Flavius Belisarius The Defender of the Byzantine Empire...

Flavius Belisarius (505-565 CE), a Byzantine general under Justinian I, succeeded in winning countless victories and notably expanded and defended the Byzantine Empire. Despite the fact that he was a successful, advanced leader, Belisarius tragically ended his life shunned from the public. Flavius Belisarius was born in Germania, Illyria in 505 CE. Very little is known about his ethnic background, but some historians say he was of Slavic background (Barker 1). He was assigned under Justinians command when he was about twenty-five years old, and he was awarded full command of the army (Barker 1). He led armies against the SÄ sÄ nian Empire (Persia), the Vandal Kingdom (North Africa), the Ostrogoths (Italy), and the other barbaric†¦show more content†¦In 533, Belisarius was sent with five hundred transports and ninety-two warships to attack the Vandals in North Africa (Durant 109). Belisarius had proven to be a loyal and effective general, so Justinian gave him full comm and of the expedition (Hughs 75). He even gave Belisarius a large mixed army of infantry and cavalry (Hughs 75). He left in June 533, accompanied by his wife Antonia and Procopius who was his assessor and secretary (Hughs 78). In the process of his mission, he captured a one of the Vandal messengers who helped Belisarius discover the Vandals’ plot (Hughs 109). He was able to destroy the Vandal Kingdom in just a few months and only two victories (Barker 1). After this victory, Justinian had Belisarius return to Constantinople for a brief triumph. On his way home, the Moors came down the hill, attacking the Roman garrison. Fortunately, Belisarius made his way back just in time to jump into action and defeat the Moors (Durant 109). During this time, he married an old friend of the empress Theodora, Antonia, but after a few years, she passed away (Barker 1). They had one daughter by the name of Joannina (Hughs 69). Many theories centered around why Antonia accompanied him on his expeditions, and one of the most common claimed that Belisarius forced her to because he didn’t trust her (Hughs 108). In 535, the successful general was sent to Italy to begin recovering the territory from the Ostrogoths.

Pride And Prejudice Five Married Couples Essay - 1116 Words

Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice presents five married couples. No two are alike. From the pure love which was experienced through Elizabeth and Darcy. To the love and attraction shared by Jane and Bingley. The convenience of marriage was portrayed through Charlotte and Mr Collins while Lydia and Wickham’s marriage was based on their desire, attractions and financial status. Mr and Mrs Bennet’s marriage was for their necessity. Austen reveals many messages through her characters on her major theme, being marriage. Elizabeth and Darcy share common interests that help reflect their love and marriage. During Elizabeth’s stay in Pemberly while Jane is ill, Austen reveals to the readers, that Elizabeth and Darcy share a common†¦show more content†¦For example, Bingley states at the ball, ‘she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!’ p13. This clearly illustrates his attraction towards Jane. Bingley’s love for Jane is strengthened by her beauty. The love between them is shared equally. Jane’s idea of marriage is to find someone who loves her and respects her as much as she does him. Jane married Bingley for love. Their marriage was a perfect match and their feelings for one another were undeniably from the heart. Thus showing Jane and Bingley married for love and attractions. Charlotte and Mr Collins’ marriage was one for convenience. Mr Collins was in the position of needing to be married whilst Charlotte was never romantic and wanted to be happy. For instance, in a conversation between Charlotte and Elizabeth, she explains, ‘I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr Collins’ character, connections, †¦ I am convinced †¦ happiness with him is as fair†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ p105. Charlotte’s idea of marriage is completely different of that of Elizabeth. Charlotte doesn’t’ need love to make her happy, just that of social security. Charlotte wishes for a stable life. As Mr Collins was a man of connections, a tolerable situation in life, and offering her a comfortable home, Charlotte thought her reasons for marriage were as reasonable as Elizabeth’s. Hence, the reason for Charlotte and Mr Collins’ marriage was convenience. The marriage of Lydia and Wickham wasShow MoreRelatedLove in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen1035 Words   |  5 PagesThe course of true love never did run smooth in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† The idiom â€Å"The course of true love never did run smooth† implies that the path to love is never simple and straight forward. The path to true love is filled with difficulties and obstacles from society, religion, or culture. In â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† none exemplify this idiom more than the couples Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth and Mr. Bingley and Jane. The idea behind the proverb plays a central role in constructing the plot of theRead MoreThe Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth in Pride and Prejudice1184 Words   |  5 PagesThe course of true love never did run smooth in â€Å"Pride and Prejudice† The idiom â€Å"The course of true love never did run smooth† implies that the path to love is never simple and straight forward. The path to true love is filled with difficulties and obstacles from society, religion, or culture. In â€Å"Pride and Prejudice,† none exemplify this idiom more than the couples Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth and Mr. Bingley and Jane. The idea behind the proverb plays a central role in constructing the plot of theRead MorePride And Prejudice: The Board Game Is A Fresh And Interactive1385 Words   |  6 PagesPride and Prejudice: The Board Game is a fresh and interactive way to either become introduced to Jane Austen or enjoy the story of Pride and Prejudice as it takes place. The goal of the game is to earn or buy all the needed tokens and then move your respective couple to the church for marriage. Important aspects of the game are the couples moving as a unit, appearances of the game characters, gaining regency life and novel tokens, and marria ge, which is the object of the game. Just as â€Å"the businessRead More Compare and contrast the variety of attitudes to marriage as expressed926 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent characters in Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous novels in the history of English Literature. Written in the year of 1813 by the very well known author, Jane Austen, whose novels all examine the nature of love. The general tone of the novel is light, but serious. Pride and Prejudice is a story that focuses on the life of marriage, it is full of love. Money and wealth is also a main aspect of the book. Marriage in Pride and Prejudice is acknowledgedRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1615 Words   |  7 Pages‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’ both conform to an idealized happy ending within the category of love and marriages within them, as you most consider the meaning of ‘happy ending’ in both novels. In Jane Austen’s 1813 novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, â€Å"a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a good wife, addressing the fixation of marriage for social progressionin thenineteenth-Century English society. In contrast, it is revealed in the book that the oppositeisRead MoreDiscovering a Womans Role in Society Essay837 Words   |  4 Pagesthat women were supposed to do two things: marry and have children. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen demonstrates a women’s struggle within a society that stresses the importance of marriage and strict behavioral customs. As evidenced by the Bennett daughters: Elizabeth, Jane and Lydia, as well as Charlotte Collins, marriage for young women was a pursuit that dominated their lives. The much acclaimed novel, Pride and Prejudice was written during the Regency Period (1790-1820). The Regency periodRead More The Effect of Pride and Prejudice on Darcy and Elizabeths Relationship1366 Words   |  6 PagesThe Effect of Pride and Prejudice on Darcy and Elizabeths Relationship The novel Pride and Prejudice was written in 1796. It was written by a writer whos name was Jane Austin. The book was first published in 1813, and has consistently been Janes most popular novel. The original version of the novel was written in 1796, and was called First Impressions. In the story there is a family called The Bennetts. This is one of the main families in the book. The whole novel is almost basedRead MorePride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1732 Words   |  7 PagesIn Pride and Prejudice, the first marriage presented is that of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Being the parents of five daughters, the Bennet s marriage set the example for their children yet their relationship did not constitute true love, but more of mutual tolerance. Mrs. Bennet, an obnoxious women with an erratic temper, symbolizes society’s obsession with material wealth and social standing. As Jane Austen states when describing Mrs. Bennet, â€Å"The business of her Vanek 7 life was to get her daughtersRead MoreThe Attitudes Toward Marriage in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice844 Words   |  4 PagesThe Attitudes Toward Marriage in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice Jane Austin wrote the novel Pride and Prejudice in 1813. The novel provides a great deal of information and gives us a detailed insight to the different attitudes towards marriages at the time. Pride and Prejudice is focused and written about the lifestyles among gentry. The gentry was the middle to upper class citizensRead MorePride And Prejudice Character Analysis1551 Words   |  7 PagesThe novel Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813. Signet Classics published Jane Austen’s book in 1980. The story takes place in early 19th century England. Important settings are Longbourn: the Bennets’ estate, Netherfield Park: the estate of Mr. Bingley; Rosings Park: the estate of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s estate. Major characters in this comically toned romance include Elizabeth and Jane Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth is the protagonist

Discuss whether private policing can ever ensure public security Free Essays

Not only is policing conveyed by an escalating array of public bodies organized at a diversity of geographical levels, but the private and municipal parts are themselves becoming more perceptible in this arena. It is far from clear, though to what degree the growth of policing services delivered by agencies other than the state police symbolizes the filling of a gap left by the incapability or disinclination of the state police to give services the public wants. It may represent changes in the nature of modern life and institutions in which the growth of these services lies along, is complementary to, the steady growth in spending on the state police and other public policing services like Environmental Health Officers or the Post Office Investigation Department. We will write a custom essay sample on Discuss whether private policing can ever ensure public security or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nor is it obvious that there has been the immense growth in non-police ‘policing’ which is often claimed. surely there has been a huge increase in the employment of uniformed private security personnel. owever if ‘policing’ in its broadest sense is construed to include those people who, like wardens, caretakers, park-keepers, and gamekeepers, have always been employed to guard, protect, and manage both public and private property and locations, then much of this growth may simply imitate changes in the way the task is done. What is clear is that, for a diversity of reasons, the respective roles of the police and private security organizations now increasingly be related. The boundaries between them are becoming less well defined. This is the consequence, in part at least, of a process referred to as the ‘decreasing equivalence between private property and private space’. The subsequent half of the twentieth century has seen a rapid growth in property which is privately owned but to which the public typically has access. This property includes shopping centers, built-up estates, educational institutions, parks, offices, and leisure centers. More and more public life is being performed on private property. Thus the protection of private property, a fundamental aim of private security-has increasingly come to take in the maintenance of public order as while, for example, there are demonstrations against new road construction. Private security services have intruded more and more on what used to be considered the restricted domain of the state police. The boundaries between public and private policing have further were indistinct because of the operations of an escalating number of agencies whose formal status and functional activities are hard to classify. These have most usually been referred to as ‘hybrid’ or ‘grey’ policing bodies. They take in, for example, the surveillance, investigative, and dogmatic sections attached to central and local government departments. The place of some of these bodies has been made even more ‘grey’ by the privatization programme the government has practiced. For example the British Transport Police will persist to police our railway network: they will, for the foreseeable future, give a contract service that the new railway companies have been given no option but to accept. Johsnton (1999) asserts that private policing consists of two components. ‘Commercial’ policing involves the purchase and sale of security commodities in the market place. ‘Civil’ policing consists of those voluntary policing activities undertaken by individuals and groups in civil society. The history of commercial policing in Britain is a long one, McMullan’s (1987) account of crime control in sixteenth and seventeenth century London pointing to the systematic recruitment of paid informers and thief-takers by a state unable to control unregulated areas. This is an early example of what South (1984) has referred to as ‘the commercial compromise of the state’, an invariable feature of all systems in which the commercial sector has a policing role, though one whose precise character varies with circumstances. The private security industry is a large, lucrative, and growing part of the UK economy. Different estimates of the annual turnover of the industry are obtainable. A 1979 Home Office Green Paper suggested an annual turnover in 1976 of ?135 million and, according to the marketing consultancy Jordan and Sons, total annual sales during the early 1980s were in excess of 400 million. Jordan’s 1989 and 1993 reports suggest respectively that the yearly turnover of the industry increased from ?476. 4 million in 1983 to ?807. 6 million in 1987 and ?1, 225. 6 million in 1990. One recent estimate by one of the regulatory bodies in the private security industry has put the turnover for 1994 at ?2, 827 million (Daily Telegraph, 15 August 1996). Because private security firms take up a position of trust for those who utilize them to protect their persons and property, as the evidence suggests that individuals and groups put off to people who wear uniforms intended to conjure the authority of the police, and as those who provide security services are in a position to abuse that reverence and trust, we do not think it is any longer defensible to allow the private security industry to continue unregulated. There is proof of abuse. There are undoubted cowboys on the loose and there is nothing at present to prevent disreputable and criminally-minded operators from proffering any security service they wish. Indeed, even a Government ideologically committed to reducing the amount of directive has recently come round to the view that some type of control of the private security industry is now essential. In August 1996, the Home Office announced that a statutory body to vet people wanting to work in private security was to be recognized, and that new criminal offences of utilizing an unlicensed guard and working as an unlicensed guard would be introduced. Given that these plans are both indistinct and not accompanied by any schedule for implementation. There is currently no constitutional licensing or regulative system of any kind for the private security industry in Britain. This distinction with almost all other European countries. Britain stands practically alone in not having admission requirements for firms offering security services and, together with Germany, not setting performance rations for private security operatives. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands. Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland all have some form of governmental control over their private security industries (de Waard J. 1993). Estimates of the size of the industry in Britain have been notoriously inaccurate. However, recent research by Jones Newburn (1998), based on data drawn from the Yellow Pages Business Classification and the Labour Force Survey, has produced far more reliable figures. Total employment in the British contract security industry now exceeds one third of a million (333,631), with employment in the ‘services and equipment sector’ (which includes guarding) standing at 182,596. This latter figure, alone, is equivalent to the total number of police and civilians employed in the 43 constabularies in England and Wales. As is the case in other countries, the most rapid area of expansion is in electronic security. Indeed, out of the total of 6,899 security companies identified in the research, no fewer than 2,547 are in the electronics sector, the remainder being in services and equipment (2,281), the provision of locks and safes (864), detective services (767) and bailiff services (440). In the case of Britain, for example, the estimation of private security employees (70,000) appears to include only those working for member companies of the British Security Industry Association, the main trade body. On the basis of these figures, Britain ranks sixth in terms of private security employees (123 per 100,000 inhabitants) and has a private security to public police ratio of 0. 39:1. By using Jones Newburn’s (1998) data, however, these estimates are transformed dramatically. This happens whether one bases calculation on guard numbers alone, or upon the total number of personnel employed in the security industry. In the first case, the figure of 182,596 guards identified in the research generates 321 security personnel per 100,000 inhabitants and a private security to public police ratio of 1:1. In the second case, 333,631 security employees generates a private security to public police ratio of 1. 85:1, a figure far in excess of the estimate for Germany, the highest ranked country in the sample. In effect, two conclusions can be drawn from Jones Newburn’s (1998) research: that Britain has roughly one private security guard for every public police officer, a figure comparable to that found in the USA during the early 1980s (Cunningham Taylor 1985:106); and that Britain has almost two private security employees for each police officer. Although there are diverse estimates of the number of organizations trading in the private security sector, and the numbers of people working, few of them emerge to be reliable. The best accessible figures suggest that, in broad terms, the number of private security employees, including those persons concerned in the manufacture and installation of security devices, is as a minimum the equivalent of the total complement of the forty-three constabularies in England and Wales; data from the government’s Labour Force Survey propose that there are almost surely over 162,000 people working in the private security industry, but the actual total can be at least half as many again (Jones T. , and Newburn T. 1995). This rapid growth in private security gives a vivid image that policing involves much more than the police and what the police do. The point is made all the more obvious if one thinks that most symbolic of all police tasks, mobile patrol. It is momentarily worth considering two instances where a ‘police patrol’ presence is provided by personnel other than police constables. First is the Sedgefield Community Force. For several years local councils have employed in-house security operations to keep council property and employees. The Sedgefield Community Force, a local authority police force in County Durham, became operational in January 1994. The force provides a 24-hour patrolling service within the geographical confines of the District an area of 85 square miles and a population of 90,000 people. The ten patrol officers wear uniforms similar to those worn by police officers. They travel mostly in cars, though they are encouraged to leave them to patrol on foot. They received 1,284 calls from the public in their first year. Johsnton (1999) asserts that Private policing resolves the tension within that relationship: maximizing consumption by restricting access to those who might undermine the commercial imperative—drunks, beggars and the like. In most western societies—though particularly in North America—there is an increased tendency for residential space to adopt the form of mass private property, people living in private apartment blocks and gated communities, rather than in traditional streets. Though this is undoubtedly a global tendency, however, there may be variations in the speed and scope of its development. Jones Newburn (1998) note that, in Britain, locations which would be archetypal forms of mass private property in North America (such as educational institutions, leisure complexes and hospital sites) have either been owned and run by the state or by non-market ‘hybrid’ organizations (Johnston 1992). For that reason, they suggest, ‘mass hybrid property’, rather than mass private property, may be of greater relevance to the future development of commercial policing in Britain. Though the Sedgefield Community Force provides a noticeable patrol it was set up as a non-confrontational force and has a strategy of ‘observing and reporting’ based on a presupposition of not using officers’ citizen’s powers of arrest. A small-scale piece of research on the Sedgefield Community Force carried out concerning six months after it was set up found that just under two-thirds of local residents said without any prompting that they had heard of the Force (I’Anson J. , and Wiles P. 1995). This part of respondents increased to three-quarters after the force was portrayed to them. There is some indication from the survey that the public feels safer as the Force was introduced, and a considerable proportion of those questioned felt that the Community Force would act to put off criminal activity. There was obvious evidence that local residents saw the Force as setting off what the local constabulary was doing. Generally respondents said they would not be happy to have the members of the Force as the sole deferrers of crime. owever when asked who they would be contented to have patrolling their streets: 91 per cent said police specials or a new rank of police patroller; 83 per cent said a council-employed community force; 43 per cent said common citizens; and 33 per cent said private security guards. A further survey of residents who had asked for help from the Sedgefield Force discovered that the immense majority of calls concerned vandalism, anti-social behavior, and nuisance — incivilities concerning which all the research evidence shows the public is usually concerned though a large minority, about a fifth, concerned straight-forward crime (Wiles P. 996). Moreover those persons calling for help were extremely appreciative of the service they received. Though direct comparisons cannot simply be made, the residents who call the Sedgefield Community Force are as a minimum as appreciative of the service they receive, conceivably more so, than are people who call the police (Bucke, 1996). The second example is the Wands worth Parks Constabulary. Under the Public Health (Amendment) Act 1907, all local authorities in England and Wales can affirm in park employees as special constables though there are few instances of any doing so. Legislation, bearing upon London only, has though been used by several boroughs in the capital to set up Parks Constabularies. in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation (Greater London Parks and Open Spaces) Act 1967, Wands worth recognized its Parks Constabulary in 1985. There are thirty full-time uniformed officers and twenty-five part-timers (effectively ‘specials’) in the Wands worth Parks Constabulary. They patrol the parks and open spaces in the borough — about 850 acres in all — and give security services in council premises, particularly the branch libraries, leisure centers, and youth and recreation facilities. The constables aim to act mainly as a restriction rather than an enforcement body. The problems with which they deal emerge to be similar to those dealt with in Sedgefield. They comprise incivilities linked with drunkenness, the control of dogs, the use of bicycles, and the like. however they also deal with crime. In 1994 and 1995 the Wands worth Parks Police made 105 and 134 arrests correspondingly: these included supposed offences of dishonesty (including burglary, theft, and robbery), criminal damage, gross coarseness, and drugs offences. They took their arrestees to Metropolitan Police stations where there appears to have been little complexity in getting the majority of their charges accepted. Certainly the research proof is that the relationship between the Parks Police and the Metropolitan Police is an optimistic and close one (Jones T. , and Newburn T. 998). In addition the constables monitor the CCTV cameras that are positioned in Wandsworth’s parks, act as key holders in relation to a large number of local power buildings, provide a cash-in transit service for some local authority functions, and accompany some local authority employees. Similar, although generally less wide-ranging, parks police also operate in Kensington and Chelsea, Barking and Dagenham and in Greenwich. The public is ever more engaged in activities in areas where policing is undertaken by private organizations. Progressively households, neighborhoods, and institutions (both public and private) are becoming dependent on commercially provided surveillance technology and patrols for their sense of security. As, demands on the police have prolonged, so the police have become reliant on skills available in, and services provided by, the private sector. This is mainly to be welcomed, and positive collaboration between the public and private sectors needs to be encouraged. There are several benefits to be gained from constructive partnership. But it is fundamental that this partnership be based on integrity. The public, pass up the police, must have confidence that the very highest standards are being uphold in any agency with which the police are affianced in partnership. For these reasons we conclude that the time has come to bring in a system of official or statutory directive of the private security industry. There is no case for granting private security personnel powers not accessible to the ordinary citizen and, as far as it is been competent to discover, there is no demand from either within or without the industry that such powers must be granted, except in very particular situation. One such circumstance is given by the contracted-out management of prisons. The Criminal Justice Act gives that the prisoner custody officers employed by the security companies now running five prisons are authorized to search prisoners and their visitors and to use such force as is essential to avert prisoners from escaping. But this kind of exception apart we can see no motive why citizens’ powers are insufficient for dealing with the type of situations with which private security personnel are expected to be confronted while guarding or on patrol. Indeed, quite opposing. The fact that security personnel have no powers beyond those accessible to the ordinary citizen itself gives a desirable check on their activities and evidently demarcates, both in law and in the eyes of the public in general, what is otherwise becoming an increasingly fuzzy border between the police and private ‘policing’ enterprises. The realism of private security is that their personnel are not like usual citizens. They may not have extra powers, but they have precise responsibilities, they are organized, they are usually recruited as of their physical suitability, they are dressed in a way to emphasize their capacity to coerce, they might be trained in self-defense or have experience in how to ‘handle themselves’ in circumstances thought to rationalize reasonable force, they are more expected to employ force, and so on. All these influencing conditions suggest, given the extensive concerns ‘about the de facto power exerted by private security personnel whose reliability is uncertain, whose public liability is non-existent, and whose allegiance is by definition to whomsoever pays the piper, that there is a very well-built case for ensuring that in law they exercise no more right to use force than the rest of us. We conclude that no transform in citizens’ powers of arrest is reasonable. The key area, is where private security staff are concerned in the policing of space which is public -streets, housing estates, and so on — or which the public thinks to be public, although it is actually private, that is places like shopping malls, football grounds, hospitals, and so on. We believe any new form of regulation must certainly cover the work of private security guards, together with contract and in-house guards. The Home Affairs Select Committee excluded in-house staff from its commendations for regulation. However, though the evidence signifies that there are fewer complaints concerning in house security services, the fact that there is considerable mobility between the contract and the in-house sectors leads us to believe that any new system of licensing must cover both. Moreover, given their role concerning either private property or private space to which the public have access, equally nightclub door staff and installers of electronic surveillance and security equipment ought, in our finding, also to come within a new system of directive. How to cite Discuss whether private policing can ever ensure public security, Papers

Nuclear Chemistry free essay sample

In today’s society, nuclear chemistry is becoming more and more common and is being used in a variety of ways including for weapons and the medical field but the significance of this type of chemistry is its impact and what it has contributed to the world. Nuclear chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with nuclear reactions, radioactive substances and is the study of the chemical and physical properties of elements when influenced by changes in structure of the atomic nucleus. In modern times it is referred to as radiochemistry and has become interdisciplinary in its applications ranging from the study of the formation of the elements in the universe to the design of radioactive drugs for diagnostic medicine. Today chemical techniques pioneered by nuclear chemists are so essential that biologists, geologists and physicists use nuclear chemistry as ordinary tools of their discipline. The significance and what nuclear chemistry involves all plays a role on how it is significant to the entire world. Overall nuclear chemistry is an interesting type of chemistry used more and more often in modern times with mind blowing facts on its origins, positive and negative effects on the world and how it functions or is put to use in today’s society. First, like almost everything else in the world, there is an origin or history of nuclear chemistry on how it came about in this world and how it lead to what nuclear chemistry is known as today. Taken from the encyclopedia, commonly known as Wikipedia, is the origins of this fascinating type of chemistry. After the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Rontgen, a French chemist Henri Becquerel began to work on ionizing radiation and investigated the relationship between phosphorescence and the blackening of photographic plates. See the â€Å"Discovery of Radioactivity† article’s diagram below at end of paragraph. Becquerel discovered that, with no external source of energy (uranium that created rays which could blacken/fog the photographic plate) radioactivity was discovered. Polish scientist Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie isolated two new radioactive elements from uranium ore and isolated polonium and radium. In about 1901, the world began to notice that high doses of radiation could cause injury to humans when Henri Becquerel carried a sample of radium in his pocket and suffered a high localized dose and radiation burn. These injuries lead to the biological properties of radiation being investigated, which eventually resulted in the development of medical treatments. These beginnings of the study of nuclear chemistry are very unique and interesting but also hint at the positive and negative effects this type of chemistry would bring to the world. Furthermore, the background of this amazing type of chemistry briefly explains some of the positive effects nuclear chemistry has on the world but as it developed over the years, its importance to the environment and world became clear. Taken from the nonfiction book Radiochemistry and Nuclear Chemistry Third Edition, the authors explain how cancer is becoming more and more common, sadly, in the world and how the problems with over usage of radiation to treat cancer are being resolved on a molecular level. Also, the book explained how radiation damages the human body the human DNA but, on a molecular level, are finding ways to use molecular formulas to construct solutions as radiation protection as well as new drugs to take to stop the disease from spreading in the body (Choppin, Liljenzin, Rydberg 475, 478). See West, Jones and Price’s diagram (diagram of patient in a scanner). Relating back to the concept of chemistry here, the creation of using this molecular formulas to deal with the original radiation problem lead to the creation of better functioning X-Rays in hospitals which provides a safer usage of radiation and allows doctor to examine the insides of patients without doing any serious damage to them. Taken from an ACS website created by the Franklin Institute Science Museum, it goes in depth on the positive effects of nuclear chemistry on the world, specifically on the environment. Nuclear energy is the most environmentally efficient of all energy sources because it produces the most electricity in relation to its minimal environmental impact and there are no significant adverse effects to water, land, habitat, species, and air resources. Nuclear energy is an emission-free energy source because it does not burn anything to produce electricity and nuclear power plants produce no gases such as nitrogen oxide or sulfur dioxide that could threaten our atmosphere by causing ground-level ozone formation, smog, and acid rain (â€Å"Nuclear Energy† 1). See Westenhaus’s Nuclear Power plant diagram below at the end of the paragraph. The usage of nuclear chemistry through nuclear energy (ex. Nuclear power plants) in modern times has proven to have a minimal effect on the environment proving that Nuclear Chemistry is in fact beneficial to the world. Despite all of the great positive effects that nuclear chemistry has brought to the world through its existence, there are still quite a few negative effects it has on the world. On the other hand, Nuclear Chemistry may be an astonishing type of chemistry but there are still a few parts to it that bring negative effects to today’s society. In one of the AHS databases, Gale, was found an article that discusses how nuclear chemistry took a negative of affect in some drugs. Scientists at the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) have warned against the panic buying of potassium-iodide tablets as the crisis in Japan continues. Experts have also cautioned against scaremongering over the effects of the explosions at the Fukushima nuclear plant. One drug supplier said it has sold 250,000 pills to US citizens concerned about possible exposure from Japanese nuclear reactors (â€Å"NEWS: Drugs Panic Goes Nuclear† 1). The chemicals exposed in these drugs in the US from the Japanese nuclear reactors is a threat to the lives of thousands of US citizens and shows that the use of Nuclear Chemistry is interfering with prescription drugs which displays one of the negative effects of Nuclear Chemistry. Another and terrible downside to this type of chemistry is how nuclear chemists are being used in the world to make a large amount of deadly nuclear weapons capable of killing areas with large populations of people. For example, from another AHS database called Galileo, an article explaining about the climate effects on nuclear conflict assumes a scenario of a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, each applying 50 warheads with an individual blasting power of 15 kt (Hiroshima size) against the major population centers, resulting in the emission of tiny soot particles, which are generated in the firestorms expected in the aftermath of the detonations. Also, in the stratosphere, the strong heating leads to an acceleration of catalytic ozone loss and, consequently, to enhancements of UV radiation at the ground (Stenke, Hoyle, Luo, Rozanov, Grobner, Maag, Bronnimann, Peter 1). See the Teller-Ulam Two-stage Thermonuclear Bomb articles diagram below at the end of the paragraph. Not only does this article prove that major conflict between countries in the world arises from the production of nuclear weapons, but it also prove how harmful it is to the stratosphere and the environment which is why the only way to stop this problem is to just get rid of and stop the production of these weapons. Overall, it is tragic that people have found a way to use this great of chemistry to put in drugs and weapons to hurt people and the environment but the list goes continues on how nuclear chemistry is used in the world today. Moreover, as today’s society continues to grow and find new discoveries in science, the nuclear chemistry or radiation of the world becomes more noticeable to people in their everyday lives. Taken from the Prentice Hall Chemistry Textbook in Chapter 25, Nuclear Chemistry, Section 4 it talked about common devices such as Geiger counters, scintillation counters and film badges used to detect radiation. A Geiger counter uses a gas filled metal tube to detect radiation and is capable of detecting alpha, beta and gamma radiation. The scintillation counter uses a phosphor-coated surface to detect radiation and is designed to detect all types of ionizing radiation. As for the film badge, it consists of several layers of photographic film covered with black lightproof paper, all encased in a plastic or metal holder and is an important radiation detector for persons who work near any radiation source. These different radiation detectors are essential in the world because they depict the different types of radiation that are visible to the human eye. Also, radiation has been found harmful to humans but through neutron activation analysis scientific procedure, nuclear chemists can detect trace amounts of elements in samples and are commonly used by museums to detect art forgeries and by crime laboratories to analyze gunpowder residues. See Glascock’s diagram below at end of paragraph. Radioisotopes are even used to diagnose medical problems and in some cases treat diseases (Wilbraham, Staley, Matta, Waterman 816-819). The use of radioisotopes and scientific procedures for safely using radiation have proven essential and beneficial to helping people in the medical field, detectives and so on. All of the different inventions or procedures used to detect or use radiation correctly have become useful to the citizens of the world which displays how nuclear chemistry has evolved overtime to be more commonly noticed and used in modern times. Lastly, after examining the abilities that nuclear chemistry can do through its usage in modern times, how it effects the world positively and negatively as well as the origins of it, it was easy to determine that the sky is only limit for this type of chemistry involving its effects it can have on the world. The early experiments of the first nuclear chemists started to research of radiation and radioactive elements in the world. Also, the use of nuclear energy at nuclear power plants have proven helpful to the environment in the world and serve as a positive effect that nuclear chemistry has on the world. On the other hand, the negative effects that nuclear chemistry has brought to the world is international conflict over nuclear weapons as well as deadly prescription drugs that being contaminated with the produce of nuclear power plants which have proven to be life threating. Another effect is how beneficial nuclear chemistry developments have been to the people of the world in various different ways. In conclusion, Nuclear Chemistry is an interesting type of chemistry that has proven to have a long lasting impact on society since its existence and will continue to do as it continues to progress.

Lord of the Flies Chapter Summaries Essay Example

Lord of the Flies Chapter Summaries Paper Chapter1 â€Å"A leader take people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessary want to go, but ought be. â€Å"in chapter 1 there are two boys, Ralph and Jack who seem to have the leadership skill to the other reach their goal. However the two boys are different, showing by Golding’s destruction reflect the inner through of the two boys. Jack is a type person who over control others by force the choir wear the black cloak in a hot weather and the speech of when they vote for the leader says by Jack† I ought be chief, because i can sing c sharp† (28). The speech proved his desired of the power, and it’s a danger path. Also showing by the end of the chapter when jack let the pig got away and he said to Ralph and in a way to himself, that he will bring the pig next, showing a sign of future condition of he became savagery. We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of the Flies Chapter Summaries specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of the Flies Chapter Summaries specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Lord of the Flies Chapter Summaries specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer On other hand, Ralph is different, he seem to have the vision to see for a longer terms view. The boys have vote him to be the chief as he have attacked to bring the attention of the boys and most important, he is the one blow the chock gather the boys. In a way showing Golding had fever in him to made him find the conch. Also, by chapter 1 he seem to have the ability to be a great leader lead the boys here they â€Å"ought be†- home. By his action of giving up his power as chief to calm Jack’s emotion as well as the choir’s, show his ability to be a great leader. Also, is showing by how he used the little detail for piggy ideas notice with what they should to do next showing his vision to be a good leader to lead the boy to the point reaches their goal. Chapter 2 After the boys have came back from research, they had bring up the point of â€Å"there aren’t any grownups; well have to looking after yourself†. Yet, as Ralph said, the boys are on they own now. It will be difficult for a group of boy under 12 to keep organized and follower order to be in control. The problem

The Future Perfect Tense in Spanish

The Future Perfect Tense in Spanish The future perfect tense is normally used to refer to an event or action that hasnt happened yet but is expected or predicted to occur before another occurrence. In a sentence such as By this time tomorrow, I will have left, will have left is in the future perfect tense. In English, the future perfect tense is expressed, as in the example above, by using will have (or shall have) followed by the past participle. The Spanish future perfect tense is formed in much the same way as Englishs: the future indicative form of haber followed by the past participle. So I will have left would be habrà © salido. An Example: Estudiar in Future Perfect Tense Using the past participle of estudiar (to study) as an example, here is the full conjugation of the future perfect tense: habrà © estudiado - I will have studiedhabrs estudiado - you (informal singular) will have studiedhabr estudiado - he, she, you (formal singular) will have studied)habremos estudiado - we will have studiedhabrà ©is estudiado - you (informal plural, seldom used in Latin America) will have studiedhabrn estudiado - they, you (formal plural) will have studied Examples of the Future Perfect In these sample sentences, the Spanish and English perfect tense are used in much the same way. Habrà © visto  pronto esta pelà ­cula un millà ³n de veces o algo asà ­. (I soon  will have seen this film a million times or something like that.)La universidad habr perdido ms de 6.000 alumnos en el 2016, segà ºn un estudio. (The university will have lost more than 6,000 students by 2016, according to a study.)Si defendemos nuestro paà ­s habremos ganado el futuro. (If we defend our country, we will have gained the future.)Casi 50 millones de trabajadores habrn muerto de sida en este aà ±o si no mejora el acceso a los medicamentos. (Almost 50 million workers will have died of AIDS this year if we dont improve access to medicine.) Suppositional Use of the Future Perfect Because the future tense in Spanish can sometimes be used to indicate likelihood or supposition, the same is true when haber is used in the future tense. In such cases, the future perfect tense can often be translated as must have, may have, or might have to refer to something that has already occurred: Paula habr sabido nada de à ©l. (Paula must have known nothing about him.)Habrs visto la nueva pgina web que escribà ­. (You must have seen the new web page I wrote.) ¿Adà ³nde habrn ido mis caros amigos? (Where might my dear friends have gone to?)No sà © lo que ha pasado. Se habr roto el motor. (I dont know what has happened. Perhaps the motor got broken.)  No sà © que habr pasado. (I dont know what could have happened.) Note that in these suppositional statements, the grammatical future tense is used to events that happened (or might have happened) in the past. In the negative form, typically by using no, the future perfect forms a sort of rhetorical statement or question. In other words, the statement or question becomes less speculative and assumes agreement by the listener. No habrn perdido la esperanza en este mundo. (They couldnt have lost hope in this world.)No sà © de dà ³nde habrn salido estos datos. (I dont know where this data might have come from.)No habremos comprendido la importancia de las instrucciones. (We couldnt have understood the importance of the instructions.) A Related Tense: The Conditional Perfect In Spanish, the future and conditional tenses are closely related; in fact, the conditional tense is sometimes known as the future hypothetical. As such, the conditional perfect is often used in sentences of the type shown in these examples to indicate a conjecture. Si hubià ©ramos comido la pizza, habrà ­amos tenido ms energà ­a. (If we had eaten the pizza, we would have had more energy.)Si fueran inteligentes, habrà ­an sabido que era una broma. (If they were intelligent, they would have known it was a joke.) As with the future perfect, the conditional perfect as a speculative tense can refer to past events (or supposed past events). Key Takeaways The future perfect is formed by using the simple future tenses of haber followed by a past participle.The Spanish future perfect can be used in much the same way as the English future perfect, which takes the form of will have verb participle.Because the simple future tense can be used in Spanish to make speculative statements, the same can be done with the future perfect.

Principles and Practices of Leadership and Management Assignment

Principles and Practices of Leadership and Management - Assignment Example For being a good leader, a person must have certain leadership traits such as honesty and integrity, ability to delegate, written and oral communication skill, sense of humour, confidence, commitment, positive attitude, creativity, intuition and the ability to inspire. Part 1 SWOT Analysis The SWOT analysis as provided below has been based on actual work experience and 360 degree feedback. Strengths I have good team work and organising capacity according to my self-assessment and the feedback from my peer group and superiors. I also possess a good deal of creativity as well as commitment. In group works, I can develop my own ideas and I also have the ability to assign work to other members by making sure that each will enjoy the work assigned to them. I am quite familiar with technological advancements in networking and specialised software. This is an era in which so many technological innovations have come up, so it is necessary that I remain updated with current changes. At all ti mes I try to maintain the values of honesty and integrity towards life and different situations in the workplace. The value of time is of high significance to me and I acknowledge this fact through timely execution of the tasks assigned to me. I am confident that I can complete all tasks assigned to me on time. ... I am a very serious person by nature, so I lack the tactics of effectively handling situations through humour and friendly communication. Moreover, I am an introvert and feel nervous when I talk to or interact with strangers. Opportunities My overall talents will enable me to work in any multinational company anywhere in the world and I feel very confident and proud of myself. Besides, a number of other opportunities are available in the publicand private sectors. This is mainly because of the increasing advancements in the technological field. In the case of an organisation, since I am familiar with the new technologies, it is easier for me to get a job in that company since companies look for technologically updated leaders. Likewise, for performing day to day activities it is very important to know the updated technologies. Threats As far as I am concerned, stiff competition is the main threat in the modern day for people in leadership positions. Though I possess reasonable skills in written communication, I feel my lacking in oral communication skills, at par with my technical skills, may affect my career as a leader adversely. The primary interaction while being considered for new job positions involves interviews, where I may encounter problems due to my lack of oral skills, and this may limit my chances. Critical Evaluation of SWOT Analysis A leader should have certain basic qualities in order to excel in his position and to influence his followers. Every person does not necessarily possess all the required traits or skills, which make the task of leadership effective. By analysing my SWOT analysis on the basis of practical experience and 360 degree feedback, I have reached certain conclusions. The creative ability along with

Subjective and Objective Perspectives of Photography Essay

Subjective and Objective Perspectives of Photography - Essay Example This quotation mentions a highly debated argument of the twenty-first century- the challenge associated with the reliability of camera-generated imagery and its contrast with paintings. Photographs have the tendency to mold our thinking in a way we never dreamt of. Following is a critical analysis of this comment about subjective and objective perspectives of photography. In recent years awareness about the nature of camera imagery made people change their stereotypical views regarding the issue. In order to support my essay, I have quoted references from related literature to further elaborate this viewpoint. â€Å"Photographic images have historically enjoyed, in our societies, a unique role, based for the most part on their supposed credibility. They have been acknowledged to offer a truthful visual representation of the world and our societies accept it as truth sentences such as "Photographs don't lie," "A picture is worth a thousand words," and "Seeing is believing" (Garvard, 1999). Camera generated images experience a subjective overtone together with automatic and mechanized actions involved in photography. Over the years images have played a unique role in different societies because of the evidence that they are real representations of the events being captured. The main criticism is against the idea of believing what you see in a photograph as the images are not logically true. Rather, they are treated according to the aspiration of the photographer in order to assimilate certain meanings to them. With the passage of time and with technological advancement photographers manipulate the photo with subjective elements like personalization and framing. There is also a personal touch to photographs, as photographers project their own opinions into the image from choosing what to shoot to managing the picture’s background.

Is Socrates a feminist How might one argue that he is How would they Essay

Is Socrates a feminist How might one argue that he is How would they argue that he is not Which position is right - Essay Example Significantly, to an extent Plato promoted the notion of both men and women being equal with some of his views supporting this claim specifically in book 5, where he tackled on Socrates’ view that women have plenty potential as philosopher-rulers or guardians of the state (VanHeest 1). On the support for women equality platform, the foundation of this claim is his assertion that a human should be judged on his or her soul and not on external appearance altogether. However, there are more of his views that entrench his stand on feminism i.e. that woman’s biology should not settle the question of her destiny and women’s intelligence and reason should also be utilized when it comes to the running of the state; matter of fact, these two views are the ones that serve the basis for the belief that to a certain extent Plato supports the feminist’s views (Cuizon 1). Socrates radically states that women should also get the same training in the society as men, in th e areas of geometry, gymnastics, music, and with these most people fall under the misconception that Socrates is a feminist. Considerably, he gives a lot of support to women arguing that they should also be allowed to have active roles in the republic; however, this campaign is not based on feminism or because he feels that they deserve it due to the centuries of uneven status in the society. Socrates views both men and women to be equal in all aspects except strength, and is aware that both genders fall into one of the three parts of the soul, being either spirited, rational or appetitive, hence they all have uses in the city (Vilchez 1). Additionally, he is familiar with biological essentialism noting out that even though women might not be strong as men they play a fundamental role to the city and its comprehensive success. The overall analysis of women by Socrates gives him the idea that they are of use in any perfect society despite the diversity in strength when compared to me n; however, he believes that there is no single thing that only men or women can do. Significantly, Socrates speaks against gender roles that are still relevant in the world of today stating out that no profession is suited solely for man or for woman despite the many junctures where people believe that, especially when it comes to leadership. In the world of today, the payment/salary varies with men being paid more than women and it has been hard to address this issue until recently with a significant number of people continuing to fight against the gender discriminations (VanHeest 1). One of the factors that make Socrates sound like a true biological essentialist is his notion that men are stronger than women which is typically true. The point on no one task is a job that can only be done by one sex is encouraging since nowadays there are men cooking and women who fight; nonetheless, there are still tasks that are dominated to one gender like the army’s are full of men who have proven to be stronger than women. There is often the confusion between biological essentialists and feminists for instance in this case, Socrates is more of a biological essentialist than a feminist, believing that even though men tend to be stronger than women, it does not justify the women being denied involvement to their full

Trinidad And Tobagos Banking Industry Analysis

Trinidad And Tobagos Banking Industry Analysis The banking industry in Trinidad and Tobago has somewhat changed in the past few years. This resulted in the entry of some banks and the re-entry of others. This paper strategically analyses the current strategic position of one of the major banks, First Citizens (FC). First Citizens Bank is a member of the First Citizens Group, which consists of: First Citizens Bank Limited First Citizens Asset Management Limited First Citizens Trustee Services Limited First Citizens (St. Lucia) Limited First Citizens Securities Trading Limited Caribbean Money Market Brokers (CMMB) For the purposes of this paper, First Citizens Banks current strategies that are being utilised to achieve its goal are critically analysed along with its internal and external environment, which establish the forces that drives change and the key success factors that sustains competitive advantage. All these factors give rise to the SWOT analysis of the bank, which matches the bank resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. 1.2 Background FC Bank is the first indigenous bank of Trinidad and Tobago and was formed in 1993 out of the amalgamation of three failed financial institutions namely: The Workers Bank of Trinidad and Tobago 1989 Ltd, Trinidad Co-operative Bank Ltd and The National Commercial Bank Ltd. It is the third largest bank in Trinidad and Tobago and the fastest growing. Over the years, FC Bank has become one of the regions leading and most dynamic financial product and service providers. This position is further strengthened by the acquisition of CMMB one year ago. The leaderships robustness at the bank has championed the industry in technology, innovative product offerings and profitability, which earned them numerous awards, with the most recent being World Finance magazine Best Bank, Trinidad and Tobago 2009. 2.0 DEFINING THE INDUSTRY The banking industry is part of the Financial Services Sector, which is highly regulated by the Financial Act of Trinidad and Tobago. The Financial Services industry comprises of credit unions, investment banks, insurance companies, mutual funds etc. All the aforementioned offers similar services as retail banking as per a regular bank, but the Commercial Banking Sector consists of all financial institutions permitted the Financial Services Act and approved by the Central Bank. There are a number of commercial banks approved by the Central Bank and registered under the act, these include: First Citizens Bank Limited Republic Bank limited (RBL) Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (RBTT) Scotiabank Limited Citibank (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited First Caribbean International Bank Intercommercial Bank Bank of Baroda For the purpose of this paper, this would be defined as the industry and would be the basis on which analysis is made. 3.0 ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK 3.1 Vision, Mission and Objectives of First Citizens First Citizens vision is To become the most competitive group in Trinidad and Tobago with a well established international presence. While the mission is to build a highly profitable financial services franchise renowned for innovativeness, service excellence and sound corporate governance. To achieve the aim FC focuses on continuous improvement of systems and products, building a strong base of knowledge and skilled workers and creating strategic partnerships in key sectors that add value to the franchise. The mission is underpinned by the core values, which assist the employees in the achievement of the mission. The core values are: Commitment to excellence Commitment to customers Commitment to integrity Commitment to financial strength Commitment to employees Commitment to continuous improvement The main objective of the bank is to improve profitability with a major focus on its return on equity. The main objective is supported by secondary objectives, which are: Leveraging Technology to create confidence in the banks systems and procedure Reducing overheads costs while simultaneously increasing revenues Aggressively increasing assets, loans and fund base Widening the range of products and services primarily in the area of internet and mobile (electronic) banking Improving First Citizens risk management Improving the Groups image and service quality Deepening the human resource competence These objectives are quantified using the balance scorecard, which sets specific targets needed to be achieved in order to achieve the organisations objectives. In order to achieve the objectives, each branch manager, department and unit is required to produce a balanced score card, which eventually sums to the overall directional scorecard. 3.2 Strategy In order for the vision, mission and objectives of FC to become operational strategies must be implemented. Figure shows the alignment of First Citizens strategies with its vision. The use of the groups balance has made strategy making and organisational coordination reflect the top-down manner in which strategy is developed and communicated. The banks existing strategies is summarised using Ansoffs Directional Matrix (see figure). From the Directional Matrix, FC Banks diversification strategy exemplifies the Banks thrust into a wider and more competitive industry. This is indicates that boundaries that separate traditional banking from other type of financial services are being eliminated, this is also an indicator of the industry in its maturity stage (indicated in a later chapter). Although the strategy is that of diversification it involves a broad market scope. The strategy involves leveraging technology to provide excellent customer service especially since FC is always first to market. It is the technological advancement, that is the banks core competency and some features (mobile point of sale) gives it its distinctive capability. 4.0 THE DYNAMICS OF THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT All organizations are inextricably associated with its external environment, regardless of the country to which it belongs. This association influences how the organization operates and the products or services provided. The external forces may facilitate or inhibit organizational performance and may form limits with which the organization is able to function. These forces shape how the organization defines itself and how it articulates its goals, objectives and strategies. An analysis of the external environment assists in understanding the forces or factors that shape the organization. 4.1 PEST Analysis PEST analyses the external macro-environment in which an organization operates, based on political, economical, social and technological factors. These factors are beyond the control of the organization but must be considered in formulating the strategies of the organization. PEST Analysis for First Citizens The Political climate of Trinidad and Tobago has remained quite stable over the past twenty years. This has led to implementation of legislations that improved efficiency and reduced costs (banking fees) in the Banking sector, but have also reduced margins and fee income. The latest legislation implemented is the Anti-money Laundering legislation, in which most of the countries in this region is adopting. This law has sought to increase the transparency of banks and attempts to lower the credit risks of the country in which the bill is implemented. The banking industry over the years has dynamically evolved; this evolution has led to the opening of the banking industry (regionally) or relaxation of entry requirement for large foreign banks, for example, the entry of the Bank of Baroda. This has led to further diversification of the banking sector that inevitably breeds competition. However, although competition creates innovation, this threatens the profitability of the current banks in the market as larger more capitalized banks can undercut the local banks and decrease their market size. These foreign banks operate as loss leaders to steal market share and further diminution opportunity in an already saturated market. As a result, in recent years there have been re-entry of banks into the sector e.g. First Caribbean International Bank (FCIB). Furthermore, FC is owned the government which suggest that there is slow decision making in the organization however, the government can be the main borrower on the market. The worlds economy, over the past two years, has experienced a downturn, which saw many countries GDP decline that resulted in declaration of recession and the plummet of oil prices, which adversely affected the banking industry of most countries. However, all indicators point towards improvement in the economy though it may be slow. The effects of the economy has led to banks reducing interest rates and fees in order to reduce the amount of loan defaults and increase economic activity in an attempt to boost the economy. The improvement of the economy will see commodity prices improving which will increase revenues and economic activity, which will impart a greater potential for lending and borrowing by banks. However, there is a risk of returning to inflationary pressures with accompanying increasing interest rates. The mal-effects of the downturn has led to increased unemployment which increased loan defaults, however there have been some refinancing of loans in an attempt to reduc e defaults. According to the Central Bank Governor, in the business section of the Guardian Newspaper, if the economic growth is slower than in the past, banking institution will be forced to consolidate to achieve economies of scale. This reduces competition in an industry, in which competition breeds innovation and Socially, crime is considered a two edged sword since it creates an opportunity for banks to finance security companies; however, it has led to the exit of many business owners and thus capital. A high crime rate can harm the countrys foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities and by extension tourism. As the country is developing, one would find that people are being more educated and customers are demanding better quality and quantity service; people are intolerant of poor customer service and lack of advancement in the banking industry. It is foreseen that, if the issue of crime is not addressed that there would be further flight of capital, decrease in FDIs and tourism. In addition, if banks do not progress with technology, there would a flight of customers to the substitutes in the market. The banking industry has fully embraced technology, which has revolutionised the sector. The technological advancement by banks has empowered customers so that they control their financial information with greater access. This has also led to the creation of high exit barriers. However, not all customers may embrace these technological progresses and prefer the traditional banking services. If this progression continues at the current pace, the industry will be highly serviced and product innovated. However, customer must make greater use of these technological advancement as with mobile telephony if the industry is to be further product/service diversified. 4.2 Industry Analysis for First Citizens The industry analysis aids in the determination of factors that determines the banking industry profitability. Porters Five Forces Analysis is an assessment that is used to understand the current competitive position and the future attractiveness of the industry, this is seen in figure. The threat of substitute is numerous and includes companies that offer financial services such as insurance companies, Unit Trust Corporation, Island Finance, investment banks, credit unions etc. Some non-financial institutions such as furniture stores and car dealerships are also threats since they offer credit. These substitutes offer similar service and products without the regulatory requirements of banks, which makes their process faster than banks. These substitutes have encroached on the banking industry profitability, however, with the recent downturn of the economy, customers have returned to banks since it is perceived to be more stable. In addition, to nullify the threat of substitutes and sustain the industrys profitability banks have also formed alliances with other financial institutions. The bargaining power of customers is medium but increasing as a result of a wide variety of substitutes, similarity of products and lower customer loyalty (due to logistics). However, it is counteracted by high switching costs caused by the time and inconvenience of transferring accounts to other financial institutions and a large number of customers. It is perceived, however, that the advanced technology and the increasing number of substitutes, have reduced switching costs, this is true to some extent, example retail deposits but in terms of loans, corporate deposits etc. the switching cost is high. The bargaining power of suppliers is also medium and increasing. Although there are a large number of suppliers for general resources, there are a small number of suppliers for the critical resources of banks, for example, ABMs, system applications, money counter etc. which makes switching arduous and time-consuming. From the PEST analysis, it seen that the banking industrys market is more opened and there is a relaxation of requirements. This results in the threat of new entrants being medium to high and is expected to intensify if there is further dismantling of barriers/requirement. Consequently, it is easier for a large foreign institution to enter into the market, example, the acquisition of RBTT by RBC and the entry of Bank of Baroda, these institution will with have the necessary capital investments and brand recognition to do so. However, for a local institution it is harder because of the high brand building expenditure and extremely high capital investment. This threat is somewhat counteracted by high exit barriers and high switching costs. The banking industry presently has a saturated market and one would find that is difficult to gain market share to become profitable thus, entrants are focused on a niche market segment. Furthermore, these entrants are large enough to operate as loss leaders. The above four factors that shape strategy, collapse into rivalry amongst existing competitors (as seen in figure). The fact that the banking industry exhibits oligopolistic cooperation in order to maximize profit, lower cost and maintain status quo, is another indicator of maturity. Examples of this type of cooperation are: Establishing a code of conduct in which all banks must adhere when dealing with customers Technological sharing of networks e.g. linx to facilitate ATM transactions. Offering of similar interest rates and products In addition, banks have to form strategic alliances in order to counteract substitutes to improve the value system e.g. insurance companies and mutual funds. An analysis of the existing competitive rivalry is restricted to four banks. These competitors are identified using Porters strategic group analysis (see figure). From figure, competitors in First Citizens market scope operate in the same segment and offer similar type products. These banks collaborate to protect the profitability of the industry, especially in the area of interest rates, customer service quality and non-competitive processes. The prediction of the competitor environment can be analysed using Grants Framework for competitor analysis, this can be seen in figure. 4.3 The Industry Life Cycle From figure, it is seen that the banking industry is in its maturity stage. This can be sustained over an extensive period, in which market share can only be increased by attracting the competitors customers. In addition, a strategy in the mature banking industry, is the tendency of banks to consolidate e.g. with insurance companies, security companies; acquire or merge e.g. the acquisition of RBTT by RBC and CMMB by FC. However, banks fight to maintain its market share by creating high exit barriers for its customers. Recently, customers are extremely sensitive to interest rates, therefore in an effort to retain its customers, one would find that banks in the same market segment (figure) would have similar interest rates. For example, if Central Bank decrease the reserve requirement all banks will decrease its rate to match each other. In a stage of maturity, there are areas in which it is more economical to collaborate than to compete, this brings about greater efficiency at a lower cost e.g. Linx, Transunion and Trinidad and Tobago Interbanking payment system (TTIPS). 4.4 Key Success Factors In order to be successful in the banking industry there are some key factors. These include: Financial stability Customer confidence Customer trust Effective Regulatory Systems Relevant Products and Services Affordable pricing Competition which breeds greater innovation and by extension efficiency 5.0 THE DYNAMICS OF THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT 5.1 Resource Analysis Financial Capital Human Capital FC Bank has approximately 1300 staff members and a well-experienced and knowledgeable senior staff. However, succession and service quality is a concern because of the high turnover of junior staff. In recent times, staff members are no longer interested in a job for life, therefore the bank is retooling its processes to incorporate transient staffing arrangement. In addition, the bank has developed a management trainee, corporate resourcing and mentoring programmes for school and university graduates. Leadership competencies, 360 degree feedback and career development programmes are also implemented for junior staff and management. Customer Capital The bank has a large customer base in excess of 400,000 accounts. Retail banking customers constitute the majority of the customer base. The consequence of this is that it involves higher operating and fixed costs, in addition, to achieve economies of scale both market share and size has to sufficient. Notwithstanding the deposit garnered from these customers, it represents low cost funds to the bank that are then used for lending. Although customer loyalty generally has improved, they are however flighty and could change base on simple interest rate difference since they are sensitive to this (as discussed in Porters five forces). Recently, the bank has embarked on work to improve its image and reputation. Social Capital FC has intensified its relationship with society in adherence to the adage of Corporate Social responsibility in a very significant way. This is also in adherence to the code of ethics established by the Bankers Association, in which First Citizens bank sponsors events: Environmental: Citizens in Action to restore the Environment (CARE), which assists in the restoration of the environment. In this regard, internal staff competition are held to widen community interaction and to increase social and environmental awareness (this improves the appearance of the bank). Youth and Education: Bursaries to Tertiary Institution. The bank engages in developing school libraries and is a major sponsor in junior achievement. Sports: First Citizens Sport Foundation, which raise awareness through clinics and sport education seminars. It is the sole sponsor of the National Sports Foundation, which deals with sports education, seminars and recognition of achievers in the Hall of Fame and Annual Sports Woman/Man of the Year which honors all the achievers in all sports. Culture: The banks sponsors programmes in all cultural/religious events such as, Divali Nagar, Eid-ul-Fitr, Tobago Heritage etc. Physical Capital The bank has twenty-five branches strategically located across the country, with three in Tobago. In addition, an excess of eighty ATM supports these branches, with a vast number of these in off branch locations. Technology Capital FC bank has the leading edge in online real time banking network and is the leader in Internet Banking technology and communication network. Its Ethernet and communication network, which incorporates both voice and data, also contributes to the bank being considered as a Technology leader. In fact FC has won the South Trinidad Chamber of Commerce Technology Leadership on three occasions in the last five years, an award that has been designed for technology companies. The banks vast network of ATM and POS machinery provide significant reach to its merchant and customers alike and is fully networked on a local and internal scale. The bank has been able to leverage its technology leadership to enhance value for merchant and customers. This can be gleamed from the merchant e-banking which allows corporate and commercial customers to transact business from their offices (paying bills, salaries, ACH etc.). The value of technology capital is also seen with the implementation of mobile POS, which is significant for distributors and the service sector. 5.2 Value Added FC Banks value chain is depicted in figure using Porters Value Chain analysis. The bank has concentrated mainly on marketing, sales and services. The use of technology has been incorporated to achieve a level of service and convenience to provide value to the customer. The cost to provide such value to the customer is important however, the risk to serving customers is just as important. The critical factors in this value system are the linkages between skills of staff, risk management, information systems, flexible and responsive policies/procedures to add such value. Information technology is FC banks core competency especially since they are the leader in this area. FC uses the technological advancement to increase its value chain and to achieve a higher level of customer service than its competitors. Owing to the highly leveraged technology at FC, the level of efficiency, high ratings by customers have been improved, although, the market share has remained stable since the industry is in the mature stage (industry life cycle). The use of technology is also the banks distinctive capability, since the bank uses its technology e.g. mobile POS and corporate internet banking, to increase the value chain of its customers. Figure below depicted how elements of FC banks outbound and marketing logistics becomes incorporated into the customers e.g. restaurants and distributors inbound logistic of their value chain. Internet banking, mobile POS etc. Telebanking Etc. First Citizens Bank Value Chain Distributors Value Chain Restaurants Value chain Figure showing the connectivity between First Citizens Value Chain and that of its Customers 5.3 McKinseys 7S 5.3.1 Structure FC bank currently has a bureaucratic (top-down) that does not aid in quick decision-making, which is crucial. Structure is the key to effective execution of strategy. Is the structure does not support strategy in terms of VMOST then the strategy implementation will be difficult. Despite its best efforts to change, the bank structure is still overly bureaucratic. The bank has to decentralise both vertically along different levels of the organisational hierarchy and horizontally amongst managers and non-managers based on expertise and experience. In doing so, authority and responsibility will remain with those in the position, who possesses the necessary skills to implement decisions, ideally front line staff. Currently, the credit-decision making process is based on limited level authority by staff and the bureaucratic staircase can hinder the effectiveness in the lending/investment process. Simiarly, as a result of Government regulation (Central Bank regulations) and the general risk adverse culture of the bank, several to-down controls exist hindering the smooth processing of intricate transaction. If centre delegating decision-making authority is given to frontline staff e.g. senior management increasing authorisation limits on loans granted by line managers, the processes in the bank will more efficient and less time consuming. 5.3.2 Systems FC bank is a performance-driven learning organisation, therefore all of its systems should be taken into consideration if further development is to occur. The three essential areas are: Human resource systems Rewards are based on SMART principle and pre-determined organisation and individual targets. However, the appraisals are based on individual and team performance and are done on a quarterly basis to identify areas foe training and development. In addition, the performance is also measured by balance scorecard with gaps identified to re-prioritise efforts. Human resource records however, are not automated via a modern HRIS system and therefore quick and effective decision-making is negatively affected. To further hasten the decision-making the top-down system needs to be changed to a bottom-up system that integrates the individual and team performance, training and development. Organisational performance systems The bank has two models to assess its performance: The strategic planning model This evolves from the vision and mission of the bank and long-term strategies are developed for three years on a rolling basis. On an annual basis strategies are reviewed analysed and adjusted as necessary. Three exercises inform the business planning process for the ensuing year and provide key inputs into budgetary allocation which support the execution of the said strategies. Information systems The banks information system is highly interactive, accurate, accessible and easily interrogable. In spite of the high use of technology customer service staff has not embrace the use of technology to deliver value added. There is high use of the banks office management system for communication e.g. email and calendaring. However, managers and staff have not grasped the opportunity to use these systems for work flow efficiency e.g. loan origination systems and electronic loan application and credit authorisation. 5.3.3 Style Style is influences in part by structure. The top-down structure of organisation has bred an elitist atmosphere with different layers of management having varying degrees of power and influence. Managers do not seem to exhibit a supportive role and communication is mostly top down to their support staff. In addition, feedback to employees on performance of organisation is done via newsletters, team briefing and staff meetings. Generally, the management style is not of a participative nature and this can have negative effects on employees involvement and satisfaction. There is an over abundance of procedures within the system which leads to an inordinate amount of time and effort spent on administrative processes thus reducing the cycle time for customer service. Staff Staff development utilises: Employee assistance programme (EAP) 360 degree for developmental purposes In addition, the tools used in developing staff are: Succession planning Individual development planning Leadership competencies model there are seven areas the bank utilise and develop staff; they are customer focus, teamwork, innovation, initiative (getting results), integrity, entrepreneurship and sales and marketing. These are to develop staff in order to develop leadership skills but FC has to create the structure, systems etc. to motivate and encourage employees to develop along these lines. Skills Multiple skilled employees are essential in a learning and performance driven organisation. The bank is becoming predominantly a sales driven organisation, with risk management and decision-making being critical to its success in the area. Training in developmental programmes in marketing, sales, negotiation and dispute resolution are provided by the bank to further develop skills in these areas. However, the structure of the bank is a barrier to the proper dissemination of skills because of compartmentalisation of information. The bank however, has been a leader in the development of individual staff and expense significant sums on both internal and external training. The education assistance plan provides bank sponsored tertiary education up to and including the masters level for qualifying staff, this facility has benefitted numerous staff members. Strategy Using Johnson and Scholes Development Strategies model the direction used by FC bank should be maintained. The bank has focus on identifying market segments and adopted a market penetration and developmental and diversification strategies. These strategies should be suitable, acceptable and feasible to all stakeholders, employees and customers and should be based the banks outstanding customer service, innovation and its core competency of technology. However, the banks strategy of leading customer satisfaction through innovation has seen it derive value from its leadership position from electronic banking including internet, POS and mobile banking. Shared Value The confluence of three failed financial institution formed FC Bank, and its phoenix-like resurrection to a pronounced position within the banking industry fraternity in the region and awards won, is a source of pride for the organisation. 6.0 S.W.O.T ANALYSIS Figure shows the SWOT analysis for FC Bank, based on this and for sustainability of competitive advantage, the following factors are crucial: Investments for further development of technology since it is ever-evolving especially at the strategic and tactical level to maintain FC as the leader Quick response time to customers request to synchronise with industry norms Strong image/brand and performance driven culture High degree of flexibility and responsiveness Improve decision-making capabilities of front line staff and succession planning

Essay --

Society has taught people that they should be themselves and express their individuality. There are many people out there who think everyone should act and be the same because people get judged if they act or dress differently. Everyone is their own person and no one should have to conform to everyone else in society. The debate over whether or not uniforms should be required has been going on for years. Many schools have decided it is best to have uniforms when, in all honesty, uniforms make no difference in academic success or behavior of students. Just because someone wears a uniform does not make them any smarter of behave in a better manner. School uniforms should not be required, not only because they do not let students express themselves, but also they cost families more money and do not affect what goes on at school. School uniforms charge parents loads of money every year, and there are families out there that are not able to put money towards this. Since school uniforms â€Å"are an unfair additional expense for parents who pay taxes for a free public education,† a great deal...

Organizational Behavior: a discipline for discovery Essay

Ask a manager of 35, 25 or even 15 years ago what their Organization’s Behavioral patterns were or how their employees felt about certain issues and you would probably be met with blank stares. Organizational Behavior (OB) was not a part of the business world in those days. The idea that a manager need only deal with the technical skills of it’s employees while disregarding their own listening skills, communication skills and interaction skills was the common mode of thought. A recent study on employee burnout by Northwestern National Life Insurance shows that at least one out of every four employees views their job as the biggest stressor in their lives (Work, stress and health conference, 1999). Clearly it is time to reevaluate our thinking on the business concepts of the past and focus our attention on our organization with a more humanistic approach. What worked in the past is not necessarily going to work today. As the world changes so too does our environment change. We need to change with it or be left behind. Organizational Behavior is one of those vehicles being used for change. The past 10-15 years has shown an increase in Organizational Behavior studies. OB has become an important tool for businesses striving to meet the needs of its employees while understanding the impact of the individual on an organization’s behavior. History The generational gap between people is apparent. The values, thoughts and dreams of our parents are probably much different than ours of today just like their values were differed from your grandparents. The attitudes and beliefs of a generation are a big part of the make-up of a person’s personality and work ethic. Stephen P. Robbins notes in his text that the previous 3 generations, while similar in some respects, held distinct differences in their values (p.130-2). Organizational behavior is a byproduct of the times. The workers adapted to their organization and grew with it (1940’s and 50’s). As time went on a shift towards quality of life, non-conforming, autonomy and loyalty to one’s own values became prevalent (1960’s and 70’s). Another shift occurred in the mid 70’s. The value system  moved towards ambition, loyalty to career, hardworking, and the desire for success and achievement. This period lasted till about the mid 80’s when another shift moved us towards the value system commonly held today of flexibility, value to relationships, desire for leisure time and overall job satisfaction. Robbins classified these four stages as follows: Protestant work ethic, Existential, Pragmatic, and Generation X (p.131). We can see that what worked in the 50’s in terms of how an organization operated is probably not going to be as effective in today’s organizations. Whether it’s the Protestant work ethic of the 1940’s and 50’s or it’s Generation X of today, the picture should be clear. We need to know what our workers value, how they feel and change with them so as to keep our organization on the cutting edge of productivity and profitability. Research In order to highlight the need for OB studies we need to know what OB gives us, how it relates to our employees and what that overall impact is on the organization. OB is a field of study that investigates the impacts that individuals, groups, and structure have on behavior within organizations for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organization’s effectiveness (Robbins, 2001, p.16). Simply put, OB allows us the chance to learn what individuals are thinking, how their though processes work, what motivates them to do certain things, and how their choices relate to an organization. What do workers want? What are their concerns? The answers are not always the same and the methods of discovery are varied as well but some key responses that seem to be constantly mentioned are job security, a balanced work and family life, and a competitive salary (Cohen, 2002, para.5). Another survey, from Watson Wyatt Worldwide, showed that employees listed the desire for trust in their senior leaders as their number one want when considering what would make them committed to their employers (Johnson, 2001, para.10). Almost half (45%) of the 7500 people in that survey said they were not committed to their employers. Another interesting note from one professional is that managers too often try to manage the stress in employees’ lives rather than trying to avoid it (Johnson, 2001, para.11). Why should we be concerned with these surveys and studies? Quite simply,  because other companies are using this information and if we don’t we will eventually be left behind. Scott Gellar, a psychologist, noted a list of companies/organizations that are investing considerable time, money and manpower into addressing the broad cultural issues of their organizations. Fortune’s â€Å"100 Best Companies to work for in America† topped the list of those being proactive (Johnson, 2001, para.19). In 1984 only one of the top 100 companies offered onsite daycare. In 2000, 24 offered it. More than 50 offered onsite university courses and more than 90 offered tuition reimbursement (Johnson, 2001, para.21). The signs are there. We just need to be watching for them and always keeping abreast of the situation. Discussion So now that we have some ideas about what OB studies can provide for us the next question is why do we NEED to investigate it further? Is it of that vital importance that we should alter the way we have been doing things for so long? Procedures have worked in the past why won’t they work in the future? I think it is important to say that just because something has worked in the past does not guarantee you success in the future. As the research above shows, the top companies are adapting and doing what it takes to gain an edge. It is working for them. You may stay in business doing what you have always done, you may even have a modicum of success, but wouldn’t it be nice to be able to get the most out of your business? Let your business maximize its potential. Conclusion It was once said that a good company researches what it is selling and is always learning. Why should we treat our employees any differently than we do our product or our target consumers? Employees tell us what we need to know. We just need to listen and be able to interpret the results. We need to become proactive and not reactive in the future. The study of OB is vehicle we can use to interpret what we learn from individuals. The method is there. Why not use it to instigate change in our organizations? The results of our studies will become more and more useful as time goes on. We  are always changing, learning and adapting to different situations. OB will allow our organizations to change right along with the people that make it up. Works Cited Cohen, A. (2002). Survey says workers want balance. Sales and Marketing Management, 154(9), 13. Retrieved December 9, 2002 from EBSC Ohost database. Johnson, D. (2001). Climate control. Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, 35(9), 1-4. Retrieved December 9, 2002 from EBSC Ohost database. Robbins, S.P. (2001). Organizational behavior (Custom electronic text, University of Phoenix). Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing.

Glossary of Terms Regarding Evolution

Glossary of Terms Regarding Evolution Following are definitions of common terms referring to the Theory of Evolution that everyone should know and understand, though this is by no means a comprehensive list. Many of the terms are often misunderstood, which can lead to an inaccurate understanding of evolution. The links lead to more information on the topic: Adaptation: Changing to fit a niche or survive in an environment Anatomy: Study of the structures of organisms Artificial Selection: Characteristics selected by humans Biogeography: Study of how species are distributed across the Earth Biological Species: Individuals that can interbreed and produce viable offspring Catastrophism: Changes in species that happen because of quick and often violent natural phenomena Cladistics: Method of classifying species in groups based on ancestral relationships Cladogram: Diagram of how species are related Coevolution: One species changing in response to changes in another species that it interacts with, particularly predator/prey relationships Creationism: Belief that a higher power created all life Darwinism: Term commonly used as a synonym for evolution Descent With Modification: Passing down traits that might change over time Directional Selection: Type of natural selection in which an extreme characteristic is favored Disruptive Selection: Type of natural selection that favors both extremes and selects against the average characteristics Embryology: Study of the earliest stages of development of an organism Endosymbiotic Theory: Currently accepted theory as to how cells evolved Eukaryote: Organism made of cells that have membrane-bound organelles Evolution: Change in populations over time Fossil Record: All known traces of past life ever found Fundamental Niche: All available roles an individual can play in an ecosystem Genetics: Study of traits and how they are passed down from generation to generation Gradualism: Changes in species that happen over long periods of time Habitat: Area in which an organism lives Homologous Structures: Body parts on different species that are similar and most likely evolved from a common ancestor Hydrothermal Vents: Very hot areas in the ocean where primitive life might have begun Intelligent Design: Belief that a higher power created life and its changes Macroevolution: Changes in populations at the species level, including ancestral relationships Mass Extinction: Event in which large numbers of species died out completely Microevolution: Changes in species at a molecular or gene level Natural Selection: Characteristics that are favorable in an environment and are passed down while undesirable characteristics are bred out of the gene pool Niche: ​Role an individual plays in an ecosystem Organelle:Â  Subunit within a cell that has a specific function Panspermia Theory: Early theory proposing that life came to Earth on meteors from outer space Phylogeny: Study of relative connections between species Prokaryote: Organism made up of the simplest type of cell; has no membrane-bound organelles Primordial Soup: Nickname given to the theory that life started in the oceans from the synthesis of organic molecules Punctuated Equilibrium: Long periods of consistency of a species interrupted by changes that happen in quick bursts Realized Niche: Actual role an individual plays in an ecosystem Speciation: The creation of a new species, often from evolution of another species Stabilizing Selection: Type of natural selection that favors the average of the characteristics Taxonomy: ​Science of classifying and naming organisms Theory of Evolution: Scientific theory about the origins of life on Earth and how it has changed over time Vestigial Structures: Body parts that seem to no longer have a purpose in an organism