The Reflection Of Charles Dickens Great Expectations

The Reflection of Charles Dickens in Great Expectations Introduction: The general definition of reflection is† to bring or cast as result â€Å". Dr. Harvey from Macquarie University define reflection as â€Å"an intended action, it depends on the past actions, present actions, and future actions.† In this paper we will see the reflection in â€Å"Art†. Art is the reflection of the identity and personality, for example in painting, drawing, writing, and many more. Art can symbolize the personality of the painter, writer, and more. For most writers, poets, and novelists we can see their works are mostly connected and related with their lives. One of the greatest writers in the Victorian era was Charles Dickens. Charles was the second child in Dickens family after his elder sister Fanny Dickens. Dickens was born in 7th February, 1812 in Portsmouth, United Kingdom and died in 9th June, 1870. He was an English writer and social critic. Dickens lived during the industrial revolution which was the great time of transformation in the nineteenth century in London. He supported the social ventures such as the foundling hospital for abandoned infants. Dickens was famous for his unique and realistic works; in addition most of his works are focused on the subject of orphans and the importance of education. For example, we have the Character â€Å"Oliver† from the novel Oliver Twist he was an orphan child born in a workhouse, not educated and a pickpocket. Another child character is â€Å"David† fromShow MoreRelatedCharles Dickens Great Expectations943 Words   |  4 Pages This is true in many cases but none as much as in Great Expectations. In many ways the narrator/protagonist Pip is Charles Dickens in body and mind. While there are many differences between the story and Charles Dickens life there remains one constant. This constant is the way Pip as the narrato r feels, because these feelings are Dickens s own feelings about the life he lead. Since Great Expectations was written towards end of Charles Dickens life, he was wiser and able to make out the mistakesRead MoreGreat Expectations Analysis1614 Words   |  7 PagesGreat Expectations was written by Charles Dickens during the Victorian period and follows the life of Pip, our protagonist, as he works his way up the social hierarchy of the Victorian society. It was first published as series from 1860 to 1861. It is written as a bildungsroman: a genre of writing which pursues the life of a character from their childhood to their adult life. This novel has been hugely influenced by the author’s own life; who also worked his way up the social ladder. The story isRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1208 Words   |  5 Pagesevident in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Through very complicated, conflicted characters, he demonstrates an artful story about guilt, fea r, expectations, and love. All of these topics which are present in the novel are so present in life, we might not even notice them in our own. Other writers and even musicians, use these themes to grasp at their own realities, trying to reach for the imaginary straws hanging above their faces, and the stories that they tell are a direct reflection of thisRead MoreGreat Expectations, by Charles Dickens Essay1094 Words   |  5 PagesEssay on Great Expectations (by Charles Dickens) Explore Dickens effective â€Å"language† to create â€Å"setting† and â€Å"character† in the opening chapter of Great Expectations. Dickens opens the theme of death early in the chapter. In the second paragraph he mentions the tombstones of Pips parents, â€Å"I gave Pirrip as my fathers family name on the authority of his tombstone†. This informs us that Pip experienced death at an early age. He goes on to describe the churchyard and the land aroundRead MorePersonal Ambiguity In Great Expectations1397 Words   |  6 Pagesto analyze it. The search for self, as well as knowing and trusting one’s self is echoed through out literature humanity; it could be haunting and cause great trepidation, to hold on to a vision that could alter their judgement; as well can cause a fierce storm in the supreme realm that is objective truth. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is a coming of age story of a young man named Pip, seeking to establish stability, as well as find meaning in his life through love and self identificationRead More Abusive Women in Great Expectations Essay example990 Words   |  4 PagesWomen in Great Expectations      Ã‚  Ã‚   One may infer that Dickens may have been attempting to acknowledge the birth of female freedom, due to the industrial revolution, by way of the female characters actions within Great Expectations. Considering that he creates such verbal execution performed by many of the female characters within the novel suggests that women were usually treated as equals, this not being the case. By allowing these women to be verbally and physically abusive, Dickens mayRead MoreGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens Essay1291 Words   |  6 PagesGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens Great Expectations is a novel, which represents class society amongst the rich, the poor and the criminal in Victorian England. Using the life of the main character in the novel, Pip; Charles Dickens challenges issues like youth treatment, injustices in the legal system and the discriminations between the classes. As the novel progresses, various events happen to Pip, which makes him more aware of the reality he is livingRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations1283 Words   |  6 PagesCharles Dickens, an English author who is accountable for creating classics such as Oliver twist, A Tale of two cities, and A Christmas Carol is regarded as one of the most influential authors ever. When Great expectations got published in 1861, it got mixed criticism but ever since the 20th century until the present it’s now received the â€Å"classic† status. Great Expectations is a standout amongst the most well-known and tremendously cherished books by the immense expert of Victorian expositionRead More Importance of Setting in Great Expectations Essay3386 Words   |  14 PagesImportance of Setting in Great Expectations      Ã‚   Charles Dickens viewed London as a place of economic competition and death. In Great Expectations, he used the prevalent bleakness of the places in London to illustrate the unproductiveness of the social and economic struggle which he viewed as fatal, both literally and figuratively. His depiction of this economic struggle is reflective of the nineteenth centurys preoccupation with the rise of the middle-class. Janice Carlisle says, TheRead MoreAnalysis of The Hanged Mans Bride, The Trial for Murder and Confession Found in a Prison2347 Words   |  10 Pageson my study of Charles Dickens, I have decided to focus upon three short stories to write about in detail. These are: The Hanged Mans Bride, written in 1860, The Trial For Murder, written in 1865 and Confession Found in a Prison, written in 1842. To enable me to understand the stories better and also Dickens interests and motivations, I have carried out necessary research on historical, literacy contexts and other biographical details. Charles Dickens stories could

IT project for Banking and Finance Free Essays

This paper seeks to chronicle the history of information technology in finance from its infancy to the modern era with special attention place on the Caribbean experience. The paper therefore presents a summary of major (IT-based) innovations and an analytical framework with which to Structure an historical review Of how Information Technology innovations were adopted in the financial services sector and their impact. The early history of Information technology globally First wave From as early as 1846 the financial sector has been using Information Technology (IT), the history traces back to financial markets when the eelgrass was used to reduced stock price differentials between New York and regional stock markets. We will write a custom essay sample on IT project for Banking and Finance or any similar topic only for you Order Now Information technology was later employed in 1866 with the transatlantic cable equally enabled greater integration of securities trading in New York and London (B;tic-Lazy, Wood 2002). Further integration took place as the completion Of the transatlantic cable reduced the time delay to execute a trade in New York, which had been initiated in London from six weeks to only one day. These early innovations were accompanied by statistically significant evidence that the introduction of primitive forms of telecommunication substantially educing or even eliminated foreign exchange and security price differentials between geographically distinct markets, (B;tic-Lazy, Wood 2002). Hence at that time information technology’ reduced interest rate risk and operational risk for the institutions. In addition greater use of telegraph or telephone facilities also resulted in price related information becoming homogeneous by linking the head office with branches in different domestic and international locations or by providing dealers and banks with the same price information in a timely manner. Second wave A second wave of Information Technology innovation in retail finance began n the late asses with the introduction of computers. This introduction allowed institutions to keep up with growth in business volume while, at the same time, solve very specific problems and automate existing practices of specific departments. This resulted in the branch network quickly turning into the main point of contact with retail customers. A process-directed automation thrust dominated the specific application period and aimed at undercutting the cost of administrative tasks such as the labor-intensive cheese clearing systems. Computer applications were therefore concentrated n back-office operations (Morris, 1986), this was because it was felt that controlling a growing mountain of paperwork provided the potential for economies of scale at that time. As the benefits previously mention became apparent the incentive to automate at the individual branch bank level and to improve market-wide processes became greater. Technology further helped developed banks and took on the challenge of reducing cost and expanding their level of customer service and efficiency. In 1967 Barclay Bank (ELK) introduced the first Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in the world (Barclay, 1982) while IBM introduced the magnetic stripe plastic cards in 1969. These two innovations marked the birth of electronic banking. The chart of Figure IA on the following page shows this information. Use of Technology in the Organization, 1845-1995 (Figure IA) Impact on the Provision of Retail Finance Early Adoption Specific Application Emergence (1846-1945) (1945-1968) (1968-1980) Innovation in Reduction in Conversion from Growth of cross Service Offering inter-market price bank relationships. ATM introduced. Guaranty Automated bank statements. Operational border payment. Increased branch to Differentials. Cheese Automation of branch Functional cards. Reduce cost of coordination labor intensive head clearing system). Branches accounting. Innovation office and between n activities (I. E. Real time control begins. (Sources: Morris (1986) and Squint;s (1991)) In a nutshell, technological changes have spread throughout many internal aspects of the banking organization. During this period the convergence of telecommunications and computer power resulted in true Information Technology applications as the emphasis of technological innovations shifted from data processing to communications. The Evolution stage Electronic banking is an umbrella term for the process by which a customer may perform banking transactions electronically without visiting a brick-and- mortar institution. This form of banking became popular in the early ass it was facilitated by banks mailing their customers a floppy disk with software that the customer could install onto their PC and accessing their accounts from the privacy of their homes. ( Canasta Research on 07/02/2013). Initially this service was for a fee. Then in the mid ass a big leap occurred with banks setting up websites for consumers to access both product and contact information. Within a few years after internet banking functionality was launched, this made the process of doing your banking online easy and accessible to everyone. This form Of banking has emerged as an option to customers and was offered by Caribbean banks as well. The major benefit according to one survey is an estimated cost providing that the routine business of a full service branch in the USA is $1. 7 per transaction, as compared to 54 cents for telephone banking, 27 cents for ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) banking and 1. 5 cents for Internet banking (Nathan 1999; Pun et al. , 2002). However it is unclear whether cost savings ill be the primary benefit derived from the adoption of e-banking systems, as any cost reductions achieved may not be a source of sustained competitive advantage for individual commercial banks. Cost savings using e-banking techniques are generally easily replicated by competitors. Secondly, cost savings are also accompanied by reduced entry barriers or increased market transparency leading to a further intensification of competition, ( Belgrade, Paris and ward, 2005 Key technological changes in retail finance Year Name Characteristics Contribution 1979-1985 Telephone Branches retail Multi-channel distribution system Banking UK, US intermediaries for banks base on an integrated customer account and information system ( Figure B) 1988-1996 Monde Cards (I-j) Debit card with re-writable Facilitate small value retail transactions micro chip with the potential to substitute central bank issued notes and coins 1989-1998 Digit cash (ML) Electronic only medium of Payment system and products that depend exchange and unit of account exclusively on only high-speed communication done through computers 1995-2001 Security First First intermediary working Technologies open new opportunities for Network Bank (US) through the internet. Ink growth and offer managers of banks possibilities to achieve high organizational flexibility Source (B;tic-Lazy, Wood 2002) The Barbados Experience Improvements In Barbados all banking institutions and major credit unions offer the most basic forms of e-banking. There is a well connected network of automatic teller machines (Atoms), telephone banking, debit cards, and electronic funds transfers (OFT). The majority of the ATM use in Barbados came about as a cost savings measure. Consequently, ATM banking has become the most popular form of electronic banking in Barbados, with even some non-bank entities costing similar services. However, the graduation to the next level of e- banking, Internet banking has been sluggish. According to ( Belgrade, Paris and Ward, 2005 ) the lack of advancement is for a number of reasons, one most obvious is a divide between customers who wish to use the technology and those who simply prefer traditional banking methods. However the increase in efficient by Automated Teller Machines can been seen in the graph below figure B Observation of Traditional and ATM banking: A Busy Day (No. F Customers per 30 Minute Intervals) Bank I 8 36 ATM I 10 90 15 Source: pa iris (2001 ) Traditional (Teller) A 5 c Within the back office operations of the institutions they have been major improvements across the banking sector, with the use (ARTS) Real Time Gross Settlement and, (ACH) Automatic Clearing House with increase capacity to process transactions. With regards to information systems Finance Core banking system is one of the information systems use as a customer management information syste m. The use of this system has allowed institutions to capture customer information which can then be used for the modeling of products to specific target markets base on the habits of the institutions clientele and overall profile. In accordance with the know-your- customer guild lines some Transactions Processing Systems such as Finance are even able to go a step further and record personal life events such as weddings, anniversaries and future plans of younger children and other personal information. Which all assist in the construction of products and services that will meet customer’s needs at every stage of their life. Hence the (T AS) is used as a strategic management information system in some institutions. In addition to cost savings and increase capacity (IT) has brought about payment innovations such as Sure-pay in Barbados. Sure-pay is a payment undying service that allows customers to pay an array of their bills in one location. The company Sure-Pay began its service just offering basic utility payments, and eventually evolve into a well recognize efficient entity which at one time even offered a payment service for tickets for former airline Red Jet and has now expanded to Trinidad Tobago. Risk The issue of capital flight and money laundering are real concerns that will surface with Internet-Banking, also the ability and cost of regulating this form of banking. This is especially so in an small open economy with a fixed exchange rate such as Barbados. For example if capital is allowed to leave at an rapid unregulated rate this could place pressure on the central bank’s reserves which can have a negative effect on the exchange rate and cause the parity of the dollar to be threatened, especially in cases where settlement of the transaction will be require in foreign currency. With respect to money laundering if we look at Internet-Banking it is unique because it offers the user anonymity, rapid transactions speed and wide geographic availability. For those reasons the issue of depositing and withdrawing money in and out of the system is extremely important because t is easy for layering to occur. Encryption technology, fire walls and the use of digital signatures are extremely vital verification tools and should be standard operating procedure with this evolving technology. An added defense in breaches or affiliated criminal activities is that banks should adhere to the commonly cited know-your-customer guidelines. If properly implemented, within an effective operational and regulatory framework, such guidelines should prove pivotal in preventing these kinds of crimes. Future expectations The future of Information Technology and the financial service industry will only be limited by the imagination of those who use the technology, or the regulators who need to keep abreast of how new technologies will permit circumvention of the law. How to cite IT project for Banking and Finance, Papers

Security terminology Essay Example For Students

Security terminology Essay SecurityTerminologyDefine the following terms:1.Authentication ability to identify who it isa. ACL (access control list) is associated w/ a given resource. Describes groups, users, machines and their permissions associated with that particular resource. i.Token- one time only password keyb.CA- certificate of authority- creates certificates -system or entity trusted to generate and distribute digital certificates. Can be privately used or from a 3rd party e-commerce site. Verifies identity of user. Authentication method. c.RA- Registration Authority-issues certificates-RA verifies credentials supplied by an agent and then sends the CA an okay to issue a certificate. d.PKI- Public Key Infrastructure- Policies and behaviors that surround the deployment and management of key pairs. How you issue two keys at one time. e. Kerberos- Authentication method used by Microsoft. Uses 3 different protocols, listed belowi.TGT- Ticket granting ticket. Allows you to request resources on the network from servers. ii.TGS- Ticket granting server. Accesses a particular network server for tickets. iii. AS- Authentication Server. Equivalent to a morning check-in at security desk of a hotel. Checks the identity of a server. f.CHAP- Challenge handshake authentication protocol. Was designed to replace the PAP. Communication between server and client proving identity. i.MS-CHAP- Microsoft CHAPg.PAP- Password authentication protocolh.X.509- digital certificate that uniquely identifies a party. Standard structure of a certificate. i.KDC- Key distribution centerj.Biometrics- Authentications based on human anatomy. k.Multifactor- Authentication based on 2 valid authentication methods. l.Mutual Authentication- Client establishes identity to server. Server provides authentication information to client to ensure that illicit servers cannot masquerade as genuine servers. Both parties have to authenticate. 2.Encryption- hiding data using algorithms. protection, method of code, algorithms, formulas a.Asymmetric keys- pair of key values one public and one private. b.Symmetric keys- single encryption key generated. c.DES- Data Encryption standard developed by government. d.Diffie-hellman- encryption algorithm named after its two creators. e.IPSec- used for encryption of TCP/IP traffic. Method of encrypting any IP transmissions. f.PGP- Pretty good privacy- mainly used in email less secure than the PKI. g.RSA- Rivest-Shamir-Adleman- encryption algorithm named after its 3 creators. Using two pair keys. h.SSL- Secure Socket Loader- used mainly on web servers to transmit securely via HTTPS://3.Network protocols and organizationa.DMZ- Demilitarized zone- Zone used for public access. Used with FTP, web servers and DNS servers. b.IDS- Intrusion Detection System- 2 types: Active and Passivec.NAT- Network Address Translation- Appends to your logical port. Protects internal hosts. Used with proxy servers. Translates internal IP to Real IP. Uses unique port table. There is 65,000 portsd.Tunneling- ability to go to 1 point to another as though you are a single proprietary line. 1 logical circuit. Used with Virtual Private Networks. e.PPP- Point to point protocol. f.PPTP- Microsoft product. Enhancement to point to point protocol. Called point to point tunneling protocol. Allows Point to point to be used in a tunnel. i.MPPE- MS point to point encryption. Encrypts within a tunnel. g.L2TP- Layer 2 tunneling protocol Siscos version of MPPE. Works with IPSEC. Works to encrypt with Ipsec. h.RADIUS- Remote access dial in user service- usually used with Unix or LENIX systems. An authentication system. i.RAS- Remote Access Server- provides users to dial in from anywhere. Allows you to connect with different location computers with dial up. j.RPC- Remote procedure calls. Links to another remote program. Ability to access remoter computer and access a program and execute it on your own computer. Loads program onto your computer from another computer. 4.Attacks and detectiona.Sniffing Looking at network traffic and deciphering it for propaganda uses. b.Stateful Inspection- firewall protection. Inspects entire packet. Looks at words in the packet. Used with proxy servers. .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e , .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .postImageUrl , .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e , .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e:hover , .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e:visited , .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e:active { border:0!important; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e:active , .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub7d182830786d4d398932029f877081e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Declaration Of Independance Essayc.Spoofing- Impersonating a computer or network. d.Trojan horse- program that appears to be working fine and replicates good programs. Performs malicious acts to your PC. e.Zombie (bot)- a logic bomb. A virus waiting for certain variables to be met before activating. Program does same thing. f.DOS- Denial of Service- example- flood of pings. 1 person denied internet access. g.DDOS- Distributed denial of service- Across the board denial of service. When an entire network goes down. h.Backdoor- allows you to enter a certain area with different credentials. Easy way out. Creating another way to enter a system if your system gets hacked. i.Man in the middle- MITM- used to gather information between hosts. j.Brute Force attack- Guessing passwords. Trial and error. k.Hijacking- take over someones computer. Aka-replayl.Social engineering- Used by individual. Examples: looking over persons shoulder for password, dumpster diving, impersonating on phone, phishing through fake

“The World is Flat” Essay Example

â€Å"The World is Flat† Paper Name: Course: Instructor: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The World is Flat† specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The World is Flat† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on â€Å"The World is Flat† specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Book report on â€Å"The World is Flat† 1. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Friedman is an elaborate work, which provides the effects of globalization in the 21 century. The term â€Å"the world is flat† is used metaphorically and is used to indicate the dire need for level playing ground for global commerce and business. A level playing ground for commerce is essential in that it provides the competitors with similar market conditions for growth of commerce. Additionally, the term â€Å"the world is flat† is an indication of the increasing irrelevance of geographic and social boundaries in the world (Friedman, pp. 41). Hence, organizations in the contemporary business setting are increasing their competitiveness and profitability using aspects such a technology and globalization to enhance their cause in achievement of global competitiveness. The author provides that he as an advocate for liberalization of markets to result in global free trade. He also provides criticism to states around the world resisting the changes in terms of global commerce and business. The book is based on individual research, individual reflections and conversations with the public. Friedman provides that there are ten flatteners of the world which aid in making the business and commerce fair for all organizations in the world. The first flattener is collapse of The Berlin Wall in September 11 1989. The author describes in the book that, â€Å"When the walls came down, and the windows came up.† (Friedman, pp. 45). It symbolized the end of the cold war and gave way for people from either sides of the wall to engage in rebuilding the society and economies as well as engage in constructive commerce. In essence the fall of the Berlin war was an indication of the end of communism and paved way for technological changes such the increased use of personal computers for interactions and use in commerce. Technological advancements peaked during this period resulting in the introduction of new products such as Windows, personal computers, word processing, dial up modems and standards tools for communication such as global telephone communication system. Such have e nhanced globalization through improved channels for communication. The entry of Netscape into the field of technology was a main flattener in that the firm instigated the access of the internet to a larger part of the population. Netscape enhanced access to the internet from the previous restrictions, which only provided limited numbers of people with access to the internet. This is essential in that it played a significant role in the process of digitization. Products such as music, files, pictures and word documents could be easily accessed from the internet and manipulated by people in the various parts of the world. Hence, the internet has enabled interactions from a global perspective thus increasing commerce from a global perspective. The development of Netscape and its entry into the digital market provided a precedent in terms of digital and other technological advancements around the world. It resulted in the development of the fourth flattener, which is workflow software. This is defined in the book as the interactions of machines without the involvement of human beings. This according to Friedman would provide the world with a new means of interaction through the creation of a new platform for collaboration. In addition, this would also lead to the fourth flattener, which is open sourcing. This is made possible by the presence of an elaborate platform for collaboration of the various online projects. Such include the present online platforms such as Wikipedia, online softwares and blogs. This according to Friedman is, â€Å"the most disruptive force of them all† (Friedman, pp. 53). The fifth flattener is outsourcing which allowed modern day companies to delegate or split activities such as services and manufacturing. This is essential for companies in that they are able to achieve efficiency and costs effectiveness of costs reductions using such approaches. The sixth flattener according to Friedman is offshoring, which the author defines as the ability of organizations to take advantages of incentives provided by other countries necessitating the relocation as a means for cost reduction. Entry of countries into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has facilitated increased competition in an increasingly competitive world. This is because of the need by such countries to encourage trade in their respective territories with incentives such as lower taxes and operating costs. In addition, offshoring as provided in the book has allowed for the seventh flattener, which is described as supply chaining by Friedman. Supply chaining has increased because of offshoring and collaboration. Supply chaining is widely used by multinational entities in that they focus on diversity of markets to increase profitability and reduce the potency for risks. He points out that successful companies such as Wal-Mart provides an elaborate example for attainment of competitive advantage through diversification, clear lines of supply and distribution of products and services to the customers. The eighth flattener is in-sourcing which entails the execution of services on behalf of other organizations. This enables other entities to reduce their costs of operation as well as increasing the revenues of the entity executing the services for another organisation. The ninth flattener is in-forming, which is the increased ability of the society or people to find information with ease, which is aided and provided by the internet through the various search engines. The last flattener is what Friedman defines as â€Å"the Steroids† which comprises of the modern digital products such as cellular telephones, Personal Digital Assistants., Instant Messengers, iPods and voice Over Internet Protocols. From the ten identified flatteners, it is expressly evident technology has been a major driver towards the achievement of globalization and realization of â€Å"flattening† in Friedman’s words. 2. The â€Å"flattening† of the world has been an inevitable phenomenon in the modern society (Friedman, pp. 61). This is because of the technological advancements evidenced in the modern society through the presence numerous changes in the social interactions as well as in the world of commerce. In addition, it is also evident that commerce and technology have become mutually reliant on each other for relevance. Electronic commerce is evidently increasing in that it has assumed a great position in the society by enabling the society to achieve globalization. Electronic commerce is defined as the sale and procurement of goods and services using information technology systems. Literature provides that there are three specific waves of electronic commerce. This include putting up market information on the world wide web, allowing online orders in terms of sales and purchases and construction of electronic means of exchanges for funds and provision of means for receipt of goods and services. Essentially technology and the related advancements are currently the largest used channels of communication. This is because of the numerous avenues for communication by the internet. This has been a driver of growth in that it has enabled business around the world to assume global expansion strategies as well as accrual of benefits such increased efficiencies and reduced costs of operation. Modern day technology in comparison to traditional technology used in business is different in entirety. This is evidenced by the large-scale application of technology-based products in the execution of tasks in the contemporary organisation. Technology advancements have aided the development of new products, services and new approaches to satisfy the consumer needs and wants as well as providing consumers with profound experiences thus subsequently cultivating customer loyalty. Technology and the internet are the highlights of modern day advancements. They enable simultaneous execution of numerous tasks delegated in an organisation. Hence, an organisation is able to use technology and related products for costs reductions in processes and activities in the organisation. Cost reduction is considered as one of the greatest challenges in the management of an organisation. This is because costs are usually brought about by either necessary or unnecessary processes or activities in the organisation. Technology has been a driver in terms of organizational practices assumed by contemporary organizations (Friedman, pp. 63). Innovation and creativity are also strong points for any organization. This enables an organisation to achieve competitive advantage brought about by new products, services and new approaches in terms of execution of tasks in the organisation. Hence, majority of corporations around the world, if not all corporations around the world, have undertaken the incorporation of electronic commerce as a means of diversifying the market access. The internet provides both individuals and corporations and the society with numerous economic opportunities in an era marked with declining employment and revenue opportunities for individuals and corporations respectively. It provides for intermediation and disintermediation, frictionless commerce and trade, competitive pricing strategies assumed by an organisation and personalized sales and marketing for the consumers. Disintermediation and intermediation arise from need to decrease and increase the value chain especially in respect to the sale or market for soft goods. Disintermediation allows for the reduction of the value chain in specific instances such as the sale of soft goods such as music and files. Majority of this genre of products are sold via the internet. This is good for an economy in that it ensure the reduction in prices of commodities and resulting in subsequent increase in demand of the commodities. It essentially reduces the costs for the producers and the customers. Customer costs are reduced by their ability access goods and services form the comfort of their homes and offices. In addition, it reduces the costs of operation for the producers in that the line of distribution is shortened which also includes the reduction of possible intermediaries who increase costs of services and goods (Friedman, pp. 60). The time for access of goods and services is reduced because of the elimination of intermediaries such as retailers and wholesalers. This is because the producer is involved in direct contact with the consumers. Direct channels of communication are paramount in such relationships between the consumer and the producer in that they provide the consumers with an avenue to air their complaints in terms of the ability of the products or services to provide satisfaction of needs and wants. On the other hand, re-intermediation is brought about in that; the connection with intermediaries such as brokers, wholesalers and retailers provides an organisation with access to a specific market segment. This is essential in that organizations are able to increase their diversity in terms of access o new markets and consumer segments. This provides organizations with the much-needed avenues for improving service delivery to the consumers in the market (Friedman, pp. 69). Commercial opportunities in the internet are available to both organizations and individuals seeking to start enterprises. Frictionless commerce is usually attractive for both the customer and the organisation. This is because it provides mediums, which ensure minimal contact between the customer and the seller. Organizations could use the internet by using approaches, which would ensure that they are able to increase their profitability and levels of competitiveness. Increasing skills and knowledge as it relates to functions in an organisation with respect to technological advancements is paramount in contemporary organizations. Organizations could ensure that they have access to highly qualified individuals with employee programs such as training and development of employees in preparation for the technological changes, which have been gradually changing market conditions and commerce in general. Traditional commerce has been embedded in friction, which arises from issues such as costs of finding partners, costs of gathering information about products and consumers and the costs of establishing customer trust and loyalty. For achievement of frictionless commerce, there is paramount need for individuals in business as well as corporations to ensure they have adequate and perfect information about consumer needs, wants and their respective markets of operation. Organizations could ensure that they have adequate information about the pricing strategies and trends used in a given market. This allows for preparations by an organisation with the aim of ensuring that they maximize their revenues. Pricing strategies should be made with respect tom the demand and supply of goods and services issued by an organisation in its respective market of operation. Miscalculations about pricing of services and goods in a market would be a costly mistake for an organisation (Friedman, pp. 77). Organizations and business people could also take advantage of the technological advancements and ensure their survival using personalized marketing approaches provided by an organisation. Personalized marketing is essential in the contemporary business settings as it provides the organisation with an avenue of attracting potentially loyal consumers of its products and services. Customer trust and loyalty is usually based on the satisfaction of the consumer needs and wants and the provision of the customer with a profound customer experience. Hence, an organisation should be able to invest in marketing approaches, which ensure attraction of new customers. In addition, this could be enhanced by research and development of new products and services in the market. Research and development is paramount for organizations, which aim at achievement of their strategic goals and objectives. Research and development could entail research on new products, strategies, and markets’ viability. This provides the organisation with the much-needed precise information about issues, which relate to the achievement of its strategic goals and objectives. Organizational functions are usually driven by the need to increase profitability through understanding the consumer needs and wants. Understanding the consumer needs and wants is essential in that it provides the organisation with information such as the current and future consumer trends. Such information provides the organisation with information, which could be used in planning and budgeting to ensure the satisfaction of the consumer needs and wants (Friedman, pp. 89). Conclusively customer focus could be achieved with use of technology systems. An organisation usually exists because of the presence of customer who are purchasers of the organization’s services and products. Additionally, organizations could ensure their presence in the internet and provide for electronic payments and the subsequent deliveries of products. such usually provides security to the consumer that he or she is able to get additional value for the services and products purchased from an organisation. Special focus on consumer needs and wants ensures that an organisation has perfect information about the consumer needs, wants and preferences; resulting in the development of goods and services which are sufficient for the consumers in their efforts of satisfaction of their needs and wants.

Boston Bottles Essays

Boston Bottles Essays Boston Bottles Essay Boston Bottles Essay Boston Bottles Data Modeling Problem Draw an REA diagram with cardinalities and tables with primary keys, foreign keys, and non-key attributes for the following business: Boston Bottle (BB) buys and sells a variety of glass and plastic bottles nationwide. The proprietor of the company assigns each glass and bottle to an inventory type and assigns a unique # for each type (a type can contain numerous glasses and bottles). An individual sale or purchase can consist of multiple types of inventory. Inventory types are not tracked until they are purchased and put in a warehouse. A warehouse can have many inventory types, but it doesnt have to have any. An inventory type can be found in more than one warehouse. Customers are not assigned to any particular salesperson: anyone can service them (a relationship is not needed). However, vendors typically deal with one and only one buyer, unless the buyer quits or leaves the employment of BB, in which case the vendor works with a different buyer. Buyers do not have to work with any vendors, if they just started, but they can work with many vendors. Each sale or purchase involves just one BB employee: a salesperson or buyer, respectively. Sales and purchases are only for inventory. These two types of employees are tracked in separate database tables. Customers and vendors are added to the database without any transactions taking place (including being assigned to a buyer in the case of a vendor), however they can be involved in many transactions over time. Each employee fills out one timecard each week, therefore each timecard belongs to one and only one employee. The timecard allows the employee to get a paycheck on the last day of the following week. A separate check is written for each timecard and is made out to only one employee (or vendor in the case of a purchase). Timecard #’s for each employee change from week to week. Employees get a timecard immediately when they are hired. The employee in payroll who collects the timecards and the cashier who distributes the paychecks are not modeled in the database. Cash receipts and cash disbursements are from one and only one cash account. New cash accounts are added to the database when they are opened with a deposit. Sometime after this checks can be written from them. Employees are added to the database on the day they are hired (but before they are involved in a purchase or sale, or involved with a vendor). Cash accounts can have many receipts and many disbursements. A single purchase must be partially paid for immediately and the remainder can be paid within 30 days. However one check cannot pay for more than one purchase (just as one cash receipt from a customer cannot pay for more than one sale). The only payment terms BB has for a customer is to pay immediately in cash in full. Only one vendor or customer is involved in a transaction, however cash receipts and disbursements take place within other cycles of BB. All employees can be involved in many of their respective transactions over time. Here is the data of interest: Inventory type # Sales invoice # Purchase order # Vendor quality rating Remittance advice # Customer # Buyer employee # Vendor name Date buyer started working with vendor Salesperson employee # Timecard # Hours worked per employee per pay period Inventory type description Purchase date Salesperson commission rate Inventory type selling price Total sale dollar amount Sale date BB Check amount Cash account # Total cash receipt amount Quantity of inventory type in warehouse Cash account balance BB Check # Customer name Customer address Buyer telephone # Vendor # Warehouse # Warehouse location Quantity of an inventory type sold

Money Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Money Crisis - Essay Example To sell more profitable subprime mortgages, mortgage companies bundled the debt into consolidation packages and sold the debt on to other finance companies. In other words, mortgage companies borrowed to be able to lend mortgages. For example, the lending was not financed out of saving accounts (Mortgage Guide). These mortgage debts were bought by financial intermediaries. The idea was to spread the risk, but, actually it just spread the problem. Usually subprime mortgages would have a high risk assessment rating. But, when the mortgage bundles got passed onto other lenders, rating agencies gave these risky subprime mortgages a low risk rating. Therefore, the financial system denied the extent of risk in their balance sheets (Mortgage Guide). Many of these mortgages charged a balloon interest rate in which, they charge low interest rates in the initial period, but at the end of the introductory period interest rates rise rapidly (Mortgage Guide). In 2007, the US had to increase interest rates because of inflation (BBC). This made mortgage payments more expensive. Furthermore, many homeowners who had taken out mortgages two years earlier now faced ballooning mortgage payments as their introductory period ended. Homeowners also faced lower disposable income because of rising health care costs, rising petrol prices and rising food prices. This caused This caused a rise in mortgage defaults, as many new homeowners could not afford mortgage payments. These defaults also signaled the end of the US housing boom. US house prices started to fall and this caused more mortgage problems. For example, people with 100% mortgages now faced negative equity (Mortgage Guide). It also meant that the loans were no longer secured. If people did default, the bank couldn't guarantee to recoup the initial loan. The number of defaults caused many medium sized US mortgage companies to go bankrupt. However, the losses weren't confined to mortgage lenders, many banks also lost billions of pounds in the bad mortgage debt they had bought off US mortgage companies. Banks had to write off large losses and this made them reluctant to make any further lending, especially in the now dangerous subprime sector (Shah). The result was that all around the world, it became very difficult to raise funds and borrow money. The cost of interbank lending had increased significantly. Often it was very difficult to borrow any money at all. This affected many firms who had been exposed to the subprime lending. It also affected a wide variety of firms who now have difficulty borrowing money (Shah). The slowdown in borrowing has contributed to a slowing economy with the possibility of recession in the US and all around the world. Credit Crunch in the UK UK mortgage lenders did not lend so many bad mortgages. Although mortgage lending became more relaxed in the past few years, it still had more controls in place than the US. However, it caused very

Geology of Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Geology of Qatar - Essay Example These natural resources contribute actively towards the realization of the skyrocketing economies experienced in the nation. For instance, there are several places in the country of Qatar supplied with natural gas and oil deposits2. These are some of the powerful natural resources that make the country gain international recognition, respect as well as realize robust economies. In addition to natural gas, Qatar also has several deposits of oil fields. This makes the nation on e of the largest oil producers in the world. This works well with boosting as well as expanding the economies of the state of Qatar. Other than the natural reserves, it is of crucial significance to note that the country of Qatar also boasts of a collection of beautiful sceneries, geological features as well as landscapes. Some of these geological features as well as scenic beauties have contributed massively towards strengthening the economy of Qatar in several diverse ways. For instance, the myriad of features have ensured heavy flow of tourists into the nation of Qatar to have an experience as well as identify with some of the natural features. This has ensured generation as well as creation of foreign exchange, improved employment conditions as well as upholding nation’s pride. The foreign exchange as well as income earned from such tourism activities has led to massive eco nomic growth in the region. This paper is going to explore some of the geologic features found in the sovereign state of Qatar. In addition, the paper is going to focus on some of the surface features, the terrain as well as landscape of the nation of Qatar. It is of critical significance to note that Qatar is one of the states with sabkhas forming some of the geologic landform features. The sabkhas are always characterized with dry burrows. This presents greater risks to geologists due to the fact that such dry burrows may always host deadly animals like snakes that can bite geologists. This presents one