Managerial Economics and Its Application in Banking Sector a Case of NMB Essay

Is a branch of economics that applies microeconomic analysis to specific business decisions. It bridges economic theory and economics in practice. Managerial economics provides a set of tools, techniques, methodologies, guidance and insights that can help in making better and value-adding decisions in business and for analyzing decision problems and developing criteria for choosing the best possible solution to problems. Consumer Behavior Is the study of how individuals, groups, and organizations select, buy, use and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and wants (Kottler, P; Keller, K. L. 2009) Consumer Behaviour Referred to as the study of when, why, how, where and what people do or do not buy products. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, social, and anthropology and economics. it attempts to understand the buyer decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as demographics and behavioural variables in an attempt to understand people’s wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Belch and Belch define Consumer Behaviour as the process and activities people engage in when searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and desires. Demand Is the willingness and ability to purchase a product. Consumer’s total demand for a product for a product is reflected in the demand curve Demand Curve Is a line showing the relationship between the price of a product or factor of production and the quantity demanded per time period. The demand curve is usually downward sloping, since consumers will want to buy more as price decreases. Shift in demand curve Is a movement of the demand curve from one position to another (left or right) as a result of some economic change other than price. A given demand curve is always drawn on the ceteris paribus assumption that all other factors affecting demand (income, taste, etc) are held constant. If any of these changes, however, then this will bring about a shift in the demand curve. For example if income increases, the demand curve will shift to the right, so that more is now demanded at each price than formerly. Application of managerial theory in the place of work a case of National Microfinance Bank Managerial Economics theories are also applicable in banking sectors, National Microfinance Bank as a case study. Some of the theories which are applicable to National Microfinance Bank are pricing theories, Demand Analysis and theory of consumer behavior. Pricing theory National Microfinance Bank has always maintained a pricing strategy for its products that keep them affordable to the general public. The bank’s aim is to remain at the same level or below the key competitors, mainly CRDB and NBC. This strategy has worked well and resulted in a significant growth of NMB Personal Accounts as well as NMB ATM Cards. For some products, price influences consumers’ perception of overall quality (Kerin R. A; et al 2004) Penetration Pricing National Microfinance Bank used penetration pricing in setting a low initial price on a new product to appeal immediately to the mass market, for example NMB Internet Banking, has started for Corporate Customers with free registration, compared to other Banks which have registration and transaction fees, this has caused many corporate customers to convinced to join this service and hence increase the deposits for the bank during this hard time of Economic Crisis. Also with launching of Mobile Banking which came with low initial pricing for money transfers services, balances and bank statement enquiries, has encouraged many customers to register for the service to its affordability, with now over 150,000 customers have registered for NMB Mobile Banking. There were also no charges for ATM’s in balances and bank statements enquiries while other Banks do have charges in balances and bank statement enquiries. From 1st February, 2010 National Microfinance Bank has introduced new tariff guide whereby for the first time NMB charges Tshs 50/= for Teller withdrawal fee and Tshs 100 for ATM mini statement. Demand Analysis Refer to the demand theory as want, need or desire for a product backed the money to purchase it. Due to high demand of consumers, the bank has been forced to add some products to meet the consumers’ demand. Up to 1st January, 2010 the bank has over 134 branches all over the country, 276 ATMs and different product and services. Some of the new products and services which introduced to meet the consumers demand were as follows. NMB Junior Account Is the account whereby a customer can get extra bonus above normal interest rate, no service fee, quarterly interest payment and it encourages savings for future use. NMB student Account As the bank seen the high demand of students to save their money they decided to open NMB student Account. By looking in their earnings they put affordable opening balance of Tshs 2,000/= only. Many students now opt for this type of account. Money Transfer Is the transfer of money through mobiles phone. As today world is more advanced in technology, bank decided to introduce this service to meet the customers demand. Customers can be able to view their balances, recharge their mobiles phone, transfer of money through ATM and Mobile Banking. This product is of high demand nowadays as many customers enrolled in this programme. Internet Banking Through this service the consumers can easily have the access to their bank account, National Microfinance Bank has introduced this service starting with Corporate Customers, where in next phase will be able to do transactions through this service. No registration fee at 1st phase where corporate customers can view their account transactions and print their bank statement online. Demand for NMB Internet Banking has been increasing due to many of the corporate customers has a lot of operations and vast network country wide, and many requires online statement to simplify their operations including selling of different products after making collections through NMB. Demand function As it is a form of notation that links the dependent variables, quantity demanded with various independent variables that determine quantity demanded such as price of a product, income, price of substitute products and advertising. Changes in any of these independent variables will affect quantity demanded differently. As to relate with our case study, this demand function will also apply. Price is an independent variable that determines quantity demanded of some product. In order to penetrate the market NMB offered free of charge in checking balance, mini statement and cash withdraw. It only charges Tshs 400 per month for personal accounts as service fee regardless of how many times someone use that service. NMB introduces charges for withdrawal of Tshs 500 through ATM per month previously it was Tshs 400, balance check cost Tsh 50, ATM mini statement cost Tshs 100. This rise in price charges affects the quantity demanded. This shows that price is an independent variable to quantity demand. As the price rises the quantity demand goes down. Advertisement is another independent variable that determines quantity demanded of some product. Advertisement is an art of keeping people aware with some product or service you need people to know. NMB Mobile Banking launched September, 2009, up to October, 2009 few customers were registered to this service and few were aware of this service, so NMB decided to engage in advertisement for this service through posters, Television, Radio, Brochures, Newsletters, promotions, the records shows high response of people to use NMB Mobile Banking from November till to date as over 150,000 customers have registered to this service compared to 100,000 registered in previous months. This shows that advertisement affects quantity demanded as many customers were able to use that service due to awareness of that service advertisement. Moreover, price of a substitute product is another Independent variable that determines quantity demanded of some product. NMB offers free charges in registration for Internet Banking for Corporate Customers compared to other banks such as NBC and CRDB which have registration fee, and due to its large network country wide, these caused many corporate customers to be convinced to join NMB Internet Banking services and hence quantity demanded of this service to be high due to the above factors. Determinant of Demand Demand for a good or service is determined by many different factors. In relation to our case study, they also applied as follows The price of the Commodity The amount one buys will depend on the price. The lower the price of the commodity the greater the quantity they will buy. In NMB there is no charge for opening account for government salaried workers, this plays a high demand for government employees to open account with NMB, after they enroll with NMB they enjoy using other products such as NMB Junior, NMB Bonus account and NMB mobile which have initial price, this tend to increase number of customers. As the lower the price of the commodity, the greater the quantity he will buy, this also cause many government employees to open account with NMB, this is where ceteris paribus and vice-versa will apply. Consumer Income As consumers Income change, the demand for goods and services will change. For most products, demand Increase when consumers have larger incomes. In relation to our case study, NMB main customers were from government salaried workers. This tends to increase the demand for them to save due to surplus they have. Price of Related goods When the prices of related goods change; demand may Increase or decrease, ceteris paribus. This also applies in NMB as many people were in belief that DECI SACCOS pays higher Interest, they withdraw their money from their accounts and transfer to DECI SACCOS accounts, and quantity demanded for NMB services decreased during that period. Taxation levels on goods Higher taxes on goods causes rise in their prices and hence cause the demand for the products to fall and vice versa. Due to high tax on the machines imported and experts operating those machines, NMB rises the ATM charges that causes a slightly fall in demand of that service due to those charges. Theory of consumer behavior and its applications in NMB Consumer behavior is how consumers allocate their money incomes among goods and services. A consumer is a unit of consumption and one of the agents in the commodity market. A consumer has a certain amount of income he can use to buy goods and services from the market. Given the fixed income and fixed prices of the goods, the consumer has to decide whether to buy a particular good and what amount of it to buy. So, the consumer faces the problem of choice of commodity. This problem can be solved on the basis of the economic theory of consumer behavior – consumers choose the best bundle of goods they can afford. This applies also in our case study as how people allocate their money in the different services offered by NMB example they choose to use ATM services, mobile banking services, internet services and different bank accounts offered. This theory helps bank to improve in their strategies by looking in the psychology of how consumers think, feel and select between different alternative products offered. They sometimes conduct a survey to know how customers perceive their services. Surveys can be in different groups users example to students, farmers, government employees, individual person and different organizations used NMB services. The results obtained help to improve some services and sometimes to know what they need and introduce new product according to their needs. They tried to compare their services offered with other banks they offer. Moreover the psychology of how consumer is influenced by his or her environment e. g. culture, family, signs, media etc. This also applies in our case study as NMB has many branches all over the country compared to other banks. When they win to get customers they tried to offer good services to them as being attracted to convince their families and other co-workers to join with their bank. They use also media to advertise their products as they have advertisement which shows the importance of mobile banking. When people saw that advertisement and compare with the really life they saw the importance of it and engaged in that mobile service. As they see they can buy LUKU even in late hours, they can transfer money at any time they wish using their mobile phones, check balance and mini statement without going counter.

Unit Assignment

Then, the paper will go into further detail about problems and, dilemmas, that accompanied the old traditional classification. As a consequence of this state of affairs, the psychological community all agreed upon one matter. In short, it's a fact of necessity, that the old terms, â€Å"projective† and â€Å"objective must be parted with. † Finally, substitute terms are needed to be designated as suitable the new placements, and, the community is all in agreement to simply refer to assessment tasks by their specific name. Unit 8 Assignment Historical use of the Terms Objective and ProjectiveMore than 10 years ago, psychologists have been labeling personality tests by dividing them into two separate types either the objective method or the projective method. Many people have seen them in documents, in the same exact way. Those two words continue to be seen in textbooks, in all types of articles, in graduate programs, and, generally all over the place. Historically, many psychologists have become used to utilizing these terms without fully realizing that they do not begin to define, the psychological personality assessment tests that, they are purported to identify. The terms â€Å"objective† ND â€Å"projective† are not only scientifically inaccurate, but problematic from a professional standpoint as well† (Bernstein, 2007, p. 202). Because, science is trying to keep up with today's times they are trying to eliminate those two terms, objective and projective from the lexicon. â€Å"In the interests Of advancing the science of personality assessment, we believe it is time to end this historical practice and retire these terms from our formal lexicon and general discourse describing the methods of personality assessment† (Meyer & Kurt, 2006, p. 223). The old descriptions do not accurately describe a human rationality.Historically, the methods that were used for describing personality assessment tests have always been divide d into two separate parts. The one section has been objective and the other section has always been projective. These words are ambiguous because they have several possible meanings and they are difficult to comprehend, distinguish or classify a certain type personality in these tests. It's like painting a picture with two different colors and trying to classify it, with only two colors. The results of this show that the terms are so unclear, and they have multiple meanings.Unfortunately, the terms objective and projective carry multiple, often unclear, meanings, including some connotations that are very misleading when applied to personality assessment instruments and methods† (Meyer & Kurt, 2006, p. 223). It is essential not to utilize these words as umbrella words because they do not cover everything they are purported to. â€Å"The old and familiar terminology of objective and projective personality tests has misleading connotations that will not Serve the field well as W e seek to have a more differentiated understanding of assessment methods† (Meyer & Kurt, 006, p. 24). Some other reasonable alternatives need to be agreed upon and utilized. These unsuitable words cannot be continued because they are misleading in terminology. â€Å"The unsuitable and primitive nature of the term projective is revealed when trying to arrive. It in umbrella label to characterize tasks as diverse as drawing one's family, telling stories in response to pictures, and stating what an ink blot looks like† (Meyer & Kurt, 2006, p. 224).Problems with Traditional Classification There cannot continue to be a broad-based paintbrush that is applied and entities to label all psychometric personality assessment tests. â€Å"Tests that are not so categorized will tend to be viewed less positively, regardless of psychometric data, because they are, after all, not objective† (Meyer & Kurt, 2006, p. 223). Because of the past, there is too much negativity surroundin g the term, projective. The terminology both, â€Å"objective† and â€Å"projective† are not necessarily what they seem. The term â€Å"objective† is a smokescreen for measures that can be just as subjective as anything else and the term â€Å"projective† is derived from untenable theoretical concepts that have anointed to create confusion in the field for a long time† (Chilliness, 2007, p. 197). Some other substantial problem is when the effects of a test cannot be duplicated by the same test more than one time. â€Å"If assessment psychologists did not derive overarching frameworks and terminologies for classifying psychological tests, those who use, study, or critique these tests would do it anyway.In this respect, it is better that an organizing framework be made explicit (and the logic underlying the framework spelled out in detail) than that multiple contrasting framework and labels emerge in isolation mongo different segments of the psycholo gical community† (Bernstein, 2007, p. 205). The volume of the dilemmas above have all been a culmination of psychologists and psychiatrists in this community and their opinions about the problems with traditional classification.

Four Views to The College Conspiracy Essay

In May of 2011 a video by the National Inflation Association (N.I.A) surfaced on YouTube gathering over two million views and opening the eyes of people to the American college system. According to the producers of this video, â€Å"College is the largest scam in US history!† Is college a worth-while investment? Is it just a way for the government to stimulate the economy? Are college degrees really a necessity in performing on the job? All of these questions have been asked and answered with both yes and no. Four writers with different views on this matter have written up articles concerning this issue. While reading through the articles one will notice that the views for each author are backed up by examples and statistics but differ in viewpoints, resulting taking different sides to this topic. In the first article, by The Christian Science Monitor, examples of successful entrepreneurs without degrees like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Peter Thiel of Paypal were given to the audience. The writer then expresses his belief that not everyone is cut out for college, some would be better suited to vocational training, but the United States needs more well-educated people to compete in the world economy. Statistics on how college degree recipients have a decreased likelihood of unemployment and receive increased wages on average are then given. The next article, from the New York Times, opens up by revisiting America’s past decision to make high school open to the public and how education has benefitted the United States. The writer makes a comparison between the current situation of the importance of higher education to the America’s past decision. Studies stated that prove a bachelor’s degree is an asset even for those whose jobs do not require any degree. He states that, beyond the monetary value of a degree, education seems to make people happier and healthier. Quoting M.I.T economist, David Autor, writer states his opinion on how not sending a child to college would be a disaster. Different statistical evidence were then used. Once financial aid was taken into account, the average net tuition of public four-year college were approximately $2000, a lot less than what most people presume the cost to be. A recipient of a college degree makes 83 percent more than those with only a high-school diploma. Citing the Hamilton Project, a research group in Washington, an investment in a college degree has a 15 percent annual return, 8 percent more than stock investment, and 14 percent more than in real estate. On the other hand, article three, by John Stossel disagrees with the potency of a college education in the working world. He starts the article with examples of successful non-degree holders, Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, Simon Cowell and Peter Jennings. Stossel then shares his opinion that for many people, college is a scam. He then states the opinions of his Fox Televison partner Richard Vedder. Sharing similar view points, Vedder reasons out that students who do well in college often did well in high school, even though most students, even those who did poorly in high school, are pushed into college. He then asks as to why colleges accept the lower-tier of students and answers that question by stating that government loans ensure students are able to pay for college, even at the risk of long term debt, which fuels the academia. Giving out some statistics to back up the claim, Stossels points out the high percentages of baggage porters, bellhops and taxi and limo drivers have a college degree that they did not require to obtain their current jobs. The last article comes from Marty Nemko, a career counselor. She gives her personal experiences during her job when students are disturbed by the amount of money they have already spent on their education but still lack the units to complete their degree program. She then gives out the statistic that among college freshman who graduated in the bottom 40 percent of their high school, 76 percent won’t earn a diploma even if given 8  ½ years. Yet colleges admit these students and take their money. 23 percent of the students themselves are unprepared for college and students learn less in college than what is led on to believe, only having 16.4 percent of students satisfied with the instruction given to them. These four sources gave their own personal opinions and back them up with sufficient evidence in the form of examples, testimonies, and statistics. The Christian Science Monitor takes into account, not only each individuals need for a college degree, but also the country’s need for college graduates to compete in the world market. The New York Times’ article takes finances into account giving reasons to why college degrees are actually affordable, with the proper financial aid, and how they pay off once they’re put to good use. John Stossel takes his views the college system as a for profit organization, where, although some are able to use their education in the working world, many don’t and the college system takes advantage of the mass of hopefuls who try to better their lives, successful or not. Marty Nemko draws from her own personal experiences as a career counselor dealing with college students and their problems in taking the college route. What the discussion comes down to is how are the four authors interpreting the data they are given and how do their own viewpoints make them subjective to the matter. One side believes that a college education is a worth-while investment while the other believes that it is just a waste of time and money. Works Cited â€Å"America’s Most Overrated Product: Higher Education.† What Colleges Must Do: What Parents Must Do. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013. â€Å"The College Scam.† Fox News. FOX News Network, 06 July 2011. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. â€Å"Is College a Scam?† The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. Leonhardt, David. â€Å"ECONOMIC SCENE; Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 June 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.

A Penetrating Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Penetrating Analysis - Case Study Example The administrator had stored his admin password on his mobile phone and had left the phone unattended in his office. At that time he had not realized that his mobile had been tampered with or that anyone had retrieved the admin password and user name from it. Approximately two weeks later, a virus was uploaded to the company's server and effectively shredded all employee information. Investigations into the attack uncovered evidence from the data dump and the syslog files which indicated that the virus had been directly uploaded from within the organization by the administrator himself. At least, the username and the password the attacker had entered to access the company's server were the administrator's. Further investigations revealed the password theft incident and identified the attacker as a disgruntled IT employee, who had just been put on notice by the administrator. The employee in question was, of course, fired and legal measures were taken against him. The employee records , after the investment of considerable effort and time by the IT department, were retrieved. The seThe security incident described in the above, comprises a malicious attack whose potential for damage was significant. The attacker limited himself to the uploaded of a virus but, alternatively, he could have retrieved company information which was of value to competitors, such as client lists and a proposal that the company was putting together, at that time, for a bid. The consequences, in other words, could have been more damaging than they ultimately were, not because the company's network security system was effective but because the attacker's goal was limited to the uploading of the virus in question. Reflecting upon the security incident outlined in the previous, it is apparent that the network administrator was at fault. Password information should be safeguarded as keys to a vault are, insofar as they are the keys to a corporation's nerve center and misuse has the potential to wreak tremendous damage on a corporation. The second security incident which the company confronted was much more serious and occurred as a direct consequence of a vulnerability in the Cisco router which the company had installed. Apparently, Cisco IOS had a security hole which the company was trying to resolve through a software patch. Cisco had informed its IOS users that they would need to download and install the new software but had not mentioned the security hole. Therefore, my company and the IT department were, as the case with the countless of companies which used IOS across the world, unaware of the presence of a security hole. Many criminal hackers, however, were and Cisco only admitted it at a much later date (Zetter, 2005). Exploitation of this particular security hole did not mean, as the network administrator explained, that a hacker could enter the corporate network but that he/she could both tamper with the data and control the data flow. This is precisely what happened. The router password was changed, financial records were tampered with and two orders for financial transfers were sent by the Financial Director to an offshore bank

The Myth of Secure Computing by Austin and Christopher Article

The Myth of Secure Computing by Austin and Christopher - Article Example The amount of money spent on digital security is only 5 to 10 percent of a company’s total expenditure due to which, there are risky security concerns. Network Attacks, which are responsible for slowing network functions and disrupting online performance, are common threats to digital security that can result in big financial losses for the company. Network attacks are external. Intrusions are internal attacks and are more dangerous than network attacks as the intruders can use the same rights to alter or damage data as authorized users. Intrusions can cause not only monetary but also data leakage loss. All kinds of threats are highly dangerous and need to be analyzed in advance. The IT department of a company needs to be highly effective in identifying all kinds of threats and the level of security that should be provided to each and every asset. An operational approach needs to be followed in order to secure the company, its assets and its reputation from any digital security breach. Risk management should be there in order to check the possible risks to a company’s digital security and to control them in time. The IT department is required to keep continuous check to day-to-day processing. If software programs are used in a company, they must be tested regularly. The coding, testing and implementation process should not be conducted with proper care and efficiency. The IT staff should be well equipped with all concerned knowledge about IT state of the company and required security measures. The writers of the article have pointed towards a crucial issue that needs attention to detail. The companies working today are computerized mostly and have their own networks due to which, they are in need of digital security measures so that they face minimum security breaches and can control any intrusion in order to save them from big losses.  

Basic spanish project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Basic spanish project - Essay Example Su duracià ³n es como las demà ¡s estaciones, 3 meses. Estos son junio, julio, y agosto. Me gusta ir a la playa y salir con mis amistades. En esos meses tambià ©n estoy de vacaciones de la escuela y me encanta. Topic: Write about your bedroom (or the room where you sleep). You may include the names of people you share it with (if anyone), descriptions of your furniture, decorations, sizes, colors, etc. (Assume you are a 16 year old boy and have a room to yourself) Mi cuarto de dormir es grande. Ahà ­ tengo mi espacio favorito. Duermo solo. El color del cuarto es azul royal y los muebles son de caoba. Tengo una cama, dos mesas de noche, dos là ¡mparas de noche, un mueble con gavetas, y un armario. Write a paragraph in Spanish that describes where you live. Use at least 5 sentences. Be sure to note what street you live on, and the locations of at least two of your friends in relation to you, your school, home, or other place you spend time at (like a library, shopping mall, park, etc.) Your paragraph needs to include the respective locations of next to, in front of, and near. (Again presume you are a 16 year old boy, two friends are Jake and Ahmed, he likes to go to the cinema and shopping Mall which are about 3km away) School is 5km away in an area called Saar. Vivo en la Ciudad de Nueva York, en la calle Chile. Mi amigo Jake y mi amigo Ahmed viven a dos cuadras de mi casa. Ellos viven al lado, son vecinos. Vamos mucho al parque que queda frente a mi casa. Despuà ©s del juego vamos a la bodega a tomar refrescos. La bodega esta cerca del parque. Nos gusta mucho esta actividad. Write a paragraph in Spanish of at least eight sentences that tell about your typical day. Use the vocabulary and verbs you have learned in Units 1-4 of this course. You may include activities you do with family and friends. (16 year old boy, talk about School until 2p.m, lunch, walk the dog, homework, go to Ahmed or Jake’s house to hang out and watch DVD’s, dinner at

Baroque Period Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Baroque Period - Research Paper Example Clamor worked in Kothen as a court musician and an organist in Celle. He became ducal chamber musician in Hanover from the year 1666 (Walter, Murray, and Simon, 2001). Clamor Heinrich Abel made a series of compositions and musical guidebooks between the year 1694 and 1696 when he was Obermusicus in Bremen. His best works of music include various compositions for chamber music and string orchestra. Clamor composed a collection of fifty-nine individual works under the heading Erstlinge musikalischer Blumen, which included works for four instruments, allemandes, preludes, sonatinas, courantes and sarabandas. Initially, Clamor’s musical works were published in three separate volumes, and later they were combined into Drei Opera musica (Walter, Murray, and Simon, 2001). Clamor is considered the inspirer of violist and violinist Ferdinand Abel Christian and Carl Friedrich and Leopold August, who were both viol virtuoso and composer. Johan was a minor German Baroque composer. He was a violinist in 1934 and travelling to several countries including England, Italy, and France to perform and train violinists. Johan became a Kapellmeister in Nuremberg in the year 1746. He was in charge of music making in chapels, choirs, and orchestras. As a Kapellmeister, Johan wrote occasional vocal works and several harpsichord concertos, sonatas and symphonies. Johan’s symphonies contained two to three episodes or movements featuring sonata principles. Harpsichord concertos were musical instruments played by means of a keyboard. Most of his works were published and sold in various markets where other musicians used them as guides for their music endeavors (Agrell, 2011). Johan was a fluent Baroque composer in the gallant style of North German during his time; he was also a widely accepted musician and conductor. Johan’s contribution to musical landscape is evidenced by the composition of twenty-two symphonies that gained popularity in the music industry and among trainers and trainees. Johannes Nucius Johannes Nucius was a Germany composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque period. Nucius was a talented composer who penned an influential treatise in applying rhetoric in compositional devices; his works of art shows an influence of Lassus. Among his publications, include two collections of motets, which contained a total of one hundred and two pieces, and several masses (Lambert, 2004). The works of Nucius that were published in Leibnitz and Prague were homophonic with an abundance of expressive devices; he later described the application as Musices poeticae in his major treatise. Nucius’ fame that lasted until the 18th century arose from the Musices poeticae. This treatise was the most influential among the three of the famous German Baroque treatises such as the Syntagma musicum (1618), Critica musica (1722-1723) and Musicalisches Lexicon (1732)

Performer Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Performer Assessment - Essay Example Interviewing is a day to day interaction, which is a skill that needs to be, developed (Keats, 2000) it is one of the most popular forms of communication and research in the psychological area, It’s main aim is to find out more about the client than what would usually be possibly as you are in direct charge of what questions are asked but at the same time it is down to the performer in this case how much they say. A weakness of interviews is the matter of time constraint on the performer because the performer who I’m interviewing might not have the time to go through certain areas as you never know how long an interview will go on for it all depends on how much information the performer is willing to give. Observations in a psychological way are of experimenting and trying to find a phenomenon (Sharma, 2006) through watching a performer or performers in this case and assessing them that way, an advantage of this method is you get a firsthand experience of what is wrong in that performance and what there psychological weaknesses are. The disadvantage of doing observations maybe that it is a one off and a performer’s performance will vary when in a different situation. Questionnaires and asking questions is one of the most natural way of gathering information and are certainly the most often employed data collection method (DÃ ¶rnyei,2009 (P.g 1). An advantage of doing questionnaires is the ease of the construction,it can take up to a few hours to draw up in some circumstances (Taguchi, 2009) and you can give out lots of them to different people. The main disadvantage of questionnaires is you can’t control how much information they decide to give and the answers they give might not be too detailed. Practical techniques for example performance profiling have become more popular recently when talking about sport psychology, performance profiling is a tool

Is it morally obligated to help the poor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is it morally obligated to help the poor - Essay Example This also means that moral principles would not be a measurement of one’s life value. The moral principles of an individual would only reflect in the quality of life one leads. It would also reflect on the quality of life that one transmits onto the immediate and external community. A probable foundation of this concept regards Thomas Jefferson’s idea of men’s equal creation. On one hand, he could have been expressing the view that no individual is of moral inferiority to the other (Waller 187). On the other end, he could have been arguing about equal sharing of certain inalienable rights by all individuals. In this view, human beings would share an inalienable right to proper diet. In case a part of the population has inadequate sharing of the rights, it becomes an obligation for the rest of the population to uplift the disadvantaged. In addition, the direction of help is a fundamental view. It is crucial for the financially able communities to invent stable ways of arousing long term solutions. In most instances, poverty may arise out of inadequate empowerment to sense the opportunities of alleviating the situation. This relates to poor knowledge and irrelevant skills of economic enhancement. The relevance of such empowerment relates to the aspect of establishing self help means. This suggests that the first step to alleviating poverty is providing necessary education for community skills. Most poor communities exist in deplorable states because of external events (Andre and Velasquez 2009). This suggests that external factors contravene their own development. For instance, a business venture would face the constraints of a manipulative environment and corruption. A poor person who would be striving to attain a job would face a constraint out of nepotism and favor to corporate positions (Cullity 290). This occurs in spite of one’s efforts to continually seek for employment. The effective

The First Day of School Essay Example for Free

The First Day of School Essay First walking into my new school of Terrace Park Elementary during the middle of 6th grade, I must have been the most awkward person on the planet. Moving schools because of my acceptance into a more challenging school curriculum, I had been told this group of students would help me learn much faster than the ones at my old schools. The material would have been learned at a much faster paced and higher level of difficulty. It was as if my old elementary school had kicked me out, placing me with kids who these similar â€Å"problems† as me. It had never occurred to me that the new environment I was in was so different than what I was used to. Going to this new school required a fifteen minute drive commute to and from home daily. This inconvenience made it hard for me stay connect with my classmates in the afterschool extracurricular activities. Changing schools meant meeting a new group of people I did not know. Joining the school mid-year I was the stranger that came in knowing nothing about how the school worked. Most people had already formed their little friend groups and created their own schedules. see more:my first day at school essay for kids On the other hand, the large amount of people at this school meant that some students still had time expand their friend group. It was a whole new experience and it was a case I had never handled in my life before. The two school environments were just too different. My new school was two stories high and had twice the amount of students. It was harder to get around the school and find my new classes. It had recently been renovated, so the whole appearance of the school was much more modern. Upon arriving, I noticed many remarkable building features. A five foot circular stained glass window started at me with its amiable eyes. The wolf drawn seemed to represent the school mascot. Compared to my old school, this school had much more classrooms and facilities. The six groupings of classrooms, the football and track field outside, the gym and cafeteria were all spread out. The colorful colors that were painted on school did nothing but spur my curiosity. Right outside the cafeteria was the playground of all children’s dreams. It was spacious and had two different playgrounds. There seemed to be a caterpillar toy that the underclassmen were fighting over. The real attraction, however,  was the large football field beyond the playground. I watched the daily lifestyle of this school I as wandered about. Some students hung out by the cafeteria eating their breakfast, some were conversing in the halls and some had already sat down in their classrooms. Twenty minutes before school had even started the amount of activity was surprising, when compared to my previous school. Yet people seemed to not notice me, whenever I passed by, none seemed to fully acknowledge my presence. Back home, I had friends how rushed to greet me as I walked through the doors of the classroom. The staff all were familiar with me and wore willing to help me out in any situation. As the first bell rung, I knew it was time to start my â€Å"first day† of school. Walking into Mr. Hagen’s room, I noticed a row of computers in the back right corner of the room. Their placement against the wall made it seem like they had never been used for a long time. I walked in, only to be greeted by a young aged man who I assumed to be the teacher for this 6th grade class. As I was introduced to the class, my experience as a stranger had officially began. I stood at the front of the room and slowly walked toward the seat I had been assigned. After a little bit of adjusting, the final bell rung and class had started. The first day was the day that would decide everything – from what type of friends I made to the spot I would sit during lunch. Knowing this, I tried my best to make myself look as normal as possible, attempting to discard my own shy character. Scanning the room, I knew absolutely no one. Making friends was also never one of my assets. Each person looked the same. I sat down next to a boy who had unkempt hair and had a Hawaiian shirt loosely thrown over a white t-shirt. Everyone knew my name, because it was different than the typical American name. The name â€Å"Jonah† was sure to stick in their minds, at least for next week or two. The faster paces of the classes were too much for me to handle for I never been used to such a speed in my previous school. I sat there, lost, wondering what to do. The faces of all the other students around me were intent and focus on their given task. I was left out of the atmosphere of the classroom. When lunch finally came, I was finally relieved of the pressure of the classroom. As a stranger, I remembered that didn’t know anyone well enough to sit with. For all I knew, I didn’t even know how to buy lunch. I frantically asked myself, â€Å"Is it the same way as my old school? Will I have the same PIN number? Where will I sit?† Luckily, on the way out  of the room, I was invited to eat with the boy with unkempt hair. I later learned that his name was Randy and that he was one year younger than me. As I sat down at the lunch table, many other kids sat down with me. All of them stared at me because they had never seen me there before. I was unable to come up with courage to talk to them, therefore awkwardly sitting at the table eating my lunch. I knew that they did not mean to be unkind, but just wanted to understand more about who I was. To my delight, I ran out onto the field and felt freer to finally act as myself again. The size of the field was much larger than I had expected from first look. The only color I could notice around me was the shade of green. Looking around, I had no one to kick my soccer ball with. Throughout the day, I received countless glares from many people I didn’t know. Many others from different classes had asked me many times for my name, asking me how I was and where I had come from. They had asked me so many types of questions that sparked one after another, triggering a large chain of questions that I did not know the answer to. Many of the others just called â€Å"hey new kid!† I will admit that my feeling of fear was more than I could handle. There was so much nervousness that I would start sweating and my nerves would spark all over my body. Walking in for the first time through those doors of Terrace Park Elementary made me feel so small in this large school. I was not used to such a large community, I like it when my classrooms were all close together, the student were allowed more changes to interact and the staff would be able to more easily connect with us. The few smiles I had received when entering felt forced- the ends of their lips raised for a quarter of a second. I had thought that I was different than all the rest of the kids – Was it my looks? My clothes? My awkward trot? Some might have thought that I was just another one of those Asian nerds. I felt that I would have trouble fitting in. that I should have probably stayed at my old school. Why would I just make my life harder for myself when I could just be chill with my old group? I knew that the ambivalent glances I received were not meant to be malicious. I know that even I would have done the same to a new student. My initial fears had changed th e way how every face in the school had looked. Even a perfectly joyful person could seem to have cruel intents. Trying to along with the other students was just a nightmare. I have always heard that the best thing to do on a first day of school was to make a good impression. However, I was never the type who was easy to get along with or outgoing. I tried leaving all those traits behind me as I spoke up, but it was no use. My true nature showed one way or another. My shyness only helped distance me from the other students around me, as if no one had wanted to become my friend. All the small things happening around me were, I was tuned into the world or small details. As I felt time go in in slow motion, I watched as the 1st graders dragged the lunch basket to their grade table, gave each other a high five for a job well done and then walked to the lunch line. I saw the fly buzzing around the air above me, before stopping on the table next to me. I had nothing else to pay attention but these fine details, no one would spare a second on the new kid at the table. I almost wanted to cry to show how I felt, but I realized that would probably ruin what first impressions I had left. Looking back, I realize that this experience was not that bad. It was own expectations of a new school that had caused me to sense so many different feelings. The feeling of a stranger was only because I was a new face in town. It was natural that the other students were curious of who I really was. It is even possible that, just as how I was too scared to talk to my new classmates, they had also been hesitant to approach me. Being a stranger was only temporary; I would eventually have assimilated into the daily lifestyle of Terrace Park. While that first day was particularly bad, I quickly was able to adapt to the situation in the coming weeks. I had become acquainted with the few students at my table in just a week, the rest of class in a month. This group of students who had all seemed so large at first was not as scary as they had originally seemed. They were actually very friendly; each of them had qualities that made them attractive. I had become very good friends with some of them, influencing my friends I my future schooling years. One could say that this school year affected my future directly. I would never have chosen the friends if it had not been for my experience at Terrace Park. The people that I had grown to enjoy were those who were smart and were willing to help me with any problems I had. I learned that other people are generally kind in nature, but just have trouble expressing their feelings. I have realized that I would never have attended Edmonds-Woodway High School without the experiences I had. I wanted to follow where my friends had gone to school, so I had chosen Edmonds-Woodway instead of my home school of Lynnwood.  Today, I have absolutely no regrets for changing schools mid-year during the 6th grade. I know I am a stranger, but I also know that being a stranger does not last for an eternity – t here will be a point where you will be a part of the village. We all know that every student had at least a couple first days of school. The moment where we walk into a classroom is always the worst part. We have no idea what could happen next. We see and meet people that we have never been familiar with. The sea of new faces would only help overwhelm the normal person. Shaky legs, sweat rolling down foreheads and that feeling of being a stranger will always be the initial feeling of the average person. Especially when we walk into the classroom midyear, these feeling are only amplified. Having no idea how to fit, we tend together take two actions. In my case, I tend to try to change my personality to make a good first impression, only to realize that I am unable to keep it up for days or weeks. Rather than to mess around with our true personalities to make that first impression, acting as yourself will allow others to truly know us better. People are much friendlier than we originally think; they are that frightening once we get to know them. Even more so, a bad impression does not mean that the rest of their life is ruined. Their identity can be redeemed through their actions. The important thing is not to worry and things will usually work themselves out. It is human nature to adapt to situations as the conditions change. Whenever a new student joins a classroom, the environment will change slightly. As time goes on, you will become a part of the environment that the rest of the students are used to. Working and communicating with others are a main part of changing from being a stranger to becoming a acquaintance and possibly to becoming a friend. This situation can apply to almost everyone. All new students will feel like a stranger a t one point or another. The time has come to realize that the overstated fears of the first day have only created discomfort in those who are new. No matter what, we cannot avoid the way that people look on u as strangers. But really, we are not entirely strangers. The only difference between you and them is the time spent attending that school.

Motivation Of Employees In Fierce Competition Business Essay

Motivation Of Employees In Fierce Competition Business Essay Due to the furious competition in different markets, ways to motivate employees can be seen as a key factor to companies, which has a significant value that should not be ignored by employers. Meanwhile, due to the highly competition between businesses, an improvement in employees creativeness and productivity will be more likely for companies to achieve the final goal. Therefore, companies should identify a motivation method that can be the best way for them to motivate staff, in order to reduce absenteeism and dissatisfaction problems. There are, however, a variety of methods to motivate workers, which can be classified into two typesfinancial, and non-financial motivation theories. Financial motivation methods, recommended in Taylors theories, value money and work conditions as the best way to encourage employees. The other type is non-financial methods, which was recommended in Mayos theories, stresses satisfying employees higher-level motivational needs. Maslows theory different iates needs into different levels, including basic and higher-level needs, and Herzberg developed a two-factor theory, which combines the two types of methods suggesting a combination would be necessary. Based on a series of analyses and comparisons, it is suggested that a mixture of both financial and non-financial motivational methods would be the most effective in increasing employees motivation and productivity. According to financial motivation theories, staff could be mainly motivated by financial rewards, such as salary, bonus and fringe benefits which are highly recommended in the lower level needs of Maslows theories and Taylors Scientific Management theory. There are, however, some defects in their theories that have been found in practice. (Hall et al, 2008) Figure 1: Maslow Hierarchy of needs (Docsiva, 2009) According to Maslows theory, a desirable payment, a comfortable work conditions or a good protection system for employees rights will lead to an increase of employees work motivation. As shown in Figure 1, physiological needs and safety needs are at the bottom of the pyramid, which means, salaries, food, security and physical protection are rudimentary needs for employees. According to Hall, et al (2008), fringe benefits is one of the financial methods which is defined as an extra payment besides wages or salaries, such as health care or pension would works as a useful financial motivation for employees to increase their work productivity. Air Product, the supplier of industrial gas, provides its staff with free yoga classes, skill training courses, and free annual medical checks to improve employees satisfaction (Hall et al, 2008) Cecilia, an employee in Air Product, said that her expertise and belongingness have been improved by these training courses in the company. (Air Products, 2009) All in all, motivated workers tend to make a greater effort at work to earn the financial rewards, which will in turn have a positive result in the companys profit growth. Another supporter of financial motivation is the father of Scientific Management Taylor, who argued that money can motivate staff most effectively. In Taylors theory, piece rate is another financial reward which argued that employers should make payments to workers based on the amount of work done by each employee in order to boost productivity. Taylors statement, however, seems to describe employees as machines without feelings or needs. (Hall et al, 2008) As Tutor2u (2009) stated, Taylors theory completely ignores other needs of workers, which may leads to problems of dissatisfaction or discouragement some employees. From a more comprehensive perspective, financial motivation can obviously encourage staff by giving them good payment or fringe benefits, but financial rewards cannot meet their psychological needs. Differing from financial motivation, non-financial methods, such as empowerment and team working can satisfy employees psychological needs which were recommended in Maslows upper level needs and Elton Mayo human relations theory. (Hall. et al, 2008) Non-financial motivation can be more valuable to employees in meeting their upper-level needs, which includes love and belong, esteem needs and self-actualization in Maslows pyramid. Based on Hall et al (2008), employee sense of community is at the fourth level (esteem needs) of Maslows pyramid which allows employees to be trusted and valued in the companies where they works in, therefore encouraged employees will be more productivity. Empowerment is one of the non-financial methods, which has a significantly effect on motivating the workforce by allowing them to take part in the decision making of a company. These ideas also are recommended by Mayos human relations theory. (Hall et al, 2008) Furthermore, teamwork is another way for companies to motivate their staff, which satisfies the third level needs in Maslows theories (love belong). In this situation, employees will be distributed into different groups and work together, so that employees can learn more professional skills from their partners and share responsibility in their teams. To demonstrate the effectiveness of teamwork, Hall et al (2008) also stated that cooperation between employees in team working can lead to an efficient working process and a higher chance to succeed at work. According to Free online research papers (2009), Starbucks usually provides an interactive and cooperative atmosphere for their employees, which can help them share responsibility in works and prevent them from getting bored. To look at another example, teamwork has been put into Volvos Uddevalla. Workers in each individual team are skilled enough to produce cars in time, hence, stocks has been avoided in this situation and the productivity has been increased (Ake, 2007) Therefore, employees in teamwork and empowerment systems will make a greater effort to achieve their companies goals because they all feel responsible and encouraged from their work. Employees cannot work without giving them pay; however, they are more likely feel dissatisfied if the companies overlook their psychological needs. As a result, a mixture of non-financial motivation methods and financial motivation methods can lead to higher productivity. Herzberg, another motivation professor, developed two-factor theory which considers both financial and non-financial motivation factors for the employees (Hall et al., 2008). Firstly, Herzberg analyzed numerous cases in which companies motivated the staff by recognizing their effort and giving the workers confidence which can be seen as non-financial motivation. Secondly, Herzberg stated that companies can boost employees productivity by improving hygiene and maintenance conditions, such as good canteens or free medical checks, which are considered to financial motivation (Hall et al., 2008) Employees may be satisfied by a good work environment, for instance, the largest business software producer, SAP, primarily mo tivated its staff with a good money payment, however, in order to encourages staff, SAP now also provides a free lunch, health care and a team work environment to each employee which adequately enhance employees satisfaction. (BBC News, 2003) Take Savoir Beds is another example which is a small company produces high quality beds. According to BBC News (2003), employees in Take Savoir Bed were motivated by pride in their work rather than bonuses. Therefore, besides money payment and good physiological conditions, communication such as teamwork or feeling can also motivate employees to work more efficiently. To sum up, financial methods motivate employees by salaries, fringe benefits and good conditions, however, non-financial methods such as empowerment, team working and esteem will provide an intrinsic motivation to the staff to work. It is suggested that companies should satisfy both physiological needs and psychological needs to motivate their employees to work more efficiently. As mentioned above, different types of companies should consider different motivation methods. Manufactories can use financial motivation methods due to most of their employees are low-income. Employees with higher income should be motivated with non-financial motivational methods to increase their productivity and work efficiency. Sometimes an attractive payment cannot really motivate the workers in the long run, therefore, it is also necessary for companies to satisfy their employees psychological needs to increase productivity and maximize their profits.

Politeness

Politeness 1.0 Background of the study Over the last three decades, politeness has become one of the central discussions in pragmatic and sociolinguistic research. A large number of theoretical, empirical books and articles about linguistic politeness have been published, shows that politeness has become one of the most active areas of research in language use. Interest in politeness, both as a social and linguistic phenomenon, has increased significantly in the past two decades. However, many studies have drawn on spoken data. Only a few scholars have studied politeness in written texts such as scientific written materials. Myers (1989) initiated in his study the model proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987) onto written data, namely that of scientific journal articles, and had found this theory to applicable to investigate and categorise politeness strategies in scientific writing. The researcher hopes that this study is able to contribute to the existing pool of knowledge on politeness strategies used in academic writing, particularly that in the writing of economic journal articles of two identified economic journals. 1.1 Statement of the Problem The main purpose of this study is to indentify the politeness strategies employed by the economists and analyze the politeness kinds of strategies in economic journals. 1.2 Objective of the Study The objective of this study is: 1. To investigate how economists use language to present findings in polite way 2. To investigates the use of politeness strategies in economics text 3. To compare the use of politeness strategies in a local and international economic journals 1.3 Research Questions 1) What kinds of politeness strategies are employed by writers in local and international economic journal articles? 2) In what ways are local and international journals similar or different in the use of politeness strategies? 1.4 Scope and Limitation of The Study This present study is limited to two identified journals, namely, Malaysia Journal of Economic Studies and the Journal of Economic Growth 2. Review of Related Literature It is possible to define generic types of politeness strategies to explain and predict the adoption of politeness in oral or written discourse. Brown and Levinson (1978), Myers (1989) 2.1. Politeness and Scientific Articles an Overview Brown and Levinsons (1987) theory of politeness has become the â€Å"model against which most research on politeness defines itself†. Brown and Levinson categorize politeness as either positive politeness or negative politeness and tie both strategies to the importance of face in every culture. They define ‘face as â€Å"the public self-image that every member wants to claim for himself† roughly the want to be unimpeded and the want to be approved in certain respects. Politeness strategies are developed for the main purpose of dealing with FTA. Myers (1989) discovered that politeness strategies are employed explicitly in scientific articles, used to create and maintain a friendly atmosphere for relations, to close distance between authors and audiences and to mitigate the impact of impositions. Most of the scholars that had studied politeness in different perspectives shares the same opinion that linguistic politeness is generally associated with social behaviour as a strategic conflict avoidance, and the politeness strategies is an arrangement of behave strategies along a continuum from least polite to most polite, also allows them to engage in conflict- free communication, 2.2 Academic Journal as a Genre An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research. Content typically takes the form of articles presenting original research, review articles, and book reviews. The function of a journal is to distribute knowledge. The Language of Economists in Journal Donald McCloskey, (1986:5) asserts that economists have two attitudes to their discourse, termed the official and unofficial, the explicit and implicit. He argues that economists in practice dont follow the rules as laid down by this official methodology, but in reality argue using the unofficial, implicit rhetoric of economics. 3.1. Methodology Since the present study tries to focus on the analyzing the use of politeness strategies in written texts, the categories used by Myers (1989) adapted from Brown and Levinson (1987) proposed in their book â€Å"Politeness; Some Universal in language Usage as underlying theoretical structure. According to them, it is possible to define generic types of politeness strategies to explain and predict the adoption of politeness in oral or written discourse. 3.2 Corpus Corpus will consist of selected articles from local economic journals, namely, Malaysia Journal of Economic Studies published by University Malaya/Malaysian Economic Association and the Journal of Economic Growth by American Economic Association. These journals were chosen on recommendation by two University Malaya lecturers, Associate Profesor Dr. Rohana Abd. Jani and Dr. Rodia Talib, who are presently the two head of departments from the Faculty of Economics. They have assisted in identifying journals which are considered to be reputable and used frequently as references in the economic field. 3.3 Sample Size The total number of articles will be 10 articles, that is, five (5) from each of the selected economics journals. A minimum of 50,000 words is expected from the total number of articles. Systematic sampling technique will be employed in which the first article of every first issue of every year from 2004 to 2008 will be selected as corpus from all the identified local and international economic journals. 3.4 Data Analysis Discourse analysis will be the main qualitative tool in this study. The study will focus on analyzing the politeness strategies of the selected articles as described earlier. The patterns of politeness strategies identified by Myers (1989) based on Brown and Levinson (1987) politeness framework will be the underlying theoretical structure. The corpus will be analysed and categorised as positive politeness, negative politeness, bald on record, off record strategies. The tactics employed will be identified such as the use of passives, nominalizations, hedges, acknowledgements, etc. All the politeness features will be coded and classification. The frequency of these strategies will be included in the presentation of the findings. The strategies found in both local and international journals will be compared to identify which politeness strategies are more predominant and used more frequently. 4.0 Gantt Chart Schedule Aug 08 Sept 08 Oct 08 Nov 08 Dec 08 Jan 09 Feb 09 Mac 09 Apr 09 Literature Review X X X Data Collection X Data Analysis X X X Writing the report X X X X Finalizing X X Submission X References Brown, H.D. 2000. Principles of language learning and teaching (4th ed.), Longman, NY Brown, P., Levinson, S.C. 1978. Politeness. Some universals in language usage (2nd ed. 1987). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dudley-Evans and Henderson. 1990. The language of Economics: The Aanalysis of Economic Discourse. University of Birmingham. Macmillan publishers and the British Council. Gino Eelen. 2001. A Critique of Politeness Theories, St. Jerome Publishing, Manchester Goffman Erving. 1967. Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face to Face Behavior, Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago, IL Myers, Greg. 1989. The Pragmatics of Politeness in Scientific Articles. Jurnal of Applied Linguistics, vol.10. no. 1. Oxford University Press. Mc.Closkey, Donald.1986. The Rhetoric of Economics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Ron Scollon and Suzanne W. Scollon. 2001. Intercultural Communication (second ed.), Blackwell, Malden, MA Rubinstein, Ariel. 2000. Economic and Languages. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Watts, R.J. 2003. Politeness, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

The Importance of the Ozone :: essays research papers fc

The Importance of the Ozone â€Å"Like an infection that grows more and more virulent, the continent-size hole in Earth’s ozone layer keeps getting bigger and bigger†(Beyond Discovery). The ozone is a protective layer that occurs naturally in the stratosphere, 6 to 28 miles in altitude. Each year, since the late 1970’s, much of the ozone layer above Antarctica has disappeared, creating what is popularly known as the â€Å"ozone hole.† This hole now measures about 9 million square miles, nearly the size of North America. Less dramatic, but still significant, depletion of ozone levels has been recorded around the globe. With less ozone in the atmosphere, more ultraviolet radiation strikes Earth, causing more skin cancer, eye damage, and possible harm to crops.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main causes of ozone depletion are chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), such as coolants, aerosols, and fire extinguishers. When CFC’s are released, they rise into the ozone layer. The UV (ultraviolet) radiation then releases chlorine from the CFC’s. Chlorine is a chemical that disintegrates the ozone. Other everyday items that contribute Cottrell 2 to the devastation of the ozone include household refrigerants and exhaust fumes emitted from automobiles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Without the ozone layer the health of every single living being on planet Earth would be jeopardized. Ozone depletion leads to an increased exposure to ultraviolet light, which can cause many health problems. Exposure to ultraviolet light greatly increases the risks of skin cancer and cataract development. Skin cancers are very treatable in their early stages but very deadly in the advanced stages. Cataracts are growths in the eyes that cloud vision and can lead to blindness. Increased UV exposure also causes decreased growth of phytoplankton. This is the light-sensitive organism that not only forms the base of the ocean’s food web, but also is responsible for removing much of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Last, a thinning ozone layer would produce lower crop yields. Some crops, such as rice, are sensitive to ultraviolet light. Increased UV exposure could make these crops less productive or even kill them. Much of the world relies on rice as a pri mary source of food.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The people who need it most are destroying the ozone layer. This problem can be traced back to the overwhelming increase in the world’s population. With more people on the planet, there will be use of more automobiles, CFC’s, and refrigerants. In turn, an increase in these products will yield an increase in air pollution.

The Evolution of Human Skin Color Essay -- Human Evolution, 2015

According to Darwin and his theory on evolution, organisms are presented with nature’s challenge of environmental change. Those that possess the characteristics of adapting to such challenges are successful in leaving their genes behind and ensuring that their lineage will continue. It is natural selection, where nature can perform tiny to mass sporadic experiments on its organisms, and the results can be interesting from extinction to significant changes within a species. Human beings are no exception to biological evolution. Like other organisms around the world, humans have significantly changed overtime and have developed all sorts of diverse characteristics. One noticeable characteristic of human beings is the variation of skin color. Skin color has been used to identify, classify, and verify the variation that exists in the human population around the world. How did such a distinct variation arise and how did it play into adaptation? I’ve often heard that â€Å"humans came from monkeys,† or something similar. It is true that humans’ ancestors were primates, who first resided in warm and sunny Africa; they had similar features to today’s apes, such as a hairy body. The purpose of the vast amount of hair was to protect the body from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and to prevent overheating, mainly by acting as a barrier for the skin underneath the hair (Jablonski, 598). Some parts of the body such as palms were not covered with hair, but with sweat glands. Sweat glands allowed the body to cool off via evaporation at the surface of the skin; sweat glands were more efficient at thermoregulation. Overtime, early humans with a high amount of sweat glands were selected for since they had the best method at the time to keep themselves cool in warm environments (Kirchweger). This meant that overtime, humans lost most of their hair on their bodies, leaving their skin exposed. Sweat gland s were going to help the body to cool down, but they couldn’t protect the skin from harmful UV rays. This is where melanin worked its magic, and it’s the reason for the diversity in skin color today. Melanin helps reduce the absorption of wavelengths into the skin (Chaplin, Jablonski, 59). The more melanin in the skin, the greater the protection against harmful UV rays, and the amount of melanin in the skin correlates with the skin’s color (more melanin means darker skin).... ...m all over the world, with all hues of skin colors. With interracial dating and marriages and more â€Å"mixing† of skin colors, there are multiracial children with various skin colors. Genetically, it enhances variation within the individual, but what about variation within the species? I heard a joke once that eventually in the future, everyone will be beige. Will everyone mix together to an extent that there will be little to no variation anymore, at least skin deep? It’s an interesting concept to think of. At the moment, I believe that there is enough diversity within the human species that we don’t need to worry about the lack of variation in the near future. For now, we can appreciate the diversity of skin colors that has allowed our ancestors to adapt to their environments and survive. It has allowed them to create a lineage of who we are today. Works Cited: 1) Chaplin, G. Jablonski, N. â€Å"The Evolution of Human Skin Coloration.† Journal of Human Evolution 39 (2000) 57-106 2) Jablonski N. â€Å"The Evolution of Human Skin and Skin Color† Annual Reviews Anthropology 33 (2004) 585-623 3) Kirchweger G. â€Å"The Biology of†¦ Skin Color† Discover 22 (2001)

ICT in Logistics Management Essay

Surviving in the competitive nature of the modern-day business environment calls for organizations to be creative and robust enough in securing competitive advantages. For this to be achieved, all aspects within an organization ought to upgraded to counter these challenges while at the same time reducing running costs and delivery time. Logistics management is not an exception to this. Fortunately, technological advancement offers wide range opportunities for firms to improve the functioning of logistical operations. This is because it has become vital for any firm in logistics management to review the working of its logistical processes as key strategy to create a competitive edge. Developments in the business world as well as the rapidly evolving customer preferences has made provision of services and goods a challenging task, since customers prefer to receive better quality products at an even shorter time. While it is still a recent development, Information Communication Technology (ICT) has a lot to offer the logistics industry. The most compelling truth is that ICT is not industry specific but rather is applicable to all types and all sizes of industries. Statistical data shows that a number of firms have already adopted the technology and are already reaping the benefits (Bourlakis & Bourlakis, 2006). Application of the internet, computers and information communication systems into various aspects of logistics management such as procurement, warehousing, transportation and inventory management has been shown to be highly beneficial. As business operations change with the changing consumer markets, businesses are pursuing opportunities by integrating, coordinating, collaborating and cooperating with respect to the supply chain management. It is essential that businesses work together to benefit from collective advantages resulting from working as a chain rather than a single entity. This calls for effective information sharing and this is only capable with the application of ICT. However, the most challenging task for firms then is to identify the best ICT model that fits their logistical processes.

Cost Accounting Essay

Problem 1: Different management levels in Bates, Inc., require varying degrees of managerial accounting information. Because of the need to comply with the managers’ requests, four different variances for manufacturing overhead are computed each month. The information for the September overhead expenditures is as follows: Budgeted output units3,200units Budgeted fixed manufacturing overhead$20,000 Budgeted variable manufacturing overhead$5per direct labor hour Budgeted direct manufacturing labor hours2hours per unit Fixed manufacturing costs incurred$26,000 Direct manufacturing labor hours used7,200 Variable manufacturing costs incurred$35,600 Actual units manufactured3,400 Required: a.Compute a 4-variance analysis for the plant controller. b.Compute a 3-variance analysis for the plant manager. c.Compute a 2-variance analysis for the corporate controller. Problem 2: McKenna Company manufactured 1,000 units during April with a total overhead budget of $12,400. However, while manufacturing the 1,000 units the microcomputer that contained the month’s cost information broke down. With the computer out of commission, the accountant has been unable to complete the variance analysis report. The information missing from the report is lettered in the following set of data: Variable overhead: Standard cost per unit: 0.4 labor hour at $4 per hour Actual costs: $2,100 for 376 hours Flexible budget: a Total flexible-budget variance: b Variable overhead spending variance: c Variable overhead efficiency variance: d Fixed overhead: Budgeted costs: e Actual costs: f Flexible-budget variance: $500 favorable Required: Compute the missing elements in the report represented by the lettered items.

Night World : Dark Angel Chapter 8

Gillian stood perfectly still and watched David disappear around a corner. (It's not time for the plan yet, kid. Now buck up. A cheery face is worth diamonds.) Gillian tried to put on a cheery face. The strange day continued. In each class, Gillian appealed to the teacher for a new book. In each class, she was bombarded with offers of notes and other help. And through it all Angel whispered in her ear, always suggesting just the right thing to say to each person. He was witty, irreverent, occasionally cutting-and so was Gillian. She had an advantage, she realized. Since nobody had ever noticed her before, it was almost like being a new girl. She could be anything she wanted to be, present herself as anyone, and be believed. (Like Cinderella at the ball. The mystery princess.) Angel's voice was amused but tender. In journalism class, Gillian found herself beside Daryl Novak, a languid girl with sloe eyes and drooping contemptuous lashes. Daryl the Rich Girl, Daryl the World-weary World Traveler. She talked to Gillian as if Gillian knew all about Paris and Rome and California. At lunch, Gillian hesitated as she walked into the cafeteria. Usually she sat with Amy in an obscure corner at the back. But recently Eugene had been sitting with Amy, and up front she could see a group that included Amanda the Cheerleader, Kim the Gymnast, and others from The Clique. David and Tanya were at the edge. (Do I sit with them? Nobody asked me.) (Not with them, my little rutabaga. But near them. Sit at the end of that table just beside them. Don't look at them as you walk by. Look at your lunch. Start eating it.) Gillian had never eaten her lunch alone before-or at least not in a public place. On days Amy was absent, if she couldn't find one of the few other juniors she felt comfortable with, she snuck into the library and ate there. In the old days she would have felt horribly exposed, but now she wasn't really alone; she had Angel cracking jokes in her ear. And she had a new confidence. She could almost see herself eating, calm and indifferent to stares, thoughtful to the point of being dreamy. She tried to make her movements a little languid, like Daryl the Rich Girl's. (And I hope Amy doesn't think I'm snubbing her. I mean, it's not as if she's back there alone. She's got Eugene.) (Yeah. We're gonna have to talk about Amy sometime, kid. But right now you're being paged. Smile and be gracious.) â€Å"Jill! Earth to Jill!† â€Å"Hey, Jill, c'mon over.† They wanted her. She was moving her lunch over to their table, and she wasn't spilling anything and she wasn't falling as she slid in. She was little and graceful, thistledown light in her movements, and they were surging around her to form a warm and friendly bulwark. And she wasn't afraid of them. That was the most wonderful thing of all. These kids who'd seemed to her like stars in some TV show about teenagers, were real people who got crumbs on themselves and made jokes she could understand. Gillian had always wondered what they found so funny when they were laughing together. But now she knew it was just the heady atmosphere, the knowledge that they were special. It made it easy to laugh at everything. She knew David, sitting quietly there with Tanya, could see her laughing. She could hear other voices occasionally, from people on the fringes of her group, people on the outside looking in. Mostly bright chatter and murmurs of admiration. She thought she heard her name mentioned. †¦ And then she focused on the words. â€Å"I heard her mom's a drunk.† They sounded horribly loud and dear to Gillian, standing out against the background noise. She could feel her whole skin tingling with shock and she lost track of the story Kim the Gymnast was telling. (Angel-who said that? Was it about me-my mom?) She didn't dare look behind her. â€Å"-started drinking a few years ago and having these hallucinations-â€Å" This time the voice was so loud that it cut through the banter of Gillian's group. Kim stopped in mid-sentence. Bruce the Athlete's smile faltered. An awkward silence fell. Gillian felt a wave of anger that made her dizzy. (Who said that? I'll kill them-) (Calm down! Calm down. That's not the way to handle it at all.) (But-) (I said, calm down. Look at your lunch. No, at your lunch. Now say-and make your voice absolutely cool-â€Å"I really hate rumors, don't you? I don't know what kind of people start them.†) Gillian breathed twice and obeyed, although her voice wasn't absolutely cool. It had a little tremor. â€Å"I don't know either,† a new voice said. Gillian glanced up to see that David was on his feet, his face hard as he surveyed the table behind her as if looking for the person who'd spoken. â€Å"But I think they're pretty sick and they should get a life.† There was the cold glint in his eyes that had given him his reputation as a tough guy. Gillian felt as if a hand had steadied her. Gratitude rushed through her-and a longing that made her bite down on her lip. â€Å"I hate rumors, too,† J.Z. Oberlin said in her absent voice. J. Z. the Model was the one who looked like a Calvin Klein ad, breathlessly sexy and rather blank, but right now she seemed oddly focused. â€Å"Somebody was putting around the rumor last year that I tried to kill myself. I never did find out who started it.† Her hazy blue-green eyes were narrowed. And then everyone was talking about rumors, and people who spread rumors, and what scum they were. The group was rallying around Gillian. But it was David who stood up for me first, she thought. She had just looked over at him, trying to catch his eye, when she heard the tinkling noise. It was almost musical, but the kind of sound that draws attention immediately in a cafeteria. Somebody had broken a glass. Gillian, along with everyone else, glanced around to see who'd done it. She couldn't see anybody. No one had the right expression of dismay, no one was focused on anything definite. Everybody was looking around in search mode. Then she heard it again, and two people standing near the cafeteria doors looked down and then up. Above the doors, far above, was a semi-circular window in the red brick. As Gillian stared at the window she realized that light was reflecting off it oddly, almost prismatically. There seemed to be crazy rainbows in the glass†¦ And something was sparkling down, falling like a few specks of snow. It hit the ground and tinkled, and the people by the door stared at it on the cafeteria floor. They looked puzzled. Realization flashed on Gillian. She was on her feet, but the only words that she could find were, â€Å"Oh, my God!† â€Å"Get out! It's all going to go! Get out of there!† It was David, waving at the people under the window. He was running toward them, which was stupid, Gillian thought numbly, her heart seeming to stop. Other people were shouting. Cory and Amanda and Bruce-and Tanya. Kim the Gymnast was shrieking. And then the window was going, chunks of it falling almost poetically, raining and crumbling, shining and crashing. It fell and fell and fell. Gillian felt as if she were watching an avalanche in slow motion. At last it was over, and the window was just an arch-shaped hole with jagged teeth clinging to the edges. Glass had flown and bounced and skittered all over the cafeteria, where it lay like hailstones. And people from tables amazingly distant were examining cuts from ricocheting bits. But nobody had been directly underneath, and nobody seemed seriously hurt. (Thanks to David.) Gillian was still numb, but now with relief. (He got them all out of the way in time. Oh, God, he isn't hurt, is he?) (He's fine. And what makes you think he did it all alone? Maybe I had some part. I can do that, you know-put it into people's heads to do things. And they never even know I'm doing it.) Angel's voice sounded almost-well-piqued. (Huh? You did that? Well, that was really nice of you.) Gillian was watching David across the room, watching Tanya examine his arm, nod, shrug, look around. He's not hurt. Thank heaven. Gillian felt so relieved it was almost painful. It was then that it occurred to her to wonder what had happened. That window-before the glass fell it had looked just like the mirror in her bathroom. Evenly shattered from side to side, spidery cracks over every inch of the surface. The bathroom mirror had cracked while Tanya was being catty about Gillian's room. Now Gillian remembered the last thing she'd wanted to ask Angel last night. It had been about how the mirror came to do that. This window †¦ it had started falling a few minutes after someone insulted Gillian's mother. Nobody had heard it actually break, but it couldn't have happened too long ago. The small hairs on the back of Gillian's neck stirred and she felt a fluttering inside. It couldn't be. Angel hadn't even appeared to her yet†¦ But he'd said he was always with her†¦ An angel wouldn't destroy things†¦ But Angel was a different kind of angel. (Ah, excuse me. Hello? Do you want to share some thoughts with me?) (Angel!) For the first time since his soft voice had sounded in her ear, Gillian felt a sense ofover- crowdedness. Of her own lack of privacy. The uneasy fluttering inside her increased. (Angel, I was just-just wondering†¦) And then the silent words burst out. (Angel, you wouldn't-would you? You didn't do those things for my sake- â€Å"break the mirror and that window-?) A pause. And then, in her head, riotous laughter. Genuine laughter. Angel was whooping. Finally, the sounds died to mental hiccups. (Me?) Gillian was embarrassed. (I shouldn't have asked. It was just so weird†¦) (Yeah, wasn't it.) This time Angel sounded grimly amused. (Well, never mind; you're already late for class. The bell rang five minutes ago.) Gillian coasted through her last two classes in a daze. So much had happened today-she felt as if she'd led a full life between waking up and now. But the day wasn't over yet. In her last class, studio art, she once again found herself talking to Daryl the Rich Girl. Daryl was the only one of that crowd that took art or journalism. And in the last minutes before school ended, she regarded Gillian from under drooping eyelashes. â€Å"You know, there are other rumors going around about you. That you and Davey-boy have something going behind Tanya's back. That you meet secretly in the mornings and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Daryl shrugged, pushing back frosted hair with a hand dripping with rings. Gillian felt jolted awake. â€Å"So?† â€Å"So you really should do something about it. Rumors spread fast, and they grow. I know. You want to either deny them, or†-Daryl's lips .quirked in a smile-â€Å"disarm them.† (Oh, yeah? And just how do I do that?) (Shut up and listen to her, kid. This is one smart cookie.) â€Å"If there're parts that are true, it's usually best to admit those in public. That takes some of the punch out. And it's always helpful to track down the person starting the rumors-if you can.† (Tell her you know that. And that you're going to see Tanya after school.) (Tanya? You mean-?) (Just tell her.) Somehow Gillian gathered herself enough to repeat Angel's words. Daryl the Rich Girl looked at her with a new expression of respect. â€Å"You're sharper than I thought. Maybe you didn't need my help after all.† â€Å"No,† Gillian said without Angel's prompting. â€Å"I'm always glad for help. It's-it's a rough world.† â€Å"Isn't it, though?† Daryl said and raised already arched eyebrows. (So it was Tanya who spread that stuff about my mom.) Gillian almost stumbled as she trudged out of art class. She was tired and bewildered. Somehow, she'd have thought Tanya was above that. (She had help. It takes a really efficient system to get a rumor to peak circulation that fast. But she was the instigator. Turn left here.) (Where am I going?) (You're gonna catch her coming out of marketing education. She's alone in there right now. The teacher asked to see her after class, then unexpectedly had to run to the bathroom.) Gillian felt distantly amused. She sensed Angel's hand in these arrangements. And when she poked her head inside the marketing ed room, she saw that Tanya was indeed alone. The tall girl was standing by a cloudy green blackboard. â€Å"Tanya, we need to talk.† Tanya's shoulders stiffened. Then she ran a hand across her already perfect dark hair and turned. She looked more like a future executive than ever, with her face set in cool lines and her exotic gray eyes running over Gillian in appraisal. Without Angel, Gillian would have dried up and withered away under that scrutiny. Tanya said one word. â€Å"Talk.† What followed was more like a play than a conversation for Gillian. She repeated what Angel whispered to her, but she never had any idea what was coming. The only way to survive was to give herself up completely to his direction. â€Å"Look, I know you're upset with me, Tanya. But I'd like to deal with this with a little maturity, okay?† She followed Angel's instructions over to a desk and brushed absent fingers over its imitation-wood top. â€Å"I don't think there's any need for us to act like children.† â€Å"And I don't think I know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Oh, really?† Gillian turned and looked Tanya in the face. â€Å"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about.† (Angel, I feel just like one of those people in a soap opera-) â€Å"Well, you're wrong. And, as a matter of fact, I happen to be busy-â€Å" â€Å"I'm talking about the rumors, Tanya. I'm talking about the stories about my mom. And I'm talking about David.† Tanya stood perfectly still. For a moment she seemed surprised that Gillian was taking such a direct approach. Then her gray eyes hardened with the clear light of battle. â€Å"All right, let's talk about David,† she said in a pleasant voice, moving tigerishly toward Gillian, â€Å"I don't know about any rumors, but I'd like to hear what you and David were doing this morning. Care to tell me?† (Angel, she's actually enjoying this. Look at her! And she's bigger than me.) (Trust me, kid.) â€Å"We weren't doing anything,† Gillian said. She had to tip her chin up to look Tanya in the face. Then she looked aside and shook her head. â€Å"All right. I'll be honest about that. I like David, Tanya. I have ever since he moved in. He's good and he's noble and he's honest and he's sweet. But that doesn't mean I want to take him away from you. In fact, it's just the opposite.† She turned and walked away, looking into the distance. â€Å"I think David deserves the best. And I know he really cares about you. And that's what happened this morning-he told me you guys had made a promise to each other. So you see, you've got no reason to be suspicious.† Tanya's eyes were glittering. â€Å"Don't try to pull that. All this †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She waved a hand to indicate Gillian's dress and hair. â€Å"In one day you turn from Little Miss Invisible to this. And you start prancing around the school like you own it. You can't pretend you're not trying to get him.† â€Å"Tanya, the way I dress has nothing at all to do with David.† Gillian told the lie calmly, facing the chalk-misted blackboard again. â€Å"It's just-something I needed to do. I was-tired of being invisible.† She turned her head slightly, not enough to see Tanya. â€Å"But that's beside the point. The real issue here is what's best for David. And I think you're best for him-as long as you treat him fairly.† â€Å"And what is that supposed to mean?† Tanya was losing her legendary cool. She sounded venomous, almost shrill. â€Å"It means no more fooling around with Bruce Faber.† (Oh, my God, Angel! Bruce Faber? Bruce the Athlete? She's been fooling around with Bruce Faber?) Tanya's voice cracked like a whip. â€Å"What are you talking about? What do you know?† â€Å"I'm talking about those nights at the pool parties last summer in Macon's cabana. While David was up north at his grandma's. I'm talking about what happened in Bruce's car after the Halloween dance.† (In a cabana?) There was a silence. When Tanya spoke again, her voice was a sort of icy explosion. â€Å"How did you find out?† Gillian shrugged. â€Å"People who're good at spreading rumors can be a two-edged sword.† â€Å"I thought so. That brat Kim! Her and her mouth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then Tanya's voice changed. It became a voice with claws and Gillian could tell she was moving closer. â€Å"I suppose you're planning to tell David about this?† â€Å"Huh?† For a moment Gillian was too confused to follow Angel's directions. Then she got hold of herself. â€Å"Oh, of course I'm not going to tell David. That's why I'm telling you. I just want you to promise that you're not going to do anything like that anymore. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop telling people things about my mom-â€Å" â€Å"I'll do worse than that!† Suddenly Tanya was standing right behind Gillian. Her voice was a yelling hiss. â€Å"You have no idea what I'll do if you try to mess with me, you snotty little midget. You are going to be so sorry-â€Å" â€Å"No, I think you've done plenty already.† The voice came from the door. Gillian heard it, and in that instant she understood everything.

Barings Bank’s Failure

When establishments, businesses and organizations are prosperous and very successful, barely anyone anticipates that someday they would fall down. Instead, people tend to envision a more dynamic, booming and more successful business whose position would seem stable that no problem can shake it down. This is exactly the case with the Barings Bank. After its share of success, the bank failed due to organizational architecture.The debacle of the Barings Bank, also called the â€Å"Queen’s Bank† (FundingUniverse, n. d.), became one of the hot topics when it comes to banking, finance, economics and management. The case shows an example of how one powerful company can be ruined by its shortcomings.The Barings Bank achieved success for a long time and was even respected as it was the United Kingdom’s oldest merchant bank (Sungard, 2009). It was established by a team of brothers, Francis and John, in London during the 1700s. During the Napoleonic Wars, the company financ ed military campaigns in Britain and helped France to recover financially.The company was also known for assisting America in buying Louisiana from France. Prosperity also rained down when the bank went into international trade (FundingUniverse, n. d. ). Barings Bank has $900 million in capital, but its share of success suddenly went to a halt in 1995 when it suffered from unauthorized trading losses which amounted to $1 billion (Sungard, 2009). Some experts say that the losses showed the ineffective controls and inappropriate incentives within the company (Hentschel and Smith, 1996).Others think that the demise was a result of financial risk management that went wrong (Riskglossary. com, 1996). For whatever reason, the person responsible behind the bank’s demise was Nick Leeson, a trader promoted as general manager in the Singapore branch. Although he was capable of making millions for the company, he got involved in unauthorized trading activities that initially went unnoti ced because he handled trading and back office functions (Sungard, 2009). Leeson traded and made mistakes which the bank’s management did not notice. The more bets Leeson made, the more money he lost.This indicates that Leeson, who has gained much power and authority, has acted outside the bank’s official authority and worked not in the best interests of the bank’s owners (Hentschel and Smith, 1996). This kind of problem occurs in different settings wherein employees, shareholders and senior management have different interests. It occurs when an agent such as Leeson enjoys private incentives to stray from things that would maximize the company’s value. Also, the structure of the organization can affect employee’s incentives. Thus it can worsen or control the problems.Three facets of organizational architecture that have effects are reward systems, decision rights and control systems. In reward systems, a compensation package must be readily availab le and must have â€Å"strong incentive components. † In Leeson’s case, however, the objective is to generate profits and not to stabilize firm value. Compensation based on the contract’s payoff can have bad side effects. Decision rights, on the other hand, indicate that decision rights must be allocated to treasury employees so that internal controls at low cost will be improved.However, traders and dealers like Leeson have extensive decision rights over their positions. Meanwhile, control systems in the Barings Bank case failed because a difficulty in monitoring within the company existed. The senior management at Barings Bank claimed that they were unaware of Leeson’s activities. To prevent such cases there should be strict control and supervision on business activities. The company could have set position limits so that traders and dealers will not be able to abuse their positions. Another shortcoming of Barings Bank was that it did not separate settl ement and trading responsibilities.Otherwise the company could have monitored all sorts of activities because the separation can facilitate agreement with the set position limits (Hentschel and Smith, 1996). The failure of Barings Bank was attributed to its organizational architecture. Nick Leeson, a trader whose losses caused the bank to go into bankruptcy, worked to generate profits. The power and authority that came with his position blinded him into making bets that he did not win. The bank, on the other hand, failed to make careful control and monitoring over the activities done on its part. References FundingUniverse.(n. d. ). Barings PLC. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. fundinguniverse. com/company-histories/Barings-PLC-Company-History. html Hentschel, L. and Smith, C. W. (1996). Derivatives regulation: Implications for Central Banks. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. simon. rochester. edu/fac/Hentschel/PDFs/DRICB. pdf Riskglossary. com. (1996). Barings debacle. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www. riskglossary. com/link/barings_debacle. htm Sungard. (2009). Barings Bank. Retrieved January 8, 2009, from http://www3. sungard. com/bancware/default. aspx? id=4704