Monday, September 30, 2019

Characters’ Transformation Essay

Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular novels written by Jane Austen which was foremost published in 1813. It is more than a narrative of love which revolves around the lives of the Bennett household and the affluent male visitants of Hertfordshire. The broad assortment of personalities in the narrative contributed to the novel’s attractive and compelling characteristics to day of the month. However. the novel seemingly portrayed several transmutations in relation to the chief characters. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy were clearly different sorts of people who subsequently proved themselves to be the ideal lucifer for each other. Clearly. the transmutation of Elizabeth and Darcy’s characters were made possible by their ain pride and biass against each other. This fact. hence. illustrates the thought that the character transmutation would most probably non happen without the defects and headlong judgements of the two chief characters of the Jane Austen’s celebrated novel. Character Transformation Thoroughly reexamining the whole context of the narrative. the diverse personalities of the characters are what made it possible to get in a certain character transmutation. Each character is provided a characteristic that is distinguishable to other characters. Elizabeth Bennett. an interesting character so. possesses traits which are really much different from her sisters. Here is one of her statements to Darcy included in Chapter 19 where she rejects him the first clip he proposed to get married her and considered to be one of the polar bends in the narrative which caused the alteration in both Elizabeth and Darcy’s character: I do assure you. Sir. that I have no pretense whatever to that sort of elegance which consists in torturing a respectable adult male. I would instead be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you once more and once more for the award you have done me in your proposals. but to accept them is perfectly impossible. My feelings in every regard forbid it. Can I talk plainer? Do non see me now as an elegant female. meaning to blight you. but as a rational animal. talking the truth from her bosom ( Austen 97 ) . Elizabeth Bennett’s character speaks much of a strong personality which is highly opinionative and bold. Unlike her younger sisters. she does non let societal position and wealth to interfere with her criterions for love. However. in her statement. biass toward Darcy are apparent for she has already judged him without cognizing him good foremost. However. at the terminal of the narrative. she regrets holding misjudged the adult male upon cognizing the existent Fitzwilliam Darcy. On the other manus. Darcy’s character besides reveals pride and bias on his first feeling towards Elizabeth. His statement where she declared Elizabeth as tolerable but non beautiful plenty to involvement him because of her hapless societal position discloses how proud he was to avoid being acquainted with such a adult female ( Austen 9 ) . Similarly. he took back his word when he found out how interesting and intelligent Elizabeth was which led him to squeal his feelings and offer a matrimony proposal. Unfortunately. his first proposal was rejected. Upon the terminal of the novel. it is sensible to reason that Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy really have similar features which can be considered dry. Both are intelligent. witty. opinionated. and proud. There are besides cases when they have exposed Acts of the Apostless of biass towards some characters in the narrative. chiefly themselves. Elizabeth deemed Darcy to be an highly chesty and proud adult male when she by chance heard him state that he was non interested in her due to her hapless position in the society. She thought him to be a spoilt affluent adult male who is unsociable and selfish. In return. Darcy besides showed his biass towards her by thought that she was non right for him because she belonged to the lower category portion of the society. Hence. the state of affairs indicates how their unprompted and superficial judgements of each other led them to take back their words and eliminate their pride and biass towards each other. They bit by bit transformed into low existences who were capable of acknowledging and accepting their defects. Harmonizing to Christopher Booker. writer of The Seven Basic Plots: What we see here is a narrative wholly shaped by the implicit in signifier of Comedy. but in a new sort of intervention where the conventions about misinterpretations. camouflages. failure to acknowledge individuality and ‘dark’ figures acquiring caught out are no longer presented in the footings of the old phase devices. but instead more subtly. in footings of the gradual disclosure of people’s true character from behind first misguided feelings. and the find of true feelings. in a manner which corresponds more to our experience of life ( Booker 134 ) . Therefore. two people. even with similar features may non hold similar end products and can still be regarded contradictory in footings of beliefs. Like the characters in the narrative. all have distinct personalities which enabled them to make up one's mind the manner they did. If Elizabeth did non hurriedly judged Darcy in the first topographic point which led her into rejecting his first matrimony proposal. Darcy would non hold humbled himself into farther prosecuting Elizabeth despite her initial rejection. He would non hold rescued her household from societal shame and uncover his true nature. Simply put. Elizabeth would non hold alteration her sentiment about Darcy and most likely reject him still. She would non hold fallen in love with him and alter her ways of being filled with biass. The undermentioned scenarios created a immense impact in the adulthood and development of the characters in the narrative which proves that the transmutation is so dependent on the characters’ actions and determinations. Harmonizing to Nhu Le’s on-line article entitled. The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet. she points out that: Although Elizabeth comes to hold that Darcy’s old actions were so justified. . . this transmutation â€Å"disables† Elizabeth’s capacity to get at. and act upon. her ain judgements. On the contrary. Darcy’s missive strengthens Elizabeth’s independency of head. By accepting the fact that she has misjudged Darcy. Wickham. Jane. and Bingley. Elizabeth sharpens her ability to spot character. In bend. she develops a solidly based assurance ( Le ) . As one critic puts it. â€Å"Both Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy develop an consciousness of their topographic point in the community and a acknowledgment of the effects of their ain speech† ( Colebrook 158 ) . Conclusion Clearly. the statements stated above place the construct that Elizabeth and Darcy’s character transmutation would non hold been possible without their errors and initial false feelings of each other. This validates the fact that their development as persons is extremely rooted from their determinations and headlong judgments—or instead their ain pride and biass. Works Cited Austen. Jane. Pride and Prejudice: A Novel. London: R. Bentley. 1853. Booker. Christopher. The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. 2005. Colebrook. Claire. Irony. London: Routledge. 2004. Le. Nhu. The Individualization of Elizabeth Bennet. 16 December 2008. & lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www. Colorado. edu/pwr/occasions/articles/lizbennet. hypertext markup language & gt ;

Sunday, September 29, 2019

History with Derek Mahon Essay

History is a subject which preoccupies Mahon in many of his most important poems. I would choose particular poems because of his view towards our history and the past. His poetry presents history in a very negative light. Mahon sees the past as ‘deep-delving, dark, deliberate you would say’. In the poem Rathlin Mahon recalls historical violence on an island that is now a ‘sanctuary’ of peace and ‘through with history’. However this island in the past has witnessed ‘unspeakable violence’ with the massacre of the Rathlin women. He speaks of the ‘unnatural silence’ on the island gradually becoming ‘natural’ over the years through the island not being inhabited. Come the end of the poem Mahon is unsure ‘whether the future lies before us or behind’. Whether the violence is now behind us or is violence a continuing part of our future? In Mahons Poem Kinsale there is a welcome and a long awaited moment of light and hope. The opening line of this poem was an optimistic thought from Mahon himself by saying, ‘the kind of rain we knew is a thing of the past’. The use of imagery in this poem is both vivid and warming. The image of ‘Yachts tinkling and dancing in the bay’ is a striking image as it is both beautiful and positively uplifting. The sun is a direct contrast to the rain. The sun is an image of hope and the ‘future forbidden to no-one’ while the rain is the constant reminder of a violence filled history. Although Mahon showed a slight sense of hope he is constantly overcome with those ‘who have come so far in darkness and in pain’. In the poem A Disused Shed in Co. Wexford he uses the metaphor of mushrooms neglected in a shed to represent the victims of history. Please note! This is not an example of text written by our writers! Essaypedia.com is a database of essays that were collected at open web resources. You can use them at you own risk following the citation rules below. But we recommend you to order a custom plagiarism-free essay written just for you from one of our writers. Place an order, add your paper details and enjoy the results! You can keep in touch with your writer, check the draft of your paper and send your order for revision for free. If you are hesitating to place an order – just ask for a quote! However the both extraordinary and unbelievable picture of mushrooms with feelings is not the only reason I would choose this poem. Mahon uses the image of mushrooms neglected and forgotten to portray the misery and despair of thousands of victims who have died or survived the torturous past. ‘They are begging us you see’ to not forget them or forget what they have been through. Even the most insignificant people in history still deserve the recognition for their struggle. Small heroes from the past ‘In their wordless way’ are saying ‘Let not our naà ¯ve labours have gone in vain’. Mahon also deals greatly with the theme of isolation in this poem. The mushrooms are completely cut off from the world and their only form of light ‘Is a keyhole rusting gently after rain’. The theme of isolation is also portrayed in the poem Grandfather. The ‘Grandfather’ in the poem has completely isolated himself from family and friends. ‘Discreetly up to no good’ he leaves the house in the morning and does not return until ‘After dark’. However nothing gets by this grandfather, ‘Nothing escapes him, he escapes us all’. ‘His shrewd eyes bolt the door’ to his life and he would rather not be bothered by anyone or anything. Another good choice of poem sticking with the theme of isolation would be After the Titanic. In this poem the persona of Bruce Ismay is overcome with guilt and as a result has completely isolated himself from the world. This poem is a favourite of mine also because Mahon writes in the persona of Ismay so brilliantly. ‘Include me in your lamentations’ was the final line of this poem and it sums up what Ismay was asking for. Like the mushrooms in A Disused shed in Co. Wexford he wanted to be remembered just like those who had died in the sinking of the titanic. He believed he ‘sank as far that night as any hero’ as his life and soul died that night. He watched the ship go ‘thundering down’ and with it went his ‘costly life’. He now ‘stays in bed’ and ‘will see no-one’. Mahon allows the reader to become Bruce Ismay if only for a minute. It is amazing reading this poem. The poem Antarctica is also a great example of Mahons ability of writing in a variety of personas. In this poem Mahon writes in the persona of captain Lawrence Oates an explorer who gave his life for the lives of his fellow men. ‘I am just going outside and may be some time’ are said to be his final words. Mahons deals greatly with the theme of people in this poem. He shows that there is good in man kind and ‘At the heart of the ridiculous, the sublime’. Mahon shows that even in the worst instances of isolation imaginable, trudging utterly alone, to his death Oates action may seem entirely ‘ridiculous’ but in this case it is somewhat heroic. People in life may make some pretty foolish decisions but there might always be a good outcome. The poetry of Derek Mahon is poetry that one could not live without. With this collection of marvellous pieces his poetry will continue through generations and linger in peoples minds for some time, ‘In fact forever’.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Business Performance of Leadership

Choi and Kim (2014) opined that leadership is the capability of the management of a company to make vital decisions, inspire as well as motivate others to perform their work in the workplace. Effective leaders can set as well as achieve challenging goals, take decisions at difficult situations, calculate the risks as well as persist in the face of failure. The characteristics of a good leader are to manage the workplace, have communication skills as well as self-confidence. However, the IT leaders are different from other leaders. Loveridge (2014) argued that the IT leadership is the group of the senior executives those are responsible for implementing an IT infrastructure as well as applications that can drive the IT business strategies. The report is based on the leadership in the IT business of Australia and its importance for the business. The selected organization for this report is Melbourne IT. It reflects on the impact of the leadership on the success of the IT business. Leadership style is also discussed in this report for the IT leader. As the business is based on Information Technology, therefore the leader face IT challenges in their business, and respective solutions are also given. Australian IT businesses are facing innovation shortfalls and failure in the development of the leadership programs. The selected IT business for the report is Melbourne IT and as the leader of the business, different leadership functions are conducted. Melbourne IT is an Australian Internet company with its primary business is the registration of the domain name. This IT business also provides the web as well as email hosting services as well as online marketing services to the Australian population (Melbourneit.com.au 2015). When it comes to achieving business success, most of the leaders of the organization think of a strategy which most of the business comes up with. The following are some of the quality traits that should be there within a good leader who leads an IT business organization: Character: The leader requires to be trusted as well as known to live their life with honesty (Katsos and Fort 2016). As in the current era, technology becomes the most vital needs of the population; therefore, the leaders should do the delivery of the IT services from respect for the good character as well as trustworthiness of the person who leads the business. Communicate: In order to reach new benchmarks of achievement, it is required an art of clear communication (Anvari et al. 2014). With good communication skills, the leaders are also required good listening skills that help to drive results and hear to the employees. As a leader of the organization, it is the responsibility to respond to the employee’s concern and questions. Direction: The leader can work to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. As a leader of an IT business organization, the leader can create impressive change within the organization as the use of technology changes day-by-day (Harney 2016). The leader can act according to the needs and requirements of their customers and provides with better IT service delivery. Optimistic: The leaders are the source of the positive energy. They are helpful as well as concern for other’s welfare (Almog-Bareket 2012). In order to avoid personal criticism, they start to gain the consensus of the employees to work effectively as team members.   Honesty: The leader should be ethical, believable; honesty as well as reliability forms the foundation of the business success (Marco and John 2013).   In order to avoid conflicts, the leader shares information openly to the employees. An IT leader encompasses of two various types of leadership styles such as transformational as well as transactional. The transformational leadership inspires the followers by raising consciousness about the specified values and motivates the followers in order to address the high level of personal needs (Minavand 2013). As this particular report is based on an IT business organization, Melbourne IT, therefore this style of leadership plays an important role as the leader works with the subordinates in order to identify the required changes and create an organizational vision in order to guide changes through inspiration. As a transformational leadership style, the leader is focused on increasing the effectiveness of the organization. This style of leadership stresses that the leader understands as well as adapts to the followers motives as well as requirements (Brandt and Uusi-Kakkuri 2016). An IT leader has the responsibility to achieve good role models who can empower the staff me mbers in order to achieve higher standards. In the last few years, many transformational changes are taken place in technology. As for example, the development of computing technology by Apple, Intel was the transformational events that are taken place. Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple transformed their business processes through the software applications as well as high-speed microprocessors. At Apple, Steve Jobs is seen as a leader who has an idealistic vision to provide computers as a tool to change the world (Davenport 2014). Jobs were passionate about the company as well as enthusiastic about the announcements of products. Figure 1: Transformational Leadership Style Apart from this leadership style, another type of style is transactional leadership that focuses on the exchange, which occurs between the leaders as well as followers. The leader can have a concern with maintaining the normal flow of the business operations (Minelle 2014). Disciplinary powers, as well as an array of incentives, are used to motivate the employees to work. This style of leadership conforms to the existing structure of the IT business as well as measures success as per the organizational system of rewards as well as penalties (Antonakis and House 2014). Performance review is required to judge the performance of the employee. Steve Jobs also acts a transactional leader who directs their efforts through tasks as well as structures. Steve influenced the employees for a strong desire to work, shared their passion with the staffs as well as provided with the organizational vision (Moors 2012). The leadership style of Steve Jobs is desired to create great products that would give enjoy to the clients by using it rather than the products that bring profit to Apple. Figure 2: Characteristics of Transactional Leadership Style Both this style of leadership is required to guide the Melbourne IT to success. The transactional leader provides with an ability to address small operational details that on the other hand, the transformational leader is crucial to the strategic development of the business. Apart from this, the transactional approach features both positive as well as negative enforcement while the transformational leadership features both motivation as well as inspiration (Salovaara and Bathurst 2016). Transactional leadership appeals to the self-interest of the individuals, and transformational leadership focuses on the group progress. There are various challenges that the IT leaders are facing in Melbourne IT business organization: Rate and pace of change: According to Moore's law, the doubling of the speed of the computer processing takes place every 18 months. It is one of the manifestations of the technological trend that all the changes occur at exponential rates (Sethuraman and Suresh 2014). Due to the exponential rate of change in the technology, the IT leader is also making changes according to the business requirements. This rapid change in the business affects the leadership quality.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Complexity in the integration of the system: Sometimes, change in the system becomes complex. Therefore, the leader is not able to cope up with the complex situation, and it affects their responsibility as a leader (Brandt and Uusi-Kakkuri 2016). Due to rapid change in the technology, the IT department of the company requires changing their IT infrastructure in order to meet the requirements of their clients. Ongoing pressure to cut the cost: Due to rapid change in the technology, the implementation of the new system requires more cost and budget. Therefore, it becomes a vital task for the leader to implement the new system within the estimated budget. The threat to cyber security: Cyber attack is the most vital concern for the IT leader as there is a high risk of threat of hacking of the information from the database system (Ali Shurbagi 2014). The main function of the IT leader is to give high-security measures to the client's information so that any third party person cannot access it. In order to exploit the technology as well as information is fast becoming a prerequisite for the leadership programs. The IT leaders must help the company to value their business as possible from the technology (Sethuraman and Suresh 2014). The following are the solutions that the leader should follow to have a great role in technology decisions and cope up with IT challenges as: Information Technology Leadership Development Program: It is one of the best solutions for the IT leader to change their character according to the change in technology (Antonakis and House 2014). This program takes the IT leader in the IT application management, operations, technical services as well as IT planning for Melbourne IT. The development program gives a full-time position to the leader with benefits as well as design in order to create a sustainable career path with Melbourne IT. The building of strategic IT leadership skills: A strong IT leaders can create a clear vision for the future, a design of the competitive strategy for the business; create an agile as well as flexible culture for Melbourne IT. Consultation with the IT business analyst to develop a new existing system for the business: Due to change in the technology, the business leader can develop and implement a new legacy system for their organization with the help of the IT business analyst (Salovaara and Bathurst 2016).   With consulting their ideas with the analyst, they can implement such a system that should be beneficial for the organization in the future. Take the ownership of information: The vital part of managing the information technology is to manage the data quality as well as accessibility (Marco and John 2013). The IT business leader is responsible for the usability of the data gathered as well as stored in the technology and service. The IT providers should have required integration capabilities, but the leader does managing the information. Improve the technology vendor management capabilities: Technology vendors can double contract value when they are circumventing to the IT. The IT business leaders can also look in order to corporate IT for guidance as well as support with the vendor negotiations (Antonakis and House 2014). One of the techniques to nudge in this direction is to measure the effectiveness of the vendor management as well as negotiations. It is concluded that the IT leader must be self-achiever, and they are motivated to become a proactive leader. Rapid change in the technology produces a chaos situation of the leader, and they must be ready to cope up with the technological change. In this report, two types of leaders are used such as a transactional style of leaders such as they used to motivate through the system of rewards as well as penalties. The manager’s use this style and it is focused on the basic management process to control, organize as well as do short-term planning. The leader can act as indicated by the necessities and prerequisites of their clients and offers with better IT administration delivery. As a transformational leadership style, the leader is engaged to build the adequacy of the Association. This style of initiative anxieties that the leader comprehends and additionally adjusts to the followers thought processes and necessities. The transformational leadership inspires the followers by raising consciousness about the predefined values and inspires the supporters to address the high state of individual needs. Therefore, these two types of leadership style are to be in an IT business leader. Ali Shurbagi, A., 2014. The Relationship between Transformational Leadership Style Job Satisfaction and the Effect of Organizational Commitment.  IBR, 7(11). Almog-Bareket, G., 2012. Visionary leadership in business schools: an institutional framework.  Journal of management development,  31(4), pp.431-440. Antonakis, J. and House, R., 2014. Instrumental leadership: Measurement and extension of transformational–transactional leadership theory.  The Leadership Quarterly, 25(4), pp.746-771. Anvari, R., Irum, S., Shah, I., Mahmoodzadeh, N. and Ashfaq, M., 2014. Determinants of Information Technology Leadership Program.  Review of European Studies, 6(2). Brandt, T. and Uusi-Kakkuri, P., 2016. Transformational Leadership and Communication Style of Finnish CEOs.  Communication Research Reports, 33(2), pp.119-127. Choi, S.I. and Kim, D.I., 2014. A Study on The Effect Business Performance of Leadership on Global Corporate.  Journal of Digital Convergence,  12(10), pp.191-199. Davenport, B., 2014. From A to Google: How Technology Is Impacting Information and Leadership.Journal of Leadership Studies, 8(2), pp.41-45. Harney, B., 2016. Book review: Developing leadership: Questions business schools dont ask.Management Learning. Katsos, J. and Fort, T., 2016. Leadership in the promotion of peace: Interviews with the 2015 Business for Peace honorees.  Business Horizons. Loveridge, R., 2014. Leadership in the Innovative Organization.  Nang Yan Business Journal, 1(1). Marco, R. and John, F., 2013. The role of need for achievement in self-leadership: Differential associations with hope for success and fear of failure.  African Journal of Business Management, 5(20), pp.8368-8375. Melbourneit.com.au, 2015.  Melbourne IT. [online] Melbourneit.com.au. Available at: https://www.melbourneit.com.au/about-us/ [Accessed 5 Jul. 2016]. Minavand, H., 2013. The impact of project managers’ leadership style on employees’ job satisfaction, performance and turnover.  IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 11(6), pp.43-49. Minelle, F., 2014. Business Leadership for IT Projects.  PROJECT MANAGER (IL), (17), pp.47-47. Moors, G., 2012. The effect of response style bias on the measurement of transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership.  European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 21(2), pp.271-298. Salovaara, P. and Bathurst, R., 2016. Power-with leadership practices: An unfinished business.Leadership. Sethuraman, K. and Suresh, J., 2014. Effective Leadership Styles.  IBR, 7(9).

Friday, September 27, 2019

A critical evaluation of an article for Corporate Restructuring Essay

A critical evaluation of an article for Corporate Restructuring - Essay Example ich was under performing is bound to perform better post acquisition through better management and deployment of resources which might have been wanting prior to the acquisition. On the other hand an acquisition without resistance as a friendly acquisition is bound to experience lesser value creation post acquisition as the friendly firm already doing well and selling itself at a premium would leave further scope value creation in the long run. In fact, it can be value destroying. The recommendation of the study is that there should be no regulatory ban on hostile takeovers. Limitations : Hostile takeover as means of higher value creation has not been fully recognized. In the U.S. , law is in favor of incumbent management and against hostile takeovers (Sudarsanam & Mahate, 2006), (He & Wang, 2013). He, R., & Wang, T. (2013). Similar Technology, Complementary Technology and Long-term Shareholder Value of Acquiring Firm in Technology Acquisitions: Evidence from High-tech Industries in China. Information Technology Journal , 12, 1932-1940. Sudarsanam, S., & Mahate, A. A. (2006). Are Friendly Acquisitions Too Bad for Shareholders and Managers? Long-Term Value Creation and Top Management Turnover in Hostile and Friendly Acquirers. British Journal of Management , 17,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Investigating Entrepreneurial Opportunities of business that focuses Essay

Investigating Entrepreneurial Opportunities of business that focuses main on setting up swimming pools and fountains in the gardens of houses - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the recent year, the American construction industry has developed in a very drastic way. Nonetheless, there are very few construction companies that have specialized in setting up swimming pools and fountains in the gardens of houses. The few companies that are doing this have dominated the business giving room to monopoly. The problem with monopoly is that the people in business are able to control the business for lack of competition. According to Grant monopoly disadvantages, the consumer in many ways but mostly is the fact that they have no options to choose from and hence are vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation from the monopolists. Many at times they are forced to pay high rates and prices. This is because the consumers need the services or the product but are limited to choice. This is regardless of whether the product and services are of the right quality. The above situation is the reason why the researchers decided to start a business that focuses mainly on setting up swimming pools and fountains in the gardens of houses. Every American home is now embarking on setting up swimming pools in their backyard or at least a fountain. New homes and those that have been constructed before are all seeking to have an extra facility that will make the house more self-sustained and reliant. Apart from home, new markets like hotels and resort centers are very attractive since clients want to go to places that can meet their leisure needs. Combining these two potential markets the business is guaranteed to succeed and make profits. There are other opportunities related to the same like cleaning and maintaining of the swimming pools and springs. The researchers intend to specialize in this area also in order to guarantee our clients a complete package that will run even after the installation or set up of the pool or spring. By specializing in this business, it means that even construction companies that do not set up swimming pools and fountains will be seeking to give our business sub-contracts in order to satisfy their clients. Likewise, individual homeowners will be seeking our services when the construction companies they are working with are not able to facilitate this service. For a start, such a business will need a trained team that will work on commission for every work done. A training program will also be put in place for new employees in order to make sure that they are working within our standards.

Application Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Application Project - Research Paper Example The applicants should have detailed knowledge and understanding of the coordination requirements within the higher education set up. They also need to have their previous working experience that is related to supporting student’s experience. I am interested in the position of a Coordinator in your campus that was advertised in the New York Times on 6th December 2011. Because of my qualifications and skills, I would appreciate if you consider my application for this campus position that means a lot to me. 4. Create a two page paper reflecting on what strategies you will implement in terms of your career development and how these strategies specifically relate to your career goals and advancement. (30 Percent) I realized it is not that easy for one to advance in his or her career by just working hard and meeting deadlines. This realization came as a challenge to me thus I had to come up with personal strategies that would help to not just develop my career but also advance in it. The initial and most important step to achieving this is to understand myself in relation to the career I am taking. By having an accurate picture of what I do, I will be better placed to let other people around me know what I can do. This will also give me an opportunity to demonstrate my potential as being able to learn in future. This has to begin with influencing my assertive behavior. It will also involve the clear identification of the important skills that I make use of in my current position and the ones that have helped me in the past. The other important consideration is to understand the options that are there before me. The modern careers are so dynamic calling for regular leverage in relation to those changes in order for one to be a successful professional and achieve individual goals. Doing a great job at work is not enough. Coming up with multiple career goals helps one

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business Plans and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Plans and Analysis - Essay Example As such, the operability, initial investment figures, marketing scope, time to implementation, existence of external investment, effects that technological change will have on the plans, as well as an analysis of likely consumer response will all be weighed as a function of the likelihood that each plan has towards implementation and overall success. Likewise, it is worth mention that neither one of these business plans are intended to be seen as an example of either a good or a bad business plan; instead, they are to be viewed as vehicles towards understanding positive and negative components of each. Business Plan 1: http://www.businessplans.org/Momentex/Moment00.html The first business plan that this analysis will weigh relates to Momentex LLC and their proposed line of Gulp N Go products. Momentex would like to target the untapped market of vending services that are located within toll booths throughout the United States. The plan exhibits multiple strengths. Firstly, regardless of what one thinks of the business plan, it is undeniable that the proximity of the product to the customer is perfectly positioned. The second strength ties in alongside this proximity and evoke the strength of suggestion while the customer is already in the process of making a financial transaction – all of which further encourage him/her to make an impulse buy while at the toll booth. Lastly, for this proximity and these powers of suggestion during a financial transaction, the firm has very few costs associated with marketing as the product is positioned 24/7 and practically free marking takes place at the point of sale on a daily basis. With respect to the weaknesses exhibited in this plan, the first of these regards the legal impacts of commercialization of the toll booths and what this may portend with respect to state, local, cross-jurisdictional, and tax laws. In effect, a public good (roads) will now be turned into a way of further generating funding for private busi nesses. This fact in and of itself has a host of both legal and ethical dilemmas associated with it. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, there is the issue of traffic flow. Toll booth areas are already high traffic areas that usually only exist in major metropolitan cities. As such, having tens of thousands of people each and every day pausing as to what particular snack or drink they would like to choose while others wait in the queue behind them is a recipe for compounding already tense traffic problems. Lastly, the issue of payment will need to be hashed out. With a non-uniform system of payment already existing at most toll booths, how the customer will pay for the goods becomes a primary question (Lawther, 2000). If with cash revenues will be noticeably lower as fewer and fewer people carry cash. If with the credit card will the same credit card be used to pay the toll? If with a pay-pass for high-frequency travelers will the beverages and food by debited from the same fund s that the customer has loaded on the card or will they need to be paid separately? This particular business plan could be improved by measuring the indirect effect that the sale of these goods will have on traffic patterns and wait times for other customers. If a thorough analysis is performed and it is found to adversely affect the commute in a measurable way – it is fairly obvious that the business plan should be abandoned as the negative press and aggravation it will cause will doubtless render the plan futile.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Annotated Bibliography and Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Annotated Bibliography and Structure - Essay Example This is especially from the childhood where boys appear to be rougher than their counterpart female gender. The source will be essential due to its comprehensive and progressive content regarding modern masculinity. Murray, D. (2002). Masculinity and Self-Identity in Elite Triathlon, Body- Building and Surf Lifesaving. In D. Hemphill & C. Symons (Ed.), Gender, Sexuality & Sport: A Dangerous Mix (pp. 39). Petersham: Walla Walla Press. Murray’s argument in this chapter entails men’s masculinity examined from three choice levels in Australian sports. These include triathlon, muscle building and surf-lifesaving coupled with interviews meant to ascertain peoples’ core motives that prompt them to participate in sports. The source will be crucial in expounding the issue of masculinity among the sportsmen, and their fans’ perspectives who prefer well-built bodies as a sign of manly prowess. In addition, Murray has revealed many categories’ fancies about mus cular bodies especially the female gender that comprises the spectators’ sizeable number. Hence, unveiling how people view masculinity from a social context. Palmer-Mehta, V. (2009). Men Behaving Badly: Mediocre Masculinity and The Man Show. Journal Of Popular Culture, 42(6), 1053-1072. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00722.x Palmer-Mehta highlights how â€Å"The Man Show† reveals US’ masculinity mediocrity among heterosexual white men. The discussion’s focus is on the men’s insubordinate behavior influenced by fears and desires, which erode U.S society’s masculinity power besides rendering them to be of questionable caliber. Hence, revealing white men’s weakness despite claiming their rightful position in the American society. The source will be helpful in backing argument regarding how masculinity mediocrity has crept in the contemporary world regardless of states’ development status. Bowleg, L., Teti, M., Massie, J. S., Patel, A., Malebranche, D. J., & Tschann, J. M. (2011). 'What does it take to be a man? What is a real man?': ideologies of masculinity and HIV sexual risk among Black heterosexual men. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 13(5), 545-559. doi:10.1080/13691058.2011.556201 The article highlights the aspect of masculinity using sexual prowess especially among the black men. Since, according to diverse traditional ideologies held by numerous people black men do posses immense sexual vitality than other races. This prompts other people to deem black men cannot turn down any sexual offer from the women especially among the college students; hence, they are able to have sex with many women concurrently. Therefore, black men do not have any justifiable reason to embrace homosexuality because of their sexual vitality. This article will be essential in asserting masculinity from the men’s sexual prowess, which has made many find solace in using Viagra. MensLine Australia. (2012). When you think you'r e alone, I'm here. Retrieved on 27Th November 2012 from MensLine is an Australian website whose focus entails offering diverse services to the men besides ensuring their wellbeing. The services range from personal to political besides other manly areas, for instance sports. MensLine also acts as an information site whereby men can equip themselves with varied

Monday, September 23, 2019

The Dividend Growth Model and Capital Asset Pricing Model Assignment

The Dividend Growth Model and Capital Asset Pricing Model - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that the CAPM model can be used to calculate the possibilities of the growth of investment. CAPM takes into account the risk involved in the marketplace as well as the risk bored by the company that issued the stock. Dividend-growth model is a model that is used in the valuation of a company’s stock. Essentially, the Dividend growth model is a model of stock valuation that primarily deals with the dividends and their consequent growth discounted to present day. The models are divided into two as; Gordon growth model commonly referred to as the dividend discount model is a method that is used to calculate the intrinsic value of stocks. However, the model is based on the assumption that the dividend growth rate is constant. The formula employed by this model is as follows; Multi-stage dividend discount model is a dividend growth model that can take any pattern of the future expected dividends; that is to mean that dividends are not expected to grow at a co nstant rate. The investor is therefore expected to evaluate dividends separately for each year while putting into consideration each year’s expected dividend growth rate. This model is given by the formula; Capital asset pricing model or CAPM is a model that specifies the relationship between risk and required rate of return on assets held by an investor in a well-diversified portfolio. The required rate of return obtained using the CAPM formula is used as the cost of equity of the company. The model has several basic assumptions; first, investors are assumed to be rational in the sense that they choose among alternative portfolios on the basis of the expected return and standard deviation of the portfolio held. Secondly, CAPM model also assumes that investors have homogeneous expectations with regard to asset return.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essay Essay Example for Free

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Essay Essay In the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character, Maya, and her older brother, Bailey, have a very close relationship at the beginning of this novel. As children, they were each other’s best friends and they were inseparable. They did everything together and they even thought they had their own language that no one else knew. However, when they first moved in with Mother Vivian, their relationship starts to fall apart. â€Å"When spring came to St. Louis, I took out my first library card, and since Bailey and I seemed to be growing apart, I spent most of my days at the library†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Angelou 76). As the two of them become older, their relationship grows more distant because of their different genders and the different activities each of them enjoyed doing. In the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character, Maya, and her father have a very estranged relationship. Whenever Maya sees her father, she thinks of him as more of a stranger. Towards the end of the book, Maya’s father invites Maya to come visit him for the summer. When she gets there, she is shocked to see that her father lives in a trailer with his girlfriend who is roughly Maya’s age. Maya’s father invites Maya to come to Mexico with him to go get groceries. Maya agrees to go, and her father ends up leaving her in a shabby bar by herself to run off with his other girl. This just proves he is an unfit parent. â€Å"How could he leave in that raunchy bar and go off with his woman? Did he care what happened to me? Not a damn, I decided, and opened the flood gates for hysteria† (Angelou 236). Maya realizes that her father doesn’t give two shoes about her and has no interest in trying to be a father to her. In the autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the main character, Maya, is moved from place to place and always has the feeling of displacement, or not belonging. I can relate to Maya’s feelings of displacement. Throughout my life, I too have moved to many different places and schools. I was used to being the new kid and having no friends. I used to be afraid to even make friends because I knew that I wouldn’t be in that school for too much longer after I did. After going to five different schools and living in seven different houses, I’ve felt the feeling of displacement many times and like Maya, had my issues with trying to connect to people. While reading this novel, I knew how Maya felt all those time she didn’t feel like she belonged and all the times she moved. Those parts are what go to me the most because I know how it feels to leave behind the  people you love.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Emotionally And Socially Withdrawn Children And Young People Essay

Emotionally And Socially Withdrawn Children And Young People Essay Divorce, marriage breakdowns and separation is an extremely stressful time for all involved but particularly the children/young person. They may begin to lack in confidence and self esteem and become emotionally withdrawn. Due to the family upheaval, the child or young person may begin to loose focus on their own abilities and suffer mentally. In the same degree children and young people from a single parent family may also suffer due to a lack of female/male role model which can cause social stigma. In some households dual parents or lone parents may find they have to work long hours, resulting in little time remaining to focus on direct social, intellectual and emotional support. Some situations cause a child to find themselves becoming part of a step family through their parent meeting a new partner, which could result in friction between children from each side. Because of this particular situation the children or young person may become emotionally and socially withdrawn which c ould lead to an increasing risk of bullying by peers. Various factors have an influence on a child and young persons development process in particular relation to their background. Development is vital and major setbacks at a young age can have a lasting impression on children and young people. Family bereavement is a very traumatic time and experience for children or young people, even when they have been prepared for the worse. Emotional strain is created and outbursts of emotion should be expected during the bereavement period. Socially, children who have been through bereavement may feel different apposed to their peers who havent experienced bereavement. This may result in the child or young person suffering intellectually due to regular absences from nursery or school, their concentration levels and behaviour may also be affected. Moving house can also have an impact on a child and cause some great difficulty as the child has to adapt to a completely new situation, with changing their original nursery/school and having to adapt to a new routine. You may find that in these situations a child/young person may become highly emotional and socially introverted. Health There can be many health aspects that affect a child/young persons development. Children become extremely resilient and are often able to manage their conditions very well; however, certain aspects of their development can prove challenging throughout periods of ill health. Children may suffer from conditions such as asthma, which if not well controlled, can cause children to have extended periods of time off from school. This in turn leads to intellectual development being compromised as well as social development due to relationships not being maintained. Disability in children, whether it be physical or intellectual can be particularly difficult. A child that has a hearing impairment may suffer physically through loss of balance or socially through having to communicate in alternative ways such as sign language/makaton. A physical disability such as Cerebral Palsy can be physically challenging due to being restricted in taking part in certain activities. This can affect social situations due to these restrictions and can affect a child/young person emotionally questioning why they are different causing low self-esteem. Being diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer as a child/young person can also prove to lead to developmental issues. All areas of development can be compromised, intellectually, through missing school and being too ill to complete set work. They may suffer physically depending on the specific illness causing them to be weak and/or in too much pain and discomfort to complete physical activities. Socially they may be too ill to interact with others and/or maintain friendships. They may also become emotionally withdrawn and find it difficult to cope with their emotions. Allergies affect many children, particularly food allergies; this in turn can lead to social problems as they may become excluded from certain situations where their allergies are not known. In contrast they may feel a certain social stigma as their allergies are highlighted, for example; when eating lunch at school, they may be required to wear a special badge which shows their allergies, causing them to feel different from their peers. They have to be more physically aware of their condition and how this can cause changes in their body and manage this accordingly. Environment Environmental factors can play a huge part in affecting a child/young persons development. These can vary from cultural factors to living conditions. Children/young people from less advantaged backgrounds who live in poverty can have their development seriously compromised. They are less likely to have educational support from parents/carers which in turn creates intellectual problems for the child/young person. This is further influenced by having a lack of learning resources available such as access to computers and books. They may become disillusioned with education from an early age which sets them on a path of social and emotional turmoil. Also, they may suffer socially by not being able to participate in certain paid activities offered through school and outside school which means they interact less in physical activities. They may also feel that they cannot compete with their peers with regards to fashion trends and owning the latest technology. They might not seem to be as physically strong as their peers; parents/carers might experience difficulty in providing healthy, regular meals which can cause problems with their phy sical well-being. Their emotions can seem quite immature at times and they may well become emotionally withdrawn but also prone to emotional outbursts associated with behavioural difficulties, displaying a lack of attention.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Character of Annie Essay -- Annie Essays

The Character of Annie Annie's character in this short story is represented as a girl who had spent her whole of her life previous to her marriage as a poor person. Then she married a young working-class man called Bob. Because she wanted to use Bob so she could escape from poverty. Annie married Bob so, so she could have an income. Bob's father called, Old Thompson, had lost his wife in winter. As a consequence of this, Annie and bob had to live with bob's father. Annie was pleased at first, but soon she started to feel resentment for Old Thompson. Annie soon realized that she could get rid of Old Thompson. So Bob didn't have to buy a house of their own. But what really Annie wanted was to get rid of Old Thompson and live a good life with a house of her own. She wanted to take advantage of Bob's father so she could take every thing, she felt he didn't need. Old Thompson lives in deep shock because of the death of his wife. One winter he sat on his chair in front of the fire and thought sometimes he went and took a walk on the park and sat on the bench with the su... The Character of Annie Essay -- Annie Essays The Character of Annie Annie's character in this short story is represented as a girl who had spent her whole of her life previous to her marriage as a poor person. Then she married a young working-class man called Bob. Because she wanted to use Bob so she could escape from poverty. Annie married Bob so, so she could have an income. Bob's father called, Old Thompson, had lost his wife in winter. As a consequence of this, Annie and bob had to live with bob's father. Annie was pleased at first, but soon she started to feel resentment for Old Thompson. Annie soon realized that she could get rid of Old Thompson. So Bob didn't have to buy a house of their own. But what really Annie wanted was to get rid of Old Thompson and live a good life with a house of her own. She wanted to take advantage of Bob's father so she could take every thing, she felt he didn't need. Old Thompson lives in deep shock because of the death of his wife. One winter he sat on his chair in front of the fire and thought sometimes he went and took a walk on the park and sat on the bench with the su...

Adolescents on Mental Illness :: essays research papers

Watson, Amy C., Otey, Emeline, Westbrook, Anne L., Gardner, April L., Lamb, Theodore A., Corrigan, Patrick W., & Fenton, Wayne S. (2004). Changing Middle Schoolers’ Attitudes About Mental Illness Through Education. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 30, 563-572. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This article shows the attitudes and intellect of Middle Schoolers about Mental Illness. The investigators are interested in the amount of improvement that the Middle Schoolers receive after being well-informed and educated about Mental Illness. They are especially interested in the changes in the attitudes of the pupils that think pessimistically about Mental Illness. Finding out if a curriculum informing the students about Mental Illness would significantly impact them is the other main interest of the investigators.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Previous studies show that many adults are almost naturally prejudice to people with Mental Illnesses. Most adults automatically stereotype them as people that are dangerous, shouldn’t be talked to, and have a slim-to-none chance of recovering. This comes from their lack of knowledge of Mental Illness growing up. In their childhood, they see Mental Illness as a disturbance and sway away from anything related to it. This concept is truly an unnoticed act of discrimination. Ultimately, the goal of the experiment was to find out how the minds of the students change toward Mental Illness after more knowledge of it is found out. The investigators supposed that there would be a bit of knowledge or at least some awareness of Mental Illness in the students’ minds. They figured that there would be many pessimists in the group (students that initially think negatively about Mental Illness.) Also, they assumed that the curriculum would benefit all of the students (especially the ones with the negative attitudes.) Method   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The investigators used The Science of Mental Illness curriculum to educate the students. This curriculum consists of unique scientific discoveries and case studies that help students understand the link between the sciences and their applications to health care. Some parts of the curriculum are classic, lecture-style teachings and some are more interactive including online programs and situations on video clips. The variety of the curriculum keeps the students interested throughout the 5-week program.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Helping the students understand that Mental Illness can be diagnosed and treated very well (unlike they might have thought) is one of the curriculum’s main goals. The other is to make the students more aware of Mental Illness and understand its different aspects. The curriculum is broken up into 5 lessons that cover everything from the brain’s functions to recognizing Mental Illness to methods of treatment.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Sex in Movies Essay -- Media Entertainment Films Essays

Sex in Movies Has the role of sex gained too much importance in todays movie industry? The answer to this highly publicized question, although highly depending on personal opinion, is no. The growth of sex in movies is directly related to the growth of its role in modern society. The movie industry has no choice but to adapt to a society with changing entertainment needs. The movie industry is just what it says, an industry. An industry that has one goal similar with all other industries, to make money. Compare the movie industry to other industries in todays society. Other forms of industry like the alcohol industry are allowed to operate without constant criticism from public figures. I understand that the alcohol industry runs on a strict set of guidelines and provides for reasonable age limits, but switch back to the movie industry. Most movies are mere ideas of their original versions after they are subjected to industry limitations. The rating system also provides for assurance that viewers are of a mature age to handle the content of movies. Skeptics of modern society use the movie industry as a scapegoat. They make unjust claims that the movie industry is the cause of changes in our society. This is impossible, a movie completely contrary to modern standards and beliefs would not be accepted. In todays high dollar industry one flop would be enough to nearly end the career of a new producer or company. A mistake this costly is not worth the risk. Skeptics should look for actual causes of the shift of morals in society and not concentrate on an industry that happens to be profiting from the shift. Other critics would like to see sex portray... ...st is always on the move and has a fear of settling down. Her true love for Tomas and Teresa is shown in the final scene when she learns of their death. Tomas, Teresa, and the artist are all caught up in a dangerous love triangle in this movie. The sexual action catches the attention of the audience and arouses their curiosity on sexual inhibitions. This play on human curiosity is a genius move on the part of the film makers. Sex is a needed part of this movie. Although it may drown out the political plot of the movie, it is also an equally important plot. The film makers used the war setting to show that humans and their sexual habits exist everywhere through any type of chaos. Overall sex in the movie industry is natural. Humans want sex. Sex is a physical fact. The movie industry is just practicing good business.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Outline for Araby and Hills Essay

Six elements of fiction :plot, character, setting, point of view, voice and style, and theme. â€Å"The theme of a story abstracts its meaning from the concrete details of its plot, point of view, characterization, setting, and style† â€Å"Theme is a generalization about the meaning of a story. It is more than the subject of the story†¦ [and] is also different from the plot. †¦Theme comes last in a discussion of the elements of fiction because it is the consequence of all the other elements in a story. The structure and theme of a story are fused like the body and soul of a reader†¦. Though the summary of a writer’s theme is no substitute for the story in its entirety, your attempt to state it can help you to understand the story better† Compare and contrast two of the four short stories listed below. Begin your discussion of each story by stating what you think its theme is, and then describe how the other five elements identified by your editors contribute to articulating the theme. Use as many of the other five elements as you think are relevant in contributing to the theme; some elements will be more important than others, and one or two may not be relevant, depending upon your choice of stories. For example, point of view may be ‘neutral’ or non-judgmental, and voice (of the narrator/author) or style may also not be particularly relevant. Do not simply recite how each element, by itself, is present in the story. Your discussion of the elements should be integrated and you don’t necessarily have to identify the elements by name—e.g., you can refer to what happens in a story without calling it the plot or summarizing the plot, and you can refer to a character’s trait or personality without constructing a full profile of the character. The same can be said for point of view, especially where it is in the third person and not omniscient. Conclude your essay by drawing whatever parallels or contrasts you see between the two stories you have chosen. You should prepare by making an outline of the points you wish to make regarding the way each element contributes to a short story and then work from that outline. Be careful not to distort or overemphasize either story’s theme or any of its individual elements for the sake of drawing parallels or emphasizing differences between the two stories. Before ou finalize your essay, write a topic sentence outline of it and attach the outline to the paper. Your essay should be at least three pages, but only so long as is necessary to say what you have to say. Stories: William Faulkner, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† pp. 146-52. Ernest Hemingway, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† pp. 224-27. James Joyce, â€Å"Araby,† pp. 264-68. John Steinbeck, â€Å"The Chrysanthemums,† pp. 507-27.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Book Analysis: The Rook

In The Rook by Steven James, there is a man who is a detective his name is Patrick Bowers but he also goes by the name Creighton which is his name for when he does undercover missions. Patrick Bowers is a special agent who has been summoned to take part in a dangerous case involving an arsonist who has began his reign of fires in San Diego. And the fires that are happening in San Diego are matching up to other events that may be linked to the same person who’s starting these fires. Soon Patrick Bowers finds out its not just fires he has to worry about its also kidnapping, a gruesome taunting video, and a suicide.Which Patrick witnessed as well as his niece. That same suicide happened right after he and his partner lien-hua are called in to look at a house suspected of arson which may be linked by the same person who has started the previous fires. There is a man who is wild and completely out of control and seems to be high off of drugs. Detective Patrick Bowers goes to try to calm the man down but the man reacts violent way, and the man starts to attack Patrick and has he goes to punch the man in the face he bites him in the arm and takes off running.As the man starts to run away he is then hit by a trolly and is run over. The character that I identify with most his detective Patrick Bowers, the reason that I identify with detective Patrick bowers is because my uncle is also a detective who also has delt with cases similar to this, only not as extream as Patrick bowers. My uncle and Patrick Bowers are very similar when it comes to their past my uncle just as Patrick bowers has dealt with things that he is not proud of. My uncle and Patrick bowers are also very family orientated people Patrick Bower has a stepdaughter my uncle also has a stepdaughter.And the main reason that I chose Patrick bowers to be a character that I really identified with is because he and my uncle seem to have really good hearts and would do anything to protect their families. â⠂¬Å" While investigating a series of baffling fires in San Diego, Special Agent Patrick Bowers is drawn into a deadly web of intrigue where nothing is as it appears to be with a killer on the loose and one of the world’s most deadly devices missing. Bowers is caught in a race against time to stop a criminal mastermind’s trap before it closes around the people he loves† < the Rook. com>

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Regulation and Pizza Hut Essay

School cafeterias served nearly $500 million of pizza a year. Only frozen pizza was used, however, because freshly prepared pizza was effectively excluded by a U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulation that required inspection of any pizza with meat toppings that was sold at wholesale for resale. The same was true for other institutions such as hospitals and prisons. The 39 broader issue was the closure of the institutional market to freshly-prepared foods such as pizza and other fast foods. Pizza Hut’s overall business strategy was to become a â€Å"pizza distribution† company, and the institutional market was crucial to that strategy. According to Roger Rydell of Pizza Hut, schools were â€Å"‘a potentially enormous business for us. †¦ We’d like to have every one of our [4,000] delivery-capable units nationwide serving at least one school. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 Since Pizza Hut was excluded from the institutional market by the USDA regulation, the task before Pizza Hut was to develop a nonmarket strategy to modify this regulation to allow school cafeterias and ultimately other institutions to order fresh pizza. There were two basic institutional arenas in which Pizza Hut could address this nonmarket foreclosure of a market. One was the regulatory apparatus of the USDA. From the perspective of a bureaucracy such as the USDA, an exemption from its meat inspection responsibilities would be required. It seems unlikely that the USDA would want to weaken its own inspection program. Indeed, the opponents of an exemption for fresh pizza, as led by the National Frozen Pizza Institute, sought to have the contentious issue resolved by the USDA. A resolution in that institutional arena would necessitate an extensive administrative process requiring public hearings, publication of proposed regulations in the Federal Register, a comment period, possible adoption of an exemption, and possible legal challenge in the federal courts by the losing side. This process would likely be quite lengthy. (See Chapter 10 for a discussion of this process. ) Pizza Hut first attempted to obtain a USDA exemption without an administrative process but failed in its attempt. The second institutional arena was Congress, which could enact legislation to overturn regulations. Pizza Hut worked through Congress to include a provision in a 1991 agriculture bill that would allow fresh pizza to be purchased by school cafeterias without USDA inspection. The amendment directed the USDA to issue regulations by August 1992 allowing fresh pizza with meat toppings to be sold to private and public institutions. 2 Pizza Hut had headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, and Representative Dan Glickman, whose district includes Wichita, commented that the USDA regulation was â€Å"a Byzantine, outdated and, quite honestly, an anti-competitive regulatory structure. †3. One question was whether this issue was resolved by interest group politics or by some public policy process based on a careful study of the costs and benefits. The opposition, for example, argued that an exemption posed a health hazard, whereas Pizza Hut argued that precooked toppings such as pepperoni had already undergone two inspections—one at the processing plant and one earlier at the slaughterhouse. These arguments likely had little effect on the decision other than to convince members of Congress that there was no health hazard in fresh pizza sold to institutions. This issue was ultimately resolved through interest group politics, with Pizza Hut and other fast-food chains backing the exemption and frozen pizza interests opposing it. 1 Wall Street Journal, November 29, 1991. 2 Wall Street Journal, November 29, 1991. 3 San Francisco Chronicle, November 28, 1991. Assignment Questions (30%): 1. What is/are the real issue based on the case study? (2 marks) 2. Describe the 4I’s based on the Pizza Hut Case Study. (8 marks) 3. Describe the roles of news media in this case study. (10 marks) 4. From the case study, where those issues are in their life cycles? Discuss. (10 marks).

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Us and Them Essay

The story of â€Å"Us and Them† consists of three types of irony: situational, dramatic, and verbal. These types make the story more interesting as a reader. Irony can be used in the sense of tricking the reader into one thing happening, but a completely other event takes place. This keeps the reader intrigued and is excited to see what happens next due to the fact that nothing is predictable.In the story, the child uses a variety of irony, an example of dramatic irony is when Sedaris is spying on the Tomkeys and they are not aware of this. This is an example of dramatic irony because the author of the story knows something that the characters don't. This can entertain the readers by going into the Tomkeys lives without them knowing it.The second type of irony is situational, an example in the story is when the Tomkeys show up at the Sedaris's house a day after Halloween, the author's mom makes him and his sisters go get their candy wanting not to be rude, the author starts ra ting the candy, rating from best to least. After a couple minutes of stalling, his mother barges into his room and starts gathering the candy herself, he starts to stuff his face with the chocolate where he has mentioned before that he gets bad headaches from this candy.This is a type of situational irony because you would not have expected Sedaris to eat the candy that would make him have a terrible headache just so that the Tomkeys couldn't have it. The third type of irony is verbal, an example in the story is when the author's mother tells him to look at himself, the reader would probably expect something else as in a mirror, but the author actually takes a moment to reflect on his behavior and look at how he has acted toward the Tomkeys all because they don't watch TV.This is a good example of verbal irony because this keeps the reader entertained by seeing a new side of the author thats not completely indulged in the Tomkeys's lives. All of these different types of irony can ma ke almost any story interesting and hard to put down, the reader may find it intriguing to expect one thing and completely have another event take place. In this story you will get three different types of irony all at different points in the story, so never will the story be a boring read.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Dealer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dealer's choice - Essay Example From this definition, it is clear that politics exist in only in the presence of divided popular opinions. A political philosophy is the principal ideology defining how best to manage collective institutions such as government, economic systems and other social structures (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). It involves individual or collective analysis and interpretation of ideas like freedom, justice, authority and democracy followed by application of the derived meaning in collective institutions (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). The term prejudice refers to inflexible and often irrational opinions held by someone or section within a population. The provocative question from this analysis of the above quote can be stated as: Is politics governed through political philosophies or merely a systematic organization of prejudices? Political philosophies are defined around reflection on prevailing social and political issues. Philosophers meditate on the in-depth meaning of such conditions and their impli cation to resource distribution and human interactions (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). For instance the industrial revolutions that finally lead to urbanization economist pondered between private property ownership versus collective ownership that existed. Some supported capitalism engaging in the popularization of this philosophy against communism and all this is due to the systematic organization of hatred involved with politics (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). Capitalism dominated over communism based on positive implication in motivating individual and collective economic growth. During this era, political leadership is complied with either of these two philosophies (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). Another example is the debate between having absolute separation between church and politics which prevailed mainly in the 19th century when religious missionaries were used to gain political control of new territories. Absolute separation of the two institutions was perceived to allow for independent co ntrol and monitoring of events in each objectively (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). Through the integration of church issue in politics and vice versa was supported in the view of ensuring ethical political conduct and institutionalization of church issue, it lead to compromise of the same factors due to subjective approach to problem solving. Currently globalization and increased social liberalization has elicited varied opinions supporting social permissiveness and conservative social structures. Democracy has been advocated as the political philosophy that offers allows leadership to thrive through gaining majority support based on ideologies that best address individual freedom of expression (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). Conservative political leaders insist on strict adherence to established structures with minimal adjustment to fit the context (Cahn & Talisse, 15-300). Based on these arguments politics is based on philosophical ideas. Democracy gains more popularity due to advantages whi ch includes allowing individual freedom within organizations and equal representations of stakeholders. Despite this philosophical approach to politics, it remains undefined whether these philosophies have universal validity or are just representation of sections within the society. Are they based on inherent human characteristics? Are these ideologies based on selfish interest or universal

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Presidential Election 2012 Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Presidential Election 2012 Paper - Essay Example In terms of social conservativeness, I consider myself very accommodating and adaptive to change happening in the contemporary society. My political formation was heavily influenced by my high school history teacher. He presented an objective account of the issues that America has faced since its birth, bringing the realization that we have mostly been dealing with the same issues over the years: racism, immigration, gender issues and military action among others. This has helped me analyze the positions taken by different individuals/parties over time and their consequences, providing a basis for most of my political beliefs and inclinations. A number of issues define the current political dispensation in the USA mainly revolving around employment, education, environment, foreign affairs, poverty, taxes, immigration, and healthcare. These issues affect all aspects of the American society and have been the main points of contestation that have decided most of the recent elections. Personally, I feel that the issue on healthcare could be a key deciding factor among the Republican candidates and their choice candidate’s face-off with Obama. Hence, I will focus on healthcare based on analysis of the candidates’ positions in relation to my own views. Newt Gingrich reckons that the current government’s big spending on healthcare should be done away with. Instead, Gingrich proposes a â€Å"Patient Power† plan with the aim of saving lives and cutting costs. He seeks to promote choice among Americans in their healthcare tax cuts, giving the elderly an opportunity to voluntarily choose more personal hea lthcare in the private sector and allowing states to flexibly Medicaid to promote healthcare among the poor (Newtgingrich.com 2012). Ron Paul seeks to promote freedom rather than force in promoting healthcare. He proposes the repellation of the

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity - Essay Example Companies now realize that in order to create a productive environment such differences need to be harnessed in such a manner that everybody feels valued with their talents fully utilized for meeting the organizational goals. This study is an effort to look into such diversities in general. With the female gender rubbing shoulders with their male counterparts in almost all professions, the diversity on account of gender in particular is the one most talked about now a days. An effort would also be made in this study to analyze some cases in which women have been leading an organization. In order to manage an organization, there are a number of key stakeholders like customers, government, environment, human resources etc. Managing other operations and activities become far more convenient if a company is able to manage its human resources effectively. Having a pool of talented and motivated workforce certainly helps the matters. Terry & Franklin (1994) defines management as 'a distinct process consisting of activities of planning, organizing, actuating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish stated objectives with the use of human beings and other resources'. The older schools of thought considered the male workforce fit enough for all types of functions involving varying degrees of stress and strain, the female counterparts was considered delicate to the extent that they were not considered fit enough for such jobs. But times are changing and there are examples which prove beyond doubt that women employees are equally competent to handle any kind of s ituation. The society too has in general accepted this fact, which becomes all the more clear when we find out that there a number of companies where women have been assigned or designated on top posts. Indra Nooyi Indra K. Nooyi, the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, world's largest convenient food and beverage companies, is a leading example of how the women power has made its mark in managing the corporate affairs. Coming from a humble background in India, Mrs. Nooyi has traveled a long distance prior to becoming the top decision maker in Pepsi in 2006. She has served on the board of Pepsi since 2001, when she was named as the President and Chief Financial Officer1. Prior to her career with Pepsi, Ms. Nooyi has also served in Motorola as Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategy and Planning besides serving is some other renowned companies. This goes on to show that she has worked really hard to make it to the top post and she did not get the job out of sympathy or partial considerations. Acknowledging her business acumen leading bodies like Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the International Rescue Committee and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City have nominated her o n their board of directors. A recent study by Forbes, places her on the top of the 13 highest paid female CEOs in America (Kirdahy, 2008). Though, her total compensation is stated to be just about one-fourteenth of the highest-paid male counterpart, yet the process can be stated to have become in right earnest. It is worthwhile here to mention that she comes from a conservative family in India, and yet she has been able to to lead a company without the conservatism coming in the way goes on to prove

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Labor Law Campaign Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Labor Law Campaign - Speech or Presentation Example Please understand that I do not have the resources to do this. The economy is in poor shape and our towns are not painting their homes as frequent as they used to. They rather have rusted walls in order to feed their children. I am sorry that some of you have broken down in your vehicles and have had to wait for a tow, hence making you late to your estimate or painting job. Perhaps some of you have broken down in the company vehicle and have been home late for dinner. I am sorry; however we will have to make due with the vehicles we have. We will just have to keep fixing them. None of the vehicles are under the year 2002. We must continue to re paint them and have the mechanical problems fixed instead of purchasing new trucks. You all are more than employees you are my family! This is a family-run business and some of you are fathers and sons and uncles and nephews or next-door neighbors. We must stick together! I am looking for used Tahoes to replace some of our trucks that have the engines blown in them; however I cannot afford new trucks. Also, I apologize if the air conditioner is not working properly during the summer. I had the huge fans running. Some of you complained it was too warm. I apologize, however after the last hurricane a year ago my company flood insurance increased because we are located on the water. I am head to foot as is but I will not lower your wages as you have families to feed. Hence, please work together as team. A little sweat never killed anyone! If your 2 hours late one night coming home to dinner because your company vehicle broke down, just realize that I am trying my best to keep the operations going. I noticed small groups forming and I am aware that pamphlets have been given out to you all by union representatives. I figured out that there is a union organizing drive. You all must realize that union’s promises are empty. They cannot guarantee anything only ask. The union may promise that you will be driving new navigat ors like our competitors but this is not guaranteed. The union local 1199 will tell you that you will now have a new central air conditioning system in the warehouse but this is not a guarantee. You all are friends and have worked together for a long time. Do you realize that joining a union can jeopardize your friendships or kinships? Perhaps a father wants to join and the son does not want to? This can cause an argument. Do not ruin your solid bonds with each other over decisions that will not guarantee anything else than what already is. Do you know that Bonzo’s Painters who is local 1199 has been on 32 strikes but the painters are still driving around in old vehicles because the employer and union could not come to an agreement? If the majority wins to join a union it can have economic consequences on my business which would be out of my control. I came to this prediction last year after the hurricane. My flood insurance has skyrocketed because we are on the water. Since the downfalls of our economy people aren’t having their homes painted as much. People aren’t spending money! They are saving! If your union decides to go on a strike I cannot afford replacements. Hence, without you guys I cannot run my business and thus I will have to close the entire plant. Please realize that Unions are full of broken promises. Just know that if the union goes on strike you all have to strike. So if you think you’re warm now in the warehouse, what if the union decides to strike on a 100

Monday, September 9, 2019

The pharmacist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The pharmacist - Essay Example Through my father, I realized that I want to go down that same path, and be a beacon of goodness to others through a caring career in serving the community. I have always thought that as a pharmacist, I have the unique opportunity in dealing with people of all kinds, with many different afflictions or needs. I think that a pharmacist plays a key role not only in bringing the customer the proper medication, but also in providing good service, and in small ways trying to give cheer and good will to them. It would be such a joy to see a customer return and seeing the improvements in their health. Second, my academic and other career experiences have further prompted me to seek a career in pharmacy. I have always had a love for science, especially in chemistry. As I have mentioned earlier, I am a Registered Nurse and through my work, I have seen how certain medications work with certain afflictions and with different people, and that I find fascinating. It is very interesting to know that each human body is unique, and react differently to a variety of medication. Some times I see practically miracles being performed through the proper medicine, other times are more challenging.

Ethical dilemma about the same sex marriage Research Paper

Ethical dilemma about the same sex marriage - Research Paper Example text, the â€Å"Firm Balk at Gay Wedding† can be viewed as demonstrative of both ethical dilemmas raised by gay marriages and the way it can make interests of people clash. To start with, the gist of the article is a controversy concerning the human rights and religious views of a person as far as gay marriages often make these considerations collide. For instance, as it was explained in the article â€Å"Firms Balk on Gay Weddings† by Nathan Koppel and Ashby Johnes, people refused to serve wedding ceremonies of gay couples as it would insult their religious convictions. (Koppel & Johnes) Subsequently, there raises the dilemma of whether it is ethically right to deny gay couples services due to personal views. Obviously, there could be various opinions on this question, depending on the approach one uses. From the duty-based ethics, a person who denies services to a gay couple is right as far as he/she does it due to believing in immorality of such relationships. The basics of the given theory are found in the works of Immanuel Kant, one of the most influential proponents of deontology. According to it, a person is morally obliged to act accordingly to a set of principle and rules, regardless of whether an outcome would be good or bad. (Shakil) Putting it in other words, the only criterion to evaluate the ethics or morality of a decision or action is this action or decision itself. Subsequently, applying this theory to the situation described in the article, it is right to allow people to deny serving a gay couple if they act in accordance with their religious beliefs. In contrast, the given situation can be regarded as wrong when appealing to the outcome-based ethics that obliges to evaluate the degree of morality of an action or intention on the basis of the consequences it will bring. ("Consequentialism," 2014) Subsequently, the fact that business owners denied gay people an access to the services, such as â€Å"baking cakes for the ceremonies† is wrong

Sunday, September 8, 2019

ECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ECT - Essay Example PLC’s can be utilized as relays and timers which can be utilized in homes to control outputs based on the inputs. For example: they can be used timers for switching of lights based on the customized information they have been provided for the environment in which a household is located. The most commonly used programming language that is utilized for PLC programming is Ladder Logic. This language was not initially used as a form of programming language, but later it evolved for this purpose. This language provides a representation of a particular program and these representations are based on relay logic. The three main components include the processor, power supplier and a section of input as well as output. The processor is referred to as the brain of the PLC which performs various functions such as controlling the process. The power supplier is utilized in transforming input power into voltage that is needed for the internal circuits. The section of input and output is necessary for protection of the CPU against any form of electric

Saturday, September 7, 2019

The Young and the Innocent Essay Example for Free

The Young and the Innocent Essay Alison Croggon once said, â€Å"We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things that have bad consequences. But it does not mean we are evil, or that we cannot be trusted ever afterward.† The story of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials is portrayed in Arthur Miller’s play, â€Å"The Crucible.† In this drama a troubled girl named Mary Warren fights through the false accusations of other girls and the citizens of Salem, Massachusetts. Mary Warren is an innocent girl stuck in the middle of a bad situation. She is forced to make some harmful decisions in order to protect her own life. Mary Warren is a young girl that is intimidated easily. She is a follower and her leaders are John Proctor and Abigail Williams. Throughout the play both Proctor and Abigail force Mary to do things that put her life in danger. Proctor said to Mary, â€Å"You’re coming to court with me, Mary. You will tell it in the court†¦You will tell the court how that poppet come here and who stuck the needle in† (Miller 1134). Mary doing what Proctor says will force the other girls to turn on her and put Mary’s life on the line. This time, Mary makes the right choice and tells the truth out of fear of Proctor. Later on, Proctor isn’t so lucky. The biggest enemy of Mary is her countless fears. She has a fear of disappointing others, a fear of Abigail, and most importantly a fear of death. Looking back on the play, these fears are what control Mary’s decisions. Her fear of disappointing people is shown by the amount of begging and apologizing she does in the play. Since the beginning she has had a fear of Abigail and has always obeyed her. Abigail said, â€Å"Let either of you breathe a word†¦and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you† (Miller 1107). Abigail was referring to the truth about what happened the night they were caught dancing in the forest. Last but not least, she had a great fear of death. This is such a powerful thing and in Mary’s situation, this fear indirectly made her a murderer. Mary had a choice, tell the truth and get hanged, or lie and sacrifice Proctor’s life in order to save her own. Mary Warren is a sympathetic character. She had a lot of weight resting on  her shoulders and in the end she did not make the right choice. Mary said to Proctor, â€Å"You’re the Devils man† (Miller 1151). This put Proctor next in line to be hanged and set Mary free. At the time of the trials Mary was only eighteen and even though technically an adult, she was a child at heart. She had not experienced any hardships of life until one day when she was forced to face the worst of them all, death. Over all, Mary Warren was a good person but was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She made some good choices and some really poor ones. Mary was able to walk away from the trials with her life and a clear name. Unfortunately, nineteen other innocent people were not as lucky and were hanged. Mary may have condemned John Proctor, but it is important to remember that one mistake does not define you or the outcome of your life.

Friday, September 6, 2019

Marketing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Marketing Strategy Essay Discuss the type of product the company will offer and identify its primary characteristics The type of product the company will offer is a bracelet called Life Alert band. The characteristics of this device are size and the ease of use along with a lifetime guarantee. The Life Alert band is light and portable that no one will even know it’s on his or her wrist. It’s the size of a thick rubber band and comes in different wrist sizes. It has one easy to access button with an emergency icon that only needs to be pushed once to alert the Life Alert call center in the event of an emergency. The bracelet has several hidden sensors that monitor a person’s pulse and blood sugar and wirelessly sends this information to the Life Alert monitoring centers. If a change is detected in any of the monitors the bracelets sends a signal to the centers for immediate action. The Life Alert medical counselors immediately call the patient to see if they are ok. If no response is received they dispatch emergency responders right away. The bracelets uses flash memory to keep the device slim and flexible. It has a flexible band that can bend slightly. The material of the bracelet is a made of hard rubber that protects the electronics and its sensors. The bracelet requires a one-time setup much like a cell phone has to be programmed by Life Alert in order to ensure communication is occurring with their monitoring centers. The device has wifi built in for local communication. Users who have a wireless network can browse directly to the bracelet using a web browser. This gives them access to all the information the bracelet is recording. Discuss the product branding strategy Entrepreneur magazine states that a branding strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy (Enterpreneur, 2011). In this case a brand is name that consumers associate with a device or service. Life Alert has many devices, all which bare its name on it. For example wireless companies such ATT sell cell phones from different manufactures but all of them have the name ATT on them and their logo. This goes for any large company that sells multiple products even if the products are manufactured by another company. Another good example is Apple. Apple has mp3 players, desktops, laptops, and other computer peripherals, all have the Apple logo on them. Therefore, the branding approach for the Life Alert bracelet will be the umbrella branding approach. The umbrella approach will help Life Alert in promoting their popular name even further. In a survey taken by ACNielsen International Research, 87% of Life Alert members said that Life Alert’s protection is a main or important factor in their decision to keep living at home rather than going to a retirement institution (lifealert911, 2011). Life Alert members on an average spend 6 more years living alone because of their services. The bracelet will not only enhance their product line but attract more customers. The introduction of this bracelet will increase their customer base and maybe appeal to those who have a serious illness. The bracelet will become the main entity of the product line with Life Alert’s name and logo. Discuss how the product fits within a product line and the depth and breadth of the line. Life Alert’s bracelet is a unique product that has carved a niche in the medical devices industry. It fits into health care products that offer emergency services for monitoring and addressing health related issues. It addresses a void in the industry and aims to support independence in aged adults by providing state of the art monitoring and emergency services. The distinctive aspect of the Life Alert bracelet is that it is both broadens and intensifies in scope in terms of its breadth and depth. It fits well into the product line Life Alert offers. It’s an extension of the current product offerings. Some of the functionality the bracelet offers cross’s over to other product categories. For example the bracelet now becomes competitive with blood glucose meters. Regardless, the bracelet extends the depth and breadth of the company. Explain how the product and target market strategies fit with the organizational strategy. The organizational strategy is based around a few key factors. The company’s business domain is clearly defined and is focused towards Mature 50+ adults who wish to live an independent lifestyle. The factors that are considered are mainly geographical location, age, retirement lifestyle and medical needs. The strategy is effective as it concentrates on a few key product and ervices. Life alert employs niche marketing to devise a product strategy aimed at that targets mature 50+ adults residing mostly in Florida, which is a popular retirement destination, who are currently living a retired lifestyle and desire a degree of independence and who may or may not have specific medical needs. The Life Alert bracelet fits into the organizational strategy for Life Alert. Introducing the bracelet will solidify the stance in the market. The organizational strategy for Life Alert is to be most innovative company in assisting the elderly. Life Alert can take advantage of its existing organizational strategy to support and market the bracelet. The company can further expand its diversified portfolio of services by using its existing infrastructure and the multifaceted use of its core resources. By including and expanding on existing product offerings the company can reduce cost and maximize return on resources. Life alert bracelet can utilize the infrastructure for Life Alert Necklace, security, monitoring and emergency response services with minor additions. All of these services employ the same core organizational set up, which is the monitoring center, which maximizes service offering with minimal investment. The marketing strategy includes Ads in local newspapers or niche publications, Opt-in web sites that make use of keywords to connect with potential customers, direct mail campaigns, as well publicity through Television developed for mature audiences. The bracelet can be incorporated under these existing marketing tools since it’s directed towards the same target audience. The ease of competitors’ entry into Life Alert’s market segment is minimal as the company employs a profitable business model where users pay an initial set-up charge for the systems and the company generates revenues each month through subscription-based monitoring costs. The company also distributes medical alert system to more than 300 resellers and is one of the largest wholesale medical alarm distributors in the nation, with over 200,000 medical alert devices in service. The bracelet can be an adjunct to the existing portfolio and use the same monitoring system and distribution strategies in use. The business strategy also supports innovation and product development and at present only a couple companies offer a medical alarm with two-way voice. With an additional service such as the bracelet the company will be a step ahead of its competitors and can utilize its RD budget to support the new product. The company’s ability to customize services and marketing different price points for packages will allow customers to use the bracelet with other Life Alert products and services. The new product aligns well with the company’s organizational strategy and the same marketing strategy can be applied towards the Life Alert bracelet.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Developing an Online Banking Application

Developing an Online Banking Application This report details the importance of securely developing a software and the best practices to implement throughout the development lifecycle. Using the Microsoft Secure Development Lifecycle Model, a software can be developed with sufficient security measures throughout each stage from the beginning of development until its eventual release and even responding to incidents that may follow its release. Creating an online banking application without thoroughly considering the security of the banks assets and customers information would be virtually impossible. Due to the vital importance of the assets a bank contains, large security measures while developing any aspect of its services must always be implemented. Developing this online banking application must include various steps as can be seen in the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (Such as Security Requirements, Risk Assessment and Threat Modelling). Banks and financial businesses are large targets for malicious attackers who target the online services provided by these companies. It is for this reason that the threats posed to a bank with an online banking service are vast and development of such an application should be treated as such. Considering the OWASP Top 10 is a good initial security measure as mitigating the threats of the top 10 most common vulnerabilities found in web applications will give a good foundation in avoiding attacks. The application works by having the user access the website through their browser, navigating through the two step authentication and then gaining access to various options relating to their account such as viewing statements, transferring money to other accounts and viewing the amount currently in their account. The first of the two step verification is an 8 digit pin that the user will have decided upon earlier when first creating their account for their online banking service. The second step verification will either be the users date of birth or occasionally it will be the users contact number. This second step verification will change randomly so as to avoid use of an automated tool attempting to access a users account. When the user creates an online banking account, they will be required to give their home address and account number. A letter will then be sent to the user giving them a code that is specific to them which they can then use to verify their identity on their first use of the online banking application and complete creating their account. This means that the only people who can use the service are those who already have full access to the users account details and their post. This is an effective security measure as implementing security into a software that can be compromised simply by having any person impersonate another user signing up for the service would be redundant. Another way that the login process will be secured is by using a counter in which if a user enters details incorrectly three consecutive times then they will be unable to make another attempt for a short period of time. The reason behind this two step verification process is to hinder the use of tools that would continuously attempt to crack the login system, possibly with the use of a tool such as John the Ripper or THC Hydra. The limited amount of login attempts is also used to avoid brute-force attacks from occurring. Having already been authenticated, a user will then have access to their account details including their balance, their previous statements and also they will be able to transfer funds from their account. All of this information will be stored in a database which will be encrypted and salted meaning that a leak of this information should not cause for the information to be decipherable by an attacker. The Secure SDL (Software Development Lifecycle) as implemented by Microsoft is a development process which assists developers in creating secure software and looks at complying with security requirements whilst reducing the overall development cost. The Lifecycle is separated into 7 different SDL practices as can be seen in the figure below. These practices are used to highlight security implementations in the various stages of a softwares development. For example, in the designing of a developing software, it is necessary to create accurate threat models which can be used to easily locate different possible vulnerabilities that the software may be subject to. (stan.gr, 2012). (Microsoft, 2016). Establishing Security Requirements One of the first steps to be taken in developing the banking software is to establish what security and privacy requirements will be implemented in the software. This will make it easier to identify the direction of the development and assist in keeping to the schedule. The team developing the banking software will primarily look at the OWASP Top 10 as the main vulnerabilities that may occur in the application and attempt to secure against these. One of the security requirements that will be present in the software is to secure the software against Injection. As the information that is shown when a user logs in is sensitive, the software must protect against malicious users attempting to login by using injection. In order to avoid SQL injection, the software will be developed using prepared statements in order to sanitise the input of the user. Validation methods will be included in the software to ensure that each user has the correct authority to use the functions that they attempt to use and that all inputs that are entered into the application will be acceptable so as to avoid cross site scripting and other such threats. Create Quality Gates / Bug Bars In the early stages of development, deciding what the minimum acceptable level of quality should be present in the security of the software is vital. Without this step, oversights may exist such as users private information not being totally secure as the development team did not focus on protecting this over a different area. Having a minimum acceptance level also helps the development team to correct security bugs as they are to follow the standard set and will be given some concept as to what risks are associated with various issues. For this software, it will not be acceptable that any bug that could be related to the leaking of information may be present. Strict security measures will be put in place to ensure that the privacy of the banks customers will be protected. Security Privacy Risk Assessment This stage of the development will involve examining the software design and locating areas that are potentially prone to more threats or perhaps possess more risks than other areas. For example, the database being protected, as it contains vital information, is of higher risk of a malicious attack than the website hosting the application. Identifying these risks and what they are susceptible to will improve the security of the software. This will be further developed in the threat modelling step as this step determines which parts of the project will require threat modelling. This stage is vital in the development process as the likelihood of protecting against a risk that has been overlooked in the development of the software is far less than if it had been analyzed throughout the development. Design (Microsoft, 2016). Establish Design Requirements Establishing the Design Requirements will ensure that the software will function in the intended way while also allowing to minimise cost and improve security throughout the development. This stage will guarantee that the software will be user friendly and will also assist in ensuring that there is no way that a user may accidentally gain access to information that they are not authorised to do so. Analyze Attack Surface This step involves analyzing which parts of the software presents opportunities for attackers and can assist developers in reducing these vulnerabilities. This may involve disabling or restricting certain access to services. This stage is another stage that will be a large part of the threat modeling stage in that it will allow the developers to identify aspects of the software that are viable to be attack targets. Threat Modeling This step will allow the developers to look at exactly what happens when a user is using the service and to anticipate what aspects are vulnerable to threats. From here, developers can decide the feasibility of reducing these threats and how this may be achieved. This can be done by identifying vulnerable areas and ensuring that they are secured against the attacks that they are susceptible to. The importance of this stage is highlighted by the importance of protecting the sensitive information that the application will be using. The figure below shows a threat model created with the Microsoft Threat Modelling Tool 2016 in regards to the online banking service. (Microsoft, 2016). Use Approved Tools Using approved tools throughout the development process will assist in ensuring that correct security procedures will be used in the software. This includes using a compiler which will flag security warnings if the software is being compiled and contains a known security risk. These tools may include the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for the developers to programme the software on, such as Eclipse. Deprecate Unsafe Functions Banning functions that are deemed to be unsafe will reduce potential bugs in the software. Detecting these can be done by using automated tools or manually checking the code and ensuring that none of the functions are present on the banned list which can be found at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb288454.aspx>. Static Analysis Analyzing the source code before compiling it is a good way of ensuring that the code has been developed in a secure manner. This stage will involve the developers to look at the code and check that the correct security protocols have been put in place such as prepared statements and sanitisation of inputs. (Microsoft, 2016). This stage of the Software Development Lifecycle involves testing the software to ensure that the software is functioning as it is intended and also allows for web application penetration testing to be carried out in order to confirm that the security functions put in place are working correctly. This penetration testing can be done by the business if they have their own department or it can be outsourced to an outside specialist company such as Offensive Security. Offensive Security offers more accurately simulate real-world hacking situations to audit network, web, and application security programs (Offensive Security, 2016). (Microsoft, 2016). Perform Dynamic Analysis Using various tools to monitor things such as user privilege issues will assist in verifying how secure the software is when being used. It is at this stage that the software can be looked at for any possible security oversights. This stage is similar to the testing stage and can be used to verify what devices the web application works on and also if there are any errors with how to application performs. An example of this would be that the application may work as intended on a Firefox browser from an android device but may not work entirely as intended on Safari on an iOS device. Fuzz Testing This step involves attempting to make the program fail by introducing random data. This testing is used to verify how the software handles errors and if there is any weakness in the security of how the software does this. This may involve an error occurring which gives sensitive data about the softwares database. This testing will ensure that the sanitisation of the user inputs is working correctly by handling these errors rather than executing code that is input. Attack Surface Review Reviewing the attack surface when the code has been completed will help ensure that any future changes to the design or functionality of the software has been considered and that these changes will not compromise the security of the software. An example of this could be that considering making the web application into a mobile device application may present difficulties as different vulnerabilities may be present. (Microsoft, 2016). Create an Incident Response Plan Creating an Incident Response Plan is crucial in order to combat any threats that may appear over the softwares lifecycle. It involves identifying security emergency contacts in the event that a security breach occurs. The incident response plan can be broken down into six phases: Preparation Detection Containment Investigation Remediation Recovery The Preparation phase involves having implemented the correct controls in order to recover following an incident. It states the policies, tools and contact information that is necessary in order to respond efficiently to an incident. Detection is a phase which involves the discovery of the incident. This can be through use of logging or may come in the form of a consumer alerting the business. In this phase, the incident will be declared and the severity of it will be determined. The containment phase will be where the affected part of the software will be isolated or mitigated if possible. If the incident affects the software in its entirety, it must be determined whether or not the entire software is to be taken offline so as to avoid any more users to be affected by it. The investigation phase will involve looking at the incident and attempting to identify the source, the scope and the priority of the incident. The remediation phase will be where it is decided which parties to inform about the incident and will confirm that the threat has in fact been contained. The recovery phase will be the phase in which it is determined how the software will ensure that the incident does not happen again and will confirm whether it is necessary to review any of the softwares policies. (Raderman, L. 2015) Conduct Final Security Review Reviewing all of the security checks and measures prior, throughout and post release of the software helps to ensure that they were carried out correctly and that none had been left out. This step can be assisted by using an automated tool such as Vega to scan the application and determine if any known vulnerabilities have been overlooked. Ensuring that the utmost has been done to protect the security and privacy of its users should be one of the banks largest priorities in developing this software as without the trust provided by this, the bank will surely suffer with a loss of assets in the form of customers and finances. Certify Release and Archive Certifying the software before it is released will help to ensure that all of the correct security requirements were met. Archiving the data will allow the developers to do roll backs and to review any future security or privacy breaches in relation to the original software. Without certifying the software upon its full release, the credibility of the software may be questioned and it may cause negative public relations for the business. As a bank, it is important that customers are confident in the security and privacy provided by the business. (Microsoft, 2016). Execute Incident Response Plan The capability of implementing the Incident Response Plan from the Release step will assist in helping users to avoid severe security and privacy breaches and allow for the company to have a quicker response to any exploits that may arise. This step is important as users should feel confident that the bank has their best interests in mind and will ensure that their security, being one of the business key assets, is being frequently and effectively protected. Developing an online application for a bank could prove extremely beneficial and convenient for its customers. However, the importance of the information that a bank retains in regards to its customers and their finances is high and with the nature of cyber security and its ever increasing attacks, especially to a high profile target such as a bank, the development of such an application should be assessed with security in mind throughout the process. Following the Microsoft Secure Development Lifecycle is a very effective way of ensuring that a software is thoroughly analyzed for security threats and vulnerabilities and ensures that a business will have reasonable plans in place in the event that any breach of security may happen. It is also beneficial when developing a software to be secure, to refer to the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities and ensure that the software is as secure against these vulnerabilities as possible. Microsoft (2011) Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) Banned Function Calls [online] available from:ÂÂ   https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb288454.aspx [accessed 27th December 2016]. Microsoft (2016) What is the Security Development Lifecycle? [online] available from: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sdl/ [accessed 27th December 2016]. Offensive Security (2016) Advanced Penetration Testing Services [online] available from: https://www.offensive-security.com/offensive-security-solutions/penetration-testing-services/ [accessed 2nd January 2017]. OWASP.org (2015) Top 10 2013-Top 10 [online] available from: https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Top_10_2013-Top_10 [accessed 27th December 2016]. Raderman, L. (2015) Computer Security Incident Response Plan. Carnegie Mellon Information Security Office [online], 13th Febuary 2015, (pg 8-9), available from: https://www.cmu.edu/iso/governance/procedures/docs/incidentresponseplan1.0.pdf> [accessed 2nd January 2017]. The phases of Microsoft SDL.(2012) [online image] available from: http://www.stan.gr/2012_11_01_archive.html>,[accessed 27th December 2016].