Merchant Banking in India Essay

†¢ Merchant Banking In India: The merchant banker are those financial intermediary involved with the activity of transferring capital funds to those borrowers who are interested in borrowing. The activities of the merchant banking in India is very vast in nature of which includes the following a) The management of the customers securities b) The management of the portfolio, c) The management of projects and counseling as well as appraisal d) The management of underwriting of shares and debentures e) The circumvention of the syndication of loans f) Management of the interest and dividend etc Factors responsible for the Changes: 1) . Globalization of Indian Economy It has made the whole economy open, which has more multinational player in the era of the financial services? This has resulted in to the emergence of the global investment in financial sector. Government has now open up the doors of investments especially in the area of banks and insurance, which leads to competitive environment for the present players. Now they have to bring something new which is efficient and best services to live in the competitive environment. 2). Competition arising out of Private Company Participation It is due to the liberalization of the economy. Now along with the public/government players, private players are also offering financial services and instruments, which are more innovative and different than the earlier offering. All around, there is a fresh thinking on the financial products, structure of banking and insurance instruments with value creation. Financial markets are being redefined, reinvented and reconfigured on a persistent basis. 3). Changing Customer Demographics: If we look at the all-growing economies like China, Germany and Brazil, India has 35% of the population in the age group of 15years to 34 years. It is estimated that by 130mn plus people get added to working population by 2009 with 55 million families (320 million people) will be added in the middle-income group (0.1 to 0.3 Million Rs). The demographic change leads to the change in the need of the customer. 4).Changing Customer Needs Customers have larger segment in corporate decision-making they are the final judges of the every single activity offered by the marketer. Banks in India have traditionally offered mass banking products. Financial market has turned into a buyer’s market. Market focus is shifting from mass banking products to class banking with introduction of value added products. Today, financial institutions are co-designing the products/services with their customers and striving to provide them with global solutions 5).Technology Improvements Technology is also helping market players redefine the way they have been operating in the market. In today’s time it becomes vary easy for a customer to transfer a fund from one location to another location with CLICK of Mouse. Availability of the concepts like phone banking, anytime banking etc. has become possible because of the technological developments only. 6).Government Reforms Government is major decision player in the financial market. It decides the proportion of the investment limits as well as the regulation and control. In last ten years government is designing its policy with more liberal and competitive content. Which it are welcome trends for the emerging financial services. 7).Heightened focus on customer relation Banks of the future has to be essentially a marketing organization that also sells banking products. New distribution channels are being used; more & more banks are outsourcing services like disbursement and servicing of consumer loans, Credit card business. Direct Selling Agents (DSAs) of various Banks go out and sell their products. They make house calls to get the application form filled in properly and also take your passport-sized photo. Revolution in Banking Sector: Banking in India originated in the first decade of 18th century with the General Bank coming into existence in 1786. Bank of Hindustan followed this. Both these banks are now defunct. The oldest bank in existence in India is the State Bank of India being established as the Bank of Calcutta in Calcutta in June 1806. In the early 1990s the then Narasimha Rao government embarked on the policy of liberalization and gave license to small number of private banks, which came to be known as new generation tech-savvy banks such as ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank. Currently in 2005, banking in India is considered fairly matured in terms of supply, product range and reach-even though reach in rural India still remains a challenge for the private sector and foreign banks. With the growth of Indian economy expected to be strong for quite some time especially in its service sector, the demand for banking services specially retail banking, mortgage and investment services are expected to be strong. †¢ The emerging areas in banking services are; 2 in 1 Accounts Overdrafts (OD) ATMs Net Banking Credit Card 2 in 1 Accounts 2 in 1 accounts are available at many of the foreign and private banks. It amalgamates the features of a savings or a current account and a fixed deposit account. As soon as one opens 2 in 1 accounts with the bank, deposit starts earning a rate of interest higher than that of a plain savings account. The rate of interest can be equivalent to prevailing rates for Fixed Deposit. Customers can choose the sweep option – Term Deposit or Mutual Fund, based on their requirements. Overdraft [OD] Overdraft is the agreed amount by which a bank account can be overdrawn. When the amount of money withdrawn from the bank account is greater than the amount actually available in the account the excess is known as the overdraft and the account is said to be overdrawn. If agreed by the bank in advance this is essentially a form of loan facility and there is a particular interest rate attached with the overdrawn amount. ATMs Automated Teller Machines has revolutionary’s entire banking sector. Currently there are more than 16000 ATMs in India fulfilling the daily requirement of money to a common man. The story of the humble cash-dispensing machine started around three decades back. Since then they have become common site in metros and semi metro cities. ATM allows a customer to do number of banking functions like withdrawing cash, making balance inquiries, transferring money from one account to another account, request for a Cheque book and statements, Utility Bill Payment – like electricity bills, Credit Card payments etc by using a plastic, magnetic strip card and personal identification number issued by financial institution. Net Banking Internet technology has invaded the portal of our banking institutions. No doubt innovation like ATM have considerably put customer at ease in the recent past, but with net banking the customer will be able to transact with the help of the mouse. The services offered enable one to check credit card transactions, paying bills, transferring fund between accounts in two different banks, and scheduling future payments and transfers. A gradual increase in net banking is logical as the need to minimize costs catches attention. A North American Internet Banking survey done by management consultancy Booz Allen & Hamilton in 2000 revealed that the cheapest way of banking is internet banking. Credit Cards It is estimated in the year 2004; the total credit card market in the country was at 17 million cards. The credit card industry is growing at 30 – 35 % per annum at present. The size of Indian credit card market is estimated to be around $4bn by end of 2010. Four banks have now crossed the 2 million card base, with ICICI bank leading the pack at 4 million cards followed by Citi bank at 2.8 million, HDFC bank at 2.2 million and SBI card just over 2 million. Industry average for spends on credit a card two years ago was just around Rs 16,000 per card that has now increased to around 20,000 per card. Rapid Advancement in Technology, Easier access to knowledge and globalization have changed entire banking sector. Because of these factors today customer is sophisticated and well aware about the financial needs. Leasing Services The Indian company investors must be acknowledged that lease is that agreement under which the company or Indian firm acquire the exact right and make use of certain capital asset on the consideration of payment of rental charges. The Indian corporate company must equally known that it cannot equally know that it cannot acquire any kind of ownership to such an asset apart from making use of it. The user comparatively pays all the expected operating costs and also the maintenance expenses. The main corporate companies must equally take into the consideration that developed countries like America, United Kingdom the companies of such a countries are commonly depending on the leasing factor. In India since the era of liberalization, many of the Indian companies have equally been involved in the leasing transactions. On the other side, many financial institutions and even the commercial banks in the Indian financial sector have comparatively been accepted over the same transactions. Mutual Funds Services The Indian corporate companies must equally be informed that the mutual funds comprises of the exact funds gained by pooling all the public savings. The mutual funds are comparatively invested in those portfolios, which are commonly diversified in nature with the main objectives of sharing the risk. The Indian small-scale investors cannot be able to get their funds from the comparative big corporate companies can equally gain there working funds from the mutual funds. Interpretation:- However, the modern concept of the mutual funds was developed in1968 in London by the foreign and colonial government trust of London. By which it gained its invention in India in early 1980, even if it was exactly started in 1964 by the unit trust of India. In addition to the above, the mutual funds can be grouped into [a] Close ended funds & [b] Open ended funds. The Indian corporate companies can only benefits from the mutual funds on gaining savings for investment, better yield low cost on investment, tax benefits, flexible on investment, promoting industrial development reducing the cost of new issue and many more other advantages. On the other side, Indian corporate companies must be informed on the kind of risks involved with the mutual funds like market risks, scheme risks, business risk, investment risks and even the political nature of risks. While the investors are selecting the funds must take into account the objectives of the fund, consistency of performance of the funds. Historical background of the funds, cost of operation, capacity for innovation, the investors servicing, market trends, and even the transparence of the fund management. For the Indian mutual funds to have good future there must be full support of SEBI better control of capital issue, better interest rate, good PE ratio, investors must have good choice, tax concessions, and many more. Hire Purchase Services In the hire purchase kind of transaction is that method of selling by which goods are left out on hiring by the Indian corporate company to the purchaser by which the hirer is comparatively required to the payment on an agreed sum of amount in the system of periodical installments. In the hire purchase the Indian corporate companies must know that the ownership of such kind of the property exactly remain under the control of the creditor who normally passes the right to hirer on the condition of payment of the last agreed sum of money in installment. The Indian corporate company must know that legally, payment is made in installment over the agreed specified period, possession of the same right is delivered to the purchaser during the time of agreement, the property passes to the exact purchaser on the agreed last installment, and the hirer has a right to return the property without further installment. In addition to the above, the Indian corporate company must know that the agreement must comparatively contain the nature of the goods as described in manner so that to identify them easily, the nature of the hire purchase price, the date of commencement and finally the extend or number of installments. Venture Capital Services The venture capital is that investment in the new Indian enterprises without stability in growth. It’s that environment of capital, shareholding and even the setting up of small firms, which are comparatively specializing, in same new technological ideas in the commercial sectors. The venture capital is equity participation, it’s of high risk in nature, it’s also available only for commercialization of new technologies and it’s the exact promoter of the projects, and it’s continuous in nature and input of the firm. The Indian corporate companies must equally know that venture capital involves the development of project idea, implementation, fledging or additional financing, and establishment stage. The main importance of venture capital to Indian, corporate companies are the reduction of risk, easy to analyze the business prospects and to assume the investors on affairs of the business. The Indian methods of venture financing are equity participation, income notes, the conventional loans and even the conditional loans. In order to promote the venture capital growth in India, there must be tax concessions for capital gains, high level development of capital market, giving of fiscal incentives to Indian corporate companies, high level participation of the private sectors the improving and reviewing of the existing laws and limited partnership and many more. Discounting, factoring and forfeiting services Due to the exact trade transaction the trade bill comparatively arises, the Indian corporate companies must take into consideration that the supplier of the exact goods draws bill which is based on the purchase for the invoice price of goods sold on credit method of which is drawn on the short period of time. The buyer pays the amount on the exact date by which the supplier of goods has to await until the expiry of the exact bill. However, the banks provides the cash discounting based on the exact trade bills by which they deduct certain charges as discount based on the amount of the bill and credit balance of the customers account. Factoring Factoring is to get thing being done. The ward factor means to mark or to do according to R.W. Johnson factoring is a service involving the purchase by financial organization, called a factor of receivables owned by manufacturers and distributors by the customers with the factor assuming full credit and collection responsibilities. The main conditions of factoring that the Indian corporate companies must know are these must be assignment of debt that has to be in favour of the factor. The selling limits for the client, the factor must have recourse to the client in the case of non-payment by the customer; the factor will equally have recourse in case of non-payment, details on payment for the services, interest and limit of any overdraft facility charged. The Indian corporate companies must be well informed about the types of factoring as full service, recourse factoring, maturity, bulk, invoice, agency and also international factoring. At the same time the exact cost of factoring li ke the pricing, fee, discount, accounting system must be taken into consideration. Forfeiting Forfeiting is the French term means â€Å"to give something† or â€Å"give one’s right†. Generally the term forfeit is non-recourse purchase by the commercial bank or any other financial intermediaries or institutions receivables that equally arises from the export of the goods. Securitization of Debt Services The securitization is that process by which the liquidating of the liquid and the long term assets of the Indian corporate companies like the loans and receivables by the issuing marketable securities against the same. However, the Indian corporate companies must know that securitization is that technique by which the exact long term, non-negotiable instruments are equally converted into securities of such kind of small value in nature which can be easily transacted in the commercial capital market. In India, apart from the above, there is low and unpopularity of securitization due to introduction of it as it’s a new idea or concept to India, heavy stamp duty and comparative registration fees imposed by the Indian government, complicated and also legal transfer procedure the difficulty in the assignment of debts. Also there is poor standard of loan documentation, problem of inadequate credit rating system, poor accounting procedure and lack of comprehensive guidance. Derivatives The derivatives are those instruments, which are commonly used to derive therein-exact value of underlying asset of the financial institutional corporate companies. The derivatives comparatively may involve the payment or receipt of the value or income created by the underlying assets. The main factors that are responsible for the slow growth of derivatives in India and high level of misconception of the derivatives, the derivatives lends themselves to leveraging, the nature of the off balance sheet, items, poor accounting system, speculative mechanism and finally poor infrastructure system. Credit Rating Services According to Moody’s Rating are designed exclusively for the purpose of grading bonds according to their investments qualities†. Also according to the Australian Ratings â€Å"A corporate credit rating provides lenders with a simple system of gradation by which the relative capacity of companies to make timely repayment of interest and principal on a particular type of debt can be noted†. The main credit ratings in India are credit rating information service ltd (CRISIL), investment information and credit rating agency of India (ICRA), Credit Analysis and Research (CARE), and Duff Phelps Credit Rating Pvt. Ltd (DCR India). Objectives of Merchant Banking in Prevailing Economy: * To study the significance of Merchant Banking towards the development of securities industry. * To analyze issue management regulations. * To analyze the functions of Merchant Banking in relation to rules and regulations of SEBI. * To evaluate the performance of Merchant Bankers, both activity performance and operational and financial performance. * To draw a conclusion and suggestions based on the analysis and experiences †¢ Comparison of Merchant Banking Services of INDBANK V/S CANARA BANK About IndBank:- Indian Bank, established in 1907, is a major Indian Commercial Bank headquartered in Chennai (Madras), India. It has 22,000 employees, 1,657 branches and is one of the big public sector banks of India. It has overseas branches in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and 229 correspondent banks in 69 countries. The Government of India nationalized the bank, along with 13 other major commercial banks, on 19 July 1969. Merchant Banking at INDBANK Indbank is a Category 1 Merchant Banker registered with Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) undertaking assignments * Under various capacities like Lead Manager, Co-Manager, Advisor, Arranger etc. for public issues, rights issues and private placement. * For acquisition of shares & takeovers under SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 1997, SEBI (Buyback of Securities) Regulations, 1998 and SEBI (De-listing of Securities) Guidelines, 2003. * For Employee Stock Option Scheme / Stock Purchase Scheme by Corporates under the SEBI (Employee Stock Option Scheme and Employee Stock Purchase Scheme), Guidelines, 1999. Advisory Services

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Noble Savage

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Noble Savage While learning about the Enlightenment, the students in Mrs. ‘s world history class were obligated to do a research about one Enlightenment individual that changed the course of humanity. And the individual this student was researching about was named Jean-Jacques Rousseau. As she researched about him, she wanted to know how the new understanding of society was developed and changed by Rousseau. So she developed a thesis that Rousseau developed a new understanding of society because he brought up new ideas about the natural state of man, and first introduced transparency to society.From her long months of finding more about Rousseau, she realized that Rousseau's idea about the natural state of man was out of the norm and talked about self-imposing. The quote from â€Å"Jean Jacques Rousseau† written by Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia states that, â€Å"the general will is what rational people would choose for the common good. Freedom, then, is obedience to a self-imposed law of reason, self-imposed because imposed by the natural laws of humanity's being. â€Å"0ean Jacques Rousseau. , sec. 2, par. 3) shows that if humans obey self-imposed laws of reason and natural laws, it leads to freedom.Rousseau believed that deep inside, humans were not brutes like what Thomas Hobbes thought, but like the noble savages from the Americas, living a life of goodness, simplicity, and nobility. And unlike other Enlightenment thinkers, he viewed philosophy and philosophers negatively because he saw them as â€Å"the post-hoc rationalizers of self-interest, as apologists for various forms of tyranny, and as playing a role in the alienation of the modern individual from humanity's natural impulse to compassion† (Bertram, sec. 1, par. 1), courtesy of â€Å"Jean Jacques Rousseau† published by the Stanford Encyclopedia f Philosophy.Rousseau's version of the natural state of man and his thoughts on philosophy was very different and unique from others and through this society started to question the norm again. Rousseau brought up the fresh idea of being transparent. Living a transparent life was Rousseau's way of saying that humans shouldn't be extravagant in everything they do and have. He believed that instead of having too much and being extravagant, people should keep what was necessary and donate the extras so that the social gap wasn't too wide. In â€Å"Jean Jacques Rousseau. ublished by Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Rousseau's philosophy says that humans have a â€Å"common good† and that under the right conditions and circumstances, our general will can actually be a reality instead of Just an ideal dean Jacques Rousseau. , sec. 2, par. 4). Living the life of simplicity and nobility really struck Rousseau and he believed that self-imposed laws would really give men their freedom as â€Å"Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778)† by BBC stated, â€Å"It argued that a state based on a genuine social contract would give men real freedom in exchange for their obedience to a self-imposed law. ean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778), par. 3). Rousseau emphasized and concentrated on living transparently and the self- impose of our needs and natural state throughout his entire life. So, how is the new understanding of society developed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau? Rousseau developed a new understanding of society because he brought up new ideas about the natural think for themselves again by thinking outside the box such as developing the new thought of the natural state of man, the noble savage.He also believed that transparency could change society by giving up on extravagance and Just being their enuine selves instead of trying to fit into the high standards and expectations of society today. He believed that humans were good at heart and that their self- imposed laws give freedom. Jean-Jacques Rousseau made a great impact on society today and it is still seen today. Works Cited: Bertram, Christopher. â€Å"Jean Jacques Rousseau. † Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford university, 27 sept. 2010. web. 8 NOV. 2012.. Columbia University, Press. â€Å"Jean Jacques Rousseau. † Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. History Reference Center, Nov. 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778). † BBC News. Ed. BBC. BSC, n. d. web. 28 NOV. 2012. . Jean-Jacques Rousseau Jean Jacques Rousseau, a biography written by Christopher Bertram on September 27th 2010, introduces Rousseau and his ideas. Rousseau's views, influences, and arguments keep him remembered as a very important figure in the history of philosophy.This biography discourses on not only his life, but also the background of his ideas and his philosophy, his education, language, legacy, and his works. I think this biography is very good, uses high vocabulary words in almost every single entence, which can make it hard to unders tand but the points and explanations are presented very cleanly. I recommend this to high schoolers who want to learn about Rousseau while improving their vocabulary. Encyclopedia. History Reference Center, Nov. 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Jean Jacques Rousseau. is a biography published by the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia explains the life of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a famous philosopher, in meticulous details such as his personal life as well as his most famous accomplishments, and his influence throughout the world. Although this article is long, I think this is a great article because of the great details and the interesting language usage.

Private sector involvement in environmental management Essay

Private sector involvement in environmental management - Essay Example There are various advantages that are associated with the involvement of the private sector in the issues of environmental management, more so, as regards the management of water resources and biodiversity. One of these advantages is the provision of technical assistance in the environmental management issues. The private sector may be well equipped and versed with technical expertise that is relevant for the management of water and biodiversity (Brown, Aradau, and Budds, 15). Thus, the involvement of the private sector in this practice will serve to ensure that such expertise is availed in the management of water and biodiversity projects. This ensures that the whole process becomes successful and is implemented within the shortest duration possible, in that the presence of technical assistance helps the whole project to run smoothly and efficiently, saving on the time that would be involved in correcting mistakes arising from the lack of technical skills in the project implementati on (17). Provision of private finance is the other advantage associated with the involvement of the private sector in environmental management programs (23). Such finances provided by the private institutions may be in form of loans or grants towards such projects. This is an advantage in that the financial provision by the sector serves to supplement the public finances that could have been allocated for such a program. In so doing, a project that could have been implemented over many years due to financial challenges is implemented within a short duration. The provision of financial support from the private sector also serves to ensure that, suitable and most recent technology can be accessed and acquired for the implementation of the environmental management projects. This way, the projects are implemented more rapidly and efficiently, while ensuring that the necessary tools and equipment, which are most suitable for the project, are afforded and involved in the project execution (59). Additionally, the provision of private finance serves to ensure that the project can run continuously, since there is some aspect of public finance that requires many bureaucratic procedures to be undertaken before the finances are availed for used in the project. Most limiting factor associated with public finance, is the fact that, if any additional finance is deemed necessary, then such has to wait until another budget period, when such supplementary finances can be planned (161). In contrast, the private sector finance is easily accessible and requires less bureaucracy to obtain and use. The involvement of the private sector in environmental management is also advantageous in that it affords an opportunity for contracting a single contractor, who will deal with the whole project, from the design phase to completion (39). If such projects would be left wholesomely to the public sector, their implementation would be a great challenge, in that, the project would require vari ous departments of the public sector to be involved at different phases and stages of project implementation. Thus, the planning department would be required to plan for the project, the architecture department to design the project structures and the other departments to take respective phases of the project execu

Trademark Laws Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trademark Laws - Case Study Example Given this initial interest confusion, an actionable theory, the court found that the public was likely to be confused to some extent and this was enough for the court to further find that trademarks could not be used as metatags. The ruling, however, was rather specific or limited. The facts of this case provided that the MovieBuff trademark owned by Brookfield could not be used as a metatag; however, the court mentioned several variations that would not be unlawful. First, the court noted that simply putting a space between the movie and the buff would be a lawful metatag; this would be a nearly identical use of language and protect West Coast from lawsuits. Second, the court stated that trademarks can be used descriptively in metatags and on web pages. The trademark, for instance, could be used to make comparisons or to draw contrasts. Thus, in short, the ruling was very specific in that it found the exact use of a trademark in a metatag to be unlawful while at the same time articulating a few safe harbors. The court's reasoning seems sound and persuasive.

Sport Tourism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Sport Tourism - Assignment Example sts of Olympic Games being held in Canada may be marred by unending debates just before and after the end of the games as is the case in other nations that have hosted the Olympic Games before. Ideally, it is not possible the exact cost of staging world games of such magnitude since there are no accepted standards and mechanisms of assessing related expenditures. However, the staging nation obviously has to benefit in many ways from such a global participation thus it must provide an increase in GDP, creates numerous jobs, the influx of sport tourists and normal tourists are known to flock in the staging nations hence provision of more revenues for the hosting as well as other cities of the host nation. Small and medium businesses usually receive a big boost from such a sporting event as the spending power is normally high. The presence of high performance sports people is a form of inspiration to the youths of a nation such as Canada. The hosting nation also receives a major facelift on its infrastructural set up. Although supporters of Olympic Games do argue that the benefits are much more that the negative effects, still such a sporting event must bring problem of overcrowding, targets of hooliganism that includes terrorist activities, increased taxes and cost of living due to high spending and ready market for products and services. The Games also disrupts the normal systems of a country as it is common to find diversion of roads and in most cases schooling activities are in jeopardy as focus is shifted to such an event. In addition, there are some unanticipated burdens that may only show up if the Games are largely perceived to be a failure thus the host nation image in shattered in the global branding (Robinson & Novelli,

Why carriers in all modes of transport are concerned with weight vs Essay

Why carriers in all modes of transport are concerned with weight vs. volume when applying their rates. Give two examples on how carriers in a specific mode of transport may apply this concept - Essay Example Taking dimensional weight is significant as it takes into consideration the volume and weight of the cargo. For instance, a plane of 848 cargos can carry 120,000 lbs. If it exceeds, the plane will not fly and might as well violate the air transport rules set up by federal and state governments. In America, bulk coal long-distance rates are one cent/ton-mile thus a 50 car train carrying each carrying 150 tons over a 100 miles will cost $15000 (Behrens, Kristian & Pierre 129) In using weight in determination of freight charges, the shippers take into consideration fuel consumed as it considers the density of the goods (w = Ï  Ãâ€" v) and hence ensure that they do not transport at a loss an ensure that they fully utilize the road load supporting capacity. However, it may lead to charging low rates when the cargo is of less weighty goods. In using volume, the capacity of the shipping vehicle remains underutilized. However, the shippers reap maximally even from goods that would be less costly for them to deliver considering fuel

Capstone Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Capstone Project - Research Paper Example As far as its footwear market is concerned, the company consists of 33% of global market share. Its distribution channels include both traditional and nontraditional channels in more than 100 countries in the whole world (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009). Â   The mission of Nike stated in their mission statement is to surpass all other similar and competition companies in the industry. Nike plans to achieve this by maintaining its position in market through providing quality footwear, equipment and apparels for consumers of all ages and lifestyles and also for different institutions. Through proper utilization of retail outlets, company’s websites as well as mail order company pledges to make its products available globally. As far as execution of this mission is concerned the company and its management believes that for the effective operations of the company, the success lies in collective responsibilities of all employees, team mates, customers, communities and all the stakeholde rs for the company. (Kotler & Keller, 2009). Nike’s vision is to remain a global leader in the industry and for this the company intends to continue producing high quality products. This challenges the company to continue to constantly meet through innovation and creativity, the ever changing trends and needs of their customers and the company is dedicated to achieve these in both short and long term. (Kotler & Keller, 2009). The analysis of Nike’s strategic plan along with its performance over the years shows that the company has been able to perform with regard to its vision and financial statements, which is a part of its strategic plan. The company, since the year 2000, was able to achieve a net income of more than $550 million at the end of every financial year which helps the company to achieve its long-term objective of improvement on equity, and a higher EPS. Nike focuses on improving on stockholders returns on equity to achieve a percentage of 20 and this can be estimated to roughly 6% from its previous trading periods. Nike has been previously able to recover market price of its stock from a low of $26.5, per share to $50 and above, per share. Nike works on strategies through which it can increase its earnings per share to an estimated $2.70, a figure that can be one of the highest (Armstrong & Kotler, 2009). Under the company analysis, the strengths and weaknesses of Nike will be reviewed. One of the major strengths’ of Nike includes its board of director consisting of both independent directors and management directors. They play a vital role in the decision making of the company especially the decisions related to strategy formulation of the company. These diversified directors help the company by not only providing an outside experience but also a frame of reference improving an overall thinking of the board, hence their decisions include rich experience and eliminates any disagreements and contradictions. Another major stren gth is the strong internal environment of the company as Nike conducts an internal analysis, which helps making decisions (Nike, 2012). The weaknesses that the company has experienced so far are related to the company’s inability to cope up with the issues regarding to labor. There also have been complains regarding the company’s working conditions. This was even highlighted as a major issue in the global media and led Nike to a bad reputation, turning into a major crisis

Employment Relations in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employment Relations in Australia - Essay Example In addition to this, the trade unions are deemed not to be of necessity as this would bring conflicts which are a vise and would bring disruptions. From the perspective of the employees, they should be multi skilled, flexible and should focus on improvement of business processes. Their efficiency is required to de full time in every field that they may be required to work in. The unions that are to be recognised are only those which are going to further communication between staff groups and the company but not for fighting of rights and seemingly propaganda. In addition to this, good relations and decision making participation is enabled and this is done to improve performance, enhance innovativeness, promote creativity and this is expected to improve the conditions of employment. The conflicts in an organisation are in this believed to emanate from inadequacy on the communication of management policies and information lack The unitaristic approach in Australia is more fictitious as it assumes that the employees will have a common interest with that of the organisation and the employers and that is to focus on achieving maximum results, following company’s policies and adhering to their goals under all conditions. This opposes the thought propounded by Moore and Gardner on managerial prerogative, the validity of unitary in Australia is in question as the theory is only a lie that lies in the heart of HRM philosophy. The insistence on maintenance of a unitaristic state in organizations has gone far and wide to creating tensions in work places and is even believed that the employees no longer work out of good will, but out of lacking an alternative and have to bear the burden of following that which most of them do not believe in. and although they are involved in the decision making process, their interests do not supersede those of the organization and are therefore subordinate to them. Whenever there has been any tendency of formation of unions, measur es have been taken, first to deal with those involved and then with disintegrating the unions as demonstrated by Plowman, David H. (2005) in Recruitment strategies and union exclusion in two Australian call centers. The result which is a case of inequality has led to controversies far reaching even to the policy makers who have not taken it to be a serious case. Their argument is that for a case where growth and development has occurred, this should not be taken as a problem but an avoidable circumstance. Inequality in itself is not a state of poverty, but it’s a situation where equal efforts are not rewarded the same to different employees. It is seen more to be way of discriminating between parties for one reason or the other, either as a punishment or it may go too far to be a bit personal where even benefits and bonuses are involved. This may take different forms; due to race, gender, age, ethnicity, or as a way to let one learn a lesson in obedience to a certain powerful external force. Discussion There has been means in which this has evolved over time, most of which has been innovative and varied over time. For instance, the workplace relationships and awards have shifted from being centralised to being decentralised and the joint negotiations, agreements and awards to being individualised, the permanent contracts on jobs are no longer applicable as contingent working environments have taken their place. This has diminished the collective bargaining

Child Support Agency Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Child Support Agency - Essay Example Applying the knowledge acquired by putting it to best use would hold better meaning and compliment a good systems practitioner. In addition to this experience is a very good teacher and the more experience I get, the more useful it would be in helping me become an asset to any institution as a good systems practitioner. The term ‘managing complexity’ means many things to me. Firstly, as the phrase suggests, it means helping people in various difficult situations to overcome their fears and anxiety and make their lives more simple and easy to accept. Secondly, it means getting people who are in very complex environments to come to terms with their situation by finding good solutions for them. This would greatly serve to boost their confidence and give them enough courage to manage other complexities that they may face in future. For Example, if a lady is facing woman beating in an alcohol abusive marriage and there are children involved, helping her to come out of her complex situation and manage her life and family in the best way possible. Multi- cause diagrams are exceptionally very useful in finding out the root cause to any problem. It is a sort of brain storming with a whole lot of questions that arise from the situation or event which presents itself as a complex problem. These qu estions would give a lot to reflect upon and analyze the chief cause that led to the present complex situation. They serve to untangle one’s thinking, help better understanding and identify areas of intervention. E.g. divorce. The controlled model diagrams are used to visualize and analyzing a situation within a very limited framework to give a more clearer picture and thereby makes it easier to arrive at the solution and intervention stage.  

To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God Essay Example for Free

To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God Essay To love another person doesn’t really mean to see the face of God. You have to feel all the love and blessings of God. Living the life of God, with his words and doing things that we know is right is living the path of life loving any other person regardless of what she or he is living with the love of God with no conditions, no barriers that can stop him/her, only with just plain love of God . Accepting other person, understanding them is the way of showing love to them. Helping them in times of trouble, giving them advice for goodness in life and supporting them on the things that they want to do are few thing we can do to show them our concern and love for them. We should not wait for them to return favor for what we did for them, because like God who love and help us, he didn’t ask anything in return for what he did for each one of us and never get tired of doing those things, so should just be thankful for what we did. That is God’s will for us. There are times we need to sacrifice for the sake of others. Those sacrifices are just tools for them to have happiness they deserve. But should not be lonely because we sacrifice it, God has always plans for our life. We don’t that he might have more plans for our life. Also we don’t know what will happen in our lives, but we should not just wait until something comes in our way. We should be the one to start our lives with God in our side for us to reach success Sharing happiness that you receive with all other people you want to share is showing them your love for them. Someday all of our sacrifice and all that we share with others will return to us but we don’t know when. Only God knows. We should not be disturbed by the ups and downs of life. It is part of life were our courage, strength and faith in God were tested for us to be more ready to face all the coming trials for us. It is part of the path we all have to take to learn more things about life, on how we can more understand the life God had do for us. Being able to surpass the trials we are facing is like reaching one of our many goals in life. And showing our love to other person is one of the greatest commandments of God. Love all the people with your whole heart, let them fell it not just hear it, let them receive it not just expect it and love is the beginning of goodness. Showing love to others is the best way to show them goodness. Love God first, and love others more than you love yourself.

Assessing The Paris Fashionable Concepts Cultural Studies Essay

Assessing The Paris Fashionable Concepts Cultural Studies Essay The concept of Paris fashion represents one of the most powerful and long-running place in modern history. But even a cursory examination of the way the term has been used draws attention to the complexity of the notion of the fashion capital, and to the complexity of the fashion process itself. The routine description of the city over the past 200 years as the capital world of fashion contribute to this understanding. ::::Downloads:eiffel-tower-1.jpg Figure 2.2 , Eifel Tower in Paris, Available at: http://www.eiffel-tower.us/Eiffel-Tower-Images/eiffel-tower-1.jpg Paris is the Fashion Capital of the World. Paris has long been an international hub of fashion design. Paris is home to many distinguished design houses, such as Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Chloe, Givenchy, Lanvin, Hermes, and Louis Vuitton. Paris is also a premier destination for shopping, with streets such as Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honre and the Champs-Elysees hosting boutiques from designers around the world. Besides fashion and leather goods, Paris is has a number of well-known jewelers, such as Cartier SA, Boucheron, Chaumet, and Van Cleef Arpels. They have their flagships at the famed Place Vendome. Twice a year, Paris is home to a fashion week, where the citys fashion houses present their collections. Designers from other countries also present their collections in Paris. Notable examples include Belgian designers Dries van Noten, Martin Margeila, and Ann Demeulemester; Dutch design duo Viktor Rolf; and Japanese deisgners Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, and Junya Watanabe. Pinault-Printemps-Redoute and LVMH, the two major holding companies in contemporary fashion, are both headquartered in Paris. Paris has been interpreted as a world centre of fashion because of its distinctive metropolitan cultures of consumption, both in the narrow sense of shops and shopping, and in a broader sense of the practices associated with the wearing of fashionable dress in the spaces of the city. There has been something approaching a naturalization of Pariss relationship with fashion, often around the elevation of a certain construction of fashionable femininity to a symbol of Parisian superiority. [Fashions World Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] ::::Downloads:christian_dior_haute_couture_2009_01.jpg Figure 2.3 , Christian Dior Haute Couture fashion show 2009, Available at: http://iamfashioncrazy.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/christian_dior_haute_couture_2009_01.jpg Since the seventeenth century, fashion has been an important industry and cultural export of France, and modern haute couture originated in Paris in the 1860s. Today, Paris is considered one of the worlds fashion capitals, along with London, Milan, and New York City, and the city is home or headquarters to many of the premier fashion houses. The culture of Paris and of the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. Paris, has played an important part as a center of high culture and of decorative arts since the seventeenth century, first in Europe, and from the nineteenth century onwards, world wide. From the late nineteenth century, Paris has also played an important role in modern art, cinema, fashion and cuisine. Paris is today the melting pot of diverse cultures. However, it still retains its own unique charm or attraction when it comes to ethnicity, geography and the French language. The once isolated local customs arising out of regional differences have matured to become a cultural identity that is unique to the heterogeneity. The culture of Paris (or to say France), has been largely influenced by mandatory defense service, the Franco-Prussian feud and World War I and World War II. The two world wars were responsible for the flood of cultural influences and centralized market forces. Today, the people in Paris symbolize collective identity. The Parisian society is more inclined to believing in public-spiritedness, state socialistic spending, and in public initiatives. The Paris culture is characteristic of chauvinism, a term which is widely used all over the World (the countries of the West, esp. Europe and the Americas), integrated politics, universalism and the popular French grandeur. Although, now the traditional family structure has evolved from the joint family to nuclear. Most modern people in Paris prefer to relate to the term French as a nationality and their language and not a measure of ethnicity, specific to the city. There are many immigrants from Africa, Asia and other European countries who have made Paris or France their home with diverse ethnic ascendants, resulting in interracial relationships. According to Hofsteds Framework for Assessing Culture, the culture of Paris is moderately individualistic and high Power Distance Index. There is clearly a significant overlap between the cities routinely described as world fashion cities, like Paris, and those identified by Friedmann, Sassen and their followers as primary world cities or global cities. Given, in Friedmanns terminology, the embeddedness of a transnational capitalist class whose ideology is consumerist in such world cities, and given fashions inherent elitism and consumerism, it would be very surprising if this were not the case. [Fashions World Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] The acceptance of lebianism, homosexuality and gay marriages in Paris, speaks volumes for the broad-mindedness of the French. In fact, Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoà «, makes no attempt to hide his gay identity. In Paris, the French movies, music and literature are vibrant and multicultural. The language follows a preordain official originality standard. French is spoken widely across the globe, inspite of the repression with regional and foreign languages in certain countries. It has become a part of the education forum and a popular option in many bilingual educational institutions. As far as religion goes, Paris is secular and dedicatedly adheres to the principle of freedom of religion, a political dictate that was enshrined in the Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789. A mix of Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews and atheists live in Paris and add quality to the essence of French character. So therefore, Paris is a multicultural society. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries these cities have developed intense concentrations of advanced producer services, typically in sectors such as banking, accountancy, advertising, insurance, commercial law and management consultancy. Sassen argues that financial deregulation and the development of new forms of telecommunications, media and information technology, far from dispersing economic activities as some predicted, has created an aggressive new logic for their concentration of these activities as some predicted, has created an aggressive new logic for their concentration of these activities in a few great cities. Sassen further argues that increasing economic and social polarization has marked global cities, particularly London and New York. Alongside the development of advanced producer services has been a parallel development of a low-paid service sector, often characterized by a casualized labour force with a high proportion of immigrants. [Fashions Worl d Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] London: ::::Downloads:Somerset House Strand.JPG Figure 3.1 , Somerset House in London, Available at: http://www.the-magician.co.uk/images/Somerset%20House%20Strand.JPG London as one of the worlds four fashion capitals, the London Fashion Week is one of the Big Four fashion weeks, which is organised by the British Fashion Council. The current venue for most of the events is Somerset House in central London, where a large marquee in the central courtyard hosts a series of catwalk shows by top designers and fashion houses, while an exhibition, housed within Somerset House itself, showcases over 150 designers. British designers whose collections have been showcased at the fashion week include Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, while British models who have featured at the event include Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Jade Jagger and Jodie Kidd. Fashion designer Mary Quant was at the heart of the Swinging London scene of the 1960s, and her work culminated in the creation of the miniskirt and hot pants. Mary Quant named the miniskirt that she designed after her favourite make of car, the Mini. The English fashion designer Charles Frede rick Worth is widely considered the father of Haute couture. According to an article in the Time, yet behind this confection of a city peopled by the famous and beautiful, all dressed in the latest cutting-edge fashions, was a sense that the new London was a key site in much broader changes taking place across the Western world: increasing consumer affluence, particularly among teenagers and young adults, changing intergenerational relationships, and new attitudes towards popular culture, leisure and the body. [Fashions World Cities, David Gilbert, 2006] ::::Downloads:London_cultural_icons.jpg Figure 3.2 , Cultural icons of London, Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/London_cultural_icons.jpg The London culture concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals and other entertainment in London, the capital city of the United Kingdom. The city is renowned for its theatre district, and its West End theatre district has given the name to West End theatre, the strand of mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in London. London also homes to notable cultural attractions such as the British Museum, the Tate Galleries, the National Gallery, the Notting Hill Carnival and The O2. An assortment of landmarks and objects are cultural icons associated with London, such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the tube map. According to visiting tourists, there are a few other British cultural icons that are strongly associated with London , including the red telephone box, the routemaster bus, the black taxi or more famously known as the London cab and the Union Flag. ::::Downloads:RoyalOperaHouse-25-02-09w.jpg Figure 3.3 , The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House in London, Available at: http://www.strollon.co.uk/UploadedDocuments/RoyalOperaHouse-25-02-09w.jpg London has the famous, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia. There are also quite a few chamber orchestras, some of which specialise in period instrument performances, including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. The city is home to more than 300 nationalities, and the diversity of cultures has shaped the citys culture over time. In London, rank, status and inequalities between people are reasonably low. This obviously shows in a number of ways, such as legislation protecting ethnic minorities rights. This is observed in the office where the relationship between superiors and subordinates is relatively casual and incorporates little ceremony. London scores really high for Individualism. Therefore points to that fact that the British cultural values promote individuality. In London, the nuclear family is the more predominant form of basic social structure. In the business environment, the individual is more concerned with themselves rather than the team. The level of power distance (uncertainty avoidance) in London is quite low. This means that the British culture is relatively open to taking risks and dealing with change, which can be seen in the constant revision of laws and government structures. In the workplace, conflict or disagreement, even with superiors, is considered healthy. ::::Downloads:the_sex-pistols.jpg Figure 3.4 , The Sex Pistols, Available at: http://www.sexpistolsanniversary.co.uk/images/the_sex-pistols.jpg London is really famous for its rock scene, and was the starting point of some of the greatest 60s and 70s band such as Iron Maiden, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, The Sex Pistols, The Who, Pink Floyd, Queen and very popular 90s bands like Blur, Coldplay, Radiohead, and Oasis that are still very popular to this day. Most of the major bands tours pass through London as well, favourite venues being the Brixton Academy, the London Astoria, and the Hammersmith Apollo. In addition to generating of the bands mentioned above, London, in its capacity as the UKs cultural centre, has served as the base of a number of internationally important acts, including David Bowie, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, as well as being instrumental in the birth of dance music. All these artists mentioned above, in their days and till date influence fashion in London and all over the world. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨London has a thriving urban scene, mainly throughout the 21st century. Soul singers like Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Adele, and Lemar have found themselves chart, and international success. RB singers such as Leona Lewis, Jay Sean, The Sugababes, Taio Cruz and Alexandra Burke are also extremely popular. London also has a strong rap scene, which includes rappers like Wiley, Tinchy Stryder and Dizee Rascal among others have helped contribute to London gaining the status of having the strongest rap scene outside of the USA. London has one of the biggest underground scenes in the world. Genres include Drum and bass, Uk garage, Dubstep, 2step and grime. Londons ethnic population is growing strongly and this is having a huge effect on the culture. Indian food is now a significant part of Londons cuisine. Young black Londoners play a predominant part in the British music industry. Besides Afro-Caribbean and Indian culture, Bangladeshi, Polish and Middle-Eastern influences are also present. In London, masculinity is somewhere in the middle. This may reflect the fact that British society and culture aims for equality between the sexes, yet a certain amount of gender bias still exists underneath the surface. The acceptance of lebianism, homosexuality and gay marriages in London, is cause of the all the stars who used to cross-dress for their performances, shows that people in London are broad-minded. There are many other culture related attractions in London, including the Avenue of Stars, a walkway similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with stars commemorating notable individuals or groups. Summary Table: Paris London Similarities Both Paris and London are the fashion capitals of their countries. The melting pot of diverse cultures is existent in both cities. Paris and London are multicultural societies. The acceptance of lesbianism, homosexuality and gay marriages in Paris and London, shows how broad-minded the people or society is. There is a freedom of religion. The rise of technology has led to London and Paris becoming more of open cultures. Differences Paris is the Fashion Capital of the World. Haute Couture started in Paris in the 1860s by Charles Worth. The people in Paris collective identity. The Parisian society is more inclined to believing in public-spiritedness, state socialistic spending, and in public initiatives. While London scores really high for Individualism. Paris has a high Power Distance (rank, status and inequalities between people) Index, while London is comparatively lower. Fashion culture in London was very influenced by the music scene, specially the rock scene, with the bands like the Sex Pistols in the 60s and 70s. While Paris didnt have too much influence of music on fashion. Conclusion: After extensive research and comparing the similarities and differences of both Paris and Londons modern day fashion scene, I realized that even though there are so many similarities on the surface between both cities but once you look at the details or to say under the surface you realize that each city is unique in its own way cause of their influences from cultural dimensions, societal values, history and technology, etc.

The Futility of War Essay -- Literary Analysis

Stories of wars and the resulting victories are usually told in highly elaborated narratives that seek to cover the grim realities of war as much as they aim to arouse emotion in order to ensure support for any future wars among the masses. However, war, by its very nature, is neither desirable nor its outcome praiseworthy. Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front lays bare the gritty, gruesome and ultimately self-defeating nature of wars. As Paul Baumer and his soldier comrades enlist and join the German Army in order to defeat the enemy, they themselves are slowly vanquished, first psychologically and finally physically through death. As the soldier members of Paul Baumer’s company are slowly killed in battle, he becomes more and more disillusioned with the war, especially since he and his friends had enlisted with idealistic aims fed to them by their teacher Kantorek. Instead of patriotic glory and poetic war victories, Paul and his friends found defeat and ephemeral triumphs; instead of honor, they encountered dishonor; instead of personal growth and advancement, they found stagnation and watched their youthful dreams die. Through the war experiences of Paul Baumer as depicted in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, the ultimate tragedy of war is revealed; it destroys the lives of its very agents – the soldiers – by crashing their dreams and claiming their lives for little discernible overall gain. Going To War Ultimately, Paul Baumer and his high school mates enthusiastically enlisted and went to war first out of a sense of youthful adventure. Barely out of their teens, Paul and his high school mates are not old enough to understand the socio-economic and political factors that characterized the outbr... ... war as captured by the leaders of the war hardly depicts the futility of war, and only the through the accounts of soldiers on the front does the truth emerge, as it does in the novel – that war is counter-productive. Works Cited Hunt, Nigel. "The contribution of All Quiet on the Western Front to our understanding of psychological trauma." European Psychiatry 19, no. 8 (2004): 489-493. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Trans. A. W. Wheen. New York: Fawcett Books, 1982. Robinett, Jane. "The Narrative Shape of Traumatic Experience." Literature & Medicine 26, no. 2 (Fall2007 2007): 290-311. Tighe, Joseph A. 2004. "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Phenomenological Investigation of War." Critical Survey 16, no. 3(Fall 2004): 48-61. Ware, Thomas C. "Remarque's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT." Explicator 63, no. 2 (Fall 2005): 99-100.

Life of George Eliot aka Mary Ann Evans Essay -- essays research pape

George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) lived from 1819 to 1880. She was raised in a very traditional family. Her father was a farmer who managed various estates, and he made certain that his daughter was given a very strict Methodist education. She attended a series of boarding schools where she learned that which was typical for a young lady in the early part of the nineteenth century -- subjects such as French, piano, and handwriting. While at these boarding schools, she frequently turned to fiction as a form of amusement, establishing at an early age the foundation upon which her later novels would be based. Despite this traditional upbringing, though, Mary Ann Evans lived an adult life that many considered to be utterly scandalous. In the mid-1840's she began to question seriously the Christian faith in which she was raised, and by the end of the 1840's she had abandoned the church altogether. This questioning of religion may have initiated her literary career, though, her translation of Das Leben Jesu, a controversial inquiry into the tenets of Christianity, gained her some notice in L...

How to Steal a Million Dollars

Fraud Examination Unit 9 6/2/12 How to steal a million dollars Mr. Seneca Stunton was an accountant clerk for a company called Carlton Chemical. Seneca had no formal education for accounting. His experience was for a smaller company which he exceled at book keeping. He accepted the job with Carlton Chemical and he was on the track to excel and have a great career. His supervisor was just in Seneca’s position, so Seneca was pretty happy to see that there were advancement opportunities within the company. Seneca approached his job with commitment and enthusiasm.He was married and with his wife and his own kids they had a total of seven children. Seneca’s duties were accounts receivable collections, posting payments, resolution of customer service inquires and maintenance of the accounts receivable ledgers. Patrick Dawley was the owner; he started the business over thirty years ago. Carlton Chemical sells chemicals to large and small business and they use it for raw materi al. The company was growing, Patrick looked on what really drove sales was how effective the operation is, like keeping accurate order taking, billing and collections, timely deliveries and great customer service.Patrick was viewed as a problem solver. There was not a problem too small for him to figure out. He had the ability to look at the problem and see the solution. Patrick was the only one who really had accuses to the money, all transactions had to go to him to approve. Every week he held detailed meetings about the money and unpaid bills. He looked over the statements on a regular basis. There was not really too much that got passed him so when he found out the ARs was not correct and there was more outstanding bills then he thought there was really surprised him.Seneca was taking one person’s larger payments and was putting it to other customer’s outstanding bills. He was doing this for over a great deal of time. Which created a huge landslide of problems for the company, and when all the audits was said and done there was around two million dollars missing. This investigation took a very long time and they could not find where the money went. They investigated Seneca’s life style and he did not over spend or live outside his salary, and everything they could do pointed that there was no money stolen. So they were stumped where the money went.There was however inappropriate discounts given to the customers. There were some complaints about this from the customers, but the company did not follow up on it. Carlton Chemical did recover a little of the money from customers that were willing to pay some of their bills, and from the insurance that the company has. After all this they were still one million dollars down. This was a unique problem that the company faced. The biggest thing that allowed Seneca to do this was the lack of supervision. Patrick looked at all the statements that where involved directly with the money.He did not think to keep track of the outstanding payments since that could not allow someone to directly steal from the company. Even thou Seneca had no control nor did he touch money he still was in charge of the bills. He did not steal from the company directly but he did use other payments to pay the past due. Which then created the first payments to be late and so it was a huge snowball effect. In no time at all there were so many past due bills. I think Seneca did this because he simply did not like addressing the customers about their bills. So he came up with this idea.

Additional Duties of Phlebotomist Essay

-Urine specimen obtained after a thorough cleansing of the glans penis (males) and the labia and urethral meatus (females). -Following the cleansing procedure, the patient passes the first portion of urine into the toilet, stops and collects the mid-portion in the specimen container. -This provides a sample that is less contaminated by epithelial cells and bacteria (normal flora). Methods of Urine Collection See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay CATHETERIZED SPECIMEN -Specimen of choice for patient suffering from urinary retention. (Patient cannot void voluntarily) -The specimen is collected under sterile conditions by passing the catheter through the urethra into the bladder. -The specimen is used for BACTERIAL CULTURE. -If routine urinalysis is requested, culture should be performed first to prevent contamination. SUPRAPUBIC ASPIRATION -Involves urine collection directly from the bladder by puncturing the abdominal wall and the bladder using a needle syringe. -Since the bladder is normally sterile, it is primarily used for bacterial cultures and for infants to whom contamination is unavoidable. -The only specimen acceptable for both aerobic and anaerobic urine culture. -Can be used for cytological analysis of urine Urine Culture -Samples collected by MSCC, Catheterized & Suprapubic aspiration can be used for AEROBIC CULTURE. -The only urine collection method acceptable for ANAEROBIC CULTURE is SUPRAPUBIC ASPIRATION. -COMMERCIALLY available plastic urine collection bags with hypoallergenic skin adhesive. -Also referred as wee bag. Uses chain of custody (COC) which refers to the process that provides documentation of proper sample identification from the time of collection to the receipt of laboratory results. The COC is a standardized form that must document and accompany every step of drug testing, from collector to courier to laboratory to medical review officer to employer. DRUG SPECIMEN COLLECTION -Required volume of urine 30-45 ml -The urine temperature must be taken within 4 minutes from the time of collection to confirm the specimen has not been adulterated. -The temperature should read within the range of 32.5C to 37.7C. -Recollection of a second specimen as soon as possible will be necessary in the following cases: Urine temperature outside the recommended range

Bathsheba and Farmer Boldwood Essay

How does Hardy present the idea ‘the pain of love’ in his depiction of the relationships between Bathsheba Everdene and Sergeant Troy, and Bathsheba and Farmer Boldwood? Thomas Hardy, born in 1840, divided his works into character and environment, romance and fantasies and novels of ingenuity, in which case Far from the Madding Crowd is in the first category. The original works were in the form of a series in the Cornhill magazine, which was so successful he was able to give up his job (as an architect) and devote his time entirely to writing. Hardy is known for his controversial novels such as Jude the Obscure, but his best work is the world renowned Far From the Madding Crowd, which expresses the journey of Bathsheba Everdene and her loyal farmer, Gabriel Oak, who encounter love but at the terrible price of death and despair. This, perhaps reflecting the tragic loss of his own wife in 1912, sixteen years before his own death, in 1928. Bathsheba and Sergeant Troy’s first meeting outside the Fir Plantation, Troy flirts and compliments Bathsheba, by taking more time then is necessary to untie the knot that binds them. Bathsheba, however she appears to be quite uncivilized towards him, â€Å"Thank you for the sight of such a beautiful face! He said. ‘Twas unwillingly shown† she replied, stiffly. This unkind manner attracts Troy to her and ignites a relationship between them, where Troy’s flirtatious and dishonest ways, already expressed in their first meeting, are destined to destroy it. Troy’s display of swordsmanship in Chapter 28, indicates another example of the pain of love, in which Bathsheba must sacrifice her own safety to be with Sergeant Troy. Though Bathsheba, at first, oblivious to her near death, due to her believing Troy’s lie that the sword was blunt. Though Bathsheba does not object to him kissing her at the end of the chapter, after being made aware of his dishonesty. The relationship of Bathsheba and Troy, already beginning to fail due to Troy’s insensitive and lying persona, is made no easier by Fanny’s part in their lives. Ironically, it was her mistake, which brought together Bathsheba and Troy in the first place, unintentionally, and, unknowingly aided in the downfall of Bathsheba and Troy’s relationship. For example, when Fanny meets Troy, though by accident, Troy tries to convince Bathsheba she is unknown to him, however Bathsheba begins to have doubts, especially after seeing a lock of hair in his watch, that was not hers. The argument that followed the discovery of the hair also lead to Troy leaving Bathsheba, to secretly meet with Fanny, and the next time she hears of Troy he is assumed dead. This expresses Hardy’s pain of love theory exactly, for Bathsheba who fell so quickly in love with Troy, and married him soon after, now expresses little feeling towards him leaving. For example, in chapter 48, `Bathsheba underwent the enlargement of her husband’s absence, from hours to days, with a slight feeling of surprise and relief, yet neither sensation rose †¦ `. Soon after the discovery of Troy’s apparent death, Boldwood immediately steps onto the scene to offer his hand in marriage. The first time Bathsheba saw Boldwood was at the market, however Boldwood did not pay attention to her presence, unlike all the other men. Bathsheba’s vanity, encouraged by Liddy, caused her to send a Valentine to Boldwood in the attempt to get him to notice her and partly as a joke, with the accidental seal of â€Å"Marry Me†. Boldwood, having received the Valentine, become besotted with Bathsheba and soon called on her to accept the invitation of marriage. Though the answer of course was not what he expected. â€Å"I didn’t know†¦ I ought never to have dreamt of sending that valentine – forgive me, sir – it was a wanton thing which no woman with any self respect should have done. If you will only pardon my thoughtlessness†¦ † Farmer Boldwood replied†¦ â€Å"No, no, no. Don’t say thoughtlessness! †¦ You torture me to say it was done out of thoughtlessness†¦ This outburst again shows the reader that Hardy can express the theme `the pain of love` so vividly. However, Boldwood does not stop and continues to express his want to have her. For example, â€Å"I may think of you? Yes, I suppose you may And hope to obtain you? No – do not hope! Let us go on†. This obsessiveness driven by the act of Bathsheba’s valentine proposes another effect of love. At the end of chapter 19, Hardy tells us that Boldwood is almost spellbound by Bathsheba and by her leaving, he comes out of this stupor, â€Å"like the pain of a wound†¦ † Another of Hardy’s pain of love themes. Boldwood’s appearances from then on are stopped due to the arrival of Troy, who Boldwood at once is jealous of and wishes to extract him from their (Bathsheba and Boldwood’s) lives. The deal he tries to accomplish with Troy is of course a failure, however it proposes that Boldwood would do (or should I say ‘pay’) so much to expel him, and further expand his relationship with Bathsheba. His love for her, the reader could interpret as, is almost insane and compulsive. This is perfectly described in Chapter 53, where Boldwood begins to talk to himself. â€Å"I hope to God she comes, or this night will be nothing but misery to me! O my darling, my darling, why do you keep me in suspense like this? † However that is not the most important part of the chapter because of course this is the climax to the whole story and the final effects that love can have on somebody. ‘A strange voice came from the fireplace – a voice sounding far off and confined, as if from a dungeon. Hardly a soul recognized the thin tones to be those of Boldwood. Sudden despair had transformed him. ‘ Boldwood, at the realization of the return of Troy, and the conclusion that Bathsheba cannot be his, had the devastating affect of forcing him to take action. In the form of a bullet. Aimed at Troy. His love for Bathsheba perhaps deluded him into it, showing that the pain of love has lead one man to his death and another to the noose. However we know that sentence was not carried out, life imprisonment instead, though in a way just as bad as the loss of life some could argue. Hardy is clearly well adept into conveying the pain of love as a theme, though not the main theme of the story. Hardy presents the idea of ‘the pain of love’ clearly in the two relationships that Bathsheba experiences, even in Oak’s relationship with Bathsheba, his offer of marriage is turned down, and not accepted till the end of the book. Bathsheba’s relationship with Troy and Boldwood differ quite drastically. Boldwood is the calm farmer enticed by Bathsheba, and driven to killing another man. Troy is the dashing sergeant who seduces Bathsheba and causes their marriage to disintegrate due to his lies and deceit. Bathsheba also reacts differently to the two men. To Boldwood she thinks she is not good enough for him, and is almost scared of his persistence- ‘She was frightened as well as agitated by his vehemence’ She also taken aback by Troy, ‘Ah! There was a time Frank, when it would have taken a good many promises to other people to drag you away from me. ‘ She also is now quite sad to be married, preferring the unmarried version of him when it was dashing swordplay and romantic courting and love. However it is not the case with the married Troy, â€Å"What do you regret? † He asked. â€Å"That my romance has come to an end†, she relied. The pain of love that the characters encounter, i. e. Boldwood’s hopeless love for Bathsheba, and Bathsheba’s own foolish love for Troy, and the final act leading to Troy’s (perhaps deserved) death, are all excellently and elaborately depicted by the most English of English novelists, in one of the most English of great English novels.

Definition of Good and Evil Essay

The nature of good and evil one of humanities never ending conflicts since the beginning of time. For instance in the novella â€Å"Heart of Darkness† by Joseph Conrad explores the issues surrounding imperialism, and centers Marlow the main character. The conflict between good and evil is particularly evident throughout the story. In following the novella you begin analyzing and thinking theories for instance: â€Å"people are inherently evil and it’s expressed in varieties of forms†, or â€Å"people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces†. In my perspective I’m in position of â€Å"people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces† I do believe they’re people who are inherently good but influenced negatively by society and endure on evil. I stand on this position because in â€Å"Heart of Darkness† Marlow expresses â€Å"The word ? ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I’ve never seen anything so unreal in my life. And outside, the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth, waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion. † (Conrad 368) This quote Marlow clarifies that he’s in this situation because of the white man’s pursuit for ivory which caused death and greed; in which it proves the point of good people influenced by evil forces. Another example of this is in Part III in â€Å"Heart of Darkness† when Marlow and Kurtz finally meet each other through the steamship’s departure from the Inner Station. Here Marlow describes his developing relationship with Kurtz in terms of intimacy and betrayal. Marlow also indicates that the Africa natives are responsible for Kurtz’s current condition of evilness and cruelty. Finally in the end after Kurtz dies his last words were â€Å"the horror, the horror† I believe Kurtz is referring to the darkness in his heart or emptiness, also being a failure of his destiny. Chinua Achebe feels differently about the novella â€Å"Heart of Darkness† mainly because its concept of evil. She expresses that â€Å"The Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as â€Å"the other world,† the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where a man’s vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality† in other words evil. Achebe also disliked the fact how the African natives were perceived as ignorant and simply just faded into the background. Achebe concluded by stating â€Å"realized that no easy optimism was possible. And there is something totally wrong in offering bribes to the West in return for its good opinion of Africa. † In conclusion Africa was where colonist evil dwelled in â€Å"Heart of Darkness†. Evil in which takes the form of imperialism, hypocrisy, ambiguity, and moral confusion. In which case proves my theory people are inherently good, but become corrupted by society and other outside forces. You can fallow Marlow in the novella in how he is forced to align himself with either the hypocritical and malicious colonial bureaucracy or the malevolent Kurtz. This will assure the reasons why the nature of good and evil is one of humanities never ending conflicts.

Cyber law Essay

The problem of identity theft has become one of the fastest emerging phenomenal crimes in America and has inevitably been increasing exponentially worldwide (McDonald, 2006). It is a fraudulent act of acquiring the legally certified personal identifiers and other personal information essential to carry out impersonation to obtain merchandises, services and crimes (McDonald, 2006). And being a high-reward low-risk activity and an equal-opportunity crime, it could victimize anyone regardless of age, class and race (McDonald, 2006). It is likely a full package undertaking which offers an easier way of committing crimes, while providing lucrative returns and living in anonymity and minimal jeopardy of detection (McDonald, 2006). Identity theft is far different from a mere crime. It is a tailored crime from established crimes of forgery, check and credit card fraud, counterfeiting, computer scam, impersonation, and pick-pocketing (McDonald, 2006). However, the most challenging face of identity theft is its potential to international terrorism (McDonald, 2006). Accordingly, identity theft crimes are under the jurisdiction of various agencies. Among the agencies associated to such crime includes the local police, FBI, Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service, Homeland Security, motor vehicle departments, and local government agencies (McDonald, 2006). Various coping mechanism were later on initiated. Conversely, police, victim assistance advocates, and private agencies worked independently, without looking at each others roles or collaborating to develop a wide-range and valuable means of answering and counteracting such crime (McDonald, 2006). With the United States Congress’ enactment of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, Pub. L. 105-318, 112 Stat. 3007, a basic foundation on identity theft was established. It classified identity theft as a federal crime when a person deliberately uses credentials of another person, with no legal authority to commit or aid any illegal action that normally constitutes a violation of Federal, State or local law (McDonald, 2006). It also called for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to institute a clearinghouse for information and statistics on identity theft (Dworaczyk, 2004). However, this federal statute rarely prosecutes violations of state laws. Most laws regarding such crimes focuses on three subjects such as criminal penalties for particular offenses, prerequisites for the credit industry to incorporate specific information in credit reports or to limit the right to credit and credit reports, and personal data confidentiality (Dworaczyk, 2004). Existing laws respond to identity theft by providing criminal penalties for particular offenses. And such laws and suggestions for further changes are largely intended to trim down incidents of identity theft by enhancing identification of cases during such occurrence, and to facilitate further investigation and prosecution (Dworaczyk, 2004). In December 2003, another effort of the Congress to solve identity theft marked through the enactment of a law on credit transactions (Dworaczyk, 2004). In July 2004, the federal government furthered the identity theft laws by amending additional and extended prison sentences in relation to particular federal crimes (Dworaczyk, 2004). Identity theft crime hold an utmost punishment of 15 years imprisonment, a fine, and criminal forfeiture of private property used to execute the offense. As of June 2001, 43 states had already enacted statutes creating identity theft a crime. Such statutes enforce various penalties for identity theft. Normally, the penalties are base on the total dollar amount of damage resulting from the theft. Thefts concerning minor losses are considered as misdemeanors, while larger financial losses are regarded as felonies of different degrees (Foley, 2003). Local police ought to verify whether such a statute exists and what that statute provides. Other states are also taking into consideration of having related laws on such crime. Victims of such crime are also protected under federal and state law. Victims are entitled to have protections from being accountable for illegal undertakings, or other illegitimate behavior conducted by identity thieves (Newman, 2004). More so, they also received rights concerning the truthfulness of their credit reports. In Texas, laws addressing identity theft centers on compelling agencies to provide security alerts and freezes. Such action increases the avenue for identity theft prosecution and limiting showing credit card and Social Security numbers (Dworaczyk, 2004). In Connecticut, the state enacted the Public Act 03-156 in 2003, which forced regulated penalties for identity theft violations, established measures to aid victims; and required businesses to modify certain procedures to hinder identity theft. Other statutes relevant with identity theft are the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA), and the Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act (Dworaczyk, 2004). The FCRA (Codified at 15 U. S. C.  § 1681 et seq. ), standardizes the compilation, dissemination, and use of consumer credit information. However, the foundation of customer rights to credit was structured and formulated alongside with the FDCPA or the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. And being an amendment to FCRA, the FACTA, Pub. L. 108-159, 111 Stat. 1952. , provided provisions to help lessen identity theft crimes, such as the capacity for a person to put alerts on their credit records if such crime is assumed, thus making falsified applications harder to execute. The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, Pub. L. 108-275, 118 Stat. 831, on the other hand, characterizes penalties for identity theft crimes (18 U. S. C. Sec. 1028A (a)). It also furthers providing penalties for those that hold information in conducting the crime, not considering if they themselves essentially use the information to take an identity. In 2003, Chief Darrel Stephens of North Carolina Police Department conducted a survey on the degree of preparedness of major police organizations. It showed that there were no standardized and effective law enforcement practices in the rising cases of identity theft (McDonald, 2006). In February of the same year, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), together with the Division of Public Safety Leadership (DPSL) at Johns Hopkins University, and the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) conducted a project to scrutinize identity theft issues and provide recommendations for a national strategy for policy makers and to classify best procedures for practitioners (McDonald, 2006). The components that comprise the national strategy for law enforcement includes specific actions on the following areas: partnerships and collaboration, reporting procedures, victim assistance, public awareness, legislation, information protection and training (McDonald, 2006). Moreover, in May 2006, an Executive Order signed by the President emphasized the creation of an Identity Theft Task Force, focusing to acquire a harmonized strategic plan to fight identity theft. Specifically, it was created to provide sound recommendations on improving the efficacy of the federal government’s actions in areas of recognition, prevention, detection, and prosecution (McDonald, 2006). It is notable that substantive efforts were carried out by the government in combating the growing number of identity theft crimes. Nonetheless, a lot of changes and reforms ought to be done. And enhancing the training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors was just one part of the picture to acquire a full understanding of the problem of identity theft. With a very limited data on law enforcement efforts regarding identity theft, it would be difficult to achieve a better view on the nature of the crime. The working unit then considered incorporating further surveys and statistics like the National Crime Victimization Survey. It also looked to evaluate U. S. Sentencing Commission data on related cases, pursue federal prosecutions and the quantity of resources spent, and perform target surveys to enrich law enforcement information on identity theft response and prevention activities (Dworaczyk, 2004). It is indeed impossible to have all personal information confidential; therefore, eradicating completely such crime of identity theft would be difficult. Newman (2004) identified local factors that could be done to minimize or prevent identity theft, which is divided into two sections: prevention and victim assistance. In terms of prevention, among the specific responses include the following: 1. Improving business understanding of their accountability to guard employee and client records. To protect records and databases, businesses could institute security procedures by developing a comprehensive privacy policy with liable information-handling. Consistent staff training and orientation on appropriate information protection and employee background checks could also help. 2. Information and education campaign on information protection. The internet provides a wide array of information on identity theft. And to maximize information dissemination, tap the various community organizations such as schools, community centers and organizations, consumer advocacy groups, neighborhood associations, and other community service groups. 3. Working hand-in-hand with government and various organizations to watch over private information. Although, awareness on identity theft had increased considerably, organizations should still support efforts to lessen the function of social security numbers as identifiers, which is very usual on health insurance cards. Agency personnel ought to be regularly reminded of the possible risks in negligent use of private information. 4. Operating with local banks to persuade credit card issuers to accept better security measures. Working closely with local banks would make it simple to set up actions for victims to repair the harm done, and have the accounts working again. Influence local banks and businesses to pressure credit card companies to verify credit card purchases by asking for additional ID, encourage customers to have passwords or attach photographs or other authentication indicators on credit accounts, and adopting better identity verification when changes are indicated with his or her credit report. 5. Tracking delivery. Product and document deliveries are fulcrum to identity theft. Building a good relationship with delivery companies and postal inspectors could be helpful to trace items to thieves. Post office and delivery companies could instruct staff members to take note of deliveries to houses that are unoccupied or up for trade, notice license renewal and credit card reports that turn to unknown addresses and also to preserve various application records. However, in terms of victim assistance, possible actions could be summarized into: 1. Moving with the victim. Being an emotionally and psychologically upsetting crime, an open communication between the victims and the police could be the key. Law enforcers ought to recognize how consumers are protected, and offer victims with educational materials that could clarify their rights and the ways on how to assert them. Police must write an incident report and provide the victim a copy of his own to avoid any trouble in filing an affidavit. The victim should acquire the Identity Theft Victim Guide. This summarizes how to prepare for the investigation procedure and the possible steps to take. Also, propose a written draft of the case to be prepared by the victim, which includes all the relevant information that could be used. Update also the victim on how the procedure of being â€Å"behind the scenes† of a fraud investigation would be like. More so, ensure that the victims comprehend and exercise their rights under the federal laws and record the complaint information into the FTC’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse. 2. Formulating a plan to avoid or curtail the harm of identity theft. In cases, where personal records or employee and client databases have been violated, police and other law enforcers must operate promptly to lessen the opportunity the thief has to exploit the stolen identities. Employees could be given information packets on technical know-how’s to read credit reports and safeguard their identities and minimize further damage. Workshops for employees also provide helpful information. REFERENCE IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center. 2002. Identity Theft. Concepts and Issues Paper. Washington St. , Alexandria. Economic Crime Institute. 2003. Identity Fraud: A Critical National and Global Threat. White Paper. A Joint Project of the Economic Crime Institute of Utica College and LexisNexis.. http://www. ecii. edu/identity_fraud. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007) Graeme R. Newman, 2004. Identity Theft. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police Problem- Specific Guides Series No. 25. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U. S. Department of Justice, http://www. cops. usdoj. gov/mime/open. pdf? Item=1271 (accessed June 8, 2007) Kelly Dworaczyk, 2004. Combating Identity Theft. Focus Report. House Research Organization. Texas House of Representative, http://www. hro. house. state. tx. us/focus/identity78-18. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007) L. Foley. 2003. Enhancing Law Enforcement–Identity Theft Communication. Identity Theft Resource Center. http://www.. idtheftcenter. org (accessed June 8, 2007) Phyllis P. McDonald, 2006. A national strategy to combat identity theft. Johns Hopkins University. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U. S. Department of Justice, http://www. securitymanagement. com/library/identity_theft1006. pdf (accessed June 8, 2007)

Explain how understanding culture can clarify and affect the reading Essay

Explain how understanding culture can clarify and affect the reading of a text - Essay Example In doing this, culture affects and often clarifies the reading of such texts as is portrayed in the analysis of Oedipus and The Iliad below. The two are among the greatest literatures of the ancient Greek. The literatures capture various cultural features of the ancient Greek societies and therefore require an understanding of the early Greek culture to comprehend. The Iliad for example is set during the Trojan War (Homer 23). War was a central cultural feature that enabled societies to interact as they resolved their conflicts. The ambience of wars at the time was different from the contemporary wars. As a cultural feature, understanding the nature of the ancient Greek wars enables an audience understand the book since the wars would clarify the types of weapons the people used and the severity of the wars. The epic poem voices tales of clashes and the events preceding the war. The quarrels between King Agamemnon and Achilles help portray the cultural feature of the ancient Greek societies. Another cultural trait in the tragedy Oedipus the King is prophecy. Set in the ancient Greek society the mythology portrays the effects of prophecies in an individual’s life. The prophecies were vital aspects of life since they affected the lives of everyone including the King (Sophocles 12). The portrayal of prophecy presents an ultimate conflict in the story between the will and destiny. As such, understanding the ancient Greek culture becomes essential in understanding the story. The prophecy in the story clarifies the actions of Oedipus who accidentally kills his parents thereby fulfilling the prophecy. The act leads to other subsequent occurrences the play. Culture helps clarify relationship between the events thus implying that culture helps develop the conflict that sustains the story. The role of an Individual in the course of destiny is a theme in both ancient books. Additionally, the authors portray harsh societies in both books a feature that

Are social media and increasing access to virtual reality altering our Essay

Are social media and increasing access to virtual reality altering our social interactions and expectations - Essay Example The social/cultural and ethical aspects that I will concentrate on pertain to privacy issues and the development of friendships, as well a social circles on-line. These are activities that Americans previously loved to do in real time using physical interaction but has now migrated to virtual settings within the context of social media. 3. What are the opponents of your position likely to claim? My opponents will be most likely to claim that social media has enhanced the social lives of people and allowed for a greater degree of friendship development since social media is used as a world wide connectivity and discussion tool. 4. What is your response or reason that suggests your opponents are incorrect? Simply put, we may have a large friends list in our social media accounts but we do not really know anything about them. Social media creates shallow friendships that do not last beyond a shared interest in a particular activity. These are simply friendships suggested by the social m edia based upon our perceived likes and dislikes. 5. Cite at least TWO outside resources that support your position and one that expresses the objection to your position. Two outside sources that support my position will come from Jay Baer's article â€Å"Social Media, Pretend Friends, and the Lie of False Intimacy† along with Kathleen C. and Anuhea R.'s â€Å"Free Speech: Benefit or Liability?†. ... For those living far apart from friends, postal mail was the way to go in terms of keeping in touch. Needless to say, making and keeping friends during the time of our parents really required effort in order to get to know each other and stay in touch. but all of that changed with the advent of social media. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, all of these social channels allowed for instant connectivity among friends. It also allowed people to make friends with other people based upon shared likes and interests. The time had come for the rise of easy contact and making friends all over the world. Sadly, even though social media has created an excellent virtual reality setting that allows us to interact across the seas, it has also altered our social interactions and expectations in a negative manner. This paper will look at two of the main reasons for the negative influence of social media over our lives and methods of interacting with people as opposed to those who believe that social medi a has provided a tremendous benefit to our social interactions using various articles and journals that support and opposed the issue respectively. Let me start off this discussion with the reasons that people say social media has positively affected our social interaction and expectations. Proponents of social media say that the instant communication allowed by the system makes part of the conversation by allowing them to participate in discussions rather than talking at them (Folkens, Dave â€Å"3 Ways Social Media is Changing Public Relations†). By allowing people to have their say via social media, the group interaction helps to remove the communication barriers that used to exist for people during the infancy of the internet. As such, the internet has become a