Wk 1 Case Study Essay Example for Free

Wk 1 Case Study Essay Economic development in the midsouth did not always have reliable access to transportation. This was devastative because much of their growth depended heavily on transportation. Midsouth Chamber of Commerce, MSCC, was formed by a group of legislators who wanted to push for more access to transportation. Midsouth Chamber of Commerce started off strong. They were an aggressive advocacy for their business community. Their growth over the years helped them turn their organization into a business, hitting the million dollar mark. It wasn’t long, however, before their growth took a turn. The company relied heavily on the sales and marketing functions. MSCC lost many contracts with corporations because they could not keep up with the wide spread use of the internet. That was when MSCC decided to hire Leon Lassiter to take control of their sales and marketing functions. Leon Lassiter joined the MSCC in the year 2000. According to the case study â€Å"Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems† Lassiter’s first task when joining the team was to review all of the programs, processes, and procedures of the company (par. 9). Right away he noticed that the information system was so  limited no one had access to do anything but the limited amount required by their job function. â€Å"No staff member had access to all the data necessary to operate the marketing and sales activities† (par. 9). Processes were done in steps starting from the lowest job level and then working its way to the top. To get one data request it would take approximately three days. Lassiter began to work with Wilson who was in charge of the operations division at MSCC. Though they did not agree with each other’s proposed plans for how the financial division should run, they both agreed to control costs. As time passed, the information systems of the company Kissell 3 grew. This brought necessary organizational changes. Staff changes were made to fall in line with the informational upgrades throughout the company. When this happened, the concern for top management arose. Lassiter and Wilson agreed that they would invest in the new information system created by a former consultant named Kovecki. Management and staff took well to the new work station arrangements. The new system, UNITRAK, helped reduce the costs of software. Unfortunately, this did not last long. They system continued to need upgrading and was never able to be implemented into the business. Lassiter continued to see disappointment with the UNITRAK. The time spent training employees on the system cost thousands of dollars, just for the materials to be forgotten. This case outlines the importance of a business and its technology. A company should always be prepared for change. MSCC did not seem like they were readily able to adapt to the change in information systems. The current situation is that the company is losing money each day the new software is not implemented. Kovecki is currently looking for a new job, but was hired by MSCC to build the companies new information system. In the future if MSCC continued to wait on Kovecki’s information system, money would be wasted. He was given months to provide MSCC with a process that worked, but has only been breaking down and not staying up to date. With the rate that MSCC is losing clients and money, waiting on Kovecki would be a mistake. He is clearly looking for a new job which implies that he has no interest in helping MSCC. It would he highly recommended that Lassiter and Wilson review their contract with Kovecki. If Kovecki does not complete the requested upgrade of the information software, they Kissell 4  will need to terminate working with Kovecki and look to a new informational software. MSCC was not prepared for the wide use of the internet. They used old processed from the time they originated which caused them to lose money. Although it was costly to implement a new information software, Lassiter was looking toward the best interest of MSCC’s future. Kissell 5 Work Cited Martin, E. , Brown, C. , Dehayes, D. , Hoffer, J. , Perkins, W. (2002). Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems. In Managing information technology (7th ed. , pp. 10-16). Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Prentice Hall.

MCB Bank Pakistan: SWOT and PEST Analysis

MCB Bank Pakistan: SWOT and PEST Analysis Jump to: SWOT Analysis of MCB | PEST Analysis of MCB | Porters Five Analysis of MCB | Ecological Factors Affecting MCB This report analyses the largest bank of Pakistan, MCB. MCB was founded over 50 years ago in Pakistan, it has got a network of over 1026 branches, 750 are automated branches and 300 MCB ATMS in 41 cities of Pakistan. MCB has a network of over 12 banks on the MNET ATM switch. The aim of MCB is to rationalize expenses, realignment of back and processing to increase productivity, enhancement of customer services, increase efficiency and control. MCB is the only bank of Pakistan which introduced the innovative concept of centralizing Trade Services in Pakistan by providing centralized foreign trade services to its branches with view to improve efficiency, expertise and reduce delivery cost. MCB is the only bank who has been able to receive The Euro Money Award for the fourth time in the last 5 years. Since 2001 to 2005 MCB has won the best bank in Pakistan and in 2000 the best domestic bank in Pakistan awards. All though MCB also has distinction in winning The Asia money award in 2004 an d 2005. It has been 10 years that MCB has been privatized. MCB core businesses are corporate, commercial and consumer banking. In year 2005 MCB was the only bank of Pakistan to become the preferred provider of quality financial services. Financial services in the country with profitability and responsibility. In the year 2005 MCB was the best employers in Pakistan to employee graduates. According to the results, MCB witnessed resilient operating performance in the first quarter of 2009 with healthy growth in balance sheet and key profitability indicators. Total assets of the bank swelled to Rs 456b with an increase of 3pc over Rs 444b as at December 2008 and increased by 15pc over Rs. 397b in March 2008. Deposits showed an increase of Rs. 8b over December 2008 and closed at Rs 338b i.e. a growth of 2pc over Dec 2008. In 2007, MCB reported a profit after tax of PKR16.4 billion (US$270 million) and generated a return on average equity of 38% and a net interest margin of 8.08%. The Banks asset quality is strong with a gross NPL ratio of 4.7% and provision coverage of 100%. At the end of year 2006 MCB Bank announced it Net Income Rs. 12,541M (US$ 206M) which was an increase of 36.1% over 2005. Net Interest Income was Rs. 21276M(US$ 349M) for the year 2006, which was a healthy increase of 42% over the same period last year, with the pre provision operating profit at Rs.20, 113M( US$ 330M), a 39% increase over last year. However, the year 2007-08 has been very tough years for Pakistans economy. It is due to different factors such as political and economic events took place within Pakistan. The above explained events such as disturbed political conditions, an unstable law and order situation; supply shocks; soaring oil, food and other commodity; prices; softening of external demand; and turmoil in the international financial market. SWOT Analysis of MCB Strengths MCB Bank has earned a reputation in the market for extending quality services to the market vis-Ã  -vis its competitors. It has earned a strong Brand name in banking in a very short span of time. As customer confidence in MCB escort it towards achieving their goals and objectives. It has the premier number of linked branches in the country. The bank operates through a network of 1026 BRANCHES and over 300 ATMs across Pakistan, hence enabling them to serve customer in superior way. MCB Bank has all the products under its belt, which help it to extend the relationship with existing customer. MCB Bank has umbrella of products to offer their customers, if once customer has relationship with the bank. Some Products, which MCB Banks offering are Retail Banking, Business Banking, Merchant Establishment Services (EDC Machine), Personal loans Car loans, Demit Services with E-Broking, Mutual Fund (MCB Banks the Distributor of all Mutual Fund), Insurance and Housing Loans. MCB is having an ed ge over other banks in case of Salary Accounts. Most of the companies are having their Salary Account with MCB even if their Current Account is with any other Bank. This is mainly because of the huge network of ATMs and branches of MCB. MCB is only Bank which is having its working hours from 8 to 8 for some branches which is one of the major strength of MCB Bank with respect to nationwide business Industry. MCB Banks known for its aggressive marketing of its products. Recent Endorsement of its product by famous celebrities and superior advertisement to attract more customers. From its inception, MCB Bank has adopted a policy of selecting internationally proven and specialized Packaged Systems for its technology. MCB banks technology platform has been acknowledged globally as one of the best in terms of robustness, flexibility and cost efficiency. MCB Banks in a position to leverage this platform to further build cost and service advantage. MCB has a strong management team and have a very impressive cash flow with an excellent financial performance. As MCB was awarded 1st Asian bank providing good return on saving and current account to its customers. Weaknesses The bank targets only the top grade of clients and does not cater to the needs of small customers. Due to this reason the bank may sometimes loose good clients. As well they have to concentrate on their online banking to attract more customers as their online banking service has a weak image in front of customers. MCB Bank has a defensive approach in lending. Mainly to IT ITES companies Bank do not provide loan as these companies are not having collaterals so bank hesitate in giving loans to them. Because of this policy companies prefer nationalized banks and MCB Banking turn sometimes loose potential customers. MCB Banks having little presence Outside Pakistan, because of which companies prefer MNC Bank, mainly united bank limited (UBL). So if MCB Bank tries to emerge outside Pakistan then it has a huge potential of customers. MCB aggressive marketing has rapidly increasing its customer base. They are not however, increasing the number of employees accordingly. This is leading to c orrosion of the standard of customer service. Opportunities MCB can improve insurance services to compete in market. MCB insurance premium is high and return on claim is less in percentage. As other insurance companies are convincing their customers to buy insurance policies. It has been noticed that MCB has not been recruiting properly and their business need experts in various tax policies and service of bank. MCB has associated itself with various social causes such as helping poor people for food and medical treatment on low charges. MCB can improve their customer service as there is always a room to add innovative techniques and polices which could lead to additional proficiency of the institution. MCB recently introduces Mobile banking service, but most of the customers are unaware of the service and MCB could work on adverting it to give benefits of it to their clients. Threats MCB is having sturdy competition in market with its competitors as some of them having their branches nationwide and internationally as well. MCB is ready to provide all kind of services to their clients online but they have to make it confidential that the data is being protected and secure and cannot be leaked to third party. Branch managers are allowed to take decisions on their own in regard to their branch but decisions made by individuals will be different and a single wrong decision could escort towards intense losses to the institution. MCB has been facing trouble in providing good service to uneducated customers to use electronic and computerized machines. PEST Analysis of MCB The analysis of MCB will take in to account the general environment analysis, the competitors analysis by comparing the products offered by the competitive banks and the departmental analysis. The general environment of takes in to account the external factors like politics, economy of Pakistan, socio-cultural factors and technology. Now we will analyze these factors one by one and check how these affect the working of MCB: Political The current situation of the government in Pakistan is directly affecting the policies of banks. However, MCB tries hard to keep its business away from the politics but it is not an easy task. MCB has no accounts of political leaders or parties. However, its Customer Service Department faces peer pressure from such political parties. As MCB is trapped in dual sanctions from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and from the European Union so the changing political environment is not so beneficial for the bank to operate freely. The changing policies of the government, affects SBP which in return affects the MCB rules and policies. The government of Pakistan has privatized most of the banks. The number of government owned banks have declined constantly, so these changes directly affect MCB. Economical The economy of any country has deep impact on any financial organization. Economic indicators include Gross Domestic Product (GDP), inflation, balance of payment, debt of the government. These below graphs will explain how economic conditions of Pakistan are adversely affecting the banking system of Pakistan. The pitiable economy of Pakistan and instable government is adversely affecting MCB and its different departments; recently MCB has redundant many of its employees. The economy of our Pakistan is very poor. Due to poor economy businesses are showing low profits and Pakistan stock market is in great danger. Pakistans foreign debts are rising day by day, so such a situation is a huge challenge for MCB to survive. Due to financial crisis in Pakistan the management of MCB has to face stressful situations and also working environment. At present the MCB is not extending loans but recovering the existing ones. Social MCB has been influenced by the socio-cultural factors. At present most of the European countries are keeping their eyes on Pakistan as being the terrorist country, so people of Pakistan are emotionally getting affected by it. Most of the foreign investments have been stopped in Pakistan. Pakistani people are traditionalists who do not like the modern banking environment of MCB. Some of the customers do not use ATMs they still prefer cash counters, so these kinds of socio-cultural factors affect the banking environment and its operations. Technological Technology has a deep influence on different kinds of organizations whether banks or any kind social welfare organizations. In MCB technology has great effect on the working environment. Mostly all banks use computers none of the banks keep data manually so the bank has to be continuously in touch with the modern ways of task performance. MCB is always ahead to introduce new computer systems for keeping its staff up to date. The intranet facility is playing an important role in enhancing the knowledge of staff. Due to technology that bank staff keeps in touch with the customers through e mail; ATMs and online banking is only possible due to technology. In this way technology is playing its key role in and is helping management to further improve its functions. Conclusion: Overall we can say that MCB is influenced by the economic position of Pakistan, which has stopped it from extending loans to the customers. After that the policies of MCB are also affecting its performance and free functioning. Social and technological issues are of secondary importance but they also cannot be neglected. MCB is focusing positively regarding technological issues but it should also keep its eye on the social cultural factors also. Porters Five Forces Analysis of MCB For further analysis of MCB environment, Porters Five Forces Analysis is also applied on the bank. This analysis takes in to consideration the following factors: Substitutes Substitution of one product with another one increases the competition within an industry. However, the perfect substitutes of banks are not available in the market at present, but people still have choices of saving or investing their money. The people can save their money in their own houses or they can deposit their money in the National Saving Centers (Banking Intermediaries) which give protection to their assets. Aside from saving one can invest money in stock market in form of shares / bonds or in real estate. These kinds of substitutes increase the competition in the banking sector. Competition There is tough competition between different banks. There is a huge variety of public and private banks already exist in the market, offering products on competitive prices. If we look at banking products (loans, savings and current accounts) then Alfalah Bank, Meezan Bank, Habib Bank and many others are offering wide range of products in this sector. The tough competition between these banks increases the challenge which the MCB have to face. The competition among various banks increases the switching of the customers form one banks product to the other bank. Threat of new entrants The banking sector of any country has always potential of growth and competition. Mostly foreign banks step in the developing countries for expanding their branches, not only this mergers between foreign and local banks take place at large scale but Pakistans present economic condition and government instability has arose the feelings of awe and terror among most of the foreign banks to enter in the market. In future due to uncertainty and security problems in Pakistan investors will not be willing to invest here. Due to overall financial problems in the whole world new banks will not be entering in to the banking industry. Power of buyer Bargaining power of buyer is low where the products substitutes are not available and customers are large in number. In case of banks there are lots of other banks and banking intermediaries, having wide range of products, so power of buyer in banking sector is high. The bank cannot force any customer to buy the desired product because this directly affects its reputation. However, the bank can convince its customers by giving them special discount or rewards. If we look at MCB we will find that the competitors are also offering products due to which customer feel in power by saying that they can go to some other bank in case of dissatisfaction. Bargaining power of suppliers The lending power of bank is enhanced by its depositors as they are suppliers of the bank. It allows bank to involve in other business activities to invest such as personal and business loans. The suppliers then get interest on their amount as profit earned by the bank. Banks need to concentrate on their policies as bargaining power of suppliers is very high and they move towards highest interest rates. Conclusion According to Porters Five Forces analysis we can say that MCB has no fear of new entrants due to the poor economic position of Pakistan. However, it should keep its eyes open regarding mergers of various banks. There are two big threats; firstly from the buyers who can go to the other banks and secondly form the substitutes like investment in stock market, so MCB should carefully examine its task environment. The Ecological Responsibilities of Muslim Commercial Bank (MCB) 3 different parts are mentioned in this section: How ecological factors affecting decision making and policy at MCB How effective the action taken towards ecological environment been so far (reducing waste, reducing carbon emission, reducing energy bills, reducing airtravel, investing in sustainable project) how these have gone up and have benefited the company. What other areas of improvement that you think they should be doing to improve response of ecological factorsthink about what other banks internationally have done and suggest something to MCB. The public responsibilities of corporations, according to Harvard management ( year ), are to grow and prosper thereby providing customer satisfaction, employment, taxes, and contributions to the economyand to control their hazards. According to Milton Friedman, the only social responsibility of a corporation is to make money, by striving after profit as an efficient agent of production, although he admits that the corporation should conform to the rules and norms of society. Corporate responsibility is more composite than a simple, linear cost/benefit analysis. Using the metaphor of corporation as organism, it is possible to outline a new set of responsibilities for corporations and a series of behaviors that human individuals and communities can practice to integrate corporate behavior into the communities. With an ecological model, the ecological responsibilities of corporations, to themselves, to nature, and to human communities, are described. At MCB profit making is an obligatory part of business, but not the sole reason for business. There for MCB ensures that it serves public goods as well as private interests. This is analogous to Ruth Benedicts original anthropological meaning of synergy as applied to individuals. In secure, nonaggressive societies, an individual serves his own advantage as well as that of the group with the same act. Institution ensures mutual advantage; the acts are mutually reinforcing. Economic recession may bring a re-examination of values, not only by individuals who have less material wealth, but by corporations that have emphasized growth. The public may insist that corporations consider social performance as well as strictly economic performance. The single economic purpose may only be the focus in a social environment.MCB is highly concerned about economic actions, such as where to build, who to relocate, hire, or dismiss, may be subjected to greater public scrutiny. Business cannot assert a primary self-interest at a cost to the public or environment. Corporations need to keep track of their environmental impacts. Many of the problems that corporations face are connected to the problems of the environment and society. Corporations need to work cooperatively to make sure the costs and benefits are extended equally throughout the system. They could start by sponsoring the rational use of rare resources through taxation, and by influencing the government to determine priorities for wilderness areas or special landscapes; beautiful, fragile, unique, or endangered ecosystems and species must be protected at the expense of commercial activity. With regards to ecological factors Muslim Commercial Bank have had considerable focus on the ecological diversities in the market some of the existing factors in addition to the future polices and practice have been discussed as under; The bank created a department with ecological authority to envision long-range plans and impacts. They have realized that they need to react more quickly to monitor their ecological and social environments for the emerging patterns that determine their future. They need to anticipate and participate in the social and natural framework. A new department, with global, anticipatory functions could provide direction and continuity. Such a department could be justified in the same manner as military forces. Military expenditure is a non-productive cost; its benefits are general and long-range, that is, it must discourage war in the next decade as well as in this one. Its scope of advice would include educational services as well as advertising, capital acquisitions as well as new products, and plant engineering as well as security. Plan all foreseeable consequences of a product. Advanced technology permits the power to change to overwhelm the ability to foresee the consequences of change. Avoiding the opposite actions of intentions (recognized by the Greeks as the operation of tragedy) is extremely difficult. Good intentions are not enough: Labor-saving devices may contribute to unemployment and social problems; foreign aid may result in starvation for more millions as local agriculture cannot compete; and the environmental management of some species for sustainable yield causes the population to collapse. The bank is determined to optimum corporate size and maintains it. As they perceive that after a point, growth results in inefficiency and non adaptability. Development, on the other hand, can continue for hundreds or thousands of years. A smaller size could mean more flexibility and faster response to local conditions. Recognize material limits. The global economy is probably too large already to be supported by the natural systems of the planet. Find an upper limit to the economy of scale. Accept limits to growth based on materials and on non-renewable or dangerous sources of energy. This should not limit development based on advancing technology and knowledge. Another factor which the bank could focus on is to adjust corporate strategies to changing values. Smaller social and cultural groups have different and diverging values, so corporations are going to have to adjust to a diversity of values instead of to a monolithic standard. The structure of power is disintegrating, with information replacing things as wealth. The knowledge-driven economy is more decentralized and customized. This moves us towards customization of production and away from mass production. Change the shape of the corporation to a framework coordinating separate divisions sharing information. Each division could react much more quickly to market conditions. MCB works to delineate a new information model of production in which the stages of a process (capital, materials, workers, design, advertising, selling) are simultaneous and synthesized. The conception of the product is extended from design (even customer contributions and design of working conditions) to aftercare, including ecologically safe retirement and disposal. The notions of efficiency and productivity are changing. Innovation and computer technology shortens product life cycles. Production diversity is increasing. Convert the information model to an understanding model. Information is just data without appropriate structure. Provide a structure and material base for understanding through communication, education, and training. Furthermore MCB promotes the principle of least effort, allowing the company to consume less, recycle, use longer, and avoid waste. Corporations could develop renewable energy sources. Conduct a complete series of audits, including an energy audit for every building. Reduce office costs through energy conservation planning. Use renewable energy sources. Energy and materials can be used and reused, flowing through the system. Cars are ecologically unacceptable forms of transport, yet companies intrinsically recognize them with large, free parking lots. Discourage commuting; encourage telecommuting or even alternate forms of transportation (bicycling, buses, and trains). Minimize wastes, for instance, by using permanent packaging (milk bottles and cola bottles can be reused forty or more times). Conduct a complete series of audits, including an environmental audit to determine negative impacts, from acid wastes or product disposal, and a problem audit, to include inherited problems. Produce a comprehensive annual impact statement. MCB ensures to maintain the health of natural communities, because environmental health is the basis for community health, and community health is the basis for economic health and worker health. The quality of life depends on the quality of the environment. If the environment is degraded to raise the quality of life, the effect is very limited and can never be self-sustaining. Fitting economic costs and needs to the limits of ecosystems and monitoring the economic process would reduce wastes and pressures on natural processes. The coupling of agricultural productivity to a solar budget, and the conscious restoration of degraded systems, would contribute to the health of ecosystems. The financial institution believes that sufficient wilderness would allow the self-maintenance of global cycles. With the increase in security, wealth, and self-esteem, human populations could be dependent on ecosystem productivities and still be diverse and unique. What made us human was that, in additio n to human social groups, we lived in communities with other species. We learned spontaneously from other animals and enjoyed their company. We are poor and malcontent without them. The management of the bank tends to be accountable for ecological impacts. They believe that the bank should be held more accountable for their technological impact. New technology is more closely regulated. They comprehend this by favoring open appraisal of new technologies. By studying the potential consequences, physical, social, and ecological, as far as possible into the future, of its innovations in information technology, they can gain credibility. Otherwise, it can wait and be forced by public and governmental pressure. Integrate loops and material flows; internalize cycles. The bank tends to avoid interference with natural processes. Technological processes have been brought into balance with the cycles of the earth. They must not damage or degrade natural cycles. Avoid unnecessary harm. It may be appropriate to use trees or to compete with black bears for tree use, but it is never wise to destroy the ecosystem of trees and bears. Laws on pollution and noxious wastes have been notoriously lax and sometimes wrong-headed. Minimal acceptable tolerances are legal, yet people often prefer zero amounts of many substances. Minimal compliance with them is virtuous for many companies, but it would be better to lead to higher standards. Work toward setting zero-level goals. Do not dump exotic or dangerous wastes. Do not discharge quantities of safe wastes. The Corporation maintains building and plants in thousands of locations, each requiring support. Convert to ecological grounds practices. Forgo economic development of key ecosystems, which should not be available for human use. Consider adjusting the economic pace to natural rates; do not cut trees, for instance, faster than they grow. Consider minimizing use of ecosystem productivity to the net ecosystem productivity, rather than the gross productivity, especially as regards fisheries. Another influential feature of MCB is to promote ecological design; the institution is becoming a more responsible member of the community. Thus it would encourage an ecological approach to systems and processes in the whole environment, where the product, with its plant, engineers, and advertisers, is a link in a long biomorphic chain stretching from knives to surgical microchip memory implants. Ecological design has important characteristics for responsible technology: The products are designed by interdisciplinary teams considering all parameters and consequences; ecological sciences offer creative insights into design through a search for underlying organic principles; the product must be related to the particular environment, the tool is a link between human and environment. It is hard to protect communities when the way most business is done tends to disrupt community life. Because of its size, power, and intention (often just for profit), the corporation should take higher risks not lower than the surrounding communities. This will ensure the safety of products and wastes. The work place is not just collection of individuals. It is a number of groups. Group interaction can change attitudes. A working community can build mutual responsibility. Show proper behavior; learn community etiquette. The bank can design the corporate structure and size for the community. Limit unnecessary movement or disruption. Plan the shape, size, and products of the corporation to fit the local community. Encourage self-reliance in communities. Communities can be self-reliant: By producing enough food and shelter; by limiting their population to what can be produced; by using local products and raw materials (soil, minerals, plants); by using general and not specialized machines; by having multipurpose factories; by networking with other communities, and; by doing without things that are not needed, e.g., bombs, food additives, or plastic bottles. Muslim commercial bank is an ecological corporation and could use corporate buying power to promote acceptable technologies and discourage unacceptable practices. Deal less with nuclear weapons contractors and more with solar energy companies. Deal less with one-shot paper companies and more with recycling paper companies. Boycott paper companies involved in Rainforest destruction or old-growth forest destruction. Avoid banks that invest in anything that brings a high return, from third-world debt to Amazonian destruction and South African discrimination. Favor peace-oriented companies as business partners. And, refuse to participate in work that is socially destructive. Economic development and social progress are necessary for the welfare of humanity, but must be conducted with environmental knowledge. The goal of economics and politics is to provide suitable and comfortable human habitations and meaningful activities. Human settlements must be planned and constructed within environmental constraints and according to ecological priorities. Work to preserve the structure of the natural and social communities. Corporations can encourage decentralization and restore schools, clinics, and shops to local communities. Offer cooperative control with the community. Change the pattern of ownership to reflect employee and community participation. The bank is promoting ecological education. Encouraging cultural traditions; refusing to let social and spiritual needs be subverted by economic ends. Helping to lead the young into their adult responsibilities through training and participation, such as with apprenticeship programs. They could also educate people in appropriate ways to achieve wealth and well-being. Teach appreciation of the services rendered by nature through flows and cycling. Point out the unexpectedness of the consequences of even simple corporate interventions and innovations, e.g., positive feedback, biological concentration of poisons, and synergetic effects of simple new chemicals like CFCs. Trace the complex and reciprocal relations of soil, climate, vegetation, and human activity. Emphasize that a fixed set of ecological parameters in an ecosystem cannot be maintained in a sustainable way, because the system is dynamic and changing. Put computers in proper perspective. Children do not need computers to dev elop the powers of thought, but they do need an ecological curriculum where animals display greater powers of mind than computers or machines. The important technological advantages of a computer, word-processing, database searches, complex connections, and rapid computation, are not really needed before high school, unlike myths, languages, and physical activities. Encourage people to take responsibility for all of their actions, from reproduction to consumption and politics. The responsibility for the welfare of the citizens belongs in the community, as does education, safety, and the whole infrastructure. Corporate management is responsible for developing programs to set goals, modify structures, and introduce criteria to measure progress. The Board of Directors is responsible, as the architects of responsibility and stewards of the human and material resources; the government is responsible, in its legislative, judicial, and regulatory functions.

Conspiracy Theories Explained

Conspiracy Theories Explained Introduction â€Å"Conspiracy theory† is a subject that awakens our sense of interest and curiosity. Knowing that what we are told may not be true, makes us want to know more about that subject and, sometimes, any other theory that comfort us, seems more legit. These theories are like a darker side of some huge events, that the government and/or other secret facilities want to hide from the society, and the society tends to be suspicious, leading to an uncertainty about the official statements. This subject is very exciting for our group because it’s something that makes us curious and it has to do with our possible future job as part of the media. We also chose this theme because we think it’s a very good way to develop the interest of our school mates, to be more curious and develop their sense of investigation. A person who’s curious about something like theories of conspiracy is a person that is curious about everything and that’s very important in social communication students like us. Furthermore, curiosity has always been one of the most important characteristic of human beings, because if we weren’t curious, we wouldn’t have discovered how to make fire yet. Ana Rita Rebelo What are Conspiracy Theories and why do people tend to believe them? The word â€Å"conspiracy† comes from Latin, con (with) and spirare (breathe). By joining â€Å"breathing† and â€Å"with†, we get whispering, which presuppose a secret. So, conspiracy is a group of people who act in secret. Conspiracy theories are non-proven alternative explanations for facts or events, usually created by someone or a group who has an opinion that goes against the official version of the same episode. The creators and fans of those theories that are supported and confirmed by respectable institutions or highly credible people, are usually sceptics about the explanations that is given to the society, so they come up with theories that reveal an â€Å"alleged secret plan, led by a secret alliance of powerful organizations and individuals† (Freedman 2000)[1]. The majority of people, who believe on these kinds of theories, have lost their faith in politics, or on the hierarchical power that rules the country. Those leaders in charge are considered to be double-crossers and ruthless people, so any official explanations that come from them are immediately declined or causes a lot of uncertainty within society. This leads to an increased reliability in any other unofficial explanation. Other common feature in believers of conspiracy theories is fear. If, for example, it had occurred a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, we would feel powerless and panicking, so we would more easily believe in any theory that can comfort us, even if it goes against the official explanation and if it can’t be proved. Ana Rita Rebelo How do people create theories of conspiracy? 1- Define your Conspiracy subject matter Choosesomething people find puzzling,conspiracy theories develop where people are mystified, confused and curious. People have the in need to feel that there is sense in what happens in the world, thats why when we dont understand them we’ll make a story/theory for why events happen. 2 Make sure what you choose to explain is significant to enough readers. If your subject isnt significant to other people they wont even give you the time to explain your theory cause theyre not into it, so if you want your theory to spread, be known and have followers/supporters youll have to choose an interesting subject, not just for you bur for others, something with a big impact in society and the world. 3 Identify the agents responsible for the Conspiracy You always have to find someone to put the blame on, normally people dont easily accept the fact that things happened because it was supposed to, like when a natural disaster occurs some people accept that it wasnt our fault, others have to find someone to put the blame on and accuse as the culprit. 4 Connect the Dots Make the links between the subject you chose and the actors (those responsible for the conspiracy), revealing what has been industriously hidden by the conspirators until now. Some examples of the conspiracy theories are the Escape of Adolf Hitler and the planning of 11th September. Ana Rita Loureiro Examples of Conspiracy Theories There are documents that â€Å"prove† that Hitler didn’t committed suicide in 1945, after knowing that Nazis didn’t won the war. Moreover, it’s believed that he escaped in a submarine to Argentina. Two journalists, Simon Dunstan and Gerrard Williams, wrote Grey Wolf: The Escape Of Adolf Hitler that talks about the journey till his arrival, and the life he had in Argentina. Some people even believed that the famous skull that have the bullet hole of Hitler’s suicide is not his head, but â€Å"RochusMisch, Hitler’s former radio operator and the last survivor of the Berlin bunker, says he saw the bodies of ‘the boss’ and Eva Braun with his_own_eyes.†[2] About 11th September, many people refuse the official story. Many of them believe that the attack was generated by the US government, to provide political benefits to the country. Supposedly, the plan was explained to terrorists so that they could prepare the attack because, f or the society, is almost impossible to believe that 19 terrorists managed to cause all that chaos and destruction for themselves. In the Internet, there is a theory that says that if we write in the Word â€Å"Q33 NY† in the font â€Å"wingdings†, we obtainà ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã… ½Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ Ã¢â€ž ¢, which reminds us of the attack that caused the crash of the twin towers and the death of a lot of US citizens. People who are fan of the theories of conspiracy begin to make some associations. Catarina Pereira How the Government mutes the Social Media? Sometimes, a few journalists tend to investigate by their own something that they think it has to be investigated, even when their superiors stop that investigation. When they try to find out the truth about something that the government doesn’t want them to find, what does the Government do? Conspiracy theories begin when journalists try to find the truth and try to tell the people what they’ve discovered, but when the government doesn’t want that truth to come out, it’s quite easy to just mute the journalists that tried to speak to the society. A journalist is powerless compared to the government, so the government just speaks to the people and say â€Å"that’s not true†, even when the journalists have a lot of evidences. The government has a lot more influence on the society because we all know the power they have. Even if we consider believing that the conspiracy is true, the government can easily change our minds with the influence they have over the society, even over the social media. Some people can’t even consider to believe in what the media say because of the influence that the government as over them. In the other hand, people that believe in the conspiracy theories don’t listen to the government. Those people feel powerless about something and don’t trust the political power and, sometimes, people that have evidence on their own, who saw or had experienced something, made them believe that conspiracy theories are actually true. Ana Margarida Dinis Conclusion In one hand, we all know that Conspiracy theories are not easy to believe because it lacks of evidence and sustainable proves. But in the other hand, it’s a fact the people always tend to believe in theories and convictions that can comfort us, and sometimes, all the mystery involving some events, makes us a little bit more curious, wary and open minded to this speculations. As Dan Brown says in Da Vinci Code, â€Å"Everyone loves a conspiracy.† Television, but mostly Internet, are the greatest boosters to make people believe in conspiracy theories. We found an article about this subject in a famous Portuguese magazine, that says that â€Å"World Wide Web gives voice to a lot of crazy and scary conspiracy theories about everything people can imagine. To more depressing to the funnier, going through the absurd (†¦)†[3]. There are some sceptical people who despite this theories, and also people who consider them ridiculous. But we, as a bio, psico, socio and cultural beings, believe that even if we aren’t sure about something, we have to keep an open mind and we can’t reject it without knowing at least a little bit about the subject. Ana Rita Rebelo Webgraphy BRAIN, Marshall (n.d.). How Conspiracy Theories Work. How stuff Works?.  Available inhttp://people.howstuffworks.com/conspiracy-theory.htm [Consulted  in 19th May, 2014] DEWSBURY, Rick; HALL, Allan HARDING, Eleanor (18th October, 2011).  Did Hitler and Eva Braun flee Berlin and die (divorced) of old age in   Argentina?. Daily Mail. Available in http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050137/Did-Hitler-Eva-Braun-flee-Berlin-die-old-age-Argentina.html  [Consulted in 19th May, 2014] ScienceDaily (28th November, 2012); Porque as pessoas acreditam em teorias  da conspiraà §Ãƒ £o?. Hypescience. Available in http://hypescience.com/porque-as-pessoas-acreditam-em-teorias-da-conspiracao/ [Consulted in 19th May,  2014] SILVA, Sandra (2010). Teorias da Conspiraà §Ãƒ £o: Seduà §Ãƒ £o e Resistà ªncia a partir   da Literacia Medià ¡tica. Tese de Mestrado, Faculdade de Letras da  Universidade do Porto. Available in http://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/bitstream /10216/55681/2/TESEMESSANDRASILVA000126278.pdf [Consulted in 19th  May, 2014] Teorias da conspiraà §Ãƒ £o que correm na Internet (29th April, 2014). Visà £o.  Available in http://visao.sapo.pt/teorias-da-conspiracao-que-correm-na-internet=f778634 [Consulted in 21th May, 2014] [1]Available in SILVA, Sandra (2010). Teorias da Conspiraà §Ãƒ £o: Seduà §Ãƒ £o e Resistà ªncia a partir da Literacia Medià ¡tica. Tese de Mestrado, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto. Available in http://repositorio- aberto.up.pt/bitstream /10216/55681/2/TESEMESSANDRASILVA000126278.pdf [Consulted in 19th May, 2014] [2]Available in DEWSBURY, Rick; HALL, Allan HARDING, Eleanor (18th October, 2011). Did Hitler and Eva Braun flee Berlin and die (divorced) of old age in Argentina?.Daily Mail. Available in http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article- 2050137/Did-Hitler-Eva-Braun-flee-Berlin-die-old-age-Argentina.html[Consulted in 19th May, 2014] [3]AddaptedfromTeorias da conspiraà §Ãƒ £o que correm na Internet (29th April, 2014). Visà £o. Available in http://visao.sapo.pt/teorias-da-conspiracao-que-correm-na-internet=f778634 [Consulted in 21th May, 2014]

King Henry Iv Part 1 - Hal :: essays research papers

Shakespeare gives the reader the opportunity to view the timeless duplicity of a politician in Prince Hal of Henry IV, Part 1. Instead of presenting a rather common hero, Shakespeare sharpens the both sides of the sword and makes Hal a deceitful prince. In order to portray accurately the treachery and fickleness of Hal, Shakespeare must provide Hal with models to follow, rivals to defeat, and a populace to convince. Although Hal would not have to grovel for votes from England's populace to become king, he does understand the problems of being an unpopular ruler from witnessing his father's problems. So Hal needs to persuade a general population that he is competent in order to remain a king once he has obtained the throne. Shakespeare wants the play to seem sympathetic to Hal, and he wants Hal to convince the audience (populace) himself.Therefore, Hal's fraudulence is hidden in undertones and slips of the tongue which he makes throughout the play. The first indication of this comes at his soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1. It would be impossible for a reasonable man to have boozed and bummed all of his teen years and suddenly renounce his life and become reborn. There is an amoral quality to Hal that allows him to change allegiances as political winds would call it wise. But it is not just amorality that makes Hal a politician - he desires power as well. His amorality culminates in his eulogies for Hotspur and Falstaff with the greatest grasp of power he makes in the play. After he gives them and Falstaff is found alive, he realizes that he has made a slight blunder and backs off a bit, allowing Falstaff some room to remain. But while he delivers them, he is at his best, being the worst. His basic behavior appears king-like, but the subtleties show his utter disregard for those who love him and his calculating mind making political estimates so that he can secure the throne.Even though Hal is an amoral huckster, he must be able to convince others of his worthiness for the play to work. Therefore, Shakespeare must spend most of Hal's speeches using a convincing tone. He will use the overtones and most of the direct meanings of what Hal says to convey a thoughtful prince; he will use the undertones and occasional slips to give insight to the reality of Hal's persona.

Prejudice and Stereotyping in the Movie, Crash :: Film Movies Racism Race

Prejudice and Stereotyping in the Movie, Crash "Crash" is a movie that exposes different kinds of social and multicultural differences, giving us a quick example of how these conducts affect our society. Two of the behaviors observed, are Prejudice and Stereotyping. Identified as the causes of where all the events eradicate. These behaviors are viewed as thoughts and feelings that almost everyone has felt more than once. In the first scene we observe a Muslim man inside a firearm store, attempting to buy a gun. The owner is a white Caucasian male that presents a negative attitude towards the customer because of his Muslim background. This feeling triggers in the owner, negative attitudes based on the assimilation and stereotypes with the Muslim race. Being immediately associated with the Al Qaeda terrorist group, which was responsible for suicidal bombers that have killed thousand of Americans. This negative attitude and violence observed in this particular scene, is an example of Prejudice, known as a negative feeling and predisposition of behavior towards a group or any member belonging to that group (**). It is an issue that although it has always existed in humanity, it would be though to have dissipated in the 21st century. Taking in count that now in the in days we are better informed and educated to understand that one group's actions shouldn't be applied to stereotype the whole race. As far as personal experience, living in Miami,-Florida, as a none-Cuban Latin, makes it easier to have an insight in all kinds of prejudice and stereotypes within the same Hispanic society. This behavior makes it hard to not feel negatively judged by others who do belong to the majority group. Unfortunately prejudice is not simply an attitude that remains internal to its owner; it impacts behavior. When negative attitudes on the basis of differences translate into behavior, we have as a result, discrimination and the social inequity it produces. Therefore, efforts to reduce prejudice are well advised to take the social context into consideration when focusing on the individuals' attitudes. This is an issue not only found in America but in the whole world. In our global economy requiring functional and respectful relationships between nations, prejudice and stereotypes can be a destructive force both in the world and in individual societies, especially in diverse ones. Prejudice becomes threatening when it reaches its most extreme form, known as Bigotry.

Death and What Next? Essay

A living human can only be one hundred percent sure of one thing, that is that there is life on Earth. Although there is believed to be an afterlife some people may think that the idea of an afterlife has been made up to make people feel easier about death. In a way I believe that this is both true and false. I think that often an afterlife is spoken about to comfort the emotions of people but I do believe that there is an afterlife in heaven. The one, most definite thing is that you will die. Some people believe that the person you are during your life determines whether you will go to heaven or hell and this is decided by a supreme power. Suggestions say that the ‘Afterlife’ gives justice for what has happened in a person’s earthly life. Most religions believe that something happens to us after we die, for Christians our destination after death is Heaven or Hell whereas in the Old Testament of Judaism, Jews believed in a place called ‘Sheol’ meaning ‘Pit or ‘Grave’ The basic principles of life after death for the Christian Faith is that if you have had a ‘Good’ life on earth then you will enter heaven but if you have had a ‘Bad’ life on earth then you will surely go too hell. But what about Salvation? Salvation is the confession of sins even at the very last moment. This would mean that as long as a Christian confessed his sins too God and was truly sorry for his actions then they would be allowed into Heaven regardless of their life on earth, thus inferring that everyone has the chance to enter heaven, if such a place exists, as long as they are able to confess their sins. It is often said that â€Å"Heaven is only for those who believe in Jesus Christ and who have received Salvation† I personally do not believe that heaven is only for those who believe in Jesus Christ because in today’s society, the church does not play as large a part as it has previously. People today have their own opinions, views and choices whereas is past years it has always been a custom to ‘Belong’ to a church. Most Christians, who believe in Jesus Christ and have received salvation, will in theory enter heaven. St Paul – â€Å"I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love; neither death nor life, neither angels not heavenly rulers†¦neither the world above nor the world below†¦ through Jesus Christ our Lord. I also don’t believe that God would ever refuse an honest, hard-working person into heaven based on the fact that they did not believe in him during their life on Earth. After all, they will be proved wrong when they enter heaven anyway. â€Å"Do not let your hearts be troubles, believe in God and also in me.† A Christian funeral is usually a burial or a cremation, the dead body is often taken by the undertaker where it is embalmed and then laid in a wooden coffin. The coffin is then transported to the church or crematorium in a Hurst which is a large car which is usually Black in colour. Before the body is buried or cremated a service is held to celebrate the life of the deceased. â€Å"We have entrusted or brother/sister to God’s merciful keeping and now we commit his/her body to the ground (or be burned). Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, who died was buried and rose again for. To him be glory for ever and ever†¦. Amen† This is the final statement made by the minister at the ceremony before the body of the deceased person is finally laid to rest. Some people may argue that there is Life after Death and others may argue that there is no life after death. None of this can possibly be proven true to people on earth. The only way we found out is to proceed through our life to the end where we shall find out. Personally I like to think that when I die it is not the end and I will go to ‘another’ place.

Bargaining Power Is the Ability to Influence the Setting of Prices

Bargaining power is the ability to influence the setting of prices. Buyer power refers to the ability of customers of the industry to influence the price and terms of purchase. The bargaining power of customers is also described as the market of outputs. The ability of customers to put the firm under pressure, which also affects the customer's sensitivity to price changes. Bargaining power of buyers occurs when leverage is given to the buyer and demand for lower prices, increased quality and more services are made.The amount of power enjoyed by a buyer group maybe determined by the concentration of buyers or volume of purchase. Additional occasion for high levels of buyer’s power may occur when the purchase represents a large portion of the buyer’s overall expenditures, if differentiation and switching costs are low, if there is likelihood of backward integration and if the buyer is fully informed about demand, market prices and supplier cost. The power of buyers is the impact that customers have on a producing industry.In general, when buyer power is strong, the relationship to the producing industry is near to what an economist terms a monophony a market in which there are many suppliers and one buyer. Under such market conditions, the buyer sets the price. In reality few pure monopolies exist, but frequently there is some asymmetry between a producing industry and buyers. The following tables outline some factors that determine buyer power. Buyers are Powerful if: Buyers purchase a significant proportion of output distribution of purchases or if the product is standardized. or example-Circuit City and Sears' large retail market provides power over appliance manufacturers. Buyers are weak if: Buyers are fragmented, no buyer has any particular influence on product or price. For example in garments industry there are so many kinds of customers there in the market. Prices are set by supply and demand and the market reaches the Pareto-optimal point where the highest possible number of buyers are satisfied at a price that still allow for the supplier to be profitable. In garments industry some of them are facing powerful buyers and some are facing weak buyers. ike sub-dealer of boo tic stores have a limited set of potential clients, each commanding a large share of their market these industries are having strong buyers. When retailers face individual consumers with little or no power at all that means now the garments industry has a weak buyer. In the garments industry it is economically feasible for buyers to follow the practice of purchasing the input from several suppliers rather that one. The products are unimportant to the quality of the customer's product or service.The buyers pose a threat of integrating backward to make the garments industry's products. In the garments industry the supplying industry is comprised of large numbers of relatively small sellers. They are concentrated and buy in large volume. The bargaining power of customers is also described as the market of outputs. The ability of customers to put the industry under pressure, which also affects the customer's sensitivity to price changes. These factors change with time and firm's choice of buyers-groups should be regarded as an important element in strategic decision-making.