Why Universities Shouldn’t Increase Tuition Every Year

One major problem with universities today is that they are constantly raising tuition fees. I'm not talking about raising tuition every now and then, I'm talking about those colleges that increase their tuition every year. With today's economy, this is simply not helping the students. The university I am currently attending is planning on increasing the tuition by almost $1,000. This is crazy. What colleges need to start doing is taking a better look at how they are spending their money. It is not the students' fault when the university takes on more than it can handle and has to find ways to make more of a profit. Colleges are already way too expensive for the average person. Most of the time, even with help from federal student aid, students are still having to pay more than they can afford. This forces them to take out loans that they may not be able to pay back in the future. Universities are not considering the fact that the economy is getting to the point where people who went to college and have a degree can't even get a job. Students are doing all the right things by going to college, building their resume, and gaining experience in the real world, but it just isn't enough to get a job. There are too many people competing for just a small amount of jobs that too many people end up empty handed. And when they have to start paying back their loans, they can't do it because they don't have the money. Universities who raise their tuition every year are putting students in an even worse situation. There are other areas of the university where they can find money to make up for whatever they are losing. They just don't look into those possibilities. They just think that the easiest way to solve their problems is to charge the students more money. There are close to 30,000 students who attend my university. If they charge each student an extra $1,000, they will have an increase of $30 million. That's insane to ask students for that much more money. It used to be so much cheaper to go to college. Students used to be able to pay for college much easier, especially if the federal government was helping out. Now, everything is changing and for all the wrong reasons. Students already have to pay for books, housing, meal plans, living expenses, and all these other things in addition to their tuition. Why burden them with even more to pay for? It's not right. It's even worse for students who go to college out of their state. They get charged almost double what a state resident would get charged. These students have no choice but to live on campus and pay even more money. Those who are attending college deserve to get what they pay for. They are getting an education in order to live a good life and to get a good job. Instead of getting this out of their college education, they get this crazy debt that will take their entire lives to pay off.

For the upcoming film based on the memoir Essay

Twelve Years a Slave (1853; sub-title: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a citizen of New-York, kidnapped in Washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the Red River in Louisiana), by Solomon Northup as told to David Wilson, is a memoir of a black man who was born free in New York state but kidnapped, sold into slavery and kept in bondage for 12 years in Louisiana before the American Civil War. He provided details of slave markets in Washington, DC, as well as describing at length cotton cultivation on major plantations in Louisiana. Published soon after Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Northup’s book sold 30,000 copies and was considered a bestseller.[1] It went through several editions in the nineteenth century. Supporting Stowe’s fictional narrative in detail, Northup’s first-hand account of his twelve years of bondage proved another bombshell[peacock term] in the nationalpolitical debate over slavery leading up to the Civil War, drawing endorsements from major Northern newspapers, anti-slavery organizations, and evangelical groups. After several editions in the 19th Century, the book fell into obscurity for nearly 100 years, until it was re-discovered by two Louisiana historians, Dr. Sue Eakin (Louisiana State University at Alexandria) and Dr. Joseph Logsdon (University of New Orleans).[2] In the early 1960’s they researched and retraced Solomon Northup’s journey[3] and co-edited a historically annotated version that was published by LSU Press in 1968. [4] A 2013 film based on the story and directed by Steve McQueen is scheduled for release by Fox Searchlight Pictures on October 18, 2013. Contents [hide] 1 Synopsis 2 Reception and historical value 3 Editions and adaptations 4 References 5 External links Synopsis[edit] In Upstate New York, black freeman Solomon Northup, a skilled carpenter and fiddler, is approached by two circus promoters who offer him a brief, high-paying job with their traveling circus. Without informing his wife, who is away at work in the next town, he travels with the strangers towards Washington DC in good spirits. One morning, he wakes to find himself drugged, bound, and in the cell of a slave pen. When Northup asserts his rights as a freeman, he is beaten and warned never again to mention his free life in New York. Transported by ship to New Orleans, Northup and other enslaved blacks contract smallpox and some die. In transit, Northup implores a sympathetic sailor to send a letter to his family. The letter arrives safely, but, lacking knowledge of his final destination, Northup’s family is unable to effect his rescue. Northup’s first owner is William Ford, a cotton planter on a bayou of the Red River, and he subsequently has several other owners during his twelve-year bondage. At times, his carpentry and other skills mean he is treated relatively well, but he also suffers extreme cruelty. On two occasions, he is attacked by a man who is to become his owner, John Tibeats, and finds himself unable to resist retaliating, for which he suffers great reprisals. Later he is sold to Edwin Epps, a notoriously cruel planter, who gives Northup the role of driver, requiring him to oversee the work of fellow slaves and punish them for undesirable behavior. Never, in almost 12 years, does he reveal his true history to a single slave or owner. Finally he confides his story in Samuel Bass, a white carpenter from Canada. Bass sends a letter to Northup’s wife, who calls on Henry Northup, a white attorney whose family once held and then freed Solomon Northup’s father. Henry Northup contacts New York state officials and the governor appoints him as an agent to travel to Louisiana and free Solomon Northup. He succeeds, and Solomon Northup leaves the plantation. After instigating a court case against the men who sold him into slavery, Northup is reunited with his family in New York. Reception and historical value[edit] Northup’s account describes the daily life of slaves at Bayou Boeuf in Louisiana, their diet and living conditions, the relationship between the master and slave, and the means that slave catchers had used to recapture runaways. Northup’s slave narrative has details similar to those of some other authors, such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Ann Jacobs, or William Wells Brown, but he was unique in being kidnapped as a free man and sold into slavery. His book was a bestseller, rapidly selling 30,000 copies in the years before the American Civil War.[1] After additional printings in the 19th century, the book went out-of-print until 1968,[4] when historians Joseph Logsdon and Sue Eakin restored it to prominence. Dr. Eakin first discovered the story as a child growing up in Louisiana plantation country. Dr. Logsdon’s discovery occurred when a student from an old Louisiana family brought to class a copy of the original 1853 book that had been in her family for over a century. Together Logsdon and Eakin validated Solomon Northup’s tale by retracing his journey through Bayou Boeuf plantation country in central Louisiana where his bondage took place, through the slave sales records of New Orleans and Washington, D.C., and further documented his New York State origins, his father’s freeman’s decree, and the legal work which restored Northup’s freedom and prosecuted his abductors. In 1968, Eakin and Logsdon’s heavily footnoted edition of the original book was published by Louisiana State University Press, shedding new light on Northup’s story and establishing its historic significance. That book has been widely used by scholars and in classrooms for over fifty years and is still in print. In 1998 Logsdon received a call from scholars in upstate New York inviting him to participate in a search for Solomon’s grave, however bad weather prevented the search and Logsdon died the following June (1999). In 2007, Dr. Eakin completed development of an updated and expanded version that includes over 150 pages of new background material, maps, and photographs shortly before her death at age 90. In 2013, e-book and audiobook versions of her final definitive edition were released in her honor. With permission, scholars may use Eakin’s lifetime archives through The Sue Eakin Collection, LSU at Alexandria, La. The Joseph Logsdon Archives are available at the University of New Orleans. Historian Jesse Holland noted in a 2009 interview that he had relied on Northup’s memoir and detailed description of Washington in 1841 to identify the location of some slave markets. Holland has also researched the roles of ethnic African slaves as skilled laborers who helped build some of the important public buildings in Washington, including the Capitol and part of the original Executive Mansion.[5]

19th Century American Imperialism & 20th Century War Essay Example for Free (#20)

19th Century American Imperialism & 20th Century War Essay Imperialism (36) , American imperialism (8) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan couldn’t have said it any better, â€Å"No nation had ever become great without control of foreign markets and access to the natural resources of foreign countries† (Kinzer 33). Throughout the years, America has had an astonishing obsession with the idea of global imperialism. One can’t help but ask the following question: what sparked this sudden obsession with global imperialism? Even though there are many different factors that helped spark this sudden movement, the biggest single factor was the industrialization of the world’s major industrialist societies, such as England, United States, Japan, and Germany. The sudden explosion of industrialization sparked a huge consumption of the earth’s natural resources, and initiated the need for expansion. Throughout the late 19th century up until today, America has approached global imperialism in a number of different ways. Methods such as deception, intimidation, fear, and violence have all been used throughout the American conquest in order to expand this imperialistic society. America had to start expanding and had to take over weaker countries. Americans had to look to faraway countries, weak countries, countries that had large markets and rich resources but had not yet fallen under the sway of any great power† (Kinzer 34). This paper will primarily focus on the reasoning provided by Kinzer’s book Overthrow. America has become the imperialistic society it is today because of the rapid 19th century industrialization and the constant American hunger for natural resources, territory, and global domination. â€Å"Whether they will or no, Americans must now begin to look outward. The growing production of the country demands it† (Kinzer 33). During the late 19th century, America enjoyed a successful conquest of Hawaii, Cuba, Philippines, and Nicaragua. Hawaii, which has always embraced a history of tradition and culture, was faced with the issue of modernization. Throughout the years, Hawaii had slowly started to fall under white control. Hawaii has always been a huge producer of sugar, with one problem. The major market for sugar was in the United States, but the Hawaiians could not export as much as they would like because of the high tariffs imposed on imported sugar in the States. When the reciprocity treaty as signed in the summer of 1876, Americans started installing military and commercial bases in Hawaii. The renewed treaty however was what really displayed that Hawaii was falling under white influence. The renewed treaty gave United States control of Pearl Harbor, an extremely fine natural port. On January 14th 1893, Queen Liliuokalani made a disturbing announcement to her cabinet. She proclaimed a new constitution which stated only Hawaiian citizens had the right to vote. This meant that the Hawaiian population of Americans would no longer be able to vote. This move gave Lorrin Thurston and John Colburn the reason they needed to initiate the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, which would mark America’s first overthrow of a foreign government. The alarmed Thurston quickly wrote a letter to John L. Stevens, requesting military assistance for the overthrow of the queen’s regime. Soon after, on July 4th 1894, the Republic of Hawaii was proclaimed. During the Spanish colonization of Cuba in 1897, William McKinley was sworn in as president of the United States. McKinley did not like the idea of the Spanish in Cuba. However when talking about McKinley, Kinzer states â€Å"William McKinley believed that a self-governed Cuba would pose an extreme threat to the United States, for they might not do Washington’s bidding† (Kinzer 35). After all, the revolutionary leaders in Cuba were already talking about the social reforms and land redistribution they wanted to initiate. This greatly alarmed many American businessmen, for over $50 million was invested primarily in Cuba’s agriculture. McKinley had finally had enough and had decided it was time to use military force to end the Spanish regime in Cuba. On April 25th 1898, the Spanish-American War had officially begun. After the Spanish surrender, America started to kill Cuba’s dream of independence. In the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Spain gave up all rights to Cuba, surrendered Puerto Rico and Guam, and sold Philippines for $20 million to the United States. The Platt Amendment gave the US some economic and military control of Cuba. McKinley initially only wanted to build a naval base at Manila, Philippines. Later however, he decided he would embark on a journey of Christianizing the country. This was unnecessary however, for most Filipinos were already Catholic. On June 2nd 1899, the official Philippine-American War started. The United States would win the war, and dissolute the First Philippine Republic. At this point, the United States had obtained, by force, full sovereignty over the Philippines. With Cuba, Hawaii, Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico under its belt, America now had access to a wide array of natural resources and an assortment of markets. However, the conquest would not end there. In order for one to understand the takeover of Nicaragua, one must understand Central America in the late 19th century. The late 19th century proved to be a strong idealistic era for Central America. Ideas of both social and political reforms were sweeping many Central nations, ideas inspired by European philosophers. These ideas were absolutely despised by the American government, for these ideas called for change. These ideas were admired by Central Americans because they all desired change. Jose Santos Zelaya became president of Nicaragua in 1893. He adopted many revolutionary changes, such as importing the automobile and legalizing civil marriage. He also had a very strong emphasis on building and expanding the country’s infrastructure. At first Zelaya and America were on good terms, for there have been talks of building a canal through Nicaragua. Later however, Panama was chosen as the building site, temporarily ending American interest in Nicaragua. As historian John Ellis wrote â€Å"To the State Department, Nicaragua was no longer a country that needed to be coddled or cared for in preparation for future usefulness, rather, it was not a country that needed to be watched carefully and kept in line† (Kinzer 60). A very strong nationalist, Zelaya was giving some of the American business based in his country trouble, which didn’t appeal to the United States secretary of state Philander Knox. What angered Knox even more was that Zelaya went to European banks to borrow money for his railroad project, not American banks. This showed the Taft administration that Nicaragua was trying not to depend on the States as much as they used to, which of course cause congressional panic. After much trouble from Knox, Zelaya finally resigned in 1909. After the brief command of Jose Madriz, Juan Jose Estrada took over the country, and the new conservative government was much admired and supported by the United States. Estrada’s coming to power marks the conquest of Nicaragua, because of America’s strong influence on Estrada’s regime. As demonstrated, the United States has always obtained a hostile approach regarding takeovers and conquest. The first overthrow took place in Hawaii where the queen was relieved of her position. Cuba was later obtained from Spain with the help of brute force and intimidation. Philippines and Puerto Rico were also obtained in the same fashion. Nicaragua’s government fell victim to an American sponsored coup, and their government was taken over by the Americans. It seems like there has always been a recurring pattern throughout American history. If you try to stand up to the US government, you will go down. If you operate your country in a way that doesn’t appeal to the US government, you’re going down. If you just happen to be doing good for your country, there’s still a good chance you’re still going down. America has always been that big bully that beats on the little kids at school, because they are just too weak to defend themselves. America throughout the 19th century was a product of a heavily industrialized society, a society that must rely on domination of other markets and other countries’ resources in order to keep expanding and thriving. 19th Century American Imperialism & 20th Century War. (2017, Mar 13).

Revenue Management, Implementation and Preconditions Article

Revenue Management, Implementation and Preconditions - Article Example Studies have cited that the RM has evolved over 30 years ago, in the early 70s Littlewood and Rothstein have explored the revenue management practice in the airlines and hotels. In 1978, during the deregulation in the airline industry, the importance of RM was ascertained as an implementation of it can increase the revenue above 5%. Therefore the scope of RM was restricted to capacity scheduling and distribution. After illustrating the definition and the evolution of Revenue management the chapter will move on to the literature review. The report will address the various tools of revenue management in the traditional and non-traditional industries and the importance of such tools in an efficient management system. In the end, the study will comprise of the critical comparison and reflection with respect to both the industries and a summary of the entire project addressing the recommendation. The report works on the yield management system and its implementation in both the aviation a nd the restaurant industries. Initially, it looks at the preconditions and the implementation process. Then it will take a deeper review of the implementation of YM through models and the impacts of the external factors and SWOT analysis of such system within the two different industries.  After the American Deregulation Act that loosened the price restriction in  the USA, the airline companies had started to plan their own prices. The main objective of Airline industry is to maximize profit by regularizing pricing and availability of its single perishable commodity like seats. RM is immensely profitable for airlines because it can generate high profits. The process of revenue management covers fare setting and seat inventory management. The management involves taking the decision on the number of seats to be reserved for late booking.

Societal effects on women and gambling Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Societal effects on women and gambling - Essay Example mble to an extreme were considered as insignificant by percentage thus their unique problems associated with this growing phenomenon were largely ignored. Gambling venues are much more widespread than they were just 20 years ago and thus more accessible to everyone, including women. By some estimates, women who gamble have at least caught up numerically with their male counterparts. Other research has shown women are quickly exceeding the number of men as casino patrons. It is no surprise that women constitute more than their share of the growing number of people who have become problem gamblers. According to Barbara Proto of the Connecticut State Lottery, â€Å"Women are by far the fastest at-risk group of problem gamblers, and it’s eye-opening to me to see it’s you, it’s me, and it’s your neighbor† (â€Å"Gambling Addiction†, 2006). Problem gamblers of either gender experience many societal issues which negatively affect their lives as well as their family, friends and employer. The compulsion to bet is a drop in a pond whose influence expands out far beyond the individual. However, the societal issues that women face are more complex and perhaps more damaging than for men. The term ‘problem gambling’ refers to a continuing pattern of gambling which factors in the disruption of an individual’s social, personal or family life or their employment. Health experts regard this harmful activity as a compulsion or addiction when gambling begins to become more important to a person than the above mentioned aspects of their lives (Boughton, 2002). Problem gambling does not discriminate because it affects both women and men of all ages, incomes and backgrounds. Monetary and other dilemmas a gambler experiences can negatively affect the individual and others whose lives are inter-related. The family of the problem gambler suffers because well-intended promises aren’t kept and financial issues are a constant concern. Inter-personal relationships

Comparing between harvey norman and wesfarmers ( financially) Essay

Comparing between harvey norman and wesfarmers ( financially) - Essay Example On the other hand, stock price appreciates almost exclusively through good financial results. Through the use of financial analysis, this paper compares the performance of two companies Harvey Norman and Westfarmers in different financial aspects namely liquidity, profitability, asset efficiency and capital structures. The company’s ability to generate wealth for its stockholders is the ultimate measure of the financial performance of a business organization and should become the basis of where to invest. It should be noted that as opposed to creditors, companies have little liability to its stockholders. Before dividends are paid, current liabilities are first settled together with long term obligations. In fact, payments to stockholders are not required. Thus, stockholders have the last claim in the company’s earnings and if it is able to keep much for them after other liabilities are settled, the business organization’s stock is considered as a better investment. In this consideration, this paper recommends the use of return of equity as the sole ratio for the investment decision. Thus, investment in Harvey Norman appears to be more profitable than Westfarmers. It should be noted that during the fiscal year 2007, Harvey Norman’s return on equity is 26.74% which represents an increase of 8.7% from the 18.04% recorded in 2006. This is much higher than the 0.125% recorded by Westfarmers in 2007. Thus, we recommend that funds should be better invested in Harvey Norman as it has a better ability of maximizing shareholder wealth through higher

Forensic Archaeology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Forensic Archaeology - Assignment Example Popular but somewhat not realistic perception and understanding of forensic science has brought much awareness in public and government and has influenced the court system, that it is now called â€Å"CSI effect† (Toobin, 2007). Forensic archaeology, defined and considered a specific emerging field, consists of tools, techniques and methods, developed for archaeological research purposes, to assist legal investigations. Forensic archaeologists are usually the members of faculty of archaeology deployed to work in close coordination with expert search teams, forensic entomologists, forensic botanists and forensic pathologists to find and investigate buried evidence at crime scenes. Forensic archaeology assists in investigating genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, mass disaster victim recovery, and repatriation of war dead (Hunter & Cox, 2005). Forensic archaeology helps to discover and solve the events pertaining to a specific crime scene or disposal site. Generally, each crime scene brings its own unique set of questions requiring answers to unveil the truth as the circumstances of each investigation differ considerably. The questions may include but not limited to the way grave was dug, identities of buried persons, during for which bodies remained buried and presence of any other material in graves that may assist investigations. Constrained by limitation of time and opportunities to access the evidence site, forensic archaeologists devise specific strategies and employ appropriate techniques or a series of methods to optimize the evidence for search and recovery of truth. Thus forensic archaeologist strive to identify the understand the events prior to and around the death and burial, method of death and tools used for burial, and thus help to identify the party or parties involved in crime (Miller, 2010). Usefulness o f Involving Archaeologists Forensic archaeology has several key roles in international war crime investigations including searching, locating and confirming the site such as mass graves, surface scatters and execution sites; excavation, recording, retrieval, recovery, preservation and analysis of evidence. These roles provide sufficient information to determine the existence or refute of a crime, identification of the human remains, their ethnicity, culture, geographical origin, time frame of death and reconstruction of crime scene, the actions of perpetrator and perpetrator’s identity. Such information helps in successful criminal prosecution and identification of victims (Oxenham, 2008). Repatriation of missing and identification of dead in a genocide or war has been the main focus of such forensic archaeological investigations taken place from a humanitarian view. It is worth mentioning that the evidence, which was initially thought to be of humanitarian interest, is now u sed to assist criminal war investigations. In such investigations, the extent to which evidence is required may not be established at initial stages, thus resulting in maximum evidence recovery, high standards of evidence integrity and ability to preserve evidence are emphasized to mitigate any associated risks. Maximum evidence recovery helps to identify victims, reconstruct crime scene and corroborate the witness statements. There are many benefits of collection and analysis of evidence including recovery of remains for proper burial, identification of remains, repatriation of missing, human rights and deterrence to similar incidences. Different artifacts retrieved from crime scene provide information on past events surrounding

Assignment of Managing Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Assignment of Managing Organisation - Essay Example A series of facts can contribute to above outcome: a) the plan attempted has not been appropriately designed – in terms of the resources available for its realization, b) the reaction of employees – internal organizational environment – towards the specific plan has not been the one expected; the resistance developed has led to the cancellation of the plan or to the delay in the completion of one or more of its phases, c) the conditions in the organizational environment have changed at such level – referring to the period between the beginning of the planning process and the beginning of the implementation process – that the development of the plan became non-feasible or the value of the plan for the increase of the organizational performance has been eliminated. Current paper focuses on a particular aspect of the strategic management: the cross-cultural management; reference is made especially to the multi-national firms of the tourism and hospital ity industry. The cross-cultural management practices initiated by the managers of these firms are presented and evaluated. It is concluded that even if a range of such practices are available to the managers of these firms, still problems exist in the successful implementation of the relevant projects across these organizations. It has been proved that the above problem is mostly related with the lack of consistency of these strategies across the various departments of these organizations; moreover, failures have been identified in the service delivery to customers from different cultural backgrounds. These issues are analytically discussed below by referring to appropriate literature; the findings of empirical studies, where available, have been also employed in order to highlight the challenges of cross – cultural management in the tourism and hospitality industry worldwide. 2. Cross-cultural management in modern organizations 2.1. Cross-cultural management – descri ption, framework Culture may have different forms within different frameworks or using different criteria: for instance the national culture is differentiated from organizational culture; however, it has been proved that the former can influence the latter (Browaeys et al 2008, 20). The above view can be verified by referring to the study of Hofstede who emphasized on the fact that ‘management can be affected by differences between cultural groupings’ (Browaeys et al 2008, 21); the above researchers studied the performance of the strategies of IBM in markets worldwide – the performance of the firm in 64 countries was reviewed. It was proved that differences existed in the behaviour/ performance of employees in various organizational activities under the influence of the national culture - involved in each case (Browaeys et al 2008, 21). From a different point of view, Adler et al. (2008) noted that, in the context of international market, the understanding by glo bal firms of the national culture is important because of the following reason: being aware of the culture of a foreign country multi-nationals are able to make the necessary adjustments to their existing strategies so that the latter are implemented successfully in the firm’s branch in the particular country (Adler et al. 2008, 13). In this way, the culture of a country is closely related to the strategies used by the organizations operating across the specific country. In order to understand the challenges for the cross-cultural mana

Commentary essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Commentary - Essay Example This beautiful ode â€Å"Complaint† runs deep through the hearts of each reader with its soothing effect on a marooned mind. The poet literates his feeling for his beloved one on her demise from his romantic world. The quote, â€Å"She was my moon and more.† shows how good he is at metaphorically attributing his love for her. This poem has its name ‘Complaint’ with a sensible parameter applied in naming eminent word works. This verse shows the author’s feelings for his spouse on and off her presence. Her motherhood is highlighted with added effects of a natural mother. The lines â€Å"Now morbid boys have†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦dress† show the influence of her motherhood on the children. She was truly a mother teacher, the one who showed her children better ways of living. The lines, â€Å"What arm will†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. hungry dogs† explicit the inseparable role of a mother at home. This poem though simple and small, gives a very good message to the readers with a breeze of comfort and a passionate feeling for their beloved ones; more accurately saying, it wraps up our heart with the loveliest feeling of

Is there global convergence in corporate governance and why Essay

Is there global convergence in corporate governance and why - Essay Example This research paper is focused on convergence corporate governance practices among business firms and tries to determine the primary reason behind it. Paul (2005) mentioned in his study that firms belonging to different cultural background follow different organizational practices. The cross cultural difference in organizational behaviour has been studies by Hofstede, Wedel and Steenkamp (2002), where he stated that people belonging to different cultural background possesses different psychological profile, which is the key determinant behind variance in governance structures in the organizations. However, Chan and Cheung (2012) contrasted that despite of the presence of cultural differences among the firms, there exists a uniformity among the corporate laws, which compels all the business firms to work under the same roof. Porta et al (1999) further added that the firms that operate in a multinational level deals with the financial standards and regulations of different countries. Therefore, it becomes a big hassle for them if different countries follow different standards. This as a result forced the multinational firms to agree upon a commonly used regulations and standards that eased the business activities of the firms. Coffee-Jr (1999) mentioned that the importance of protecting shareholder’s interests is also a vital determinant of the growing convergence of the corporate governance structures. This is mostly because the outside investors often face the risk of uncertainty in some countries where the expropriation of the minority shareholders by the controlling shareholders is extensive. Paul (2005) opined that the advent of globalization has created an open global business market where all the firms from different avenues perform their respective business activities. Therefore it is imperative that the firms

Development from Conception to Age 16 Years Essay Example for Free

Development from Conception to Age 16 Years Essay One being the ability to use numerous limbs for example throwing a ball, the other being everyday movements e. g. walking as well as running. Fine motor corresponds; the term describes minor movements that engage smaller muscles to work. This is yet again broken down into two key sections; Fine manipulative skills- the minor movements that are needed when doing puzzles, drawing, painting or writing. Along with fine motor skills- the combination of hand plus wrist actions for e. g. pening a door The combination of hand-eye coordination, Foot-eye coordination and balance are additionally found in both gross and fine motor to help the child develop. Which can be linked to brain development . This is because â€Å"Maturation of the nervous system is linked to brain growth and development. In term of physical development, this growth effects the development of gross and fine motor skills†. (CASHELevel3ChildCareAndEducation/PennyTassoni/pg40)As a child grows with age coordination and balance should become natural given that the brain develops and becomes more intricate. Birth to three years period is a very significant time in the child’s life, during this time they will progress as well as absorb lasting skills. They will learn to develop in many different areas along with numerous milestones they should achieve according to their age. These milestones are set into the gross and fine motor category, examples of the major steps a child from birth to three years should achieve are; †¢lifting up head and chest †¢Sitting up unsupported †¢Crawling †¢self feeding †¢Walk without any help †¢Draw simple dots and shapes †¢Complete a simple puzzle †¢kick a ball Physical development is an on going progress, between the ages of three to seven years movements and activates will become a lot more difficult, compared to the birth to 3 years category. This is because the brain is widening its skills and knowledge. Examples of milestones that are aimed to child from three to seven years are; †¢can ride a tricycle †¢use scissors to cut easy shapes †¢use one foot to hop †¢knows how to right their name †¢can use a skipping rope †¢precisely cut out shapes †¢has good balance for skipping, hopping or jumping Another significant development that I have chosen is language development. The acquisition of language though the gradual expansion in complexity and meaning of symbols and sounds perceived and understood by the individual†( http://www. earlytolearn. com/glossary-of-terms/). This means that language development is not only about speech itself but referrers to the multiple ways to interact along with communic ate. For example listening abilities, the knowledge of reading along with writing, signs and symbols for the hard of hearing, or even the babbling of babies. These are all ways in which children express their emotions, putting across their view as to what they are thinking. Communication is set in many stages it may take a child a generous period of time to use words in which are politically correct. However by communicating with sounds, actions and broken vocabulary mothers or other people close to the child will soon understand what the child is intending. It is also the adults responsibility to correct their children along with educate them in the correct grammar and meanings of words. Language development is set according to age the stages indicate how well a child should communicate depending how old they may be. From the ages of birth to 3 years and 3 to 7 years the expectations of language development becomes more complex. From birth to 3 years a baby will develop continuously, it will start at the pre-linguistic stage, some examples are; †¢Expresses itself by crying †¢Start to make cooling noises †¢Uses the combination of constant and vowels to make sounds †¢ starts making babbling noises †¢Has some meaning to what they are saying †¢Say their first word †¢Often repeats the same word Although children from 3 to 7 years do not develop as far spread a children from birth to 3 years. Their development becomes increasing complex: †¢Increase in words †¢Sentences become longer and clear †¢Still make various grammar mistakes †¢Can socialize with other children their age †¢Often ask the same question multiple times †¢Fluent in the English language but may make a few mistakes along the way For both physical and language development I have incorporated the norm age of stage according to megett. However in some scenarios a child may not exceed in the milestones set according to their age. Evidence behind this may be factors which effect their progression. Examples of factors which may both types of devlopoment are; the child’s genetics or the environment in which they are in. Genetic influence can strongly affect the way in which a child may develop physically. Hereditary genes are passed from our parents, which can have multiple influences on our lives. Some can give us physical traits as to what we look like or the height in which we may grow to. Others can cause serious illnesses. â€Å"Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of many debilitating hereditary diseases that leads to early death (Gelbart et al. , 2002) (Figure 1)† (http://www. learn. ppdictionary. com/physical_development. tm) DMD is a genetic illness which affects a child’s physical achievements. Children with DMD lack in achieving the norms of development, usually resulting in them being wheelchair bound by the late teenage years. Genetic factors may also affect language development. For example a common heritable disorder is dyslexia. Studys sh ow ‘According to a yale study 1 out of 5people suffer from dyslexia’(http://dyslexia. learninginfo. org/dyslexia-facts. htm)Dyslexia restricts the ability to process both written and spoken language, symptoms often include having difficulty with spellings, handwriting as well as reading. Although genetics do play a large part in development, Factors of the environment can also influence the way in which a child grows. For example if a child is living under poor conditions unable to get access to a sustainable amount of food or water it can lead to malnutrition. On the other hand if a child is given too much food along with limited access to exercise they may become obese. Both health conditions can affect how a child physically develops, which can often put them behind the norm stage of development. Language development may also be affected by the environment â€Å"Evans’ research reveals significant reading delays for children living near airports and exposed to airport noise. †( http://www. human. cornell. edu/hd/outreach-extension/upload/evans. pdf). This evidence shows that the constant impact of loud noises can affect a child’s listening abilities along with reading skills. This may be because the child is drowning out the continual loud noise finding it hard to retain certain information, which can put the child behind in their development. One important aspect to remember is each and every child develops at their own pace. For instance one sibling may have walked earlier then another. No one child should become compared to another. If a child is not achieving the specific milestone for their age ,on most occasions the child is categorically fine and should catch up in no time. The affecting factors link to the theoretical debate on nature vs nurture. This debate focuses on the conflicting options within development. One theoretical perspective is that our development is natural because it is determined from the heredity genes transferred from our parents. Another option is that we develop along with learn according to the environment we subsist in, learning from past experiences from how we have been brought up and nurtured. Jean piaget was a famous Swiss theorist who studied psychology along with human intellect. Piaget had an interest in child physiology, resulting in the nurture theory. His intentions were to see the world through the eyes of children to fully understand their thoughts, from this he invented the intelligence test. Piaget observed children asking them undemanding problem questions to then analyses their response plus determine the logic behind the answer. Focusing more in-depth towards the wrong questions. The term ‘schema’ was used to conclude a childs answer. This put forth a theory, Piaget came to think that as children retained new information the schema’s would change, becoming more complex. His research found that children’s answers differed from adults. â€Å"he proposed that children’s limited life experiences meant that they had not amassed enough information about the world to come to the same conclusion as adults†(spotlight, Julie smart, practical pre school august 2012,page21) This shows that piaget believed nurture benefited the way in which children develop. Concluding that children should explore different situations as well as stages within themselves however have a guide to encourage them along the way. This however also links into physical along with communication development. Not only did piaget attempt to comprehend the thought process of children, but also has a theory on the stages in which a children should develop according to age. Piaget mainly focused on cognitive development but also links this between physical and language communication development. His theory consists of four stages; Sensori-motor, Pre-operational,Concrete operations, Formal operations. Two of which link into the mentions developments above. Sensori-motor is the opening stage within piagets theory. He believed this stage acres between the ages of 0-2 years. This phase relates to physical development, for the duration of this stage the child is ought to increase the control over their movements. One of the first movements that should be detected is reflex’s. A baby uses this movement at a very early stage of life in reason to survive. The way in which a baby/child learns to development along with maintain movement is by continually repeating itself until fully corrected. To endorse his theory, piaget invented the ‘object permanence’ test. Research shows that children under 8 months will acknowledge as well as believe the disappearance of an object, this may be because children only concede things which are visible. However between 8 to 9 months the child should recognized that the object is somewhere even though it may not be physically in front of them. The pre-operational stage also links briefly into language along with communication development. This stage frequently happens between the ages of 2-7 years. For the duration of this stage children often begin to use symbolic references in a way to communicate http://voices. yahoo. com/what-factors-contribute-various-areas-development-487563. html child care and education tina bruce

The influence of the media: Canadian elections

The influence of the media: Canadian elections Mao ZeDong once said that power comes out of the barrel of a gun. While that is still true, power also comes out of the manipulated images created to change ones thinking process and behaviour. Through the world of third person communication, technologies have generated various types of media. This paper will be discussing the effects and influential powers exercised by media in Canadian elections. During this complex process, understanding the brief history of media organizations as well as some information on Canada will provide a steppingstone for a deeper knowledge of the concepts and practices. Practically, in every attitude of the election campaign will engage the media. In fact, media is the ultimate platform where all political parties will be fighting on. Whether by budging through television and news reports or by purchasing time and space on mass media, parties must always use media to hype voters for support. Media organizations have their own agenda. They tend to sell themselves to the audiences with their star reporters, journalists, and as much as they can cover over the course of election. Inevitably, news will be discriminately selected, stories will be twisted, and they will be promoted with personal views and reactions. Mass media, therefore, will have powerful influences on voters. Canada, the country with the highest per capita immigration rate in the world, is far more familiar to multiculturalism than any other countries. Citizens are more social and less religious, while at the same time, keeping less class oriented and less partisan, than Americans who are more troubled by racial issues. As stated by Ian McAllister: Partisan dealignment implies that fewer voters begin the election cycle with such predisposition, making them more susceptible to the short-term issues and themes of the campaign. In other words, Canadians tend to have less political attachments and therefore consumers have greater effects on broadcast media. First Canadian media is the invention of newspaper. It is developed in the eighteenth century as gazettes. The official publications at that time are restricted only to edicts and laws, and some news from the home country; editorial materials are highly prohibited. Reporters are often beaten, threatened or jailed by the authorities. Until 1820s and 1830s, after William Lyon Mackenzie and Joseph Howe have fought and won the important court battle on in the area of publications materials, the right to publish freely can finally be ensured. Since then, various types of media have surfaced within citizens lives. Consumers are able to acquire contents that can be accessed through newspaper, television, radio, magazine, video product, or the internet. A new market has been innovated. Yet, the ownership of this new product remains in relatively few hands. These privately owned corporations, controlled by very wealthy people, dominate the Canadian media business. The effects are quite obvious, as Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky state: they are closely interlocked, and have important common interest with other major corporations, banks and government. Reporters keep close contact with the government as they could be benefited greatly from these close relationships. They could boost their popularity and influential ratings, as they were often given important scoops and leads, and they were known to have key connections to important backstage information. In the recent years of Canadian newspaper industries, some of the most significant changes were that the family-owned newspaper sold to newspaper chains owned by large business organizations. While reducing the production cost, newspapers became within reach of ordinary people, whereas, in the nineteenth century, newspapers were relatively expensive and available only to the elites. One of the biggest newspaper companies, Canwest, now under the control of Shaw Media, owns thirteen newspapers in Canada, which together control over thirty percent of Canadas newspapers circulation. Another large communications company is Sun Media, which issues thirty six different newspapers, making it the most number of papers per company. The two companies cover up to fifty one percent of the total number of newspaper and take over fifty-four percent of Canadas total newspapers circulation, thus, creating a concentrated ownership. With dominate powers; these two companies are in much lesser competiti on forces. They will feel unnecessary needs on the range of media information than do the need to make profits and the organizational structure of news-gathering and reporting. As a result, concentrated ownership is seen as limiting the range of ideas and information that reach the public. The limitation on the range of ideas and information was further explained by Walter Lippman who first proposed that the function of news is to signalize an event. The concept can be understood more in details by the argument made by Bernard Cohen after his research during the 1960s, The press is significantly more than a purveyor of information and opinion, it may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about. During the elections of 1988, as one of the major campaign themes, the New Democratic Party (NDP) constructed the following message (audio): The job is hard work. I love it and Im good at but Canadas good Medicare is being threatened by the Mulroney free trade deal. In the United States Ive seen whole families wiped out by one illness. We cant let that happen here in Canada. The New Democrats started Medicare and I know I can trust Ed Broadbent to fight for it. This time, Ed Broadb ent. The short commercial, highlighting a nurses fear on the health care system of Canada, have created the NDPs most successful election in the history, a 20.4 percent of votes with 43 district seats in the House of Commons. Media plays a role in social learning. The first appearance of this effect can be extracted from the World War I; when tens of millions of people being entertained, and influenced by the latest Hollywood films, and when large numbers of population were being subjugated and manipulated by the propagandas created by Hitler and Stalin. The first research on such effects was conducted in 1920s and 1930s, and sometimes called the magic bullet theory. The hypothesis behind was that media images could directly penetrate peoples conscious and unconscious thoughts. In a study of 1,800 children and adolescents, Herbert Blumer concluded that when his subjects saw behaviours of the actors in the films that were beyond their own experiences, subjects behaviours were altered primarily based on what they had been seen at the movies. To be effective and influential, political parties must find consistent association between media viewing and an increase in changing behaviour. Effective broadcast of media is like the shadow striker; it hits the viewer anonymously. Agenda-setting and priming can be adopted for an effective broadcast to influence viewers. Various researches on agenda-setting involved relationship between the priorities on a particular issue set by the media and by the public. McCombs whom first started researches on agenda setting noted that the media influence what people believe before they reach a decision, particularly and election decision. If candidate is able to lead voters to a realization on a particular issue, and set it to top priority, then they may have an effective advantage. With a condition that the voter is not a partisan, in which something Canada tends to have less of. Priming the audience is identified by Iyengar and Kinder as a phenomenon that they described as by calling attention to some matters while ignoring others, television news influences the standards by which governments, presidents, policies, and candidates fo r public office are judged. If the television news broadcast the environmental issues over a significant time period as lead items, then environmental issues will be the deciding factors to the government for viewers. When it comes to television advertising, these techniques can be very effective. Another important finding on media effect is the role of repeated messages which was studied by Rothschild and Ray(1974). In an experiment using short ads about candidates, 20 percent of the subjects remembered the candidates after the message had been presented once; 55 percent of the subjects could name the candidates after it had been presented six times. The experience can be summarized into; message repetition is an important factor in familiarizing voters with candidates and issues. In Canada, the current election laws give the governing party enormous advantage in the media campaign. During each election campaign, each broadcaster must have a certain amount of minutes made available for political parties to purchase for advertising based on the number of seats that each party has in the House of Commons, the percentage of the vote in the last election, and the number of each party candidates running for election. In 2008 election campaign, 396 minutes in total were allocated; the governing party, the Conservative Party, had 95.5 minutes, the runner up, the Liberal Party, had 82.5 minutes, and the New Democracy Party only had 45 minutes. The result of the 2008 election was the Conservative Party won 143 seats with 37.6 percent in vote, the Liberal Party has 77 seats with 26.2 percent in vote, and the New Democracy Party has 37 seats with 18.2 percent in vote.In concept, with the datatand advertisers at least as much as they cover the election.

Consumer Influences and Behaviour: UK Banking

Consumer Influences and Behaviour: UK Banking Chapter 1 (Intro) 1.1 Introduction To become the leading international bank HSBC has combined the emerging markets through international connectivity and scale yet maintaining the strategy unchanged. To comply with the recent economic turmoil HSBCs strategy is apparently most appropriate one as the projected the return of total shareholders equity remains achievable over full business cycle. Reinvestment of the capital allowed the company to maintain flexibility of direction in accordance with financial and regulatory environment. This can help the company to make the long term decisions supporting the brand values and the customer relationship and the growth to be consistent with the strategy. The ‘Managing for growth a diverse evolutionary strategy ranging from 2003 to 2008 for HSBCs growth and development across the globe addressing the areas where desirable and attainable improvement can be made; was an ultimate success. Unlike competitors, the consistent approach to grow within the emerging markets HSBC did not have to dispose any stakes in strategic investments to generate capitals. Depending on the customer demand and maintaining the strategic line while reviewing the emerging new opportunities, HSBC has successfully survived in the period of uncertainty. The company has increased the number of HSBC Premier Customers to 2.9 million, and the customer volume is increasing highly in the emerging market. During financial crisis and economic recession the global financial markets have suffered a serious impact. Very few banks have escaped unharmed by adjusting to shifts in the global financial and economic environment. Market entry timing decisions are inherently difficult. A firms managers need to consider the influence of so many factors both internal and external to the firm in deciding when to enter a market with a new product (Lieberman and Montgomery, 1991). Firms face a particularly difficult decision of planning when it is best to enter a market with a new product in response to a market introduction of a pioneering new product by a major competitor. Given that pioneering is no longer an option, is it better for the firm to enter the market quickly with a competitive new product or is it better for the firm to delay market entry for strategic reasons. When the competitive stakes are high, it is clearly in a firms best interest for its management to plan carefully such a market entry timing decision by giving careful consideration to a broad array of information including information on the competitor, the competitors product offering, the market, and the firms internal resources and product offerings. Considerable academic research has been conducted that suggests the desirability of certain market entry timing strategies for a wide array of conditions in the competitive environment (cf. Bowman and Gatignon, 1995; Brown and Lattin, 1994; Green et al., 1995). The business world composed of organization and work becoming more demanding and wild. Facing organizations are now facing so many challenges. Among them globalization, customer awareness, higher revenue with minimizing the operational cost, strengthening the organizational capacity, renovation and change, technological implementation, maintaining diverse human capital, and confirming essential and constant change. Fortunately the degree of competition among industry rivals has significantly increased. Now most of the organizations can easily duplicate technology, industrial methods, production, and even strategy. To gain the competitive advantage in the long run, business houses need to establish their own organizational capability (Burke Cooper 2004). 1.2 Background of The Study HSBC is a prominent name in the global banking industry. This bank has been operating successfully all around the world as a local bank with its efficiency and effectiveness. The integrated strategy of HSBC and on time decision made it becoming a threat for other long lived bank in the industry. The strategy the bank had followed make it to cope up with all sorts of cultural barriers and to be along within the society and create the better brand value compare to the other rivals in the banking industry. The reason behind the on-going prospect of this bank is due to a reason which made is to gain the competitive advantage in the global money and investment market. Lately the economic crisis hit the global money market and retail banking industry injuring the performance of all the major players in the industry as the confidence and the trust of the customers were gone. 1.3 Rationale This study is a requirement for the course I am enrolled in. This study will help me to utilize the acquired knowledge/theories and relate them to the applied business. The title was chosen as banking industry is one of the diverse industries and UK is one of the most competitive markets where the industry rivals constantly changing their strategies to adopt with the change and HSBC is one of the best performing banks in it. With the establishment of the purpose given, this study may be of importance to the purpose that have been discussed by fulfilling the objectives, the study will be helpful for researchers focusing on different strategies and innovative techniques with regards to the method of gathering the information. The findings of the research will be helpful for researchers in creating their own means of conducting their study. The significance of this study is the option that it may contribute the findings for the other studies that wish to examine factors for the success or failure of a study. Another importance of the report is to serve as a director for researches that emphasis on defining the effects of an integrated marketing strategy which made HSBC successful in the UK banking industry as well as globally. 1.4 Aim and Objective of the Study The aim of the research to find the answer to the research question â€Å"How can HSBC Continue to Maintain Its Competitive marketing advantage in the UK market?† The objective of this study is to identify the reason behind the success of HSBC and the challenges the company may face in future and the potential strategy the company may follow so that it can maintain its leading position in the UK retail banking industry. So, the prime objectives of the study are as follows: To identify how HSBC operates and what made it unique besides others To identify the attitudes of the UK customers towards HSBC. To identify the attitudes of the company staffs towards existing marketing system. To identify the shortcomings (if existed) of the Strategy being adopted by HSBC To identify the most effective strategy appropriate for HSBC in response to the current financial crisis in UK. 1.5 The Organization of the paper: Unlike the conventional approach this paper is furnished with the industry analysis focusing on the UK banking industry in term of its performance, effective factors leading HSBC to become more successful, the changing switching tendencies of the customers, role of the SMEs in the industry and an overview on the investment criteria in the money market. The study will initially gather information that will serve as introductory part of the study. The study will then gather related literature to prove the need for conducting the study. The literature review can help in determining what are the studies already done, what study needs to be corrected. The study will then determine the methods and means for data to be gathered and analyzed. In this part the data is being readied to be gathered and analyzed but the method to gather it will first be determined. The next part of the study is gathering, presenting and interpreting the data. In this part the validity of the hypothesis and ideas about the study will be proven. The last part of the study will be the part where conclusions and recommendations will be stated. In this part final statement about the study will be done. The study will be organized in accordance with the following order Chapter 2(Literature Review) According to Porter (1985) it is the value chain through which a company can create and offer value to its customers by efficiently utilizing costs and effectively offering the product or services through a lower cost or a higher differentiation. Again Rajnandan (2007) said value chain not only seeks to do away with the activities that do not add value, but establishes the importance of other support activities, including infrastructure, technology, and so on, that play a vital role in providing the foundation for competitive advantage. The value chain also is useful in outsourcing decisions. Understanding the linkages between activities can lead to more optimal make-or-buy decisions that can result in either a cost advantage or a differentiation advantage. (Graeme J. Buckley, 2006) After defining the discrete activities marketers need to identify the linkages between activities. The relationship survives if the performance or cost of one activity affects that of another. Competitive advantage may be obtained by optimizing and coordinating linked activities. (Porter, 1985) The developed opponents expected strategy, where it participates in the marketplace, how it competes, and what it tries to achieve, should be distinct from any strategy pursued by any rival. Those executives charged with visualizing the developed rivals strategy should also be encouraged to go beyond the likely strategies of announced. It is necessary to communicate the competitive variables to the target market as that will force the buyers to prefer the products. Where marketing communications carries the meaning of the companys product attributes, aiding customers reach their goals and moving the company closer to its own goals. (Lancaster, 2002) Marketing efficiency depends on communications effectiveness. The market is activated through information flows. The way a potential buyer perceives the sellers market offering is heavily influenced by the amount and kind of information he or she has about the product offering, and the reaction to that information. Marketing, therefore, relies heavily upon information flows between the seller and the prospective buyer. (Thomas A. Staudt, Donald Arthur Taylor, 1976) The firms value chain links to the value chains of upstream suppliers and downstream buyers. The result is a larger stream of activities known as the value system. The development of a competitive advantage depends not only on the firm-specific value chain, but also on the value system of which the firm is a part. (Kiichiro Fukasaku, 2007) Dramatic changes due to globalization, deregulation, and technology have redefined the nature of business by increasing competition. Significant increases in the speed of competitive response and the number of competitive actions and price cuts have also resulted. Those indicators highlight the intensity of competition. (Gr, Cu, Le, Hu, Ken G, 2005) Unlike the classical concepts, the marketing concept states that the nature of the marketing orientated organisation, whether product or service based, profit or non profit based, is the identification and genuine satisfaction of customers needs and wants, more effectively and efficiently than the competition. The marketing concept has been defined as ‘the key to achieving organisational goals and the marketing concept rests on ‘market focus, customer orientation, co-ordinated marketing and profitability. (Le, Ru, Lancaster, 2002). ‘Marketing Research is a systematic problem analysis, model-building and fact-finding for the purpose of improved decision-making and control in the marketing of goods and services (Kotler, 1999) Strategic capabilities that companies can use to support the strategy they have chosen to pursue. A strategic capability offers a company a sustained competitive advantage when substantial time and effort is required for competitors to develop the same capability. (Susman, 1992) Game theory more specifically, non-cooperative game theory can be a useful tool for investigating a comprehensive model of competitive advantage in that it demonstrates the linkages between resources, competitive moves and responses, and advantage. (Gr, Cu, Le, Hu, Ken G, 2005) The ability and speed with which a company can learn from experience is another strategic capability. The ability to learn is dependent, in part, on how the company captures and accesses information. Companies can simplify this process by minimizing the amount and complexity of information they have to process. (Susman, 1992) Only by gaining a deep and comprehensive understanding of buyer behaviour can marketings goals be realised. Such an understanding of buyer behaviour works to the mutual advantage of the consumer and marketer, allowing the marketer to become better equipped to satisfy the consumers needs efficiently and establish a loyal group of customers with positive attitudes towards the companys products. (Lancaster, 2002) Competitive advantage is a way of firms gained advantage over its rivals. Competitive Advantage introduces a whole new way of understanding what a firm does. Competitive Advantage takes strategy from broad vision to an internally consistent configuration of activities. Its powerful framework provides the tools to understand the drivers of cost and a companys relative cost position. Competitive Advantage also provides for the first time the tools to strategically segment an industry and rigorously assess the competitive logic of diversification. (Porter, 1998) The design stage determines the way in which a firm intends to differentiate its good or service from rivals. In this stage a firm makes choices to gain a competitive advantage over rivals. (William, 2004) For a single product or narrow group of products, a firms competitive strategy refers to the weighted mix of price, product qualities and features, and service that differentiates its product from those of rivals. (William, 2004) The Competitive Advantage model of Porter learns that competitive strategy is about taking offensive or defensive action to create a defendable position in an industry, in order to cope successfully with competitive forces and generate a superior return on investment. According to Michael Porter, the basis of above-average performance within an industry is sustainable competitive advantage. There are 2 basics types of CA: Cost Leadership (low cost) and Differentiation. The Delta Model contains the following elements: Strategic Triangle: used for defining strategic positions that reflect fundamentally new sources of profitability (three strategic options: best product, customer solutions, and system lock-in), Aligning these strategic options with a firms activities and provides congruency between strategic direction and execution (three fundamental processes are always present and are the repository of key strategic tasks: operational effectiveness, customer targeting, and innovation), and Adaptive processes: core processes of the company must be aligned to the chosen strategy in order to make progress against the strategic agenda and avoid a commodity-like outcome. 2.1 The Trends (Customer Focused) E-trading and online customer services are becoming the key differentiators in every industry. The banking industry in the midst of a shift assisted and backed by the rapid technological advancement, internet and globalization. The transition is not an incremental one through which organizations, processes, and technologies evolve in linear fashion into more advanced, but still familiar models which is distinct from the earlier industry change. Industry observers anticipate that this transition will be much more radical and constitute a complete metamorphosis of bankings entire business model, realigning everything from its strategic business orientation to its technology architecture to its value proposition to its customers. (Balthasar, 2010) 2009 is a significant year forcing many private banking experts to remember. Privet funds failed to generate revenue as clients withdrew assets from private banks. The global financial crisis has fundamentally changed the investment pattern of the High Net Worth Investors and their wealth management business itself. Growing Market ‘Many â€Å"new money† acquire their wealth through IPO. Brazil and China accounted for two-thirds of global capital raised in Q2 2009 (Ernst Young, 2009) showing that there is a growing demand for private banking and wealth management service in the region as the economy is rapidly growing. Chinas growth will outstrip US which is a good news for private banks who have a strong APAC presence, wealth management professionals should understand that the Chinese market is not easy to penetrate. First of all, client advisors need to be fluent in Mandarin and have local connections. Secondly, guanxi (relationships) still plays an extremely important role in the modern Chinese business community, private bankers without access to key relationship brokers as references will find it very difficult to convince Chinese HNWIs to open accounts. Private banks that hire locals will have a definite advantage over expats trying to cover Chinese clients. (Warren Buffet, 2009) Responsible lending Affordability assessment approaches vary across the industry. Responsible lending decisions require checks to be made concerning income and outgoings (typically using a combination of income multiples and affordability models) when assessing ability to repay now and into the future. Also the type of lending undertaken and the type of borrower (for example, applicants with impaired or low credit ratings) may require more detailed assessments to be carried out. Other (unregulated) lending Mortgage lending is only part of the affordability picture. Under the auspices of Treating Customers Fairly (TCF), affordability assessments are equally relevant to other borrowing, including personal loans and credit cards, and a number of lenders are looking at how their affordability assessment processes may need to be strengthened for these types of credit. In an effort to strengthen existing rules, new Banking Code guidance concerning assessing affordability in relation to unsecured loans (overdrafts and other borrowing) was issued by the Banking Code Standards Board in April 2006. Any assessment should now include at least two of the following: Income and financial commitments Repayment history Credit reference agency information and past repayment history Credit scoring. It is also worth noting that the Office of Fair Tradings recent guidance (‘the OFT Guidance) reinforces the need for firms to have regard to its earlier guidance on non-status lending and confirms its intention to consider further specific guidance with regard to irresponsible lending and what this may mean in different market sectors and circumstances. Responding to the concerns The FSA has indicated that as part of its retail agenda it will continue to focus on quality of advice processes in the mortgage market. In responding to these concerns, firms will wish to consider how the results of the FSAs findings impact each of their lending businesses: How extensive is the affordability process; does the advice process include an assessment of income and identifiable expenditure; anticipated changes in personal circumstances (income/expenditure composition); impact of interest rate changes and possible future increases in interest rates? How can the consumer deal with mortgages extending into retirement? What steps are taken to ensure that underwriting processes (including income multiples and affordability models) reflect the different characteristics and risk profiles of customers in different market sectors (for example, sub-prime; non-conforming)? Is the recent assessment carried out to identify the affordability (including affordability decisioning models) to meet the regulatory as well as commercial drivers impacting the business? What steps are taken concerning the assessment of the customers ability to repay where ‘enhanced income multiples are used (and where the firm may have insufficient, or outdated, data to measure the potential impact/risks of default)? What MI does the consumer have to facilitate the identification of affordability issues on a timely basis (for example, the performance of loans where ‘enhanced multiples have been applied; at the end of any discount period; the level of arrears and repossessions; lending introduced by intermediaries)? Even for long-established product offerings, it is clear that nothing stays still. Aside from regulation by the FSA, the market still needs to respond to the challenges of competition investigation into the PPI market. Household Leverage: In the years leading up to the crisis, a combination of factors, including low interest rates, lax lending standards, a proliferation of exotic mortgage products, and the growth of a global market for securitized loans fueled a rapid increase in household borrowing. (Shedlock, 2010) ‘The recent financial crisis contributed to the longest and most severe economic contraction since the Great Depression. The rapid expansion in the use of borrowed money, or leverage, by households in recent years, is one factor that may help account for the virulence of the downturn. (Shedlock, 2010) ‘The common patterns observed across countries suggest that, the unwinding of excess household leverage via increased saving or increased default rates could be a significant drag on consumption and bank lending going forward, possibly muting the vigor of the economic recovery. (Shedlock, 2010) 2.2 Changing Nature of Consumer Behaviour (Higher Expectation) ‘Customers take control. Customers will be smart, informed and savvy users of financial services. They will only be interested in service providers that can meet their very specific individual needs. (CMA Management, 2006) Global banking leader for the Institute for Business Value, each bank must decide on a strategy that fits its customers needs. Banks will need special strategies to cater to a far more discerningand controllingcustomer. Innovative approaches to business design, customer service, workforce management and IT will be critical to banks future success. (Sunny Banerjea, 2009) Banking customers will demand more advocacy, personal security and control in their banking relationships Banks will source products and services from many specialized and best-in-class service providers, including independents and other banks providing white-label products and services. Innovation in products, processes, relationships and business models will be the primary path to sustainable growth. Furthermore, the modern banking industry has brought greater business diversification. Some banks in the industrialized world are entering into investments, underwriting of securities, portfolio management and the insurance businesses. Taken together, these changes have made banks an even more important entity in the global business community. 2.3 Globalization (Intense Competition) ‘By 2015, we will live in an intensely customer-centric market that is dominated by global mega banks and densely populated by specialist financial services providers. Fierce competition, global regulation and technology will reshape bank and non-bank structures. (Rusty Wiley, 2009) Banking is moving incrementally but unmistakably away from a model based on products, transactions, touch points, and internal departments toward one based on customers, processes, integrated experiences, and the enterprise-wide value of information. The new strategic centre is not an institutions asset size, market share, revenue growth, or operating efficiency, but the â€Å"customer experience† the institution provides to consumers. Whether a seismic departure in focus or simply a more pronounced emphasis on an existing strategy, many banks have decided this is their destination. Many countries are now more alert after so many scams including The Bernard Madoff $65 billion Ponzi scheme exposed in 2009. To minimise and control the false trading activities and tax evasions, governments worldwide demand more oversight of banking operations influencing not only the investment banking business but also the private banking side. The account opening process, KYC and offshore banking activities are under tighter scrutiny than ever before. As a direct result, banks have to spend more money on compliance and risk management. (Investment Research, 2010) Banks no longer think in terms of selling products and making transactions, but rather in terms of acquiring, satisfying, and retaining customers. They are realigning their system architectures to recognize, integrate, and monitor business processes that span departmental boundaries and consider customers from a company-wide perspective. The resulting systems provide customers with tools to conduct their own banking business on their own terms, in their own time, and through whatever channel they happen to access. (Balthasar, 2010) This shift in strategic focus has already had a profound impact on the way that bankings role and value to its customers have evolved, leading to the second feature of the industrys transformation, which is that banking is no longer seen as purely a financial transaction, but rather in a broader and more significant way as a financial information business. This distinction may sound like splitting hairs, but the eventual effect on the banking industry will be nothing short of transformative. To better adapt and accommodate this shift successfully, banks will have to recon and upgrade their entire IT infrastructures. The excellent international reputation and the $300 billion private banking assets the region currently manages, the Singaporean government is aggressive in making the country more attractive to private banks and HNWIs worldwide. Singapore officials are planning to amend the Income Tax Act, which is likely to help the country to make Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Developments â€Å"white list†, further establishing itself as Asias private banking stronghold. (Wall Street Arrow: Market Insights, 2009) The competitive pressures that have squeezed the banking industry for the past decade show no sign of letting up, principally due to the banking industrys continuing consolidation. (Balthasar, 2009) Many industry analysts are expecting another round of large bank merger announcements, with the additional element of international banks involved in cross-border mergers. We have seen the beginnings of that trend already in Europe, with the acquisition of Abbey National (U.K.) by Santander (Spain) and the protracted dispute between Dutch bank ABN AMRO and another Spanish bank over two Italian banks. One important ramification of the continued growth of leading banks will be their ability, based on their sheer size and higher efficiencies, to invest in world-class data storage, management, and analytical capabilities, thereby extending their dominance by the development of innovative revenue-generating products and services. The transition to banks as primarily an information source has helped lower the barriers to entry in the financial services industry, opening the banking arena to a host of new, non-bank players. The current alarm among banks and their regulators about Wal-Marts efforts to obtain an industrial loan company (ILC) license in Utah is the most visible manifestation of that trend. 2.4 Technology (Customised Service) Sharply focused technology. The enabler of all this change will be technology that supports rapid, accurate decision making and greater operational flexibility and efficiency. The successful specialists will be those who can track and analyze specific customer needs and speedily meet them with profitable, reliable products. (CMA Management, 2006) The global trend of deregulation has opened up many new businesses to the banking industry. Coupling that with technological developments like internet banking and ATMs, the banking industry is obviously trying its hardest to shed its lackluster image. (Investopedia, 2010) The major force driving banking transformation stems from the increasing commoditization of financial transactions. Banks can no longer distinguish themselves on the basis of product set functionality or operational excellence. Commercially available systems have perfected virtually all the important functions in basic transactions, including payments, deposits, funds transfers, and account reporting. The maturity of technology in these areas has made both functionality and pricing nearly uniform among leading vendors. The sheer volume and scope of regulatory requirements has imposed on banks an unprecedented need to develop transparent systems and processes, along with more effective and reliable means for collecting, storing, and manipulating information. Going forward, banks will need to develop an approach to their IT infrastructure that places a premium on flexibility, adaptability to rapidly changing market circumstances, and the ability to integrate information from multiple sources currently isolated from each other. The competitive landscape has also shrunk considerably. In June 2008, there were 46 lenders offering unsecured personal loans, down from 58 in June 2007, however, by June 2009 this number had dropped further to just 37. The real value proposition that banks offer now is in the information they can provide about financial services and transactions, from a perspective of accessibility, speed, convenience, granularity, analysis, and so forth. In other words, the important question to ask banks now is â€Å"how quickly, accurately, deeply, efficiently, transparently, and finitely can they capture, parse, store, identify, access, retrieve, sort, match, analyze, aggregate, present, share, distribute, and protect data?† Therefore, leading banks are basing new technology strategies on transforming and enhancing their command of information. Although they already sit atop vast amounts of data about their customers, banks in many respects are unable to identify and/or retrieve it with any degree of precision. With bankings future growth and profitability dependent on the ability to aggregate information across systems and reorient it by customer instead of product, technology spending decisions will he nceforth be guided by how well a proposed solution furthers a banks command of information. (Balthasar, 2009) Data management The command of information should be incorporated it into technology development by the vendors allowing them to capture (automatically as much as possible) descriptive and associative information about customers, transactions, and workflow circumstances as distinct data fields; to identify, access, associate, aggregate, sort, and display data from disparate sources; to exchange, transfer, compound, and deconstruct data freely across system boundaries; to normalize, integrate, and analyze that data for a specific purpose and for a specifically designated market segment; to drill down and parse data into ever more discrete units that can be segregated and analyzed; and to manage all of the above in near-real time through centralized database management and automated business processes with rules-based workflow and exception management. Initiatives and architectures not built on a sophisticated data management core will provide only limited benefit, since sooner or later they will be unable to integrate fully into

Ralph Bacerra Essay -- Art

Ralph Bacerra attended Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angelas. Although his original intention was to become a graphic designer, his career path changed after taking a class with Vivika Heino (Stewart, 2008). Heino was the lead ceramics teacher at Chouinard and it was under her instruction that Bacerra found his love for ceramics. Heino was very influential in her use of glazes and inspired Bacerra to experiment and branch out in regards to his glazing methods. After a brief tour in the military Bacerra traveled to China and Japan where he was greatly influenced by the style and glazing techniques of the East. Bacerra went back to Chouinard where he taught for eight years and served as chairman of the ceramics department and later served the same position at Otis College of Art and Design (Bacerra, 2004). Bacerra uses very distinctive geometric elements in his ceramic pieces. Bacerra’s pieces incorporate stripes of shifting background hues, twisting lines, with interlocking cubes and cones with cylinders and other geometric volumes (Lloyd, 2010; Clothier, 2012). At first glance Bacerra’s pieces seem to have odds and ends jutting out in peculiar and random ways. However, when one takes a closer look, all of the shapes and lines work together in a simple and elegant way. Many of his pieces have a mixture of both organic and mechanical elements. He uses organic shell-like circles and smooth, almost melted looking lines along with defined geometric squares, triangles, and circles giving his work a distinct abstract look. Bacerra uses a wide range of color in his pieces but sticks mostly with a bluish-green palate with hints of gold. Many of his pieces are comprised of different shades and values of blue and green (sometimes purple ... ...il 7-19). Interview by F Lloyd [Audio Tape Recording]. Oral history interview with ralph bacerra. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. , Retrieved from http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/interviews/oral-history-interview-ralph-bacerra-12942 Clothier, P. (2012). Ralph bacerra. American Ceramics, Retrieved from http://www.peterclothier.com/ralph-bacerra.html Hamer, F., & Hamer, J. (2004). The potter's dictionary of materials and techniques. (5 ed.). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Lloyd, F. (2010). Ralph bacerra. Retrieved from http://www.franklloyd.com/dynamic/artist_bio.asp?ArtistID=1 Jenyns, S. (1971). Japanese pottery. London, England: Praeger Publishers. Stewart, J. Y. (2008, June 13). Ceramic artist famed for use of patterns. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/13/local/me-bacerra13

why read the books :: essays research papers

It has now become clear that Italo Calvino will prove to be one of this century's major writers. In recent years, his work has been established alongside such pan-European thinkers as Barthes and Eco, particularly in the sense that his interests are polymathic. Calvino is an essayist, a literary theorist, a writer of fiction and, to a large extent, a visionary. Paradoxically, much of the modernity he has explored in his narratives has its roots in the simplicity of folk tales, and his own short fiction has the elemental power of myth and allegory. In these essays, however, we have a kind of summation of all this, albeit in a piecemeal form. By this I mean that within this large collection of literary essays, Italo Calvino mixes critical judgement with literary history, and reflections on the writer's art with sheer readerly enthusiasm. This powerful mix is the result of his assembling a personal 'canon' of texts, and in that sense some of his choices reflect that idiosyncrasy which all readers have: personal passions, a taste in obscure writers; and, a few absolute favourites which have clearly inspired his own creativity. In the dimension of personal taste, the leaders are Dickens in Our Mutual Friend, Stendhal and Dante, but there are many more, and after an initial essay which tries to establish what a classic is, the essays range from classical to modern texts, not always in terms of accepted classical status. Some of the writers discussed may even merit being rediscovered. In fact, Signor Calvino is such a good critic that he sneaks in brief chatty references and even fragments of autobiography before we realise it. The case of Hemingway shows this for instance: 'There was a time for me when - and for many others, those who are more or less my contemporaries - Hemingway was a god.' The essay then proceeds to show Hemingway's appeal as well as his limitations. The book's title is something of a misnomer in this respect, because the question is tackled directly in the first essay. Then a certain enquiry about the nature of a 'classic' is assumed as the author proceeds to explain the gamut of literary achievement in virtually every prominent form. However, the defining essay does lead to the interesting proposition that 'A classic is a work which persists as background noise even when a present that is totally incompatible with it holds sway.

The Legal Atmosphere Essay -- Literary Analysis, The Woman in White

Throughout the novel The woman in White, the novelist Wilkie Collins makes evident the weight of British Due Process in the life of the characters and the happenings of the story. A series of civil wrongs dictate the turning points of the novel. The law and its execution are presented to the reader from the beginning, in the style of witnesses testimonies , that as been collected and brought to court by Walter Hartright in what we could call the legal arena of Glyde v. Glyde. â€Å"the events which fill these pages might have claimed their share of the public attention in a court of justice† (9). The legal atmosphere in The Woman in White, as described before, consists of narrative lines as if they were presented in front of a jury, and that shape what and how the events are perceived by the reader. In that sense readers become judges and jury. The narrative of the novel is one rational and structured as the one used in the atmosphere of a court of justice. For instance, after the death of supposed death of Mrs. Glyde, four key witnesses certify it. Among them a doctor, Alfred Goodricke. In his statement we can appreciate the technicality that requires his profession: â€Å"I hereby certify that I attended Lady Glyde [†¦] and that the cause of death was, Aneurism. Duration of disease, not known† (405). The jargon of a practitioner of medicine is clear, which provides credibility. He also strengthens the legal authenticity of the certificate by signing it accordingly, by leaving proof of his expertise in medicine: â€Å"Prof. Title. M.R.C.S. Eng. L.S.A. (405), f irst thing that is required of and expert in a tribunal. The legal veracity of The Woman in White is not only portrayed in the way the characters speak to the reader, but in the interac... ...le. In Collins narrative the Victorian law is presented in its true form: a blind set of strict procedures in which a law-abiding attorney will not risk his own neck in a case where evidence proves to be insufficient. As stated by Mr. Kyrle â€Å"As a lawyer, and as a lawyer only, it is my duty to tell you, Mr. Hartright, that you have not the shadow of a case... The evidence of lady Glyde's death is... clear and satisfactory† (441). The reader soon suspects that there are testimonies that contain obvious lies as Fosco's or that are just simply unreliable because the memory of the â€Å"witness† is not the best or because we are told that they are insane. A lot of suspense created by this lost of objectivity. But at the same time the credibility of the story itself suffer. However, Collins is very skillful to counter this unreliability by the veracity and realism of the law.

Jean Rhys Wide Sargasso Sea

WIDE SARGASSO SEA Spoiled Rose A child is a reflection of their parents becoming a product of their environment. Childhood is the most crucial stage in life, for this is when a child is most impressionable. What is experienced, felt, and taught is what shapes a child into who they will become upon entering adulthood. Antoinette (Bertha) Mason from Jean Rhy’s Wide Sargasso Sea, is victim to mental injury, forced to grow up on her own, feeling out of place without the love and care of her mother.The loneliness and hurt she felt at a young age imprisoned her to a life of unhappiness. Eventually madness took over her which mushroomed furthermore in her arranged marriage to Mr. Rochester, who unravels her already precarious mental state. He drives her to the point where Bertha decides to take her life, believing in a deluded state it is her destiny. Her tragic life reveals the importance of growing up in a stable home environment, especially in her day, and location, given her soci al status and race, growing up stable was not a basket of roses considering her circumstances.Early on, we learn of Antoinette’s family life, with the absence of her father all she has is her mother and younger brother who suffers from a learning disabled state which prevents her from bonding with him. Then there is Christophine who is their servant, a black obeah woman who becomes of great influence to her, as well as Tia her brief and only childhood friend who is of African descent. Her mother is very distant with her, only paying attention to her sick brother.Although she was not physically abused, Antoinette suffered severe emotional abuse due to un-acceptance of others as well as neglect and lack of love from her Mother, which in some cases is more harmful because it goes unnoticed until it becomes too late. According to an article exploring the nature of victim and victimizer emotional abuse is a silent attacker. â€Å"Emotional abuse (psychological abuse, verbal abuse , and mental injury) includes acts or omissions that have caused, or could cause, serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders†Ã‚  (Banks).At a young age we can see Antoinette is susceptible to these symptoms. For example her mother would shove her away when shed try to get close, â€Å"calmly, coldly, without a word† as Antoinette was â€Å"useless† (Rhys 11). This lack of being loved can affect her judgment of what love truly is, because she never properly received it. According to a file in the National library of Health- NHS Evidence, Children may experience a number of different emotional disorders. Behavioral issues such as avoidance of feared activities as well as clinginess or reluctance to separate from trusted adults may arise (NHS).At a young age we can see Antoinette is susceptible to these symptoms. As she wakes up early one morning she finds her mother’s horse dead â€Å"I ran away and did not speak of it for I thought if I told no one it might not be true. †(Rhys 10) When faced with troubled situations, she runs away and in a cognitive state, she reasons with herself denying a current situation is not real. Burying her reality is a defense mechanism she has built and constantly uses into adulthood in order cope when faced with unsettling realities, distorting her perception, memory and judgment.Antoinette also grows very fond of Christophine, as she is the only one who seems to genuinely care for her, Antoinette grows attached to her, feeling a security when she has christophine around because she is the only one who respects and protects the Cosways. Additionally growing up in Jamaica just after the emancipation act of 1833 during a harsh time combating slavery and rights, Antoinette found it difficult to fit in and find some sense of identity. She was a beautiful young white skinned Creole girl, daughter to ex-slave and plantation owners, surrounded by mainly blacks and few rich whites.Althoug h she came from a wealthy background, as she grew up her mother was not financially doing well and was fairly close to losing their plantation. Evidently her and her family was despised. She was not accepted by the black community surrounding her and underwent racism having to constantly be called a â€Å"white cockroach† (Rhys 13) by the black community. The few whites in the area also frowned upon her and her family for not being of true English descent.So although she lived in a Calibri estate surrounded by beautiful nature and ocean sun filled days, on the inside she felt out of place, fearful and lonely. Her only childhood friend Tia betrayed her leaving her further damaged by stealing her clothes and pennies, while out one day swimming unsupervised. A child needs friends and interaction with others in order to communicate and be socially inclined. Things seem to turn around for Antoinette, when her mother marries Mr. Mason, a wealthy English man, who decides to stay and renovate Coulibri.Unfortunately racial tensions arose among recent freed black slaves, escalading to a protest that ends in catastrophe. Their home gets burned down with torches; her brother injured fatally passes away, leading her mother to fully manifest insanity due to the event. At this point Antoinette’s life drastically changes she is injured and sick for several weeks. She is faced with death once more by the passing of her brother and loses her mother as she becomes mentally unstable and dies; Mr. Mason abandons them leaving Jamaica while traveling.Antoinette is sent to live in a catholic convent ran by nuns. As you can imagine this was very hard for Antoinette, although she was surrounded by others she was left their isolated. In the convent she grows a fascination with death, since it is something she is used to she begins to like the dark ominous part of religion and death. I believe Antoinette suppresses all the calamities she has had to deal with till that point . Life has not been kind to her and despite of it she still manages to keep it together although she becomes a docile human being.When she finally reaches the age of seventeen Mr. Mason visits her more and finally removes her from the convent and introduces her to his English friends. Upon this happening an arranged marriage is what is in store for Antoinette. She is married to Mr. Rochester; their marriage is more like a business pact because they do not marry on the base of love. It is apparent Mr. Rochester marries Antoinette merely for her riches. She is not in love with him but do to her docile way she becomes intoxicated with the idea of Love and having a male companion.At first Mr. Rochester is amorous with Antoinette, upon finding out about her past, which he was not aware of his attitude and view towards Antoinette changes. His indifference towards her, affects her deeply as she becomes distressed. She looks to Christophine for help, who unknowingly makes the situation with herself and husband worse. Gradually Antoinette begins to drink more, making her act out violently. Alcohol distorts the mind and suppressed feelings she has kept hidden arise.The fact that her husband had no real love or apathy for her austerely depressed her and made her sick, she became emotionally unstable. Due to the era they were in, divorce was not easy to achieve. Upon marrying Mr. Rochester She basically became his property along with all of her wealth. She was trapped and depended on her husband. She had no control of her life and she was going the same route her mother went. Mr. Rochester constantly called Antoinette Bertha, which affected her because it was not what she went by, this Bertha finally manifested herself in Antoinette. Mr.Rochester’s disdain and abandonment was the climax to Antoinette’s insanity, as she was isolated and locked in an attic. Throughout her life Antoinette suffered multiple losses, her mental health got worse as she transitioned into an adult. Her mood was low and depressing, she barely ate, and she became delusional by believing in her dreams as a true reality. I think anyone in her position would go insane and prefer to die than live in such a horrible reality. As a child she had not one positive role model to look up to, primarily her mother is at fault with how Antoinette’s life came to be.She could have been a real mother and been loving and supportive towards her daughter who always needed her. Childhood is the most vital part of life; this is when a child needs to be in a positive loving environment. Otherwise a child becomes a dysfunctional part of society as an adult, causing harm to oneself or others. Due to the treatment she received as a child, she had very low self esteem and no self worth; always accepting situations when all along she could have changed her destiny, if only she was not so weak.Ironically she turned out weak just like her mother, unknowingly becoming mentally ill, lead ing to the loss of her life. The beautiful rose she was turned black as death, never fully blooming. Works cited Banks, Ron. Focus Adolescent Services. â€Å"Bullying What Parents and Teachers Should Know. † EECE Publications, Digest EDO-PS-97-17 www. focusas. com NHS, National Electronic Library for Health. â€Å"Isolation and Mental Health† http://www. library. nhs. uk/mentalhealth/ Jean Rhys, Wide Sargasso Sea (Penguin Books Ltd: Middlesex, England, 1966).