to the ability to speak two languages.It may be acquired early by children in regions where most adults speak two languages. Bilingualism  can also refer to the use of two languages in teaching, especially to foster learning in students trying to learn a new language (Concise Encyclopedia). Bilinguals are often broadly de? ned as individuals or groups of people who obtain the knowledge and use of more than one language. However, bilingualism is a complex psychological and socio-cultural linguistic behaviour and has multi-dimensional aspects. There is no agreed-upon de? nition of bilingualism among researchers (Bhatia and Ritchie, 2004). 5. Theory and Practice In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. Albert Einstein Theory is a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena (www. thefreedictionary. com). Practice is the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories relating to it (http://oxforddictionaries. com). It is an exercise and application of any task or theory or in other words translation of an idea into action. B. Define the following: 1. Approach -this is the your own personal philosophy of teaching. –  The method used in dealing with or accomplishing(thefreedictionary. com) -Method is the practical of the objective of teaching in the classroom in a variety of audiences and contexts.The objects are related to material, sequencing, teacher-student roles and behaviors, linguistic and subject-matter objectives (www. shvoong. com). 2. Method – An orderly procedure or process; regular manner of doing anything; hence, manner; way; mode; as, a method of teaching languages; a method of improving the mind. -Orderly arrangement, elucidation, development, or classification; clear and lucid exhibition; systematic arrangement peculiar to an individual. -Classification; a mode or system of classifying natural objects according to certain common characteristics; as, the method of Theophrastus; the method of Ray; the Linnaean method (www. brainyquote. com) 3. Design Dick Buchanan offered us his formal definition of Design: â€Å"Design is the human power to conceive, plan, and realize products that serve human beings in the accomplishment of any individual or collective purpose. † This is a formal definition, meaning it is fairly rigorous and also fairly dry. There are other, descriptive definitions that are livelier: â€Å"Design is making things right. † –Ralph Kaplan. â€Å"Design is the glimmer in God's eye. † –Anonymous 4. Procedure – an established or official way of doing something – A fixed, step-by-step sequence of activities or course of action (with definite start and end points) that must be followed in the same order to correctly perform a task. Repetitive procedures are called routines (www. businessdictionary. com)

Testicular Cancer

Definition By Mayo Clinic staff Testicular cancer occurs in the testicles (testes), which are located inside the scrotum, a loose bag of skin underneath the penis. The testicles produce male sex hormones and sperm for reproduction. Compared with other types of cancer, testicular cancer is rare. But testicular cancer is the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 34. Testicular cancer is highly treatable, even when cancer has spread beyond the testicle. Depending on the type and stage of testicular cancer, you may receive one of several treatments, or a combination.Regular testicular self-examinations can help identify growths early, when the chance for successful treatment of testicular cancer is highest. Symptoms By Mayo Clinic staff Testicular lumps Living with cancer newsletter Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics. Signs and symptoms of testicular cancer include: ?A lump or enlargement in either testicle ?A feel ing of heaviness in the scrotum ?A dull ache in the abdomen or groin ?A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum ?Pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum ?Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts Unexplained fatigue or a general feeling of not being well Cancer usually affects only one testicle. When to see a doctor See your doctor if you detect any pain, swelling or lumps in your testicles or groin area, especially if these signs and symptoms last longer than two weeks. Make an appointment with your doctor even if a lump in your testicle isn't painful. Only a small percentage of testicular cancers are painful from the outset. CAUSES it’s not clear what causes testicular cancer in most cases. Doctors know that testicular cancer occurs when healthy cells in a testicle become altered.Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally. But sometimes some cells develop abnormalities, causing this growth to get out of control — t hese cancer cells continue dividing even when new cells aren't needed. The accumulating cells form a mass in the testicle. Nearly all testicular cancers begin in the germ cells — the cells in the testicles that produce immature sperm. What causes germ cells to become abnormal and develop into cancer isn't known. Risk factors By Mayo Clinic staff Living with cancer newsletter Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics.Factors that may increase your risk of testicular cancer include: ? An undescended testicle (cryptorchidism). The testes form in the abdominal area during fetal development and usually descend into the scrotum before birth. Men who have a testicle that never descended are at greater risk of testicular cancer than are men whose testicles descended normally. The risk remains even if the testicle has been surgically relocated to the scrotum. Still, the majority of men who develop testicular cancer don't have a history of undes cended testicles. ?Abnormal testicle development.Conditions that cause testicles to develop abnormally, such as Klinefelter's syndrome, may increase your risk of testicular cancer. ?Family history. If family members have had testicular cancer, you may have an increased risk. ?Age. Testicular cancer affects teens and younger men, particularly those between ages 15 and 34. However, it can occur at any age. ?Race. Testicular cancer is more common in white men than in black men. Preparing for your appointment By Mayo Clinic staff Living with cancer newsletter Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics.Who to see Make an appointment with your family doctor or a general practitioner if you find a mass on a testicle. If your doctor suspects you could have testicular cancer, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in treating cancer (oncologist). How to prepare Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cov er, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Try to: ? Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet. Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment. ?Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes. ?Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements that you're taking. ?Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot. Questions to askYour time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case t ime runs out. For testicular cancer, some basic questions to ask your doctor include: ? Do I have testicular cancer? ?What type of testicular cancer do I have? ?Can you explain my pathology report to me? Can I have a copy of my pathology report? ?What is the stage of my testicular cancer? ?What is the grade of my testicular cancer? ?Will I need any additional tests? ?What are my treatment options? What are the chances that treatment will cure my testicular cancer? ?What are the side effects and risks of each treatment option? ?Is there one treatment that you think is best for me? ?What would you recommend to a friend or family member in my situation? ?Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it? ?If I would like a second opinion, can you recommend a specialist I should see? ?I'm concerned about my ability to have children in the future. What can I do before treatment to plan for the possibility of infertility? ?Are there any brochures or other prin ted material that I can take with me?What Web sites do you recommend? In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand Most men discover testicular cancer themselves, either unintentionally or while doing a testicular self-examination to check for lumps. In other cases, your doctor may detect a lump during a routine physical exam. To determine whether a lump is testicular cancer, your doctor may recommend: ? Ultrasound. A testicular ultrasound test uses sound waves to create a picture of the scrotum and testicles.During an ultrasound you lie on your back with your legs spread. Your doctor then applies a clear gel to your scrotum. A hand-held probe is moved over your scrotum to make the ultrasound image. An ultrasound test can help your doctor determine the nature of any testicular lumps, such as if the lumps are solid or fluid filled. Ultrasound also tells your doctor w hether lumps are inside or outside of the testicle. Your doctor uses this information to determine whether a lump is likely to be testicular cancer. ?Blood tests. Your doctor may order tests to determine the levels of tumor markers in your blood.Tumor markers are substances that occur normally in your blood, but the levels of these substances may be elevated in certain situations, including testicular cancer. A high level of a tumor marker in your blood doesn't mean you have cancer, but it may help your doctor in determining your diagnosis. ?Surgery to remove a testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy). If your doctor determines the lump on your testicle may be cancerous, he or she may recommend surgery to remove the testicle. Your testicle will be analyzed in a laboratory to determine if the lump is cancerous and, if so, what type of cancer.Determining the type of cancer Your doctor will have your extracted testicle analyzed to determine the type of testicular cancer. The type of tes ticular cancer you have determines your treatment and your prognosis. In general, there are two types of testicular cancer: ? Seminoma. Seminoma tumors occur in all age groups, but if an older man develops testicular cancer, it is more likely to be seminoma. Seminomas, in general, aren't as aggressive as nonseminomas and are particularly sensitive to radiation therapy. ?Nonseminoma. Nonseminoma tumors tend to develop earlier in life and grow and spread rapidly.Several different types of nonseminoma tumors exist, including choriocarcinoma, embryonal carcinoma, teratoma and yolk sac tumor. Nonseminomas are sensitive to radiation therapy, but not as sensitive as seminomas are. Chemotherapy is often very effective for nonseminomas, even if the cancer has spread. Sometimes both types of cancer are present in a tumor. In that case, the cancer is treated as though it is nonseminoma. Staging the cancer Once your doctor confirms your diagnosis, the next step is to determine the extent (stage ) of the cancer. To determine whether cancer has spread outside of your testicle, you may undergo: ?Computerized tomography (CT). CT scans take a series of X-ray images of your abdomen. Your doctor uses CT scans to look for signs of cancer in your abdominal lymph nodes. ?Blood tests. Blood tests to look for elevated tumor markers can help your doctor understand whether cancer likely remains in your body after your testicle is removed. After these tests, your testicular cancer is assigned a stage. The stage helps determine what treatments are best for you. The stages of testicular cancer are: ? Stage I. Cancer is limited to the testis. ?Stage II. Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the abdomen. ?Stage III.Cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Testicular cancer most commonly spreads to the lungs, liver, bones and brain. ?Treatments and drugs ?By Mayo Clinic staff ?Living with cancer newsletter ?Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer top ics. ? ?The options for treating your testicular cancer depend on several factors, including the type and stage of cancer, your overall health and your own preferences. Treatment options may include: ? Surgery Surgery to remove your testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy) is the primary treatment for nearly all stages and types of testicular cancer.To remove your testicle, your surgeon makes an incision in your groin and extracts the entire testicle through the opening. A prosthetic, saline-filled testicle can be inserted if you choose. You'll receive anesthetics during surgery. All surgical procedures carry a risk of pain, bleeding and infection. ?You may also have surgery to remove the lymph nodes in your groin (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection). Sometimes this is done at the same time as surgery to remove your testicle. In other cases it can be done later. The lymph nodes are removed through a large incision in your abdomen.Your surgeon takes care to avoid severing nerves su rrounding the lymph nodes, but in some cases severing the nerves may be unavoidable. Severed nerves can cause difficulty with ejaculation, but won't prevent you from having an erection. ?In cases of early-stage testicular cancer, surgery may be the only treatment needed. Your doctor will give you a recommended schedule for follow-up appointments. At these appointments — typically every few months for the first few years and then less frequently after that — you'll undergo blood tests, CT scans and other procedures to check for signs that your cancer has returned.If you have a more advanced testicular cancer or if you're unable to adhere closely to the recommended follow-up schedule, your doctor may recommend other treatments after surgery. ?Radiation therapy Radiation therapy is a treatment option that's frequently used in people who have the seminoma type of testicular cancer. Radiation therapy is also used in certain situations in people who have the nonseminoma type of testicular cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells.During radiation therapy, you're positioned on a table and a large machine moves around you, aiming the energy beams at precise points on your body. Side effects may include fatigue, as well as skin redness and irritation in your abdominal and groin areas. You may experience infertility as a result of radiation therapy. However, as the treated area heals, you may regain your fertility. ?Chemotherapy Chemotherapy treatment uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout your body to kill cancer cells that may have migrated from the original tumor. Your doctor might recommend chemotherapy after surgery.Chemotherapy may be used before or after lymph node removal. Side effects of chemotherapy depend on the drugs being used. Ask your doctor what to expect. Common side effects include fatigue, nausea, hair loss, infertility and an increased risk of infection. There are medications and treatments available that reduce some of the side effects of chemotherapy. Prevention Living with cancer newsletter Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics. There's no sure way to prevent testicular cancer. Some doctors recommend regular testicle self-examinations to identify testicular cancer at its earliest stage.Not all doctors agree, though, so discuss testicular self-examination with your doctor if you're unsure about whether it's right for you. If you choose to do a testicular self-examination, a good time to examine your testicles is after a warm bath or shower. The heat from the water relaxes your scrotum, making it easier for you to find anything unusual. To do this examination, follow these steps: ?Stand in front of a mirror. Look for any swelling on the skin of the scrotum. ?Examine each testicle with both hands. Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle while placing your thumbs on the top. Gently roll the testicle between the thumbs and the fingers. Remember that the testicles are usually smooth, oval shaped and somewhat firm. It's normal for one testicle to be slightly larger than the other. Also, the cord leading upward from the top of the testicle (epididymis) is a normal part of the scrotum. By regularly performing this exam, you will become more familiar with your testicles and aware of any changes that might be of concern. ?If you find a lump, call your doctor as soon as possible. Testicular cancer is highly treatable, especially when identified early

About immigration in human resource management Essay

About immigration in human resource management - Essay Example Immigration may affect the federal budget, since the government has to establish a tight security between the borders. This increases the output in the labor market and help in boosting the economy. Immigration of human resources has various pros and cons. Among the pros, there is the diversification of ideas. The federal government may also incur more expenses in its budget for enforcing a law that the employers have to know the background of their new employees. The immigration policies on verification of any new employees to an organization would be a huge cost of the federal government. Therefore, the federal government would require making of a clear process through which only the cleared immigrants could be employed. The process would increase the expense of the government to the Department of Homeland Security. Though this process would be expensive to enforce, its evasion to new employees would reduce the revenue collected by the government. This is because employees that were not authorized to work would be non-taxable and therefore reduce the government revenue.Impact of policy changes to employers Immigration of human resources would also have both positive and negative impact on the employer. This happens due to change of employment policies that workers have to be authorized. In the past, the authorization of workers decreased the number of workers who worked in the agricultural farms. It affected the labor supply and, therefore, the few immigrants who qualified to get jobs in the agriculture firms.

The Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East Essay

The Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East - Essay Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Amongst these were associates of the Palestinian government, as well as Yaseer Arafat himself, presenting their pity to the Engineer’s relatives. The Israeli officers were in touch with the Palestinian government bureaucrats, earlier to the assault and they in fact talked to one another regarding whether or not to go further on with this intended murder. Enderlin writes that Shimon Peres and his consultants thought that it would be excessively dangerous from a political point of view to miss the act, since if Ayyash were capable to accomplish the suicide bombing earlier than the future elections the opponent leader, would be proficient to articulate that they did not do something when they had the opportunity.  Ayyash murder was the start of a series of proceedings that would eventually direct to the conclusion of the Oslo agreements. Next to the huge interment, Hamas hit back in a sequence of vicious suicide bombings in Jerusalem. Under the situation, i t made logic for the Israeli community to choose Benyamin Netanyahu who assured the safety that they so desired. This is right. Right away next to Rabin’s murder, the Left in Israel was very sturdy and the suicide bombings did harm them at the ballots. Though, it was not an exact bombing only that directs to Peres overwhelm. One of the most amazing and disastrous features about Enderlin’s story is just how slam Barak and Arafat’s cooperation groups had come to fundamentally finalize an contracts.... Eventually, Enderlin writes that Shimon Peres and his consultants thought that it would be excessively dangerous from a political point of view to miss the act, since if Ayyash were capable to accomplish the suicide bombing earlier than the future elections, Benyamin Netanyahu, the opponent leader, would be proficient to articulate that they did not do something when they had the opportunity. Ayyash murder was the start of a series of proceedings that would eventually direct to the conclusion of the Oslo agreements. Next to the huge interment, Hamas hit back in a sequence of vicious suicide bombings in Jerusalem. Under the situation, it made logic for the Israeli community to choose Benyamin Netanyahu who assured the safety that they so desired. This is, in some way, right. Right away next to Rabin's murder, the Left in Israel was very sturdy and the suicide bombings did harm them at the ballots. Though, it was not an exact bombing only that directs to Peres overwhelm. The whole Arab-Israeli society, who would have with no hesitation chosen Peres, boycotted the elections in dispute of the horrifying disaster at Kfar Kana, where approximately 100 Lebanese inhabitants passed away owing to the disgusting carelessness of the Israeli armed forces.One of the most amazing and disastrous features about Enderlin's story is just how slam Barak and Arafat's cooperation groups had c ome to fundamentally finalize an contracts. Shattered Dreams the Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East by Charles Enderlin 3 All of the things were in its place, President Clinton, who was on his way away of workplace,

Week 2 705 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 2 705 - Assignment Example 138). EBP bundles link to quality patient outcomes through identifying best practices that can be used for efficient and effective interventions that improve health outcomes. The ventilator care bundle, for example, reduces mortality rates in intensive care units. It has also been associated with reducing incidence of ventilator-acquired pneumonia and number of days that a patient takes in an ICU. I would use them in my institution by setting them as guidelines because they guide care personnel into best practices for improved outcomes (Gottwald and Lansdown, 2014). Translational research is a type of research that aims at using evidence-based results for further human research or for improving intervention measures. The research approach focuses on user of research findings, communication of the findings, and transformation of organization for effective implementation of empirical results (Jennings, 2004) for improved delivery of care (Chelsea, 2008). Translational research is, therefore, similar to EBP because of their research scope of knowledge development that can be used for improving care practices. Translational research, however, focuses on use of developed knowledge while focus of EBP is limited to knowledge

Children who are raised by single parents can be just as progressive Essay

Children who are raised by single parents can be just as progressive with emotional, social and behavioral skills as those who are raised by both parents - Essay Example Single parenthood is on the rise across the globe resulting in mixed reactions pertaining to the stability of children raised by single parents. The high prevalence is attributable to a multitude of factors; for example, the rampant spread of feminist ideologies, technological advancement and high divorce rate (Ellwood & Jencks 1). Feminist ideologies advocate for women empowerment achieved through financial liberation, and disputing socially constructed gender based stereotypes that confine women to specific social roles. The modern, liberated woman defies traditional social expectations whereby, marriage becomes less of a priority as the focus shifts to career development. In addition, these women are free to express their sexuality openly; for example, pre-marital sex and having children out of wedlock is now common and met with minimal disapproval by the society (Ellwood & Jencks 4). In some cases, these women explore alternative methods of having children on their own such as ad option or procuring the services of fertility specialists trained to perform artificial inseminations. Technological advancements targeting reproductive health have made the latter possible. Finally, the high divorce rate also contributes to the rise in single parenthood. Initially, courts required proof of infidelity, neglect or abuse to dissolve a marriage. This is not the case in contemporary society whereby, legislative directives approve no-fault divorces (divorces based on irreconcilable differences) (Ellwood & Jencks 5). In â€Å"Resilience and Vulnerability†, authors Hetherington & Elmore (182-212) discuss the role of resilience in influencing positive development of children raised by single parents. Resilience refers to an individual’s ability to cope and adapt to changes in their physical and social environment. Hetherington and Elmore infer that parenting styles adopted by parents function to build or destroy a

Concepts of Supply and the Elasticity of Demand Essay

Concepts of Supply and the Elasticity of Demand - Essay Example Due to the fact that the market for many goods and services has a very inelastic price elasticity of demand, the actual level of demand that consumers express bears little relation to the price that is being offered for the commodity.   This particular graph is indicative of an elastic demand curve. It is important to bear in mind that the demand curve is not steeply sloping; rather, it exhibits a gradual decline as the price fluctuates. Naturally, determinants such as consumer time horizon will greatly impact the total elasticity that is represented in the above representation by elongating and flattening the demand curve as a result of the fact that the consumer believes that the cost is likely to change within the near future. Similar changes to the demand curve will also be noted if/when changes to the consumer’s income are noted and/or if the availability of substitutes weakens or strengthens the demand that has hitherto been illustrated.   Similarly, â€Å"cross-price elasticity† is a term that is used to measure the responsiveness of the demand for a given good to the change in the price of a competing good. This level of change is given as a percentage point and is derived as a function of measuring the percentage change in the price of the secondary good/commodity. As a quick example, if the price of shipping were to increase by 10% and the price of the finished good itself were to decrease by 25%, the following formula would be used to calculate the cross-price elasticity of the given good: -25/10= -2.5. In this way, the reader can see the level to which competing goods/commodities play with relation to the elasticity of demand for a given product within the marketplace.

Economic Factors That Influence Manager Decision Essay

Economic Factors That Influence Manager Decision - Essay Example As the paper explores it is important to understand that economic factors refer to the changes that take place in cost and prices of commodities, the exchange rates, inflation rate, and interest rates among others. In simple terms, they hamper the ability of an organization to generate profits thus often require to be monitored closely. According to the report findings organizations look at their budgets before setting out to start a project. This is because it will be able to give them an overview of the finances they have to carry out the project. However, there have been instances where organizations did not look at the resources they have due to myopic vision. Most of these leaders were driven by the interests that had been forecast if the project succeeds but did not want to look on the other side of what happens to the organization when the project fails. Take the case of Apple Inc in the 1990s when it was on the brink of bankruptcy because of the decisions that were being made by the management. It forced the board of members to employ back Steve Jobs who had parted ways with the organization. Therefore, this is just but an illustration of the importance of an organization working within its budgets in relation to the resources available. The aim of any business entity is to make profits, and if this does not take place, then there is no need of operating because it will mean that losses will be frequently incurred. This does not mean that the organization forgets there is a need to have a balance between maximization of profits and minimization of costs

Admission Essay Essay Example for Free

Admission Essay Essay As a student who wants to join your school after my graduation, I possess very high skills that will enable me to conquer the opportunities available in the real life scenario and especially in the co curricular activities that I will be involved in. My experiences comprise of a one year internship as a department manager from the year 2007 to 2008 and a presidential out of state academic scholarship. As a new student in your college I dedicate myself to commitment to the rules of the college and promise to further my knowledge as a manager to the best of my ability utilizing all the resources that are available. Prior to winning the presidential scholarship, I decided to turn the further offers down because of my devotion in my academic pursues. Besides my dedication in academics, I am also fond of voluntary work. I love doing this with little supervision and with all the trust from my heart. During my course in high I managed to do a voluntary service with conjunction with the Golf team and the XC team. Through this I gained a lot of experience and also got a chance to understand what it entails doing a voluntary work i. See more: Unemployment problems and solutions essay e. doing some work with all the heart without expecting some compensation. I also love community services. I participated in a community service of teaching tennis lessons in my high school and I did it with a lot of joy like any other person who has received an internship with an NGO. This is because community work is often unofficially witnessed and unrecognized. My motivation for working for the community services is clear. I have been a player of tennis for the better part of my study in high school. Since my proficiency in tennis was proved with a placement for tennis scholarship, with the most reputable institution worldwide, I offer myself to develop positively amidst the challenges and strengths that will come on my way. The community services and voluntary activities that I engaged myself in, to me aid in understanding myself and realizing my dreams. According to me for one to succeed, he needs to be ambitious, curious and eager in getting what he wants.

The Four Steps Of Problem Solving Information Technology Essay

The Four Steps Of Problem Solving Information Technology Essay The initial problem that Mark Singleton was trying to resolve is the implementation of a CRM system to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. Also Singleton wanted a CRM system that places a great value on the person-to-person interactions between his relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminishes the relationship bankers rapport with customers. In the problem-solving process which is especially valuable when we need to build new systems as a solution to a problem or set of problems the organization perceives it is facing. The problem in this case came from the management realization that the organization should take advantage of new opportunities to perform more effectively, but they didnt apply the four steps of problem solving. In the problem-solving process to system building, we would need to take the following four steps: (1) Define and understand the problem. (2) Develop alternative solutions. (3) Choose the best solution. (4) Implement the solution. Citizens National Bank CEO Mark Singleton achieved the first step with an outstanding performance in defining and understanding the problem for which they need to build a new system but he failed dramatically in applying the rest of the steps required by the problem-solving process to build a new system. Mr. Singleton did not devise, develop or try several alternative solutions before opting for a new CRM system to solve the problem of paper and manual work and replace it with a new information system to automate some of the bankers tasks. Because he did not develop alternative solutions, he couldnt choose the best solution which led to a failed implementation in the first solution. What was the business case for implementing a new system? What were some of the tangible benefits? What were some of the intangible benefits? Organizationally, Citizens National Bank of Texas is a private, full-service bank with headquarters in Waxahachie, Texas, and 200 employees that has operated independently since 1868. Citizens National Bank relies on personal, retail, and commercial customers and serves businesses and consumers in Ellis County and other nearby counties, primarily in communities with populations of 25,000 or less. Citizen National bank operates heavily manual and count on paper system in which sometimes a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. The paper system also created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. So that the old paper system cannot support the large number of new customers and the annual grow at a rate of 12 percent. A major part of Citizen Nationals strategy for continuing growth was to implement customer relationship management (CRM) software. The CRM strategy targeted the banks two main contact points with customers: the banks call center and its sales force. The objectives of a solution for Citizens National Bank would be to reduce the amount of time, effort, and errors in the tracking of activities made by relationship bankers and to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. Tangible Benefits Increased productivity: Using a CRM system will enable relationship bankers to improve their tracking activities with customers, which in turn increase their productivity and give them ability to serve more customers. Lower operational costs: using electronic records will substantially reduce papers used and result in cost saving. Reduced workforce: this is will be the result of increasing bankers productivity to serve more customers, which in turn will considerably reduce the workforce required to handle the projected increase in sales. Reduced rate of growth in expenses Reduced facility costs: due to paper reduction, and workforce reduction. Intangible Benefits Improved organizational planning and flexibility: because the paper system created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. The CRM system will give them efficient information to make effective decisions. Improved decision making: having accurate information under executives and managers control will dramatically enhance the decision making. Improved operations: The CRM system will enable the bank to approve credit and loan applications more quickly. Improved asset utilization and improved resource control. More information available in a timely manner. Enhanced employee goodwill: because under the old paper system, a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. Increased job satisfaction among employees. Higher client satisfaction: nothing will satisfy the customers more than getting a quick approvals and smooth transactions. Better corporate image: this is will result automatically from an increase in job satisfaction among employees and a higher client satisfaction. Why didnt the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution work out for Citizens National? What were the biggest factors? How would you classify these factors in terms of organization, technology, and people issues? I believe that the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution didnt work out for Citizens National because it was not the best solution that applies or fits into the defined problem; it didnt work out because it was not a result of a thorough selection that went through precise evaluation for multiple alternatives or solutions. The implementation failed for many factors, I will classify these factors in terms of organization, technology, and people issues Organization: the approach of Citizens National toward nearly all business functions, from tracking customer leads to generating reports about them, was very basic. The Siebel software was simply too rich in features. From the start, Citizens National had trouble getting the software to fit its rather straightforward, basic customer-lead tracking and reporting needs. With Siebel, we were spending way too much time turning off capabilities that we didnt need, Singleton explains. An example of functionality that didnt fit Citizens Nationals business model was Siebels capability for setting up customer support cases. While some large corporations may want to set up a support case with detailed complaint-tracking and resolution functions, the small bank had no use for it. Service complaints that come in to Citizens National are handled on the spot by its call center. For service inquiries that require a follow-up, such as a customer asking about the reordering of checks, the call-center representative schedules an activity by sending an e-mail to the employee who handles check orders. (Bartholomew, 2007) People: Employees found the software to be too complicated. They were surprised to learn, for example, that the system did not automatically generate potential business opportunities for customers on their records. Furthermore, bankers were not able to view multiple relationships between a customer and the bank on the same screen. The extra navigation was confusing and inefficient. The relationship bankers were the key employees; the system was intended to be of value to them, and, in turn, provide value to the bank. However, they found no incentive in the Siebel environment because their compensation was based on sales, and sales had become harder to make. Another issue was Siebels complexity. Citizens Nationals bankers found the system difficult to navigate. For instance, the banking representatives couldnt understand why an opportunity to make a loan to a particular customer wasnt listed under the customers record. You have to assign that opportunity to that person, explains Doug Furney, president and CEO of The Small Business Solution. If you dont make those relationships when entering the data, the opportunity wont appear under that customers record. Not everyone easily grasped this concept. (Bartholomew, 2007) Furney says the way the screens were laid out in Siebel, Citizens bankers had to flip back and forth between the various screens to identify different relationships that customers had with the bank. Understanding these relationships in the system was very confusing to their bankers, he says. As a result, the banks top sales representatives, who werent eager to change the way they did their work to fit the needs of the software, found Siebels learning curve too steep to negotiate. Citizens Nationals 16 relationship bankers never got over the ease-of-use problems that Siebel presented, Furney says. (Bartholomew, 2007) Deloittes Davis says that the Siebel implementation at Citizens National may have indeed failed because of a lack of buy-in from those expected to use it most-the relationship bankers. If the people using the system dont know whats in it for them and dont see the value of using it, then it will not work the way the company expected, Davis says. (Bartholomew, 2007) Technology: Citizens National experienced compatibility issues between the database formats in Siebel and those used by the banks core banking application, developed by Kirchman. As a result, the two systems had difficulty exchanging information properly. The bank was forced to spend a significant amount of time fixing such compatibility issues, which negatively impacted its ability to serve customers. Citizens National also had to deal with a raft of customization issues, often stemming from the differences between databases. Furney worked to integrate Siebel with Citizens Nationals core banking application. The bank uses banking software from Kirchman, whose vertical systems are used by numerous small and medium-size banks to process and track customers deposits, loans and trust accounts. Trying to get these two systems to talk was a challenge, he says. (Bartholomew, 2007) One basic difference was the way the core banking application set up its customer data fields. The Kirchman system did not have individual fields for both the customers first and last names, choosing instead to include the full name in a single field. By contrast, in Siebel, the customers first and last name each had a data field. Thats the kind of thing we ran into when we tried to marry data from these two different systems, Furney says. This kind of integration takes time, and customers dont realize how much time is required. (Bartholomew, 2007) Was QuickBase a better solution for Citizens National? If so, why? What factors suggest that the bank ended up with the right approach and the right choice of product? In my perspective, QuickBase was the best alternative solution that meets the requirements of Citizens National Bank for a new IT system that is an easy to use, capable of doing some tracking activities, and store the interactions between relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminish the relationship bankers rapport with customers. QuickBase was designed for organizing, tracking, and sharing information among team members in the workplace while encouraging progress by notifying workers via automated e-mails of updated files, new task assignments, and approaching deadlines. Because QuickBase was not programmed as a specific business application, businesses could modify its database structure to meet specific business functions. One reason some small and medium-size companies, as well as groups within larger ones, are adopting QuickBase is its flexibility. Intended not just for customer management, QuickBase-which is actually more of an easily modified database than a full-fledged business application-can be harnessed for other business tasks. For example, Procter Gamble uses the system to track technology projects. Because its easy to use, runs online via any browser and doesnt require an I.T. professional to set up, the hosted application is finding its way into all kinds of businesses. (Bartholomew, 2007) There are many factors suggest that the bank ended up with the right approach and the right choice of product, some of these factors are: The Citizens National staffs were able to make changes to QuickBase themselves, so the costs of ownership and maintenance fees were much lower. QuickBase offered Citizens National flexibility that it did not have previously. Because the system was Web-based, the relationship bankers were able to use it anywhere that they had access to a browser. Relationship bankers and management received daily updated access to all interactions and transactions, enabling them to track business in a way that was never possible previously. For the first time, Citizens National was able to completely track sales opportunities and, as Singleton said, where we lost business, so we know where we need to make those extra 10 or 15 sales calls. Also central to the success of QuickBase at Citizens National was Furneys ability to integrate the system with the Kirchman core banking application. Furney configured QuickBase to upload new account information to the core system every night via an XML interface. For example, a banking representative can click on a commercial customers file and immediate see all the contacts that have been made with that customer by bank staff, any actions that were taken on the customers behalf, and the end result. Citizens National bank representatives use it to check on customers to see if there has been a follow-up call to a contact, whether a voice-mail message was left with the customer, who the salesperson was and the status of the contact. Its been an invaluable tool for us to keep track of our customers, Singleton adds. (Bartholomew, 2007) 5. Based on this case study, what kind of organization do you think would benefit from using the Siebel CRM package? Give an example of such an organization and justify your choice. You may use the Web to research your answer, including Oracles Web site. 6. Could Citizens National have made a better choice of software for its CRM system the first time around? Explain your answer.