The choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The choice - Essay Example Book Summary Distracted is a book by Maggie Jackson who is an author and a journalist. The book’s credibility is enhanced by the fact that the content is based on information that is backed by adequate research. Jackson documents her vast travels and describes her meetings and discussions with professionals and researchers in various fields ranging from biological and physical sciences to arts and technology. Jackson’s ideas flow coherently in the book and the smooth read is captivating. Some of the topics in the book stand out and catch the reader by surprise because of their bizarreness. The organization of her thoughts and her ability to summarize them in a way that can be easily understood hints at her experience as a journalist indicating that individuals live in a â€Å"virtual, mobile, split focus world† (129). At the introduction, Jackson expresses her opinion that is the motivation for the book’s content. She believes that society is gradually hea ding towards a bleak future because of a stagnant culture and society. She believes that society is fast losing its ability to focus because of the nature of contemporary life, and that this lack of focus has corroded the ability to be keen and aware. Attention is crucial for intimacy to develop between the members of the society, and this intimacy contributes to cultural development. Jackson’s point that the society is headed towards a dark future because of an attention deficit provokes the reader’s thoughts. All the nine chapters of Jackson’s book are organized under three major parts including lengthening shadows: exploring our landscape of distraction, deepening twilight: pursuing the narrowing path and dark Times†¦or Renaissance of attention. The chapters under the first and second parts of the book are each titled â€Å"Focus,† â€Å"Judgment† and â€Å"Awareness.† In the last part of the book, she reveals that the titles of the chapters in the first and second parts are the three levels of the attention system. Chapter one of Jackson’s book focuses on presenting Jackson’s idea on distraction and the role that technology plays in society’s attention, or lack of it. The second, third and fourth chapters reveal what Jackson sees as the three main settings that shelter the problems that encourage the continued lack of attention. In chapter five, Jackson highlights privacy issues, with arguments that revolve around how social media like Facebook and surveillance impact negatively on trust whereby she indicates, â€Å"†¦we are nurturing a culture of social diffusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (94). Chapter six of the book focuses on the written word concerning interaction with individuals. In chapter seven, Jackson questions the impact of technology on society. She leaves the reader to ponder the thought whether machines are evolving to be more like humans or if humans are evolving to be more like machines. The eighth chapter addresses the idea of preservation and the challenges it faces. In the ninth and last chapter, Jackson focuses on the duty and importance of attention. It is in this last chapter that Jackson explains the three networks of the attention system as she offers the solution to distraction. One could argue that Jackson’s move of dividing the chapters under titles is a forced construction. Jackson’s books focus on individuals in United States of America. Despite her sources and facts being from credible sources, a reader outside of the United

MBA sem 1 Essay Example for Free

MBA sem 1 Essay Parts of vision statement 1. The core values are those things very close to your heart that you will not give up at any cost. It can be integrity (for example, I will never cheat on the taxes I have to pay) or quality (I will never use a lower quality wood), etc. Usually we say that you should have only 4 to 6 core values. Of course, personal values and business values may differ. For example, love may be a very important personal value but it may not be so relevant in your business of furniture though it can be relevant if you were having a home for the aged. 2. Core purpose is the purpose of the organization, for example, to make furniture. This is something that you want to achieve within the framework of our core values. It gives the achievement orientation to the business and therefore the focus. When we get an opportunity to expand or sell off and if we are in a decision dilemma, this acts as another light house. we can provide u Fall 2013 fully solved assignment in rs 500/sem . you can make 5 installment of 100-100 rupees thats proof we are not fake. and we have different set of assignment for many student so. smu mba assignment Fall/summer season 2013 sem (I , II , III , IV) in only 500/ sem ( 6 sub) or 100/ question paper. we provide unique assignment. our assignment provide you good marks. call us 08273413412 , 08791490301 or mail us on [emailprotected] web- www.aapkiseva.blogspot.in www.assignmenthelpforall.blogspot.in (b) Differentiate between ‘process’ and ‘tasks’ (Parts of vision statement, Difference between process and tasks) Answer: Processes Process is a set of logical activities that lead to some final or interim output. For example, taking pieces of wood, making it smooth, cutting it, making grooves, connecting them, finishing them, and polishing them are processes to create a table. These have to be done in some logical sequence. This is what a process is. Let us now look at we can provide u Fall 2013 fully solved assignment in rs 500/sem . you can make 5 installment of 100-100 rupees thats proof we are not fake. and we have different set of assignment for many student so. smu mba assignment Fall/summer season 2013 sem (I , II , III , IV) in only 500/ sem ( 6 sub) or 100/ question paper. we provide unique assignment. our assignment provide you good marks. call us 08273413412 , 08791490301 or mail us on [emailprotected] web- www.aapkiseva.blogspot.in www.assignmenthelpforall.blogspot.in Q2. Planning is called as the cornerstone of management. Define planning and describe the importance of planning. Explain the types of planning. (Definition of planning, Importance of planning, Types of planning) 2,3,5 Answer: Definition and Importance of Planning Planning can be defined as a basic management function which enables one to select the purpose of the business, and how the resources should be mustered to achieve that purpose to include using the available resources optimally to do that. Planning implies goal setting for the organization keeping in mind the constraints, opportunities, and threats as much as what the person or business which is planning wants to do. Thus, a plan is a blueprint for goal achievement, a blue print that specifies the necessary resource allocations, schedules, tasks, and other actions to achieve the purpose. A goal is a desired future state that the organization attempts to reach. Goals are important because an organization exists for a purpose, and goals define and state that purpose. Goals specify future ends; plans we can provide u Fall 2013 fully solved assignment in rs 500/sem . you can make 5 installment of 100-100 rupees thats proof we are not fake. and we hav e different set of assignment for many student so. smu mba assignment Fall/summer season 2013 sem (I , II , III , IV) in only 500/ sem ( 6 sub) or 100/ question paper. we provide unique assignment. our assignment provide you good marks. call us 08273413412 , 08791490301 or mail us on [emailprotected] web- www.aapkiseva.blogspot.in www.assignmenthelpforall.blogspot.in Q3. What is meant by ‘span of control’? Differentiate between narrow span of control and wide span of control. What are the factors that influence the span of control? (Meaning of ‘span of control’ ,Difference between narrow span of control and wide span of control, Factors that influence the span of control) 2,3,5 Answer: Span of control The number of subordinates that a manager or supervisor can directly control. This number varies with the type of work: complex, variable work reduces it to six, whereas routine, fixed work increases it to twenty or more. we can provide u Fall 2013 fully solved assignment in rs 500/sem . you can make 5 installment of 100-100 rupees thats proof we are not fake. and we have different set of assignment for many student so. smu mba assignment Fall/summer season 2013 sem (I , II , III , IV) in only 500/ sem ( 6 sub) or 100/ question paper. we provide unique assignment. our assignment provide you good marks. call us 08273413412 , 08791490301 or mail us on [emailprotected] web- www.aapkiseva.blogspot.in www.assignmenthelpforall.blogspot.in Q4 Define Organizational behavior. What are the various approaches to Organizational behavior? (Definition of OB, Approaches to OB) 2, 8 Answer: Definition of OB: OB can be defined as a systematic study that investigates the impact of individuals, groups and organizational factors on productivity to include effectiveness and efficiency, absentee, turnover, organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction. ? By systematic study we mean looking at relationships and attempting to attribute causes and effects, and drawing conclusions based on scientific evidence. ? By productivity we mean a performance measure that includes both effectiveness (achievement of goals) and efficiency (ratio on output versus input required to achieve it). ? By absenteeism we mean failure to report to work especially without informing. ? we can provide u Fall 2013 fully solved assignment in rs 500/sem . you can make 5 installment of 100-100 rupees thats proof we are not fake. and we have different set of assignment for many student so. smu mba assignment Fall/summer season 2013 sem (I , II , III , IV) in only 500/ sem ( 6 sub) or 100/ question paper. we provide unique assignment. our assignment provide you good marks. call us 08273413412 , 08791490301 or ? mail us on [emailprotected] ? web- www.aapkiseva.blogspot.in ? www.assignmenthelpforall.blogspot.in a whole is to function effectively. Q5. Perception is the way we see and interpret things. Explain the importance of such ‘perception’. What are the factors affecting perception? (Importance of perception, Factors affecting perception) 4,6 Answer: Importance of perception Perception is perhaps the most important aspect of OB that we use in our daily life and in management. The importance of perception is: ? While creating vision for an organization, our perception of the future and the way things should be is a deciding factor. ? While making strategy, out perception of the opportunities and threats make us see the same situation differently. ? Perception gives the impetus to seek more information to make more rational decisions e.g., the perception of Rakhi on the situation of the bakery in trouble, made her travel and talk to the employees to gain more information. If she had perceived what the manager did was right or that it is too small a thing to intervene, she would not have made the effort to find out more information. ? we can provide u Fall 2013 fully solved assignment in rs 500/sem . you can make 5 installment of 100-100 rupees thats proof we are not fake. and we have different set of assignment for many student so. smu mba assignment Fall/summer season 2013 sem (I , II , III , IV) in only 500/ sem ( 6 sub) or 100/ question paper. we provide unique assignment. our assignment provide you good marks. call us 08273413412 , 08791490301 or ? mail us on [emailprotected] ? web- www.aapkiseva.blogspot.in ? www.assignmenthelpforall.blogspot.in Q6. Give the definition and importance of ‘motivation’. Describe Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. (Definition of motivation, Importance of motivation, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory) 2,3,5 Answer: Definition and Importance of Motivation Motivation is â€Å"the process that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.† (Robbins, 2003) Intensity is concerned with how hard a person tries. This is the element most of us focus on when we talk about motivation. Directionis the orientation that benefits the organization. And persistence is a measure of how long a person can maintain his/her effort. Motivated individuals stay with a task long enough to achieve their goal. Motivation is important to an individual because: ? Motivation helps to achieve personal goals. ? Motivation gives job satisfaction. ? Motivation helps in self-development of individual. ? An individual would always gain by working with a dynamic team. Collins, James C. and Jerry I. Porras. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. First Paperback Edition. New York: Harper-Collins, 1997. 219-239.

Gordon Wood’s Radicalism of the American Revolution Essay -- Essays on

Gordon Wood’s Radicalism of the American Revolution is a book that extensively covers the origin and ideas preceding the American Revolution. Wood’s account of the Revolution goes beyond the history and timeline of the war and offers a new encompassing look inside the social ideology and economic forces of the war. Wood explains in his book that America went through a two-stage progression to break away from the Monarchical rule of the English. He believes the pioneering revolutionaries were rooted in the belief of an American Republic. However, it was the radical acceptance of democracy that was the final step toward independence. The transformation between becoming a Republic, to ultimately becoming a democracy, is where Wood’s evaluation of the revolution differs from other historians. He contributes such a transformation to the social and economic factors that faced the colonists. While Gordon Wood creates a persuasive argument in his book, he does how ever neglect to consider other contributing factors of the revolution. It is these neglected factors that provide opportunity for criticism of his book. The overall feeling one gets from reading Wood’s book is that republicanism was not a radical concept to the American colonists. Wood believed the American colonists had a deep- rooted concept of Republicanism that existed before revolutionary ideas were conceived. The idea of republicanism could be seen in the colonial belief in independence and self-sacrifice. These principles were the founding forces that led to the beginning of the revolution. Wood would seem to believe that these founding forces were not as radical as the transformation to democratic thought. It is here that Wood points out the â€Å"uncontrolla... ... social and economic forces with those of traditional forces his book would have a better claim on legitimacy. Gordon Wood gives an interesting insight into the Revolution. Overall, I find Wood’s argument to be persuasive and refreshing. There is little doubt that the forces that Wood proclaims as significant in his history of the Revolution are important. However, it is this same concentration on non-traditional forces that leads to my criticism of his book. Wood should not have focused entirely on his commonly overlooked social and economic forces. Instead, he should have combined his insight along with the insight of other traditional forces to give his book a well-rounded theory behind the American Revolution. Work Cited Gordon S. Wood. The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage; Reprint edition. March 2, 1993

A brief analysis of Sir Philip Sidney’s Sonnet Essay

Sir Philip Sidneys Sonnet 7 is from the sonnet sequence Astophel and Stella dating from the sixteenth century. It is a lament by one of the central figures, Astophel, a man who is in love with the other central figure, Stella, who is ultimately unattainable because she is married to another man. In the first few lines of the poem, Astrophil talks about Stellas black eyes and how they beam so bright (ll. 2) and how in beamy black (ll. 3) she radiates beauty. The excerpt chosen begins with Or did she else that sober hue devise,/ In object best to knit and strength our sight, (ll. 5-6) meaning that perhaps her eyes are not only black but she is actually wearing black, and uses this color as an object to help make her more noticeable among other shades and light (ll. 4). The image given here is one of black versus white specifically, beamy black (ll. 3) versus luster shades and light (ll. 4). However, as one would more traditionally see the sparkling shades and light as way of strength[ening] our sight (ll. 6), in this case it is in fact black, that makes her stand out and more noticeable, because she makes it more beautiful than anything else in comparison. In the next two lines Astrophil says, Lest if no veil these brave gleams did disguise,/ They, sun-like, should more dazzle than delight? (ll. 7-8) meaning that if nothing was to cover her black sun-like (ll. 8) eyes it would only further intensify ones confusion rather than just being a source of enjoyment for the onlooker. In the next two lines Astrophil again reiterates how with her miraculous power (ll. 9) she makes black beautys contrary (ll. 10) a source for all beauties [to] flow (ll. 11). Coming to the end of the poem, last three lines suggest that perhaps Stella also has some sort of feelings towards Astrophil, or at least respects the fact that he loves her because it is out of her minding Love (ll. 12) that she wears black her mourning weed (ll. 13) and that she wears it to honour all their deaths who for her bleed (ll. 14) meaning for all of the men who have loved and desired her but could not have her, leaving them emotionally dead. These last lines also help establish not only the ultimate truth that Astrophil and Stella will never in reality be together, but also that the only thing left for Astrophil to do is to desire her and long for her as emotionally otherwise, he is dead and not capable of much else. This theme of men falling in love with the unattainable, or in this case unavailable, woman is quite common in  romantic sonnets. For example, Wyatts Whoso List to Hunt, or even Marlowes The Passionate Shepherd to His Love also describe this longing desire that men have for these women, and ultimately reveals the trials and tribulations they will go through in order to pursue them. ~ The only work consulted during the composition of this essay was the sonnet itself.

A Brief History of Economics Essay

Through his use of dialectical materialism, Marx not only changed the history of economic thought, but found great illumination for himself regarding the bonds of human society. The concept that seems relatively simple in today’s complex economic world was utterly revolutionary in the time of Marx: people develop their ideas about the world (and thereby, their ideas for how society should be organized and stratified) based on the material aspects of their lives. It was an elegant extension of basic Marxist theory: capitalism, according to Marx, is interested in offering naked materialism as a kind of booby prize to make up for the means of production being taken away from the people. If the people can no longer work for themselves and no longer work at perfecting their own craft as individuals, then, as Marx correctly deduced, people would require something to validate their work. This became the center of capitalism, as Marx understood it: materialism exists as a kind of justification for capitalism, and since materialism has permeated our culture to such an extreme degree, eventually social orders began to revolve around it. Hence, what capitalism serves as the cause of what Marx saw as nothing less than ongoing class warfare. It is interesting to note that Marx believed a violent revolution on the part of the proletariat was not simply a possible method of changing things, but actually served as the only method of changing things. This is because materialism was so embedded into class structures (which, in turn, was so embedded in power structures), and the only way for society to functionally survive was for it to become overturned completely. It is also interesting to note the ongoing effect that Marx has had on philosophic thought: materialism had previously been dislodged by Descartes and the famous declaration â€Å"I think, therefore I am;† as far as most people who pondered these things could conclude, thought preceded matter. However, Marx not only brought materialism to the philosophic forefront—the then-controversial idea that material preceded thought—but illustrated the notion that the abstractions of materialism had been concretized by capitalism into purchasable goods. 2: Marx and the Secret Source of Profit Perhaps the most enduring notion of Marx’s is the so-called secret of the source of profit under a capitalistic society†¦though such is Marx’s legacy of intellectual thought, a great many people simply accept this notion as reality: the source of profit is the surplus value that an employer gains from laborers. After all, the means of production have been taken from the people: skilled artisan cobblers have been replaced by factory line workers churning out shoe after shoe after shoe. The money saved by employing this assembly-line method of industrial production becomes pure profit for the employer. Interestingly, Marx tethered this to his own theories on circulating capital—that is, something that does not last, and is used up in the production of other goods and services, in direct opposition to fixed capital, which is traditionally held for over a year by a business or institution. Marx astutely deduced that the distinction between these concepts is not only relative, but arbitrary: the idea that capital held for 365 days is circulating and that capital held for 366 days is fixed is absurd. However, it allows the proletariat to essentially gloss over their own necessity to the entire institution of capitalism: they are led to believe that society is held up by the fixed capital of major investors and their long-term investments. In reality, society is held aloft by the ongoing purchases of the common man (and woman): their disposable income is burned off to provide them a sense that capitalism is worth it†¦it turn, their disposable income is used to make the rich richer, as the cliche goes, all the way up the capitalist pyramid. In Marx’s view, this is one of many ways that those in power forestall the seemingly unavoidable class war that he advocates: those with power—the purchasing power of the common man—are convinced they have none, and are bought off with trinkets. It is interesting to note that this echoes the master/slave morality inversion of Nietzsche. 3: Marginalists and the Economy In the evolution of economic theory, the impact of marginalism cannot be overstated. Once one had accepted the blunt realities of Marx—specifically, that society was organized based on the perceived value of items—the logical question remained: how does one quantify the value of an item? Marginalism illustrated the diminishing returns on the marginal utility of resold products, which dramatically impacted analysis of capitalist economy, the focus of economic analysis, and theories of value and distribution. Regarding the analysis of capitalist economy, marginalism helped solidify the supply and demand notion of economics as that of mainstream economic thought, as opposed to the labor theory of value espoused by Karl Marx. To put it mildly, this has had ongoing economic effects for the last century and a half. The focus of economic analysis shifted accordingly, as marginalism interacted with price theory: this allowed economics to project demand curves utilizing marginal rates of substitution as a means of determining not only when, but why a seller is willing to relinquish a product for a particular price. Perhaps one of the most lasting effects of marginalism on economic thought has been its effect on theories of value and distribution. With the previous measures in place, economists (as well as common people) now had a more-or-less accurate measure of determining the value of any given product in any given social context. Of course, this also effects the ongoing distribution of certain products to certain demographics in order to maximize profitability. Interestingly, this is one of the chief criticisms of marginalism as well: that it is a vague pseudoscience whose intent is to maintain not only the economic status quo, but the appearance of the status quo. It is no surprise, then, that Marxists continue to grapple with marginalist theory: they see it as a means of keeping the proletariat in check, and preventing any uprisings from them. 4: Thorstein Veblen: Survival of the Fattest Thorstein Veblen, for better or worse, specialized in bringing the human element into economic theory. Specifically, he theorized that the institution of the leisure class was a parasite feeding upon America: upon the backs of workers who are actually productive are a class who seek only profit and produce nothing but waste. He essentially created and popularized the notion of conspicuous consumption as the epitome of this theory: that wealthy individuals spend large amounts of money on ostentatious goods whose sole benefit is to publicly display their wealth to the world. Unfortunately, this has become an integral part of the economy: although an engineer might weep at the man spending over a hundred thousand dollars for a car, the American economy would be crippled if conspicuous consumption vanished overnight. Hence, the parasite metaphor: conspicuous consumption and naked profit helps the wealthy to bloat themselves on the backs of the poor until the entire enterprise inevitably crumbles under its own weight. Veblen perceived quite clearly that human notions about the world are social constructs created by individuals, and as time went on, those notions would change, necessitating a change in economic thought as well. He makes frequent comparisons to evolution to further this end: idle curiosity spurs innovation, innovation spurs conflict between the old guard and the innovators, and an economic Darwinism is born. The advent of industry and technological revolutions merely expanded his original point: the parasitic relationship continued unabated, as the innovations of the productive engineer class were inevitably utilized as means of conspicuous consumption and waste on the part of the leisure class. Planes are developed as a result of idle curiosity, for instance, but it is the leisure class that necessitates the invention of first class as a way of displaying their own status in the social hierarchy.

Business and ethics essay part 2

Business and ethics essay part 2 Business and ethics essay part 2 Business and ethics essay part 2Business and ethics   essay part  1Joe Stratford, the narrator of the book was the average realtor before he has got acquainted with Marcus Burns. Joe was quite successful but Marcus has increased his ambitions enormously and raised his egoism into Joe. Joe led a routine life before he has got acquainted with Marcus, who opened the world of great opportunities for Joe, who has already been quite a prosperous person.In such a way, the egoism of the main character has proved to be stronger than his reason. At any rate, in pursuit of even greater wealth he agrees to the partnership of Marcus, which he expected to bring him exorbitant profits. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that Joe was just the mere puppet in hands of Marcus, who used him to make the deal and launch the partnership, which he believed to be prospective and potentially beneficial.Even though Marcus pretends to be friendly with Joe, as his business partner, he apparently does not care about anyone but himself as is the case of the main characters of Glengarry Glen Ross. The egoism of Marcus, as the milestone of his ethics and system of values, becomes obvious, when the partnership’s failure becomes obvious. In fact, the business run by Marcus and Joe is apparently falling apart and future prospects of the company are questionable. In such a situation, Marcus flees and takes all the money of the company with him. In such a way, he betrays his business partner and flees leaving Joe no hope for survival of their business anymore.In such a situation, the egoism of Marcus is obvious and he does not care about anyone but himself. He is apparently aware that he pushes Joe right into the abyss of bankruptcy but still he steals the money and just runs away.On the other hand, Joe is not as good as it may seem to be compared to Marcus. In fact, Joe is driven by the same egoistic concerns as Marcus is and he looks good for readers just because he is not as bad or evil as Marcus is. In this regard, he is just a good among the worst but he is definitely not good in moral terms. For instance, Joe has a love affair with Felicity, a married daughter of his mentor. Obviously, this love affair is a betrayal of his mentor but still Joe puts his personal interests, needs and wants above moral norms and laws. He easily violates them and proves to be a good student of Marcus, who teaches him to do business and live in the world of great opportunities. However, opportunities turn out to be open for the worst and most immoral persons, like Marcus because they take every opportunity regardless of the moral background of their actions. In this regard, egoism is the major, if not to say, the only moral criterion for them. What is good for the main characters of Good Faith at the moment is moral.At the same time, it is still important to place emphasis on the fact that Joe is not absolutely bad. Instead, he used to be good in a way, before he has got acquainted with Marcus. Joe was quite good. At any rate, he recognizes that he grew up in a religious family, where he learned basic moral norms of Christian community but he did not really care about them. On the other hand, he has not violated those moral norms openly before Marcus has arrived. In this regard, it is quite symbolic that his love affair with Felicity starts after his acquaintance with Marcus, as if Marcus has corrupted Joe and made him slipping to the wrong way and immoral lifestyle.In such a way, Marcus and other puppeteers from the film, like Moss, are immoral agents, who are ready to act immorally to meet their egoistic ambitions and goals. In fact, they pursue their personal interests and benefits but they turn out to be contagious in their egoism and the strife for their personal well-being regardless of needs and interests of other people. On following their lead, their puppets, like Joe, Levene and others, also turn out to be highly egoistic and pursuing their own well-being with disregard to the well-being of other people or to existing moral norms and standards.Thus, egoism turns out to be the mainstream ethical theoretical framework which determines the life, actions and decisions taken by the main characters of the film Glengarry Glen Ross and the book Good Faith. The main characters of the book and the film are quite different. Some of them look to be quite good at first, as is the case of Joe or Levene. However, under the impact of evil geniuses, like Marcus or Moss, even those characters, who seem to be good, turn out into immoral characters, who violate existing moral and ethical norms and are ready to violate legal norms and rules. In this regard, puppeteers, like Moss and Marcus, stand on the egoistic ground and view their well-being as the only moral criterion for their decisions and actions and they teach this philosophy to other characters. Remarkably, other characters learn this lesson fast and also slip to the immoral way of life. Symbolically, both the director of the film and the author of the book show that their egoistic way of life is the way to nowhere since their egoism brings them no good. On the contrary, in their pursuit of the personal well-being and success, the main characters become absolutely corrupted and ready to violate not only moral but also legal norms and rules.

How to Manage Invasive Insects in Firewood

How to Manage Invasive Insects in Firewood Nothings nicer on a cold winter day than sitting in front of a roaring wood fire in the fireplace. When you bring that firewood indoors, you might be bringing bugs indoors, too. Heres what you need to know about insects in firewood and how to keep them from coming inside. What Kinds of Insects Live in Firewood? Firewood often houses beetles, both under the bark and inside the wood. When firewood contains beetle larvae, adults may emerge as long as two years after the wood was cut. Longhorned beetle larvae usually live under the bark, in irregular tunnels. Boring beetle larvae make winding tunnels loaded with sawdust-like frass. Bark and ambrosia beetles typically infest freshly cut wood. Dry firewood may attract carpenter bees, which nest in the wood. Horntail wasps lay their eggs in wood, where the larvae develop. Sometimes adult horntail wasps emerge from firewood when its brought indoors. You dont need to worry about them stinging or damaging your home, should one surprise you. If firewood is still damp or stored in contact with the ground, it may attract a number of other insects. Carpenter ants and termites, both social insects, may make their homes in a pile of firewood. Critters that migrate into the wood from the ground include sowbugs, millipedes, centipedes, pillbugs, springtails, and bark lice. Can These Insects Damage My Home? Few insects that live in firewood will cause damage to your home. The structural lumber in your homes walls is much too dry to sustain them. As long as you dont store firewood inside your home, you shouldnt worry about insects from firewood infesting your house. Avoid keeping firewood in a damp garage or basement, where structural wood might have enough moisture to attract some insects. If insects do come indoors with the wood, just use a vacuum to remove them. Do be careful about where you store your wood outdoors. If you place stacks of firewood right up against your house, you are asking for termite trouble. Also, be aware that if the firewood contains beetle larvae or adults, the beetles may emerge and head for the nearest trees- the ones in your yard. How to Keep (Most) Bugs out of Your Firewood The best thing you can do to avoid insect infestations in your firewood is to dry it quickly. The drier the wood, the less hospitable it is to most insects. Proper storage of firewood is key. Try to avoid harvesting wood when insects are most active, from April to October. By cutting down trees in winter months, you will lessen the risk of bringing home infested logs. Fresh cut logs invite insects to move in, so remove the wood from the forest as soon as possible. Cut wood into smaller logs before storing it. The more surfaces exposed to the air, the quicker the wood will cure. Firewood should be covered to keep out moisture. Ideally, wood should be raised off the ground, too. Keep some air space under the cover and under the pile to allow airflow and quicker drying. Never treat firewood with pesticides. The more common firewood insects, beetles, typically bore into the wood and wont be affected by surface treatments anyway. Burning logs that have been sprayed with chemicals is a health hazard and could expose you to toxic fumes. Stop the Spread of Invasive Insects Invasive insects, such as the Asian longhorned beetle and the emerald ash borer, can be transported to new areas in firewood. These pests threaten our native trees, and every precaution should be taken to contain them.   Always obtain your firewood locally. Firewood from other areas could harbor these invasive pests ​and has the potential to create a new infestation where you live or camp. Most experts recommend that no firewood be moved more than 50 miles from its origin. If you are planning a camping trip away from home, dont bring your own firewood with you. Purchase wood from a local source near the camping area.

Learn About Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Learn About Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro is the capital city of the state of Rio de Janeiro and is the  second largest city in the South American country of Brazil. Rio as the city is commonly abbreviated is also the third largest metropolitan area in Brazil. It is considered one of the main tourist destinations in the Southern Hemisphere and is famous for its beaches, Carnaval celebration and various landmarks such as the statue of Christ the Redeemer.The City of Rio de Janeiro is nicknamed the Marvelous City and has been named a Global City. For reference, a Global City is one that is considered to be a significant node in the global economy.The following is a list of the ten most important things to know about Rio de Janeiro:1) Europeans first landed on present-day Rio de Janeiro in 1502 when a Portuguese expedition headed by Pedro lvares Cabral reached Guanabara Bay. Sixty-three years later, on March 1, 1565, the city of Rio de Janeiro was officially founded by the Portuguese.2) Rio de Janeiro served as the capital city of Brazil from 1763-1815 during the Portuguese Colonial Era, from 1815-1821 as the capital of the United Kingdom of Portugal and from 1822-1960 as an independent nation. 3) The City of Rio de Janeiro is located on Brazils Atlantic coast near the Tropic of Capricorn. The city itself is built on an inlet in the western portion of Guanabara Bay. The entrance to the bay is distinct because of a 1,299 foot (396 m) mountain called Sugarloaf.4) Rio de Janeiros climate is considered tropical savanna and has a rainy season from December to March. Along the coast, temperatures are moderated by sea breezes from the Atlantic Ocean but inland temperatures can reach 100 °F (37 °C) during summer. In the fall, Rio de Janeiro is also affected by cold fronts advancing north from the Antarctic region which can often cause sudden weather changes.5) As of 2008, Rio de Janeiro had a population of 6,093,472 which makes it the second largest city on Brazil behind So Paulo. The population density of the city is 12,382 persons per square mile (4,557 people per sq km) and the metropolitan area has a total population of around 14,387,000.6) The City of Rio de Janeiro is bro ken down into four districts. The first of these is downtown which consists of the historic downtown center, has various historic landmarks and is the financial center of the city. The south zone is Rio de Janeiros tourist and commercial zone and it is home to the citys most famous beaches such as Ipanema and Copacabana. The north zone has many residential areas but it is also home to the Maracan Stadium, which was once the worlds largest soccer stadium. Finally, the west zone is the farthest from the city center and is thus more industrial than the rest of the city.7) Rio de Janeiro is Brazils second largest city in terms of industrial production as well as its financial and service industries behind So Paulo. The citys main industries include chemicals, petroleum, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, textiles, clothing and furniture.8) Tourism is also a large industry in Rio de Janeiro. The city is Brazils main tourist attraction and it also receives more international visits per year than any other city in South America with around 2.82 million. 9) Rio de Janeiro is considered the cultural capital of Brazil because of its combination of historic and modern architecture, its more than 50 museums, popularity of music and literature, and its yearly Carnaval celebration.10) On October 2, 2009, the International Olympic Committee selected Rio de Janeiro as the location for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. It will be the first South American city to host the Olympic Games. Reference Wikipedia. (2010, March 27). Rio de Janiero. Wikipedia- the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro

Financial Crisis and Lehman Brother Collapse Essay - 1

Financial Crisis and Lehman Brother Collapse - Essay Example To this end, the paper will critically evaluate all the factors responsible for the global financial crisis and identify whether there were factors that were only related to the financial sector or not. The paper will therefore conclude on whether the financial sector was solely responsible or not Financial Retail Products and the Profit Motive Prior to the financial crisis of 2007, it was believed that mass marketing of retail financial products in high income countries after the early 1980s was safe (Froud, Johal, Montgomerie, & Williams, 2010). This was a general belief that this constituted the democratization of finance and ownership in modern Capitalist society. This is because poor people and middle class persons who could not normally afford to own some kinds of properties could acquire properties through the acquisition of various financial products and services. The supporters of this school of thought believed that it was a shared framework that enabled all people in the society to own what they wanted to own. â€Å"Mainstream finance represented financial innovation in circular and technological terms as that which perfected the market.† (Engelen, Erturk, Froud, Leaver, & Williams, 2008, p. 4). This means that the growth of technology and the enhancement of the financial sector led to the growth and expansion of the debt systems and debt structures (Froud J. , Johal, Montgomerie, & Williams, 2009). This grew the trend of financial intermediation and created more financial retail products. However, this process gave way for the evils of exploitation by numerous financial intermediaries (Froud, Johal, Montgomerie, & Williams, 2010). This created a major problem that fed into the system of the credit crunch. â€Å"Empirical evidence of the United States shows that extension of credit and asset ownership in an unequal society is self defeating because it does not abolish the tyranny of

Built to Last written by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras Essay

Built to Last written by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras - Essay Example They had been in the business for a long time and had proved that they were solid and not some one-song wonder. The best thing about your book was the criteria that set some firms apart from others. It was good to see that these visionary firms had been selected on the basis of some important traits. I totally agree with the criteria. These firms had to premier institution in their industry, admired by well-known business people and left an impression on the world. All the firms you had chosen did meet that criteria, for example Motorola, Merck and GE had all been extremely successful firms. But things changed for some of them and reading your book now, I feel that some of them wouldn't make it to the list again. For example Motorola is no longer the premier institution, Merck had struggled with its position as well. But there are also the winners such as Procter and Gamble and GE that continue to outperform their competitors. But they might not meet all the standards set for a visionary company. For me today, a visionary company would include some relatively small firms that have earned the respect and awe of public and rivals alike. And my list wouldn't include the big names like Philip Morris or Wal-Mart because there has been severe criticism against their practices.

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 68

Journal - Essay Example Initially, the writer gives an overview of the case and accusations, as well as charges faced by Ziegler, a supervisor in Montgomery. Then, the author of this article breaks down the accusations one by one explaining how they happened and how Ziegler participated in approving to pay bills to cover for the purchases he made in his favor. This helps in understanding the story better because, without the explanations, it would be hard to comprehend how those absurd charges came to be. Another part of the story that captured my attention is the employee’s comment when asked why he gave Ziegler a tank of propane. Heydt made it clear that he had to do it because his boss said so. The author uses this to highlight how bosses misuse their position to gain loyalty from employees. Employees become loyal because of fear of losing their jobs. Though this story would not pass for a national headline in the front pages, the presentation is interesting, and it succeeds in reaching the target

Jon Benet Ramsey Murder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jon Benet Ramsey Murder - Essay Example She was a little girl who died tragically at the hands of someone who treated her with disrespect and violence. The story of the investigation is clouded by the shadows of media that formed and shaped public’s knowledge and opinions, leading to more tragedy and sorrow that for quite some time, just never seemed to end. JonBenet Ramsey was six years old when in 1996 she went missing from her boulder Colorado home, only to be found eight hours after she was reported missing in the basement of her family. This tiny little girl became a cause, finding celebrity after death as her family was scrutinized, vilified, and sympathized with depending on the mood of the media that swarmed the investigation of her death. The child had been bludgeoned and strangled. The speculations about who killed her were first focused on her mother, her father, and her brother; although in 2008 they were all vindicated through DNA evidence (Pelisek). The story of the crime begins with JonBenet’s mother, Patricia, finding three yellow pieces of paper from which the first page informed her â€Å"Mr. Ramsey†¦we have your daughter† (Smith 3). The rest of the information included a request for $118,000, the same amount of a recent bonus that JonBenet’s father John had received and that they should not call the police. A threat was made against the child to encourage their cooperation with the kidnappers, that JonBenet would be beheaded if they failed to comply. The first thing that Patricia did was to call the police, at 5:52am December 26, and report her daughter as missing (Smith 4). The Boulder Police responded immediately, and the FBI followed quickly behind them, kidnapping being a federal offense and under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1995, the FBI had reported only a handful of kidnapping cases, but 22,000 homicides, so the investigation of a kidnapping was not a routine activity, even for the FBI (Smith 4). The Ramseys br ought three people into the home as the authorities did their best to work the case. They called their minister, the family doctor, and a friend who was a lawyer. These three people arrived before the Boulder Police had arrived (Smith 5). During the time that the FBI was setting up for the encounter that John Ramsey would have with the kidnappers, the Boulder Police began to tour the home, finding the security system still on and with no tampering being evident. The perpetrator either knew the system intimately, or had the skills to circumvent the system (Smith 6). John Ramsey refused to let the police search the home without a warrant, but this may be more to do with the influence of his attorney friend, Fleet White, who may have for legal reasons been insisting that all be done with legal structures. The police suggested that Mr. Ramsey search his own house, and this is when he found his daughter, covered with a blanket, duct tape on her neck and mouth, and with a nylon cord aroun d her neck which had a stick twisted in it to use as a garrote. The child’s head had been bashed in and there were clear signs that she had been sexually abused because of blood and bruising that was evident. On the 27th of December, the police asked the Ramseys to all give investigative samples in order to rule them out as suspects in the murder. Hair, nails, and fingerprints were all gathered in order to keep as reference towards any of the evidence that the authorities could discover. Samples of handwriting were taken in order to compare

Demand in Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Demand in Health Care - Essay Example People, particularly those suffering from life threatening diseases, need treatment. Regardless of how much it costs or whether a patient can afford it with his income, the treatment is imperative. Demand is different. There are choices involved in decisions to buy services. For instance, a patient with an eye problem decides to forego an expensive eye surgery and opt to use eye glasses instead. The cost of the operation forces the patient to use a much cheaper alternative since the condition can also be remedied, at least up to a point that the condition does not lead to permanent blindness or some fatal complication. The previous example demonstrates the so-called demand curve. According to Getzen, "the demand curve shows how many patients are willing to buy at a current price and also at other potential prices" (p.27). The model, which shows a downward slope, depicts how more people are inclined to purchase goods and services as its cost drops down. Here, it is clear that purchase decisions or demands are determined by the price. But price, in purely economic terms, is not the only factor involved in demand. The manner by this variable factor in peoples decisions is also driven by the concept of scarcity and value, which is determined by the quantity and quality of and need for the product or service. In my experience, demand always figure prominently in peoples healthcare decisions. Patients are often free to choose from different doctors according to cost, value and even cultural considerations. This is because there is no scarcity of professionals. Elastic demand could emerge in this situation. Doctors could lower their prices so that demand is stimulated. However, the choice is constrained for those doctors with rare specializations such as those in rare genetic diseases. This is also true for anesthesiologists who do not have any close substitutes (Feldstein, 2011, p.29). There are areas wherein these specialists form a group, monopolizing

Jon Benet Ramsey Murder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jon Benet Ramsey Murder - Essay Example She was a little girl who died tragically at the hands of someone who treated her with disrespect and violence. The story of the investigation is clouded by the shadows of media that formed and shaped public’s knowledge and opinions, leading to more tragedy and sorrow that for quite some time, just never seemed to end. JonBenet Ramsey was six years old when in 1996 she went missing from her boulder Colorado home, only to be found eight hours after she was reported missing in the basement of her family. This tiny little girl became a cause, finding celebrity after death as her family was scrutinized, vilified, and sympathized with depending on the mood of the media that swarmed the investigation of her death. The child had been bludgeoned and strangled. The speculations about who killed her were first focused on her mother, her father, and her brother; although in 2008 they were all vindicated through DNA evidence (Pelisek). The story of the crime begins with JonBenet’s mother, Patricia, finding three yellow pieces of paper from which the first page informed her â€Å"Mr. Ramsey†¦we have your daughter† (Smith 3). The rest of the information included a request for $118,000, the same amount of a recent bonus that JonBenet’s father John had received and that they should not call the police. A threat was made against the child to encourage their cooperation with the kidnappers, that JonBenet would be beheaded if they failed to comply. The first thing that Patricia did was to call the police, at 5:52am December 26, and report her daughter as missing (Smith 4). The Boulder Police responded immediately, and the FBI followed quickly behind them, kidnapping being a federal offense and under the jurisdiction of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1995, the FBI had reported only a handful of kidnapping cases, but 22,000 homicides, so the investigation of a kidnapping was not a routine activity, even for the FBI (Smith 4). The Ramseys br ought three people into the home as the authorities did their best to work the case. They called their minister, the family doctor, and a friend who was a lawyer. These three people arrived before the Boulder Police had arrived (Smith 5). During the time that the FBI was setting up for the encounter that John Ramsey would have with the kidnappers, the Boulder Police began to tour the home, finding the security system still on and with no tampering being evident. The perpetrator either knew the system intimately, or had the skills to circumvent the system (Smith 6). John Ramsey refused to let the police search the home without a warrant, but this may be more to do with the influence of his attorney friend, Fleet White, who may have for legal reasons been insisting that all be done with legal structures. The police suggested that Mr. Ramsey search his own house, and this is when he found his daughter, covered with a blanket, duct tape on her neck and mouth, and with a nylon cord aroun d her neck which had a stick twisted in it to use as a garrote. The child’s head had been bashed in and there were clear signs that she had been sexually abused because of blood and bruising that was evident. On the 27th of December, the police asked the Ramseys to all give investigative samples in order to rule them out as suspects in the murder. Hair, nails, and fingerprints were all gathered in order to keep as reference towards any of the evidence that the authorities could discover. Samples of handwriting were taken in order to compare

Ozone hole Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Ozone hole - Essay Example This layer does absorb 97 percent to 99 percent of the high-frequency ultraviolet light of the sun which can be possibly destructive to the life on earth. More that 90 percent of the ozone within the earth’s atmosphere is existing here â€Å"comparatively high† meaning several parts/million- considerably higher than concentrations within the lower atmosphere, however, still lesser compared to the key atmospheric components. Its location is approximately 15 to 35 km above the surface of the earth in the hemispheres lower portion (Charles, 2014). This thickness varies geographically as well as seasonally. As mentioned earlier, prevents disastrous destruction of the life on earth through absorption of the harmful incoming sun’s ultraviolet (UV) potion hence minimizing this light’s amount that reaches the surface of the earth (Paul, 2009). Such natural sunlight buffering is quite advantageous since the ultraviolet light of high energy is capable of penetrating uppermost skin layers.as a result, cells might end up damaged which is explained through sunburn as well as more threateningly, genetic material which resides within every cell (DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid) destruction. Damage of some DNA within skin cells by such ultraviolet light is associated with certain cancers development. Observation of the ozone hall has for a long time been done with great seriousness. Images of satellite offer observers the ozone’s every day images over Antarctic region (Enviromental Protection Agency, 2010). The winter population of humans of the Antarctic comprise of researchers in several hundreds. These researchers get protection from the UV light which has increased from warm winter clothing, hence the ozone layer health effect concerns are minimal. The ozone hole’s existence as well as its increased size through 1990s up till 2006, the time when this hole was ever largest recorded, has come to be a great concern for researchers who study human activity

Peru Essay Example for Free

Peru Essay The country of Peru is entrenched in a colourful history of wonder and innovation. This South American country has a diverse array of cultures, lands, foods and languages amoung other distinct and unique attractions. Peru is best known for its Incan mystical historic site, Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines. Peru also consists of the world’s highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca which it shares with Bolivia. Despite Peru’s large pallet of exclusive appeals however, it does have internal problems in relation with its socio-economic realm; which has hindered its advancement as a society in many ways. Some problems in Peru revolve around poverty, a growing gap in inequality, and extreme debt to foreign corporations and organization such as the International Monetary Fund. Due to these problems and many others Peru remains a developing nation. This report will consist of four sections that will fully explore Peru and its people. The four sections are geography, society, economy, and the political system of Peru. Geography: Peru as a whole has an area of 1,285,216 km? in its territory. The countries of Ecuador (1,529 km border) and Colombia (1,506 km) border Peru to the north, while Brazil (border 2,822 km) and Bolivia (1,047 km) border Peru to the east. Chile (border 169 km) and Bolivia also border Peru to the south. Peru’s landscape can be best classified by three distinct regions. These regions are made up of a coastal region running parallel to the Pacific Ocean sea line, the highlands (the Andes), and the Eastern lowlands more specifically the jungle (the Amazon). Each section is distinct in its own characteristics which make Peru a diverse country. The coastal region of Peru houses Peru’s capital Lima amoung other large cities (such as Trujillo, and Chiclayo). This region is paramount for aquatic life and rich in gorgeous beaches. The highland region of Peru contains the Andes Mountains. This region is most known for the city of Cuzco (the highest above sea level city in the world). The land located there is also rich in valuable minerals (such as gold, copper, silver, gold, petroleum, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash which in turn has attracted a lot of corporations) . This region is also known for Machu Picchu, which is a historic landmark where the nobles and kings of the Incan empire once lived (the indigenous Peruvians). This site is also considered to be a mystical spot, a centre of worship, and an astronomic observatory for the Incas that have attracted a lot of tourists . Along the slopes of this region also lies the Altiplano plateau (a dry basin). This region more specifically is located near southeastern Peru. This section also borders Chile and is known for the Atacama Desert (the driest place on earth). In this desert located between the coastal region and the Andes lies Nazca. This land is also very famous for its ‘Nazca lines’. These lines are massive imprints of animal figures and other designs stretching across the desert which have remained there for centuries. To the East of Peru lies a massive tropical jungle named the Amazon Forest (the biggest in the world, it is as large as Western Europe or the whole of the US) . The Amazonian forest is the habitat of thousands of different species of animals and plants. It also is famous for medicines found there. The Amazon also contains one of the biggest rivers in the world named the Amazon River ‘its length lies anywhere between 6,259 km (3,889 miles) and 6,800 km (4,225 miles). It has over 1,000 tributaries, 8 of which are over 2,000 kilometers’ . To the very South of Peru integrated with Bolivia is Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable above sea level lake in the world) . Geographically Peru is very rich in resources and beauty, but for that same reason Peru faces significant environmental and political consequences. Some problems associated with Peru and its land is deforestation (some the result of illegal logging mostly in the Amazon regions); overgrazing of the slopes of the costal region and highland region leading to soil erosion; desertification; and other hazards such as air pollution especially in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes . These problems have greatly limited Peru from retaining a healthy and secure environment for its citizens. Despite Peru’s problems with its environment, the majority of the Peruvian society cannot be completely held responsible. There are issues (such as powerful politicians and foreign investors) which greatly deprive Peruvian citizens from having the ability to truly govern themselves. Society: Peruvian society is highly stratified between the rich and the poor. Peru’s total population consists of 27,167,000 inhabitants. 71% of which subsists in urban areas while 29% of Peru’s total population lives in rural areas. There is a distinct difference in quality of life between the Peruvians who live in urban areas versus the people who live in rural areas (which is predominately poorer). Peru’s ethnicities are mainly divided by Amerindian 45%, mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 37%, white 15%, black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%. The official languages of Peru are Spanish (official), Quechua (official, spoken by the indigenous), and Aymara. The Spanish language in Peru is predominately used due to Peru’s history of colonization by Spain during the 1520s. Also because of the colonization of Peru, 90% of the Peruvian population is Roman Catholic. Peru in terms of specific characteristics of their overall population is quite common for a third world. According to the World Bank the average life expectancy for a Peruvian citizen is seven one years old. According to the World Health Organization, the life expectancy for most males in Peru is sixty-eight years old. While for females seventy-three years old is the most common age of death. The World Health Organization also explains that in Peru child mortality rates per thousand people are thirty-six for males and thirty-two for females; and for adults it is one-hundred and ninety-three for males, and one-hundred and thirty-three for females. Uncommon however to most third world countries, Peru’s literacy rates above the age of fifteen who can read and write for all of Peru’s population is 88% (95. 2% for males, and 86. 8% for females). For the most part, Peru’s social situation is extremely interconnected with Peru’s economy and its division of power. Economy: Peru’s economy is very dependent on foreign investment and aid. Like most developing nations, Peru is rich in natural resources, but poor in efficiency in retaining economic sovereignty in relation to the international market. Peru is heavily into debt with foreign corporations. According to the World Bank, as of 2006 Peru’s total debt per GDP was 30. 2 billion dollars US. According to the same source Peru’s total debt in service and exports as of 2006 was 12. 9 billion dollars US. This massive debt that Peru is chained to drastically diminishes Peru’s ability to have true sovereignty and the ability to provide the best interests for its people. For this reason 11% of Peru’s population lives below one dollar US per day (1995-2005) . But although a lot of Peruvians live in poverty, the country’s economic growth rate has been going up. It was said by Peru’s â€Å"Economy and Finance Minister Luis Carranza †¦ that Peru’s 2007 economic growth was 8. 3 percent, the highest since 1994† . This ironic actuality exposes the degree of inequality in Peru. If the nation itself seems to be improving, then so should the conditions of its people; but this is not true in this case. From a purely economics standpoint the World Bank dictates that Peru’s annual average annual growth of GDP per capita was 7. % in 2007. The World Bank also states that Peru’s main economic centers and industries are set up as follows: By percent of GDP, Peru’s agriculture sector is 6. 3%, the industry sector is 35. 2%, the manufacturing sector 15. 1% and Peru’s biggest sector being services accounts for 58. 5%. To give a better idea of what Peru offers to the international market in terms of exports, Peru is ‘the worlds leading silver producer and ranks second in copper and zinc†¦ Among other products, Peru is a global supplier of asparagus, fish, grapes, and organic bananas’ . These statistics show that Peru does have the ability to compete in the international market if it could set its own prices for the goods it exports and if it were not in debt to international organizations. But because Peru must oblige to institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization, Peru has no chance of removing the shackles of foreign power. Political System: Peru politically is a republic and contains a multi-party system that sponsors a president. The capital of Peru is Lima, and it is here where the President of Peru Mr. Alan Garcia Perez situates his reign . The major political parties in Peru are the Peruvian Aprista Party or PAP (Alan Garcia Perez is the leader of this party); the Independent Moralizing Front or FIM; the National Unity (Unidad Nacional) or UN; Peru Posible or PP; Popular Action or AP; Solucion Popular; Somos Peru or SP; and the Union for Peru or UPP. Peru has a democratic system where a president is elected through a party. The government similar to the North is divided into three branches the Executive, the Legislative made up by 120 members of the Congress who are elected for a five year-period; and the Judiciary, made up by the Supreme Court. Peru politically is in turmoil with its people. There are many groups such as the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) who oppose the neo-liberal type of government in Peru. Peru does have free democratic elects but history has shown in Peru (especially with president Fujimori) that most politicians have become corrupt and weak to foreign influences (especially the USA). To conclude the Peruvian people need to come together to conquer the influence of Western capitalism, inequality, and the rule of the elites in Peru. If Peru ever wishes to become truly independent and fair for all its citizens it must break off ties with dominating international organizations and nationalize a lot of its markets. Only when Peru is free of debt and agreements which favor the wealthy of Peru instead of all of its citizens will Peru find true development. Peru must utilize its vast amount of resources to help all of its citizens not just the elite.

Company Background History Of Honda Motors

Company Background History Of Honda Motors Honda Motor Co., Ltd, Japanese Multinational Corporation, known as a manufacturer of Automobiles and Motorcycles, was found on 24th September 1948 by Mr. Soichiro Honda and Mr. Takeo Fujisawa. Honda in Japanese literal meaning is root field or origin field. Mr. Soichiro worked as a mechanic at Japanese tuning shop, Art Shokai, since in his young age. Then in a self-taught engineer, he designed his first drafts of piston design and sold to Toyota, but it was rejected. Because of shortage of gasoline during World War II, he was not able to develop in producing the car. After that he established The Honda Technical Research Institution in Japan of small engine for 2 bicycles. And his first motorcycle was Honda Cub; first automobile was T360 mini pick-up truck. PRODUCTS BRAND Automobile Hondas global lineup consists of the Fit, Civic, Accord, Insight, CR-V, and Odyssey. An early proponent of developing vehicles to cater to different needs and markets worldwide, Hondas lineup varies by country and may feature vehicles exclusive to that region. Moreover, Honda entered Formula One as a constructor for the first time in the 1964 season at the German Grand Prix with Ronnie Bucknum at the wheel. Some of Honda vehicle models are 2000-2006 Honda Insight (53 mpg-US/4.4 L/100 km; 64 mpg-imp combined), 1986-1987 Honda Civic Coupe HF (46 mpg-US/5.1 L/100 km; 55 mpg-imp combined), 1994-1995 Honda Civic hatchback VX (43 mpg-US/5.5 L/100 km; 52 mpg-imp mpg combined), 2006- Honda Civic Hybrid (42 mpg-US/5.6 L/100 km; 50 mpg-imp combined), and 2010- Honda Insight (41 mpg-US/5.7 L/100 km; 49 mpg-imp combined). Motorcycles Being the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Japan, Honda started its production in 1955. Honda reached its peak in 1892 for manufacturing almost 3 million motorcycles annually. By 2006 this figure had reduced to around 550,000 but was still higher than its three domestic competitors. Honda also appeared in the Motorsports called Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in 1982. The company combines participation in motorcycle races throughout the world with the development of high potential racing machines. Its racing activities are an important source for the creation of leading edge technologies used in the development of Honda motorcycles. HRC also contributes to the advancement of motorcycle sports through a range of activities that include sales of production racing motorcycles, support for satellite teams, and rider education programs. Some of Honda Motorcycles Models are Honda CD 70, CD 100, and CG 125. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda). Power product Engine The company started engine production in 1953 with H-type. Honda power equipments reached record sales in 2007 with 6,4 million units. Its quality completes line of generators for commercial and consumer applications. All Honda Generators meet or exceed EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) emission standards. Some of Power Equipments are EU1000iA, EU2000iA Camo, and EU6500iSA. Honda is also the worlds largest manufacturer of engines and has earned its reputation for unsurpassed quality, performance and reliability. The purpose engines are designed to meet or exceed the demands of the customers through advanced engine technology, quality components and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities throughout the world. Honda Engine Products are GC160, GCV160, iGX340, and iGX440. Robots ASIMO is a robot developed under Hondas Research Development robotics program. It is the eleventh in a line of successive builds starting in 1986 with Honda E0 moving through the ensuing Honda E series and the Honda P series. Honda has also pioneered new technology in its HA-420 HondaJet that allows new levels of reduced drag, increased aerodynamics and fuel efficiency thus reducing operating costs. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda). SWOT TABLE Strengths à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High and powerful research and development RD à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Innovation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Best market share leadership à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Strong and powerful brand equity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Different and unique products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ One major strength is the revolutionary engine technology with the help of which Honda is gaining success day by day à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Popularity is termed as one of the best strength which results in betterment for the company Weaknesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cost structure of Honda is high as compare to other automobile manufacturers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Apart from Nissan Toyota, Honda requires privileged purchase deposit à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Honda focus more on international deposits as compare to domestic deposits à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Civic model is consider as one of the major weakness for Honda Company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Honda products are termed as inoffensive in terms of style and design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prices for non-luxury vehicles are far high as compare to other manufacturers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ In truck line, Honda Company is not offering strong products and proposals Opportunities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Honda has the best opportunity to use its RD in producing cars according to the needs and demands of their customer. This is only possible because of the increase in demand for less pollution cars. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Emerging market is one of the best opportunity for this company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Various models are there which caters the lower segment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fuel efficiency is now a days termed as one of the best opportunity which can results in the best productivity for the company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Alliances are the best opportunities for Honda Company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Honda can increase its production by focusing on sales and research à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ They can gain more popularity by doing better research and development Threats à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ One of the major threat is the economic slowdown à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ All the external changes for instance taxes, politics as well as government are the major threats for Honda Company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Another threat is the lower cost competitors à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Price war is also consider as an important threat for this company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Oil pricesare contributing a lot towards the loss of Honda company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Second movers are the major threat for Honda company à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Substitute products are the major threats for the Honda company EMPLOYMENT SUBSIDIARIES Business of Honda Motor Co., Ltd are Automobiles, Motorcycles, Financial Service and Power products. According to fiscal report in 2006, around the world this company employed 144,785 employees. 28,783 employees worked in Motorcycle Business field. 105, 623 employees worked in Automobile Business field. 1,921 employees worked in Financial Service Business field. And 8,458 employees worked in Power Product and Others Business field. Its head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. It contains many subsidiaries around the world such as Europe (UK, Spain, Germany, Bdellium, France and Italy), Asia (Japan, China, Taiwan, Thai, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India Pakistan, and Philippine), North Africa (USA, Canada, and Mexico) and others (Brazil, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand). Due to net sale report in 2007, regularly income of Honda in Europe is 1,236,757 million yen, 5,980,876 million yen in North Africa, 2,964,344 million yen in Asia, and 905,163 million yen in others. Sale report ch art in 2007 category by region: COMPETITOR There are many competitor of the company. Automobile: Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Auto sale (Chevrolet), Camko Motor (Hyundai), Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, Kia Motors and RM Asia (Ford). Motorcycle: Yamaha and Suzuki. III. COMPANY STUCTURE STAFF MOTIVATION Honda motivation system provide as below: + Training course for specific skill to abroad: staffs need to work for the company at least two year after coming back + Annual increasing salary: evaluation staff (A= 15%, B= 10%, C=5% of their current salary) +Annual bonus: evaluation staff (A= 100%, B= 85%, C=75% of their current salary) + Insurances: health insurance and life insurance + Disability: non discrimination + Paid time off (Overtime paid) + Retirement plan + Provide associate and their families IV. MANAGEMENT STUCTURE Honda is multinational company. It integrates itself into many part of the World in many different forms of management to adapt to the real environment. This flexible management style allows Honda to gain great benefits from their investment. Moreover, through this system of glocalization, Honda is still a strong company among its competitors. V. FINANCIAL STATUS Financial report Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and Subsidiaries Years ended March 31 2009 (http://khuram.synthasite.com)

the aztecs Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Aztecs Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The tribe in which I will be researching is the Aztecs tribe. I plan to find out the answers to the questions below. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Where they lived? 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their religions? 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What they ate? 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some of their beliefs? 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What life was like? The Aztecs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Indian tribe I am studying is the Aztecs. I plan on answering questions such as what life was like, what they ate, how they dressed, what their religions were, and many other questions which I intended on finding out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I learned many interesting facts about the Aztecs. And a few of the most interesting facts in which I learned are that the Aztecs believed deeply in sacrifices, and would capture prisoners of another tribe of war, and would make them climb a pyramid and at the top they would have their heart cut out from their chest and burned as an offering to their gods. (Unstead, 9&10.) The Aztecs had many gods, which they believed in. The two chief gods were Oretecuhtlick and Orecihuatl. They were the lord and the lady of creation. They had four sons who would be the creators of the other gods. (Unstead, 8&9.) The Aztecs believed in a god for everything. There was a food god, a sun god, a water god, a moon god, even a god for their clothing. &n...

McCrae and Costa’s Concept of Introversion Essay

1.According to McCrae and Costa, Neuroticism are factors or traits characterized by anxiousness, depression, tension, irrational behavior, moodiness, low self-esteem, guilt feelings, worriedness, insecurity nervousness and are high strung. Sabrina would score high in neuroticism because she possesses some of the traits or factors. In the case study, Sabrina is insecure and has a low self-esteem because she is not satisfied with her body and she wishes to have surgery to correct her supposed â€Å"defects† such as her nose too big, her small breast, she looks fat even though she is not, she also wants to look less African-American . 2.Openness to experience according to McCrae and Costa is characterized by factors such as originality, independence, creativity and a daring attitude. Sabrina would also score high on this because she is very original and creative, an example is that when Sabrina dresses up for her job as a waitress, she tries out different roles; wearing loud, flamboyant and gregarious outfits in order to perfect her acting skills. She is also very daring and independent; Sabrina likes to try new things, such as dressing in the bohemian way and incorporating African-American styles as well, she also tries different foods which include Ethiopian food, and she also loves to travel. 3.McCrae and Costa’s concept of introversion and extraversion is very similar to that of Carl Jung. They both see extraverts as outgoing, open, sociable, and lively and oriented to the external world, introverts are seen as shy people. Carl believes that everyone possesses both attitudes and can exhibit both but only one is dominant, and while Eysenck believes that these attitudes or traits tends to remain stable throughout one’s life despite the different social and environmental experiences people have.

Report on Hdfc Bank

1 PROJECT FINAL REPORT ON BANKING BY JIGAR SONI AT Summer Internship Project 2 PROJECT TITLE A project report on COMPANY GUIDE FACULTY GUIDE ================ ============== Mr. Manish Panchal Prof. Pragna Kaul Branch Manager IBMR Ahmedabad Kapadwanj. Prepared by : Jigar J Soni Roll no. 5 , Div – A IBMR _Ahmedabad Year – 2008/09 3 Acknowledgements If words are considered to be signs of gratitude then let these words Convey the very same My sincere gratitude to HDFC BANK for roviding me with an opportunity to work with BANK and giving necessary directions on doing this project to the best of my abilities. I am highly indebted to Mr. Manish Panchal. , Branch Manager and company project guide, who has provided me with the necessary information and also for the support extended out to me in the completion of this report and his valuable suggestion and comments on bringing out this report in the best way possible. I also thank Prof. Pragna Kaul, IBMR_Ahmedabad, who has sincer ely supported me with the valuable insights into the completion of this project. I am grateful to all faculty members of IBMR_Ahmedabad and my 4 friends who have helped me in the successful completion of this project. 5 CONTENTS Sr. No. Subject Covered Page No. 1 Banking Structure in India 6-7 2 Indian Banking Industries 8-9 3 Upcoming Foreign Bank in India 10 4 HDFC BANK 11-12 5 Company Profile 13-15 6 Technology used 16-19 7 Product and Customer segments 20-23 8 Business Strategy 24-25 9 Inside Hdfc Bank 26-31 10 Rupee Earned – Rupee Spent 32-33 11 Recent Development 34-41 12 SWOT Analysis 42-48 13 Project on Plastic Money 49-55 6 BANKING STRUCTURE IN INDIA Scheduled Banks in India (A) Scheduled Commercial Banks Public sector Banks Private sector Banks Foreign Banks in India Regional Rural Bank (28) (27) (29) (102) †¢Nationalized Bank †¢Other Public Sector Banks (IDBI) †¢SBI and its Associates †¢Old Private Banks †¢New Private Banks (B) Scheduled Cooperative Banks Scheduled Urban Cooperative Banks (55) Scheduled State Cooperative Banks (31) 7 Here we more concerned about private sector banks and competition among them. Today, there are 27 private sector banks in the banking sector: 19 old private sector banks and 8 new private sector banks. These new banks have brought in state-of-the-art technology and Aggressively marketed their products. The Public sector banks are Facing a stiff competition from the new private sector banks. The banks which have been setup in the 1990s under the guidelines of the Narasimham Committee are referred to as NEW PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS. New Private Sector Banks †¢Superior Financial Services †¢Designed Innovative Products †¢Tapped new markets †¢Accessed Low cost NRI funds †¢Greater efficiency 8 INDIAN BANKING INDUSTRIES The Indian banking market is growing at an astonishing rate, with Assets expected to reach US$1 trillion by 2010. An expanding economy, middle class, and technological innovations are all ontributing to this growth. The country’s middle class accounts for over 320 million people. In correlation with the growth of the economy, rising income levels, increased standard of living, and affordability of banking products are promising factors for continued expansion. 9 The Indian banking Industry is in the middle of an IT revolution, Focusing on the ex pansion of retail and rural banking. Players are becoming increasingly customer – centric in their approach, which has resulted in innovative methods of offering new banking products and services. Banks are now realizing the mportance of being a big player and are beginning to focus their attention on mergers and acquisitions to take advantage of economies of scale and/or comply with Basel II regulation. â€Å"Indian banking industry assets are expected to reach US$1 trillion by 2010 and are poised to receive a greater infusion of foreign capital,† says Prathima Rajan, analyst in Celent's banking group and author of the report. â€Å"The banking industry should focus on having a small number of large players that can compete globally rather than having a large number of fragmented players. UPCOMING FOREIGN BANKS IN INDIA By 2009 few more names is going to be added in the list of foreign banks in India. This is as an aftermath of the sudden interest shown 10 by Reserve Bank of India paving roadmap for foreign banks in India greater freedom in India. Among them is the world's best private bank by EuroMoney magazine, Switzerland's UBS. The following are the list of foreign banks going to set up business in India :- †¢Royal Bank of Scotland †¢ †¢Switzerland's UBS †¢ †¢US-based GE Capital †¢ †¢Credit Suisse Group †¢ †¢Industrial and Commercial Bank of China WE UNDERSTAND YOUR WORLD The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) was amongst the first to receive an ‘in principle' approval from the 11 Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a bank in the private sector, as part of the RBI's liberalization of the Indian Banking Industry in 1994. The bank was incorporated in August 1994 in the name of ‘HDFC Bank Limited', with its registered office in Mumbai, India. HDFC Bank commenced operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995. HDFC is India's premier housing finance company and enjoys an impeccable track record in India as well as in international markets. Since its inception in 1977, the Corporation has maintained a consistent and healthy growth in its operations to remain the market leader in mortgages. Its outstanding loan portfolio covers well over a million dwelling units. HDFC has developed significant expertise in retail mortgage loans to different market segments and also has a large corporate client base for its housing related credit facilities. With its experience in the financial markets, a strong market reputation, large shareholder base and unique consumer franchise, HDFC was ideally positioned to promote a bank in the Indian nvironment. HDFC Bank began operations in 1995 with a simple mission : to be a 12 â€Å" World Class Indian Bank. † We realized that only a single minded focus on product quality and service excellence would help us get there. Today, we are proud to say that we are well on our way towards that goal. COMPANY PROFILE STRONG NATIONAL NETWORK 13 HDFC BANK As of March 31, 2008, the Bank’s di stribution network was at 761 Branches and 1977 ATMs in 327 cities as against 684 branches March 2006 March 2007 March 2008 Citied 228 316 327 Branches 535 684 761 ATMs 1323 1605 1977 14 nd 1,605 ATMs in 320 cities as of March 31, 2007. Against the regulatory approvals for new branches in hand, the Bank expects to further expand the branch network by around 150 branches by June 30, 2008. During the year, the Bank stepped up retail customer acquisition with deposit accounts increasing from 6. 2 million to 8. 7 million and total cards issued (debit and credit cards) increasing from 7 million to 9. 2 million. Whilst credit growth in the banking system slowed down to about 22% for the year ended 2007-08, the Bank’s net advances grew by 35. 1% with retail advances growing by 38. % and wholesale advances growing by 30%, implying a higher market share in both segments. The transactional banking business also registered healthy growth With cash management volumes increased by around 80% and trade services volumes by around 40% over the previous year. Portfolio quality as of March 31, 2008 remained healthy with gross nonperforming assets at 1. 3% and net non-performing assets at 15 0. 4% of total customer assets. The Bank’s provisioning policies for specific loan loss provisions remained higher than regulatory requirements. TECHNOLOGY USED IN HDFC BANK In the era of globalization each and every sector faced the stiff competition from their rivals. And world also converted into the flat from the globe. After the policy of liberalization and RBI initiatives to take the step for the private sector banks, more and more changes 16 are taking the part into it. And there are create competition between the private sector banks and public sector bank. Private sector banks are today used the latest technology for the different transaction of day to day banking life. As we know that Information Technology plays the vital role in the each and every ndustries and gives the optimum return from the limited resources. Banks are service industries and today IT gives the innovative Technology application to Banking industries. HDFC BANK is the leader in the industries and today IT and HDFC BANK together combined they reached the sky. New technology changed the mind of the customers and changed the queue concept from the history banking transaction. Today there are different channels are available for the banking transactions. We can see that the how technology gives the best results in the below diagram. There are drastically changes seen in the use of Internet banking, in a year 2001 (2%) and in the year 2008 ( 25%). These type of technology gives the freedom to retail customers. 17 Centralized Processing Units Derived Economies of Scale Electronic Straight Through Processing Reduced Transaction Cost Data Warehousing , CRM Improve cost efficiency, Cross sell Innovative Technology Application Provide new or superior products HDFC BANK is the very consistent player in the New private sector banks. New private sector banks to withstand the competition from public sector banks came up with innovative products and superior service. 2001 18 Branches 43% ATM 40% Phone Banking 14% Internet 2% Mobile 1% 2005 Branches 17% ATM 45% Phone Banking 12% Internet 25% Mobile 1% ( % customer initiated Transaction by Channel ) 19 HDFC BANK PRODUCT AND CUSTOMER SEGMENTS PERSONAL BANKING Loan Product Deposit Product Investment & Insurance †¢Auto Loan †¢Loan Against Security †¢Loan Against Property †¢Personal loan †¢Credit card †¢2-wheeler loan †¢Commercial vehicles finance †¢Home loans †¢Retail business banking †¢Tractor loan †¢Working Capital Finance †¢Construction Equipment Finance †¢Health Care Finance †¢Education Loan †¢Gold Loan †¢Saving a/c †¢Current a/c †¢Fixed deposit †¢Demat a/c †¢Safe Deposit Lockers †¢Mutual Fund †¢Bonds †¢Knowledge Centre †¢Insurance †¢General and Health Insurance †¢Equity and Derivatives †¢Mudra Gold Bar 20 Cards Payment Services Access To Bank †¢Credit Card †¢Debit Card †¢Prepaid Card —————————- —- Forex Services —————————- —- †¢Product & Services †¢Trade Services †¢Forex service Branch Locater †¢RBI Guidelines †¢NetSafe †¢Merchant †¢Prepaid Refill †¢Billpay †¢Visa Billpay †¢InstaPay †¢DirectPay †¢VisaMoney Transfer †¢e–Monies Electronic Funds Transfer †¢Online Payment of Direct Tax †¢NetBanking †¢OneView †¢InstaAlert MobileBanking †¢ATM †¢Phone Banking †¢Email Statements Branch Network 21 WHOLESALE BANKING Corporate Small and Medium Enterprises Financial Inst itutions and Trusts †¢Funded Services †¢Non Funded Services †¢Value Added Services †¢Internet Banking †¢Funded Services †¢Non Funded Services †¢Specialized Services †¢Value added services †¢Internet Banking BANKS †¢Clearing Sub- Membership †¢RTGS – submembership †¢Fund Transfer †¢ATM Tie-ups †¢Corporate Salary a/c †¢Tax Collection Financial Institutions Mutual Funds Stock Brokers Insurance Companies Commodities Business Trusts BUSINESS MIX 22 Total Deposits Gross Advances Net Revenue Retail Wholesale †¢HDFC Bank is a consistent player in the private sector bank and have a well balanced product and business mix in the Indian as well as overseas markets. †¢Customer segments (retail & wholesale) account for 84% of Net revenues ( FY 2008) †¢Higher retail revenues partly offset by higher operating and credit costs. †¢Equally well positioned to grow both segments. . 23 NRI SERVICES Accounts & Deposits Remittances †¢Rupee Saving a/c †¢Rupee Current a/c †¢Rupee Fixed Deposits †¢Foreign Currency Deposits †¢Accounts for Returning Indians †¢North America †¢UK †¢Europe †¢South East Asia †¢Middle East †¢Africa †¢Others Quick remit IndiaLink Cheque LockBox Telegraphic/ Wire Transfer Funds Transfer Cheques/DDs/TCs Investment & Insurances Loans †¢Mutual Funds †¢Insurance †¢Private Banking †¢Portfolio Investment Scheme †¢Home Loans †¢Loans Against Securities †¢Loans Against Deposits †¢Gold Credit Card Payment Services Access To Bank †¢NetSafe †¢BillPay †¢InstaPay †¢DirectPay †¢Visa Money †¢Online Donation †¢NetBanking †¢OneView †¢InstaAlert †¢ATM †¢PhoneBanking †¢Email Statements †¢Branch Network 24 BUSINESS STRETEGY HDFC BANK mission is to be â€Å"a World Class Indian Bank†, benchmarking themselves against international standards and best ractices in terms of product offerings, technology, service levels, risk management and audit & compliance. The objective is to build sound customer franchises across distinct businesses so as to be a preferred provider of banking services for target retai l and wholesale customer segments, and to achieve a healthy growth in profitability, consistent with the Bank's risk appetite. Bank is committed to do this while ensuring the highest levels of ethical standards, professional integrity, corporate governance and regulatory compliance. Continue to develop new product and technology is the main business strategy f the bank. Maintain good relation with the customers is the main and prime objective of the bank. HDFC BANK business strategy emphasizes the following : 25 †¢Increase market share in India’s expanding banking and financial services industry by following a disciplined growth strategy focusing on quality and not on quantity and delivering high quality customer service. †¢Leverage our technology platform and open scaleable systems to deliver more products to more customers and to control operating costs. †¢Maintain current high standards for asset quality through disciplined credit risk management. Develop in novative products and services that attract the targeted customers and address inefficiencies in the Indian financial sector. †¢Continue to develop products and services that reduce bank’s cost of funds. †¢Focus on high earnings growth with low volatility. 26 INSIDE HDFC BANK FIVE â€Å"S† , PART OF KAIZEN WORK PLACE TRANSFORMATION Focus on effective work place organization Believe in â€Å" Small changes lead to large improvement † Every successful organization have their own strategy to win the race in the competitive market. They use some technique and methodology for smooth running of business. HDFC BANK also aquired the Japanese technique for smooth running of work and effective work place organization. Five ‘S’ Part of Kaizen is the technique which is used in the bank For easy and systematic work place and eliminating unnecessary things from the work place. BENEFIT OF FIVE â€Å"S† 27 †¢It can be started immediately. †¢Every one has to participate. †¢Five â€Å" S† is an entirely people driven initiatives. †¢Brings in concept of ownership. †¢All wastage are made visible. FIVE ‘S’ Means :- S-1 SORT SEIRI S-2 SYSTEMATIZE SEITON S-3 SPIC-N-SPAN SEIRO S-4 STANDARDIZE SEIKETSU S-5 SUSTAIN SHITSUKE (1) SORT :- It focus on eliminating unnecessary items from the work place. It is excellent way to free up valuable floor space. It segregate items as per â€Å"require and wanted†. (2) SYSTEMATIZE :- Systematize is focus on efficient and effective Storage method. Frequently Requir ed Less Frequently Requir ed Remove everything from workplace Junk Wanted but not Required Junk 28 That means it identify, organize and arrange retrieval. It largely focus on good labeling and identification practices. Objective :- â€Å"A place for everything and everything in its place†. (3) SPIC- n – SPAN :- Spic-n-Span focuses on regular clearing and self nspection. It brings in the sense of ownership. (4) STANDERDIZE :- It focus on simplification and standardization. It involve standard rules and policies. It establish checklist to facilitates autonomous maintenance of workplace. It assign responsibility for doing various jobs and decide on Five S frequency. (5) SUSTAIN:- It focuses on definin g a new status and standard of organized work place. Sustain means regular training to maintain standards developed under S-4. It brings in self- discipline and commitment towards workplace organization. 29 LABELLING ON FILE FILE NUMBER SUBJECT FROM DATE TO DATE OWNER BOX LABEL For Example 1 / 3 / A / 6 1 – Work Station (1) 3 – Drawer (3) A – Shelf (A) 6 – File Number ( 6) 30 COLOUR CODING OF FILES DEPARTMENT Welcome Desk Personal Banker Teller Relationship Manager Branch Manager Demat Others In the HDFC BANK each department has their different color coding apply on the different file. Due to this everyone aware about their particular color file which is coding on it and they save their valuable time. It is a part of Kaizen and also included in the system of the Five ‘S’. Logic behind it that , the color coding are always differentiate the things from the similar one. 31 HUMAN RESOURCES The Bank’s staffing needs continued to increase during the year particularly in the retail banking businesses in line with the business growth. Total number of employees increased from 14878 as of March31,2006 to 21477 as of March 31, 2007. The Bank continues to focus on training its employees on a continuing basis, both on the job and through training programs conducted by internal and external faculty. The Bank has consistently believed that broader employee ownership of its shares has a positive impact on its performance and employee motivation. The Bank’s employee stock option scheme so far covers round 9000 employees. 32 RUPEE EARNED – RUPEE SPENT It is more important for every organization to know about from where and where to spent money. And balanced between these two things rupee earned and rupee spent are required for smooth running of business and financial soundness. This type of watch can control and eliminate the unnecessary spending of business. In this diagram it include both things from where Bank earned Rupee and where to spent. 33 HDFC BANK earned from the ‘Interest from Advances’ 51. 14 % , ‘Interest from Investment’ 27. 12 %, bank earned commission exchange and brokerage of 15. 25 %. These are the major earning sources of the bank. Bank also earned from the Forex and Derivatives and some other Interest Income. Bank spent 39. 75 % on Interest Expense, 30. 27 % on Operating Expense and 14. 58 % on Provision. Bank also spent Dividend and Tax on dividend, Loss on Investment , Tax. As we discuss above that balancing is must between these two for every organization especially in the era of globalization where there are stiff competition among various market players. RECENT DEVELOPMENT 34 The Reserve Bank of India has approved the scheme of amalgamation of Centurion Bank of Punjab Ltd. ith HDFC Bank Ltd. with effect from May 23, 2008. All the branches of Centurion Bank of Punjab will function as branches of HDFC Bank with effect from May 23, 2008. With RBI’s approval, all requisite statutory and regulatory approvals for the merger have been obtained. 35 The combined entity would have a nationwide network of 1167 branches; a strong deposit base of around Rs. 1,22, 000 crores and net advances of around Rs. 89,000 crores. The balance sheet size of the combined entity would be over Rs. 1,63,000 crores. Merger with Centurion Bank of Punjab Limited On March 27, 2008, the shareholders of the Bank accorded their consent to a scheme of amalgamation of Centurion Bank of Punjab Limited with HDFC Bank Limited. The shareholders of the Bank approved the issuance of one equity share of Rs. 10/- each of HDFC Bank Limited for every 29 equity shares of Re. 1/- each held in Centurion Bank of Punjab Limited. This is subject to receipt of Approvals from the Reserve Bank of India, stock exchanges and Other requisite statutory and regulatory authorities. The shareholders Also accorded their consent to issue equity shares and/or warrants onvertible into equity shares at the rate of Rs. 1,530. 13 each to HDFC Limited and/or other promoter group companies on preferential basis, subject to final regulatory approvals in this regard. The Shareholders of the Bank have also approved an increase in the authorized capital from Rs. 450 crores to Rs. 550 crores. 36 Promoted in 1995 by Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), India's leading housing finance company, HDFC Bank is one of India's premier banks providing a wide range of financial products and services to its over 11 million customers across hundreds of Indian cities using multiple distribution channels including a pan-India network of branches, ATMs, phone banking, net banking and mobile banking. Within a relatively short span of time, the bank has emerged as a leading player in retail banking, wholesale banking, and treasury operations, its three principal business segments. The bank's competitive strength clearly lies in the use of technology and the ability to deliver world-class service with rapid response time. Over the last 13 years, the bank has successfully gained market share in its target customer franchises while maintaining healthy rofitability and asset quality. 37 As on March 31, 2008, the Bank had a network of 761 branches and 1,977 ATMs in 327 cities. For the year ended March 31, 2008, the Bank reported a net profit of INR 15. 90 billion (Rs. 1590. 2crore), up 39. 3%, over the corresponding year ended March 31, 2007. As of March 31, 2008 total deposits were INR 1007. 69 billion, (Rs. 100,769 crore) up 47. 5% over th e corresponding year ended March 31, 2007. Total balance sheet size too grew by 46. 0% to INR 1,331. 77 billion (133177 crore). Leading Indian and international Publications have recognized the bank for its performance and quality. Centurion Bank of Punjab is one of the leading new generation private sector banks in India. The bank serves individual consumers, small and medium businesses and large corporations with a full range of financial products and services for investing, lending and 38 advice on financial planning. The bank offers its customers an array of wealth management products such as mutual funds, life and general insurance and has established a leadership ‘position'. The bank is also a strong player in foreign exchange services, ersonal loans, mortgages and agricultural loans. Additionally the bank offers a full suite of NRI banking products to Overseas Indians. On 29th August 2007, Centurion Bank of Punjab merged with Lord Krishna Bank (LKB), post obtaining all requisite statutory and regulatory approvals. This merger has further strengthened the geographical reach of the Bank in major towns and cities across the country , especially in the State of Kerala, in addition to its existing dominance in the northern part of the country. Centurion Bank of Punjab now operates on a strong nationwide ranchise of 404 branches and 452 ATMs in 190 locations across the country, supported by employee base of over 7,500 employees. In addition to being listed on the major Indian stock exchanges, the Bank’s shares are also listed on the Luxembourg Stock 39 Exchange. ACHIEVEMENT IN 2007 Business Today- Monitor Group survey One of India's â€Å"Most Innovative Companies† Financial Express- Ernst & Young Award Best Bank Award in the Private Sector category 40 Global HR Excellence Awards – Asia Pacific HRM Congress: ‘Employer Brand of the Year 2007 -2008' Award – First Runner up, & many more Business Today ‘Best Bank' Award Dun & Bradstreet – American Express Corporate Best Bank Award 2007 ‘Corporate Best Bank' Award The Bombay Stock Exchange and Nasscom Foundation's Business for Social Responsibility Awards 2007 ‘ Best Corporate Social Responsibility Practice' Award Outlook Money & NDTV Profit Best Bank Award in the Private sector category. The Asian Banker Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards Best Retail Bank in India Asian Banker HDFC BANK Managing Director Aditya Puri wins the Leadership Achievement Award for India 41 SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTH †¢Right strategy for the right products. †¢Superior customer service vs. competitors. WEAKNESSES †¢Some gaps in range for certain sectors. †¢Customer service staff need training. 42 †¢Great Brand Image †¢Products have required accreditations. †¢High degree of customer satisfaction. †¢Good place to work †¢Lower response time with efficient and effective service. †¢Dedicated workforce aiming at making a long-term career in the field. †¢Processes and systems, etc †¢Management cover insufficient. †¢Sectoral growth is constrained by low unemployment levels and competition for staff 3 Opportunities †¢Profit margins will be good. †¢Could extend to overseas broadly. †¢New specialist applications. †¢Could seek better customer deals. †¢Fast-track career development opportunities on an industry-wide basis. †¢An applied research centre to create opportunities for developing techniques to provi de added-value services. Threats †¢Legislation could impact. †¢Great risk involved †¢Very high competition prevailing in the industry. †¢Vulnerable to reactive attack by major competitors †¢Lack of infrastructure in rural areas could constrain investment. †¢High volume/low cost market is intensely ompetitive. 44 COMPETITIVE SWOT ANALYSIS WITH ICICI BANK STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES O P P O R T U N I T I E S S – O Strategies Strength: Large Capital base. Opportunity: Market Expansion. Strategy: Deep Penetration into Rural Market. W – O Strategies Weakness: Workforce Responsiveness. Opportunity: Outsourcing of Non – Core Business. Strategy: Outsource Customer Care & other E-Helps. T H R E A T S S – T Strategies Strength: Low operating costs Threat: Increased Competition from others Pvt. Banks. Strategy: Steps to Ensure Loyalty by old Customers. W – T Strategies Weakness: Not Equal to International Standards. Threat: Entry of many Foreign Banks. Strategy: Consider additional benefits 45 Detailed Analysis: i. Strength – Opportunity Analysis. Strength: It is well know that ICICI Bank has the largest Authorised Capital Base in the Banking System in India i. e. having a total capacity to raise Rs. 19,000,000,000 (Non – Premium Value). Opportunity: Seeing the present financial & economic development of Indian Economy and also the tremendous growth of the Indian Companies including the acquisition spree followed by them, it clearly states the expanding market for finance requirements nd also the growth in surplus disposal income of Indian citizens has given a huge rise in savings deposits – from the above point it is clear that there is a huge market expansion possible in banking sector in India. Strategy: From the analysis of Strength & Opportunity the simple and 46 straight possible strategy for ICICI Bank could be – to penetrate into the rural sector of India for expanding its market share as well as leading all other Pvt. Banks from a great gap. ii. Strength – Threat Analysis. Strength: ICICI Bank is not only known for large capital but also for having a ow operations cost though having huge number of branches and services provided. Threat: After showing a significant growth overall, India is able to attract many international financial & banking institutes, which are known for their state of art working and keeping low operation costs. Strategy: To ensure that ICICI Bank keeps going on with low operation cost & have continuous business it should simply promote itself well & provide quality service so as to ensure customer loyalty, therefore guaranteeing continuous business. 47 iii. Weakness – Opportunity Analysis. Weakness: It is well known that workforce responsiveness in banking sector is Very low in Indian banking sector, though ICICI Bank has better responsible staff but it still lacks behind its counterparts like HSBC, HDFC BANK, CITI BANK, YES BANK etc. Opportunity: In the present world, India is preferred one of the best places for out – sourcing of business process works and many more. Strategy: As international companies are reaping huge benefits after out- sourcing there customer care & BPO’s, this same strategy should be implemented by ICICI Bank so as to have proper customer ervice without hindering customer expectations. 48 iv. Weakness – Threat Analysis. Weakness: Though having a international presence, ICICI Bank has not been able to keep up the international standards in providing customer service as well as banking works. Threat: In recent times, India has witnessed entry of many international banks like CITI Bank, YES Bank etc which posses an external entrant threa t to ICICI Bank – as this Banks are known for their art of working and maintain high standards of customer service. Strategy: After having new entrants threat, ICICI Bank should come up with More additional benefits to its customer or may be even reduce some fees for any additional works of customers. 49 PROJECT ON PLASTIC MONEY PLASTIC MONEY PLASTIC MONEY I give the project on Plastic Money to bank. The objective behind this project is to increase the rich customers list in a bank. Plastic Money title itself says the use of Credit Card and Debit Card in day to day transaction of the business. I prepared the presentation on it and 50 submitted to bank and Bank already started work on this project. Idea behind this project is to sale the bulk product. Target customer Of this project are two parties one is Wholesaler and second is Retailer. Due to this idea bank also sell their swipe machine to wholesaler and create brand image in the market. The idea behind this, bank give the credit card swipe machine to wholesalers and retailers use the credit card of the bank. Bank gives the 50 days credit to their credit card holders. So here retailers can get benefit of long credit period and on the other side wholesalers can get the benefit of same day payment. As a result bank got the wide list of customers of wholesalers and retailers.