Women Empowerment Essay Example for Free

Women Empowerment Essay Since the older times, women have been treated as second rate citizens of all across the globe. This situation is almost same evrywhere irrespective of the developed countries or the developing countries. Women have been relegated to secondary position despite the fact that they constitute about half the worlds population today. This situation has caused immense loss to their self-respect and dignity. But now the perspective of the society has changed and a general thinking to work for the empowerment of women is being developed so that they colud also contribute in the enhancement and welfare to the society. The freedom of women is not without challenges. Breaking the age old barriers and storming into a predominantly male bastion are something they have to fight for. Even as they are becoming aware about their rights and demands, the voilence and crime againt women is increasing. History is the witness that the women had enjoyed a privileged position in the ancient India. It is a matter of pride that there existed a culture. Women also struggled for Indias independence. They too have a great contribution in getting India independent like Rani Lakshmi Bai who sacrifised her life as to get India free from Britishers and slavery. When the constitution was formed,there the constitution makers introduced various measures in the constitution to held womens rightful place in the society. They were given freedom to partivipate in the social,political, economic and cultural life of the nation. However,in spite of the constitutional and legal guarantees aiming to eradicate the inequality and discrimination in any form, the plight of women still remained far from improved. Even today evils like child marriage, beating, female infanticide and gender discrimination are widely, prevalent in the society. The realisation is taking place in the various structures of the society and the women themselves try to raise their voice against the discrimination and the violence by the male dominated society.

The History Of The Revisionist Western Film Studies Essay

The History Of The Revisionist Western Film Studies Essay Robert Altman chronicled his own 1971 naturalist motion picture McCabe and Mrs. Miller an anti-western perhaps due to the fact that the film blatantly ignores or subverts a number of Western conventions. Westerns, a term that is used to describe the landmark mid-20th-century American film genre, are nostalgic eulogies to the early days of expansion on the untamed American frontier where fragments of civilization border on typically warm, expansive, open landscapes. McCabe Mrs. Miller, however, ignores this idyllic representation of the American frontier and, instead, Altman sets his story in the cold, murky, mountainous wilderness. Furthermore, the protagonist in McCabe Mrs. Miller deviates strongly from the traditional gun-slinging, confident cowboy that characterizes the genre. With careful attention to hyper-realistic mise-en-scà ¨ne elements (most notably elements of setting) and naturalistic, largely non-obtrusive diagetic sound effects, Robert Altman crafts a successful revi sionist western that, while retaining many of the same themes and elements pertaining to the classic western genre, differs substantially in both tone and style in ways that promulgate Altmans revisionist approach to the established genre. Since the John Ford era of western cinematography, audiences of Western films had been primed to anticipate expansive, open landscapes, red-orange deserts and plains where a sweeping sense of freedom in interrupted only by the isolated smoke signal or Native American scout. Ford often contrasted this expansive terrain with the insulated chaos of his towns, bars, and other interiors which tended to make the lone ranger protagonist claustrophobic. Immediately in the opening scene of McCabe Mrs. Miller, John Fords idyllic frontier, perhaps one of the most adored staples of the Western, is challenged. In Altmans universe, the outdoors are cold, murky, rough, and unwelcoming. Any sense of freedom in this landscape has ceased to exist. Our hero John McCabe is burdened with trekking an uneven, rocky, meandering path through the snow-capped woods a path as restrictive and uncomfortable as the harshest of Fords interiors. The mise-en-scà ¨ne elements Altman employs in this case serve to di stinguish McCabe Mrs. Miller from the classic western formula by providing a stark contrast in setting (and, by extension, tone). It is not a complete contrast, however. As film reviewer and Altman scholar, Gregory Lallone writes, Altmans interiors are just as suffocating, his untamed towns just as dangerous and ruled by greed, brutality, and chaos. It is simply a little warmer inside. Thus we may begin to analyze the lighting elements Altman employs in depicting McCabe Mrs. Millers interior locations as similarly untamed but significantly warmer than the surrounding, harsh outdoors. Altmans interiors are met with a profound use of low-key lighting to reflect this dim, foreboding, and even risquà © nature of the towns bars, businesses, and brothels. Kerosene lamps are usually the only lighting sources that cast a warm orange light onto the cameras subjects a light that strongly contrasts with the drab whites and grays of the cold wilderness. Especially prevalent during scenes at the whorehouse and during Mrs. Millers opium dreams, this orange light gives off a suitably warm, inviting, dream-like quality to the picture. While still dim and claustrophobic, the low-key indoor lighting reflects a similar push for period-authenticity (via the kerosene lamps) in conjunction with the pictures incredibly authentic set, while also serving to categorize interior sequences as warm and safeguarded (e.g. whorehouse scenes and opium dreams) or dangerous and foreboding (e.g. gambling tables and shooting hideouts). In conjunction with period-appropriate setting and lighting, naturalistic sound elements are used throughout the film to convey a sense of uninterrupted continuity unusual to the medium. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert writes in his review of the film, The is the classic Altman style It begins with one fundamental assumption: All of the characters know each other, and the camera will not stare at first one and then another, like an earnest dog, but is at home in their company. Nor do the people line up and talk one after another, like characters in a play. They talk when and as they will, and we understand its not important to hear every word; sometimes all that matters is the tone of the room. (Ebert, 1999) Rather than presenting only the vital bits of information and dialogue to the viewer to forward the films narrative, Altman instead uses ambient sound and background conversation to embroider a profound sense of location that, oftentimes, favors realism over narrative efficiency. When John McCabe first enters a saloon and settles down at a table, everyone in the saloon is under the impression that he once shot a man The air is tense and, all the while, somebody is vaguely heard in the background asking, Laura, whats for dinner? With the exception of the occasional, dreary Leonard Cohen folk tune (which, admittedly, I found distracting and out-of-place), McCabe Mrs. Miller makes no use of non-diagetic sound for dramatic effect. This is another clear departure from the traditional Hollywood string instruments (notably banjos, guitars, and fiddles), harmonicas, and bum-bum-BUMs that embellish dramatic moments in traditional western cinematography. As such, the ambient, diagetic soundtrack plays an especially central role in establishing tone and dramatic tension. During the final shootout, silence dominates so much of the audio track that every rupture of silence becomes vitally important. Each footstep, each crack of a wooden plank, and each breath McCabe takes might very well give away his position and result in his death. Thus we see that the intentional absence of non-diagetic sound can be just as effective as (if not more so than) its inclusion. Just as the frontier landscape is modulated, made somehow more truthful with the insertion of a bit of dirt and realism, the protagonist himself is similarly transformed.  While differing in many respects to the conventional western hero, John McCabe is actually not too far removed. His fight is largely the same defending what is rightfully his against outlaws and big business. He differs in that he lacks the toughness, the braggadocio, and the super-human courage of the Gary Coopers and Henry Fondas. Any shred of idealism and heroism McCabe claims to embody is counteracted by a narrow-sighted quest for profit, instances of clumsiness, and displays of outright cowardice. John McCabe is not a cowboy, a homesteader, a sheriff, or of some honorable profession; he owns a whorehouse. McCabes non-traditional characterization is further evidenced during the final showdown where the shootout is more accurately described as a slow and anxious game of cat-and-mouse. McCabe hops from one hid ing place to another knowing that winning a gunfight out in the open Gary Cooper-style is unrealistic. A true Western hero might denounce McCabes tactics as cheating and cowardly. He shoots two of the three gunmen in the back from a concealed hiding place and he overcomes the third by playing dead. Departing from the larger-than-life nature of classical western heroes, director Robert Altman injects a darker realism into his protagonist that reflects the revisionist nature of the film. McCabe Mrs. Millers final twenty minute sequence, the climactic shootout, serves as an effective microcosm for how the aforementioned mise-en-scà ¨ne and sound elements contribute to the protagonists characterization and the films overall narrative themes. Beginning with setting, the scene displays and features all of the following: The harsh, unforgiving, cold wilderness that serves to contrast with the conventional warm, expansive Western landscape. The authenticity of the towns still-in-progress wooden infrastructure that serves to accurately encapsulate the harshness and resource-conscious realism of the period. Regarding lighting, the sequence displays: The low-key hideout interiors that signify danger and dramatic tension. The warmly-lit opium den, tragically contrasting with the bitter outdoors, which in this case, falsely indicates a safe haven or retreat. And finally, the sequence displays the following effective usages of non-diagetic sound techniques: The unfocused recording of background chatter during the moments surrounding the burning church which serves to further Altmans push for realism over narrative efficiency while simultaneously contrasting with [below] The dramatic silence during McCabes cross-cutting shootout sequence interrupted by the occasional dramatic footstep, creak, breath, or gunshot sounds that increase dramatic tension. The ambient snowfall which eerily serves as a hollow, bitter replacement soundtrack throughout the sequence that increases in amplitude as McCabes body is swallowed by the elements. These mise-en-scà ¨ne and sound elements work seamlessly together to achieve what I believe was Altmans ultimate goal in the making of McCabe Mrs. Miller: to approach the Western genre with a non-traditional sense of realism and authenticity that, while retaining some of the same conventional themes and elements of the genre such as the pursuit of justice and the championing of order on the American frontier, re-envisions the two most fundamental staples of the genre: the setting and the protagonist. By making particular, non-traditional use of various mise-en-scà ¨ne and sound elements in McCabe Mrs. Miller, director Robert Altman, refutes the conventional narrative pioneered by the classic Western that the American frontier was a sort of idyllic paradise. Ford depicted the frontier as the quintessential American arena where battles were fought and won by good men who, because of their very nature, triumph over the bad. Altmans western frontier is simply no more than a showcase of lawless capitalism and greedmen and women mercilessly arguing and fighting over profits like fleas over rotting flesh. However, one must not be too quick to conclude that McCabe Mrs. Miller exists solely as an attempt to challenge or ridicule the established themes and conventions of the western genre. For while Altman does in fact transcend a number of expectations and subverts a number of established norms, the archetypal structure remains the same. The audience remains sympathetic towards the her oic gunslinger, even though the scope of that heroism is somewhat narrowed. John McCabes role as the gunfighting goodie struggling against an oppressive force of injustice and greed stems directly from the Western genre. Rather than conceding to define McCabe Mrs. Miller as an outright anti-western, we can analyze how Altmans stylistic elements both propagate parallels to established conventions while, at other times, delineate clear departures from the genre that serve to effectively categorize the film as none other than a revisionist western narrative and a cinematographic work of art. ________________

Child Abuse: Effects and outcomes

Child Abuse: Effects and outcomes Child Abuse is defined as endangerment to a child inflicted by another person, usually the caregiver Leiter 1 and includes physical, sexual, emotional abuse, and neglect. Child abuse can be brought on by any one at any time. The purpose of this paper is to overview the four previously stated types of abuse, their effects on children, the legal aspects of child abuse, and dealing with abuse. Child abuse is prevalent in almost every culture across the world and has been a problem for as long as there was recorded history. People used to abuse their children with razor straps and no one thought anything of it. Leiter 1 It is only recently that citizens became aware of what a problem abuse could be. Physical Abuse: Physical abuse can be classified as any attempt or harm to a child where the caregiver was conscience of the risk before the fact. Physical abuse refers to non accidental injury to a child. 2 Physical abuse is extremely dangerous to the child and can cause permanent physical and mental disabilities. In cases where maltreatment was substantiated 26 percent of victims suffered from physical abuse nation wide. 3 Mayo Clinic In the Gallup Monthly Poll of 1000 randomly selected American parents, Over half of the parents said they administered minor physical punishment during the past year, while 22 percent said they use severe physical punishment. 3 Mayo Clinic This physical punishment does not work as effectively as other types of punishment and strictly speaking is illegal. It is much better to choose a punishment that will fit the action, for example if a child has a fight over the TV, take away TV privileges. Corporal punishment is usually administered when the parent is being brash and hasnt had time to cool down from the childs misbehavior. 1 Leiter Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse refers to any sexual behavior between a child and an adult or an older, bigger, or more powerful person, for that persons sexual gratification. 2 Sexual abuse, while still completely horrible, is often times blown completely out of scale and is the most advertised type of abuse 1 Leiter. Sex abuse ranges from unwanted kisses to inappropriate touching to sexual intercourse. 4 pg. 107 Only 14 percent of cases where maltreatment was substantiated did victims suffer from sexual abuse in the United States. 3 Mayo Clinic Sexual abuse is often times kept hidden more than other types of abuse. Children are forced and threatened not to tell any one of the encounters because of the social humiliation of being involved in sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is the only type of abuse that occurs equally across socio-economic barriers 1 Leiter. Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse refers to a chronic attitude or behavior directed at a child, or the creation of an emotional environment, which is seriously detrimental to or impairs the childs psychological and or physical development. 2 This type of abusive behavior can bring down an individuals feeling of self worth and self-esteem. It leaves victims feeling inadequate helpless or worthless 4 health book The result of emotional abuse is often that the child will either run away or withdraw socially 1Leiter Emotional abuse is the least common type of abuse that was substantiated by Mayo Clinic with only 5 percent of cases of maltreatment. The Gallup Poll Monthly recorded that Nine out of ten parents said that they shouted at their children 3 Mayo Clinic Neglect: Neglect is often thought of as the most dangerous type of abuse. Neglect refers to any serious omission or commission by a person which jeopardizes or impairs the childs psychological, intellectual, or physical development 2 Neglect includes anything from leaving children alone for long periods of time to not giving them the correct health care to not giving the child enough to eat. Fifty-three percent of victims of maltreatment that were substantiated suffered from neglect. 3 Mayo Clinic Moreover neglect often requires difficult-to-accumulate evidence of a pattern of failure in care giving before being substantiated, whereas physical or sexual abuse may require only one trip to the hospital 5 Social Work Research pg. 68 Neglect is directly related to poverty 1 Leiter This is because poverty is a stressor due to the fact that those in poverty must work much harder to get basic commodities so caregivers can not always spend time with their children. Legal Aspects of Child Abuse: It is illegal to abuse any child physically, emotionally, sexually, or through neglect. This law was put into place to prevent people from being child abusers. It is also illegal for a person not to report if they suspect child abuse. Any person who has cause to suspect that any juvenile is abused or neglected must report that to the Director of Social Services in the county where the child resides or is found. The report may be made orally by telephone, or in writing, and shall include the name and address of the child; the nature or extent of any injury or condition resulting from abuse or neglect; and any other relevant information. 6 Attorney Generals webpage reads the North Carolina Statute Section 7A-543 titled DUTY TO REPORT CHILD ABUSE OR NEGLECT. This law overrules even physician-patient privileges. Effect of Abuse on children: School Outcomes: Abusing children directly affects their performance in school. According to a study published in Social Work Research students who are abused consistently do worse on CAT standardized tests, grade point averages, proportion who dropped out when eligible, mean annual absences, proportion of possible behavior problems and retentions, and proportion with delinquency complaints 5 Social Work Research pg. 75 Dealing with Abuse: When dealing with any type of Abuse one should immediately seek help at one of the many abuse prevention centers across the nation. Daniel D. Broughton, MD, says Intervention aims to stabilize the family and improve its functioning, to teach parenting and coping skills, to retain an intact family with appropriate services and a good follow-up, families often improve greatly. 3 Mayo Clinic Child abuse is a dangerous disease that can destroy families and communities if it is not stopped. The impact of abuse reaches all levels of a child’s emotions. The two most common emotions are confusion and guilt. Confusion is usually the initial reaction of the child. They will usually wonder what is going on or if this is right or wrong. For a young child these types of questions can be a huge burden on their physiological development. Once the abuse begins the victim experiences a tremendous conflict with their emotions. They feel pleasant due to the attention they are receiving from the parent, as well as the sensual pleasure. On the other hand they experience pain, guilt, and anger for what is being done to them. The question if this is right or wrong is the greatest conflict within the child’s mind. The abuse feels so wrong yet the abuser insists its okay, taking advantage of the child’s mistrust and naivety. Below are the thoughts of an abused victim as she thinks back to her abuse and questions her father. It is an example of this mistrust as well as the confusion which goes through a child’s mind. Since I was a little ten-year-old child, I had to deceive and hide from the world and my mother that my father took a sexual interest in me. Remember how you taught me that art of deceit First you put me in a situation that had to be kept a secret then you pledged me to secrecyAs a ten- year-old child, what was I supposed to do You are an intelligent man-you figure out the options available to a ten-year-old in that position. Dolan 58 Guilt is also a huge emotional trip for the child. The abused will feel tremendous guilt for a numerous reasons: they feel they did nothing to stop the abuse therefore they are responsible and it should continue, they felt uncomfortable but the abuse was sometimes pleasurable, or they somehow deserved and or caused the abuse. A victim will usually feel this way when their self-esteem has diminished and they have no more answers for what is happening. The following quote illustrates that guilt makes the child unable to clearly see reality. It also gives insight into the mind of the abused. A nine-year-old girl had a nightmare and went to her father’s room for comfort but instead he sexually abused her. The girl then concluded that she caused the abuse by going to his room. The abuse thereafter continued and she now felt she deserved for it to continue. Green 24 Another major source of guilt comes from the mother. Often when the mother is told about the abuse she will not want to believe the accusations and will blame the child. Other reasons for why the mother may pass guilt are that she may feel weak and unable to challenge the husbands’ actions and therefore she looks over the husbands faults and looks to the child for blame and or the mother doesnt want to lose her husband. She does not want to give up the security provided by her husband and will block out the abuse. For these reasons much of the child abuse in the United States and else where goes unreported and continues. Reports show that out of the one to two million children abused every year in the United States only about half that number is reported to anyone. Man cases are the most common cases that go unreported, less than 30 by current estimates. Also about 11,120 of those cases reported have been because of the death of the child. The amount of child abuse is staggering to think about, let alone deal with. By the age of eighteen one in three girls will have been sexually molested and one in six boys will have been molested in that same age. These include physical abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse and neglect. Lesar 419 One reason why abuse is on the up rise every year could be that families are undergoing a number of important structural changes. Families are smaller than in the past, with fewer children and sometimes with only one parent; parents have children at a later age; more couples live together without the being married. All these factors could in some way contribute to the family value system tumbling downward. Lesar 421 Physical abuse has many forms. It may involve the hitting or kicking of a child with the fists or the feet, or with another object; such as belts, shovels, changes, ropes, electric cords, leather straps, canes, baseball bats, sticks, broom handles, or assorted large objects. Other forms of abuse include the pouring of scalding water on a child’s body, holding a child’s head under the water of a toilet bowl, stuffed into running washing machines, throwing a child against a wall, shaking a child with extreme force or placing parts of a child’s anatomy on hot or burning objects to cause pain. Sometimes in extreme cases the shaking of a child with such extreme force as an aggressive abuser possesses can cause severe brain damage as the brain is crushed from repeated impact against the skull. This type of injury is especially damaging in babies and small children. Many times when physical abuse is caused by a parent or guardian, the child is not taken for medical help , even when wounds or injuries are very severe. When they are taken into the hospital it is usually be a secondary member of the family, one who may not have caused the abuse but did not stop it either. This type of person might be called a facilitator. Physical abuse is termed sexual abuse when it involves the display or touching of genitalia or anything which is not a comfortable part of a normal person to person contact. This brings us to our next form of child abuse, that of Sexual or exploitive abuse. Sexual abuse is described as those activities by an older person for his or her sexual gratification without consideration for the child’s psycho-social sexual development. Also, as contacts or interactions between a child and an individual of higher power when the child is being used for the sexual stimulation of that adult or another. Smith 9 There are many categories of sexual abuse, these include; incest, pedophilia, exhibitionism, molestation, sex statutory rape, sexual sadism, and child pornography. It is estimated that approximately three hundred thousand children are involved in child prostitution and pornography. Smith 9 Many times men or woman who abuse children were abused when they were young. Sexual abuse was n ot as much of a problem as it is in modern times. Incidences of sexual abuse are highest in urbanized technologically advanced societies. Sexual abuse can have severe consequences on the mental development of a child. Mental Abuse of a child can involve several different activities. These can involved the common verbal forms: yelling, neglect, constant insults, etc. They also involve certain forms of mental torture and neglect. Mental abuse is one of the most damaging forms of abuse, because unlike rape or other forms of sexual or physical abuse, mental abuse will be with you all of your life. I would offer this analogy to shed light what I am trying to communicate here. Physical and sexual abuse is like roadblocks in the road of life. They are there for a while, but you get over them eventually. Mental abuse, on the other hand, catalyzes the disillusion of the view of the street. If someone is always insulting you, always telling you that you are no good: then with time, your mind becomes accustomed to it, and begins to believe it. This especially is a damaging consequence for young children and infants, who are as dependent upon mental support as they are for their physiological needs. It is an utter violation of such a relationship. Mental abuse not only affects the child, and the family, but society as a whole. Neglect is the most prevalent form of child maltreatment. A recent Study prepared by the American Humane Association states that, nationwide, neglect consistently has accounted for the greatest number of maltreatment reports; in 1998 alone it represented sixty three percent of the approximately two million cases of reported incidents of the three predominant forms of child maltreatment: physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Steinbach 8 Neglect is the unlawful withholding of a child’s basic needs: Food, Water, Shelter, Clothing. All these are all things that a child needs to live an effective life in today’s society. To deny a child these things is to leave him lower on the ladder of needs than he or she would conceivably be otherwise. Neglect is by far more prominent than any other forms of child maltreatment, but, continually it is the least prominent in child abuse advertising schemes . This quote by Andrew Vachss accurately sums up what is said in this essay: The effect that child abuse has not just on the victims, but on their subsequent victims and on society as a whole, is, in my judgment, far more devastating than the threat of drugs, of political upheaval, of economic disaster, or of environmental destruction I really think that child abuse is the most significant threat not just to the quality of life in this country, but to life in this country. Kesegich, p.33 Child abuse has always been around, and it always will be around as long as other people care more about themselves, than about others. References Lesar, Jenny. Abuse, Black birch Press Inc, 1999. Kesegich, Ken. In Defense of Children, National Press. February, 1990. Steinbach, Alice. Neglect: the most prevalent form of child maltreatment, Honolulu Star- Bulletic Advertiser, 1999. Dolan, Edward F. Big book of abuse, Rodale Press, 1999. Smith, Lisa. Emotions and Effects of Abuse, Rodale Press, 1999. Green, Victor. Child Abuse: National Problem, News Week, 1999. Pruitt, B.E. ed. Health: Skills For Wellness, Needham: 1994 Kirk, Stuart A. Social Work Research, Washington D.C.: 1994 Tabachnick, Joan. Because There Is a Way to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse: Facts About Abuse and Those That Might Commit It, The Safer Society Press, 1998. Mitchell, Juliann W. Rape of the Innocent: Understanding and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse, Taylor Francis, 2000.

The Four Steps Of Problem Solving Information Technology Essay

The Four Steps Of Problem Solving Information Technology Essay The initial problem that Mark Singleton was trying to resolve is the implementation of a CRM system to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. Also Singleton wanted a CRM system that places a great value on the person-to-person interactions between his relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminishes the relationship bankers rapport with customers. In the problem-solving process which is especially valuable when we need to build new systems as a solution to a problem or set of problems the organization perceives it is facing. The problem in this case came from the management realization that the organization should take advantage of new opportunities to perform more effectively, but they didnt apply the four steps of problem solving. In the problem-solving process to system building, we would need to take the following four steps: (1) Define and understand the problem. (2) Develop alternative solutions. (3) Choose the best solution. (4) Implement the solution. Citizens National Bank CEO Mark Singleton achieved the first step with an outstanding performance in defining and understanding the problem for which they need to build a new system but he failed dramatically in applying the rest of the steps required by the problem-solving process to build a new system. Mr. Singleton did not devise, develop or try several alternative solutions before opting for a new CRM system to solve the problem of paper and manual work and replace it with a new information system to automate some of the bankers tasks. Because he did not develop alternative solutions, he couldnt choose the best solution which led to a failed implementation in the first solution. What was the business case for implementing a new system? What were some of the tangible benefits? What were some of the intangible benefits? Organizationally, Citizens National Bank of Texas is a private, full-service bank with headquarters in Waxahachie, Texas, and 200 employees that has operated independently since 1868. Citizens National Bank relies on personal, retail, and commercial customers and serves businesses and consumers in Ellis County and other nearby counties, primarily in communities with populations of 25,000 or less. Citizen National bank operates heavily manual and count on paper system in which sometimes a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. The paper system also created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. So that the old paper system cannot support the large number of new customers and the annual grow at a rate of 12 percent. A major part of Citizen Nationals strategy for continuing growth was to implement customer relationship management (CRM) software. The CRM strategy targeted the banks two main contact points with customers: the banks call center and its sales force. The objectives of a solution for Citizens National Bank would be to reduce the amount of time, effort, and errors in the tracking of activities made by relationship bankers and to increase sales by raising the number of contacts relationship bankers were making and improving the tracking of these activities so that the bank could learn more from them. Tangible Benefits Increased productivity: Using a CRM system will enable relationship bankers to improve their tracking activities with customers, which in turn increase their productivity and give them ability to serve more customers. Lower operational costs: using electronic records will substantially reduce papers used and result in cost saving. Reduced workforce: this is will be the result of increasing bankers productivity to serve more customers, which in turn will considerably reduce the workforce required to handle the projected increase in sales. Reduced rate of growth in expenses Reduced facility costs: due to paper reduction, and workforce reduction. Intangible Benefits Improved organizational planning and flexibility: because the paper system created too much information for Singleton and his branch managers to process effectively. The CRM system will give them efficient information to make effective decisions. Improved decision making: having accurate information under executives and managers control will dramatically enhance the decision making. Improved operations: The CRM system will enable the bank to approve credit and loan applications more quickly. Improved asset utilization and improved resource control. More information available in a timely manner. Enhanced employee goodwill: because under the old paper system, a salesperson that left Citizens National could take records of customer interaction with him or her, leaving the bank with no information to maintain the relationship. Increased job satisfaction among employees. Higher client satisfaction: nothing will satisfy the customers more than getting a quick approvals and smooth transactions. Better corporate image: this is will result automatically from an increase in job satisfaction among employees and a higher client satisfaction. Why didnt the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution work out for Citizens National? What were the biggest factors? How would you classify these factors in terms of organization, technology, and people issues? I believe that the implementation of the Siebel CRM solution didnt work out for Citizens National because it was not the best solution that applies or fits into the defined problem; it didnt work out because it was not a result of a thorough selection that went through precise evaluation for multiple alternatives or solutions. The implementation failed for many factors, I will classify these factors in terms of organization, technology, and people issues Organization: the approach of Citizens National toward nearly all business functions, from tracking customer leads to generating reports about them, was very basic. The Siebel software was simply too rich in features. From the start, Citizens National had trouble getting the software to fit its rather straightforward, basic customer-lead tracking and reporting needs. With Siebel, we were spending way too much time turning off capabilities that we didnt need, Singleton explains. An example of functionality that didnt fit Citizens Nationals business model was Siebels capability for setting up customer support cases. While some large corporations may want to set up a support case with detailed complaint-tracking and resolution functions, the small bank had no use for it. Service complaints that come in to Citizens National are handled on the spot by its call center. For service inquiries that require a follow-up, such as a customer asking about the reordering of checks, the call-center representative schedules an activity by sending an e-mail to the employee who handles check orders. (Bartholomew, 2007) People: Employees found the software to be too complicated. They were surprised to learn, for example, that the system did not automatically generate potential business opportunities for customers on their records. Furthermore, bankers were not able to view multiple relationships between a customer and the bank on the same screen. The extra navigation was confusing and inefficient. The relationship bankers were the key employees; the system was intended to be of value to them, and, in turn, provide value to the bank. However, they found no incentive in the Siebel environment because their compensation was based on sales, and sales had become harder to make. Another issue was Siebels complexity. Citizens Nationals bankers found the system difficult to navigate. For instance, the banking representatives couldnt understand why an opportunity to make a loan to a particular customer wasnt listed under the customers record. You have to assign that opportunity to that person, explains Doug Furney, president and CEO of The Small Business Solution. If you dont make those relationships when entering the data, the opportunity wont appear under that customers record. Not everyone easily grasped this concept. (Bartholomew, 2007) Furney says the way the screens were laid out in Siebel, Citizens bankers had to flip back and forth between the various screens to identify different relationships that customers had with the bank. Understanding these relationships in the system was very confusing to their bankers, he says. As a result, the banks top sales representatives, who werent eager to change the way they did their work to fit the needs of the software, found Siebels learning curve too steep to negotiate. Citizens Nationals 16 relationship bankers never got over the ease-of-use problems that Siebel presented, Furney says. (Bartholomew, 2007) Deloittes Davis says that the Siebel implementation at Citizens National may have indeed failed because of a lack of buy-in from those expected to use it most-the relationship bankers. If the people using the system dont know whats in it for them and dont see the value of using it, then it will not work the way the company expected, Davis says. (Bartholomew, 2007) Technology: Citizens National experienced compatibility issues between the database formats in Siebel and those used by the banks core banking application, developed by Kirchman. As a result, the two systems had difficulty exchanging information properly. The bank was forced to spend a significant amount of time fixing such compatibility issues, which negatively impacted its ability to serve customers. Citizens National also had to deal with a raft of customization issues, often stemming from the differences between databases. Furney worked to integrate Siebel with Citizens Nationals core banking application. The bank uses banking software from Kirchman, whose vertical systems are used by numerous small and medium-size banks to process and track customers deposits, loans and trust accounts. Trying to get these two systems to talk was a challenge, he says. (Bartholomew, 2007) One basic difference was the way the core banking application set up its customer data fields. The Kirchman system did not have individual fields for both the customers first and last names, choosing instead to include the full name in a single field. By contrast, in Siebel, the customers first and last name each had a data field. Thats the kind of thing we ran into when we tried to marry data from these two different systems, Furney says. This kind of integration takes time, and customers dont realize how much time is required. (Bartholomew, 2007) Was QuickBase a better solution for Citizens National? If so, why? What factors suggest that the bank ended up with the right approach and the right choice of product? In my perspective, QuickBase was the best alternative solution that meets the requirements of Citizens National Bank for a new IT system that is an easy to use, capable of doing some tracking activities, and store the interactions between relationship bankers and their customers and doesnt interfere with those interactions and diminish the relationship bankers rapport with customers. QuickBase was designed for organizing, tracking, and sharing information among team members in the workplace while encouraging progress by notifying workers via automated e-mails of updated files, new task assignments, and approaching deadlines. Because QuickBase was not programmed as a specific business application, businesses could modify its database structure to meet specific business functions. One reason some small and medium-size companies, as well as groups within larger ones, are adopting QuickBase is its flexibility. Intended not just for customer management, QuickBase-which is actually more of an easily modified database than a full-fledged business application-can be harnessed for other business tasks. For example, Procter Gamble uses the system to track technology projects. Because its easy to use, runs online via any browser and doesnt require an I.T. professional to set up, the hosted application is finding its way into all kinds of businesses. (Bartholomew, 2007) There are many factors suggest that the bank ended up with the right approach and the right choice of product, some of these factors are: The Citizens National staffs were able to make changes to QuickBase themselves, so the costs of ownership and maintenance fees were much lower. QuickBase offered Citizens National flexibility that it did not have previously. Because the system was Web-based, the relationship bankers were able to use it anywhere that they had access to a browser. Relationship bankers and management received daily updated access to all interactions and transactions, enabling them to track business in a way that was never possible previously. For the first time, Citizens National was able to completely track sales opportunities and, as Singleton said, where we lost business, so we know where we need to make those extra 10 or 15 sales calls. Also central to the success of QuickBase at Citizens National was Furneys ability to integrate the system with the Kirchman core banking application. Furney configured QuickBase to upload new account information to the core system every night via an XML interface. For example, a banking representative can click on a commercial customers file and immediate see all the contacts that have been made with that customer by bank staff, any actions that were taken on the customers behalf, and the end result. Citizens National bank representatives use it to check on customers to see if there has been a follow-up call to a contact, whether a voice-mail message was left with the customer, who the salesperson was and the status of the contact. Its been an invaluable tool for us to keep track of our customers, Singleton adds. (Bartholomew, 2007) 5. Based on this case study, what kind of organization do you think would benefit from using the Siebel CRM package? Give an example of such an organization and justify your choice. You may use the Web to research your answer, including Oracles Web site. 6. Could Citizens National have made a better choice of software for its CRM system the first time around? Explain your answer.

Ethics in Business and Accounting in Vietnam Essay -- global business,

1. Introduction: Currently, in the complex global business environment, economic performance alone no longer guarantees business success. One of the integral driving factors for this success is the transparency and integrity of the management system. In many countries, there is enormous number of leading corporations coordinating ethical management into business practices to stay in tune with wider societal values. However, there still exist corporations where profit triumphs all other considerations. In Vietnam, with lax management mechanism and legal loopholes, many monstrous corporate scandals relating to unethical behaviors have been revealed. These corporate scandals extensively hurt public confidence in financial reporting and question the morality of businessman in general and accountants in particular. Confronting with these burning issues, our report aims to provide comprehensive picture about the importance of ethics in business and accounting. Firstly, we will focus on the various perspectives of ethics and how ethics affects enterprise and accountants. Secondly, we present some real-world examples associating with the unethical business practices, which cause irreparable damages for Vietnam economy. Lastly, lessons and recommendations for corporate governance and state administration are raised. 2. The importance of ethics in business and accounting. 2.1. Definition of ethics Ethics is a system of moral principles, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and the ends of those actions. 2.2. The significance of ethics in business In modern world, business has experienced the essential role of ethics in many perspectives. Generally, the primary role of ethics is to keep a company and its ... ...ccessed on November 18th, 2013) Phan Cong 2006, â€Å"Vu PMU 18 gay thiet hai it nhat 37 ti dong†. Available at URL: http://www.tienphong.vn/xa-hoi/46365/Vu-PMU18-gay-thiet-hai-it-nhat-37-ty-dong.html (Accessed on November 18th, 2013) Wikipedia 2013, â€Å"Tong cong ty Hang Hai Viet Nam. Available at URL: http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%E1%BB%95ng_C%C3%B4ng_ty_H%C3%A0ng_h%E1%BA%A3i_Vi%E1%BB%87t_Nam (Accessed on November 18th, 2013) Wikipedia 2013,â€Å"Vu an PMU 18†. Available at URL: http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%E1%BB%A5_PMU_18 (Accessed on November 18th, 2013) Wikipedia 2013, â€Å"Duong Chi Dung†. Available at URL: http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C6%B0%C6%A1ng_Ch%C3%AD_D%C5%A9ng (Accessed on November 18th, 2013) Wikipedia 2013, â€Å"Tham nhung tai Viet Nam†. Available at URL: http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tham_nh%C5%A9ng_t%E1%BA%A1i_Vi%E1%BB%87t_Nam (Accessed on November 18th, 2011)

Aimee Benders The Rememberer and Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis Essay

The characters in Aimee Bender's â€Å"The Rememberer† and Franz Kafka's â€Å"The Metamorphosis† are all adjusting to life after their love ones started to change. On each story the characters behaviors change and the reaction to each citation take a different perspective on life. Bender’s â€Å"The Rememberer† the narrator and Ben are lovers presenting a physical and intellectual connection to each other sadness â€Å"He was always sad about the word. It was a large reason why I love him. We’d sit together and be sad and think about being sad and sometimes discuss sadness† (Bender 101). The narrator becomes sadder as Ben transform from a human to an ape, and finally a sea turtle. She is aware that Ben is somewhere inside the ape. At first she wanted to find the reason for the transformation. She becomes his protector, telling strangers and coworker he was ill, she did not want anything to happen to Ben. Then she fells lonely and she want to â€Å"to take care of my lover like a son, a pet† (Bender 102), hoping to retain Ben as long as she could. But the reality was that he is gone and she could not see him again. She finally realizes she have to let him go, because it was difficult for her to continue to see Ben in these conditions and without a sign of the human being she love so much. The characters of Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis† are similar in the aspect that the family members of Gregor the main character are going to a transformation as well. But they take a different approach than the Narrator and Ben in Bender’s â€Å"The Rememberer†. In Kafka’s â€Å"The Metamorphosis Gregor is traveler salesman that becomes a giant insect. He is his family providers and this transformation jeopardizes his job. As he struggles with his physical condition and worri... ...ntil people do not become familiar and educated they do not know how to handle such situations. These histories have a relation to people suffering with mental or physical conditions. The person affected by such personal change may do not understand what is happening to them, while the family and friends may do not how to approach changes. They may feel alone and make difficult decisions like separate them for the ill person. Instead of providing the love and comfort on times of need we become cowards and look the other way pretending nothing is happening. WORK CITED Bender, Aimee. "The Rememberer.† The Story and Its Writer. Charters, Ann. Compact 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/ST. Martin's, 2011. 100-102. PRINT. Kafka, Franz. "The Metamorphosis." The Story and Its Writer. Charters, Ann. Compact 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/ST. Martin's, 2011. 471-505. PRINT.

Gun Control Is Not Crime Control Essay example -- Second Amendment The

Gun Control is not Crime Control Americans are faced with an ever-increasing problem of violence. The streets of America are now a war zone. Teenage gangsters murder one another for drug territory, and innocent victims are caught in the crossfire. However, most recent and most abhorrent, is our children are killing one another. They are killing with extreme prejudice. Our children are killing, exhibiting little or no remorse for lives they have taken. We cannot ignore the carnage our society endures due to the criminal behavior of a minority, obviously lacking the basic moral behavior regarding human life. Nevertheless, we must not be misguided in our efforts to address the problem at hand. To eliminate the right of citizens to own firearms is not a solution. Violent crime is not an issue that has reared its ugly head in the nineties. The prohibition of alcohol was the beginning of what historians considered the most violent time in modern history. Prohibition sparked murderous wars between mob families for the black market alcohol trade. The government in their infinite wisdom made the ownership of fully automatic firearms illegal, as a solution to the increased violence. I do not see any need for anyone to own a machine gun, then, or now. Nevertheless, the ban on the firearms did not curb the violent behavior of the criminal element. The ban created a new black market. It was the repeal of the prohibition of alcohol that ended the massacre. This is a parallel to the drug ...