The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 Reforms to the House of Lords Essay

The Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949 Reforms to the House of Lords - Essay Example The act was as result of a reaction to the rivalry between the incumbent government and the House of Lords with regards to the 1909 People’s Budget. The chancellor of the exchequer of the time named David Lloyd George, had proposed the incorporation of a land tax (Dorey and Kelso 119-124). The new tax would have adverse effects on owners of large pieces of lands, majority of who were persons in the conservative opposition. In this regards, the conservatives believed in another alternative source which was to be tariffs on imports as this has much prospects to the British local industries as well. They had leverage in their large majority numbers which they used to vote down the budget. This was even perpetuated further by the veto power they possessed on Public Bills. This challenged the Liberals so much that they prioritized reducing the power of the Lords come the next general elections. After the elections, the Liberals still formed the minority government hence the Lords s ubsequently accepted the People Budget only after the land tax proposal had been dropped (Dorey and Kelso 126). The dispute over the budget however prompted the government to introduce new resolutions which were geared towards limiting the power of the Lords. ... The provisions of the Act abolished any veto powers of the House of Lords to any public bill introduced in the House of Commons. Exception was however granted to Bills which contain any provision to extend the maximum duration of parliament beyond the normal five years or any Bill confirming provisional order (Gordon 14-19). Again, the Bill did not alter any provision to the Bills introduced in the House of Common, as well as Private Bills and delegated legislations (Gordon 19). The Labour government amended the 1911 Act to further reduce the power of the House of Lords. This was prompted by the fears that the radical programme of nationalism which they advocated for, would be delayed by the House of the Lords barring its completion within the life of the parliament (Thompson 191). In 1947, a Bill aimed at reducing the time by which the Lords were bound to delay Bills form three sessions over two years to two sessions over a year, was introduced. After an attempt by the Lords to bloc k the bill, it was reintroduced in 1948 and 1911 as well (Thompson 193). The Bill was finally passed in 1949 with the application the provisions of the 1911 Act. The passing of the 1949 Act into law prompted various controversies. A number of legal personalities raised some doubts as to whether the use of the 1911 Act to pass the1949 Act, which in turn amended the 1911 Act itself was valid (Zander 94). They claimed that, the continued ability of the Lords to veto a bill to prolong the parliament life would not be entrenched if the 1911 Act could be used to amend itself first as this could end up removing this restriction (Hood 42). Also, they argued that the 1949 Act could be considered as a secondary legislation

Psychology and Care Plan Essay Example for Free

Psychology and Care Plan Essay Questions 1 – Be able to assess the development needs of children or young people and repare a development plan. 1.1 – Explain factors that need to be taken into account when assessing development. * Progress * Improvement * Behaviours * Look at goals within care plan are they on track? * What activities they are partaking in and how well are they dealing with them. * Whether they are interested, compliant and accepting or not. 1.2 – Assess a child or young person’s development in following areas :- physical, communication, intellectual/ cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural and moral. A) Please see attached sheets of evidence (Daily session record and behaviour tick sheet) 1.3 – Explain the selection of assessment methods used. A) These methods are used to monitor mood, behaviour, what the young person has been doing during that session also the date and time of the session, so we can monitor if something is a regular occurrence on or at a certain time of day (looking for patterns). 1.4 – Develop a plan to meet the needs of a child or young person in the work setting. A) Please see attached care plan 1 – Be able to promote the development of children or young people 2.5 – Implement the development plan for a child or young person according to own Role and responsibilities, taking into account that development is holistic and interconnected. * Monitor the care plan on a daily basis to be aware of any changes and implement if necessary. * If I notice certain areas of the care plan are not working efficiently to meet the needs of the young person and could be improved upon it is my responsibility to report this back to the correct senior member of staff, so they can review and update if necessary. * When working with the young person if I notice any changes/ unusual behaviours to report to senior. 2.6 – Evaluate and revise the development plan in light of implementation. A) In reading the care plan since it was last reviewed I would advise it does need an update in regards of :- * The YP’s getting up in the morning as states that he is not good at getting up, but now is a lot better and tends to get straight up and for a shower with no issues and with little prompting. * The care plan states what the YP likes for breakfast but does not state that he also likes to make it himself. * Again stating the YP is getting better at going out and likes to go out, but doesn’t state specific preferences as he particularly likes to go to the park on the swings. * In the care plan I have noticed it doesn’t make aware that the YP finds his PECS strip useful at times instead of verbal communication and also avoids confusion with the YP * All others areas of the care plan remain unchanged at this time but will continue to review and monitor, so that any changes can be implemented asap to enable improvement and progress for the YP. 2.3- Explain the importance of a person centred and inclusive approach and give examples of how this is implemented in own work. * To meet the INDIVIDUAL needs of the Young person to ensure they are gaining all the positive effects and influences around them and developing at their individual pace. * Individual care plans of which the Young person has input * Following and adhering to the care plans * Residential meetings – asking the young people if they are happy with surroundings, if not what they would like to change. * Giving the YP’s choices of meals, activities and clothing to show individuality and personality 2.4– Observation 2.5 – Encourage children or young people to actively participate in decisions affecting their lives and the services they receive according to their age and abilities. * Residential meetings * Asking likes and dislikes * Giving choices around personal hygiene/ dietary needs * Giving choice in social activities * Choice of clothing for personal identity * Supporting in finance matters, giving them a choice what to spend their personal finances on. * Given as much choice and inclusion in decisions to meet individual needs 2 – Be able to respond to inappropriate behaviour 3.7 – Explain the features of an environment or service that promotes the development of children and young people. A) Within the service to be aware through care plans of the trigger points of YP’s that initiate the inappropriate behaviour B) To be aware through the care plan how best to respond to the individual to defuse inappropriate behaviour C) Use positive reinforcement and praise when individual responds well and behaviour improves, hopefully enabling young person to develop and recognise themselves that the inappropriate behaviour is not rewarded or acceptable, hopefully making the occurrence of inappropriate behaviour less often. 3.8 – observation 3 – Understand how working practices can impact on the development of children and young people. 4.9 – Explain how own working practice can affect children and young people’s development. * My different approaches and attitude can affect the YP’s mood, behaviour etc as if I appear abrupt or aggressive in manner it may cause the YP to become aggressive themselves or non-cooperative and act out. * If I do not follow care plan this may have an effect on the YP as I am not meeting their specific needs which may cause agitation as they may not be getting what they need. * If I follow the care plans and have a happy positive attitude towards the YP it is more likely they will be content. 4.10 – Explain how institutions, agencies and services can affect children and young people’s development. A) They can have a positive effect on development by setting guidelines and standards to follow that are suitable for the individuals needs and ensuring reviews are done regularly to keep up to date with any changes and ensuring all the services etc are working with one another with a clear exchange of information to be able to work towards a common goal for the best outcome for the individuals development. B) If the above did not happen it would have a negative effect on the individual as no one could assure them that the quality of standards and individual needs are being met and this would have a negative impact on their development as structure and communication is key. 4 – Be able to support children and young people’s positive behaviour 5.11 – observation 5.12 – Evaluate different approaches to supporting positive behaviour. A) When using different approaches such as verbally praising and positive actions to reinforce positive behaviour, this encourages positive responses and outcomes enabling them to complete set tasks and activities within their care plan. 5 – Be Able to support children and young people experiencing transitions 6.13 – Explain how to support children and young people experiencing different types of transitions. A) Being aware of the YP’s fears and concerns of the transition by communicating with them. B) Explaining the reason to the YP of why transition taking place C) By providing initial support and on-going if required D) Accompany them during transition E) Make others aware of the concerns/ support needs the YP may have F) On-going discussions with the YP to allow them to express any fears or concerns with an on-going transition.

cars Essay -- essays research papers

History of Cars By Kenny Carroll Motor car, road vehicle which first appeared in the 19th Century. The steam propelled the first cars, but such vehicles were not a success and the age of the motor car really dates from the introduction of the petrol-driven horseless carriages of Gottfrield Daimler and Karl Benz (1885-86). The internal combustion engine for these cars had been developed earlier by several engineers, most notably by the German, Nickolaus Otto, in 1876. The main components of a motor car, from then till now, are a body or chassis to which are attached all other parts - including the engine or power plant, the transmission system for transferring the drive to the wheels, and the steering, braking and suspension mechanisms for guiding, stopping and supporting the car. A few experts assembled the first cars, but Henry Ford and R. E. Olds in the USA began modern mass-production in the early 1900s. By this means, the cost of a car was drastically reduced, and more people could afford done. In most modern ca r factories component parts are put together on assembly lines - slow-moving conveyor belts. Each worker usually has a specific task, example fitting doors or crankshafts. Bodies and engines are constructed on separate assembly lines, which converge when the engine is installed. Overhead rail conveyors move heavy components to and along the assembly lines, and lower them into position. At a later stage on the assembly line such items as lamps are fitted, and electrical, braking and control systems are tested. The fully assembled car is road tested before sale. The automobile was not invented overnight. It took shape from an accumulation of technical advances that resulted in a light and efficient engine. The accepted "fathers of the modern motor car" are two Germans, Karl Benz (1844-1929) and Gottfried Daimler (1834-1900), who built their first petrol-fuelled motor vehicles within a few months of each other (1885-6). More than a hundred years earlier, the first self-propelled road vehicle had rumbled through the streets of Paris at nearly 5km/h (3mph) when Nicolas Cugnot (1725-1804) demonstrated his steam-driven wagon. The German Nikolas Otto (1832-91) made the first four-stroke internal-combustion engine in 1876 and in 1885 Daimler had installed a small four-stroke engine in a cycle frame. He drove his first four-wheeled petrol-dr... ... the advantage somewhat. Diesel engines offer economies in fuel consumption at the expense of a loss in performance; they are particularly suited to frequent stop and start duties, and as a result are widely used in taxis, buses and lorries. The gas turbine, a completely different kind of engine, was first devised at the beginning of the twentieth century (1900s) and perfected in the 1930s. It usually has a single shaft carrying a series of propeller-like fans divided into two groups, the compressor and the turbine. In an operating gas turbine air is drawn in the compressor fans and its pressure increased. The compressed air is mixed with fuel and ignition takes place, further increasing temperatures and pressures. The burned mixture leaves the engine through the turbine, driving the blades round. The compressor, which is often driven directly by the turbine, takes up much of the power produced, but enough is left to make the gas turbine exceedingly powerful form of engine. Efficiencies are not high, but the good power-to-weight ratio of a gas turbine makes it suitable for aircraft propulsion. A gas turbine is about three times as powerful as a piston engine of the same weight.

Literary Analysis of American Literature Essay

As Elinor Ostrom explains, â€Å"To a great degree, his stories speak for those who are disenfranchised, cheated, abused, or ignored because of race or class. † Hughes’s stories speak of the downtrodden African-Americans neglected and overlooked by a prejudiced society. The recurring theme of powerlessness is exemplified in his narration â€Å"Let America Be America again†, â€Å"Harlem† and â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers†. Hughes uses rhyme to draw attention to the poetic element of his narration â€Å"Let America Be America Again†. Words such as â€Å"be† and â€Å"free†, â€Å"dreamed and â€Å"schemed†, â€Å"wreathe† and â€Å"breathe† etc. all demonstrate rhyming. The central theme is that the author feels left out of the American Dream. Hughes is writing a poem of someone who feels that America is a land that lives up to begin to add up to that. The tone is angry and resentful. In this poem he is not representing the point of view of one particular group. Hughes conveys that there are many people who’ve come here with hopes and dreams and they’re being let down. He’s also saying that there is an economic disparity between people. In essence the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, because there is no equal opportunity. That idea is something that is not real for many people because of their race, economic situation, and come up. The reader is immediately introduced to the fact that the author does not believe that America is all it can be due to the fact that the word again is used. He wants America to be â€Å"the dream it used to be. † But the powerful line is #5 which reads â€Å"America was never America. † This enhances what many people feel, that Americas ideals of equality, liberty, and land of the free don’t seem real. In a sense there is a positive tone because there is a hope that America can be a â€Å"great strong land of love,† O, let my land be a land where liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe. Liberty, which is another word for freedom is important in the dream America holds so preciously. The central message here is one of greed. Money is at the center of what America has become. Hughes feels that â€Å"power, gain† and owning property is the focus. It’s all about money. He says in line #32 to what America has become in his views. â€Å"Of owning everything for one’s own greed! † At the later stage of the poem, Hughes is coming back and saying sarcastically that he wouldn’t say there is freedom. He is speaking for the â€Å"millions† of people who have been struggling, hoping, working, flying flags, â€Å"who have nothing† except for dreams that are â€Å"almost dead. † â€Å"Harlem† by Langston Hughes is a poem that talks about what happens when we postpone our dreams. The poem is made up of a series of similes and it ends with a metaphor. The objective of the poem is to get us to think about what happens to a dream that is put off, postponed; what happens when we create our very own shelve of dreams? The â€Å"dream† refers to a goal in life, not the dreams we have while sleeping, but our deepest desires. There are many ways to understand this poem; it varies from person to person. Someone like me may see this poem as talking about just dreams in general. Others may see it as African-American’s dreams. Although the meter of â€Å"Harlem† varies, the poem has a rhythmic, lyrical quality achieved through alliteration, rhyme, repetition of certain words, and carefully placed stressed syllables. People need to think twice before deferring their dreams. Langston Hughes says it best in his poem Harlem asking the question. What happens to a dream deferred Langston Hughes describes the outcome of the question as an altogether bad idea, saying that deferring your dream is â€Å"fester like a sore† or â€Å"it stinks like rotten meat†. By using imagery, he wants the reader to know what it is like to defer a dream and how bad it is. The first image in the poem proposes that the dream dries up like a raisin. This simile likens the original dream to a grape, which is round, juicy, green and fresh. Once the dream has lain neglected for too long, it dries up. Where the raisin image invokes the senses of taste and sight, the simile of the sore conveys a sense of touch and bodily impact. By comparing the dream to a sore on the body, Hughes suggests that unfulfilled dreams become part of us, like scars. In Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers,† Hughes makes use of some interesting poetic techniques. This poem is written in free verse, at first glance, seems to be unstructured. Hughes repeats words and lines, but does not make use of repeated sounds. Finally, some of his word choices near the end of the poem help to bring the message of the poem across more strongly. These poetic techniques contribute greatly to the quality of the poem. The textual details of the poem invoke strong imagery related to veins, rivers, and the roots of trees and give the reader a sense of the timelessness of these objects. In the short first stanza, the speaker in the poem by Langston Hughes states that he has â€Å"known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. † From this early point in the point in the poem, images of the canals of veins that run throughout the human body as well as similar images of rivers that wind around and are shaped like veins form our understanding that this poem is about more than blood or water, it is about roots and circuits. He has a very deep meaning about how people feel by debating that his soul is so much stubborn now at this point that no external source could change it. Hughes’ poems illustrate many of the problems that African Americans faced during the depression era, ranging from prejudice and discrete racism to a general air of hopelessness and despair. His poetry basically develops the idea of celebrating and idealizing the Negro life in America. He is not much like the other poets who just uses a single voice/entity, instead has a tendency to express the visualizations through a number of voices making it more realistic. His expression consists of renunciation and feelings of personal cruelty.

Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2010 Essay

Analysis of the US carbonated soft drinks (CSD) industry (a) Strategic issues The CSD market in the US (approx. $74 billion) is dominated by two concentrate manufacturers – namely Coke and Pepsi –. Both companies have been competing intensely since the 1970s, yet have thrived from this competition and have grown the business very profitably, as both have benefitted from the CSD market growth rates of around 10% p.a. until the early 2000s, when domestic consumption started to decline and in 2009 fell back to levels of 19901: U.S. Liquid consumption Trends (gallons/capita): 1970 Carbonated soft drinks 1990 2000 2009 22.7 46.9 53.0 46.0 U.S. Soft Drink Market Share (Unit Case Volume %): 1970 Coca-Cola Company PepsiCo, Inc 1990 2000 2009e 34.7 19.8 41.1 32.4 44.1 31.4 41.9 29.9 In order to understand the strategic issues of the concentrate manufacturers in the US market, an analysis of the CSD industry structure appears necessary. A practical tool for assessing strategic issues is Porter’s Five Forces, as this tool supports analyses of competition, as strategy is fundamentally about competition2. The model of Porter is an outside-in business unit strategy tool that analyses the attractiveness (value) of an industry structure, capturing the key elements of industry competition. Source: HBS case study ‘Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2010’ May 26, 2011, Exhibit 1 Source: Porter, ‘Competitive Strategy’ Figure 1: Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Summary on figure 1 Barriers to entry are very high due to the following key factors: (1) anybody trying to break into the CSD market must compete with Coke’s and Pepsi’s combined market share of >75%; (2) the market leaders have – over decades – built up strategically critical supply, production and sales channels, which would require enormous investments for followers to copy and (3) the strong brand recognition in the market mainly developed via the cumulative effect of long-time advertising and the geographical availability of their products. Understanding the CSD industry and its competitive landscape and – given that the overarching goal of the concentrate manufacturers is to secure profitable growth – the primary strategic issue (central problem) for the concentrate manufacturers is the declining demand for CSDs, as these manufacturers have built their strategy over the decades on large volume production and distribution involving high amounts of investments (fixed assets) which are now (1) underutilized and (2) are not designed for alternative products (‘non-carb’). (b) Macro-environmental factors shaping the US CSD industry Since the early 2000s several macro-environmental factors have started re-shaping the US CSD industry. To obtain a full picture of the potential macro-environmental impact on this industry, I used the PESTLE framework. PESTLE stands for – Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental. This framework is a tool for identifying, tracking, projecting and assessing macro-environmental trends and patterns which helps decision-making and to plan for future events. Figure 2: PESTLE Analysis Summary on figure 2 Based on the PESTLE analysis, 4 major trends that have already shaped respectively will continue to shape the current US CSD industry and influence the attractiveness of this industry are: (1) Shift in consumption  patterns towards healthier nutrition (non-carbs such as juices and juice drinks, sports and energy drinks and tea-based drinks but also bottled water) causing the CSD to fizzle (2) US Government fighting the US #1 health problem obesity by tightened nutrition guidelines and imposing taxes on CSDs (3) Increasing pricing power of emerging mass-merchandisers (e.g. Wal-Mart) posing a new threat to profitability for Coke, Pepsi and their bottlers (4) Non-carb market is open to new market entrants, as it is a stronger fragmented market not dominated by the ‘classical’ CSD companies (Coke, Pepsi, DPS, etc.) The PESTLE analysis also reveals that the change in the US CSD industry is not a one-timeimpact but rather an ongoing process: 2000s (early): start of a declining domestic consumption of CSDs 2005: new federal guidelines to fight obesity 2010: already 29 states introduced a ‘soda tax’ (c) Future attractiveness of the US CSD industry The US CSD industry will continue to be a very attractive market for the established players alone considering the size of the market and the strong position in the market of these players. The 3 A’s (Advertising, Addiction, Availability) continue to be the main purchasing criteria for consumers. Still these players will have to adapt their strategies to maintain market levels for CSDs. Possible strategic moves to act / react on the trends stated above should be based on the findings of the Five Forces Analysis and the PESTLE Analysis and could include: (1) Development of (approved by the US F&D Admin.) alternative sweeteners to reduce obesitycausing sugars (2) Compete on availability (through their impressive geographical reach) (3) Create a fragmented bottling network but give territorial exclusivity to bottlers as incentive to ‘grow the pie’ and use the bottling network as a competitive firewall (especially against massmerchandisers) (4) Escalate advertising sp ending to keep out entry Further market analysis can be carried out by using proven tools such as ’Ansoff’s Growth Strategy Matrix’ (market present vs. market future / product present vs. product future) or the brand analysis (brand strength = differentiation + relevance vs. brand stature = knowledge + esteem) but which I have not described in this report. The competition in the CSD industry is a stronghold between Coke and Pepsi with a few minor players together holding approx. 25% market share. Coke and Pepsi leverage their strong market position and build on economies of scale crowding out smaller players or – if necessary – acquire them. Competition between Coke and Pepsi is reciprocal, with both responding to each other’s strategy shifts. Most prominent were the development of diet and flavored varieties of CSDs. To further support the analysis of the future attractiveness of the US CSD industry, the following Force Field Analysis is useful, as it also reveals potential ‘restraining forces’ of change. As figure 3 shows, especially the market disruptions coming from domestic consumption of CSDs continuously declining have caught – to a certain extent – the ‘classical’ CSD companies by surprise, as they cannot respond to this development by standard measures – such as increasing advertisement or bringing new CSDs to the market – but are now facing a structural change in the beverage market with an uncertain outcome. Figure 3: Force Field Analysis The Force Field Analysis – as described in literature – is especially useful to identify â€Å"resistance to change†, providing a systematized framework that supports identify factors that hinder change (restraining forces) and factors that support change (driving forces). Kurt Lewin developed the principle, which is a significant contribution to the fields of social science, organizational development, process management, and change  management. (d) Potential impact of the four pressures (industry dynamics, globalization, risk and ethics) on the future attractiveness of the US CSD industry The insights gained from the analyses carried out under 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) summarize the potential impact of the four pressures as follows: (1) Industry dynamics (defined as understanding how industries and companies change over time and understand their drivers of these changes): The environment in which CSD companies have been operating until the early 2000s was 5  characterized by competition but the industry dynamics tended to be ‘evolutionary’. The PESTLE analysis has shown, that since that time, market dynamics have dramatically picked up and several lasting disruptive changes (e.g. introduction of a ‘soda tax’) have happened. Subsequently this has had an impact on top and bottom line of the CSD industry (‘Cola Wars’ business case, Exhibit 3a). (2) Globalization (defined as when an industry globalizes, it undergoes structural shifts, so that the organizations within it find that their position in one country is significantly affected by their position in another country): Even if the aforementioned analyses are aimed to the US CSD industry, the data provided by the case study reveals that Coke’s share of US business in % of total global business is around 20% while Pepsi’s share is around 50%. The international business – in contrast to the US market – has been growing nicely given the strong population growth in emerging countries and the establishment of a ‘middle class’ in large nations such as India and China that can now afford CSDs. Coke has stronger benefitted from this growth as Pepsi has. This should give Coke further potential for economies of scale which should benefit bottom line considerably. (3) Risk (defined as the evaluation of levels of risk and reward attached to each potential business opportunity): The exposure of risk in the CSD industry – given that especially Coke and Pepsi (a) have a significant share of business in the single largest CSD market worldwide, which is the US and (b) rely on the success of a single type of product (carbonated soft drink) – is high. Impacts coming from macro-environmental factors – as shown in the PESTLE analysis – can be game changing for this industry, as already happening since the early 2000s. (4) Ethics (defined as a set of values and beliefs that do transcend cultures, time and economic conditions): Again stressing PESTLE, environmental protection has become one of these values that have affected the CSD industry and have at least forced the CSD companies to re-think their packaging strategy and in consequence potential changes in the production and bottling process. From the aforementioned I would draw, that industry dynamics has the major impact on the future attractiveness of the US CSD industry. General observations on using module concepts Engaging with theory and applying this to day-to-day business life has many advantages of which I would highlight: best quality: proven concepts efficiency: not to â€Å"re-invent the wheel† for free: applying theory in daily business life is – from an intellectual property stand point – basically not linked to any cost [except costs for implementation] The challenge left for every corporation is to understand, select and implement the theories, methods and tools that best suit their purpose. This requires experienced managers and experts that are capable of making use of theory to change practice. 1. Module concept I: Porter’s Five Forces Strategy is fundamentally about competition. Competition comes from many places. Therefore it is essential to carry out an ‘environmental scan’ in a systematic way. Porter Five Forces model is a proven outside-in business unit strategy tool that analyses the attractiveness (value) of an industry structure, capturing the key elements of industry competition. (a) Strengths of the framework Porter refers to these forces as the micro environment or line-of-business industry level (those forces that are close to the company and that drive the business). If changes happen in one of these forces, the company should re-assess their strategic position and – if required – take corrective action. Also it provides useful input for performing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. (b) Limitations of the framework The framework does not look at strategy from the inside-out. Consequently the view on core competencies on a company are ignored. I would have found it useful to understand where Coke has developed a competitive advantage vs. Pepsi and vice-versa. Therefore a SWOT analysis should always complement the Five Forces Analysis. Another critique I would make to the framework is the fact, that the 4 forces (1) entrants, (2) substitutes, (3) customers and (4) suppliers only relate to the center (competitors) but do not ‘interact’ among themselves. In the ‘Cola Wars’ e.g. the interaction between substitutes and customers would have been of interest. Last I would criticize the framework is not very useful for environments that are characterized by rapid, systemic and radical change which requires more flexible or emergent approaches to strategy formulation (this often happening with industries where disruptive innovation is foreseeable). This is also true for disruptions that give the possibility to create completely new markets (how to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant)3. 2. Module concept II: PESTLE framework The PESTLE framework is a powerful tool and I used it to weigh up the wide range of factors in an organization’s environment that will impact on its strategy. Reading through the ‘Cola Wars’ business case it quickly became evident, that it is not one but several factors that are influencing the US CSD industry. PESTLE very much serves as a checklist of macro-environmental factors that can influence strategy. I personally prefer using the PESTLE framework in combination with the Force Field Analysis as I believe that PESTLE covers well the ‘driving forces’ of change but does not address the ‘restraining forces’. This becomes particularly evident in the analysis carried out under 1(c). (a) Strengths of the framework Similar to the Risk Management System, PESTLE provides a comprehensive ‘checklist’ of macro-environmental factors to make sure, that all ‘dimensions’ have been thought of and have been documented systematically. Also these factors can be classified as opportunities  and risks in the SWOT analysis as well as a risk register. Last but not least, PESTLE is easy to use and adaptable to any business. (b) Limitations of the framework Except for the stated under 2., I have not identified any major limitations of the framework, making it a tool I prefer working with. 3. Module concept III: Lewin’s Forces Field Analysis Lewin’s Force Field Analysis belongs to the great change management tools. He saw the drivers for and against change as a moving equilibrium and developed a way to analyse these drivers, giving birth to what he called a ‘force field analysis’. By knowing the driving and restraining forces of change, strategies can be developed to reduce the impact of the restraining forces and strengthen the driving forces. Even if the Force Field Analysis looks simple at a first glance, the following benefits are built into the system: Dynamics on action vs. reaction Allows different perspectives Highlights most critical matters (size of the arrow) (a) Strengths of the framework The Force Field Analysis complements the PESTLE framework as PESTLE covers well the ‘driving forces’ of change but does not address the ‘restraining forces’ in a structured or transparent manner. It is easy to use and adaptable to many situations in business. Especially I would like to highlight, that one has to put himself in the shoes of the other to understand drivers and restrainers for change. This can make a difference in outlining a strategy. (b) Limitations of the framework The Force Field Analysis is – different to e.g. a Risk Management System – by far not so sophistically developed. One generally starts the analysis on a white piece of paper with only very few supporting guidelines. ‘Checklists’ to avoid omissions of major drivers / restrainers are not known to me.

Fast Food Industry Essays

Fast Food Industry Essays Fast Food Industry Essay Fast Food Industry Essay In his essay, â€Å"Fast Food Nation† Eric Schlosser condemns the impact of fast food on human health and American economy. Schlosser detests the fast food chain because it causes thousands of independent business to come to an end. As a result, unemployment plays a major role among these small scale businessmen. In addition it creates social differences among the people due to food market being captured by fast food chain. In order to attain a monopoly and dominate the fast food industry, they employ low paid and unskilled work force which is a threat to the public and migrant farm workers. Every citizen has the right to know the ingredients being used in the food so they can avoid the deleterious effects of the fast food on their health. His assertion, â€Å"introduction of deadly pathogens† states the risk encountered by small children who are the future generation of the modern world ( 392). Addition of harmful chemicals to increase the taste and aroma of food leads to chronic diseases like cancer, stroke and heart diseases. Furthermore Schlosser’s fear about the fast food being a social problem and turning out to be a threat to the American economy is the pinnacle of this essay. : Small scale farms and full-time farmers are in the risk of losing their livelihood with the emergence of the fast food industry. He also points out the inability of the Government to eliminate the lethal meat which paves its way into the fast food industry and pose health problems. Then he moves onto the consumers and asserts that, â€Å"Even the anticipation of consumer anger has prompted McDonald’s to demand changes from its suppliers,† – this reveals that the consumers should be provoked and created an awareness about the ins and outs of the food they are eating (396). The insight of the author about the fast food industry builds up in a gradual process and finally reiterates the need for the public to take immediate action and cease the use of fast food as their regular food and search for other healthy options like simple and healthy cooking which would help them retain a hale and a healthy life. Saying no to the fast food makes the fast food industry to rethink their formula of safe food and saves our precious life as well as the future generation. Let’s think about it.

Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest- Not In Our Schools

suggests the fact that the novel was intended to be read but an older more mature audience. There are numerous examples of inappropriate language being used by almost every character in the novel. An interesting fact to point out is that the man that we cheer for, McMurphy, the protagonist of the book is the one who uses this language most often. He is the one person that we learn to love because he stands up to the authority figure, Miss Ratchet. All the people in the ward want to be like him and we are made to feel this way as well. McMurphy’s behavior promotes rebellion against authority which if acted upon can put our society in a state of utter chaos, as seen in the ward. Violence and disturbing behavior are also in abundance in this novel. There are a number of accounts of disturbing behavior, this consists of the nurse trying to intimidate and embarrass the patients to keep them under control. It shows that a single person can control many through manipulation and carefully thought out actions. It is amazing that she can keep these patients in the ward even though the want to leave and can leave freely at any time. She has such a strangle hold on them, making them rely on the ward to survive. It’s through her manipulation and tr... Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest- Not In Our Schools Free Essays on One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest- Not In Our Schools One flew over the cuckoo’s nest is a well written and provocative novel, that has no place in our schools. The novel should not be permitted in our schools because the language is offensive, there is an abundance of violence and disturbing behavior, and it shows no positive side aspect of not only life in a ward but also of society. The language in one flew over the cuckoo’s nest is atrocious and vulgar. The language that the author uses to convey the feelings of the patients and members of the ward is degrading and unnecessary. There are numerous opportunities for the author to portray his mind-set and the mind-set of the characters with the use less offensive words. The use of these words suggests the fact that the novel was intended to be read but an older more mature audience. There are numerous examples of inappropriate language being used by almost every character in the novel. An interesting fact to point out is that the man that we cheer for, McMurphy, the protagonist of the book is the one who uses this language most often. He is the one person that we learn to love because he stands up to the authority figure, Miss Ratchet. All the people in the ward want to be like him and we are made to feel this way as well. McMurphy’s behavior promotes rebellion against authority which if acted upon c an put our society in a state of utter chaos, as seen in the ward. Violence and disturbing behavior are also in abundance in this novel. There are a number of accounts of disturbing behavior, this consists of the nurse trying to intimidate and embarrass the patients to keep them under control. It shows that a single person can control many through manipulation and carefully thought out actions. It is amazing that she can keep these patients in the ward even though the want to leave and can leave freely at any time. She has such a strangle hold on them, making them rely on the ward to survive. It’s through her manipulation and tr...

Measuring Earthquake Magnitudes

Measuring Earthquake Magnitudes These days, an earthquake happens and right away it is on the news, including its magnitude. Instant earthquake magnitudes seem as routine an achievement as reporting the temperature, but theyre the fruit of generations of scientific work. Why Earthquakes Are Hard to Measure Earthquakes are very hard to measure on a standard scale of size. The problem is like finding one number for the quality of a baseball pitcher. You can start with the pitchers win-loss record, but there are more things to consider: earned-run average, strikeouts and walks, career longevity and so on. Baseball statisticians tinker with indexes that weigh these factors (for more, visit the About Baseball Guide). Earthquakes are easily as complicated as pitchers. They are fast or slow. Some are gentle, others are violent. Theyre even right-handed or left-handed. They are oriented different ways- horizontal, vertical, or in between (see Faults in a Nutshell). They occur in different geologic settings, deep within continents or out in the ocean. Yet somehow we want a single meaningful number for ranking the worlds earthquakes. The goal has always been to figure out the total amount of energy a quake releases, because that tells us profound things about the dynamics of the Earths interior. Richters First Scale The pioneering seismologist Charles Richter started in the 1930s by simplifying everything he could think of. He chose one standard instrument, a Wood-Anderson seismograph, used only nearby earthquakes in Southern California, and took only one piece of data- the distance A in millimeters that the seismograph needle moved. He worked up a simple adjustment factor B to allow for near versus distant quakes, and that was the first Richter scale of local magnitude ML: ML log A B A graphical version of his scale is reproduced on the Caltech archives site. Youll notice that ML really measures the size of earthquake waves, not an earthquakes total energy, but it was a start. This scale worked fairly well as far as it went, which was for small and moderate earthquakes in Southern California. Over the next 20 years Richter and many other workers extended the scale to newer seismometers, different regions, and different kinds of seismic waves. Later Richter Scales Soon enough Richters original scale was abandoned, but the public and the press still use the phrase Richter magnitude. Seismologists used to mind, but not any more. Today seismic events may be measured based on body waves or surface waves (these are explained in Earthquakes in a Nutshell). The formulas differ but they yield the same numbers for moderate earthquakes. Body-wave magnitude is mb log(A/T) Q(D,h) where A is the ground motion (in microns), T is the waves period (in seconds), and Q(D,h) is a correction factor that depends on distance to the quakes epicenter D (in degrees) and focal depth h (in kilometers). Surface-wave magnitude is Ms log(A/T) 1.66 logD 3.30 mb uses relatively short seismic waves with a 1-second period, so to it every quake source that is larger than a few wavelengths looks the same. That corresponds to a magnitude of about 6.5. Ms uses 20-second waves and can handle larger sources, but it too saturates around magnitude 8. Thats OK for most purposes because magnitude-8 or great events happen only about once a year on average for the whole planet. But within their limits, these two scales are a reliable gauge of the actual energy that earthquakes release. The biggest earthquake whose magnitude we know was in 1960, in the Pacific right off central Chile on May 22. Back then, it was said to be magnitude 8.5, but today we say it was 9.5. What happened in the meantime was that Tom Hanks and Hiroo Kanamori came up with a better magnitude scale in 1979. This moment magnitude, Mw, is not based on seismometer readings at all but on the total energy released in a quake, the seismic moment Mo (in dyne-centimeters): Mw 2/3 log(Mo) - 10.7 This scale therefore does not saturate. Moment magnitude can match anything the Earth can throw at us. The formula for Mw is such that below magnitude 8 it matches Ms and below magnitude 6 it matches mb, which is close enough to Richters old ML. So keep calling it the Richter scale if you like- its the scale Richter would have made if he could. The U.S. Geological Surveys Henry Spall interviewed Charles Richter in 1980 about his scale. It makes  lively reading. PS: Earthquakes on Earth simply cant get bigger than around Mw 9.5. A piece of rock can store up only so much strain energy before it ruptures, so the size of a quake depends strictly on how much rock- how many kilometers of fault length- can rupture at once. The Chile Trench, where the 1960 quake occurred, is the longest straight fault in the world. The only way to get more energy is with giant landslides or asteroid impacts.

Optometry Education In Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Optometry Education In Australia - Essay Example The survey was based on information obtained from the personal interview with an optometrist which was a mandatory component of this assignment. The question type survey involved opinions of practitioners in Australia and internationally regarding the educational standards of the current university programs; the need for a national board examination system; and the opinion whether the profession was ensuring competence in practitioners. Also asked in the survey were the questions related to the need for national examination for overseas graduates, and if it is appropriate to conduct periodical mandatory examinations for practitioners. The results of the survey will be referred/referenced to throughout the essay. So what are the educational standards A concern is whether the current optometry programs taught in Australia are appropriate. The four to five year course that leads to the degree of bachelorhood in optometry can then be furthered by undertaking MSc, MOptom, PhD in the same field. Experiments/research has been undertaken to improve the learning process of the students in this regard and new experiments and studies are being conducted. The introduction of WebCT (Web Course Tools) i.e. learning by the help of E-learning by Herse at the undergraduate level has been successful and highly educational to students (Herse ,2003). In another study, Anjou showed written communication that is letters of referral and report between healthcare providers to be one of the most competent means of communications between the health care providers and has insisted in implementing the structure at the graduate level. (Anjou, 2003). An introduction to problem based learning in Queensland University of Technology has also been carried out. (Azer, 2001) These studies are examples of the various techniques being introduced to increase the educational standards in the field of optometry. However, there are many who believe the system is not up to par. Take Carney for instance. Carney holds the view that the current challenges the universities face require a better strategy in education and teaching. He blames the slow legal status of Australia. "We are all aware that to accomplish change in the legal status of the health professions in Australia is a frustratingly slow process." He maintains the need to "further evolve the profession and develop it further. (Carney,2000) Comparing to the USA standards, Carney states that the model of entry-level competency adopted by ASCO (The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry), should be followed by a similar strategy in Australia to improve its educational standards. Carney believes Australia can reach to the levels of USA and UK (Carney, 2000). The US and UK standards are very good and are globally accepted and appreciated. He also maintains that the scope of the practice cannot be defined by entry level competencies alone (because) and stresses the need for further learning studies after graduation.(Carney ,2000). These skills and attitudes, in the author's view, will necessarily become integral and assessable attributes of graduates of the future. All these points hold merit but there are issues to the contrary.According to

Business enviroment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business enviroment - Essay Example The micro level or the task environment consist of the competitive forces and the environmental uncertainty and external stakeholders of a business. The relationship of a company with its external environment is difficult. As such, it is important for all types of companies to have an understanding of the way in which the external environment functions and changes. The external environment of any company is an essential driver of the success or failure of the company because they support the five main objectives of any company which are survival, growth, profitability, efficiency and stability. The constraints and opportunities in the external environment of a business are significant factors that can impact a business. Also, the external environment is a multifaceted and dynamic environment which undergoes continuous change. So, in order to remain in competition and sustain, a company has to essentially analyse the external business environment in a regular manner. PEST analysis is an important strategic management tool used by companies to analyse the external business environment. The PEST analysis includes an analysis of the political, economic, social and technological factors in the external environment that may directly or indirectly impact the survival, growth and profitability of a company. Bianchi will uses the PEST analysis tool to understand the political, economic, social and technological environment prevailing in the United Kingdom. The company can also use the tool to calculate the opportunities and threats in the external business environment of the United Kingdom bicycle industry. PEST analysis is a necessary analysis to conduct by any business when it plans to enter into a new market. Therefore, it is also necessary for Bianchi to uses the tool before taking decisions for expanding its business into the United Kingdom market. The existing situations in the external business environment can

Finacial crisis and shipping and ship repair Yards business Essay

Finacial crisis and shipping and ship repair Yards business - Essay Example The Shipping industry is experiencing myriad problems and these problems have been created by the financial crisis, the financial crisis forced the banks to cut back on lending and the consumer spending contracted in many places. The same has made it very difficult to move goods from one place to another and there are very few goods these days that are being moved when compared to the time before the financial crisis. The shipments of various buyers are stuck at the dock and as a result of which the material is deteriorating with each passing day. The letter of credit is very important when it comes to moving goods from one place to another. It is a must for the shipper to know when he will be paid for the goods that he loads in the shipment, which will be received by the buyer, but there is a lot of uncertainty that is affecting the shipping industry. Almost all the industries have been affected by the financial crisis and the case with the shipping industry is no different. A typical discussion put forward by shippers is that unpredictable fluctuations in the shipping industry are expected, because booms are normally followed by recessions. However, the current gloomy financial circumstance the world is confronted with is the most difficult so far, and it hit the industry severely. Demand factors, such as prices of other goods, production costs, demand for other goods, the availability, and the big change in the cost of financing have played a very important role in the current downturn in demand for shipping, and freight services, including the decline for ship-yards new builds and repairs orders. Some shipping companies have luck on their side. When the large Asian shipyards got overrun with orders in recently, and delivery times grew to up to four years, many small shipyards, especially in China, were simply created out of thin air. In many cases, contracts to build new ships were signed with these so-called Greenfield shipyards, which existed only on the drawing board. These shipyards no longer exist today, nor will the ships. Most of the existing Greenfield shipyards are likely to disappear quickly. This might benefit the big and financially strong Ship Yards, which might reflect in increasing seeds order to their facilities in the mid to long term. On the other hand, supply factors are determined by the demand and freight services for shipping, along with the interest rates at the time. Suppliers went on seeking more and more excess capacity by ordering containers and new ships to meet the increasing demand. However the demand direction did not continue as was expected. The financial crisis has effected hard not only these shipping and ships building and ship repair sector, but also other related services as well. Shippers in North America, Europe and Asia have been hurt most by the crisis. For instance, the contracted tonnage of containerizes cargo has went down by several millions of cubic feet. The annual reduction has been one of the most painful that business has seen. According to industry advisors and evaluators there would be a further reduction in demand for containerized cargo shipping will follow. The existing

STEEPLE Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

STEEPLE Analysis - Research Paper Example The UK supermarket sector has been controlled by â€Å"Big Four’’ grocery companies like Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s (Sanderson, 2007). These companies collectively control 75.4% of the market share as of the year 2012 (Butler, 2012). Tesco has occupied 30.5% in terms of grocery retail in the market, whereas Morrisons has 11.7% followed by Asda with 17.1% and Sainsbury’s with 16.1% (Butler, 2012). As UK supermarket sector is based on both grocery and retail outlets, the rate of sales for both the products base have made certain impacts on the growth of the market scenario. The rate of sales in retails had enlarged by 5.4% in September 2011 as compared to September 2010 (Office for National Statistics, 2011). Non-retailing counters and automotive fuels selling capacities have improved to 15.5 and 2.8 percent respectively from 2010 in the year 2011. The paper intends to discuss on STEEPLE Analysis of the UK supermarket sector and evaluate the fac tors in the market which would impact in the organizations operating in the market. Moreover, the discussion also focuses on the assessment of the HR practices of one of the leading companies in the UK retail market, Tesco. Description of STEEPLE Analysis STEEPLE analysis is an instrumental analysis through which changes in the environment can be determined in correlation to the operations in the business sector. The analysis is based on different factors such as social, technological, political, economic, ethical, legal and environmental which have an impact on the operations of business in the UK supermarket sector. Social Factors In relation to the social factors, it is observed that there is a change in the buying pattern of different materials by the customers which significantly relates to the dimensions of lifestyle changes, alteration in income distribution and changes in living conditions. With the influence of these factors customers in the UK are favouring one-stop shoppi ng of products (Randall & Seth, 2011). A crucial issue in context is that there is a noticeable certain change in terms of social wants with the change in time because increasing number of customers nowadays are desiring to keep themselves abreast with the latest fashion and style statements. Consequently, the retailers functioning in the UK supermarket are concentrating rapidly on products which provide them value for money. The option of finding a variety of products within one-roof in a supermarket has also been a major draw for the consumers which in turn facilitate them meet their needs and desires (Defra, 2006). Moreover, certain pertinent social factors such as birth rates, household income, gender and religion among others have affected the retail giants like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons in the UK supermarket. In relation to augmented birth rates, it can be ascertained that retailers like Tesco have started to increasingly focus on keeping an assortment of c hildren toys related products to open up a new target market for the company. Moreover, in the global operations companies such as Tesco need to operate keeping in consideration the religious contexts while offering products and preparing their advertisements so that the sentiments of the people in a foreign country do not get hurt. It can in turn affect their sales and profitability. Similarly, social factors such as gender and household income have also been taken into consideration by the retail companies while preparing their product assortment as products in varied price range have been a key consideration to attract consumers’ of different income range. (Tesco Plc, 2012). Sainsbury’

Pfizer's unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca Case Study

Pfizer's unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca - Case Study Example In this regard, it is necessary to have a brief knowledge about AstraZeneca. The company is a United Kingdom (UK) based pharmaceutical company headquartered in London. AstraZeneca is also recognised among top companies in the global pharmaceutical industry. Like Pfizer, this company also have significant experience in acquisition and mergers as it has acquired and collaborated with a number of companies in recent years. The case in this paper focuses on the failed merger between Pfizer and AstraZeneca which took place in May, 2014. It was gathered from the Guardian (2014a) that the chairman of Pfizer initially approached chairman of AstraZeneca regarding merger in November 2013 while the detailed discussion took place in January, 2014. The exploratory meeting between both the companies took place in New York on January 5, 2014. It was gathered that Pfizer offered a settlement payment of  £58 billion or  £46.61 per share in its preliminary proposal to AstraZeneca. The offer also included establishment of a new holding company listed and headquartered in the US. However, AstraZeneca’s board turned down the offer concluding that Pfizer has heavily undervalued the company and its prospects. The company also questioned transaction structure and offered inversion structure of Pfizer and ultimately the proposal ended by the mid of January 2014 (International Business Times, 2014; The Telegraph, 2014; The Guardian, 2014a; 2014b). On 26 April 2014, Pfizer contacted chairman of AstraZeneca for a new discussion regarding collaboration of both the companies but AstraZeneca declined this offer. Consequently, Pfizer publicised its interest in merger with AstraZeneca on 28 April 2014. The US pharmaceutical giant revealed that they are planning to offer AstraZeneca cash and share at an attractive premium. They further added that they would move company domicile

Electrolux challenges in the appliance industry Essay

Electrolux challenges in the appliance industry - Essay Example Moreover, reducing the cost always could be an efficient way for the Electrolux’s sustainability, the company has relocated approximate 60% of its manufactures to low cost countries like China, India, and Mexico, and it also has reduced its overall energy consumption. In addition, Electrolux has focused on few issues, such as climate change, sound business practices, responsible sourcing and restructuring (Hill & Jones, 2012). Those new strategies helped Electrolux to gain more customer, saved more asset for more investment, furthermore, the strategies helped company to receive more subsidize from the government, this was a major way helped the company’s sustainability directly. The strengths of Electrolux is that it is a well-established company who has kept their head above water and have emerged a greater threat in the market due to their cost efficiency strategy. Electrolux does encounter weakness in their market, mainly currency risk due to operating in dozens of separate counties. Due to their manufacturing utilizing 20% of raw materials they face a larger manufacturing cost as well (Hill & Jones, 2012). Electrolux’s major threats are their number one competitor Whirlpool, as well as increase in labor costs due to Asian wage rises. However Electrolux does have many opportunities they can capitalize on such as becoming the leading socially responsible company in their market. Also the rise in the middle class population suggests that appliances demands should rise which leads to an increase in sales revenue (see appendix A). To measure the efficiency of Electrolux, it is noticeable that the company is not efficient due to its low operating margin. To fix this problem, Electrolux should consider the economic recession and focus more on the inelastic products such as washers and dryers. Since they are a necessity, consumer will spend money on them regardless of

Pfizer's unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca Case Study

Pfizer's unsuccessful takeover of AstraZeneca - Case Study Example In this regard, it is necessary to have a brief knowledge about AstraZeneca. The company is a United Kingdom (UK) based pharmaceutical company headquartered in London. AstraZeneca is also recognised among top companies in the global pharmaceutical industry. Like Pfizer, this company also have significant experience in acquisition and mergers as it has acquired and collaborated with a number of companies in recent years. The case in this paper focuses on the failed merger between Pfizer and AstraZeneca which took place in May, 2014. It was gathered from the Guardian (2014a) that the chairman of Pfizer initially approached chairman of AstraZeneca regarding merger in November 2013 while the detailed discussion took place in January, 2014. The exploratory meeting between both the companies took place in New York on January 5, 2014. It was gathered that Pfizer offered a settlement payment of  £58 billion or  £46.61 per share in its preliminary proposal to AstraZeneca. The offer also included establishment of a new holding company listed and headquartered in the US. However, AstraZeneca’s board turned down the offer concluding that Pfizer has heavily undervalued the company and its prospects. The company also questioned transaction structure and offered inversion structure of Pfizer and ultimately the proposal ended by the mid of January 2014 (International Business Times, 2014; The Telegraph, 2014; The Guardian, 2014a; 2014b). On 26 April 2014, Pfizer contacted chairman of AstraZeneca for a new discussion regarding collaboration of both the companies but AstraZeneca declined this offer. Consequently, Pfizer publicised its interest in merger with AstraZeneca on 28 April 2014. The US pharmaceutical giant revealed that they are planning to offer AstraZeneca cash and share at an attractive premium. They further added that they would move company domicile

Risk Involved in Foreign Direct Investment Essay

Risk Involved in Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) is responsible in regulating the telecommunications sector. The political aspect is also explored as it is the political system that drafts the rules that outline how business operations are run. In conclusion, I argue that multinational companies need to strike a consensus with the Sri Lanka government in reference to regulatory conditions. As it will become clear in this paper, the role of multinational corporations in the development of economies cannot be underestimated. However, some risks for example those related to the political aspect of governance may prove to be a big obstacle to multinational corporations seeking to invest in Sri Lanka. It is on this basis that this paper comes up to consider the response options available to multinational corporations that operate in the country. Through the use of questionnaires, data relating to the operation of multinational corporations and the risks involved is collected. Through the use of statistical means the data is compiled and analysed. The study finds out that indeed there are political and regulation risks that define operations of multinational corporations in Sri Lanka. This regulation becomes a critical aspect as the rules and regulations are not applied across the board. Through the use of econometric analysis, it is found that political and regulation risks are statistically significant as they influence investing patterns. The small inflow of FDI indicates the response by MNCs towards such regulation. It is however proposed in this paper that the firms should respond by negotiating with governments rather than such withdrawals. It is concluded on the basis of the findings that there indeed exist a connection between political and regulation risks and operations of MNCs in Sri Lanka (Akram 2003).

Ideology of the films Essay Example for Free

Ideology of the films Essay I. Introduction Feature films such as Star Wars and The Terminator last just a couple of hours, but they take months or even years to make. Huge teams of people are involved in preparing for the action, and then capturing it on camera. Then, when the acting has finished, more hard work begins on turning the action into a film fit for cinema and TV screens. This paper studies (1) who were the first film-makers; (2) know the development of cinema worldwide; (3) be aware of the different types of modern film and; (4) figure out the film-making at present. II. Background A. The first film-makers The first people to invent equipment for making films were the Americans W. K. L. Dickson and Thomas Edison, in the early 1890s. Their apparatus consisted of a camera called the Kinetograph and a viewing box called the Kinetoscope. Only one person at a time could look into the viewing box to watch the film, which was in black and white, had no sound and lasted just a few seconds. Two French brothers called Auguste and Louis Lumiere first devised a way of projecting film images onto a large screen for an audience. The Lumiere brothers called their apparatus the Cinematographe. They carried out their first demonstration in a Paris cafe in December 1895. People were stunned to see the large, moving pictures. Other inventors immediately began creating new types of projectors and experimenting with making their own films. ? Early film-making ideas Film cameras do not record movement. The moving pictures we see on screen are actually still photographs, taken so quickly one after the other that they seem to merge. Each still photograph is called a frame. Most film cameras today take 24 frames every second, on a big reel of film that is wound steadily through the camera. The first film cameras, though, could take only 16 frames every second. The length of the film on the reel was 20 or 25 metres, which gave just about one minute of screen time. So the first films usually showed just one, short scene. For example, L’Arroseur Arrose (A Trick on the Gardener) by the Lumiere brothers, made in 1895. The first film with more than one scene was probably Come Along Do! , produced by the Robert Paul company in Britain in 1898. The company joined a scene outside an art gallery with a scene inside. A film-maker called George Melies began to produce multi-scene films, such as Cinderella (1899). Melies also experimented with interesting ways to join the scenes together. He often used equipment, such as slides and magic lanterns, to create special effects. At the turn of the century, two British film-makers working separately in Brighton came up with creative ideas for shooting the scenes themselves. George Albert Smith invented a technique for filming a scene from different camera positions. In The Little Doctors (1901), a scene showing somebody feeding medicine to a kitten is shown first from a distance, then in close-up, then from a distance again. James Williamson had a different idea—to shoot a piece of action across several scenes, instead of just one. In Stop Thief! (1901), the lead character runs out of one scene, then the film cuts to a new scene elsewhere and the lead character runs into the scene, continuing the story. An American film-maker called Edwin S. Porter used ideas like these especially effectively in a 1903 film called The Great Train Robbery. III. Discussion A. The Development of Cinema Worldwide In the early days of film-making there were no cinemas. Film-makers used specialist sales organizations to sell their films to entertainment organizers, who projected them as part of variety shows in tent theatres. From 1905 to 1908 in the United States, thousands of theatres (known as nickelodeons) were set up especially for film. Permanent film theatres were also established across Europe, and film-making became a booming business. From 1908 a leading centre for American film-making developed in an area of southern California called Hollywood. Established British and French film companies were joined by flourishing film industries all over the world. An Italian film company produced the first large-scale film in 1912. It was called Quo Vadis? , and used massive film sets and more than 5,000 actors. Film-going became so popular that from 1914 many lavish cinemas called picture palaces were created. They could seat thousands of people at a time. Film-companies began to make films that lasted for several reels instead of just one. Picture palace audiences had to wait in the middle of a film while the projectionist changed reels. Films in those days were silent, so picture palaces usually had a pianist or organist who played music to accompany the action. Film-makers also included short written sentences in the film to add to the story or explain what the actors were saying. One of the most famous silent film stars was the British actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977), who created the loveable character of the â€Å"little tramp† who had a funny walk. Many film companies experimented with animated drawings and models, as well as human actors. European film companies introduced the idea of making information films about events in the news, as well as films for entertainment. ? Color and Sound From the early 1900s, inventors had worked on films with colour and sound. The first breakthrough with colour came in 1908 in London, when G. A. Smith demonstrated a colour film process called Kinemacolour. However, Kinemacolour shades were based on just two colours, so films continued to be made in black and white. The first colour films to be created successfully from two colours were Toll of the Sea and The Black Pirate, shown to the public in 1922. In 1926 the American film company Warner Brothers delighted audiences with a series of short films that had sound to match the pictures. As the sound was recorded on a separate disc, the words did not always match the mouth movements of the actors. Warner Brothers’ The Jazz Singer was the first full-length talkie, in 1927. The film company Fox soon developed a more effective technique for recording the sound onto the film itself. During the 1930s, Hollywood film companies made the most of the new sound technology by making musicals with singing and dancing stars such as Shirley Temple, and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Gangster talkies and romantic comedies were popular in the United States and Britain, although at this time the Japanese film industry was the largest producer of films in the world. In 1934, the Bombay Talkies studio was formed in India, founding one of the biggest film industries in the world. While film companies had been busy creating talkies, they had also been working on perfecting colour in films. Finally a process was developed that used three colors to create different shades, rather than just two. In 1935, the first three-strip Technicolor film was produced, Becky Sharp. From then on, moving pictures not only sounded real, they looked real too. B. Different Types of Modern Films Since the early days, many different types, or genres, of feature film have been made. These include westerns (such as The Magnificent Seven), thrillers (The Fugitive), comedies (Home Alone), action adventures (Indiana Jones), supernatural horror (Dracula), war epics (The Great Escape), romantic comedies (When Harry Met Sally). Crime and gangster films (The Godfather), films with animation (Who Framed Roger Rabbit? ), spy adventures (Mission Impossible), kung-fu extravaganzas (Enter the Dragon), science-fiction (E.T. —The Extraterrestrial) and modern musicals (Grease and Moulin Rouge). Sometimes films combine two or more genres. Some films are produced with three-dimensional technology, so that if you wear special glasses, the images on-screen appear to have more depth, just like in real life. Other films are made for IMAX cinemas. These special cinemas have giant-sized screens with sophisticated sound systems to make you feel as if you are right in the middle of the action. IV. Conclusion A. Film-making today Film-making requires different specialist staff and technical processes, depending on what the film is about. All films go through three broad stages before they are ready for an audience. During the pre-production stage all the preparations are made for filming. The producer chooses the story, raises money and employs the people who will work on the film. The scriptwriter writes the words, creating an exciting plot and interesting characters. The director decides on the overall style of the film and chooses the leading actors. The art director is in charge of designers for the film sets, costumes and makeup, and choosing locations outside the studio. Technical directors are in charge of crews who build huge film sets and arrange lighting, sound and special effects. The production manager controls the budget and makes practical arrangements for filming. During the production stage filming takes place. Stories are not usually filmed in the right order. The actors and crew film all the scenes that take place in one location before moving on to another. The director guides the creative elements of the film, from giving opinions on the story, to instructing the actors, to choosing camera angles. The director is helped by people in different departments. For instance, a continuity person makes sure that all the details are correct in scenes that are shot out of sequence (such as the actors’ clothes and length of their hair). That way, when the filmed scenes are put into the right order later, they will run together smoothly. The post-production stage happens when all the action has been filmed. An editor cuts sequences of action and joins them together, adding the sound. When the director and producer are happy with it, the finished film is then ready for distribution companies to sell to cinemas or TV companies.

Impact of IT on Bank Performance

Impact of IT on Bank Performance IMPACT OF INTERNET TECHNOLOGY ON BANKS PERFORMANCE AND CUSTOMERS SATISFACTION ABSTRACT Internet technology is very popular and has many benefits for the users; however it does has some elements of security risks to the bank and its customers at large. In this research work, I intend to look at impact of internet technology on Bank, its employees and the customers. More importantly, efforts were also made to research into various risks associated with this technology such as hacking, spam-email, phishing, identity theft or frauds and many others. After critical look at this technology and its associated risks especially the identity theft, two sets of solutions were recommended. The first set solutions addressed physical access control while the second aspect deal with authentication through the process of fingerprint and voice recognition. 1.0 INTRODUCTION This project is trying to evaluate the impact of Internet technology on banks performance and customers satisfaction. Banking industry is the bedrock of economy, the state of Banks will dictate the state of economy. If it stables, so will the economy. The present global economy recession attests to this statement. Technology innovation like Internet is groundbreaking in banking system. Transactions worth of billions of dollars take place in seconds in the electronic circuit throughout the globe (Castells, 2001). The banking and financial industry is transforming itself in unpredictable ways (Crane and Bodies 1996). Prior to the rocket of technology in banking sector, the function of the branch was very unlike the function of present branch. Earlier before the 1970s, the structure of the branch and functions were similar to one and other. Product offerings were equally the same and branches were only avenue for customers to make bank transactions. Majority of these banks were only rel ying on one or two branches but with many staff and cashiers. Customers were subjected to long distant travelling before they could carry out banking transactions. Face to face traditional banking was only means to process bank loan, make lodgements and withdrawals and customers were subjected to long queue in the banking hall. But the increase in the level of banking technology made the banks started a process of metamorphose that proceed till the end of the 20th century. As part of process, many channels of distributions were introduced. Among these channels are Automated Teller Machine (ATM), Internet banking, Telephone banking, call-centre, electronic funds transfer, wireless banking, and voice messaging systems, videoconferencing and many others. Rapid growth and development in internet technology over the last four decades have great impact on organisations. The impact was highly noticeable in area of services, products offering and business processes. Banks have use internet technology to cut operations costs, increase qualities, efficiencies and improve value-added services to the customers. Also, investment in technology gives competitive advantages to some Banks leading to some banks have opportunities to perform better than their rivals. Banks through the innovation of internet technology were able to provide better and cheaper services than traditional system of branch banking. Apart from these, level of banking transactions were equally increased, Convenience and twenty four hours banking services were also witnessed in banking system. More importantly, the level of communication within and outside the banking environment were equally improved, access to the right information and high quality of services were not comp romised. The banking environment became more friendly and flexible. Information that can only available through the means of technology became an important aspect of the banking. Many people argued that it was advance in technology of 1990s that made it possible to develop those channel of distributions and system that allowed the banks to render an unprecedented high quality services. In final analysis, this research work assess an aspect of banking that is lacking in Traditional Bank an online banking and its impact on customer satisfaction and banks performance. 1.1 AIM AND OBJECTIVES The research on Internet technology in banking and acceptance of modern banking by customers have been viewed in different perspectives but few aspects of this topic are left with little exploratory. There is little research on the effects of Internet technology on banks profitability and customers satisfaction. Many researchers did not fully agree that Internet technology has immensely affected the profitability level of the banks. The rationale behind this is to offer a better understanding on how internet banking is evolving. This study intends to achieve the following objectives: 1. Research the problem of identity theft and card authorisation 2. Evaluate the problem concerning lost revenue 3. Research the other work done in this area. 4. Proffer solution to the problem of identity theft and card authorisation. 5. Implementing solutions and the cost benefits 1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY Banks have use internet technology to cut operations costs, increase qualities, efficiencies and improve value-added services to the customers. Also, investment in technology gives competitive advantages to some Banks leading to some banks having opportunities to perform better than their rivals. This research work is focusing on two important key elements which are: 1) Impact of internet technology on Bank and its customers and; 2) Associated risks with internet technology with more emphasis on identity theft 1.3 EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE The expected contributions to knowledge of this research work are to identify various theft and card authorisation, evaluate the problem concerning lost revenue and proffer solution to the problems. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW It is my intention to survey literature review to reveal the level of knowledge and understanding of people about identity theft. A number of text books, articles and journals internet search are used for this purpose. Among these are: a) 50 ways to protect your identity and your credit card Steve weisman The book is well written very relevant to the study and well referenced. Various types of identity thefts were discussed. It also explains that the motive behind identity theft could be for financial gain, revenge or malicious intent. The book goes further to suggest some protection rules such as only the credit cards that needed should be carried in the wallet, the practice of online account statement should be stick to, personal information should not be given on phone to unknown persons, shredding documents that containing personal detail after use and so on. But these protection rules only addressed offline identity theft, the issue of online identity theft or frauds which common to credit cards were not addressed at all. b) Business Information system (Technology, Development Management) Paul, et al The book looks at the issues of identity theft, brand abuse and costs of identity theft. The three issues discussed are equally paramount important to this research. The book is good for academic and well referenced. According to the book, â€Å"the term brand abuse is used to cover a wide range of activities, ranging from sale of counterfeit goods, for example software applications, to exploiting a well known brand name for commercial gain. It was further stated that with regards to identity theft, CIFAS(www.cifas.org), a UK-base fraud prevention service, report that there were 80,000 cases of identity theft in the UK in 2006.The coated in the companys web site showed that identity fraud cost UK economy  £1.5b in 2005 and generates a revenue of  £10m each day for fraudsters. c) Identity theft literature review- Graeme, R.N Megan M.M It is a well written article and equally well referenced. In this article, the authors focused on two important issues, the first one is the cost of identity theft while the second one focuses on the issue of legislations. The two issues discussed are very relevant to this research. The authors look at various identity legislations passed to control the crimes of identity. (www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca29schiff/062304idThef2.html). d) Enquiry in to the credit card fraud in E- payment- Jithendra, D. Laxman, G In this article the authors look at credit card Hacking and types of credit card frauds. This article is not well referenced and authors failed to proffer adequate solutions at end of the discussion. In my opinion, the article is much related to this research work but the sources of documents used to write the article cannot be easily traced because it is not properly referenced. However, it is very helpful reading in understanding the background of the topic. e) Identity theft and credit card fraud Sarah P. Miller Sarah Millers article examines the various tactics the fraudsters use to commit credit card fraud. Some of these tactics are; opening a new credit accounts, existed accounts hijacking, skimming tactic among the other. The article also looks at various ways of protections against credit card fraud and come up with some of security measures to guard against credit card fraud in our society. The article is appropriately written and very useful for this research. The source of the article is also quoted as http://EzinArticles.com/?expert=sarahp.miller . f) Improving response time of authorization process of credit card system- Humid, siti Hafizan Ab It is a journal of computer science published in February 1 2008. The journal discusses the issue of credit card authorization process. It also explains the pitfalls and benefits of credit card authorization. The journal is very briefs about the topic but all the salient points are well discussed. It gives a website as the only source but fail to give other reference. It is very pertinent to mention that the journal would have been a great assistant to the realisation of the objectives of this research work if it has been properly referenced but the beauty of this journal is that it serves as basis of understanding of the topic. g) 7 precautions that minimize the Risk of identity theft Jesse Whitehead In this article, Jesse looks at financial costs of identity theft and estimated it to be $50 billion. He further explains that researchers are yet to discover a precaution that is hundred percent guaranties against the risk of identity theft. In final analysis, Jesse recommends the following precautions to reduce the threat of identity theft in our society. One, he recommends that social security number should not be disclosed to anybody unless otherwise require by law. Secondly, it was also suggested that social security number should not be carried all about. Shredding all important documents immediate after use is strongly recommended and more emphasis should be placed on e- statements from our banks and credit issuers. It was also suggested that a strong password and pin should be created and printing of Driver licence number on our checks should be highly discouraged. The author gives this website as the source of article http://EzinArticle.com/?expert=jessewhitehead but no other reference available. It is very relevant to this project as important aspect of the topic is being discussed. 2.1 DEFINITION OF INTERNET According to Paul et al, â€Å"internet refers to the physical network that links computers across the globe†. From this definition, the interconnectivity of many computer devices all over the globe is done through the world-wide computer network known as internet. These computer devices store and transmit information like World Wide Web and electronic mail (e-mail) messages. There are other devices like mobile computer, pagers, web TVs that are connected to the internet. All these devices are revered to as host or end system. Both electronic mail and world -wide web are network application programs that run on host or end system. Like other internet units, end system run protocols that regulate the sending and receiving of information in the internet domain. Internet has two major protocols popularly called TCP (Transmission control protocol) and IP (internet protocol). Communication links like coaxial cable, copper wire, fibber optics or radio spectrum link end systems together. Data transmission rate of all these links are not the same. This transmission rate is known as bandwidth and is measure in bit or second. End systems are indirectly join to one and other vial routers and a router receives information from the incoming communication links and send it to its outgoing communication links. The IP defines the format of receiving and sending information between the routers and end systems. The path on which information is transmitted is called route or path. The internet then utilises packet switching which gives room for multiple communicating end systems to share a path of a path simultaneously. Connection of network to the internet needs to follow specific name and address and it must be run on the IP protocol. The arrangement of interconnection of the internet is from bottom to top. End systems is connected to local internet service providers by means of access network and this access network is refers to as local area network (LAW) or phone based access network. The local internet service providers are then connected to regional internet service providers. The regional internet providers will also connected to national and international internet service providers. This type of internet is called public internet. There are other private networks that cannot be accessed by public. It can only be accessed within the organisations and refer to as intranet. It also makes use of the same internet technology that public internet is using. Another way of defining Internet is to look at its infrastructural that offers services to distributed application. Internet provides opportunity to distribute application on its end systems to share data with each other. The application could be inform of e-mail, file transfer, remote login, and world-wide web and so on. Web can be ran over network apart from the internet but this does not suggest that web is a separate network, instead it is one of the distribute applications that make use of services offer by the internet. Both connection-oriented services and connectionless services are two services offer by internet to the distributed application. 2.2 GROWTH OF INTERNET Internet and computer networks began early 1960s. During this period, telephone was commonly employed as means of communication. This telephone network utilises circuit switching to transmit information from a sender to receiver and since then, internet continue to grow from strength to strength. There are a number of factors that contributing to this development. Financial analysts observe that costs, competition, demographic issues and customer service are the major considerations that make bankers to constantly review their internet bank strategies. It is the belief of these analysts that demand for internet banking products and services will continue to increase. But the major task facing banks now is how to ensure that the benefits of internet banking outweigh its costs and the risks. The strategies adopted by each bank to increase its market share and cost reduction vary from one bank to another. Internet is a platform through which customers access accounts and general informa tion. It gives customers information about various products and services offer by the bank. 2.3 RISKS OF INTERNET SERVICE There are a number of internet threats around business world today. The threat continue to increase as internet become more acceptable means of conducting online business transactions. As banks so heavily rely on internet to reduce costs, so also they become more prone to some risks. Few examples of these risks are as followings: a) Hacking Hacking involves attempting to gain unauthorised access to a computer system, usually across a network. Hackers only need limited programming knowledge to wreak large amount of havoc. The fact that billions of bits of information can be transmitted in bulk over the public telephone network has made it difficult to trace hackers, who can make repeated attempts to invade bank system. For instant, much damage could be done if people gain authorised access to banks network service. Hacker may gain access to banks internal network for two major reasons. It could be for monetary benefit which usually associated with identity theft where personal information as well as credit card details is obtained to perpetrate fraud. It could also come inform of malicious intent ranging from deletion of file, deliberate introduction of computer viruses into a system or forwarding vital organisations information to rival. Counter measure like dial-back security can be used to prevent this problem. It ope rates by requiring the customer wanting access to the network to dial into it identity themselves first. The system then dials the customer back on their authorised number before allowing them access. Also, system can have firewall to prevent unauthorised access into bank system. Firewall software is use to monitor and control all incoming and outgoing traffic to deny intruders gaining access to the information system. b) Malicious Code Malicious code like worms, Trojan horse program and viruses are written to penetrate a system in order to have access to confidential information or disrupting the bank network. Through the help of the code, Fraudster can enter the network of a bank without its knowledge and valuable information can be stolen in the process. This stolen information can be used to commit identity theft or fraud. This code attacks are very delicate in that they can replicate and spread themselves without human intervention. c) Intrusion This is a process through which an intruder has access to bank network. Usually, the intruders are employees of the bank who have gained access to the authentication information of a bank customer. Intruder could also be an external person who has acquires some skills to get the authentication information of the bank customer. When internal or external intruders have unauthorised access to bank network, vital information about customers can be obtained and later use to perpetrate frauds or commit crimes. To guard against this ugly incident, bank must restrict its employees to some areas of its network. d) Denial of services Banks nowadays rely on internet for effective communication within and outside organisations. In the process of communication, the bank is subjected to the risk of denial of services. Communication channels of the bank can be blocked, web page may be changed or the system employ to process online business transaction may be attacked. A denial of service attack is associated with an attempt by attacker to prevent legitimate users of a service from using that service. The situation forces the bank to close down services until everything return to normal. This kind of criminal activity was hardly experience until 1999 when the crime became cankerworms in our business environments. The effect of this criminal activity is very great most especially when bank so heavily depend on the internet for online business transactions. Huge amount of money could be lost to the fraudster through the attack. Attack on Amazon and Yahoo servers in the year 2000 was a good example. The servers of Yahoo w as engulfed with series of attacks and â€Å"The attack was estimated as costing  £ 300,000 in the lost advertising revenue alone† (Financial Time of November 17, 2000). Another popular of denial of service attack was witnessed in 2004. During this time, a group of fraudsters from Russian embarked on a number of denials of service attack on UK bookmaker. The attackers demanded for certain amount of money before they could stop the attack, but the organisation in question (bookmaker) was not ready to give them any money at that time leading to a great losses of about forty million pound. The effect was very terrible on financial position of the company that very year. e) Brand Abuse It involves sale of counterfeit goods like software application to exploit a well recognised brand name for commercial benefit. Fraudster can imbedded the name of reputable organisation into a bogus web page just to portrait the page as high rank one. People that search for this reputable organisation can be routed to the false web page where the counterfeit goods are sold. A lot of people have intention of buying genuine products and services but end up in buying counterfeit one through the brand abuse. The effect of this is that people pay high price for less quality goods and services. The brand abuse practice costs most UK organisations huge amount of money and cost continue to increase year in year out. People also are no longer sure that the goods and services buy over web pages are actually genuine one. Many people have been victims of counterfeit unknowingly but thinking that they have bought the original goods and services they intend to buy even at exorbitant price. f) Credit Card Fraud The use of credit card online has become a global phenomenal. This card is being use all over the world to make payment for goods or services purchase on internet, retail shops or restaurants. The proliferation use of credit card online makes the users expose to various forms of risks. The risk could be in form of using peoples personal information to open new accounts, hijacking existing accounts. g) Opening of new account After important details like name, date of birth, social security number is obtained, the fraudster can pretend to be another person in order to create new lines of credits. The victims name can be used to secure credit cards and it may not be known to victim that someone has taken credit card on his or her name. Some people in many cases get to know when they receive calls from debt collectors or when they apply for loan and it is not granted due to bad credit rating. Many people have been forced to pay debt they didnt actually own through this process. h) Hijacking account Hijacking existing account is another method use to commit credit card fraud. Existing account can be hijacked by altering important details of the victims such as personal identification number, passwords, billing or mailing address. The purpose of this is to take perfect control of someones account illegally. The original owner of the account may find it hard to regain the control of the account. Even if they regain the control, fraudsters might have wreck serious havoc on financial reputation of the original owner of the account. It takes victims some time and money before they could clear their names from this mess. i) Skimming It is very common in the restaurants, stores or automated Teller machine. Skimming is done through the use of palm-sized card -reading devices. This device is capable of swiping credit card information. It is very delicate in that it may not be noticed until the victims witness unsolicited charges on the statement account of their credit cards. Many of these devices can be planted into Automated Teller machine slots or strategic locations that are not visible to the people. The aim and objective of doing this is to illegally capture important details of targeted victims. The details collected through this method can be used to perpetrate frauds on customers accounts or use to commit crime in the name of the victims. j) Phishing Phishing is another method that thieves use to lure people to supply their personal information through false e-mail and web sites. Customers may receive bogus electronic mail through a web site telling them to update their details. The web site may look like that of normal bank they use to visit. But when they access this web site, their account numbers and passwords will be demanded for. Both password and account number are collected through this method and later use to siphon money from customers accounts or credit cards. Barclays Bank and some highly reputable organisations were a victim of the crime in 2003.This method of stealing is hardly to detect because the e-mail and web site are made so similar to that of original banks. The only preventive measure is for the banks to educate their customers to ignore such e-mail whenever they receive it. Although this will not totally wipe out the crime because many online customers will still respond to such e-mail but additional measur e like authentication which involves adding an extra field to a record with the contents of this field derived from the remainder of the record by applying an algorithm that has previously been agreed between the bank and customers will go a long way in countering this crime. Multiple passwords can also be employed to counter the problem. Furthermore, there are many more of internet threats around but this research work will focus majorly on identity theft and card authorisation. 2.4 IDENTITY THEFT According to available information, identity theft and identity fraud are not new crimes. Both have been in existent for a while and continue to be among the fastest growing crimes in the UK. These two crimes can be perpetrated without a thief even burgling into your home or have physical contact with your computer system. The problem is likely to get even worse because of economy recession that grips all the nations. Information gathered from banks reveal that insurance fraud is increase by 17% and identity fraud seems to be following the same pattern. If bank customer identity is compromised he or she may find it hard to have good access to a loan, credit card or mortgage until everything is resolved. We are all victims of these crimes. We eventually pay highest prices in shops, highest interest rate on mortgages and higher premium on our insurance policies for no other reasons than this problem of fraud. Government and corporate individual organisations have been making frantic efforts to reduce these crimes. But in spite of all these efforts, the rate of identity theft and identity fraud are yet to reduce and number of victims of these crimes are also increasing on alarming rate. According to (UK payments, the UK trade association for payments, 2008) card fraud losses total  £609.9m, online banking fraud losses  £52.5m and cheque fraud losses  £41.9m. Furthermore, of identity fraud in 2007 was quoted to be 65,043 according to CIFAS, the UKs fraud prevention service. The 2003 survey of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) indicated that about 3.25 million Americans had lodged complaints that their personal detail was illegitimately used to get credit cards, obtain loans, rent apartment, and enjoy medical facility and some time use to commit crimes. Also, more than 5 million Americans were victims of credit card frauds where personal detail was used to obtain lines of credit and twent y five million plus have been victim of identity theft. WHAT ARE IDENTITY THEFT AND IDENTITY FRAUD THEN? Identity Theft is situation where by an individuals personal information or confidential detail is steal by another person without their knowledge. But Identity fraud is committed when thieves use this information to secure credit, goods or other services in the name of targeted victim without his or her knowledge. Another definition describe identity theft as â€Å"anyone who knowingly transfers or uses, without lawful authority, any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual with the intent to commit or aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable state or local law† (1998 identity Theft Act, U.S public Law 105-318). 2.5 REASON FOR IDENTITY THEFT FRAUD Reports so far on various form of identity thefts indicated that fraudsters commit identity theft for a number of reasons. But the most common one are: a) Concealment Many people commit identity theft simply because they want to cover their past criminal records. Some people in the past have committed one crime or the other and want to cover them to avoid arrest. A very good example of this scenario was that of September eleven terrorist. â€Å"All 19 of the September 11th terrorist were involved in identity theft in some way† (Willox and Regan 2002) many people were wrongly arrested because their identities have been stolen. Also, a number of people commit identity theft because they want to hide their bad financial records which denied them access to essential banks products or services such as bank loans, mortgage, account opening or credit card. In some situations, identity theft can be committed to avoid payment of existing debts. These type of people may want to enjoy normal life again and the only way they can achieve this is to masquerade themselves under the identity of another person. The effects of these criminal activities are t hat warrant arrest and prosecution may be issued in the name of victim customer. b) Financial benefit Investigation conducted from various banks indicated that many fraud cases reported in the recent past revealed that people committing identity theft for financial gain. In some cases, thieves steal personal information of innocent persons to open a line of credit cards accounts. Along the line many goods and services can be purchased in the name of targeted victims. In the same manner, details of another person can be used to secure loan from bank and account abandon later after fraudsters might have make a lot of money from the accounts of victims. A friend narrated his experience where fraudster obtained his personal details to secure a loan of about  £10.000 from a commercial bank without his knowledge. The fraud discovered some months later when he received a letter from the bank that sum of  £10.000 plus accrued interest is due for payment in his account. The fraudsters have used his identity to have illegitimate financial gain. The case took him some legal battles and time before he could exonerate himself from this mess. c) Revenge Many banks have witnessed identity theft through the activities of their employees. Some employees of bank may collude with fraudsters to steal details of customers as retaliation to the termination of their appointments or the bad treatments they received from their employers. In this process, valuable banks information may be sold to competitors leading the bank to various litigations and financial lost. Also the reputation of the bank may be seriously damaged. The effect of this is decline in profits and low patronage of the customers. 2.6 TYPE OF IDENTITY THEFT Many Bank customers have been victims of identity theft by one way or the other and type of identity will largely depend on the definition giving to it. But the most prominent one is credit card. Information available reveals that credit card fraud on internet has been seriously increase due to the opportunity offered by new improved internet technology. Apart from credit card fraud, there are other types of identity theft such as extortion, phishing, financial scam, avoiding arrest, organized identity theft and many others. a) Extortion Fraudsters have many ways of extorting money from banks and customers but the two common one are cyber squatting and the threat of leaking customers information. Cyber- squatting, this method of extortion related to registering a bogus internet domain to