Target for Overnight Rate

The target for the overnight rate-the main tool used by the Bank of Canada to conduct  monetary policy. The Bank carries out monetary policy by influencing short-term interest rates. It does this by raising and lowering the target for the overnight rate. The overnight rate is the interest rate at which major  financial  institutions borrow and lend one day funds among themselves; the Bank sets a target level for that rate. This target for the overnight rate is often referred to as the Bank's  key interest rate  or  key policy rate.Changes in the target for the overnight rate influence other interest rates, such as those for consumer  loans  and mortgages. They can also affect the exchange  of the Canadian dollar. In November 2000, the Bank introduced a system of eight fixed dates each year on which it announces whether or not it will change the key policy rate. The Target for the Overnight Rate is the main tool used by the Bank of Canada to conduct monetary policy f or this reason, it is also known as the policy interest rate.It tells major financial institutions the average interest rate that the Bank wants to see in the market where they lend each other money overnight. When the Bank changes the Target for the Overnight Rate, this change affects other interest rates in the economy. Canada’s major financial institutions routinely borrow and lend money overnight among themselves, in order to cover their transactions at the end of the day. Through the Large Value Transfer System (LVTS), these institutions conduct large transactions with each other electronically.At the end of the day, they need to settle with each other. One bank may have funds left over, while another bank may need money. The trading in funds that allows all institutions to cover their transactions at the end of the day takes place in the overnight market. The interest rate charged on those loans is called the overnight rate. The transmission mechanism of monetary policy The transmission mechanism is the complex chain of cause and effect that runs from the Bank of Canada's actions to changes in asset prices, aggregate demand, the output gap and, eventually, inflation.Among economists, there is some debate about the nature of the transmission mechanism. Engert and Selody (1998), for example, emphasize the important distinction between the passive-money and active-money views of the transmission mechanism and argue that the possibility of making policy errors can be reduced by paying attention to both views. Even among those who agree on the broad nature of the mechanism, there is recognition of considerable uncertainty regarding the timing and quantitative importance of specific linkages.A collection of speeches and research papers published by the Bank of Canada (1996) provides a mainstream  view  of the transmission mechanism. The transmission mechanism is best understood by tracing through the effects of a hypothetical policy decision. For ex ample, consider a situation akin to that in the autumn of 2004, when the Bank had good reason to expect that the solid economic recovery occurring both in Canada and in the global economy would create pressures for Canadian inflation to rise over the coming months. In this case, the Bank's policy response was to raise its target for the overnight interest rate.

Describe and evaluate one social psychological theory of aggression? Essay

Deindividualisation is when someone loses their sense of identity and engages themselves in immoral things. The theory of deindividualisation suggests that when an individual is involved in a crowd they act like the crowd i.e. such as football hooligans. Just as the saying goes you are what you wear or eat can be applied here i.e. you are upon what your crowd or peers are upon.  Le Bon proposed that there were a number of factors that lead an individual to become psychologically transformed in a crowd. One being remaining anonymous in the crowd i.e. when you’re around a lot of people you are unlikely to be spotted. Zimbardo however argued with Le Bon saying that deindividualisation is a result of reduced responsibility, increased arousal, sensory overload and altered consciousness. Research study into deindivialistion – Zimbardo prison experiment  Aim:  To investigate whether situational or dispositional factors are what make us aggressive.  Procedure: 24 emotionally stable men were recruited There were 2 groups one was guards and the other one was prisoners.  Ã‚  Zimbardo changed the identity of prisoners by giving them numbers, and being referred to by numbers.  Zimbardo also changed the identity of guards by making them wear military clothes. They carried whistles, handcuffs etc†¦ Findings:  Ã‚  Even though the environment was artificial guards and prisoners still obeyed and reacted brutal.  Situational rather than dispositional because they were normal caring men.  AO2 – Evaluation of Zimbardo et al study  Ã‚  High ecological validity due to the fact that the environment and the behaviour were realistic. Even though the set up was artificial, the aggression or a loss of identity was rather bizarre even though all men knew it’s a fake set up.  Study showed high extremes of aggression and behaviour when identity is lost. Negative  Unethical because extreme harm either verbal or physical was afflicted.  Sample was unrepresantable because it only included men.  AO1  Research into Deindiviualistion – Diener et al – trick or treat experiment.  Aim:  to investigate whether children steal, when in groups or individually. Procedure:  Ã‚  27 women were asked to give 1000 sweets to children during Halloween night  Ã‚  Some of the children were on their own while others were in groups.  Ã‚  The women would open the door and pretend that a phone call came and instruct strictly for the children to only take one sweet each  Ã‚  A hidden observer saw whether they obeyed. Findings:  children were more likely to steal in a group when they are left anonymous.  AO2 – Evaluation of experiment  Positive  High ecological validity because experiment was done in a real environment and a large sample was used.  Negative  Only children were used, would adults do the same?  Study only showed stealing little minor stuff such as sweets, would it be same for instance in bank robbery?   

Why Shift Attention To Second Generation Biofuels Environmental Sciences Essay

Second coevals biofuels are made from biomass-to-liquid engineerings, specifically cellulosic ethyl alcohol and Fischer-Tropsch gasification, and are intended to utilize lignocellulosic biomass. These engineerings are non by now commercially accessible. A figure of companies submit to some agro-fuel engineerings utilizing already bing provender stocks like palm oil or rapeseed oil as ‘second coevals ‘ like Neste Oil ‘s NExBTL Diesel, that consumes hard-hitting hydrogenation of fatty acids.Shift FROM FIRST GENERATION TO SECOND GENERATION BIO FUELSMany of the issues linked with 1st-generation biofuels can be sought out by the devising of biofuels which are manufactured from agricultural and forest left over ‘s and besides from non-food harvest provender stocks. Ligno-cellulosic feedstock is formed from specializer energy harvests grown on cultivable land, and at that place rather a few apprehensivenesss remain over viing land usage, although energy end products are expected to be high than if harvests grown for 1st-generation biofuels are produced on the same dirt. Additionally hapless quality land could besides possibly be utilized by the usage of 2nd coevals bio fuels.FEED STOCK YIELD AND ESTIMATION OF LAND AREA NEEDED[ 3 ] As we can see the tabular array gives us informations of the output of provender stock that is used for the production of 2nd coevals bio fuels, and besides the land that might be required for the sum of output. These 2nd-generation biofuels are relatively immature so they must hold all right potency for cost decreases and greater than before production efficiency degrees as more clip is base on ballss and research is done. Having an influence slightly from the future oil monetary values, they are likely to go an component of the solution to the job of traveling conveyance sector to the side of more sustainable energy resources. However, cardinal proficient and economic obstructions have still to come before they can be widely deployed. [ 4 ] Feedstock used by 2nd coevals engineerings include and their output is besides shown in the undermentioned tabular array: Dedicated agricultural production ( miscanthus, grass, etc. ) Agricultural production wastes ( straw, leaves, chaffs, etc. ) Dedicated forestry production ( wood ) A forestry and wood industry wastes ( subdivisions, sawdust, etc. ) Other wood residues, green wastes, portion of family waste, etc. Low-cost harvests, forest residues, wood procedure wastes, and organic fraction of the municipal solid wastes may all be utilized as ligno-cellulosic provender stocks. In the topographic points where these stuffs are gettable, production of biofuels should be made possible with practically no auxiliary land demands or consequence on nutrient and fibre harvest production. Though in a batch of parts these sorts of remains and waste provender stocks might hold unequal handiness, and therefore turning of vegetive grasses will be indispensable as options.BIO FUEL PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERISTICSHarvesting, treating, and presenting large volumes of biomass feedstock, with a needful quality, for whole of the twelvemonth, to a biofuels production works needs cautious logistical survey predating the investing in the works and its building. The program must be to cut down production cost, the cost of reaping and the cost of conveyance. Besides it should guarantee the economic feasibleness of the undertaking. This job is often insufficiently thought of when sing 2nd-generation options. The devising of biofuels utilizing ligno-cellulosic provender stocks may be done through 2 wholly separate fabrication paths. They include the undermentioned. biochemical – where enzymes and other micro-organisms convert cellulose and hemicelluloses mechanism of the provender stocks to sugars earlier to their agitation to do ethyl alcohol Thermo-chemical – for which gasification engineerings result in a synthesis gas ( CO + H2 ) through which a immense assortment of long C concatenation biofuels can be made. For illustration man-made Diesel The mentioned are non merely types or waies to the production of 2nd coevals biofuels, assorted researches are traveling on for others and betterments. They can do biofuels points like those which are produced via the cardinal waies or others which include di-methyl quintessence, methyl alcohol, etc.ECONIMICS OF BIO FUELSOn the footing of programs of assorted organisations the development of 2nd coevals biofuels initial full commercial-scale operation will likely get down by 2012. A little piece of informations demoing figures related to production of 2nd coevals can be seen in table 1. [ 1 ] Another major difference among biochemical and thermo-chemical paths comes to be that lignin constituent is a remnant of the enzymatic hydrolysis and therefore may be utilized for power coevals or possibly warming every bit good.BIO FUEL ENERGY BALANCENormally enzyme hydrolysis can be predictable to do up to 300 cubic decimeter ethyl alcohol / dry metric ton of biomass whereas the other path could bring forth like 200 cubic decimeter of man-made Diesel as shown in Table 2 [ 1 ] . There is an about same output in footings of the energy which is approx 6.5 GJ/t biofuels is since man-made Diesel has a larger value of energy denseness in comparative to volume than ethyl alcohol. Another chief thing that is different comes to be that biochemical waies produce ethyl alcohol in comparing to the thermo-chemical way which may be used to do a assortment of longer-chain hydrocarbons utilizing the synthesis gas.Technologies USEDCellulosic ethyl alcohol: This technique uses more energy than it really intends to do. Thus, sing usage and the end product consequences of energy it performs worse than 1st coevals maize ethyl alcohol. The undermentioned diagram gives the schematic of such a production [ 5 ] . A PRACTICAL PROCESS BY WHICH CELLULOSE ETHANOL IS PRODUCED Fischer-Tropsch gasification: Fischer-Tropsch gasification is utilized largely to bring forth Diesel from coal. It is a highly energy thorough process that is at the minute non at all commercially executable. It is of inquiry that use of Fischer-Tropsch gasification on a bigger graduated table may raise dodo fuel emanations. Following is an image of first bio-refinery ( a ) that was setup [ 6 ] and a Fischer Tropsch Section in China ( B ) [ 6 ] . ( a ) Image of the 1st Bio-Refinery ( B ) Fischer Tropsch Section in China [ 7 ] Above is shown the schematic of a Fischer-Tropsch gasification procedure. This is non a concluding version of the procedure as new betterments are being done to this new engineering every twenty-four hours. But however a basic thought can be interpreted from this scheme.Outputs of Bio Fuel in FutureTo bring forth 2nd coevals biofuels a broad scope of feedstock might be utilized. In add-on, the energy required for the intent of agribusiness and feedstock production can be reduced to a great extent. In immense transition services 2nd coevals provender stocks are predictable to be aptly transformed to biofuels. But, even though a high hereafter prospective may be present, at the minute it is non up till now confirmed that 2nd coevals biofuels will be improved in public presentation energy-wise, economically and with regard to carbon. Following is an extract from the European enchiridion to which presents the use of 2nd coevals bio fuels over the coming old ages as expected [ 2 ] . SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND CO2 EMISSIONSAlternatively of utilizing dearly-won nutrient harvests to do the bio-crude, second-generation biofuels for illustration agricultural waste are used. Second-generation biofuels processs do n't hold any consequence on supplies of nutrients. But one positive point is that they are decidedly environmentally much better and sustainable than the 1st coevals biofuels. If they are wholly made commercial, these advanced biofuels engineering can easy reconstruct fossil fuels with locally made biofuels which can in bend have positive effects like: Decreasing the demand for crude oil that is imported Lowering the emanation of nursery gases therefore diminishing of CO2A content per twelvemonth Opening new occupations, countries of research and skills peculiarly on rural sides Second coevalss biofuels are non at the minute commercial because of their production engineerings being in the research and development stairss. Assortment of feed stocks may be utilized to bring forth biofuels including lignocelluloses. Second coevals biofuels are for illustration bioethanol coming from cellulosic stuff. The ‘Technology Roadmap ‘ given in the ‘Vision Report ‘ explains coming up of these biofuels in 3 stairss which are, bettering the engineerings that exist, research and development of 2nd coevals biofuels and research and development of bio-refinery thoughts.REFRENCES[ 1 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.iea.org/papers/2008/2nd_Biofuel_Gen_Exec_Sum.pdf [ 2 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.compete-bioafrica.net/publications/publ/Biofuel_Technology_Handbook_version2_D5.pdf [ 3 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //ucanr.org/repository/cao/landingpage.cfm? article=ca.v063n04p191 & A ; fulltext=yes [ 4 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.etha-plus.ch/en/technique.html [ 5 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.frost.com/prod/servlet/market-insight-top.pag? docid=145254590 [ 6 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //newenergyandfuel.com/http: /newenergyandfuel/com/2009/04/16/exploring-a-new-gasification-process/ [ 7 ] hypertext transfer protocol: //coalgasificationnews.com/tag/sasol/

United Airlines multinational finance Research Paper

United Airlines multinational finance - Research Paper Example United Airlines (UAL) is the major United States airline with the largest number of destination and passenger flights. It caters to the customers’ demand of maximum luxury and comfort during flight. It is the most in-demand airline for all employees and shareholders to invest. It is the world’s most inclusive set of connections worldwide with first-rate international gateways to Asia and Australia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. United Airlines has its base almost everywhere in the US with non-stop or one-stop services. Its fleets are the most fuel-efficient among all the US network carriers. It has ten most advantageous central locations in the four largest cities in the US (UAL, Factsheet 1). The overseas subsidiaries of UAL are United Express, Ted, Continental Express and Continental Connection carriers. United Express and Ted are premium and low-cost subsidiaries of UAL. With these two subsidiaries, UAL participates in the entire scale of the con sumer market. These are regional operators and act as additional services of UAL’s mainline network. These subsidiaries add to UAL’s operations by carrying flights that connect to the mainline service. These subsidiaries also can allow a more number of flights in smaller cities than would not have been economically viable with full sized mainline jet aircraft (UAL, Form 10-K 5). The total number of aircrafts owned and leased by the subsidiaries is 552 (UAL, Form 10-K 29). In 2009, UAL had an operating revenue from mainline passengers of $11,313 million as reclassified and $11,910 million as historical. In the same year, UAL had an operating revenue from regional passengers of $2,884 million as reclassified and $3,064 million as historical. Other operating revenues were $1,602 million as reclassified and $825 million as historical (UAL, Form 10-K 99). Foreign Exchange Risk Management Policy UAL being an international airline garners revenues and makes expenditures in nu merous foreign currencies. Some expenses include aircraft leases, commissions, catering, personal expense, advertising and distribution costs, customer service expense and aircraft maintenance. Fluctuations that occur in the rates of foreign currencies exchanges have a major effect on the service of UAL and â€Å"cash flows through changes in the dollar value of foreign currency denominated operating revenues and expenses† (UAL, Form 10-K 140). In order to effectively reduce the possibilities of risk, the Company may use foreign currency forward contracts to avoid a part of its vulnerability to changes. UAL does not enter into foreign currency derivative contracts for purposes other than risk management. In 2009 and 2010, United did not have any foreign currency derivatives. Continental had foreign currency derivatives with a fair value of $7 million in 2010 and $5 million in 2009. During these two years, according to financial statements, there were no significant hedge gain s or losses (UAL, Form 10-K 140). UAL emphasizes North American and hence is not vulnerable to US$ exchange rate risk. For this, UAL does not have to worry about risk related to foreign exchange while buying fuel because oil is traded in US$. This is one advantage for UAL (Muck and Rudolf 573). Some of the most common foreign exchange transactions of the Company are Canadian dollar, Chinese renminbi, Japanese Yen, British pound and European Euro (UAL, Form 10-K 74). UAL’s foreign currency exchange rate changes were 11 million in 2010 and 8 million in 2009 (UAL, Form 10-K 121). Fluctuations in foreign exchange rates can affect UAL in various ways. The scopes and variations of foreign exchange impact can be immense. Foreign exchange exposure is of significant importance to UAL as the large aircrafts travel into foreign markets (Levi 303). Net cash flows of UAL that include foreign currency cash flows have increased in 2010 by $941 million from 2009. There has been a steady incr ease in cash flow over the last few years and the principal sources

Final Case Guidelines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Final Case Guidelines - Essay Example gement information system also helps to create a report which consists of expenses of any franchise and compare it with the approved budget; this is done on a monthly basis. MIS helps the managers to understand the performance of their organization, how can they improve and to plan on a course of action for the future (Mcdonaldsmis.blogspot.com, 2015). Sine McDonald’s is one of the largest fast food chains in the world and it operates thousands of franchises all over the world there are certain issues that exist in the management information system of the McDonald’s such as the large global expansion of the business worldwide give in many chances of security thefts and chances of hackers to hack into the system to gain valuable information that is needed by the competitors of McDonald. If and when hacking or a breach in this information system occurs then there is also a possibility that the hacker might edit the information present on the system. Emails are another source of hacking that poses a security threat to the company. Secondly, the organization is connected to various other computers all over the world with the help of internet or intranet and hence the speed of the internet or intranet connection is also an issue which may increase the lag time and hence may result in a delay of processes. Thirdly, the lar ge expansion of the business also results in non-uniformity in the format of data being obtained and this might vary according to the location of the franchises (abahe.co.uk, n.d.).. The solutions to these problems are quite simple if they be implemented in a proper and organized manner. In order to prevent the information management system from getting hacked or getting infected with virus there are certain steps such as the use of passwords which are not to be made available to anyone or everyone and is only for the upper management level who are trustworthy enough. Other preventive measures that the organization can take in order to prevent

Identify 5 themes of risk (majors or minor ones) in the book Research Paper

Identify 5 themes of risk (majors or minor ones) in the book - Research Paper Example 1. Risk of Exploring an Unknown Territory- Expedition of Antarctic Continent Endurance: An Epic of Polar Adventure is filled with a number of risks. While some risks are just meant to accelerate the adrenal, other risks prove to be life saving in the mouth of dangers. The very starting and planning of the adventurous trip to Antarctic Continent is actually one great risk that Sir Ernest Shackleton took with his life. There are similar expeditions taken in other corners of the world, where the thrill seekers met with fatal consequences and many of them even lost their lives. However, the expedition that was undertaken by Shackleton actually 2 showed his true spirit as a leader who was ready to face all odds and give up his dreams of adventure just to save the precious lives of his crew. The unknown always beckons the adventurers to explore it and be the first one to get acquainted with it. There are high risks involved as one does not know what kind of territories would greet them. He nce, one can only assume of the threats involved and prepare themselves accordingly. But, if the peril comes out to be a fantastic one that no one had even dared to think, then only the bravest of spirit could stand up to such challenges and come out a winner. Hence, the undertaking of the Antarctic journey that was known to be one of the coldest and the harshest of all land forms was an unbelievable risk undertaken by Shackleton. On the fateful day of 5th December, 1914, the great adventurer, Sir Ernest Shackleton along with his twenty seven crew members set out for an exhilarating journey into the unknown territories of the Atlantic continent. His goal was to walk on foot the entire continent and get closely acquainted with this secluded and pristine place. The much uninhabited South Pole had just had a couple of visitors first by Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian and later by Falcon Scott of British origin. Unfortunately, Falcon Scott died during the return trip. Thus, it was no use vi siting the South Pole again as it was now a known territory. Hence, the adventurer Sir Ernest Shackleton 3 wanted to prove himself by conquering a new region that had lain virgin till now. And what was more elusive, more dangerous than the extremely cold Antarctic region that no one had dared visited till now. Thus, he took on a risky journey into the unknown world of Atlantic ready to make himself familiarize with this place and bag a name for himself. To embark on this daring journey, Shackleton got himself a small ship that was renamed as Endurance. The ship was built up of Oak and Norwegian fir that was sheathed in enduring and tough greenheart wood. It was designed to function in tough pack ice. Unfortunately, Endurance did not prove as enduring as its name and it was a pack of wreck even before it touched the mainland. This made the journey more tough and formidable as there was no help on sight. Shackleton had been warned by the whalers of the South Georgia Island that the An tarctic had a tricky constitution. Even though it was summer, the ice shelf was found much beyond the continent’s main land area, but Shackleton, filled with a feeling of adventure and confident of his little well made boat took little notice of the well

Talent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Talent - Essay Example Talent individuals, whether they are employees or managers, know what they have to do in critical business situations. They don not become nervous in difficult situations, rather take logical steps to come out of such situations based on their precious knowledge, critical thinking ability, and talent. Talent is something that leads a company towards market domination and competitive edge. From the perspective of business, talent also refers to the ability of an employee to deliver good job performance. According to Wheeler, excellent talent refers to such individuals who produce above-average performances, whereas poor talent refers to those who produce less than average performances. I also possess such qualities or skills that I would call ‘talent’. For example, I can make good decisions even in critical conditions. Moreover, I have the ability to manage a large number of interrelated works in a systematic manner. Therefore, I would call myself as a talented

Pat Barker's novel Regeneration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pat Barker's novel Regeneration - Essay Example He has a cause for the fight, the heart for the fight, the will, grit and determination for the fight; and finally, to receive the rewards or punishment of the fight with a balanced mental attitude provided he lives through to fight another war! In fierce wars, the casualties-- death and wounded--are many. A solider obeys the commands and fights the war; he is not supposed to question the whys and the whereabouts related to the wars! In the novel, Barker introduces a soldier, S. Sassoon, who questions the merits of the war that he has been asked to fight. One of the important clauses of his protest letter as recorded by the author (1993, p.3) is: â€Å"I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.† Dr .River, though professionally a medical man, has his opinions about wars and the futility of using the brutal force by one section of the humankind against the other. The pat ient I choose to make an argument about how this awareness affects him is Siegfried Sassoon. The dilemma of Dr. Rivers is-- he is rendering a yeoman service to the country by healing soldiers, mostly by treating them for anti-war-complex which amounts to preparing them for another round of war. Once physically fit, they are bound to report for duty. Dr. River is not happy about the state of affairs.

Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Essay

Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Tax - Essay Example The first thing you need to know is that irrevocable trusts are treated as independent legal entities that own their assets. It is also important to know that in the course of establishing an irrevocable trust is likely involve unexpected tax consequences. Some of the tax consequences are likely to be unfavorable. Since you would like the income from the trust to be paid to your two grandchildren for 20 years, such payment would be accompanied by income tax. In this regard, you will need to complete Form 1041 and file it to report the trust income. This would be required if the trust earns over $600 in the course of tax year. Nevertheless, the income from the irrevocable trusts would be taxed in the same approach as individuals. You, as the trustee, will also be required to file and deliver copies of Schedule K-1 to each of the two grandchildren, who are the beneficiaries, in their first distribution during the tax year (Clausen, Givner, Kavagh, kaye, & Kinyan, 2014 ). There is also the issue of gift tax. In this regard, the transfer of your assets to the irrevocable trust is accompanied by gift tax liability. The only exclusion is a case of $13,000 per annum on each of the beneficiaries. If the gift exceeds $13,000, it is subjected a maximum tax rate of 35%. In such a case, you would be required to file the gift tax by filing Form 709.This would however be necessary if you owe the gift tax. It is important to note that your grandchildren, as the beneficiaries, will not be liable for the gift tax (Clausen, Givner, Kavagh, kaye, & Kinyan, 2014 ). Another case of possible tax liability is estate tax. Estate tax would be imposed after your death. This will be done on the portion of your estate that surpasses the gift tax exclusions in the same year of your death. Your executor after then would be required to file Form

Week 8 Discussion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 8 Discussion - Research Paper Example as a result of the breach and more importantly, serve as a proof that the company is fully compliant with all applicable rules and regulations (Charlette, 1996). Basically, compliance starts with day to day compliance at the organizational level. The following are some of the benefits that accrue to an organization that implements an effective compliance program: 1) Good faith efforts in following the set rules and regulations whereby every organization that adheres to a compliance plan gives a good example of its efforts in compliance with set rules and regulations. 2) Sentencing guidelines whereby, if the government decides to sue a company for criminal offences, then a good record of compliance can act favorably for the company defense. 3) Proactive approach, whereby a company that voluntarily adheres to the compliance program portrays a good picture of both regulatory and statutory compliance. Every organization based in US and with a strong reputation for integrity and honesty must be fully compliant with the set plan. Therefore, such an organization must have a compliance plan within which to operate in pursuance of the organizational objectives. Further, such a plan could help an organization with investments across the borders to successfully conduct its business, therefore, not only the employees of local branches, but also those of foreign should comply with the set out procedures to ensure the overall success of the organization. As one of the largest energy companies, ExxonMobil have indicated on their website that environmental issues are of great concern. Further, by calling for extra vigilance to ensure environmental safety and protection, they remind us of the tragic incident of deepwater horizon, which led to massive oil spill (Engel, 1979). From their website, it is evident that the company has put in place measures that guarantee safety in their operations, emergency preparedness, environmental protection and management of climate change. More

There is still considerable merit in adopting essentially a boosterism Essay

There is still considerable merit in adopting essentially a boosterism approach to tourism planning. Discuss - Essay Example In most cases, boosterism is often considered a negative aspect of tourism promotion because not all information that is given concerning various destinations may necessarily turn out to be true. Despite this being the case, it is necessary to use it to attract potential tourists because the latter often want to see life or places, which are different from their own. Therefore, while boosterism is sometimes seen in a negative light, it is an essential part of tourism planning because it brings previously obscure areas into the limelight. One of the biggest concerns of tourists before they visit any country is often political stability and this is because of their need to guarantee their personal safety. In the modern world, with the likelihood in the incidents of terrorist activities, many potential tourists have become discouraged from visiting certain parts of the world. It is for this reason that some countries, especially those likely to be affected, have come to adopt boosterism to make sure that they remain attractive destinations for tourists. Furthermore, this type of promotion makes possible the development of effective planning to ensure that the security of tourists is guaranteed under all circumstances (Dredge and Jenkins, 2006, 29). Therefore, using boosterism, countries are able to create an image of themselves where their political situation is perceived as being among the most stable in the world and it is for this reason that they come to be considered as interesting places for tourists to visit. Fu rthermore, there has been a recognition that many individuals tend to avoid those countries whose democratic credentials are questionable because they believe that to visit those countries would be to indirectly support their autocratic governments (Burns, 1999). Because of such perceptions, most governments, especially

Injuries in hockey Essay Example for Free

Injuries in hockey Essay In hockey you need both general fitness and specific fitness. You need good strength, stamina, speed, agility, balance, co-ordination, fast reactions and many more. All these can help every individual become better at their sport and have better health. These fitness needs can also prevent many injuries as you are less agile to your sport. Fitness levels can also be affected by many things such as illness, weight, alcohol and drugs, dieting and psychological factors. You should always warm up before physical workout and cool down afterwards. There are many factors that can cause injury but also many ways to prevent them. Injuries are both internally caused and externally caused. Internal injuries are self caused where you over use the muscles and external injuries are caused equipment, environmental conditions or opponents. Injuries can occur due to the weather (environment), being overweight causing heart problems, breathing problems, joint and foot problems etc, physical ability, the wrong equipment and facilities. These can be prevented by setting realistic targets, pre participation screening, carrying out fitness programmes in pre season, using appropriate equipment, do not over train or train while hurt. Enforcing rules helps prevention of dangerous use of sticks and careless play of the ball. Also seek medical attention sooner rather than later and get adequate nutrition. Injured people should not be moved unless they them self say that it is ok. If more attention is paid to extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors, injuries can be a lot less frequent. The same injuries can occur in many different sports in different situations but there can be more common injuries in each individual sport such as legs in football, shoulder or arm in javelin and hands or ankles in netball etc. Environmental injuries are things such as frostbite, hypothermia, exhaustion and heat stroke. Injuries can also occur due to physiological reasons making the person become fatigue, have muscle soreness and depletion of energy reserves. Before carrying out a session in the individual sport, a risk assessment should be preformed as there are others risk factors that should be identified such as slippery surfaces, equipment left out, food or drink that may be tipped in the training area. You can outline whether or not the area is suitable for that sport or the right age group and if not, how the safety issues could be improved. You also have to take into consideration the age of the sportsperson as already mentioned. In hockey, it is important that the right equipment and footwear is worn to prevent injuries and to have a pre game warm up and stretching. Overall, a hockey team needs to wear gum shields to protect their mouth and teeth from hockey balls and sticks, shin guards to protect their legs from sticks also, body protection such genital protectors, gloves to protect hand and knuckles from sticks, Astroturf trainers to get better grip when running and a goalie needs a goalie kit which includes a hard hat, body protectors like abdominal protectors, knee pads, shoulder and elbow pads, chest pad, throat protector, padded shorts and thigh protectors, kickers etc to protect them from flying balls etc. All this equipment should be regularly checked including hockey sticks to ensure they do not put any other player in danger while they are in use. Most injuries in hockey are mainly down to being struck by a hockey stick or hockey balls. Injuries in hockey can be very serious and as it is played in over 132 countries, injuries are very common. Overuse injuries to the ankles and lower back are very common in hockey and can be treated mainly by rest. The face is normally injured by the stick or ball, the lower limb includes injuries to the ankles, knees and feet, and upper body injuries such as hands and forearms. These injuries are pretty serious and the player may need to be hospitalised. There are eight physiological effects of ageing which obviously decrease your playing capability and metabolic rate etc. There would also a decrease in number and size of fibre muscles, a decline in the person cardiac output and muscles. In general, injuries have said to affect people of different ages, such as young children aged between six and nine should not train at such a high level and it should be more fun and lots of variation. People aged ten to twelve should include a lot more technique and co-ordination exercises as this is the right age to improve mobility technique and reflexes. As each child gets older and closer to puberty, they then should be playing sport to suit their maturity and ability. From the age fifteen onwards is when children could begin anaerobic training and strength training as this is more often or not when the muscles and skeleton allow an increased load. Injuries in hockey can be very serious and as the sport is played in over 132 countries, injuries are also very common. Some common injuries apply to most sports such as shin splints, sprains, fractures, pulls etc. Hockey is known as a hard-hitting, collision sport. Players risk injury from high-impact collisions with each other. The knee is frequently injured, with sprains to the medial collateral and capsular ligaments being fairly common. Cruciate ligament tears are less common in hockey and seen more in turf sports, such as football. This is a hospitalised injury which may need ice and bandage to reduce swelling and rest after operation. The Acromioclavicular, or AC, joint separation (separated shoulder) is a common injury. This could be caused by various things such as a hard fall, swinging of stick or hard knock by opposing team. This is also a hospitalised injury which needs support and rest. This is also a common injury where the stick of another player may hit the hand or if the player is to have an awkward fall etc. All these injuries need support and in many cases bandaged up. Most injuries include fractures and torn tendons. It has been said that as many as one-third of injuries are caused by foul play. Many have observed a need for increased vigilance in this area, mainly in adolescence and high school. The enforcement of effective rules has lead to fewer injuries. Players have been said to demonstrate a high level of body dissatisfaction and an elevated drive for thinness. These have been associated with risk of osteoporosis which have been linked to an increased risk of stress fractures, especially in the lumbar region of the lower back. If injuries are left or ignored after so long, they can only get worse. If you look below, you can see a bone scan showing a low-intensity lesion abutting the expanded area of the posterior cortex. A CT scan shows what appears to be an osteoid osteoma or Brodies abscess. This is what started off to be just a twisted ankle and not the right treatment. Injuries to the adductors are muscles that run from the inside thigh. These are active while running, twisting and side stepping activities. An injury can occur at any time during these activities or a fall. Pain may begin and aching on the inner thigh. Bruising that appears may track down to the knee at times. The treatment of RICE is rest, ice, compression and elevation. This treatment should be applied immediately. This is reducing more damage by keeping off the injury, applying ice, to compress injury be using bandages etc to reduce swelling and elevate the injured, in order to get blood flowing away from injury to stop internal bleeding and bruising and to speed up recovery. This will assist the resolution of pain and minimise inflammation. Following the RICE solution, you should walk only when really needed. A calf strain is also well known in sport. The two main muscles make up the back of the lower leg (Calf). One is attached above the knee joint. This is the Gastrocnemius and the other one below called the Soleus. These make one thick Achilles tendon that is attached to the back of the heel. Their main action is to raise the heel from the ground, but also assist to bend the knee. They act during walking, running and jumping. The calf can be injured by running and jumping in hockey or when you overload the muscle. Pain may start in the tendon attachment at the back of calf. The RICE treatment could also be applied to this. Players should allow enough time for adequate rehabilitation of injuries, especially full recovery of ankle function, before returning to pre-injury levels of play. There are lots more common injuries in hockey such as Gilmores groin caused by running, coughing, kicking etc, hamstring strains, Osgood-Schlatters Disease, shin splints, cartilage injury, runners knee and many more. There are less serious injuries such as rubbing causing blisters, cramp, concussion, stitch, groin strain etc. These are mainly bandaged up and use of plasters helps and basically rest is needed. shin splint Sprain and strain of the joint and surrounded tissue are one of the most common sports related injuries (sprain involves the ligament and strain involves muscle or tendon). The typical inflammatory response may include swelling of the injured area, redness, skin discoloration, and reduced range of motion of the joint. R.I.C.E treatment, many athletes have found acupuncture treatment to be very useful in suppress inflammation and swelling fast. Muscles injuries can be caused by muscle damage by direct trauma or indirect trauma. These injuries can be divided into ruptures and haematomas. Ruptures can be total or partial and subdivided into distraction and compression ruptures. Haematomas- inter and intramuscular . Major differences between the treatment and prognosis of the two types. Distraction ruptures are caused by over stretching or overloading. Compression rupture is direct impact which is the muscle pressed against underlining bone. Another solution which is often used to treat injuries is SALTAPS. This is known as: Stop- stop game Ask- ask injured person what happened Look- Look at injury Touch- Feel for any differences e.g. uninjured knee and injured knee Active movement- see what sort of range of movement they have Passive movement- move injured area with hand Stop and start again- rest and come back to sport when ready. Cold treatment with use of ice, decreases sensitivity of painful areas and relaxes muscle spasms. The cold slows nerve impulses to the muscle and decreases blood circulation which helps reduce inflammation. There is also the heat treatment. This treatment should not be started until at least 48 hours after the injury occurred. Same applies to massage. Heat therapy relaxes muscles, relieves pain and accelerates healing by increasing blood flow to a targeted area. Application of heat has many forms, from simply taking a hot shower to sophisticated methods such as ultrasound. Heat should not be used immediately after injury but after swelling has gone down. The RICE treatment should be applied to soft tissue injuries during the first 24-48 hours. Injury at its acute stage, the blood vessels expand and blood clotting procedure may be disrupted. Ointments, liniments and medicines are also used along with muscle training of isometric and static muscle work. There are many different methods of treatment that help injuries repair a lot quicker with the right amount of care. They are all fairly successful but have slightly different procedures applied and some work better than others depending on the server ness of the injury. SALTAPS is immediate treatment to an injury, where as RICE treatment could last up to a few weeks. In many cases, RICE treatment will continue through a players career therefore is a more common source of treatment and more well known. Research indicates that nutritional factors, or the lack thereof, can play a significant role in healing and recovery. Three nutrients vitamin C, bioflavonoid and glucosamine sulphate appear to be particularly important. Vitamin C possesses anti- inflammatory properties and can help control the damage that often accompanies tissue injury. Vitamin C is required for collagen fibre synthesis, a process essential for tissue bone repair. Adequate amounts of vitamin C are therefore critical for the stimulation of that process. Each treatment has a different amount of effectiveness on injuries but one or all can often be used through the period of injury in most common sporting injuries. Further ways to reduce and prevent injuries are to apply certain bandaging before play, apply ointments, and reduce length of pitch for younger children. Hockey injury data at all levels should be collected to compare and improve participation. There should be more research and findings on sporting injuries to ensure less likeliness of injury. Coaches should be taught principles of sport-specific conditioning and fitness as part of their training. Other ways to improve sports and prevent injuries is to ensure the right foot wear is worn, equipment is safe and appropriate and that the rules set are followed.

The Massive Influence On The Indian Society Religion Essay

The Massive Influence On The Indian Society Religion Essay Caste as we have discussed before is a wide area to look into. It has massive influence on the Indian society in its own way. Though it was officially banned in India there still remains a part of it in the minds of Indian people. It has been much seen in rural areas than in urban areas as the people in urban area are more educated. As a part of this there have situations of lower caste being abused even now in certain regions. Practicing untouchability and caste differentiation is legally forbidden in India. Caste system leads to what is called a social exclusion. It means the inability of an individual to participate in the basic political, economic and social functioning of society (Thorat,S,Newman,K.(2007).pg4121). Entitlements to all theses powers become narrower as it moves farther down to the hierarchical levels of the caste system. Jobs usually regarded as degrading are usually done by the lower caste (dalits) and the best example being the manual scavenging. Manual scavengin g is the worst surviving symbol of caste untouchability in India which drives people into degrading jobs just because their birth in particular class. According to one of the leading newspapers in India, The Hindu, there has been an incident of a woman who was born into a family of manual scavenging who physically scraped the human excreta on the latrine floors and carried it away in a basket. While doing her work she slipped from a narrow wooden staircase and broke her foot to which none of her employers were willing to lift her even in this state just because they thought touching her was polluting. She was then picked up by a pincer of logs and her family took her to the local dispensary. Such sickening behaviour of the individuals is as result of the caste system or it can be even termed as evils of caste system. Government of India took steps to outlaw this practice but however these governments have a long tradition of insolently disobeying their own laws if they are pertainin g to uphold the rights of the poor. Finally an extraordinary campaign named the Safai Karmchari Andolan(SKA) used non-violent mass-resistance, community organisation and the courts to force governments to end this centuries old practice.(The Hindu, May 9.2010) In the western countries like United Kingdom, it is commonly found that people end up marrying the people they work with. But this has not been the case with the Indians. In modern corporate India when people enter into an organisation they do not have the intention of getting married with the people they work with. Moreover they share the relation that of a friend. But that does not mean that none of them end up getting married. I come from a state called Kerala which is situated in down south of India and there are people from lower caste who are educated and hold a white collar job. Some of them might end up marrying their colleague who may not be from the same caste or even from the same religion. This change of attitude in people of Kerala is more or less due to the education and knowledge given to them. To go a little deeper into the prevalence of caste in Kerala back in period, I like to bring to notice a saint and a social reformer named Sree Narayana Guru who battled against the discrimination of the lower caste by upper caste. The caste system was rampant in Kerala during the 19th and early part of 20th century. As mentioned before caste was based on the job each one did. A lower caste had to go through a number of rules such as one should not enter temples, not allowed to wear slippers, should not be seen within a certain distance of the upper caste. Anyone defying these rules are subject to hideous punishment s like cutting of hands etc. All this outrageous acts by the upper caste was put to an end by this great soul Sree Narayana guru who led a social revolution against this terrible system. However, this movement by this great soul infuriated only the extremely orthodox but was accommodated by the majority (M.S.Joe,March 18.2010). This revolution was perhaps one of the most nonviolent revolutions the world would have ever experienced. He built temples and wrote hymns which could be used by people in any religion. The government thus changed their legislation wherein the lower castes were allowed to enter temples run by upper caste. This temple entry proclamation was equally accepted by people throughout India including the the Christians and the Muslims(Govt of Kerala. Accessed on 7-7-2010) .Later on he opened the gates of education by building schools where everyone could attend the sessions and thus produced a high proportion of educated people. Though he masterminded this entire peaceful social revolution and achieved freedom for the unprivileged he is little known outside Kerala (Sree Narayana guru Mission of the UK, 1978.accessed on 1-7-2010). Caste does not pose a great problem in the present scenario. These have been situations were a high caste and a lower caste work together without any chaos. In an organisation, a lower caste can be a manager and a Brahmin can be in the lower cadre and this is entirely based on the talent and skill of the employee and caste system does not actually come in the way. This is the case of modern India thanks to the valuable education system. But when it comes to politics within the organization there may be biasness happening between different individuals of the same caste or religion. However this could been seen across the world and not just in India. A question might come up in the minds of Non-Indians regarding the functioning of caste system in India which accommodates people with different concepts and ideas of the same. I would like to throw some light on this issue by illustrating certain events that have been happening in India which shows that the two ideologies of caste being i mportant and unimportant co-exists in this same country. In spite of the proclamation of temple entry made by the Maharaja of Travancore in Kerala sixty years ago, there are still issues happening around relating to the caste system. To bolster this argument, an incident that happened in Kerala, where one of the famous playback singers named Yesudas who is a catholic was denied the entry into one of the famous temples in a district in Kerala. The reason him being a non-hindu and the irony behind this is that the temple authorities still plays the songs sung by him in the temple though they may restrict his entry into the temple. Another such incident was witnessed by the people of Kerala when the Union minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi was humiliated or rather saddened due to the fact that a ceremonial purification was done in the temple after he had his grandsons ceremonial first feeding. The reason being his wife who was a Christian is supposed to have polluted the temple by her visit (India today, June 18.2007). This purification was done by the high priests of the temple who are the Brahmins. There are issues happening in northern India as well. There was an issue which dates back to 1936 before India got its Independence from the colonial British rule. An untouchable in a village called Chawara in the Jaipur state was beaten up because of the fact that he gave a dinner to his fellow untouchables where he served Ghee which was considered as a luxury for the rich(Dr.Ambedkar.B.R,(1944).Accessed on 7-7-2010). Such disheartening practices are not to be seen now though a glimpse of it still remains in rural parts of India. It is distressing that such system does exist today to a certain extent due to a certain extremely orthodox section of the society. However this small segment is being alienated in the present scenario because of their conventional attitude. Going back to the caste system and marriages in India, as we discussed before, arranged marriages are accepted more than love marriages. To support the above judgment I would like to bring forth an example of how Indian families find spouses for their children. This is quoted from a matrimony site where a profile of a girl is registered in that particular site for the purpose of marriage. About Me Sangita is my second daughter and a Microbiologist by profession. She is a simple, well mannered girl, with a kind and compassionate nature.Homely and well versed with household responsibilities. She had the best of schooling and college education available here in Bangalore. She is employed in a leading Bio-Tech Company in Bangalore. She grew up under a joint family environment. Primary Information Age 27  Yrs Height 5  Ft  4   In / 163 Cms Weight 54 Kgs / 119 lbs Body Type Average Complexion Fair Blood Group B+ Mother Tongue Malayalam Physical Status Normal Socio-Religious Background Religion Hindu Caste Ezhava Sub Caste Ezhava Star Eating Habits Non Vegetarian Horoscope Match Must Smoking habits Non-smoker Drinking habits Non-drinker Zodiac Capricorn Educational Professional Information Education Category Masters Arts/ Science/ Commerce Education in Detail MSc.Microbiology Employed in Private Sector Occupation Scientist / Researcher Occupation in Detail Microbiologist Annual Income Rs.  1,50,000 Family Details Family Values Traditional Family Type Nuclear family Family Status Upper middle class Ancestral Origin Mayyanad/Kollam Fathers Occupation Retired PSU Manager Mothers Occupation Housewife No of Siblings 1 About My Family The family is settled in Bangalore for more than 50yrs.We have many relatives both here and in Kerala. My elder daughter is married and settled in Perth/Australia along with her husband and their newborn son. We are simple, God fearing and have liberal views. After my VRS from a leading PSU, I am self employed in a Small Business dealing in Watches, Solarlamps and Ayurvedic/herbal products. My wife is a teacher by profession but chose to be a housewife .Sangita is simple and homely girl,well mannered and trained to be a responsible wife. Soft-spoken, systematic and disciplined in her work. Partner Preference Specifications Age 28 33 Yrs Height 5 Ft 6 In 6 Ft Marital status Unmarried Physical Status Normal Mother Tongue Malayalam Educational and Professional Preference Bachelors Engineering/ Computers, Masters Engineering/ Computers, Masters Arts/ Science/ Commerce/ M Phil/ Others, Management BBA/ MBA/ Others Annual Income Any Occupation Any About My Partner A Qualified Professional, with clean habits, good health and a sense of responsibility. Honest and easy going by nature. Having a sense of humour. God fearing ,compassionate and considerate .Focused and hardworking to attain his goals in life. Assistance will be provided to relocate to Australia if interested. Socio-Religious Preference Religion Hindu Caste/Division Ezhava Star Not Specified Eating Habits Doesnt matter Smoking Habits Not Specified Drinking Habits Not Specified (Bharat Matrimony. Accessed on 7-7-2010) The above illustration clearly states that caste does a play its part when it comes to marriages. This phenomenon would be completely alien for a Westerner who does not pass through such stages to find their partner. On the personal front, I come from a Hindu family under the sub caste called Ezhava. Talking about inter- caste and inter-religious marriage, I do have a Christian and a Brahmin members in my fathers and mothers family respectively. This might create confusion in the mind of the reader whether Caste system was not being followed strictly even twenty to thirty year back. Conversely, I do not mind saying that I will not be allowed to marry someone outside my religion. Therefore it can be seen that it is the same family which allows inter caste marriage and also at the same time restricts it. At this juncture, I opine that the existence of caste system to an extent depends on an individuals perception he or she holds. It is not always right to say that Indians are adamant i n following this system. Moving on to the effect of caste system on the corporate world, I would say that it has hardly any effect on the working of MNCs or any other organisations in India. Talking to folks and friends back home, it can be understood that in organisations like Infosys, Wipro etc it hardly matters what caste you belong to as long as you have the talent and skill to perform the job. This changing attitude of the present generations is due to the valuable education being given. This lets them think out of the box and not emulate the traditional practice which was intolerable at that point of time. As a matter of fact, nowadays there is no restriction on the selection of jobs because one belongs to a particular caste. A middle class family or people belonging to the so called Sudra caste can afford to have doctors or engineers or even scientists evolving, provided he or she has the expertise and ability to do it. To bolster the above argument, I would like to quote a s triking example which happened in India few years back when a dalit man named K.R.Narayanan originally from Kerala was elected as the President of India from year 1997 2002(Britannica encyclopedia, Accessed 8 July 2010). He hails from an untouchable family where his father was a traditional healer and could not afford a good education. In spite of this he came up the ladder because of his hard work and talent and occupied the most competent post of becoming the President of a Nation. He was the first dalit member to occupy this post. (BBC news, 9 November 2005).Currently one of the states in India called Uttar Pradesh has a dalit women as the Chief Minister. From the above illustration it can be evidently seen that caste system does not come in the way of a person while choosing his profession in the modern corporate India. However this modern corporate Indian can be caste conscious in various other situations like marriages. The higher caste manager in an organisation may not have any issues in working with a low caste employee but on the other hand he would not allow his children to marry an outcast. Yet, as mentioned before, it differs from one individual to other. Hinduism has a noteworthy effect on the Indian society and spirituality is the base of a majority of Indians. The Holy book of Hindus Bhagavad Gita has the true definition of caste system that prevailed in the ancient India compared to which now the meaning of it have been distorted according to the needs of certain individuals or missionaries. To quote a verse from this Holy text and thereby find out the real meaning to the four fold caste system. Catur Varnyam maya srstam guna karma vibhagasah Tasya kartaramapi maam viddya kartaramavyayam(Bhagavad Gita,ch 4,13 sloka) The above lines says that the four- fold caste which are Brahmins, Kshatriyas,Vaishyas and Sudras have been created according to the ones own Guna(Quality) and Karma(work). They have been divided on the basis of three qualities or Gunas which are mainly Satva(Goodness), Rajas(Passion) and Tamas(Ignorance) and these are attributed to Brahmins, Kshtriyas and Vaishyas, Sudras respectively. These mental temperaments differ from person to person which makes them fall into a particular Varna or caste. However later on the power politics in the early middle ages in India, the communal feeling came up in certain individuals mind and therefore completely disregarded the meaning of the verse mentioned above. The Brahmin, who comfortably interpreted these lines according to his will and thus changed the whole idea of the caste system. The definition of varnas discussed so far not only helps in removing the present misunderstanding but also showers us with some data to recognize its true signifi cance that a person cannot be a Brahmana by mere birth but only with good deeds, intentions and thoughts that he carries along with him. It also says that he alone is a Brahmana whose thoughts are sattvik (goodness) as his actions are. A Kshatriya who is rajasik in his thoughts and deeds. A sudra who is Tamasic(ignorant) is not only one who lives a low life for satisfying his base animal passions and flesh appetites. Hindus also believe in the concept of re-incarnation which says that a persons current incarnation and experiences are at least in part, the fruit of past action (J.R. Milner Murray.1993). According to the Hindu belief, an individual is said to be born as a Brahmin if he had done good deeds in his past life and born as a lower caste if done something bad. The law of karma or merit is what is considered here. But at present there is no firm evidence that people actually live according to such concepts.

Network Management Roles In Growth Information Technology Essay

Network Management Roles In Growth Information Technology Essay The arrival of computer technology these days are contributed to the growth of many business corporations, especially computer networking (Vivki, 2010). There are three main goal of network management is to make operations more efficient, and operators more productive (Alexander, 2007). There is cost, quality and revenue (Alexander, 2007). I will explain these goals further by using examples and information I have found. I will discuss the essay question by using some real life examples of company experiences that was affected by network management, for example how the company gained benefits from network management and how the company loss revenue for having a bad network management and so on. I also will describe some network management tools that help company to gain different benefits and reduce cost. According to research, if network management is managed properly, it can be a positive business asset (Jason, 2010). Computer network creates an easy and convenient way for employees and clients to communicate and make transaction between each other (Vicki, 2010). Based on research, with the growth of the internet with/and good network management skills by the network administrator, the corporation will have higher chance to success or grow (Vivki, 2010). Based on the research I have done, I agree that network management do play an important key role in corporate business growth, and I realized that no business can do or success without technologies in this modern time, particularly computer network and systems. Small and large companies are depending a lot on computer network communication to get things done faster and more reliable compared to the traditional method of doing things. As the rate of technology keeps changing in the business field, we will definitely see more changes after the next three years than we have seen in the past ten. It is also impossible for organisations to grow if they have poor-performance of network management or poor-maintenance skills as well. In the real situation, every business is aimed towards growth, and network support is standing at the middle of those many factors leading to the progress of a business (Bryan, 2009). Today, network management has become a compulsory Information Technology(IT) system or department for every business corporation, because computer field, including network management as well, has expanded a great deal for organisations. This means that businesses will surely gain advantage or benefit from installing and understanding the latest network technology (Bryan, 2009). As IT teams has played an important role in an organisation, it is essential for the companys manager to choose the IT firm that could gives them reliable performance and ensure of quick response time in maintaining, installing and repairing networks and servers. Based on research, if a company h as an efficient computer network, most probably it will raise business outcome, reduce unnecessary costs and increase business efficiency, this makes network installation and computer maintenance as the two most important aspect of business growth (Bryan, 2009). I will explain more about the benefits of network management in the next paragraph. In todays networked economy, understanding the business impact of network management is important, because most of the business revenue is relying on network-based system whose availability and performance are critical to survival and business growth (Stephen, 2003). The company network is like the backbone of the company, customers use the network service to access into goods and services that is provided by the company, or whether for Internet or databases access, billing enquiry, or other business practices (Stephen, 2003). The entire company business will suffer if the network fails or network does not manage properly by the network manager, because customers and employees cannot communicate, they cannot access needed information, or employees are not able to perform printing, and email services; this will causes productivity suffer and a stop to revenue flowing, for example, if a network failure affects the email services/server. Today, most people are using email services to de liver messages instead of using hand written paper. If the companys network device fails, employees are not able to deliver email and part of the business will be terminated. Customers are affected, employee productivity slows down, the reputation of the corporation will decrease, and revenue will be dried up (Stephen, 2003). In my opinion, this is the reason why network must be properly managed and always need a redundancy for any obstacles that may bring in the future. The information about the network failure that was mentioned just now, the network manager should be responsible for this case because it is network managers job to maintain good network performance. Network Managers must ensure he could minimize the downtime and remain the network performance speed, so most of the network managers will use network management systems or tools together to manage the network. These systems also allow businesses to operate more efficiently, low costs, and prevent revenue loss. I will p rovide some examples of companies to prove the usage of these systems. After explaining of how network management affects business growth, I will now provide some white/research paper, books, and internet resources discussion that I have found to explain the real-world situation of organisations that is affected by the network management. This is to prove that network management does play an important role in business growth. As networks grow larger, they will become less manageable (Douglas, 2007). In fact, we are already reaching the limits of network sizes that we can handle with the current tools (Douglas, 2007). In addition, network management helps to keep networking cost and operational cost under control. Businesses increasingly rely on data networks as the primary link to customers and other businesses. One particular aspect of network management has become inextricably linked to the bottom line: network downtime. For many businesses, the losses that occur while a network is down, brings the business to staggering results. Ironically, as businesses grow and its network size increases, the time required to diagnose and repair increases rapidly, businesses that are most successful bears the most risk (Douglas, 2007). These days many network companies, like Dell Corporation, provides network management tool. Dell creates a network management software/tool to provide easier methods to manage their ow n network to reduce cost, because it is expensive to hire a network management professional to manage a companies network, and by reducing the cost, the company could use the money to invest into other field (Stephen, 2003). The system will provide a so called early warning system for network outages or failure to warn users that problems are coming soon. The software name is called Dell OpenManage. The software is designed to meet the cost and feature requirements of Small, Medium Enterprises, and it also save time and money (Stephen, 2003). As I mentioned earlier, these tools are created for companies to manage their network with some easy features and to support their business objectives and brings revenues while reducing costs by helping IT administrators to manage the companies network in less time and in a more efficient manner. Furthermore, I will provide another example. In the white paper from Solarwinds, network management and monitoring software is on demand for every company across all industries (Mike, 2010). As a result, some companies are experiencing strong Return on Investment(ROI) from a good network management because of the amazing data analysis and reporting that relates to business processes, and it also benefits like consolidated hardware usage, reduced man-hours and reliable network uptime (Mike, 2010). In my opinion, there is no excuse for companies to not be careful about their investment on network and Information Technology in these days or else, they might lose revenue at the end of the day. One way to reduce cost for network management is to use a network management tool. The example below shows how a team has gained benefits from a network management tool. I would like to give another example of a network management tool that brings benefits to a team in an organisation -The Orion. The Orion brings benefits to a senior network engineer in California by providing good network management service with a low cost while he is doing a project with his team members. He mentioned that Orion network management monitor tool helps him and his team increase data capture and report, and offer an easy business root analysis company-wide (Mike, 2010). Orion provides them with system performance insight and it analysis mission-critical business applications, as the result that was calculated, they are able to save $29k on equipment replacement costs over two years (Mike, 2010). Orions automated nature and ability to approach network issues proactively saved the company about $50k in its overall IT budget in 2008 and $80k in 2009, rather than employing help desk workers, a system admin and a network engineer to manually monitor the network, the product can do the job of several individuals (Mike, 2010). From saving all the money from 2008 to 2009, the company is able to use that money to support into other fields. From my point of view, the company might need to spend $50K to $80K or more to support network management to achieve their needs if they work the plan without a network management tool. Based on the conclusion of the white paper, they conclude that network management can provide tangible results for the company; not only helping to make their job easier but also easing issues across the entire company (Mike, 2010). In my opinion, I totally agree with the explanation shows just now that network management plays an important role in corporate business growth. Based on a white paper, reducing or preventing network downtime is the biggest factor in preserving revenue, maintaining customer satisfaction, maintain the companys reputation and maximizing productivity (Jason, 2009). A company stated that SME companies experience an average of nearly 140 hours of downtime every year. The study concluded that the total impact of an outage was 55% lost revenue and 45% lost productivity (Jason, 2009). The total amount of downtime reduction can deliver significant business savings, one group of SMEs in the study experienced an average loss of $70,000per downtime hour (Jason, 2009). Further analysis found other studies into the causes of downtime concluded that 45% of all network outages are caused by configuration error or network management, sometimes referred to as soft issues. In my opinion, the network is at the core of the activities and must operate efficiently and reliably. They also concluded and confirmed that without network management, comp anies are vulnerable to network performance and availability problem. According to research, when changes to the network are not carefully planned and implemented, it compounds the difficulty of maintaining the network in a cost-effective way (Jason, 2009). Based on research, top managements support is critical for projects to be successful (Teresa, 2005). However, in large organisations spread across the globe, it is easy to lose sight of this factor. CIO reports the case of a company that lost 50% of its market capitalization due to top management failure to implement a global information technology strategy (Teresa, 2005). The failure cost the company approximately $500 million dollars (Teresa, 2005). There were several IT issues that were the cause for a lot of agony. First, customer queries on order status took several days to respond. Second, orders from a single customer with locations in different countries were processed by separate systems (Teresa, 2005). This created unnecessary statements to the customer. In my opinion, I conclude that most of the problems are affected by bad network management, for example the second issue about customer locations in different countries been processed by separate system, should blame on net work manager for not having good network management plan. In conclusion, I have explained three network management goals that effect the business growth by using examples of companies and information I have found. I have used some real life company experiences that were affected by network management. And I have explained how network management tool will provide different benefits to a company in certain situations. Based on every research and information I have found, I concluded that network management play such a key role in generating revenue and keeping employees productive and customers happy, we need to understand the importance of network management and the role it plays in maintaining network performance, availability, and customer satisfaction. In return, having an effective network management working in an organisation should provide a excellent performance, and governance, to ensure the ongoing success of the communications infrastructure in support of, and aligned to, organisational goal (Jason, 2010). Bibliography Devaraj, S and Kohli, R, The IT payoff : measuring the business value of information technology investment, Prentice-Hall Inc, 2003. Harris, K, Building the new Enterprise People, Processes and Technology, Sun Microsystems Press, 1998 Dawson, R. Living Networks: Leading Your Company, Customers, and Partners in the Hyper-Connected Economy. Prentice-Hall Inc, 2003.

The Wife of Bath Essay -- Essays Papers

The Wife of Bath Historical Background One of the most memorable pilgrims of The Canterbury Tales, as well as one of the most memorable women in literature, is the Wife of Bath. She is a "lusty and domineering" woman who is proud of and outspoken about her sexuality and believes that a woman should have sovereignty in a marriage (Norton 80). She is also extremely blunt and outspoken about her ideas and beliefs. Despite being a woman of the fourteenth century, her ideas, beliefs, and behavior are more like those of the twentieth century. For these reasons, she seems true to life even today. However, her ideas, beliefs, and behavior are not at all representative of the women of her time. Women in the Middle Ages had more freedom compared to women in the Anglo-Saxon period. However, women in the Middle Ages were still considered to be dependent on men. In the medieval period, most women were not formally educated. They did not have the right to own property, to express themselves freely and openly or to make their own decisi ons. They did not have a lot of freedom and choice, and were not treated as equal to men. In the Anglo-Saxon period women were generally identified by marital or sexual status. In "Caedmon's Hymn," as told by Bede, Abbess Hilda is an exception, because despite being a woman, she is the head of and rules over the monastery. In Beowulf, the tragic story of Hildeburh suggests that women were not warriors in the Anglo-Saxon culture and period. They were there to support their husbands and cook, clean, and give birth. In the house as well as in the society men were given much more importance and were favored over women. In the Anglo-Saxon period marriages were often arranged for political reasons to settle fe... ...ed subordinate and dependent on men. Today women are treated more as equal to men. However, things are still not perfect. There is still a lot that needs to be changed. Works Cited Abrams, M. H. et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol. 1. Sixth Edition. New York: W.W. Norton, & Co. 1993. 76-144. Benson. Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales. February 1997. October 24, 1998. Online. Internet. Available http: icg.harvard.edu/~eng115b/ Bobr, Janet. Welcome to Camelot. 1998. October 24, 1998. Online. Internet. Available http: www.csis.pace.edu/grendel/prjs3f/arthur1.htm Canterbury Tales. 1998. November 30, 1998. Online. Internet. Available http: userzweb.lightspeed.net/~cheezit/pilgrims/index.html Jokinen, Anniina. Geoffrey Chaucer (ca. 1343-1400). July 1996. October 24, 1998. Online. Internet. Available http: www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaucer.htm

Dark Overtones And Their Contrasts In My Antonia :: essays research papers

Dark Overtones, and Their Contrasts in My Antonia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In My Antonia by Willa Cather, there are many dark overtones that pervade the novel. It is through the use of symbolism and contrast these overtones are made real. The prairie is the predominant setting of the novel. It may be shaped, and it conforms to the desires of those working it. The prairie ¹s loneliness, shown by the wide open spaces, is a brilliant way of revealing internal conflict by using a setting. Also, it brings out the characters true meaning. Cather shows through the character of Lena Lengard that society ¹s next generation would not be as good, or quite as noble as that of Cather ¹s childhood. The primary inscription on the first page states that the best days are the first to flee. Cather contrasts these ideas with Antonia ¹s personality, which is always bright. This contributes to the dreariness of the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel the prairie is a metaphor for internal conflict. Cather brilliantly demonstrates the prairie as a representation for internal conflict being portrayed by a setting (Kelley, Sean). It symbolizes loneliness and depression. When Jim, one of the main characters, was young, the prairie was uncultivated and there were not as many settlers; it was a lonely place. Being isolated from society with little or no human contact could drive anyone insane. Despair, bad luck, greed, and self-absorbtion make one lose hope also, but it is mostly the lack, or the underuse of, imagination (Kelley, Sean). The prairie was a desolate strip of land that continued as far as could be seen. In the beginning of the novel, Jim Burden states about the land:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There seemed to be nothing to see, no fences, no creek or trees, no hills or fields. I   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  had the  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  feeling that the world was left behind, that we had gone over the edge of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  it.... If we never arrived anywhere, it did not matter. Between that earth, and that   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  sky, I felt erased, blotted out. (3 - 4) It seems that Jim tries to express that the prairie is forlorn, and deprived of life, making one aware of being alone. Because Jim has left behind all that is familiar, and started over his life, he has a clean slate, and that is what the prairie is. E. K. Brown, once wrote,  ³The impersonal vastness of the land is the freedom it represents.

Case Study Classic Watch Essay

1-2) After analyzing the structure of the Classic Watch Co, we have come to a conclusion, that the company is product oriented. The founder of the company Harry Brainch used to develop his product and then to find consumers. According to the case, he is quite a conservative person, who prefers old-fashioned business techniques. Twenty years ago, customers were less choosy and they were happy to have a product that is good value for money. In that case, Harry Brainch’s strategy fitted really well. However, times are changing and new market is much more complicated and severe. The competition is tough and product with simple design and good durability is not as attractive as it used to be in the past. According to this, product-oriented approach is not likely to succeed. A famous example of product-oriented company is the original Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford made one model in one color (black), no matter what the consumer might want. Although he followed this strategy for quite a long time, finally, Ford Motor Company had realized the need of customization and now we have Ford cars in various colors. The situation is the same with Classic Watch Co, the faster Mr. Brainch realizes that his old techniques are no longer useful – the better sales will improve. Probably, he should try to change his methods to become more market oriented. For instance, Apple has always been a great example of market-oriented company. Apple has achieved world fame by constantly monitoring market and then adjusting its marketing mix to response to the market needs. The Classic Watch Co should follow example of Apple and start developing new marketing strategy. To sum up, the old strategy is no longer successful because of following reasons: 1) same old-fashioned design 2) new needs and desires of consumers 3) change in consumer’s income (it became higher) 4) the old strategy did not take into account wants of modern consumers 5) reasons for buying watches have changed 3) In our opinion, Harry need to divide market into 3 segments. The first one – â€Å"Economical†, which include people, who are ready to pay the lowest price for any good-working watches. Even if they will be broken in the first year, person from this segment just substitute them by new one. They are mainly price-concerned. Brand and design of the watches is not the main point. The second segment – â€Å"Longevity and quality†. This group in search for watches with a good durability, quality and design. They ready to overpay for this features. This group is the biggest one. The third segment – â€Å"Symbolic† one. Watches should be prestigious, elegant, mainly maid from precious metals and gems. People from this segment buying not just watches, but unique qualities and emotional value. To be successful, The Classic Watch Company need to create watches suitable at least â€Å"Economic† and â€Å"Longevity and quality† segments. 4) Nowadays The Classic Watch Company is no longer succeeding company, but a policy of market segmentation could turnover situation. Segmenting market can help them increase sales and market share, protect brand and provide a variety of other benefits. By positioning themself with a specific benefit, they could create a unique selling proposition that sends a message to a target audience looking for that benefit. If The Classic Watch Company cater to a specific audience, they could lose sales among potential customers outside their target audience but increase overall sales by attracting more customers in your target audience. With specific market segments to reach, they can decrease distribution channels, targeting those outlets that have the highest amount of traffic from their desired customers. By limiting your audience, they can choose magazines, websites, radio and TV stations and events that their customers are more likely to hear, see, visit or attend. As we see, there are pl enty of benefits, which are necessary for modern company to survive.

Movie Evaluation

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: An Autistic Childs Perspective Message 1: September 11, 2001:†Are you there? Hello? If you’re there darling pick up. I just tried the office, but no one was picking up. Ah, listen, something happened. I’m ok. There telling us to stay where we are and wait for the firemen. I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll give you another call when I have a better idea of what’s going on. I want to let you know that I’m ok and not to worry and I’ll call again soon. This was the first of six messages on September 11 2001 that 11 year old Oscar Schell (Thomas Horn) heard from his father Thomas Schell (Tom Hanks) that were left on the answering machine as tragedy was unfolding. His father was on the 105th floor of tower one as the first plane crashed into the building. This movie is based on events that took place during the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks. A young boy (Thomas Horn) named Oscar narrates the sto ry of how the day unfolded from his point of view referring to it as â€Å"the worst day. † Oscar comes home after being released from school because of the events that were taking place.At this point he doesn’t really know what is actually happening. He continues in his routine grabbing a snack from the fridge and then pressing the play button on the answering machine. In this scene He listens to the first of six messages his father left as the events unfolded. He then turns on the television as the messages continue to play and witnesses what has happened and realizes his father is in the building. Just as the news camera captures the first tower falling Oscar falls to his knees, the pudding he got from the fridge spews everywhere and he begins to sob.This movie is categorized as a drama. Certain aspects should be within a drama and relating criteria should be established this includes first and foremost emotion, second would be a powerful message, also if the movie is based from real events, such as this one, realistic scenarios should take place and last but not least quality acting and effective casting, which go hand in hand. In a beginning scene from the movie when Oscars mother Linda Schell (Sandra Bullock) gets a phone call from her husband Thomas Schell while she is at work.You can hear the sheer panic in his voice and the chaos of distraught people in the background. Linda Schell now understands how dyer the situation is because he is in the building. She panics and tries to talk him into staying on the phone with her, they get disconnected. The viewer can easily relate to Linda’s fear and helplessness. Throughout the entire movie you can feel Oscars pain of losing his father. After â€Å"the worst day† Oscar refused to step foot in his father’s closet until one day he gathers the courage to do so. He is sorting through his father’s things when he knocks a vase off of a shelf.The vase shatters and he finds a key and believes it was a last â€Å"reconicense mission† his father created for him. He deems it necessary to continue the game they played that consisted of Oscar going on â€Å"reconicense quests† that his father would develop for him so that he would face his fears of being out in society. Loud noises, lots of people and being out in public put Oscar on edge as he has Autism and he has much trouble trying to make sense out of the simplest things in life and understanding why he can’t make sense of them, but his focus of understanding turned to his father’s untimely death.This movie does have a powerful message of how an unexpected tragedy can change lives forever. We may not have answers as to why or no complete understanding of what truly happens, but we must find a way to move on. As far as depicting real scenarios I believe this movie is right on point with one exception, Oscar was released from school as things started to take place. Before these attacks happened no one felt there was a real threat to humanity, but in a real situation such as this one, school districts, in my opinion, would not have released the children off on their own.Even if no one quite knew what was happening. It is the facilities responsibility to protect and care for those children while they are under their care. This was the only scenario I didn’t agree with. It almost gives a misconception of how schools would react, I think. Last but not least a drama should have quality acting which would foresee effective casting. Someone might seem right for the part but cannot portray the character effectively, which doesn’t make it believable or relatable. If the wrong people are casted, who aren’t quality actors, it would create a different atmosphere for the movie.It may not do so well if the characters aren’t portrayed effectively. I look for actors/actresses who have been awarded for their work and those I’m familiar w ith because there is a good chance the movie will be worthwhile. Overall Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a captivating, emotional and heartfelt movie about a boy with autism whom has just lost his father and learning to cope. With its quality acting and effective casting, powerful message and real life scenarios this movie is a must see.

Abuse of power Vs Spiritual Redemption Essay

The Tempest is full of different themes that work perfectly to bring out the mastery of Shakespeare. However, two themes that stand out in the play, and they have been the source of much debate over the years. Both themes are backed with incredible, pinpoint accurate evidence over the dominance of the other. Over the years, scholars have found it hard to settle on one theme being dominant over the other, but with an analysis of the evidence presented on both counts, the decision is left to the reader of the play or the audience for that matter. The first theme that stands out is; spiritual redemption and goodwill. It can be explained in the play through the character Prospero whereby he struggles, loses his kingdom, finds another and learns from his past in order not to have history repeat itself. In the world crested by The Tempest, through Prospero, Shakespeare tries to examine the human condition of sin, redemption and goodwill. At the beginning of the play, the audience is made aware that Prospero was a Duke of Milan but his brother Antonio, with the king’s consent, took his Dukedom away from him. During his tenure as Duke, Prospero was more concerned with education and magic than he was ruling his kingdom. For this reason, Antonio was able to take advantage and win over the hearts of the people of Milan, which consequently led to the usurping of Prospero from his dukedom, but with help from the King of Naples. Prospero was then exiled with his daughter Miranda, on a wrecked boat where they ended up on an island. Here, Prospero learned the values of authority by turning Caliban into a slave under his command. At one point, his slave alongside two other men tried to kill him but he manipulated them and changed their minds completely. When the shipwrecked men had been brought to him, he could have chosen to exact his revenge and kill them, but he was kind to them. In so doing, Prospero found redemption for his sin as a previously failed ruler. The other theme that stands out is that of Colonial Abuse of Power. In almost every scene, there is a portrayal of power whereby there is a character that has power over the other. The relationship of Prospero and Caliban is that of master and slave and this stands out throughout the play, where Caliban submits to Prospero. The Tempest brings to light the theme of colonization when in 1610, the Sea Adventure to Virginia ended in shipwreck in Bermuda. Also, the anagram of the name Caliban is derived from the name cannibal which shows a difference in cultures. This also shows that Caliban was the native of the island that Prospero had asserted himself as king. Propsero’s relationship with Ariel also demonstrated the intense theme of power. Ariel is a spirit but she is submissive to Prospero, by saying â€Å"All hail, Great master† In both themes, there is enough evidence to warrant a discussion, but to my opinion, I think that the theme of spiritual redemption and goodwill is most dominant. Primarily, this is because the use and abuse of power is an age-old tradition that never seizes. However, the act of Prospero showing mercy stands out because as royalty, there is a need to show humility and making decisions not out of feeling, but out of reason. Thus, the theme of spiritual redemption and goodwill is most convincing in all manners and rights. Source document

Customer Relationship Management Strategy Essay

1)Introduction Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become a main focus for businesses with today’s markets becoming more saturated and competitive. ‘Customer Relationship Management is the ultimate challenge for marketing experts in any business. A successful company will use customer information wisely to build relationships with their customers, on the level that together they will work together towards a long-term relationship.’ (Xu et al. 2002) High customer Intimacy can be produced from these processes and strategy. ‘Customer intimacy is an essential factor in the Customer Relationship Management value chain’ (Buttle, 2004). This marketing strategy consists of a business using ways to get close to clients with benefits for a business including improved highly tailored problem solving capabilities and greater adaptation of products to customer needs, as well as higher customer loyalty levels. This customer intimacy has a major impact on the success on a company and we can see this in modern organisations. We see that customer satisfaction alone is not enough,’Oglivy Loyalty Centre found that, although 85% of customers reported being satisfied, only 40% repurchased’ (McKenzie,1995) and therefore customer must use CRM to help improve their customer intimacy. However, to what extent does the strategy and processes involved with CRM help achieve this customer intimacy and in what was are these processes seen as beneficial for both the customer and the company. The focus of this paper is to look at the ways in which organisation use various forms of CRM strategy and processes in order create better, and lasting relationships with their customers. 2)Membership Cards One way in which many companies, especially retail, aim to increase their customer intimacy is through membership card schemes. These can come in many different forms from and offer a variety of advantages for the customer to use. The main feature of all of these themes is that the customer is rewarded in some way, and in effect, keeps the customer happy and encourages repeat trade. However many card schemes go a step further and are used for the advantage of both the customer and the company. ‘Around 80% of UK households participate in at least one customer loyalty card scheme’ (Stone et al. 2008) and they come in different forms such as the Tesco’ Clubcard, Boots’ Advantage Card and Sainsburys’ Nectar Card. The common feature these cards have is that not only do they provide offers for the customer, but they allow companies to collect valuable data which, in turn improves customer intimacy between the business and the customer. ‘Using customer data and targeting those customers helped make the retailer’s transition much more efficient’ (Shaw, 2012). 2.1)Membership Card – Achieving Customer Intimacy This data is extremely valuable to a company. They spend millions of pounds each year conducting market research to try and find out their customers’ requirements, expectations and preferences. With the use of this card, the technology builds up this information and stores it all to databases. This provides a company with useful information which will allow them to target their customers in such a way that they can build up an everlasting relationship. ‘Customer Relationship Management is grounded on high quality customer-related data and enabled by information technology, (Buttle, 2009). With this card, a business, such as the market leaders of Tescos and Boots can see everything they wish to know about their buyer. This can vary from the information upon registering their card such as age, geographical location, contact details. Along with this, the card will collect data such as what the customer buys, how much they spend and how often. A company can see trends in a particular region, a need for a particular age group and they can segment their products to a more specialised market. ‘Companies get a clear view as to how their business affects individual customers; associated segmentation and other benefits’ (Stone et al, 2008). In addition, to further improve customer intimacy, a company can target a customer and send offers for the products they buy most through email or by post all of which strengthens this bond between customer and company. Here we see a table which shows us the ladder of customer loyalty. With an increase in customer intimacy, a business can take prospecting purchaser and convey them into a loyal customer (Christopher at al, 1998). 2.2)The Cooperative Membership Card The company to demonstrate is The Co-operative Food. Retail chains are at the fore-front for advances in technology and are competing for ways in which to understand their customers and use the strategies to improve customer intimacy. The purchasing behavior in food retail is the most repetitive of all (Manas, 2011), so to get this customer intimacy correct has never been more important. The Co-operative Food (Co-op) uses their loyalty strategy by having membership scheme available to all colleagues and customers. This card acts as most retail cards do in that they collect a customer’s information which is then fed to the company’s data base. There is a number of ways in which this card creates an improvement in customer intimacy. First of all, unlike all of the other schemes available, twice a year the Co-op gives a share of its profits through the post to all of the members of the scheme. ‘You can enjoy your share of the profits along with exclusive member discounts and offers’ (www.co-operative.coop/membership). Along with this, each customer is sent a seasonal brochure from the company. Inside, it gives a customer details of how the company is operating, information of how the company is helping the community, recipes for things to make with the coop products along with vouchers to spend in store. Another scheme used by the coop is membership coupons which are printed at the till terminal which allow money off the next spend. These strategies allow a mutual benefit; the company is updated with a customer’s information, along with the customer receiving healthy benefits from the company encouraging customer intimacy. 3)Customer Interaction Another strategy that many organisations use to create a high level of customer intimacy is through customer interaction. Many companies use schemes which allow employers to either speak face to face with a customer or give them a platform to have their voice heard. ‘By giving your customers a platform for reaching prospects, your marketing efforts become more objective and inclusive’ (Rast, 2012). This customer interaction can be seen in many different forms, varying form feedback surveys, forums or mystery shopper visits. This can be seen in many different organisations which are customer focused. Examples of these include online survey/feedback forms which can be found for most organisations, customer