Prison Break Essay Example for Free

Prison Break Essay Prison break is an American television series just entering the second season. It is a drama series set around a prison. This five star thriller is based in a prison named Fox River. The masterminded character, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is the main actor in this series. He plays as a structural engineer, this comes in handy when he plans to break out his step brother Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), also acted as Drake in Blade Trinity out of prison. Lincoln Burrows (Purcell) is the only family he has, and is on death row, convicted of the murder of the vice presidents brother. In actual fact, the vice presidents brother is hiding. This scheme was set up by the vice president herself and her right hand man, working with the secret service agent Paul Kellerman. (Paul Adelstein) Lawyer Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney) investigates a conspiracy that takes place indicating that Lincoln Burrows was framed for the murder. The evidence was destroyed and Veronica could not get Lincoln exonerated. When a date was set for the execution of Lincoln, Michael has to think fast about how he is going to execute this plan. He has plans of the prison tattooed all over his body. These blueprints are camouflaged by artwork of devils and angels and so not anyone can see it and understand it apart from him. Any phrases or important words would be tattooed backwards or inverted and only could be recognized seeing it through a mirror. He deliberately robs a bank firing a gunshot on the ceiling to acquire maximum security and gets caught intentionally and gets sent to the same prison as his brother. The action inside the prison is full of suspense as the series continues. Michael has to persuade several other prisoners who are important for this escape to happen. Predictably other prisoners acknowledge that there is a scheme going on and they have to be part of the escape for obvious reasons. Psychopath Theodore Bagwell (Robert Knepper) known as T-Bag as his nickname, is a perfect example of why this show is so great. His character is a murder and rapist. His emetic performance is what gets the viewers gripped. Throughout the series there is another plot of whats happening outside the walls. Veronica is working hard to end this conspiracy or to delay the execution. This is not an easy task as she is fighting against the government. The second season is when the cons are on the run. Fernando Sucre, Benjamin Franklin, John Abruzzi, Theodore T-bag Bagwell, Charles Patoshik, David Apolskis, Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows are the Fox River 8 MOST WANTED MEN IN AMERICA. The phrase MOST WANTED sums up the feelings of how the cops would really like to catch them. After the breakout the cons make their way to the airstrip to board a plane that should wait there to pick them up. The plane was unknown and identified by an inspector. The pilot had to leave the cons behind after being suspicious. This is a difficult situation for Scofield and the viewers are worried that the fugitives will be apprehended. He proves his intelligence by having a plan B if they never made it to the airstrip. They all go their different ways to uncover five millions dollars buried in Utah by an inmate that was killed in Fox River. The break out becomes a Federal matter and FBIs have to get involved. Special conniving agent FBI Alexander Mahone (William Fitchtner) is at almost the same intelligence as Scofield and is a real obstacle for him. This undeniable amazing series caught over ten million viewers. Brett Ratner, the director of Prison Break has turned famous after directing the best series with the highest ratings. On www. reviewit. com, 10,000 blogs show the people love the excitement and the suspense they get watching this series. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Overview Of The Firstbank Nigeria Plc

Overview Of The Firstbank Nigeria Plc FIRSTBANK Nigeria Plc is one of the oldest financial institutions and indeed the largest retail lender in Nigeria, its the 1st bank to be established in West Africa. The bank was incorporated in Liverpool as a Limited Liability company in March 1894 with the name Bank of British West Africa. The bank was listed on the Nigerian Stock exchange (NSE) in March 1971 after which it acquired its name First Bank of Nigeria in 1979. Following the CBN induced industry-wide consolidation in 2005 the bank acquired its merchant banking subsidiary, FBN Merchant Banker ltd and MBC intl Bank Plc. FirstBank maintains a subsidiary in United Kingdom which has a branch in Paris, the bank also has representative offices in South Africa, China and Dubai through which it offers offshore financial services. Presently the Banks assets are in excess of N100billion. 1.2 THE NATURE AND SIZE FIRSTBANK as a leading commercial bank has the largest network of branches in the country, over the years the bank has continually reviewed its organizational structure and corporate identity in line with changing financial environment. Known for its uniqueness for being dependably dynamic and stability, 1st Bank has made for its self a name, a brand goodwill associated with fidelity and safety of funds. Being a key player in the nations financial-banking sector, Firstbank delivers a wide range of financial services to its numerous customers; the bank is well known for innovative changes in technological device and service delivery. Being the first bank to introduce a Biometric ATM i.e. an ATM machine that uses both pin no selection and finger prints to identify transaction buttresses this point. The bank through its acquired subsidiaries also provide other financial services and they include, insurance policies, housing schemes, asset portfolio management. 1.3 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FIRSTBANK offers a wide range of wholesale, retail and consumer banking products and services in ensuring that it keeps true to its name as the 1st bank of choice in the country,. Our products include: Æ’ËÅ" CONSUMER BANKING: Generic Savings Account, Current Account, First Premium Term Deposit, First Savings Plus Account, First Hifi (Children) Account, First Current Plus Current Account(with zero COT), FIRST Current Business Account, First Dom Account, First Instant Savings Account. All accounts have the flexibility of over the counter withdrawals given the new CBN policy, ATM cards, Dividend warrants lodgment and access to E-Banking services. . Æ’ËÅ" WHOLESALE BANKING: The services and products therein are further divided into ASSET PRODUCTS: They include- Term loans, Overdraft, Oil and Gas contract finance(OGCF), Bankers Acceptance, Commercial Papers, Bills Discounting, Project Finance, Equipment Leasing etc, INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINACE: Includes but not limited to- Import finance, Export Finance, Clean lineconfirmation, Letters of Credit, Bills for Collection, Forex Trading Invisible RemittancesPayment for Services. Æ’ËÅ" E- BANKING: First Online which allows you to transact business online at the comfort or your home or offices. First Alert-Instant notification on your account First Mobile-Access to your account through you phone, it includes buying of airtime and payment of utility bills. First Pay and First Collect-effect payment and several collection to and from your merchants. FIRST CARDS : Debit and Credit cards which include- MasterCard, FirstBank Naira MasterCard, First Cash Card, Visa Card (Gold, Classic and Infinite), Visa Credit Card. Notice that all cards issued by the bank comes with FIRSTBANK brand name- FIRST FIGURE 1C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAFirstBank MasterCard.jpg C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAVISA_GOLD2.gif C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAFirstCash Card.jpg Æ’ËÅ" MONEY TRANSFER: FIRSTBANK offers funds transfer services locally and internationally through mediums like- First Domestic Transfer, Western Union, Money Gram and RIA. Æ’ËÅ" OTHER SERVICES: Other services rendered by the bank includes- Agricultural Financing, FIRST Diaspora banking services for Nigerians in Diaspora and Bills Payment for prompt settlement of utility bills(e.g. PHCN, Water and DSTV) 1.4 VISION, MISSION AND ESSENCE Vision: To be the clear leader and Nigerias bank of first choice Mission: To remain true to our name by providing the best financial services possible Essence: The DNA of the FirstBank brand lies in its strength, size and dependability, typified by its brand icon, the African Elephant. Our brand essence is therefore Dependably Dynamic which is a holistic representation of our past, present and the future of FirstBank. 1.5 CORE VALUES The core values of FirstBank are coined in an acronym for quick recall and living by the guiding principle TELL SPIC Team Work Everyday a better way, the team spirit is embedded in our culture as the best possible way to work. Ethics The good will of the bank is to be maintained as you deal with both internal and external customers, ensuring that the client leaves your office satisfied. Loyalty the essence of brand name and its very existence evolves in loyalty to our customers, Firstbank has been in existence for generations and loyalty to our customers is what makes us tick. Superior Performance To strengthen the banks brand, leverage and upscale the customers experience through delivery of excellent services. Professionalism To revolutionize the Banks operations in line with the dynamics of the operating environment while ensuring that we provide the best financial services unmatched. Integrity Adopt high ethical values to guide the conduct of all banking business and transactions in conformity with all relevant regulatory requirements. Customer Centricity The customer is the king and the reason we are in business, their demands should be met in line with banks policy 1.6 OUR BRAND PILLARS LEADERSHIP Our statusability as truly the 1st and No1 SAFETYSECURITY- Security of fundsInvestments, job security, Integrity. ENTERPRISE Resourcefulness, Tenacity SERVICE EXCELLENCE Efficiency, Performance focused, Reliability, Accessibility 2.0 PLANNING This chapter focuses on goal setting, study plan, expected difficulties to be encountered in data collection and plan to overcome these challenges. 2.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE ORGANISATIONAL ANALYSIS The objective of the organizational analysis is to specifically examine the current state of the Banks operational and structural framework, analyse the functional units and the interface relations and also recommend ways of improving the interface relations. 2.2 GOAL SETTING Goals setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed (S.M.A.R.T ) target by an individual or organization. Goal focuses attention towards goal-relevant activities, revealing the objectives and strategies in which the goals can be met. Figure 1 below is the structured project plan for the organisational analysis. Activity Timeline 20-Jun-12 22-Jun-12 24-Jun-12 26-Jun-12 28-Jun-12 30-Jun-12 2-July-12 4-July-12 8-July-12 10-July-12 12-July-12 14-July-12 16-July-12 18-July-12 22-July-12 Review of BSN course material Data Gathering Data compilation Report writing Draft Report Review Sub-set meeting Review Update report Draft submission to set adviser Correction and final submission Figure 2: Project Plan 2.3 PROJECT PLAN Reviewing of the BSN course materials and EBSCO database to understand theory on organisational structures, data collection method and research report writing style. The internet (Google search and Wikipedia) comes in very handy in enhancing project plan. The objective of the data collection stage of the project is to gather relevant and accurate information, to obtain the participation and co-operation of the appropriate target population and to facilitate the collection and analysis of data. The targeted populations are staff of the functional units, staff of hub branches, heads of the functional units (department) and some strategic business units and staff of Human Capital Management- Head Office. The medium to achieve this includes- Informal Interviews, telephone survey, one-on-one chats with some members of the targeted population e.g. the heads of departments and staff of the Human Capital management because of their exigent duties. All perceived sensitive questions would be handled through interviews (which are not formal) and not written questionnaires. The FirstBank Intranet and internet website will be used extensively to gather information on functional units and organizational structure while personal visits to the Head Office and hub branches will be utilized to objectively gather information on functions of various departments, interface relations and recommendations for improvement of the interface relations. Data compilation stage will include analyzing data collected and reviewing information from subset meetings and research report writing. Report writing stage would involve applying the reviewed data gained from the various materials and extraction of relevant information from FIRSTBANK intranet and periodic publications. Data structuring and report preparation will also be done at this stage. Reviewed responses from telephone calls and outcomes of informal interviews Discussed challenges with Set Advisor at subset meeting and via phone calls. Update and revised document with necessary corrections. 2.4 DIFFICULTIES TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN DATA COLLECTION Questionnaires could not be used because of the banks policy on bulk mails or questionnaires related to work and business environment hence adequate data collection seemed impossible. Network challenges when accessing both the internet and the Banks intranet. Time constraint and the busy schedule of visited staff will also be a limitation. Insufficient time due to researchers official duties. 2.5 PLAN TO OVERCOME THESE DIFFICULTIES All perceived sensitive questions would be handled through interviews and not written questionnaires. Extra hours to be dedicated for accessing the Banks intranet while a substitute internet modem was purchased to curb congestion or delays on web hosts. Personal interviews will be conducted for staff with busy schedule, telephone calls and communication chat applications were also utilized for other staff Ensure proper time management. 3.0 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE This chapter focuses on the theories of organisational structure and organisational culture. 3.1 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Organisations exist to achieve goals; these goals are broken down into tasks as the basis for jobs. The term organisational structure therefore refers to the formal configuration between individuals and groups regarding the allocation of tasks, responsibilities, and authority within the organization (Galbraith, 1987; Greenberg, 2011). Said differently, The framework, typically hierarchical, within which an organization arranges its lines of authority and communications, and allocates rights and duties. Organizational structure determines the manner and extent to which roles, power, and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management. (Business Dictionary-Google). The structure of the organization can be defined simply as the sum total of ways in which its labour is divided into distinct tasks and the its coordination is achieved among these tasks /(Mintzberg 1983a) Very early organizational structures were often based either on product or function (Oliveira Takahashi, 2012). Others moved beyond these early approaches and examined the relationship between organizational strategy and structure (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman, Willett, 2002). This approach began with the landmark work of Alfred Chandler (1962, 2003), who traced the historical development of some companies, He concluded from his study that an organizations strategy tends to influence its structure. He suggests that strategy indirectly determines such variables as the organizations tasks technology, and environments, and each of these influences the structure of the organization. More recently, social scientists have augmented Chandlers thesis by contending that an organizations strategy determines its environment, technology, and tasks. These variables, coupled with growth rates and power distribution, affect organisational structure. The Organisational structure as argued by Alfred Chandler can be seen in FIRSTBANK structure which was changed recently to suit the Banks intended strategy. The Bank in Oct 2010 had embarked on a re-structuring of its entire operational system and workforce, we can therefore deduce that Strategy determines organizational structure. A critical review of Mintzberg definition shows that it is not against the aforementioned, the design of every superstructure ends up as a compromise between the objective factors of work flow, process and scale interdependency, and the subjective factors of personality and social need. Organisations may be conceived on paper, but they must function with flesh-and-blood human beings. (Mintzberg, 1983). Hence for a critical analysis of FirstBank OA, the Mintzberg theory will be adopted. 3.1.1 ORGANISATIONAL CONFIGURATION Mintzberg claims that organisations are composed of five basic elements, or groups of individuals, any of which may predominate in an organisation. The design parameters determine individual positions (examples will be shown using FirstBank configuration) Operating Core: Staff or employees who perform the basic work related to an organisations product or service e.g.- Tellers, Customer Service Officer, Foreign Operations Staff Strategic Apex: Top-Management responsible for running an entire organisation. The Executive Directors and Executive Vice President of the bank sit at the Strategic Apex Middle Line: Managers who stand in a direct line relationship between the strategic apex and the operating core. They include the Group Heads, RegionalArea Office Managers. Techno structure: Organisational specialists responsible for standardising various aspects of an organisations activities eg- Internal Control and Audit, Compliance, Credit Risk Management(CRM) AND MANCO Support Staff: Individuals who provide support to an organisation outside its operating workflow.(I.T support, Security personnels) Mintzberg identified five organisational configurations, they however depend some contingency factors which include Age of the organization, Size Technical System, Environment and Power factors: Æ’ËÅ" Simple Structure is characterized by loose division of labor, relies on direct supervision and finds its key part at the strategic apex Æ’ËÅ" Machine Bureaucracy which relies on standardisation of work process, relatively centralized power for decision making; with its key part in the techno structure where the planners of the organisation reside. Professional Bureaucracy which deals with standardisation of skills and has the operating core as its key part. Divisionalised form -each division has its own structure, it centers on standardisation of outputs. Autonomous units are created to deal with entire product lines, allowing top management to focus on large-scale, strategic decision. The middle line is key part of the organisation. Adhocracy, a highly informal, strong presence of mutual adjustment, organic organisation in which specialists work in teams, coordinating with each other on various projects. FIRSTBANKS structure like most large corporations is characterized by the divisionalised form of Mintzbergs configuration as various divisions (departments) are created by their product lines or end products. The techno structure is located at Head Office to provide services to all divisions; support staffs are located within each division like we have the IT support for each area and marketing assistants who are support staff assigned to each branch. Most of the operational activities are conducted by the middle line managers, department heads or unit heads and they all operate with some form of independence and centralization within their units. They coordinate the output, acting between the strategic apex and the operating core. They also oversee the activities of the operating core and are expected to report back to strategic apex. The typical operational structure in a FIRSTBANK branch is divided into two divisions- i. The Operations Unit who are in charge of the everyday running of branch and attending to customers demand. The head of this unit is called The Branch Operations Manager. ii. The Retail or marketing unit who are in charge of increasing the market size and credit portfolio of the branch. The Business Manager heads this unit of the branch. Each of these units runs independently of each other with separate reporting lines even though they are situated in the same complex ant they form part of the whole group. Given the Banks ever evolving strategy in line with changes in market dynamics and technological advancement, the structure design is determined by the strategic planning and corporate transformation unit through the HCM department, stating unit and individual key responsibilities and the reporting lines. The final structure is then approved by the strategic apex and the statutory regulatory authority (Central Bank of Nigeria). Usually the bank makes the policies available on its local INTRANET and other periodic publications or circulars as organisational changes are initiated. 3.1.2 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE EFFECTIVENESS EFFICIENCY Effectiveness of a system is about doing the right things. Its about producing the intended or expected result, In measuring organisational effectiveness, the relevant question would be: is the organisational system doing the right thing for its survival?, is it focusing its drive on opportunities to produce revenue? Is it producing the output it needs if it is to survive? Efficiency of a system, on the other hand is about the inputs the system uses in order to produce outputs that is doing things right, accomplishing your tasks with a minimum of time and resource, It centers on performance and cost reduction. To thoroughly examine organizational success, both measures should be considered because productivity is a function of inputs to outputs which is the theme of efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency should always be the servant of effectiveness.(BSN Phase 1, module IX, p 575) Looking at the Banks history and evolutions, one can boldly say that FIRSTBANK has achieved some level of efficiency and effectiveness. The total assets of the Bank as at Dec 2011 as published equals N,2463,543, total equity was N373,572 while the total Customer Deposits was N1,783,777,(figures are in millions).however there is room and need for improvement, the Bank lacks behind in mobilization of current account deposits and booking of credit facilities. These lapses deny the bank of some benefits which include increase in customer base and collection of float income from these deposits. The FIRST Instant savings account was introduced by the Bank to bridge this gap on deposit mobilization, this product however has not recorded much success because of the strict requirements, the deployment of FINACLE 10 Banking solution which is scheduled to kick off this year July is an Efficiency measure in order to reduce turnaround time, this I believe is coming rather too late. The strategic Apex of the Bank needs to review these points afore mentioned and reach a favorable conclusion so that the Bank can edge forward. 3.1.3 DESIGN PARAMETERS Mintzberg identified nine design parameters. By using these parameters the organisational designer can influence the way individuals are positioned in the organisation and the way groups or departments are formed. The design parameters are Job specialisation; Behavior formation; Training and indoctrination; Unit grouping; size; Planning and control systems; Liaison devices; Vertical and horizontal decentralization. The design parameters predominant in FIRSTBANK are: Job Specialisation: In FIRSTBANK, all job titles are specified, the roles to be performed, the job description, key competences and reporting lines are well explained for staff to understand. Job Specification for each job title is easily accessible on the intranet, it is the banks believe that job specialization increases employee productivity. Æ’ËÅ" Training and indoctrination: In order to carry out task, employees need to possess particular skills and knowledge.(BSN Phase 1 Course Notes, pg 584). In FirstBank its a trend to continuously train staff on a need to know and improvement basis, this exercise forms part of appraisal marks to be awarded during year end performance rating. The heads of branches or departments recommend staff for training if a knowledge gap or improvement need is identified. Educational and career advancement is also encouraged. The Human Capital Management Development anchors this aspect of the bank. Given the ever increasing need for the aforementioned, the Bank has rebranded its HCMD training arm to be called FIRST ACADEMY. The essence is to inculcate the banks values, ensuring that their staffs are well grounded and ever ahead of industry trends. Indoctrination are done upon recruitment of staff be it new or experienced hirees in order to imbibe the banks culture and values into them. The unit grouping is an important design parameter in FIRSTBANK because it creates a system of supervision in which there is a reporting line, departmental, unit or group head for all strategic units of the bank, this encourages standardization of outputs. Firstbank adopts functional grouping Vertical decentralisation: Mintzberg (1983a, p.99) defines vertical decentralisation as the dispersal of formal power down the chain of line authority. FISTBANK adopts limited vertical decentralization. Heads of departments/units are delegated the power to control most of the decisions concerning their line units and such decisions are cascaded down to their subordinates, however they have their reporting lines and various limits. 3.2 ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Culture refers to the underlying values, beliefs and codes of practice that makes an organisation what It is. The customs of an organisation, the self image of its members, the things that make it different from others are its culture. Culture is symbolic; Culture is unifying and refers to the processes that bind the organization together. Culture is rooted deep in unconscious sources but is represented in superficial practices and behavior codes. Deal and Kennedy (1982) argue that culture is the single most important factor accounting for success or failure in organizations. They identified four key dimensions of culture: Values the beliefs that lie at the heart of the corporate culture. Heroes the people who embody values. Rites and rituals routines of interaction that have strong symbolic qualities. The culture network the informal communication system or hidden hierarchy of power in the organization. Peters and Waterman (1982) suggest a psychological theory of the link between organizational culture and business performance. Culture can be looked upon as a reward of work; we sacrifice much to the organization and culture is a form of return on effort. Schein (1992) says that organisational culture is developed over time as people in the organisation learn to deal successfully with problems of external adaptation and internal integration. It becomes the common language and the common background. Employee values are measured against organizational values to predict employee intentions to stay, and predict turnover. This is done through instrument like Organizational Culture Profile (OCP) to measure employee commitment (OReilly, ChatmanCaldwell 1991). However Daniel Denisons model (1990) asserts that organizational culture can be described by four general dimensions: Mission Strategic Direction and Intent, Goals and Objectives and Vision Adaptability Creating Change, Customer Focus and Organizational Learning Involvement Empowerment, Team Orientation and Capability Development Consistency Core Values, Agreement, Coordination/Integration Denisons model also allows cultures to be described broadly as externally or internally focused as well as flexible versus stable. The model has been typically used to diagnose cultural problems in organizations. 3.2.1 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ORGANISATIONS CULTURE (FIRSTBANK) According to Schein (1992), the two main reasons why cultures develop in organizations is due to external adaptation and internal integration. External adaptation reflects an evolutionary approach to organizational culture and suggests that cultures develop and persist because they help an organization to survive and flourish. If the culture is valuable, then it holds the potential for generating sustained competitive advantages. Additionally, internal integration is an important function since social structures are required for organizations to exist. Organizational practices are learned through socialization at the workplace. Work environments reinforce culture on a daily basis by encouraging employees to exercise cultural values. Organisational culture is shaped by multiple factors, including the following: External environment Industry Size and nature of the organizations workforce Technologies the organization uses The organizations history and ownership The external environment to FirstBank includes the ever emerging competitors, the realization of this pushes the Banks management is forge ahead and be innovative. The increasing number of banks offering same products that Firstbank had exclusivity to buttress this point, exceptional service delivery and brand value/positioning are the keys to have an edge over others. Other aspects of FirstBanks external environment include the legal or statutory regulations which the Bank must conform with, the political, socio-economic dynamics of Nigeria. The workforce of the bank is considerably large in comparism to other banks being the bank with the largest number of branch network and emerging diaspora banking through its subsidiaries. Prior to the rebranding of the Banks workforce, 1stBank had a culture of mostly old staff and few young staff, in 2008 the bank retrenched over 900 staff especially those who had spent over 25 years in service, the management immediately embarked on recruitment of new and experienced hirees who were relatively young, in addition to this, salaries were increased to suit the modern banker status. A new culture in that aspect had been achieved as 1stbankers were no longer distinguished by long suits and old staff. 3.2.2 FIRSTBANK CULTURE FIRSTBANK possesses a strong culture which is continually being improved. In the light of Daniel Denisons model of culture dimensions, FirstBanks mission strategic direction, goals and objectives, are clearly understood by members of staff. The Bank strives to make its staff live by its core values and this has so far helped the bank in terms of durability and goodwill. For the importance of the afore mentioned, FirstBank carries periodic mystery shopping exercise and branch spot checks to ensure that we live what we preach, hence staff are enjoined to move with the train. FirstBank adapts quickly to industry changes and are quick to identify a market opportunity hence they are most often the fore most bank for some products or innovations in the banking industry. Its the bank policy for staff to stick to a particular dress code, have the banks premises painted in a particular way and colour, have a products and services delivered to customers with the brand name FIRST and a unique way of service delivery. All this distinguishes the Bank and a Firstbanker from every other bank or person. The Elephant is also a historic symbol of FirstBanks culture which represents stability and strength, like Peters and Waterman (1982) suggests, the strong culture of the bank has positively enhanced its good will and market share, however things can get better. There exist an area of improvement in the Banks culture as it is normally being discussed within its members that staff are not been sufficiently motivated, the slow promotion process is a major aspect of this. A review of the Banks choice to downsize its work force recently by way of retiring (and firing) staff (although with mouth watering incentives) buttresses this point. Firing on the base of culture Usually pointed as a source of creating family like environment, the notion of corporate culture is also used for firing, with this practice started from shoe company Zappos, which granted its fired employees with huge compensations afterwards.(Google- Wikipedia .As the corporate culture may mean almost everything, firing on the base of culture means the employer does not accept and desire to be inclusive for the culture of the employee and thus the employee does not fit in corporate culture, although this may fall in the ground of discrimination, there is still not law or case law resolving or addressing the question making this practice possible and available for businesses for now. Firing on corporate culture is a recent practice, from 2008. 3.2.3 CULTURAL TYPES Handy (1985) identified four(4) types of organizational culture and they include: Power culture: Entrepreneurial in nature, central control, quick to response, built on trust flexible. Role culture: Roles are more important than persons, functional, rule and procedure driven Task Culture: Cross functional, based on jobs and projects, networked, coordinationcombination of jobs around tasks. Person Culture: People are the central focus, controls are only possible where members agree. FIRSTBANK adopts the role culture, this is because the roles are seen before the persons behind it, and the workforce is also driven by rule (policies) and procedure. 3.2.4 THE PROCESSUAL APPROACH The processual approach is a translation model in which movements of ideas or objects reside in the sense maki

Federal Budget Must be Reduced :: Argumentative Persuasive Economics Papers

Federal Budget Must be Reduced The annual multibillion-dollar federal budget threatens the future of the United States and must be reduced.To cut the size of the deficit, federal revenues must be increased, and federal outlays must be reduced, or a combination of the two may be used.Under the 1990 budget agreement, Congress cut defense spending and benefits to veterans, farmers, and Medicare and Medicaid patients. In addition, the agreement increased taxes for the wealthiest Americans and phased out some of their tax exemptions. The act also raised taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, gasoline, and airline tickets. ("Current Issues". Close-Up Foundation,1993.) This was a good first step, at balancing rather than rolling over the debt to future generations. However, the Republicans need to find some more support to get another such agreement passed. Expensive defense programs that were once necessary are no longer needed. The money that was once used for defense should be put toward lowering the budget deficit, which grows at the rate of $10,000 per second and stood as $5,020,705,156,014 at eight o'clock p.m. on November 13, 1995. This is according to the National Debt Clock ([Debt Clock], //www.fusebox.com/debtclock/). Because Americans are not willing to sacrifice social programs, the only alternative is to raise taxes. Americans may not like it, but they need to pay for the government services they want and need. However, this increase in taxes should be kept in perspective, since a tax increase will reduce personal income and business profits. Too high of an increase in taxes will only stifle economic growth by reducing the money businesses would have to invest in expansion and job creation. The latest step in balancing the budget was a stop-gap spending bill which passed through the House of Representatives November 8, 1995, ([CNN-House passes stop-gap spending bill-Nov.8,1995], http://www.cnn.com//US/9511/budget/index.html) This bill reduces the funding for some programs. On Monday, President Clinton vetoed the stop-gap spending measure, and a debt limit extension calling them "too high a price"

Customer Defection

MKT 711 9/4/2012 1. The purpose of the study dealt with customer defection. It talks about how the customers are slowly not becoming as loyal as they use to be. They seen a pattern after five years, the customer does not stay loyal to the company. There are different stages of the process of losing loyal customers and keeping them. Loyalty and profits, the more the customer is worth the more profits come out of it because the longer the customer stays. Failure, the employee learning the instructive steps on their own and leaving.Core customers, this is hard to determine but the best way to determine it is to ask who the most loyal and most profitable to you? 2. I think the article represents a conceptual study. The author uses a general research and experiences from other people an businesses to back up his points. There are some numbers given but I feel like there needs to be a lot more numbers to declare it as a quantitative study. The author uses examples like Lexus and baseball p layers to back up his case about the customer loyalty. When dealing with Lexus, they asked every member of their head quarters staff to interview four customers a month.The article also talked about baseball players and their batting averages. Someone who bats . 280 compared to someone who bats . 320 is a big difference in the players. Even though it is only . 4 away it still tells how the player does in the batting line up. The article uses examples like these in two different situations to show the difference in how everyone does things differently to show their customer base and how loyal they are. Even though they talked about baseball players they showed the popularity of the player because of their batting average number.This would also help by understanding the cash flow and products. 3. The researchers found that the key to customer loyalty is the creation of value. The value that the customer needs the employer to help them with their profits or money. The key to value crea tion is organizational learner. Without the value creation and organizational learner then the customer does not know what to do with the profit or where to put it. The customer only learns throughout the process with the company until they become knowledgeable to do it on their own. 4. Implications for future research would be to do a more quantitative study.This way they can mesh together the concepts of the research and the new quantitative numbers in order to show the CEO’s and companies why they should follow the plan and this is what needs to be done to become successful with keeping their customers. Once that process is done they then can expand that to become more qualitative. Then they will have answers from every angle, from concepts to numbers and the quality of the situation. 5. Marketing as we know it deals with identifying and meeting hum and social needs. In a short definition â€Å"meeting needs profitably†.The findings in the article helped pertain to Marketing because when worrying about the value of the customer and their certainty of the value of creation. Marketing is all about getting the name out there and making it profitable. Without the loyal customers then the product/profit is not marketable and will not make money. When establishing the relationship between the customer and employer/employee is when more successful opportunities from within the company. When losing customers, then the company doesn’t learn to try and build their relationship in other ways.I agree with the finding of the article and the conceptual study they are going for. I feel that it would be better to explain the article in a quantitative study to show the numbers of the project. Using Lexus and interviewing four customers a month is a good example. Just have to go more in depth of what the customer thinks. Another example with the baseball players batting averages. Use their averages and their salaries to show about loyalty and popularity of how the player plays. The article was good in showing loyalty and customer failure through the article, and gave good examples while still getting to the root causes of the business.

Poetry can bring to life experiences and ideas Essay

Q. â€Å"Poetry can bring to life experiences and ideas which are otherwise difficult for us to understand what is your response to this view?† My personal response of poetry being the â€Å"subject and formulae†, for individuals helping them to understand complicated life matters, which are difficult for us to understand is shown by comparing the two poems ‘London’ by William Blake and ‘Prayer before birth’ by Louis MacNeice. We can begin to comprehend the authors individual thoughts and feelings by analysing them through our own interpretation of language, form and structure of the poem. â€Å"Prayer before birth† is written in 1944 which is at the end of the second world war. This poem reflects the innocence of a child in the mothers womb being brought into a world of experience and temptation. It is quite ironic to have a an unborn baby â€Å"knowing† of the outside world and experiences as of yet not being born. But MacNeice uses clever imagery â€Å"†¦Let not the bloodsucking bat or the rat or the stoat or the club – footed ghoul come near me.† This gives us more of an image of how both innocence and experience differ from one another. This poem is a prayer which is to protect the innocence of the unborn child – to nurture them constructively against the pressures they might experience in the twentieth century. The way that MacNeice has constructed the poem is by conologically going through life experiences as we keep on reading. This is taken from the second stanza by asking God to not allow people to influence him into bad doings, where here he has a choice from early on in life to make the right decisions and choose the right pathway, however if he doesn’t this is related to the seventh stanza where his doings now turn into something which he has no control over and that it is â€Å"leathal automation†, due to the experience he is accustomed to. Even the structure of the poem visually illustrates the beginning to the ending of his â€Å"life† as each stanza gets narrower. But by looking at the seventh Stanza, also its the language of the poem becoming quicker,as we proceed toward the end of the poem altogether â€Å"†¦hither and thither or hither and thither..† This in comparison to the poem ‘London’ by Wiliam Blake. Where by the poem is of the Romanics which tends to attack the form of experience as it is alongside innocence due to nature not nurture. A poem of social protest, against the suffering of all who live in a world such as this. Written in 1789 (during the french revolution, and also the british industrial revolution). It’s about misery and human despair, the â€Å"mind forg’d manacles† of depression imprisoning people. The rapidly indutrialising economy and society corrupt and poisin all those who live in it. This poem is about how people may disfunctionally go through experience and end up passing their knowledge through to the next innocent generation. Blake tends to use the imagery of cjildren a lot as they symbolise purity and power. His argument is that if childhood is reacked then so is the the adult that they become. Throught every stage of his poem he uses a more innocent imagery of a child from â€Å"infant† to â€Å"new born infant†. Also he uses clever imagery of purity contrasted against impurity. Quite a few oximorons are used to contast imagery in the poem. Showing how the worldof experience can quickly corruptand destroy the innocence. â€Å"†¦Every black’ning Church appals;† â€Å"Black’ning† meaning dirty metaphorically and also literally. This also shows the church which is appuled by the conditions but turns a blind eye, â€Å"black’ning† is contrasted with purity which is supposed to be of the church , but the chuch is blackned by turning a blind eye. This imagery is used to show the state of human nature which people usually turn a blind eye. â€Å"†¦How the youthful Harlot’s curse† Blake uses his imagery of a young prosititute, which here is also contrasted with innocence which is corrupted. â€Å"†¦chimey-sweepers cry† is exploiting innocence. Becoming black,dark and tained. Also the dying breath of the solider,which is infact the last dying breath of the solider, this is about ordinary people killing ordinary people for causes which may not benefit them,thihs maybe could be connected to revolution. Therefore the running of blood down place walls,shows the guilt on the monarchy. â€Å"†¦Runs in blood down place walls† London is about how the controlling nature takes over innocence and the experience is now of automation. He shows this in the first stanza where theart of mapping, controlling, and resitricting are contrasted against the â€Å"flow† of the Thames. Not a poem of observed factual detail but Blake’s perception of London, he uses the traditional form of alternate rhyming lines to imitate the repititive predictability of the circle of suffering. Blake has experience of London so he is able to reflect back from when he was an innocent child to now of what he holds the knowledge of experience. This is shown in the first line of the poem: â€Å"†¦I wander thro’ each charter’d street,† The lyrical quality is quite simplistic it is not a performance based poem. Alliteration is used to addto the imagery Blake is trying to create of London. The words â€Å"weakness,† and â€Å"Woe† makes the poem sound of a feeble minded and gives the feeling of a spiritual lack of strengh of character. In the second stanza â€Å"every† is used to add imact which is used constanmtly through the first, second and third lines. The poem it self is quite short and in every stanza thereis four lines, the imagery is also quite strong in the short space Blake has used to give us an idea of what he feels London is all about. This could be due to having to get his point across to people Both these poems, in my opinion, share feelings of concern and disgust for experience. If i had to pick which one I prefered I would choose the Blake poem. This is because the meaning of the words is more clearcut. I accept that the point of the MacNeice poem may be to leave it up to the reader to decide whether or not the poem is sarcastic or not. But I dont consider this device to be particularly effective ; thought provoking maybe but not effective. The Blake poem is also more emotionally charged and melodramatic it is almost scary as the poem relates to London which is a mere 10-15 miles away and sadly corruption and sexually transmitted diseases are still relevant themes today.

Free Essays on Gender, Class, And Race Stereotypes In American Television

Gender, Class, and Race Stereotypes in American Television A Content Analysis Gender, class, and race stereotypes abound in contemporary society, much like they have done throughout human history. With the advent of television, however, stereotypical assumptions have become so pervasive, and so diffused, that some call for a serious and purposeful scrutiny of television's contents. On the following pages, various content analyses of television programs will be addressed, followed by discussions on the greater implications race, class, and gender stereotypes have on society. The research method most often used in studying media images is called content analysis. Content analysis is a descriptive method in which researchers analyze the actual content of documents and/or programs. By systematically counting items pertaining to a specific category, researchers are able to conceptualize a larger theoretical framework based on their observations of media content (Wiseman 1970). Content analyses of television programming show, that during prime tim e hours, men make up the vast majority of characters shown. Furthermore, women characters found during that same time frame are mainly in comedies, while men predominate in dramas. Thus, the implications are that men are to be taken serious, while women should not. (Tuchman 1978). Similarly, content analyses on soap operas reveal highly stereotypical representations of the genders. In soap operas, strong, willful women are predominantly depicted as villainous, while the more "benevolent" women are suspect of vulnerability and naivety (Benokraitis 1986). Furthermore, another sharp gender-stereotypical contrast on television content can be seen in advertisements. In fact, 75% of all television ads using women are for kitchen or bathroom related products (Tuchman 1978) On average, women tend to be portrayed in roles in which they are underestimated, condemned or narrowly defined, resulting in one rese... Free Essays on Gender, Class, And Race Stereotypes In American Television Free Essays on Gender, Class, And Race Stereotypes In American Television Gender, Class, and Race Stereotypes in American Television A Content Analysis Gender, class, and race stereotypes abound in contemporary society, much like they have done throughout human history. With the advent of television, however, stereotypical assumptions have become so pervasive, and so diffused, that some call for a serious and purposeful scrutiny of television's contents. On the following pages, various content analyses of television programs will be addressed, followed by discussions on the greater implications race, class, and gender stereotypes have on society. The research method most often used in studying media images is called content analysis. Content analysis is a descriptive method in which researchers analyze the actual content of documents and/or programs. By systematically counting items pertaining to a specific category, researchers are able to conceptualize a larger theoretical framework based on their observations of media content (Wiseman 1970). Content analyses of television programming show, that during prime tim e hours, men make up the vast majority of characters shown. Furthermore, women characters found during that same time frame are mainly in comedies, while men predominate in dramas. Thus, the implications are that men are to be taken serious, while women should not. (Tuchman 1978). Similarly, content analyses on soap operas reveal highly stereotypical representations of the genders. In soap operas, strong, willful women are predominantly depicted as villainous, while the more "benevolent" women are suspect of vulnerability and naivety (Benokraitis 1986). Furthermore, another sharp gender-stereotypical contrast on television content can be seen in advertisements. In fact, 75% of all television ads using women are for kitchen or bathroom related products (Tuchman 1978) On average, women tend to be portrayed in roles in which they are underestimated, condemned or narrowly defined, resulting in one rese...

Speech on Hamlet Essay

Speech on Hamlet Essay Speech on Hamlet Essay ‘Speak to me. Speak to me. Oh speak. For which they say you spirits oft walk in death, speak of it. Stay and speak!’ Already in the first scene of the play Shakespeare begins to forewarn the audience against the evils of revenge. Horatio, the most loyal, cautious friend of Hamlets, witnesses the appearance of the ghost. In the renaissance period, those who believed in spirits, trusted that the presence of one meant that they had unfinished business to attend. Though this idea was both supernatural and horrifying to the Elizabethan audience, it made clearly evident that the ghost, ‘In the same figure, like the Kind that’s dead’, came back for a reason and one that was unpleasant. Hamlet’s perception is that the prior King was the ultimate father; he was his idol and ‘his fathers brother, but no more like his father’. As the conversation with Claudius, Gertrude and himself, he begins to communicate his disgust for Gertrude and says s o with, ‘to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets.’ Here, the audience recognizes the actions of his mother can never be forgiven by Hamlet and that Claudius will never replace his father. ‘Foul deeds will rise’, and ‘So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear’. These thoughts establish the foreshadowing events of revenge throughout the entire play. When Hamlet commences his descent into madness, his thoughts create the idea to assemble a play within a play, the murder of Gonzago. He justifies the reasoning by stating that if Claudius is disturbed, he will then reveal guilt for his actions, ‘Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King’. Shakespeare stages this for the audience and the characters in the play are able to understand the validity of Claudius as the murderer of the late King and the potential outcomes of this revenge against evil. As death is the primary concern within the play and the worst result of most revenge tragedies at the time, Hamlets differentiation is that his madness is ‘deeply ambiguous’. This manipulative plot instigates the actions of revenge feigned by the evils that madness can induce. As Hamlets disgust and loathing of Claudius develops in Act 1, scene 3, his pace and short phrases hasten to match his quicken thoughts. Shakespeare does this to alert the audience of the suspense that arises with hamlets tone. His unfinished lines portray the irrationality of his thoughts that lead to, ‘take him in the purging’, of Claudius’ soul. His forceful, commanding dialogue towards Gertrude in the next scene, ‘come, come and sit you down, you shall not budge,’ allude to the action being taken to avenge Claudius and perform his murder. As he kills Polonius,’ thou wretched, rash,