Dollars and Dreams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dollars and Dreams - Essay Example There are still others that see it as a land of waste and consumerism where the abundance is so overflowing that there is not enough space to hold all that is produced and thrown away. The truth that it is a place of hardship where people work hard to barely survive is rarely the worldwide perception of the American Dream. The film Dollars and Dreams: West Africans in New York (2007) is a documentary that discusses the experience and phenomenon of immigration from West Africa to the United States. The documentary film makers explore the truth of life in New York for those who have migrated from West Africa into what they thought would be an easier and more successful life. Through a narrative that includes successful, surviving, and struggling immigrants from West Africa, the film creates an alternative perspective on the experience of living in New York and in the United States. The producers of the film were Jeremy Rocklin an Abdel Kader Ouedarogo with Jeremy Rocklin directing and it is distributed by Documentary Educational Resources. One of the first statements made in the film is by Chika Onyeani who is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The African Sun Times is that there is a perception that in America money grows on trees. CEO of Cape Aloe Ferox Worldwide, Arthur Smith, states in the film that the dollar is almighty and that they think it is easy in America and Zain Abdullah of Temple University reveals that the first surprising thing that immigrants from West Africa experience is that there is poverty in America and that it is not as easy to find riches in the land of opportunity. The concept of opportunity becomes more real in the sense that while there may be opportunity, one has to search and find it (Rocklin & Ouedarogo, 2007). Zain Abdullah continues to discuss the culture of immigrants as they live a life of deception where they struggle by working two or three jobs, but then present their experiences to those back home as fulfilling the expect ations that they had when they left their home to travel to the new land. The deception is based on the perceptions that are promoted in West Africa that there is nothing but riches in the United States and to go to America and struggle would be perceived as a failure. Abdullah states that it is like going into a gold mine and coming out with nothing to show for the effort (Rocklin & Ouedarogo, 2007). Kaira-Murdock (2008) writes that the reason that Jeremy Rocklin an Abdel Kader Ouedarogo decided to create this documentary was to create a more realistic view of New York for West Africans before they made the decision to migrate from their homeland and seek their fortunes. The realities of New York and the rate of poverty, even among the working poor, is something that is not considered when making the decision to move. The film is visually unsettling as the garbage in the street and the unattended urban setting is contrasted to the affluent speakers who discuss the realities of movi ng to New York, even though the majority of the initial speakers have clearly found their own success in this country. The real problem with immigration from other nations is that the image of America is based upon Hollywood idealism that is shown in films. Racism based on blackness is rare in West Africa so the experience of being oppressed comes as a surprise for many of the people who move to New York. Kaira-Murdock (2

Analyzing the Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analyzing the Market - Research Paper Example The paper concentrates more on factors that influence demand and supply, discusses the price elasticity of demand that produces a kinked demand curve in the oligopolistic airline’s service competition, and the point of equilibrium. It also describes the benefits of the intellectual property (patents and trademarks), and how it protects the owning airlines in their operations. It finally includes the input factors used in generating airline services. Keywords: Passengers, Airline, Flight, Demand Supply, Price Elasticity, Oligopoly, Product Differentiation, Trademark, Patent, Pricing Strategy, Competition, Market Introduction The success or failure of airline services depends most critically, with the established efforts to attract and retain customers to their services. Several airlines have failed before, some able to rise up again, others still struggle to cover losses while most of them end up merging with other well performing airlines. The entry into the airlines business is not only difficult in a field considered to be an oligopoly market, but maintaining and thriving while in competition with large airlines is quite a challenge. Providing airline services require a keen and clear strategy in management and operational activities, to facilitate the services required by the passengers in time. It is therefore a core factor that any airline should build good relationships with their customers as a marketing strategy, so that their future long term profitability can be safeguarded, by retaining more customers and influencing the choice of most undecided passengers in the market. The airline’s reputation, ticket prices, safety record, possible delay times, and services provided (ranging from different travel classes and the associated beneficial facilities, services by the cabin crew) among others, influence the customer preference or satisfaction with an airline, and generally its performance in the market. Airline’s Services Market Comp etition Competition in the airline industry is very high and sensitive, such that with the high fixed costs in their operation, the profit margins are usually low. However, the competition and profit margins may vary with the small changes brought about by the sizes of the airlines, the capacity of the aircrafts, the routes served by airlines, means of customer attraction (such as the in flight services) and discounted fares, which make it possible for some airlines and their services to have a competitive advantage over the others. According to Papatheodorus, the modern airline services competition arises from the differentiation or the best cost provider strategy, while considering the marketing initiatives and the economic advantage, to ensure they consistently provide the service in the market place (2006). Airlines both large and small, whether providing long haul and short haul services struggle to retain and add a market share. Large airlines may compete against others throug h its popularity, and if it has a good safety record, or high quality services, it makes it worse for its smaller rival companies. Most of the times, competing airlines have used generic strategies to achieve their fair share in the market. Differentiation has been a major factor among airlines, as

Trinidad And Tobagos Banking Industry Analysis

Trinidad And Tobagos Banking Industry Analysis The banking industry in Trinidad and Tobago has somewhat changed in the past few years. This resulted in the entry of some banks and the re-entry of others. This paper strategically analyses the current strategic position of one of the major banks, First Citizens (FC). First Citizens Bank is a member of the First Citizens Group, which consists of: First Citizens Bank Limited First Citizens Asset Management Limited First Citizens Trustee Services Limited First Citizens (St. Lucia) Limited First Citizens Securities Trading Limited Caribbean Money Market Brokers (CMMB) For the purposes of this paper, First Citizens Banks current strategies that are being utilised to achieve its goal are critically analysed along with its internal and external environment, which establish the forces that drives change and the key success factors that sustains competitive advantage. All these factors give rise to the SWOT analysis of the bank, which matches the bank resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. 1.2 Background FC Bank is the first indigenous bank of Trinidad and Tobago and was formed in 1993 out of the amalgamation of three failed financial institutions namely: The Workers Bank of Trinidad and Tobago 1989 Ltd, Trinidad Co-operative Bank Ltd and The National Commercial Bank Ltd. It is the third largest bank in Trinidad and Tobago and the fastest growing. Over the years, FC Bank has become one of the regions leading and most dynamic financial product and service providers. This position is further strengthened by the acquisition of CMMB one year ago. The leaderships robustness at the bank has championed the industry in technology, innovative product offerings and profitability, which earned them numerous awards, with the most recent being World Finance magazine Best Bank, Trinidad and Tobago 2009. 2.0 DEFINING THE INDUSTRY The banking industry is part of the Financial Services Sector, which is highly regulated by the Financial Act of Trinidad and Tobago. The Financial Services industry comprises of credit unions, investment banks, insurance companies, mutual funds etc. All the aforementioned offers similar services as retail banking as per a regular bank, but the Commercial Banking Sector consists of all financial institutions permitted the Financial Services Act and approved by the Central Bank. There are a number of commercial banks approved by the Central Bank and registered under the act, these include: First Citizens Bank Limited Republic Bank limited (RBL) Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (RBTT) Scotiabank Limited Citibank (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited First Caribbean International Bank Intercommercial Bank Bank of Baroda For the purpose of this paper, this would be defined as the industry and would be the basis on which analysis is made. 3.0 ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK 3.1 Vision, Mission and Objectives of First Citizens First Citizens vision is To become the most competitive group in Trinidad and Tobago with a well established international presence. While the mission is to build a highly profitable financial services franchise renowned for innovativeness, service excellence and sound corporate governance. To achieve the aim FC focuses on continuous improvement of systems and products, building a strong base of knowledge and skilled workers and creating strategic partnerships in key sectors that add value to the franchise. The mission is underpinned by the core values, which assist the employees in the achievement of the mission. The core values are: Commitment to excellence Commitment to customers Commitment to integrity Commitment to financial strength Commitment to employees Commitment to continuous improvement The main objective of the bank is to improve profitability with a major focus on its return on equity. The main objective is supported by secondary objectives, which are: Leveraging Technology to create confidence in the banks systems and procedure Reducing overheads costs while simultaneously increasing revenues Aggressively increasing assets, loans and fund base Widening the range of products and services primarily in the area of internet and mobile (electronic) banking Improving First Citizens risk management Improving the Groups image and service quality Deepening the human resource competence These objectives are quantified using the balance scorecard, which sets specific targets needed to be achieved in order to achieve the organisations objectives. In order to achieve the objectives, each branch manager, department and unit is required to produce a balanced score card, which eventually sums to the overall directional scorecard. 3.2 Strategy In order for the vision, mission and objectives of FC to become operational strategies must be implemented. Figure shows the alignment of First Citizens strategies with its vision. The use of the groups balance has made strategy making and organisational coordination reflect the top-down manner in which strategy is developed and communicated. The banks existing strategies is summarised using Ansoffs Directional Matrix (see figure). From the Directional Matrix, FC Banks diversification strategy exemplifies the Banks thrust into a wider and more competitive industry. This is indicates that boundaries that separate traditional banking from other type of financial services are being eliminated, this is also an indicator of the industry in its maturity stage (indicated in a later chapter). Although the strategy is that of diversification it involves a broad market scope. The strategy involves leveraging technology to provide excellent customer service especially since FC is always first to market. It is the technological advancement, that is the banks core competency and some features (mobile point of sale) gives it its distinctive capability. 4.0 THE DYNAMICS OF THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT All organizations are inextricably associated with its external environment, regardless of the country to which it belongs. This association influences how the organization operates and the products or services provided. The external forces may facilitate or inhibit organizational performance and may form limits with which the organization is able to function. These forces shape how the organization defines itself and how it articulates its goals, objectives and strategies. An analysis of the external environment assists in understanding the forces or factors that shape the organization. 4.1 PEST Analysis PEST analyses the external macro-environment in which an organization operates, based on political, economical, social and technological factors. These factors are beyond the control of the organization but must be considered in formulating the strategies of the organization. PEST Analysis for First Citizens The Political climate of Trinidad and Tobago has remained quite stable over the past twenty years. This has led to implementation of legislations that improved efficiency and reduced costs (banking fees) in the Banking sector, but have also reduced margins and fee income. The latest legislation implemented is the Anti-money Laundering legislation, in which most of the countries in this region is adopting. This law has sought to increase the transparency of banks and attempts to lower the credit risks of the country in which the bill is implemented. The banking industry over the years has dynamically evolved; this evolution has led to the opening of the banking industry (regionally) or relaxation of entry requirement for large foreign banks, for example, the entry of the Bank of Baroda. This has led to further diversification of the banking sector that inevitably breeds competition. However, although competition creates innovation, this threatens the profitability of the current banks in the market as larger more capitalized banks can undercut the local banks and decrease their market size. These foreign banks operate as loss leaders to steal market share and further diminution opportunity in an already saturated market. As a result, in recent years there have been re-entry of banks into the sector e.g. First Caribbean International Bank (FCIB). Furthermore, FC is owned the government which suggest that there is slow decision making in the organization however, the government can be the main borrower on the market. The worlds economy, over the past two years, has experienced a downturn, which saw many countries GDP decline that resulted in declaration of recession and the plummet of oil prices, which adversely affected the banking industry of most countries. However, all indicators point towards improvement in the economy though it may be slow. The effects of the economy has led to banks reducing interest rates and fees in order to reduce the amount of loan defaults and increase economic activity in an attempt to boost the economy. The improvement of the economy will see commodity prices improving which will increase revenues and economic activity, which will impart a greater potential for lending and borrowing by banks. However, there is a risk of returning to inflationary pressures with accompanying increasing interest rates. The mal-effects of the downturn has led to increased unemployment which increased loan defaults, however there have been some refinancing of loans in an attempt to reduc e defaults. According to the Central Bank Governor, in the business section of the Guardian Newspaper, if the economic growth is slower than in the past, banking institution will be forced to consolidate to achieve economies of scale. This reduces competition in an industry, in which competition breeds innovation and Socially, crime is considered a two edged sword since it creates an opportunity for banks to finance security companies; however, it has led to the exit of many business owners and thus capital. A high crime rate can harm the countrys foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities and by extension tourism. As the country is developing, one would find that people are being more educated and customers are demanding better quality and quantity service; people are intolerant of poor customer service and lack of advancement in the banking industry. It is foreseen that, if the issue of crime is not addressed that there would be further flight of capital, decrease in FDIs and tourism. In addition, if banks do not progress with technology, there would a flight of customers to the substitutes in the market. The banking industry has fully embraced technology, which has revolutionised the sector. The technological advancement by banks has empowered customers so that they control their financial information with greater access. This has also led to the creation of high exit barriers. However, not all customers may embrace these technological progresses and prefer the traditional banking services. If this progression continues at the current pace, the industry will be highly serviced and product innovated. However, customer must make greater use of these technological advancement as with mobile telephony if the industry is to be further product/service diversified. 4.2 Industry Analysis for First Citizens The industry analysis aids in the determination of factors that determines the banking industry profitability. Porters Five Forces Analysis is an assessment that is used to understand the current competitive position and the future attractiveness of the industry, this is seen in figure. The threat of substitute is numerous and includes companies that offer financial services such as insurance companies, Unit Trust Corporation, Island Finance, investment banks, credit unions etc. Some non-financial institutions such as furniture stores and car dealerships are also threats since they offer credit. These substitutes offer similar service and products without the regulatory requirements of banks, which makes their process faster than banks. These substitutes have encroached on the banking industry profitability, however, with the recent downturn of the economy, customers have returned to banks since it is perceived to be more stable. In addition, to nullify the threat of substitutes and sustain the industrys profitability banks have also formed alliances with other financial institutions. The bargaining power of customers is medium but increasing as a result of a wide variety of substitutes, similarity of products and lower customer loyalty (due to logistics). However, it is counteracted by high switching costs caused by the time and inconvenience of transferring accounts to other financial institutions and a large number of customers. It is perceived, however, that the advanced technology and the increasing number of substitutes, have reduced switching costs, this is true to some extent, example retail deposits but in terms of loans, corporate deposits etc. the switching cost is high. The bargaining power of suppliers is also medium and increasing. Although there are a large number of suppliers for general resources, there are a small number of suppliers for the critical resources of banks, for example, ABMs, system applications, money counter etc. which makes switching arduous and time-consuming. From the PEST analysis, it seen that the banking industrys market is more opened and there is a relaxation of requirements. This results in the threat of new entrants being medium to high and is expected to intensify if there is further dismantling of barriers/requirement. Consequently, it is easier for a large foreign institution to enter into the market, example, the acquisition of RBTT by RBC and the entry of Bank of Baroda, these institution will with have the necessary capital investments and brand recognition to do so. However, for a local institution it is harder because of the high brand building expenditure and extremely high capital investment. This threat is somewhat counteracted by high exit barriers and high switching costs. The banking industry presently has a saturated market and one would find that is difficult to gain market share to become profitable thus, entrants are focused on a niche market segment. Furthermore, these entrants are large enough to operate as loss leaders. The above four factors that shape strategy, collapse into rivalry amongst existing competitors (as seen in figure). The fact that the banking industry exhibits oligopolistic cooperation in order to maximize profit, lower cost and maintain status quo, is another indicator of maturity. Examples of this type of cooperation are: Establishing a code of conduct in which all banks must adhere when dealing with customers Technological sharing of networks e.g. linx to facilitate ATM transactions. Offering of similar interest rates and products In addition, banks have to form strategic alliances in order to counteract substitutes to improve the value system e.g. insurance companies and mutual funds. An analysis of the existing competitive rivalry is restricted to four banks. These competitors are identified using Porters strategic group analysis (see figure). From figure, competitors in First Citizens market scope operate in the same segment and offer similar type products. These banks collaborate to protect the profitability of the industry, especially in the area of interest rates, customer service quality and non-competitive processes. The prediction of the competitor environment can be analysed using Grants Framework for competitor analysis, this can be seen in figure. 4.3 The Industry Life Cycle From figure, it is seen that the banking industry is in its maturity stage. This can be sustained over an extensive period, in which market share can only be increased by attracting the competitors customers. In addition, a strategy in the mature banking industry, is the tendency of banks to consolidate e.g. with insurance companies, security companies; acquire or merge e.g. the acquisition of RBTT by RBC and CMMB by FC. However, banks fight to maintain its market share by creating high exit barriers for its customers. Recently, customers are extremely sensitive to interest rates, therefore in an effort to retain its customers, one would find that banks in the same market segment (figure) would have similar interest rates. For example, if Central Bank decrease the reserve requirement all banks will decrease its rate to match each other. In a stage of maturity, there are areas in which it is more economical to collaborate than to compete, this brings about greater efficiency at a lower cost e.g. Linx, Transunion and Trinidad and Tobago Interbanking payment system (TTIPS). 4.4 Key Success Factors In order to be successful in the banking industry there are some key factors. These include: Financial stability Customer confidence Customer trust Effective Regulatory Systems Relevant Products and Services Affordable pricing Competition which breeds greater innovation and by extension efficiency 5.0 THE DYNAMICS OF THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT 5.1 Resource Analysis Financial Capital Human Capital FC Bank has approximately 1300 staff members and a well-experienced and knowledgeable senior staff. However, succession and service quality is a concern because of the high turnover of junior staff. In recent times, staff members are no longer interested in a job for life, therefore the bank is retooling its processes to incorporate transient staffing arrangement. In addition, the bank has developed a management trainee, corporate resourcing and mentoring programmes for school and university graduates. Leadership competencies, 360 degree feedback and career development programmes are also implemented for junior staff and management. Customer Capital The bank has a large customer base in excess of 400,000 accounts. Retail banking customers constitute the majority of the customer base. The consequence of this is that it involves higher operating and fixed costs, in addition, to achieve economies of scale both market share and size has to sufficient. Notwithstanding the deposit garnered from these customers, it represents low cost funds to the bank that are then used for lending. Although customer loyalty generally has improved, they are however flighty and could change base on simple interest rate difference since they are sensitive to this (as discussed in Porters five forces). Recently, the bank has embarked on work to improve its image and reputation. Social Capital FC has intensified its relationship with society in adherence to the adage of Corporate Social responsibility in a very significant way. This is also in adherence to the code of ethics established by the Bankers Association, in which First Citizens bank sponsors events: Environmental: Citizens in Action to restore the Environment (CARE), which assists in the restoration of the environment. In this regard, internal staff competition are held to widen community interaction and to increase social and environmental awareness (this improves the appearance of the bank). Youth and Education: Bursaries to Tertiary Institution. The bank engages in developing school libraries and is a major sponsor in junior achievement. Sports: First Citizens Sport Foundation, which raise awareness through clinics and sport education seminars. It is the sole sponsor of the National Sports Foundation, which deals with sports education, seminars and recognition of achievers in the Hall of Fame and Annual Sports Woman/Man of the Year which honors all the achievers in all sports. Culture: The banks sponsors programmes in all cultural/religious events such as, Divali Nagar, Eid-ul-Fitr, Tobago Heritage etc. Physical Capital The bank has twenty-five branches strategically located across the country, with three in Tobago. In addition, an excess of eighty ATM supports these branches, with a vast number of these in off branch locations. Technology Capital FC bank has the leading edge in online real time banking network and is the leader in Internet Banking technology and communication network. Its Ethernet and communication network, which incorporates both voice and data, also contributes to the bank being considered as a Technology leader. In fact FC has won the South Trinidad Chamber of Commerce Technology Leadership on three occasions in the last five years, an award that has been designed for technology companies. The banks vast network of ATM and POS machinery provide significant reach to its merchant and customers alike and is fully networked on a local and internal scale. The bank has been able to leverage its technology leadership to enhance value for merchant and customers. This can be gleamed from the merchant e-banking which allows corporate and commercial customers to transact business from their offices (paying bills, salaries, ACH etc.). The value of technology capital is also seen with the implementation of mobile POS, which is significant for distributors and the service sector. 5.2 Value Added FC Banks value chain is depicted in figure using Porters Value Chain analysis. The bank has concentrated mainly on marketing, sales and services. The use of technology has been incorporated to achieve a level of service and convenience to provide value to the customer. The cost to provide such value to the customer is important however, the risk to serving customers is just as important. The critical factors in this value system are the linkages between skills of staff, risk management, information systems, flexible and responsive policies/procedures to add such value. Information technology is FC banks core competency especially since they are the leader in this area. FC uses the technological advancement to increase its value chain and to achieve a higher level of customer service than its competitors. Owing to the highly leveraged technology at FC, the level of efficiency, high ratings by customers have been improved, although, the market share has remained stable since the industry is in the mature stage (industry life cycle). The use of technology is also the banks distinctive capability, since the bank uses its technology e.g. mobile POS and corporate internet banking, to increase the value chain of its customers. Figure below depicted how elements of FC banks outbound and marketing logistics becomes incorporated into the customers e.g. restaurants and distributors inbound logistic of their value chain. Internet banking, mobile POS etc. Telebanking Etc. First Citizens Bank Value Chain Distributors Value Chain Restaurants Value chain Figure showing the connectivity between First Citizens Value Chain and that of its Customers 5.3 McKinseys 7S 5.3.1 Structure FC bank currently has a bureaucratic (top-down) that does not aid in quick decision-making, which is crucial. Structure is the key to effective execution of strategy. Is the structure does not support strategy in terms of VMOST then the strategy implementation will be difficult. Despite its best efforts to change, the bank structure is still overly bureaucratic. The bank has to decentralise both vertically along different levels of the organisational hierarchy and horizontally amongst managers and non-managers based on expertise and experience. In doing so, authority and responsibility will remain with those in the position, who possesses the necessary skills to implement decisions, ideally front line staff. Currently, the credit-decision making process is based on limited level authority by staff and the bureaucratic staircase can hinder the effectiveness in the lending/investment process. Simiarly, as a result of Government regulation (Central Bank regulations) and the general risk adverse culture of the bank, several to-down controls exist hindering the smooth processing of intricate transaction. If centre delegating decision-making authority is given to frontline staff e.g. senior management increasing authorisation limits on loans granted by line managers, the processes in the bank will more efficient and less time consuming. 5.3.2 Systems FC bank is a performance-driven learning organisation, therefore all of its systems should be taken into consideration if further development is to occur. The three essential areas are: Human resource systems Rewards are based on SMART principle and pre-determined organisation and individual targets. However, the appraisals are based on individual and team performance and are done on a quarterly basis to identify areas foe training and development. In addition, the performance is also measured by balance scorecard with gaps identified to re-prioritise efforts. Human resource records however, are not automated via a modern HRIS system and therefore quick and effective decision-making is negatively affected. To further hasten the decision-making the top-down system needs to be changed to a bottom-up system that integrates the individual and team performance, training and development. Organisational performance systems The bank has two models to assess its performance: The strategic planning model This evolves from the vision and mission of the bank and long-term strategies are developed for three years on a rolling basis. On an annual basis strategies are reviewed analysed and adjusted as necessary. Three exercises inform the business planning process for the ensuing year and provide key inputs into budgetary allocation which support the execution of the said strategies. Information systems The banks information system is highly interactive, accurate, accessible and easily interrogable. In spite of the high use of technology customer service staff has not embrace the use of technology to deliver value added. There is high use of the banks office management system for communication e.g. email and calendaring. However, managers and staff have not grasped the opportunity to use these systems for work flow efficiency e.g. loan origination systems and electronic loan application and credit authorisation. 5.3.3 Style Style is influences in part by structure. The top-down structure of organisation has bred an elitist atmosphere with different layers of management having varying degrees of power and influence. Managers do not seem to exhibit a supportive role and communication is mostly top down to their support staff. In addition, feedback to employees on performance of organisation is done via newsletters, team briefing and staff meetings. Generally, the management style is not of a participative nature and this can have negative effects on employees involvement and satisfaction. There is an over abundance of procedures within the system which leads to an inordinate amount of time and effort spent on administrative processes thus reducing the cycle time for customer service. Staff Staff development utilises: Employee assistance programme (EAP) 360 degree for developmental purposes In addition, the tools used in developing staff are: Succession planning Individual development planning Leadership competencies model there are seven areas the bank utilise and develop staff; they are customer focus, teamwork, innovation, initiative (getting results), integrity, entrepreneurship and sales and marketing. These are to develop staff in order to develop leadership skills but FC has to create the structure, systems etc. to motivate and encourage employees to develop along these lines. Skills Multiple skilled employees are essential in a learning and performance driven organisation. The bank is becoming predominantly a sales driven organisation, with risk management and decision-making being critical to its success in the area. Training in developmental programmes in marketing, sales, negotiation and dispute resolution are provided by the bank to further develop skills in these areas. However, the structure of the bank is a barrier to the proper dissemination of skills because of compartmentalisation of information. The bank however, has been a leader in the development of individual staff and expense significant sums on both internal and external training. The education assistance plan provides bank sponsored tertiary education up to and including the masters level for qualifying staff, this facility has benefitted numerous staff members. Strategy Using Johnson and Scholes Development Strategies model the direction used by FC bank should be maintained. The bank has focus on identifying market segments and adopted a market penetration and developmental and diversification strategies. These strategies should be suitable, acceptable and feasible to all stakeholders, employees and customers and should be based the banks outstanding customer service, innovation and its core competency of technology. However, the banks strategy of leading customer satisfaction through innovation has seen it derive value from its leadership position from electronic banking including internet, POS and mobile banking. Shared Value The confluence of three failed financial institution formed FC Bank, and its phoenix-like resurrection to a pronounced position within the banking industry fraternity in the region and awards won, is a source of pride for the organisation. 6.0 S.W.O.T ANALYSIS Figure shows the SWOT analysis for FC Bank, based on this and for sustainability of competitive advantage, the following factors are crucial: Investments for further development of technology since it is ever-evolving especially at the strategic and tactical level to maintain FC as the leader Quick response time to customers request to synchronise with industry norms Strong image/brand and performance driven culture High degree of flexibility and responsiveness Improve decision-making capabilities of front line staff and succession planning

Oppression in Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Essay -- Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers A

Oppression in Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers Composed in three carefully rhymed stanzas, the poem can firstly seem an homage to the speaker’s skills in stitching a panel with tigers. However, a detailed reading reveals images and symbols that suggest a relation of oppression concerning Aunt Jennifer and her husband. The tigers of Aunt Jennifer’s stitchings are representative of her free spirit, how she pines for freedom from her burdensome husband. The â€Å"bright topaz denizens of green† evokes the mental image of majestic tigers not bound by the whims of another being. They do not â€Å"fear the men below the tree,† something that Aunt Jennifer cannot do in her miserable reality because of her oppressor’s looming presence. She produces her tigers under his control, represented by "The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band [that] / Sits heavily upon [her] hand." Physically a wedding ring is light, but this one has a "massive weight" heavily sitting on her hand. These images construct an opposition between the couple: as a woman she has a creative force, but her husband, represen...

Discuss The Dramatic Presentation of Justice and Morality Essay

The crucible written by Arthur Miller, in 1953 is set in the heart of puritan 16th century America. The main plot is about the witch hunts during that period and the lives that were affected by it. Although the play is about the witch hunts in Salem in the 16th century, the sub plot is really referring to the injustice that Miller himself was experiencing when he wrote it. In the play, it was not only acceptable practice in Salem to accuse people of witchery (usually women) but it was also acceptable to render them completely unable to defend themselves from such accusations. The society’s Puritanism, hysteria and conflicting views on morality and all that is just accounted for the horrendous tragedies to follow. Justice and morality are the main themes introduced throughout the play – justice, meaning the administration of law according to prescribed and accepted principles and morality, meaning the degree to which something is morally acceptable. Many issues associated with justice and morality such as the difficulties and dangers of conforming to strict principles including the consequences of the misuse of justice are also highlighted in the play. This essay will discuss those themes and how the audience is presented with them dramatically. ‘The Crucible’ meaning something in which substances are melted at high temperatures could be referring to a cauldron used by witches or an explosive situation. ‘The Crucible’ also means a severe test or trial which could be referring to the difficult decisions the characters had to make. The ambiguity of the title makes it difficult for the audience to fully understand and predict the nature and mood of the play outrightly. Throughout the play the audience is subtly presented with particular emotive issues. Miller used the literary device of an allegory to be able to depict them to maximum effect. He used lighting to convey emotions and tones, the same way he would a character. For example the footnotes of act one mention a candle in the room and sunrays beaming through the window giving the room â€Å"an air of clean spareness†. This could be interpreted as reflecting the way in which the puritans perceived themselves, free from corruption or impurities. Throughout the play, light was used to symbolize scenes depicting kindness, softer, more sincere emotions or highlight good characters in the play. But as the plot thickens, Miller uses less light which draws the audience towards the climax of the play. Dark lighting generally denotes bad atmosphere, for example the courtroom in Act Three is described as a â€Å"solemn, forbidding place† even though light shone through the back window. Again, at the very end of Act Four, when John Proctor is finally led away, Reverend Hale begins to pray and a light shines on his face. Again light is used to show raw emotions, and to portray both Proctor and Hale as good pious people. The language used throughout the play is archaic and biblical. Miller used biblical references throughout the play to help further illustrate and highlight the extent of Puritanism in Salem and how religion was the focal point of life in Salem. For example when Procter is pleading with Reverend Hale, he refers to him as ‘Pontious Pilate’ a roman official who found Jesus neither innocent nor guilty and washed his hands of the affair. However, it is more likely that Procter’s reference to the Bible was a subtle way of proving himself and his wife to be practicing Christians. Arthur Miller’s development of Abigail William’s character in ‘The Crucible’ greatly affects the plot of the play. Her snobbishness and perceived superiority made many people believe in her lies. Her superiority complex stems from the fact that she was an unmarried orphan, this placed her at the bottom of the social hierarchy in Salem. Her resentment of those that betrayed her influenced many of her decisions. From the very beginning of the play, it is clear to all that Abigail was a person who craved control, albeit subtly at times. Miller used the literary device of juxtaposition to show this to the audience. Juxtaposition is when two or more things are placed next to each other in order to create contrast and allow further analysis. In Act One, scene one where Reverend Parris is praying over Betty, Abigail appears to be an innocent, concerned niece â€Å"I will never hurt Betty, i love her dearly†. But as we see in the next scene, she threatens her own friends into silence. â€Å"Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and i will come to you in the black of some terrible night and i will bring some pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know i can do it. † The â€Å"evil† that made her capable of drinking chicken’s blood made the girls fear her, so much so that when Procter asked Mary (his house helper) to tell the courts about Abigail she replied â€Å"she’ll kill me for saying that†. Juxtaposition was also used to show the different levels of morality between the characters. Throughout all the chaos of trying to find who is moral and who isn’t, the audience is fully aware that Abigail was behind it all and she is the person lacking in morals. This made it possible for the audience to make the contrast between her and the other members of the community. Again Abigail’s acted superiority complex revealed itself when Reverend Parris asked her why no-one in the village had rehired her, she replied by saying how they wanted to enslave her and how she would not â€Å"blacken her face for any of them†. This further illustrates her feelings towards the black slaves in the community. It was almost as if she was saying she would rather be without a job than lower herself to their level. It was this reasoning that made it so easy for her to use Tituba (Parris’ slave) as a scapegoat to take all the blame for the witchery. It was also easy for the rest of the villagers to believe Abigail’s accusations because they too thought themselves better than Tituba. An example of this is in Act One where Tituba takes a step backwards before attempting to talk to the reverend but he scrambles to his feet and quickly dismisses her.

Essential Journal One

This paper will also validate what I have learnt by providing examples of personal or professional experiences as it relates to essentials I and II. Lastly this paper will describe future learning needs necessary to achieve each essential. Annihilation of Learning The past 1 7 months at Nova Southeastern has molded me in understanding why a BBS degree was/is the standard for entry into the nursing practice.An associate degree in nursing (DAN) and diploma nurses came about due to the massive shortage that the nursing profession was facing. According to Alton (201 1) â€Å"one rational for the push for BBS nurses is because recent studies have indicated that there is decreased morbidity, mortality, and failure-to-rescue rates in hospitals that employ larger percentages of baccalaureate prepared nurse† (p. 257). Essential I Essential I talked about the liberal education for baccalaureate generalist nursing practice.According to the (American Association of College of Nursing CAN] , (2008) â€Å"nursing graduates with a liberal education exercises clinical judgment, understanding the reasoning behind policies and standards, and respect responsibility for continued development of self and the discipline of nursing† (p. 1 1). Obtaining my BBS has shaped the way I View patient care especially in terms of the many theory developed by nursing theorist.Evidence base practice has given me the insight into better and safer patient care while being able to teach others about what I've learnt. Essential II Essential II talks about the basic organizational and systems leadership for quality care and patient safety. Courses taken like leadership, budget and pathologically has equipped us to be better leaders, given us a greater understanding of disease processes, organizational skills needed to manage units, and lastly explore the many ways to improve quality of care and patient safety.The CAN (2008) states that a â€Å"baccalaureate nursing graduates are disting uished by their abilities to identify, assess, and evaluate practice in care delivery models that are based in contemporary nursing science and are feasible within current culture, economic, organizational, and political prospective† (p. 13). Validation of Learning As patient acuity increases along with technological advances in healthcare, we as nurses need to be more educated in order to provide the best care possible to our patients. It is a disservice to our patients for nurses to be comfortable with a two year degree without thought of advancement.Yes a nurse is a nurse, but being well rounded with the educational knowledge needed to better solve complex problems, provide better leadership qualities, and understand evidence base practice is all part of the critical liberal education a BBS degree provides. Essential Example One of the most influential class think was my budget class. The number en reason for this was due to the lack of knowledge about the topic. After comp leting the course it has help me to realize just how integral each and every one of us are to the budget process.Understanding that healthcare is a business and every item that is used has a cost associated with it gives us the nurse a better awareness. Essential II Example Being able to differentiate between a good leader and a good manager, and learning what it takes to be both are some Of the things I have taken from my adhering class. Throughout my BBS journey Vive learned the reason why core measures were being done on my previous unit for each Congestive earth failure (CHEF) and Myocardial Infarction (MI) admission.Evidence base practice has help me to bridge the gap between nurse patient ratios and medication errors which as a AND nurse could not be conceptualized. Future Learning Needs As navigate through my last 3 course to becoming a Bachelor prepared nurse, believe these courses will provide me with the skills needed to easily adapt to any future learning need that will a rise. Being a nurse requires a commitment to lifelong learning. Most if not all of the potential learning outcomes outlined in essential I and II have been reach or is in the process of Ewing reached, from each class I have taken at Nova Southeastern.Conclusion In the ever-changing world of healthcare, nurses need to be able to adapt and conform in order to keep up to the pace. According to Mugginess (2008) â€Å"research links BBS-educated Urns with improved patient outcomes† (p. 47). Research has shown that a BBS prepared nurse possess greater critical thinking skills thus better decision making which leads to a decrease risk of patient deaths and failure to rescue. Personally, having taken on the challenge to further my education has open many doors, along with awarding e greater insight to many processes involved in the ever changing healthcare arena.