Analyse the structure of the UK supermarket sector Assignment

Analyse the structure of the UK supermarket sector - Assignment Example According to the UK Retail Food Sector Market Brief, supermarkets made up for about 6400 stores with an estimated value of 98 billion pounds in 2008 (Sainsburys And Waitrose UK Supermarkets Porters 5 Forces Competitive Advantage, 2009). The UK grocery market has increased to 133.3 billion pound in 2007, which accounts for a 4 percent increase from that of 2006 (Nicholson, 2008, p. 3-4). The major supermarkets that occupy the bulk of the market share (almost 75 percent) are Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda (owned by American retailer Wal-Mart) and Morrison’s. These are commonly known as the â€Å"Big Four†. The other retail chains include Marks and Spencer (UK’s biggest clothing marketer), Waitrose, Somerfield, Budgens, Netto Iceland, Aldi, and Lidl. Tesco is the largest non-food market chain in the UK which includes outlets like Extra, Homeplus, Metro and others. Each of these retailers focuses on some particular market section. Tesco for instance, marks the middle market offering economy as well as expensive products. Compared to Tesco, Sainsbury’s targets a little up-market while, Asda, a Wal-Mart chain and Morrison’s focus a little down-market. Even Somerfield operate at the sam e level as Asda and the others namely, Budgens, Iceland, Aldi, Netto and Lidl are all price-focused retailers. Waitrose, a John Lewis Partnership, is however the most up-market retailer among all. Discount retailing has become a growing division of the grocery retailing in UK and Tesco ad Asda contest a strong competition in this field. Among them, the top position is occupied by Tesco, with a market share of 31.4 percent which is quite ahead of the other retail chains. Second to Tesco is Asda with a market share of 17.1 percent followed by Sainsbury’s occupying the third position. It covers 15.7 percent of the total market. Morrison’s rank last among the four with a market share of 11.2 percent (Nicholson, 2008, p. 6-7). The market structure exhibited by the

Mis Wintergear Case Study Essay Example for Free

Mis Wintergear Case Study Essay MIS 2301 Winter Gear Distribution Case Study wPlaces order Confirm order and delivery date, issues invoice  confirms invoice  fulfills order and ships goods  follow up delivery conditions met, and payment received wPlaces order Confirm order and delivery date, issues invoice  confirms invoice  fulfills order and ships goods  follow up delivery conditions met, and payment received Winter Gear Distribution Winter Gear Distribution FastFit FastFit 1. WGB WGB FastFit FastFit 2. A single personnel computer A single personnel computer Sales Sales scanner scanner Operations Operations Arrows| Flow of operation| 1| FastFit places order with sales personnel over the phone | 2| Sales manually completes paper order forms and sends confirmation to Fastfit for each order and their delivery dates| 3| FastFit confirms for orders to be filled| 4| Operations fills and ships orders to Fastfit| 5| Accounting issues invoice to FastFit| 6| FastFit fulfills payment as agreed| LAN with 4 personal computers, printer, and file server LAN with 4 personal computers, printer, and file server IBM ASA 400 system with 3 CRT-terminals IBM ASA 400 system with 3 CRT-terminals Accounting Accounting WAN to connect departments WAN to connect departments 3. If customers call and ask for the status of their orders, the answer would generally be simple because the order can be labeled as processing, fulfilled, shipped, or delivered. If the customer wanted more details, and depending on the tracking systems that the company uses, they may or may not be able to give them the general location of the order (UPS map tracking). Companies would general want to fulfill orders in a timely fashion, so pushing orders out of warehouses would be recorded and their status updated, therefore, it is not much of a business problem. 4. Errors in filling orders are likely because, for example, for ordering online, a customer can general edit shipment addresses, or items in their cart while the order has still not been shipped. If the company operated like WGD and had no communication between their departmental systems, confusion on the  what, where, and how much of a customer’s order can be messed up or not reflect the changes. Aside from the er rors of processing orders, delivery can have errors as well, such as late deliveries or deliveries to the wrong addresses. The business impact is that customers will be dissatisfied and frustrated due to the inefficiency of the supplier company. They will complain about the timeliness, or operation of a company which would harm the company’s reputation and possibly decrease revenues. Bad reviews by customers can lose a company’s past customers or ward away new ones. 5. Steps | Time elapsed | Customer places order with WGD| ~30-60 mins (over the phone, not very time consuming)| WGD processes order | ~1 day (must check inventory, input order into system)| WGD sends confirmation of order and delivery dates| ~within 1 day (email, digitally)| WGD fulfills and ships order| ~2 days (packages order, checks it over, updates order system input, ships out)| Customer receives shipment| ~3-4 days (delivery is most time consuming but since standard delivery is 5-8 days, fulfillment and delivery add up to about 5 if in U.S)| WGD issues invoice | Occurs during delivery| Customer fulfills payment| Varies, can be immediately or with a payment plan| WGD can likely ship an order within about 2-3 days but delivery time will be between 5-8 days. This is not a business problem because most companies operate similarly with standard delivery times, however, WGD can improve their efficiency, reduce errors, and increase customer satisfaction if they updated their systems to be interconnected and more modern technology. 6. A scanner in the Sales Department would reduce the time needed to manually input process forms. A WAN network would also be useful because it would connect the Sales, Operations, and Accounting Departments despite being in different buildings; this decreases error probability and increases efficiency in processing, fulfillment, and shipment. ( See red figures in diagram in Q2 for changes in technology to WGD).

Blood Power: Mimetic Rivalry and Patrilineal Descent of Sacrificial Ritual :: Myth

Blood Power: Mimetic Rivalry and Patrilineal Descent of Sacrificial Ritual PERFORMANCE NOTES This piece includes three movements. Each movement depicts a mythic or ritual relationship between women’s blood and sacrifice. I have adapted each of these myths/rituals in some of my own words to create a narrative. In the first story, the sacrifice is not explicit, but has become a part of the ritual that reenacts the myth. The bloodletting that comprises the ritual reenactment does not result in death, but functions as a rite of passage for young boys and functions as a cathartic experience for communities of men, much as a ritual sacrifice is said to bond a community. [1] The ritual reenactment of this creation myth involves men making incisions on their arms and penises to simulate menstruation. The synchronicity of this action is key and is depicted not only in the group aspect of the ritual but in the process of shaking their bodies to spread blood on their own and others adjoining limbs. The rite of passage involves adult men entering the women’s area, where many generations of women are tending the children and working, snatching the young boys from their mother’s arms and taking them to the men’s camp, where they are covered in their own blood and that of other, elder men as well as red ochre only to be returned to their mother’s gaze, but not to their custody. This ritual takes place not only as a rite of passage, but also as a catalyst for group solidarity, before a hunt, or to bring the rains. [2] Movement I : A tale of the Wawilak Sisters and the Rainbow Snake This Aboriginal Australian creation myth is found predominantly in the northern and western regions of the country. There are many variations of this myth. The version you are about to read comes from Blood Relations: Menstruation and the Origins of Culture, by Chris Knight [3] . The Wawilak Sisters and the Rainbow Snake At the beginning of time, two sisters were traveling across the landscape giving names to the features of a previously unnamed world. One carried a child; the other was pregnant. They had both committed incest in their own country, the country of the Wawilak.

Bad debt

Bad debt is a serious financial problem affecting the United States. When people do not pay their debts, the economy suffers because the banks, credit card companies, doctors, utility companies, and other businesses lose money. The same applies to when businesses fail to pay their financial obligations to other businesses. However, personal bad debt and corporate bad debt is viewed differently by the government (Bankruptcy FAQ for small business. ) Corporate bad debt is easier to file bankruptcy upon than when a private person loses money.This seems to be simply because allowing corporations to do business honestly without threat of losing their personal financial security is an important ideal to keep the economy going. A company getting rid of their bad debt through bankruptcy all but destroys their ability to stay in business. Personal bad debt, however, is treated stricter because there are by appearance more controllable factors. People are expected to feed their families and st ay in a home without using credit and to not borrow more than they can afford.In addition, the companies and government likely fear that if people who don’t pay their bills can repeatedly file bankruptcy and keep everything they bought, there will be no incentive for them to do the right thing and live within their means. Those who honestly cannot pay their bills will not go to jail, but in the case of a business will likely lose their company and in a person’s case lose any homes or other property owned (Bankruptcy Courts. ) Otherwise, the economy would be in even worse shape if people and businesses could just run up bills, decide not to pay them, and not have any additional financial consequences.The government’s position seems to remain that businesses have a better right and need for credit to help the economy than individual households, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. References: Bankruptcy Basics. (2006). Retrieved March 25, 2009 from U. S. C ourts: http://www. uscourts. gov/bankruptcycourts. html. Bankruptcy FAQ for small business. (2009). Retrieved March 25, 2009 from Bankruptcy in Brief: http://www. moranlaw. net/business-bankruptcy-faqs. htm.

Courage Essay

Every human being on this planet is unique and different but we are all born with the gift of courage. However there are very few who take advantage of that gift. Courage is the ability to work one’s way through a tough situation, be it mental or physical. We all have faced or witnessed tough challenges before. Th difference, however, is that some people tend to give up when the goings get rough, while others keep on. People commit acts of courage on a daily basis, many of them without even realizing it. Today I will talk to you about an event in particular. Imagine playing hockey with a bunch of boys and being the only girl it’s very difficult, even more then it sounds. I was the only girl on the team and most of the boys would refuse to pass the puck to me or even tell me when I did a good play. This didn’t bother me very much because I knew I would just have to work harder to prove them wrong, it was a challenge I was ready to take on. Half the season was done and everyone got to know me better and most of the team started to be friends with me, except one. His name was Aidan, he had blonde hair and blue eyes. He would always insult me before and after practice, in front of the rest of our team but they would never say anything to the coaches. Yes it was difficult to not let it get to me but I would always tell myself to just let it go. One day before our game he came up to me while I was alone and started insulting me and swearing at me. My only defence was to stand up for myself and tell him what I thought, I pinned hi m against the wall and told him how bullying people isn’t gonna make himself feel better and that he should stop immediately. After that day, he never bugged me again and that act of courage changed my life for the better. Courage is a necessity to the evolution of our people. Without courage, African-Americans would still be stuck I’m slavery. There would be no one there to fight for the rights of the people we now consider equals. Courage can be found I’m various forms. Courage is the only thing that gets us through the hard times, and the tempting opportunities. Courage is vital to the evolution of the human population. It os also an essential quality to becoming a successful person.

Turning Spanish Adjectives Into Nouns

Turning Spanish Adjectives Into Nouns In Spanish, almost any descriptive adjective (and a few others) can be used to function as a noun by preceding it with a definite article such as el or las. Typically, adjectives made into nouns are the equivalent of the English ____ one or ____ person as in the following examples: azul (blue), el azul, la azul (the blue one)pobre (poor), los pobres (the poor people)nuevo (new), el nuevo, la nueva (the new one)mexicano (Mexican), el mexicano, la mexicana (the Mexican) The gender and number will depend on whats being referred to:  ¿Quà © casa prefieres? - La blanca. (Which house do you prefer? The white one.)Habà ­a muchas fresas. Comprà © las ms frescas. (There were many strawberries. I bought the freshest ones.)Habà ­a muchos pltanos. Comprà © los ms frescos. (There were many bananas. I bought the freshest ones.) Sometimes, nouns made from adjectives take on meanings of their own, at least in certain contexts. The definitions below arent the only ones possible: roto (torn), el roto (the tear)mal (bad), el mal (evil, wrongful act, sickness)perdido (lost), el perdido, la perdida (the reprobate, the lost soul)decolorante (causing something to lose its color), el decolorante (bleach)semejante (similar), los semejantes (fellow human beings) The adjective-turned-noun is in the neuter gender when the adjective is turned into an abstract noun or when the adjective-turned-noun is not referring to a specific person or thing. The singular neuter definite article is lo; in plural, the neuter is the same form as the masculine, with a definite article of los. Such neuter nouns are translated in a variety of ways, depending on the context: Fuera lo viejo, venga lo nuevo. (Out with the old, in with the new.)Lo importante es que tenemos la oportunidad. (The important thing is that we have the opportunity.)Los interesantes son los intangibles. (What are interesting are the intangibles. Here, the English seemed less awkward when the first phrase was translated as an adjective.)Te regalo lo tuyo. (I am giving you whats yours.) Sample Sentences Los ricos no piden permiso. (The rich dont ask for permission. The sentence is the name of a former Argentine television show.) Uno de los cnceres ms comunes en los hombres es el cncer de prà ³stata. Los agresivos pueden requerir cirugà ­as. (One of the most common cancers in men is prostate cancer. The aggressive ones can require surgery.) Dos tercios de los analfabetos del mundo son mujeres. (Two-thirds of the worlds illiterate are women.) Los baratos cuestan 6 euros. (The cheap ones cost 6 euros.) No todas las bellas pueden ser modelos. (Not all beautiful women can be models. Depending on the context, this also could refer to girls. If bellos had been used, it could have referred to men only or to both men and women.) Los sacerdotes catà ³licos romanos no son los à ºnicos que pueden hacer exorcismos. (Roman Catholic priests arent the only ones who can do exorcisms.) Los fritos fueron el artà ­culo comprado con mayor frecuencia. (The fried ones were the article most often purchased.) Los enfermos andaban por las calles. (The sick people walked through the streets.)

The Purpose of Dissenting Opinions in the Supreme Court

The Purpose of Dissenting Opinions in the Supreme Court A dissenting opinion is an opinion written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion. In the U.S. Supreme Court, any justice can write a dissenting opinion, and this can be signed by other justices. Judges have taken the opportunity to write dissenting opinions as a means to voice their concerns or express hope for the future. What Happens When a Supreme Court Justice Dissents? The question is often asked why a judge or Supreme Court justice might want to write a dissenting opinion since, in effect, their side lost. The fact is that dissenting opinions can be used in a number of key ways. First of all, judges want to make sure that the reason why they disagreed with the majority opinion of a court case is recorded. Further, publishing a dissenting opinion can help make the writer of the majority opinion clarify their position. This is the example given by Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her lecture about dissenting opinions. Secondly, a justice might write a dissenting opinion in order to affect future judgments in cases about situations similar to the case in question. In 1936,  Chief Justice Charles Hughes stated that â€Å"A dissent in a Court of last resort is an appeal...to the intelligence of a future day...† In other words, a justice might feel that the decision goes against the rule of law and hopes that similar decisions in the future will be different based on arguments listed in their dissent. For example, only two people disagreed in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case that ruled that African-American slaves should be viewed as property. Justice Benjamin Curtis wrote a forceful dissent about the travesty of this decision. Another famous example of this type of dissenting opinion  occurred when Justice John M. Harlan dissented to the  Plessy v. Ferguson  (1896) ruling, arguing against allowing racial segregation in the railway system. A third reason why a justice might write a dissenting opinion is in the hope that, through their words, they can get Congress to push forward legislation to correct what they see as issues with the way the law is written. Ginsburg talks about such an example for which she wrote the dissenting opinion in 2007. The issue at hand was the time frame within which a woman had to bring a suit for pay discrimination based on gender. The law was written quite narrowly, stating that an individual had to bring suit within 180 days of the discrimination occurring. However, after the decision was handed down, Congress took up the challenge and changed the law so that this time frame was greatly extended.   Concurring Opinions   Another type of opinion that can be delivered in addition to the majority opinion is a concurring opinion. In this type of opinion, a justice would agree with the majority vote but for different reasons than listed in the majority opinion. This type of opinion can sometimes be seen as a dissenting opinion in disguise. Sources Ginsburg, Hon. Ruth Bader. The Role of Dissenting Opinions. Minnesota Law Review. Sanders, Joe W. The Role of Dissenting Opinions In Louisiana. Louisiana Law Review, Volume 23 Number 4, Digital Commons, June 1963.

The Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods

The Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods The Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods were marked out by geologists to distinguish among various types of geologic strata (chalk, limestone, etc.) laid down tens of millions of years ago. Since dinosaur fossils are usually found embedded in rock, paleontologists associate dinosaurs with the geologic period in which they lived- for example, the sauropods of the late Jurassic. To put these geologic periods in the proper context, bear in mind that the Triassic, Jurassic,  and Cretaceous dont cover all of prehistory, not by a long shot. First came the Precambrian period, which stretched from the earth’s formation to about 542 million years ago. The development of multicellular life ushered in the Paleozoic Era (542–250 million years ago), which embraced shorter geologic periods including (in order) the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian periods. Its only after all that that we reach the Mesozoic Era (250-65 million years ago), which includes the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Ages of the Dinosaurs (The Mesozoic Era) This chart is a simple overview of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, all of which were part of the Mesozoic era. In brief, this incredibly long period of time, measured in mya or millions of years ago, saw the development of dinosaurs, marine reptiles, fish, mammals, flying animals including pterosaurs and birds, and a huge range of plant life. The largest dinosaurs did not emerge until the Cretaceous period, which started over 100 million years after the start of the age of dinosaurs. Period Land Animals Marine Animals Avian Animals Plant Life Triassic 237201 mya Archosaurs (ruling lizards);therapsids (mammal-like reptiles) Plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, fish Cycads, ferns, Gingko-like trees, and seed plants Jurassic 201145 mya Dinosaurs (sauropods, therapods);Early mammals;Feathered dinosaurs Plesiosaurs, fish, squid, marine reptiles Pterosaurs;Flying insects Ferns, conifers, cycads, club mosses, horsetail, flowering plants Cretaceous 14566 mya Dinosaurs (sauropods, therapods, raptors, hadrosaurs, herbivorous ceratopsians);Small, tree-dwelling mammals Plesiosaurs, pliosaurs, mosasaurs, sharks, fish, squid, marine reptiles Pterosaurs;Flying insects;Feathered birds Huge expansion of flowering plants Key Words Archosaur: Sometimes called  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ruling reptiles,† this group of ancient animals included dinosaurs and pterosaurs (flying reptiles)Therapsid: A  group of ancient reptiles that later evolved to become mammalsSauropod: Huge long-necked, long-tailed vegetarian dinosaurs (such as the Apatosaur)Therapod:  Two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs, including raptors and Tyrannosaurus RexPlesiosaur:  Long-necked marine animals (often described as similar to the Loch Ness monster)Pterosaur:  Winged flying reptiles that ranged from the size of a sparrow to the 36-foot-long  QuetzalcoatlusCycad:  Ancient seed plants that were common during the time of the dinosaurs and are still common today The Triassic Period At the start of the Triassic period, 250 million years ago, the Earth was just recovering from the  Permian/Triassic Extinction, which witnessed the demise of over two-thirds of all land-dwelling species and a whopping 95 percent of ocean-dwelling species. In terms of animal life, the Triassic was most notable for the diversification of archosaurs into pterosaurs, crocodiles, and the earliest dinosaurs, as well as the evolution of therapsids into the first true mammals. Climate and Geography During the Triassic Period   During the Triassic period, all of the Earths continents were joined together into a vast, north-south landmass called Pangaea (which was itself surrounded by the enormous ocean Panthalassa). There were no polar ice caps, and the climate at the equator was hot and dry, punctuated by violent monsoons. Some estimates put the average air temperature across most of the continent at well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Conditions were wetter in the north (the part of Pangaea corresponding to modern-day Eurasia) and the south (Australia and Antarctica). Terrestrial Life During the Triassic Period The preceding Permian period was dominated by amphibians, but the Triassic marked the rise of the reptiles- notably the archosaurs (ruling lizards) and therapsids (mammal-like reptiles). For reasons that are still unclear, the archosaurs held the evolutionary edge, muscling out their mammal-like cousins and evolving by the middle Triassic into the  first true dinosaurs  like  Eoraptor  and  Herrerasaurus. Some archosaurs, however, went in a different direction, branching out to become the first pterosaurs ( Eudimorphodon  being a good example) and a wide variety of  ancestral crocodiles , some of them two-legged vegetarians. Therapsids, in the meantime, gradually shrank in size. The  first mammals  of the late Triassic period were represented by small, mouse-sized creatures like Eozostrodon and Sinoconodon. Marine Life During the Triassic Period Because the Permian Extinction depopulated the worlds oceans, the Triassic period was ripe for the rise of early marine reptiles. These included not only unclassifiable, one-off genera like Placodus and  Nothosaurus  but the very first  plesiosaurs  and a flourishing breed of fish lizards, the ichthyosaurs. (Some ichthyosaurs attained truly gigantic sizes; for example,  Shonisaurus  measured 50 feet long and weighed in the vicinity of 30 tons!) The vast  Panthalassan  Ocean soon found itself restocked with new species of  prehistoric fish, as well as simple animals like corals and cephalopods. Plant Life During the Triassic Period The Triassic period wasnt nearly as lush and green as the later Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but it did see an explosion of various land-dwelling plants, including cycads, ferns, Gingko-like trees, and seed plants. Part of the reason there were no plus-sized Triassic herbivores (along the lines of the much later  Brachiosaurus) is that there simply wasn’t enough vegetation to nourish their growth. The Triassic/Jurassic Extinction Event Not the most well-known extinction event, the Triassic/Jurassic extinction  was a fizzle compared to the earlier Permian/Triassic extinction and the later  Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T)  extinction. The event, nevertheless, witnessed the demise of various genera of marine reptiles, as well as large amphibians and certain branches of archosaurs. We dont know for sure, but this extinction may have been caused by volcanic eruptions, a global cooling trend, a meteor impact, or some combination thereof.   The Jurassic Period Thanks to the movie  Jurassic Park, people identify the Jurassic period, more than any other geological time span, with the age of dinosaurs. The Jurassic is when the first gigantic sauropod and theropod dinosaurs appeared on Earth, a far cry from their slender, man-sized ancestors of the preceding Triassic period. But the fact is that dinosaur diversity reached its peak in the ensuing  Cretaceous  period. Geography and Climate During the Jurrasic Period   The Jurassic period witnessed the breakup of the Pangaean supercontinent into two big pieces, Gondwana in the south (corresponding to modern-day Africa, South America, Australia, and Antarctica) and  Laurasia  in the north (Eurasia and North America). At about the same time, intra-continental lakes and rivers formed that opened new evolutionary niches for aquatic and terrestrial life. The climate was hot and humid, with steady rainfall, ideal conditions for the explosive spread of lush, green plants. Terrestrial Life During the Jurassic Period Dinosaurs:  During the Jurassic period, relatives of the small, quadrupedal, plant-eating  prosauropods  of the Triassic period gradually evolved into multi-ton  sauropods  like  Brachiosaurus  and  Diplodocus. This period also saw the concurrent rise of medium- to large-sized  theropod  dinosaurs like  Allosaurus  and  Megalosaurus. This helps explain the evolution of the earliest, armor-bearing  ankylosaurs  and stegosaurs. Mammals:  The mouse-sized  early mammals  of the Jurassic period, only recently evolved from their Triassic ancestors, kept a low profile, scurrying around at night or nesting high up in trees so as not to get squashed under the feet of bigger dinosaurs. Elsewhere, the first feathered dinosaurs began to appear, typified by the extremely bird-like   Archaeopteryx  and  Epidendrosaurus. Its possible that the first true  prehistoric birds  had evolved by the end of the Jurassic period, though the evidence is still sparse. Most paleontologists believe that modern birds descend from the small, feathered theropods of the Cretaceous period. Marine Life During the Jurassic Period Just as dinosaurs grew to bigger and bigger sizes on land, so the  marine reptiles  of the Jurassic period gradually attained shark- (or even whale-) sized proportions. The Jurassic seas were filled with fierce  pliosaurs  like  Liopleurodon  and Cryptoclidus, as well as sleeker, less frightening plesiosaurs like   Elasmosaurus. Ichthyosaurs, which dominated the Triassic period, had already begun their decline.  Prehistoric fish  were abundant, as were squids and  sharks, providing a steady source of nourishment for these and other marine reptiles. Avian Life During the Jurassic Period By the end of the Jurassic period, 150 million years ago, the skies were filled with relatively advanced  pterosaurs  like  Pterodactylus,  Pteranodon, and  Dimorphodon. Prehistoric birds  had yet to fully evolve, leaving the skies firmly under the sway of these avian reptiles (with the exception of some prehistoric insects). Plant Life During the Jurassic Period Gigantic plant-eating sauropods like  Barosaurus  and  Apatosaurus  couldn’t have evolved if they didn’t have a reliable source of food. In fact, the landmasses of the Jurassic period were blanketed with thick, tasty coats of vegetation, including ferns, conifers, cycads, club mosses, and horsetails. Flowering plants continued their slow and steady evolution, culminating in the explosion that helped fuel dinosaur diversity during the ensuing Cretaceous period. The Cretaceous Period The Cretaceous period is when dinosaurs attained their maximum diversity, as  ornithischian  and  saurischian  families branched off into a bewildering array of armored, raptor-clawed, thick-skulled, and/or long-toothed and long-tailed meat- and plant-eaters. The longest period of the Mesozoic Era, it was also during the Cretaceous that the Earth began to assume something resembling its modern form. At that time,   life was dominated not by mammals but by terrestrial, marine and avian reptiles. Geography and Climate During the Cretaceous Period During the early Cretaceous period, the inexorable breakup of the Pangaean supercontinent continued, with the first outlines of modern North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa taking shape. North America was bisected by the Western Interior Sea (which has yielded countless fossils of marine reptiles), and India was a giant, floating island in the Tethys Ocean. Conditions were generally as hot and muggy as in the preceding  Jurassic  period, albeit with intervals of cooling. The era also saw rising sea levels and the spread of endless swamps- yet another ecological niche in which dinosaurs (and other prehistoric animals) could prosper. Terrestrial Life During the Cretaceous Period Dinosaurs:  Dinosaurs really came into their own during the Cretaceous Period. Over the course of 80 million years, thousands of meat-eating genera roamed the slowly separating continents. These included  raptors,  tyrannosaurs  and other varieties of theropods, including the fleet-footed  ornithomimids  (bird mimics), the strange, feathered  therizinosaurs, and an uncountable profusion of small,  feathered dinosaurs, among them the uncommonly intelligent  Troodon. The classic herbivorous sauropods  of the Jurassic period had pretty much died out, but their descendants, the lightly armored titanosaurs, spread to every continent on earth and attained even more massive sizes.   Ceratopsians  (horned, frilled dinosaurs) like  Styracosaurus and  Triceratops  became abundant, as did  hadrosaurs  (duck-billed dinosaurs), which were especially common at this time, roaming the plains of North America and Eurasia in vast herds. Among the last dinosaurs standing by the time of the K/T Extinction were the plant-eating  ankylosaurs  and  pachycephalosaurs  (thick-headed lizards). Mammals:  During most of the Mesozoic Era, including the Cretaceous period, mammals were sufficiently intimidated by their dinosaur cousins that they spent most of their time high up in trees or huddling together in underground burrows. Even so, some mammals had enough breathing room, ecologically speaking, to allow them to evolve to respectable sizes. One example was the 20-pound Repenomamus, which actually ate baby dinosaurs. Marine Life During the Cretaceous Period Shortly after the beginning of the Cretaceous period, the  ichthyosaurs  (fish lizards) disappeared.   They were replaced by vicious  mosasaurs, gigantic  pliosaurs  like  Kronosaurus, and slightly smaller  plesiosaurs  like  Elasmosaurus. A new breed of bony  fish, known as teleosts, roamed the seas in enormous schools. Finally, there was a wide assortment of  ancestral sharks; both fish and sharks would benefit immensely from the extinction of their marine reptile antagonists. Avian Life During the Cretaceous Period By the end of the Cretaceous period,  pterosaurs  (flying reptiles) had finally attained the enormous sizes of their cousins on land and in the sea, the 35-foot-wingspan  Quetzalcoatlus  being the most spectacular example. This was the pterosaurs last gasp, though, as they were gradually replaced by the first true  prehistoric birds. These early birds evolved from land-dwelling feathered dinosaurs, not pterosaurs, and were better adapted for changing climatic conditions. Plant Life During the Cretaceous Period As far as plants are concerned, the most important evolutionary change of the Cretaceous period was the rapid diversification of flowering plants. These spread across the separating continents, along with thick forests and other varieties of dense, matted vegetation. All of this greenery not only sustained the dinosaurs, but it also allowed the co-evolution of a wide variety of insects, especially beetles. The Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction Event At the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago, a  meteor impact  on the  Yucatan Peninsula  raised huge clouds of dust, blotting out the sun and causing most vegetation to die out. Conditions may have been aggravated by the collision of India and Asia, which fueled an immense amount of volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps. The herbivorous dinosaurs that fed on these plants died, as did the carnivorous dinosaurs that fed on the herbivorous dinosaurs. The way was now clear for the evolution and adaptation of the dinosaurs successors, the mammals, during the ensuing Tertiary period.

The Art of Effective Strategic Leadership Essay

The Art of Effective Strategic Leadership - Essay Example Over the course of studies, we analyzed few case studies about strategic management. These cases along with real life experiences helped the students learn key lessons about strategic leadership. In some cases, it was seen that the management failed to take right decisions on time. The failure to take effective steps within time resulted in catastrophes of various sorts. However, some leaders were able to take hold of the situation accurately and thus became effective strategic leaders. It was found that the leaders who were complying with the rules of strategic leadership used some key strategies. These strategies have been summed up in three key lessons of strategic leadership. The three key lessons are: (1) making realistic decisions, (2) becoming flexible, and, (3) keeping long-term goals in mind. Effective Strategic Leadership- Key Lessons The leaders everywhere face a situation in which they lose their cool and tend to take wrong decisions. The following key lessons would help them learn the basic strategies for taking accurate decisions. Key Lesson 1: Making Realistic Decisions Always look for realistic approaches in dealing with the situation you face. Do not follow idealistic assumptions which appear futile in the face of reality. At times, the leaders tend to look for making idealistic changes in the situation. It is good as far as you are in control of the situation. However, you will need to adopt a practical approach which fits the certain situation to tackle it completely. In the case of the launching of Challenger, the spaceship, the managers were aware of the critical situation they were in. Some of them knew that it could blow up in view of the incompatible temperature surrounded by it at that time. However, the decisions were made in haste not realizing the risk the action involved. They were trying to fulfill the people’s expectations and did not take a realistic approach which resulted in the catastrophe. An example of the realistic a pproach can be seen in Madonna’s case who managed her business career successfully. She did not hold idealistic assumptions and switched roles keeping in view the need of the hour. She had put her own interests aside and met the demands of the time in order to reach to the top of her music career. Key Lesson 2: Becoming Flexible Never try to seem rigid in taking important strategic decisions which involve your opponents. Be flexible in your approach to attain your goals. In some cases, the managers are inclined to get angry on their clients’ demands. They have the responsibility to ensure the organization obtains its goals efficiently. They might adopt a rigid approach to respond to the aggressive demands of the other party. However, it might result in the ending of deal which could have successfully accomplished by being flexible. The disaster of the Challenger could be avoided if the management was appreciative of the engineers’ concern about the risk in the l aunching of this spaceship. However, it was overlooked and rigidity was shown in not stopping the launch till the technical problems got sorted out. After the disaster, NASA took immediate action and researched for two long years to stop the probability of such event in future. The case study of Madonna highlights the approach of flexibility in the life of this queen of pop. She had become a saint, an erotic, a rebel and adopted many

Tourism, hospitality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism, hospitality - Essay Example Since social media seems to have a relation to the success of a travel business, this phenomenon has got much attention among businesses and researchers. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to review literate on the matter and determine the major points of research being conducted in relation to tourism and social media. In an attempt to establish current knowledge of the subject this work will summarize, interpret and critically evaluate the existing literature, as well as will try to identify the key issues related to social media and tourism. In order to fulfill all of the set goals it is important to determine the very reason of extensive interest of the tourism-related community in the subject. It can be assumed that social media has an influence on consumer behavior. This idea is supported by Williams (2002), who states that purchasing high risk items, such as tourism products, involves information research step of the buying process being more extensive than that for purchasing less expensive or important for people products. The first step of the decision-making process is motivation and recognition of a need. Then, as an individual has decided one wants to purchase a tourism-related product, he or she starts searching for information on the available options. At this point, as Blackwell et al (2006, p. 75) write, the consumer is influenced by â€Å"market dominated† and â€Å"non market-dominated† sources of information. These non market-dominated sources refer to the word-of-mouth publicity and social media. Furthrthermore, social media tools can even be called an advanced variant of traditional world-of-mouth publicity. So, today a consumer evaluates alternatives and makes a buying decision on the basis of more sources of information: from marketers, from the community (friends, colleagues, family) and from social media. At the same time, it should be remembered

Discussing the Terms - Vernacular, Social Network, Crossover Effect, Research Paper

Discussing the Terms - Vernacular, Social Network, Crossover Effect, Creole Continuum - Research Paper Example Social network: The phrase, social network, refers to a group of people who are held together by familial, professional or other interests. Generally speaking, the most common social networks are family groups, referring to both nuclear and extended families. Insofar as children or youth are concerned, school and college friends constitute a social network of primary importance, just as work colleagues often do with adults. Indeed, were one to critically consider the concept of social networks in relation to oneself, one would discover him/herself to be a member of various social networks, both real and virtual. In application to myself, I would identify my real-work social networks as my friends and family, to name but two groups and my virtual social networks as all the internet chat and interest groups to which I belong and with whose members I share common interests and hobbies. Ethnography of Communication: As a concept, ethnography of communication, refer to a very interesting phenomenon; one which is based on a concession to the fact that there is much more to verbal communication and interaction than the exchange of information. According to the anthropologist, D. House (2003), the concept of ethnography of communication was introduced and developed by the anthropologist Dell Hymes, who argued that verbal communications can only be fully understood and appreciated were their social context taken into consideration. In other words, and as House (2003) explains, within the context of practically any and all forms of verbal communications, the meaning is not communicated through words alone but also through silences, tones, nuances and the gaps between exchanges.  

Organizational Issues and Recommendations Essay

Organizational Issues and Recommendations - Essay Example Organizational Issues and Recommendations The Taylorist production approach was established by F.W.Taylor, who gave birth to Scientific Management. His school of thoughts is termed as Taylorism. Taylorism believed that any job can be learnt and taught. This theory treats the humans like machines and proposed that for the achieving higher production the management must eliminate inefficiency from its functioning. However, this theory completely neglects the usual complications that happen within a normal human being (Boyd, n.d). Taylorist production style supports the assembly line system where each worker performs the same task repetitively. Here the concept of division of labor was given significance and people started getting specialized in a certain domain while the rest of the production system remained unknown to them. A strict supervision policy was maintained within the organization which created distance between the management and the employees. The repetition of same task created frustration among the workers. The q uality of work started to decline which affected the management adversely. In turn the employees were threatened and scolded which ultimately resulted in more and more employee turnover. The management thought of forming groups for reducing the work pressure on individual employee and delegating each group with a particular task, like a group was responsible for making the engine and other relevant parts while another group worked on the creation of seat and the third group focused on the making the wheels of the car. The fourth group would work towards assembling the parts of the car and presenting the final product. The Issues faced by the firm The manufacturing unit realized that even after implementing the form of group work in their day to day operations, the problems like employee turnover and poor performance didn’t reduce. As they hired me as an HR consultant, I studied the various facets of the organization and reached the conclusion that the groups are suffering fro m several issues like role conflicts within groups, communication problems among group members, lack of cohesiveness in groups with diverse members and excessive intergroup conflict. Thus before proceeding with the recommendations towards solving these issues, it’s necessary to study the impact of each of this issue on the organization and the group in specific. The issues are discussed as follows- Role conflicts within groups This kind of conflict occurs between groups when the members feel uncertain about the role to be played by them. The group members might get a feeling that they are in charge of more than one responsibility within the setting of the organization and that the roles might prove to be contrasting each other. If the probability of two or more roles is irreconcilable, role conflict becomes prominent (Losh, 2011). For instance, a superior at a manufacturing plant might feel tensed due to the role played by him or her as the person poses to his juniors both as a friend and as a mentor at a time. Role conflict can occur due to non-availability of proper socialization facilities inside the organization. Group conflicts might take place due to several reasons which are- Misinformation and miscommunication Perceived or real disparity in the priorities and needs of the groups Perceived or real disparity in perceptions, values, culture, attitudes and beliefs Different structures

The Value of Education in Todays Society Research Paper

The Value of Education in Todays Society - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that today’s economy has become more global and Americans are being asked to gain more global knowledge. As the economy and political policies continue to change, the needs for competition and understanding have changed. Many businesses are requiring employees to have knowledge of more than one language so that they negotiate contracts easier. Globalization also brings with it the need for computer knowledge that includes an understanding of virtual working teams, and they must be able to take in knowledge quickly. This project makes a conclusion that education is important to society on many levels. Education drives a society and can help it transition to a stronger community. Education is important to enhance a society and to make it stronger. When someone is gaining education, he or she learns how to help others achieve as they take the role of leadership. Education is important to the economy because educated people spend more and they pay more taxes. They also pay taxes. Both situations bring people together and help the society grow. Most organizations are working with a diverse work group which means that training should be involved with them to understand more about cultures and about what culture looks like. In a global world, it is important is to be culturally sensitive to the needs of all workers and this come with education and training. There is no doubt that education is important to society. There are a variety of ways that educated people help the economy.

Compare and contrast the four images below Essay

Compare and contrast the four images below - Essay Example The images depicted in each painting manifest the embodiment of masculinity at a time where it was glorified. The perfect aesthetic human qualities were the pinnacle of success. The strong link between each of this image that is made from bronze is the fact that it testaments athleticism in an era where physical strength was huge. Olympics that started in Athens gave birth to these paintings. It is evident that Olympics played a crucial role in western part of Peoloponnese. (â€Å"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History†) For instance, the movie such as 300 depict soldiers as perfectly chiseled and powerful men. Similarly, the correlation of perfection in the sculpture is embodied in every genre. This is perfectly displayed in Figurine of an athlete making an offering. The athlete in this context is accepting the gift as a symbolism of celebration. The second element that these images manifest themselves that is Greek original in bronze by Polykleitos dates back to 430 AD. (â€Å"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History†) The kylix image along with athlete of the diadoumenos type It again manifests the male body of perfection in which aesthetics were crucial. In this particular image, the artist clearly has been extremely creative from every angle and touch. This graphic is a great image as it depicts a typical hand brush that is utilized for cleaning purposes. The brush itself is painted in a very elegant manner with amazing finish. Every bristle is clear and gives the feeling of cleanliness to the audience. Furthermore, the bristles variation in color is a clear depiction of a unique style that the artist has embraced. This is created via bronze and stood in Olympics. Each male body part is symmetry of thorax and pelvis creates a contrast of the body itself. The proportions and the stance is for the audience to appreciate th e sense of potential movement. In art class, my main focus was to observe

The Value of Education in Todays Society Research Paper

The Value of Education in Todays Society - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that today’s economy has become more global and Americans are being asked to gain more global knowledge. As the economy and political policies continue to change, the needs for competition and understanding have changed. Many businesses are requiring employees to have knowledge of more than one language so that they negotiate contracts easier. Globalization also brings with it the need for computer knowledge that includes an understanding of virtual working teams, and they must be able to take in knowledge quickly. This project makes a conclusion that education is important to society on many levels. Education drives a society and can help it transition to a stronger community. Education is important to enhance a society and to make it stronger. When someone is gaining education, he or she learns how to help others achieve as they take the role of leadership. Education is important to the economy because educated people spend more and they pay more taxes. They also pay taxes. Both situations bring people together and help the society grow. Most organizations are working with a diverse work group which means that training should be involved with them to understand more about cultures and about what culture looks like. In a global world, it is important is to be culturally sensitive to the needs of all workers and this come with education and training. There is no doubt that education is important to society. There are a variety of ways that educated people help the economy.

Critical Review of Philosophical Paradigms Research Paper

Critical Review of Philosophical Paradigms - Research Paper Example In the 1970s and 1980s, the mixed methods approach triggered a paradigm war (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2009). Many of the researchers involved in the war sought to settle for an established rationale that would fit the combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies in mixed methods research. The main challenge of achieving this was the fact that many of the existing paradigms governing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies seemed incompatible to be applied in a single study (Creswell & Plano, 2011). This paper will present a critical review of research paradigms used in mixed methods. Postpositivism is one of the common philosophical paradigms developed to support quantitative studies. Many postpositivists believe that reality does exist, although it exhibits itself in different sets of probabilities. Postpositivism highlights that researchers should maintain a separate distance from participants in a research. Usually, the researchers are outsiders (Christ, 2013). The reason for maintaining distance between the participant and researcher is to ensure that the study exhibits a high level of objectivity (Creswell & Plano, 2011). Researchers using postpositivism as a preferred paradigm seek to gain accurate and reliable data from the participants while reducing any form of bias. In order to minimize bias of any form, researchers prefer not to let their values or experiences influence the study in any way (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2009). Postpositivism applies a deductive approach, which means that researchers seek to carry out a rigorous test of priory theories. Notab ly, the postpositivism approach may be used in the quantitative approach in a mixed method research. This is especially the case when a mixed methods approach comprises of a quantitative analysis and a qualitative analysis. Postpositivism is applicable in mixed methods research if researchers opt for the multiple paradigm approach. In

Diversity Among Individuals Essay Example for Free

Diversity Among Individuals Essay Diversity among individuals, as well as cultures, provides a challenge for nurses when it comes to delivering meaningful health promotion and illness prevention-based education. How do teaching principles, varied learning styles (for both the nurse and her patients), and teaching methodologies impact the quality of such education? How does understanding a patients view of health promotion and disease prevention guide you in teaching them? Provide an example. Education is impacted any time that the student (patient) does not understand what is being explained, so it is important for the instructor (nurse) to have multiple teaching styles and methodologies to ensure the information is clear and understood. Speaking with patients, while drawing pictures or diagrams, as well as giving them handouts to take home allows you to cover all but one type of learner. Understanding my patient’s view of health promotion and disease prevention helps guide me to what specific information the patient will need. For example, A 21 year old male who smokes tobacco and has multiple sex partners informs me that he has no desire to quit smoking and refuses you to discuss the matter with me. Attempting to educate this patient on quitting smoking will do harm than good. The patient will be frustrated and possibly angry at me for not respecting his feelings, this could possibly damage our nurse-patient relationship of trust and understanding. In this case I will respect the patient’s right to smoke and spend my time educating him on sexually transmitted diseases and the importance of safe sex. My 21 year old female tobacco smoker informs me that she would like to quit smoking but is having a hard time. In this situation I would speak with her about her difficulties quitting smoking, fears and anxieties. Provide information regarding medications that are available, programs and resources that are designed to help her, and other options like hypnosis and acupuncture. Understanding and being able to incorporate teaching principles, teaching methodologies, and learning styles are all very important in patient education and health promotion but it will do you little good if you do not have the patient’s buy in and willingness to change.

An x-ray machine

An x-ray machine How does an X-ray machine work? An X-ray machine is essentially a camera instead of visible light, however, it uses X-rays to expose the film. X-rays are like light in that they are electromagnetic waves, but they are more energetic so they can penetrate many materials to varying degrees. When the X-rays hit the film, they expose it just as light would. Since bone, fat, muscle, tumors and other masses all absorb X-rays at different levels, the image on the film lets you see different (distinct) structures inside the body because of the different levels of exposure on the film. Radio waves Radio waves are used for broadcasting radio and TV programmes. The transmitted information may be analogue or digital and uses a radio wave as a carrier. Very long wavelength radio waves can travel around the Earth, diffracting around the Earths surface. Radio waves belong to the lower frequency part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is called non-ionizing radiation. Here the electromagnetic energy is too low to break molecular bonds. Ultraviolet waves Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. Scientists have divided the ultraviolet part of the spectrum into three regions: the near ultraviolet, the far ultraviolet, and the extreme ultraviolet. Extreme UV Our Sun emits light at all the different wavelengths in electromagnetic spectrum, but it is ultraviolet waves that are responsible for causing our sunburns. Ultraviolet waves are effective in killing bacteria and viruses. Hospitals use germicidal lamps that produce these waves to sterilize equipment, water and air in operating rooms. Ultraviolet waves are used to identify materials by the glow or fluorescence under them. They are used to make black lights. May food and drug companies use germicidal lamps to disinfect various types of products, and their containers. Gamma Rays Low intensity gamma radiation can damage living cells and cause cancer. High intensity gamma radiation will kill cells. It is used in a technique called radiotherapy to treat cancer by targeting the cancer cells with a beam of radiation and then rotating the source of the beam as shown below. The normal cells receive a lower dose of gamma radiation than the cancer cells, where all the rays meet. Radiotherapy aims to kill the cancer cells while doing as little damage as possible to healthy normal cells. Gamma radiation is used to kill micro organisms, which is called sterilising. It is used to sterilise food Sources used http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/radiationtypes.html

Structural Elements of Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye Essay -- Bluest

The Bluest Eye: Structural Elements In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison employs structure as an aid for telling her story. She uses at least three unique structural devices for this purpose. First, Morrison begins the novel with three passages that prepare the reader for the shocking tale about to be told. Second, the novel is divided into four major parts with each quarter given the name of a season. Third, the novel is further divided into seven sections that are headed by a portion of the passage that began the novel. The three passages that begin The Bluest Eye appear to be from a grade school primer. They portray a family's life in identical terms, but they differ in punctuation, capitalization, and spacing. The first passage is normal in all of these aspects: Here is the house. It is green and white. It has a red door. It is very pretty. Here is the family. Mother, Father, Dick, and Jane live in the green-and-white house. They are very happy. See Jane. She has a red dress. She wants to play. Who will play with Jane? The second passage lacks punctuation and capitalization Here is the house it is green and white it has a red door it is very pretty here is the family mother father dick and jane live in the green-and-white house they are very happy see jane she has a red dress she wants to play who will play with jane The third passage lacks all --- punctuation, capitalization, and spacing. According to Herbert Rice, "what appears on the page is quite literally a chaotic array of letters" (19): Hereisthehouseitisgreenandwhiteithasareddooritisveryprettyhereisthefamilymotherfatherdic kandjaneliveinthegreenandwhitehousetheyareveryahppyseejaneshehasareddressshewantsto playw... ...have a few parallels in their lives: both are searching for someone to play with them, and both find the answer in a friend, although Pecola's friend is imaginary. The Bluest Eye is an innovative novel whose touching and compelling story could not have been told without Morrison's unique structural devices. One such tool is the use of seasons to divide the narrative and put an interesting twist on the order of events. Perhaps the most unique structural element is the three primer passages that begin the novel. The first passage introduces a model household to which the rest of the families in the novel are compared. Finally, an equally innovative structural element is the use of lines from the primer passages to head subsections in the novel, illustrating the vast differences between the mythological Dick and Jane world and the reality of black family life.

How Much Land Does a Man Need Essay

The main character of â€Å"How Much Land Does A man Need?† is a clear example of an insatiable desire for possessions and wealth which at the end destroys the person. Pahom was living a life â€Å"free from anxiety† as his wife said and â€Å"without time to let any nonsense settle in his head† according to Pahom’s words. As the story develops it reveals Pahom’s real problem was inside him because he was never content or please with the land and the possessions he had. At the beginning of the story, Pahom was a peasant without land of his own, working daily to support his family and thinking â€Å"Our only trouble is that we haven’t land enough. If I had plenty of land, I shouldn’t fear the devil himself†; when in reality the avarice within Pahom lied dormant and he was not aware that his desire to obtain â€Å"plenty of land† will inevitably awaken the monster inside him that could never be satisfied. The first time Pahom had a land of his own was a farm of forty acres. â€Å"So he became a landowner, plowing and sowing his own land, making hay on his own land, cutting his own trees, and feeding the cattle of his own pasture. When he went out to plough the fields, or to look at his growing corn, or at his grass meadows, his heart would fill with joy†. This farm seemed to him unlike any other land, fulfilling his dreams until he heard the story of a better place where he will be able to have more land of his own. At this moment the greed in him began to blind Pahom to the simplicity of his life and to be grateful and fulfilled for what he had. The second farm he acquired had 125 acres and Pahom, â€Å"had three times as much as at his former home, and the land was good corn land. He was ten times better off than he had been. He had plenty of arable land and pasturage, and could keep as many head of cattle as he liked.† Obviously greed does not have limits and it is a part of our human nature some posses a greater level of greed than others but nevertheless greed holds no boundaries and the word plenty has no meaning at all. I wonder what Pahom’s wife was thinking now because in the conversation she has with her sisters, she was more concerned with the temptations of the surrounding towns but did not consider the avarice lying inside her husband that once, fed leads to ruin. Pahom had it all but Pahom was not happy, he was not content, he was not satisfied with the land he had. His greed lead him in to a path of destruction that is best described by the dream he had the night before his death. â€Å"He thought he was lying in that same tent, and heard somebody chuckling outside. He wondered who it could be, and rose and went out, and he saw the the Bashkir Chief sitting in front of the tent holding his side and rolling about with laughter. Going nearer to the Chief, Pahom asked: â€Å"What are you laughing at?† But he saw that it was no longer the Chief, but the dealer who had recently stopped at his house and had told him about the land. Just as Pahom was going to ask, â€Å"Have you been here long?† he saw that it was not the dealer, but the peasant who had come up from the Volga, long ago, to Pahom’s old home. Then he saw that it was not the peasant either, but the Devil himself with hoofs and horns, sitting there and chuckling, and before him lay a man barefoot, prostrate on the ground, with only trousers and a shirt on. And Pahom dreamed that he looked more attentively to see what sort of a man it was lying there, and he saw that the man was dead, and that it was himself! He awoke horror struck.† Pahom never had enough land, he always needed more to feed the insatiable greed that controlled his life. The following excerpt from the poem Who Am I? written by Dietrich Bonheoffer describes better the condition of Pahom’s struggle: â€Å"Who Am I? This or the other? Am I one person today and tomorrow another? Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others, And before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling? Or is something within me still like a beaten army? Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved? Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am Thine.† Time after time Pahom was not able to enjoy the fruit of his hard work as a result of the avarice consuming him. As the proverb says: † A greedy man hasten after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him† Proverbs 28:22 Pahom died seeking more and more land of his own and at the end â€Å"his servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all he needed†.

Civil Rights – Naacp

The iris case was not a success because the supreme court agreed with the board, but the second case In 1953, came to the agreement that segregation was wrong on the grounds that separating black students from others that are the same age and Intelligence as them because of their race, â€Å"generates a feeling of Inferiority†¦ That may affect their hearts and minds In a way unlikely ever to be undone,† (Chief Justice Earl Warren). This was a major success for the NAACP although Implementing the new ruling proved to be more difficult because the federal government did not force he state governments to apply them to their cities.This ruling did change some districts but most did not comply. Many schools and school districts were closed because the cities would have rather close them than integrate. Also because of President Eisenhower lack of support, the ruling was never enforced therefore making the ruling pointless. Similar problems occurred with other rulings and acts such as the Civil Rights Act of 1957 which attempted to end voter discrimination, but ended up being a useless law because of the loopholes left by the federal overspent.The only few times where the NAACP changes of the law actually worked such as the case about the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her bus seat, and that was only because of the non-violent movement that got the publics attention and more involvement in the issue. The other legal successes for the black community such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which made it so African Americans could vote without being taxed, given impossible tasks, or being intimidated by racists groups; this time not leaving loopholes.This act along with there beneficial acts such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 were mostly due to the many marches, movements, and riots that demanded change and the assassination of JEFF which happened right after he publicly announced that he was for the rights of African Americans by trying to put through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Because this was one of the last things that JEFF was remembered for, LB had to live up the citizen's expectations for him to do the same as JEFF so that he would not have died In vain.In addition, the groups AIM and CLC participated in the Civil Rights Movements. In the event of Birmingham In 1963 lead by CLC was a major focus for the call rights activists. This event resulted In church bombings as the group CLC and other protesters marched for their rights and this movement later turned Into massive violence from the white society. As a continuation of Birmingham, James Bevel gave Dry. King the Idea to use children for marches arrested, and Jailed and more chaos prevailed.In (Source E) It displays a photograph from the event of the Birmingham Marches during the time period of 1963. It shows he violence and a African American male was being attacked by the local police with police dogs. This eve nt was somewhat successful at the end because stores were desegregated and some other public places. In the event of the Meredith March in 1966, Its main purpose was to protest against racism and other civil rights activists, including Dry. King and his group AIM, CLC, along with SYNC continued this march to protest for their civil rights in 1966.The start of this march was from James Meredith attending the University of Mississippi and was rejected his acceptance from the allege because of his race which was African American and James Meredith filed a complaint to the Court systems and the court ruled that the University of Mississippi was managing a policy of segregation. In the duration of this Many race riots broke out in the result of this setting. There was not only violence against the African Americans but there was violence against the U.S Marshals who were helping the African Americans. Referring back to the James Meredith march â€Å"March against Fear† the African Americans faced violence as well as when they were registering to vote. In he March James Meredith was shot and the Civil Rights activists Dry. King and Carmichael decided to finish the march on Meredith behalf. Therefore, this event was somewhat successful because it allowed the U. S to pay attention to the African Americans although it was not particularly in the way that King and other civil rights activists wanted to.The civil rights organizations the CORE and SYNC both proved to be vitally important during the civil rights movement. They often times worked in conjunction in order to work toward racial equality. Their first major movement was he Sit Ins in 1960 where college students refused to leave diners until served. The next thing was the Freedom Rides in 1961 in which black students tried to ride across in order to test the laws banning racial segregation on international buses.This effort was a failure in that there was extreme violence against the riders. â€Å"The rac ist mob had attacked with iron bars, and even bombs. Passengers escaped right before the bus burst into flames and it wasn't until policemen shot into the air that the mob dispersed† (Source A). After the Freedom Rides SYNC turned its attention to the Albany movement (1962) in which students tried to desegregate the entire public sector of the city. It failed because the police never got violent, and after CLC Joined they didn't allow King to stay in Jail.Malcolm X an influential leader of black Muslims used these types of instances to Justify the idea that â€Å"There's no such thing as a nonviolent revolution and that the revolution is based on concepts of property, independence, freedom, Justice and equality' (Source D). In 1994 SYNC attempted a new movement called Freedom Summer in which northern white students attempted o get blacks to register to vote. The southern states viewed it as â€Å"a planned invasion in which Northern students are causing problems under the pr etext of bringing Freedom† (Source B).The huge difference between the northern mentality of equality to all verses the southern mentality of white and better than blacks and stay out of our business led to a horrifically violent summer. The very next year SYNC went to Selma, Alabama in order to register voters, but the police had a violent response. During a speech at Howard Lyndon Johnson said â€Å"The words â€Å"Give me overcome discrimination I will sent to Congress a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers. (Source F).

Hills Like White Elephants Essay

Hills Like White Elephants tells the story of a woman, Jig, and a man known only as the American, sitting in a train station. Though the story is brief, it has much to say. When reading the story for the first time its full effect doesn’t set in. By taking a closer look and rereading the story, a bigger situation is revealed other than what seems to be a dull conversation. Jig is pregnant and the American man is pressuring her into having an abortion. The little details in the story, some which may slip by you, symbolize the man and woman’s situation. The story takes place in a train station in Spain. The whole story is set around Jig and the American man waiting on the train to arrive. But it isn’t really the train they are waiting on, its answers. They are stuck at a crossroad like a train. Which direction to go? Which train tracks to go down? In other words which path do they choose for their future? Should she keep the baby or should she give in to the man’s pressuring. At the end of the story the American man â€Å"looked up the tracks but could not see the train. † That could be interpreted as the man not seeing what his future holds. It also means that he doesn’t know when the couple’s answers will come and be solved if they ever are. Although the train symbolizes the choice in a path it also symbolizes time. â€Å"the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes†. Time moves quickly through the story because what seems to be a short conversation takes up most of the time they had before the train was to arrive. By the end of the story there is only 5 minutes until the train comes. The train like Jig and the man’s life is moving rather quickly. The train suggests that they don’t have much time to decide on what they’re going to do about the baby. Jig compares the hills that surround the train station to white elephants. â€Å"They look like white elephants she said. † In response the man says â€Å"I’ve never seen one. † In which she replies â€Å"No, you wouldn’t have. † In this case white elephants symbolize a situation that is unavoidable. Like in the phrase â€Å"the elephant in the room†, the elephant is big and almost impossible to avoid. Jig and the man’s situation is an elephant in the room. No matter how hard they try to dodge their problem, it’s always going to be there. The lines quoted above also suggest that Jig feels that the man never had to deal with something as substantial as this life changing decision. When reading a piece of literature some things may seem to slip by us. For example when reading Hills Like White Elephants the waitress puts the drinks down on felt pads. When reading it’s for the first time, the felt pads are just coasters and the drink is just a drink. But when rereading the short story the felt pads represent more, they symbolize an intake of feelings, thoughts and personal opinions. And what seems to be a simple alcoholic drink can be interpreted as bottled up emotions. â€Å"The woman brought out two glasses of beer and two felt pads. She put the felt pads and the beer glasses on the table and looked at the man and the girl. † A coasters purpose is to catch the drips of water that condensates from cold beverages. In this case the drips that came from the cold beer can represent all the emotions that Jig and the man were feeling about their situation that were finally released during their conversation. All those emotions and thought were captured and soaked up by the felt pad. By the end â€Å"the woman came out through the curtains with two glasses of beer and put them down on the damp felt pads. † The felt pad represents how Jig and the American man intake each others feelings. The felt pads are damp in the end because so many emotions were taken in. The bead curtains separate the man and Jig from the bar and its main purpose is â€Å"to keep out flies. † The bead curtains are transparent meaning that both Jig and the man are able to see through them. The bead curtain symbolizes a problem that both Jig and the American man can see but are unable to reach a solution to. They can’t reach a solution because of a barrier which is also represented by the curtains. The barrier separates Jig and the man. â€Å"The girl looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads. † This seems to be Jigs way of trying to understand the man view; she takes hold of the barrier but doesn’t quite go through. Although Hills Like White Elephants seems like a shorts story with not much to it, when reread numerous times, the story becomes much more. The little details that aren’t very noticeable when read the first time become the backbone of what the story is truly about. The symbols in the story suggest meanings that are larger than itself. The story of what’s thought to be a mundane conversation between a man and woman turns out to be a conversation about a life changing situation.

ART HISTORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ART HISTORY - Essay Example He is also credited with being one of the pioneers of a new form of painting that became popular in Europe in the second half of the twentieth century. Most of his paintings depict his chosen medium, which he sought to explore different forms of art in the early 1960’s. The painting of enlarged copies of black-and-white photographs that only encompassed the use of different shades of grey such as the 1964 picture cow and the 1965 picture kitchen chair catapulted him to fame. This is because he started a new form of using photographs as a starting point rather than a model towards an end in itself. He states that he blurs his images to make everything equal. The aim is to depict images as both equally equal and equally unequal without distorting the intended message. This is shown best in the illustration below. His work does not only include painting blurred pictures, but also multi-colored charts, drawings and

Lesbian and Gay Parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lesbian and Gay Parenting - Essay Example But the lesbian and gay parents and their children face discrimination and marginalization in the society. So, the mainstream society needs to change because one’s sexual identity is personal can do nothing to the children. Personal experience: The personal experience/interaction section in this work is based upon my personal interaction with lesbian and gay parents and their children, and is divided into two sections: response to reading reflections and intervention with lesbian and gay parents and attempt to unearth the problems faced by them. A. Response to reading reflections From a different angle of view, parenting is not a difficult task for lesbian and gay people, but the process to have children of their own is extremely difficult for them. For instance, lesbian and gay parents cannot have their own children through biological process. So, they are forced to depend upon other methods like adopting a child from an orphanage, depending upon donors who are ready to co-op erate with insemination, and accepting the help of surrogate mothers. On the other side, the lesbian and gay parents are similar to other parents because they show keen interest in the growth and development of their children. ... One can see that the general opinion that the children who are from lesbian and gay families face a number of disadvantages is not true because researches based on the same reject this generalization. Ricketts (1991) makes clear that, â€Å"Studies on gay and lesbian parenting support the position that children are not disadvantaged and, in some cases, receive unique benefit from being reared by gay, lesbian individuals† (p.47). Besides, the lesbian and gay people do not consider their families as different from traditional families and they are ready to raise children. Mizrahi (2008) states that, â€Å"Recent government surveys demonstrate that many lesbians and gay men are already raising children, and more lesbians and gay people would like to have children at some point† (p.245). So, one can easily identify the fact that a child’s parents’ sexual identity or the interest in lesbianism/homosexuality does not harm his or her growth and development. B. In tervention with lesbian and gay parents and attempt to unearth the problems faced by them So as to unearth the problems faced by lesbian and gay parents, I interacted with a number of lesbian and gay parents and their children. Most of the lesbian and gay parents pointed out that they do not feel any difference from other parents. They further added that their sexual identity will not harm their children’s lives because it is personal. But Harding (2011) states that, â€Å"But in certain respects, lesbian and gay parenting remains on the periphery of legal protections for lesbians and gay men, and understandings of the relations of family life for lesbian and gay parents are much less entrenched than considerations of same-sex relationships†(p.5). On the other side, most of the

Non Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Non - Essay Example 3). This follows a finding that showed that most elephant tusks from African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe find their way into China, where the market for elephant tusks is booming. The increase in poaching for elephant tusks threatens the existence of this important species. In fact, environmentalists have warned that elephants could soon become extinct if something is not done to arrest the situation. Kahumbu reports that Africa had about 1,000,000 elephants in 1980 (par. 4). However, this number has since reduced to less than 400,000 elephants. Africa reportedly loses about 100 wild elephants every day to poachers seeking tusks. Zimbabwe and Kenya are among the African are among the worst hit countries that faces a serious reduction in the number of wild elephants due to increased poaching. Zimbabwe recently lost more than 300 elephants due to increased poaching in the country (Thornycroft and Laing 9). Zimbabwe ha the largest number of elephant population in the world today. This is after its elephants from its neighboring countries in East and Central Africa have been killed by poachers. However, this number is reducing at an alarming rate and the Zimbabwean authorities are concerned by the rate of increased poaching in the country. Kenya is another African country that has one of the highest elephant populations in the world (Kemei 6). ... Most of these elephants were found killed and their tusks chopped off and sold in the black market. Thorneycroft and Laing observed that Africa lost at least 17,000 elephants in 2011 (9). These elephants were killed and their tusks chopped off and sold in the international market. They noted that ivory is prized as a ’white gold’ in Asian countries such as China, where the growing middle class is seeking safe investments. The report also found that the trade in illegal ivory has more than doubles since 2007. The problem of poaching of elephants for tusks is real and something needs to be done to arrest the poaching menace. A variety of proposals has arisen as being the best strategy of dealing with the elephant poaching menace. In this regard, some people have proposed that all wild elephants should have their tusks cut off to prevent poaching. This proposal has generated a lot of controversy and dilemma among environmentalists and wildlife conservationists. Those in su pport of this view argue that by cutting off all the tusks of elephants, poachers will not be motivated to kill elephants, as there would be no tusks to sell in the black market (Thornycroft and Laing 9). Some also argue that cutting off all elephant tusks will force people trading in ivory in Asia to close down their businesses and venture into other activities. However, as much as the world, especially the affected countries are in dire need of preventing poaching, I totally disagree with the suggestion of cutting off the tusks of all wild elephants. Ethically, this is not right before God. I believe that God created the tasks for a reason. Therefore, as man, it is not ethical for us to cut off the tusks of elephants since tasks help elephants in performing a number of duties.

Magodi project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Magodi project - Essay Example .higher level of employees involve more in mental calculation while physical jobs are take up by lower level workers. The objective of the work is a key element and should be given utmost importance. It is the most important planning aid which assists an organization in achieving success. An objective has more importance than a goal and a manager should be keen on this aspect. Operational need is also an important aspect to be considered before a certain job or work plan is drawn into action. This concentrate on different activities to be carried out to make the plan successful. The resources needed to fulfill a particular work are materialized and plans are made to put them in practice. Efficiency of the worker and the plan has a great role to play. The machines and equipments involved in the work should be of high quality so that minimal energy is consumed with high out put. Workers have to be efficient in their field of activity. A good organization of the activities will ensure more efficiency in the working plans. The plans should be studied intensively and negative and positive activities have to thoroughly check before implication. Time has to be utilized well and there should be good quality of communication between all people involved in the work plan. Cost factor is a major element to be given utmost importance. The plan should be economical and should not impose great financial burden on the firm. A proper estimation has to conduct in order to find the costs involved and their respective outcome. Cost refers to the value of the resource spend on particular activities involved in the business. Cost involved in the process of work should be studied with the aid of professionals and estimation should be created. â€Å"Cost-effectiveness values are a useful tool for comparing the relative merits of Consultation is to be done before initiating any plan or work. The appropriate professionals have to approach to take valuable advice and

Tourism Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tourism - Case Study Example Television shows have also played a great part in popularising destinations. And what better example than that of the Australia Zoo; the zoo, located in the Queensland town of Beerwah, became a major tourist attraction by way of Steve Irwin's 'Crocodile Hunter' wildlife documentaries. The Australia Zoo, which started as a small reptile park, became a major tourist attraction thanks to Irwin's popularity as the Crocodile Hunter. (Debbie Olsen, Canwest News Service.) Tourism departments have woken up to the strength of movies in creating the hype about a destination. Though the incidence of movies being made to promote a destination is less usual, the fact remains that movies popularize travel without primarily intending to. When a recce is done to zero down upon a locale, the primary objective is to suit the requirement of the story. In Indian movies or what is more popular globally as Bollywood movies (these are the Hindi language movies that forms the biggest chunk of Indian movies), it is also important that the shot looks picturesque; to shoot a song sequence, the scene can ridiculously shift to the snow-covered Alps, even if the storyline goes nowhere near Europe. However, in the process, movies make certain locales popular and enhance tourism in that place. For example, the Indian film industry has increased the volume of tourism in Switzerland to such an extent that Lakes and Waterfalls are being named after Indian movie stars and produc ers. Tapping the Consumer Base It is a common phenomenon that tourism boards and local administrative bodies offer various incentives such as discounts in accommodation, food, permission for shooting and even cash incentives, to lure production units. (The Financial Express, 2005.) In India, movie making is big business. Over 1000 movies are released every year (the largest in the world), 3.2 billion movie tickets are sold each year (the largest in the world) and 10,000 music tracks hit the market every year. (Indian Entertainment and Media Outlook 2009 Report.) The Indian Tourism sector contributes 6.23 percent to the GDP and generates a total employment of 8.78 percent. In 2008, USD 100 billion was generated by the tourism industry and this is expected to rise to USD 275.5 billion by 2018. (Jaipur Hotel Deals Blog, 2009.) Watching movies in one-screen theatres (I am not talking here of multiplexes, which are expensive) is a relatively cheap form of entertainment in which millions of Indians indulge. Here films a re almost a way of life with the people and movie stars are demigods. The movie songs (no movie has less than five songs on an average) are an industry on its own. No festival or ceremony is complete without film songs. Television shows are churned out based on movies and their songs. No wonder such a huge consumer base is an attractive proposition and even if five percent of this can be converted and directed towards tourism, it would present a huge earning potential. This huge market is up for grabs for both the national and international tourism boards. It works out wonderfully for the producer who gets to save nothing less than 20 percent of the cost. Jaisalmer - the

Eastern Kentucky moder Essay Example for Free

Eastern Kentucky moder Essay In today’s most modern and challenging world, struggling for your professional career is a complex task for every individual. At the initial, when we realize that every thing in this changing world of business and commerce industry is pretty much depending on technological innovations, but we also cannot deny the traditional style of our business and industry leaders. In this scenario, an individual who is not pretty much aware of all the facts, finds it difficult to select his field for future profession, though even at this part of life, we may also realize the importance of leadership skills in every aspect of our life. While the decision seems much complicated to take on, at the same place Eastern Kentucky University is the only gateway for me that ensure my future success in the professional career. At EKU a wide range of opportunities, activities and events designed to enhance my experiences. Apart from studies, concerts, movies, comedians and other activities at campus will help me to develop myself how to keep every aspect of human desire and how to calendar my timetable that would ultimately lead to develop my leadership skills. What most I felt to be impressed is their mission to enhance the quality of life of students by supporting the Universitys commitment to the academic success and holistic development of each individual student. It fosters intellectual, physical, and social development through programs and direct services which challenge and support students as they develop attitudes, abilities and skills for life-long learning within an ever-changing global environment. Eastern Kentucky University, founded in 1906 with a faculty of seven in 1909, when the first commencement was held, 11 people received degrees. Over the last century, they have grown to a full-fledged comprehensive university offering 168 degree programs and serving more than 15,000 students a year. This is a regional, coeducational, public institution of higher education offering general and liberal arts programs, pre-professional and professional training in education and various other fields at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky, Eastern has a distinguished record of almost a century of educational service to the Commonwealth. Finally, at EKU you get the best return of what you spend by getting an very well internationally recognized degree by further enjoying best experiences of your life. The experience at EKU are ever wondering to each student even on individual level. Their best teaching and learning methods will develop me to become a leader in my certain category. I wont be just a face in the crowd when it comes to campus life, either. Theres always something going on to capture my interest and help me make new friends. I can get involved in one of the 175 student organizations, play intramural sports, try out for a play or a musical group whatever everyone’s interests are, theres something there for everyone. Resources: http://www.eku.edu

The Importance of Credit Risk Management in Banking

The Importance of Credit Risk Management in Banking Credit risk implies a potential risk that the counterparty of a loan agreement is likely to fail to meet its obligations as per the original loan agreement, and may eventually default on the obligation. Credit risks can be classified into many forms such as options , equities , mutual funds , bonds , loans and other financial issues as well , which in extensions of guarantees and the settlement of these transactions. (International Auditing Practice Statement 1006 Audits of the Financial Statements of Banks) IS IT Important For the Banks To manage Their Credit Risks ? Risk is always associated with the banking activities, and taking risk is the important part of any banking operation, there is hardly any banking operation without the risk. Most of the bankers are said to be sound when they have a clear overview of what is the amount of risk involved in the current transaction and they make sure that some of the partly earnings are therefore kept for these risks. The granting of any form of credit is the common form for any bank and this risk is very common and this is the source of risks the banks are always exposed to. (Anderson et al, 2001). By being exposed to credit risk banks have been faced with a lot of problems. The banks couple of years ago realised that credit risk is important and the banks need to monitor, identify, control and measure it is very significant. Due to this the effective management of credit risk has become a critical component of approaching risk management. This approach will be especially important in terms of the long term success of any bank. Banks now ensure that they have large amount of capital against any form of credit risks so that they can be in a position to adequately tackle any risks which will be incurred. (Bank for International Settlement, 1999) The credit risk is in the entire portfolio of any bank and also the risk which is associated in individual credits or any other transactions have to be managed adequately. It is always a ascertained that the relationship between the credit risk and other forms of risks need be to considered very seriously in to account, in order to Increase shareholder value through value creation, value preservation and value optimization Increase confidence in the market place Alleviate regulatory constraints and distortions (Amitabh Bhargava ICICI, 2000) The Basel II Accord specifies that banks must have new procedures for measuring against credit risks. Advantages and Disadvantages of Credit Risk Management The advantages of Credit risk management include: Credit risk management allows predicting and forecasting and also measuring the potential risk factor in any transaction. The banks management can also make use of certain credit models which can act as a valuable tool which can be used to determine the level of lending measuring the risk. It is always better to have some alternative techniques and strategies for transferring credit, pricing and hedging options. The disadvantages of Credit risk management include: Deciding on how good a risk you are cannot be entirely scientific, so the bank must also use judgments. Cost and Control associated with operating a credit scoring system. With the existence of different models, it?s hard to decide which to use, more often than not, companies will take a one model fits all approach to credit risk, which can result in wrong decisions. How Banks Measure Credit Risk The level of credit risk faced by a bank is provided by the structure of a bank?s credit portfolio. If the portfolio consists of large amount of loans in a certain asset class then this might be an indication of an increased risk. Similarly the presence of complex financial transactions such as lending may also indicate a larger risk. In general a risk always comprises of two kinds: One is risk exposure and the other one is the uncertainty element, and for the credit risk and the credit quality represents the uncertainty element and credit exposure represents risk exposure. Therefore a bank can assess its credit risk by analysing the credit quality of an obligation and its credit exposure. While assessing credit quality and exposure a bank must consider three issues: Probability of default or any sort of possibility whether the other party which is the counter party will default on the obligation either over the life of the obligation over a specific period of time. The exposure of credit or the amount of the outstanding obligation which again depends on the size if there is any case of default. Rate of recovery this is the extent towards which the credit can be recovered through some banking processes like bankruptcy and other proceedings of settlements. In the last decade or so many banks have started to make use of models in order to assess the risks for their credit which they lend. The credit risk models are very complex and include algorithm based methods of assessing credit risk. The aim of such model is to help banks in quantifying, aggregating and managing credit risk. Despite the method the focus of credit risk assessment stays credit quality and risk exposure. Analysis of the Quality of Credit (Credit Quality) Credit quality is a measure of the that counterparties?s ability to perform on that obligation?. (Contingency Analysis, 2003) A bank adopts different approaches for assessing credit quality of considering loans to individuals or businesses. If it is for small businesses then the credit quality will be assessed through a process of credit scoring. This is based on information obtained by the bank about the party who want the loan. The information which is gathered tends to be about annual income, existing debts etc. Credit score is generally calculated by a formula which is applied to the information which is obtained which gives a number based on it the score is generated. The credit score is a highly accurate prediction of how likely the party is to pay bills, the higher the score the better it looks to the bank. (Curry, 2007) However, assessing a large party is based on credit analysis of the loan done by specially designated credit analysts. This just like mention above is base on credit scoring but it involves human judgement. It involves an in depth analysis of various aspect of the party in question including balance sheet, income statement etc. Also assessing the nature of the obligation is taken into account as well. On basis of credit analysis the analyst assigns that party a credit rating. This allows the bank to make decisions regarding credit. A bank can also use credit ratings to measure the share of the borrowers with creditworthiness in its portfolio and get a clear indication of default risk. Measuring Credit Exposure Credit exposure also needs to be taken into account when assessing credit risk or risk exposure. If for example a bank has loaned money to a business, the bank may calculate the credit exposure rate as the outstanding balance on the loan amount. However, in case if the bank by any chance has increased or extended the line of credit but none of the line have been drawn down then the approach will be different. In this case the risk exposure may seem to be nil, but it does not reflect any sort of right by itself to draw down the line of credit. If the firm gets into any financial difficulty it can be expected to draw on the credit line before any bankruptcy. Therefore in this case the bank may consider its credit exposure to be equal to the line of the credit. Credit exposure as a fraction can also be used sometimes to calculate the credit exposure for the total line of credit. (Duffie Singleton, 2003) How Banks Mange Their Credit Risk Credit risk management practices differ from bank to bank. Generally these type of practices are dependent on the type and complexity of the credit activities which are taken by the banks. In recent years banks have been using models for credit risk management. Bank Credit Risk Management Practices: Yesterday and Today The traditional approach to managing credit risk has been based on establishing a limit of credit at various levels for the individual borrowers an sometimes also based on geographical are and industry type. Also collateral and relationship exiting hardly seem adequate to cope with the declining economics of loan markets. (Gontarek, 1999) These limits specify the maximum exposures a bank is willing to take. Until the early 1990?s , credit risk analysis was limited only based on the reviews of the loans of individuals and most of the banks kept the loans on their books for maturity. (Bernanke, 2006) In recent years banking industry has made strides in managing credit risk. Managing the credit risks is the main focus of any banking operation these days and many banking?s are looking now from transaction management to portfolio management. And have slowly changed from monitoring to practising and also predicting their performance. Banks are still holding onto traditional credit risk management tools but these are becoming more and more sophisticated. Various forms of tools and models have been generated to measure and predict the performance and management of portfolio risks which in turn build competitive advantage. Despite the differences in the credit risk management practices the credit risk management in any bank rest on four pillar of: appropriate credit risk environment Sound credit-granting process or criteria that includes a clear indication of the bank?s target market Appropriate credit administration, measurement and monitoring process Adequate controls over credit risk. (Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, 2000) Therefore whether traditional or modern, credit risk management in banks involves reviewing creditworthiness of counterparties, setting credit limits for counterparties, evaluation of credit risk and reporting credit limits and exposures to management. (Caouette et al, 1998) Recent Trends in Credit Risk Management by Banks The credit risk management is undergoing an important change in the banking industry. Banks have clearly indicated that centralization, standardization, consolidation, timeliness, active portfolio management and efficient tools for exposures are the key best practice in credit risk management. (SAS, 2004) A bank in America is considering having efficient tools for ?what if? analysis and tools. Also another bank is focusing on stress testing, concentration risk, macro-hedges and capital market risk management. (SAS, 2004) The majority of the world?s large banks agree that integrating environmental and broader social issues into their core credit risk management process is essential to managing credit risk in the 21stcentury. (Huppman, 2005) Leading banks including Barclays now view that these non traditional issues as real credit risk variables that potentially affect their client?s bottom lines as well as their own. Quantitative models are being used by banks to measure and manage credit risk. Most of the Commercial bankers have started to opt for making use of the credit risk models for their credit options especially with relation to consumer lending and mortgage. These models are known as credit scoring models and were developed for consumer lending. On the other hand it has been a few years ago where the use of these credit risks models have been implemented successfully and are integrated these days with almost every bank to manage their risk. (Bluhm et al , 2003) In 2001, the UK?s biggest mortgage bank, Halifax, developed a forward looking credit risk management strategy which made use of quantitative models for risk management. (Algorithmics Incoporate, 2001) Similarly HSBC serves over 125 million customers worldwide and is the one of the world?s largest banking and financial services organizations. The world largest provider of quantitative credit risk solutions to lenders (Moody?s KMV) have decide to provide HSBC with this, which will provides HSBC a methodology for rapid, accurate measurement and benchmarking of credit risk portfolio. (Vyse, 2006) Role Of Management in Managing Credit Risk The board of directors of a bank approve and review the credit risk strategy and significant credit risk policies of the bank. The bank?s strategy reflects the bank?s tolerance for risk and the level of profitability the bank expects to achieve for incurring credit risks. These days banks establish and enforce internal controls and other practices to ensure that exceptions to policies, procedures and limits are reported in a timely manner to the management. Due to this credit risk is constantly monitored by the management. Innovations in Technology and Credit Risk Management Credit risk management in banks is also getting affected by innovations in technology. Innovations in technology have made significant improvements in bank information systems. This has also been encouraged by Basel II. The improvements in bank information systems has certainly increased the abilities of many banks and their management process to measure and identify and also control the characteristics of any kind of risk. For example ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China) the credit management computer system was further perfected with risk alert and conversion functions and it performed effective real-time monitoring on the quality and operations of the credit assets. (ICBC, 2001)