Organisational Culture Jc Penney free essay sample

Do you think JC Penney was justified in appointing Mike Ullman, an outsider, as CEO instead of Vanessa Castagna, considering that Castagna was instrumental in turning around JC Penney in the early 2000s? Soon afterwards, Castagna left the company. What are the pros and cons of â€Å"bringing in an outsider† and promoting from within†? Discuss too the impact of such decisions on the morale of the employees. JC Penney is a mid range chain of American department stores, which was first started by James Cash Penney 1902, when he was offered a one third partnership in a new store with Guy Johnson and Thomas Callahan called The Golden Rule. The store was a dry goods and clothing store in Kemmerer, Wyoming and from here the chain spread rapidly throughout the United States changing its name to JC Penney in 1913 when James Penney took a greater ownership of the chain. At about this time several partners met at Salt Lake City to draft â€Å"The Penney Idea†, a set of business principles that were to guide the business from then on. We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Culture Jc Penney or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Wikipedia. com viewed 9th September 2007. Over the years the chain of the department stores continued to grow through a system where the managers put equity into their stores giving them more control over what was sold. As a result the merchandising system was decentralised while all its competitors had a more centralised system allowing them to know what was in stock at any one time, what was moving and what was not; and to be able to advertise on a national basis. With the intense competition found in the retail sector in the late 1990s, JC Penney began to find its place in the market was under pressure and profits began to decline. At this stage it made the new appointments of Allen Questrom as the CEO and Vanessa Castagna as the new COO. Castagna came to JC Penneys with a great deal of merchandising experience gained from other retail chain stores. With this experience she helped Questrom turn around JCP by centralising the buying system, decreasing the number of lines sold, closing down non performing outlets and re-imaging the lines sold to the customers.This plus the selling of a number of the company’s other interests left it in a very good financial position avoiding what looked like possible disaster. These changes brought JCP into line with its competitors and in doing this Castagna showed excellent management skills. The share market also approved, as can been seen with shares rising from about $20 when she joined the company in 1999 to over $40 when she quit in March 2005, as can be seen in Diagram1. Diagram 1 http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/charts/charts. sp? symbol=JCP viewed 9th September 2007. Even though Castagna showed great management skills she did not necessarily show the vision or leadership skills that were necessary to take JCP the next step further were it could attract, train and keep good staff as well as present a new image that would excite and attract new customers and ensure old customers kept coming back. Kotter (1996, pg 25) stated, â€Å"Management is a set of processes that can keep a complicated system of people and technology running smoothly.The most important aspects of management include planning, budgeting, organising, staffing, controlling, and problem solving. Leadership is a set of processes that creates organisations in the first place or adapts them to significantly changing circumstances. Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles. † When Myron E. Ullman joined JC Penney as Chairman and CEO late in 2004 he found that the company had maintained a rigid old world culture that discouraged new recruits and stifled creative thinking.Morale amongst employees was high, but only because the company had just avoided disaster and Ullman felt to increase morale and retain quality staff the culture within the organisation had to change dramatically. He had a vision to take the company to the industry leadership level through the â€Å"Long Term Plan† which has been updated over the last couple of years and can be summarised as follows: Annual Report (2006, Pg 4) †¢Develop strong enduring relationships with customers †¢Inspir e customers with our merchandise and services †¢Being the preferred choice for a retail career Establish JCP as the growth leader in the retail industry Unlike Castagna, Ullman has displayed high cognitive leadership abilities allowing him to see the underlying problems within JCP and act on them with innovative ideas. Of the five factors that make up Cognitive Intelligence, he shows high levels in all of them. †¢Experienced in retail industry. Gathered information about JCP before acting †¢Creativity was shown through in range of cultural change initiatives †¢Recognised when people are engaged with work they relate better to customers †¢Showed farsightedness through the â€Å"Long Term Plan† Putting 164 hrs into Retail Academy showed openness Ullman has proven that he is Strategic Leader as shown by Daft (2005, Pg 510-53). †¢His Mission was simple and it was to take the company to the Industry Leadership Level. This gave the organisation something to aim at for the future, established a standard of excellence and it reflected high ideals. †¢The Mission is in the form of the â€Å"Long Term Plan†. It defines the JCP’s character, core values, remains mostly constant over a five year period and provides a basis for creating the Mission. The strategy formulation is the cultural change initiatives that were required to build a customer focused culture. It was unfortunate that Castagna resigned from her position as the COO only some months after Ullman began in his role, as together, when considering their abilities, they would have made a very good team. However in light of the leadership skills and abilities that Ullman brought to JCP, it was a gamble that was worth the risk that the board took. Stone (2005, pg 192) lists the following advantages and disadvantages of promoting from within or outside an organisation: From OutsideAdvantages †¢Pool of Talent is bigger †¢New insights, skills and know-how can be introduced into the organisation †¢It is sometimes cheaper and easier hire employees †¢Outside employees are not members of existing cliques Disadvantages †¢Attracting and selecting new employees is more difficult †¢New employee adjustment and orientation takes longer †¢Morale may suffer among existing employees who have been passed over †¢Incumbent’s performance or personality is below what was expected or is acceptable From WithinAdvantages †¢Have knowledge of candidate’s strengths and weaknesses †¢Candidate already knows the organisation †¢Employee morale and motivation are enhanced †¢Return on investment in training and development is enhanced †¢Can generate a succession of promotions †¢Organisation needs to hire only entry level candidates Disadvantages †¢Employees may promoted beyond their level of competence †¢Employee infighting for promotions can affect morale †¢Inbreeding can stifle creativity and innovation †¢System can become bureaucratic Excellent training and development programs become necessary One would only image the impact on morale when the head on an organisation was sourced from outside the group and then to find the COO, whom it was widely expected to have taken on this role, to offer her resignation and leave. The mood at JCP which was quite high because of the recent turn aroun d in financial fortunes would dissipated very quickly. However the low morale that had resulted would have turned around once the cultural initiatives that were implemented started showing positive effects. Some analysts consider that culture change is driven from the top, whereas, others say that it is the system that drives change, not top management. Give your comments with reasons. DuBrin, Dalglish and Miller (2006, Pg. 429-30) define organisational culture, in three components: †¢The Artefact Level This includes the physical layout of the premises, the terminology, the signs, rituals and stories of the organisation. In the case of JC Penney, this would include such things as the expectation to always dress formally, the ban on decorating and personalising cubicles and the addressing of managers in a formal manner. The Value Level This is the individual’s sense of what ought to be, as distinct from what is. These are statements made about the organisation, what it does, and how it does it, which reflect the culture. The Penney Idea is an example of this, the document espousing values such as being agreeable, moral leadership, thriftiness and the need for employees to conduct themselves in a particular way both on the job and at home. †¢The Underlying Set of Assumptions These assumptions develop when values become so entrenched they are taken f or granted and are assumed to be unchangeable. After being in existence for over one hundred years JCP had entrenched values that would take concerted efforts to change. DuBrin, Dalglish and Miller (2006, Pg. 430) also identify four ways in which the organisational culture can be influenced: †¢The beliefs and values of the organisations founder. James C Penney bought his first shop in 1902, was the CEO until 1917 and remained as the Chairman of the Board until 1946 and after that as the Honorary Chairman until his death in 1971, Wikipedia. com viewed 9th September 2007.With this long connection and the organisation bearing his name it is easy to understand why the organisational culture had not changed and was one that reflected his ideals and that of a bygone era. †¢The social norms of the country in which the organisation first developed. According to the Annual Report 2006, Pg. 9, JCP has 1,026 stores in the USA and a further 7 stores in Puerto Rico. The South American influence can be seen in lines of clothing developed that are specifically aimed at the Hispanic population. Requirement to adapt to external pressures and the need to survive. In the case of JCP, changes in the culture began to come about from the near financial collapse in the late 1990s and the plummeting value of its shares on the stock market as can be seen on Diagram 1. It was first essential that the organisations procedures where brought up to industry standards. This was done by Questrom and Castagna and later in order to make JCP to an industry leader Ullman and team brought about significant changes in an attempt to completely revamp the culture. Internal Integration and problems with it. In 1922, the President of JCP Earl C. Sams was apparently critical of the informality of staff calling each other by their first names as he believed that it did not show enough dignity and respect. Although nothing was conveyed to the employees of JCP, they began the formal tradition of addressing each other by their surnames. Limerick and Cunnington (1993, Pg. 184) also states that, â€Å"We also do not assume that the founder or the CEO of an organisation has the unilateral control over culture.On the contrary, a host of individuals and interest groups are normally trying to shape the culture according to their vision or interests. But we do assert that CEOs in general, and founders in particular, form a very powerful, if not dominant, influence on corporate culture. † It can be seen James Penney had left a long lasting influence over the culture of the organisation, with his death in 1971, there was the opportunity for the CEO to change the culture, providing it was done in a careful and considerate manner in order for it to be taken seriously and not o offend employees. When Myron Ullman was appointed chairman and CEO, rather than make large encompassing changes he listened to employees, gathered ideas and spoke to other people who had been through the same process, and little by little he started making changes that had positive effects to the culture. The effect of these changes filtered through to the value placed on the company by the share market (which can be seen in Diagram 1), with shares rising from $40 per share at the time he took over as CEO to about $65 per share as 9th September 2007. Wha t are the lessons to be learned from the JC Penney culture change initiatives? What do you see as the key components in its having achieved it goals, at least in the near term? How can JC Penney keep the momentum of change rolling in its favour in the future? When Myron Ullman first joined JC Penney he wanted to create a customer focused culture and in trying to do so he came across significant opposition due to the ingrained culture that was very formal and rigid going back over one hundred years.Once having assessed JCP’s culture and being mindful on how it prided itself on its corporate tradition, Ullman set about making symbolic changes: He also started in-house training programs, which were not the norm in the retail industry due to the high turnover rates. The argument was that if training was provided employees would be more willing to invest their careers with JCP and as a result it would be a cure to the retention problem of high staff turnover. The programs were: †¢The Retail Program, which was like an intense graduate school on retail, strategy and team development for their managers.In these training groups it was reinforced that the members were the future of the organisation and it was also believed that the well trained managers helped train their subordinates. †¢The graduates of these programs would in turn take courses titles â€Å"Leading a Store† Another type of initiative that was introduced by Ullman was the repositioning of its brand, the first in its 105 year history, with the slogan â€Å"Every Day Matters† with all its employees trained in the new initiatives.The lessons learned from the culture change initiatives were, that although resistance by employees was met, if management were committed to and persisted with meaningful changes over the long term the culture can change and employees will become more positive in regard to positions which in turn should flow through to customers. The positive results to the initiatives can be seen in: †¢The second survey of employees which showed an increase job satisfaction from 67 per cent in 2005 up to 73 per cent in 2006. The increased ability to attract graduates from the best professional retail schools. The bottom line increased with Operating Profit going from $1,275mill in 2004 to $1,631mill in 2005 up to $1,922mill in 2006, Annual Report (2006, Pg 20). The key components in JCP having achieved its goal to date, has been having an effective leader and team who have: †¢Been patient so as to ensure that they listen, learn and understand the problems and issues that the organisation faces. To surround themselves with capable and trustworthy people who are able to perform their roles to the level that is required †¢While keeping a focus on what is trying to be achieved, making small but significant changes within the working environment to ensure improvement in job satisfaction. †¢Ensuring employees are equipped to perform their roles eg ongoing training. Daft (2005, Pg 564-69) gives a number techniques to maintain a healthy culture that could be used to maintain the momentum of change.They are: †¢Ceremonies, they are special events which are for the benefit of an audience, they reinforce specific values, create bonds and celebrate achievements. Eg. Celebrate certain milestones or achieving targets. †¢Stories which are repeated frequently and shared amongst employees, they can illustrate and reinforce important cultural values. The story can be factual or fictional and relate to JCP’s motto â€Å"Every Day Matters† †¢Symbols, can be an object, act, or event and convey cultural values. An example of this is the replacement of art with photos of employees and pictures of certain organisational sites on the corporate office walls. Specialised Language. The use of slogans or sayings can express key corporate values such as the â€Å"Every Day Matters† slogan. †¢Selection and Socialisation. Ensuring the right people are hired is essential then they must be socialised by instilling good values, high self esteem and confidence. †¢Daily Action. Leaders must signal and support important cultural values through daily actions. Employees learn what is valued most in a company by watching what attitudes and behaviours leaders pay attention to and reward, how they act in organisational crises and how their own behaviour match the companies values.

Poetry Rhythm And Metre †Part 1

Poetry Rhythm And Metre – Part 1 Poetry Rhythm And Metre Part 1 Poetry Rhythm And Metre Part 1 By Simon Kewin Previous poetry writing tips have looked at rhyme and alliteration. Another fundamental aspect of poetic language is its rhythm. This post is the first of two that will look at this topic and the related notion of metre (or, if you prefer, meter). In the English language, rhythm is created by a series of stressed and unstressed syllables. This is something we all do quite naturally when we speak, often without even realizing we are doing it. In the word â€Å"poetry†, for example, most readers would naturally stress the first syllable and not the second or third. Using capitalization to indicate the stressed syllable you could spell the word out like this : PO-e-try. Saying it with different stresses – po-E-try or po-e-TRY – will probably sound completely wrong. The poet has always to have an ear for how her or his words will sound when read out aloud. As with rhyme, the reader will automatically pick out any repeated patterns in the words of a poem and react to them. The words will start to sound more musical, more significant. More attention will be paid to stressed syllables and this, perhaps in combination with rhyme or another device, will lend weight to certain words and ideas. To illustrate the use of rhythmic language in poetry, take for example the opening lines from Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard: The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd winds slowly oer the lea, Chances are, most readers would read those lines with these stressed syllables : The CURfew TOLLS the KNELL of PARting DAY, The LOWing HERD winds SLOWly Oer the LEA, As you can see, the pattern is very regular. The lines consist of a repeated pattern of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Gray has chosen each word with great care, to ensure that they fit into this rhythm. The rhythm is not arbitrary; rather it reflects the meaning of the words. Its slow regularity chimes well with the sound of the ringing bell (the â€Å"curfew†) and also with the plodding steps of the cattle as they trudge home. Where there is a clear pattern like this throughout a poem, this is referred to as the poem’s metre. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a poem has to slavishly follow that pattern. Some poetry dispenses with metre completely – for example Anglo-Saxon verse (such as Beowulf) or more modern free verse. But, even where there is a metre, poets will often depart from it to a degree, for example dropping or adding syllables here and there, perhaps to make the language sound more naturalistic. The metre may be considered the primary rhythm of a poem, but variations to it can still be introduced. You’ll find the ear can still pick out an overall rhythmic effect even when there is quite a lot of variation from it. This can be a fine balance to strike for the poet. Poetry that follows its metre too slavishly can start to sound sing-song and comic. Too little adherence to the metre and the musical effect of the rhythm is lost. Consider, for example, the following lines from the opening of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 : Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love If you read this out aloud you should able to hear an overall metre similar to that of Gray. At the same time, there is considerable variation and a strictly metrical reading would sound very odd. Shakespeare was well aware of his metre but allowed himself to deviate from it. There are, in fact, numerous standard metres often employed by poets, and some useful terms to get to grips with to discuss them. These will be looked at in a subsequent post. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"Best Websites to Learn English

Professor didnt give a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Professor didnt give a topic - Essay Example deduce from Since Socrates, Plato’s Crito who is an old friend of him went to visit Socrates that was sent to the jail where he was to be executed (Robert & Clancy, 2004). He was trying to persuade Socrates with his prepared plans that were in place and readied for his escape to another country. I believe the final goal or aim of the text is the obedience to the law. Socrates was sentenced to death by the laws that were misused by the people of the city of Athens. Crito tried his best to let the people who supported him to assist him in avoiding the death penalty by suggesting and pleading for escape plans or at least avoiding from being executed. Unfortunately, he largely declined every possible help he could have gotten and will not try to escape execution. He chooses to die with dignity, believing his own principles to keep strong the legal system. We dont laud however are exceptionally suspicious of individuals who are chilly and figuring Star Treks Dr. Spock, for instance. (A regular subject of contrast issues in a conceptual disasterfilms, for example, Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the delineation of overall "typical" people whose status as creatures is checked by their absence of feeling.) In Camus best-known novel, The Stranger, the odd focal character is recognized above all by his absence of emotion no anguish upon his mothers demise, no loathing in the vicinity of his bullhead, ooze ball pimp neighbor Raymond, no adoration in his cozy discussions with his sweetheart Marie, no alarm in the vicinity of a potential professional killer with a blade, no misgiving for a homicide that may effortlessly have been evaded. However it is this absence of feeling (which a large portion of my people discover "cool," even brave) that makes Meursault "a barbaric beast wholly without an ethical sense" in the expressions of the exces sively passionate prosecutor at his trial. It is our emotion that make us human (Solomon, 2009). To be sensible is to have the right

Business law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business law - Coursework Example Most contracts generally pose no major problems as they address the simple interchange of goods from the seller and cash from the buyer. However, there are contracts that could get complicated and pose serious consequences. The chances of this happening are therefore minimized if the parties contracting understand the concept of what they are agreeing to, the rights, the obligations and the how to foresee potential problems. Under law, a contract is a legally binding promise or set of promises between two parties (Young, 2010), in this case Simon and Lady Gaga. However, there are certain contracts that must, by law be in writing. Examples include insurance contracts or contracts that involve the sale of land. Verbal contracts have one main shortcoming. Whenever there is a dispute over the terms of the contract, it may be very difficult to prove the terms and conditions on which the contract was founded. Parties may deliberately or accidentally forget what they had agreed to. In such a situation, it would be Simon’s word against Lady Gaga’s in the case of a breach. It would therefore be advisable for Simon to enter into a written contract. The foundation of the law of contract is based on a wide body of equity and common law. In order for a contract to be legally binding, there are several requirements that must be met. These were developed under the principles of the common law (Fray & Frey (2001). They are: agreement, consideration, intention, capacity, and legality. These are the requirements on which my advice to Simon is based. Agreement The law considers the distinct aspects of an agreement in a contract. These aspects are two and they must be present for any contract to be considered binding at law. They are offer and acceptance (Richards, 2007). Simon must make an offer that Lady Gaga will clearly and unmistakably accept. The offer would be an indication by Simon that he intends to be bound in a contract with Lady Gaga if she does accept it . In this case Simon is the offeror. a) Invitation to Treat The offer must however be clear and not just an invitation to treat. An invitation to treat would just an indication that he would be wiling to negotiate an offer on the terms of a contract for Lady Gaga to perform in the show. Simon would thus be the one to accept the offer for it to be legally binding. Similar views were held in the case of Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain V. Boots Cash Chemist (Southern) Ltd (1953) 1 QB 401. In this case, the legislation required that there must be a pharmacist present whenever there is a sale of a drug at a self-service store. The question that rose was whether the sale took place when the customer took the drugs from the shelves or at the counter on checkout. It was ruled that the sale actually occurred at the counter when the customer offered to buy the drug at the stated price and the owner accepted the money. This meant that the display was just an invitation to treat and not an offer to sell. b) Counter offer The contract is established when the acceptance has been made. It is therefore important that one is able to identify when the acceptance has actually been made. This is because when Simon makes an offer to Lady Gaga, she may choose to accept it, reject it or try to negotiate for a better deal. For the acceptance to be effective it has to be clearly

Conversion Testimony Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conversion Testimony - Assignment Example But as a young man who had more independence, I did not feel obliged to attend services. And only on extreme occasions, such as to attend burial services did I join relatives and friends, such occasions which to me were social events. Without that religious bent, I really thought I was simply being practical, making the most of life and the opportunities it gave me. The biggest change in my life was when the television sermon of Rev. Robert Schuller accidentally caught my attention. Much as I wanted to switch channels, I could not do so, since I found him to be a powerful speaker. Giving straightforward explanation of the Gospel, he pointed at its concrete application in modern life. And as I felt drawn to regularly listen to Rev. Schuller’s TV sermons, slowly, I also felt drawn to the Person of Christ. Yes, Jesus Christ was Rev. Schuler’s focal point in all his sermons. Rather than the seemingly mythical character in the Gospel, Jesus Christ now appeared to me as a rea l person, someone who is timeless, someone who transcends the time and place he once lived on earth. In time, I discovered that possibly it was not really the power of Rev. Schuller’s rhetorical language which drew me to Christ. As a true Christian preacher, Rev. Schuller exhorted his audience using words of the Bible, and this really did the trick, because as I found out later and became fully convinced: The word of God is like a two-edged sword, so sharp that it can cut the heart and spirit of those who hear it (Hebr. 4:12). Realizing the power of the Written Word, I now took time to privately read the Bible. But finding much of it too mysterious and difficult to grasp, I started to read slowly and reflectively. I didn’t realize that this was really the key to profitable Bible reading: the reading of not many chapters and stories, but much of the Word, relishing and reflectively reading as in savoring food slowly to relish and enjoy it. . Then I felt that through the Word, God was personally speaking to me, teaching me how His Son Jesus Christ serves as His messenger Slowly, the life of Jesus and his words dawned on me with greater and greater clarity to lead me to a relationship with Him—God’s way, truth and life. I am now a regular Bible reader, not really devoting long hours for reading, but spending regular 10-15 minutes a day to read slowly, to reflect on what, how, why these Words were written, and after each reading to pray silently, and to dialogue with God or Christ. What happened to me can happen to anyone of us. After all, God’s call is for all of humanity, And the saving grace His Son won through His life and death is for all times, and for all of us. Constantly and patiently, God always leads us to the love of his Son and the victory His Son Jesus won for us. . . Recovery Story Even as a Bible reader, I found out later that I was not immune from problems or struggles. Something happened which could happen to an yone. I lost a close friend. He was a boyhood friend with whom I shared much in play, study and work. Our attachment was real as we found alike temperaments and interests in hobbies and games. At 28, he was a bachelor although I know he had healthy relationships with girls. But one day, I got word he was brought to the emergency hospital and I reached him in his last moments at the Emergency Hospital Room where he suddenly slumped on a chair and lost consciousness. Under Intensive care, blood tests showed he had leukemia, and

Article Analysis on the Global Economic Crisis

Article Analysis on the Global Economic Crisis Table of Contents INTRODUCTION GLOBAL BANKS: A WORLD OF PAIN Citigroup: Citi never reaps Greece Economy: Running on Empty CONCLUSION Bibliography INTRODUCTION This paper is about the discussion on the recent the economist article based on global banks: a world of pain, Citi group: Citi never reaps and Greece economy: running on empty. GLOBAL BANKS: A WORLD OF PAIN[G1] Bail-out big banks: In my opinion, the bailout happens, when the money of the bank is in the struggling entity to prevent its complete collapse. The world largest banks are connected through a mesh of short term loans which provide credit guarantee and financial contracts of others. This connection is a risky one that can also be a cause for a big bank to bail out. The economic crisis may also happen because of the doubts aroused in the ability of a single financial firm to meet its prescribed responsibility and to repay their loan. The bank regulation can improve in requiring some reserve ratio during the thriving times. Another way is to limit the percentage funding which come from the short time money market. (Pettinger 2009) Giant Firms proved hard to manage subsidiaries and struggled to be built common system: In my opinion, the giant firm may fail to build a common system may be because of the disappointed employees of the firm which may be because of the rules. The big firm won’t be having enough time to check whether the highly talented employee is working for the good on-going project and to know whether he is comfortable with that or not. I also feel that good discussion is a well said example for the consistent growth of the firm. So these giant firms might have not followed the discussion process properly. Priority should also be given for the talented employees to work for the wellness of the firm. The mission and vision should be clearly set and the execution of the process for it should be done accordingly to make their work more easy and it will also pave way for building common system. Basel 3 and complicated regulation and increase the cost: In my opinion, the global and the liquidity rule (Basel 3) can be focussed better than they do now. All the banks will face a strict regulation because of the new liquidity standard, the risk coverage, and the new leverage ratio. Because of the bank capital will also decrease along with the increase in capital ratio for the upcoming years. This will cause problem for some banks. I feel that bank will experience the pressure on Return of Equity (ROE) because of the increase in the capital and the liquidity cost. For this bank have to work in a number of areas and have to work on Basel 3 issues and they have to set priority for the close, mid and for the longer term. Citigroup: Citi never reaps[G2][G3] In my opinion, I agree that the Citi bank had money but they are still in a question of knowing how the straggling financial firm turn out to be. It had a good growth. According to George Moore the chairman of new look committee said that they boost the development of the business till maximum. But the current head is controversy. It’s Michael Corbat[G4] who is the CEO of Citi group. All its branches are shrinking. Corbat(CEO of Citi group) itself[G5] had sold out nearly 60 businesses. Citi had already failed in the stress test in 2012 and 2014and it’s asked not to hike its share. At first the failure deceased Vikram Pandit, the former chief executive and how if this failure continues it will be hopefully Corbat who will be deceased from the Citi group. [G6]It made a mark in the market because of its strength and the responsibility. Certain activities of Citi group are glitches. Usage of property design instead of cash machine by Citi group is a well said example as bec ause it should be the only bank using it. Retail business reduction is uptight. At first they thought of reducing the operation in Dallas and Houston of Texas. But later it was in a stage to extinct the complete state. Its operation in the threat lying areas is also a risk. It will surely provide few or no return. Some rules are more complicated here which makes the customers to move away. Mr.Peabody share his view for this shrinking of Citi group is because of responsibility increased in taking many risky transaction for example bought deals. It is of consuming the seed corn and producing the profit at a later stage. City group comments that it is of helping their customers who are in a verge against drive in the currency and commodity. (Citigroup Citi never reaps 2015) Greece Economy: Running on Empty In my opinion, I am agree that the vital operation initiated by the new prime minister of Greece Mr.Alexis Tsipras asking for the reviled bond out extension of the country is misleading as an awaiting crack from the creditors made the government back and leaning to the close edge made the state economy as liquidation and might more worseness in the country. Unbearable process is only has been provided by the government for fleshing out very few restructurings. After 6 six years the Greek economy showed a little improvement. In the last three months of 2014 there was a fall by 0.2% because of the election. Battering the economy and public finance by political confusion can be of 3 ways as follows: Compulsory revision of bank accounts into less valuable drachmas Political disruption Political storm in public finance Compulsory revision of bank account into less valuable drachmas, some business and house hold are pulled out. Many withdrawals continued, deposit loss which leads to striking capital controls. Out of these some possible help is reined by ECB (European Central Bank). Political disruption is created ambiguity. Holding the domestic project frightened the foreign investors. This will not decrease until or otherwise confidence is created by the government to the investors. Political storm in public finance , it is bond market cut off made the government to struggle to pay the bill. I am agree with the author that the worsening of the finance is because the worse treating of the Greece government. A good among bad is it did not affect the tourism of that country. Mr.Trispas is also in a need to break most of his political promises (Greece’s economy Running on empty 2015) CONCLUSION A complete discussion of the global banks, their struggle in the competitive market because of the emerging local banks and the internal reason for the back struck has been discussed in the paper. [G7]The complication in the regulation made the banking tough. The Basel 3 norms are also complicated which made the banks to have the risk coverage and the liquidity standards. Continuous revision for the banks along with discussions can be made to maked their share in the market consistent. Bibliography Citigroup Citi never reaps. March 7 2015. http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21645811-making-money-global-banking-network-difficult-it-alluring-citi. Global banks A world of pain. 7 march 2015. http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21645807-giants-global-finance-are-trouble-world-pain. Greece’s economy Running on empty. 7 March 2015. http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21645810-political-brinkmanship-has-exacted-heavy-economic-toll-running-empty. 1 [G1]You summarized the articles and did not provide your opinion, I break-down to sub-titles , for each write 150-200 words Search for ready made argument in the net and rephrase it and start in my opinion and I agree or disagree [G2] [G3]Re-write this para As similar what I did with Greece Economy below [G4]What his position [G5] [G6]It is not clear what you want to say , re-write the sentence [G7]Here make summary of the issues above in 4-7 lines

What is Social Science Essay -- Sociology, Social Status, Social Inter

What is the job of social science? Social science focuses its attention on the social aspects of human nature; its job is to study how individuals can relate with and communicate with each other. â€Å"Social scientists study the social environment in which we live in an attempt to understand human society and to predict how people will interact in a given set of circumstances (Mack, 2004, p584). In this essay, I discuss the role of social science for societies and individuals, how individuals relate to societies and the function of rules in societies as a main concern of social science. Social science’s duty is to train human being how to deal with social status. As we were born, we were part of a society; we were a member of a family; families are the first breaks of societies. So, all of us were coping with social groups since we were born: families, schools, peer groups and even media shape our social environment. Mack (2004) noticed in his data, â€Å"All human beings are social. People have to interact with other people in order to survive. Since all human beings live in a society, which is to say that every person is a member of some human group, it is just reasonable to speak of a social environment† (p584). Social science teaches us, as members of society, how to deal and interact with social environment. The question is why do people need to learn that knowledge? The answer is that human being are social creatures, hence they need social science to improve their social abilities. It is hard for a human being to live by himself out of a society. Even thought it is possible for a human being to survive in solitude, without any kind of social connection, not all of his talent could flourish in isolation. Skills like communicati... ...ience knowledge is a powerful resource for understanding and coping with the growing complexities, uncertainties and risks in our world† (Kazancigil, 2003, p379). Individuals are the parts which form societies as a whole. Individuals have a mutual relationship with societies. Both of them are under the control of social science; social science’s tool for overseeing them is legislation. Various rules shape diverse societies where individuals interact differently. It is not an option to be a part of society or not, since we were born we became a part of society. So, as long as we relate to societies, we should care and learn about social science. Through social science we learn the reasons of our actions and our manners. If we required modifying our behaviours in order to mature and boom our talents, social science is here to help us and show us the ways. What is Social Science Essay -- Sociology, Social Status, Social Inter What is the job of social science? Social science focuses its attention on the social aspects of human nature; its job is to study how individuals can relate with and communicate with each other. â€Å"Social scientists study the social environment in which we live in an attempt to understand human society and to predict how people will interact in a given set of circumstances (Mack, 2004, p584). In this essay, I discuss the role of social science for societies and individuals, how individuals relate to societies and the function of rules in societies as a main concern of social science. Social science’s duty is to train human being how to deal with social status. As we were born, we were part of a society; we were a member of a family; families are the first breaks of societies. So, all of us were coping with social groups since we were born: families, schools, peer groups and even media shape our social environment. Mack (2004) noticed in his data, â€Å"All human beings are social. People have to interact with other people in order to survive. Since all human beings live in a society, which is to say that every person is a member of some human group, it is just reasonable to speak of a social environment† (p584). Social science teaches us, as members of society, how to deal and interact with social environment. The question is why do people need to learn that knowledge? The answer is that human being are social creatures, hence they need social science to improve their social abilities. It is hard for a human being to live by himself out of a society. Even thought it is possible for a human being to survive in solitude, without any kind of social connection, not all of his talent could flourish in isolation. Skills like communicati... ...ience knowledge is a powerful resource for understanding and coping with the growing complexities, uncertainties and risks in our world† (Kazancigil, 2003, p379). Individuals are the parts which form societies as a whole. Individuals have a mutual relationship with societies. Both of them are under the control of social science; social science’s tool for overseeing them is legislation. Various rules shape diverse societies where individuals interact differently. It is not an option to be a part of society or not, since we were born we became a part of society. So, as long as we relate to societies, we should care and learn about social science. Through social science we learn the reasons of our actions and our manners. If we required modifying our behaviours in order to mature and boom our talents, social science is here to help us and show us the ways.

Moby †Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad Essay

‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad’ is based on two eight bar themes, A and B. Theme A is based on a chord sequence of A minor, E minor, G major and D major. Theme B has two different types, ‘Bx’ and ‘By’. Theme Bx has a repeated two bar phrase and the chord pattern is C major, A minor, C major, A minor. Theme By also has a repeated two bar phrase and the chord sequence is F major, C major, F major, C major. This is much more positive and uplifting in contrast to Bx. The overall structure is verse and chorus, with A being the verse and B being the chorus sections. Melody The piano melody of the song is very repetitive and only varies when it becomes more syncopated at A5(1:19). The vocal melody for the line ‘Why does my heart feel so bad’ ascends and then descends, reflecting a person’s tone in a question and answer. There is also a counter melody provided by the synth strings and piano, which engages in call and response with the main vocal melody at A6. Rhythm The time signature for this song is 4 crotchet beats in every bar, however most of the notes are quavers and semiquavers. The Latin American rhythm was influential on American dance music as Hispanic culture was prominent in America at the time. Harmony The harmony of the verses is very repetitive and uses a sequence of A minor x2, E minor x2, G major x2 and D major x2, as shown at A1. The harmony of the chorus , however uses the chords of C major and A minor twice, then F major, C major twice, to create a feeling of uplifting to accompany the lyrics: ‘These open doors’. Both samples have a new harmony after every 2 bars. The Harmony is regular, rhythmic and reflective. Tonality The tonality of the track is more modal than diatonic and is very predictable, C major goes to its relative minor, A. The patterns moves in a sequence of down a 4th, up a 3rd, then down a 3rdand although there is no key signature, A minor features prominently. The chorus is C major and the major feel to the chorus is very noticeable to the listener. Music Technology Moby uses a variety of different technical effects to the track and although the track was recorded 13 years ago, much of the technology he used is still being used by artists today. The vocal samples he used were from 1950s gospel choirs and the lyrics were manipulated by Moby, for example, the lyrics ‘Why does my heart feel so bad/Why does my soul feel so bad’ were actually ‘When I should feel so sad/Why does my soul feel so glad’ in the original recording. Moby changed the word ‘glad’ to ‘bad’ to make the song about hurt instead of happiness. Moby uses EQ (Equaliser) in verse 2 (A6) and applies it to the vocal sample for the ‘telephone voice’ effect where the bass and treble frequencies are cut to emphasis the middle range creating a thin sound. Moby also uses a digital delay at A6 to create an echo.

Free Essays on Religious Cults

Beliefs of Variation Religious cults have become a major issue in American society. Because of so much controversy about cults, many supporters and critics have emerged. Religious cults have evolved over different views of religion. The diversity of cults provides a fascinating study into the practices that effect religious morals in today’s society. The word â€Å"cult† has been separated into many different definitions. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a cult as â€Å"a system of religious worship: devotion, homage to a person or thing.† Several conservative and vocal Christian leaders insist that any group that is non-religious is a cult. Millions of people would be considered cultist by this definition (Zeinert 12). Many social scientists refuse to use the word â€Å"cult† because of its negative effect. Instead, they use terms such as â€Å"new religion† or â€Å"alternative religion† when referring to groups with unusual faiths (14). A final definition defines cults by their practices or lifestyles, instead of by their religious beliefs. They define cults as having an all-powerful leader or leaders who claim to have special abilities or powers. This idea of what a cult is has become the most commonly used and accepted by today’s society (13). For many years people have turned to religion in difficult times. Social, political and economic changes have made people want to turn to new religions or other gods simply because the old ones failed to protect them (15). Native Americans brought religious beliefs to the United States more than 30,000 years ago. During the 1600’s, the first colonies came from England bringing different religious beliefs. They included Puritans, Catholics, Quakers, Mormons, Huguenots, Christians, and Lutherans. The development of new religions began when all these different groups of people began to interact. Other factors have also been found to play key roles in the development of cults. The U.S... Free Essays on Religious Cults Free Essays on Religious Cults Beliefs of Variation Religious cults have become a major issue in American society. Because of so much controversy about cults, many supporters and critics have emerged. Religious cults have evolved over different views of religion. The diversity of cults provides a fascinating study into the practices that effect religious morals in today’s society. The word â€Å"cult† has been separated into many different definitions. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines a cult as â€Å"a system of religious worship: devotion, homage to a person or thing.† Several conservative and vocal Christian leaders insist that any group that is non-religious is a cult. Millions of people would be considered cultist by this definition (Zeinert 12). Many social scientists refuse to use the word â€Å"cult† because of its negative effect. Instead, they use terms such as â€Å"new religion† or â€Å"alternative religion† when referring to groups with unusual faiths (14). A final definition defines cults by their practices or lifestyles, instead of by their religious beliefs. They define cults as having an all-powerful leader or leaders who claim to have special abilities or powers. This idea of what a cult is has become the most commonly used and accepted by today’s society (13). For many years people have turned to religion in difficult times. Social, political and economic changes have made people want to turn to new religions or other gods simply because the old ones failed to protect them (15). Native Americans brought religious beliefs to the United States more than 30,000 years ago. During the 1600’s, the first colonies came from England bringing different religious beliefs. They included Puritans, Catholics, Quakers, Mormons, Huguenots, Christians, and Lutherans. The development of new religions began when all these different groups of people began to interact. Other factors have also been found to play key roles in the development of cults. The U.S...

Pre Customary Law 1788 essays

Pre Customary Law 1788 essays The making of a nation is a slow and painful process. It needs a people who identify with each other and with the land they inhabit. Australia began that process on 26 January 1788. This essay will attempt to describe the Pre-European Customary law which existed in Australia in 1788. When the first fleet arrived in Botany Bay in 1788, It brought with it all the laws of England. English laws were seen as being every Englishmans birthright. The coming of English laws was to have disastrous consequences for the original inhabitants of this continent, the Aborigines. Aboriginal land rites have received limited recognition. Today, great debate continues in our society on righting the wrongs that have been done to the Aborigines since the European invasion. What we know of Aboriginal society is somewhat speculative. Most of our information comes from Europeans who observed it in a process of change. In 1788 there were approximately 300,000 Aborigines living when the Europeans arrived.. It has been estimated that there were as many as 500 tribes of varying size, each with their own distinct territory, history, dialect and culture (Broome, 1982, p11). In Aboriginal Australia, people and land were united, a spiritual link existed by virtue of birth or conception. The maintenance of body and soul relied on access to the land, food and water was necessary for physical survival but the land was so much more than just a mercantile resource. To remove or take away a tribes ancestry territory was to take and destroy both past and future because the spiritual connection could not be transferred to another area. The Aboriginal people were bound spiritually to a particular locality; this locality was their home or dreaming place. Dreaming or Dreamtime stories can be defined as the Aborigines religion, it was reinforcement of the Abo ...

Commanding Heights video series Reaction Paper Movie Review

Commanding Heights video series Reaction Paper - Movie Review Example Moreover, free trade has threatened emerging firm as a result of competition. This has raised concern in the United States because most of the companies are near closure contributing to increased unemployment. Nevertheless, globalization have made it possible for an increased global market and areduction in inefficiency in the production of goods and services. The story also covers the new challenges of terrorism and it effect in the developing world. For example, the attack on American on September 11 ignited a debate about how safe our top world economies are and the best way to counter the threat to investors confident (Yergin, 2012). The movie also discusses the impact of globalization and free trade to the developing world. The poor nations ought not to be a market target for the developed world, but should be incorporated into web of financial and capital flow so they can feel they are part of the system. The prosperity of the rich continues while the poor get worse off. The gap between the rich and the poor widens more as globalization takes root throughits eminent challenges. The free market has become unpredictable leading to thefinancial crisis. For this reason, a new debate has arisen in the opposition to globalization. Scholar’sdoubtwho will change the rule of the game to tame the spread of thefinancial meltdown (Yergin, 2012). The world has abandoned the old order for its failures. Communism was disillusioned, and it did not encourage or contribute to trade, commerce or the growth of capital. On the other hand, capitalism proved to motivate people to trade due to high returns. However, United States and other capitalist countries grappled with boom and burst. Moreover, the growth of democracy has been a challenge to free trade as political parties create political turmoil. To address some of these challenges, the U.S. government has embraced Keynesian theories. Keynes suggested that a free market economy was not

Consumer Behavior Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer Behavior - Assignment Example See it works as the CEO of the company says if one is in the store for 2 hours then we got him or her. The bookseller gives value to cognition because a purchase decision is a consequence of thinking and therefore, once the customer initiates to think about getting then the store might make a sale. Barnes and Noble offers a place where people can meet up others and have a social activity but at the same time, no one is going to stop the objective customers from buying what they need or want to leave. After all, the store is selling books and CDs and all that fuss of offering opportunities to socialize, coffee, comfy couches and free music is actually means of selling literature (Peter & Olson, 2010) and in the light of above argument, both Rob and Lisa will have themselves entertained at the featured bookstore’s facility. Lisa on the other hand, will most probably prefer Barnes and Noble because she has the luxury of actually reading or listening to a book or a piece of music before she can make a final purchase decision over there. According to Social Exchange Theory, humans interact and love to share their knowledge and information with each other (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). However, Barnes and Noble is offering free online services on the web and free live performances in their physical locations because all it wants to do is to facilitate the consumers to find out what they like by looking around and talking to the people in the store and purchase it. All of these free activities are there to motivate customers towards buying something intrinsically. The salesperson does not have to push customers towards buying books but they are needed to be seated in comfy couches and then frontline employees have to wait for them to actually buy something. I found the marketing strategy of Barnes and Noble as most intriguing and innovative because it focuses on meeting traditional goals of marketing with a newer approach. I got most of