Cypop 24 Essay

Phonics enables children to experience regular, planned opportunities to listen and talk about what they hear, see and do. Phonics is a six phase learning programme that is incorporated within nurseries and primary schools. It enables children to blend phonemes for reading and segmenting for spellings. Phase one is aimed at the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as it falls within the communication, language and literacy section. This phase recognises the importance of developing speaking and listening skills. This enables children to start a systematic programme then they are more likely to succeed. Within nurseries and primary school they carry out jolly phonics. Jolly phonics enables the children to learn the sounds of letters, this can be incorporated within a song to represent each letter of the alphabet for example for a you say; A A A Ants up my arm, you would say this doing a pinching movement up one of your arms. Within jolly phonics there are five skills that are taught, these include; learning the letter sounds this is when children are taught the 42 main letter sounds. This includes alphabet sounds as well as digraphs such as sh, th, ai and ue. Learning letter formation this is when children are able to use different multi-sensory methods, they learn how to form and write the letters. Blending is when children are taught how to blend the sounds together to read and write new words. Identifying the sounds in words (Segmenting) is when the children are able to listen for the sounds in words gives children the best start for improving spelling. And then there is tricky words, Tricky words have irregular spellings and children learn these separately away from the other words. Jolly phonics helps to support children by learning within a fun environment. http://jollylearning. co. uk/overview-about-jolly-phonics/ Phase 2 is the beginning of the systematic programme. These phonics are best being taught in short, discrete daily sessions. Stage 2 starts with an approach to start learning some letter formations e. g. ‘S’ ‘A’ ‘T’ ‘P’ ‘I’ ‘N’. Within settings this could be incorporated by burring letters in sand of bubbles for the children to find and tell you what sound that letter makes and then put it back in for other children to find. The systematic programs are not designed to control the teachers but to control the presentation of information in order to help children manage and master the complexities of our language. The purpose of a systematic program is to help the child learn. ’ http://www. righttrackreading. com/dsphonics. html Phase three completes the teaching of th e alphabet and helps children to move on to sounds that consist of more than one letter e. g. ‘he’ ‘the’. Phase four enables children to learn to read and spell words containing adjacent consonants, e. . ‘the’ ‘black’ within the word black, ‘bl’ are adjacent consonants because they are two different consonants containing different sounds whereas ‘ck’ at the end of the word black aren’t adjacent consonants because both letters contain the same sound. Some children may pick up phonics really well and may need this stage earlier than other, in which case they should not be held back. Phase five extends graphemes and phonemes. Graphemes are the names of all the individual letters in the alphabet, phonemes are the sounds the letters make. It shows children that words may sound the same but are spelt differently with different meaning e. g. meet and meat. Phase six should enable children to read automatically usually spellings lag behind reading, so children may still find it difficult to read. Spelling needs children to recall the word from memory and recompose it without being able to see it. Children who are in secondary school aged between 11-16 carry out spelling activities. During nursery and primary school they learnt the basic phonics to help them read, write and spell. Spelling help to further develop each child and young person’s skills. For example within my setting I was working with the nurture group and they received ten spellings every week. Most of the children within the nurture group had SLCN. The children with SLCN always struggled with their spellings, so therefore I provided my support to whoever wanted it. All the spellings they received every week had the same sound in common, e. g. heat, meat, cheat, great. All of these words have ‘eat’ in common. Within my support I explain to the children that the words may sound differently but the spellings they always received had sounds in common so therefore pointing this out they was able to think of the starting of the word and knew each work has the same sound in and was then able to achieve more marks out of ten on their spellings. This helped to boost their confidence and self-esteem because they knew they could do it. Young people that attend college and university aged between 16-25 may carry out key skills/functional skills. Once you leave school and set out to go to college, there are some skills that young people are going to be better knowing and understanding than not having those skills. Once young people have learnt them, then their day-to-day life will be a lot easier. Whatever children and young people do their going to have to know how to communicate and work with numbers, because literacy and numeracy are a very important when wanting a job as they are a must. Children and young people are going to need to know the basics when it comes to ICT. When young people are ready to apply for jobs or college courses, they can’t just state what they are good and aren’t good at, they will need to prove it. They can do this by completing a set of courses that assess how well they do at the skills they need to get their dream job. These set of course are called Key Skills. These courses include; communication, application of number, information and communication technology (ICT), problem solvi ng, improving own learning and performance, and working with others. These skills will help children and young people to further develop their skills. If young people have SLCN then they may receive support to complete these skills to enable them to go on to college or to get a job. | Adults can help to extend the speech, language and communication development by simply involving them in conversations using a child language instead of an adult language. This enables the children to understand you more when you ask them questions. For example if you asked ‘How are you feeling today? they may not fully understand as it is a complex question whereas if you asked ‘Are you okay? ’ this is a simpler question and will be easier for them to understand. If you interact children with SLCN they are more likely to improve their vocabulary and social communication because they are involved within an activity and may start to communicate with other children without really noticing. Adults could also work with parents/carers by communicating with them and possibly sending SLCN activities home with the child or young person to complete at home with their parent/carer. This enables the parent/carer to see where their child is at within their development and also enables them to help their child further develop their skills. Phonics, spellings and key skills all have positive effects on a child and young person’s life. Phonics enables children to understand the names and sounds of letters and help them learn to read, write and spell. Learning phonics enables them to progress through primary school to secondary school. Being able to read and write enables the children and young people to complete their work and their SAT’s. Completing spellings enables children and young people to develop their writing skills and their vocabulary as they may know how to spell a word without maybe knowing that it is a word. Key skills effects young people’s lives because it teaches them six different skills to help them apply for college courses and gain a further education to get a job that they want. Doing all of these things is improving their speech, language and communication needs and also their vocabulary. 3. 3 – Apply research evidence to planning an environment that supports speech, language and communication Within my work setting I worked closely with children with additional needs. Within my work setting we always got told that if a child I was there to support was getting too frustrated within lessons to remove them from that lesson and take them to a calmer and quieter environment and work 1:1 with that child. For example child T has SLCN and he doesn’t like noise and gets frustrated and distracted very easily so my setting enables him to receive brain breaks which enables him to leave the classroom with his TA and have a little walk and a drink to calm him down until he feels ready to return to the classroom. If he feels he can’t go back to the classroom because of the atmosphere then it is down to the TA to return to the classroom and collect the work he needs to complete and liaise with the class teacher to inform them how child T is feeling and wanting to complete his work in a quieter environment as he feels he will work better and will be able to complete his work to a better standard. When a child is removed to a quieter environment the work is broken down into small steps for them to complete one after another. This enables the child or young person to understand the work and remain on task as they won’t get frustrated because they don’t understand it. Providing these sessions with child T enables him to enjoy coming to school as he knows if he starts to struggle then staff can make it easier for him. This also enables him to achieve his set targets within his lessons as we are providing support for him to complete his work.

Investigating Meaningful Teaching Essay

Investigating Meaningful Teaching Daniel Bowen Grand Canyon University Special Education Foundation and Framework SPE-330 May 26, 2011 Investigating Meaningful Teaching Investigating what meaningful teaching is it is having teachers that are willing to teach to the whole student by having patience, compassion and developing a meaningful relationship with their students. Being a positive influence and having effective classroom management. An effective teacher is a teacher that wears many hats such as a coach, actor, cheerleader and friend. Having the ability to read their moods, body language, when and what may cause them to become frustrated. Also having a deep belief in each and every student has the ability to learn and achieve. In an interview with four teachers, two inclusion teachers and two self contain teachers was conducted. All four teachers were asked the same questions this being a summary of the results of that interview. (Grand Canyon University, n. d. ) In their opinions, what is necessary for a meaningful and worthwhile teaching and learning experience? All four teachers refer to having respect for each student and students having respect for them and being consistent in enforcing classroom rules. Maintain a set of routines so the students know what is expected of them each day. Know the laws that deal with Special Education. These laws are appt to change at any time. (Grand Canyon University, n. d. ) How is a meaningful learning experience for students related to the teacher’s philosophy of education? The teachers all feel in general that a meaningful education is synonymous with their philosophy. A student must be made to feel respected, valued, and to feel safe in the classroom. Discipline is as necessary as the text without it the learning process cannot be achieved. Each teacher believed that having the understanding that each student will learn on deferent levels and different ways. It was part of their philosophy to discover the uniqueness of every student. (Grand Canyon University, n. d. ) Why did you want to become teachers? Why do you continue teaching? The first part of this question is generic. They all were influence by a teacher or more than one teacher as they were growing up. The second part was a little different with each teacher. In general the challenge they face every day. Having a child all of a sodden come alive. They begin to grasp the math or reading at their level seeing the excitement in their eyes when a door opens for them that once was closed. The small rewards everyday is what kept them in the classroom. (Grand Canyon University, n. d. ) What are two or three of their most rewarding teaching experiences? Their most challenging? Two of the teachers stated that their most rewarding experience was in having a past student call them up with an invitation to their graduation. These students stating that they would not have made it through school if these two teachers did not believe in them from the start. The others where when they observed there student achieve the understanding of basic math without a calculator and one learning how to write their name for the first time at the age of thirteen. (Grand Canyon University, n. d. ) What changes would they like to make in teaching? Why? They all agreed that the change they would make would be Standardize testing the F-cat (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test). The teachers have to teach the test and not what the student truly need to be successful in the classroom. They state the biggest problem with this test is that the government is trying to outsmart the student. It is believed that they design the test to make the students to fail. One example was given were a student was a straight â€Å"A† students her whole life all through elementary, middle and high school. She took the F-cat so she could graduate and failed. She could not graduate with her class. They feel the test is not fare to student with or without learning disabilities. The changes they all agreed with was to completely do away with the F-cat and much of the paper work and go back to letting teachers teach. (Grand Canyon University, n. d. ) The reason I want to become a teacher is the total opposite of the teachers interviewed. I never had a teacher that left a lasting impression on my life. I had no on to mentor me as I chose to become a teacher. I became a teacher because after a few industrial accidents left me unable do anything physical for a very long time. While I was looking for something I could do. A bus driving passion came open. So I became a bus driver. As I was driving the position of a substitute teacher open I became a substitute teacher because it paid two dollars more an hour. That was as a substitute teacher that and working with the student that made me decided to become a teacher full time. Watching students struggle with their work, being able to show them how to do it correctly, and having the opportunity to see the â€Å"ahh† factor. Being able to help students learn and see them as they learned is one of the greatest experiences I had in my life time. The decision to become a Special education teacher came a little later. It was the same as when I decided to become a teacher. It was having that one on one with the student. Being able to teach a class with children that were diagnose with Downs, Autistics, Mental Retardation and the list grows. I feel in love with these children and discovered the real need for teacher in this area. This is the reason I decided to join the ranks of Special Education teachers. Through the interview I discovered an even stronger desire to become a Special Education teacher. Through these teachers interview help to enforce what I already knew. Each student is a unique individual. Having different personalities, weakness, strengths, and learning styles. This becoming one of the greatest challenges is unlocking each student mind helping them to discover knowledge. References Grand Canyon University. Syllabus module 2 (n. d. ). http://angel103. gcu. edu/section/default. asp? id=835810

Modular questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modular questions - Assignment Example Intrinsically, price-fixing entails intra-competitors’ collusion to: sell products at the same price; apply the same formula when determining the selling price; give the same discounts; desist from lowering prices prior to notifying co-colluders; and to maintain similar price differentials among different order qualities, quantities and types. This is not the case with hospitals in GPOs since GPOs are mainly interested in making more discounts as a way of saving on operational and purchasing costs. This may only lead to improvement in quality services provision (Qiaohai and Schwarz, 2011). Conversely, one can also access resources and information relating to GPOs and their healthcare chain supplies. This is usually not the case with price-fixing organizations which collude to have prices fixed, stabilized, set highly, or discounted. The underhand nature of price-fixing organizations is brought about by the knowledge that price-fixing is a contravention of the federal and state laws. It is highly expedient that the proposal be approached with a lot of keenness since its execution can affect greatly, the future of the hospital. The kind of agreement that is being mooted does not capture the fact that other players in the healthcare industry will not be party to the proposal. This may bring about disparity in the physicians’ emoluments. The gravity behind this development is that although the artifice may help the hospital save 300,000 dollars, long-term negative effects will eventually spiral in, as physicians leave for greener pastures. This means that not only will the hospital incur heavier employee turnover, but that the same will also find it difficult to retain physicians. In respect to the foregoing, it remains necessary that the hospital sets rates that are commensurate to the rest of the market when determining physicians’ remunerations and payments for the ED calls; as

A Teachers Role in the Lives of Students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

A Teachers Role in the Lives of Students - Essay Example These qualities include being honest, patient, humble, understanding, affectionate and exhibiting an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. The teacher as a role model must have some â€Å"sterling qualities of head and heart, which the child gets impressed by† (Matthew, n.d.) A teacher is also a provider of experiences. Teachers spend a lot of time with their students, as such, they must be able to provide an environment which is free of fear but rather, one which is a â€Å"warm and protective environment but at the same time professional† (Csun.edu, n.d.). A teacher’s role goes beyond textbooks and the course syllabus. They help the child experience the challenges that go with education. The learning experiences that teachers impart are not confined to the ABCs or the 123s; they also teach how life is beyond the four walls of the classroom. Through the teacher, a child learns how to become a student, a classmate, a friend, a leader, a follower and a responsible citizen of the country. These experiences are provided through lectures, role-playing activities, and extra-curricular activities. Students are able to experience independence depending on the activities introduced by the teacher. Teachers guide students in facing the different chal lenges that life offers. The teacher as an interactor stimulates students towards classroom interactions. The interaction should not only be between student and teacher but also between the student and the other students. As interactors, teachers must act as facilitators so that students interact well with each other (Mwalim, 2011). Moreover, the students must be motivated to become creative and be critical thinkers. On the issue of time spent by children in front of the computer, there are several statements which a teacher may use to help a child expand, specify, problem solves and clarify.  

Evangelism Vision Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evangelism Vision - Research Paper Example These words were a direct command from Jesus to the then disciples and all those who would come into the Kingdom later, in order to mobilize His followers into all parts of the world in fulfillment of His promise when He called His first disciples to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men, Mark 1:17. Wherever I am, I have realized that it is a command from Christ who I have accepted as my Lord, to make Him known to the people around me, a duty that Jesus has delegated to all members of the church which is His body.2 As can be noted from the Bible, Jesus started His mission on earth with evangelism, Mark 1:38b where once He told disciples,’ that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth’, and ended it with evangelism when He gave His followers the great commission. This shows the great importance that He attaches to the redemption of man, also saying in Luke 19:10 that He came to seek and to save that which was lost. I have also learnt that my changed life as a Christian is very crucial to the success of my evangelistic endeavor. Many Christians undertake the call to make disciples or evangelize just like passing on information, but a dying world will like to witness the change that has taken place in a Christian’s life after embracing the gospel.3 Jesus was confident enough to tell His followers to learn of Him, Mathew 11:29 and so was Paul the Apostle who said, â€Å"Be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.† A changed lifestyle will have much greater effect than a sermon of many words because the impact can be clearly seen. Paul talked about a time when people will have’ a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof’, when their lives, which will not have been changed by what they profess, 2Timothy 3:5. While it is very vital to share the correct message of the gospel which is in line with the word of God, it is very crucial that the information passed on is validated by my changed and consistent way of life. Evangelism has been taken by many Christians to be a Spiritual gift that has been given to a few select individuals, contrary to what the Bible teaches. While some people may be endowed with gifts that may help them to evangelize in a better way, the evangelistic call is for all members of the church. As Christians realize that evangelism is not just about sharing the good news, but about an aspect to be embraced as a lifestyle by every believer, there were be much more effective witnessing. It is not also an aspect that is to be done by a certain kind of personality, but is one that God has assigned to every member of the body of Christ, since as we share the message of redemption in the power of the Holy Ghost, the results are left to God according to John 6; 44, which states that no man can come to God unless drawn by God Himself. As we also study Ephesians 4 verse 11-12, the five fold ministry has been given by Christ to prepare the Church for the works of service. Christians are equipped by those endowed with these ministry

Ballon photograph Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ballon photograph - Essay Example The best aspect related with Edward’s photographs is that emphasis is on the elements which he is trying to show or exhibit through the lens of the camera. The dominance is generally laid in the fact that the outline within such balloons is made very prominent and this is one of the reasons why focal point and proportions are marked so very distinctively. When the angles are ascertained, the scales are seen to be very proper and there is not any perspective which has not been touched upon in entirety. This is such an important aspect which is represented through the works of Edward Honsford as rhythm is a very essential part of the photographs that he has captured till now. Since he plans quite a lot during shoots, the success factor is made possible through the very same regimes. Thus Edward’s photographs have followed nearly all the principles of art which remain significant within his final outputs. Works Cited Author Unknown, 2010. Edward Horsford Creates Amazing Bu rsting Balloons Photographs (Interview and Tutorial). Found Online at: http://www.diyphotography.net/edward-horsford-creates-amazing-bursting-balloons-photographs-interview-and-tutorial

Discussion Q Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussion Q - Assignment Example in the organization through changes in the cultures as there are more interactions that occur in all levels of departments in the organization (Hiriyappa, 2009). There are problems that are brought out by management behaviors. Among the problems in the organization is that experienced as more co-workers speak to individuals in a condescending manner (Ivancevich & Matteson, 2000). The problems in the organizations are contributed as a result of technical aspects in management which is important for understanding the management process in an organization. Some behavioral skills that are undermined by management result to problems in communication with the subordinate, peers and bosses (Ivancevich & Matteson, 2000). Management behavior problems are as a result of education that managers have on people, groups that are encountered and interaction that occur in the organization. Problems in management behaviors are also as a result of lack of critical thinking and analysis capabilities. Change agent skills and leadership capabilities in organizations are able to undergrad some members of the organization resulting to problem in communication and handling the skills (McShane & Von Glinow, 2000). Knowledge of the current organizational culture is important during a change initiative. The knowledge that is in an organization ensures that the changes are made in improving management in the organization. There are measurements that have affected achievement of change initiatives (Robbins, 2001). One of the abilities that impact the changes is ability to influence. In change initiatives, there is need to influence decision making in the organization to comply with the changes. The comfort is with the changes that occur due to uncertainties. Most management is not comfortable and holds onto the cultures of the organizations as they are not comfortable with the uncertainties and taking of risks (Robbins, 2001). Achievement orientation is also affected with organization

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime Assignment - 9

Do Curfews Keep Teens Away From Crime - Assignment Example According to an article that explores effects curfew laws have on youths, less is evident about the positive impacts. The article states that researches who have tried to analyze the effects of curfews on reducing crime have relied on assumptions and not facts (Kline 2). Many cities in the United States have put in place curfews for teenagers following the 1990s when crime cases amongst the teenagers seemed to be on the rise. This measure therefore aimed at ensuring safety amongst them. These curfews are however usually applicable to teens who are under a specifically stated age. As much as it may reduce crime amongst those under the stated age, it will have no implication on kids just above the statutory age hence they will continue with their criminal behaviors (Kline 1). They will be able to influence the teenagers who will disobey the curfews and indulge in crime. This article, therefore, proves that setting curfews for teenagers is not a solution to the increased crimes amongst teenagers in the cities. A proper solution, therefore, should not direct to the teenagers alone but the youth in general. According to an article in Greater Greater Washington titled as ‘Teens need things to do, not curfews’, curfews have worked effectively on other cities and have been able to reduce the number of crimes amongst teenagers (Reed). The article, however, brings its claims stating that many feel curfews are too restrictive for the teenagers and that they do not eradicative the root cause of crime amongst the teenagers. The main cause of misbehavior amongst the teenagers as per this article is lack of appropriate things to do. Therefore, they keep themselves busy by indulging in criminal activities.  

Leadership Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Leadership Assessment - Essay Example Leader’s focus remains on the people and importantly on ways to inspire them to face new challenges and to perform in any state of affairs. Not to panic at any rate is the most indispensable quality of a leader. Every leader has the quality of maintaining the confidence level up and to assure followers that the whole thing is going to be fine. To be humorous and comical with the employees is an additional great quality that differentiates some leaders from others. According to a study, females have more leadership capabilities than males. Traditionally leadership tasks were associated with men only but over a period of time women are increasingly getting involved in the leadership jobs (Eagly & Johannesen?Schmidt, 2001). LEADERSHIP STYLE There are many styles of the leaders which are being followed but three major leadership styles are commonly used in organizations. These common leadership styles are as follows (Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt, & Van Engen, 2003): Autocratic, also known as ‘authoritarian’ Participative also known as ‘democratic’ Delegative also known as ‘laissez-fair’ Authoritarian (Autocratic): Example of expression for the above style is, â€Å"I want both of you to. . ... . .† In this style, there is a leader and one or more employees are collectively involved in making of the decision (deciding what to do & how to do). This style is a mark of potency to work in a team and not a sign of weakness of leader. This authority is bring into play when knowledge or information of others employees can prove valuable contribution. By using this authority, a benefit of mutual understanding allows every other member of the organization to participate for the betterment of decisions (Sosik & Godshalk, 2000). Delegative (Laissez Faire): Example of expression for the above style is, , â€Å"You two take care of the problem while I go. . .† This style allows the employees to make their contribution and take decisions. The style is used when the employees have enough knowledge about the situation and know what to do and in what manner the work is to be done. Leader’s complete trust on the capability of employees and intentions to develop decision m aking capability in employees results in leader to adopt this style. Leaders increasingly use this style in the current professional world (Sosik & Godshalk, 2000). My manager in the current organization has adopted the combination of the three styles. The collective feature of all three defined style have had significant positive impact on my attitude towards works as well as entire organization. With participative decision making our managers enabled us to work in team and incorporating the best of suggestions for the task completion. This participative style adoption was ordered by leader using his autocratic powers. Hence, the manager enabled all employees including me to make decisions with responsibilities

Can Genetically Modified Organisms Save the World Essay

Can Genetically Modified Organisms Save the World - Essay Example Today, the process of genetic modification is rapidly advancing throughout the planet. In 2004, 8.25 million farmers in 17 nations (Ahmed, 30) grew the crops. The production and marketing of GM foods are due to the superficial benefits they hold either to the producer or to consumption of these genetic foods. In the beginning, GM seeds developers needed their products to be accepted by producers and focus on innovations that have direct benefit to the farmers and the food industry at large. For example, the International Rice Research Institute located in the Philippines manufactured the GM golden rice to help people in the South East Asia that were lacking food. GMO foods are unavoidable and we cannot live without them. The WHO, the Food, Drug Administration, and other scientific bodies in the world have strongly advocated for the use of GM foods, since they do not have any harm to the human health. Additionally, research shows that the risks to human health that may be brought about by the consumption of GM foods are the same as those that are brought about by the consumption of non-GM foods. Moreover, the GM foods are safe to use as they tested for food safety and passed the safety assessment. Some people believe that GM foods should be eliminated due to the risks they have like the health issues. It is a fact that people have eaten some of the GM foods unknowingly, but no complains of serious concerns (Ahmed, 18). By 2040, the world’s population is predicted to increase significantly and this therefore means that there are more resources to use and more people to feed. This growing human population entails to being open to new ideas and the use of new technology to curb food insecurity. Moreover, with this new technology, there are many benefits that the genetic modification has in terms of dealing with malnutrition, food security, and agricultural

Why energy drinks should be banned Essay Example for Free

Why energy drinks should be banned Essay The topic of energy drinks being allowed for kids is a huge debate. Energy drinks are said to help give you energy for you long days, but are very deadly at the same time. Energy drink companies say that it’s the kids faults for drinking the energy products but all in all it is there’s to begin with. They have hidden so much from us should they be allowed to hide it any more? One of the biggest dangers of energy drinks is death. There are twelve reported death reports saying that monster energy is the cause for the deaths. The companies were sued by the families of the teens who died from drinking the drinks. The companies stated that it was their kids faults for there deaths because the consumed the product in hand, but they didn’t know the ingredients in the energy drinks. Some of the publics schools in Washington sell energy drinks everyday at there schools. The energy drink companies are trying to get the advertisement out to the younger kids to wanting them to buy more and more of there products. If we pulled the energy drinks from schools and selling them there would be less teen and children deaths in the us alone then there has been over the year. Energy drink companies should label everything a lot better, because having them hide some of the ingredients isn’t something id like to let my kids use. Less people would drink them if they new what all was in the products. Most of there products have over 1,600mg of sugar in it , that’s equal to one in a half to two bags of sugar. Putting all this sugar into these drinks and having kids consume them causes the kids to become hyperactive whenever they consume the product. If these kids keep drinking these drinks they will cause them self to get diabetes, after drinking the energy drinks for a long period of time. Considering the challenge of being sued for there product the companies try and change the topics to the family. When the companies blame the family for there family members death. The energy drink companies should be responsible because they are changing up the story every time someone sues them into trouble of their product. Yes I think energy drinks help with getting energy during the day, but the drinks a re a health concern for everyone. The unknown knowledge to everyone is the only reason why they are hiding there ingredients so they wont get in trouble for there product causing peoples deaths. There product is dirty a man after drinking and energy drink found a dead rat in his can after finishing his drink, all I can say is ewe would you want that in your drinks. To close I believe every energy drink should be banned because of all the health hazard and dangers to our well being. The energy companies should be forced to not be allowed to hide anything from its buyers. Because if the didn’t hide anything not a lot of people will be putting there life’s at risk anymore with drinking them. Energy drinks are going to be a thing of the past on day I will write everyday till they are. POWERED BY TCPDF (WWW. TCPDF. ORG).

Appropriation and Important Postmodern Strategy

Appropriation and Important Postmodern Strategy Important shifts in visual strategies in the arts mark the historic cross-over from the Modern to the postmodern paradigm. While this holds equally true in music and literature, it is the evolution of such strategies in the visual arts that this essay concentrates on. While such demarcation cannot be pinned down to a specific year or date, it is possible to convincingly chart this shift via an examination of the working strategies of three important painters: Americans Andy Warhol and David Salle, and Australias Imants Tillers. Postmodern art, by definition, rejects strict genre confines and, unlike modern art, celebrates the mixing of forms and ideas. As a result of this rejection, postmodernism advertises the use of irony, parody, satire, humour and collage. The use of appropriation in art is a useful strategy for commenting on or criticising aspects of life by recontextualising an image or object of already determined meaning. Giving new meaning to, or building upon the meaning of, an existing idea by redefining its context is an effective tool that alters or interferes with the viewers original association with an object or idea. This being immediately recognisable as a postmodern approach due to its embrace of contradiction, diversity and the unconventional. This is important as the message translates easily, giving meaning to a modern day audience. David Salles Tragedy, 1995, is a diptych. The right-hand panel is performed in grisaille, a technique predominantly used to render figures from one base colour or monotones, greatly accentuating the mood. In this panel are two figures, a smirking female, obliquely behind the main male figure who sits with hands on knees with the face distorted into a grotesque parody of despair. The left panels apparent pastiche is backgrounded by what appears to be a domestic scene derived from a 1950s advertisement, possibly a direct reference to Richard Hamiltons landmark artwork Just what is it that makes todays homes so different, so appealing? (1956), a work widely considered as a seminal precursor to Pop art. There is also a possible death motif in reference to the Cold War and the anxiety of the Atomic age of the post-WW2 West. In the centre is a black and white photograph of a bomb blast, surrounded by lemons, with a black glove at the top right corner. The explosion could also be representational of death, as well as the black glove being a traditional mourning trope, these funerary motifs all relating back to the tragic tone of the artwork, and the mans expression. Salles work is more about juxtaposition which he uses as a strategy to destabilise the ways in which we traditionally see, and at the same time reconfigure traditional visual narrative. He leans heavily on a simple strategy of montaging images of the banal and everyday. The effect is jarring and visually disturbing. In this, we can see his indebtedness to the better aspects of Pop like Warhol and James Rosenquist. Salle also created another diptych work entitled Comedy (1995) using the same layout, but mirrored with opposite facial expressions on the figures; as the man with an exaggerated frown in Tragedy now smiles in Comedy. The left panel of Comedy is also rendered in grisaille. In the right panel, an advertisement for a bedroom suite is set on its side and like the artists early works is collaged with additional imagery: a black and white photograph of a headless female fashion mannequin, enclosed by a garland of butterflies, and below a theatrically ruffled harlequin collar.   The paired titles may refer directly to Salles set and costume designs for ballet and theatre, as well as his endeavour into directing the 1995 feature film Search and Destroy. The tropes of the frilled glove and harlequin collar in Salles work of the early nineties hints to his involvement with the performing arts. A cinematic feel can also be identified in Salles juxtapositions of scenes that conjure a cinematic impression in which components are arranged to produce an alternative meaning that is not, indeed cannot, be seen in the singular images alone. The fact that the images of the man in the foreground are reversed when comparing Comedy and Tragedy also gives the viewer an ironic configuration of the Janus, the tragic and comic faces are referenced, via each other, into a singular idea. The God Janus was the protector of gates and doors, beginnings and endings and dates to Roman times. But beyond the traditional trope of the Janus, is the fact that he is two-faced. It may be of some interest to note that, before making it big as an artist Salle worked for a short time in the late 1970s as a paste-up artist for  Stag magazine, a pornographic publication. It is interesting to note that highly sexualised and fetish images making a regular appearance in his works of the 1980s. In  Tragedy  the main figure is haloed by a biomorphic shape, at once visceral and phallic. If this motif is indeed phallic, along with the bomb blast possibly symbolising a premature explosion, Tragedy may well portray a failure of male potency. Taking this reading,  Comedy must surely read as the opposite: the main male figure beams, proud and confident as opposite a bio-morphically enclosed female mannequin in a flowing gown stands without a head. The fact the female mannequin is headless is also interesting, being without identity, the female strictly objectified. The porn aesthetic is genuinely interesting though. While porn does not read compositionally the same as any other figurative traditions, porns narratives run to succinct, highly predictable paradigms. Pasting-up, now a dead skill as all such work is now done on a computer, was physically very much like a collage. Pasting-up is a compositional exercise where images and/or text are literally separate physical items pasted into position on a board for photo reproduction prior to final printing. So we could argue that some of Salles visual sensibility the recurring figures and images, the outlines of figures and objects cast over earlier images and grounds could have derived from his work for a porn publication. Salle was raised on the mythology of the Abstract Expressionists. Accordingly, the scale of his work is New York School-size; his 1995 diptych Tragedy is over 3.5 metres in length. Salle also defers to the Abstract Expressionist myth of all-over composition, the famous domain of Jackson Pollock. But rather than the frenetic, energetic marks of Pollocks famous Poured Period, Salle crams his canvasses full of eclectic figures and objects, often dissimilar and jarring, often seemingly disconnected and layered. It is an ironic homage to the macho painters of the New York School. Salle is widely considered one of the early blatantly postmodern painters by virtue of his subversion of the recognisable, and by distorting the familiar via awkward juxtapositions and unlikely compositional decisions. He drew from such widely artistic traditions as Minimalism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Realism and Cubism as well as images from popular culture. Although much of his work seems highly symbolic, Salles paintings seem not to contain a specific message, but rather leave space for the viewer to interact, to read into, the work. It is this interaction that brings the work to meaningful completion. This active engagement of the viewer is also a prime postmodern strategy. Imant Tillers use of quotation and appropriation has seen him classified as one of the early postmodern painters. His approach has a clearly personal element, despite appropriating imagery from both unknown and famous artists alike. Tillers 1985 work The Nine Shots is a an abstract figure who appears to be laying sprawled on his back, with nine target shapes all about him. Instantly, one can see the direct influence of Indigenous art influence on this piece. Tillers notably recontextualises the circular Indigenous motif for camp site or resting place to represent bullet holes. The main Aboriginal image Tillers has appropriated in The Nine Shots was Michael Nelson Tjagamarras Five dreamings, 1982. This appropriation lead to some considerable controversy, with allegations that appropriating Aboriginal imagery without permission impinged upon the moral privileges of the artist. The offence being exacerbated by the indissolubility of Aboriginal art from its environment. Tillers seemingly questioned identity established by and arising from locality by displaying appropriated cultural imagery with other images from different contexts. Over the next decade Tillers relationship with aboriginal art developed, even to the point of gaining a personal friendship with Tjagamarra whose work he incorporated without permission, the two even collaborating together in Nature Speaks: Y (Possum Dreaming) in 2001 using Aboriginal Walibri motifs. Walibri icons subsequently appearing as common elements in Tillers later work as a result. Tillers appropriation of aboriginal signs seems now to be more an appreciation of their artistic power. Although there has been no change in Tillers practice of appropriating Aboriginal art in his own work without permission, it could be deduced that the moral dilemma surrounding the re-using of sacred Aboriginal artworks has become less controversial, its treatment becoming more alike non-aboriginal art. While appropriating, building upon, borrowing from and being influenced by others art is now a mainstay of postmodern art, it is never going to be without hazard as art is not confined to particular types of objects. Aboriginal art it is a device of selfdom, a title deed to the land, a cypher of ancestral presence. It is the situation that Aboriginal law reserves rights to produce these sacred works to a limited group of artists and the infraction of these rights in the unauthorised borrowing of such art can be seen as a type of sacrilege that affects the foundation of the artists society. While widely recognised as the chief proponent of the Pop idiom, specific early works by Andy Warhol can retrospectively demonstrate the decline of the Modernist period. Warhols rejection of the machismo of the New York School is a classic Oedipal strategy. The best of the Abstract Expressionists had traded heavily on the supposed Jungian content of their work, whereby meaning was derived from the actual physical laying down of paint on canvas. Most notable of these, of course, was Jackson Pollock who was on the record in interview touting his Jungian pedigree. By implication also, this Jungian ideal cashed out on the implicit value of originality. To witness the extent to which adoration of the authentic mark of the artist extended, one only need examine the huge, stark calligraphic works of Franz Klein. But Warhol was notable in his total rejection of these ideas. His foppish, effeminate persona stood starkly at odds with the Abstract Expressionists who, we must remember, were still practising in the years of Warhols emergence in the early 1960s. In place of the Abstract Expressionists tortured surfaces were Warhols radically underworked monochrome renditions of newspaper advertisements and newspaper headlines as in  $199 Television, 1961. Warhols Campbells soup can, along with images of CocaCola bottles and Marilyn Monroe became the Pop Art movements representing motifs. The soup can being a satirical comment on Americas consumerism. By using the familiar image of Marilyn Monroes face he has turned it purely into an icon of pop culture, and no longer a person with depth and character. Her depiction is now just a shallow symbol of fame and beauty. Warhols signature use of the silkscreen completed his rejection of the New York style of painting of the late 1940s and 1950s. The silkscreen stood as a reproducible artwork, and the mechanic nature of this production put the artists hand at one remove from the finished product, especially given Warhol employed assistants to make the actual work while he stood as supervisor, and oversaw production.   In 1964 Warhol was one of ten artists commissioned to produce work for the World Trade Fair to be held in New York. Warhols contribution, Most Wanted Men, 1964 featured silkscreen portraits taken from FBI mugshots. This mural-sized work was installed on the outside wall of the Circarama, a one hundred foot circular cinema in which a 360-degree view of New York was projected. Within days of its installation, however, the Circaramas architect, Philip Johnson, had asked Warhol to remove Most Wanted Men, saying the New York State governor thought it would offend the many Italians among his constituents, given all the men depicted were Italian. Given twenty-four hours to replace or remove the work, Warhol had his assistants scale ladders and cover the portraits with industrial silver paint. The strategy is intriguing. Beginning with the idea of appropriating photographs, photo-silkscreening them to find the appropriate scale, and then, after the order that it be removed, Warhol chooses not to replace the work, but complete it with the metaphoric mirroring of the silver paint-out of the original image.   In real terms then, the interference or censoring offered by the Trade Fair organisers and associated politicians, did not necessarily result in a failure of this work. In the same way that many postmodern artists position their viewers to interact with a work in order to complete it, or find meaning, so Warhol played with the critical interference he was offered in a way that served the work and, perhaps more importantly, appended Most Wanted Men with a complex narrative that sited the artist as the  enfant terrible or provocateur who, in completing the work with a crude, industrial silver skin, metaphorically throws an unacknowledged and (given the ambiguity of its title, homoerotic) Narcissistic impulse back in the faces of the authorities. So whether the artists intent is purely representing a personal side of themselves to an audience, or to provoke controversy and questioning from the public, the use of appropriation is a useful strategy of postmodernity as it requires the participation of audience thought to make a work complete. This would seem very unconventional to Modern art, but thats what makes appropriation or recontextualization such a powerful postmodern tool. Salles personal love of the theatrical, Tillers questioning of sacred aboriginal art or Warhols parodic use of popular and commercial products; As can be seen from these well known artists and artworks of the postmodern era, building upon or giving new meaning to an image or object is a very efficient way of producing art with a message behind it.

The Value Proposition in Barclays PLC

The Value Proposition in Barclays PLC The organization that is used for this assignment is Barclays PLC; this project is divided into three parts. The first parts aim is to identify and to explain what is the perceived value for the customers, to do this, suitable models of consumer values are going to be used and then the model will be applied to the organization. The second part will critically evaluate the value proposition of the business and then a comparison will be made with that of the leading competitors value proposition. The third part would produce a new value proposition, which will match the value criteria of the existing customers; this will be done by identifying the weaknesses in the existing value proposition. It will also provide us with a plan to implement the value proposition internally and externally. Using suitable models identify the customer perceived value for the customers for a product/division/company of your choice. Customer perceived value, what does this really mean? Customer perceived value, can be regarded as the opinion that a customer has or has formed of a particular product and how it is of value to him. Simply put, the customer perceived value of any product is the consumers overall assessment of the utility or use of a product based on perceptions of what the customer receives and what he is giving to get the desired service or product. This concept can also be explained with the help of the following diagram: Customer perceived value= Perceived Benefits _______________ Perceived Sacrifice Where, Perceived benefits are the attributes of the service being received and the customer perceived quality and price of the product. Perceived sacrifice are the customer costs involved in purchasing, such as time, travel etc. Introduction to the organisation: For the purpose of this assignment, the company that has been selected is BARCLAYS PLC; the following text would give a brief company profile followed by the identification of the customer perceived value for the organisation by the use of the Customer Value Hierarchy Model. Company profile: Barclays is one of the worlds leading financial institutions headquartered at 1 Churchill Place, London. It is a 300 year old corporation that became a major financial services provider that engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, wealth management, investment banking and management services provider for big global equity firms. It has an extensive international presence in Europe, Africa, Asia and off lately has started to expand in the United States market as well. It moves, lends, protects and invests money for than 38 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has two business clusters: Global Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth Management- both compromising world-class business and brands. Before we take a look at the customer perceived value of the Barclays brand, the project would like to discuss the Customer Value Hierarchy Model, and then try to apply them to the customers of Barclays. Customer Value Hierarchy Model: OBJECTIVE LAYER Customers goal and purpose CONSEQUENCE LAYER Desired consequences in use situation ATTRIBUTE LAYER Desired products/services attribute and performances The Customer Value Model consists of three layers, namely the Attribute layer, the Consequence Layer and the Objectives layer. The objective layer includes the ultimate motivations of customers, the consequence layer represents the customer experience desired by the person and finally the attribute layer specifies what actually the needs of the customer are. From the bottom of the customer value hierarchy, customers would always firstly consider the attributes and availability of products. At the second layer, customers begin to make expectations according to the attributes. At the top layer, customers form expectations about the realization of their aim. How do Barclays customers perceive their bank? Thats the question that this assignment would like to answer by giving the objectives, consequences and attributes desired by the customers, followed by a customer review. OBJECTIVES Easy personal banking Safety of the account at all times Saving account options Availability of loans at a good interest rate Online banking to keep a record of their account details at all time Ability to invest Good mortgage options Insurance options Credit card facilities Assistance while travelling CONSEQUENCES Easy accessibility to the account Peace of mind as the customer is aware that the account details are secure and safe More control over their own finances The customer does not require to keep much cash with them at all times because of the debit cards Saving for the rainy day A secure and safe environment Future is taken care off Can start a business with the help of financial banking More purchasing power ATTRIBUTES Pin- sentry device Debit card Online banking facilities which enable the customers to check account balances, make transfers, setup standing orders and direct debits. Chequebooks Barclaycard ISAs Bonds Home insurance Different types of savings accounts Different types of current accounts Overdraft facility E-savings Car insurance Travel services Looking at the above attributes, consequences and objectives list one can identify the value of the brand as perceived by the customer. The brand Barclays is a very widely recognized name and almost every person in the UK is a big fan, of course with some exceptions which are bound to be there, the customers on a general note feel very happy with the huge array of services and products made available by the bank for its customers and are satisfied with the huge network of customer service centres spread all across the world providing 24/7 customer service, also the safe and secure online banking facility provided by Barclays is very user friendly and easy to use, letting the customers always keep a track of their money. So its safe to say that Barclays as a bank not only just for people but also for small businesses and big equity firms is a financial institution of repute and is trusted and respected by the people. PART 2 Critically evaluate the existing value proposition of the product/division/ company you have chosen. Compare and contrast the value proposition with that of the leading competitor in your sector. This part of the project would evaluate the value proposition or the customer value proposition of Barclays and contrast it with the customer value proposition of HSBC. But before we proceed to comparing and contrasting the value propositions of both the brands we first need to understand, what a customer value proposition really is? This is the question this project would answer first and then proceed on to discuss the variations in the value propositions of both the brands. Customer Value Proposition: In the subject of marketing, the customer value proposition is a measure of the sum total of the benefits which a provider offers or promises a potential consumer which he/she will receive in return for the customers payment (or any other value transfer). A customer value proposition is a business or marketing statement that would describe why a customer should make use of the services and products being offered by the organisation. It is targeted towards potential consumers, rather than at other groups such as employees, suppliers or partners. It is a defined statement, which is designed to convince the customers that this particular product will add more value or better solve a problem than the other competitors in the same industry. Why are customer value propositions so important? This question is of utmost importance to any business, because it is only these statements that give the customer an expectation of a desired service, it provides the consumers with a convincing reason to buy the desired good and also helps differentiate the product from the other services provided by the other competitors in the same industry. They help in gaining customers attention and if the customer value proposition is strong, and is able to gain the approval of the customer that helps in building of faster and more profitable sales and in increasing the market share of the organisation. Understanding of the customer needs is very vital as this would ensure the promotion and creation of a successful brand. Types of Customer Value Propositions: All benefits: This is a list compilation of all the benefits of the products and services offered to the customers by the organisation. This approach requires the least market knowledge about customers and competitors and thus does not provide a good base when seen from a marketing perspective. Favourable Points of Difference: This type of value proposition explicitly recognizes the fact that the customer has different alternatives and it then it lays it focus on how to differentiate one product or service from another. A product or service can have several differences, confusing the customer and thus complicating the customers understanding of the product which would offer him more value. Resonating Focus: This approach is used by managers who directly deal with a supplier who fully grasps the critical issue in the product- consumer cycle and who delivers a customer value proposition thats simple yet powerfully captivating. The value proposition offered is superior in the few attributes that are of the most importance to the customers which convey a message to the targeted audience, that here is an organisation which is communicating a sophisticated understanding of the customers business priorities. When talking about the value proposition of a financial institution we have to take into account the current market conditions and then arrive at the capital and funding strategy of the bank which in itself is a sort of value proposition available for the customers to have a look at and, then these consumers can decide for themselves whether they do need to associate themselves with the financial institution. Analysis of value proposition of Barclays: Capital Strategy: Barclays capital management activities will attempt to maximise shareholders value by optimising the level and mix of its capital resources. Barclays ability to operate as a bank is directly dependent upon the maintenance of adequate capital resources. Barclays works according to a centralised capital management model considering regulatory and economic capital. The Groups capital management objectives are to: Maintaining the sufficient capital required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements set by the UK FSA. Maintaining sufficient capital resources which can support the Barclays risk appetite and fulfil the economic capital requirements. Support the banks credit rating Ensure that the locally regulated subsidiaries can meet the minimum capital requirements without having to borrow from other financial firms. Allocation of capital to support the strategic objectives set by Barclays, including optimum returns on economic and regulatory capital. Funding strategy: Barclays will manage the funding position so as to comply with the regulatory requirements decided by the UK FSA .Barclays operates on the model of centralised governance and control processes that covers all of its liquidity risk and management activities. Funding Structure Global Retail, Commercial Banking, Barclays Wealth and the Head Office Functions are to be self-funded through customer deposits and Barclays equity and other long-term capital. The Barclays Capital and Absa businesses will be funded through the wholesale secured and unsecured funding markets. The major currency payment inflows and the payment system collateral are going to be monitored and managed, so it can be ensured that at all the times there is going to be availability of sufficient collateral to make payments. Day to day funding will be managed through putting limits on wholesale and the secured borrowings. This is going to ensure that on any day and over any specified period of time there is only going to be a limited amount of refinancing requirement. In addition to cash flow management, Barclays would monitor the term mismatches between the assets and the liabilities and also the levels and the types of undrawn lending commitments.Additional value propositions specific to a personal customer and not the global market: Personal banking made easy by the debit card that is an internationally valid card which has many advantages like international assistance anytime anywhere, guaranteed transactions etc. Wide range of current accounts available to suit different customer needs.(mobile phone insurance, car breakdown cover etc.) Availability of loans at competitive rates Online facilities giving easy accessibility to customer funds. 24/7 customer service Wide array of savings and investment options Credit card facilities Insurance facilities(home, motor and life insurance) Mortgage facilities(buying, building and renovating of property) To understand the customer value proposition of Barclays and then to contrast it with the value proposition of HSBC, this project is going to use the SWOT analysis which is preceded by the mission statements and the vision statements of both Barclays and HSBC, thus giving us a better idea of what the customer expects from the brand and what are the promises being made by these institutions to potential and existing consumers. Mission Statement: This is a short, formal, written statement of the purpose of the company. It guides the actions of the company, benchmarks its goals, provides a sense of direction and guides in decision making. It provides a framework within which the strategies of the company are formulated. Vision Statement: This can be defined as statement that captures the long term picture of what the organisation wants to become. It gives a broad and an aspirational image of the future that an organisation wants to achieve. It is often inspirational and memorable. Mission Statement of Barclays: To develop deliver the most innovative products, manage customer experience, deliver quality services that contributes to brand strength, establishes a competitive advantage and enhances profitability, thus providing value to the stakeholders of the bank. Vision Statement of Barclays: We have a clear view of where growth will come from over the coming years. While there will be significant growth opportunities in the UK, we see many more internationally. Barclays will become a leading global universal bank. Mission Statement of HSBC: We aspire to be one of the worlds great specialist banking groups, driven by commitment to our core philosophies and values. Vision Statement of HSBC: We envision enabling HSBC to achieve its strategic objectives, driving excellence in our delivery through partnership with our customers and associates. SWOT Analysis of Barclays: Strengths: Extensive network in Europe providing business sustenance. Focus on cost efficiencies which ensure relatively higher profitability. Ability to lend amidst reduced size of the balance sheet. Associated with innovation, Barclays in 1966, brought out the first credit card, most recently the OnePulse card combining Oyster, credit cashless functions for its customers. Opening of several new branches, along with a massive refurbishment programme. Weaknesses: Strained trading income impacting the revenue diversity. Barclays Capital credit market exposures are impacting the financial position and performance. Large bonuses for the Directors have attracted unwanted attention. Expansion plans in the Asian market thwarted, when Barclays lost the deal for ABN Amro in 2006. Opportunities: Barclays wanted to acquire Lehmans assets prior to the collapse but however, after the collapse, they negotiated a better deal with the liquidators which allowed them to be selective in what parts of the business they actually wanted to acquire. The banks strategy was to offer a full plethora of services worldwide, which provided a wide range of cross-selling opportunities. Asia is still an opportunity for business expansion, and thus operations are going to be set up at various locations. Welfare provision has been decreased in many countries because of the subsequent cost to governments, and  Barclays  considers self-provision as an increasing fad that it can use. Positive outlook for buy to let market may bring business volumes. Buoyant secured personal loans market in the UK could help the business. Threats: Bleak outlook for the UK economy. Regulatory fines can compress margins and financial position. Increase in online fraud. Barclays  is accused of loss-making investments which are associated with the sub-prime market from the accounts to those of other investors, and there could be legal risk. Though it offers a wide range of services, there is a threat that customers may go to suppliers who can present a more specialised approach. Barclays has been closing branches left right and centre, and the competitors have positioned themselves as more consumer-friendly by adopting a strategy of keeping the branches open. The Asia expansion is risky given that  Barclays group  are not in a strong position than the banking industry leaders when it comes to capitalisation, and this can detract investors. SWOT Analysis of HSBC: Strengths: The bank is well capitalised which enables it to perform well in comparison with other banks in the recent economic conditions. Going forward, the bank is unlikely to borrow from the UK government because of the huge market capitalization; this enables it to retain more autonomy. HSBC has a strong presence in emerging markets, which places it in a good position allowing it to take advantage of future growth in those economies. HSBCs global presence in Asia, South America and Europe spreads the risk and offers significant economies of scale. Rebranding relatively recently (1999), the HSBC bank has become well-established and is considered of great value within the industry circles. Weaknesses: HSBC strongly believes in investing in the small business sector, but the current economic downturn has led to increase in risk, which could potentially compromise the activity levels in the area of its operation. HSBCs involvement with sub-prime markets in the US has forced it to write off large sum of figures lent to high-risk borrowers. Despite cuts in the UK interest rate, HSBC has been increasing its mortgage rates. This can be perceived negatively by the borrowers and potential borrowers, which may add pressure to a depressed housing market and can ultimately lead to more defaulting as borrowers would struggle with higher repayments. A redundancy programme which was announced recently can affect morale among staff, leading to decreased productivity and loyalty. HSBCs branding emphasises the global presence of the bank, and this may be seen as negative thing by some consumers due to the implication of homogenisation and the lack of personalisation. Opportunities: HSBCs high levels of market capitalisation place the bank, in a strong position which helps it to acquire assets. Banks which find the trading conditions particularly difficult at present could be available at low costs. HSBC has adequate capital which it uses to purchase strong local banks such as Bank Ekonomi in Indonesia, in which it has purchased a stake to continue the Asian expansion despite challenging economic times. HSBCs strong position presents the opportunity to outperform other banking competitors during the economic downturn which allows it to build a reputation of being one of the safe banks for depositors which further helps to increase resources for lending. Negative press coverage of competitors such as HBOS may encourage customers to choose HSBC instead. Threats: Decreased trust in the financial system overall, including HSBC due to financial losses suffered by investors may be a reason for them to invest elsewhere. Financial losses which have affected the banking industry and the sole investors on the global scale has resulted in less amount of credit being available for customers. In the UK this coupled with increases in living cost has resulted in less money being saved. The slump property market is leading to a rise in the numbers of homeowners with negative equity. If a propertys worth is less than what it was borrowed to finance its purchase, then there is going to be less likelihood that the bank will recoup all the losses if owners default. Claims have been made against HSBC, about the bank understating its losses resulting from the US sub-prime markets, and this has led to undermining confidence in the bank by the customers. CONCLUSION: Barclays is currently taking a  conservative approach due to the recession. However, the downturn has provided the bank with many opportunities for consolidation. Also, with the BRIC and East Asian markets rebounding fast this region looks to be a source of potential revenues and provides opportunities for increasing operations. With the United Kingdom and the Americas looking at a slow and prolonged phase of recovery, Barclays will need to adopt a policy of looking east when it comes to operations. The threats and problems being faced by Barclays will be because of the sustained economic situation being experienced in the United Kingdom, America and Europe which leads to uncertainty within the retail consumer market and could result in shortage of availability of credit. This in turn makes it even more important for Barclays to drive the overall corporate profitability margin by seeking to offset the shortfalls in the UK domestic market by making advances in the emerging markets. All the companies, like Barclays, are forced to re-examine the retail aspects of their operations which are seeking to remain competitive on the high street and also to make cuts wherever necessary. In the current financial climate, banks are not ready to finance each other and with the UK market on the verge of a projected severe recession, all of the retailing factors will influence Barclays competitiveness and it would depend largely on how the Bank of England and the Treasury would regenerate and r einforce the weak confidence in the stock markets. HSBC will concentrate on the strategic and prioritized areas of its worldwide operation with the further emphasis on HR management strategies and technologically-advanced applications within the group to keep a firm lead in the financial markets. HSBCs conservative approach to banking, staying focused on keeping its capital base strong and liquid balance sheet have prevented its failure. Executing the HSBCs strategy emphasizes on improving the intra-group linkages by joining up the businesses and functions so as to effectively create additional value. The HSBC brand is going to be leveraged to reach new customers and add more services to the existing ones. Efficiency will also be enhanced by taking the full advantage of the local, the regional and global economies. Appropriate objectives and new incentives will be adopted so as to encourage employees to be fully engaged in delivering the strategy. PART 3 In light of your analysis of your existing value proposition and what you have learnt in this module produce, a new value proposition that will match the value criteria of your customers, and a plan to implement the value proposition externally and internally http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/pix/spacer.gif To create a new value proposition that would be acceptable to the customers of Barclays, all the weaknesses that the current business structure has would have to be removed and a new and better business plan would have to be drafted by identifying the opportunities and removing the weaknesses. A New Value Proposition: The trading income should be relaxed so that it does not impact the revenue diversity. Capital bonuses should be distributed in accordance with the FSA and the bad practice of the directors receiving huge bonuses should be curtailed. Barclays should provide the consumers with a full portfolio of services worldwide, rather than just concentrating in the UK, this move could enable cross-selling opportunities. Barclays should look towards expanding in the worlds booming economies like India, China, Indonesia etc. so that these economies could provide Barclays with the market opportunities it is looking for, thus increasing the market capitalization. This project would propose that Barclays should have an aggressive expansion policy in the Asian market. Barclays needs to invest in buy to let market, which would in turn bring business volumes. Due to the economic crisis in the markets, Barclays needs to cut down its interest rates and mortgage rates, so as to become a peoples bank and thus raising the brand image. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: To implement the new value proposition described above the project, will identify the key relationship-marketing issue, followed by refocusing of marketing effort: moving activities away from a marketing mix that creates a series of one-off transactions, to manage a complex network of relationships involved with the production of the whole consumer offering. T Marketing audit will be carried out so as to map out a plan that will be of most advantage to the customers and will be conducted in stages, namely at the beginning, the middle and at the end. Marketing analysis in terms of the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. A review must be undertaken to understand the new value propositions outlined above in the light of internal marketing. A new strategy development process concentrating on differentiation, cost leadership and adequate response systems would have to be created. Action programmes would have to be designed by managers so as to determine the most appropriate course to take in tackling the weakness of the organisation, with a determination of the likely costs which would be incurred. The implementation plan would have to be monitored and controlled by keeping a track of staff performance, evaluation and appraisal schemes. To ensure effective, appropriate and accurate results, basis for market segmentation would have to be identified, based on extensive market research. Marketing orientation is going to be very important, the new value propositions must be made clear to all the employees and clearly defined individual goals should be set down to enable the employees to see their own contribution in achieving the organisations objectives. Externally implementing the plan is going to be very important, and can be done by the use of media, electronic, print and sponsorships. The new value propositions can be made available in the form of television advertisements, available for all the people to see. The Barclays website can act as a powerful medium on which the new value propositions can be put up and made available. It should be designed in an effective and detailed manner so that the customers are aware about all the new services available to them. Print media is another powerful form by which the new policies can be made available for the masses. Barclays is a big sponsor for many big international events and meets and can use that as an active platform to educate the consumers about the new change in the policy structure.

“Shane” by Jack Schaefer Essay -- Character Analysis

In the novel â€Å"Shane†, by Jack Schaefer, Marian, the wife of Joe and the mother of Bob is initially played out to be a very simple character. She cooks and cleans and cares for her family. She starts to develop a more complex character as Shane arrives. You can tell from the beginning that Marian wants to impress her guest with her cooking and her curiosity of the latest fashions. But as the novel progresses you begin to see that Marian may want more from Shane than originally shown. In the beginning of the story, Marian just thinks of Shane as a guest, she cooks and cleans for him and makes sure he is at home. However, from the start she was drawn to him. He was as she said â€Å" dangerous†, and she liked that. Marian liked that Shane was different and unfamiliar, and was impressed by his ...

The Catcher in the Rye :: essays papers

The Catcher in the Rye In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace. This perception of the world is also shared by many individuals of today’s society. In their mental scope, a gun is needed to change a person’s views. Holden also possesses this view, but is not drawn in to this extreme. Gradually he comes to the realization that he is powerless to change this corruption. It takes most of the book before Holden begins to realize that he is helpless to stop this corruption. Finally, he realizes that not only is there nothing that he can do, but there is nowhere he can go to hide from it. Holden takes awhile to comprehend these concepts. One good example is when Holden is delivering the note to his sister. He encounters a "*censored*-you" written on the wall. Holden careful rubs this off with his hand so as to protect the innocent children from reading it. Later on he finds "*censored*-you" scratched into the surface with a knife. He discovers that he can't efface this one. Even in the timeless peace of the Egyptian tomb room at the museum there is an un-erasable "*censored*-you." This incident is the beginning of Holden's realization that his dreams are infeasible. This example relates to society today. In the high school massacre, where two kids took matters in their own hands by using semiautomatic weapons, thinking that they can change corrupti on by using force. This narrow stubbornness led to their death. They did not eliminate corruption and discrimination, but elevated the intensity in which it was based. Holden did not go to this extreme, but he realized that there is nothing that can be done to reverse this so called corruption of the world. He sees that trying to stop evil and corruption only makes it worse, it has to be played out until it collapses on itself. â€Å"All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fall off the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything.

Historical Analogy of the Democratic Party’s position in the Southern Region of America Essay

America’s Democratic Party is one of the country’s two major political parties. The organization has a long history, but when compared to the Democratic Party of 1792, today’s party is very different. The Democratic Party was founded in the 1790’s by Thomas Jefferson, who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson became the first Democratic President of the United States in 1800. Over next 70 years, as the organization grew, so did its support in the South. After the end of the Civil War in 1865, African Americans favored the Republican Party and its anti-slavery views, while the Democratic majority was Southern Whites, who were not in favor of political rights for former slaves (Grantham, 1992). In 1868, Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican, was elected President with the help of African American Republicans, who were voting in a presidential election for the first time. During Grant’s presidency, the Radical Republicans introduced the15th Amendment, which stated that a right to vote could not be denied because of â€Å"race, color, or previous condition of servitude† (Carnes & Garraty, 2006, p. 434) Over the years, the Democratic Party has left behind many of its old principles and ideals, especially with today’s presence of African Americans in the party. The Democrats once maintained the support of White Southerners by backing Jim Crow laws and supporting racial Historical Analogy 2 egregation, but today, the majority of African Americans vote for the Democratic ticket (Aldrich, 1995). African Americans began to shift from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party in the 1940s, despite the Democrats opposition to 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship to â€Å"all persons born or naturalized in the United States† (Carnes & Garraty, 2006, p. 430). In the election of 1940, Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, added ci vil rights to his party platform. As a result, Roosevelt and the Democratic Party gained support from African American voters (Aldrich, 1995). Today, the majority of African Americans are registered as Democrats. John Kerry carried 89% of the African American vote in the 2004 presidential election, and African Americans continue to gain more political position in the Democratic Party (Wenner, 2004). In 2008, the Democrats nominated Illinois Senator Barack Obama, as its presumptive presidential nominee, solidifying Obama’s place in history as the first African American to be a major political party’s presumptive nominee for President of the United States. For almost a century after the end of the Civil War, the Democratic Party had a strong presence in the Southern region of America. From 1880 to 1960, the region was known as the â€Å"Solid South† because Democrats won by large margins in the area (Grantham, 1992). The Solid South began to come apart when President Harry S. Truman, a Democrat, began supporting the civil rights movement (Black & Black, 2003). Following Roosevelt’s path, civil rights was a part of Truman’s 1948 Democratic platform, used at the Democratic National Convention. Historical Analogy 3 As a result of Truman’s endorsement of the civil rights movement, which included adopting a resolution to condemn the Ku Klux Klan, many conservative Southern Democrats walked out of the National Convention and left the Democratic Party (Aldrich, 1995). The Democratic support of the civil rights movement significantly reduced Southern support for the Democratic Party and allowed the Republican Party to step in and gain a little success in the South. In the 1950s, the Southern Democrats, who opposed the Democratic Party’s support of the civil rights movement, formed the Dixiecrat Party, which was led by then-Governor of South Carolina, Strom Thurmond. When the Dixiecrat Party proved to be unsuccessful, Thurmond and many other former Southern Democrats switched to the Republican Party. â€Å"Thurmond, a tenacious champion of unreconstructed conservatism, abandoned the Democratic Party to become the first Republican senator from the Deep South in the twentieth century† (Black & Black, 2003, p. 1) The Republican Party’s strength in the South grew during the election of 1964. Although Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democrat won the election, he did not carry the five states of the Solid South, which included Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama (Aldrich, 1995). The Deep South states provided an electoral victory to the Republican candidate, Barry Goldwater. It was the first time since Reconstruction that a Republican carried the South in a presidential election (Carnes & Garraty, 2006). Johnson and the Democrats continued to lose support in the South by supporting the Civil Rights Act of 1964. After signing the landmark legislation, Johnson said to his aide, Bill Moyers, Historical Analogy 4 â€Å"I think we just delivered the South to the Republican Party for a long time to come† (Grantham, 1992, p. 12). As support for the Democrats in the South dwindled, in 1968 election Republican candidate Richard Nixon used â€Å"Southern Strategy,† to capitalize in the election (Carnes and Garraty, 2006, p. 810). Nixon used a method that attracted the former Southern Democrats, who were still conservative and supported segregation. With his strategy, Nixon defeated the Democratic candidate, Hubert Humphrey, in the election. The era of the Solid South proved to be over, with the Democratic candidate only carrying one Southern state in 1968 election (Dewey, 1992). The Republican’s strategy to win voters in the South alienated African American voters from the Republican Party and pulled in more Southern Whites, who did not support integration, which was favored by the Democratic Party. Over time, Southern White voters continued to support the Republican Party. Today the Democratic Party is no longer the dominant party in the South. The South is now considered a stronghold of the Republican Party. In 2000, presidential candidate Al Gore received no electoral votes from the South, and neither did John Kerry in the following election in 2004 (Wenner, 2004). As the Democratic Party‘s strength weakens in the South, the opposite is happening in the Northern region of America. The Democratic Party was weak in North from the 1880s to the 1960s, when the organization controlled the South, but it is now strongest in the Northeast (Black and Black, 2003). In the 2004 election, all nine Northeastern states, from Pennsylvania to Maine, voted for the Democratic ticket of John Kerry and John Edwards (Wenner, 2004. Historical Analogy 5 From supporting slavery in the 1800s to supporting its first African American presidential candidate in 2008, the Democratic Party has evolved. Despite going through name changes, leaders and incarnations over the years, the Democratic Party has retained its same basic values. It prides itself on being the party for the working people, but as Americaâ₠¬â„¢s view of who was entitled to be a referred to as the working people has changed, so did the views of Democratic Party.

Financial Prospectus Content Paper Essay

A concrete organization has capability to become a big vendor to a lot of construction organizations. In this report you will see an account of the project of starting up a concrete organization, the development concept, the controlling methods, and what reports will be important to keeping an effective company. To achieve success a new company must be sure to stay up with all of the rivalry that’s coming up. Description of Venture The intention is to open up a concrete organization having 15 workers and 10 vehicles. The land area which we plan to purchase is around 5 acres of land. The factory that’s being bought will be a complete factory which was developed from the earlier proprietors who operated exactly the same kind of company. Presently there aren’t civil ventures which are being built in the targeted region; however the residential area keeps growing. The residential area will eventually raise the organization and will assist to start the $2,500,000 required to launch the company. One of the greatest rivals will be Super Mix of Wisconsin that is a big concrete organization which has continued to expand during the last 7 years. Super Mix of Wisconsin has demonstrated other concrete shareholders that it’s easy to begin small as we will be doing due to a shortage of investment and continue to expand into a big organization opening a variety of factory areas. To get over the fiscal requirements to launch the company, the financial institution has consented to lend us $1,086,742.30 to start up the factory at a 5.50% rate of interest for the following 5 years. It has additionally been agreed to fund all of the trucks that has been authorized for $310,000  having a 6.15% rate of interest for 5 years. Development Concept The market provides extensive possibility to concrete organizations to develop and to grow into big effective companies. Super Mix of Wisconsin is just about the ruler of the industry expanding to have 2 factories, a gravel pit, and 52 vehicles. This organization has expanded to achieve success during the last 7 years, however due to the economic climate has carried a 20% loss with the market fall. With the downturn, the price of the material has risen regularly which makes it difficult to earn profits. After this information from the downturn effect, this is the growth in economy witnessed, that we think boost the construction work for residential and commercial work. This increase in the construction would let us seize the biggest share of the market in a competitive industry. There are lots of small concrete producers working in exactly the same market while Super Mix of Wisconsin also joined exactly the same small concrete producers market with 2 factories and 52 vehicles and trying hard to grab the market share once again for the recoveries lost during the last downturn. There’s already a competitive market, therefore we need to contest with all of them to seize a great share of the market and also to have a successful company later on. Management Biographies In the beginning we made a decision to start the company with 15 workers composed of 10 truck drivers and remainder of the supportive workers, details are as below. 1.General Manager We hired a general manager who is a certified graduate from a regional university and experts in company administration, earlier worked for the similar concrete production field for 6 years and have got the capability to act as leader overseeing all of the functions even in the absence of a  proprietor. My partner and I will also be keeping track of the general manager responsibilities and assisting in all means to operate the organization correctly. 2.Quality Controller We employed a quality controller that has been employed in exactly the same plant for 7 years and has good abilities to look at the caliber of concrete manufactured and the experience to deal with and fix the malfunctioning problems if happened during manufacturing by his experienced suggestions. 3.Sales Manager Presently, a sales administrator that has the capability to sell the civil constructions product in the local market and has got a reliable selling blocks with our rival. He consented to work with us since we offered him much more of an amount of compensation. Moreover, he has a great individual relation in the market therefore the sale of our organization is going to be steady to satisfy the budgeted sales jobs because of the sales manager. 4.Administration Manager An earlier worker that worked for the old proprietors has been hired to work for our organization. He has his master’s degree from a fine respectable university and has been controlling all of the operations of this factory for several years. He has excellent social and administration skills to keep the decorum among workers. Competitive Product or Service Statement Concrete and gravel are the basically required items to construct anything from residential to commercial ventures. We are starting this company on a small basis despite the fact that, there are practically 10 to 12 concrete producers providing their goods for consumers’ fulfillment in the same targeted market. A few of the large producers also developing an excellent  share of the market whereas the remainder of the share of the market is also distributed among small producers. There are 3 organizations within the location which will be competing with the existing organization. Presently there are 2 of them which are inside 10 miles and also the other one is roughly 20 minutes away. We need to strive and apply the best suitable consumer’s effective advertisement marketing ways to seize the market share and compete with the competitors. In marketing promotions we would also offer the reductions or purchase and get free offers for preliminary attention of shoppers and having the presence in market. The advertising campaign would assist to make consideration for users and rivals and the presence of our organization in the same market. We would try our best to triumph the competition among all the rivals in a short time. Moreover, to generate the income, that will help to repay the installments of the banks against the rents we made against the land and vehicles and the required expenditures of the company operations just like wages of workers, maintenance of factory, vehicles, along with other operations. In the mean time Super Mix of Wisconsin is attempting hard to restore the position back in the market; however we need to compete it first. The marketplace is restricted however sellers are struggling to obtain good market shares. Our marketing plan will be more effective for the users mind. We have a very good sales manager that has excellent interaction skills and connection with clients to increase the quantity of sales to operate our company. We would further help our clients with gift hampers and purchase to receive totally free schemes and extra consultancy service to every worker through an expert advisor. Discount offers according to market rates and the special package for purchasing more quantity of concrete certainly would enhance sales and eventually the profits. Market capabilities of the company will enhance 5  times high to contest with all of those other sellers in the market of same services and products. The accounting services of the company will be followed up by me and other partner. The very best people who will be marketed to while selling concrete to all the regional clients. Clients who have been in the region for a lot of years will desire to continue with the organization they think at ease with, but that’s what sales have to be marketed and proved to the most. Construction and Preopening Budget We require $2,500,000 to start this plan of action. We can’t contest with our largest rival meanwhile because of lack of investment. To get over the preopening fiscal requirements, the bank is assigning us the funding facility against the factory of $1,086,742.30 having a 5.50% rate of interest for next 5 years. Moreover, we made a decision to fund all 10 vehicles to satisfy the fiscal requirements which are approved for $310,000 having a 6.15% rate of interest for 5 years. By getting the above mentioned financial loans, we would have the ability to satisfy the starting of the company. The funding against the vehicles is so low because of the old type of dumpers while the remaining 8 vehicles funded against just $240,000. The repayment of the loan that we lent against the area of operation for the company is $20,758.04 per month and $6,014.81 per month for repayment of financial loan, which withdrew against vehicles funding. We have to strive to earn a minimum of the financial institution repayments as well as for making payment on essential expenditures of operations just like wages of workers, buying of raw material, fuel, and repair of factory and vehicles in addition to earn income. By confronting the rivalry of existing sellers in a big volume, we would also require income to satisfy the fiscal expenditures. We have thought about these expenses too when planning the plans for discount offers for capturing  the market shares we have to spend the money for monthly expenditures. Plant Rate Payment $1,086,742.30 5.50% $20,758.04 Trucks Rate Payment $310,000 6.15% $6,014.81 Operating Pro-Forma We approximated through research on this industry and earning of this sector that the income from the sales would be 45.6% as well as the price of cement along with other related production materials would be 17.71%, which would provide nearly 27.89% gross profit on sales. The income from the sales would be the amount left for profit after the sales along with other expenditures. The wages of the 15 workers will be between $48,000 annually to $92,500 annually. The 8 truck drivers would work against the per hour rate of $17.98 to $25.68 and on the other hand the bulker and dumper driver would be paid depending on the tonnage and distances of each load. We approximated that the Return on Investment would be approximately 35% after paying all the loans installments, wear and tear, and medical care insurance of workers as well as their loved ones, along with other expenses. The increase in construction business would enhance eventually the appeal for partners. The income will easily repay all of the financial loans over the following 5 years, which would be most suitable to earn capital. The  initial investment might be paid by fully repaying the financial loans of banks as well as the remainder of the cash would be considered income after paying all other operating expenditures. This is also shown that after passing the past downturn, the construction throughout the country as well as in this area would reinforce our company as well as the whole industry. Therefore I think this is the ideal time to start this plan of action as soon as possible because of the start of the construction work once again as well as the economy is on an growth phase where joblessness and inflation is often recovering. Samples of Financial Statements to be Incorporated We will use the below mentioned reports of fund to work clear and thoroughly, that shows each dealing of operation conspicuously. The Stock report reveals the balances of cement along with other substances. The quantity of finished products as well as the raw material, the dealings in this account, indicates, the inward, and outward in this type of product would be clearly described with a date, delivery challan number, as well as dealing number. The ledger maintenance for borrowers and lenders will be maintenance of ledger that unveils the outstanding balances and dealings with borrowers and lenders with the note, document number, and date. It would control the gapless system for payments and recoveries. The income report is a universal report which demonstrates the earning of the company, where the revenue deducts from the cost of sales to have the gross profit, consequently the admin and operational costs also less to show the net income. After withdrawing the taxes and interests on financial loans, the precise profitability is known. The balance sheet is a report shown about the fiscal value of the company by demonstrating the total assets, bifurcating with existing and fix in one side while the debts and shares of partners on other side and lastly both sides equalize with each other. In the concrete business there isn’t a particular thing to inform exactly  what the return on investments is going to be. It depends upon the quantity of concrete which is being sold. The 2 actual shareholders will be myself as well as partner together with the financial institution in order to assist me fund the factories. There will be expenses involved for example concrete pricing and operating expenditures. In the concrete organization it has been observed many do not begin to make money for a minimum of 2 years and that’s going to be depended on the economic climate. The banking institutions will have to explore the suggestion to demonstrate them that there’s certainly intention to begin earning money; however it might not be for the first couple of years. My partner as well as I will also put our own belongings up for security so that the financial institution may use that against the loans. There are numerous different factors to bear in mind while opening up a concrete organization. The one thing to remember is that there’s rivalry in this sector and it is not necessarily easy to keep up with the rivals, however every small attempt might have the possibility to be big. To begin a small concrete organization there will have to be sufficient trucks to service the client requirements along with a factory that’s always completely operating. With everybody in the organization having the same mentality for the organization to develop several solid as well as effective ideas may be put into place.