The Manipulation Of Ethical Decision Making - 1886 Words

The Manipulation of Ethical Decision-Making Thought Ethical Leadership This paper focuses on discussing the existence of â€Å"Ethical Leadership†, and how it ties into ethical decision making. Ethical decision-making and ethical leadership go hand and hand forming the basis of an ethical organizations. Ethical leadership guides the â€Å"Corporate Culture† thus heavily influencing ethical decision-making. Ethical leadership is the guide for organizational ethical decision-making, via its manipulation of the corporate culture. Pros of the Issue In order to understand Ethical Leadership; one must understand what ethics, and leadership are. Ethics are simply our principles; or values and beliefs, these define what is right and wrong to us thus; governing our behavior. Leadership however; is the process of influencing others to achieve goals. Therefore; a simple definition of ethical leadership is it the process of influencing people through principles, values and beliefs that encompass what we have defined as right behavior. If leadership is a process of social influence, then it stand to reason that leaders possess the ability to influence others both positive and negative in regards to ethical decision-making. It also stands to reason that if leader have strong personal values, they will possess strong Ethical Leadership. Some 500 respondents thought businesses in Europe were analyze on how ethical leadership behaviors; such as role modeling behavior, transmittingShow MoreRelatedExploring The Earnings Management Techniques, Materiality Concept, And Ethical Judgments817 Words   |  4 PagesArticle #6 Abstract. The article reviewed was Effects of Materiality, Risk, and Ethical Perceptions on Fraudulent Reporting by Financial Executives. The abstract demonstrates how the materially affects a code of ethics and follows with financial risks and fraudulent activities (p. 243). Introduction. The author studies the financial reporting, earnings management, and relationships with stakeholders. Over the years, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Public Company Accounting OversightRead MoreAn Analysis of Quinns Accepting Manipulation or Manipulating Whats Acceptable?1578 Words   |  6 PagesQuinn notes the role that computer software that specializes in photographic manipulation in journalism. Early on, he contends, Technical advancement has helped photojournalism be more effective in may ways, but has also created ethical challenges in making deception expeditious and less transparent. (Quinn, 2004, 1) The article explores this ethical quandary. Digital technology, photographic software, and digital manipulation are tightly integrated into modern photojournalism, among many other industriesRead MoreThe Moral Ethical Guidelines Of A Shot Manipulation And The Dependence On A Machine1092 Words   |  5 PagesAaron Quinn, in his article, called Accepti ng Manipulation or Manipulating what is Acceptable? He indicates the declining of public trust in photojournalism due to the obscurity of journalists’ integrity to provide accurate news to the public. He also indicates the existence of two moral dilemmas in photojournalism profession: post- shoot manipulation and the dependence on a machine to make a decision rather than a human being, as well as the ethical problems that come with the two moral dilemmasRead MoreA Study Of Gowthorpe And Amat960 Words   |  4 Pageswould affect the investors’ opinion about the company management and their decision on readiness to buy a company stocks. The results demonstrated that investors consider the nondisclosure of illegal act unethical. Unlawful actions of the company management might not directly affect financial statements, but the investment decisions would be affected by information about illegal acts. The management quality and investors’ decisions are influenced by a qualitative disclosure of immaterial unlawful actionsRead MoreThe Ethical Theory Of Virtue Ethics1115 Words   |  5 Pagesand approach reproductive ethics. The Ethical theory of Utilitarianism/Consequentialism Now let’s review this technology and the moral dilemmas it raises through the principle of Utilitarianism. A Utilitarian might ask questions like, whom does this technology benefit the most? Or does the benefit of using this technology outweigh the cost? Utilitarianism prescribes happiness for the greatest number of people. One question with prenatal gene manipulation then can be, will employing this technologyRead MoreEthics Of The Modern World Essay1540 Words   |  7 Pagesgreed and selfishness, complete morality is impossible. This idea has roots in the definitions and ideals found in utilitarianism, a term that will be defined later, and has led many to call business ethics an oxymoron. â€Å"In the US generally, the ethical road that is paved with good corporate intentions and constructive programs includes some bumps,† (McClenahen 60). Although bumps may exist, many companies are striving for excellence in this area as statistics show ethics are related to custo merRead MoreThe Ethical Framework Of Accounting897 Words   |  4 Pagesethics increase the responsibility and integrity of accounting professionals, and public trust. The ethical requirements influence the management behavior and decision-making. The financial scandal of Enron and Arthur Anderson demonstrates the failure of fundamental ethical framework, such as off-balance sheet transactions, misrepresentation of financial statements, inaccurate disclosure, manipulations with earnings, etc. The confronted accounting profession and concern for ethics in businesses forcedRead MoreThe Adelphia Communications Scandal John Rigas started Adelphia Communcations in 1952 with the800 Words   |  4 Pagescareful manipulation of the company’s reported numbers and fabrication of transactions within the company. Co-borrowing and self-dealing were commonplace in this time period that resulted in over 2 billion dollars’ worth of debt. All this was done under the nose of shareholders and culminated in an insurmountable debt that would lead the company to bankruptcy and to the imprisonment of multiple members of the Rigas family (Barlaup, 2009). Ethical Problem One The first blatant ethical issue inRead More Genetic Engineering: Our Key to a Better World Essay1128 Words   |  5 Pagesand insert it into another (SS1). Such techniques included in genetic engineering (both good and bad) are, genetic screening both during the fetal stage and later in life, gene therapy, sex selection in fetuses, and cloning. Because of many ethical, religious, and safety concerns, genetic engineering is the source of much debate and argument. Many people, even scientists, have raised strong questions concerning the issue. In his article Moore raises such questions as, Could the technology getRead MoreThe Ethical Responsibilities Of Business Ethics Essay1737 Words   |  7 Pagesbusiness, in addition it emphasis the ethical responsibilities of business (Shaw, 2013, p.3). Business ethics is about how the people conduct the business and make ethical business decisions. In the case, the situation that Jean involved in is Wright expects Jean to use closing technique s to deceive her clients based on exaggerated and faked facts to increase the number of closed deals (Shaw, 2014, p.234). However, Jean strongly disagrees to use psychological manipulation, because of that, Jean’s sales

Statistical Analysis of Basketball Shooting in a...

When I watch basketball on television, it is a common occurrence to have an announcer state that some player has the hot-hand. This raises the question: Are Bernoulli trials an adequate model for the outcomes of successive shots in basketball? This paper addresses this question in a controlled (practice) setting. A large simulation study examines the power of the tests that have appeared in the literature as well as tests motivated by the work of Larkey, Smith, and Kadane (LSK). Three test statistics for the null hypothesis of Bernoulli trials have been considered in the literature; one of these, the runs test, is effective at detecting one-step autocorrelation, but poor at detecting nonstationariy. A second test is†¦show more content†¦Their third test is a test of fit and the researchers refer to it as a test of stationarity. The test is nonstandard, but simple to describe. Suppose that the data are 1100100011110101 . . . . Group the data into sets of four, 1100 1000 1111 0101 . . . , and count the number of successes in each set, 2, 1, 4, 2 . . . . Use the 25 counts to test the null hypothesis that the data come from a binomial distribution with n = 4 and p estimated as the proportion of successes obtained in the data. The first difficulty with implementing this test is that typically one or more of the expected counts is quite small. The researchers overcame this problem by combining the O’s and E’s to yield three response categories: fewer than 2, 2, and more than 2, and then applied a χ 2 test with one degree of freedom. The test can be made one-sided by rejecting if and only if the χ 2 test would reject at 0.10 and E O for the middle category (corresponding to two successes). The rationale for this decision rule is that E O in the central category indicates heavier tails, which implies more streakiness. The theoretical basis for this test is shaky, but the simulation study reported in Section 3Show MoreRelated Media Violence is Not the Problem - The Problem is in Our Homes, our Schools, and our Communities3259 Words   |  14 PagesIndeed, the dramatic increase in school shootings during the 1990s, in conjunction with the technology boom, drew much attention to mass media violence. Does media violence perpetuate aggressive behavior in its viewers? If so, to what extent? Do viewers retain models of behavior from their exposure to media violence? Do these models resurface later on during their coming of age? These are hard questions that may not have definite answers; however, a clear analysis on many studies reveals that we’ve onlyRead MoreInstructor Manua l37126 Words   |  149 Pagesis to balance managerial concepts and analysis. This balance does not work out perfectly as some topics are intrinsically more â€Å"managerial† and others more â€Å"analytical†. Each chapter includes material that should work well pedagogically in a number of ways. For those who want to emphasize analysis, problems are developed in each chapter and solved problems included at the end of each chapter. The short cases at the end of each chapter all require some analysis and usually have some managerial issuesRead MoreSkripsi Bahasa Inggris16760 Words   |  68 Pagesthem selves and also between students-teacher. Observing on Septiasari’s research, it is found that she focus on the exercise activities which are given to the learners after the language target is transferred previously. The purpose is to practice the language target into real condition and strengthen the learners’ comprehension. Yet, Septiasari does not define how the process of language target transferred to the learners is. The pre-observation at Natya Language Service and Program foundRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesLeadership Chapter 2 Organization Strategy and Project Selection 1.4 Projects and programs (.2) 1.4.1 Managing the portfolio 1.4.3 Strategy and projects 2.3 Stakeholders and review boards 12.1 RFP’s and vendor selection (.3.4.5) 11.2.2.6 SWAT analysis 6.5.2.7 Schedule compression 9.4.2.5 Leadership skills G.1 Project leadership 10.1 Stakeholder management Chapter 11 Teams Chapter 3 Organization: Structure and Culture 2.4.1 Organization cultures [G.7] 2.4.2 Organization structureRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesManagers 6 The Skills of Effective Managers 7 Essential Management Skills 8 What Are Management Skills? 9 Improving Management Skills 12 An Approach to Skill Development 13 Leadership and Management 16 Contents of the Book 18 Organization of the Book 19 Practice and Application 21 Diversity and Individual Differences 21 Summary 23 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL 24 Diagnostic Survey and Exercises 24 Personal Assessment of Management Skills (PAMS) 24 What Does It Take to Be an Effective Manager? 28 SSS SoftwareRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesCommunication 335 Leadership 367 Power and Politics 411 Conflict and Negotiation 445 Foundations of Organization Structure 479 v vi BRIEF CONTENTS 4 The Organization System 16 Organizational Culture 511 17 Human Resource Policies and Practices 543 18 Organizational Change and Stress Management 577 Appendix A Research in Organizational Behavior Comprehensive Cases Indexes Glindex 637 663 616 623 Contents Preface xxii 1 1 Introduction What Is Organizational BehaviorRead MoreBrand Building Blocks96400 Words   |  386 Pagesgrowing level of complexity. The remaining reasons reflect internal pressures that inhibit brand building. The fifth reason, the temptation to change a sound brand strategy, is particularly insidious because it is the management equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot. The sixth and seventh reasons, the organizational bias against innovation and the pressure to invest elsewhere, are special problems facing strong brands. They can be caused by arrogance but are more often caused by complacency

Sustainable development of nat... free essay sample

Sustainable development of natural assets in general implies utilising of assets in such a way which could be recovered naturally and help in meeting needs of population demands. We can say that two face of a coin is a good representation of SD, one face as human the second as environment. (Chattopadhyay and Carpenter 1991).The main problem occurred in SD is the achievement of ecological protection resource management without exchange of the aims of development for further more improvement.(Bartik 2005).It is an effort both physical and mental to raise poor nations of the world from social disadvantage, worldwide imbalance and waste. (Berke and Conroy 2000).We can concur that the significant issue looked by the world today as yet the obstinate issue of destitution as well as hunger. Accomplishing nourishment security requires more than just creating food.(Dyck 1998). General points of view of monetary advancement are being progressively observed as a superior promotion in security of food than nourishment creation alone. We will write a custom essay sample on Sustainable development of nat or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Conroy 2006). As we are in the 21st century, another issue has come into the business that is the TNC, which manages the various vital approaches towards economics. As the Trans National Corporations can persuade Foreign Direct Investment , poor nations are bringing broad administrative transformation in financial matters to make themselves as alluring venture regions for FDI, thus misbalancing their economical balance(Krizek and Power 1996). SD can be noticed with respect to economy in countries which we can say is maintained. An indebted nation, when suddenly is made to reimburse the obligations, accelerates creation of essential materials pushing the costs additionally down.(Rogers 1996).Livelihoods can be ideally economic in nature when all partners are in able shape and have appropriate access to resources (Jepson 2007).As a result existing conditions should be accommodated through suggesting a way of power relations heading for balance. To accomplish this, thusly, consideration regarding administration is necessary (Williamson 1999). Increment in economy cant be converted into monetary prosperity till dissemination of expenses and advantages of both money related and assets in monetary approaches is represented.(Milani 2000).The customary encouragement provided by the national organizations is insufficient for SD of nations which are progressing. (Zeemering 2009).The indispensable necessity is to convert the worldwide financial framework more transparent that can particularly be utilized for advancement of countries to draw to it more energetically (Berke and Conroy 2000). It would likewise require a firm activity towards adjusting with arrears as well as keeping in mind the goal of liberating the obligation trap from countries in bad state furthermore; take concern about economic recuperation programs.(Conroy and Beatley 2007). Ecological management ; developing state of the nations is considered the main things necessary for growth in sustainability (McMurtry 1999).

Wedding Insurance Essay Example

Wedding Insurance Essay My paper is going to cover what is supposed to be one of the happiest days in peoples lives, their wedding day. I spoke to my cousin who is a Farm Bureau insurance agent and asked her for some ideas on insurance that is out of the ordinary and she directed me to Wed-sure, a specialized agency that covers wedding. When I think of that type of insurance, I was thinking that would be used when either the bride or groom backs out at the last minute. I was surprised to see how many different situations can occur to cause a wedding to be delayed. The story that I have chosen to tell is about an unexpected death that occurred on the eve of a well lanned, very expensive, wedding Sol and Chaya planned their wedding in downtown Washington, D. C. , at a grand, historic hotel. It would be a formal event with 300 guests and a four-course meal at the reception. Sols father was a retired senator, so the guest list was diverse and included many influential and well-known people. The night before the big event, a more casual, albeit quite swanky, rehearsal dinner was scheduled at the historic bar and grill attached to the hotel. We will write a custom essay sample on Wedding Insurance specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wedding Insurance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wedding Insurance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Sols 88-year-old father, David, was riding the train from New York and two of his favorite indulgences, lobster nd prime rib, were on the menu. David was quite proud of his son and fond of his soon-to-be daughter-in-law. He relished the thought of mingling with old friends and spending time with his family. All was going according to plan until the evening of the rehearsal dinner, when Sol went to the train station to pick up his father. As riders exited the train, David was nowhere to be found. Sol called his fathers cell phone, but there was no answer. He then went to the ticket counter at the train station to see if his father, David had purchased a ticket. Indeed, he had purchased a icket so his disappearance was disheartening. Sol noticed a policeman and an EMT boarding the emptied train, and his heart started pounding in his chest. He asked a few onlookers what was happening and he learned from others on the train, that a passenger had been found unconscious. Soon, Sols worst fears were realized and that the passenger in question was indeed his father. Worse yet for Sol, his father was deceased and not unconscious as initially believed. The whole situation was so surreal, sad, and unexpected that Sol struggled to think clearly. His heart was broken and all he wanted to do was grieve. Thankfully, his wife to be, Chaya was his rock. One thing he had always admired was her ability to remain calm under pressure and today although the pressure was more than anyone should have to bear was no exception. After consoling Sol, and logistically discussing the next steps, she calmly stated that the wedding could not proceed under these circumstances with Sol being so distraught about the death of his father. She called a group of her closest friends and family members to help her dispatch the news to all expected guests. Then, once Sol was quieted, she called Wed- Sure, the insurance agency Chaya had visited prior o planning the wedding. Just as she expected, Wed- Sure confirmed that she had in fact purchased wedding cancellation coverage on her wedding insurance policy and that she and Sol would be reimbursed for all expenses the couple had incurred. At this late date, final payments were already required for the major expenses and had been paid by Sol and Chaya. The costs incurred totaled $103,000! Thanks to their Wed- Sure policy, Sol and Chaya recouped every penny. They were greatly relieved and able to put the wedding behind them and truly focus on the moment at hand aying goodbye to their beloved father. From extreme weather to severe sickness to job loss, there are numerous unplanned scenarios and events that can wreak havoc with your wedding plans. Thats why its Just plain smart to have wedding cancellation insurance. Wedsures cancellation and postponement insurance helps young couples safeguard there investment into their wedding and their future. This type of coverage pays the nonrefundable expenses incurred when the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding or reception must be canceled or postponed for reasons beyond anyones ontrol. If the wedding is canceled for a covered reason many times the honeymoon expenses are also covered. View Sample Policy Wed [emailprotected] is endorsed by the National Alliance of Special Event Planners, Inc. (NASEP), www. nasep. org Sitemap I Privacy Policy I Contact Wedsure I Home The information presented on Wedsure. com, is only a summary; it is not all inclusive, nor does it alter or waive any of the actual policy language. Read your policy. OCopyright 2011-2013. All rights reserved. R. V. Nuccio Associates, Inc. [emailprotected] is a registered trademark of R. V. Nuccio Associates Insurance Brokers, Inc.

General Ambrose Burnside in the Civil War

General Ambrose Burnside in the Civil War The fourth of nine children, Ambrose Everett Burnside was born to Edghill and Pamela Burnside of Liberty, Indiana on May 23, 1824. His family had moved to Indiana from South Carolina shortly before his birth. As they were members of the Society of Friends, which opposed slavery, they felt they could no longer live in the South. As a young boy, Burnside attended Liberty Seminary until his mothers death in 1841. Cutting short his education, Burnsides father apprenticed him to a local tailor. West Point Learning the trade, Burnside elected to utilize his fathers political connections in 1843, to obtain an appointment to the US Military Academy. He did so despite his pacifist Quaker upbringing. Enrolling at West Point, his classmates included Orlando B. Willcox, Ambrose P. Hill, John Gibbon, Romeyn Ayres, and Henry Heth. While there he proved a middling student and graduated four years later ranked 18th in a class of 38. Commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant, Burnside received an assignment to the 2nd US Artillery. Early Career Sent to Vera Cruz to take part in the Mexican-American War, Burnside joined his regiment but found that the hostilities had largely been concluded. As a result, he and the 2nd US Artillery were assigned to garrison duty in Mexico City. Returning to the United States, Burnside served under Captain Braxton Bragg with the 3rd US Artillery on the Western Frontier. A light artillery unit that served with the cavalry, the 3rd helped protect the routes west. In 1949, Burnside was wounded in the neck during a fight with the Apaches in New Mexico. Two years later, he was promoted to first lieutenant. In 1852, Burnside returned east and assumed command of Fort Adams at Newport, RI. Private Citizen On April 27, 1852, Burnside married Mary Richmond Bishop of Providence, RI. The following year, he resigned his commission from the army (but remained in the Rhode Island Militia) to perfect his design for a breech-loading carbine. This weapon used a special brass cartridge (also designed by Burnside) and did not leak hot gas like many other breech-loading designs of the time. In 1857, Burnsides carbine won a competition at West Point against a multitude of competing designs. Establishing the Burnside Arms Company, Burnside succeeded in obtaining a contract from Secretary of War John B. Floyd to equip the US Army with the weapon. This contract was broken when Floyd was bribed to use another arms maker. Shortly thereafter, Burnside ran for Congress as a Democrat and was defeated in a landslide. His election loss, coupled with a fire at his factory, led to his financial ruin and forced him to sell the patent for his carbine design. The Civil War Begins Moving west, Burnside secured employment as the treasurer of the Illinois Central Railroad. While there, he became friendly with George B. McClellan. With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Burnside returned to Rhode Island and raised the 1st Rhode Island Volunteer Infantry. Appointed its colonel on May 2, he traveled to Washington, DC with his men and quickly rose to brigade command in the Department of Northeast Virginia. He led the brigade at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, and was criticized for committing his men piecemeal. Following the Union defeat, Burnsides 90-day regiment was mustered out of service and he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on August 6. After serving in a training capacity with the Army of the Potomac, he was given command of the North Carolina Expeditionary Force at Annapolis, MD. Sailing for North Carolina in January 1862, Burnside won victories at Roanoke Island and New Bern in February and March. For these achievements, he was promoted to major general on March 18. Continuing to expand his position through the late spring of 1862, Burnside was preparing to launch a drive on Goldsborough when he received orders to bring part of his command north to Virginia. Army of the Potomac With the collapse of McClellans Peninsula Campaign in July, President Abraham Lincoln offered Burnside command of the Army of the Potomac. A humble man who understood his limitations, Burnside declined citing a lack of experience. Instead, he retained command of IX Corps which he had led in North Carolina. With the Union defeat at Second Bull Run that August, Burnside was again offered and again declined command of the army. Instead, his corps was assigned to the Army of the Potomac and he was made commander of the armys right wing consisting of IX Corps, now led by Major General Jesse L. Reno, and Major General Joseph Hookers I Corps. Serving under McClellan, Burnsides men took part in the Battle of South Mountain on September 14. In the fighting, I and IX Corps attacked at Turners and Foxs Gaps.   In the fighting, Burnsides men pushed back the Confederates but Reno was killed. Three days later at the Battle of Antietam, McClellan separated Burnsides two corps during the fight with Hookers I Corps ordered to the northern side of the battlefield and IX Corps ordered south. Antietam Assigned to capture a key bridge at the south end of the battlefield, Burnside refused to relinquish his higher authority and issued orders through the new IX Corps commander, Brigadier General Jacob D. Cox, despite the fact that the unit was the only one under his direct control. Failing to scout the area for other crossing points, Burnside moved slowly and focused his attack on the bridge which led to increased casualties. Due to his tardiness and the time needed to take the bridge, Burnside was unable to exploit his success once the crossing was taken and his advance was contained by Major General A.P. Hill. Fredericksburg In the wake of Antietam, McClellan was again sacked by Lincoln for failing to pursue General Robert E. Lees retreating army. Turning to Burnside, the president pressured the uncertain general into accepting command of the army on November 7. A week later, he approved Burnsides plan for taking Richmond which called for a rapid movement to Fredericksburg, VA with the goal of getting around Lee. Initiating this plan, Burnsides men beat Lee to Fredericksburg, but squandered their advantage while waiting for pontoons to arrive to facilitate crossing the Rappahannock River. Unwilling to push across local fords, Burnside delayed allowing Lee to arrive and fortify the heights west of the town. On December 13, Burnside assaulted this position during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Repulsed with heavy losses, Burnside offered to resign, but was refused. The next month, he attempted a second offensive which bogged down due to heavy rains. In the wake of the Mud March, Burnside asked that several officers who were openly insubordinate be court-martialed or he would resign. Lincoln elected for the latter and Burnside was replaced with Hooker on January 26, 1863. Department of the Ohio Not wishing to lose Burnside, Lincoln had him re-assigned to IX Corps and placed in command of the Department of the Ohio. In April, Burnside issued the controversial General Order No. 38 which made it a crime to express any opposition to the war. That summer, Burnsides men were key in the defeat and capture of the Confederate raider Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan. Returning to offensive action that fall, Burnside led a successful campaign which captured Knoxville, TN. With the Union defeat at Chickamauga, Burnside was attacked by the Confederate corps of Lieutenant General James Longstreet. A Return East Defeating Longstreet outside Knoxville in late November, Burnside was able aid in the Union victory at Chattanooga by preventing the Confederate corps from reinforcing Braggs army. The following spring, Burnside and IX Corps were brought east to aid in Lieutenant General Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign. Initially reporting directly to Grant as he outranked the Army of the Potomacs commander, Major General George Meade, Burnside fought at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania in May 1864. In both cases he failed to distinguish himself and often was reluctant to fully engage his troops. Failure at the Crater Following the battles at North Anna and Cold Harbor, Burnsides corps entered the siege lines at Petersburg. As the fighting stalemated, men from IX Corps 48th Pennsylvania Infantry proposed digging a mine under the enemy lines and detonating a massive charge to create a gap through which Union troops could attack. Approved by Burnside, Meade, and Grant, the plan went forward. Intending to use a division of specially trained black troops for the assault, Burnside was told hours before the attack to use white troops. The resulting Battle of the Crater was a disaster for which Burnside was blamed and relieved of his command on August 14. Later Life Placed on leave, Burnside never received another command and left the army on April 15, 1865. A simple patriot, Burnside never engaged in the political scheming or backbiting that was common to many commanders of his rank. Well aware of his military limitations, Burnside was repeatedly failed by the army which should never have promoted him command positions. Returning home to Rhode Island, he worked with various railroads and later served as governor and a US senator before dying of angina on September 13, 1881.

Signal Words - The Most Comprehensive Guideline

Signal Words - The Most Comprehensive Guideline Compare And Contrast Signal Words Writing is a very complicated process, which involves multiple stages and requires lots of elements to be combined and twisted in a single drawing. Writing can also be called a sort of communication because an author aims to communicate his or her ideas in various ways. That is why, if you want to render your thoughts in a clear and engaging manner, you may surely need signal words. They are like road signs, mapping the text and connecting its parts together. They are also called transition words and aim to combine different parts of sentences or two paragraphs. Signal words types There are many types of signal words, so you need to get familiar with all of them in order to apply properly and not to confuse the reader. Emphasis words Every writing contains multiple ideas. Some of them are central, while the rest are not so important. However, there are no universal ideas, which are equally important to each and every person on Earth. Of course, global warming is a very important topic but there are still many people, who don’t believe in it.  That is why the significance of an idea depends on the author’s thoughts and the context. That is when emphasis words come in hand. They help the reader to understand what the author finds important. In such a way they get an image what side the writer is on and what his opinion on the topic is. For example: The only effective weapon to fight corruption in countries of the third word is a political command. Through such words, we understand that the author distinguishes political approach among other ways of fighting corruption. Additional words When such words are used at the beginning of the sentence, it means that the writer will be providing several arguments on the same topic. Such additional words include first, for one thing and others. For example, first of all, you need to approach your professor and ask for specific recommendations. There are also additional words, which can be used to continue the thought: in addition, moreover, secondly and so on. Words, which are used at the end of the sentence, include finally and last of all. Contrast and comparison words Such words are among the most popular ones because they help to point on differences and similarities of two various items. Comparison words: equally, likewise, just as and much more. For example, A political command is very important in dealing with corruption, just as obeying the laws. Contrast words indicate thoughts’ changes of the author. They show that the writer is willing to move in a different direction from the thoughts, which were expressed before. This is when words like but, however, still, conversely and others are used. For example: I love traveling to other states, however, I would never leave California for good. Illustration words Such words are used, when the author wants to give an example of the thought or idea, which they render. Illustration words include for instance, for example, such as, to depict and so on. For example: There are many ways we can show our affection, such as physical presence, gifts, sweet words and much more. Cause and effect signal words When using such words, the author signals that he or she is willing to mention the results of the concept, which were stated before. Examples of such words include, therefore, as a result, because and others. For example: Political command is crucial in fighting corruption because politicians are the ones, who make the policy. Final thoughts As you see from examples above, signal words bear such a name, because they act like signals of which direction the author is willing to move. They help the reader to acquire new information and follow the author’s thoughts. Importance of signal words is obvious, so you need to adapt them in your texts in order to create a strong, clear and readable text.

The Role of Leaders in Harnessing the Individual Qualities of Members Research Paper

The Role of Leaders in Harnessing the Individual Qualities of Members on a Team - Research Paper Example Motivation has been explained to be a reactive mechanism to a reinforcement that people receive in a workplace context (Kerzner, 2003). This means that motivation is a way that people respond to reinforcement to give off their best at work. Motivation, therefore, needs to be triggered by something. In most organizational settings, the word motivation is used to refer to the desire that people should have to put up their best to ensure improved productivity. A worker who is result oriented and normally seen to be on top of his or her job and delivering up to expectation or beyond is therefore seen to be a highly motivated person. It is in this direction that Cherry (2011) explains that â€Å"motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviours.† From her definition, it can be seen that motivation actually sets the pace for success as it initiatives goal-oriented behaviours. Motivation also serves as roadmap or yardstick to success a s it guides goal-oriented behaviours. Motivation also acts as an agent of preservation of success as it maintains goal-oriented behaviours. The absence of motivation is, therefore, tantamount to haphazardness at the workplace as it eliminates clear cut focus and goal-oriented behaviour from the organisation. All organisation and institutions are set up with a basic principle of achieving something positive. It is in line with this that there are often mission statements and vision statements for all well-meaning organisations. But in order to achieve the overall mission or vision set by any given organisation, it is very important that a series of projects and tasks are delivered.

Money versus Religious Object Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Money versus Religious Object - Essay Example I have a parachute and obviously money would mean I will be able to buy anything I longed for. Money in itself serves as a religious object. Evidently, benefits of the $10 million will be more compared to the one for the religious object.In my economical perspective, money is the stronghold of my survival and this is why I have chosen to go for the $10 million. It is not that I am not religious. Good life is proportionally related to the money one has in this world. Everyone in this world longs and works hard to get more and more money. This is because they have a longing for something money provides. In this regard, I believe to some people money serves as a religion. This is so because it controls and manipulates people towards doing some things they were not likely to do. In order to maintain order and a sense of belongingness in a community, money is a pre-requisite. I choose the $10 million dollars not only for a good life but also for respect in society. I chose it because I al so have dreams that I ought to make a reality. I believe money is just a need and would not overcome my religion. I do perceive it differently in my case. I cannot enslave and misuse humanity since I have all the money in the world. I envision a sense of purpose when I have the $10 million dollars and not the religious object. The advantage about the $10 million dollars is that given I use it wisely, I will generate more and more of it and this will boost my survival instincts and that of the society as a whole.

Aspiring Education Essay Example for Free

Aspiring Education Essay Education is a must on every people’s lives, a requirement for a person to be successful in life. We can all remember how our parents scold as, as we disobeyed on what they are telling us to do. My parents inspire me about education. Both of them finished high school and graduated in college; my father graduate with a Master’s Degree while my mother has a Bachelor’s Degree. They struggled so hard to be successful, so my siblings and I will have a healthier life, a better house, family and a brighter education. In this quote Chanakya said, â€Å"Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.† Chanakya interprets that it is the most powerful and the best treasure in all things that you will achieve in life. Education is intensely vital; it can strongly provide one with priceless life opportunities, ultimately save one from a life of agony, and powerfully free those who are understated. In â€Å"Straw into Gold,† Sandra Cisneros emphasizes sharply that education opens doors, gives one perspective, and provides one with valuable life opportunities. For instance, she openly explains, â€Å"I had the same sick feeling when I was required to write my critical essay for the MFA exam – the only piece of noncreative writing necessary in order to get my graduate degree.† Sandra conveys the idea that she still continue to pursue her education even though she knows that she can fail anytime. The author suggests that you have to keep going even though you know that you will fail. Further, she later explains, â€Å"Along the way there has been straw for the taking. With a little imagination, it can be spun into gold.† Sandra articulates the idea that we can create a better person in ourselves if we allow education to permit to take a hold of us. The author suggests that even with a little imagination you can achieve your dream. Therefore, in her narr ative, Cisneros ultimately reveals that we just need to turn our dreams  into reality. In â€Å"Learning to Read and Write,† Frederick Douglass emphasizes that education is the key to freedom. For example, he explains, â€Å"Under its influences, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to a tiger-like fierceness.† Douglass conveys the idea that his once gentle mistress transformed into a cruel woman who did not want him to get educated. The author suggests that his mistress became gullible to the ignorant ideas about slavery. Further, he later explains, â€Å"The silver trump of freedom had roused my soul to eternal wakefulness.† Douglass implies the idea that he found a new hope of freedom to slavery that makes his soul to eternal wakefulness. The author suggests that if he has the determination and work-hard he will become a free person and not a slave. Thus, in his slave narrative, Douglass ultimately reinforces the concept that only education will provide one with liberty and self-determination. In â€Å"Superman and Me,† Sherman Alexie emphasizes that education can save one’s life. For example, he explains, â€Å"We were poor by most standards, but one of my parents usually managed to find some minimum wage job or another, which made us middle class by reservation standards. I had a brother and three sisters. We lived on a combination of irregular paychecks, hope, fear, and government surplus food.† Alexie express the idea that they’re living in poverty and they survived because of his parent’s minimum wage job. The author suggests that they still persist to live on a world of hope, fear, irregular paychecks, and government surplus food. Further, Alexie interprets, â€Å"I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives.† Alexie conveys the idea that he struggled, studied hard, and stood up just to save the other Indians and escape from the reservation. The author suggests that if you study hard you can get out, f rom the reservation, and be a free Indian. Thus, in his narrative, Alexie ultimately reinforces the concept that only education will provide one with valuable life opportunities. The three authors showed the different essential sides of education. Education is intensely vital; it can robustly provide one with  opportunities, ultimately save one from a life of misery, and mightily free those who are discreet. In this quote, Carl Rogers said, â€Å"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn.† Carl conveys that if you know how to listen, speak, read, and learned how to learn it means that you are an educated person. He also interprets that you will not be educated if you don’t know how to learn. Therefore, we should take advantage of education while it last.

Ice Wind-Dale by R.A Salvatore Essay -- English Literature

Ice Wind-Dale by R.A Salvatore A book I have read recently and enjoyed was "Ice Wind-Dale" by R.A Salvatore. I received this book as a present and was intimidated by its sheer size, but was blessed as it was the greatest book that I have ever read. It was the only book that has made me depressed because of finishing it and yet was still satisfied and not left wanting. Salvatore created the perfect setting, characters and plot to make the book so memorable. The plot is straight forward as the book is actually a trilogy, and so the story evolves from one book to the next. I will now take the three best features of this book being the setting, characters and plot explaining how it made the novel so incredibly complete. The first feature that I would like to discuss is the setting. "Ice Wind-Dale, a thousand square miles of barren broken tundra, has been described as one of the most unwelcoming lands in all the realms" Right at the start of the novel we are given a vivid picture of this province. This makes you feel more at home with the plot as we now understand the land our adventurers must traverse. Salvatore manages to emphasise this description by using subtle techniques like personification in the word "unwelcoming" and alliteration in the words "barren broken" This all adds to the completeness or wholeness of the novel. By creating the perfect setting you then enhance the plot therefore making the characters more memorable. This leads me to the next feature of the novel, the characters. "Drizzit du-urden trotted along silently, his soft low cut boots barely stirring the dust. He kept the cowl of his brown cloak pulled low over the flowing waves of his dark white hair and moved with such effortless grace that an onlooker... ...s of invaders with fiery eyes, watching as the battle was about was about to commence..." I remember it being about four o'clock in the morning when I read that excerpt. I simply could not put it down. It filled me with such suspense that by putting the book down at that point would have felt sinful. I had to read on. It is points like that in this novel that makes it so incredibly complete and satisfying. In conclusion R.A Salvatore created an extremely well crafted novel concentrating only on the features relevant to the story, these being the setting, characters and plot (unlike "Lord of the Rings" which is full of sub-plots and hidden themes). By focusing in on these features he makes the novel so satisfying that you are left sad to have finished it. "Ice Wind-Dale" is a work of art, in all one thousand and four pages of glory and I would recommend it to anyone.

Effects of Bulliying

Effects of Bullying Have you ever heard about bullying? Do you know people can die because of that? Every year sad stories about people and kids affected by bullying is more common that people think. Statistics show that about two in four kids in the U. S. are bullied on a regular basis. Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force to affect others particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power. Bullying can affect everyone, those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying.Nowadays this event is more common in schools. Effects when kids; students, bully others can lead to serious, even deadly, consequences. These effects are withdrawn from society, lose of self-esteem, and try to escape from the situation. Students who are bullied tend to withdraw from society since they start feeling rejected from people. Also, they often stop communicating with parents and friends because they think that no one can hel p them. They normally want to hide this embarrassing situation, which can lead to lying; it’s a way to ignore the problem and try not to think about it.As a result, most of the times they want to be alone. Students can start to feel insecure about themselves. They start losing self-esteem and begin questioning their own personalities. Students start thinking that maybe they deserve this bad treatment. Therefore, they begin to do badly in schools and lower their grades because they may start focusing only in the bully and avoid all around them, like hide and don’t attend to class. Also, their outlook of life may become darker and darker as the bullying continues.As a result, their expectations for life become very poorly. If teens have become damaged by bullying, they may do almost anything to get out of the situation. They may try to escape from their painful reality by engaging in dangerous activities. In that way, they try to feel that they have the control of their pain or they are trying to learn how to control it and start feeling that the bully can’t hurt them again. They also might think about a plan of revenge because they want to transmit the angry and pain that they feel to the bully.But, in the worse cases, students can’t find a way out of their problems and they might start hurting themselves, even committing suicide. When students are victims of bullying there is a strong chance that they will suffer many negative consequences. They start to not communicate with anyone, they always want to be alone, even don’t go to school, and their grades become affected. Consequently, in the worse cases, they commit suicide because of their frustration. They don’t see a way to escape of the bullying.In my opinion, in order to ensure a stable, mature and healthy society, parents need to take a harder look at this negative behavior that hurts not only the bullied student and the bully, but also the family and the society as a whole. References: Bullying. â€Å"Wikipedia†. The free encyclopedia. 08 April 2012. Web. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bullying Bullying Statistic. â€Å"Wikipedia†. The free encyclopedia. 06 April 2012. Web. http://www. bullyingstatistics. org/content/school-bullying-statistics. html

Hart Rudman Commission Report Essay

The U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century, frequently known as the Hart-Rudman Commission after its chairmen, issued its third and final report in January 2001. The bottom-line conclusion is that the primary national security challenge that the United States will face in the next 20 or 30 years will be an attack by an adversary on the American homeland which could produce thousands of casualties. To deal with this threat, the commission calls for a major reorganization of the U.S. national security apparatus. The changed security environment and the changed threat to American society suggest a fundamental rethinking of the organizations designed to achieve national security. Phase 1 – New World Coming: American Security in the 21st Century was the first report completed by the Commission (July 1998 – August 1999). This Report is dedicated to understanding how the world will likely evolve over the next 25 years. It describes global trends in scientific, technological, economic, socio-political and military security domains and the interplay of these developments on U.S. national security. Pro: The nation has a better understanding of the global effects that affecting America; therefore, it helps better preparation the nation to tackle any upcoming obstacles. Con: With the advanced technology development, more dangerous weapons are being developed. Phase 2: Seeking a National Strategy: A Concert for Preserving Security and Promoting Freedom (August 1999 – April 2000). This Report devised a U.S. national security strategy to deal with the world in 2025. The purpose of the Phase II Report is to define an American strategy based on U.S. interests and key objectives. It develops a strategy for America to secure the benefits of a more integrated world to expand freedom, security, and prosperity and to dampen the forces of instability. Pro: The development assisted in strengthens our security to safeguard our  nation. Con: In order to tighten our national security, the general public somewhat has to scarify levels of privacy. Phase 3 – Roadmap for National Security: Imperative for Change (April 2000 – February 2001). This Report recommended significant and comprehensive institutional and procedural changes throughout the Executive and Legislative Branches in order to meet the challenges of 2025. Pro: The creation of the Department of Homeland Security marks a significant step forward for the United States in addressing the threat posed by terrorism within its borders. Con: The recommendation of significant restructuring to re-align government offices, branches, and procedures with the global realities, we are giving more power to the government to change the structure of our nation; how one can be certain this will lead to positive outcome. Reference Lathrop, C., & Eaglen, M. M. The Institute of Land Warfare, (2001). The commission on national security/21st century: A hart-rudman commission primer (NSW 01-2)

Historical Problems on Augusts essays

Historical Problems on Augusts essays Historical Problems in the Original Works on Caesar Augustus As a history student progresses through his/her studies, there reaches a certain point where the student achieves an adequate level of advancement. A history student or any student for that matter, often achieves their primary base of knowledge of past events through modern sources. An advanced history student at one point becomes aware of the subjectivity of modern views of the ancient past. There are often gray areas where the original facts of any given history are questionable. One such subject which contains much ambiguity is the ancient history of Rome. Countless modern sources are available, yet all these modern, or secondary sources base their knowledge on original, or primary sources written nearly two centuries ago. Specifically, the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus, which lasted from 31 BC to 14 AD, contains some elements of ambiguity. While most ancient sources on Augustus are generally accurate for the most part, there are still certain questions that modern scholars debate over. In the following essay, I will present the historical problems relating to the emperor Augustus. While I will try to remain as objective as possible, I will offer my own thoughts or opinions on these ambiguous areas. Any opinions I have below are not completely original ideas, for these questions have been debated thoroughly by modern Roman scholarsa couple of which my opinions are heavily influenced by. I will note the The first historical problem I found is the vagueness on the nature of the relationship between Augustus and Julius Caesar. Caesar was the great uncle of Augustus. Caesar was impressed with Augustus at an early age. Cassius Dio, in his History of Rome claims the following: Caesar....enrolled him among the patricians, and trained him for the rule, carefully educating him in all the...

Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, GA. His birth certificate listed his first name as Michael, but this was later changed to Martin. His Grandfather and then his Father both served as the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. King graduated from Morehouse College in 1948 with a degree in Sociology. He further received a Bachelors of Divinity in 1951 and then a Ph.D. from Boston College in 1955. It was in Boston where he met and later married Coretta Scott. They had two sons and two daughters together. Becoming a Civil Rights Leader: Martin Luther King, Jr. was appointed the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in 1954. It was while serving as pastor of the church that Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This occurred on December 1, 1955. By December 5, 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott had begun. Montgomery Bus Boycott: On December 5, 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was unanimously elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association which led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. During this time, African-Americans refused to ride the public bus system in Montgomery. Kings home was bombed due to his involvement. Thankfully his wife and baby daughter who were home at the time were unharmed. King was then arrested in February on the charges of conspiracy. The boycott lasted 382 days. At the end on December 21, 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation on public transportation was illegal. Southern Christian Leadership Conference: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was formed in 1957 and King was named its leader. Its goal was to provide leadership and organization in the fight for civil rights. He used the ideas of civil disobedience and peaceful protests based on the writings of Thoreau and the actions of Mohandas Gandhi to lead the organization and the fight against segregation and discrimination. Their demonstrations and activism helped lead to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Letter from a Birmingham Jail: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a major part of many nonviolent protests as he helped lead the fight for desegregation and equal rights. He was arrested numerous times. In 1963, numerous sit-ins were staged in Birmingham, Alabama to protest segregation in restaurants and eating facilities. King was arrested during one of these and while he was imprisoned wrote his famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail. In this letter, he argued that only through visible protests would progress be made. He argued that it was an individuals duty to protest and disobey unjust  laws. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" Speech On August 28, 1963, the March on Washington led by King and other Civil Rights Leaders took place. It was the largest demonstration of its kind in Washington, D.C. up to that time and approximately 250,000 demonstrators were involved. It was during this March that King gave his awe-inspiring I Have a Dream speech while speaking from the Lincoln Memorial. He and the other leaders then met with President John F. Kennedy. They asked for many things including an end to segregation in public schools, greater protections for African-Americans, and more effective civil rights legislation amongst other things. Nobel Peace Prize In 1963, King was named Time Magazines Man of the Year. He had stepped onto the world stage. He met with Pope Paul VI in 1964 and then was honored as the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded this on December 10, 1964, at the age of thirty-five. He gave the entire amount of the prize money to help with the Civil Rights movement. Selma, Alabama On March 7, 1965, a group of protestors attempted a march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery. King was not part of this march because he had wanted to delay its start date until the 8th. However, the march was extremely important because it was met by terrible police brutality that was captured on film. The images of this made a huge impact on those not directly involved in the fight resulting in a public outcry for changes to be made. The March was attempted again, and the protestors successfully made it to Montgomery on March 25, 1965, where they heard King speak at the Capitol. Assassination Between 1965 and 1968, King continued with his protest work and fought for Civil Rights. King became a critic of the War in Vietnam. While speaking from a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated. The day before he gave a poignant speech where he said, [Gods] allowed me to go up to the mountain. And Ive looked over. And Ive seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. While James Earl Ray was arrested and charged with the assassination, there have been and still are questions to his guilt and whether there was a larger conspiracy at work.

Discussing the continuous relevance and validity of the different Assignment

Discussing the continuous relevance and validity of the different types of FOB contracts under English - Assignment Example In the first type of FOB contract, the buyer arranges for the ship and the seller boards the ship, securing a bill of lading. The second type consists of the seller getting the ship but the legality of the contract remains as in the first contract. In the last type, the seller puts the goods in the ship and gives the buyer a receipt through which he can get a bill of lading2. In the first and the second type of the FOB contracts, the seller is a party to the contract with the buyer becoming a party to the same on endorsement from the seller3. This article will discuss FOB in trying to establish the relevance and validity of FOB in the English common law. The essay will focus on FOB types as the main element of discussion. There will be vast utilization of definitions, sample cases and legal analyses. In English law, FOB contract is generally based on the first type of the contract. The seller is subject to the provision of putting the goods as agreed in the contract on to the ship, and at their expense. This is irrespective of whether the same was agreed on in the initial purchase. The law assumes that such an arrangement would have been done beforehand (Vondraceck, 2011). Basing on the discussed terms of FOB as above, there are responsibilities that belong to the buyers and the sellers, which can be used to explain the relevance of such contracts. A buyer, on paying for the goods, is obliged to nominate a vessel that will deliver the goods, bearing all the risks from the tie the goods are delivered to the ship. The seller is responsible for packaging of the goods as per the agreement and conditions. The seller is responsible for delivery and loading costs of the goods, obtaining a proof of delivery of the item and any other relatable information to the buyer. When such an arrangement is out in place, the buyer reserves his right to rejection of the said goods, if he or she feels that there was a certain breach in the agreed

See instructions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

See instructions - Essay Example This mostly occurs to most electronic products such as DVD players, refrigerators and LCDs. Again, the new product should have better attributes than the previous one for it to sell. In triability, we include products such as shampoo and lotion while with observation are products like clothes and shoes. The product life cycle in marketing is used in order to determine changes in marketing solutions. In the maturity stage, sales are normally reduced due to competition of the same products. This is the second last stage in the product life cycle. The following three categories of product should therefore be reinvented: Product pricing, product distribution and promotions. Effective marketing emphasizes on these categories due to reasons such as; customer satisfaction when it comes low prices of purchasing these products ( pride & feral 2008). Prices set for these products should not be too high such that the customers can not afford or even too low. Besides, distribution of the products ensures that they reach the target customers in a timely manner. Product promotion is also essential in marketing because this strategy promotes more sales and encourages more customers in to the purchasing

Enginering Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Enginering Science - Essay Example A. Shear Diagram: B. Moment Diagram: C. Maximum Bending Moment = 80 kN.m 2. A simply supported beam of length 10M has a concentrated load of 30kN 3m from the left hand end and another concentrated load of 50kN 3m from the right hand end. P1 a. Draw the shear force diagram. b. Draw the bending moment diagram c. Determine the maximum bending moment in the beam. d. Determine the maximum shear force. A. Shear Diagram: B. Moment Diagram: C. Maximum Bending Moment = 132 kN.m D. Maximum Shear Force = 44 kN 3. The maximum bending moment a beam can sustain is 175 x 10 6 Nmm. If the maximum stress in tension or compression is 165 N/mm2 suggest an appropriate section beam from the table in the appendix P2 Given: M = 175 x 10 6 Nmm f = 165 N/mm2 Solution: Section Modulus, Z = M / f Z = 175 x 10 6 / 165 = 1060606.061 mm3 = 1060.61 cm3 The lightest section with Z > 1060.61 is the I beam 406 x 178 with Z = 1186 cm3 4. A steel column is required to support a load with a slenderness ratio of less than 100. If the column is fixed at both ends and is 3m long, suggest a suitable section from the table in the appendix. P2 Effective length factor, k = 0.5 for fixed columns L = 300 cm Since kL/r

Importance of Customer Service in Hospitality

Importance of Customer Service in Hospitality Exceptional Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry: It’s Role in Good and Bad Times Abstract Customer satisfaction is widely acknowledged to be causal in driving repeat and new business of hospitality enterprises and is considered to be integral to their success. With the delivery of service quality being vital to customer satisfaction, hospitality enterprises make great efforts to maintain, improve and distinguish their service quality through the adoption of corporate strategies and operational policies and procedures. Recent years have seen enormous expansion in the hospitality industry and the introduction of sophisticated technology, not just in areas of computerisation and Internet, but also through the use of various applications that aim to increase the comfort, convenience and safety of guests. With competition in the industry having become intense and advances in technology having become available across the spectrum of hospitality organisations, delivery of exceptional service quality is considered crucial for achievement of competitive advantage. Again whilst the last two decades have been a period of growth for the industry, current global developments, namely the astonishing increase in prices of oil, worldwide inflation in food and commodity prices, the banking crisis, the credit squeeze, and the impending recession in the United States indicate the onset of very difficult times for the hospitality business. The spectre of lower occupancy, lesser rates, and higher costs stares the industry in its face and the prospect of an industry shakeout, accompanied by the closure of inefficient units and the survival of the fittest is imminent. Whilst such situations could possibly entail cost cutting exercises by industry members, along with reduction in services offered to guests, providing of exceptional service quality may well be vital to maintenance and improvement of competitive advantage and be the key to riding out difficult times. This dissertation investigates the phenomenon of customer service, its importance in the success of hospitality organisations, and its role during periods of economic downturn. Table of Contents Introduction A. Overview Achievement of customer satisfaction is widely accepted by business leaders and academics to be the most significant criterion for shaping the quality of products or services that are deliverable to customers, both through the actual product or service, and the corresponding service.[1] With the intensely competitive nature of the modern customer-centric business environment ensuring the elimination of businesses that dissatisfy their clients with their products/services, customer satisfaction is vital not just for corporate growth, and profitability, but for the very survival of today’s corporations.[2] Customer satisfaction, which is greatly dependent upon the quality of the customer service provided, is recognised to be critical to business success, primarily because of its role in driving future sales from both new and existing customers. Numerous studies have corroborated the theory that it costs five times the amount of time, money, and resources to attract new customers as it does to retain existing clients.[3] Losing existing clients very clearly is among the worst things that can happen to business firms. Customer satisfaction is also accepted to be one of the cheapest and most effective ways of promoting goods and services; with no form of advertising being as effective as word-of-mouth publicity and actual customer endorsements. Satisfaction strengthens affirmative feelings toward the product or service and leads to a superior probability of repurchase; dissatisfaction on the other hand leads to downbeat perceptions and reduces the probability of repeat purchases.[4] â€Å"Or as others put it: if consumers are satisfied with a product or brand, they will be more likely to continue to purchase and use it and to tell others of their favourable experience with it if they are dissatisfied, they will be more likely to switch brands and complain to manufacturers, retailers, and other consumers about the product.†[5] Achieving high levels of customer satisfaction poses intense business challenges because of the ambiguity embedded in the concept as well as because of its abstract nature. With the actual manifestation of the level of satisfaction varying both between individuals, and between products and services, satisfaction levels depend upon a range psychological and physical variables that evidence positive correlation with behaviours indicative of satisfaction, like repeat purchase and recommendation rate.[6] Such levels of satisfaction can also depend on other options available to customers and on the qualities of other products or services against which the organisation’s products or services can be compared.[7] Despite the very broad range of parameters involved in its assessment and determination, customer satisfaction is overly dependent upon, related to, and driven by customer service. â€Å"Substantial empirical and theoretical evidence in the literature suggests that there is a direct link between service quality and behavioural intentions (Bitner, 1990; Bolton and Drew, 1991a). Among the various behavioural intentions, considerable emphasis has been placed on the impact of service quality in determining repeat purchase and customer loyalty (Jones and Farquhar, 2003). As pointed out by Bolton (1998), service quality influences a customer’s subsequent behaviour, intentions and preferences. When a customer chooses a provider that provides service quality that meets or exceeds his or her expectations, he or she is more likely to choose the same provider again. Besides, Cronin and Taylor (1994)† also found that service quality has a significant effect on repurchase intentions. [8] The delivery of quality service is expected to be a major challenge that is likely to confront hospitality managers in the immediate future and will be vital for achieving success in the intensely competitive modern day global markets.[9] Hospitality service experiences are overly complex because they range from the exceedingly trivial to the extremely vital.[10] They differ to a great extent in their character and may be straightforward or multifaceted, standard or bespoke, low or high technology, distant or responsive, little or highly skilled, or recurrent or infrequent.[11] They can furthermore concern the execution of obligatory utilitarian actions or can involve grand and highly-strung hospitality events.Hospitality encounters, as distinct from material products or pure services, consist of a fusion of products and services, and satisfaction, (in such situations), represents the sum total of satisfactions with the individual traits of all the products and services that make up the experience.[12] B. Elaboration of Problem The last few decades have witnessed enormous growth in the hospitality industry. Driven by a range of technological, social, economic, and political developments like the tremendous advances achieved in communication technology, the ever-increasing use of the internet, the breakdown of the Soviet Union, the formation of the European Union, the crumbling of travel barriers, economic liberalisation across countries, the proliferation of budget airlines, cheaper travel, and the opening of numerous new travel and tourism destinations, the hospitality industry has expanded like never before and that too across the world. New hotels, new restaurants, new resorts and new spas have mushroomed in near and distant locations to provide people with numerous hospitality options. Whilst the industry has been buffeted by events like the September 11 bombings, the London Tube explosions, and the SARS and Bird Flu epidemics, the steadily increasing economic affluence in the western countries, as also in the countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim, in the last two decades, has ensured that such setbacks were overcome and the hospitality sector remained vibrant and prosperous. Such a period of inexhaustible growth now appears to be coming to an end. With oil prices having neared USD 140 per barrel and currently hovering at around USD 125, the days of cheap air travel appear to be irrevocably over. Whilst local and international airlines had started ringing alarm bells when the price of oil crossed USD 70 per barrel last year, the events of the last few months have shaken up the whole airline and travel and tourism industry, cast doubts on the survival of several airlines, and led to the cancellation of thousands of airline bookings and hotel reservations. Apart from the price of oil, the disastrous denouement to the risky home mortgage policies adopted by major international banks, followed by thousands of home loan bankruptcies, billions of dollars in banking industry losses and a credit squeeze on business and personal lending have also contributed to the onset of a recession in the USA. The deepening recession in the United States, the biggest global consumer of goods and services, accompanied by cut downs in jobs and mortgage bankruptcies, is bringing in a global economic downturn that is expected to bring extremely difficult times for the hospitality industry, not just in the United States but also in the UK and in other countries. â€Å"More than one in three hospitality businesses in the UK are feeling less confident about economic prospects over the next 12 months than they do now, according to research launched by American Express. The survey also found that overall confidence has decreased in the last 12 months, with only 29% feeling more confident about the economic environment, down from 38% in 2007. Among hoteliers the number feeling confident has dropped to 34% from 41% a year ago. In comparison for restaurateurs the figure is only 24%, a fall of 10%. For pubs the picture is similar with only 20% stating that they feel more confident about the economic prospects facing their businesses over the next year than they do today.†[13] Whilst the probability of a shakeout in the industry seems to be imminent many veterans in the business appear confident of riding it out on the strength of enhanced customer service and total customer experience. â€Å"Kathryn Pretzel-Shiels, Head of Hotels and Restaurants at American Express explains: ‘Like any other the hospitality sector is not immune to prevailing economic conditions, so it comes as no surprise that Britains hospitality industry feels more circumspect about business prospects than it did last year. The economy is forcing the agenda to a certain extent but the industry is fighting back. There are still opportunities to make money by providing a quality product and memorable service, as consumers are still willing to dine out and are doing it more than ever before.’†[14] A hotel chain like the Ritz Carlton, (the winner of two Baldridge quality awards and a byword in the area of service quality), which has weathered several economic downturns and has yet grown from strength to strength over the years, provides an outstanding example of the importance of exceptional service quality. â€Å"The Ritz-Carlton is well-known for providing consistent service throughout all of its properties. The company began its commitment to quality in 1983 with such simple touches as fresh flowers throughout its hotels, white ties and aprons, and gourmet cuisine. It also established its Gold Standards for customer service—which include its credo, motto, employee promise, three steps of service, and the 12 service values—leading the company to repeatedly outperform its competition, increase customer loyalty (the average guest spends $250,000 at a Ritz over his lifetime), and win the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award twice†[15] Whilst the Ritz Carlton is of course the most well known example of a customer-centric and service quality oriented organisation in the hospitality industry, a number of other establishments like the Four Seasons, the Mandarin Oriental, The Marriott and the Red Carnation provide brilliant examples of how focus on exceptional customer service can increase the competitive advantage of organisations and ensure performance, business and profitability during the worst of times. On the flip side, whilst most business managers are aware of the need to maintain if not improve quality during economic downturns, the actual picture on the ground becomes significantly different in many establishments; where quality programmes are cut down or even abandoned; very often at the cost of quality. â€Å"When economic troubles loom, weve found the usual knee-jerk reaction is to sacrifice programs associated with quality and the customer experience training, quality assurance and mystery shopping programs, guest research, etc.†[16] C. Determination of Objective With the price of oil showing no sign of rebating to previously unimaginable levels of 80-90 US dollars per barrel and the global economy caught in a cleft stick; of severe inflation in prices of food as well as commodities like steel and cement on one side and an impending and long-lasting recession in the United States on the other, all indications point to difficult economic times and squeezes on travelling, holidays, discretionary spending, hotel accommodation and restaurant visits. One of the most important routes to achieving competitive advantage in such difficult and worrying situations is through enhancement of customer service quality to superior levels and improvement of hospitality experiences of customers, not only when compared to previous experiences in the same establishment, but also in comparison with that available elsewhere. Whilst the truth behind this theory is widely accepted and beyond doubt, embattled organisations, challenged by dropping revenue figures, higher costs and lesser margins, frequently adopt the opposite route, taking action to reduce and even abandon quality improvement programmes and actions in order to effect organisational economies and cost savings. This study aims to examine the components of customer service with special emphasis on the hospitality industry and the ways and means in which it can be enhanced in times of economic downturn to increase the competitive advantage of organisations. 2. Literature Review A. Service Quality The key objective of organisational and marketing strategies of business firms in today’s intensely competitive and fast changing business environment is to make profits and further organisational growth. Customer satisfaction, quality and retention have become global management imperatives that are important for all organisations. With the maturing of different industry sectors high quality service has increasingly become an important tool in business success. The hospitality industry and its various components, mainly different types of hotels and restaurants, are certainly not exempt from the challenges of increased competition or rising consumer expectations of quality. Researchers have defined service quality in different ways â€Å"There are many researchers who have defined service quality in different ways. For instance, Bitner, Booms and Mohr define service quality as ‘the consumer’s overall impression of the relative inferiority / superiority of the organisation and its services’. While other researchers view service quality as a form of attitude representing a long-run overall evaluation, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry defined service quality as ‘a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions’. This has appeared to be consistent with Roest and Pieters’ definition that service quality is a relativistic and cognitive discrepancy between experience-based norms and performances concerning service benefits.†[17] Other researchers have conceptualised customer satisfaction as â€Å"an individual’s feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a product’s perceived performance (or outcome) in relation to his or her expectations.†[18] Conceptualisations of satisfaction are of two main types, i.e. transaction-specific satisfaction and cumulative satisfaction, transaction specific satisfaction being the customer’s evaluation of his or her experience and reactions to a particular service encounter and cumulative satisfaction being the customer’s overall evaluation of the consumption experience to date [19] The satisfaction level of a service encounter arises from differences between the expectations of customers and the actual experience from the provided services, the perceptions of service encounters being vital factors in creating long-term loyalty, customer satisfaction and quality awareness.[20] Whilst the Nordic conceptualisation of service quality was developed in the mid 1980s by Gronroos and emphasised the role of technical and functional quality on service encounters, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry developed a new model of service quality, called the SERVQUAL model in 1988.[21] The SERVQUAL model has five dimensions, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurances, and tangibles, which together form a basis to measure, quantify, and assess the service experience and to determine the ways in which the viewed and expected service would influence the perceived service quality. Reliability is the ability to perform the promised services dependably and accurately. Responsiveness is the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance is the knowledge and courtesy of employees as well as their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy is the provision of caring, individualised attention to customers. Tangibles are the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials.[22] The SERVQUAL model views service quality to be the gap between the expectations of customers (E) and their perceptions of the performance (P) of the service providers. â€Å"According to Parasuraman et al. (1985), service quality should be measured by subtracting customers perception scores from customer expectation scores (Q = P  ± E). The greater the positive score represents the greater the positive amount of service quality or vice versa.†[23] Whilst the model has been the subject of criticism, mainly because of its inadequacy in quantifying and thus in measuring expectations of service from customers, it has nevertheless been used as the basis for investigation by other researchers who have developed modified versions of the model. Despite the essentially theoretical nature of the models discussed above most quality conscious organisations take actions across a wide front of organisational activities to follow their underlying principles and take actions for minimisation of negative customer perceptions and strengthening of positive hospitality experiences. â€Å"Companies that achieve high levels of customer satisfaction display a zeal for superior service from the very top of the organization chart. This dedication constitutes the foundation of customer-centricity. Without the values and culture that leaders inspire, none of the other principles can be effective for long. Customer-centric values and culture inform the hiring process and animate the systems of training and rewards. Instilling values of this sort may be the ultimate test of leadership. Leaders of customer-centric companies clearly articulate what kind of organisational culture they want and consistently sell employeeson its key principles, leaving no doubt about the significance that members of senior management attach to customer-centricity. More important than communications, however, is the leaders’ willingness to take action when the primacy of high-quality service is challenged.[24] B. Routes to Achievement of Exceptional Service Quality The relationship between quality of service and successful hospitality establishments is frequently noticed but rarely recognised as a causal relationship. Reppa and Hersh (2007) report that interviews with 40 executives of truly successful companies operating in intensely competitive environments during a study by Booz Allen suggest that these organisations are distinguished by superb levels of service, which very often are viewed not just as being integral to the organisations but also as their important differentiators. Most such companies consciously route their organisations towards customer-centric behaviour and constant enhancement of service quality. Companies known for high levels of customer satisfaction exhibit an enthusiasm for providing better service from the very summit of the organisation.[25] This commitment makes up the basis of customer-centricity. Corporate strategies that are exclusive of the principles and mores of their leaders cannot really be effectual for long. Customer-centric values and traditions drive the recruitment processes of such companies, provide vitality to training, motivation and reward systems; experts state that building value systems of this type can well prove to be the definitive criterion of leadership. Leaders of such businesses are eloquent about their requirements of organisational culture and leave no doubt about the importance they attach to service quality.[26] Whilst most organisations by and large follow their own strategies for achieving of exceptional service quality, certain principles, policies, and strategies are important for the continued success of all hospitality organisations. i. Human Resource Policies Whilst strong HR policies are accepted to be utmost importance for achievement of high levels of service quality, especially so in the hospitality industry where interaction between organisational employees and guests occur at various points, actual HR practices leave much to be desired in many establishments, and much of the hospitality industry, especially in the middle level and economy level hotels and restaurant segments, is characterised by low wages, part-time workers and high turnover.[27] This is especially true of the London budget hotel and restaurant segment, which is peopled by workers from East Europe and Asia, many of whom are paid low wages, have essentially temporary jobs, and are weak in communicating in English. Staff turnover in many hospitality establishments is often as high as 100 %.[28] Hotels Chains like the Marriott, the Four Seasons, and the Ritz Carlton, on the other hand, are obsessed with issues concerning employee selection, training, remuneration, and retention, believing and very rightly so, that the quality of service is predominantly dependent upon employee calibre. [29]Such organisations populate their establishments with superior staff who are specifically chosen for their natural predispositions for caring for people. The Marriott recruitment philosophy of â€Å"get (ting) it right, first time† conceals a complex and well thought out strategy of recruiting people with great care in order to provide for near perfect fits. Again most such establishments pay as much attention to training, motivating and developing employees as they do to selecting and recruiting them.[30] â€Å"Ritz-Carlton uses a process that may set the standard for methodical rigor. It evaluates each applicant using scientific, behaviour-based assessment tools developed by the human resources consulting firm Talent+, tools derived from statistical analysis of top performers’ behavioural characteristics in each job category. Potential hires are tested both for cultural fit and for traits associated with customer service excellence, including what Ritz calls an innate ‘passion to serve.’ Says John Timmerman, vice president for quality and program management: ‘The smile has to come naturally.’† [31] The interview process furthermore requires candidates to spend time with hotel staff whilst they operate on their regular functions, giving prospective employees a practical picture of the rigours and responsibilities involved in the job and the opportunity to withdraw in case of any apprehensions or misgivings. With in-house company research indicating that wrongly recruited employees could cost the organisation many times their annual salary, the Ritz tries out initiatives like these to minimise attrition. The company’s staff turnover, which is less than 15 % of the industry average, adds, both to stability and to profitability. [32] ii. Essential Areas of Focus Whilst service quality is integral to customer satisfaction, its delivery, in the hospitality industry and elsewhere, is essentially multifaceted and subjective, and thus far more challenging than product quality. The issue has become more complex because of the fact that whilst hospitality clients have until now been satisfied with basic and fundamentally simple products and services, the technological advances of recent years have introduced new dimensions of comfort and convenience that have come to be regarded as part of high quality service.[33] Despite a plethora of innovative products, services and technologies now available in hotels, people still share a basic set of requirements critical to their experience. The top five factors that drive loyalty across all industry segments are (a) value for price, (b) room cleanliness, (c) employees â€Å"can do† attitude, (d) friendliness of the front desk staff, and (e) comfortable bed and furniture. [34] These factors play key roles in the provisioning of service quality and all successful hotels are fanatical about issues like guest comfort, cleanliness, and housekeeping. At the Mandarin Oriental, which won the highest ranking for Housekeeping in the Market Metrix Hospitality Index ranking for 2006, Barsky and Nash state that customers expressed their appreciation on various facets of housekeeping services like twice a day turndown of sheets and carefully chosen flowers. iii. Technological Advances and Service Quality Recent times have seen incredible progress in technical knowledge, expertise, and know-how, and their use in across almost all areas of human action. Hardware technology, software development and the expansion of the World Wide Web have provided new facets to the hospitality sector. Technological development has led to improvement in efficiencies, reduction of expenses, heightening of customer satisfaction, expansion of revenues, and increase in competitive advantage of members of the hospitality industry. The emergence and the progressive adoption of the Internet by millions of individuals across the world has opened up new dimensions in human connectivity and influenced the actions of all business sectors. â€Å"The Internet, as a collection of interconnected computer networks, provides free exchanging of information. Over 400 millions of computers on more

stop spanking: save the children Essay examples -- essays research pap

Spanking has been used for many years and it must come to an end. Also known as corporal punishment, spanking is most often used as a form of discipline. Although it is said to have some benefits, the negative consequences far outweigh the good. According to Dr. Wilson and Dr. Lyon, â€Å"physical punishment delivered in anger with the intent to cause pain is unacceptable and dangerous to the health and well being of the child.†( Guidance for Effective Discipline, online) It is important for spanking to stop because it is ineffective, causes more problems and because there are other options to consider. While many parents are still spanking their children when they are being naughty, they do not stop to consider how effective this method is. Is this method really working? A question Dr. Phil McGraw asks is: what does a child learn by being hit?(Three Questions to Ask Before Spanking, online) The answer to this question is different for every child, but in many instances you are telling your child that violence is acceptable and that it is an okay way to react when you’re mad .(Three Questions to Ask Before Spanking, online) Although commonly used throughout households with children, not much can be said for spanking’s long term success. To begin with, the only way to maintain the original effect of spanking, is to increase the force with which it is delivered. This can quickly escalate into abuse. (Guidance for Effective Discipline, online) Using spanking as a method can turn into a quick fix whenever the child misbehaves, rather than using other rational techniques fo r each scenario. Finally, positive reinforcement and other discipline techniques are more difficult to implement when spanking has been used as a primary method of discipline. (Guidance for Effective Discipline, online) As might be expected, the lack of effectiveness also leads to negative consequences and more problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continued use of spanking can lead to some harmful effects and long lasting negative lessons. It is common knowledge that children learn from what they are taught. What lessons would the like our child to learn from spanking? According to L.D. Eron, â€Å"spanking models aggressive behavior as a solution to conflict and has been associated with the increased aggression in preschool and school children.† (Guidance for Effective Discipline, online) The c... ...ful. Spanking must stop, because no child should die at the hands of their parents. Works Cited Cohen P. â€Å"How can generative theories of effective punishment be tested?† Pediatrics 1996; 98:834-836 Graziano AM, â€Å"Subabusive Violence in Child Rearing in Middle-class American Families.† Pediatrics 1996; 98:845-848 Eron Ld â€Å"Research and public policy†. Pediatrics 1996; 98:821-823 McGraw, Phil M.D. â€Å"Age-Appropriate Discipline Techniques†[Online].Available http://www.drphil.com/advice/advice_landing.jhtml?section=Parenting (accessed July 4, 2005) McGraw, Phil M.D. â€Å"Spanking Research†[Online].Available http://www.drphil.com/advice/advice_landing.jhtml?section=Parenting (accessed July 4, 2005) McGraw, Phil M.D. â€Å"Three Questions to Ask Before Spanking†[Online].Available http://www.drphil.com/advice/advice_landing.jhtml?section=Parenting (accessed July 4, 2005) Strauss Murray PhD et al. â€Å"Spanking by Parents and Subsequent Antisocial Behavior of Children.† Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescents Medicine 1997 Wilson DR, Lyman RD â€Å"Time-out in the treatment of childhood behaviour problems: implementation and research issues† Child Family Behaviour Therapy 1982; 4: 5-20

Justin Anson Distillery, Inc Essay

Justin Anson Distillery, Inc. is a company that produces quality whiskey and distributes their product throughout America. The company has recently has been trying to expand and increase their production. In order to increase their production they need to obtain more barrels in which they can age their whiskey for the necessary 4 years. This is going to incur the company many more costs in their production and also increase their inventory levels. It is now the firm’s dilemma how to report these new costs so their financial statements are accurate but also reflect the growth they are attempting. It is also important that the companies financial statements reflect will upon the company so they can obtain new loans from the bank to fund their growth. Question Analysis Assuming Anson decided to charge barrel costs (but not warehousing and aging costs) to inventory, what 2012 income statement and balance sheet items would change, and what would the new amounts be? (Assume no change in work-in-process inventory) Charging barrel costs to inventory would increase the operating income on the income statement and increase the amount of assets on the balance sheet. Both of these values would increase or decrease by the amount of the cost of the barrels, which in 2012 was $4,366. This would increase current assets from $21,813 to $26,179, and the operating income would increase to $6,883. If Anson’s suggestion of including all warehousing and aging costs in inventory were accepted, how would the 2012 financial statements be affected? (Assume no change in work-in-process inventory.) The 2012 financial statements would look drastically different if this were the case. Originally the costs charged to cost of goods sold was much greater in 2012 because the extra barrel costs were charged to this account. If they were charged to inventory instead of the cost of goods sold, the company will show a much greater profit. It will also lead to a build of inventory though and the assets of the company will increase dramatically and that will show up in the financials on the balance sheet. In your opinion, what costs should be included in Anson’s inventory when preparing financial statements to be submitted to Valley National Bank? The first thing that the company should do is checking the ethics of any accounting changes they are planning on making. If it is found that charging these costs to inventory could cause their statements to not meet standards then the changes cannot even be considered. However, if it is acceptable, it would be in the company’s best interest to charge only barrel costs to inventory. This would allow them to still control their inventory levels by allowing them to control how many barrels they want to purchase. Also, the financial statements will still show operating profits because the cost of barrels not being used as a part of sales wont show up in the costs of goods sold section of the income statement. By including this cost in inventory the company can still report favorable numbers and control their inventory in order to minimize the negative effects of inventory build-up that could hurt their financials in the future.

Cheque Truncation

IBM Business Consulting Services Indian Cheque Truncation Initiative Key challenges for Indian Banks Ravi Trivedy IBM Business Consulting Services deeper deeper  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services The Indian Cheque Scenario – an IBM Point-of-View Cheque volumes will continue to increase for the next 5-7 years – All parties involved have strong reasons to continue to promote check usage Banks – significant revenue flows are tied to the use of checks Slow consumer adoption of electronic payments – cheques are free + Perception of safetyMerchants, Corporates, Governments, and Non Banking Financial Institutions – due to lack of cheap, convenient alternatives and because many accounts payable and receivable systems are designed around checks.  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services Image based processing of cheques in India present several challenges – which all add up to the cost for t he banking industry Geographical spread & volumes impact speed of physical movement of paper (specially inter-city) Multiple languages & scripts Multiple handling due to current processes in ranches – high rejects in an imaging process Legal & Regulatory issues Lack of Centralized Banking systems in many banks to enable STP Potential for fraud/counterfeit cheques increases  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services The Truncation initiative will have a major impact on Payment Operations – some key recommendations Indian Model – Truncation at presenting Bank Big Bang approach – mandatory cutover for ALL Branches Each Bank to decide it’s own model – Truncation at Branch or Service Branch or Outsourced Recommendations for Banks Understand volumes, current operationsDevelop strategy & optimized operations architecture in a truncation environment Define new processes (focus on mitigating operational risk) Re-define clear ing operations & organization  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services RBI’s Working Committee on Cheque Truncation has recommended truncation at the presenting bank itself, to maximize efficiency PRESENTING BANK Big Branches DRAWEE BANK Core Core Banking Banking System System Branch Capture Data and Image One Pass readers for MICR Data, Greyscale & Bitonal Images Front & Back UID assignedAt Teller/Behind Teller Real-time/Batch Intra-Branch Intra-Branch Cheque Clearing Cheque Clearing Clearing House System House System House IMAGE & MICR ARCHIVAL PKI enabled CLEARING CLEARING CLEARING HOUSE HOUSE SYSTEM SYSTEM SYSTEM IMAGE & MICR ARCHIVAL 3 Months + 8 Years Browser based access to images for Banks & Customers Images, MICR,UID2 Clearing House Interface Clearing House Interface Service Branch Service Branch Or Or Or Outsourced Service Center Outsourced Service Center Outsourced Small Branches Images, MICR,UID MIS MIS Signature Signature Verification Verification CustomerCustomer Statements Statements IMAGE & MICR ARCHIVAL  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services Reduced costs, improved customer service and increased flexibility will drive each Bank’s imaging decision Value realization will differ from Bank to Bank New offers of value to customers Reduced costs from re-engineered check exchange practices REALIZED VALUE Reduced costs via productivity enhancements and fraud reduction Near-term customer service enhancement 2005 2006 2007 TIME 2008 2009 2010  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting ServicesWith RTGS and Cheque truncation, Banks will potentially lose a large income leverage The truncation initiative will re-define business models Loss of float Additional cost of infrastructure & Operations Recommendation for Banks Develop a fee based product strategy to offset losses – from customers, from secondary banks†¦. differentiated service models Re-engineer Ca sh Management services for Corporates Create an optimized cost model for Operations – build and operate OR outsource? Utilize the opportunity to image inter-branch cheques to improve customer service & reduce paper process costs Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services Technology choices and implementation models will create differentiation in services and operational costs†¦ Each Bank’s defined operating model is directly related to it’s technology choices, implementation options and costs At each Branch vs. at a service Branch Smaller cities in a region? Remote Branches? Certification of Operations is a must! Recommendations for Banks Analysis of current and expected cheque volume patterns should drive future model Optimize model with a mix and match – inhouse + outsourceSelect Open Architectures to enable backwards integration Security, BCP and Operations Management are CRITICAL  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Busine ss Consulting Services Cheque Processing and IBM – A summary view Over 90% of the 40B US cheques issued yearly are processed with IBM Solutions â€Å"VIEWPOINTE† – Bank of America, JPMChase & IBM Joint Venture for Cheque Processing Centers +1 Billion new items stored monthly +5. 1 Million image retrievals daily Storage space occupies 2. 8 PB of data In India, the Reserve Bank uses IBM Solutions for its high speed clearing operationsIBM manages Cheque clearing/processing Operations in over 12 countries Partnering with BCSIS for Cheque solutions for Banks in India Complete end-to-end CHS functionality (Applications, Infrastructure, Integration, Operations Management, Outsourcing Service Centers) Totally compliant with RBI directives, PKI security enabled Based on Open Standards – enables easy integration to Core Systems  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services IBM uses its structured methodology to enable Banks to maximize their RoI from a Cheque imaging initiative 1 1 Create the VisionCreate the Vision 4 4 Review Bank Operations / Delivery strategy Review / Establish Bank Payments Strategy Obtain Stakeholder commitment 2 2 Develop Business case Develop Business case for Check applications // for Check applications image enablement image enablement Cost effectiveness vs. Business needs Time to market & competitive pressures Identify Applications Systems, Storage & Network Architectures 5 5 Create Implementation Plan Create Implementation Plan Application & integration priorities Rational steps Business Process & Organization Reengineering Coincidence with industry initiativesApplications Setup & Test Applications Setup & Test Setup, configure and Customise applications Integrate with Core Systems, PKI Infrastructure Integrated and User Testing Develop Training program & materials Develop Operations model & timelines Develop infrastructure cost model Develop Operational cost model Develop products & revenue plan 3 3 Develop Infrastructure Plan Develop Infrastructure Plan 6 6 Manage Implementation Manage Implementation Program Management – Process, Change Implement connectivity Establish Organization – Process, IT Training Implement & Test Security for Certification Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services Summary – Maximize your opportunities from the Cheque Truncation initiative Well prepared Banks will benefit greatly from the Cheque truncation initiative New Opportunities Improve Customer Services New Product Offerings Product Differentiation Cross-selling Revenue Higher Efficiency Fraud Savings Productivity savings Operational cost reduction Reduction in call volumes & follow-up  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003 IBM Business Consulting Services Thank You ravi. [email  protected] ibm. com deeper deeper  © Copyright IBM Corporation 2003