Monday, September 30, 2019

The Haunted Palace

â€Å"The Haunted Palace† Everyone has seen a once beautiful estate fallen into disrepair: expensive satin curtains, ripped and stained; high support columns, broken and crumbling; moss covering the once brightly painted exterior. People look at it, sigh with disappointment at what was and no longer is, and then move on. The cause of ruin is rarely known, but the effects are clear. This is the scene portrayed in Edgar Allen Poe’s â€Å"The Haunted Palace. † Poe paints a picture of an elegant manor with spectacular features that comes under the influence of evil and thus falls to pieces.Upon closer inspection, though, the reader begins to see that the meaning of the poem delves much deeper than the destruction of a house: it is the destruction of the human mind that truly concerns Poe. The double meaning is central to the poem and once the pattern of symbolism is established, the other details fall nicely into place. Poe uses diction to establish the brilliance th at pervades the house and symbolism within the poem equating the house to a human mind to demonstrate its susceptibility to corruption.Poe’s diction emphasizes the initial majesty of the house. At first, the house is â€Å"radiant† (4), â€Å"glorious† (9), â€Å"happy† (17), â€Å"fair† (26), â€Å"sparkling† (28), and â€Å"beaut[iful]† (31). Poe goes as far as saying that â€Å"good angels tenanted† the house (2) and the home is softer and kinder than angels’ clothing (7). Then, in the fifth stanza, the scene changes drastically: the palace is no longer majestic and stately, it is inhabited by evil and is in disarray. It is now permeated by â€Å"sorrow† (33) and is â€Å"desolate† (35).The sudden shift from uplifting words to mournful ones alerts the reader to the dire change that has taken place in the house. After a second reading, the audience begins to notice a pattern of symbolism. Poe equates the â€Å"Thought’s dominion† (5), â€Å"banners,† (9), â€Å"windows† (18), â€Å"door† (26), and â€Å"Echoes† (29) to a human’s head, hair, eyes, mouth, and voice. The hair is flowing and beautiful, the eyes are understanding and see everything transparently, the mouth has ruby gums and pearly teeth, and the voice carries in it the wit and wisdom of the mind it speaks for.It is clear that this mind has brilliant ideas (â€Å"spirits†) (19) constantly formulating and expanding within it. The reader is, presumably, familiar with the sight of a mansion that is clearly luxurious. The reader may not, however, be able to picture a clearly brilliant mind. Poe’s use of symbolism enables the reader to visualize the brilliance and wealth of the â€Å"monarch’s† mind prior to its destruction. Symbolism is still essential to the poem in the final stanzas, even though the scene has changed.The once magnificent mansion ha s been invaded by evil. The windows are now â€Å"red-litten† (42), meaning the eyes are red and evil. The spirits still move through the house (the ideas still move in the mind), but now in a distorted way. Instead of Echoes (a voice) full of wisdom, a â€Å"hideous throng† (47) rushes out of the door (the mouth), that will â€Å"laugh – but smile no more† (48). The eerie mad laughter escaping the mouth of the â€Å"king† is the most horrifying aspect of change.Where the â€Å"king’s† mind was once strong and productive, constantly growing, it is now perverted and ruined. The reader can see the house: paint chipped, windows broken, a manifestation of evil. This comparison allows the reader to picture the broken mind of the once great â€Å"king. † The mansion looked impenetrable, invulnerable. But it was nevertheless the victim of evil. The mind was corrupted in the same manner and Poe’s symbolism allows for a more tang ible representation of the process.Poe’s use of symbolism and diction provide a concrete description of the mind’s destruction when compared to the destruction of a great estate. The drastic change in diction from words of elegance and reverence to words of sorrow and despair demonstrate the magnitude of the change occurring in the house and mind. The symbolism allows the reader to more accurately envision the process and effects of the mind’s devastation as it can envision a house falling to pieces. Poe’s techniques allow the reader to solidify an abstraction in order to comprehend it.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Financial Aid

Federal regulations require students to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in three areas- cumulative GPA, hours earned or completion rate, and maximum timeframe – to be eligible for financial aid. It is the student’s responsibility to stay informed of the University’s SAP standards and to monitor their progress, through our Banner system. A complete description of VSU SAP policy for financial aid purposes can be found on the VSU website at www.vsu.edu , click 1) Financial Aid, 2) General Information and 3)Satisfactory Academic Progress. Extenuating or Mitigating Circumstances;An appeal can be submitted if a student’s failure to be in compliance with one or more areas of SAP is due to events beyond the student’s control. If such mitigating circumstances can be documented for the specific semester(s) when the deficiencies occurred, the student may submit this completed SAP Appeal, along with all required documentation. Submission of the ap peal does not guarantee approval.Students appealing to reinstate eligibility; you are granted one opportunity to appeal, (no repeat appeals), however re-evaluation for more than once is based on a case-by-case basis. Those students may not submit an appeal for the same previous reasonSupporting DocumentationTo confirm your extenuating circumstance(s), you must attach documentation from an objective third party (Example: Physician, counselor, lawyer, social worker, teacher, religious leader, academic advisor, VSU Counseling Center). Documentation must be on official letterhead and verify that extenuating circumstances occurred during the timeframe referenced in your appeal. In cases of death of an immediate family member, provide a copy of the death certificate or obituary. Appeals without supporting documentation will not be reviewed.Reinstatement of AidA financial aid Staff member will notify you of the decision by mail or via email to your official VSU email account. If your appea l is approved your financial aid is reinstated for the current semester. Eligibility is not retroactive to a prior term. If your appeal is denied you may choose to apply for an alternative loan. All decisions of the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Committee are final and not subject to further appeal.Appeal DeadlineSAP appeal and supporting documentation must be received by the VSU Office of Student Financial Aid by June 20 for the fall semester and January 6 for the spring semester. Summer appeals must be submitted prior to the first day of classes. Appeals received after these dates will be considered for the following semester. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate an appeal before the specified deadline.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Case study effective leaders Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effective leaders - Case Study Example Often, the variation is attributed to the leadership as well as the type of people these two types of leaders govern. Extraverted leadership often involves commanding the center of attention by not only being outgoing and assertive, but also bold, talkative as well as dominant. Introverted leadership, on the other hand, involves listening to other people’s opinion before making any decision in an organization. In relation to this, the paper expounds on extraverts are not the best bosses. In relation to this description, it is apparent that pairing extraverted leaders with employees who speak out often result in a conflict. On the other hand, it is evidenced that paring introverted leaders with employees who speak out result to high productivity. In regard to this claim, one can affirm that introverted managers have the potential of maximizing the productivity of proactive employees. In other words, extraverted managers can only work best with passive employees. Unfortunately, passive behaviors are not important in a dynamic as well as uncertain economy (Analyzing Effective Leaders, 2010). Extraverted leaders are the main contributors of low innovativeness and activeness of employees. Such leaders often feel threatened by the activeness of employees; they fear employee proactivity. In tandem with this claim, it is evident that pairing of such leaders with proactive employees hampers with the success of an organization. In most occasions, proactive employees lose the morale of working hard when responded to in a less receptive way by an extraverted leader. Additionally, the poor relationship between extraverted leader and employees make employees mean in that they avoid sharing ideas that could enhance creativity and innovation. Personality conflicts in most organizations are also as a result of the practice of extraverted leadership. These conflicts frequently result to a power struggle within organization

Friday, September 27, 2019

Data mining approach for smoking cessation management system using Research Paper

Data mining approach for smoking cessation management system using M-health - Research Paper Example Available programs are expensive and do not met the standard of common citizen. Development of a cheap and more avoidable mean, using readily available material like mobile phones will assist smokers who want to quit smoking (Abroms, Padmanabhan, Thaweethai & Phillips, 2011, p-279). Data mining is process of extracting valuable information on given subject from data store. The information will then be used to give conclusion on subject matter. Different variables of smokers like age, sex are extracted using different techniques like classification, recognition and clustering. It is then used to monitor smoking cessation process. The m-health system will guide smoker quit smoking by providing online help and assistance through use of mobile technology this is accessible to almost everyone (Abroms, Padmanabhan, Thaweethai & Phillips, 2011, p-280). The system will assist smokers cheaply quit smoking using m-health and data mining technique. The program was motivated by the consequences of smoking on the public health and economy of the country, and will be targeting smoking in Saudi Arabia. (Bassiony,

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Iran hostage crisis and its effect on Iranian American Immigrants Essay

Iran hostage crisis and its effect on Iranian American Immigrants - Essay Example The takeover was planned by a student named Ebrahim Asgharzadeh. He invited people who shared his views to join his plan. On the morning of November 4, 1979, around 300-500 students surrounded the American embassy and took it over very shortly. The students demanded that Shah Reza must be returned to Iran, trialed and executed. Besides that, they also demanded an apology from the US for meddling unnecessarily in the internal affairs of Iran and the release of Iran’s frozen assets in the US. The takeover was intended to be only for a short while but as its popularity grew in the country and it also won Khomeini’s support, it was prolonged. There were a few rescue attempts but they failed. A number of delegations were sent to request the release of the hostages but the students insisted that their demands must be met first. The takeover resulted in transfer of 50 tones of gold from America to Iran. The hostages were released as soon as the US President, Jimmy Carter stepped down and Ronald Reagan was elected as the new President. This takeover lasted for an extraordinary length of time and resulted in strained US-Iran relations. The new situation proved very dire for Iranian Immigrants in the US. Iranians in America had excelled in business, academics and sciences. But after the revolution, the relations between both countries were strained. Iranians were considered as terrorists. They were treated as second class citizens. Their rights were not catered by the Government as compared to U.S citizens. The Iranian immigrants were ignored in every field of life. Americans showed distrust and hatred for them. Iranian immigrants were subjected to discrimination and prejudice in the U.S. instead of reactive solidarity; however some religious minorities from Iran opted to dissociate themselves from their nationality. Muslim immigrants were not provided with this option because they were largely secular and nationalistic. Even the commercial

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Easy A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Easy A - Essay Example The next Monday, the two goes to the bathroom, and Rhiannon asks about Olive’s encounter with the college student. Olive lies that she lost her virginity with the fictitious boyfriend on the same weekend. Marianne (Amanda Bynes) overheard the conversation. She then proceeded to spread the rumor about Olive’s promiscuity (Devine, Easy A). Marianne, the religious fanatic, and the school’s chastity queen, blames Olive unexpectedly about her promiscuity. Olive wears a cloth of a notorious student. During the English class, she identifies herself as Hester Prynne, the woman condemned by her neighbors in the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Devine, Easy A). Olive confides the truth to her bullied gay friend, Brandon, suggesting to her to lie that he had slept with a girl. Brandon asks for help from Olive, and the two pretends to have had sex in a party. Olive’s reputation degrades. Outcast boys offer to pay Olive so as to improve their image too (Devine, Easy A). Her new power even worked for adults. The teacher Mr. Griffith, and his estranged wife, the guidance counselor who ends up entangled in embarrassments. She finally lost control of the situation and had to take an attitude to revert it. The main female character is Olive Penderghast. The real name of the actor is Emma Stones. In the film, she makes an innocent lie to avoid camping with her best friend, Rhiannon, together with her weird parents. She claims she had gone on a date while she had spent the weekend doing tedious things like singing alone in the room, painting her nails and the nails of her dog (Devine, Easy A). Another female character is Marianne, Amanda Bynes. She is the righteous religious girl in the film. She lights the fuse on olive’s lie and goes ahead in spreading it. Rhiannon, Aly Michalka, is also a female character in the film. She sets peak in the play (Devine, Easy A). Olive Penderghast, the virgin high school girl, never wanted to

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Briefing a Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Briefing a Case - Essay Example was an appeal against the decision of Erie County Court of Common Pleas. The lower court had denied the claimant negligence claims by from Pfeil Funeral Homes for the injury she sustained within the latter’s premises. The primary issues set for determination by the court of appeal were whether: a) the escort of the claimant by an agent of the defendant and his failure to warn her over the sharp drop on the public sidewalk was a matter of fact or law, and b) the junior court overlooked the facts about the case regarding the failure of the defendant to put a notice warning the guests of the risks of the eight-inch step down in the sidewalk. The Appellate court held that the issues of case were merely factual and not legal. As such the court affirmed the earlier ruling of the trial court, saying the claimant was not entitled to any negligence claims from the defendant. The court began by legitimizing the summary judgment of the lower court which it said was valid because: a) the issues in question did not meet the thresholds of material fact; b) the issues in question lacked the required basis in law to facilitate a fair, legal and reasonable verdict of the court and c) it would be unreasonable to impose any claims upon the defendant for the injury sustained at their premises because by doing so, the claimant would have gained more than she deserved while the defendant would have been unfairly disadvantaged by such a ruling. In addition, the court said the claimant would have been entitled to negligence claims if the statement of facts were supported by law. The court cited the precedent set in the case of Mussivand v. David (1989), 45 Ohio St.3d 314, 318, 544 N.E.2d 265, in which grounds for the awarding negligence claims arose. In the Musivand case, the court said that any negligence claims must meet three conditions: a) the duty of care owed to the claimant; b) a violation of the term, and c); the violation of the term being the proximate cause of the

Monday, September 23, 2019

Fieldwork report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fieldwork report - Essay Example While providing much needed support to the patient and the family in order for them to cope with the emotional stress associated with being critically ill, it has also been found that nurses and health care staff assigned to intensive care units that deal with end of life situations deal with more stress than nurses assigned to other wards (Kostopoulou & Katsouyanni, 2006). During my visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong, I observed the palliative care given to patients in their oncology ward. This a mixed ward where they give care to both geriatric and pediatric patients with cancer. As an observer, I was able to see the developments made in giving palliation and what needs to be improved still. Queen Elizabeth Hospital is one of the many hospitals in Hong Kong that provides palliative care to their patients in the oncology ward. The services that they offer include providing possible placement and hospice care for patients. In providing palliative care, the patient and their families are given support for quality of life by preventing and providing relief from emotional, spiritual and physiological impacts of chronic illnesses such as cancer. ... The giving of palliative care may differ a bit in giving care to different age groups. Such as with pediatric palliative care that deals with children with the idea that children with chronic illnesses may not survive to become adults (Liben, Papadatou, & Wolfe, 2007). Education and psychosocial support is also given to patients and their families. In educating families, it is giving them options with clinical trials that can help with the prognosis of their illnesses. The psychosocial aspect helps patients and their families deal with the emotional and psychological stresses associated with being chronically ill (Chan, 2001). Culturally speaking, Chinese people find it a privilege to spend the last moments of their loved ones. This is slowly changing with the advancement of medicine and the constraints of living spaces in Hong Kong. Most deaths happen in the ICU or hospices and this has a significant impact especially on the elderly who seek palliative care. Even health care workers are aware of this human factor and may sometimes allow patients who are admitted to hospices to go home for a few days. This home leave improves the psychological and emotional aspect of the patient, but in most cases is brought back to the hospice or hospital (Ngai, Yuen, & Wong, 2006). CONCEPTS BEHIND PALLIATIVE CARE IN CLINICAL ONCOLOGY Palliative care has a significant role when dealing with patients who are chronically ill. The scope of care does not only extend to the patient, but to the family of the patient as well who together with the patient deal with the stresses and emotional burdens of being ill. Palliative care also gives importance on the role of health care workers in giving appropriate psychosocial support and exploring other clinical studies that can help in the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

HR info system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

HR info system - Assignment Example Some of the benefits include improving management skills, whereby the Human Resource Manager can use technology to evaluate employee performance. Different people can easily get access to their work schedules using online services. However, technology can influence people negatively thus affecting their performance especially when there is poor communication (Lee, 2008). 2) This week, lets explore the web to learn more about employee development. Take a look at the follow two links, the first is an article about employment development and the second is an application specializing in employee development: Strengthen Your Business by Developing Your Employees The Halogen Software is a talent based management system meant to improve worker performance within an organization (Halogen Software Inc., 2014). It mainly reinforces worker performance by providing an organization with talent developing schedules, comprising of hiring, execution management process, acquiring new skills and training, succession development or payment. The business’s inventions include appraisal that handle performance response and differentiation, assess abilities, create execution appraisals and progressive techniques, direct goals and intentions, and maintain staffs talent reports. The software has the e360 Multirater, which manages feedback of implementation, as well as performance of workers (Halogen Software Inc., 2014). Finally, the software entails online learning manager that incorporates training and performance within an organization. There are two main types of training development process that employees use within their organization, which are in job training and out of job training (Lee, 2008). They are usually achieved by providing an environment that facilitates proper learning and training tracked by management software within an organization like the Halogen Software that has several components described above, and can

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Relocating Margaret Thatchers in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Relocating Margaret Thatchers in the Workplace Essay Working environments are dimensions in which the individual’s skills, talents and production capabilities are put into the test. The war-like situation manifested in corporate arenas continues to post a challenge to each and every individual. It is a legitimized jungle wherein only the strong remains and the weak perish. Thus, for every struggle that is addressed, this spells sweet victory for the triumphant warrior. It is for this aspect that Karsten described the workplace a source of one’s â€Å"sense of self, power and prestige (162). † As the individual continue to climb the corporate ladder, his or her â€Å"sense of self, power and prestige (Karsten 162)† continue to increase. This is most especially true in scenarios wherein leadership roles are assumed and performed. However, a critical examination shows that holding power, garnering respect and expressing authority have exclusively remained in the hands of men. The opportunity to lead has been an exclusive right of males and women, despite of the strong campaign to uphold equality, are continuously pushed to the periphery. Women leadership remains a critical issue in the corporate environment. Despite of the efforts to render equal opportunities to both men and women, the actions taken, remained futile. Women as leaders are still seen from a derogatory perspective. As Spade and Valentine described, work places are no less than â€Å"gendered institutions† that operate under â€Å"inequality regimes (341). † Under this context, it can be argued that the so-called â€Å"inequality regimes† mentioned in this discussion, is no less than the hegemonic and oppressive patriarchal orientations that are highly manifested in various work spaces. Drawing on Dahrendorf’s distribution of power and authority (Lemell Noll, 52), it is evident that many working environments deprive women from having equal chances or access to positions that demand an exercise of power and control. Also, power legitimacy as for the case of women leaders are often questioned or blatantly ignored. While it is true that women have managed to acquire managerial positions, Ely et. al expressed that only 1 % of these females are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies or establishments (161). Likewise, Ely et. al mentioned that in terms of governmental positions and functions, only a small percentage of women can be observed. The seemingly under representation and to a certain extent—total absence of women leaders in the corporate world is triggered by society’s patriarchal culture. The practices seen in the business world reflect the manipulative and discriminating orientation of the patriarchal system. Under this context, societal roles and functions are highly determined by gender. Men are seen as the stronger sex whereas women are the exact opposite. Women are constantly confined into domestic roles. They are mothers and wives whose values and worth are best exemplified in the bedroom and kitchen. Thus, their entries into the workplace or business environments are often seen as a threat. In addition to that, this scenario highly contradicts the so-called â€Å"normative behaviors (Ridgeway 223)† of world. Leadership in business environments translates to performing firm decision, asserting authority and showing direct control, if necessary. Needless to say, these traits or characteristics are often played or portrayed by men. On the other hand, the idea of being a mere â€Å"follower† is relegated to women. Therefore, in the event wherein a woman leader practices authority, utilizes power and make decisions, these scenario is immediately dismissed as a violation of the canonical norms not only of the workplace, but also of the overall social structure (Ridgeway 223). The problem with women executives or leaders is that their socially-constructed roles are mixed with their corporate or work-related functions. The merit of their leadership skills and capabilities are based on how well they perform their overtly stereotyped duties and obligations. When women act like leaders, the patriarchal system immediately questions their efficiency via insisting the women’s highly biased and gender-based tasks (Ridgeway 223). As Ridgeway stressed, women leaders are initially seen as a woman, then a leader (223). Gender would always come first and leadership capabilities are only secondary. There are several ways in which women are prevented from acquiring leadership positions in the workplace. The first one is illustrated by the â€Å"glass ceiling concept (Goethals Burns 77). Under this context, women are blatantly deprived of acquiring leadership positions via unequal distribution of chances and opportunities (Goethals Burns 77). This is despite of eliciting commendable work-related achievements and success. The glass ceiling acts as a barricade that prevents women from being hailed as managers and executives despite delivering good results and performances (Haslett, Geis Carter 128). In addition to that, it is also evident that women are placed into positions or departments in which they cannot possibly harness their leadership skills (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 77). They are subjected into roles that do not engage into actual corporate management and decision making. Therefore, in the event in which women are recommended for promotions, their skills and experience readily lag behind. Or in such cases, a woman must shoulder the entire burden of exerting efforts and energy to prove themselves, but with no assurance that they will be selected. But then again even if some women were able to secure their positions on the corporate hierarchy, Goethal, Sorenson and Burns shared that this is no less than a defense mechanism used to avoid accusations of gender discrimination and inequality (77). Aside from the glass ceiling, the persistence of the seemingly omnipotent â€Å"old boy network (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 77)† is also instrumental in the under representation of women leaders. A critical examination of the old boy network clearly shows the strong attempt of men to protect their own interests (Sanchez et. al 240). There is the intention to keep power in the hands of the few and eliminate new players. This basically explains the degree of favoritism in promotions. Men often receive high preference compared to women not because they are better or more productive. Instead, this is just a way to preserve the patriarchal rule. Since majority of senior executives are men, their power legitimacy is highly acknowledged and recognized. This kind of prestige is then used by males to control, manipulate and safeguard their interests. Thus, to ensure that their power and authority shall remain, these executives are more likely to choose male protegees—individuals, who like them, present a common set of beliefs, ideologies and value systems. Lastly, the limited access of women to building social networks lessens their chances of being corporate leaders (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 78). Goethals, Sorenson and Burns mentioned that â€Å"informal gatherings† is a way for women to connect with other individuals in the business organizations (78). It is through these activities that women can further improve their social and communication skills—two of the most significant traits that leaders should acquire. However, these opportunities are hardly given to women. Other than obstructing women to create meaningful relationships and camaraderie, this scenario also inhibits females from having their own mentors and role models (Klenke 185). Mentors and role models serve as a support system. Through them, valuable knowledge and insights are shared and transmitted. Mentoring relationships help potential leaders devise sound decisions and appropriate solutions. Unfortunately, this right is highly exclusive to men. The struggles and challenges faced by women leaders in the corporate system is yet another gender issue that should be readily addressed. Leadership roles should not be equated to gender-based functions. Equal rights and opportunities should be provided to both genders and should not be an exclusive privilege of men. It should be stressed and remembered that leadership efficiency is determined by skills and performances, never by gender. Works Cited Sanchez, Penny; Philip Hucles; Janis Sanchez-Hucles and Sanjay Mehta. â€Å"Increasing Diverse Women Leadership in Corporate America: Climbing Concrete Walls and Shattering Glass Ceilings. † Women and Leadership Transforming Visions and Diverse Voices Eds. Jean Lau Chin; Bernice Lott; Joy Rice and Janis Sanchez-Hucles. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2007 Ely, Robin; Erica Foldy; Maureen Scully and The Center for Gender in Organizations Simmons School of Management. Reader in Gender, Work and Organization. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2003 Goethal, George; Georgia Sorenson and James MacGregor Burns. Encyclopedia of Leadership. California: Sage Publications Inc, 2004 Haslett, Beth; Florence Geis and Mae Carter. The Organizational Woman. New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1992 Karsten, Margaret. Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Workplace. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006 Klenke, Karin. Women Leadership. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1996 Lemell, Yannick and Heinz-Herbert Noll. Changing Structures of Inequality: A Comparative Perspective. Canada: Mc-Gill Queen’s University Press, 2002 Ridgeway, Cecilia. Gender Interaction and Inequality. New York: Springer –Verlag New York Inc. , 1992 Spade, Joan and Catherine Valentine. The Ka

Friday, September 20, 2019

Customer perceived benefits of Barclays bank

Customer perceived benefits of Barclays bank Customer perceived value, can be regarded as the opinion that a customer has or has formed of a particular product and how it is of value to him. Now value can have many different meanings to it, for example the price of the product in the market, its quality etc. The value also depends on the ability of the product to satisfy the needs of the customer. Simply put, the customer perceived value of any product is the consumers overall assessment of the utility or use of a product based on perceptions of what the customer receives and what he is giving to get the desired service or product. This concept can also be explained with the help of the following diagram: Customer perceived value= Perceived Benefits _______________ Perceived Sacrifice Where, Perceived benefits are the attributes of the service being received and the customer perceived quality and price of the product. Perceived sacrifice are the customer costs involved in purchasing, such as time, travel etc. Introduction to the organisation: For the purpose of this assignment, the company that has been selected is BARCLAYS PLC; the following text would give a brief company profile followed by the identification of the customer perceived value for the organisation by the use of the Customer Value Hierarchy Model. Company profile: Barclays is one of the worlds leading financial institutions headquartered at 1 Churchill Place, London. It is a 300 year old corporation that became a major financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, wealth management, credit cards, investment banking and management services provider for big global equity firms. It has an extensive international presence in Europe, Africa, Asia and off lately has started to expand in the United States market as well. It operates in more than 50 countries and employs more than 145,000 people worldwide. It moves, lends, protects and invests money for than 38 million customers and clients worldwide. Barclays has two business clusters: Global Retail Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth Management- both compromising world-class business and brands. There are two other major areas where Barclays operates its business; one being the Group Centre and Absa, the Group Centre being their head office and support functions operation. The Absa Group is one of South Africas largest financial services businesses. Before we take a look at the customer perceived value of the Barclays brand, the project would like to discuss the Customer Value Hierarchy Model, and then try to apply them to the customers of Barclays. Customer Value Hierarchy Model: OBJECTIVE LAYER Customers goal and purpose CONSEQUENCE LAYER Desired consequences in use situation ATTRIBUTE LAYER Desired products/services attribute and performances The Customer Value Model consists of three layers, namely the Attribute layer, the Consequence Layer and the Objectives layer. The objective layer includes the ultimate motivations of customers, the consequence layer represents the customer experience desired by the person and finally the attribute layer specifies what actually are the needs of the customer. From the bottom of the customer value hierarchy, customers would always firstly consider the attributes and availability of products. At the second layer, customers begin to make expectations according to the attributes. At the top layer, customers form expectations about the realization of their aim. How do Barclays customers perceive their bank? Thats the question that this assignment would like to answer by giving the objectives, consequences and attributes desired by the customers, followed by a customer review. OBJECTIVES Easy personal banking Safety of the account at all times Saving account options Availability of loans at a good interest rate Online banking to keep a record of their account details at all time Ability to invest Good mortgage options Insurance options Credit card facilities Assistance while travelling CONSEQUENCES Easy accessibility to the account Peace of mind as the customer is aware that the account details are secure and safe More control over their own finances The customer does not require to keep much cash with them at all times because of the debit cards Saving for the rainy day A secure and safe environment Future is taken care off Can start a business with the help of financial banking More purchasing power ATTRIBUTES Pin- sentry device Debit card Online banking facilities which enable the customers to check account balances, make transfers, setup standing orders and direct debits. Chequebooks Barclaycard ISAs Bonds Home insurance Different types of savings accounts Different types of current accounts Overdraft facility E-savings Car insurance Travel services Looking at the above attributes, consequences and objectives list one can identify the value of the brand as perceived by the customer. The brand Barclays is a very widely recognized name and almost every person in the UK is a big fan, of course with some exceptions which are bound to be there, the customers on a general note feel very happy with the huge array of services and products made available by the bank for its customers and are satisfied with the huge network of customer service centres spread all across the world providing 24/7 customer service, also the safe and secure online banking facility provided by Barclays is very user friendly and easy to use, letting the customers always keep a track of their money. So its safe to say that Barclays as a bank not only just for people but also for small businesses and big equity firms is a financial institution of repute and is trusted and respected by the people. Just to give a basic idea about how really people feel about the pro ducts and services offered by Barclays this project would like to include a customer review, which is as follow: Barclay has never let me down. I subsequently withdraw and deposit money with ease and have it connected to PayPal.  It is extremely easy to use, I have had no login issues and their customer service cleared everything up to me.  My favourite part is that unlike most banking companies; you dont have to pay monthly fees. This really pleased me. PART 2 Critically evaluate the existing value proposition of the product/division/ company you have chosen. Compare and contrast the value proposition with that of the leading competitor in your sector. This part of the project would evaluate the value proposition or the customer value proposition of Barclays and contrast it with the customer value proposition of HSBC. But before we proceed to comparing and contrasting the value propositions of both the brands we first need to understand, what a customer value proposition really is? This is the question this project would answer first and then proceed on to discuss the variations in the value propositions of both the brands. Customer Value Proposition: In the subject of marketing, the customer value proposition consists of the sum total of benefits which a provider offers or promises a potential consumer which he will receive in return for the customers associated payment (or any other value transfer). A customer value proposition is a business or marketing statement that would describe why a customer should make use of the services and products being offered by the organisation. It is targeted towards potential consumers, rather than at other constituent groups such as suppliers, employees or partners. It can also be looked from a viewpoint of a clearly defined statement, which is designed to convince the customers that this one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than the other competitors in the same industry. Why are customer value propositions so important? This question is of utmost importance to any business, because it is only these statements that give the customer an expectation of a desired service, it provides the consumers with a convincing reason to buy the desired good and also helps differentiate the product from the other services provided by the other competitors in the same industry. They help in gaining customers attention and if the customer value proposition is strong, and is able to gain the approval of the customer then it helps in building faster and more profitable sales and in increasing the market share of the organisation. Understanding of the customer needs is very vital as this would ensure the promotion and creation of a successful brand. The word brand, is the perception of a service or product that is designed to stay in the minds of the targeted consumers. It is a very important and a cumbersome task to build a strong and positive brand in the minds of your customers, but the firms which are able to accomplish this task are the ones which rise to the top. Types of Customer Value Propositions: All benefits: This is a list compilation of all the benefits of the products and services offered to the customers by the organisation. This approach requires the least market knowledge about customers and competitors and thus does not provide a good base when seen from a marketing perspective. Favourable Points of Difference: This type of value proposition explicitly recognizes the fact that the customer has different alternatives and it then focuses on how to differentiate one product or service from another. A product or service may have several points of difference, confusing the customer and thus complicating the customers understanding of the product which would offer him more value. Without a comprehensive understanding of the customers requirements and preferences, the suppliers might stress points of difference that relatively deliver little value to the targeted consumers. Resonating Focus: This approach is used by managers who directly deal with a supplier who fully grasps the critical issue in the product- consumer cycle and who can deliver a customer value proposition thats simple yet powerfully captivating. The value proposition offered is superior in the few attributes that are of the most importance to the customers which convey a message to the targeted audience, that here is an organisation which is communicating a sophisticated understanding of the customers business priorities. When talking about the value proposition of a financial institution we have to take into account the current market conditions and then arrive at the capital and funding strategy of the bank which in itself is a sort of value proposition available for the customers to have a look at and, then these consumers can decide for themselves whether they do need to associate themselves with the financial institution. Analysis of value proposition of Barclays: Capital Strategy: Barclays capital management activities will attempt to maximise shareholders value by optimising the level and mix of its capital resources. Barclays ability to operate as a bank is directly dependent upon the maintenance of adequate capital resources. Barclays works according to a centralised capital management model considering regulatory and economic capital. The Groups capital management objectives are to: Maintaining the sufficient capital required to meet minimum regulatory capital requirements set by the UK FSA. Maintaining sufficient capital resources which can support the Barclays risk appetite and fulfil the economic capital requirements. Support the banks credit rating Ensure that the locally regulated subsidiaries can meet their minimum capital requirements without having to borrow from other financial firms. Allocation of capital to support the strategic objectives set by Barclays, including optimum returns on economic and regulatory capital. Funding strategy: Barclays will manage the funding position to comply with the regulatory requirements prescribed by the UK FSA .Barclays operates on a centralised governance and control process that covers all of its liquidity risk and management activities. Funding Structure Global Retail and Commercial Banking, Barclays Wealth and Head Office Functions are to be self-funded through customer deposits and Barclays equity and other long-term capital. The Barclays Capital and Absa businesses will be funded through the wholesale secured and unsecured funding markets. Major currency payment flows and payment system collateral are going to be monitored and managed, so it can be ensure that at all times there is sufficient collateral to make payments. Day to day funding Day to day funding will be managed through limits on wholesale and secured borrowings. This will ensure that on any day and over any period there is only a limited amount of refinancing requirement. In addition to cash flow management, Barclays would also monitor the term mismatches between assets and liabilities, as well as the level and type of undrawn lending commitments, the usage of overdraft facilities and the impact of contingent liabilities such as standby letters of credit and guarantees. Additional value propositions specific to a persona customer and not the global market: Personal banking made easy by the debit card that is an internationally valid card which has many advantages like international assistance anytime anywhere, guaranteed transactions etc. Wide range of current accounts available to suit different customer needs.(mobile phone insurance, car breakdown cover etc.) Availability of loans at competitive rates Online facilities giving easy accessibility to customer funds. 24/7 customer service Wide array of savings and investment options Credit card facilities Insurance facilities(home, motor and life insurance) Mortgage facilities(buying, building and renovating of property) To understand the customer value proposition of Barclays and then to contrast it with the value proposition of HSBC, this project is going to use the SWOT analysis which is preceded by the mission statements and the vision statements of both Barclays and HSBC, thus giving us a better idea of what the customer expects from the brand and what are the promises being made by these institutions to potential and existing consumers. Mission Statement: This is a short, formal, written statement of the purpose of the company. It guides the actions of the company, benchmarks its goals, provides a sense of direction and guides in decision making. It provides a framework within which the strategies of the company are formulated. Vision Statement: This can be defined as statement that captures the long term picture of what the organisation wants to become. It gives a broad and an aspirational image of the future that an organisation wants to achieve. It is often inspirational and memorable. Mission Statement of Barclays: To develop deliver the most innovative products, manage customer experience, deliver quality services that contributes to brand strength, establishes a competitive advantage and enhances profitability, thus providing value to the stakeholders of the bank. Vision Statement of Barclays: We have a clear view of where growth will come from over the coming years. While there will be significant growth opportunities in the UK, we see many more internationally. Barclays will become a leading global universal bank. Mission Statement of HSBC: We aspire to be one of the worlds great specialist banking groups, driven by commitment to our core philosophies and values. Vision Statement of HSBC: We envision enabling HSBC to achieve its strategic objectives, driving excellence in our delivery through partnership with our customers and associates. SWOT Analysis of Barclays: Strengths: Extensive network in Europe providing business sustenance. Focus on cost efficiencies which ensure relatively higher profitability. Ability to lend amidst reduced size of the balance sheet. Associated with innovation, brought out the first credit card in 1966, most recently the OnePulse card combining Oyster, credit cashless functions for its customers. Opening of several new branches, along with a massive refurbishment programme. Weaknesses: Strained trading income impacting the revenue diversity. Barclays Capital credit market exposures are impacting the financial position and performance. Large bonuses for the Directors have attracted unwanted attention. Expansion plans in the Asian market thwarted, when Barclays were outbid for ABN Amro in 2006. Opportunities: Barclays  was keen to acquire some of Lehmans assets prior to its collapse but however, after the collapse, they have been able to negotiate a better deal with liquidators which also allowed them to be very selective in which parts of the business they actually wanted to acquire. The banks strategy to offer a full portfolio of services worldwide, provides a wide range of cross-selling opportunities. Asia continues to be an opportunity for expansion, and operations are being set up in a number of locations. Welfare provision has decreased in many countries because of the cost to governments, and  Barclays  sees self-provision as an increasing trend that it can utilise. The court recently found that  Barclays  banking charges, which had been challenged legally, were enforceable, thus repayment is not necessary and charges can continue to be enforced. Positive outlook for buy to let market may bring business volumes. Buoyant secured personal loans market in the UK could help the business. Threats: Bleak outlook for the UK economy. Regulatory fines can compress margins and financial position. Increase in online fraud. Barclays  has been accused of loss-making investments associated with the sub-prime market from its accounts to those of other investors, and there is a risk it may be sued. While offering a wide range of services provides opportunities, there is also the threat that customers may prefer to go to suppliers who present a more specialised approach. Barclays  acquired a reputation for closing branches because of a high incidence of this in 2000, and competitors have been able to position themselves as more consumer-friendly through a strategy of keeping branches open. The Asia expansion is seen as risky given that  Barclays  are in a less strong position than banking industry leaders regarding capitalisation, and this may detract investors. SWOT Analysis of HSBC: Strengths: The bank is well capitalised thus enabling it to perform relatively well against other banks in the recent economic conditions. Going forward, the bank is unlikely to borrow from the UK government because of the huge market capitalization; this enables it to retain more autonomy. HSBC has a strong presence in emerging markets, placing it in a good position to take advantage of future growth in those economies. HSBCs global presence in Europe, Asia and South America spreads the risk and offers significant economies of scale. Rebranding relatively recently (1999), the HSBC bank has become well-established and is considered of great value within the industry circles. Weaknesses: HSBC strongly believes in investing in the small business sector, but the current economic situation has led to increased risks, which could potentially compromise the activity levels in the area of its operation. HSBCs involvement with sub-prime markets in the US has forced it to write off large figures lent to high-risk borrowers. Despite cuts in the UK interest rate, HSBC has been increasing its mortgage rates. This can be perceived negatively by the borrowers and potential borrowers, which may add pressure to an already depressed housing market and can ultimately lead to more defaulting as borrowers would struggle with higher repayments. A redundancy programme which was announced recently can affect morale among staff, leading to decreased productivity and loyalty. HSBCs branding emphasises its global presence, and this can be seen as negatively by some consumers in its implication of homogenisation and lack of personalisation. Opportunities: HSBCs high levels of market capitalisation place the bank, in a strong position which helps it to acquire assets. Banks which find the trading conditions particularly difficult at present could be available at low costs. HSBC has adequate capital which it can use to purchase stronger banks such as Bank Ekonomi in Indonesia, in which it has purchased a stake to continue its Asian expansion despite challenging economic times. HSBCs strong position presents the opportunity to outperform other banking competitors during the economic downturn which allows it to build a reputation of being one of the safer banks for depositors which in turn helps to increase resources for lending. Negative press coverage of competitors such as HBOS can encourage customers to choose HSBC instead. Threats: Decreased trust in the financial system overall, including HSBC due to financial losses suffered by investors may be a reason for them to invest elsewhere. Financial losses which has affected the banking industry and investors on a global scale has resulted in less credit being available for customers. In the UK this coupled with increases in living cost has resulted in less money being saved. The slump property market has led to a rise in numbers of homeowners with negative equity. If a property is worth less than what it was borrowed to finance its purchase, there is less likelihood that the bank will recoup all its losses if owners default. Claims have been made against HSBC, about the bank understating losses resulting from US sub-prime markets, and this has led to undermining confidence in the bank by the customers. CONCLUSION: Barclays is currently taking a  conservative approach due to the recession. However, the downturn has provided the bank with many opportunities for consolidation. Also, with the BRIC and East Asian markets rebounding fast this region looks to be a source of potential revenues and provides opportunities for increasing operations. With the United Kingdom and the Americas looking at a slow and prolonged phase of recovery, Barclays will need to adopt a policy of looking east when it comes to operations. The threats and problems that Barclays may face in the future will be the sustained economic situation being experienced in the United Kingdom, Europe and America which will lead to uncertainty within the retail consumer market and could result in shortage of availability of credit. This in turn makes it even more important for the Barclays to drive its overall corporate profitability and margin by seeking to offset the shortfalls in the UK domestic market with advances in emerging markets. All companies, like Barclays, are being forced to re-examine in particular the retail aspects of their operations seeking to remain competitive on the high street and also making cuts wherever necessary. In this current financial climate, banks are unwilling to finance each other and with the UK market on the verge of a projected severe recession, all of the retailing factors will influence Barclays competitiveness and it would depend largely on how the Bank of England and the Treasury seek to reg enerate and reinforce the flagging confidence of the stock markets. HSBC will concentrate on the strategic and prioritized areas of its worldwide operation with the further emphasis on HR management strategies and technologically-advanced applications within the group to keep a firm lead in the financial markets. HSBCs conservative approach to banking, staying focused on keeping its capital base strong and liquid balance sheet have prevented its failure. Executing the HSBCs strategy entails improving intra-group linkages by joining up the businesses and functions to more effectively create additional value. The HSBC brand and global networks are going to be leveraged to reach new customers and offer more services to the existing ones. Efficiency will be enhanced by taking the full advantage of local, regional and global economies. Appropriate objectives and incentives will be adopted to encourage the employees to be fully engaged in delivering the strategy. PART 3 In light of your analysis of your existing value proposition and what you have learnt in this module produce, a new value proposition that will match the value criteria of your customers, and a plan to implement the value proposition externally and internally http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/pix/spacer.gif To create a new value proposition that would be acceptable to the customers of Barclays, all the weaknesses that the current business structure has would have to be removed and a new and better business plan would have to be drafted by identifying the opportunities and removing the weaknesses. A New Value Proposition: The trading income should be relaxed so that it does not impact the revenue diversity. Capital bonuses should be distributed in accordance with the FSA and the bad practice of the directors receiving huge bonuses should be curtailed. Barclays should provide the consumers with a full portfolio of services worldwide, rather than just concentrating in the UK, this move could enable cross-selling opportunities. Barclays should look towards expanding in the worlds booming economies like India, China, Indonesia etc. so that these economies could provide Barclays with the market opportunities it is looking for, thus increasing the market capitalization. This project would propose that Barclays should have an aggressive expansion policy in the Asian market. Barclays needs to invest in buy to let market, which would in turn bring business volumes. Due to the economic crisis in the markets, Barclays needs to cut down its interest rates and mortgage rates, so as to become a peoples bank and thus raising the brand image. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION: To implement the new value proposition described above the project, will identify the key relationship-marketing issue, followed by refocusing of marketing effort: moving activities away from a marketing mix that creates a series of one-off transactions, to manage a complex network of relationships involved with the production of the whole consumer offering. T Marketing audit will be carried out so as to map out a plan that will be of most advantage to the customers and will be conducted in stages, namely at the beginning, the middle and at the end. Marketing analysis in terms of the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. A review must be undertaken to understand the new value propositions outlined above in the light of internal marketing. A new strategy development process concentrating on differentiation, cost leadership and adequate response systems would have to be created. Action programmes would have to be designed by managers so as to determine the most appropriate course to take in tackling the weakness of the organisation, with a determination of the like;ly costs which would be incurred. The implementation plan would have to be monitored and controlled by keeping a track of staff performance, evaluation and appraisal schemes. To ensure effective, appropriate and accurate results, basis for market segmentation would have to be identified, based on extensive market research. Marketing orientation is going to be very important, the new value propositions must be made clear to all the employees and clearly defined individual goals should be set down to enable the employees to see their own contribution in achieving the organisations objectives. Externally implementing the plan is going to be very important, and can be done by the use of media, electronic, print and sponsorships. The new value propositions can be made available in the form of television advertisements, available for all the people to see. The Barclays website can act as a powerful medium on which the new value propositions can be put up and made available. It should be designed in an effective and detailed manner so that the customers are aware about all the new services available to them. Print media is another powerful form by which the new policies can be made available for the masses. Barclays is a big sponsor for many big international events and meets and can use that as an active platform to educate the consumers about the new change in the policy structure.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Essay --

Before the Civil War ended, President Lincoln signed for the Emancipation Proclamation to be passed. When the Emancipation Proclamation was passed on January 1, 1863, it was a step toward freedom for African Americans. Although the proclamation freed few, and did not apply to â€Å"slaves in border states fighting on the side of the union,† it sent a message. Lincoln was sending a strong message, not only to the United States of America, but to the world, that the Civil War was no longer being fought to preserve the Union, but was being fought to end slavery (Ask Jones which citation from extra paper). African Americans described the proclamation as the â€Å"document for freedom,† it was hope. The Emancipation Proclamation, while it did not free the slaves, it was a road way toward the thirteenth amendment. In 1865 when President Lincoln was still in office, the Civil War ended, and left the South in shambles. The war left no option except the need to rebuild the Sout h. This was the beginning of reconstruction. Reconstruction originally began under President Lincoln, until April 15, 1865, when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, then President Andrew Johnson took over, and reconstruction took a turn for the worst. Under the short reign of Lincoln, blacks were able to reunite their families, receive land and work for themselves, as well as get an education, and establish black churches. When Johnson took office, after Lincoln’s assassination, reconstruction began to shift for the blacks; it no longer held the same meaning. Their land was taken, and their freedom to work for themselves began to diminish, slowly reconstruction began to return to the idea of slavery. Economics At the war’s end Congress established the Freedmen’s Burea... ...ural music, provide charity and support to those in need and developed the black political leaders. The black church was the beginning of the establishment of the black community, and the most important part of the black church: it was free of white supervision. Blacks struggled to save to build their churches, and often founded Baptist and Methodists churches. One of their most prominent churches was the African Methodist Episcopal (AME). Churches in the black community were a form of ranking. The Presbyterian, Congregational, and Episcopal churches were attended mostly by the â€Å"upper-class† blacks, such as the blacks that had been free prior to the civil war. Poorer blacks, found the â€Å"upper-class† black churches unappealing. Besides churches, blacks understood that they must learn to read, or they were not free. To blacks freedom and education were inseparable.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Strategic Marketing :: essays research papers

Review of Performance: Year 2 By the end of year two Pangea Technologies had achieved great success. Not only did it rank number one in game 5 but it also ranked number one overall. Our management team worked well together and made well informed decisions. We achieved our goal to have at least 40% market share in at least two market segments. In fact, we had 52% market share overall and over 45% market share in every segment. Decision Aggressiveness If there was one thing that set us apart from the rest, it would be the aggressiveness of our decisions. By the end of the second quarter of the second year we had opened offices in every available city selling at least one product to every single market segment. We used our resources generously yet wisely in opening offices, and hiring and motivating salespeople, and it paid off. Financial Performance In year two Pangea has had an excellent financial performance, net operating profit has grown from $1.4 million in quarter 5 to $45.6 million at the end of the year. Our executive team was also willing to invest a lot in order to gain marketshare as well as profits. Our aggressive investments are demonstrated by the large sums of our operating expenses, which were as follows: $4.9 million when gross margin was $15.3 million in quarter 5; $6.9 million when gross margin was $20.7 million in quarter6; $9.9 million when gross margin was $36 million; $11.9 million when gross margin was $59 million. In addition to these second year expenses, we invested around $9 million dollars in the first two quarters each on research and development. Our executive team believed that these cost were necessary for the growth of our company and it proved to be a good strategy. Our investments were in such things as product improvements, opening sales offices, hiring salespeople, and rewarding and motivati ng sales people. Another important investment went to creating and revising our ads, and as a result our ad ratings have improved dramatically. We also increased our ad expenses from $700,000 early in the second year to $4.3 million at the end of the year, which increased our ad reach. Pangea ¡Ã‚ ¦s investments this year were instrumental in the great financial success of the company. This was demonstrated by the company ¡Ã‚ ¦s financial performance score of 26.95, which is well above that of the average and it is the highest score compared to our competitors.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

I won :: essays papers

I won Do revolutions have to have bloody conflicts in them to be called that? The Industrial Revolution is a direct contradiction to that statement; it is the only revolution in history not to have one single drop of blood shed at any time. The Industrial Revolution was a period from 1700-1850 in which new technology was being discovered at an alarming rate. The average British person born in 1760 saw more changes in his or her lifetime than ten generations of ancestors had seen in theirs. There were many factors that aided the Industrial Revolution. One for instance was the change in farming many wealthy landowners started to buy out small landowners this process was called enclosure. In the 1700’s many wealthy landowners began to look for new ways to increase the size of their harvests. The first man to experiment in this way was Jethro Tull he improved the process of sowing the seed by a seed drill; it allowed farmers to sow seed in well-spaced rows at specific depths. The second invention to follow was the invention of crop rotation; many farmers wanted to find a way to keep their fields fertile so they would waste a year of planting. So instead of letting the field be barren was to grow a different crop each year so it would stay fertile and you could still grow crops. The next improvement in farming was when Robert Bakewell began trying to raise his quality of livestock; by allowing only the best animals to breed he increased the weight of his sheep and al so greatly improved the taste of the mutton. This improvements in farming had great effects on the population, since there was a more food more children were born and that fuel more workers for the factories. The next fuel for the Industrial Revolution was that Great Britain had many advantages. First was the abundant natural resource which Britain had all three that were needed coal, waterpower, and iron. Second was a favorable geography since Britain was a island nation had many great harbors, they had many ships which gave them a great over seas trade which provided great raw materials. Among other were great political stability, good banking system and a favorable climate for new ideas. The cotton industry was the first struck by the Industrial Revolution. By 1800 six major inventions had totally transformed the cotton industry.

Monday, September 16, 2019

TMA from WOU

Corporate Finance (BBF304) TMA 1 (25%) Total Marks: 100% 1. Given the following weighted market value of stocks in your portfolio and their expected rate of return, E(Ri), answer the following questions. (30 marks) Stock Weighted Market Value (%) E(Ri) Gamuda 14 – 0. 05 Public Bank 37 0. 12 Petronas 24 0. 14 SapuraCrest 10 0. 08 Celcom 15 0. 06 (a) W hat is the expected rate of return for your common stock portfolio? (6 marks) (b) Critically discuss why most investors hold diversified portfolio. (4 marks) (c) What is correlation, and explain why it is important in portfolio theory? (5 marks) (d) The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) contends that some risks are diversifiable, but others are not. Critically discuss what is the relevant risk variable considered in the CAPM? In your discussion, provide ONE (1) example for the relevant risk. (10 marks) 2. What is the concept of Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH)? Compare and contrast between three forms of Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) – weak, semi-strong, and strong forms. (10 marks) . Critically discuss TWO (2) evidence supporting and TWO (2) evidence against the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH). (10 mark) 4. There are three probable economic outcomes in the evaluation of stock A and B for the second half of 2012. Based on the following information, answer all the questions. (25 marks) State of Economy Boom Normal Recession Probability of State of Economy 20% 50% 30% Returns on stock A Returns on stock B 8% 5% 2% 20% 12% -10% (a) What is the expected rate of return for stock A and B, respectively? 9 marks) (b) W hat is the standard deviation for stock A and B, respectively? (9 marks) (c) Assuming that stock A and stock B have beta of 0. 8 and 1. 6, respectively. The expected return of the market is 8% and the risk-free rate is 5%. W hat is the required return for stock A and B using Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) method? (4 marks) (d) Based on your calculated answer in part (a) and (c) above, which stock should you invest in? Justify your answer. (4 marks) e) Assume that you want to create a portfolio by investing in these two stocks; 50 percent in stock A and 50 percent in stock B. What is your expected return on this portfolio? (4 marks) 5. Compare and contrast Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT) and Fama and French Three Factor Model (TFM). (13 marks) 6. In Malaysia, Cagamas is currently the sole issuer of mo rtgage -backed securities. Critically discuss THREE (3) contributing roles of Cagamas in the financial sector associated with property market in Malaysia. (12 marks)

A Mat Rempit is a Malaysian term

A Mat Rempit is a Malaysian term for â€Å"an individual who participates in illegal street racing†, usually involving underbone motorcycles (colloquially known as Kapcai) or scooters. Not all Mat Rempits are involved in street racing; some of them perform crazy stunts for fun, such as the wheelie, superman (lying flat on the seat), wikang, and scorpion (standing on the seat with one leg during a wheelie),or shuttu le katti. Mat Rempits usually travel in groups and race in bustling city centres on weekend nights.In recent times, Mat Rempits have been linked to gangsterism, gang robbery,[1][2] street fighting, assault,[3] vandalism, theft and bullying. Most motorcycles used by the Mat Rempits do not meet standard specifications, or have been modified extensively for greater speed, or just to make the exhaust noisier. Additionally, some Mat Rempits do not have valid motorcycle licenses, do not pay road taxes, and ride stolen motorcycles. [4][5] A growing number of housing estate s have also been turned into racing tracks. 6] It is estimated that there are about 200,000 Mat Rempits in Malaysia. [7] In some other countries, the term Mat Rempit is also used, but more to refer to one as a motorcycle lover or rider (Mat Motor), as opposed to an illegal motorcycle racer. Sometimes, the term â€Å"Mat Rempit† is misused to refer to any individual who rides an underbone motorcycle. Related to this is the Mat Konvoi, which claim to be the non-racing version of Mat Rempit.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Creation of amended television Essay

Introduction To determine the success of the common policy European Union directive regarding the amended television without frontiers act, it is necessary first to understand the objectives of the act and the broader objectives fostered by the European Union regarding television and broadcasting. In general, the European Union aims at establishing and maintaining free movement of capital, goods and persons. There is also a general effort to establish the conditions necessary for unrestricted broadcasting across the territory of its Member States. This means that the EU generally strives to allow television broadcasting of member-state content to happen freely within the EU. The â€Å"Television Without Frontiers† Directive is the legal document that establishes the framework for television broadcasting activities in the EU to occur in this unrestricted fashion. Overall and most often, this directive is considered the â€Å"cornerstone† of the European broadcasting policy. This should give at least some notion that it is generally considered to be a success; most specifically this success is noted in terms of its principle objective, which is to co-ordinate the national rules of Member States regarding the television broadcasting. As necessary, the â€Å"Television Without Frontiers† Directive looks to remove barriers established by internal markets for television broadcasting and related services within the Union and also to establish a   broader means of governing the broadcasting activities of Member States as a collective unit. Areas in which the broadcasting directive is most fundamental include in the freedom of reception and retransmission, the promotion of production and distribution of European programs to provide access to major sporting events from around the EU and establish and maintain measures to protect minors. The Amended Television Without Frontiers Directive: Overview Digital television first launched in Europe between 1995 and 1996. The first digital service in Europe dramatically changed the landscape for audiovisual communications and broadcasting. Increased deregulation and the introduction of new technology within the broadcasting sector appeared to pave the way for still further developments. Digital technology, from the get-go, both multiplied and diversified the broadcasting channels and services series. It also established a convergence of the telecommunications, media and information technology sectors (Aubry, 2000). By 1997 and 1998, interested authorities had confirmation of a new trend in the broadcasting industry. The Statistical Yearbook of the Strasbourg-based European Audiovisual Observatory confirmed that the progress of digital technology in Europe was creating a significant growth in the number of broadcasting operators, particularly pay-TV and pay-per-view services. Over 330 digital channels broadcast by satellite at the beginning of 1997. In 1996, only a year before, the number of broadcasting channels was as low as ten (European Audiovisual Observatory, 1997). By January 1, 1998, More than 480 digital programs broadcast by satellite by January 1, 1998 that could be received in parts of Europe (European Audiovisual Observatory, 1998). Seventeen pay-per-view providers were also providing customers with over 200 channels in 1998, which compared to the six services providing offering only 42 channels between them in 1996 (European Audiovisual Observatory, 1998). The trend regarding digital television was clearly that it was not only bringing more channels on the European audiovisual scene but that the entire range of the content broadcast was expanding dramatically over even a short period of time, particularly due to the special channels available via systems like pay-per-view. As a result of the growing range of channels offered, in 1997, major European digital providers, such as Spain’s Canal Satellite, Germany’s Premiere, and the United Kingdom’s BSkyB, launched a series of new digital multichannel packages in Europe. The packages offer a very diversified range of thematic programs such as cinema, sports, information, music, and travel (Aubry, 2000). The audiovisual products increased in range as the demand for cinema, television, video, and multimedia increased dramatically between 1995 and 2000. In particularly, the growth in total income was staggering; an estimated climb of 69% was seen during that period, accounting for an increase from euro 31,847.7 million to euro 53,871.1 million in just those five years. Much of the increase was also generated by the newly developed television systems and such new forms of audiovisual consumption as pay-per-view, video-on-demand, and multimedia service packages (Norcontel, 1997, p. 173). In a very brief period, the landscape for audiovisual broadcasting in Europe had transformed dramatically. The industry was also subject to a large number of alliances between traditional operators of classical television and, increasingly, in paid television systems. Both mergers and joint ventures between major and minor satellite, cable, and terrestrial provider companies were viewed favorably by the European competition authorities. The mergers and ventures were seen to ensure the development of an Information Society as they supported and often facilitated the provision of new audiovisual content and services (Aubry, 2000). In terms of objectives, the European Commission also intends to ensure that the audiovisual market remains open to competition; therefore, it carefully sees to it that the said market not be distorted or foreclosed by dominant positions and access barriers such as exclusive broadcasting rights (particularly as regards sport events) and State aid to the broadcasting sector. The Member States have therefore to ensure that pluralism and competition are maintained in the audiovisual sector by preventing the creation of dominant positions resulting from agreements such as concentrations, mergers and acquisitions of businesses. In response to concerns that high entry barriers were gradually being created to limit the European-wide access to broadcasts, the European Council created the â€Å"Television Without Frontiers† Directive on October 3rd, 1989 (Council Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the co-ordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities (OJ, 1989, p. 23). Rapid changes in the audiovisual market had been seen since the beginning of the nineties. They required a substantial revision of the terms, however. In May, 1995, and further to the European Commission proposal, a revised version of the original â€Å"Television Without Frontier† Directive was put forward. The new Directive was adopted on June 30th, 1997 (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 97/36/EC, 1997, p. 60). This revised version provided an up-to-date regulatory framework that was adapted to reflect the needs for legislation focusing on digital broadcasting. The particular points about the new directive included the tightening of certain legal concepts. As regards the Member States’ jurisdiction over broadcasters, rules governing teleshopping and the coverage of major events were introduced. The protection for children was also increased (Aubry, 2000). Analysis According to article 2a of Directive 97/36, Member States of the EU must ensure the freedom of reception and they also cannot in any manner restrict the retransmission on their territory of television programs broadcast from other Member States that falls within the fields co-ordinated by the Directive. Essentially the only exception to the rule, the only instance in which it is permitted to restrict retransmission is in the event that, according to the provisions of Article 22, there is a serious infringement of the provisions governing protection of minors. According to Article 2 (1) of the Directive, each Member State is responsible for ensuring that all television programs transmitted by broadcasters under its jurisdiction comply with the provisions of the Directive as well as with the national regulations applicable to broadcasts intended for the public in that Member State. It follows that the receiving State may not apply to programs emanating from another Member State legal provisions specifically aimed at controlling the content of television broadcasts at national level. Although Member States can adopt more details or constraining rules in the areas that cover the Directive according to article 3 (1) of the Directive, rules may not be applied to programs broadcast by cross-border channels located in other Member States. It is also worth nothing that the European Court of Justice currently distinguishes between national legislation in areas not covered by the Directive, like the protection of consumers against misleading advertising, and matters that are considered to be already fully regulated by Community law. This certainly includes regulations relating to the protection of minors. Under certain circumstances, a receiving EU Member State has the option to adopt measures to protect the interests of consumers against national advertisers. They may not take measures to control television program broadcasts by foreign operators. Only the Member States with jurisdiction over the broadcaster concerned is responsible for its control (European Audiovisual Observatory, 1997, p 13). The â€Å"Television Without Frontiers† Directive sets quota requirements for the promotion of European works on television. These provisions do not apply to television broadcasts that are intended for local audience and do not form part of a national network (Aubry, 2000). According to Article 4 of the Directive, the Member States must ensure, â€Å"where practicable and by appropriate means†, that broadcasters under their jurisdiction reserve for European productions a majority proportion of air time. This doesn’t include any time devoted to news, sports, games, advertising, teletext services and teleshopping. According to Article 5, European television channels must reserve at least 10% of their transmission time to European works created by producers unaffiliated with broadcasters. Certain flexibility is granted for the implementation of the quota requirements, however, the European Commission supervises the implementation of Articles 4 and 5 of the Directive is supervised by the European Commission. All Member States must submit to a report containing a statistical statement on the achievement of the quotas. This is required every two years and any failure to achieve the required proportion must be reported and explained. Measures must also be adopted or envisaged to remedy the situation where possible (Aubry, 2000). Conclusion In terms of its success, the Amended â€Å"Television Without Frontiers† Directive certainly does establish a viable means of maintaining a viable community base for television broadcasting within the European Union. Whereas limited channel choice characterized analogue broadcasting, the need for the viewer to fit in with the schedulers, and a clear understanding that the television was a device for watching broadcast programs. Digitalization, on the other hand, creates the possibility of hundreds of channels. It essentially allows televisions to serve as a multipurpose, multimedia terminal. Digitalization allows viewers to program their own schedules, watch programs when they want, and even interacting with the programs themselves. Overall, the EU member countries have managed to maintain a relatively unrestricted system for broadcasting content produced   by other member countries. However, the amended â€Å"Television Without Frontiers† Directive was first implemented as a measure to combat growing efforts by EU member states to restrict such broadcasting freedoms. Only time will tell whether the commonality established by this directive will be maintained and proven successful. For one thing, the effects of digital television will be interesting to determine and watch in terms of shared broadcasting among EU-member broadcasting companies. References. Audry, P. 2000. The â€Å"Television Without Frontiers† Directive, Cornerstone of the European Broadcasting Policy, Strasbourg: EAO. European Audiovisual Observatory, 1997, Legal Guide to Audiovisual Media in Europe, Strasbourg: EAO. European Audiovisual Observatory, 1997. Statistical Yearbook. Strasbourg: EAO. European Audiovisual Observatory, 1998. Statistical Yearbook, Strasbourg: EAO. Levy, D. A. L. 2001. Europe’s Digital Revolution: Broadcasting Regulation, the EU and the Nation State. London: Routledge. Norcontel, 1997. Economic Implications of New Communication Technologies on the audiovisual markets, Screen Digest, Stanbrook and Hooper. OJ Council Directive 89/552/EEC, 1989. â€Å"The co-ordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities†, Official Journal of the European Union, 17 October, 1989.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Becoming a Human and the Transformative Power of Grace

Becoming a human has both a philosophical and theological inclination. For Hegel, becoming is the unity of being and nothing. It means that being exist out of nothing and this being undergone a process of development which made the being a becoming. So becoming means the being in transit, or in the coming to be. Theologically however, becoming means more than the existence of being out of nothing.Becoming means not only transformation; it is a movement from one condition to another (Wawrykow, p.  22). Becoming involves change and development. Applying becoming to human being therefore speaks of the origination of the human beings, which was simply nothing as being come out of nothing and what men will be is still a becoming.In theology and religion, becoming a human usually apply to Jesus Christ as God who became man. In Saint Paul’s letter to the Philippians chapter two, verse. 7 referring to Jesus, Paul says â€Å"but made himself nothing,† Here the essence of becom ing is clearly manifested.It was from this situation that Jesus became human and Paul goes on to say that when Jesus became nothing he was becoming a human â€Å"taking the very nature of a servant† verse 7. Jesus previous condition according to Paul is that he was â€Å"in the very nature of God† Verse 6 in which he has moved to a different condition of becoming a human being. In his letter to the Romans, Paul describes the human condition in Chapter 3 verse 23, as being lost in sin and had fallen short of God’s Glory.Paul categorically said that all have sin and God will punish everyone with sure death because of the sins committed. The gravity of man’s sins according to Saint Paul is that even men knew God â€Å"they neither glorified him as God, nor gave him thanks† Chapter 1 verse 21. Thus, Jesus becoming a human is an act of grace made available by God to human being. This is clearly explained by Paul in chapter 6 verse 23, which says,  "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord† (NIV).Here there are two theological discussions involve about the condition of human being. First, all human beings according to Paul have fall into sin and deserved God’s punishment. Andrew Purves and Charles Partee call this fallen condition as depravity. Although depravity for them does not mean of total abandonment of God of the human being, they pointed out that human depravity means, â€Å"nothing about us is beyond the reach of sin. In other words, all the human faculties are exposed to sin and are indeed contaminated by sin.Paul admits this in Romans Chapter 7: 14-25, in his confession of his condition with sin contaminating all his being. Paul confessed that he wants to good but he cannot do the good he wants but the evil the he do not want to do. In verse 23 Paul explained that the reason of his struggle is that there is another law at work in him. Paul said, â€Å" But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me prisoner of the law of sin at work within the members of my body† Romans 7: 23.Because of this condition of the human being, Paul emphasized that there is an extreme need for human being to be rescued from the fallen condition. Theologians call this as redemption. This was exactly the purpose of Christ’s human becoming which Paul explained in his letter in Philippians chapter 2. G. M. Newlands contends that Jesus life, death, and resurrection were in relation to humanity in order to be reconciled to God. Newlands pointed out, â€Å"It is through the transformative humanity of Jesus Christ that we recognized the divinity within him† (p. 107).He meant that God is not only compassionate on the human being’s predicament but also the source of effective transformation. The nature of God’s grace according to William B. Arnold, there are two importa nt manifestations of God’s grace. According to him, God’s grace Comes to us â€Å"freely and without dependence on our asking† (p. 30). Paul in Romans Chapter 5 verse 8 explains this, Paul says â€Å"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. † Arnold pointed out that God’s transformative grace is God’s initiative.The implication of God’ transformative grace in human being is that it reconciled man to God, in a way that his fallen nature has been restored to its former condition prior to his fall in to sin. Paul stated in Romans chapter 11 verses 30 that gentile people had been at one time disobedient to God â€Å"have now received mercy as result of their disobedience. † Conclusion Human becoming must be seen in the context of Jesus intension of taking human dorm and live a human life, and die on the cross for the forgiveness of sin and for the redemption of humanity from the fall to sin.The transformative grace of God has been the God’s initiative and the proof of God’s love for his creation, as he did not totally leave humans just by them selves despite of their sins. The transformative grace is the grace of God that enables human to able to be united with God, through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is also the saving grace of God given to human being through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that who ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, John 3: 16. He be then a new creation and his old fallen nature is gone I Corinthians 6:17.Work Cited Arnold, Williams. Introduction to Pastoral Care. Pennsylvania, USA: The Westminster Press, 1982. Newlands, George M. Christ and Human Rights: The Transformative Engagement. England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2006. Purves, Andrew and Partee, Charles. Encountering God: Christian Faith in the Turbulent Times. USA: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000. Wawrykow, J oseph Peter. The SCM A-Z of Thomas Aquinas. London: SCM Press, 2005. John 3: 16 Romans 1:21 Romans 3:23 Romans 5:8 Romans 6:23 Romans 7:14-25 Romans 11:30 I Corinthians 6:17

Friday, September 13, 2019

History of economics summary of obama's speech Essay

History of economics summary of obama's speech - Essay Example The country maintained its figure by beating at the moon, but here has come up new challenges with varying difficulties to test ‘whether this nation would endure’ (remember Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address). As Craighill reports in Washington Post, 84 percent of speech-watchers responded positively to Obama’s speech. With regard to investment policy, Obama said that he would propose a new investment budget which aims at innovations in clean energy technologies and heavy reliance on nuclear power in order to meet the challenge of exceeding dependency on fossil fuel (McGreal). The most potential aspect of Indian as well as Chinese model of investment he finds is their genuine concern in education especially in math and science. â€Å"Over the next ten years, nearly half of all new jobs will require education that goes beyond a high school degree† he reminded. He also reminds the Republicans who are skeptical about huge investments that â€Å"cutting the d eficit by gutting our investment in education and innovation is like lightening an overloaded airplane by removing its engine†. Obama intended to ensure the Republican support as he said they were at the moment to determine ‘if government’s growth is left unchecked and unchallenged’.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Temporary workers motivation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Temporary workers motivation - Assignment Example Thus, their prime motivation is economics, to have a means of income to pay the bills and not so much of doing a good job. This will result in lower productivity and cases of inefficiency because employees are not that interested with the job except for the pay. This explains why most worker treat temporary jobs as fleeting jobs, one they should take advantage of while it is around. One of the best ways to motivate them is to follow Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that employees are motivated by degrees of needs all of which must be satisfied for an employee to have a higher productivity. To do this, management must offer employees more than a pay check to pay their bills. At present, employees only stay with the job because of the pay and nothing more. As a result, their productivity is not that high. Also, they tend to leave once there is a better paying job only to leave it again when a better paying job comes along without any significant improvement in productivity. To start with, employers must satisfy the physiological needs of their employees through a competitive pay. This will address the basic needs of its employees. Second, employers must also address the security or safety need of its employees. In the modern sense, security means not only free from physical harm or threat but to feel secure from the uncertainties of life. These uncertainties can be accident or sickness. If employers can offer health insurance to their employees, they will feel more secure to work in the company. Employers must also treat their employees well and promote camaraderie among its employees. The purpose of which is to address the social needs of its employees. Once they are attached to their fellow employees and company, they will tend to work better than not caring at all. Finally, the management must also address the esteem needs of its employees so that they will find meaning with their jobs. Addressing

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Compensation And Employment Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Compensation And Employment Ethics - Essay Example You don't necessarily know the inherent assumptions which went into the design of the software, nor do you know with certainty what its limitations are. These computer programs and the computers themselves are wonderful tools but don’t use them blindly. The E&C contractor lost the job, one that was worth over $500 million. I don't know but I would not be surprised if some engineers also lost their jobs – they should have. In this case, blind faith in a piece of software cost the firm a lot of money. In another set of circumstances, this type of error could have cost lives. Protection of the public, the basis for requiring the engineering â€Å"seal† in the first place, is only afforded when an engineer qualified in the relevant discipline is responsible for all aspects of planning, design, and field supervision of the project. Engineering is an exciting field, and one of the best things about it is the wide range of career opportunities it affords. However, as professionals, engineers must remain vigilant so that they do not overestimate their abilities in fields outside their chosen discipline. The American Society of Civil Engineers serves my field of study. In order to be a member of the society, one must be certified as a land surveyor or engineer intern and licensed in the US as an L.S or P.E. additionally, one must have a bachelor’s and master’s degree from an ABET/EAC accredited civil engineering school. the society requires engineers to comply with the ASCE code of ethics It was ethical for Most to decline the job since someone cannot be forced to undertake a job he feels uncomfortable with. Also, Ball acted ethically by highlighting that Most had the required qualifications. This is because lying to the administrative board would have been unethical.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Novel analysis. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Essay

Novel analysis. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Essay Example This molded an indication of the novel at the back of the biographer`s mind. Moreover, she used the ‘Theseus’, a Greek fairytale as the foundation for the story she had to inscribe. In relation to this myth, Collins gave a description of Katniss as a revolutionary Theseus. In addition, it has been revealed that the Roman ‘gladiatorial’ Games provided the framework. Another influence for the story, came because of the sense of loss she developed majorly through her father`s service in Vietnam war; this is linked to the story since; she also lost her daddy at a tender age also. According to studies, the hunger games are a science creative writing novel transcribed by Suzanne Collins in 2008; the story was written in an opinion of a 16-year-old Katniss, who rendering to the storywriter, exists in ‘Panem’, ‘a post-apocalypltic’ state. This is where according history; North American countries were once thought to have existed; it is know n that the capital of the nation is a highly metropolis area, which practices political control over the whole nation. Studies show, that the hunger games are majorly annual events, where a boy and a girl aged around fifteen years drawn from each of the 12 districts around the capital, get selected through a lottery; the youth contest in an encounter that ends up to demise. The ‘hunger games’ was issued originally on September 14 in 2008 and later released in softcover and as an ‘audiobook’, as well as an ‘eBook’. Studies show that after the release of about two hundred thousand print copies, the book sold rapidly and by early 2010, the book had already sold about eight hundred thousand copies. The book has been translated into about twenty-seven languages since its release and having sold in forty territories the publishing rights. The design (plot) of the game Studies show that, the hunger games takes palace in Panem, a nation established in North America following the obliteration of the North America continent’s civilization through unrecognized apocalyptic events. It is found that, the nation is comprised of a wealthy capital including twelve poorer districts, which history shows, they are united through firm control of the capital. The volume instigates in the twelfth region; this region is found in the expanse, rich in petroleum and previously recognized as ‘Appalachia’ (Collins 10). The story is constructed on the realism of the past revolt; thus, as retribution related to the past rebellion against the control capital, and where the thirteenth district got destroyed. It starts with, one boy and a girl who age about fifteen or seventeen, selected from every district through an annual lottery and they are to participate in the hunger games. This is an event where the selected participants fight to death in an alfresco amphitheater, which is under the capital’s control and this goes on unt il there remains only one individual at the end of the event. The story is recounted through a girl from the twelfth region who is about sixteen years. She is a helper who partakes in the seventy-forth ‘hunger games’ yearly occasion. Peeta is a virile contestant who was chosen from the same twelfth district and he is a anterior faculty buddy of Katniss. In the course of the time when Katniss kinfolk was famished, Peeta gave her a bread from the household`s bakery. It is recorded that Katniss and Peeta were taken to the capital to be instructed by their mentor, Abernathy, who won the fiftieth hunger games. The instructor is also set to determine the strengths and the possible faults of other participants, which will help a great deal in understanding the role played