Aesthetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aesthetics - Essay Example Those belonging to the former school of thought contest that beauty lies only "in the eye of the beholder" whereas the latter claim that aesthetic characteristics exist independently of the mind. Ultimately the question is whether the aesthetic quality is subjective or objective and if it is possible to have objective standards of taste. An attempt has been made to answer this question by comparing and critically analyzing the works of Hume, Kant and Bell on the issue of aesthetic judgment and taste.Hume was an empiricist; he believed that all knowledge was derived exclusively from the senses based on individual perception and resulting from experience. Thus his viewpoint is essentially subjective. He feels that aesthetic enjoyment comes from deep within and one needs "that delicacy of imagination" without which one will be unable to appreciate the finer points of great art. Sentiment is another factor which affects one's reaction to works of art. There is no right or wrong sentiment because it "has a reference to nothing beyond itself". Beauty is another quality that "exists merely in the mind". And yet in the midst of all this subjectivity he never implies that aesthetic judgement is entirely personal. In fact common sense which he sets much store by indicates that responses may be right or wrong but some are invariably much better than others.Hume seeks to establish a standard of taste, "a rule" that works by "confirming one sentiment, and condemning another." He prescribes five factors that are prerequisites for a true judge - "Strong sense united to delicate sentiment, improved by practice, perfected by comparison and cleared of all prejudice". This standard attempts to adhere to the universal principles of taste while smoothing out individual differences. However there are two factors which prevent the functioning of the standard mechanism - "the one is the different humours of particular men; the other, the particular manners and opinions of our age and country". And on this note we can conclude Hume's account of aesthetic judgement. IMMANUEL KANT: THE CRITIQUE OF AESTHETIC JUDGEMENT Kant is the father of modern aesthetics. His invaluable contribution to philosophy at large and aesthetics in particular has consolidated his position as one of the most influential thinkers of all time. At the very onset of the essay Kant states that beauty is discerned "by means of the imagination" in conjunction with understanding as opposed to "a view of cognition". Feelings of pleasure or displeasure play a pivotal role in aesthetic judgement. Pleasure is merely a mental state and it has nothing to do with the properties of the object that elicits the response. Thus according to Kant, the "determining ground" is largely subjective. However there is scope for objectivity under certain controlled circumstances. Kant asserts that the element of interest in the judgement of aesthetic quality tends to be "partial and not a pure judgement of taste". A complete state of "disinterestedness" coupled with the imagination and naked perception must be preserved for effective judgement. If this state can be affected it is possible to arrive at a judgement that has "universal validity". CLIVE BELL: THE AESTHETIC HYPOTHESIS Bell does not mince words in his aesthetic hypothesis. He states that "The starting point for all systems of aesthetics must be the personal experience of a peculiar emotion." Of course the same work of art may provide different emotions in different people but "there is a particular kind of emotion" which is common to all kinds of "visual art". This aesthetic emotion may or may not be felt by people as it is

MOD 5 FIN 301 CA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MOD 5 FIN 301 CA - Essay Example This paper aims to analyze the advantages and disadvantages for AMSC to forgo their debt financing and take on equity financing. AMSC can use its cash from equity financing to invest in the project or business without carrying the burden of debt on its back. In a period of financial turmoil, where businesses are faced with a credit crisis, equity financing helps in providing the necessary cash and reduces the risk of bankruptcy. By forgoing debt financing, AMSC is gaining a major advantage by using the cash to grow its business rather than paying a bank loan. Equity financing also brings new resources with itself such as valuable human capital which can provide necessary skills, contacts and experience to run the business. In addition to that, as the business grows over the period of time the investors are often willing to provide additional funding in case if it is needed so AMSC can have access to future sources of funding with the current owners. The owners of the equity can control the business without any interference from the creditors since the company will have no debt obligations. The biggest advanta ge lies in the fact that the business will be free from any interest costs thus it can boost its profits. Furthermore, during a recessionary period where there is a lack of credit in the economy, AMSC can have a chance to obtain funding through debt financing since it will have a lower Debt-to-Equity ratio. Financial institutions often extend credits to those corporations who have a lower Debt-to-Equity ratio in their balance sheets thus AMSC’s ability to borrow will be improved. Too much debt financing can tarnish the reputation of AMSC if they have already huge liabilities on their books. Finally, Corporations also collateralize their important assets due to debt financing and creditors impose certain stringent rules and regulations on the use of those collateralized assets which limits the ability of the organizations to use those assets

Impact of the National Health Services Direc

Impact of the National Health Services Direc Evaluate the Impact of the National Health Services Direct,  It’s Success Rate and the Changes it has  Made in UK Health Care Practices and Procedures Anne Cook Abstract NHS Direct was set up to as part of the NHS Modernization Plan launched in 1998; the objective of NHS Direct was to offer 24-hour medical information to the general public. This was done through the use of a telephone in service, a website on the Internet, interactive touch screen kiosks and interactive digital television. NHS Direct operates across the whole of England and its digital television and website are available across a wider area. Growth and change have been ongoing, with the introduction of providing services to other departments within the NHS framework and ongoing expansion. In the main, the general public is satisfied with NHS Direct services. They have formed partnerships with other NHS departments to reduce the workload in areas such as Accident and Emergency these initiatives have had a mixed success ratio. The Business Plan for 2006 onwards was focused on further expansion and growth of NHS Direct. However, on April 3rd, 2006, the Ministry of Health announced that the NHS overall had a budget deficit of 50 million pounds and made public that NHS Direct would be forced to reduce their workforce by one third. Overall NHS Direct had met their targets, all be it at a high cost due to the requirement for advanced technology to support and run the systems needed. The focus of NHS Direct Management will now be on restructuring and downsizing with a reduced workforce. The staff turnover has always been high at 30% and the staff morale in difficult times will be a problem that needs addressing in order to retain experienced staff. The overall conclusion is that the NHS as a whole will have to reconsider its ability to provide free medical to all based on current funding. The funding to NHS has increased over the last decade. Regardless of the increase in funding, the system was not monitored in a way that identified an growing deficit, now resulting in NHS Direct and other departments having to downsize, in this case not due to their own inefficiency but the overall financial crisis in the whole NHS system. By using change agents the process of going from being a growth division to one that is reducing needs to be well managed to focus on the positive contributions they can make to the health of the general public and by closing or redirecting the services that they are not handling competently and/or cost efficiently. 1. Table of Content Abstract 1. Table of Content 2. Introduction 3. Literature Review Brief Introduction to Change Management NHS DIRECT 4. Research Objectives 5. Research Methodology 6. Research Findings SWOT Analysis Table 1 – SWOT Analysis Force Field Analysis – NHS, Direct, April 2006 Table 2 – Force Field Analysis 2. Introduction The National Health Service (NHS) is the largest employer in the UK and has a diverse workforce with many different professional groups (Smith, 2000). The researcher believes that there is accelerating pace of change within the NHS, as they need to keep a step up and embrace further growth in the public sector. In recent journals there are many problems related to the NHS Direct, which the researcher feels an investigation should be undertaken to identify the problems. A political editor said; â€Å"The report doubted whether the target of 90 per cent of callers speaking to a nurse within five minutes would be met. It said NHS Direct was changing the target waiting time to 20 minutes† (Waugh, 2002). NHS Direct is the National Health Service’s 24-hour information, advice and guidance service available by telephone, the Internet, interactive touch screen kiosks and interactive digital television. NHS Direct operates across the whole of England and its digital television and website are available across a wider area. NHS Direct is a Special Health Authority and employs approximately 4000 staff and handles around 600,000 telephone calls and one million visits to the website each month. The NHS Direct website gives patients the same information as their doctors, in clear and jargon-free language, which helps them to make informed choices about their healthcare. At the time the HNS Direct website was set up the then Health Minister, Rose Winterton, stated ‘We are working to provide a modern, flexible NHS that fits around patients needs and meets their expectations. We know that patients would like more information to support them in making decisions about their healthcare. This is an important step in providing patients with the resources they need to make informed choices’ The NHS is implementing a 10 year modernization program – the NHS Modernization Board is advising the Secretary of State on implementing the plan. Due to the vast nature of the NHS, this study will specifically look at NHS Direct and analyze the changes that have occurred, and the affect on stakeholders, both within the NHS and their external customers. 3. Literature Review Brief Introduction to Change Management Over the last 20 years the impact of change has been greater than ever before, as the pace of change is now so fast that, for organizations to sustain business growth and operate successfully they must be able to adapt with the frequent changes in markets and competition. Therefore businesses must respond very quickly if they are to survive. Clarke, (1994) Today, change is not the exception but a steady ongoing process that organisation strive on to keep a crucial part of competitive edge. [1]Burns (2000, p148) states: â€Å"What worked in the past will not work in the future, and organizations, like society at large, will have to change in unprecedented ways if they are to survive.† Managing change is a broad area to concentrate on, as change affects organizations in general and people in many different ways. The NHS has made changes to their provision of health care, which gave rise to the NHS Direct in the first place; however, the current financial crisis shows that initiatives in health care to date have not been adequate or appropriate. The one area that has not changed is the demand and scope of the services to be provided – they are providing medical for all, regardless of the persons ability to pay. Certain members of the public have opted for private health care insurance but this is not the norm. In addition, the population is aging and increasingly more seniors need long tern, high care that puts pressure on available resources. â€Å"It is easy to change the things that nobody cares about. It becomes difficult when you start to change the things that people do care about—or when they start to care about the things that you are changing.† [2](Lorenzi and Riley 1994) The NHS is important to the vast majority of the population; it is considered a right to have medical care available to all, regardless of their financial contributions. Most people do not carry private health care insurance. The Ministry of Health has repeatedly changed the NHS to maintain this service, with differing levels of success in recent years. The current situation shows serious financial deficits, a shortage of qualified staff and dissatisfaction with the service. We live at a time when organizations are continually changing and success is now determined by how well the changes are implemented and whether the desired gains can be achieved. (Collins, 1998) The rate of change is increasing in almost all organizations. The pressure is intense as the world focuses the time and attention on understanding the forces driving the changing environment and expands or applies the information systems needed to support the changed environment. The phrase change management in reference to the comments of [3]Peter Drucker is as to ‘whether one can manage change at all or merely lead or facilitate its occurrence within an organisation’. Change management is the process by which an organisation gets to its future state, however creating change starts with creating a vision and then empowering individuals to act as change agents to attain that vision. In todays rapidly changing, competitive environment, the ability to change efficiently, can distinguish the winners from the losers. Many health-related organizations find themselves unable to adapt due to the independence of technologic change. NHS Direct has been in a period of change due to their growth since inception. In 1998, the change was positive, bringing on and implementing new technology, growing call centres and providing an expanding service to the general public as well as reducing the workload in some other sectors within the NHS. However, this additional service within the NHS has involved high costs for technological infrastructure, software and implementation, as well as on going maintenance and extended the service without huge reductions to the demands on other sectors of health care. NHS DIRECT Purpose of the NHS Direct The NHS is a 24-hour health help line that handles around 100,000 calls every week across its 22 sites. Since the launch of the first wave of NHS Direct sites in March 1998, the service has expanded to cover the whole of England. In addition, it has developed a range of multi-channel services, including NHS Direct Online, Information Points using touch screen kiosks, NHS Direct in Vision (new digital TV pilot projects) and the Self-Help Guide (formerly the NHS Direct Healthcare Guide). NHS Direct has also expanded, working with frontline staff and managers to devise new with out-of-hours services to succeed in their aims and objectives providing consistent access to high quality, integrated care. Ref [4]http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ – a new gateway to healthcare The NHS Plan – A Plan for Investment, a Plan for Reform, July 2000 4. Research Objectives Introduction of the NHS direct has made a big departure to the existing practice and presents a major challenge in the management of change in the public sector. The aim of this report is to analyze the role of the NHS Direct through the use of the Internet and the impact on the Medical services. The following areas will be evaluated: Investigate the purpose of NHS Direct. Research the NHS Direct history and its operations. Identify the NHS Direct objectives and the success to date Investigate the Impact on all stakeholders, including Medical Services and the general public Evaluate the role of NHS Direct Website in helping NHS Direct meet its objectives. The challenges the change has imposed on NHS Managers and the affect on their change management approach 5. Research Methodology A literary review will be undertaken to study the NHS Direct and the elements listed in the research objectives. A range of sources will be utilised including e-journals and journals, newspapers, books and the Internet. The success of the change management will be measured by the success of NHS Direct and its ability to meet predefined goals and objectives, referred to as Key Performance Indicators. The KPIs include the changes being introduced and new services that have grown since inception of the service. The NHS Direct website will be evaluated as to how user friendly it is, what content it provides, and its acceptability from the user community. 6. Research Findings Investigate the purpose of NHS Direct. NHS Direct is a response to the desire for increased patient empowerment. It is also recognition that the NHS is a complex, multi-layered system that can be confusing for the non-health professional. NHS Direct enables people to make decisions about their own or their family’s health by providing expert advice and up to the minute information. The service can also act as a 24-hour signpost, directing people to the most appropriate level of care. NHS Direct was launched in 1998, initially at three pilot sites, to provide â€Å"easier and faster advice and information for people about health, illness and the NHS so they are better able to care for themselves and their families†. The success of NHS Direct in achieving this aim rests largely on the premise that it should be accessible to all sectors of the population regardless of race, age, gender, preferred language choice, income, sensory impairment, disability, social positioning or cultural background/preference. Ref NHS Direct website, a new gateway to healthcare http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ Objectives of NHS Direct Specific objectives set for the service included: To provide for the public a confidential, reliable and consistent source of professional advice on healthcare 24 hours a day so that they can manage many of their problems at home or know where to turn to for appropriate care. To provide simple and speedy access to a comprehensive and up to date range of health and health related information. To improve quality, increase cost-effectiveness and reduce unnecessary demand on other NHS services by providing more appropriate response to the needs of the public. To allow professionals to develop their role in enabling patients to be partners in self-care, and help them focus on those patients for whom their skills are most needed. The Ministry of Health’s mission to modernize the NHS is not confined to hospitals. The roll-out of NHS Direct, a nurse-led telephone help line, and the introduction of walk-in primary care centres indicate that the same philosophy is being applied to GP services. The common theme in these initiatives is the desire to improve access and convenience within the NHS, a theme that is emerging as the defining element of New Labours approach to health policy. The modernization of the NHS, which included the introduction of NHS Direct was a major change designed to streamline the interface between the general public and the NHS. As the NHS Direct service grew, it came under criticized for severing the personal link between patients and their GP. Some patients preferred the face-to-face interaction with their doctor when a health problem arose, even though the situation did not require medical procedure or physical intervention and was competently handled by a call to NHS Direct. Ref Coulson –Thomas, C and Coe, T (1991), The Flat organisation. British Institute of Management: London. They stated that Change is an ever-present feature of organizational life, though many would argue that the pace and magnitude of change have increased significantly in recent years. The Institute of Management, formerly the British Institute of Management, which regularly carries out surveys of its members, has certainly found this to be true. In 1991, the institute reported that 90 per cent of organizations in its survey were becoming ‘slimmer and flatter’. Such change will bring resistance – there are 4 bases for resistance to change, identified as follows by Leigh, A (1988) Effective Change. IPM Cultural – When change seems at odds with accepted values and norms: â€Å"the way we do things around here†. Social – When change threatens to disrupt relationships or break up valued groups. Organizational – When change affects formal, hierarchical status and threatens the individual’s power and influence. Psychological – When change is seen to be counter to the individual’s vested interest, when loss outweighs gain. NHS Direct could have created resistance in all the above areas. Cultural – for many senior citizens, for example, prefer to talk face to face with their medical personnel and those less computer literate people would not be inclined to use the web site as a source of information. There is a trust relationship between many doctors and patients who have worked together on the individual’s health needs for many years. Social – NHS Direct has been criticized for severing the ties between doctor and patient and recommending patient care options that differ to those ‘normally’ followed by the patient under his/her GP. Organizational – an article on the BBC, 30 August 2001 ref http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1516701.stm shows a concern regarding the changes to the organizational structure. ‘NHS Direct blamed for rise in 999 calls’ ‘There has been a 30% rise in 999 calls since last year. The introduction of the NHS Direct help line has been blamed for a leap in the number of 999 calls made to an ambulance service. The Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust is failing to meet government-set response targets of answering 75% of life-threatening calls within eight minutes. The trust says its efforts are being hampered by a 30% rise in call-outs since NHS Direct was made available to islanders. NHS Direct denies it is advising people to call out ambulances without good reason. ‘ The facts are denied by the manager of NHS Direct, he believes the increase in calls were correctly recommended by NHS Direct and that hey are being used as a scapegoat for the inability of the ambulance services to meet their target for responding to calls. The Times on line, quotes the NHS chief, Dec 08, 2005, in the article titled, ‘Turbulence is the Price of a Better Service’ â€Å"When you are introducing change you will inevitably have some degree of turbulence,† Psychological – The Emergency Medical Journal, C J Morrell, et al wrote a report entitled ‘The Impact of NHS Direct on Other Services; The Characteristics and Origins of Its Nurses. It states ‘the introduction of any new health service can clearly have an impact on other services in two distinct ways: firstly, by altering the pattern of patient demand for existing services; and secondly, if it competes for the same resources, by affecting the ability of existing services to supply care.’ This was commissioned in response to increasing criticism that the service was taking qualified nurses away from the profession. The article went on to point out that a number of the nursing staff working for NHS Direct actually have disabilities or personal reasons for not being able or willing to do active nursing duties and have been encouraged back into the work force by NHS Direct – they would otherwise have remained outside of their profession al together. Research the NHS Direct history and its operations. NHS Direct was one of the new services that were introduced in 1999/2000 to improve and reform the NHS healthcare making it a modern, efficient and patient led health service giving patients more choice and better access to their own healthcare. The service provides access to confidential health advice and information, 24 hours a day, in a range of easy and convenient ways – the NHS Direct telephone service, NHS Direct Online website and the NHS Direct Interactive service on digital satellite TV service. As well as helping patients improve their health and looking after themselves, NHS Direct helps patients access the right health care service for their needs. The value of the use of technology was reported by [5]Carr (1996) who agrees that, when properly used, information technology is a powerful tool for increasing speed, quality, and flexibility, and for creating new, different, and effective process operations. â€Å"It enables businesses to maximize their return on investment and deliver breakthroughs in competitive advantage.† But in practice, â€Å"many organizations have been sending millions of dollars down the drain by applying sophisticated information technology to automatic existing processes. The consequences? Making the same mistakes faster.† The costs and changing structure of the NHS Direct in the past and concerns regarding the accounting were tabled by the National Audit Office in Feb 2006 ref http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/05-06/0506484.htm ‘Established in 1999, until April 2004 NHS Direct was centrally managed by the Department of Health but the service was delivered at a local level by 22 NHS Trusts. When NHS Direct became a Special Health Authority in April 2004, it had to put in place new accounting systems and procedures. While these systems were being established the host Trusts which had previously funded and managed the service continued to be responsible for providing accounting and payroll services under service level agreements. Since NHS Direct had not implemented a centralized ledger or payroll system and the payroll providers and records were dispersed across the country, there was an absence of central management control over the processing of payroll. Work by NHS Direct and the NAO has indicated that in the region of  £1.6m of payroll expenditure in 2004-05 may be inaccurate. According to today’s report, NHS Direct has also been unable to provide evidenced comparative income and expenditure figures for previous years. NHS Direct has estimated total income and expenditure of  £121 million for the previous year based on returns provided by the host Trusts to the Department of Health together with an estimate of central departmental costs, but has been unable to provide sufficient evidence to support these figures.’ Identify the NHS Direct objectives and the success to date Objectives are stated as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and divided into sections – Patient, Staff and Organisation, Stakeholders Financial. The table below summarizes the KPIs for the sections, as stated in the Executive Report for July 2005, tabled in Sept 2005. This provides a recent snapshot of NHS Directs adherence to KPIs and provides actuals for previous month and year allowing comparisons for improvement over the period. As the department is in a growth phase, these KPIs include measurements of change management as well as maintenance and adherence to standards and processes and procedures. The section for Financial KPIs does not include any metrics, therefore it is assumed they were not discussed or agreed prior to the tabling of the report. The following table has been extracted from the Executive Scorecard, a method used to measure adherence to targets. Patients KPIs Overall, patients reported being satisfied with the service received, however, the department did not achieve its objectives against the majority of KPIs The number of complaints were up from 2004, although lower than reported in June Number of complaints responded to within 20 days was 39% below target and 37% worse than in June Serious adverse incidents exceeded the target and has shown an improvement over prior year and month figures The number of web visits and calls answered were lower. This is likely to be due to the fact that this was summer and not due to any shortcoming on the service. The number of abandoned calls is above target, although improved over the period The assessment of calls, all types, have met target and are significantly improved over the period. The National Audit Office paper ‘NHS Direct in England, published in 2002 stated ‘NHS Direct’s project team has balanced the need to publicize the service and its capacity to meet demand. It has already met its target for 60% of the population to be aware of NHS Direct by March 2002. Public satisfaction with NHS Direct is consistently very high at over 90%. Very few callers received the engaged signal when telephoning, but in Sept 2001 only 64% of callers were able to speak to a nurse adviser within 5 minutes compared with the current target of 90%. ’ Staff Organisation KPIs Schedule adherence appears to be a problem, with the target not being met by 2 key staff members by 9 18%. The cause for concern is within the rolling year turnover rate for staff. This is exceptionally high at 39% and this should be further investigated to find out the root cause. The BBC article ‘Call Centres: An Ideal Calling’ an NHS Direct employee commented ‘However, with a staff turnover of some 30%, it looks as though the call handlers are not enjoying the fruits of this telecommunications boom. ‘Jonathan, who works at a major call centre in northern England, has seen this staggering turnover at first hand. Two-thirds of the people who join us dont make it past their second month. Most [of the others] leave within a year, he says. Companies have been accused of taking a cavalier attitude to happiness of their staff, preferring to hire agency workers rather than investing time and money in a full-time workforce.’ Stakeholder KPIs The departments reached the majority of stakeholder KPIs – stakeholders are other departments within the NHS and therefore this indicates that the NHS Direct should have a successful relationship within the NHS as a whole. July 2005 Executive Scorecard Patient KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) Actual Actual Actual Rating Jun-05 Target Prev mth Last Year G % Patients satisfied with service 99% 95% 98% 99% R Number of complaints (per 10,000 calls) 0.84 0.5 1.01 0.49 R Number of complaints responded to within 20 days 56% 95% 93% G Serious adverse incidents (per 10,000 calls) 0.16 0.24 0.34 0.25 A Number of web visits 963.3k 1040.9k 1013.0k 662.6k A Number of calls answered 570.01k 591.3k 553.5k 526.3k A Abandonment rate 7% 5% 10% 13% A % calls answered within 60 seconds 76% 95% 71% 57% G % urgent calls commencing clinical assessment in 20 minutes 97% 95% 97% 50% A % non-urgent calls commencing clinical assessment in 60 minutes 97% 95% 97% 50% G % of HI calls assessed within 3 hours 91% 90% 91% 90% Staff Organisation G Overall ICT availability 99.97% 99.00% 99.99% 99.99% R Schedule Adherence: Nurse Advisor 61% 80% 61% 57% A Schedule Adherence: Health Advisor 72% 80% 70% 66% A Calls per available hour 7.7 8.8 8.7 7.5 G Short term sickness 6% 6% 5% 5% R Rolling year turnover rate for staff 39% 25% 39% 30% A % of funded staff in establishment 90% 100% 91% 93% Stakeholders KPI <

Neural Vision System :: Essays Papers

Neural Vision System Researchers at the University of Houston in Texas have developed a neural vision system that allows a robot to adapt to a changing world. The machine is designed to explore, experience (for better or worse) and then make future decisions based on that experience: typical behavior for any neural device. What is unusual is its ability to "learn new tricks" if the rules it learned through experience no longer apply. In both simulated and hardware experiments, the robot was shown to be able to identify objects correctly, even if the value associated with them changed over time. Neural networks are computing devices based on the way our own brains work. They consist of many, usually simple, processing elements that are wired together in parallel. Unlike conventional computers, which are based on algorithms or rules to be followed in order to produce a result, neural networks act as adaptive filters. They are trained by feeding them inputs and the correct "answers" to those inputs. This information changes the way the network is connected so that the next similar input can produce a similar correct output. One of the issues that neural network designers have been struggling with over the years is how to structure the neural network without prejudging the situations that it is going to encounter. Other methods of creating artificial intelligence, such as building in so-called behaviors or creating expert systems, have the disadvantage of generally requiring some knowledge about the world before they start. In behavioral robots (those that have an automatic, preprogrammed response to stimuli from the outside world), that knowledge can be hard wired, whereas, in the expert system case, the knowledge is contained in the software. Engineers Ramkrishna Prakash and Haluk Ãâ€"gmen wanted, instead, for their robot to be able to learn on the fly the way people do, adapting as circumstances changed. The solution they came up with is the neural-network architecture, called frontal. Basically, the network allows a robot (in this case a robot arm with video cameras for eyes) to identify new objects and decide whether to pick them up, and learn from its previous good and bad decisions. The first part of the system (labeled spatial novelty) is an array of so-called gated dipoles, each of which addresses a different area in the robot's field of view. The gated dipoles basically performs a comparison between the incoming information about that point in space and what it was like previously.

Enjoy homework

Analyses two possible reasons why Michael currently has a centralized structure. A centralized structure is a management structure where decision making is done at higher consolidated levels by those with a broader perspective. In a centralized organization, decisions made by higher management are typically communicated to lower organizational tiers who are then expected to accept and move forward in a way, which follows the higher tier managers' decisions.Michael currently has a centralized structure to keep consistency in he restaurants and maintain a brand image however the restaurant sector is very diverse which means different parts of the I-J require different approaches which would more so benefit the decentralized Structure. Michael is responsible for the organizational structure that reflects from his personality, management style and characteristics.Michael has a wider span of control due to the fact it gives him a bigger influence on what happens within the business theref ore making more of the decisions and generating us access. 2) Ruth believes Enjoy! Should extend its flexible workforce strategy. To what extent do you agree with this view? A workforce strategy is the company's overall approach to maximizing the performance of its workforce by stating clearly the goals, objectives and expectations that are made of the workforce. To what extent does Enjoy! Deed to alter their own flexible workforce strategy. Ruth wants to increase the flexibility of the current plan by employing more part time and temporary contracts that they re hoping will increase their labor turnover. A benefit from having more part time contracts would be that the costs of the business are lowered and the company doesn't have to make a commitment to the employee. Workers are more satisfied and less likely to leave the firm and more likely to speak positively about it.Although a downside to more part time workers would mean less attachment to Enjoy! As they're less likely to spe nd as much time there as a full time employee. Also, they might have less experience doing the job within the firm therefore underperforming in tasks. Ruth wants to focus her costs on the quality of the recruitment agency by using the Hospitality Recruitment Agency who can recognize a gifted candidate when they see one. Enjoy! Always have the opportunity to employ omen full time if they think highly of their performance.

Great Gatsby Reading Response Essay

Characterization: Simply put, indirect characterization is the author’s way of giving the reader clues as to how a character is really like. Such clues may be describing how the character dresses, letting the reader hear what the character says, or revealing the character’s private thoughts. Example: â€Å"Gatsby, his hands still in his pockets, was reclining against the mantelpiece in a strained counterfeit of perfect ease, even of boredom† (The Great Gatsby, 86). Function: The nervous appearance of Gatsby as he meets Daisy suggests a different side to Gatsby’s personality. This meeting with Daisy, which takes place at Nick’s house, gives one a closer look as to how Gatsby can seem like a different person altogether. Gatsby’s surprisingly timid nature even disables him to directly ask Nick to invite Daisy for tea. Gatsby, usually sophisticated and composed, is in distress as he tries to mimic a pose of â€Å"perfect ease† when he tries to talk with Daisy (86). Gatsby’s awkward character directly involves Nick as he turns to him for help in reuniting him with his love. The author characterizes Gatsby differently from Nick’s first impression to show the reader the sincere love he feels for Daisy. Similar to how a man in love can be sheepish and disheveled, Gatsby is clearly characterized as a typical man who fell in love through his failed attempts at being calm in Daisy’s presence. His appearance at the beginning of the novel differs from the true feelings he hides deep inside. This complete change of character with Gatsby emphasizes the climax of the novel, which is when Gatsby and Daisy finally meet. All of Gatsby’s actions, including his parties, were done with Daisy in mind. In relation with the change of pace in the novel as the novel switches from Gatsby’s mysterious nature to a complete revelation of Gatsby’s inner workings, the plot of the story changes to include Gatsby’s course of action in the hopes of reviving his past with Daisy.

Free Essays on Ideal Code Of Ethics

Abstract The focus of this paper will be to identify what an ideal code of ethics is. A code of ethics is truly honored by the officer(s) that is required to follow it. I view the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics as being the ideal code of ethics for a police officer. I view the ideal code of ethics as a means to serve as an oath to the particular position that one has been hired to fulfill. In his book Police Ethics, David Hanson duplicated The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. This code of ethics I find is a very effective in serving the purpose of the oath for a young or new police officer that the International Association of chiefs of Police would apply. The code of ethics can be a guideline and I must admit that I am not familiar with the hiring and or oaths required for police. However, I see that each employer has a code of conduct in place. The employee code of conduct establishes the requirements of each employee. The employee may be required to show up to work on time, follow department guidelines, policies, and procedures. The same code of conduct may refer to ethical violations. On page xvii of the Police Ethics, in the second paragraph of the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, â€Å"I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department.† Much of every ethics statement in this refers to policy guidelines. I looked at this particular Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and noted that it also has some reference to situations that is not covered in a particular department policy. Most departments have the code of conduct rule â€Å"any act that is deemed to be a poor representation of the department† but not many cover the understanding of the badge and to what symbol it serves. The power or the heart felt message is what is difficult to explain of an ideal code of ethics. The ideal code of ethics should be one that addresses the requirements of the badge and what it symbo... Free Essays on Ideal Code Of Ethics Free Essays on Ideal Code Of Ethics Abstract The focus of this paper will be to identify what an ideal code of ethics is. A code of ethics is truly honored by the officer(s) that is required to follow it. I view the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics as being the ideal code of ethics for a police officer. I view the ideal code of ethics as a means to serve as an oath to the particular position that one has been hired to fulfill. In his book Police Ethics, David Hanson duplicated The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics. This code of ethics I find is a very effective in serving the purpose of the oath for a young or new police officer that the International Association of chiefs of Police would apply. The code of ethics can be a guideline and I must admit that I am not familiar with the hiring and or oaths required for police. However, I see that each employer has a code of conduct in place. The employee code of conduct establishes the requirements of each employee. The employee may be required to show up to work on time, follow department guidelines, policies, and procedures. The same code of conduct may refer to ethical violations. On page xvii of the Police Ethics, in the second paragraph of the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, â€Å"I will be exemplary in obeying the laws of the land and the regulations of my department.† Much of every ethics statement in this refers to policy guidelines. I looked at this particular Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and noted that it also has some reference to situations that is not covered in a particular department policy. Most departments have the code of conduct rule â€Å"any act that is deemed to be a poor representation of the department† but not many cover the understanding of the badge and to what symbol it serves. The power or the heart felt message is what is difficult to explain of an ideal code of ethics. The ideal code of ethics should be one that addresses the requirements of the badge and what it symbo...

External Environmental Factors that Effect Education

External Environmental Factors that Effect Education Free Online Research Papers Environment is made of different elements. These elements are called environmental elements. Such elements directly and indirectly influence the ability to achieve organizational goals. These elements can be classified in two groups. They are: internal environmental elements and external environmental elements. The same classification is also called the types of environment. The following figure clarifies the types of environment: Internal environment An organization has internal environment which includes owner, board of directors, employees, and culture. Such elements directly influence a business organization. As these elements remain under the control of the organization, the management should utilize them in favor of the organization by using their ability, experience and skill. The components of internal environment are Owners, Culture, Employees, and Board of Directors and so on. External environment External environment of an organization can also be classified in two categories. They are general environment and task environment. The general environment is not related to organization but task environment is related. 1. General environment: The elements of general environment do not remain under the control of organization but they directly affect the organizations. Economic, political, legal, social, cultural and technological elements are general elements. These elements remain out of organization but greatly affect an organization. Organization should make favorable by monitoring and analyzing these external elements. Following figure clearly shows the general environmental elements: a. Economic environment: Economic environment is an important element of general environment. Inflation, interest rate, unemployment etc. are its main elements. As these elements directly affect the business organizations, decisions should be taken after having deeply studied and analyzed them. These elements do not remain under control of business . so, the business organizations cannot affect these elements. Rather the organizations are affected by them. i. Inflation: The price of goods and services goes high during the time of inflation. Companies have to pay high price for the necessary resources to produce goods or services. As a result, the cost of goods or services increases. The companies compulsorily increase the price of their goods or services to recover their investment. In this way, the price hike of goods or services directly affects the demand, or demand goes down. ii. Interest rate: If the rate of interest increases, the customers do not like to borrow money. Similarly, the companies also have to pay the interest rate if thy borrow. In this way, the cost of only increases resulting to price hike of goods or services. This affects demand or demand goes gown. iii. Unemployment: the unemployment situation also affects the demand of goods or services. So, this is also one of the important elements of economic environment. Companies get good chances to select employees. As only a small number of people decreases. As a result, the demand declines. b. Political-legal environment: Political and legal environment is also included in general environment. Political philosophy, political system, political organizations, legal system, court, legal administration etc. are included in this. Theses elements also do not remain under the control of organizations. So, decisions should be taken after deep study and analysis of these elements. i. Political philosophy: Political philosophy may be democratic or socialist or mixed. In democratic countries private companies play important roles. In the socialist philosophy the government plays important roles. In the mixed political philosophy, the political philosophy, the role of both the private sector and state play important roles. So, business organizations should analyze political philosophy also. In Nepal, both the private and government sectors have important roles. ii. Political system: Political system includes political ideology, election prices, the process of government formation etc. Besides, political stability or instability also consists in it. This factor also affects business organization. iii. Political institution: This includes executive (Government), legislative (Parliament) and judiciary (court of law). These political institutions also affect business organizations. iv. Legal System: The things what business organizations can do and what they cannot do are stated in legal system. Besides, the rights and interests of labors and consumers are also clearly explained. v. Court: Court is also included in the environment of business. Court solves the legal problems. There may be different types of courts according to the level and nature of legal problems, court settle disputes. vi. Administration of law: Administration of law is also one of the elements to affect business organization. This includes th law implementation bodies. They are government bodies, police, advocates etc. c. Socio-cultural environment: Socio-cultural environment is one of the important elements of general environment. This include population, pressure groups, reference groups, lifestyle, social classes, religion, language etc. these elements directly affect organizations, so decisions should be taken only after their deep study and analysis. i. Demography: The elements such as growth of population, size of population, age group, population distribution, urbanization, migration, etc. are included in demography. These elements affect business organizations. So a manager should analyze such demographic elements for taking rational decision. ii. Pressure groups: Pressure groups do different activities for different social and group interests. Such activities affect business organizations. Consumer, civil society, human rights organizations, woman organization, environment protection group etc. are the pressure groups. So a manager should also analyze the pressure groups and their activities for taking proper decisions. iii. Reference groups: Reference group is also called affecting group. Such group binges change in the consumers behavior. For example: famous film stars, musicians, other popular personalities fall in reference group. They can bring changes in consumer’s life style, fashion, behavior belief etc. iv. Life style: Social change brings change in the life style of people. The life style of people is expressed in their activities, behavior, interest views or ideas etc. such changes in people affect business organizations. Os, a manager should also study and analyze such things. v. Social class: All the people do not belong to the same class in any society. Some are rich and some others are poor. On the basis of middle class and lower class. Generally the interest, capacity of expenses and behavior of the people of same class become similar. Such social classes affect business organizations. vi. Religion: Religion is an element of socio- cultural environment. Religion also affects business organization. Os, business organization should think over this element. The consumer’s groups may be Hindu, Muslim, and Christian etc. so, a business organization should think over religion also. vii. Language: the other important element of socio-cultural environment is language. Language works as the communication media. It directly affects organizational activities. English, Chinese, French, Sanskrit, Urdu, Hindi, Nepali etc. are the languages used by consumers. Languages are different in different countries. Various languages can be spoken in a country. So, language is also and important element of socio- cultural environment. d. Technological environment: The other important elements of general environment are technological environment. The level of technology, pace of technology, researches and development budget technology transfer etc. are included in technological environment. These elements also directly affect business decision. So, the managers should regularly study and analyze technological environment. i. Level of technology: The level of technology is labour and capital dominated. Labor dominated technology uses much manpower whereas capital dominated technology uses modern machineries and equipments. ii. Pace of technology: Technology is dynamic. Its pace of change is very fast. So a manager should adopt changing technological environment. iii. R D budget: Customer’s needs keep on changing. Old technology may be useless to fulfill the changing needs. So it is necessary to develop new technology. Research and development is the main basis of development of new technology. So a manager should pay attention towards this aspect. iv. Technology transfer: Top import new technology from developed countries to technologically poor countries is called technology transfer. Technology can be transferred trough projects, multinational companies, technical assistance, trade etc. 2. The task environment: Task environment is one of the important elements of external environment. This includes competitors, customers, suppliers, regulators and strategic allies. These elements directly affect the activities of an organization. a. Competitors: Competition is very important element of task environment. It directly affects organizations. Organizations should analyze competition to form clear strategy for giving satisfaction and expansion of market share. The competitors of an organization are other organizations which compare for resources. b. Suppliers: Suppliers are those organizations which provide resources to business organizations. It is good for any organization to keep long term relationship with suppliers for quality, effective and prompt delivery of resources. Suppliers may be of different types. They are raw material supplier, machinery supplier, human resource supplier, financial resource suppler etc. c. Customer: Those who purchase the products or services of an organization are called customers. Customer may be individuals or organization. Schools, hospitals, government agencies, whole sellers, retailers, producer etc. are the organizations which are the customers of other organizations. Organizations develop different programs to satisfy their customers. d. Regulators: Regulator controls the policy and behavior of an organization. So the organization is affected by his activities. The regulators are also of two types. They are Regulatory Agencies and Interest groups. Regulatory agency is a unit formed by government which provides protection to people an organization by curbing unfair business practices. It protects consumer rights. Interest groups are formed to influence an organization. Such groups works for the interest of its members or group. e. Strategic allies: when two or more companies work together as join venture, it is called strategic allies. Such allies are formed for doing important works. One company / organization can learn special skill and knowledge from other. Along with this, risk is shared among companies. Ford and Mazda Company have jointly established Probe Automobile. This is called as strategic allies. Research Papers on External Environmental Factors that Effect EducationPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfResearch Process Part OneOpen Architechture a white paperRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalStandardized TestingAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeGenetic Engineering

Barriers to communication Essay Example for Free (#4)

Barriers to communication Essay 1.3 Identify barriers to effective communication A child, young person, their parent(s)/carer(s) or even a member of staff whose first language is foreign may make it harder for any communication spoken to them to be understood. They may only understand very small words of the language you’re speaking, so information will be harder to put across. For example; in my setting, there is a child who can understand what you are saying, but it seems, most of the time they seem very quiet. This may be due to their parent(s) being from a foreign country, so they may be able to communicate in their parent(s) language, but not in ours so may find it hard to communicate some of their needs/feelings. Someone may have a sensory deprivation – such as hearing or sight. This will make giving and receiving information harder to do – they may need an interpreter at all times for example. When talking to a service provider, they may use technical language that the service user may not understand which will make it harder for them to process the information and may worry what they have meant. Someone may be going through a difficult time that is making their emotions go all over the place – such as they may take things the wrong way, get upset easily, no full concentration and not trying as hard to complete/do things. Environmental/setting problems can cause a barrier for a communication – someone who may not be able to see very well will find it hard to read any written information in a dimly lit room. Or, for example, someone in a wheelchair can find it hard to communicate with someone if they are at a desk that is above the wheelchair users head. Barriers to communication. (2016, Aug 05). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

ANTH Final Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ANTH Final Paper - Essay Example â€Å"Men average 152 centimeters (5 feet) in height and women 141 centimeters (4.5 feet). They are frequently referred to as pygmies, a term more correctly used for the central African Pygmy populations.† (Early & Headland, 1998, p.3-4) They have traditionally been known as aboriginal inhabitants of the Philippine rain forest. For centuries they have been largely and hunter/gather culture using bows and arrows to hunt large game. Over the past hundred years they have interacted more with the Philippine civilization, especially the lowlanders and have worked as casual farm laborers as well. Many of Southeast Asias Negrito populations are quickly disappearing. There number have decreased dramatically in just over the past ten years and continue to decline. In fact, several Negrito populations in the Andaman Islands have disappeared completely in the past one hundred years. â€Å"The 10 Negrito dialect groups in peninsular Malaysia number only 1,800 today, far fewer than in the last century. The Negrito groups in Thailand have declined to only 300 people.† (Early & Headland, 1998, p.3-4) Ecology: Luzon has the largest number of Negritos, who reside in the mountains of Zambales, Bataan, Western Pampanga, Western Tarlac, Southwestern Pangasinan, and in the Sierra Madre range, which rims the eastern side of Luzon. The Negritos of the Sierra Madre refer to themselves and their language by the term Agta. The larger Philippine population usually refer to them as "Dumagats.† The Agta have a population of around 9,000 and they are divided into 10 ethnolinguistic groups. The Agta themselves distinguish two types of groups within their communities. The first group resides in the mountains quite a distance from both the coastline and the towns. This population relies more on hunting and gathering and have very little contact with the Filipino lowland farmers. The second group lives much closer to farming settlements and interacts on a

Horseshoe Crab Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Horseshoe Crab - Research Paper Example One of these species, Limulus polyphemus, is found in North America along the coastline of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. The remainder are found in Southeast Asia. Despite having the name horseshoe crab, they are not true crustaceans. They are closely related to arachnids (a category that includes scorpions and spiders). Evolutionists coin the species â€Å"living fossils† since their fossils have been found in period that date back to 450 million years. Scientists will hold a different view for the organism arguing that it offers important insights to evolution and species interdependence. Despite the differing opinions about this magnificent creature, a common denominator is that they are important for both coastal communities and human health. In the whole planet, only four species this crab are in existence.The paper will discuss in detail about the horseshoe crab by offering insight from its anatomical features to the ecological habitat. Despite the earliest forms of horseshoe crab inhabiting the planet for millions of years, the anatomical features of these creatures have not changed. Unfortunately, the long, thin spike-like tail makes many people view them as dangerous, yet they are docile or rather harmless. The anatomy of horseshoe crab is one of the notable aspects in the creature. In the topographical description of horseshoe crab, the body is divided into three sections namely prosoma, opisthosoma and the telson. These body sections are sometimes called cephalothorax, abdomen and the tail. Prosoma contains and intestinal tract, an oesophagus and proventriculus that helps in grinding food (Dunlap 54). Also, in the prosoma are a nervous system that is concentrated with a bulbous brain, tubular heart, excretory glands at the base of walking legs and a connective tissue (Fortey 81). Opithosoma contains an intricate network of the musculature that helps in the operation of book gills and the telson. However, the 1 13

Life after Hurricane Katrina Personal Statement

Life after Hurricane Katrina - Personal Statement Example I was forced to develop my critical thinking skills when I spent six months trying to find a job but got nowhere. I was at a crossroads where I needed to make a decision about whether my time was better spent continuing to look for work, which may or may not have been a fruitful search, or whether I should rededicate myself to pursuing academics in order to invest in my future and in my husband's future. The latter decision would be an enormous sacrifice. We really needed to make ends meet; and finding a way to boost my income rather than spending money on my education would have been the easy decision to make. Nevertheless, after seriously thinking through the options, I began to realize that making the choice to go to work now would have meant giving up on my future. I had to think critically about what I would be gaining and losing under both options. Working right away would have helped us to live more comfortably in the short term, but would have locked us into a situation where we would always be living on the edge of subsistence. Perhaps most importantly, I knew I would never really be happy. I had decided long ago that my happiness was directly linked to my work in the medical profession. I began to realize I would always harbor some resentment toward myself if I gave up on that dream in order to placate a temporary crisis in my life. Researching my options for breaking back into the medical profession led me to discover that this was the right course of action. It has been my lifelong vision to care for the health and the quality of life of other human beings. Ultimately, my ability to think critically led me to the conclusion that I needed to think with my heart and never give up on my hopes and dreams, regardless of whatever crises I might be confronted with in my life. Moreover, Katrina's impact on my life has led me to the conclusion that perseverance is the fundamental ingredient for achieving any kind of dreams that one may have. Perseverance entails not only a willingness, but an absolute resolve to stay the course in the pursuit of one's goals, despite even the most serious challenges that may arise. Without perseverance, it is easy to get side-tracked and lose focus on the ultimate objective. Perseverance enables a person to transform an apparent tragedy like Katrina into a real opportunity to further one's progress toward a goal. Without it, the ramifications of that hurricane would be affecting my life today to a much greater extent that it has been allowed to. Perseverance is the key tool for saying "no" to a tragedy: "you will NOT rob me of my goals and dreams!" Perseverance has also come into play in my life when other, less serious, challenges have arisen. It has enabled me to be true to my values at many points in my life. My values, including my prioritization of family, work and other responsibilities, my guidelines for my treatment of others, my principles for handling ethical dilemmas, and my overall life philosophy, have all been heavily influenced by various people, institutions and events in my life. Perseverance has enabled me to stay grounded in my values regardless of what life has thrown at me. There have been many experiences in my life that

Is Infinity Possible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Infinity Possible - Essay Example A mathematician just have to round off the figure in order to mark the end of the mathematical problem otherwise the sequence would be written to the length of an equator and still fails to end. These are some few examples that prove the existence of infinity. To conceptualize this in a thought, if everything in existence is put in a box and sealed tight, it means that a boundary has been created between what is inside the box and what is out side the box. In this line of thinking, one can possibly end up to a conclusion that all that is out side the box is a continuation of all that is inside the box be it space, solid, liquid or a gas. What is infinite therefore is that that can never be measured and ca never be traced to an origin. Religiously, the Almighty God can be logically viewed as infinite. This is because no matter how hard mankind can try to understand His origin, there will never be a definite answer (Gökdeniz & Dilek p12). He is the Alfa and the Omega. He has always been there, is there and will always be there forever more. These words from the scripture suggest that God’s existence is infinite; and never dies. Regardless of what the atheists and the theists think of this, the concept of infinity has been present ed. The quality of infinity is infinite and infinity therefore is the quality that is applicable to a number of infinite qualities. Think of space and beyond; it is endless and this is infinity; think of matter; think of levels of life forms in the universe and intelligence levels; think of the largest and the smallest thing that can ever be, and think of time. These are all forms that can only be traced to infinite dimensions proving that infinity does not only exist in numbers but exist in the physical realm as well (Cleqq p158). If only someone can prove of an existence that is beyond infinity or give a word that gives this extension a meaning,

Write about 5 artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Write about 5 artist - Essay Example It is at Yale that Bartlett fully understood the progressive approach to modern artistry. This combined with the vibrant art scene in nearby New York was instrumental to her development as an artist in those early years (37). Bartlett’s first solo exhibition in 1970 at Alan Saret’s loft and a later exhibition in 1974 at the Paula Cooper Gallery showcased her unique artistic concepts. Her work which incorporated the use of various systems to create order and at the same time oppose it made her an icon in the world of art. She was bale to explore the use of different materials and the conceptual process to make objects and images. This post-minimalist and realist painter is well known for her interiors and landscapes which are created in a way that explore the relationship between the object and the painted image. She used materials such as pen and ink, pencil, brush and ink, gouache and oil pastel to create her paintings. (Gaze 218). One of her most famous works is the gigantic mural situated at the Federal Building in Atlanta, Georgia. She created this two hundred foot mural in 1981. Since then, she has been creating works of art which all have characteristics of her use of mundane objects. Bartlett’s paintings can be found in various public collections in Museums such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the walker Art center in Minnesota, Honolulu’s Contemporary museum and the Tate Gallery in London (Gaze 219). In the world of art, Julian Schnabel is considered as one of the most outstanding artists of the 20th century. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1951 to Jack Schnabel and Esta Greenberg. He resolved to be an artist while he was still a young boy. After receiving his B.F.A from the University of Houston, he joined the Whitney Museum of American Art under the inde[pendent study program. He had his first show as a solo artist in 1975, and thereafter he traveled to

Moscow Olympics 1980. Urban Policy. Urban Regeneration Speech or Presentation

Moscow Olympics 1980. Urban Policy. Urban Regeneration - Speech or Presentation Example The problem is that although Moscow was experiencing the Soviet war in 1980, its urban infrastructure warranted it an opportunity to host Olympic Games (Real 1996). Other cities did not have the standardized infrastructure to accommodate the event. In return, the event did not run as expected because some nations like the US amongst others boycotted the event. Since then, cities are on the run to standardize their infrastructure so as to be given the opportunity to host Olympic Games. This problem is worth discussing because; if there were other urban areas of the same urban standards as Moscow and not experiencing cold war, the Olympic Games could have been held there. Today every other city in the world has sought urban policy or urban regeneration to be in a position to host international events like Olympic Games. The differing perspective of this topic is that since the Moscow Olympic games of 1980, the society has made Olympic Games more visible and spectacular (Andranovich & Heying 2001). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) which is the body that conducts Olympic sports has to be very specific in outlining the requirements needed by a city to host the event. The staging is done on a manual detailing where it has to be evaluated in the bi dossiers of candidate cities. The demand for hosting Olympic Games has gone up due to the urban transformation or regeneration which has taken place since 1980 when Moscow hosted Olympic Games. Cities have regenerated their transport sectors, technology, cultural programmes, art and environmental management among other critical sectors which can deny them the opportunity to host international events li ke the Olympic Games. Once a city has been selected to host the event, it is monitored closely in planning and preparing for the event by the IOC coordination committee to ensure everything is up to standard. Sometimes the commission

Write about 5 artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Write about 5 artist - Essay Example It is at Yale that Bartlett fully understood the progressive approach to modern artistry. This combined with the vibrant art scene in nearby New York was instrumental to her development as an artist in those early years (37). Bartlett’s first solo exhibition in 1970 at Alan Saret’s loft and a later exhibition in 1974 at the Paula Cooper Gallery showcased her unique artistic concepts. Her work which incorporated the use of various systems to create order and at the same time oppose it made her an icon in the world of art. She was bale to explore the use of different materials and the conceptual process to make objects and images. This post-minimalist and realist painter is well known for her interiors and landscapes which are created in a way that explore the relationship between the object and the painted image. She used materials such as pen and ink, pencil, brush and ink, gouache and oil pastel to create her paintings. (Gaze 218). One of her most famous works is the gigantic mural situated at the Federal Building in Atlanta, Georgia. She created this two hundred foot mural in 1981. Since then, she has been creating works of art which all have characteristics of her use of mundane objects. Bartlett’s paintings can be found in various public collections in Museums such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the walker Art center in Minnesota, Honolulu’s Contemporary museum and the Tate Gallery in London (Gaze 219). In the world of art, Julian Schnabel is considered as one of the most outstanding artists of the 20th century. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1951 to Jack Schnabel and Esta Greenberg. He resolved to be an artist while he was still a young boy. After receiving his B.F.A from the University of Houston, he joined the Whitney Museum of American Art under the inde[pendent study program. He had his first show as a solo artist in 1975, and thereafter he traveled to

Colgate Segmentation Essay Example for Free

Colgate Segmentation Essay Concept of Working Capital Working capital refers to short-term funds, need to meet operating expenses. It refers to the funds; to finance its day-to-day operations. It is concerned with current assets and current liabilities. If a firm can’t maintain a satisfactory level of working capital, it may become insolvent or bankrupt. Broadly there are 2 concepts of working capital, such as: 1. Gross Working Capital (Quantitative Concept) 2. Net working Capital (Qualitative Concept) Both these concepts of working capital have operational significance. The two concepts are not mutually exclusive. The ‘gross concept’ emphasizing the ‘use’ and the ‘net concept’ emphasizes the ‘source’. 1. Gross Working Capital The total current assets are termed as the gross working capital. It is also known as quantitative or circulating capital. It refers to firm’s investment in short term assets such as cash, marketable securities, accounts receivables, prepaid expenses, inventories etc. Significance a. Optimum investment in current assets. -: Inadequate working capital leads to insolvency and excessive will lead to less profitability. Financing of current assets. -: If funds arise it should be invested in short term securities, don’t keep it idle. 2. Net Working Capital The excess of current assets over current liabilities represents net working capital. It may be positive or negative. Net working capital indicates the liquidity of the business. Significance a. Maintaining Liquidity Position-: Current assets help in meeting financial obligations. Generally for every one rupee of current asset there should be one rupee of current liability. b. Extent of long term capital n financing current assets-: If there are Rs 100000 current assets and Rs 75000 current liabilities then NWC is Rs 25000, and it supposed to be financed from long term funds. Efficient management of working capital involves control over the current assets and current liabilities, which are the main components of working capital. 1. Components of current assets: Currents assets are those, can be converted into cash within a year. It consists of cash, marketable securities, inventories, debtors, prepaid expenses. 2. Components of current Liabilities: Current liabilities are those to be paid in a year. It consists of creditors, short-term borrowings, taxes and proposed dividends.   To ensure optimum investment in current assets. †¢ To ensure adequate flow of funds for current operations. †¢ To speed up the flow of funds. †¢ Maintain liquidity and profitability. Maximize shareholders’ wealth possible only when there is sufficient return. †¢ Discharge day-to-day liabilities. †¢ Protect the business from adverse effects in emergencies. †¢ Determines the relevant levels of current assets and their efficient use. To sustain sales activity. Sales don’t convert into cash immediately. It needs time to collection of cash. For maximization profits or minimize working capital cost and maintain balance between liquidity and profitability, we need to maintain a balance in working capital. It should not be excessive or inadequate. Firm should manage adequate working capital to run its business †¢ Excessive working capital means idle funds which earns no profit. †¢ Inadequate working capital disturbs production and weakens the firm’s profitability. Danger of Excessive Working Capital †¢ It results in unnecessary accumulation of inventories, which lead to mishandling like waste, theft and losses. †¢ It is indication of defective credit policy and slack collection period. This leads to higher bad debts that reduce profits. †¢ It makes managerial inefficiency. †¢ Accumulation inventories tend to make speculative profits grow. This type of speculation makes the firm to follow liberal dividend policy and difficult to cope up with in future when the firm is unable to make speculative profits. Danger of Inadequate Working Capital: It declines growth because it’s difficult to undertake profitable projects for non-availability of working capital. †¢ Difficult to implement operating plans and achieve firm’s target. †¢ Difficult to meet day-to-day commitments. †¢ Inefficient utilization of fixed assets. †¢ The firm unable to avail attractive credit opportunities. †¢ Firm loses its reputation. The continuing flow from cash: to suppliers: to inventory: to accounts receivables and back into cash is operating cycle. 1. Operating cycle for manufacturing firm: ` Stock of raw material is held in order to ensure smooth production. Similarly stock of finished goods has to be carried out to meet the demand. 2. Operating Cycle of a Non-manufacturing Firm Non-manufacturing firms are wholesalers, retailers, service firms. They will have the direct conversion of cash into finished goods and into cash.

MCB Bank Pakistan: SWOT and PEST Analysis

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