Nursing Curriculum Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Curriculum Analysis - Term Paper Example The designers usually incorporate the results from course evaluations from previous classes of the same course. This enriches the design process as it provides a benchmark that leads the designers towards achievement of the objectives. Any course design process incorporates the course objectives, outcomes and competencies. The course design ought to reflect the students’ area of knowledge, the abilities and values gained from the course. The course design identifies the materials necessary for the learning process. Once the core concepts and content requirement have been identified, the design captures the organization of lessons in tandem to the content requirement. The lesson would be tailored in ways that best advantage the students. The typical arrangement entails the content plan that moves from the known to the unknown. This lesson plan, beginning from the simple to the complex, accommodates the students. The course design usually would be skewed to favor the student and enables the gradual development from basic to complex (Wittmann-Price, 2009). Course to Curriculum Requirement The curriculum requirements resonate around the understanding of the subject matter. Therefore, the objective could be said to be the comprehension of the nursing skills. The course design and implementation address the core curriculum requirement. The course division, into smaller units of study such as modules, units and lessons facilitate the knowledge acquisition process. The course structure enables analysis, synthesis, internalization and application of the nursing knowledge. These enables the students attain the curriculum requirement. The process of acquiring nursing knowledge cannot be a one off activity. It entails the gradual process that consolidates diverse processes. The course structure enables the acquisition process going by the consolidated nature of the entire course package. The students interact with the faculty, fellow students and clients during the course. This essentially assists in the realization of the curriculum requirements. The curriculum design can, therefore, be considered harmonious with the course design. The course design must, hence, incorporate the curriculum objectives by appreciating the curriculum design (The essentials of baccalaureate nursing practice, 2008). The previous evaluations of nursing student graduate should help in developing the course design in a manner that fundamentally addresses the curriculum design objectives. The course design incorporates the use of materials, modes and models that the curriculum design adopted. The course delivery modes though diverse in nature contribute towards meeting the curriculum design. The curriculum design outlines the criterion that would lead to the production of nurses, proficient in both the theoretical and practical aspects of nursing profession. The course entails the opportunity for both practical and theoretical acquisition of nursing knowledge. This con tributes to the meeting of the curriculum needs. The course design embraces both class and clinical learning modes. Through this, the students obtain the theoretical knowledge in class and the practical application during the clinical (â€Å"Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) 2010 Candidate Handbook†, 2010). Achievement of Course Design, Learning Expectations and Curricular

Customer service in Halifax Essay Example for Free

Customer service in Halifax Essay Customer service Customer service is any part of the service that customers receive from the staff of the business. It is also a way in which the organisation deals with its customers. Businesses need their customers to buy their products or use their services in order to survive and make a profit. The way that they treat their customers is therefore very important. Many businesses have a policy of customer service, which involves putting the customer first in all situations. Customer service involves: * Making sure the product range is available to the customer * Making sure the product is safe and reliable * Providing information about products and being able to give advice * Making sure the product range can be delivered if necessary * Providing credit facilities where appropriate * Providing after sales service guarantees It should be the aim of every business to provide the highest level of customer service. There are laws, which provide protection to customers buying products. Businesses should know what their obligations are under these laws.it will help them maintain a high level of customer service. Why customer service is important in Halifax Customer service is important to Halifax because it brings in profit (the more customers the more the profit). The customers provide income to Halifax. Halifax does so much advertising and looses money but because it provides good customer service, the money lost is replaced. Customers are also a source of market research information Customers ensure the survival of the business Because of good customer service, Halifax spends less effort dealing with customer complaints. Customers are relined and refrained in Halifax because they are treated well and are made to feel good and safe with their money and properties. Halifaxs image is improved This is because everyone knows that it provides good customer service. My friend told me how good Halifax is and I was attracted to go and open up an account with them the next day. I also told my boyfriend about it that also went and opened up an account with them. To build customer loyalty All Halifaxs customers are loyal to it and they keep on using more of its services. They enjoy them. Increase competition It is only natural that where there is an attractive market, competitors will seek to obtain profitable businesses. The newcomer may sometimes even have an advantage due to the fact that he may have benefited from the experience of the long established supplier. As the newcomers start from scratch, they can use the latest equipment, techniques and systems and can select staff to fit the image they wish to create. Good customer service also gives Halifax a competitive advantage over other banks or building societies. Better informed customers Customers know a great deal more about Halifaxs services than they used to, partly because of the competition and partly due to the extensive studies conducted by consumer groups, and Halifax staff. A great deal of information is also available over the Internet. The emphasis put into competitive advertisements also makes customers more aware of the aspects they should examine. Halifax is a very good example where public pressure has forced regulations ensuring fuller disclosure of costs and more realistic estimates of benefits. Product similarity From the customers point of view, who I interviewed, it is difficult to distinguish many of Halifaxs services from those of their competitors. They often use the same services perform the same tasks in a very similar way. As an example, I could look at the personal computer industry, where a large number of computers can utilise the same software programs. One of the few ways Halifax can differentiate thereselfs from there competitors is by means the image for customer care that they build up and the reputation for customer support that they have earned over time. Rinsing demand for improved support With the choice of supply sources now available to Halifax customers they know that they are in a buyers market and they are therefore demanding improved support from the Halifax they have selected. In general it has been shown that with a higher living standard, customers are willing to pay for improved support. For instance customers in the past may have been willing to wait for a week or two for a telephone to be installed whereas now they expect it to be done in as many days. Life cycle costs As many products are technically more soficicated, customers have become more dependent on the continuing support from Halifax to keep their services in operation. They are increasingly looking at the life time costs and Halifaxs ability to support their services efficiently throughout the life of that service. When a customer buys a car for instance, he will want to know how good the maintenance service is what the costs are likely to be the fuel consumption and the resale value after a certain number of years. Training the frontline This is important because it means good customer service in Halifax in a way that when all staff are trained, there will be good communication between the staff hence providing good customer service. Training helps Halifax maintain good service in different departments. For example technology, promotional, health and safety, money wise. Managers in Halifax identify training needs for internal customers and provide suitable training events. Halifax is aware that well trained internal customer service provides good external customer service. Identification of the situations that require staff to have contact with customers A customer is a person who requires a product in exchange for money or who uses a service. Staff can have contact with customers through so many ways these are: By phone This is normally used when one of them (customer/staff) needs to ask a question and get a quick response.because both the staff and customers cannot see each other, it is unable to observe the other persons body language. Though this happens, customers are not left waiting. The member of staff says what he is doing and how long he will be. The customer is always being informed of the actions taken. Music is often played to customers kept waiting in order to give them something to do, i.e. listen to music. The staff make sure they do everything they can to make the customer feel valued. Through letters This is used when a permanent record is needed. Eg.where a letter head showing the Halifax logo adds credibility to the company. Sentences are always kept short in the letters. The subject is always introduced at the beginning of the letter so that the customers know what the letter is about. Through Internet This is used when you can not get someone on the phone. The email is given an effective tittle, which makes the reader want to open it. They are not typed in capitals because the reader may think that the member of staff is shouting. Face to face This is done when the customer is on the premises. Usually when delivering bad or good news. Also when a permanent record is not required. Or when documents have to be handed in for opening new accounts. Through fax This is used when speed is required and the information is not confidential. This applies to letters. Staff always contact customers about: * Details about the new extra services introduced * Their bank accounts * Their mortgages * Their complaints * Opening bank accounts * Overdrafts * Foreign exchange purchase transfer * Withdrawal or payment * New service products etc Ways in which Halifax meets the needs of its customers Halifax is a successful firm because it identifies who its customers are and what their needs are quickly. Needs of internal customers Needs of external customers Sick pay To make a purchase Holidays Need to obtain information about a product Pension Company cars To make a complaint Staffs discount To maintain ethical standards Working conditions e.g. Safe environment Specials needs like the deaf, blind, old, physically handicapped, or with children. Job security Food Decent wages or salary. Christmas presents and bonus/ end year party Staff facilities e.g. room, gyms, toilets. Training. Training of internal customers in all aspects of their jobs ensures that external customer needs are catered for, whereas good staff relations or industrial relations, effective communication and good company policies ensures the satisfaction of internal customer needs. Internal customers These are members of staff who rely on other members of staff to help them do their jobs properly. In Halifax, internal customers feedback is included in performance reviews. Halifax is now making input a formal part of a 360-degree feedback process, in which employees, peers and the manager all evaluate the performance of managers. In addition. Halifax talks to its internal customers during meetings and asks them about their needs and finds out how it can serve them better. Always giving you extra as long as the employees do it for their customers, theyll do it for the employees. Theyre looking to develop the best motivated and best rewarded team in the business, so the employees should expect plenty. Training, sales support, personal development, opportunity, great incentives you name it, Halifax goes that extra mile to make sure the employees have everything they need for a rewarding career. And that, of course, includes a benefits package they find hard to beat by anyone, anywhere. It covers everything theyd expect (good salary, generous holidays) and plenty that they wouldnt, such as bonuses and incentives, share schemes, discounted mortgages and plenty more all adding up to a total rewards package to match their total commitment. The following are part of Halifaxs human resource policies: Pay (plus bonuses) Generous Holiday Entitlement Shares Colleague Products Money Purchase Pension Life Assurance Flexible Working Flexible Benefits Recognition Our commitment Support when it counts Academy Pay (plus bonuses) Halifax starts by giving employees a highly attractive basic salary. They have bands, but theres a lot of flexibility. So theyll take into account the nature of the role, as well as the employees skills and experience. On top of this, everyone has the chance to earn more by putting in extra. So employees can earn a bonus for individual, team and company performance. Reach or exceed the employees targets for example, and the employees can expect to receive between 10% and 30% of salary extra! Nice. Generous Holiday Entitlement The employees receive between 22 and 30 days paid holiday a year, depending on their role and length of service. Shares Halifax group wants employees to share in their success (they like smiling people). They wont go into detail here, but there are various schemes where employees receive either shares or share options. Its hugely popular. Largely because it can be hugely profitable for Halifaxs colleagues. Colleague Products Halifax is the UKs number one for savings and mortgages, and have plenty of other products too, such as insurance and healthcare. All of which are available to employees at attractive, discounted rates. External customers These are individuals and business customers who buy or use the goods and services provided by an organisation. With staff who can speak a wider range of languages, Halifax and customer service has improved. They monitor holiday costs constantly to give customers a better deal. Plus, they can give customers a guaranteed minimum 5% discount on a wide range of brochure-priced holidays and charter flights! Halifax also meets its customers needs by giving eye contact, explaining transferred telephone calls to customers and colleagues, being genuine and sincere, knowing about their products or services, knowing about its policies, treating customers as individuals, and minimising queuing times. Home delivery For home delivery, orders placed in a branch or over the phone before 2.30pm Monday to Friday are usually delivered to the customers home address by 12 noon the next bank working day (excluding Saturdays). Orders placed on Saturday or Sunday are usually delivered by 12 noon the following Tuesday. All home deliveries are by Royal Mail Special Delivery. There is a charge of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5 for all home deliveries. Home delivery is not available for orders placed online. Always giving extra to customers with particular needs Halifax group is committed to providing all their customers with excellent service, whatever type of relationship they have with them. They do their outmost to help all customers with special needs. Their cash machines are generally installed at a lower level to make them easier to reach, and the newer machines have been adapted for the visually impaired to use. Halifax has around 800 branches in the UK, most, of which are open plan to make it easier for customers to find their way around. The majority have a reception desk, with seating provided. And their staff are always on hand to discuss specific needs or answer queries. Wheelchair users Getting in and out of Halifaxs branches is usually easy, with level or ramped access from pavements. And, wherever possible, doors are automatic. Call Assistance At some branches steps are unavoidable, so a Call Assistance bell system was installed, so that a member of staff can be called. Servicecall Some branches are fitted with the Servicecall system, so that customers with a Servicecall transmitter can alert staff of their arrival. Lifts Where branches have split-level banking halls, Halifax provides internal ramps or wheelchair lifts. Low-level counters and counter queuing rails Lower level writing surfaces are increasingly being provided at the counter. All branches have counter queuing rails, often with lower level writing surfaces. Other banking options To help make it easier for all their customers to manage their finances at their convenience, they offer a number ways to access Halifax as well as via other large network of branches across the country: Online Customers can apply for a Halifax Current Account online. Then once it is registered for telephone banking they can do their banking online via Halifaxs website 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click www.halifax.co.uk for more details. They also offer a Share Dealing service online, and applications for other products such as Personal Loans, Credit Cards and Travel Insurance can be made via the web site. Telephone Halifax Direct is a 24-hour telephone Current Account service. Customers can use it for everything from checking their balance and ordering a statement to arranging an overdraft. Arrangements can also be made for customers to pay bills and transfer money to other Halifax accounts. All Halifax customers can telephone Halifax direct for other services, for example a Personal Loan or travel money. Customers who are hearing impaired, can contact Halifax Direct using textphone on 0845 732 3436 Contact Halifax They have undertaken an extensive disability awareness programme to help staff overcome the barriers which people who have a disability face. To help them continually improve their services, if you would like to make any comments about their site or the services they offer customers with disabilities, they request the customers to use this form. Philomena Gray, Disability Manager by e-mail: JayneO[emailprotected] or at:Halifax plc Trinity Road HALIFAX West Yorkshire HX1 2RG How Halifax deals with customers complaints Once Halifax is prepared for any potential problem a customer may have brought to them, their next step is to use the companys complaint system the company has in place for dealing with complaints. Halifax deals with complaints in many different ways. This can be done through: 1. The telephone 2. Face to face 3. In writing: typical written communications involve providing information on the services provided, prices of mortgages, statements of accounts and safety procedures. Because Halifax actively seeks and encourages complaints, they are able to understand and meet the needs of their customers. If a customer is dissatisfied and is unable to express that dissatisfaction, Halifax will never see that customer return. What is worse, the customer may also persuade potential customers not to stop within Halifax too. Customers with bad experiences were twice as likely to tell others about it as those with a positive story to recount. Customer complaints are viewed as opportunities to improve a service offered rather than problems ignored. The causes of the complaints are dealt with the and lessons learnt. Customers making complaints are seen as contributors to the process of improving customer services rather than awkward individuals who enjoy making life difficult for staff. By respecting customers and treating them accordingly Halifax is able to monitor and improve the quality of service offered. Many products arise because the law has been broken. There is a large number of laws that try to protect the customers. Halifax tries not to break the laws. The major consumers laws include; The descriptions Act 1978, which makes it illegal for Halifax as a business to give misleading descriptions of their services and products. The consumer safety Act 1978, which make sit illegal to sell goods, which may be harmful to customers. The consumer protection Act 1987, which makes it illegal, amongst other things, for a business to claim that its prices have been reduced when they have not. It also makes suppliers responsible for any injury that results from defective goods. The consumer credit Act 1974, which requires Halifax to have a specific licence because it offers credit otherwise they will be committing an offence. If the law has been broken, customers can take Halifax to court. This may cause the business money and give it a bad reputation. That is why they make sure that they do not break the law. Halifax also makes it certain that customers are happy with the services they provide. Details of all customers complaints are recorded. This is done so that there is a record of what action was taken in case the customer wishes to take the complaint further. Recording the data also allows staff and management to use it for capturing customer details. The nature of complaint and the service involved is recorded and quite often the name and address of the person complaining is recorded. Halifax has a special service desk for dealing with customer complaints, and also specially trained staff. When customers approach with a complaint Halifax staff make sure they: * Listen to them carefully * Reassure them that their complaint is being taken seriously * Decide on an appropriate action * Apologise if the business is responsible * Record the details of the complaint * Record the action taken Checking that customers complaint is valid Halifax wont take customers complaint seriously if its something, which is not their fault. For example, if your current account has no overdraft facility but you regularly overdraw the account, you cant really complain if Halifax charges you for doing so. If, however, charges on your account push the balance into the red, it should not charge you for being overdrawn. Halifax deals with complaints about something in relation to: * Customer expectations not met * Late delivery * Incorrect information * Waiting/queuing times * Attitude of staff * Faulty service products * Statement errors What happens next? If a customer complaint is something Halifax has the power to deal with, they will usually start by seeing if they can help the customer to resolve matters in an informal way. One of their staff (usually called a caseworker) will take a fresh look at the facts and let the customer know how they think the customer could reach the agreement. This approach is often called mediation. If a customer has a problem, Halifax can always help They aim to offer customers the best possible service, but there may be occasions when customers feel they have cause for complaint. If so, Halifax will always try to resolve the problem quickly and to your satisfaction. If the customer is unhappy with their response, he/she can take his complaint further through their complaints procedure outlined below. Following Halifaxs complaints procedure does not affect a customers legal rights. 1. Where the customer first makes his complaint Halifax aims to resolve customers concerns within 24 hours. Sometimes it may take longer to look into the matter fully. If this happens, they will let the customer know within five working days who will reply. The people a customer first raise the matter with are often able to help, but there may be occasions when a specialist area needs to be involved. If the customer doesnt know who to contact, they can: * Call Customer Relations on 08457 25 35 19 * Textphone Customer Relations on 08456 00 17 50 (if you have a hearing impairment) * Write to them at: Halifax plc Halifax Customer Relations Trinity Road Halifax HX1 2RG They will then arrange for the right person to look into and respond to the customers concerns. 2. Customer Relations In the unlikely event that the customer remains unhappy, he /she can ask for his complaint to be referred to a Customer Relations manager for further review. If the customer is still not satisfied he can, at this stage, ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to help, or for service-related complaints about Halifax Estate Agencies Limited, the Ombudsman for Estate Agents The Halifax supports fully and is a member of both the Ombudsmen Schemes. These are impartial and conduct independent investigations. Ombudsmen addresses For most complaints about Halifax products and services customers can contact: The Financial Ombudsman Service South Quay Plaza 183 Marsh Wall London E14 9SR Phone: 08450 80 18 00 email: [emailprotected] Website: www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk For complaints about Halifax Estate Agencies Limited: The Ombudsman for Estate Agents Beckett House 4 Bridge Street SALISBURY SP1 2LX Phone: 01722 33 33 06 email: [emailprotected] Website: www.oea.co.uk Types of customer records Halifax uses Market research The final method of monitoring customer service satisfaction is through market research. Market research is a formalised method of obtained feedback and information from customers or potential customers about services that are available or soon to be made available. In Halifax, obtaining feedback from customers is essential in learning how to improve the service offered. The process helps Halifax to understand: * The nature of the service from the point of view of the customer. * What the customers are wanting. * What the customer thinks of the organisation. * What will make the customer feel valued? * What sort of initiatives the customers would appreciate. Halifax is able to show that business decisions are supported by information and evidence gained through research. Therefore through market research, Halifax is able to identify customers opinions about: * Interest rates charged. * New and existing services. * After sales service. * The quality of customer care provided by Halifax. Business decisions about these issues can then be made based upon the results of the research. Halifax sends out customer service questioners to 200,000 customers every six months, asking for their opinions on their branch. In addition, mystery shoppers posing as potential customers visit and phone the branches to ask for advice. Each quarter, every branch in Halifax network receives two visits and two phone calls from the mystery shopper, who then fills in the research form and marks the branch on factors such as courtesy, speed, and phone handling techniques. All the results are included into a customer service index for each Branch. The findings are also published internally or all to see, with awards for those branches with the best achievements. The market research I undertook about Halifax provided some interesting results. I decided to measure how much customer satisfaction dictated future buying intentions. The research divided the customers into one of three groups: * Those with problem that had been resolved * Those with a problem that had been recently dealt with * Those whose experience of the bank had only been positive As was predictable, the customers who remained dissatisfied were the ones least likely to buy any more of the building societys services. However, surprisingly, those customers whose problem had been dealt with quickly and efficiently were more likely to use Halifaxs services again in the future than customers who had never experienced a problem. 80% of the customers were happy and 20% were not happy. Among the unhappy customers some of them did not visit the branches often nor use Halifaxs machines. Customers responded positively to open, polite and helpful advice provided by Halifax, even if the outcome was not what the customer was seeking, e.g. applying bank charges. Findings similar to Halifax have emerged from other customer attitude surveys undertaken across a range of businesses. The results of my surveys indicate that by keeping the customers happy, the organisations will retain existing business and will increase future revenue from existing customers. It is essential that a manager act upon any feedback gained through market research. Customers who provide feedback through market research are usually given recognition by Halifax. I also found out that when Halifax do their market research through the surveys, they thank their customers for their time and effort. This is in the form of a card, letter, or telephone call. A number of methods are used by Halifax to find out what the customer thinks of and wants from the service. These include: * Postal questioners. * Personal interviews. * Telephone interviews. * Consumer panels. * Customer feedback forms. Complaints records In Halifax, recording customer complaints and implementing changes to ensure that the customer is not dissatisfied for the same reason again are ways to monitor customer satisfaction. Customers are provided with a system where they feel comfortable about recording a complaint. Only by doing so can Halifax ensure that they are fully meeting the needs of all their customers. When Halifax is dealing with customer complaints, they normally take the customers details. This normally helps them to be able to contact the customer when necessary and to know who they are dealing with. Customer Surveys Customer surveys are used to get inside the customers mind and learn what they are thinking about Halifax. Surveys can determine customer satisfaction, complaints, compliments and questions. Halifax likes to know what their customers are thinking because it helps them improve or tailor their services. Feedback can be a great source of information. Customer surveys can sometimes be a core competency of Halifax. Surveys can be administered online, in person or even via phone. Surveys should be constructed to pull the most valuable data from employees so that Halifax can later use that data for the betterment of the company. Savings and Debit cards When opening up savings or bank accounts, the staff records your personal details and keep them for further reference. At times this is used to contact customers to participate in surveys, to take advantage of new offers, etc. Internal Complaints When the employees make a complaint, Halifax also takes down their comments and again their details. Personnel records The personnel department keeps records of all employees on the payroll. This includes personal information (name, date of birth, address) as well as details of rates of pay, tax, and national insurance number. The records are confidential and should not be accessible to unauthorised personnel. These records are taken during recruitment. Recruiting When recruiting, managers take employees details for further reference. This helps them to know how much they deserve to be paid to know their retirement age, etc, which can be utilised by the firm to provide good internal customer service. The customer service provided in Halifax and improvements In Halifax, The desire to improve and be the best helps motivate staff by providing them with a challenge. It gives employees the opportunity to suggest ideas, use their initiative and participate in the development of the organisation. Excellent customer service provides a focus for all staff to work towards and results in increased job satisfaction for the employees, as well as increased customer satisfaction. Excellent standards in Halifaxs customer service can only be achieved by having a system that enables them to constantly review and improve the service offered. What is an acceptable standard for a customer today will not necessarily be an acceptable standard tomorrow. Constant improvement is essential. Because Halifax is an organisation seeking to improve the quality of customer service offered, it set quality service standards, which are: * Clearly explained * Realistic for employees * Easily measured Having clearly defined standards and a process to monitor those standards gives employees a goal to work towards. 1. Providing information Staff in Halifax provides customers with information, by letting them know what the business has to offer. The information provided is mostly through leaflets and focuses on: *Lost or stolen cards. * Mortgages * Bank Accounts *Loans * Savings and investments *Insurance * Share dealing. The problem to some members of staff is that they provide wrong information to customers. This happens when they are not sure of the answers to the questions being asked by the customers. Halifax improves this by re-training the staff who have the duty of dealing with customer enquiries. They also provide leaflets containing information of the services they offer. 2. Giving advice Customers often expect advice about the services they know little about Halifax. This is likely to happen with mortgages. When people want to open up accounts from Halifax they expect to receive clear instructions and advice on how to use and maintain them. When a business or an individual goes to the bank, they expect that the staff will know a great deal about banking and that sound advice will be given. But in some cases it does not happen. This is because the member of staff gives wrong advice about the service provided and sometimes it leads to the customer changing him/her mind about opening up an account with Halifax. For example when I wanted to open up an account with Halifax, I was told to bring both my parents passports back with me. I was really shocked by that and was wondering why every Bank does not ask for that. Anyway I suddenly gave up because the passports where with the home office. After three months, I called Halifaxs head office to ask them why I needed my parents passports to open up an account yet I had my own passport. The lady on the phone said that it is not right and I should go back to them and tell them that. I spoke to the manager and she said that it is all right for me to use my own passport since I am seventeen. This is why Halifax should train the members of staff going to give customers advice and ensure that they have good knowledge of the service product and procedures. Halifax gives advice on What is the suitable account, loan or action? What is the best mortgage? What is the cheapest way to pay for mortgage? How to use the accounts and cards. How to store and look after the cards. 3. Tailoring the service to what the customer wants Halifaxs staff ensure that customers get what they really want and are satisfied with the services. They know that is what will make them come back again. So staff work out very carefully what customers want and need. They know that customers want to be served quickly and efficiently but sometimes the queue is too long because some tills are not utilised. This really annoys the customers and makes them to leave and maybe pay the money to another account they have in a different bank. Halifax should improve this by letting another member of staff cover for the other if they have gone for their breaks and by making sure that any member of staff who is off sick is covered by using staff who do shift work. 4. Providing credit facilities Halifax accepts payment in a variety of ways for example cheques, cash, account transfers. This makes payment more convenient for customers. In the 1990s, Halifax has been facing a great deal of competition and one way of attracting customers is to offer better credit packages than competitors. Actual details of credit terms have therefore become highly variable and now Halifax is trying so hard to provide the best deal. Halifax is required by law to publish the APR and this does allow some basis for comparison. APR (Annual percentage rate of interest). This shows the actual rate of interest that borrowers must pay on average over the full period of the loan. But in some cases, some customers do not receive their interests which cause complaints and this results to the business loosing customers if the others hear about ones complaint. This is normally caused by errors on the computers, which they use to automatically offer interest to an account according to its type. So to improve this problem, Halifax management and staff should make sure that the machines are checked regularly to prevent unnecessary errors like that. 5. Credit They also offer credit cards to allow customers to buy goods and services and pay for them when they receive their statements from them, usually at the end of the month. When a customer uses a credit card to pay for an item the shop demands its claim for payment back to the Halifax that then pays the shop. Because Halifax must wait for payment from the customer, they usually charge the shop for the right to let customers use the credit card. This explains why the major supermarkets and a growing number of major stores are now offering their own credit cards. For some credit cards, a high rate is charged which makes Halifax lose its customers. They have improved this by putting the rates at a lower charge in order to attract more customers. 6. Administration This is the management of services that help to support the smooth running of department. Every department in Halifax carries it out. These general administration functions might include; 7. Reception This includes greeting people visiting a specific branch, dealing with their enquiries, and taking outside phone calls and connecting customers to right departments. It is also known as the customer service department. When customers come in the branch to make enquiries, in most circumstances there is a long queue. This really annoys customers in that they will complain and give pressure to the member of staff attending to them which will lead to her making mistakes and giving wrong or incomplete information to the customer she is serving. This can be improved by letting the members of staff who are available (not doing any work at that moment) to help out on the reception. This helps Halifax to deal with customers courteously and promptly. 8. Security Ensuring the security of the building property and staff. If there is no security in Halifax, peoples money will not be safe hence loosing customers because all they want is security and trust from the building society. To improve this, CCTVs are installed in the building to keep track of all that is going on in the premises. Most people who come into the Halifax and find it untidy and dirty get the wrong impression and neglect opening up accounts with them. This has been improved by arranging for outside contractors to clean the building, and cater for staff. The clerical work of making records managing records, filling, photocopying. Organising meetings, keeping minutes. Ensuring that internal communications (within the department) operate smoothing. Ensuring the department staffs arrive on time, have the facilities they need and have been paid. Each department will operate in a slightly different way, so it is highly that different departments will have some administrative tasks that are unique to that department, e.g. The human resources department will have to ensure that it has a complete and accurate database of all employees, with contact addresses and telephone numbers. 9. Providing an efficient service This is done when keeping appointments, Replying to enquiries within the shortest time possible, Fast, efficient and friendly service, helping and assisting the customer, answering all telephone calls within five seconds and following the basic principles when communicating with customers on the telephone. Sometimes all this is not done by the employees. They become rude to the customers and act like they have been forced to do their work. They do this by being very slow when serving on the checkouts and not speaking loudly and clearly on the phone. 10. Ensuring that replies to requests for information are with the customer within a reasonable period of time e.g. three days. Documentation is always up to date and accurate. Letters are addressed personally, well typed and without spelling errors. 11. Dealing with customer complaints Sometimes customers complaints are ignored or forgotten about because the member of staff has too much work to do which makes the customers loose interest in Halifax. This can be improved by setting up a Procedure for dealing with customer complaints and problems and since sometimes the procedure is not followed, they should improve this more by establishing a customer service department in each store, appointing a member of staff to be in charge of customer services, Communicating effectively with customers and ensuring that customer complaints are dealt with to the satisfaction of the customer. 12. Reliable systems, facilities and procedures Sometimes when customers come into a Halifax branch to open up an account, they find that the phone or computer does not work. This annoys them and either walk out or complain to the staff, which will disorganise the other services. That is if the customer makes a scene. This is improved up setting up quick and efficient technology with good backup, making sure that customer facilities are kept in good working order, by understanding of procedures by all employees The financial sector is a fast moving and rapidly changing environment. Many of these organisations rely on call centres to handle the huge numbers of enquiries received. Unfortunately high staff turnover is a major problem within many branches, so recruitment of the right candidates as quickly as possible is essential. Recognising the need to make quick recruitment decisions, that are valid, objective and more cost effective, Halifax Plc developed a new recruitment process, which met their criteria. Some years ago the Halifax implemented a competency-based application form, using job relevant competencies that are scored through a standardised procedure, and found they could make initial selection decisions quickly, confidently and objectively. For this project the Halifax saw the need to review their competencies in the light of organisational changes. They reviewed their initial selection process, to ensure that the competencies to be used were still appropriate given organisational changes, and the increased organisational emphasis was on business related competencies. The first stage involved reviewing a number of job roles to identify the key job tasks. The results from this early stage were used to develop a telephone checklist. The checklist is used as an initial sifting mechanism, aimed at ensuring that applicants are aware of job demands before they are sent the application form, thus reducing the administrative burden. Before the final structured application form was written a concurrent validation was conducted on a trial group of current job incumbents to identify the key competencies. It was found that specific competencies from the application form correlated highly with managers ratings of performance, additionally these competencies also correlated highly with the Customer Contact ability test scores of job incumbents. This suggested that people with higher scores on the competency based questionnaire and the ability tests are far more likely to perform better in the job than those applicants who perform poorly on the competency based application form. The Halifax is just one example of where Structured Application Forms have been used successfully. 12. Employee feedback system An employee feedback system is a structured approach to recording employees views and suggestions about the service provided and ways in which to improve that service. In Halifax, employees deal with the customers daily and therefore are able to provide useful advice and information to the employer about the views of customers and whether the service provided meets the needs of the customers. Very often, the employees can make valuable suggestions about how to improve the quality of service offered. 14. Quality review system This is a structured system in Halifax that enables an employer to determine the quality of service being offered to customers and the response of customers to that service. A check sheet or rating form can be used to identify the key areas to be audited. The manager will use the form to review at regular intervals the standard of service provided and customers responses against the criteria. An employer quality review system involves the manager being out where the customers are and seeing the activities taking place. The system involves the manager observing, examining and evaluating the quality of service offered by different employees in different sections or departments. The manager also listens carefully to customers questions, because the issues raised forms part of the evaluation of customer service. A description of any legal constraints affecting the customer service situation There are five main Acts of parliament Halifax knows and they understand the rights they should give to buyers. Most of these Acts are joined towards firms that sell products rather than service products. The sale of goods Act 1979 and 1995 One of the most important Acts today is the sale of goods Act 1979. It covers the fundamental requirements of purchasers, i.e. that goods must be: * As described which means that they should conform their description for example water proof must mean that the items do not leak. * Of satisfactory quality in relation to the price paid, the description, age of the item. * Fit for the purpose for which they are intended which means that goods must carry out the purpose they are made for, i.e. a pen must make a clear legible mark. * The goods must be for a specific purpose the buyer has made clear to the seller at the time of the sale. The supply of goods and services Act 1982 The service standards are affected by this Act. It states that all services should be carried out: * For a reasonable charge * Within a reasonable time * With reasonable care and skill * Using satisfactory materials The consumer protection Act 1987 This Act relates to price and safety. The consumer protection Act is enforced by Trading Standards Officers. It is also an offence not to cooperate with Trading Standards Officers during any investigation. Under the Act it is an offence: * To mislead consumers as to the price of goods, services, accommodation or facilities (e.g. by missing out the VAT when quoting the price) * To mislead consumers over sale prices and claim exaggerated price reductions * To supply goods which are not reasonably safe. The trade description Act 1968 This Act is designed to prevent the false or misleading description of goods, e.g.: * Selling goods, which are wrongly described by the manufacturer. * Implied descriptions, e.g. a picture on a box, which gives a false impression. * Other aspects of the goods, including quantity, size, composition, method of manufacture etc. Usually the spoken word of the seller overrides the written description of the goods as the buyer can rely on the expertise of the salesperson. However, this is obviously harder to prove if there is dispute. The consumer credit Act 1974 This is more applicable to Halifax and requires all businesses, which offer credit to have a specific licence otherwise they will be committing an offence. The Act provides for: * Customers who sign credit agreement in their own home to be allowed a cooling off period of five days. During this period the customer can change her mind or cancel the agreement without any penalties. * Customers to demand within 28 days that retailers provide details of the name and address of any credit reference agencies, which have been used to ascertain their credit worthiness. It is an offence for a retailer not to do this. * The credit reference agency to provide full details to the customer if the request is made in writing, and small administration fee is paid. Any incorrect information must be corrected if further information is provided by the customer. * Advertisements offering credit must include the title charge for credit and the APR (annual percentage rate of charge). The Act also restricts the way in which advertisements are worded and the prominence of financial information relating to charges. * Sellers must provide written details of credit terms if requested by the customer in writing or orally, either in person or on the telephone, unless such a quotation has already been provided. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1978 Not only do employees have a right to expect employers to provide a safe, working environment, they also have a responsibility to ensure the Health and Safety for existing and potential customers. The Health and Safety at Work Act requires employees to: * Take reasonable care for the Health and Safety of themselves and others who may be affected by what they do and what they fail to do. * Cooperate with employers in fulfilling their duties for Health and Safety. Employees who fail to comply with health and safety regulations may be prosecuted. The requirements basically mean that employees must not act recklessly at work. They must follow safety procedures. They must take reasonable care in carrying out their duties and employers should fulfil their obligation as prescribed in the Health and Safety at Work Act. The sex discrimination Act 1975 This Act makes it illegal for anyone to be discriminated against on grounds of gender either directly or indirectly. Even if this is done unintentionally, the organisation is still guilty. So Halifax has to comply with the provisions of this Act. Race relations Act The race relation Act is very similar to the sex discrimination Act. It makes it illegal to discriminate in the work place on the grounds of race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin. Disability discrimination Act Under this Act it is illegal to discriminate against a disabled person in the recruitment and selection process, the contract of employment and the conditions of pay, provisions of training and promotion opportunities, treatment with the workplace. Halifax is expected by law to comply with the provisions of the various Acts. The Health and safety Act 1978 affects both the internal and external customers. Implications of not complying with the provisions of the consumer laws or legal requirement are: * Costs: legal costs of going to court and compensation. * Bad reputation: Negative / Bad publicity hence loss of customers leading to the company collapsing. The roles of the employees in providing good customer service Internal customers Halifax has so many different branches throughout the UK. All of these are internal customers to the regional or head office. Staff working for Halifax are the internal customers. Managers in Halifax want to get the most out of your employees. Generally, the better their employees perform the better their department or company will do. Recruiting the right people Recruiting the right staff is a crucial component of creating the workforce profile Halifax needs to achieve its organisational objectives and they take careful planning and consideration to recruit successfully. While Halifax wants staff who can do the job theyre offering and who are interested in it, the crucial factor in choosing the right team is personality. The managers can teach them the job, but they cant teach them how to be the right person! Because managers are responsible for recruitment and selection decisions in Halifax, they are aware that hiring or losing staff can be costly, especially if they get it wrong. Smart appearance of all staff Customers will often assess the quality of Halifax by the appearance of the staff. This has been improved by providing them with uniforms which all of them have to wear and this helps the customers to recognise the members of staff easily. Politeness When employees understand and feel a part of the larger picture they provide better customer service because they feel better about their roles and understand the critical nature of their jobs to the overall success of Halifax. A positive and helpful attitude goes a long way toward having satisfied customers, and is important for a positive environment with co-workers. Employees in Halifax know that they should always be polite to customers and be very helpful. Arriving at work on time Employees make sure that they arrive at work on time because they know that if this is not done, they will lose customers hence loosing profits for they company. When they arrive on time, the branch is also opened on time. Teamwork Teamwork is an important part of building a quality Halifax. Having Halifax work like a team involves getting all of the team members to work together towards one common goal. Teamwork through employee training programs can help Halifax team achieve that goal. Teamwork helps the staff first identify the goal it is working towards, whether thats increasing sales or improving customer service. Once the goals are identified, then they can work on whatever issues may be currently preventing them from achieving those goals. After those issues are addressed, the employees can more effectively work together as a team. Team works can build communication skills and employee motivation. Both of these items contribute to a more successful team and organisation. A successful organisation means more profits, happier employees, and fewer turnovers. The results from a team building exercise can actually help Halifax perform better as a whole. Halifax can benefit by taking time and resources to help their employees achieve their goals by putting them in training program and giving them skills they didnt know they needed. Teamwork is part of an employee development program that can really benefit Halifax. Health and Safety Health and Safety policies are integral in Halifax business operation. They ensure that the law making employers responsible for the health, safety and welfare of all employees at work is followed. They also help employees to understand and accept their responsibility for their personal behaviour at work as it affects their own, and others health and safety. Good Health and Safety procedures ultimately save money and prevent lost time through injury and illness. Because Halifax has more than five employees, they have a written Health and Safety Policy and bring a published Statement to all employees attention. Employees are informed that behaviour against the Health and Safety policy is a disciplinary offence. Part of the Health and Safety procedure is to notify the appropriate enforcing authority for registration, at least one month before servicing starts. Authorities are: * Health and Safety Executive This body, besides providing information for businesses, ensure that Halifax meets the regulated standards for: * Escape routes * Storage of materials * Ventilation * Lighting * Hygiene Carrying out their duties All employees make sure that they carry out their specific duties. Managers should be able to carry out their duties by making sure that employees are happy. They can do this by: Motivation Halifax cannot succeed if their employees are motivated to do a good job. You can motivate employees in any type of work environment. Employee motivation is one of the many keys to Halifaxs success. Employee motivation can be achieved through a variety of ways. Employee training programs can be administered on a regular basis. Making an employee feel like they are an important part of Halifax also increases motivation. Appraisals In Halifax, members of staff are interviewed on a regular basis by their line manager and assessed on their performance. It is also an opportunity to discuss any problems and to determine any training and/ or training needs. Performance may be related to pay or bonuses. Care should be taken not present staff appraisal as a hostile or intimidating ordeal. Praise Managers make sure that they praise their staff when they have done well. This makes them happy and also do their job better because they know that their bosses appreciate. Training Managers in Halifax want to get the most out of your employees. Generally, the better their employees perform the better their department or company will do. In Halifax, it is not always possible to find someone who is perfectly suited to a job, with all the necessary skills and experience. They are likely to need some training. This is made even more likely by the fact that as working conditions change, due to new technology, reorganisation, expansion and so on, staff will need training to be able to meet the new challenges. Managers may also provide staff development to enable them to broaden their existing abilities and experiences and to help them achieve their potential for Halifax building society. Finally, motivated staff, teamwork, etc, ensures that employees are committed to their work. Commitment from and carrying out duties and responsibilities by all employees are the prerequisite for good customer service. Good customer service requires input from all employees, and not to be the duty of frontline staff alone.

Quasars Essay -- Essays Papers

Quasars Since their discovery, the nature of quasars has been one of the most intriguing and baffling problems as evidenced by the following quotations: " the problem of understanding quasi-stellar objects†¦ is one of the most important and fascinating tasks in all physics" - G.Burbidge and Hoyle. "The quasar continues to rank both as one of the most baffling objects in the universe and one most capable of inspiring heated argument" - Morrison. "The redshift problem is one of the most critical problems in astronomy today" - G. Burbidge. "Quasars still remain the profoundest mystery in the heavens" - Hazard and Mitton. The conventional interpretation of the spectral lines observed in quasars is based on the redshift hypothesis. Three hypotheses have been advanced to account for the supposed redshifts: 1. Cosmological hypothesis; the redshifts are due to the expansion of the universe, 2. Gravitational hypothesis, 3 Local-Doppler hypothesis; in this hypothesis the redshifts are due to the Doppler effect, but the quasars are relatively nearby and have nothing to do with the expansion of the universe. Of these hypotheses, the first one is the most publicized one. One is led to attribute to quasars very many mysterious properties if one assumes the redshift hypothesis to be correct. A patient analysis of the data on quasars over the years has led to the conclusion that the real source of the trouble is in the assumption that the spectra of quasars have redshifts. In the early 1960's quasars were known as 'radio stars' because the method used to discover the first quasars was based on coincidences between a strong radio source and a point-like optical source. Since each radio source was associated with a star it was originally thought that quasars were objects within the galaxy hence the term 'radio stars'. Quasars or quasi-stellar radio source, from the method by which they where originally discovered: as stellar optical counterparts to small regions of strong radio emission. With increasing spatial resolution of radio telescopes the strong radio emission often seemed to come from a pair of lobes surrounding many of these faint star-like emission line objects. The initial method of selection was strong radio emission, and then later any object with blue or ultraviolet excess wa... ... between galaxies, either through direct collisions or near encounters, can be important in turning on a quasar, by dumping fuel onto a black hole. However some quasars look unperturbed, so there may be other, more subtle mechanisms for feeding the black hole. Some of the galaxies we observed don't appear to know they have a quasar in their core. 3. Quasars that are radio quiet are often in elliptical galaxies, not always in spiral galaxies, as previously believed. Advanced instruments planned for Hubble should also help pin down more details. The Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS), to be installed in 1997, and the Advanced Camera, to be installed in 1999, will have coronagraphic devices which will block out the glare of a quasar, allowing astronomers to see closer into a galaxy's nucleus. By viewing galactic structures in infrared light , the NICMOS should be able to provide important new details about the host galaxies of quasars. The continued study of quasars and the information that it will provide us with may help us to develop a better understanding of space and how we fit in to this great puzzle.

Slave Conspiracy of 1741

Tension had always existed between the whites and the blacks even before the slave conspiracy of 1741. This tension was not purely racial but was also economic in nature. Most slaves in order to survive offered their labor for a very small amount and engaged in the same trade as their masters. This tension was at its peak in early part of the 17th Century when there was 1 slave for every four white. As a result, thousands of whites were displaced from their employment and suffered poverty. Because of the cheap services they offered, the black slaves failed in their competition against the white. Because of these tensions and the fear that someday these slaves will lead an uprising against the whites, laws were passed against them. The movements were restricted. They were severely punished for every commission of an offense, even if it was a minor infraction. They were mistreated and were given little or no rights at all. Perhaps because of the oppression they experienced, in April 1712, two dozen slaves burned buildings in New York and used guns, axes and swords to attack those who tried to put out the blaze. The slaves killed or wounded twenty whites before the police arrested them. More than twenty slaves were tried for treason and murder. Harsh penalty was imposed against those who found guilty. They were either hanged or burned. In 1741, the whites were weary that the 1712 event will happen again. The times were hard for the whites but it was worse for the black slaves. Tension was felt such that a mere hint of unrest had the effect of creating panic among the whites for fear of slave rebellion. The slave revolt which had happened in neighboring countries such as South Carolina and Caribbean added to this tension. â€Å"New York Slave Insurrection of 1741†) II. The so-called Slave Conspiracy of 1741 In Feb 1741, there was an isolated case of burglary in New York committed by a black slave named Caesar. This case of burglary was later on connected with a series of mysterious fire that will eventually be blamed against the slaves. The first of this series of fire started in March 1741 when the house of a lieutenant governor was ravaged by fire. Initially the lieutenant declared that the cause of the fire was due to a plumber who used live coals while repairing a gutter in his house. John V. Morris) Several days after a series of fires happened in New York. Though the cause of the fire was explained by the owners of these houses, rumors spread quickly that the slaves are plotting against them and that they want to overthrow the government. The suspicion that a conspiracy was being hatched by the slaves increased as the cases of fires grew in number. In April, a series of fires broke out once more. This time, a black man was seen running away from the scene. A white man wary of a slave uprising tried to catch him and yelled that â€Å"The Negroes are rising! The slave was eventually caught and tried. Now there seemed to be evidence which proves that the fires are not accidental and that it is intentionally being done by slaves. At this point, concerned about the rumors of a slave uprising, the city council ordered an intense investigation on this matter. Though nothing concrete was found, the investigation conducted merely made the situation worse and intensified the rumors about a slave conspiracy. Before these occurrences, Caesar, the person who committed the burglary in February of 1741 was eventually arrested in the tavern of Hughson. Hughson was immediately suspected of receiving stolen goods. Initially, the accusation against him was limited to the purchase of stolen items. But the investigators discovered Mary Burton, the indentured slave of Hughson who claimed to know something about the robbery but was initially reluctant to testify against him saying that: â€Å"I'll be murdered or poisoned by the Hughsons and the negroes for what I should tell you. † (George Dewan) Mary Burton was immediately placed under protective custody. At this point the series of fire broke out. The city council began to entertain the possibility that the fires was actually the work of arsonists and that there is a slave conspiracy to overthrow the government. This was fueled when in one of the fires mentioned above, a black slave was seen running away from the fire and shouts of â€Å"The Negroes are Rising were heard† Mary Burton made the connection between the robbery and the arson when she testified before the jury that the slaves were plotting to burn the city and massacre the whites. `In their common conversations they used to say that when all this was done, Caesar should be governor, and Hughson, my master, king,† (George Dewan) Because of this testimony, the Caesar was convicted and hanged. The same thing happened to Hughson and his wife though till the very last moment of their lives they denied their knowledge of and involvement in any slave conspiracy but admitted that they purchased stolen goods from the s laves. (John Morris) The arrests continued and several others were hanged without any direct evidence and purely on the basis of Mary Burton’s testimony. It bears stressing that her testimony was full of inconsistencies but despite this the jury gave credence to her. The trials and executions culminated in August of 1741 when John Ury was convicted. He was a schoolteacher who had a mastery of Latin. He was likewise arrested when Mary Burton suddenly remembered about him being one of the plotters to the conspiracy. But during the duration of the trial, Mary Burton made no mention of him. After the trial, Mary Burton got her reward from the city on Sept. 2, 1742. It totaled 100 pounds sterling, more than enough to pay for her freedom. By the end of the trials, 160 blacks and 21 whites had been arrested, 17 blacks were hanged and so were four whites, 13 African were burned at stake, and 72 blacks were banished from New York. (â€Å"The New York Slave Insurrection of 1741†) III. Conclusion Adopting the words of Thomas J. Davis, â€Å"New York's officials indulged themselves and the public in acting out their fears. They simply deceived themselves by systematizing real disorders into a single scheme where all the enemies of the English world suddenly surfaced. † I share the view of most historians on the issue of whether there was â€Å"The Slave Conspiracy of 1741† or â€Å"The Great Negro Plot. † I believe it did not exist. From the point of view of law, there is conspiracy when two or more persons come to an agreement regarding the commission of a crime and decide to commit it. In proving conspiracy, it is not necessary that there be a direct evidence of conspiracy or that proof of the agreement be produced. Conspiracy may be inferred from the acts of two or more persons when two or more persons proceed toward the accomplishment of the same objective, each doing his own act, so that their acts though seemingly independent were in fact connected showing a closeness of former association and concurrence of sentiment. In this case, the black slaves and some whites were being charged with conspiracy to burn the whites and overthrow the government. The evidence submitted was only the self-serving assertion of Mary Burton the indentured slave of Mr. Hughson who after the trial received 100 pounds sterling which was enough to buy her freedom and enjoy the rest of the money for herself. For one to be convicted of conspiracy there must be a showing that there a common purpose and design in pursuing the objective. The facts mentioned above however do not show that a conspiracy existed. There was no showing that the series of fires were intentionally committed for the purpose of overthrowing the go vernment. Reports of the owners of the houses burned even had a logical explanation as to why the fire happened contrary to the allegations that there was arson. There was likewise no showing that the series of fires was connected and that there is only one group responsible for it. Contrary to the testimony of Mary Burton, the evidence shows that the series of fires were accidental. Further there was likewise no showing that the burglary that happened in February 1741 was connected with the fires that happened a few weeks after. Ordinarily, a person who is about to die would admit the offense he had committed. Hughson however did not admit that he was part of the conspiracy though he admitted that he purchased stolen goods from slaves.

Identity: Romeo and Juliet and External Forces Essay

The Impact of External and Internal Forces on One’s Identity What is identity? If you look in the dictionary, it will tell you that identity is what defines someone or something. But there is more to the meaning behind identity than what is said in the dictionary. Identity is complex and changes over time in response to two main factors. One factor that can mold one’s identity is the forces inside of you, internal forces. An example of an internal force is love. Our love and affection for someone or something can lead us to do things differently than a person who doesn’t have the same degree of love towards that person or object. The other factors that can play a role in affecting our identity are external factors. External forces refer to the forces that are in our environment. An example of an external force that can affect one’s identity is a person. If a person matters to you a whole lot and you are trying to prevent something bad from happening to him or her, wouldn’t you stop at nothing to prevent it from happening? This urge to prevent something bad from happening to the person you care about would probably have an impression on your actions and overall identity. To synthesize, identity changes in response to both internal and external forces, meaning that one force does not outweigh the other. Both internal and external forces work together to form a person’s identity as they mature; therefore, identity is shaped by both external and internal forces. Research proves that identity can be affected by external forces. In C. Seefeldt’s article â€Å"Factors Affecting Social Development†, he confirms that identity is shaped by external forces, more specifically, where we are raised, family, and school affect our development. In the article, Seefeldt states that â€Å"those exposed to domestic abuse, gang violence†¦do not feel safe or secure.† And that â€Å"their insecurity will interfere with their total development,† meaning that children are more likely to feel less secure and unsafe if they grow up in or around unsafe communities and bad influences (Seefeldt). Imagine yourself as a small child. Wouldn’t it be scary to grow up around drug addicts, thugs, and gangs? Wouldn’t you be scared of the constant danger lurking around every corner? Just wearing the wrong colors can end your life. Or maybe even things that you can’t control like your ethnicity can end you up in a coffin. If you grew up around all these horrifying situations, wouldn’t these things make you feel unsafe and less secure? Overall, the writer telling us that growing up as a child in an unsafe community can mess with their total development shows that identity can be formed by external for ces. But not only does the writer show us that growing up around negative forces shape ones identity, he also tells us that parents play a role in a child’s overall development. As the article goes on, the writer states that â€Å"parents who are social themselves serve as models for their children. Children may be able to use the image of their parents interacting with others in their own attempts to make friends with other children,† showing that parents’ interactions with their own peers, can reflect on their child’s social skills too. Have you ever heard the saying â€Å"like father, like son† or â€Å"like mother like daughter†? People usually say this because they see something in the child that resembles the parent. This usually happens because the children follow patterns of behavior from their parents. The child can maybe copy how his parent talks or can even copy simple things like how his parent walks. But did you know the way a parent socializes can reflect on the child’s social development? The article tells us that children can use the image of their parents socializing in their own attempts in making friends and being social themselves, and that parents who are more secure and competent offer children a model of security to build their own social skills. Ultimately, Seefeldt stating that parents can affect a child’s development confirms that identity can be shaped by external forces once again. Around at the end of the article, Seefeldt also states that â€Å"In addition to a child’s family, the teacher becomes an agent of socialization† presenting the idea that teachers can also have an imprint on a child’s identity. Have you ever had a teacher that has affected your life? As the human beings, we all have teachers in our lives. Whether it be inside the classroom or out. They can teach us anything from math to valuable life lessons. And according to the article, they can also set new or different standards for social behaviors meaning that without our teachers, we probably wouldn’t know right from wrong. All in all, our environment, parents, and teachers, all external forces, can shape us in a negative or a positive way. In Aida Bortnik’s short story â€Å"Celeste’s Heart†, Celeste is shaped by external forces in a positive way, because her little brother causes her to go from a voiceless girl to a strong-willed lady. As Celeste was putting her little brother to sleep, after yet another punishment from her teacher at school, her brother, as usual, asks her when he was going to start to go to school, â€Å"But that evening she didn’t laugh and she didn’t think up an answer.† Celeste being speechless in this situation shows just how scared she is for her brother’s future (Bortnik 65). Celeste’s brother’s question makes her think of him suffering the same kind of punishment as she does. Even though Celeste’s brother isn’t going to go to her school for a long time, she worries for his future. Celeste is the only girl in her class that doesn’t complain when the teacher punishes the class, but as soon as she starts thinking about her brother enduring the same kind of mistreatment as she does, she realizes what she has to do. So the next time her teacher punished the class, she rebuked against the rough treatment for her brother’s sake. Imagine yourself in Celeste’s shoes. Imagine your little sibling having to put your hands up simultaneously for a long period of time. Wouldn’t you be worried and scared for your sibling’s future? Wouldn’t you do anything so that your sibling wouldn’t go through the same punishment as you? This is exactly what Celeste is doing. Ultimately, Celeste rebelling against her teacher and risking further punishment just so that her brother won’t endure the same punishment as her confirms that Celeste’s love, an external force, affects her in a positive way. In William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is shaped in a positive way by external forces as well because the encounters that she and Romeo have because they cause her to go from a naà ¯ve, obedient girl to a mature, self-assured woman. In the opening act of the play, Lady Capulet asks Juliet if she can accept Paris’ love. Juliet responds that she’ll try to â€Å"like if looking liking move,† but she won’t fall for him more than her mother’s â€Å"consent gives strength to make it fly,† showing us that she is still too immature to make her own decisions and immature overall (1.3.99-101). She also shows us that she is childish in the way she thinks when she says that marriage â€Å"is an honor† that she doesn’t think about (1.3.66). But after encountering Romeo, we see her adopt a more adult persona. For example, during the balcony scene, Juliet says that the love they have for each other is â€Å"too like li ghtning† and that it is a â€Å"bud of love† still under â€Å"summer’s ripening breath† and the next time they meet, the flower will be beautiful, showing us that Juliet is mature enough to recognize that she is going too fast and recommends that the both of them take things slower. Not only that, but when Romeo asks Juliet to marry him, she asks â€Å"where and what time† they’ll get married and adds that she’ll follow him â€Å"throughout the world† wherever he goes. Juliet deciding to marry Romeo and going with him wherever he goes shows us that she is now mature enough to make her own decisions (2.2.146-148). And finally, we see Juliet’s encounters with Romeo change her even more towards the end of the play. She complains that she has â€Å"bought the mansion of love but not yet possessed it† and even though she is â€Å"sold,† she is not yet enjoyed, meaning that Juliet wants to move in with Romeo and have sex with him already (3.2.26-27). All these events happen right after Romeo and Juliet’s first encounter at the Capulet party. And after that, we see start seeing Juliet change, more and more after or during every meeting with Romeo. From something little like having the ability to make her own decisions, to something big like changing her mind about marriage. It is a well-known fact that the different people we encounter in our lives can change our identities drastically or subtlely. For Juliet, this person is Romeo. As the play progresses, we see how Romeo changes her identity both drastically and subtlely. The way she acts and the way she thinks change all because of the moments she has with Romeo. Overall, Juliet changing from an obedient and naà ¯ve girl to a capable, mature and self-assured woman because of the encounters she has with Romeo proves that she is shaped by external forces in a positive way. In K.L. Going’s novel Saint Iggy, we can see that Iggy is shaped by external factors in a neut ral way because the lack of presence and proper parenting of his parents causes him to look for other people’s help other than his parents during a hard time. When Iggy comes home from getting kicked out of school he wants â€Å"to tell [his] parents all about it,† but he can’t because his mom went visiting someone and â€Å"probably isn’t coming back,† and his dad is â€Å"stoned off his a**†. Here we see that Iggy wants to tell his parents about what happened at school, but he can’t because his mom isn’t home and his dad is busy doing drugs (Going 1). So instead of seeking help from his parents, he decides to â€Å"get away† from his dad and go to his friend Mo’s place because he wants to seek his help and also because that’s the only place he â€Å"can think of† (15-18). Iggy not wanting to be around his dad during this hard time shows us that the lack of proper parenting from his dad causes Iggy to not want anything to do with his dad and decides to face the situation without him. Iggy also shows just how much he doesn’t want any of his parents help by seeking help from his friend. As we grow up our parents are usually the ones that get us through hard times no matter what they’re going through in their own lives. And we usually accept their much needed help and attention because we probably can’t go through it on our own or with anyone else. But for Iggy, his parents haven’t been there for him during the hard times in his life since he was a little kid. Iggy probably lost trust in the fact that his parents are going to be there for him during this hardship. So instead of going to his parents like any other kid with good parents would do, he goes to his friend. Ultimately, Iggy going to his friend for help instead of his parents shows us that the lack of presence and proper guidance from his parents, an external force, causes him to seek other people’s help. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Tell-Tale Heart, the narrator’s identity is shaped by the eye because he is coaxed by the eye to kill the man, showing that external forces can affect one’s identity negatively as well. As the narrator was whining about the eye of the old man, he says â€Å"whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold†¦I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.† The narrator telling us his horrid thoughts conveys just how irritated and sick of the dreaded â€Å"vulture eye† (Poe 1). He feels so sick that he plots to kill the old man, not for who he is, but simply for his so called dreaded eye. You can also infer just by how the narrator talks about the eye that it drives him to the point where he cannot hold the hysteria inside. Like when the narrator finally saw the old man’s eye after many nights of spying on him just to see his terrible eye and to murder him, he describes the eye as a â€Å"dull blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in [his] bones†(4). It is a known fact that a person can dislike a person for an action or a trait; however, they keep their feelings inside and go on with their lives because they have control over themselves. But the narrator just can’t do the simple act of keeping his feelings inside and going on with life, instead, he murders the old man just to stop having to look at the dreaded eye. This shows that the old man’s eye, an external force, influences the narrator to feel sick to his stomach, and ultimately end the old man’s life forever. Not only can external forces have an impact on your identity, but internal forces can mold one’s identity as well. In the article â€Å"Adolescent Identity Development†, the author confirms that internal forces can shape our identity as well. As the writer talks about the different dimensions of identity, he tells us that â€Å"our self-identity shapes our perceptions of belonging,† meaning that the way we see ourselves usually determine how we respond to different factors in our environment and how we react to them. In our lives, there can be many factors inside of us that can shape our identity, whether it be love, the drive to see someone, jealousy, or a thirst for power (â€Å"Adolescent Identity Development†). What the article is saying is that these forces can shape how we see and respond to society. For example, if you are a weak little boy growing up around gangs, you might see the power of gangs engaging and choose to indulge in illegal activities purely for your thirst for power. Or if you’re head over heels in love with someone, your love may shape your actions and choices. Maybe even your willingness to see someone can cause you to do something you wouldn’t normally do. All in all, these forces can either lead you to do something good, bad, or both. In O. Henry’s short story â€Å"The Gift of the Magi†, the main character Della is shaped by internal forces and shows us that internal forces can affect a person positively because her passion for Jim causes her to sacrifice one of her most valuable possessions, her hair, just so she can get him a good Christmas present. But not only does she sacrifice her hair for him, but also the opportunity to use the money she got from selling her hair to pay off her expenses. We can tell that not a lot of money came to Della and that she had many expenses to pay off because as the narrator was describing her life, he says â€Å"twenty dollars a week doesn’t go far. Expenses had been greater then she calculated†¦ they always are† (Henry 2). And we can also tell that Della’s hair was worth a lot to her because the narrator tells us that there were two possessions of Della’s family that were valuable, â€Å"one was Jim’s watch†¦the other was Della’s hair† (3). We can see that Della loves Jim very much because she would much rather buy Jim a present than pay off her expenses or keep her hair. As human beings, it is normal for us to feel affection or fall in love with something, whether that something is a person, TV show, or a hobby. And we all have made sacrifices for things we love (flirting, doing homework, free time). But the love we have for that person, object, or hobby determines how big of a sacrifice we would make. For Della, her love for Jim causes her to sacrifice one of the only valuable things she owns, her hair. Her love for Jim makes her feel morally obligated to give him a present, or otherwise feel guilty. We can infer that Della probably didn’t want to cut her hair, but then again, if she didn’t come up with enough money to get Jim a decent present, she would feel guilty. Della’s love for Jim also causes her to not use the money for her hair on something else, her expenses. Ultimately, Della choosing to cut her hair and spend the money for a present for her dear Jim shows that she is shaped by her incredible love for Jim in a positive way, an internal force. In Mark Haddon’s novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher is shaped by internal forces in a positive way as well because his drive to see and live with his mother gets him to do things we wouldn’t expect from a person with autism. When his mother was explaining the time when Chris and her were a buying a Christmas gift, she says that Chris broke down because he was frightened â€Å"of all of the people in the shop.† Chris breaking down because of the amount of people in a certain place shows us that he did not like lots if strangers around him (Haddon 106). But later in his life, Chris goes on a train all by himself to London, just so he can finally see his mother. Chris also tells us that he doesn’t like â€Å"new places† because he â⠂¬Å"sees everything (140). Chris not liking new places shows us that he is scared of the outside world,† But once we start to doubt Chris’ ability to go out into the world, he surprises us and proves us wrong. He goes on a whole adventure to places he does not know, just in the name to see his mother. It is a known fact that sacrifices are a part of our lives. We make them for our own desires and our loved ones. Our sacrifices can be big or small depending on what we intend to accomplish. For Chris we see him make a big sacrifice by doing something he horribly hates, going to a new place with lots of people (subway). We see that Christopher’s drive to see his mom causes him to do things he would never do under normal circumstances. We can infer that Chris probably hated being on the train but his willingness to reunite with his mother caused him to tough it out and stay inside. We can only imagine how grueling this experience for Christopher was. Just imagine not liking the feeling of being surrounded by people you don’t know and being in the same situation as Chris. Would you have stayed in that area? Chances are, if you didn’t have a reason to be there and go through that agony like Chris, you wouldn’t stick around at all. Overall, Christopher is shaped by internal forces in a positive way because his drive to see his mother causes him to sacrifice staying home and being secluded from the world like how he usually likes and going out into the world.. In Frank Stockton’s short story The Lady or the Tiger, the princess shows us that internal forces can affect a person’s identity either positively or negatively, because the portion of barbarism inside of her and her love for the youth lead her to do things she doesn’t want to, see things that aren’t really happening, and can ultimately lead to the death or happiness of the youth. When the day of the youth’s trial arrived, the princess attended it. But â€Å"had it not been for the moiety of barbarism in her nature it is probably that the lady would not have been there†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .The princess attending the trial even though she doesn’t want to shows that the princess herself does not want to attend the youth’s trial, but she goes to it anyway to satisfy her barbaric desires. Have you ever done something that one side of you disagrees about doing it, but the other side totally agrees with your decision? This is what exactly is happe ning to the princess. One half of her doesn’t want to attend the trial, but the barbaric side of her coaxes her to do it anyways, ultimately showing that the barbarism the princess inside of her controls her choices and well-being. But the princess’ identity is not only shaped by her barbarism, but also by the love and affection she has for the youth. As the narrator was talking about a lady that the princess despises, he says that the princess had often seen â€Å"or imagined that she had seen, this fair creature throwing glances of admiration upon the person of her lover, and sometimes she thought these glances were perceived, and even returned,† showing that the princess’ love for the youth is clouding her mind from the truth and reality (8). The princess starts assuming that her love is being charmed by the lady and that she might lose the youth to her. These assumptions make the princess very jealous and envy of the lady. Not only do the princess’ barbaric desires and love for the youth trick her mind, but could very well end the youth’s life, or simply salvage it. All in all, the princess exhibiting that internal forces can shape one’s identity in either a positive or negative proves that internal forces can make an impression on a person’s identity positively or negatively. In his memoir Always Running, Luis Rodriguez shows us that internal forces can affect a person’s identity in a totally negative way because his thirst for power causes him to go from a helpless little boy to a power thirsty hooligan. When Luis was in school one day, â€Å"Thee Mystics†, a powerful and influential gang, raided his school. As the ruckus slowly came dangerously towards Luis’ way, he was riveted, riveted by the power Thee Mystics possessed. When â€Å"Thee Mystics† finished their raid, Luis says that he â€Å"wanted this power† and â€Å"wanted to be able to bring a whole school to its knees and even make the teachers squirm†. He also states that â€Å"They had left their mark on the school- and on me† (Rodriguez 42). After Luis sees how Thee Mystics easily took control of his school, he wanted one thing they had, power. He wanted to finally be able to overcome the weal and fearful reputation he was labeled as, and finally obtain what he wanted when he wanted it. Not only can you see the imprint this day made on Luis throughout the book (starts getting into trouble, begins to hang out with the wrong people, and eventually gets kicked out of school), but he confesses it as well. Power is what everyone secretly craves in their lives. Especially for an immigrant like Luis who was always pushed aside and left out simply he wasn’t an American citizen. So when Luis saw Thee Mystics’ power, he saw gangs as a quencher for his thirst of power. Luis just wanted a break from being taken advantage of by Rano, by teachers, by the cruel prejudiced society he lived in. Ultimately, Luis wanting power at an early age after he witnessed how easily Thee Mystics brought his school to its knees proves that he is influenced by his desire of power, an internal force, in a negative way. Both internal and exter nal forces can shape a person’s identity and how they turn out to be. I can use my own life as evidence for this because you can definitely see the imprint of both forces on my identity. My desire to be the best is one of the biggest internal forces that shape me because it causes me to go to try my hardest in everything I do. Myself in school would be a good example of me pushing myself to be the best. Whenever I get assigned to do something, I try my hardest to produce the best piece of work I can. Whether it is an essay or a simple worksheet, I will try my hardest to make it perfect. I also try to make my grades the highest they can. If I have an A I will try my hardest to make it a higher A. My desire for perfection can also be seen in everything I do outside of school. Like if my parents make me vacuum the house I will literally spend hours to make the house the cleanest it can possibly be. When I do something I try to do it at the best possible degree I can. This obsessiveness for perfection usually leads me to do things other people wouldnâ€⠄¢t do. Things like staying up until 1 am to write one paragraph and trying my hardest on improving an â€Å"A† grade. Overall, my desire for perfection and to be the best reflects on my identity, but not only do internal forces affect my identity, but external forces act on my identity as well, more specifically, my parents because they make me want to keep on striving for success when things get hard. This encouragement from my parents causes me to not only get through hard times, but it also causes me to get good grades. In fact, without them, I don’t believe I would be where I am in terms of school because they are my inspiration in doing well in school. Ultimately, both internal and external forces shape who I am because my desire to be the best in everything I do and my parents causes me to be the person I am today. In conclusion, identity changes overtime in response to both external and internal forces, meaning that people can choose what their identity is shaped by to a certain extent, but there are still things in our environment that can affect our identity too. Studies show that external forces can shape identity because people, objects, and other things in our environment all have the power to mold us either negatively or positively as we mature. Not only does research show us that one’s identity can be shaped by external forces, but characters from stories also prove the same. Characters like Celeste from â€Å"Celeste’s Heart†, Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, Iggy from Saint Iggy, and the narrator from â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† show us that identity can be molded by external forces, but not only can identity be shaped by external forces, identity can also be shaped by internal forces. Research also shows us that Identity can be shaped by forces inside of us like our love, hatred, etc. Like external forces, internal forces can shape ones identity in a positive way, or negative way. Della from â€Å"The Gift of the Magi†, Chris from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the princess from â€Å"The Lady or the Tiger†, and Luis from Always Running are all excellent examples of internal forces affecting a person’s identity. My life can be used to exhibit the effect of both internal and external forces on a person’s life. To sum it up, external and internal forces can shape a person’s identity negatively or positively. Works Cited â€Å"Adolescent Identity Development.† ACTforyouth.net. ACT for Youth Center of Excellence, 2013. Web. 15 Jan. 2013. Poe, Edgar A. â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart.† Complete Stories of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Bantum Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1984. 1-7. Print. Bortnik, Aida. â€Å"Celeste’s Heart.† Sudden Fiction Latino: Short-Stories from the United States and Latin America. Ed. Robert Shapard, James Thomas, and Ray Gonzalez. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2010. 64-66. Print. Going, K. L. Saint Iggy. Orlando: Harcourt, 2008. Print. Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. New York: Random House, 2004. Print. Henry, O. â€Å"The Gift of the Magi.† Gutenberg.com. Project Gutenberg, n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2012. Rodriguez, Luis. Always Running. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005. Print. Seefeldt, C. â€Å"Factors Affecting Social Development.† Education.com. Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall, 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2013. Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. New York: Spark Publishing, 2003. Print. Stockton, Frank. â€Å"The Lady or the Tiger?† The Norton Anthology of Short Stories. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1998. 1-13. Print.

Free Essays on Ecommerce Companies And Stock

ecommerce companies and stock valuations eCommerce Companies and Stock Valuations 1. Introduction A hot topic in today’s business culture is eCommerce. Experts argue about whether eCommerce will change business, whether or not it is a fad, and what viable strategies there are in a business world that is changing at the speed of idea generation. One thing that nobody argues about is the fact that eCommerce oriented companies have stock prices and market capitalizations that are enormous. Based on losses rather than earnings, some of these stock prices are inexplicable. This paper is a thought experiment that attempts to gather and disseminate data regarding these stock prices. Additionally, the paper will attempt to propose solutions and reasons for the current market trends relative to eCommerce companies. 2. Discussion of the eCommerce business models When discussing eCommerce, it is good to have a frame of reference. As a result, it is interesting to review the common models associated with the field of study. Gene rally, there are two widely recognized business models regarding eCommerce. These models include the B2B (Business to Business) model and the B2C (Business to Consumer) model. The fundamental question regarding these models is: is the specific model in question a revolutionary way of doing business, and hence a new business model; or is the specific model in question a facilitation of a mature business model. Depending on which model you are discussing you may get different answers. The B2B model is much more common. B2B eCommerce is roughly five times more prevalent than B2C eCommerce . Following is a discussion of the models, and answers to the above question. 2.1 B2B (Business to Business) To reiterate, it is important to decide whether or not B2B is a fundamentally new business model, or a facilitation of existing business models. It is easy to answer this question when one looks at history. The fundamentals of B2B... Free Essays on Ecommerce Companies And Stock Free Essays on Ecommerce Companies And Stock ecommerce companies and stock valuations eCommerce Companies and Stock Valuations 1. Introduction A hot topic in today’s business culture is eCommerce. Experts argue about whether eCommerce will change business, whether or not it is a fad, and what viable strategies there are in a business world that is changing at the speed of idea generation. One thing that nobody argues about is the fact that eCommerce oriented companies have stock prices and market capitalizations that are enormous. Based on losses rather than earnings, some of these stock prices are inexplicable. This paper is a thought experiment that attempts to gather and disseminate data regarding these stock prices. Additionally, the paper will attempt to propose solutions and reasons for the current market trends relative to eCommerce companies. 2. Discussion of the eCommerce business models When discussing eCommerce, it is good to have a frame of reference. As a result, it is interesting to review the common models associated with the field of study. Gene rally, there are two widely recognized business models regarding eCommerce. These models include the B2B (Business to Business) model and the B2C (Business to Consumer) model. The fundamental question regarding these models is: is the specific model in question a revolutionary way of doing business, and hence a new business model; or is the specific model in question a facilitation of a mature business model. Depending on which model you are discussing you may get different answers. The B2B model is much more common. B2B eCommerce is roughly five times more prevalent than B2C eCommerce . Following is a discussion of the models, and answers to the above question. 2.1 B2B (Business to Business) To reiterate, it is important to decide whether or not B2B is a fundamentally new business model, or a facilitation of existing business models. It is easy to answer this question when one looks at history. The fundamentals of B2B...