Books and novels Essay

Books and novels are constant sources of story or plot for so many movies. It is as if the books reinvented themselves with a new face. Though adaptation of books or novels is a prevailing reality, the question of fidelity to the original details of the story has always been the criterion for comparison. Ella Enchanted, a book by Gail Carson Levine was made into film directed by Tommy O’Haver. The most obvious similarity of the book and the movie is that it is about Ella, a girl who found love and the power of self-determination as she tries to reverse the ‘gift’ of obedience bestowed on her by the fairy, Lucinda. Though there were similarities between the book and movie, there are also glaring differences between the two. Here are the differences between the book and the movie: Time Period In the book, the story was set on the traditional and typical era of magic and awe; the same medieval setting that famous fairy tales used. The book’s time period had a striking semblance with the setting of Cinderella. While in the movie, pop culture dominated the story as if the seemingly dreamy and magical set up was modernized to give the film the teen spirit. Of course this aims to attract and please the moviegoers. Noticeably there are elements of contemporary time which obviously intend to relate with the target audience of the film. Among those elements are: the use of escalator, the shopping mall, the Frell Community College, the phenomenon of teens joining fans club (of prince Char), the 70’s, and 80’s soundtrack that includes the Queen’s â€Å"Somebody to Love† and . Though these are welcome additions in a teen’s perspective, the move sacrificed the book’s classic look. It was a move to enhance the visual attractiveness of the movie. These changes also contributed to the addition of singing and dancing which are very evident in the movie. New Characters In the movie, the audience saw the birth of new characters that were not present in the book. The new villains are Prince Edgar who intends to kill Prince Char for him to ascend to the kingship of Frell; and there is Heston, the talking snake, who partners with Prince Edgar in his evil plans. These two characters also contributed to the change of scenes and plot. In the book, the father of Prince Char is alive but in the movie he was killed by Prince Edgar who eventually plans to kill the heir to the throne, Prince Char. The changes also brought about the political tone of the movie. Ella was a crusader of the welfare of the fairy creatures which were maltreated by Prince Edgar’s way of governance. So the changes added twist to Ella’s character and added new elements to the story. References to other movies One can also see semblances of the movie to other well-loved films namely: â€Å"Shrek†, and â€Å"The Princess Bride†. It is an observation that the book also patterned its story and details from other stories; very obviously, from the story of â€Å"Cinderella†. If the movie has â€Å"Shrek† and â€Å"The Princess Bride†; the book has â€Å"Cinderella†. Comic Infusion Gail Carson Levine made a dreamy and fairy tale which for some, was considered a great version of the Cinderella story. For some, â€Å"Ella Enchanted† became a classic tale not only for children but also for book lovers who feasts on their imagination. But the movie departs from that perspective. Instead, the film version added a comic spirit that takes away that classic feel of the book. That is why; the romantic – magical feel is sacrificed for the entertaining value of the comic parts of the movie. Even with this effect, the funny parts of the movie added a very relax feeling for the viewers. Focus In the book, Ella’s focus was to lift the gift or curse given by Lucinda. The story progressed with this focus which climaxed with the Ella’s realization that she alone can be the master of her destiny and need not assistance or dependence from somebody else. But in the movie version, a lot of elements are added which makes one confused about the focus of the story. There are political standpoints which Ella feels very strong about. There is the romantic link with Prince Char. There were family situation that distracts Ella. Since the movie aims to entertain and not just present a classic story, the addition of such twist and turns clouded somehow the real and main focus of Levine’s work. Ending of the Story and Other Elements In the book, when Ella met Prince Char they became friends at once but in the movie, it did not happen that way. The parents of Prince Char were both alive in the book; but in the film they were dead. The book ended with the triumph of Ella against her ‘curse’ of obedience and she eventually lived happily ever after with Prince Char. In the movie, the ending was quite dramatic since it highlights the dilemma given before Ella: the choice between death to Prince Char and following the gift of obedience. The ending of the movie somehow affirms the another focus of the film which is the romantic love that has been shared by Ella and Prince Char. Conclusion Even if the visual representation of a book is easier on the imagination; even if it aids one’s creative confusion or curiosity; still the book leaves a lasting impression for it tickles one’s creative capacity and builds a story with such planned pace.Therefore, the book Ella Enchanted outdid its movie version in terms of its overall impression on the readers/ audience. BIBLIOGRAPHY Hollis, K. 2004. Book vs. Movie: Ella Enchanted. Box Office Prophets. Available from: www. boxofficeprophets. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009. Levine, G. C. n. d. Ella Enchanted. BellaOnline: The Voice of Women. Available from: http://www. bellaonline. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009. Burr, T. 2004. Ella’ is less than enchanting. Available from: www. boston. com. Accessed on April 7, 2009.

Opportunities and Challenges of Benchmarking

The first question to be asked is what benchmarking can do for any organization. The process of benchmarking permits the entire organization to identify, share and use the knowledge that exists within the organization as also the best practices prevalent within the organization. The attempt is to concentrate on improving the situation of any business unit and not to just measure the best performances that have been achieved. The method for this is to apply the use of best known methods of solving the problems that are facing the business. The results come from the utilization after determination of the problems and this can come only after a careful study of the problems. On determination it is expected that the best solutions will be implemented. (Defining Benchmarking) The result will come to the organization in the form of gaining important advantages for the organization in the form of advantages. These can be in any form or more than one form – strategic advantages, operational advantages, or direct financial gains. At the same time, it also is an indirect admission that some others are better at the function that we are involved in than ourselves. At the same time, we are being wise enough to understand our own shortcomings and are trying to improve our position so that we can improve and match them in performance. If all our efforts are in the direction of development, a stage may come when we would be in a position to perform better than them. (Defining Benchmarking) The process of benchmarking is not just calculating numbers, getting briefs about sites on which organizations are to be set up or traveling through the factories of other organizations, or even copying, spying or espionage. The process does not end here and it has to continue further throughout the entire life of the organization and as the organization improves to a better position, there has to be additional steps which have to be taken so that the organization can successfully step even further. When benchmarking is not performed and a major in any industry ignores the competition levels there are chances that it would tend to fall behind in its own development and leadership qualities. It is also not the same with regard to establishing benchmarks which involve the setting up of acceptable levels of standards, so that the product or service can move forward to the next immediate step and not be rejected automatically as a result of quality control. Benchmarks are defined in terms of how many units are to be produced in one unit of time, how quickly the product line can transfer itself into manufacturing another product, how high the production levels can be from one shift, or what the minimum levels of production are which are being acceptable. The similarity of benchmarking and benchmarks is in that benchmarking tries to find out and understand the direct reasons for the production to be high in certain relevant situations and not be so high in other situations/conditions. Once the reasons are being determined then the same methods can be expanded for use in other parts of the complete production process so that the total production level can be at higher levels and correspondingly the profits of the organization as well. This is the real benefit that can be obtained from the practice of benchmarking. (Defining Benchmarking) Looking at the acts of benchmarking in benefiting the organization, one can see some direct benefits. It prevents reinventing the wheel and what is meant by that is that since the process or machinery or item has already been invented, anybody else trying to reinvent the same is only wasting money. The second method in which it provides benefits is through using tested and proven practices that have already been used successfully by others, it convinces people who do not take kindly to fresh ideas by demonstrating to them that it works, and it forces the organization to move at a rapid pace as it knows that competitors are already using the method. The third advantage is that it leads to development of some ideas that were not being used earlier and these are innovative ways to improve methods and in many cases they have come from outside the industry. The use of benchmarking also forces organizations to check on the present process and many times these may lead to direct improvements in terms of quality or quantity directly. The last use of benchmarking is also advantageous in making changes more likely as the process involves the direct participation by the owners. Today is the age of competition and it is very difficult to say which manufacturer is the best, and at the same time, this is an age when every manufacturer can claim that they are the best based on scientific studies of their machines. Let us view it in a simpler context and try to determine which team is the best in baseball, and may be you have a reason for determining this – you may love the game, you may be laying a bet on the results of the current season, or just curiosity. It is known that New York Yankees have won the World Series Championships seven consecutive times. In the opinion of quite a few of the fans, that would make them the best team. Thus one of the first points in benchmarking is deciding on the benchmark, and then one has to decide as to how the performance can be measured against the benchmark. If the required standard is not known by the organization trying to be the best then it cannot possibly reach the target. (Who's best? How good are they? How do we get that good? ) In certain cases they are measured by definitions like Mean Time between Failures or MTBF. This will help the customer also and make him ask the manufacturer as to the MTBF for the product. Then let us say that on one of the products of the client is 120 hours and on another product is 150 hours, then that will have to be mentioned to the customer. Then to be the best, the concerned organization has to find out or determine the method to get to the best possible benchmark. Now let us say that on investigation it is found out that for competitors, the MTBF is 10,000 hours. It is clear now as to which manufacturer will get the order. Thus often benchmarking is not a stand alone exercise, but a part of a Process Re-engineering or Quality Improvement Initiative. The requirement is not a management fad, but is a requirement to be able to compete in the market. Most of the initial work on benchmarking was done in manufacturing, and it is important that it is still done there, but benchmarking has now developed into a management tool that can be used anywhere. (Who's best? How good are they? How do we get that good? ) One has to develop a system which permits the organization to produce material of a certain quality, as if that is not produced many incidences may occur which are of great importance to the organization but also to the nation. Let us take a few examples of this and one of them is the case of the disaster of the space shuttle Columbia, and another is the power outages in August 2003 in New York which was followed by power failures in United Kingdom and Italy. There are reasons for this and one reason which is often quoted is â€Å"failure of maintenance†. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) At the same time, maintenance is also a part of benchmarking and it is not a benchmarking of the product, but of the service system in the organization. Thus the problem can be manifest in many different ways in the field. There were four charges of manslaughter placed on individuals who were in charge of maintaining or managing railways in United Kingdom at the time of the Hatfield Train Disaster. The charges against these people were dropped only in August 2004. Among the people who were charged was the previous Chief Executive Officer of the company who owned all the assets indirectly. Another case is the legislation in Canada which imposes criminal liability on businesses and individuals when workplace accidents take place. In short it is becoming very important that proper maintenance is done and for that purpose, benchmarking is essential for the assets. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Desired future state and goals against which to evaluate alternatives It is clear that benchmarking is an activity of the individual organization undertaken with a purpose of developing the organization and giving it benefits or advantages over competition. The details for such studies are obviously not available, and we got information only from an instance when the exercise was done at the initiative of the Surface Mining Association for Research and Technology. They commissioned a research project the main purpose of which was to enable comparison of equipment performance in the mining industry, and this was due to collaborative relationships between the mining industries to gain competitive advantages at a global level. There was not much collaboration between the different units of the industry and as a start the attempt was made to establish some common definitions for availability and utilization. The entire exercise was conducted over some twenty five mining operations based in Canada and United States. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) After developing the common definitions the next stage was to collect the response from different members of the industry and put them in a position where the responses could be classified. In terms of operations there were some typical events that were encountered as all the units were involved in the operation of a mine. These also had to be identified and included in the entire exercise for study. At the end of the study it was found that among the entire group the formulas and definitions for availabilities and utilizations of different parameters were similar, yet there were differences in the meanings of the formulas that were used by different units. There are also differences in classification of different events in terms of their importance. The two differences combined in the final report to show differences in the operating characteristics of different mines, and the events that we are referring are fairly common in the operations of mines. Thus it was possible to find out some common definitions for the mines in terms of operating parameters, yet all comparisons between them are meaningless. For any comparisons to be made, it is important that the discrepancies which are clearly seen to be happening due to their differences in meanings first being turned into some common time categories. In practice it was not possible to get the different mines to change their formulas or collection practice for data as these systems had been well established over many years, it was seen that it was important to develop a parallel system which could collect similar data from the existing data collection system. This of course could be done only in organizations which wished to continue in the entire exercise of benchmarking all these units and getting to some results. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) This led essentially to the establishment of a central database. This is where all the units participating in the study would be able to reach the data that they wanted or needed. They would also be able to compare their own formula and definitions with the new data that was collected. This would permit them to comparisons with the earlier data that they had, or even the standardized benchmarking formula that they were using. This was the first method of industry wide comparisons. Once these were developed they would be the benchmarking definitions for the industry and thus the first step to development of industry-wise standards for required operating measures. Most of the mines understood that this was required, but very few wanted to proceed on these lines, and all their actions are concentrated to their own mines. There does not seem to be much collaboration in the industry and most organizations are doing the same thing over and over again. There is a certain amount of interest in sharing of maintenance information there is scope for a study in which the maintenance practices can be compared as also the development of performance standards in the area of maintenance. This would be of great use to the mining industry. Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) Identify two to four potential solutions Here again the solution are different for every application of benchmarking and the solutions will depend also on the problems for which the solution is being sought, the nature of the industry, state of development, projected future growth, etc. Since we have started with the mining industry, let us continue with the same industry. One point that has to be remembered is that this industry has continued to remain behind other industries in the application of benchmarking. The reasons for the shortcomings have already been discussed to some extent – a reluctance to share information as they feel it violates confidentiality and privacy concerns with a special sensitivity to cost data; available resources within the different units to spend time on the required initiatives for benchmarking; a specific lack of commitment and support for the benchmarking exercise at all levels of the organization; and the lack of consistent and relevant indicators for performance. The problems of these organizations has to be solved by meeting the difficulties in all these respect and this makes the first solution as to stop comparisons till the operating events are clearly classified. Till this issue is resolved, there is very little value in suggesting common definitions for availability and utilization. The clear resolution thus also involves on consistent allocation of operating events as per agreed time classifications. (Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) The second solution comes from the survey interviews and that stated clearly that there is a great interest in information sharing and comparison, and still none of the organizations showed that they would be willing to accept new definitions for their operating parameters or accept new standards for the allocation of operating events so that they could get information in exchange. At the same time, there is strong interest in the exchange of data. There is a solution to this apparently conflicting position and this can be done only through information sharing taking place in a manner that existing operating data collection and reporting systems at individual units proceed on their operations unaffected, but the data that had been collected earlier are not touched through any mode. The solution comes from utilizing data storage and manipulation with a capability of existing data collection systems being utilized for this purpose. This will take care of the constraints. The third solution is from the general interest in sharing of maintenance information between different units. This arises as most of the units understand the importance of improving maintenance management systems and processes. In general it can be said that development of maintenance performance management has not developed as fast as the other production systems in mines. This area requires collaboration, but much of that has not been coming. Thus it is clear that most organizations are just concentrating on doing the same job under different names. The solution would be to implement a study comparing management practices and development of performance standards for maintenance. This would be found to be useful by the entire industry in that area. The fourth point is that once the data collection is built up, then it may be applied to other areas of the entire system so that those areas could also benefit. Some of those areas are the large tire user group that requires data common to the entire exercise; OEM availability guarantee reporting and lost control system benchmarking. It could also be seen that the structure which would be established for such initiatives could become the basis for a framework that could be used by the group for purchasing. Standardization of Definitions for benchmarking) Let us now go to another area of benchmarking that we have used earlier and this is with reference to asset management. This has been important throughout history, and yet poses a special economic challenge during the 21st century. The reason for the challenge is from our efforts to release economic value from our investments in asset investment as much as is possible and the main cause for that is the extreme competitive nature of industry and business now. The challenge has led to our tackling the issue of benchmarking asset investment in three different areas and these are through minimizing life cycle costs of asset ownership, minimizing direct costs that are related to asset management and minimization of costs associated with new asset purchase and renewal of assets. Here the question of asset renewals means the overhauls and renovations that are carried out to the assets. All our benchmarking efforts are now directed to this area so tat any new effort should give benefits in these terms. The question is whether that is enough? An introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Apart from this there has been a very rapid change in the use of technology and this has forced many professionals from other areas rapidly into the functional areas of management of assets. The new managers are making, managing or even otherwise deciding on assets. Do they have the capability? They have no experience or any depth of knowledge or experience in the area that they are now managing. In terms of areas, these may be system selection, implementation and regular day to day management. This is leading to decisions being taken many times on issues which are not connected to management and the decisions may not concern the assets themselves or the asset managers. These sorts of incidents are happening throughout the world. The issue of maintenance was earlier seen as a secondary rollout of a large scale system originally decided for financial or supply chain reasons, and the decision was taken whether the solution was the best for asset management or not. Another important change has been the shifting of maintenance function to outsourcing and this is also likely to affect the function. This is a change that has been predicted many times by management consultants and also recommended by them as a method of reducing direct costs, improving the level of contact with specialized skills and of avoiding the complications that exist in finding and controlling a skilled workforce. This is very useful when the total production function is being outsourced. This has also led to many changes in employment patterns throughout the world. Many technical and repetitive roles like software development, call center management and some engineering functions are being shifted away to the third world from the first world. In those countries the salary levels with the similar competencies as those in the 1st world are much lower. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) Now that we have talked a lot about the advantages of benchmarking, let us also take a look at the other side. These refer to the times that existed before benchmarking came to be called benchmarking, and it was viewed as just application of common sense. It is always true that the best method of learning how to do a job is to see how others do the work and then trying to do it. It is said that the great Henry ford went through the operations of production methods in a Chicago slaughterhouse before deciding how to set up his own production line for which he is rightly renowned. At the time, and probably for many decades since that time, it was called a good idea – till in the 1980s, this process of learning was given the name of benchmarking. It is true that benchmarking can provide very good improvements of the product and deserved returns based on efficiency, cost savings and new revenues. The process also is able to reduce cycle times, productivity, customer service, quality and production costs. This can make them a part of an effort of the company to change the culture of the organization to a more customer oriented and results focused. Yet many companies make a mistake in letting this excellent process of benchmarking to become an end in itself. This is quite common in corporate settings which have already established full fledged benchmarking teams. (Benchmarking: The trend line) The organization ends up loosing sight of the objectives and start on benchmarking as an objective in itself. This can be seen in the case of Florida Power and Light Co. This received the Deming Prize in 1989 as it had performed excellently in benchmarking. In the same year, the company was put under the charge of a new CEO and he dismantled large sections of the company as those sections were mainly based on benchmarking and less on functions of the company. Alan Weiss, president of Summit Consulting Inc said â€Å"He found the company was more committed to winning awards than serving the customer†. (Benchmarking: The trend line) This is a loss in focus that can happen if benchmarking is made a part of the jobs of line managers and they have other responsibilities. They are more inclined to take up practical applications for their talents. (Benchmarking: The trend line) Let us take a case of a computer based service organization. The organization is trying to speed up the service of its computers when they fail as the computers are the main machines which help them keep their business in running condition. The question is that there are many parts inside a computer and every time it was repaired, there used to be a serviceman who would come and replace the part. Of course the bill for the part would be received and the amount paid. The organization decided to go through an exercise of benchmarking so that the cost of repairs can be reduced. The decision was to introduce the system of codes so that it would be known which part was failing. These codes are numbers which are cross referenced to a complete list of code descriptions. The codes may also be a series of alphanumeric descriptions. Now since computers are fairly commonplace the full descriptions of the failed parts are now being stored. (Failure codes) The storage of the complete list was in the computerized management system. The required parts are input by the person who was reporting the failure and if it was not known to him then it had to be input by the technician when he repaired the equipment. The main use of these codes is in providing statistics about machine failures. Thus one can know the reasons for machine failures and take corrective actions. (Failure codes) The risks of using such a procedure is very low as the computers also have self assessment procedures and that can often tell the region of failure. This information is unlikely to be wrong. For the technician when he comes in to repair, he has to change the required part for the machine to start running again, and thus he is also unlikely to be wrong. The risks with finding out the part number are thus very low and can be safely viewed to be accurate. The objectives of determining the part numbers are also very simple as each part stops certain functions that the machine is supposed to do. This slows down operating procedures and once the reasons for delays are known, action may be taken to speed up the entire process. Once the operations are speeded up, the organization is expected to earn more revenues. The total impact can only be assessed after the full analysis is made. This sort of a system is also used in certain organizations where computerized systems are used to deliver items at fixed schedules like newspapers, milk processing machines, etc. Present the recommended solution and the rationale behind the recommendation We are now in a period of history where we have to totally depend on machines for all our functions and most industrial tasks. At the same time, repairs and other tasks are becoming increasingly complicated as no extra persons are available. Computerized machinery is very good as long as they run, but when they fail, they fail completely and no action can be taken till they are repaired. Thus getting the machine repaired is very important. The technicians come quickly, but often they do not have the needed parts and when that happens, the machine will continue to remain out of order fro quite a few days, and that is what is sought to be avoided through this exercise. The objective is not to increase profits directly, but make the operations more dependable. The new machinery has been responsible for dramatic increases in productivity levels, but it has also led to high direct costs for asset management over the last few years. (An Introduction to the Maintenance Scorecard) The problem with determination of reliability in most cases is that some factors may be brought up by theory and through strategic planning, but they do no translate into reality at the end of the day. In many cases, the results that are achieved cannot justify the investments that are made to achieve them. There are many areas which hurt the realization of benefits. Here the change in process is just the recording of a part number and that should not take much time when compared to the total time lost in terms of production. We are talking about the requirement to note down the part numbers when the machine fails. Identify the expected impact and value The expected impact is in terms of costs is not much as has been explained earlier, but the impact in terms of value is expected to be high. The effect will be in terms of extra production capacity that should be available. The exact benefits can only be determined when the total picture is known. It is not useful to make advance calculations in such cases, as the present production is for the total usage of the company and no extra jobs can be taken up without meeting this requirement. Provide a summary of how you would approach implementing the recommended solution and measuring its effectiveness The implementation methods are very simple. Prepare a list of the parts that go wrong in the machines in different areas and hand them over to the operators. Every operator has to make a failure report and when that is submitted, the reason for failure that is given has to include the part number. Once the part numbers are made available in this way, then in the report itself they should be noted, and after a period of six months, a search program or a summary should be made of the reasons for failures. This is a totally internal exercise and we do not have to observe the other requirements now. APQC has now developed and wants adherence to the following code – â€Å"guide benchmarking efforts, advance the professionalism and effectiveness of benchmarking, and help protect the members from harm†. (Benchmarking Code of Conduct) According to this code will help the implementation of efficient, effective and ethical benchmarking. (Benchmarking Code of Conduct) The question is that ultimately the entire process is for internal development and to be done totally internally, so why are we all getting so excited about it? Make the changes that you have to after a cool consideration.

Biology The Scientific Study Of Life - 1617 Words

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Perceptions Of The British And Indian War - 860 Words

Perceptions of Britain Many events happened during the period of time between 1763-1775, that changed Americans mindset from then until now. Certain people and certain events during this time frame affected the nation of the United States enormously. This time period changed the United States for better and for worse. Certain people like Thomas Paine and Samuel Adams, tenaciously tried to change the course of history; haven wars, such as the French and Indian war altered the perception of the American people. These events and people were some of the many facilitated with the defiance against the British. This essay will show how these altercations turned the People of the newly formed Americas against the British. During the time of 1763-1775 one of the occurrences that happened to affect the colonist’s perception of the British was the French and Indian War. The amazing thing is that the war itself was not the main factor of the colonist’s trouble with the British, but the time after the war that was the cause of trouble. During the war the British fought with France around the Ohio valley for the control of land. The Ohio valley was very important to both of the empires, because of the value of the land and the strategic point it held in the years to come. Although both had their struggles especially with the Native Americans that called this place their home. Most of the Native Americans sided with either the British or the French, because they thought that if they hadShow MoreRelatedThe French And Indian War877 Words   |  4 Pageshistory; wars, such as the French and Indian war altered the perception of the American people. These events and people were some of the many tha t facilitated the colonists’ defiance against the British. 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For a long time, the British had left the colony to run itself and given the freedom, the North American settlers turned to unique forms of government to match their developing new identity as Americans. They did this by establishing representative legislatures, observing the set rights and freedoms ad holding democratic meetings, all of which gave the settlers a sense of a new identity. When the British lost in the French and Indian war, they turned their attention to AmericaRead MoreLove Marriage vs Arranged Marriage!635 Words   |  3 Pageschanging the perception of the Indian mind. Love marriage is supposed to provide freedom and more independence as compared to arranged marriages where the girl/boy is chosen by the parents. The usual question of love marriage voters against arranged one is that how can anyone marry the person whom they don’t know? Amid popular love lore like Soni Mahiwal, India always had a long tradition of arranged marriages. With the advent of the British and the subsequent introduction of British education systemRead MoreImpact of the First World War in Africa: The Development of the Continent1289 Words   |  5 PagesThe First World War marked a crucial moment in the history of the world through its developments and its consequences. It was not only the first conflagration that affected the world at a global level but also it represented a series of events that influenced countries and territories that were initially outside the immediate source of war. One of these regions was the African continent that was, until the end of the first world conflagration, a mix of colonies and territories belonging to European

A Collective Identity Of Europe - 959 Words

Post-war European nations were faced with the task of restructuring their states after the devastating war. A collective agreement was made for a political body to help stabilize much of Europe. The Community provided external political structure that would provide the means necessary to create a stable economy and develop technologies, but in order to do so there would need to be a collective identity of Europe. As nation-states were trying to redefine their history and assert their independence it became a delicate balance between maintaining their own identity and joining in the Community that would impose new regulation but also provide the resources necessary to rebuild economically. This struggle to maintain a national identity†¦show more content†¦The benefit was that nation-states could now have their own domestic economy and still benefit from the advancing international markets that were more accessible. However, economics cannot be viewed as an independent unit. How the market works is inadvertently based on a cultural set of ideals and markets can function differently from state to state. In order to formalize an institution to control the economy new regulations must be set in place. In the sense of the European Community all nations states had to join together to create a set of rules that everyone agreed upon. By abiding by new rules nations in return could expect to benefit from a larger political body. This all sounded very promising, a new and stronger institution would regulate the economy, and provide security for the vulnerable post-war nations. In doing so, Europe would create a collective identity, a sense of nationality. Although after the war the idea of a stronger unified economy sounded promising it could also be viewed as a hindrance in the long term. The European Community’s goal was to create a unification of the nation-states but from the viewpoint of a individual state this could be a loss of independence and identity. This communal identity â€Å"made western European states resemble each other much more than they resembled those of other places or other times.† The focus was no longer onShow MoreRelatedNational and European Identity 1273 Words   |  6 Pagesstrong interest in the concept of European Union identity (Cram, 2009). The ‘European union’ identity can be identified nowadays, although there are still conflicts between national identities and a shared European identity which can be illustrated by the data from Eurobarameter and other sources. Most people perceive themselves as Europeans, as Anderson (1991) state, there is no contradictory between Europe and nation-state, ‘country first, but Europe, too’ is the main feeling of the public. HoweverRead MoreEmotion And Devotion : The Meaning Of Mary Medieval Religious Cultures Essay1508 Words   |  7 Pagesthe modern era. 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The model of systems thinking, as described by Senge’s principles, may also be a useful tool to understand the intentions and positions of various countries, as well as working towards a possible solution to the issues being considered in the article. The nature, construction and role of identity in society has always been useful in understandingRead MoreEssay751 Words   |  4 PagesFrance has always been in a constant struggle to become the hegemonic power of Europe, attempting to keep its own identity, culture, and preserve its way of life while expanding to different territories, this alone has led to countless wars and skirmishes resulting in devastation over Europe including the 30 year war, 100 year war, and the Napoleonic era. 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Plato And Aristotle (2179 words) Essay Example For Students

Plato And Aristotle (2179 words) Essay Plato And AristotlePlato, a Greek philosopher was among the most important and creative thinkers of the ancient world. He was born in Athens in 428 BC to an aristocratic and well-off family. Even as a young child Plato was familiar with political life because hes father, Ariston was the last king of Athens. Ariston died when Plato was a young boy. However, the excessive Athenian political life, which was under the oligarchical rule of the Thirty Tyrants and the restored democracy, seem to have forced him to give up any ambitions of political life. In 388 BC he journeyed to Italy and Sicily, where he became the friend of Dionysius the ruler of Syracuse, and his brother-in-law Dion. The following year he returned to Athens, where he devoted his time to research and instruction in philosophy and the sciences. Most of his life thereafter was spent in teaching and guiding these activities. In 347 BC Plato died, while hes published writings all still live. They consist of some 26 dramatic dialogues on philosophy and related themes. The philosopher Socrates was a close friend of Platos family as well as his teacher. Platos writings attest to great influence on him. This could be a good explanation to why Plato uses Socrates to voice his own opinions about his Ideal State. Book I of Platos Republic, beings with Socrates, Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus discussing justice. Each give their own meaning of justice or dikaiosyne. Cephalus says justice is truth telling and debt paying. He views justice this way because he is an honest and just businessman. Polemarchus, who is Cephaluss son, agrees with Cephaluss definition, but continues by saying justice, is giving each his own due. By this he means, helping ones friend. Finally, Thrasymachus, who is a sophist, defines justice as the advantage of the stronger. Justice is not to the advantage of everyone but to the advantage of the rulers. Socrates proves that justice brings unity to any group of people, because it allows them to trust and rely on one another. The discussion of justice is continued in the beginning of Book II. Glaucon enters the conversation and he divides all things into three categories: 1) Those that are pleasurable for themselves and their results, 2) Those that bring good results, but with difficulty, and 3) Those that bring no results, but are pleasurable. Glacon then asks Socrates which category justice falls within. He replies by placing it in the first category. ?I myself put it among the finest goods, as something to be valued by anyone who is going to be blessed with happiness, both because of itself and what it comes from? (Republic, Book II 358a). Glaucon claims that the general view of justice lies in the second category, the mean between two extremes. Glaucon defends his argument by using the example of the ?Ring of Gyes,? a magical ring that turns its wearer invisible. He continues to argue that if humans were given the opportunity to be unjust without getting caught or without suffering any punishment or loss of good reputation, they would naturally choose a life of injustice, in order to maximize their own interests. Now the issue at hand is to prove whether it is more beneficial to lead a just or unjust life. In an attempt to provide a satisfactory definition of justice, Socrates tries to make an analogy between the justice of an individual human being and of an entire society or city. He then begins to build and imaginary city. Socrates defines the basic city as the Health City opposed to a Feverish City. Socrates states that the fundamental needs of human beings in the society are food, shelter, and necessary clothing and things needed for production. However, Socrates is aware that the people of this city will want more then just the bare necessities. He continues to build this political correct city by manipulating a number of different things such as; adding a specialized class of soldiers, adding guardians, controlling any false information (censoring), creating men and women equal, and balancing their education between philosophy and physical training. .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b , .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .postImageUrl , .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b , .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b:hover , .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b:visited , .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b:active { border:0!important; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b:active , .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u58e0ba581de71d78c2025bf62fd1646b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Frees on Kafka's Metamorphosis: True Essence Essay Finally, Socrates just city is built.Now that Socrates has built his just city

Temple University Business Plan Essay Example

Temple University Business Plan Essay The Temple Consultants designed the Virtual Insurance Procurement Portal (IPP or PIP Portal) to align the brokerage model with evolving technology to address these pressing issues. The PIP Portal is an online resource planning tool that automates the overage procurement process, facilitates communications, increases transparency, and serves as a consolidated information source. The IPP will feature two separate, customizable interfaces for the broker and the client to suit each users needs. Figure 1: PEST Stable Social North American Insurance Industry 2012-present Political Demand increased transparency Non face-to-face communications Economic Industry consolidation Disintermediation through technology Technological Technological ubiquity and mobility Market Analysis In order to adapt to the political, economic, sociological, and technological rends affecting the insurance brokerage industry, brokers must redefine their current business model. The future brokerage model allows brokers to fully demonstrate the true value of their supplier, problem solver, innovator, and partner functions to clients. If clients only recognize the value of the brokers supplier function, industry competition will increasingly be based on price. Strategic changes must correspond to current insurance brokerage industry trends, which can be identified with a PEST framework (Figure 1). Political There are no new political trends affecting the insurance brokerage industry today. Despite the stable political environment, brokers must vigilantly ensure that all business practices uphold all federal and statutory regulations. The PIP Portal code will incorporate safety nets to ensure users do not violate any regulatory requirements. Industry consolidation and disintermediation through technology are the main economic trends affecting the insurance brokerage field today. Large brokerages expand and secure market share primarily by merging and acquiring smaller competitors. Increased consolidation is concentrating and intensifying industry rivalry. Disintermediation through technology is encouraging clients with simpler risk management needs to seek inferior broker substitutes. Most clients with simple risk management needs already find it hard justifying investments towards broker services and building relationships with brokers. We will write a custom essay sample on Temple University Business Plan specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Temple University Business Plan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Temple University Business Plan specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These economic trends are challenging the brokers role in the insurance procurement transaction. Social Entities spend less time socializing face-to-face and prefer to socialize through technology-enabled media. Customers and employees are becoming more accustomed to communicating through technology than through face-to-face tenting or over the phone. Brokers that do not embrace technology to facilitate the broker-client relationship risk being pushed out. Technology is continually affecting the way com pansies conduct operations. Businesses have already adapted significantly to align strategy with new technologies. As technology continues to evolve, companies need to further align strategy with the evolution of technology in order to remain competitive. 3 Our proposed brokerage model was developed to help brokers overcome the various competitive forces affecting the industry and challenging the brokers role as risk advisor. These forces are driven by the trends identified in the PEST evaluation and analyzed under a Porters Five Forces framework (Figure 2). Figure 2: Porters Five Forces Insurance Brokerage Industry Force industry Rivalry Intensity Very Strong Threat of Weak New Entrants Buyer Power Moderate to Strong Supplier Power Us busiest Explanation C] Leading industry competitors (201 3): Marsh, Non, Willis, and Arthur J. Gallagher C] Disintermediation through technology CLC Clients cannot perceive true value C] Threat of strong price competition 0 Low to moderate buyer switching costs CLC Response from powerful incumbents L] Relationship-driven industry C] Access to suppliers I. E. Arises C] Buyers need insurance and risk management solutions C] Small clients have simpler needs, but are price sensitive D Large clients need individualized solutions, and have high bargaining power C] Relationship-driven customer switching costs C] Difficulty realizing true value CLC Control policy form design C] Control premiums 0 Intense competition among carriers C] Direct marketing 0 Alternative Risk Solutions Industry Rivalry The United States insurance brokerage industry is highly competitive. Marsh, Non, Willis, and Arthur J. Gallagher are the strongest commercial brokerage competitors. The industry has undergone a long-standing trend of consolidation as larger brokerages acquire smaller competitors. Disintermediation is becoming increasingly apparent as more clients, 4 particularly those with simpler needs, are severing broker relationships and relying on technology to develop their own, cost-effective risk management programs. Though, clients recognize the value of the brokers supplier function, many clients fail to realize the true value of the brokers problem solver function. Because switching costs are relatively low, clients can easily rancher to another brokerage that clients believe is capable of providing them the best coverage at the best price. Brokers who fail to address the consolidation, disintermediation, and value non-recognition trends threatening the industry will succumb to pressures stemming from increased rivalry. New entrants pose little threat to the US brokerage industry. Though, it is relatively easy to start an insurance brokerage firm, new entrants face hostile responses from industry incumbents. To build a book of business, new entrants must convince potential clients to dissolve pre-existing broker-client relationships. To provide clients the right products at the right price, new entrants must also establish strong broker-carrier relationships. The chosen brokers relationship with carriers, will largely influence the clients risk management program. Built on trust, this relationship-driven industry has high entry barriers lessening the threat new entrants pose to established brokers. Buyers Commercial insurance brokers face moderate forces from large clients and strong forces from small clients. Small clients are those with simpler risk management needs and large clients generally have more complex portfolios. Large clients exert moderate buyer power on brokers because large clients cannot easily find substitutes to their brokers problem solver and partner functions. However, large clients have a higher switching costs compared to small clients 5 because it takes time to rebuild relationships, trust, and understanding with a new broker. Small clients exert strong buyer power on brokers because traditionally, small clients do not avail broker services and have a harder time realizing the true value brokers provide. Small clients can easily access inferior broker alternatives and are more price sensitive. However, buyers relinquish some power since all clients need a means of risk transfer. Buyer power is weakened when considering brokers can leverage relationships with carriers to provide clients with better coverage. The commercial brokerage industry is heavily relationship-driven, wherein most clients tend to remain loyal to their broker. The primary factor disrupting existing broker-client relationships is severe pressure for cost reduction. Overall, buyer power is increasing more clients fail to recognize the true value brokers provide and consider alternative solutions to manage risk. Suppliers Suppliers have considerable strength in the LOS brokerage industry. Insurance carriers largely derive power from control over capacity, policy design, and ability to accept or decline a risk. Without broker-carrier understanding brokers are incapable of adequately serving clients. Strong supplier power is also driven by intense competition among the carriers themselves. However, since carriers compete to ensure that their products are brokers first choice recommendation, supplier power slightly diminishes. Overall, suppliers exert great strength over the commercial brokerage industry. Insurance brokers face a weak to moderate level of threat from substitutes because generally clients are most comfortable entrusting experts with their risk management, consulting, and procurement needs. However, disintermediation through technology and increased 6 availability of alternative risk solutions are jeopardizing the brokers role. Currently, substitutes still pose little threat to the industry. If clients continue underestimate the true value brokers provide, the threat of substitutes will strengthen and exert increased competitive pressure on the commercial brokerage industry. The Virtual Insurance Procurement Portal Technology Integration The Virtual Insurance Procurement Portal (PIP Portal or IPP) is a resource planning system that automates the coverage procurement process, facilitates communication, and provides a cohesive, organized, center of information for enhanced client management. The portal will integrate seamlessly with Windows and MAC operating systems and will be available in standard, touch, and mobile options. Because the IPP tool is designed to enrich the borderline relationship, it must be portable and provide constant access to client-related material. Due to the highly sensitive nature of client information, the IPP will employ state-of-the-art security encryption to ensure account integrity is always protected. Interface The interface will have an intuitive, visually appealing, tiled interface. Each of the tiles is customize able and will provide quicklime to selected information such as policies, interaction logs, chat, conferencing, client preferences, loss history, and industry benchmarking data. The platform will leverage a licensing agreement with Google data analytics to provide superior search capability within client accounts. As an example, the broker will be able to err policy limits, and the portal will return, the per-occurrence and aggregate limits of each policy as well 7 as any deductibles and exclusions. In the event of a loss, the broker will be able to best assist the client regardless of either users location or time. Users can set preferences within each client profile, so they will receive industry- specific news from insurance publications such as Advised and Business Insurance. This will ensure clients are consistently up-to-date on the broad issues affecting clients. Brokers will be able to directly interface with the carriers through the portal or Reps, and carriers will be able to directly upload policy deliverables into the portal. The portal will be able to Scan and quickly return key information, such as rates and exclusions, to the brokers. From the clients perspective, the portal will also have an intuitive, tiled approach, and work similarly to the brokers version. However, certain information, such as internal procedures will be excluded from the clients view. With all marketing and Reps results stored in the application, this will eliminate the administrative burden of preparing transparencies, as made requisite by the 2004 Spirits investigate. Storage and Maintenance The PIP Portal will include 24/7 customer service to detect and repair bug issues, and will make use of site management to ensure that all applications are consistently fully operational. Data storage will be securely encrypted and will be outsourced by a cud storage firm. This platform will be downloaded online, and will not require any hardware or packaged software. The platform will integrate with legacy information and underwriting systems as well the Microsoft suite. This will allow for steady assimilation to the product and will enable brokers to employ the most optimal mix of resources. Financial Market Entry We propose that the IPP be developed in-house, by a large brokerage firm. Due to lack of proof of concept at this stage, it may be difficult to find venture capital. Evidence supporting proof of concept will come from beta testing. Following development, the brokerage firm will have ownership of the PIP Portal. Business Model Our estimates indicate that about $1 will be required to develop a functioning prototype. During beta testing, the brokerage will partner in capital formation, which will enable developers to bring the software to optimal functionality and ensure that the software is capable of large-scale use. The portal is designed to syntactically align with the broker process and become inextricable from placement and client-servicing processes. During the three year battening phase, market share will be low at approximately half a percent. This period will allow brokers, partner carriers, and clients to collaborate and ensure that the tool provides maximum utility and enhances the brokers value-proposition. Upon completion of the beta phase, the brokerage firm will garner significant competitive advantage through full integration of legacy systems in place. Benefits and Cost Savings From a cost and benefit perspective, PIP Portal will increase process efficiencies in placement and servicing drastically reduce transaction costs, add value, and increase clients willingness to pay. We believe that IPP will provide savings for the broker by reducing the 9 number of staff needed to properly service an account and providing tools to assist the client as effectively as possible. The IPP solution will reduce administrative costs, increase efficiency, and provide savings on transaction costs. This does not necessitate a direct monetary discount for clients, but it ill provide greater utility and competitive advantage by increasing value relative to premium paid. Further proof of concept will provide greater clarity on the amount Of savings and the increase in productivity that will result from implementation of the PIP Portal. Financial Analysis By interviewing Bill Mortar, an adjunct professor at Temple University and an IT professional with knowledge in software development, our team estimated development costs for the IPP. The portal will need to be developed in phases. We designed a four-phase implementation process with varying development time and costs. Phase is currently underway and primarily involves researching design functionality and capability. Phases II through IV will build proof of concept that the PIP Portal must establish prior to implementation. The table below shows a breakdown of the four phases and major tasks that must be achieved in each phase. Phase I (6 months) Setting the business requirements Functionality and navigation considerations Screen mock-ups Total Cost Phase I Cost $50,000 Phase II (6 months) Translating business requirements Database structure Detailed software design and documentation Total cost of Phase II 150,000 10 Phase Ill (12 months) Coding Portal testing Bug tracking Total Cost of Phase Ill $700,000 Phase IV (12 months) Beta version testing Further development Maintenance Considerations Total Cost of Phase IV $1 75,000 Estimated Total Time Estimated Total Cost 36 months The team estimated the total time for development and testing to be 36 months at a cost Of $1 We have estimated the amount of value the PIP Portal could provide to a brokerage firm by conducting a net present value (NIP) analysis. According to Hoovers, the insurance agency and brokerage industry in the United States cords approximately 100 billion in revenue annually, and is expected to experience medium growth over the next 1 2 to 24 months. We decided a 5% growth rate is a reasonable assumption based on Hoovers data. We used very conservative numbers to estimate the extent of additional market share a brokerage firm could capture after implementation. Our assumptions is that a firm could capture an extra . 5% of industry revenue in the first year after the three year beta phase and is adjusted up to 3% at year five.