Internal and External Communication

1-a internal communication you would recommend to ensure that hand over process in hospital wards is made efficiently. Typically handover occurs at two levels. The first is the generic handover, completed by the whole team. This handover is often a summary in nature, with only generic client information included. This handover generally does not allow for provision of detailed profession specific information. The handover is typically provided to a central location, namely the receiving hospital or General Practitioner, with copies provided to relevant health services.Breakdowns occur when this handover report is not distributed beyond the primary receiving service or professional. Consequently the AHP may not be aware of the handover, and the client will then fail to receive the required service. The second level of handover involves profession specific handover, where clinical handover is provided between individual health professionals at the referring and receiving site. There ar e limited standard templates or formats for this type of handover.However, Department of Health (DoH) dietitians have recently collaborated to establish a standard client transfer summary sheet, which includes specific information when handing over within the same discipline. 5 A similar approach may be useful for other allied health professions OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate the PACT (Patient assessment, Assertive communication, Continuum of care, Teamwork with trust) Project, aimed at improving communication between hospital staff at handover. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The PACT Project was conducted between April and December 2008 at a medium-sized private hospital in Victoria.Action research was used to implement and monitor the project, with seven nurses acting as a critical reference group. Two communication tools were developed to standardise and facilitate shift-to-shift and nurse-to-doctor communication. Both tools used SBAR (situation, background, assessment, r ecommendation) principles. All nurses attended workshops on assertive communication strategies and focused clinical assessment of the deteriorating patient. Questionnaires were distributed to nurses and doctors at baseline, and post-implementation questionnaires and qualitative data were collected from nurses immediately after the project.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nurses' opinions of improvement in structure and content of handover; nurses' confidence in their communication skills. RESULTS: At baseline, 85% of nurses believed communication needed improvement. After implementation, 68% of nurses believed handover had improved and 80% felt more confident when communicating with doctors. CONCLUSION: Early evidence supports the use of standardised communication tools for handover, together with specific training in assertive communication and patient assessment. Long-term evaluation of patient outcomes is needed.

Financial Crisis: Beyond the 1929-2008 comparison Essay

There has been major economic and financial crisis that have afflicted the world economy since 1929. It all started with â€Å"a great depression† in 1929 that lasted for about 10 years and then some of the other major crisis followed it, the next one being the oil crisis in 1973 then the Latin American debt crisis in 1980’s, in 1990’s the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble and then in 1997 the Asian financial crisis and then in 2007 United states’ subprime mortgage crisis leading to a Global financial Crisis (Wikipedia: 1973 Oil Crisis, 2010). But there has been certain strategy of the corporate sector that distinguishes the crisis and its impact whenever it took place, as during the times of crisis the steps taken by the people who are economically and financially linked either directly or indirectly becomes very important due to the criticality of the situation and a particular step could make or break for the companies and economy as a whole. Getting over to the 1929 â€Å"The Great depression† that is considered to be a ravaging stock market crash in the history of United States of America that initially occurred because of the over-optimism of economists who believed that the stock prices are invulnerably high which they actually were in early 1920’s but soon those believes and certain predictions proved to be wrong when the stock market collapsed badly in October 1929 and remained broken-down for the next decade (Wikipedia: Wall Street Crash of 1929, 2010). People who borrowed money to buy the number of stocks relying on to the predictions of the economists were helpless with the situation, some people sold in a loss rite away but some kept it with them in a desire to make them even but had to wait for it for most of their life. The economy of U. S fell to its all time low in 1933 with industrial output being only 65% of the previous level. It not only affected U. S but all the countries worldwide as with some examples being Germany, Australia and Canada where the unemployment rates reached nearly 30% (Xinhua News Agency, 2009). The depression that began in United States but quickly transformed into a worldwide slump because of the underlying weaknesses and imbalances within the U. S economy that was previously vague by the Booming economy psychology and the blues of 1920s. The depression unveiled those weaknesses as it did the capabilities if the nation’s political and financial institutions to cope with the massive downward economic cycle that was set in 1930. As it was a depression never sighted by the countries, government took a very little or no action in times of economic downturn and relied heavily on an automatic market forces (Demand and Supply) to accomplish the economic correction. But those forces were unsuccessful in getting the desired recovery during the initial stages of the Great Depression and this badly hit discovery gradually inspired some of the fundamental changes in U. S economic structure and soon government came up with interfering in the form of taxations, public relations, industrial ordinance, insurance, welfare services and certain spending from them confirmed economic stability in the industries with free Market economies. The second biggest recession came in 1973, when Arab countries imposed embargo on the exports of oil and petroleum in retaliation to the U. S decision to re-supply the Israeli military. As Arab countries announced during the Yom Kippur war, the countries that supported Israelis in the conflict. Hence, the long lasting capabilities of embargo related to massive oil prices, disrupted oil supply and recession and with persistent increase in the need for crude oil and petroleum for the industries lead U. S and other European countries made it tough for the industrial sector there to grow and not only that Arab Oil suppliers got united with others to boost up the prices of Oil and crisis further exacerbated that limited the price of an old oil with that allowing newly extracted oil being sold at a higher price, resulting in a secession of an old oil from the market, creating artificial shortage. As with this the 1973 oil inducted the worst ever economic crisis since World War II in key Industrial states, resulting in a deadline of more than 14 per cent industrial output in the U. S and more than 20 per cent in Japan. As a striking inflation was experienced during that period and this massive increase in prices were to be blamed for being suppressive of economic activity. The infected countries responded with a variety of new and probably taking a permanent initiative to contain further dependency. As the oil price stunned the economy by further leading to a stock market crash in 1973-1974. The impact followed several years of steep income declines after the recent failure of pulling off the major Western oil companies. The third real crisis situation occurred that was in 1980’s that were the Latin American Debt crisis. It all started when the Latin American countries started borrowing huge sums of foreign cash to develop the domestic industries during 1960’s. The Latin American region that includes people speaking Roman languages and specifically Spanish, Portuguese and French termed as Latin (Romance languages). The foreign debts for the Latin Americans exceeded USD 300 billion (Xinhua News Agency, 2009) in the early 1980s. In 1982 Mexico revealed it incapability of repaying the debts that triggered a world Shaking debt crisis. Mexicans requested a 90 day rollover of the payments of the principal in order to restructure the financial packages. Unfortunately that problem aroused all other Latin American countries and some other debtor countries in all parts of the world. The Mexican impact was far reaching as it created an atmosphere that caused to issue dreadful forecasts by the people that were thankfully never realized. Most of the observers believe that the petrodollar recycling during 1970s gave birth to this debt crisis. As during that period the oil prices grew dramatically. Commercial banks were as well eager of making profitable loans to the governments and state-owned entities in developing countries, using dollars that were flown from the Middle Eastern countries and because of that the Latin America also got keen of borrowing the relatively cheap money from the banks (Ruggiero, 1999). During the crisis, GDP per capita of Latin American countries dropped by 10 percent (Xinhua News Agency, 2009). The adjustable interest rates interest loans sky rocketed in the early 1980s when the United States attempted to minimize inflation by enforcing rigorous monetary policies where, at the same time, it also increased its military spending. The administration of Reagan during that time in U. S did all this while shortening their Income tax rates. The raw material prices fell drastically around the Globe, which resulted poor countries with lesser money even to re pay their debts. Brazil and Mexico for example closely defaulted on their loans, and according to an International Law, there was no other option for these poor countries but to declare bankruptcy. Though commercial banks in that situation came to the rescue and prevented its defaults. Although many developing countries were left in huge debts and as a result they could no longer get loans. With no real way out, these nations have always relied heavily on the World Bank and/or International Monetary Fund (Ruggiero, 1999). The next real collapse of the Japanese Asset Price bubble was an economic bubble in Japan that took place from late 1980’s to early 1990s when the Japanese real estate and stock prices experienced a ruinous crash in 1990 after years of Inflation. During that time Japan suffered inveterate deflation and economic recession due to its asset devaluation and in the middle of 1990’s the country’s economy entered into a phase where there was a Zero growth (Xinhua News Agency, 2009). Since late 1980s the Japan’s experience shows the emergence and bursting of the bubble that played an important role in economic fluctuations throughout that period. The experience that was observed to have given the indication of a close relations in both financial and macroeconomic instability to large fluctuations in assets prices and raising the question of what has to be an appropriate way of treating asset prices in macroeconomic policy making. It has to be noted that Japan’s experience is the enthusiasm of market participants and together with inconsistent projection of fundamentals that contributed to a large degree to maintaining temporarily high asset prices during that time. Such enthusiasm is often quoted Euphoria that is being excessively optimistic but un-getable expectations for the long term economic performance being lasted for many years before dissipating. The escalated bullish expectations clearly observed in an increased equity yield during the period from the late 1980’s to the early 1990s. As the growth rate of nominal GDP was computed from the equity yield spread in 1990 as high as 8 per cent with the standard assumption that was based on the discount factor. Although the view of low inflation at the time, it was unlikely that the potential growth rate of nominal GDP was close to 8 per cent. Hence that would be more natural to infer the high level of the yield spread in 1990 reflecting the intensification of optimistic expectations, which were not sustainable in the Long run (Shiratsuka, 2005). In the late 1990’s that is in 1997 the Asian financial crisis emerged against the backdrop of U. S dollar appreciation where the exports of many Asian countries whose currencies were nailed down to the dollar and became less competitive. In July, a widespread devaluation of Asian currencies followed Thailand’s decision to float their currency â€Å"Baht†, hence, marking the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis. Indonesia on the other hand with Thailand as well as South Korea was most affected by the crisis. Indonesia’s GDP shrank with a massive 83. 4 per cent followed by Thailand and South Korea’s 40. 4 per cent and 34. 2 per cent respectively the time of crisis (Xinhua News Agency, 2009). The scope and the severity of the collapse were so massive that the outside intervention became somewhat mandatory as considered by many as a new kind of colonialism needed urgently. Since the countries that were sighting a huge downfall were not only the richest in their region but in the world since hundreds of billions of dollars were at stake and any response to the crisis had to be cooperative and international, in the desired case it was International Monetary Fund (IMF). They created rescue packages i. e. the series of bailouts for the most affected economies enabling those affected to avoid defaults that tied the packages to reforms that were intended to make the restored Asian currency with banking and financial systems. In some of the affected countries, restrictions on foreign ownership were greatly reduced and there were sufficient government controls set up to supervise all financial activities and ones they were to be independent and of private interest and the insolvent institutions had to be closed down in order to avoid insolvency affecting other institutions. The financial systems had to become more transparent to provide the kind of reliable financial information used in the West to make sound financial decisions. Somehow the strategy of IMF was opposed and came under great criticism because as countries fell into crisis, many local businesses and governments had taken out loans in terms of U. S dollars that made the currency much more expensive as compared to the local currencies which formed their income actually found unable to pay back to their creditors (Wikipedia: 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, 2010). IN 2007 the U. S subprime mortgage crises lead to another monumental crisis situation that has hurt globally and has forced many businesses to shut down. The crisis broke out in the summer of 2007 in the U. S and its root being mortgages that were made to the borrowers with less ability to repay the loans. The largely invested in products related to subprime mortgages and the tightening of credits around the world. It all started with the bankruptcy of one of the top banks in the world â€Å"Lehman Brothers† and Merrill Lynch’s buyouts in 2008 that caused a major slow down in the global economic growth with contraction in global trade and an astonishing rise in the level of unemployed workforce. Deep recession that emerged in Japan and some other countries that were on the verge of improving their economy somehow got dented with the current crisis (Xinhua News Agency, 2009). The crisis that is named â€Å"the Great Recession† that resulted in the collapse of large financial institutions plus the bailouts of banks by national governments and penultimate downturns in stock markets around the world. The housing market in many countries also suffered, resulting in numerous dispossessions, foreclosures and prolonged vacancies as being considered the worst ever crisis situation since the Great depression in 1930s. It massively contributed to the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth that is estimated to be in the trillions of U. S dollars with substantial financial commitments incurred by the governments, and a significant decline in the economic activities. The market based and regulatory solutions have been implemented or are under consideration, while significant risks remain for the world economy over the periods from 2008. The collapse of in the housing bubble that peaked in U. S in 2006, affected the securities tied to real estate pricing to plumb thereafter, damaging financial institutions in all around the world. The bank insolvencies declined credit availability and damaged investor’s confidence and gradually had its impact on the stock markets, where securities suffered huge losses during late 2008. Critics argued though that credit rating agencies and investors were not successful in pricing the risks involved with mortgage related financial products, and that governments did not adjust their regulatory practices to address the 21st Century financial markets. Governments and central banks had responded with unprecedented fiscal stimulus, monetary policy expansion and institutional bailouts (Wikipedia: Financial Crisis of 2007-2010, 2010). The Crisis throughout the Great depression in 1929 to the Great recession in 2008 are focused as have occurred due to different reasons but end of the day had the same impact and that was denting the global markets. But the strategies throughout the crisis had varied by the policy makers, sometimes it has been successful but sometimes as the recession that stands currently prior to the year 2008 in still active and measures are being taken to overcome the problem. Many companies in between had come up with the strategy of mergers and acquisitions in order to save themselves from bankruptcy and over the years it has become successful for some but has also been unsuccessful. It is somehow noticed that the Mergers and Acquisitions have had the bitter part. The history clearly tells that mergers are not ALWAYS successful for the firms. It takes a great deal of experience and courage to settle with the other firm and handle matters on a larger scale but as it is said the risks are sooner or later paid with dividends. The failures of Dunlop and Pirelli Merger that initiated in 1970, the British –Europe conglomeration went sour as the Pirelli sank into the red. Difficulties in European tire operations in France, West Germany and Ireland as well as Britain were somehow balanced for some time by Profits from Africa, Asia, North America and Australia. The two companies merged because of an intense competition in the tire market and an increased demand for the Japan and North American tires made it challenging for the European markets to grow and the only solution was to increase the financial resources and gain recognition through it hence that resulted in a merger of these two firms. But the troubled economic trends of the 70s played a lead role in the failure of the alliance between Pirelli and Dunlop, progressively deteriorating the relationship between top management of the two groups and their mutual confidence and the deeper elements that led to the Union dissolution was an attempt to combine the groups characterized by significant differences in their models of Corporate Governance, as Pirelli was a family business, while Dunlop was a Public company. Pirelli, as well as many other Italian groups, was controlled by means of a pyramidal structure, cross-holdings of shares and agreement between shareholders, a delicate balance which could be compromised by little changes in the share capital distribution or in its total amount. A delicate balance to preserve which Italian top management refused to implement deeper changes in the Union structure that, in the difficult 70s, might have led the group to achieve better performances. In this regard we can find some similarities between the Union history and a subsequent unfortunate international merger attempt: the one between Fiat and Ford in 1985. Notwithstanding the potential synergies of the joint-venture between the two automotive producers this project failed because the two head offices were incapable of achieving an agreement on the crucial issue of â€Å"corporate control†. The IMF and World Banks on the other hand have been actively participating but the crisis as the history shows, in most of the situations are so massive that their efforts are ruined as well. Bibliography Ruggiero, Gregory. (1999). Latin American Debt Crisis: What Where It’s Causes And Is It Over? Available: http://www. angelfire. com/nj/GregoryRuggiero/latinamericancrisis. html. Last accessed 01 May 2010. Shiratsuka, Shigenori. (2005). The asset price bubble in Japan in the 1980s: lessons for financial and macroeconomic stability. Available: http://www. bis. org/publ/bppdf/bispap21e. pdf. Last accessed 01 May 2010. Wikipedia. (2010). Wall Street Crash of 1929. Available: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929. Last accessed 01 May 2010. Wikipedia. (2010). 1973 Oil Crisis. Available: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis. Last accessed 01 May 2010. Wikipedia. (2010). 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Available: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/1997_Asian_Financial_Crisis. Last accessed 01 May 2010. Wikipedia. (2010). Financial Crisis of 2007-2010. Available: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Financial_crisis_of_2007%E2%80%932010. Last accessed 01 May 2010. Wright, William M. (n. d. ). The Great Depression that Changed Economic Theory. Available: http://windowtowallstreet. com/1929marketcrash. aspx. Last accessed 01 May 2010. Xinhua News Agency. (2009). Backgrounder: Major economic, financial crises since 1929. Available: http://news. xinhuanet. com/english/2009-03/31/content_11107060. htm. Last accessed 01 May 2010.

It Was A Usual Summer Morning In Story Brook Essay

It was a usual summer morning in story brook; the birds were chirping children were playing on the streets. Henry who was only eleven woke up to the sweet smell of his mother Emma’s homemade waffles. Emma is very generous when it comes to her children especially with Henry because he is the youngest out of three. The eldest is Simon he is 17 tall and behaves, the middle child is Steven. Steven is 15 years old does not behave at all and loves to annoy Henry. Emma told the children that school was starting in a few days and they all yelled with anger so she tried to cheer them up and said we’ll go buy the school supplies and stop for ice-cream on the way back â€Å"And whoever finishes first she said will get a double scooped ice-cream with any toppings so they all rushed to get ready. On there ay back they past by an abandoned home, henry looked up with a smile for winning the double scooped ice-cream asked his mom with curiosity â€Å"what is that place, can we go inà ¢â‚¬  his mother stopped the car with all her force and looked at him and said: â€Å"don’t you ever go in that place don’t even look at it and that goes for you two too† pointing at all three children. School stared and Simon is driving Steve and Henry to school when they passed the abandoned house, Steve dared henry to go in to the house alone on Friday night and when Simon heard there conversation he speeded up the car and stopped at the next paring spot and turned to them while scolding and said: NEVER GO IN THAT HOUSE DON’T EVEN WALK BY THAT HOUSE†. Later that night henry was thinking about the dare. The next morning henry walked to school because Simon and Steve were sick, and on his way to school where he passed the abandoned house and as he was walking past it his stood there for a second and stared at it for a second, he was about to open the front gate where he was grabbed by the shoulder by an odd old lady with light blue eyes thick grey hair tied up in a bun and knitting glasses and her name was Mrs. Potter. She scolded at him and said: â€Å"why young henry don’t you know better than to go in to this house and especially today?† henry looked at her with a puzzled face and he said, â€Å" Why what’s today?† That night Henry ignored Mrs. Potter and gathered some of  his friends and planned to go in that house the next day. The next night was a Saturday, when Henry and all of his friends woke up they went over the plan again, that night they all rode on their bikes and when to that house as they parked right out of that house Jack, Henry’s best friend heard laughter and screaming so he ran behind the tallest one Zack.. As the kids opened the house door they herd a glass fall but no one could see anything because there was no lights. Jack remembered he had a flash light, when he turned it on the first thing the kids saw was a skeleton they all screamed and ran up the stairs wear they heard someone yell â€Å"die die die †. As the kids turned around they found something standing behind them and when he turned on the lights they saw that it was a man. When they apologized and explained and the man kindly called their parents to pick them up. When henry’s mom came to pick him up she told henry that, that man was his father and the reason she didn’t want him to go is that she didn’t want him to know. Henry asked what are the skeletons and he answered, â€Å" I am science teacher† and the screaming â€Å"that’s my five year old son†, then why did Mrs. Potter say â€Å"especially not tonight† she replied, â€Å"It is her birthday† Henry found out that he had a dad and a new baby brother and henry learnt that he would never dis-obey his mother again.

Marketing plan development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing plan development - Essay Example Also there is still perception among some of the customers that fast-food are rich in fat and are not healthy. As far as specific is concerned, sandwiches are treated as the most favorite as it holds over 30 % of the market share. Research has shown that, people mainly love sandwiches due to the trend of short lunch breaks triggering the demand for light snacks and lunches. At this point of time Hotdog doesn’t top the menu list of the people of UK when it comes to Fast Foods (Mintzberg and Quinn, 1996, p. 67). After analyzing the market scenario, business and product life cycle it is believed that out of the four probable strategies market development strategy could be best suited. Market development strategy is used when an existing product is launched in a new market. The risk factor in this case is medium. It is suggested that American Hot Dog Cart should focus on designing an efficient distribution network and repositioning strategy. One of the most famous ways to expand market reach is to setup franchisee network. Most of the major food chains follow this strategy. As mentioned in before, fast foods especially non vegetarian fast foods are still perceived as high-fat unhealthy products. This something the American Hot Dog has to change. Certain degree of augmentation can help the company in creating product differentiation. For example providing salads along with hot-dog can help the company successfully reposition the product. Also social media channels can be used to directly engag e with the customers. Social media can be used to show the target customers the way the food is being made. The main USP of the marketing campaign is the healthy ingredients and low fat content to change the perception (Palepu and Bernad, 2007, p. 65). Out of the four strategies Cost Leadership seems best suited for American Hot Dog Cart. The UK fast food market is a broad one. Hence the company may use the industry

Refusal letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Refusal letter - Essay Example One of our legal policies is to present terms and conditions of service to our clients before we enter into contract with them and we allow the client to review condition of the available facilities. Our contracts are therefore based on clients’ satisfaction with the state of our facilities before they make an offer for our services. This is based on the legal maxim that advertisement is an invitation to treat and not an offer (Mann and Roberts 173). Consequently, we assume that you placed an offer for our services based on your assessment of the state of the facilities and accepting your offer established the contract. It would therefore be unfair to shift blame on us for your failure to establish the level of utility that you could derive from our facility. Accepting your offer to use our facility entitled us to the payments and a refund would not be possible. You should have also noted in the contract that our policies do not provide for refund on received services. We would be happy to take every necessary measure to ensure that your next stay in our hotel derives the highest level of utility to you. We will also forward your concern to our legal expert who will inform you of the extent to which we met our obligations, based on the contract that you signed with us. We look forward to a long-term relationship with

Specific questions on avionic regulations, certifications and Essay

Specific questions on avionic regulations, certifications and standards - Essay Example gnificant in the overall performance of the plane, for instance, light bulb; however, such items may also affect the safety of the aircraft since they are connected to other major parts, i.e. the light bulb, for example, is part of the electrical channel of the aircraft (Transport Canada 22). Reason: The type certificate clearly and precisely gives a definition of the requirements of the changes and modifications that have to comply with the stipulations of airworthiness; this is also a requirement of the change product rule. Reason: An AFM supplement is provided in the case of any change that may tamper with the regulatory data that may be contained in the Fundamental AFM. Regulatory data contained in the supplemental manual is confirmed by the TCCA (Delegation and Engine Design ppt). The correct answer is (c): Continuing Airworthiness is achieved in part by the development, issuance and distribution of Airworthiness Circulars and the Approval of the Alternative Means of Compliance. Reason: The issuance of Airworthiness Circulars and the approval of the Alternative Means of Compliance form part of the requirements needed to obtain a Certificate of Continuing Airworthiness which is later approved by the Minister (Transport Canada 10). Reason: The approval of Alternative Means of Compliance or exemption to AD requirements is given by the Airworthiness Directives Department of Transport Canada and not the Airworthiness Certification Department (Transport Canada

POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES(FISCAL POLICY AND MONETARY POLICY) Essay

POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES(FISCAL POLICY AND MONETARY POLICY) - Essay Example The most open similarity between the two policies is that both work together concurrently to control the rate of employment, currency value stabilization and work towards the realization of economic stability in the states. They both optimize economic growth in the states by controlling the flow of currency in the market. When government expenditure is high through the effect of fiscal policy and the economy goes down due to inflation, the Fed, through monetary policy intervenes to reduce inflation and maximize economy growth (Beetsma 327). The government is the prime body that deals with and regulates the entire economy of its states. The congress therefore makes decisions on which strategy to apply and when appropriate. This mandate of the government over both policies is a major similarity since the government has the mandate to choose between the fiscal policy and the monetary policy whenever any of the two needs to be inculcated to realize economic stability. Both the policies are effective in their own ways. The monetary policy is oversees and inculcated by the Fed and effects on the slowing down of the growth in the economy of the states. That means the government does involve itself in the realization of this policy. However, the fiscal policy is overseen by the government and is utilized in the boosting of economic growth and stability (Beetsma 256). The fiscal policy is more influential since it aims at controlling the rate of government expenditure and escalating the flow of money in the economy. It involves government spending and trimmi9ng of taxes, both of which are politically appealing and highly supported as disputed to the momentary policy which does not increase spending but reduces the effective spending by the federal government. The fed has the highest influence and greatest ability in the influence towards slowing economic augmentation and leading to

Concepts of Time Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Concepts of Time - Essay Example One significant issue that the Americans understand through the conception of time is the declaration of independence. In the book, The Sons of the fathers, Albanese looks at the declaration of independence in terms of time and the importance of that achievement at the time it happened and in future time (Albanese 5). Albanese states that the declaration of independence meant a lot to school-going children. She states that the declaration of independence was a form of enlightenment to schoolchildren in 1937. She also states that this event was significant for succeeding generations because they would consider the document as an evidence of a stronger foundation. As such, Albanese looks at the declaration of independence in terms of its meaning to different people in different generations (Albanese 18). In 1937, the declaration of independence meant that Americans could control their materialism. They looked at independence in terms of ability and capacity to control their belonging. However, the current America does not look at the declaration of independence as a means to control their materialism. They look at it in terms of awareness and freedom. The declaration of independence means a way of acquiring rights and controlling politics and governance. Albanese looks at declaration of independence in times of people like Thomas Jefferson, Margaret Willard among other people (Albanese 219). During the declaration of independence, Americans considered it as a sacred document and an entity that was handled by religious leaders as a formed of governance. Albanese states that because the document was sacred, then the time of its declaration was also sacred. There were religious practices that were done during the declaration, which included natural liturgy of religious remembrance. Another important event looked at in terms of time is the ratification of the constitution in 1787. The constitution marked a different age in the United States of America. For example, b efore the constitution was ratified, American people did not have many rights and freedoms defined. The political class used to control many issues that affected citizens. Political leaders did not care about the wellbeing of citizens, as long as they acquired the things and privileges they wanted. However, after the ratification of the constitution, many rights and freedoms were defined formally in the constitution. They allowed American citizens to engage in certain things such as free will to religion, freedom of speech, right to life and freedom of movement among other things. Therefore, time in this sense, meant an aspect of different lifestyles and ways of life in America (More 19). American Revolution is also understood in terms of time. Political leaders who existed in the United States of America in the seventeenth century used history to compare forms of governance, political regimes and the success of different governance systems. They compared political systems and their governance through time and used that history, to develop their own political forms. A notable result of this involves the start of republicanism that occurred in the United States of America in 1775. Republican values in the United States and the importance of a materialistic way of life influenced the American Revolution. All Americans adapted their ways of life including, culture, religion

ECN 302 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ECN 302 - Essay Example Over half of the Americans have a contrary view and claim that all the government intervention achieves is causing more damage than benefits, while six percent believe that it had no effect and 17% were found to be unsure (Fox, 2012). In a contemporary era, whereby auto bailouts, maximum debt and Dodd-Frank reform, interventions by the government, seem to be the Obama administration’s solution option, according to the article. The article claims that this stand has created a deep partisan gap between supporters and the opposition of the viewpoint. It highlights that the proposition is gains support mostly from democrats while most republicans and independents oppose the approach. It further explains that more divisions resulted due to class differences, as the wealth class claimed that economy management by the government was helpful while the middle class respondents believed that government control destroyed the economy (Fox, 2012). The model states that the economy will be boosted when the governments spends enormous sums of borrowed funds. The article highlights these as it highlights how the $787 stimulus package involves federal tax reductions and expenditures on infrastructure and other government projects. These will help to address the recession crisis. The model is used to address the sluggish US economy more with the current

Annotated Bibliography of The Company Vision and Superordinate Goals Essay

Annotated Bibliography of The Company Vision and Superordinate Goals - Essay Example Some organizations combine both perspectives, yet others focus on congruence between various aspects of an organization (Mindtools.com, 2011). According to mindtools.com, nevertheless, the factor comes down to which issues to focus on that work best for an organization. Whereas a number of models of organizational success go in and out of fashion, one model that has persisted is the renowned McKinsey 7-S framework (Mindtools.com, 2011). The framework was developed in the 80’s by Robert Waterman and Tom Peters. The basic principle of the model, by these two consultants, is that there are seven internal aspects of a company that should be aligned for the organization to be successful. The 7-S framework can be utilized in a wide variety of organizations and, in this case, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, where an alignment perspective is useful to an organization’s success. The 7-S framework will help an organization to improve on its performance. It will exami ne the effects of future modifications within a company. The 7-S framework will help companies align departments and processes during an acquisition or merger. Finally, the 7-S framework will help organizations determine how best to impose a proposed strategy (Mindtools.com, 2011). According to mindtools.com, the McKinsey 7-S framework can be applied to elements of a project or team, as well. The alignment issues apply in a project or team, in spite of how an organization decides to define the scope of the area it studies. Some of the key elements of the McKinsey 7-S framework that could help organizations to be successful in their visions and superordinate goals include shared values, structure, skills, strategy, staff, style and systems. Shared values, according to mindtools.com should be the priority of any organization since the other six factors mainly are why the organization was created. Finally, the process of analyzing where a company is in terms of these elements is pricel ess (Mindtools.com, 2011). Hence, by determining the ultimate state for each factor will easily help move a team or organization forward. Lacpa.org (2011). Analyzing and improving organizational effectiveness-the 7-S model framework of McKinsey. Retrieved 28th August, 2012, from, http://www.lacpa.org.lb/Includes/Images/Docs/TC/newsletters28/18%20Iluminations.pdf According to lacpa.org, most individuals grew up only knowing the 4Ps framework of marketing which included elements such as place, price, product and promotion. Even though, the 4Ps model still works today, most developed economies have moved on to the improved 7-S framework (Lacpa.org, 2011). Lapca.org praises the 7-S framework since it focuses more on service businesses when compared to the 4Ps model. Therefore, the 7-S framework is more of service marketing when compared to 4Ps model. Lapca.org also discusses the seven elements of the 7-S framework, but it separates them into two sections, soft elements and hard elements . The hard elements incorporate structure, strategy and systems, but the soft include skills, staff, style and shared values. Nevertheless, in combination, both hard and soft elements offer a successful framework for analyzing the team or organizat

Terrorism and anti-terrorism laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism and anti-terrorism laws - Essay Example The most prominent combination of the War Measures Act, Canadian security certificate program, and Canada’s own Anti-Terrorism Act provides a stable and strong anti-terrorist legal framework in the country. However, the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act functions as the most powerful element of this framework. The Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act extends the legal sphere of the war measures mechanism. Canada has fought wars with the United States and also it had conflicts with the Native Indian populations on certain occasions. During the World War II, Canada participated in several military operations in Europe and Asia-Pacific region. During Cold War, tensions regarding the country’s internal security concerns often surfaced. Hence, formulating the Anti-Terrorism Act in response to the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks was challenging but not impossible. Technically, this Act extends the powers of the institutions and the Government athwart the country’s security establishment so that they can address, combat, and diminish the threat of terror. The Act has some most important law enforcement process at focus. These are pre-emptive detention, extended surveillance, investigative hearing, preventive arrest, and stringent sentencing. Thus, it is highly similar to the USA PATRIOT Act, which was passed after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. (Canadian Legal Information Institute, 2012) It has been already mentioned that although Canada’s past has been relatively peaceful, the country’s involvement in several important greater international conflicts cannot be ignored. Like World War II and Cold War, Canada got involved in the War on Terror too. And like the previous conflicts, this conflict too called for certain specific and special arrangements. Terrorism has its peculiar dynamics. Since it is not direct warfare and even terrorist states enjoy diplomatic immunity in the modern society, it may prove to be more dangerous in the sense of psychological effect. And in the

Professional Development Journal Essay Example for Free

Professional Development Journal Essay Education is an aspect where one’s cognitive and learning abilities are put to tests and pushed to its maximum abilities. It is important because education gives a man a career so he can compete with a career-oriented workplace. Education also prepares a man to efficiently and competitively perform his tasks in the field of his expertise in the real world. I have finished an A.A.S. in Telecommunications and still continuing my BS in Criminal Justice in an online school, the Kaplan University. However, I have been in and out of school because of work. Though BS in Criminal Justice is the career that I want to pursue, the need for financial aspects prohibits me to continuously go to school and finish the degree that I want. My skills in my field of interest is not trained and tested since my ten years of schooling has been in and out. The course that I have finished    A.A.S. in Telecommunications has helped me get into a telecommunication industry   and this career just provided for my financial needs. When I was employed in chemical   industry which produces flavorings that goes with any processed food that we drink or eat, I settled with that kind of job for the reason that I needed money and that I did not finish a degree to which I can qualify to a higher position in any offices. Now I can say that the level of education that I had did not allowed me to get a good job. Thus, the jobs that I got hindered me from continuing my studies because I cannot balance work and study. I have to work to finance my study, that’s why. Also the level of education I have achieved and the jobs that I got into, helped me realized that I can learn things I thought I would never understand. Like when I was working in the chemical industry, I would not have thought that I would understand the chemical stuff there. The realization thing helped boost my self confidence that I can still learn things if I am given the chance to, though I have been in and out of school. However, taking a look at my former job’s effect in my professional growth, I can say that it has not improved at all. I stayed with my work because I needed to fulfill my financial needs, but professionally there was no growth in it. With the telecommunication industry where I have worked for eight years,   Ã‚  it has opened a new field for me and a field where I can practice the degree I got in telecommunications. I have learned about fiber optics and the pay was good that is why I wasn’t able to leave   my career there to study. In this job, I had grown professionally because I have already practiced the education I earned. But personal growth was very minimal. My learning abilities were put on a test, but the satisfaction I got from my job was nominal. The reason is that my line of interest is still in criminal justice, and so I can only be satisfied if I practice the field that I am totally interested in. Therefore, I have come to realize that in getting the course and career that I want to get into, I should go for the field I am most interested in. Be educated about it by getting a degree and practicing my career after. Only this can give me the maximum personal and professional growth. I have been taking up BS in Criminal Justice online and have been in and out of it for the past ten years. It has not helped my professional and personal growth in any way. I had jobs to sustain my financial needs for the moment, and when the salary is good I stay with the company. My experiences in different jobs I had was rewarding in a way that I was able to learn new things and that learning is good for me when given the chance to. So I can say that when I be given a chance to finally finish my criminal justice course, I’d be doing good in learning and finally may be able to practice it in the field that I want.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In doing this, I have discovered that employed people with low salary and are not satisfied with their jobs have these reasons why they still stay in the work they have. One is, lack of education, and even if they wanted to study, education is expensive and they still have to settle other financial deadlines they have. Another is, they might have taken the wrong choice of career. At some point in people’s life, they are too young to know what they want, that when they get a course in college, they just at times trust their instincts or what they think is cool. Next reason is that there are no other options for them, following reasons for this may vary depending on the kind of life a person has, or the difficulties they encounter. Professional Development Journal is a record of all the activities, seminars, awards and achievements, scholarships, workshops, trainings and education that a person attended that would help him track down his qualifications when trying to prepare for a resume, get employed and succeed in his chosen career. It is important to keep a record of these because it would be a great help especially in reaching a qualification or standard when applying for work or scholarship. A sample format of Professional Development Journal: Name:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Age: Office Address:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phone No. Permanent/Home Address:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Phone No. Course of study: Major:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Minor:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Concentration: List down seminars attended, workshops, organizational activities and positions. Specify the date of event. List down awards, recognitions and scholarships received. Specify the date of event. Career Development: Employment while in school, internship, duty/responsibility, start/end date. Interview questions (may be included). Have you ever planned a whole event by yourself? How was it? Describe briefly. What is your plan of action to the members who refuse to follow rules and do not participate in activities? When was the moment where you experienced being in an ethical conflict? What did you do? Specify References. (Do not use a friend’s or a relative’s name and ask permission before listing.) Work References: (Include company name, position, scope of work, date started and date of the end of contract.) Non-work References: (Include name, title, company, address and contact numbers.) Reference Professional Development Journal. January 30, 2008 retrieved from www.philau.edu/career/parents/documents/ProfessionalDevelopmentJournal_000.doc

Chupacabra Animal Blood

Chupacabra Animal Blood Chupacabra The horror it has created this unidentify creature Chupacabra is a cryptid rumored to lived in parts of the Americas or the world. It is associated more recently with sightings of an allegedly unknow animal in Puerto Rico (where these sightings were first reported), Mexico, and the United States, especially in the latters Latin America towns farms and communities. The name comes from the animals reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. Physicals descriptions of the creature vary. Eyewitness sightings have been claimed as early as 1990 in Puerto Rico. It is supposedly as a big creature. Most biologists and wild management officials view the Chupacabra as an urban legend. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra) â€Å"There are come theories one of them is that some authorities have ventured that chupacabras may actually be a large vampire bat. The worlds three species of blood-sucking bats live predominantly in the warm climates of Latin America where most of the attacks have occurred. But vampire bats do not directly kill their victims; they stealthily creep up on their sleeping prey, make painless incisions, and lap up the dripping blood. Another theory is that the Chupacabra is the result of secret government experiments in genetics. There is another one called the â€Å"Alien Theory†: Disinformation and debunking campaigns appeared organised through UFO groups stating Chupacabras belong to a voracious reptilian race of creatures, alien in origin, who have started devouring the populace.† (http://cryptozoo.monstrous.com/theories_chupacabra.htm) Since 1990 farmers have found corpses of sheep, goats, cows, turkeys, cats, chickens, with specific penetrating injuries, around their necks and bodies totally, without blood. Some farmers say that the aggressor is an animal half dog, half wolf and, with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base 0of the tail . The same versions assure that the animal is capable to be stopped being supported in its hind legs and to swim quickly -like ducks-.The animal jumps as kangaroo, measures 1,2 mts of high, has a great snout with eyeteeth and so scarce and fine fur, that it could be told that lacks hair. One thing that it suppose to be true is that the Chupacabra doesnt need to drink blood every nigth, they say that one night each month he got all the necessary to survive the whole month. But in only one night he could eat an incredible numbers of goats or chikens or turkeys or rabbit, etc. (www.chupacabra.com) â€Å"The goatsucker or chupacabra has affected Latin America by sucking blood or eating internal organs of animals like goats, cows, chikens, ducks, cats, dogs, turkeys, rabbits and other small animals in farms, and living less domestic animals. The goatsucker or chupacabra affected the most in Puerto Rico. There have being many cases of dead animals by the characteristic of a goatsucker eating. Since 1975.  ¨Their first known attacks were in March of 1975 in Puerto Rico. Eight sheep were discovered dead, each completely drained of blood. Investigators found three strange puncture wounds in the chests of the animals.† (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra) â€Å"In July 2004, a rancher near San Antonio, Texas, killed a hairless, dog-like creature named JoAnne, which was attacking his livestock. This creature is now known as the Elmendorf Creature. It was later determined to be an unknown canine of some sort, similar to a coyote with demodectic mange. In October 2004, two animals which closely resemble the Elmendorf Creature were observed in the same area. The first was dead, and a local zoologist who was called to identify the animal noticed the second while she was traveling to the location where the first was found. Specimens of the dead animal were studied by biologists in Texas, who found that the creatures were some sort of canines of an undetermined species.† (http://www.chupacabrasonline.com/link.two.htm , Raggie Lagow) â€Å" In April of 2006, MosNews reported that the chupacabra was spotted in Russia for the first time. Reports from Central Russia beginning in March 2005 tell of a beast that kills animals and sucks out their blood. Thirty-two turkeys were killed and drained overnight. Reports later came from neighboring villages when 30 sheep were killed and had their blood drained. Finally eyewitnesses were able to describe the chupacabra. In May of 2006, experts were determined to track the animal down. In mid-August 2006 Michelle ODonnell, described an evil looking rodent-like creature with fangs that had been found dead alongside a road. The mystery beast was apparently struck by a car, and was otherwise unidentifiable. Photographs were taken and several witness reports seem to be in relative agreement that the creature was canine in appearance, but unlike any dog or wolf in the area.† (http://www.chupacabrasonline.com/link.two.htm, Michelle ODonnell) â€Å"In December 2006, a local farmer in Peru claimed to have seen a creature resembling a Chupacabra attacking a wild boar on his farm. The man, who referred to the creature as Zahir, later told the authorities that he feared for his life when he saw the creature devour the boar within minutes. The creature then ran faster than any animal the farmer had ever seen. Shocked at the sight of the creature, the farmer stated that he is haunted by the evil in the Zahirs eyes. The most recent, undocumented sighting of the Chupacabra was in Hawaii on the island of Maui. Witnesses who apparently saw the beast outside of the Kuia Leia Airport described the creature as half dog half human. (February 16, 2007) One week after Chiles Armed Forces released photos and videos of UFO activity around the country, Chiles mainstream media has once again gone extraterrestrial with various Chupacabra sightings reported throughout the country. Chupacabra literally translated as goat sucker is the name f or a mythical creature known for sucking the blood out of farm animals throughout Latin America and the southern United States. Many enthusiasts speculate that Chupacabras are aliens or escaped alien pets as evidence of the creature is frequently reported in tandem with nearby UFO sightings. While UFO activity is typically reserved for Chiles tabloid press, Chupacabra sightings make big news in Chile, and the countries principle newspaper, El Mercurio, reported Wednesday that Chupacabras are once again causing a stir in the southern cone country. According to the daily, a Chupacabra attacked a henhouse in San Antonio Tuesday evening, leaving every chicken dead, without blood, and with a mysterious orifice on their spines. Flor Và ¡squez, 73, told police that she could not believe what she saw when she entered her henhouse. â€Å"All the chickens were dead and were sucked completely dry of blood,† she said. â€Å"But the animal that did it did not eat a single on of my bir ds.† (El Mercurio, www.chupacabrasonlina.com ) My conclusion is that the chupacabra exist, you can say that this is a case like the one of the loch ness monster but is different because in this case we have evidence like photos, remains, victims, etc. The Chupacabra or goatsucker has beencalled by a lot of names one of them is phenomenoum it can be because it seem to dont be an animal, but another chance is that it can be a creation on a laboratory of some scientifics and it scaped but im not sure about this because it seem to dont be only one. This is another question i couldnt answer, how does it reproduct? Is not only one. How many could they be, but how?. I guees it still a mystery but not any more a legend. Bibliography http://www.chupacabrasonline.com/link.two.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra http://cryptozoo.monstrous.com/theories_chupacabra.htm http://tinwiki.org/wiki/El_Chupacabra

Friendship By Ralph Waldo Emerson Philosophy Essay

Friendship By Ralph Waldo Emerson Philosophy Essay Emersons essay on friendship is one of the most remembered and highly respected essays dating back to the 19th century. The information given in the essay is extremely valuable and has helped to explain the universal truth that is friendship. Emersons essay on friendship is his way of delineating the paths of coherence. These paths fall into two distinct kinds. The first is the consistent enunciation of a view which is the master-tone that Emerson uses from essay to essay while the second is the internal linkage of the views in the essay. Some scholars have argued that Emersons views on friendship are strange and radical while others feel that his logic is sound and valid. This argument can only be settled by finding the deeper meaning in Emersons criticisms and praise of friendships. We find that there is a critical connection between friendship and other earthly phenomena which Emerson shows through the use of metaphors to create the assimilation of tangible and intangible things i n life. Emerson begins by describing how friendships begin. He states that they have nothing to do with putting in effort, worldly accomplishments or physical beauty. They have more to do with attraction or affinity. He asserts that this is what really matters in a friendship. Emerson states that when all is done, friendship makes us feel worthy in life. He states that as the best things in life, Emerson sees friendships as being spontaneous and unforced. Emerson states is that there are two distinct elements which go to the composition of friendship, . The first is sincerity and the second is tenderness. He says that we can scarce believe that so much character can subsist in another as to draw us by love. Here, Emerson refers to the tender anxiety that we feel when we are with another person to whom we are drawn. Emerson then undercuts tenderness by saying that I tender myself least to him to whom I am most devoted, (64). This means that he gives devotion more value than tenderness. He goes ahead and states that each of the two elements is so sovereign that there is none that is superior to the other. He states that there is no reason why either of the two elements should be named before the other. Through his use of the word sovereign, Emerson creates an aura of superiority. It creates a perception in the reader that what Emerson is writing about is to be respected to the highest level possible and that it is completely true and ho lds a lot of power. He goes ahead to state that though each of these elements should be highly appreciated and respected they hold the same weight and that each bears the same importance and has the same level of authority. Here he means that each of the elements is independent and has its own power. He states that no element can be compared to the other. Emerson then states that One is Truth, . By making this sentence short, Emerson gives it absolute power. It can been argued that by making this sentence longer, it would lose meaning and effect therefore Emerson was on point by making it short and straight to the point. It also leaves a mark for the readers to ponder as they read the essay. The following statement states that a friend is that person with whom I may be sincere, (64). He states that a friend allows him to think aloud before him and that he can remove the undermost garments of dissimulation, courtesy, and second thought, (64). Emerson uses the words undermost garments (64) as a metaphor to mean a mask. He states that with a true friend, a person can take of the mask that they wear for other members of the society. He then goes on to state that with a true friend he can deal with him with the simplicity and wholeness with which one chemical atom meets another, (64). Here, Emerson uses the word atom which is the simplest chemical form as a metaphor to mean the simplicity of nature that is the result of having a true friend. He refers to the process of an atom bonding with another where it does not think or discriminate when bonding rather it just goes about the bonding process. Emerson uses metaphors throughout his essay to represent different things. He states that sincerity is the luxury allowed, . He uses the word luxury (64) to arouse a feeling in the reader that friendship is a privilege and not a right. Emerson states that true friendship is when a person is privileged to have another with who they can be sincere and not have to watch what they say or do that it may hurt their feelings or offend them. He continues by saying that like diadems and authority, only to the highest rank, that being permitted to speak truth, as having none above it to court or conform unto, (64). Here, he uses the word diadems (64) to represent some sort of royal crown or power. The word authority (64) refers to the ability to give an even better privileged (64) feeling. Emerson concludes this thought by tying all metaphors together and stating that when a person is able to tell a person the truth without worrying that it may hurt or offend them is a huge luxury. Emerson states that friendship is a great achievement in life. In his essay, Emerson gives the value of friendship is extremely high, he also gives the true definition of having a true friend and differentiates between true friendship and simple friendship with human beings. In Emersons essay, he has sound logic and understanding of the concept of friendship since he says that in friendship there are emotions of benevolence and complacency which are felt towards others, . This can also be seen in Emersons words when he moves away from the abstract and generalized remarks on his experience with friendship. He states that a person seeks the company of a stranger when they believe that the stranger will give or inspire something that we currently lack. Though from the essay it turns out that Emerson does not have much to say about friendship, he states that the stranger who Emerson refers to as a friend awakens a desire for throbbing of the heart and the communications of the soul, . Emerson goes on to say that despite of this, sometimes friends disappoint us. He also states that friendship brings about doubt which is only justified by the course of our experience. Emersons logic is also seen in his discussion of the pleasures and advantages that come about as a result of having a friend. He says that friendship is an encounter of two, in a thought, in a feeling, . This however, is simply an image of friendship and perhaps just a simple admiration at a distance. Emerson continues to say that A new person is to me a great event and hinders me from sleep, . Here, he shows appreciation of the friend who brings him the best moments in life. However, the essay also shows Emersons skepticism about his friend. He says that though he feels proud when his friend accomplishes something, he overestimates the conscience of his friend. This statement means that we somewhat idolize our friends and they in turn also idolize us which makes friends unable to read each others reality and promise accurately. Emerson goes ahead to speak of the surprises and joy that comes from friendship. He, however, surprises us by saying that our friend is more limited than we actually though and that though we idolize and judge them, there is an infinite remoteness (62) between persons that makes the friendship limited. Emerson, however, says that friends are for us to grow with and to use to make a stable and unchanging relationship. Emersons logic is that as people grow, the souls of friends also grow making this a sound and valid logic. Emerson also gives a logical argument regarding the law of one to one (65) in friendship. Here he states that the common practice in friendship is to have two people and that a friendship between more than two people may not be feasible. This logic is lacking since what is required for a friendship is affinity that determines which two shall converse (65) and not will. His essay concludes that what is commonly referred to as friendship is not really friendship Friends, such as we desire, are dreams and fables, (67). This logic is sound and valid since we often paint an image of friendship that gives it much more credit than it deserves. Emersons essay on friendship is a mediation or a set of variations on the themes of hope and disappointment that we suffer in life as a result of others. Emersons essay on friendship progresses from a diffuse friendship which begins at a distance to the disappointment that comes from having friends to the reality of having friends in our lives and the promise of something better anything we have ever achieved.

Purpose of the Monetary and Fiscal Policies in America :: Economy

Purpose of the Monetary and Fiscal Policies in America The Monetary and Fiscal Policies, although controlled by two different organizations, are the ways that our economy is kept under control. Both policies have their strengths and weaknesses, some situations favoring use of both policies, but most of the time, only one is necessary. The monetary policy is the act of regulating the money supply by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, currently headed by Alan Greenspan. One of the main responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System is to regulate the money supply so as to keep production, prices, and employment stable. The â€Å"Fed† has three tools to manipulate the money supply. They are the reserve requirement, open market operations, and the discount rate. The most powerful tool available is the reserve requirement. The reserve requirement is the percentage of money that the bank is not allowed to loan out. If it is lowered, banks are required to keep less money, and so more money is put out into circulation (theoretically). If it is raised, then banks may have to collect on some loans to meet the new reserve requirement. The tool known as open market operations influences money and credit operations by buying and selling of government securities on the open market. This is used to control overall money supply. If the Fed believes there is not enough money in circulation, then they will buy the securities from member banks. If the Fed believes there is too much money in the economy, they will sell the

English: Poetry Commentary Haven’t I Danced the Big Dance? By Jack Mapanje :: English Literature

English: Poetry Commentary Haven’t I Danced the Big Dance? By Jack Mapanje The poem ‘Haven’t I danced the big dance?’ by Jack Mapanje concerns the traditional rain dance of a proud tribesman. The modern representation of his dance that he sees today provokes this nostalgic and emotional response. The speaker, a formal tribal rain dancer, is thinking back to the time when he used to dance this traditional dance, and looking at the new generation, dancing only for show, with sadness. The poem is divided into three stanzas, the two first ones being dedicated to the past, when he was a dancer, and the last one to the present. The first stanza talks about the way he used to dance this traditional rain dance, in a circle around the drums, with amulets, anklets and snakes. The second stanza is insisting on the energy he put into this dance, on how good he was. The third stanza brings us to the present time, now that his daughters are doing the dance, more as an attraction for tourists than as a real tradition, and the speaker is not able to show them the real meaning of the dance. This rain dance is part of the speaker’s traditions, and he seems to be very attached to it. He remembers the way they danced it in the arena to the sound of the big drums. They used to wear special clothes and use specific accessories, ‘Skins wriggled with amulets Rattled with anklets’ to make the dance seem real and magical, at the same time. It had a real value for the speaker. However, this dance, in which he had put so much energy into when he was younger, ‘How I quaked the earth How my skin trembled How my neck peaked’ had not kept the same value. He talks about the way the new generation, his daughters’ generation, dances the dance now, and emphasised the lack of authenticity it has. He says they just wear ‘babble-idea-men-masks’, to make it look like a traditional rain dance to tourists, while it is not really. He compares the ‘mystic drums’ he used to dance to, with the ‘slack drums’ his daughters dance to now. Finally, he lets us understand he would like to show the new generation how the big dance is supposed to be danced, what its original value. However, this helplessness is not the only emotion felt in this poem. At the beginning, the speaker reminisces on the old days, his glory days, both with happiness and excitement and with sadness and regret. As he describes the different characteristics of the dance and the way

The Paradox of Rich-to-Poor Capital Flow Essay -- North-South Capital

According to the Solow Growth Model, all countries will eventually converge to their long run steady state. If we consider the usual assumptions, of countries producing the same goods with the same constant returns to scale production technology, using (homogenous) capital and labour as factors of production, differences in income per capita income will reflect differences in per capita capital. Therefore, essentially if capital is allowed to flow freely, new investments should occur only in the poorer economy. However this is certainly not the case in reality. Most of the net capital flow in the past four decades has been north-to-north (rich countries investing in other rich countries), rather than north-south (rich economies investing in poorer ones) as predicted by the Solow Growth Model. Lucas (1990) compares the USA and India using data from 1988 to show that capital does not flow from rich to poor countries as predicted by the neoclassical growth model, and in setting out his simple framework he illustrates the paradox that exists. Assuming a production function y = Ax^B, the relative marginal productivity of capital (MPK) will be given by- rIndia/ rUS= (yIndia / yUS)^(ÃŽ ² -1)/ ÃŽ ². Plugging the data from 1988 in, we find that the marginal product of India should be 58 times that of the USA, as a result of which all investment should flow from the US to India. This is where the paradox lies-in reality such flows are not observed. The law of diminishing returns implies that the marginal productivity of capital will be higher in poorer countries. If this model is correct, and the capital markets are free and complete, investment should take place in India and other poor countries, and not in the USA or other richer countres... ...11. 3. Michael A. Clemens. (2002). Do Rich Countries InvestLess in Poor Countries thanthe Poor Countries Themselves?†. Available: www.jstor.com. Last accessed 20th Jan 2011. 4. Jonathan Eaton Mark Gersovitz Joseph E. Stiglitz. (1986). THE PURE THOERY OF COUNTRY RISK. Available: http://www.nber.org/papers/w1894.pdf. Last accessed 20th Jan 2011. 5. Wei, Shang-Jin. (2000). Local Corruption and Global Capital FlowsComment and Discussion. Available: www.jstor.com. Last accessed 20th Jan 2011. 6. Ays ¸e Y. Evrensel. (2004). Lending to developing countries revisited: changing nature of lenders and payment problems. Available: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6W8Y-4DS906V-1-1&_cdi=6667&_user=128590&_pii=S0939362504000615&_origin=search&_coverDate=09/01/2004&_sk=999719996&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzW-zSkWA&md5. Last accessed 20th Jan 2011. 7. Lecture Notes

The Dark Side of Customer Analytics

HBR CASE STUDY AND COMMENTARYHow can these companies leverage the customer data responsibly? The Dark Side of Customer Analytics Four commentators offer expert advice. by Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris Reprint R0705A An insurance company finds some intriguing patterns in the loyalty card data it bought from a grocery chain—the correlation between condom sales and HIV-related claims, for instance. How can both companies leverage the data responsibly? HBR CASE STUDY The Dark Side of Customer Analytics COPYRIGHT  © 2007 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. by Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris Laura Brickman was glad she was almost done grocery shopping. The lines at the local ShopSense supermarket were especially long for a Tuesday evening. Her cart was nearly over? owing in preparation for several days away from her family, and she still had packing to do at home. Just a few more items to go: â€Å"A dozen eggs, a half gallon of orange juice, and—a box of Dip & Dunk cereal? † Her sixyear-old daughter, Maryellen, had obviously used the step stool to get at the list on the counter and had scrawled her high-fructose emand at the bottom of the paper in brightorange marker. Laura made a mental note to speak with Miss Maryellen about what sugary cereals do to kids’ teeth (and to their parents’ wallets). Taking care not to crack any of the eggs, she squeezed the remaining items into the cart. She wheeled past the ShopSense Summer Fun displays. â€Å"Do we need more sunscreen? † L aura wondered for a moment, before deciding to go without. She got to the checkout area and waited. As regional manager for West Coast operations of IFA, one of the largest sellers of life and health insurance in the United States, Laura ormally might not have paid much attention to Shop-Sense’s checkout procedures—except maybe to monitor how accurately her purchases were being rung up. But now that her company’s fate was intertwined with that of the Dallas-based national grocery chain, she had less motivation to peruse the magazine racks and more incentive to evaluate the scanning and tallying going on ahead of her. Some 14 months earlier, IFA and ShopSense had joined forces in an intriguing venture. Laura for years had been interested in the idea of looking beyond the traditional sources of customer data that insurers ypically used to set their premiums and develop their products. She’d read every article, book, and Web site she HBR’s cases, whic h are ? ctional, present common managerial dilemmas and offer concrete solutions from experts. harvard business review †¢ may 2007 page 1 H BR C A SE S T UDY †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics Thomas H. Davenport ([email  protected] babson. edu) is the President’s Distinguished Professor of Information Technology and Management at Babson College, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and the director of research for Babson Executive Education. Jeanne G. Harris (jeanne. g. [email  protected] com) is an executive research fellow and a director of research at the Accenture Institute for High-Performance Business. She is based in Chicago. Davenport and Harris are the coauthors of Competing on Analytics (Harvard Business School Press, 2007). page 2 could ? nd on customer analytics, seeking to learn more about how organizations in other industries were wringing every last drop of value from their products and processes. Casinos, credit card companies, even s taid old insurance ? rms were joining airlines, hotels, and other service-oriented businesses in gathering nd analyzing speci? c details about their customers. And, according to recent studies, more and more of those organizations were sharing their data with business partners. Laura had read a pro? le of ShopSense in a business publication and learned that it was one of only a handful of retailers to conduct its analytics in-house. As a result, the grocery chain possessed sophisticated data-analysis methods and a particularly deep trove of information about its customers. In the article, analytics chief Steve Worthington described how the organization employed a pattern-based approach to issuing coupons. The marketing department understood, for instance, that after three months of purchasing nothing but WayLess bars and shakes, a shopper wasn’t susceptible to discounts on a rival brand of diet aids. Instead, she’d probably respond to an offer of a free doughnut or pastry with the purchase of a coffee. The company had even been experimenting in a few markets with what it called Good-Sense messages—bits of useful health information printed on the backs of receipts, based partly on customers’ current and previous buying patterns. Nutritional analyses of some customers’ most recent purchases were eing printed on receipts in a few of the test markets as well. Shortly after reading that article, Laura had invited Steve to her of? ce in San Francisco. The two met several times, and, after some fevered discussions with her bosses in Ohio, Laura made the ShopSense executive an offer. The insurer wanted to buy a small sample of the grocer’s customer lo yalty card data to determine its quality and reliability; IFA wanted to and out if the ShopSense information would be meaningful when stacked up against its own claims information. With top management’s blessing, Steve and his team had agreed to provide IFA with ten ears’ worth of loyalty card data for customers in southern Michigan, where ShopSense had a high share of wallet—that is, the supermarkets weren’t located within ? ve miles of a â€Å"club† store or other major rival. Several months after receiving the tapes, analysts at IFA ended up ?nding some fairly strong correlations between purchases of unhealthy products (highsodium, high-cholesterol foods) and medical claims. In response, Laura and her actuarial and sales teams conceived an offering called Smart Choice, a low-premium insurance plan aimed at IFA customers who didn’t indulge. Laura was ? ing the next day to IFA’s headquarters in Cincinnati to meet with members of the senior team. She would be seeking their approval to buy more of the ShopSense data; she wanted to continue mining the information and re? ning IFA’s pricing and marketing efforts. Laura understood it might be a tough sell. After all, her industry wasn’t exactly known for embracing radical change—even with proof in hand that change could work. The make-or-break issue, she thought, would be the reliability and richness of the data. â€Å"Your CEO needs to hear only one thing,† Steve had told her several days earlier, while they were comparing notes. Exclusive rights to our data will give you information that your competitors won’t be able to match. No one else has the historical data we have or as many customers nationwide. † He was right, of course. Laura also knew that if IFA decided not to buy the grocer’s data, some other insurer would. â€Å"Paper or plastic? † a young boy was asking. Laura had ? nally made it to front of the line. â€Å"Oh, paper, please,† she replied. The cashier scanned in the groceries and waited while Laura swiped her card and signed the touch screen. Once the register printer had stopped chattering, the cashier curled the long strip of aper into a thick wad and handed it to Laura. â€Å"Have a nice night,† she said mechanically. Before wheeling her cart out of the store into the slightly cool evening, Laura brie? y checked the total on the receipt and the information on the back: coupons for sunblock and a reminder about the importance of UVA and UVB protection. Tell It to Your Analyst â€Å"No data set is perfect, but based on what we’ve seen already, the ShopSense info could be a pretty rich source of insight for us,† Archie Stetter told the handful of executives seated around a table in one of IFA’s recently renovated conference rooms. Laura nodded in agreement, silently cheering on the insurance harvard business review †¢ may 2007 T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢H BR C A SE S T UDY company’s uberanalyst. Archie had been invaluable in guiding the pilot project. Laura had ? own in two days ahead of the meeting and had sat down with the chatty statistics expert and some members of his team, going over results and gauging their support for continuing the relationship with ShopSense. â€Å"Trans fats and heart disease—no surprise there, I guess,† Archie said, using a laser pointer to direct the managers’ attention to a PowerPoint slide projected on the wall. How about this, though: Households that purchase both bananas and cashews at least quarterly seem to show only a negligible risk of developing Parkinson’s and MS. † Archie had at ? rst been skeptical about the quality of the grocery chain’s data, but ShopSense’s well of informati on was deeper than he’d imagined. Frankly, he’d been having a blast slicing and dicing. Enjoying his moment in the spotlight, Archie went on a bit longer than he’d intended, talking about typical patterns in the purchase of certain over-the-counter medications, potential leading indicators for diabetes, and other statistical curiosities. Laura noted that as Archie’s presentation wore on, CEO Jason Walter was jotting down notes. O. Z. Cooper, IFA’s general counsel, began to clear his throat over the speakerphone. Laura was about to rein in her stats guy when Rusty Ware, IFA’s chief actuary, addressed the group. â€Å"You know, this deal isn’t really as much of a stretch as you might think. † He pointed out that the company had for years been buying from information brokers lists of customers who purchased speci? c drugs and products. And IFA was among the best in the industry at evaluating external sources of data (credit histories, demographic studies, analyses f socioeconomic status, and so on) to predict depression, back pain, and other expensive chronic conditions. Prospective IFA customers were required to disclose existing medical conditions and information about their personal habits—drinking, smoking, and other high-risk activities—the actuary reminded the group . The CEO, meanwhile, felt that Rusty was overlooking an important point. â€Å"But if we’re ?nding patterns where our rivals aren’t even looking, if we’re coming up with proprietary health indicators—well, that would be a huge hurdle for everyone else to get over,† Jason noted. arvard business review †¢ may 2007 Laura was keeping an eye on the clock; there were several themes she still wanted to hammer on. Before she could follow up on Jason’s comments, though, Geneva Hendrickson, IFA’s senior vice president for ethics and corporate responsibility, posed a blue-sky question to the group: â€Å"Take the fruit-and-nut stat Archie cited. Wouldn’t we have to share that kind of information? As a bene? t to society? † Several managers at the table began talking over one another in an attempt to respond. â€Å"Correlations, no matter how interesting, aren’t conclusive evidence of causality,† someone said. Ev en if a correlation doesn’t hold up in the medical community, that doesn’t mean it’s not useful to us,† someone else suggested. Laura saw her opening; she wanted to get back to Jason’s point about competitive advantage. â€Å"Look at Progressive Insurance,† she began. It was able to steal a march on its rivals simply by recognizing that not all motorcycle owners are created equal. Some ride hard (young bikers), and some hardly ride (older, middle-class, midlife crisis riders). â€Å"By putting these guys into different risk pools, Progressive has gotten the rates right,† she said. â€Å"It wins all the business with the safe set by offering low remiums, and it doesn’t lose its shirt on the more dangerous set. † Then O. Z. Cooper broke in over the speakerphone. Maybe the company should formally position Smart Choice and other products and marketing programs developed using the Shop-Sense data as opt in, he wondered. A lot of people signed up when Progressive gave discounts to customers who agreed to put devices in their cars that would monitor their driving habits. â€Å"Of course, those customers realized later they might pay a higher premium when the company found out they routinely exceeded the speed limit—but that’s not a legal problem,† O. Z. noted. None of the states that IFA did business in had laws prohibiting the sort of data exchange ShopSense and the insurer were proposing. It would be a different story, however, if the company wanted to do more business overseas. At that point, Archie begged to show the group one more slide: sales of prophylactics versus HIV-related claims. The executives continued taking notes. Laura glanced again at the clock. No one seemed to care that they were going a little over. â€Å"Exclusive rights to our data will give you information that your competitors won’t be able to match. No one else has the historical data we have. † page 3 H BR C A SE S T UDY †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics Data Decorum â€Å"Customers find out, they stop using their cards, and we stop getting the information that drives this whole train. † page 4 Rain was in the forecast that afternoon for Dallas, so Steve Worthington decided to drive rather than ride his bike the nine and a half miles from his home to ShopSense’s corporate of? ces in the Hightower Complex. Of course, the gridlock made him a few minutes late for the early morning meeting with ShopSense’s executive team. Lucky for him, others had been held up by the traf? c as well. The group gradually came together in a lightly cluttered room off the main hallway on the 18th ? oor. One corner of the space was being used to store prototypes of regional instore displays featuring several members of the Houston Astros’ pitching staff. â€Å"I don’t know whether to grab a cup of coffee or a bat,† Steve joked to the other s, gesturing at the life-size cardboard cutouts and settling into his seat. Steve was hoping to persuade CEO Donna Greer and other members of the senior team to approve the terms of the data sale to IFA. He was pretty con? dent he had majority support; he had already spoken individually with many of the top executives. In those one-onone conversations, only Alan Atkins, the grocery chain’s chief operations of? cer, had raised any signi? cant issues, and Steve had dealt patiently with each of them. Or so he thought. At the start of the meeting, Alan admitted he still had some concerns about selling data to IFA at all. Mainly, he was worried that all the hard work the organization had done building up its loyalty program, honing its analytical chops, and maintaining deep customer relationships could be undone in one fell swoop. â€Å"Customers ? nd out, they stop using their cards, and we stop getting the information that rives this whole train,† he said. Steve reminded Alan that IFA had no interest in revealing its relationship with the grocer to customers. There was always the chance an employee would let something slip, but even if that happened, Steve doubted anyone would be shocked. â€Å"I haven’t heard of anybody canceling based on any of our other card-driven marketing p rograms,† he said. â€Å"That’s because what we’re doing isn’t visible to our customers—or at least it wasn’t until your recent comments in the press,† Alan grumbled. There had been some tension within the group about Steve’s contribution to everal widely disseminated articles about ShopSense’s embrace of customer analytics. â€Å"Point taken,† Steve replied, although he knew that Alan was aware of how much positive attention those articles had garnered for the company. Many of its card-driven marketing programs had since been deemed cuttingedge by others in and outside the industry. Steve had hoped to move on to the ? nancial bene? ts of the arrangement, but Denise Baldwin, ShopSense’s head of human resources, still seemed concerned about how IFA would use the data. Speci? cally, she wondered, would it identify individual consumers as employees of particular companies? She reminded the group that some big insurers had gotten into serious trouble because of their pro? ling practices. IFA had been looking at this relationship only in the context of individual insurance customers, Steve explained, not of group plans. â€Å"Besides, it’s not like we’d be directly drawing the risk pools,† he said. Then Steve began distributing copies of the spreadsheets outlining the ? ve-year returns ShopSense could realize from the deal. â€Å"‘Directly’ being the operative word here,† Denise noted wryly, as she took her copy and passed the rest around. Parsing the Information It was 6:50 pm, and Jason Walters had canceled his session with his personal trainer— again—to stay late at the of? ce. Sammy will understand, the CEO told himself as he sank deeper into the love seat in his of? ce, a yellow legal pad on his lap and a pen and cup of espresso balanced on the arm of the couch. It was several days after the review of the ShopSense pilot, and Jason was still weighing the risks and bene? ts of taking this business relationship to the next stage. He hated to admit how giddy he was— almost as gleeful as Archie Stetter had been— about the number of meaningful correlations the analysts had turned up. Imagine what that guy could do with an even larger data set,† O. Z. Cooper had commented to Jason after the meeting. Exclusive access to ShopSense’s data would give IFA a leg up on competitors, Jason knew. It could also provide the insurer with proprietary insights into the food-related drivers of disease. The deal was cer tainly legal. And even in the court of public opinion, people understood that insurers had to perform risk analyses. It wasn’t the same as when that harvard business review †¢ may 2007 T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢H BR C A SE S T UDY online bookseller got into trouble for charging ustomers differently based on their shopping histories. But Jason also saw dark clouds on the horizon: What if IFA took the pilot to the next level and found out something that maybe it was better off not knowing? As he watched the minute hand sweep on his wall clock, Jason wondered what risks he might be taking without even realizing it. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Donna Greer gently swirled the wine in her glass and clinked the stemware against her husband’s. The two were attending a wine tasting hosted by a friend. The focus was on varieties from Chile and other Latin American countries, and Donna and Peter had yet to ? nd a sample they didn’t like. But despite the lively patter of the event and the plentiful food. Donna couldn’t keep her mind off the IFA deal. â€Å"The big question is, Should we be charging more? † she mused to her husband. ShopSense was already selling its scanner data to syndicators, and, as her CFO had reminded her, the company currently made more money from selling information than from selling meat. Going forward, all ShopSense would have to do was send IFA some tapes each month and collect a million dollars annually harvard business review †¢ may 2007 of pure pro? t. Still, the deal wasn’t without risks: By selling the information to IFA, it ight end up diluting or destroying valuable and hard-won customer relationships. Donna could see the headline now: â€Å"Big Brother in Aisle Four. † All the more reason to make it worth our while, she thought to herself. Peter urged Donna to drop the issue for a bit, as he scribbled his comments about the wine they’d just samp led on a rating sheet. â€Å"But I’ll go on record as being against the whole thing,† he said. â€Å"Some poor soul puts potato chips in the cart instead of celery, and look what happens. † â€Å"But what about the poor soul who buys the celery and still has to pay a fortune for medical overage,† Donna argued, â€Å"because the premiums are set based on the people who can’t eat just one? † â€Å"Isn’t that the whole point of insurance? † Peter teased. The CEO shot her husband a playfully peeved look—and reminded herself to send an e-mail to Steve when they got home. What if IFA took the pilot to the next level and found out something that maybe it was better off not knowing? How can these companies leverage the customer data responsibly? †¢ Four commentators offer expert advice. See Case Commentary page 5 T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics †¢ H BR C A SE S T UDY C ase Commentary by George L. Jones How can these companies leverage the customer data responsibly? The message coming from both IFA and ShopSense is that any marketing opportunity is valid—as long as they can get away with it. page 6 Sure, a customer database has value, and a company can maximize that value in any number of ways—growing the database, mining it, monetizing it. Marketers can be tempted, despite pledges about privacy, to use collected information in ways that seem attractive but may ultimately damage relationships with customers. The arrangement proposed in this case study seems shortsighted to me. Neither company seems to particularly care about its customers. Instead, the message coming from the senior teams at both IFA and ShopSense is that any marketing opportunity is valid—as long as they can get away with it legally and customers don’t ? gure out what they’re doing. In my company, this pilot would never have gotten off the ground. The culture at Borders is such that the managers involved would have just assumed we wouldn’t do something like that. Like most successful retail companies, our organization is customer focused; we’re always trying to see a store or an offer or a transaction through the customer’s eyes. It was the same way at both Saks and Target when I was with those companies. At Borders, we’ve built up a signi? cant database through our Borders Rewards program, which in the past year and a half has grown to 17 million members. The data we’re getting are hugely important as a basis for serving customers more effectively (based on their purchase patterns) and as a source of competitive advantage. For instance, we know that if somebody buys a travel guide to France, that person might also be interested in reading Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. But we assure our customers up front that their information will be handled with the utmost respect. We carefully control the content and frequency of even our own ommunications with Rewards members. We don’t want any offers we present to have negative connotations—for instance, we avoid bombarding people with e-mails about a product they may have absolutely no interest in. I honestly don’t think these companies have hit upon a responsible formula for mining and sharing cust omer data. If ShopSense retained control of its data to some degree—that is, if the grocer and IFA marketed the Smart Choice program jointly, and if any offers came from ShopSense (the partner the customer has built up trust with) rather than the insurance company (a stranger, so to speak)—the relationship could work. Instead of ceding complete control to IFA, ShopSense could be somewhat selective and send offers to all, some, or none of its loyalty card members, depending on how relevant the grocer believed the insurance offer would be to a particular set of customers. A big hole in these data, though, is that people buy food for others besides themselves. I rarely eat at home, but I still buy tons of groceries—some healthy, some not so healthy— for my kids and their friends. If you looked at a breakdown of purchases for my household, you’d say â€Å"Wow, they’re consuming a lot. † But the truth is, I hardly ever eat a bite. That may e an extreme example, but it suggests that IFA’s correlations may be ? awed. Both CEOs are subjecting their organizations to a possible public relations backlash, and not just from the ShopSense customers whose data have been dealt away to IFA. Every ShopSense customer who hears about the deal, loyalty card member or not, is going to lose trust in the company. IFA’s customers might also think twice about their relationship with the insurer. And what about the employees in each company who may be uncomfortable with what the companies are trying to pull off? The corporate cultures suffer. What the companies are proposing here is ery dangerous—especially in the world of retail, where loyalty is so hard to win. Customers’ information needs to be protected. George L. Jones is the president and chief executive officer of Borders Group, a global retailer of books, music, and movies based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. harvard business review †¢ may 2007 T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics †¢ H BR C A SE S T UDY C ase Commentary by Katherine N. Lemon How can these companies leverage the customer data responsibly? Customer analytics are effective precisely because firms do not violate customer trust. harvard business review †¢ may 2007 As the case study illustrates, companies will o on be able to create fairly exhaustive, highly accurate pro? les of customers without having had any direct interaction with them. They’ll be able to get to know you intimately without your knowledge. From the consumer’s perspective, this trend raises several big concerns. In this ? ctional account, for instance, a shopper’s grocery purchases may directly in? uence the availability or price of her life or health insurance products—and not necessarily in a good way. Although the customer, at least tacitly, consented to the collection, use, and transfer of her purchase data, the real issue here is the nintended and uncontemplated use of the information (from the customer’s point of view). Most customers would probably be quite surprised to learn that their personal information could be used by companies in a wholly unrelated industry and in other ways that aren’t readily foreseeable. If consumers lose trust in ? rms that collect, analyze, and utilize their information, they will opt out of loyalty and other data-driven marketing programs, and we may see more regulations and limitations on data collection. Customer analytics are effective precisely because ? rms do not violate customer trust. People believe that retail and other organizations will use their data wisely to enhance their experiences, not to harm them. Angry customers will certainly speak with their wallets if that trust is violated. Decisions that might be made on the basis of the shared data represent another hazard for consumers—and for organizations. Take the insurance company’s use of the grocer’s loyalty card data. This is limited information at best and inaccurate at worst. The ShopSense data re? ect food bought but not necessarily consumed, and individuals buy food at many stores, not just one. IFA might end up drawing rroneous conclusions—and exacting unfair rate increases. The insurer’s general counsel should investigate this deal. Another concern for consumers is what I call â€Å"battered customer syndrome. † Market analytics allow companies to identify their best and worst customers and, consequently, to pay special attention to those deemed to be the mo st valuable. Looked at another way, analytics enable ? rms to understand how poorly they can treat individual or groups of customers before those people stop doing business with them. Unless you are in the top echelon of customers— those with the highest lifetime value, say—you ay pay higher prices, get fewer special offers, or receive less service than other consumers. Despite the fact that alienating 75% to 90% of customers may not be the best idea in the long run, many retailers have adopted this â€Å"top tier† approach to managing customer relationships. And many customers seem to be willing to live with it—perhaps with the unrealistic hope that they may reach the upper echelon and reap the ensuing bene? ts. Little research has been done on the negative consequences of using marketing approaches that discriminate against customer segments. Inevitably, however, customers will ecome savvier about analytics. They may become less tolerant and take their business (and information) elsewhere. If access to and use of customer data are to remain viable, organizations must come up with ways to address customers’ concerns about privacy. What, then, should IFA and ShopSense do? First and foremost, they need to let customers opt in to their data-sharing arrangement. This would address the â€Å"unintended use of data† problem; customers would understand exactly what was being done with their information. Even better, both ? rms would be engaging in trust-building—versus trust-eroding—activities with customers. The esult: improvement in the bottom line and in the customer experience. Katherine N. Lemon (kay. [email  protected] edu) is an associate professor of marketing at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. Her expertise is in the areas of customer equity, customer management, and customer-based marketing strategy. page 7 T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics †¢ H BR C A SE S T UDY C ase Commentary by David Norton How can these companies leverage the customer data responsibly? Would customers feel comfortable with the data-sharing arrangement if they knew about it? page 8 Transparency is a critical component of any loyalty card program. The value proposition must be clear; customers must know what they’ll get for allowing their purchase behavior to be monitored. So the question for the CEOs of ShopSense and IFA is, Would customers feel comfortable with the data-sharing arrangement if they knew about it? ShopSense’s loyalty card data are at the center of this venture, but the grocer’s goal here is not to increase customer loyalty. The value of its relationship with IFA is solely ? nancial. The company should explore whether there are some customer data it should exclude from the transfer—information that could be perceived as exceedingly sensitive, such as pharmacy and lcohol purchases. It should also consider doing market research and risk modeling to evaluate customers’ potential reaction to the data sharing and the possible downstream effect of the deal. The risk of consumer backlash is lower for IFA than for ShopSense, given the information the insurance company already purchase s. IFA could even put a positive spin on the creation of new insurance products based on the ShopSense data. For instance, so-called healthy purchases might earn customers a discount on their standard insurance policies. The challenge for the insurer, however, is that there is no proven correlation between the urchase of certain foods and fewer health problems. IFA should continue experimenting with the data to determine their richness and predictive value. Some companies have more leeway than others to sell or trade customer lists. At Harrah’s, we have less than most because our customers may not want others to know about their gaming and leisure activities. We don’t sell information, and we don’t buy a lot of external data. Occasionally, we’ll buy demographic data to ? ne-tune our marketing messages (to some customers, an offer of tickets to a live performance might be more interesting than a dining discount, for example). But we think the internal transactional data are much more important. We do rely on analytics and models to help us understand existing customers and to encourage them to stick with us. About ten years ago, we created our Total Rewards program. Guests at our hotels and casinos register for a loyalty card by sharing the information on their driver’s license, such as their name, address, and date of birth. Each time they visit one of our 39 properties and use their card, they earn credits that can be used for food and merchandise. They also earn Tier Credits that give them higher status in the program and ake them eligible for differentiated service. With every visit, we get a read on our customers’ preferences—the types of games they play, the hotels and amenities they favor, and so on. Those details are stored in a central database. The company sets rules for what can be done with the information. For instance, managers at any one of our properties can execute th eir own marketing lists and programs, but they can target only customers who have visited their properties. If they want to dip into the overall customer base, they have to go through the central relationship-marketing group. Some of the information captured in ur online joint promotions is accessible to both Harrah’s and its business partners, but the promotions are clearly positioned as opt in. We tell customers the value proposition up front: Let us track your play at our properties, and we can help you enjoy the experience better with richer rewards and improved service. They understand exactly what we’re capturing, the rewards they’ll get, and what the company will do with the information. It’s a win-win for the company and for the customer. Companies engaging in customer analytics and related marketing initiatives need to keep â€Å"win-win† in mind when collecting and andling customer data. It’s not just about what the information can do for you; it’s about what you can do for the customer with the information. David Norton ([email  protected] com) is the senior vice president of relationship marketing at Harrah’s Entertainment, based in Las Vegas. harvard business review †¢ may 2007 T he Dark Side of Customer Analytics †¢ H BR C A SE S T UDY C ase Commentary by Michael B. McCallister How can these companies leverage the customer data responsibly? When the tougher, grayarea decisions need to be made, each person has to have the company’s core principles and values in ind. harvard business review †¢ may 2007 Companies that can capitalize on the information they get from their customers hold an advantage over rivals. But as the ? rms in the case study are realizing, there are also plenty of risks involved with using these data. Instead of pulling back the reins, organizations should be nudging customer analytics forward, keeping in mind one critical point: Any collection, anal ysis, and sharing of data must be conducted in a protected, permission-based environment. Humana provides health bene? t plans and related health services to more than 11 million embers nationwide. We use proprietary datamining and analytical capabilities to help guide consumers through the health maze. Like IFA, we ask our customers to share their personal and medical histories with us (the risky behaviors as well as the good habits) so we can acquaint them with programs and preventive services geared to their health status. Customer data come to us in many different ways. For instance, we offer complimentary health assessments in which plan members can take an interactive online survey designed to measure how well they’re taking care of themselves. We then suggest ways they can reduce their health risks or treat their existing conditions more effectively. We closely monitor our claims information and use it to reach out to people. In our Personal Nurse program, for example, we’ll have a registered nurse follow up with a member who has ? led, say, a diabetes-related claim. Through phone conversations and e-mails, the RN can help the plan member institute changes to improve his or her quality of life. All our programs require members to opt in if the data are going to be used in any way that would single a person out. Regardless of your industry, you have to start with that. One of the biggest problems in U. S. health care today is obesity. So would it be useful for our company to look at grocery-purchasing patterns, as the insurance company in the case study does? It might be. I could see the upside of using a grocer’s loyalty card data to develop a wellness-based incentive program for insurance customers. (We would try to ? nd a way to build positives into it, however, so customers would look at the interchange and say â€Å"That’s in my best interest; thank you. †) But Humana certainly wouldn’t enter into any kind of datatransfer arrangement without ensuring that our customers’ personal information and the ntegrity of our relationship with them would be properly protected. In health care, especially, this has to be the chief concern—above and beyond any patterns that might be revealed and the sort of competitive edge they might provide. We use a range of industry standard security measures, including encryptio n and ? rewalls, to protect our members’ privacy and medical information. Ethical behavior starts with the CEO, but it clearly can’t be managed by just one person. It’s important that everyone be reminded often about the principles and values that guide the organization. When business opportunities come along, they’ll be screened according to those standards—and the decisions will land right side up every time. I can’t tell people how to run their meetings or who should be at the table when the tougher, grayarea decisions need to be made, but whoever is there has to have those core principles and values in mind. The CEOs in the case study need to take the â€Å"front page† test: If the headline on the front page of the newspaper were reporting abuse of customer data (yours included), how would you react? If you wouldn’t want your personal data used in a certain way, chances are your customers wouldn’t, either. Michael B. McCallister ([email  protected] com) is the president and CEO of Humana, a health benefits company based in Louisville, Kentucky. 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